Genius Swordsman In Reverse Game

It was about two months before the mid-term evaluation.

"Hmm, the only ways to increase our stats are through dungeon runs, classes, and grinding… I guess we don't have much of a choice."

Jin Yuha gathered the party members and expressed his dissatisfaction by crossing his arms and tilting his head.

"Is there something wrong with us?"

Shin Se-hee asked Jin Yuha.

"You guys are too weak right now."

"Huh?"

"Sigh, the enemies we'll face will only get stronger. If we continue like this, we'll just get slaughtered. And it's not like I can handle everything on my own."

Shin Se-hee, who was the most receptive to Jin Yuha's words, asked, "Then what should we do?"

"Hmm, I'm still inexperienced myself, but it's clear to me now. We need to start training as soon as possible."

"Training?"

"Yeah, from now on, you guys will undergo nightly training sessions conducted by me."

At the same time, Jin Yuha muttered something under his breath that was inaudible to the others.

"Of course, it's not because I feel unfair that I'm the only one suffering or anything like that, right?"

The other party members, knowing that their combat abilities were inferior to Jin Yuha's, remained silent and nodded in agreement. However, Kang Do-hee couldn't help but furrow her brows.

'…You think I'm weak?'

Jin Yuha's words struck a nerve.

In Kang Do-hee's case, she had been practicing close-quarters combat with Jin Yuha for some time. It was a condition for their rematch, to escape his strange joint locks.

Of course, with each training session, ridiculous rumors would spread, and other students would sneak peeks at their training, which was a bit annoying.

-I, I… Can I ask him to teach me that too? I want to be pinned down by Jin Yuha too!

-Do you think you can handle it?

-Ah… I'm so jealous of Kang Do-hee. Did she close some SSS-class Gate or something? What kind of life do you have to live to…!

-Hey, I think I can see a bit of his chest there!

Grrr.

-Eek!

Since no one dared to speak openly in front of her, she let it slide.

Anyway.

'Fine, I admit that this grappling thing is useful.'

If you ignored the slightly embarrassing positions they ended up in, body-to-body, the training with Jin Yuha did provide significant insights and enlightenment on how to use one's body effectively.

However, the training always started with Jin Yuha already holding her tightly, and in a real fight, she might have been able to take him down before he even got close.

So, it was only natural that she couldn't take his words, 'You're weak,' at face value.

"Little Fool…"

But before Kang Do-hee could say anything, Jin Yuha interrupted, as if he had anticipated her response.

"Of course, you're stronger than me right now."

"…"

"But will that still be the case a year from now?"

"What?"

"I'm talking about my growth rate. Don't you think I'm getting too strong too quickly?"

At that, Kang Do-hee's body trembled.

It was something she had been thinking about ever since she realized Jin Yuha's true potential.

His growth rate was astonishing.

He was different from one week to the next.

Three days ago and three days from now were different. Yesterday and today were different.

Why, how was Jin Yuha able to get so strong so quickly?

While others were running on two legs, Jin Yuha seemed to have sprouted wings and was flying ahead at an incredible pace.

It made her anxious.

He was gaining strength at a rate unlike anyone else, and it was clear that he would eventually surpass even her. She couldn't help but imagine a future where she was left behind, reduced to a mere spectator of his solo flight.

Kang Do-hee had been increasing the time she spent on her solitary training, even cutting down on sleep, yet the gap between her and Jin Yuha was steadily narrowing.

"…"

Kang Do-hee said nothing, simply staring intently at Jin Yuha.

"I'm going to reveal that secret to you now. Can you trust me and undergo this training?"

.

.

.

Hah.

A bitter laugh escaped Kang Do-hee's lips as she recalled the memory.

She still didn't know Jin Yuha's past. She only knew the brief fact that he had lost his parents at a young age. It wasn't her style to dig into his past or force him to talk about something he didn't want to share.

But as she endured that hellish training.

She finally felt like she had caught a glimpse of the source of his unbelievable growth.

In reality, Jin Yuha had simply replicated Baek Seol-hee's education, but Kang Do-hee had no way of knowing that.

'Insane training.'

Jin Yuha exuded an intense aura as he addressed the party members.

It was an intense aura that evoked vivid imagery of having one's throat slit, something that a boy his age shouldn't possess.

'He's lived every day in the midst of death…'

It wasn't surprising that he had grown strong, given the circumstances.

Perhaps it was due to the loss of his parents. He had disregarded the value of his own life and obsessed over becoming stronger, undergoing the training of a madman. It was a regimen that no sane person could endure.

Honestly, Kang Do-hee had almost broken under the insane difficulty several times, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through, completing every training session.

She didn't want to be just a rival standing beside Jin Yuha. She didn't want to be a mere spectator, clapping from the sidelines.

.

.

.

"Ahahaha! You're cute. What? You want to get hit by your sister?"

Lingwei was momentarily taken aback but suddenly burst into laughter.

"Mad Dog, yeah, Mad Dog… I've heard the name somewhere, but you're just a promising rookie, right? You think you're something because people are fawning over you? Do you think you can even lay a finger on me if we fight now?"

Kang Do-hee assumed a fighting stance in front of her.

'Is this a Demon?'

According to Shin Se-hee, their opponent was a Demon.

Demon (魔人).

Humans who had forsaken their humanity, possessing intelligence and posing a dangerous threat, unlike monsters.

She had only heard about Demons but had never faced one in battle before.

Of course, there was that one time shortly after the entrance ceremony when a senior had turned into a Demon. She had joined the battle at Jin Yuha's call, but at that time, they had only fought the monsters the Demon had brought with her. By the time she reached Jin Yuha, the Demon had already self-destructed.

Sssss.

The weapon Lingwei drew from her subspace tattoo was a dagger.

Multiple daggers.

'She mainly uses throwing techniques.'

That subspace storage must be filled with an endless supply of daggers.

Damn, another long-range opponent.

It was a bit tricky for Kang Do-hee, who primarily relied on close-quarters combat, especially since her body was still fatigued from the intense fight with Lee Yoo-ri earlier.

'But who cares.'

Kang Do-hee smirked as she eyed the fox-like woman.

This was an enemy she had to defeat here and now.

And no doubt, Jin Yuha was fighting a bigger fish somewhere else.

If she couldn't even handle this small fry, she'd have to grovel and beg for the Little Fool's approval.

"Today, you're just going to take a beating from me."

Kang Do-hee whispered lowly, then leaped forward, charging at Lingwei.

Thwip!

Faster than expected, Lingwei's expression froze, and she swung her arm like a lightning bolt.

Swoosh!

Five daggers shot out from her fingertips. Each dagger carried a weighty presence that couldn't be ignored.

Kang Do-hee's eyes narrowed at the menacing daggers hurtling towards her.

-You were born with fiery mana, but that doesn't mean your head should be hot too.

-If you get excited just because you sense killing intent, you'll die right there.

Jin Yuha's voice echoed in her head.

'You little Fool bastard.'

I know that without you saying it!

Boom!

Ping! Ping!

She wrapped her hand in mana and deflected one of the daggers, causing it to collide with the other two and altering their trajectory.

Two daggers remained.

Kang Do-hee twisted her body mid-air to dodge them.

As she closed in, Lingwei drew a short dagger from her wrist.

'What a sneaky rat move.'

Kang Do-hee didn't try to dodge the dagger aimed at her head.

She simply reached out and grabbed the blade.

Crunch!

Sssss.

The red blood dripping from Kang Do-hee's palm fell to the ground.

"Hey, listen up."

Kang Do-hee stared straight at Lingwei.

"This unni recently learned a grappling technique in close-quarters combat, and I practiced it a lot."

"…"

Kang Do-hee's lips curled up.

"And you got caught just now, didn't you?"