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I got into school for nothing - Chapter 37

I got into school for nothing (37)

Lesson 9. Learning Martial Arts - 2

‘What exactly is this man?’

It was the thought Dokgo Yeon had most frequently these days.

Ban Yuwon was different from any other man she knew... no, from any other person she knew.

His exceptional talent for martial arts was beyond question, but what was even more astonishing was the potential of his other abilities.

It was almost as if his other qualities had become outstanding because of those abilities.

‘I was truly surprised when he found a loophole in the mana that even I couldn’t detect.’

When he uncovered the secret of the maze and unraveled it, a secret that even she, with her confidence in her senses, had failed to find.

While her other companions simply admired Ban Yuwon, seeing him as extraordinary, Dokgo Yeon couldn't afford to think so simply.

If he had merely solved the Trick Room in three hours, it wouldn't have been surprising, but by all appearances, he...

‘It was as if he’d known from the very beginning. Though why he stood by idly for three whole hours, I can’t say.’

It made her a little angry, as if he had made a fool of her, but she couldn't press him because she trusted that he wouldn't act without reason.

In fact, the technique he demonstrated afterward was so astonishing that any inclination to interrogate him completely vanished.

That technique, which unleashed an inner power that even she, having experienced countless marvels and mysteries in the Murim, could not easily fathom, and which shook the very presence of a massive monster.

‘It was similar to the Daoist magic employed by Daoists, yet different. While Daoist magic always seemed to have an exploitable flaw, this miracle Ban Yuwon created was, in itself, too formidable...’

Of course, she could suppress it with her own internal energy, but the amount of internal energy required for that would be vastly greater than the effort Ban Yuwon expended.

This effectively meant that the depth of Dokgo Yeon's martial arts was inferior to the depth of Ban Yuwon's technique.

He, who had only recently begun to develop his abilities, possessed greater potential than she did!

‘How, exactly?’

As the chasm between their respective realms was still vast, curiosity surged before jealousy.

He already possessed such extraordinary talent and ability now, so what would happen if he developed systematically?

How fast, how far could he go?

It was for this very reason that Dokgo Yeon decided to teach him martial arts.

‘I want to raise him with my own hands.’

No, more accurately, it was a little different.

She didn't want Ban Yuwon, with such incredible talent, to be influenced by others.

While he was still an infant in this regard, while he had yet to master systematic combat techniques, including martial arts, she wanted to secure him for herself.

This was the first true prodigy she had ever seen. It was only natural for her eyes to be captivated.

So much so that she wanted to dye him with her own colors, even if it meant imparting the martial art most vital to her, the one that formed her very foundation.

‘Hyunsingong is, by its very nature, a martial art that cannot be imparted to outsiders.’

Had Ban Yuwon even proposed a formal apprenticeship?

No, in truth, this was not a martial art that could be taught simply by being revered as a master.

Hyunsingong was strictly a part of her family's divine martial art, passed down solely through bloodline.

If her father were to learn of this fact, he would be utterly aghast before even thinking of blaming her.

She, who possessed fiercer pride in her family and their divine art than anyone else, had imparted it to an outsider she had only recently met.

‘Unless Ban Yuwon became my husband, this act could never be acknowledged.’

Thinking such thoughts, Dokgo Yeon simply let out a dry chuckle.

Her? Getting married? And to this reckless, uncultivated man from another world?

She'd rather kill Ban Yuwon and pretend it never happened.

The transmission of Hyunsingong was that significant an event.

If it were discovered, that is.

‘However, since Hyunsingong is a divine art that uniquely evolves according to the practitioner’s ability, no one would be able to discover the connection between him and me, unless my father were to personally examine his meridians.’

Frankly, in this dimension beyond her own, who would ever find out and pick a quarrel, no matter to whom she imparted Hyunsingong?

Of course, the transmission of Hyunsingong would end with Ban Yuwon.

As a secret art meant only for the worthy, Hyunsingong required the inheritor to personally plant a 'seed of Qi' within the recipient's body.

Extracting this seed was no ordinary burden, so even if there were no chance of discovery, she had no intention of creating any recipient other than Ban Yuwon.

“Ban Yuwon, are you ready?”

The thought of transmitting her family's secret art had prolonged her contemplations.

It was a decision already made, and she had no intention of backing down, so further rumination was pointless.

As she solidified her resolve and turned around, there stood Ban Yuwon, wearing nothing but a pair of light undershorts, his upper and lower body exposed.

“Aside from the fact that I feel like dying of embarrassment, I’m perfectly ready?”

“Shhh...”

Ban Yuwon wasn't a pervert.

Dokgo Yeon had ordered him to do this!

Eve was trying her best to cover his body, but that only made it more provocative.

“H-h-ahh, ahhhhh.”

“Rucell, don’t look, don’t look.”

“Light, he’s, he’s looking, isn’t he?”

“I’m fine. I’m a man!”

“That’s a cowardly excuse!”

As Light and Rucell, now mere spectators, stared intently at Ban Yuwon.

Was it perhaps due to having acquired a trained body in such a short time, without any chance for strange habits to develop?

Ban Yuwon’s physique possessed a captivating perfection that anyone would find themselves drawn to.

It also served as proof of his excellent innate talent, so much so that he didn't even need to focus on external cultivation.

‘But it is by no means perfect.’

Of course, Dokgo Yeon, renowned throughout the land, was not satisfied with that.

That was precisely why she intended to completely reconstruct his body and mana in one swift stroke with Hyunsingong.

“First, let me give you a warning.”

“Whatever it is, if it’s going to be long, shouldn’t you have said it before I took my clothes off?”

“The martial art I am about to impart will completely transform the nature of your Qi... no, your mana, and the very foundation of your physical body.”

“What?!”

I thought it was a basic martial art, so I came with an open mind to learn it, but this doesn't seem very ‘basic’ at all?!

As Ban Yuwon was taken aback, Dokgo Yeon continued in a calm tone, as if to reassure him.

“Of course, your current mana is completely unrefined. It’s perfectly natural for the nature of Qi to change when you cultivate it.”

“Well... that’s true, but.”

“You don’t need to take it too seriously. It will merely become a more refined and powerful energy; it won’t fundamentally alter the framework of your mana like other Qi arts, such as fire or ice cultivation, for instance. I said it was a basic martial art, didn’t I?”

“So, it just filters my mana through a framework and transforms it into a purer energy?”

“...Yes, well, something similar.”

A flicker of utter disbelief crossed Dokgo Yeon's eyes, but Ban Yuwon decided to assume it was merely her faulting his ignorance of martial arts.

“By stimulating the body with that refined Qi, the body’s nature will also be cultivated to become purer and stronger. As your body is continuously refined, your mana will be constantly consumed, and since both body and mana are trained simultaneously, your capacity will naturally grow larger. It cannot increase the absolute quantity of mana, but that’s not a problem for you, is it?”

“Yeah. I have a way to get mana quickly.”

“That’s usually the biggest problem.”

At Ban Yuwon's reply, delivered in a self-evident tone, Dokgo Yeon muttered in utter disbelief.

Meanwhile, the more Ban Yuwon listened, the more he felt that Hyunsingong was a technique perfectly suited for him.

“I’ve explained the overview, so let’s get straight to practice. Remain still.”

“Huh? Don’t people usually recite incantations or something at times like these?”

“It’s surprising enough that you know anything about the transmission of martial arts, but... would you even understand if I recited an incantation? Rather than explaining it, I’ll just engrave it directly into your body.”

No, that's not right. Whatever it was, he'd understand it instantly if it were explained verbally.

However, since he could also perfectly understand body language, either method was actually fine.

As he was thinking this, Dokgo Yeon had already approached his back.

“Again, stay still. It will hurt, but don’t open your mouth.”

“Ah... so it was this type?”

“What on earth have you been watching?”

“My bad. Go ahead and start.”

Ban Yuwon sucked in his breath and sealed his lips.

Dokgo Yeon's soft hands seemed to trace around his neck, then slowly descended to settle between his shoulder blades.

The movements were strangely sensual, making Ban Yuwon struggle to calm his crimson cheeks.

“Focus.”

Who was it that made me unable to focus?!

—Just as he was about to retort.

Ban Yuwon felt a black flame flow into his body through her hands, and his eyes shot open.

‘It’s hot...!’

This was no mere metaphor.

It was purely, simply hot.

Even though it was a minuscule lump, the flame burned so hot it felt capable of incinerating his entire body, and from the moment it entered him, it expanded its presence, moving freely within.

No, that wasn’t quite right.

The mana spread evenly throughout his entire body, like moths drawn to a flame, surged towards that black flame.

‘This is... mana? Dokgo Yeon’s mana? Surely, from now on, all my mana won’t be hot like this flame—’

A fierce pain seized his mind, preventing him from continuing his thoughts.

As the flame devoured more and more of Ban Yuwon's mana, it grew in size, and soon it began to force its way through his body, forging paths that ‘had not originally existed.’

Following the paths created by the flame, all the mana spread throughout his body gathered, and the flame devoured it greedily, moving at an even faster pace.

‘At this rate, it’ll circulate... through my whole body...!’

Ironically, amidst that intensely painful process, Ban Yuwon gradually began to feel a sense of comfort.

The immense energy generated by the black flame as it circulated through his body, stimulated the Qi throughout Ban Yuwon's entire being, initiating changes in realms unattainable through mere physical training.

As he grew accustomed to the heat and even embraced it as proof of his own progress, he regained his inner peace.

‘Mana wasn’t simply meant to be used as it was, after all.’

Just as Dokgo Yeon had said, the mana, now transformed into a black flame, was purer, more intense, and possessed greater endurance.

Finally, when all of Ban Yuwon's mana had transformed into the black flame, Dokgo Yeon let out a deep sigh and removed her hands from his back.

“Follow the path I’ve engraved within your body and continuously circulate the Hyungi... the flame. That is the beginning of Hyunsingong. If you achieve results in your cultivation, you will find the next path on your own.”

Ban Yuwon half-opened his eyes and examined his body.

Now, he could perfectly observe the changes occurring within his body with his own eyes.

In truth, it was vastly easier than he had braced himself for.

Dokgo Yeon had already shown him the path.

And he was aware of the physical changes being wrought by the black flame moving along that path.

If this was Hyunsingong, then hadn't he already mastered it all?

[You have awakened to a new martial arts concept, ‘Hyunsingong’. The depth of Hyunsingong has reached 20.]

Because of his exceptional achievement, the Hyunsingong imparted by Dokgo Yeon also settled at a depth of 20.

She could guarantee that its depth would only grow deeper and deeper from now on.

Nor were the changes limited to that.

[The concept of Mana has completely transformed into Hyungi. During the concept’s transformation, its depth decreased, and the depth of Hyungi became 150.]

[The depth of your Body, stimulated by Hyungi, decreases to 215. The concept of Body is undergoing transformation. You sense the accumulation of an unknown concept but cannot yet define it.]

[Due to the cultivation of Hyunsingong, some negative concepts within your body have been extinguished. A positive surplus of Life is generated. This surplus potential will accelerate the growth of other concepts.]

[The depth of your Soul has become 440!]

[The depth of your Resistance has become 7!]

Just as Dokgo Yeon had warned, all of his mana had been replaced by the black flame, Hyungi.

However, though it was merely called a flame, its nature was, in fact, mana itself, purified to an extreme degree, so there would be no issue in handling it going forward.

No, rather, the more he cultivated Hyunsingong, the purer and denser the Hyungi would become, allowing it to exert far greater power than the same amount of mana.

Although his depth had seemingly dropped by nearly 50 at present, appearing to be a setback, considering the positive changes gained from Hyungi, this level was insignificant. He was confident he could replenish it quickly.

“Well? Are you satisfied?”

Having grown accustomed to the circulation of Qi, and gaining confidence that he could continuously circulate the Hyungi within his body even while speaking, Ban Yuwon finally opened his mouth and replied.

“It’s perfect. Just think about what kind of gift you want.”

“You’ve already gotten used to it... Hehe, I’ll look forward to my gift.”

Ban Yuwon would never forget the expression Dokgo Yeon wore with those words.

It was an expression like a spider gazing at a butterfly caught in its web.

But just as he was about to say something, Dokgo Yeon preempted him.

“Now that the basic stage of cultivation is complete, I’ll tell you what you need to do next.”

“Huh? Can’t I just keep circulating it like this?”

“That’s a given, but I mean something else.”

Dokgo Yeon, who had taken a small step back from him, pointed at Ban Yuwon’s upper body.

Both his upper and lower body were strangely seeped in a sticky, filthy sweat.

“You smell absolutely terrible, so wipe it all off thoroughly. Unless you want to explore alone.”

Only then did Ban Yuwon perfectly understand why he had needed to strip naked before receiving the martial art.