I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 276: Asa (3)

Suddenly, Jin Yoo-ha fell into the pit, and without a moment's thought, Baek Seol-hee, who had been silently observing him, followed suit, diving into the darkness after him.

“...It’s pitch black here.”

But despite the darkness, she could clearly see her disciple. The magic that Rina had cast on her was more of a divine power than simple sorcery. She couldn’t speak to him, touch him, or hand him anything. But she was allowed to watch over him, so even in this lightless space, her disciple’s figure was clearly visible.

She quickly assessed the situation, glancing around.

“This place completely suppresses power and mana, reverting one to their pre-awakening state.”

Even her phone, which had served as a rare means of indirect communication, was now useless, as it too operated on mana. While Baek Seol-hee was figuring out the peculiarities of this place, Jin Yoo-ha was already attempting to escape.

Hop.

Hop.

Her expression hardened as she watched him.

Even when he exerted all his strength, he could barely lift himself a hand's breadth off the ground. The weight of his sword caused his hand to falter.

‘Is that really his original physical state?’

His physical abilities, devoid of strength and mana, were even worse than she had imagined. He was a frail boy, weaker than even the average person.

When she first met Jin Yoo-ha, his body had already been well-trained. This sight stirred strange emotions within Baek Seol-hee.

‘He... became this strong with such a weak body...?’

Thud.

“Tch, well... There’s no other choice. I guess I’ll just have to endure it until it’s over.”

After several attempts to escape, Jin Yoo-ha seemed to realize there was no way out. He eventually gave up and °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° sat down to meditate.

Baek Seol-hee also took a seat in a corner of the pit, watching her disciple as he meditated.

One thought occupied her mind as she observed him.

‘...What is the Sword Sovereign trying to teach him with this training?’

That was the crux of the matter.

The Sword Sovereign, despite her seemingly careless demeanor, her flippant attitude, and her habit of drooling over other people’s disciples, had a keen insight into the essence of things.

‘As much as I hate to admit it, that woman can see the truth.’

Baek Seol-hee had benefited from the Sword Sovereign’s offhand advice during her own training here. So, this seemingly meaningless exercise must hold the key to solving the problems with Jin Yoo-ha’s swordsmanship.

One day passed.

Then two.

Three.

Four.

And as a week went by, Jin Yoo-ha’s frustration began to boil over.

He screamed at the ceiling, unable to endure the hunger any longer.

He called out for his comrades, pleaded for someone to rescue him.

Each time, Baek Seol-hee tried to reach out to him, but the cruel barrier prevented her from doing so.

Jin Yoo-ha was slowly dying, consumed by the extreme hunger.

And at the same time, a realization dawned on her as to why the Sword Sovereign had subjected him to this training.

‘He’s become too accustomed to death...’

Yes.

Baek Seol-hee had pushed Jin Yoo-ha to the brink of death countless times. She believed that removing fear and sharpening his senses was the quickest path to growth.

Just as she had grown stronger through such methods, she hadn’t questioned whether this approach was flawed.

But as she delved into the Sword Sovereign’s reasoning for this training, she began to see the flaws in her own methods.

‘Is the Wolyeong Swordsmanship... a sword meant to kill its wielder...?’

Not just the enemies it faced but even the person wielding it.

The Wolyeong Swordsmanship intuitively showed the user the most efficient way to kill the opponent. But it didn’t account for the user’s safety.

In other words, it was natural to retreat when faced with a stronger opponent or when the odds of victory were slim.

Nothing was more important than one’s life.

But even in such moments, the Wolyeong Swordsmanship revealed the best course of action.

The course that led to mutual destruction.

‘Did I skip over the agony that comes with facing death...?’

She had driven her disciple into extreme situations where even a single misstep could mean death, yet she had not taught him the pain that comes with the journey toward death. She had simply taught him that it would end with one strike of the sword.

This was something she hadn’t realized, having never encountered an opponent stronger than herself after developing the Wolyeong Swordsmanship.

And if she had met such an opponent, she would likely have resorted to mutual destruction and wouldn’t be alive today.

So far, Jin Yoo-ha had been lucky to survive, but what would happen when he faced an even stronger enemy? He would seek out the brightest possibility among all options and charge forward, leading him to his death.

A shiver ran down her spine.

“What... have I been teaching...?”

She had intended to make him stronger, to protect him from danger.

But she had handed him a sword laced with poison.

A master who kills her disciple.

The heavy burden of guilt and sin began to eat away at her heart.

“No, even if I’ve realized this too late... Could I ever teach him about death in this way?”

No.

There was no way.

Yes.

The Sword Sovereign’s training was undoubtedly an effective method to instill the fear of death.

But it was something she could never do.

Watching her disciple die before her eyes, unable to do anything, was something she couldn’t endure.

“...Master, please save me.”

Her disciple was dying before her, calling out her name with unwavering faith.

And she had to watch, unable to do anything.

Was this the price of her sins?

Suddenly, Baek Seol-hee’s face hardened.

‘But... does the Sword Sovereign know how weak my disciple’s body is now?’

No.

She wouldn’t know.

Even Baek Seol-hee, who had been watching over him, hadn’t anticipated just how weak Jin Yoo-ha’s body truly was.

Even with the most conservative estimate of how long he could endure, his body might fail him sooner.

Boom!

Baek Seol-hee threw herself against the barrier that blocked her.

But she was thrown back.

“I have to give this to him.”

She gripped the calorie bar tightly in her hand.

Just before entering this place, while walking behind her disciple and exchanging messages, she had been holding a calorie bar in her mouth.

Her disciple had texted her, lovingly scolding her not to rely on such things for sustenance.

At the time, she had found his words endearing and had tucked the half-eaten calorie bar into her pocket.

Now, in this moment, the calorie bar in her hand seemed like the only lifeline that could save Jin Yoo-ha.

She began scratching at the barrier with her nails.

Desperately.

Scrape.

Her nails were torn off, her fingertips skinned, and blood flowed freely, but she felt no pain.

“Master...”

Her disciple was dying before her eyes, calling out for her.

“Isn’t this enough...?”

Scrape.

“Haven’t you suffered enough...?”

Scrape.

“Can’t this end now...?”

Her tear-streaked, bloodshot eyes, her lips cracked and bleeding, and her blood-covered hands scratching at the barrier made her look like a ghost.

Yet, the voice that slipped through her clenched teeth was full of desperation.

Scrape.

“Please... stop.”

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

“Please... enough... please stop...”

Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry... I was foolish. Sword Sovereign, take him as your disciple, teach him, and I won’t interfere. Just please...”

The light in her disciple’s eyes was slowly fading as he lay on the ground.

Baek Seol-hee’s frantic efforts intensified.

“Why... why... why!!!! If anyone should be punished, it should be me for teaching him such a cursed sword technique! Why does my disciple have to pay the price!! Why!!!”

She screamed with the agony of someone spitting blood.

And in that moment—

Crack!

A tiny fissure appeared in the once impenetrable barrier.

Baek Seol-hee didn’t miss the opportunity.

She had to get it to him.

She quickly shoved the calorie bar through the crack.

It slipped through the barrier—

Thud.

—and landed near her disciple’s head.

“Am I hearing things...?”

Jin Yoo-ha’s dying voice whispered weakly.

No.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

Disciple, you have to grab it.

Cold sweat dripped from her clenched hand.

She was terrified that Jin Yoo-ha might make the wrong choice.

Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest.

Thankfully, Jin Yoo-ha reached out toward the calorie bar.

“...Why is this... here...?”

And as she watched him finally grasp the calorie bar, Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes and collapsed to the ground.

“...Disciple.”