I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

---

‘……There’s no need to reveal it right now.’

It was clear that they were tailing Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo.

If that weren’t the case, there would have been no reason to hide like that.

Despite encountering several crossroads until now, they had consistently followed Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo.

However, Kim Il-shin decided that there was no need to clarify that fact for the time being.

Rather than dealing with strange tricks from the unseen, it was better to let them remain within the range where he could sense them.

As of now, he had no idea what they were aiming for by following them.

‘I won’t inform Lee Yeon-woo either.’

The reason for this wasn’t particularly special; it was simply because it was obvious that Lee Yeon-woo had no talent for acting.

Seeing them follow from quite a distance, they seemed to be cautious individuals.

If Lee Yeon-woo showed any surprise when Kim Il-shin mentioned being followed, they could catch on to something unusual and change their plans.

That would only complicate matters, so it seemed best to keep watching them only through the Mujeongsi.

‘……This time it’s ahead.’

Just as he made that decision, violent movements were detected up ahead.

A group of large monsters was charging toward them.

Thud thud thud thud……

“This sound… It’s definitely monsters, right…?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Please move back.”

As they approached, a sound that shook the ground could be heard.

Kim Il-shin quickly moved Lee Yeon-woo away from the monsters’ path and took a step forward.

He could have fled, but he had a better idea.

Swish—

Kim Il-shin drew his Hyeonwol Sword and aimed it forward.

The mana he had gained from the elixir filled his entire body.

“Grrrr!”

Crushing through the tall grass obscuring his view was a herd of D-class monsters, Iron Deer.

With horns and hooves as tough as iron, they were formidable beasts.

It was dangerous for even higher-class monsters to block their advance.

Of course, the same went for Kim Il-shin.

‘I don’t plan to block your way either.’

The moment the herd of Iron Deer came into view, Kim Il-shin wielded the Hyeonwol Sword diagonally using Il-shin Pacheong-gong.

His target was the straight-standing pine tree beside him.

Crack!

With a clean split, the pine tree trunk toppled over, altering the course of the Iron Deer herd.

Suddenly changing direction, the front of the Iron Deer herd was hiding the ones who had been tailing Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo.

Rustle!

Startled, they attempted to move, but none of the three succeeded in escaping.

The Iron Deer herd surged forward, crashing into them, and those swept away by the powerful current simply vanished.

‘If you’re going to keep following, then suffer a bit.’

Thinking this, Kim Il-shin turned his head towards Lee Yeon-woo, who he had moved back.

And in that moment, he was taken aback.

Lee Yeon-woo had clasped her hands together in prayer, looking at him with eyes full of admiration.

She looked like a goddess welcoming a deity.

“That was a truly perfect Il-shin Pacheong-gong…! Kim Il-shin, you’re amazing. To execute such a complex flow of mana so simply… Should I call you the top of the class…?”

Lee Yeon-woo was someone who usually paid a lot of attention to the people around her.

But when it came to subjects she was interested in, she acted with such enthusiasm.

Kim Il-shin, who had not yet fully gotten used to her, felt bewildered every time she acted like this.

“…Thank you. Shall we set off again?”

“Ah, yes…!”

Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo began to climb the mountain again, and before long, the group following them started to trail once more.

‘Their skill seems quite decent.’

The speed and movement of the following group had not changed much from before.

It seemed they had sustained little to no injuries despite being swept by the Iron Deer herd.

‘Can they keep it up next time?’

Once again, movements were detected ahead.

This time as well, Kim Il-shin, blade drawn, internally mocked the ones behind.

*

“Let’s get out of here. From what I can tell, we’ve already been spotted by that guy.”

Baek Sung-jun, one of Park Seong-joon’s group, turned back and said. His face was twisted in anger.

However, Park Seong-joon, who was behind him, ignored Baek Gi-tae’s furious expression and flatly rejected his words.

“That’s nonsense. Until now, there’s been no case where we’ve been spotted. You’re telling me that brat did something no B-class hero could accomplish?”

“Then doesn’t this situation sound ridiculous? Unless that brat is deliberately sending monsters after us, this just doesn’t make any sense!”

“Shh, lower your voice…!”

Park Seong-joon quickly covered Baek Gi-tae’s mouth and peered ahead at Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo.

Confirming that they hadn’t heard Baek Gi-tae’s words, he let out a sigh of relief and said,

“Are you out of your mind? What do you plan to do if you get caught now?”

“Shut it! Look at me! And look at you!”

Baek Gi-tae pointed at himself.

His body looked like it had been lost in a dangerous wilderness for days, in poor condition.

His whole body was covered in bruises and scratches, and the camouflage cream smeared on his face and body had completely worn off.

Park Seong-joon, standing in front of him, was in even worse condition.

His robe was torn up at the sleeves and hem, turning it into something resembling a vest, and he couldn’t find one of his shoes.

His glasses were completely shattered, and his scruffy beard was full of patches.

It was a clear sign of having been ravaged by wire monkeys just before.

The remaining member was no different from them.

If discovered by rescuers, he’d be sent straight to the hospital.

What had put them in such a state was the monsters that Kim Il-shin had unleashed.

No matter how much they tried to prepare and evade, it was futile because of Kim Il-shin sending excited monsters at fatal timings and routes.

The process had repeated countless times from the beginning until now, and by the end, they were left in tatters.

All of this without any proper fights, just tailing.

“Still, I can’t give up. I can’t miss out on following that Lee Yeon-woo girl. We absolutely have to seize this opportunity.”

However, Park Seong-joon had no intention of giving up at all.

It was an obsession that even his comrades couldn’t comprehend.

“What the heck is wrong with you? Don’t you realize you don’t even know what they’re looking for? Or do you even know for sure why they came here? Is it just your wild imagination?”

Park Seong-joon remained unshaken even at the reasonable question posed by Han Joo-hyun, also a C-class hero behind him.

Instead, he countered, chiding Han Joo-hyun for questioning him.

“You guys don’t know Lee Yeon-woo well. Do you think that girl, who doesn’t want to go outside and only eats once a day, would come to Baekdusan for trivial matters? Especially with a stranger? …She’s definitely after something big. I’m sure of it.”

Park Seong-joon’s eyes sparkled with the gleam of desire as he looked at Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo.

He was completely consumed by greed.

“Just until now, she’s found hundreds of artifacts and relics, even the small ones combined. She donated them all for research and still earned billions. I’m sure she’s here to find something like that again.”

At that statement, desire flickered in Baek Gi-tae and Han Joo-hyun’s eyes as well.

The price for artifacts ranged from hundreds to hundreds of billions.

If they played their cards right, they could make enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Of course, that was premised on Park Seong-joon’s claim being correct.

“If it’s a relic, I get it, but you know that artifacts belong to the one who discovers them, right? You guys take care of the profit. I just need the research results.”

Park Seong-joon continued, glaring at Baek Gi-tae and Han Joo-hyun in turn.

“Has anything I said been wrong? Or have I ever cheated you out of money? No, right? Why are you acting like this? Let’s just do it as we’ve been doing.”

Having said that, Park Seong-joon pushed ahead, leaving the other two behind.

Baek Gi-tae and Han Joo-hyun exchanged glances for a moment before following Park Seong-joon.

‘If there’s nothing there, I’ll kill that bastard Park Seong-joon first.’

That thought crossed their minds as well.

Kreeeeek!

But the monster attacks continued repeatedly afterward.

Each time, they had to forcibly swallow back frustrated exclamations.

*

“Ugh, huff… I think we’ve finally all arrived…”

Lee Yeon-woo said, panting.

Even with the use of a sports aid, she looked on the verge of collapse.

Kim Il-shin had offered to carry her due to his concern for her condition, but Lee Yeon-woo had firmly declined all offers.

‘She says she’s embarrassed because of sweat, can you believe that?’

Yet Lee Yeon-woo persisted and managed to reach their destination.

It took longer than expected, though.

“There it is…!”

Lee Yeon-woo pointed forward with a bright smile.

Beyond the thick, long grass and vine, the entrance to the hidden ruins became visible.

It was far larger than Kim Il-shin had imagined from the pictures.

If opened, it seemed a bus could easily pass through.

Crackle.

The ones trailing Kim Il-shin and Lee Yeon-woo seemed to have caught sight of the ruins as well.

He could feel them starting to stir violently.

‘It’s about time to deal with them.’

He didn’t plan to attack first.

He wanted to deal with them all at once if possible, and there was a good way to create such a situation.

‘Once the door opens, they’ll crawl out on their own.’

Thinking this, Kim Il-shin moved closer to the entrance of the ruins, following Lee Yeon-woo.

Now it was time to open the door and deal with those pesky flies.