The so-called practical training assigned by Shinryong-gwan wasn’t anything special. Since the main focus was to educate us on how to deal with monsters through theory, the practical aspect was essentially about facing monsters.

To be exact, it was to test whether the students had properly understood the lessons and could apply them in real combat situations.

Judging by that alone, it was clear that the practical training would involve monster hunting, which was indeed the case. The only real difference was that...

‘Is it the same place where we took the entrance exam last time?’

The training area was far larger than expected. The entire region consisted of two mountains, the same ones used for the entrance exam.

And these weren’t small hills, either. While not quite as large as Mount Tai, they were considerably big, making the range vast.

‘And...’

I wasn’t sure how the training would be conducted, but if the instructors were going to grade each person individually, they would likely be observing one-on-one monster confrontations.

However, setting such a large area as the training site didn’t quite make sense.

If they had released monsters specifically for the training, cleaning up afterward would be a hassle. Even though instructors were stationed throughout the area, if an unexpected accident occurred, how easy would it be to prevent it?

"The training will last until sunset. Instructors will be watching from various locations, so don’t try anything foolish," Iron Hwan-oh’s stern voice warned.

The other trainees wore tense expressions, but honestly, it wasn’t that dangerous of an event.

None of us were the type to fear facing monsters. At worst, we’d be up against large numbers of green-level monsters, with a few blue-level ones scattered here and there.

While a lone trainee might be in danger, with several of us around, the risk was quite low.

The real thing to watch out for, ironically, was other people.

This world was full of madmen. The instructors' main concern would likely be conflicts between the trainees themselves.

Since we were all martial artists, you never knew what might happen if someone lost their temper. Of course, most from respectable families or sects would hold back, knowing the consequences of recklessly unleashing killing intent.

But as I said before...

There were always exceptions.

‘Like me.’

If someone messes with me, it's only right to repay them double. Holding back only works for so long.

How could anyone live without paying back their dues? If you’re wronged, you repay it.

Maybe that’s why...

It felt like Iron Hwan-oh was speaking directly to me.

"Trainees fighting each other is strictly forbidden. If anyone is caught, they will face severe punishment, so be careful."

It was probably just my imagination. His eyes naturally wandered while speaking, and they just happened to land on me.

"Be extra... careful!"

...Or was it? It really seemed like he was directing that at me.

No, it had to be my imagination.

Come on.

'What kind of training are they giving us anyway?'

Although I was going along with it, my thoughts were less than enthusiastic.

I couldn’t understand the point of this practical training after just two months of learning. Sure, it made sense for those who had hunted monsters before, but using what we learned in Shinryong-gwan was a whole different matter.

Apparently, this practical test carried a lot of weight in terms of scoring.

Given that, everyone was likely going to try their hardest.

From my perspective, the techniques we’d learned didn’t seem particularly efficient.

‘At best, you could say they focus on the basics.’

They taught the standard methods—probably the most basic ways to handle situations.

I’m sure even the instructors knew that this wasn’t the most effective approach.

Instead of teaching the simplest strategies, they should have been instructing us on more efficient ways to handle each situation.

But I guess the higher-ups told them what to do, and they had no choice but to follow orders.

‘That’s why there’s no progress.’

It made sense to learn the basics and then figure things out in real combat after graduation, but it left me wondering: Why even bother with the training here?

The answer was always the same.

What mattered most was Shinryong-gwan’s reputation and the connections formed here, not the education itself.

‘It’s all rotten, honestly.’

The claim that Shinryong-gwan was the finest training institution managed by the Martial Alliance was just a name at this point.

People clung to that name, but it was clear why they were defeated so easily when the Blood Calamity hit.

What were the Nine Great Sects?

What were the Four Great Families?

And what was the Martial Alliance and its righteous sects?

Just fools complacent in peace.

There was no hope to be found in rotten roots. If it weren’t for the Divine Sword, they would’ve all been wiped out with no words to defend themselves.

I had no expectations from the righteous sects.

Through my previous life, I had seen just how filthy they truly were.

They preach righteousness and unity on the surface, but beneath that, they were crawling with demons.

‘Disgusting as it is, I’ll have to get rid of them if I want to survive.’

So, soon enough, I’d have to start taking care of those people one by one. It was necessary to deal with the things that were bound to happen in the future.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

As I walked, Pae Wucheol suddenly called out to me.

"Do you have any plans for this summer?"

"Summer?"

Why bring up summer all of a sudden? What’s happening in the summer?

"Do you plan on returning to your family?"

"...My family...? Ah."

It seemed like Pae Wucheol was referring to the break when the training at Shinryong-gwan would pause for a bit.

During that time, students could either train in the internal training halls or return home.

As for me...

"...Going back home would be pushing it."

The news about the incident with the hidden vault would’ve likely reached my family by now.

Father would probably punish me severely.

So it was better to avoid going back, at least for now.

The longer I stayed away, the better.

‘Who knows about the others, though?’

When the time comes, Gu Joleub and Gu Yeonseo might go back to the family. Especially Gu Joleub, who might return because of something related to the Gu Sun-mun sect.

‘If I don’t go, I should make sure to train him properly.’

After seeing him get beaten by Yeongpung, I realized I really needed to push him harder.

I was tempted to take it easy, but after seeing him all tense and showing that stupid expression...

I ground my teeth in frustration.

‘If he was just talentless, I’d get it.’

But the kid has potential, and he learns quickly when trained.

So why is he like this?

‘Back in my day, there wasn’t anyone like me, so I had to figure everything out on my own.’

Sure, Elder Lee tried to drag me around and train me back then, but I ran away, fearing I'd die under his brutal training.

Anyway, if someone’s willing to train you, you should be grateful and work hard.

Damn these younger generations.

Just thinking about Gu Joleub made me frown, and Pae Wucheol flinched when he saw my expression.

Why was he flinching now?

"So what about it?"

I asked, a bit irritated, and Pae Wucheol scratched the back of his head as he answered.

"I was wondering... If you don’t have other plans, maybe you could come to my family’s estate with me?"

"Your family’s place?"

Pae Wucheol’s family was located in Sichuan, where the Tang Clan resided.

"...Sichuan, huh."

Originally, my plan was to go hunting for the White Magic Stone if I couldn’t break through my current barrier by then.

‘And wasn’t it near Sichuan?’

Not exactly in Sichuan, but it was in that general direction.

The White Magic Stone was buried deep in a lake formed after a white-ranked monster rampaged centuries ago.

"Hmm…."

The direction aligned, and if I couldn’t feel the breakthrough coming by then...

"I’ll think about it."

"Oh…! Thank you."

"You’re the one inviting me, so why are you thanking me?"

If anything, I should be the one saying thanks for being invited.

I spoke with a hint of disbelief, but Pae Wucheol just smiled brightly.

"My father would be really happy to meet you."

"I might not even go, you idiot."

I was hesitating because of the danger involved in going without breaking through the barrier.

The creature guarding that stone was no joke, after all.

While I wanted to consume the White Magic Stone after reaching the Hwa-gyeong stage for efficiency’s sake, the real issue was whether I could get past that “monster” at my current level.

And there was another slight problem.

‘…It’s unlikely, but…’

There was a chance that my father might come and drag me home himself.

If that happened, I’d be completely stuck.

‘But he wouldn’t do that, right?’

Unless there was some sort of disaster like the Jinma Gyungmun incident or the accident involving Gu Hee-bi, Father wouldn’t leave the mountain so easily.

They didn’t call the Ho-hyeop and the Gu family the Guardians of Shanxi for nothing.

‘I’m not going home anytime soon, though.’

As the next head of the family, it would certainly be an issue if I ran off with Pae Wucheol instead of going back home after causing a mess.

But what can they do?

If they didn’t like it, they shouldn’t have made me the next head.

I think I’ve earned enough freedom by now.

With that thought, I laughed quietly and spoke to Pae Wucheol.

"Anyway, you should get going. Looks like things are about to start."

"Oh. Got it."

At my suggestion, Pae Wucheol bowed slightly before jumping away.

The reason I sent him off was simple.

Before the practical training started, there was already a rule in place forbidding cooperation.

We were instructed to stay apart from each other, so the trainees had already begun spreading out.

Besides…

‘It’d be troublesome if Pae Wucheol stayed with me.’

Even without that rule, I had already planned to ditch him once things got started, so this worked out perfectly.

A good excuse.

I looked around.

Wherever I turned, the mountains were filled with trees.

Using my energy, I spread out my senses.

I could feel faint presences here and there. They were likely other trainees.

Among them were even fainter presences.

Those must be the instructors hiding and watching.

‘Two around me.’

On top of that, there were monsters scattered all around.

It was truly strange when I thought about it.

Why would these righteous sect folks release monsters into a perfectly normal mountain?

How did they even manage to contain them here?

Did no one question this?

‘Or maybe they silenced anyone who did.’

That seemed like a plausible explanation.

• Fwoosh!

 

Just as I was looking around, arrows were shot into the sky.

It wasn’t just one or two.

Like during the entrance exam, the arrows were imbued with energy.

When they reached the peak of their trajectory…

Pop!

A small burst echoed, and the energy within the arrows scattered.

That was the signal to begin the practical training.

I watched for a moment before slowly starting to move.

As I walked, I could feel the presence of monsters here and there.

But I didn’t bother approaching them.

Because my target in this practical training wasn’t the monsters.

With a short leap, I masked my presence using my energy.

As soon as I concealed myself, I sensed the slight confusion from those around me.

Those must be the instructors who were watching me, now baffled by my disappearance.

Dodging the instructors, I made my way to the highest point in the mountains.

“…Ah, my joints.”

Sitting on a nearby rock, I massaged my knees.

Although my body was young and my joints shouldn’t ache, I’d been feeling mentally drained lately, which made everything feel a bit sore.

"Maybe it’ll rain tomorrow."

I muttered nonsense while looking up at the sky.

It was a clear, sunny day, with no sign of rain.

Watching the clouds drift by…

The bright, clear sky was dotted with a few clouds, making for a picturesque scene.

"Why are those clouds drifting so slowly? It’s frustrating."

I wasn’t exactly admiring the view—there was just nothing else to look at.

“When will he show up?”

I had come to this high place to make it easier for him to find me.

It’d be inconvenient if he couldn’t find me now.

Going to look for him myself would be too much of a hassle at this point.

So...

Just as I was about to pluck some grass and play with it...

Crunch.

Finally, I sensed a presence from one side.

I turned my gaze.

Not to confirm who it was—after all, it was obvious.

After stirring things up that much, it was time for him to show up.

"I thought you weren’t coming."

I said with a smirk.

The person who appeared visibly stiffened.

Gone was the smile he usually wore in front of others.

The air around him felt uneasy.

It was amazing how quickly his demeanor had changed.

But I welcomed this side of him.

It was exactly what I had wanted from him.

Looking at me, he slowly opened his mouth.

"...Were you waiting for me?"

"Not for long. I just got here myself."

I greeted him like an old friend, but...

The person...

No...

Jang Sun-yeon’s expression only hardened further.