I steadied my thoughts and turned my gaze toward Kang Minseong.
That man was determined to surpass me, and I had to block his way. Thinking that way, it didn’t take long before my trait activated.
- Activating The Third Eye.
Opponent has not received a promotion from Baek Seojin.
Treating them as an examinee.
Compared to that time I faced the Elder or even the recent villain battle, though, this felt a bit off. It couldn’t be helped. This was only a roundabout way to gain experience, something outside my Gatekeeper duties.
‘All right. I’m set. Let’s make the first move on my side.’
I decided to start the way Lee Hyunwoo liked to open. I planted my feet firmly, gripped the hilt, and focused on a single point as I closed the distance.
My best opening choice was to lunge in from the start with the finest thrust I could manage. I didn’t have to worry about hurting him, since he was stronger than me anyway.
My target was his shoulder. I aimed for that spot alone.
Striking the chest or stomach could cause serious harm, but it was easier for the opponent to block. It seemed better to take him down piece by piece from the outer edges.
I wasn’t expecting a miracle, but…
This was way too overwhelming.
I couldn’t follow it with my eyes. I basically missed it. One moment, I saw him lift his foot lightly; the next, he was already upon me. He swung his sword effortlessly, and my attempt at a first strike crumbled right there.
I froze. I knew he was amazing, but not .
I forced away the shock. I recalled mistakes my students once made. They panicked whenever their first move got shut down, then lost their rhythm and their breathing.
Lee Hyunwoo was different. He always had a backup plan if his first move failed. If that also failed, he picked something else on the spot and carried it out. The fact that he never panicked gave me a real headache. People who figured out answers on their own were the most dangerous of all.
Instead of backing away, I pushed in even closer. Kang Minseong gave a short hum. From his perspective, I guess he saw that as the right choice.
Yes, that meant I wasn’t making a mistake. If he agreed that this was the best strategy, then Lee Hyunwoo’s approach was correct too.
I thrust, I slashed, I retreated briefly, then swung upward, then struck down. I couldn’t let myself waver. I couldn’t let myself panic. I wouldn’t think I was losing, not until I was actually beaten.
‘I can do this. I can take him down. I can stop him.’
I repeated that a few times, straining to create an opening in his defenses.
Even a tiny opening for a split second was enough. If I opened it and shook his balance, that would be enough. Then I could keep pressing, once I had found that first bit of contact.
A little more, just a bit more. If I could just go a bit further, I was sure I’d see something. Right then, I spotted it in his moves—an opening. I made no hesitation, letting my instincts guide me straight for that spot.
In that moment, I felt myself abruptly lifted off my feet, followed by a jarring impact rocking my body. A sharp pain radiated across my back, and for a second, breathing got very hard.
I regained my senses to find I was flat on my back. Seemed that so-called opening had been a trap he set deliberately.
“Examiner! Examiner, are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just fell on my back. Don’t worry, Suhyeon.”
Though honestly, I was a little not fine. My back was throbbing badly enough that I’d probably feel it for a day or so. I didn’t admit that out loud. I wasn’t sure how Suhyeon would react, so I kept silent.
As I got to my feet, I saw that Kang Minseong had already sheathed his blade and was coming over.
“Are you all right? I tried to go as easy as possible. Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine. If you say sorry, Chairman, that only embarrasses me more.”
Walking away from a bout with an ability user with just a fall was a bargain. At the Academy alone, I had gotten cut or had literal chunks of me torn. If all I had now was a sore back, that was a gift.
Plus, it wasn’t like I had learned nothing. Though faint, it was there in my mind. Especially that final moment, when he used my own momentum while turning aside my attack. I perceived a fragment of how his sword worked, which was my biggest gain.
‘There’s one problem….’
Failed to guard the gate.
That was the part I’d worried about all along.
What penalty did I suffer, or what outcome did failing bring, if I lost with my trait activated? Whether these extra-duties duels were worth the risk—this was what concerned me.
This evaluation took place outside the Academy.
Physical damage to your body is extremely minimal.
Mental damage is also extremely minimal.
Considering these factors, the penalty gauge is rising.
A weird gauge appeared under the trait window, part of it filling in black.
‘It’s about… ten percent, I think.’
At least losing didn’t destroy me outright. If we had been at the Academy and someone like Jung Yuhyeon had shredded me, I bet that gauge would’ve shot through the ceiling.
If the penalty gauge hits maximum, parts of your trait may reset.
If the penalty accumulates further, the entire trait may vanish.
So it could take away what it once gave me. That was dirty. The world’s most underhanded trick is giving something, then snatching it back.
I could breathe easier for now, though, since I didn’t suffer the penalty right away. I just confirmed that a spar could still raise that penalty gauge, so every time I triggered the trait, I’d have to push myself.
Come to think of it, the Gatekeepers I faced in my old life had to grind their teeth all the time. That memory made all of this make sense.
“You were too harsh! The Examiner could have been hurt!”
“But, Suhyeon, I really did hold back.”
“That was holding back?! That’s too much! I’m the one who invited him over, and if he gets upset, then—if he hates me—!”
No, Suhyeon. Really, it’s fine.
I did get a small penalty, but I gleaned new insight into Kang Minseong’s sword. I’d call that a good trade.
“Suhyeon, I knew what I was getting into. I’m fine. Don’t blame your grandfather.”
I gently chided her, and she stopped mid-sentence. She realized how she sounded, covered her mouth with both hands, and blushed. She looked so cute that I patted her head, making her beam again.
“Anyway, thanks again for teaching me, Chairman.”
“Oh, yes. Forgive an old man’s foolishness. You humored my whim, so I’m sure it was rough on you. Go wash up and change clothes. We’ll take care of laundering and return them to your home.”
I was actually kind of excited about having the powerful Kang family do my laundry.
TN: That's the thing that make you excited? hahaha
Afterward, the three of us shared a meal. As promised, the feast prepared was stunning.
When I gasped in awe, Suhyeon burst out laughing, saying it was so unusual to see me startled.
“Examiner, try this too.”
“Also have some of this. The chef here is amazing.”
“They say this dish uses a rare ingredient. Grandpa only serves this if an important guest is visiting….”
Suhyeon chatted on and on, and from the side, Kang Minseong watched her quietly. When was the last time he’d seen his granddaughter this lively, talking so much, smiling so widely? He couldn’t remember. It had been so long, it felt strange.
‘She really could smile like that.’
He glanced at Suhyeon, then shifted his gaze back to Baek Seojin.
‘He’s remarkable. He’s very strong, yet also quite peculiar.’
At first, he assumed it was simply someone whose ability awakened late in life. That happened, for example with Suhyeon. Yet after their spar, he realized there might be more to it. Maybe he didn’t just get a late start.
‘During that single moment, he tried to adapt the concept of “shaetbaram.”’
When Seojin opened with that initial thrust, Minseong was quietly impressed. He thought to himself that novices often made the mistake of going for a so-called fatal blow right away, only to be blocked easily, because vital points were protected deeper inside. This man instead targeted the shoulder from the outside, which was a sharper idea.
So Minseong responded by revealing some of his most subtle skill. Call it a demonstration, a small gift to someone who had saved his granddaughter. “Shaetbaram” was a sword technique using the slightest shift in the breeze to disrupt an opponent entirely. He had never shown it so openly to anyone but his family and the comrades he’d fought alongside.
Yet at the end, when Minseong finished him off with “soseulbaram,” Seojin had tried to use an incomplete version of shaetbaram’s principle. He couldn’t succeed—it happened too fast, and soseulbaram had already landed. But Minseong clearly saw that impressive capacity for mimicry and absorption.
“Thank you for the meal, Chairman.”
“Grandpa, I’ll see the Examiner home now, okay?”
After dinner, Seojin headed out, and Suhyeon went along. Then, alone in his study, Kang Minseong picked up the phone.
[…What is it this time?]
That curt voice on the other end belonged to Ma Hakjun, the current Academy Headmaster, an old comrade, and a hero of ages past.
“Hakjun, are you busy?”
[Don’t ask obvious questions. If you’re calling to ask some weird favor, hang up right now.]
“When did I only call you for favors? That’s hurtful.”
[You’ve done nothing but that for months now.]
Ma Hakjun sighed softly, sounding a bit calmer.
[So then, why are you calling so late?]
“That young man, Baek Seojin, just left my house.”
[…The Examiner? Why?]
“My granddaughter invited him for dinner.”
[He did save Suhyeon twice, so that makes sense. But why mention it so suddenly? Worried about a public servant visiting your home?]
Minseong told him that wasn’t it.
“Watching that Examiner got me thinking about someone.”
[Who? If you say it reminds you of your younger self, I’m hanging up now.]
Hearing that, Minseong let out a hearty laugh, which soon faded.
“Hakjun. Do you recall that man?
“Sujin. Hyeon Sujin, her fiancé.”
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