I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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After finishing his commission, Kim Il-shin returned to the dormitory and washed off the blood that had stained his body.

It was all the enemy’s blood. He had not sustained any injuries during this battle.

Vroom—

At that moment, his phone, which he had left on one side, started vibrating. Upon checking, he found that the commission reward had already been deposited.

11,780,000 won. Though it seemed like a lot for completing one commission, considering the danger of the Black Tiger Gang, it was reasonable.

Including that, there had been many gains from this commission. Real combat experience, Bloodstone, and one more thing.

Suuuuu…

Just like when he faced the members of the Black Tiger Gang, he spread his mana and connected it to the circuit.

The name that briefly came to his mind was Muryeongsi (霧靈視).

The circle composed of fine mana allowed him to sense not just the movements inside but also the terrain in detail.

He could move without difficulty, even with his eyes closed.

‘Pretty useful.’

It could be used not only in battle but also in searches and reconnaissance.

However, his proficiency was still lacking, and he could only extend it about 1 meter.

But later, he would be able to control a massive space without limits.

‘I need to train diligently.’

Adding Muryeongsi to his training list, Kim Il-shin lay down on his bed.

It was a little early to sleep, but he closed his eyes early to shake off any lingering fatigue that might remain.

*

The next day, after finishing classes, he headed to the shopping district inside the academy.

“Okay, everyone, take a look around!”

“Hey, student! Come here! We got some good stuff today! You won’t regret it!”

Walking down the street, there were many people trying to attract customers. However, every single item in those shops was of poor quality.

There was no need to stop anywhere else; he headed straight to his destination.

Arriving at a small, shabby weapon shop in a corner of an alley.

‘It looks like it’s going to collapse soon.’

Despite the appearance, it was a well-known weapon shop that everyone in the know recognized.

The prices were outrageous, but the quality was impeccable. The store’s owner was a dwarf, after all.

The Great Rift that occurred in 1945.

At that time, multiple dimensions connected to this world in the form of dungeons, and what came out from there was not only enemies.

Life forms that had formed communities in other dimensions had also crossed over to this world.

Most could not adapt to human society’s culture and laws and either vanished or went into hiding, but there were those who successfully adapted and lived.

The most representative race among them was, of course, the dwarves.

They boasted craftsmanship far superior to that of humans and were active in various related fields.

The most representative of these was, naturally, blacksmithing.

Ding—

As he entered the weapon shop, he saw a woman with yellow hair slumped over the counter. She was small, like a child, befitting her dwarf lineage.

Her body barely reached an adult’s waist, with a youthful face. Fortunately, she did not have a beard.

Her name was Hanarin. Though she looked like that, she was destined to stand at the top of the blacksmithing field in the future, and her skills were already refined.

“Here for a sword?”

The question came out of nowhere. When Kim Il-shin casually asked how she knew, Hanarin answered with a nonchalant expression.

“Just by looking at your hands, it’s obvious you’re a swordsman. If a swordsman came to this place, they must be looking for a sword.”

Her observational skills were astonishing. Regardless of her skills, it hadn’t been long since Kim Il-shin had trained with a sword.

Even though he hadn’t yet developed calluses, she noticed he was a swordsman.

As Kim Il-shin walked toward the counter, Hanarin pulled out three swords from below and laid them out.

“Pick one at random and take it.”

It looked like she was recommending the swords. However, Kim Il-shin thought there were many issues with them.

“They don’t look very good.”

“What seems to be the problem?”

Hanarin asked back, as if she had been waiting for this. Kim Il-shin pointed out the flaws one by one.

“This one has impurities mixed with the iron, this one’s balance is off, and this one’s too hard so it’ll break quickly.”

With his talent allowing him to even communicate with swords, it was even harder not to notice the issues.

Hearing his response, Hanarin nodded in satisfaction.

“Hmm, you’ve got good eyes. Take the one in the middle. No, not that one, the one next to it.”

As he picked up the sword Hanarin pointed to, it fit him perfectly as if it was custom-made.

It was once again a testament to her keen observational skills.

But the reason he was there was different.

“I’m here not to buy, but to place a custom order.”

“Huh? Then you should’ve said so earlier! You know I usually don’t take commissions, right? If I don’t like the materials or the money, I won’t accept it. I’m a busy person.”

Ignoring her, he took out the Bloodstone. Hanarin’s eyes widened in shock.

“T-this… is this really yours…?”

“Yes. I obtained it during this commission.”

“How did you fill the gauge…? It’s not linked to anything strange, right?”

“When I got it, it was about 80 percent full, and I filled the rest with criminals. I have a clearance from the police station, so its origin is solid. I’d like to use this to make a sword.”

Now Hanarin was practically drooling. The thrill coursed through her as the Bloodstone was slowly bared before her.

“They say even the master of Sanwoolim Forge could only handle fragments; I get to use this whole thing…”

As her hands almost touched the Bloodstone, she pulled back, looking like a puppy that had just had a toy snatched away.

“Well, I think I’ll go somewhere else.”

“…Why?! Why, why, whyyyy! I can do better!”

Hanarin rushed out, grabbing the hem of Kim Il-shin’s pants and pleading loudly.

She was so surprised that tears welled up in her large eyes.

“Well, considering what you showed me earlier, your skills didn’t look that great.”

“Those were just failed attempts! I’m usually good at this!”

He knew, but she looked so shocked, her eyes opened wide.

“Testing without permission? I’m not feeling great about this.”

“I’m sorry! I just wanted to test since your eyes didn’t seem ordinary when you came in…”

“You’re being a bit short with a customer.”

“I’m sorry!”

Now she was starting to have the proper attitude. Folding her arms, she muttered as if she was truly troubled.

“Well, they say your skills are good. It’s hard to find someone else.”

“Right?! So how about you let me handle it? I’m really confident!”

Now it seemed like she thought things were settled as she relaxed her grip on his pants.

However, she quickly came back with her next words.

“But isn’t the price here a bit steep? I’m still a student, so money is a bit tight. Wow, this sword looks really expensive.”

“Half price! I’ll do it for half price!”

“How much is half price?”

“About 600…?”

Seeing her still trying to pull a fast one made him chuckle.

A blacksmith gains fame through the masterpieces they create. Just handling valuable materials like Bloodstone would skyrocket their reputation.

It meant they had the skills worthy of being entrusted with such precious materials.

If he took the Bloodstone to another forge, people would line up to pay to take on the commission.

However, he chose this place because Hanarin’s skills surpassed theirs.

Yet her attitude was still lacking. Without hesitation, he turned his back, speaking without a trace of regret.

“Sorry.”

“Free! I’ll do it for free! Just let me engrave my name on it…!”

He stopped and glanced at Hanarin’s face. Her gaze held a desperate longing, the likes of which he hadn’t seen before.

She should have been like this from the beginning.

“Hmm…”

After a final moment of deliberation, he handed the Bloodstone to Hanarin.

“Alright. I can agree to the engraving.”

“Thank you! It’ll probably take about a week, so please write down your contact information!”

Hanarin, holding the Bloodstone, bounced into the back workshop like a child who had just received an early Christmas present.

Immediately, the sound of her working the forge diligently could be heard.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

Kim Il-shin stepped outside with a refreshing expression.

Though the process hadn’t been smooth, it was a satisfactory transaction for both the blacksmith and the customer.

Really.

*

Another week passed.

Hanarin had been so absorbed in making the sword that she hadn’t even opened the shop, but it still wasn’t completed.

Therefore, the Blue Moon Sword still hung at Kim Il-shin’s waist.

When Joo Chae-rin lent it to him, she said he could use it freely until he returned it, so he planned to keep using it until the sword was finished.

‘Is today the day for dungeon exploration practice?’

There are various responsibilities for a hero, but the main one is singular: to conquer dungeons.

These dungeons, generated without regard to location, threaten the safety of citizens, so heroes are tasked with conquering them and eradicating them.

Thus, the academic calendar includes periodic dungeon exploration practice classes. The assigned scores are also high.

The participants entering the dungeon come in all shapes and skills, but the academy recommends at least four members.

However, as more students dropped out when they reached the third year, most original teams had gaps.

The teacher, well aware of this, allowed time to form teams before the practice.

The current atmosphere in the dungeon exploration practice room was chaotic for that reason.

“…Hey, do you have a team right now? We’re lacking a front-line member.”

“Oh, sorry. I already submitted my list.”

Since having good teammates greatly increases the chances of receiving a high score, everyone was desperately searching for team members.

Among that, Kim Il-shin’s surroundings were relatively quiet.

However, it wasn’t that he was being ostracized as before. Rather, they were cautiously eyeing each other to recruit him.

Having won the duel against Park Jun-hyuk and completed Joo Chae-rin’s assignment.

In fact, he had successfully completed a mid-high difficulty commission not long ago, so the rumors about him pulling weird tricks had quieted down.

Thus, to the teams that didn’t have all their members, he was like a high-lottery ticket with a decent chance.

“Whoa, those two?”

“Insane, right?”

The commotion around them grew louder at that moment. Two people confidently walked over to Kim Il-shin.

“Kim Il-shin. Join my team.”

“You, come to our team.”

Both Baek Ha-yeon and Seo Ye-ryeong spoke simultaneously, looking surprised at each other.

“No thanks.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Kim Il-shin flatly refused. He had no intention of forming a team.