Iron-Blooded Twin Swords were strong, but Jin Jeong-mook wasn’t weak either.

Still, this was a bit much.

Jin Jeong-mook wasn’t someone who could use a powerful Gwanglim like Kim Yuri if he lost his sword, nor was he like Joo Soo-hyeok who could ignore physical and logical causality to activate Ssanggeomilshin and grab his swords again.

Not even holding onto his swords until the end was serious.

‘If he’d fought as he usually does, he wouldn’t have been crushed that badly.’

Even if the gap in skill and experience was so vast that the outcome of the duel could be predicted from the start, there was always something to learn from a fight.

But Jin Jeong-mook hadn’t shown even a bit of his true strength, so in this match, all he could tell was simply that Iron-Blooded Twin Swords were strong.

In fact, the Iron-Blooded Twin Swords were stronger than Joo Soo-hyeok, and Jin Jeong-mook lost to that very Joo Soo-hyeok, so losing seemed natural.

Still, Jin Jeong-mook had repeatedly challenged players skilled with the sword at Eunkwang High—teachers and students alike—and had watched many such fights, so he knew well.

But this time, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) he hadn’t shown how he wielded the sword at all.

‘Did he lose heart during the fight because his opponent was too strong? If so, he should have broken mentally a long time ago when he dueled White Tiger. Besides, Jin Jeong-mook was looking forward to this duel with Iron-Blooded Twin Swords. He was happy when he made a deal with Joo Soo-hyeok before.’

Though I missed the chance to watch the duel between White Tiger and Jin Jeong-mook firsthand, I watched Joo Soo-hyeok’s fight from start to finish.

Before the duel, Joo Soo-hyeok had made a condition.

If Jin Jeong-mook won, Joo Soo-hyeok would arrange a duel between Jin Jeong-mook and Iron-Blooded Twin Swords, even if it meant shortening his own training time.

But since Jin Jeong-mook lost, that condition fell through.

‘Even though Jin Jeong-mook lost, he fought much better than now. But what exactly was Joo Soo-hyeok’s condition?’

Come to think of it, the condition for Joo Soo-hyeok’s victory was still unknown.

He had deliberately kept it hidden at the time, and the only clue was the conversation between the two afterward.

― Why did you set such a condition?

― Because my friend seemed about to do something dangerous for other friends.

― Seems like a condition that doesn’t go against human righteousness. Understood.

In the end, the condition remained a mystery.

All I could be sure of was how deeply Joo Soo-hyeok cared about his friend.

After a while, Jin Jeong-mook got up, grabbed his sword, and respectfully bowed to Iron-Blooded Twin Swords.

Iron-Blooded Twin Swords looked like he wanted to say something as an educator, but perhaps judging that Jin Jeong-mook didn’t have the capacity to accept it, he simply returned the greeting and withdrew.

Then, matches alternated between winners’ and losers’ duels based on the first round.

Watching the masters’ dazzling fights made Jin Jeong-mook’s crushing defeat stand out even more.

‘Kim Yuri is also holding her own against that Wind Forest Lord.’

Within Jeolheuk Poongnim (Absolute Black Wind Forest) there were many subordinate organizations.

The same was true of Eternal Lake and Red Lion.

They usually had intuitive names like Intelligence Strategy Team, Media Response Team, Medical Support Team, but Jeolheuk Poongnim was different.

Most had obscure names like Poongnimdang or Hyunyoungdae, making it hard to guess what they actually did.

Anyway, the Poongnimdang was led by the Poongnimdang Lord, who specialized in attacking demon gardens within Jeolheuk Poongnim.

Therefore, he was skilled at countering the demon abilities that were not well known in this world and handled Kim Yuri’s “Magnolia of Overlapping Flowers” swiftly and skillfully.

‘He’s targeting the threatening magnolia petals precisely. He must know Kim Yuri’s ability beforehand, but his situational judgment is quick.’

Poongnim (Wind Forest) means a forest with beautiful scenery, but it can also mean a forest made to block wind.

If an evil cultist tried to sweep the martial world with wicked winds, they meant to stop it like a forest.

The heavy black sword of the Poongnimdang Lord blocked and erased the magnolia petals Kim Yuri had summoned.

If Kim Yuri’s swordsmanship were a bit better, she might have found a gap, but the skill gap was too large.

However, if he had wanted, the Poongnimdang Lord could have crushed her by force anytime, but instead he continued to encourage the use of Gwanglim, as if to test Kim Yuri’s strength.

‘Did he figure out why Kim Yuri joined this duel? If he investigated Jin Jeong-mook’s classmates, he’d have some idea.’

The class president seemed to have good grades and decent skill but had almost no experience in otherworldly raids.

Even during practice, she held back by teachers’ instructions.

Yet suddenly, recommended by the Ho Clan, she appeared on the Jeolheuk Poongnim duel stage and displayed tremendous power.

Based on this, the Poongnimdang Lord realized Kim Yuri had chosen this place to test her strength and seemed to want to help her fully unleash it.

Attacking demon gardens requires solving countless gimmicks, so it often can’t be solved by force alone—she was truly a player with much raid experience.

Kwaaahhh!

Magnolia petals the color of the sea dissolved in the air, and the seawater tried to swallow the Poongnimdang Lord, but the sword was faster.

A fierce energy wave swiftly infused the blade, and the heavy-looking sword moved faster and more erratically than the wind.

Then the small sea Kim Yuri had summoned scattered, and droplets of seawater fell like rain around the duel stage.

The audience was momentarily speechless.

It was impressive enough that she split water droplets with her sword to make rain, but no one got wet, nor was there any water residue left on the stage.

The water marks left between the stage and the stands showed what had just happened.

“No, stop.”

Before Kim Yuri could summon the next magnolia petal, the Poongnimdang Lord warned her.

“If you use that power any more, those above you will get capricious. To prevent an emergency, I must knock you out. If I don’t do it, someone else will intervene.”

Kim Yuri was approaching her limit.

The Poongnimdang Lord seemed to sense a higher being’s presence during the fight with Kim Yuri and also noticed Jukho’s presence sending fervent gazes.

His eyes briefly glanced at Jukho.

Even though the Poongnimdang Lord knew Kim Yuri had been recommended by the Ho Clan as the team’s sub-master of Jeolheuk Poongnim, he wouldn’t know she was Jukho’s disciple.

But it seemed he had observed the audience during the duel and found someone acting differently than in other fights.

“And your friends’ duels are still left. Wouldn’t it be better to watch?”

The Poongnimdang Lord smiled kindly and looked toward where I sat.

The Black Forest Sword Saint, team master of Jeolheuk Poongnim, was in his twenties and sometimes criticized as too young and unreliable, but the middle-aged Poongnimdang Lord made up for that lack of experience.

Some mocked that he hadn’t abandoned his martial artist concept even at his age, but those people would change their minds seeing how he took care of Kim Yuri.

‘Actually, if she’d forced herself to squeeze out strength, she could have controlled her abilities and kept fighting, but it’d be hard to watch the remaining duels comfortably. He considered that too.’

Kim Yuri immediately realized this kindness, withdrew her energy wave, and bowed politely.

To those watching the duels, she spoke loud enough to be heard clearly.

“...I lost. Thank you for teaching me!”

Waaahhh!

When Kim Yuri admitted defeat, cheers erupted, and the referee announced the result.

Even as the Poongnimdang Lord and Kim Yuri exchanged bows again, the cheers didn’t cease. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Only two from Jeolheuk Poongnim participated—Poongnimdang Lord and Jin Jeong-mook—but not only did Poongnimdang Lord prove his outstanding martial prowess, he also showed magnanimity, maintaining the host’s dignity.

‘There are many reasons Kim Yuri stepped back so willingly, including to watch the fight between me and Joo Soo-hyeok. She wants to show a good fight.’

And one more reason was born.

I looked at Jin Jeong-mook suffering while watching the duel.

The dazzling fight just shown and Jin Jeong-mook’s poor performance were so different that comparing them was embarrassing.

The person involved would feel it keenly without anyone pointing it out.

Jin Jeong-mook tried to hide his expression, but the veins on his clenched fist stood out, and his pupils trembled slightly.

Soon it was my turn to head to the duel stage.

“...I wish you both good fortune.”

As I stood, Jin Jeong-mook squeezed out those words.

Right now, I couldn’t think of anything to say to him.

But there was one thing I could do.

Show a good fight.

“I’m watching closely. I’ll be back.”

Jin Jeong-mook nodded slowly but firmly.

Despite appearances, that was his best answer.

I tore my eyes away from Jin Jeong-mook and looked toward the duel stage.

On the opposite side, Joo Soo-hyeok approached, his sharp, honed aura radiating.

Though brief, I could feel that he had collected himself and maximized his focus in preparation for the duel.

“Jo Yi-shin versus Joo Soo-hyeok!”

As our names were called, loud, short cheers rang out, then quieted.

The audience was clearly eager for Joo Soo-hyeok’s fight.

As if everyone was frozen, no one even made the slightest noise of clothes brushing.

“Start the duel!”

At the referee’s call, I manifested the divinity of Joamdogwang, and Joo Soo-hyeok materialized Dubitnarae.

Joo Soo-hyeok raised his twin swords like spreading wings and charged at me.

The subtle energy waves surrounding his twin swords rushed fiercely, as if to shatter my greatsword.

Still, I couldn’t let the sword Eunho made and I held be broken so easily.

Kaaang!

Instead of showing off techniques, Joo Soo-hyeok tried to test pure strength first, so I responded by swinging my greatsword.

After just one clash, my palm felt hot as if electric currents ran through it, and a heavy sensation followed.

Perhaps feeling something similar, Joo Soo-hyeok stepped back and adjusted his Dubitnarae.

“Pure strength alone won’t decide this.”

Immediately after, wings sprouted from Joo Soo-hyeok’s back.

To be exact, they were lights shaped like wings but so tangible that they appeared as wings.

He used his Gwanglim, ‘Flawless Wingbeat.’

After testing strength once, without giving me time to react, he immediately activated Gwanglim, clearly intending to go all out from the start.

‘He’s fighting at full power.’

Joo Soo-hyeok raised his twin swords at an angle like wings, and the wings transformed into magical energy that infused the blades.

From now on, he could swing his swords imbued with any elemental magic he wanted—fire, gusts, waves, light, or darkness.

But the change didn’t stop there.

‘No way, that’s...’

Before Joo Soo-hyeok infused his swords with magic energy to realize power, the flow of his energy waves shifted oddly.

I knew what that movement of energy waves meant, but seeing Joo Soo-hyeok use that power was hard to believe.

He looked surprised for a moment, then smiled brightly.

The audience, who had been watching silently, realized what was happening and gasped in shock all around.

Joo Soo-hyeok slowly floated into the air and stopped.

At that moment, Joo Soo-hyeok acquired the flight skill.