A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 38

─The Guildmaster must be heartbroken.

─By the way, what about the successor of the Ascendance? The Song family has always carried on the Ascendance.

One day, Song Ji-hyuk’s two sons lost their lives.

The cause was an accident in a dungeon.

Those around him sympathized with Song Ji-hyuk, but he remained a cold father.

Upon hearing the news of his children’s deaths, he offered a brief reflection.

‘If I have another child, they won’t be ready to succeed me when I retire.’

Since things had already gone awry, Song Ji-hyuk decided to think positively.

He lied publicly about their talents, but in truth, they were children with no talent whatsoever.

Sons whose deaths would not be mourned at all.

He made excuses about missing his deceased sons and resolved to find a capable child.

‘Find the most outstanding child in the country.’

Song Ji-hyuk was able to find a decent child without much difficulty.

An orphan with the best talent among his peers nationwide.

Song Ji-hyuk gave the child a name.

‘From now on, your name will be Song Seok-hwan.’

Thus, Song Seok-hwan became the successor of the Ascendance Guild.

─The Guildmaster’s son?

─I can’t accept that an adopted child is the successor of the Ascendance.

At first, Song Seok-hwan was rejected by everyone.

In the Ascendance, which valued authenticity, Song Seok-hwan was not recognized.

No matter what he did, the same words followed him.

Adopted.

Adopted, adopted, adopted, adopted, adopted…

It was exhausting.

It felt like my head was going to burst.

Song Seok-hwan hated the word “adopted.”

That mundane life changed one day.

─Are you the prodigy, Song Seok-hwan?

A social party where famous hunters and the children of conglomerates mingled.

It was there that Song Seok-hwan met Ahn Se-hyun of the Geumok Guild.

Ahn Se-hyun was the king of the party.

The heir of Geumok, one of the three major guilds.

Everyone gathered at the party followed Ahn Se-hyun.

Song Seok-hwan was also an heir of a prestigious lineage, but he was different in terms of bloodline.

Song Seok-hwan was adopted, while Ahn Se-hyun was a biological child.

That difference led to Song Seok-hwan being ostracized in the social scene, while Ahn Se-hyun reigned like a king.

─You’re the adopted son of Uncle Song Ji-hyeok? A filthy brat whose origins are unknown, just stay quiet from now on.

Again, that tiresome talk about being adopted.

Song Seok-hwan hated those words.

So much so that he was prepared to be kicked out of the guild and overturned everything.

The man who was the heir of Geumok was nothing special.

─That guy, Ahn Se-hyun, like that…

─The heir of the prodigy defeated the heir of Geumok!

It was strange.

He thought he would be scolded. He thought he would be criticized.

But instead of condemnation, everyone spoke well of Song Seok-hwan.

─They say the young master knocked down the heir of Geumok?

─Wow, this is the difference in talent.

─As expected of our young master.

That wasn’t the end.

For the first time, Song Seok-hwan saw his father smile.

‘My son must not be looked down upon by Geumok. Well done.’

Well done.

The brief compliment lingered in Song Seok-hwan’s mind for a long time.

The first praise he received was so sweet.

Though he had never tried drugs, wouldn’t this be what it feels like if he did?

‘I need to be recognized.’

From that moment, Song Seok-hwan changed.

He had to be superior to anyone else. He must not be looked down upon by anyone.

He wanted to be the proud successor of the flight, the proud son of his father.

‘My son Seok-hwan, you are exceptional.’

‘Yes.’

‘Can you become the best in the country?’

‘Yes.’

‘Go to Florian and be the best.’

Florian Academy, where only the top talents from across the nation gather.

If he became the best here, it would prove that Song Seok-hwan was the most outstanding in the country.

‘Huh?’

But the reality was miserable.

Second place.

That was the grade given to Song Seok-hwan.

‘I must be excellent. I must…’

Outperformed by Park Seo-hu, ignored by Ahn Se-ri, shattered by Cha Eun-woo.

The days spent at the academy were the worst.

Every day felt like hell.

The more he struggled, the deeper he seemed to sink into the quagmire.

【Kill that b*stard.】

When did it start, the voice began to echo.

Every time he heard it, murderous intent surged within him.

A hero exists to protect people.

He must never kill.

But he couldn’t help it; he simply couldn’t suppress the urge to kill.

The professor who had made him this way.

If Cha Eun-woo were to disappear, it seemed like I could return as an excellent heir, a beloved son.

“I will kill him. I will definitely kill him.”

The flames of Song Seok-hwan’s heart blazed fiercely.

* * *

Heroes are ranked from S to F based on their abilities.

At the lower ranks, one could rise simply by accumulating achievements, but from rank D onward, the skills corresponding to the rank were necessary.

Though it was just a single rank, there was a significant gap between them.

Ryeo-un was a B-rank hero.

The level was different from the C-rank heroes I had faced until now.

Swish—

In an instant, a dagger aimed for my neck.

If I moved when I heard the sound cutting through the air, it would be too late.

I had to feel the tremor in the air on my skin and react in advance to evade.

Whoosh!

“Ugh!”

Ryeo-un’s dagger grazed my skin lightly.

It wasn’t a deep wound, but the area burned as if on fire.

It seemed the blade was coated with poison.

A slight graze was manageable, but if this continued to accumulate, it would be dangerous.

Ryeo-un attacked unilaterally once more, then vanished into hiding.

Swoosh—

“You coward…”

Hiding, he stabbed with a poisoned dagger and then concealed himself again.

It was the essence of an assassin.

In other words, it was utterly filthy and despicable.

“Is this all you’ve got? You think a man like you can save the young master?”

Using a sword, I had no way to approach someone who struck quickly and retreated just as fast, and casting magic was not easy to land.

Whoosh!

I swung my sword wide at the approaching Ryeo-un, but it missed.

He far outpaced me in speed.

“Indeed, you are not worthy of saving the young master.”

Yet, a clue to the solution emerged.

It seemed that Ryeoun’s stealth was not exceptionally effective.

Just before the attack, as he drew closer, I caught a glimpse of him for a brief moment.

“So that’s it.”

This damned game was not without reason for the players to complain about its difficulty.

For instance, the mechanics of the skills were unnecessarily intricate and complex.

Not all stealth was the same just because it was called stealth.

Each faction that passed down the skills had different mechanics, leading to different strategies for overcoming them.

Ryeoun was a named NPC, but he mostly moved from the shadows, with no combat scenes to speak of.

So even I had no idea about any of the skills he used.

But now that I faced him directly, I understood.

I knew how to bring him down.

“Let the lecture begin. The topic is how to deal with assassins.”

“Nonsense, you can never defeat me!”

* * *

Chaeeng!

A swift attack while concealed.

Then, back into stealth.

It was a simple pattern, yet the one on the receiving end had no idea what had hit them or how.

This was the assassin’s victory pattern.

There was no way a professor could escape.

“Wind Burst!”

Whoosh!

The wind exploded like a bomb.

It was the fastest magic of the four elemental attributes, yet it did not reach Ryeoun.

Too slow.

Moreover, the direction of the magic was off.

You can never win against me.

‘Wow, he’s incredibly strong. Isn’t Ryeoun capable of defeating anyone?’

‘No, that’s just a grain of sand in the vast world.’

‘Hey, then what does that make me? It means my loyal subordinate is a grain of sand.’

‘That is…’

‘Ryeoun has to be strong. Only then will I, the master, hear good things.’

Young master.

The kind one who smiled at a sinner like me.

Your servant can kill anyone.

“Wind Arrow!”

“……!”

Whoosh-!

The arrow made of wind shot directly towards Ryeoun.

Ryeoun crossed his daggers to block the magic.

But he couldn’t hide his surprise.

He was clearly in hiding.

“How….”

“I realized your invisibility is a childish trick. It’s just a barrier that refracts light to block vision, right? When the wind stirred up and kicked up dust, there was an unnatural space where the dust moved.”

To think he had already seen through it.

I had fought countless duels, but this was the first time I faced such an opponent.

He truly is extraordinary.

A professor, and a highly esteemed one at that in Florian.

Perhaps, perhaps this person could…

‘Young master, the one who was so kind.’

Just being by Song Seok-hwan’s side made me happy.

When he smiled, Ryeoun smiled along.

When he was sad, Ryeoun felt sad too.

Song Seok-hwan was the one who saved Ryeoun.

─Did you dip into the guild funds because of your family?

─Just an E-rank hero! Do you think no one has a family?

Even now, the irreversible sin committed that day vividly came to mind.

The night when I thought everything was over.

—

A person who reached out a hand to Ryeoun.

‘What a funny guy. Give him to me.’

‘It’s, it’s dangerous. How could I, a sinner, be given to the young master…’

‘The decision is mine. Is the family struggling? I’ll help. Sell me your body and soul completely.’

From that day on, Song Seok-hwan became everything to Ryeoun.

A person with a heart warmer than anyone else.

He was that kind of person, but then he changed one day.

In an instant, Ryeoun closed the distance and thrust a dagger toward Cha Eun-woo’s brow.

Clang!

He reacted just in time.

Ryeoun’s dagger was blocked by Cha Eun-woo’s sword.

Stealth became useless, but it didn’t matter.

Ryeoun’s greatest weapon is speed.

Without giving him a chance to counterattack, she launched a series of strikes with her dagger.

Cha Eun-woo looked strained just defending.

‘I couldn’t even change the young master, whom I brought here.’

Right.

It was a foolish thought.

To entrust the young master to someone else was absurd.

“Professor Cha! I couldn’t save the young master. But do you, who are weaker than me, dare to think you can save him? You’re boasting that you’ll save the young master with that skill?”

The blade whirled like a fierce downpour.

Ryeoun’s blade was coated with a deadly poison that could affect even a hero.

If you dismiss it as just a minor wound, you’ll face a great calamity.

Noticing that fact, Cha Eun-woo decided to take a gamble.

Swish!

He blocked Ryeoun’s dagger and aimed for her body.

Ryeoun immediately reacted and twisted her body.

‘I already know your sword!’

Swoosh—

The blade’s path sharply turned.

—

—

Ryeoun was already evading the first strike.

He had perfectly seized the moment.

Cha Eunwoo’s carefully prepared decisive blow.

“I’ll teach you that there’s always someone above the one who jumps.”

Boom!

A switcheroo.

Ryeoun’s figure vanished, leaving only a log in its place.

Cha Eunwoo’s sword split the log in two.

“……!”

Cha Eunwoo looked around, searching for Ryeoun.

He was nowhere to be found.

Then it must be above.

Cha Eunwoo raised his sword high, ready for an attack from above.

Ryeoun laughed.

“Too bad. I’m below.”

Crash!

The ground Cha Eunwoo was standing on crumbled, and Ryeoun appeared.

There was no way to block this ambush with a motion directed upwards.

Ryeoun’s dagger aimed straight for his heart.

“Gah!”

You truly didn’t have the right to save the young master.

How could a man who can’t even defeat someone like me save the young master?

Cha Eunwoo twisted his body, barely dodging the attack aimed at his heart.

Well, that’s fine.

If I can end it completely with the next strike…

“……!”

What the hell.

When did this happen?

Ryeoun’s arm was caught by Cha Eunwoo.

This is absurd.

—

This was not a realm possible with mere reaction speed.

‘No way!’

A trap.

Everything that blocked the way was a trap.

This man had been thinking only of this from the very beginning.

“If you catch the fast one, it’s over. Class dismissed.”

A massive surge of mana was felt.

Ryeoun sensed it instinctively.

Ah, this is the end.

“Lightning Strike!”

A blue bolt of lightning struck down at Ryeoun.

A powerful spell that could finish off a tank in one blow.

It was an attack that a frail assassin’s body could not withstand.

As Cha Eunwoo released Ryeoun’s arm, he collapsed weakly.

“…How could such a spell be cast in such a short time…?”