Chapter 41

EP.41 Proposal (3)

Professor Kim Myunghyun swung the sword he had taken out a few times in the air.

Such a light movement.

Even though he had just swung the sword for a moment...

An indescribable dignity could be felt.

"The Flowing Water Sword is the lightest among the soft and flowing water swords."

"The lightest sword?"

"Yes. Do you know that both the Wave Sword Technique and the Flowing Water Sword Technique are based on the movement of water?"

At his question, I nodded.

"Yes. I heard from Professor Tak Wonho that the Wave represents the rough flow of water, and the Flowing Water represents the gentle flow of water, right?"

The waves of the surging water.

The gentle flow of the flowing water.

The two sword techniques, despite their contrasting names, had distinctly different properties.

"You're right. To give a more specific example, if the Wave is like the rough waves of the sea, the Flowing Water can be seen as the gentle flow of a river."

Professor Kim Myunghyun used [Chain Strike] in the same way.

He swung the sword at a rapid speed.

"Therefore, the purpose of the Flowing Water Sword Technique is to swing the sword more gently or more lightly. This is why the Flowing Water is specialized in slicing rather than thrusting."

The speed at which he swung the sword gradually increased.

...It's becoming hard to see with the naked eye.

"The ultimate skill, Flowing Water Swift Sword, is the same. While maintaining the form of the softest sword, it moves at an even faster speed. It uses the power of mana to add more force to the speed."

"Ah... I see."

"That's why the assistance of a movement rune is essential for the Flowing Water Swift Sword. There are areas of the rune that can't be covered by speed alone. Do you, Holder Joonjae, have a movement rune?"

"Ah, yes, I do."

The movement rune is a common rune held by assassin-type holders.

I, an outlier in the holder world, didn't have such a common rune...

But fortunately, I had a rare rune that was even better than a normal one.

[Agile Movement].

Along with the [Charge] of the rush type, it is one of my core speed runes.

Suddenly, Professor Kim Myunghyun's sword pointed at my waist.

"Then, Holder Joonjae, would you like to try using the Quarter Knife on me?"

"...What?"

I was momentarily taken aback.

To throw a dagger at my teacher...

Especially a high-level [Dagger] derivative skill...

Now, it's an attack that carries a considerable amount of mana.

I might get hurt if I make a mistake.

"It's fine. I won't get hurt, so give it a try."

But I immediately agreed when I saw his smiling face.

Professor Kim Myunghyun is an A-rank holder.

Frankly, even if I use my full strength, I can't defeat him.

Moreover, as an A-rank holder, his durability is quite high.

My [Quarter Knife] would have a hard time penetrating his durability.

It probably won't leave any significant wounds.

I took out the four daggers from my waist.

"Whoa...!!"

Now, the throwing stance is familiar.

After a moment of concentration...

I immediately threw the [Quarter Knife] at Professor Kim Myunghyun.

Arm, leg, chest, stomach.

I tried to avoid the vital points just in case.

The daggers were thrown with a terrifying momentum.

It seemed they would soon pierce Professor Kim Myunghyun's body and draw blood.

"Flow."

"...Huh?"

But something strange happened.

With the small command "flow."

Professor Kim Myunghyun, who had been swinging the sword slowly, suddenly swung it at an incredible speed that was almost invisible to the eye...

and deflected all four daggers of the [Quarter Knife].

Even his steps, which he had been taking slightly, were invisible.

'Too fast...!!'

Seeing this, I realized that Professor Kim Myunghyun was demonstrating the [Flowing Water Swift Sword] himself.

[Flowing Water Swift Sword].

This is a skill that uses extreme speed to slice the target or deflect all incoming projectiles.

In the face of overwhelming speed.

None of my daggers reached Professor Kim Myunghyun.

When the skill's use ended...

The daggers were already embedded in the ground, and he had sheathed his sword.

"That's how it's done. It's quite easy, right?"

After the situation ended, Professor Kim Myunghyun smiled.

It's unfair.

I didn't even see how he used it.

* * *

The first semester of the academy has ended.

This semester was quite significant for me.

I became a personal disciple of two renowned professors and received their teachings, successfully tackled the monster that appeared in the academy and its source, the underground dungeon.

After that, I also prevented a murder in the safety zone and completed the semester-end evaluation.

There were many incidents, and I gained various experiences as a holder.

Most encouraging of all...

I, who was in the temporary lower class at the time of enrollment as an F-rank holder, have now improved my abilities to the level of a C-rank holder in the upper class.

'Even though I did cheat a bit...'

The fraudulent performance of [Rune Hunter] and the other fraudulent rune [Sweat of the Seeker] I obtained through it.

Through these two runes, I achieved rapid growth.

Of course, I also put in a lot of effort.

But for a holder who grows their runes normally, it would be impossible to move from the temporary lower class to the upper class in just one semester.

"Who wants to use the warp gate to Busan together?!"

"Looking for a temporary D-rank warrior holder for a party! Right now!"

"Yeah, the price of mana stones keeps dropping~ If it goes bankrupt, that's it~"

"Take a photo! I'll help you preserve the moment as a memory!"

The bustling central road of the academy announced the end of the semester.

Students were preparing to go home, using the training grounds or library, and making their own summer vacation plans.

Passing through the noisy central road of the academy.

I had arrived at the building for the special classes.

Before the semester ended.

To receive the equipment I owed from Chae Yumin.

"Here...!!"

Inside the building, in the study lounge.

Chae Yumin, who was sitting on one side, raised her hand.

She seemed to have brought the items she had made in advance, as quite heavy-looking equipment was neatly stacked beside her.

I smiled and waved back.

Then I approached and sat down in front of her.

"Hi. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. You haven't come to get equipment for a while, Joonjae."

The number of equipment requests we agreed on is five times a month.

Since the last dungeon raid, when I lost one and got a new sword, I haven't visited her, so I owe her more than ten pieces of equipment.

I understand why the equipment is piled up next to Chae Yumin.

"Have you been working hard this whole time?"

"Yeah! I also got a new rune this time."

"What? Hey, you don't have to tell me that."

Information about runes, skills, and stats is something holders keep to themselves as an unwritten rule.

While it's possible to roughly measure stats with machines and gauge rune levels through some tests...

Ultimately, the runes you possess are known only to you, and runes are the power of the holder.

Even if I know the runes of most key figures, it's a matter of me knowing, not them telling me.

Like Kang Juyeon last time and Chae Yumin...

Why do they all treat me like this?

"Hehe- It's okay. I got the new runes because of you, Joonjae. Thank you. The investment funds were really, really helpful."

Chae Yumin smiled, smoothing her brown hair.

The new rune she probably obtained is [Iron-Blooded Armorer].

It will become her trademark in the future.

'Pretty fast.'

It's surprising that Chae Yumin has already obtained this rune.

I thought she would get it after the first year...

Obtaining a rune in just one semester is quite fast.

'Are blacksmiths really that quick to get something when they work hard?'

An epic rune highly regarded in the armorer series.

To get it just by giving a few supports...

Chae Yumin seems to be as talented as Park Jinwoo or Kang Juyeon.

She will likely steadily grow this rune and show even more outstanding results as a blacksmith.

"Your skills are more than enough to get that. Once you start making high-level equipment, the investment funds will seem trivial. I just got lucky and signed a cheap contract."

"Hehe. Thanks for saying that."

"Let's stop the embarrassing talk and look at the equipment, shall we?"

"Okay!"

Chae Yumin took out a sword from the pile of equipment next to her and handed it to me.

...Did she carry all of this herself?

Magic bags aren't that expensive...

I should give her one as a gift if I get the chance.

"Maybe because my rune level has gone up... the item information is now showing."

As she said, as soon as I received the sword.

The information window immediately appeared in front of my eyes.

<Item Information>

◎Name: Well-Honed Longsword

◎Type: Sword

◎Grade: Normal

◎Durability: Normal

◎Craftsman: Chae Yumin

◎Special Effects: -

◎Detailed Information

: A decent longsword made by a blacksmith who has just started. It has a solid and sharp edge.

Finally, the item information for Chae Yumin's creations is showing.

The items she made before didn't show any information, just like weapons made by ordinary people.

Blacksmith-type rune holders start to have their creations recognized as items once they reach a certain level. Chae Yumin, who has shown steady growth recently, has finally reached that level.

Moreover, even if it doesn't have much significance, the phrase "well-honed" is attached.

It means it's a bit better than a regular longsword.

Although it's still at the initial stage, with a normal grade and no special effects, it's important that her equipment is now recognized as an "item."

"Congratulations. You're now a proper blacksmith-type holder."

"Thanks. And that sword, even though I made it, it's really good! I used a B-rank mana stone as the core."

"What? Why did you use such an expensive one?"

"Hehe- It was the first sword I made after getting the new rune, so I wanted to make it properly."

After hearing her words.

It makes sense why the longsword has the "well-honed" descriptor.

A B-rank mana stone is worth 42 million won.

Using expensive and good materials naturally improves the quality of the equipment.

'Even so, using half of the support funds... '

Chae Yumin has her own stubbornness in certain areas.

That's probably why she became a famous blacksmith later.

I nodded and stroked the hilt of the sword.

"Then I'll use this a bit later."

Chae Yumin looked puzzled.

"Huh? Why? Isn't it better to use it right away?"

"Um... I have to use some ordinary weapons first."

My current ability is at the C-rank holder level.

But in reality, my registered rank in the Holder Association is an unranked holder.

After becoming a holder and registering, I immediately enrolled in the academy and never had the chance to update my rank.

'But it's different now.'

I need an official C-rank holder rank.

The reason is simple.

The S-rank monster, Swall Leviathan, which I've been planning to hunt.

To participate in the raid to hunt this large monster that appears in the field, I need to be at least a C-rank holder.

Since all my main stats are over 30, I won't fail the C-rank promotion in the stat test.

So what's left is the performance.

I need the results of dungeon raids or field hunts.

'It should take about three days.'

If I wait any longer, Swall Leviathan will appear first.

I need to show all my results and update my holder rank before then.

During those three days.

I plan to use all the equipment Chae Yumin gave me...

and hunt without a moment's rest.