NoveLight ™
It was around the time the morning training had ended.
In one of the corridors leading to each section, groups of disciples were gathered.
The sound of murmurs filled the air, as everyone’s gaze was directed upward.
The reason their eyes were fixed on the large wooden board hanging there was simple.
Written on that wooden board, in neat rows, were the names of all the disciples.
The names were listed because two months had passed since the disciples had entered the academy, and it was now time to see how each had performed.
The board displayed a sort of report card from the academy, showing how well the disciples had been doing in both the education and training provided by the Shinryong Hall.
Here, the emotions of joy and sorrow were evident.
There were those whose faces showed despair and frustration, while others, having secured a high rank, wore relieved expressions.
Although they would have to check their standing several more times, the first experience was always the most impactful.
For the younger disciples, especially those who had never ventured into the martial world before, it would serve as a harsh wake-up call.
Though all those gathered here were considered exceptional talents, there were always geniuses who stood out among them.
Tap, tap.
A single footstep caused the buzzing crowd to fall silent.
The disciples, who had been staring up at the board, suddenly shifted their gaze.
Their eyes turned toward a figure walking toward them.
Tap, tap.
As the footsteps drew closer to their destination, the gathered disciples automatically made way for the person approaching.
“Thank you.”
The youth at the front, noticing this, smiled brightly and gave a word of thanks.
“…Shinseong!”
The person making his way through the crowd was a famous figure within Shinryong Hall.
With handsome features, outstanding talent, and a kind disposition, he was the only son of the current leader of the Martial Alliance — Shinseong, Jang Sun-yeon.
Even though only two months had passed since their admission, the fact that most of the Swordsmanship group gravitated toward him was a clear sign.
The majority of people admired his talent and personality.
Among the crowd, a disciple specializing in swordsmanship nervously approached Shinseong and spoke.
“C-Congratulations, Young Master Jang.”
Startled by his own words, the disciple hesitated, but Jang Sun-yeon turned his gaze toward him and smiled kindly.
“Thank you.”
The disciple trembled slightly as Jang Sun-yeon’s appreciative smile washed over him.
The reason people were offering their congratulations to Jang Sun-yeon was simple.
There, on the top section of the board, the name “Jang Sun-yeon” was clearly written.
Second.
It meant that among the hundreds of disciples, he had secured the second-highest position.
It was an impressively high rank.
They said he had performed remarkably well in both practical combat and theoretical studies, and no one doubted it.
The general consensus was, “If it’s Shinseong, then of course.”
Jang Sun-yeon had that kind of reputation.
This year's group of students was particularly known for being filled with monsters — it was a fact known not only among the disciples but across the entire martial world.
The descendants of the Four Great Families, along with those from the famous clans just below them.
The disciples from the Nine Great Sects, and the comet-like Six Dragons, Three Peaks — all the best of the best were gathered here.
Being ranked second among such a group was certainly worthy of celebration.
But...
Crack.
Despite receiving congratulations from all sides, Jang Sun-yeon could only grit his teeth.
He swallowed down the irritation that was rising in his chest.
‘I feel like I’m going to be sick.’
The buzzing chatter of the disciples was nothing but noise to him.
His frustration and the situation combined made his stomach churn.
‘I wish they’d all just shut up.’
That was what he really thought, but he kept it inside.
He couldn’t afford to ruin the image he had worked so hard to build.
Jang Sun-yeon pushed aside the noise and calmly began reading the list of names, starting from the bottom.
Most of the names in the lower ranks were unfamiliar.
Of course, they would be. They didn’t stand out enough to even be worth remembering.
‘…The Dragon of Dormancy and the Sword Dragon are ranked pretty low.’
The names of those two, known as the “Two Dragons and One Peak,” were unexpectedly low on the list.
He had heard that Dormant Dragon (Jamryong) had been sleeping through most of the training sessions, and that Sword Dragon (Geomryong) was quite weak in theory.
It explained why their rankings were lower.
Neither seemed to care much about rankings or the Shinryong Hall itself.
Thinking about it made Jang Sun-yeon click his tongue inwardly.
‘How carefree.’
It was almost lucky in a way that these talented people were so indifferent.
Otherwise, they could have become serious competition for him.
Wearing his usual gentle smile, Jang Sun-yeon continued scanning the list.
‘Poison Phoenix is… as expected.’
Poison Phoenix (Dokbong) was ranked where he had predicted — lower on the list.
He had heard that recently, she had been spending a lot of time with the daughter of the Peng family, but it didn’t really stick in his mind.
Dokbong was far too weak a martial artist to stay in Jang Sun-yeon’s thoughts for long.
He didn’t bother paying attention to her.
‘As for Snow Phoenix…’
The name of Seolbong (Snow Phoenix), whose martial prowess was similar to that of Dokbong, was unexpectedly higher on the list.
It must have been thanks to her exceptional performance in the theoretical portion.
Her level in that area was likely one of the highest among all the disciples.
‘Impressive.’
Although he had known that her talents lay more in areas other than martial arts, he hadn’t expected her to excel to this extent.
Of course, despite this, she hadn’t managed to break into the top ranks.
As Jang Sun-yeon neared the end of the list, he finally came across familiar names.
Among them:
‘The Sword Dancer is a surprise.’
There was the name of Namgung Bi-ah (Sword Dancer).
‘…Tch.’
Seeing it made Jang Sun-yeon clench his jaw as memories of their encounter during the entrance exam flashed back.
The loss he had suffered still stung.
The image of her easily wielding her sword with perfect ease, using a level of mastery that allowed her to manipulate the flow of battle with the tip of her sword, was a memory that still haunted him.
‘To think she’s also good at theory.’
Her theoretical scores weren’t as high as Seolbong’s or his own, but her martial prowess must have compensated for it, pushing her rank higher.
It frustrated him.
The fact that someone who had once defeated him was now ranked above him.
And he could still hear her voice echoing in his head.
The words she had said to him back then still bothered him.
Shaking his head, he tried to push the thought out of his mind.
‘…And where is she?’
He raised his head to find the name he was really looking for.
He already knew where it was, so there was no need to search long.
Third. Wi Seol-ah.
She was listed directly below him.
‘Looks like she’s been working hard.’
When he had first met her, she had been almost completely ignorant, practically an airhead.
Yet here she was, having made enough progress in theory to catch up.
‘As expected of the Sword Saint’s bloodline, I suppose.’
Her martial arts talent was monstrous, and her ability to retain information after seeing it just once was remarkable.
Not to mention her appearance — there was no need to say more about that.
Jang Sun-yeon was more determined than ever.
‘That’s why I can’t let her go.’
Wi Seol-ah was someone he couldn’t afford to lose.
He recalled the promise they had made.
If he secured the top spot at the end, she would be his.
No matter how close she got, there was no way he would let her overtake him.
No matter what it took.
‘…The problem is.’
Grit.
As his thoughts circled back to the real issue at hand, Jang Sun-yeon clenched his fist.
This issue was the source of his frustration.
The very thing that had caused his thoughts to spiral into a whirlwind of discomfort over the past few years.
Jang Sun-yeon finally lifted his gaze to look above his own name.
“…Hah.”
At the sight of the name written there, he had to suppress the rising anger inside him.
Why was he up there?
Just looking at it made him dizzy.
The top spot goes to…
Even if it’s Shinseong…
What will happen during the practical training…
‘Shut up.’
The buzzing voices around him only made things worse.
He wanted to tear open their mouths just to make them stop talking.
‘But I can’t do that…’
Of course, he couldn’t.
He couldn’t destroy the carefully crafted image he had built.
He had to continue pretending and enduring for the sake of the future.
As he straightened his expression into a forced smile, the murmur of the crowd was pierced by a sharp voice.
“What’s with all the noise?”
Tap, tap.
Unlike Jang Sun-yeon’s refined footsteps, these steps were uneven, a sign of someone walking with annoyance.
“…Eek!”
The disciples nearest the voice flinched in fear.
It was a completely different reaction than the one Jang Sun-yeon had received earlier.
Seeing this, the person who had arrived frowned.
“Why are they acting like that? Wucheol-ah, is something happening today?”
“I heard there’s some kind of announcement. That’s why everyone’s gathered.”
“An announcement?”
A young man with a small frame spoke up, explaining the situation, while a large man standing behind him followed with more details.
The large man was Pae Wucheol (Iron Bull).
Even Jang Sun-yeon had taken note of him.
Behind Pae Wucheol, a handsome young man with a lazy expression chimed in.
“They must have posted the rankings.”
That young man was none other than Jamryong (Dormant Dragon).
No matter how much Jang Sun-yeon tried to approach him, the Dormant Dragon always rejected him with an indifferent look.
But now, he stood there with a completely different expression.
“They go to such lengths, huh. Seems like a lot of hassle just to put up some rankings.”
After hearing the Dormant Dragon’s remark, the rough-looking youth walking beside him snorted and stepped forward.
As the fierce-looking young man approached, the gathered disciples immediately made way, their bodies stiff with fear.
Gulp.
The sound of someone swallowing nervously echoed from somewhere in the crowd.
‘…Him.’
Even Jang Sun-yeon, watching this, had to frown.
The young man also noticed Jang Sun-yeon and flashed a grin.
It was terrifying, to say the least, but that wasn’t what bothered Jang Sun-yeon the most.
He knew that the smile was full of mockery, and it made him grit his teeth once again.
“Long time no see.”
“…Nice to see you again, Young Master Gu.”
Despite the cold reception, Jang Sun-yeon maintained his polite smile, though it was pure torture.
“Your face turns sour the moment you see me.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Well, then, keep pretending you don’t know.”
The venom-laced words grated on his nerves.
It felt as if his very soul was being drained just by talking to this person.
Maybe it was because the malicious intent directed at him was so obvious.
“Hey, Brother.”
“What?”
“You’re ranked first.”
“Am I?”
The man in front of him was the biggest obstacle standing in his way.
First.
Gu Yangcheon.
The top-ranked disciple.
The one who had taken first place in the entrance exam.
And now the most infamous figure in Shinryong Hall.
‘…True Dragon.’
He was the person Jang Sun-yeon wanted to get rid of the most.
‘…Why?’
It didn’t make sense.
He had known from the beginning that Gu Yangcheon was strong.
How could he not? He had experienced it firsthand at the Yongbongjihoe (Meeting of the Dragons and Phoenixes).
Gu Yangcheon was a monster.
Jang Sun-yeon had to admit that.
The True Dragon was a monster.
He could admit that much.
But…
‘He’s also excellent in theory?’
That didn’t make any sense.
Of all people, Gu Yangcheon didn’t seem like the type to put effort into something like theory.
But his theoretical scores were even higher than Seolbong’s.
‘…How could that be?’
How was that possible?
Could he have made some kind of deal with the academy head or one of the instructors?
“Hey.”
“…!”
“Are you feeling really wronged right now?”
Gu Yangcheon’s voice snapped Jang Sun-yeon out of his thoughts, and he quickly adjusted his expression.
Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon grinned.
“Try harder next time. If there even is a next time.”
“…Young Master Gu.”
“You’re struggling because you’re not eating properly. Make sure you eat well.”
The teasing tone of Gu Yangcheon’s words irritated him even more.
It was clear that Gu Yangcheon had no interest in the rankings.
That only made Jang Sun-yeon more upset.
‘Do you think it’s just natural?’
Did Gu Yangcheon think it was simply natural for him to be at the top?
Jang Sun-yeon couldn’t stand it.
He had been doing everything in his power to keep up.
Meanwhile, Gu Yangcheon did whatever he pleased, showing his temper and acting however he wanted.
All without caring about how others saw him.
‘…’
A fleeting feeling of envy crept into Jang Sun-yeon’s mind.
His hand clenched into a fist.
How could he, Shinseong, possibly be envious of Gu Yangcheon?
It was unacceptable.
‘I need to remove him.’
He had to get rid of him.
Before it was too late, before the wall standing in his way grew any taller, he had to deal with it.
Jang Sun-yeon’s gaze drifted toward one of the people in Gu Yangcheon’s group.
Among the many eyes that followed Gu Yangcheon, one person stood out, hiding behind Pae Wucheol’s large frame.
‘Cheoljiseon.’
He was the key to solving this issue.
The man Jang Sun-yeon planned to use for his own ends.
Thinking about this allowed Jang Sun-yeon to endure the current humiliation.
Because soon, the sneer on Gu Yangcheon’s face would turn into a cry of despair.
“Congratulations, Young Master Gu.”
And because of this knowledge, Jang Sun-yeon could force himself to smile now.
“You truly are remarkable.”
Gu Yangcheon’s face twisted in disgust.
“Damn, you’re a creepy bastard... If it were me, I’d be too pissed off to smile, but look at you.”
“Haha, how could I possibly be angry on such a joyous occasion?”
“I swear, staying here any longer will make me lose my appetite. Let’s get out of here.”
With that, Gu Yangcheon turned and left, his group following without hesitation.
None of them seemed to care about the rankings at all.
Jang Sun-yeon had to keep holding back.
Even a moment of carelessness could cause his killing intent to slip.
He continued smiling as he watched Gu Yangcheon walk away.
And in his mind, he made a vow.
‘Just wait.’
I’ll make you kneel before me soon enough.
******************
As I moved toward the cafeteria, I scratched my back.
'This itch is driving me crazy.'
The subtle yet sharp killing intent was really getting on my nerves.
Turns out, having heightened senses isn’t always a good thing.
Now I could even feel this ridiculous killing intent.
‘Sigh.’
It was already a pain seeing Jang Sun-yeon’s face, but confronting the energy he emitted made it even worse.
'If I stayed there any longer, I probably would've lost my appetite.’
Nothing kills my appetite faster than looking at that guy’s face.
While I was walking briskly, Pae Wucheol spoke to me.
“You’re truly amazing, Brother! To be ranked first!”
“That’s already the third time, you know.”
It’s my name that got first, so I don’t know why he’s more excited than I am.
“Where were you ranked?”
At my question, Pae Wucheol scratched his head, looking confused.
“…Somewhere in the middle, I think. I didn’t really pay attention.”
“You should’ve memorized your rank, not mine, you idiot….”
I’ve seen him struggling during the theoretical classes, so I didn’t expect him to rank that high anyway.
As expected, he was in the middle ranks.
It was predictable.
‘First place again, huh.’
To be honest, I had expected it, so I wasn’t particularly moved.
What I was a little concerned about was the way I had treated the instructors—like absolute garbage.
I thought they might deduct points because of that.
Luckily, the instructors didn’t seem to be the type to hold grudges.
'Or maybe they did deduct points, and this is still the result.’
As I said, my knowledge about monsters is overwhelming.
How many monsters had I seen under the Heavenly Demon?
And how many monster cores had I consumed just for the sake of power?
This much was to be expected.
“Enough with the flattery. Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”
“They’re serving meat today.”
“Why do you get so excited over that? Aren’t you supposed to be a Daoist?”
“What’s a Daoist? Is it something you eat?”
“…Forget it. Just eat all you want.”
At this point, I was getting used to the ridiculous nonsense Jamryong would spout.
Even though we were in different groups, the real Jamryong kept coming over to hang out.
It seemed like he had made up his mind to stick with us.
‘And.’
Setting aside Jamryong for now, I quietly glanced at Cheoljiseon, who was silently following us.
“…!”
When I spoke to him through transmission, his shoulders flinched.
His expression had been sour since earlier, and it was quite obvious.
I knew what he was worrying about, which is why I had to push him forward.
“B-But…”
“Huh?”
Cheoljiseon, without realizing it, let out a sound but quickly shut his mouth.
“Sorry… I bit my tongue.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
Watching this exchange, I sighed inwardly.
What do I have to do to get this guy to move?
Cheoljiseon shook his head.
It probably meant he didn’t know.
“…!”
The clear killing intent in my words made Cheoljiseon’s face turn pale.
I didn’t want to go this far, but if he kept acting like this, it would be a problem for me.
I said, smiling as I spoke.
Cheoljiseon nodded his head frantically.
From the look on Jang Sun-yeon’s face earlier, it seemed like he wouldn’t back out.
Now, it all depended on how well Cheoljiseon could execute it.
Jang Sun-yeon’s expression and the prickling killing intent he directed at me earlier made it clear.
It wouldn’t be long now.
I had prepared other contingencies just in case.
Now, all I had to do was wait for the right moment.
Everyone was moving as expected, after all.
All I could hope for was that no unforeseen incidents would occur.
That was all I needed to focus on.
And so, a few days passed.
“The practical training begins.”
The moment both he and I had been waiting for had arrived.
NICEEE!
Thank
thanks
Very good
Finally
Good.