Chapter 17: What happened in his first year? (4)

Mere nobodies.

How dare they threaten me?

This, I truly cannot stand.

Yu-shin, recalling the hardships he endured in the exile story, did not bother to suppress his simmering rage.

As it was, threats were practically a daily occurrence for Yu-shin, who had been a hero in the exile story.

It was so sickening it was driving him crazy, and now even these lowlifes were stepping forward to threaten him?

His fist, filled with that fury, shot out in a precise straight line and struck Minyoung’s face.

Naturally, the Class C members who had surrounded Yu-shin wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

However, that was all they could do.
Not a single one of their attacks reached Yu-shin.

It was natural.
Even Kang Jik-han, the strongest in Class C, had ultimately been defeated by Yu-shin in one blow.

Furthermore, there was no way other guys weaker than Kang Jik-han could land a blow on Yu-shin.

The problem was that Yu-shin still didn’t know Yu Ha-young’s exact location.

Surprisingly, finding Yu Ha-young’s location wasn’t that difficult.

“Where is Yu Ha-young?”

“Y-you think I’d tell you….”

Thwack!

He grabbed the collar of the most annoying Minyoung and continued to beat her until she spoke.

It was fortunate for her that she answered before her face was completely caved in.

If she hadn’t answered to the end, Yu-shin would have truly smashed her face in.

Yu-shin, who had thrown the unconscious Minyoung onto the ground, let out a deep sigh and stood up.

“Brother, what’s going on?”

Just then, Yu-ri, who had returned from her classes at the academy, witnessed all the devastation.

However, surprisingly, she wasn’t startled.
This was because she believed in her brother’s strength.

Of course, Yu-ri did have other worries.
To be precise, she was worried about cleaning the house.

Just as she was wondering when she would clean all of this up, Yu-shin answered Yu-ri.

“They’re classmates, and they threatened me, saying they had Yu Ha-young.”

“Doesn’t it not really matter?
Whatever happens to that woman.”

The response to the news of Ha-young’s kidnapping was a cold, cynical one.

If only that woman would disappear from her sight, there would be nothing better.

Yu-shin was slightly flustered by the unexpected reaction, but he soon shook his head.

“That wouldn’t do.”

“Why?
Because she’s your childhood friend?”

“No, because these guys threatened me.”

If I leave Yu Ha-young like this, it means I, who was threatened, will ultimately lose.

No, in the first place.
I absolutely cannot stand to see the gang who threatened me walking around unscathed.

Yu-shin could absolutely not bear to see that with his own eyes.
Yu-ri sighed.

At least from Yu-ri’s perspective, what her brother was saying felt like an excuse.

Of course, surprisingly, Yu-shin’s words were 100% sincere.

Yu-ri, unaware of that, couldn’t help but feel that kindness still remained in Yu-shin.

“It can’t be helped, if Brother says so.”

“You’re going to help too?”

“Of course.
How can I send Brother alone?”

“Alright, let’s go immediately then.”

He had no intention of refusing help.
Moreover, Yu-ri was quite strong.

He thought she would definitely be a considerable help in cleaning up the trash.

Surprisingly, the place where they kidnapped and confined Ha-young was not a secluded location.

Who would have imagined.
That they would confine her in the academy warehouse and even threaten her.

Yu-shin had no idea if they were brave, or simply thoughtless.

“Finally, they’ve arrived.”

Perhaps they had already anticipated Yu-shin’s arrival.

In front of the warehouse were the remaining members of Class C, and in front of them was the big guy.

He was an impressive guy with a coolly shaved sports haircut and muscles befitting his size.

Yu-shin tilted his head.
Had I ever met a guy like that before?

“Who are you?”

“I am Kang Jik-han, 1st place in Class C.”

“Aren’t I 1st place now?”

“…Former 1st place.”

Perhaps unable to deny it, Kang Jik-han cleared his throat and corrected himself.

Only after hearing the words ‘1st place in Class C’ did Yu-shin recall who Kang Jik-han was.

He’s the guy who picked a fight earlier and got knocked out in one hit, isn’t he?
Yu-shin snorted.

“So, you did all this for the sake of revenge?”

“Though it may be nothing to you, it was everything to me.
I can never forgive you, who took everything from me.”

“Hah!
Anyone would think you’re doing the right thing, wouldn’t they?”

However, it wasn’t Yu-shin who reacted to Kang Jik-han’s words, which were filled with conviction.

As if she couldn’t listen anymore, Yu-ri, who was behind Yu-shin, stepped forward in a rage.

So enraged was she that thick veins bulged on Yu-ri’s neck.

“In the first place, who was it who bullied my brother in the name of survival of the fittest?”

“…”

“But now that Brother has become stronger.
You’re pretending to be victims?
What on earth is wrong with your heads?
All of you?”

In Yu-ri’s mind, the image of her suffering brother was surfacing.

In his first year, her brother’s appearance, which had initially been so bright, slowly faded.

Instead, his wounds increased.
Though he always pretended to be strong in front of Yu-ri, his younger sister.

Yu-ri instinctively knew.
That her brother was struggling at the academy.

She hated herself for doing nothing back then.
She hated the helplessness she felt at that time.

Because of that, Yu-ri stepped forward before her brother and expressed her emotions.

It was natural.
She no longer wanted to see her brother getting hurt.

“We couldn’t help it either!
We didn’t do such things because we wanted to!”

“What fcking nonsense?!
So, someone ordered you from behind?!”

“Yes!
A power stronger than us was manipulating from behind… huh?”

“Then who gave the order?!”

Yu-ri snorted and continued speaking.
Rather than believing Kang Jik-han’s words.

The feeling was strongly that she was just listening to excuses.
However, an unexpected reaction came back.

Kang Jik-han grabbed his head with both hands and spoke with a trembling voice.

“…I don’t, remember….”

“What?”

“No, in the first place!
What nerve would we have to commit such a thing?!”

“So, in addition to bullying Brother.
There’s a separate mastermind behind this incident?”

“Yes!
But I can’t remember!”

What fcking nonsense is this?
So, someone ordered bad things from behind.

But now he’s saying he doesn’t remember it?

Yu-ri was so dumbfounded that she didn’t even get angry.
Are you calling that an excuse now?

However, it was Yu-shin who quelled Yu-ri’s anger.
He clicked his tongue.

“That guy, he’s under a suggestion.”

“A suggestion?”

“Yes, it’s a method typically used when one wants to manipulate people without revealing their identity.”

There were countless such cases in the fantasy world.
For example, emperors.

Even the Pope, the ruler of a theocracy, used to manipulate people in this way.

A gentleman who should spread God’s teachings more benevolently and gently than anyone.

Dealing with dirty work in this manner is quite amusing, even now that I think about it.

But that’s that, and this is this.

He must not forget his initial goal.
Yu-shin chuckled and opened his mouth.

“In the end, your goal is to get revenge on me, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes.
You, who took everything from me!
I can never forgive you!”

“Then what are you doing?
Not attacking?”

“That annoying attitude of yours bothers me!!!”

Yu-shin’s voice, full of confidence, finally blew away what little reason he had left.

Yes, from his first year until now.
Kang Jik-han had always been above Yu-shin.

[It’s not right to bully a friend.]

He was an eyesore.
A goody-two-shoes who pretended to be kind all by himself.

So he crushed him with force.
Survival of the fittest, because that’s the academy’s teaching.

Surprisingly, Baek Yu-shin collapsed easily, and no one.
No one blamed Kang Jik-han.

On the contrary, they blamed Baek Yu-shin, who was weak and couldn’t even properly navigate social situations.

This was the position of Baek Yu-shin and Kang Jik-han.
But that changed overnight.

“You, I can never forgive.”

“Even if I die here.”

“I will take you with me to hell.”

His will, mixed with hatred, merged with a certain external stimulus that had been injected.

“W-what?!”

“Jik-han suddenly changed?!”

“…That is?”

“It feels very different from that power called Bloom.”

Yu-shin tilted his head.
He had only seen the power called Bloom twice so far.

At the very least, the feeling was completely different from the twisted thing he was witnessing now.

If the power called Bloom was like a clear sky without a single cloud.

The power of Kang Jik-han, standing before him now, felt like looking at a collapsing sky.

It was natural, if anything.
Bloom was the ultimate power that manifested one’s values.

In other words, Bloom could be said to be that person’s values and future potential.

落花
Falling Bloom (Nakhwa)

時限爆彈
Time Bomb (Sihanpoktan)

“Even if it means sacrificing everything I have.”

“That hateful desire to kill others.”

“It could absolutely not be a normal Bloom.”

In the center of the spherical object, there was the number 30.

In that short time, it had already decreased from 30 to 15.
I see, a bomb.

Yu-shin realized what Kang Jik-han was aiming for.
But it didn’t matter.

Yu-shin’s body was already moving.
Approaching the closest person.

He charged forward, simultaneously drawing the sword from his waist-sheath.

必殺
Killing Blow (Pilsal)

固有名斬
Unique Name Slash (Gonikbegi)

A slash akin to a mutual kill, containing the resolve that if he couldn’t cut, he would die.

The basic gist of Unique Name Slash lies in fully grasping the opponent’s full power.

That is, by fully grasping the opponent’s full power.
Forecasting their counterattacks, evasions, and defenses.

And nullifying all of them.
It is, quite literally, a slash close to a killing blow.

“I understand your resolve.”

“Cough!!!”

“You are too weak.”

Victory or defeat doesn’t change based on whether one has conviction or not.

Because the difference is simply too overwhelming.