I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 40 : Guidance Instructor (2)

Time flew by quickly, and it was already Thursday.

"You're here."

"Yes."

There were only Su-hyeon and Instructor Lee Ho-seung in the training room.

'It's desolate.'

Normally, at least two or three people would receive guidance together, and with senior students joining, it could exceed five or six people.

But here, because everyone had fled, the only remaining cadet was the freshman Su-hyeon.

"Aren't there any seniors?"

"They ran away crying long ago. Weak bastards."

Despite Lee Ho-seung's notoriety, cadets who had applied based on his active-duty reputation soon regretted it and had to change their guidance instructors.

'Not only is the training intensity beyond words, but his expectations for talent and skill are also very high.'

Su-hyeon thought.

'It feels like to be considered someone who learned under him, you need to be at a level where you wouldn't lose anywhere.'

"But for you, having one-on-one training with me without seniors—isn't that a sweet deal?"

"I guess it could be seen that way."

"Of course, of course."

Lee Ho-seung, who had been giggling, became a bit more serious.

"A sword is an interesting weapon."

"Why is that?"

"Hehe, think about the history of swords."

His words continued.

"In the beginning, the sword was regarded as a symbol of cold weapons. In actual battlefields, bows and spears were more powerful weapons, but swords had the advantage of being easy to carry anywhere and offering much room for technical mastery. But there's one advantage that surpasses all of these—do you know what it is?"

Su-hyeon's head tilted sideways.

"I wonder."

"It's fucking cool."

"That's... hmm."

Su-hyeon nodded with a serious face.

"I can't deny that."

"Right. A sword is somehow a cool weapon. I've lived my whole life captivated by this thing called a sword."

He chuckled and said.

"Guns, cannons, tanks, missiles. In the dazzling evolution of weapons, the era of cold weapons ended long ago. What remained in modern times was at best children's play, competing with bundled bamboo or wooden sticks carved to imitate swords. During that time, the sword was in a long sleep of death."

However.

"The demonic beasts that poured through the Gates were a disaster for humanity, but a time of revival for the sword. Humans who awakened to a new power called mana appeared, and as they became able to infuse mana into swords, cold weapons could once again surpass firearms."

Lee Ho-seung's words were imbued with an almost strange obsession.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"It means sword energy is a powerful weapon."

"That's right. A swordsman who can deeply handle sword energy can cut anything they desire."

In other words.

"A swordsman who cannot manifest sword energy, no matter how excellent their technique, is just a half-wit who can't even defeat guns and artillery, let alone Ma-in and demonic beasts."

"That's right."

For this reason, if a hunter or Execution Force member wanted to use a sword as their main weapon, manifesting sword energy could be said to be an essential condition.

'Of course, people who can skillfully manifest sword energy at a cadet's age are rare.'

In fact, even Jeremy McGarr was still barely at the level of manifesting spear energy.

'If that guy could coat his spear with spear energy and then ignite flames over it, he would produce power on a completely different dimension from now.'

Su-hyeon thought.

"As you know, guidance instructors can change depending on the situation. The first condition for me to acknowledge you is for you to be able to manifest sword energy."

"I understand."

Lee Ho-seung.

A swordsman who is said to have diminished power compared to his prime due to injuries sustained in past battles.

But he was a character who could show abilities beyond his prime depending on the game's progression.

'Above all, I like the Spartan-style approach.'

Lee Ho-seung's guidance method of pushing to the limit had good compatibility with Su-hyeon's Unlimited.

"What is sword energy? It's the act of flowing mana into a sword and materializing it. Thereby gaining sharpness and strength. That's not something that happens just with simple sensation or characteristics."

"Then what's important?"

"Knowing the sword."

Lee Ho-seung asserted.

"You must be able to fully feel the sensation, shape, and weight of a sword even with your eyes closed, even without holding it in your hand."

"Feeling the sword."

Su-hyeon repeated as if reciting.

"Just as you can only say you know a person after meeting them daily and conversing, would a sword be any different?"

Lee Ho-seung tapped the sword at his waist and said.

"Immerse yourself in the sword, be absorbed in the sword. And finally, forget the sword."

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Well then, shall we start talking while holding a sword?"

Instructor Lee Ho-seung pulled out his sword together with its scabbard.

"Yes."

I nodded.

"My sword is a custom-made order that I directly commissioned."

Unlike Lee Un-hak, his former teacher, it was a sword with a hand-and-a-half length grip.

Also, the blade length was moderate, and the width of the sword was somewhat broad, suggesting it could demonstrate power in slashing attacks.

'Looking at its structure and principles, it's closer to Western swords.'

"Can you guess why I made it this way?"

Having heard it enough times to make my ears hurt, I couldn't help but know.

"To take advantage of both sides, isn't it?"

"More specifically?"

"The advantages of thin, light, and long one-handed swords like rapiers, small swords, and fencing weapons. That is, the first reason would be to capture the lightness that focuses on thrusting and footwork."

"Oh my."

Seeing his eyebrows twitch, I continued.

"Also, the second reason would be to utilize both the power and subtleties of two-handed swords that can be found in longsword fencing and kendo."

"Did you learn swordsmanship somewhere?"

"If I had to specify, I did learn some from Yu-jin."

When it was difficult to answer, selling Yu-jin's name always worked wonders.

"Ah, no wonder."

As expected, Lee Ho-seung nodded as if he understood.

"Your words are correct. My sword has the agility and length for thrusting, and while it's not particularly heavy compared to a Japanese sword or saber, the center of gravity is well-balanced enough to be sufficiently used for slashing attacks. In some ways, it's a sword that's neither here nor there."

But, he raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

"With this sword, I've created my own path. Now, there's no one who can argue about the ambiguity of my sword. Because I've proven it."

"That's correct."

His tactics resonated with the form I was pursuing in many aspects.

"Of course, it's true that my swordsmanship is different from others. So let me ask you one thing. Do you want to use a sword like me? Or do you intend to use tactics closer to sword & buckler, like you did in the practical class?"

Sword & buckler.

It was a branch of European swordsmanship where a small, round shield is attached to the left hand to assist in offense and defense, while a one-handed sword is held in the right hand.

"Neither."

"Then?"

"I'll keep my left hand bare. My hand itself will become my secondary weapon."

Unlike Instructor Oh Chang-seong's reaction.

This man's eyes sparkled with interest and curiosity.

"Your left hand as a secondary weapon? How so?"

"In various ways. Active grappling techniques, irregular checks and counters, preemptive attacks in ultra-close situations. Also, it can add power to slashing attacks if necessary."

"Hmm, not bad."

Lee Ho-seung was satisfied.

"Having your own picture is a very important attitude."

"Thank you."

"I can see again why you chose me."

His swordsmanship, using a hand-and-a-half sword, had many similarities with what I was pursuing.

'After all, this is a tactic I conceived based on memories of learning from him.'

He smiled.

"Let me show you that your choice wasn't wrong."

Lee Ho-seung slowly drew his sword from its scabbard.

And at that moment.

The image of a laid-back middle-aged man disappeared, and a swordsman with a blue-hot edge that seemed to cut just by looking appeared before my eyes.

Woooong.

Along with the sword's cry, a translucent light of mana enveloping the blade rose up.

"This is my sword energy."

The sword energy manifested by someone of Lee Ho-seung's caliber naturally revealed his essence as a swordsman.

His sword energy was emitting a pure, beautiful, yet destructive light.

"Huuu."

With one breath, the sword became one with him.

"Watch carefully."

I immediately activated Eye Power.

It was to see the sword strikes he would unfold with my best effort.

'Here it comes.'

Lee Ho-seung took a step forward and slashed upward with his sword.

"!"

A thrill that ran up my spine made my eyes open wide.

It was just a single slash.

But.

The way he placed his stepping foot, the elegance with which he fully transmitted the center of gravity through axis and rotation, all movements coming together in an optimal form to create a single trajectory.

These things existed only for a fleeting moment, but they were intensely etched in my mind like film.

"Kid. Do you finally have respect for your master?"

Lee Ho-seung, who had quickly returned to his original appearance, chuckled.

"You really are an interesting fellow. What did you see in that one slash to make such an expression?"

To his question, I simply answered:

"I saw the sword."

"Haha! That's right. What you saw was the sword. Nothing more, nothing less."

The appearance of Lee Ho-seung laughing like that looked different.

'For my body to become accustomed to handling a sword at that level, I still have a long way to go.'

It was a thrill I hadn't felt in a long time.

The knowledge learned through a monitor and the subtleties of actually using one's body to learn couldn't possibly be the same.

'The same goes for boxing. Even though it involves directly using the body so there's less discrepancy, the realm I need to learn is still high.'

"Hehehe, this guy is really interesting."

Lee Ho-seung was pleased with my deep contemplation.

"You, your eyes are very good?"

"They tend to be."

"Having good eyes is the foremost quality of a martial artist. How much can you see? That's where the depth of imitation and development differs."

Lee Ho-seung's words pierced the core.

"That's good. See, feel, and steal my sword to your heart's content."

It seemed he quite liked me.

"Can I really steal as I please?"

"Of course. I have a well that won't run dry no matter how much you steal from it."

That boast had a firm basis.

"Then shall we begin with formal teachings now?"

Lee Ho-seung said.

"How do you usually spend your time after daily routines?"

"Before dinner, I do high-intensity cardio, and afterward spend time on high-intensity physical training, sparring, and sword practice."

"Hmm. Cancel that today."

"Yes."

At my answer without even a moment's hesitation, Lee Ho-seung laughed with a "kick."

"You're quite straightforward. What you need right now is to swing a sword so many times that you forget the count. The weight of the sword, the length of the sword, the sharpness of the sword, the feel of the sword, and the observing gaze of your body when you swing the sword."

"So you're saying I should understand the sword simply by swinging it again and again."

"That's right. Does it seem like a crude method?"

"I don't think the sophistication of a method guarantees the result."

"Huh, this guy says similar things to our master."

Lee Ho-seung gave a hollow laugh.

'The Sword God grandfather is also old school.'

He was a man who had dedicated his life to the sword even before the Gate Era.

It would be stranger for such a person not to be old school.

"All you need right now is a large full-length mirror and a sword."

He handed me a well-shaped practice sword.

"Draw it."

Sling.

With a pleasant sound, a sharpened real sword was drawn out.

"Is it okay to let a cadet swing something like this?"

"As long as you keep your mouth shut, there's no problem, what does it matter?"

"That's true."

"Khah! This guy and his answers."

Lee Ho-seung patted my shoulder.

"First, try swinging while being conscious of each movement. Keep repeating and get familiar with each movement, and be able to weave them into one flow."

"Yes."

"Eventually, at some point, your body will remember those movements separate from your consciousness. If you surpass even that stage, you'll be able to perform the appropriate movements smoothly according to your will and judgment."

It was the same concept as mentioned in sports science.

"And finally, the sword following your will. That's the starting point of a good swordsman that I acknowledge."

"You're demanding."

"If you can't do it, you can find another instructor even now."

"That won't happen."

"I like that spirit at least."

I gripped the sword and took a stance, recalling the sword strike Lee Ho-seung had shown.

"Huuu."

Gathering my breath, I observe my own body.

I contemplate and measure the process and entirety of the slash he had wielded.

While being mindful that the body finds a balance between the difficult to reconcile relaxation and appropriate tension.

I put weight on my stepping foot and exploded all my power at once.

Bwoong!

'Good.'

The power and precision imbued in the sword cutting through the air were quite decent.

"How was that?"

When I turned around, Lee Ho-seung's expression was strange.

"......"

He seemed surprised, and also somewhat perplexed.

"...Hey."

"What's wrong?"

Lee Ho-seung, who had been moving his lips, asked with difficulty:

"...How did you just do that?"