I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“Let me propose something!”

Choo Kyungseok boldly stood up after shouting so loudly that the hall echoed.

Kim Ilshin, watching him, thought to himself,
‘This has been quite successful so far.’

Once it got to this point, there was no doubt that the awaited event would unfold.

Upon visiting the underground arena for the first time and challenging the Champion Road, if he could achieve 19 consecutive wins within 30 minutes, the probability-triggered event [Gambler’s Proposal] would occur.

Kim Ilshin had come to the underground arena not only for practical experience but also to obtain the rewards tied to that event.

He could also gain decent practical experience through the [Gambler’s Proposal] event.

‘The opponents so far have been disappointing.’

However, the foes to come would be different.

The final trial that would emerge from the event would provide good experience in grasping the essence of Ilshin’s Sky-Devouring Punch.

“I don’t think there will be any applicants for the trial at this rate. Well… it seems like anyone who steps up would just end up looking pathetic. So why not spice things up one last time!”

Choo Kyungseok said while spreading his arms wide, clutching a bottle of alcohol in one hand.

His confident voice and grand gestures resembled those of a skilled clown, but the spectators did not respond favorably.

Choo Kyungseok’s words harshly provoked the pride of the fighters gathered here.

Not only did he belittle their courage to challenge Kim Ilshin, but he also insulted them as having no skills to create an exciting match against someone who had fought 19 consecutive battles.

Everyone knew it was true, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth felt different.

“What does that drunken idiot know to talk shit?!”

“Hey, you bastard! Who the hell do you think you are to say such nonsense? I might just rip your tongue out!”

“Have you ever even stepped into the cage? Do you want to die?!”

“Just because you have money, you think you can act tough? I’ve never liked you from the start. Come here, and I’ll make sure to smash that pretty face of yours.”

Voices of strong resistance emerged from all around, but Choo Kyungseok completely ignored their reactions and casually responded.

“So you were planning to step up as the final trial, huh? Right?”

He gestured politely, as if requesting a dance, towards a spectator who had shouted back.

The face of that spectator turned bright red with several intense emotions.

“Well, I might as well apologize then. Who knew our burning fire-fist Park Seonwoo had such guts!”

Choo Kyungseok exaggeratedly bent at the waist, as if genuinely apologetic, before abruptly raising his head to gauge Park Seonwoo’s reaction.

“Ugh…”

Park Seonwoo, wearing a humiliating expression, ultimately couldn’t muster a word and closed his mouth.

“Damn it!”

Just then, he violently shoved those blocking his path and exited the underground arena.

“Oh dear, it seems he didn’t have what it takes. What a pity for someone I liked.”

Seeing that pitiful figure, Choo Kyungseok murmured with a hint of sympathy.
Of course, everyone in the hall knew that was a lie.

Standing tall, Choo Kyungseok looked down at the demoralized fighters once more.

“Then is there anyone willing to confidently volunteer for the trial that will conclude Champion Road? If there’s anyone who thinks they can defeat that challenger, step forward!”

The response was nothing but silence. No one dared to step up in such a situation.

Anyone could volunteer for the trial.
However, no one believed they could win against Kim Ilshin, who reigned within that cage.

Furthermore, even if they braced themselves for defeat, they still lacked the confidence to create a fitting spectacular match for the ending of Champion Road.

Kim Ilshin had remained unchanged since the beginning.
No one knew what power he was hiding.

Satisfied with the situation he created, Choo Kyungseok nodded.

“So it seems there’s no one. In that case, let me propose something. …How about bringing in a monster?”

Choo Kyungseok’s voice suddenly dropped. The spectators murmured in disbelief.

“…Oh come on. I thought it would be something interesting, but in the end, it’s just a ridiculous mess.”
“Does that even make sense? Where in the world would you find an idiot willing to take on that monster…?”
“If you’ve got a properly functioning brain, you’d never even consider it.”

The rapidly cooling atmosphere was something Choo Kyungseok anticipated.
He had a way to turn the mood around.

“After all, with a perilous trial comes a perilous reward! If a challenger accepts my proposal, I will offer this!”

Choo Kyungseok pulled out a small glass vial from his robe and held it up over his head. Immediately, Kim Ilshin smiled faintly at what he saw.

“This is a treasure passed down through my family, the ‘Stone of Eternal Life.’ Inside this small vial are the life essences of hundreds! I might be clueless about its uses, but if it goes to auction, I could easily fetch a few billion!”

Hyeonwold Sword retained the properties of the bloodstone, its main material.
The power it possessed would increase according to the number of lives absorbed.

Moreover, Hanarin had mentioned that awakening might occur when the gauge was completely filled.

‘I don’t know how much it takes to fill… but maybe this could work.’
The hundreds of life essences in that vial could potentially fill the gauge of the Hyeonwold Sword completely.

“B-Billion…?”
“With that, I could change my life…”

The crowd buzzed intensely at Choo Kyungseok’s statement.
Gleaming eyes filled with desire turned towards him, but no one dared to act foolishly.

Even if they somehow succeeded in seizing the Stone of Eternal Life, the underground arena’s rules made it clear that it wouldn’t lead to a long life.
Thus, the onlookers quickly cast aside their desires and refocused on the challenger’s response.

“Hey, challenger! What do you think! If you manage to slay the monster, the Stone of Eternal Life will be yours from that moment on!”

Choo Kyungseok shouted with a thrilling voice, and Kim Ilshin’s response had been decided the moment he arrived.

“I accept the proposal.”

Immediately, the staff in the underground arena began bustling about, preparing for the final match.
Such an event was welcomed by them as well. The hotter the arena got, the more money they would earn.

*

In less than ten minutes, the preparations for the match were complete.
At this juncture, Kim Ilshin moved to the main stage.

Before him was a massive metal box that was twice the size of the original cage.

“So, the monster is inside that?”
“Huh… I didn’t expect to see that guy again.”
“I was curious about what it was, and now I finally get to see.”

The spectators outside the cage were more nervous than Kim Ilshin was.
Some were glimmering with curiosity, while most were individuals who had only heard tales of the monster without ever seeing it.

Clank!

At that moment, a mechanical sound emanated from the metal box. It signaled the start of the final trial.
[The final trial is none other than the invincible monster feared by all! The Undead Hound!]

Boom!

One side of the metal box detached and fell to the ground, and soon after, the monster emerged.

‘It looks even more disgusting up close.’
The Undead Hound, walking out of the box, resembled a massive dog.

However, its eye sockets were completely empty, and its front paws bore protruding blades.
Its teeth looked as if iron nails were embedded throughout its mouth, and due to their size and sharpness, it seemed incapable of closing its mouth.

It was a form that nature could never produce.
This shape clearly indicated that it had been artificially created.

The Undead Hound had been introduced into the underground arena during times when fights between humans and monsters were still allowed.
Back then, the management only vaguely thought it would attract popularity due to its bizarre appearance, but the creature’s power exceeded their imagination.

Ultimately, there were fatalities in the very first match, and during the process of re-capturing it, five more staff members perished.
Afterward, battles against monsters were abolished, and all arena beasts were disposed of, yet the Undead Hound remained alive and well.

Rumors circulated that it had been left behind to handle nuisances.
But Kim Ilshin knew the true reason.

‘Even if one wanted to kill it, they couldn’t.’
Despite its grotesque appearance, the greatest threat of the Undead Hound lay hidden from view.

No matter how many times its neck was severed, how many times it was burned, or how long it was submerged in water, it would not die.
That was the Undead Hound’s greatest power, which is why it had to be locked away in a custom-made box.

‘If only the core is destroyed, it will end.’
The eternal life of the Undead Hound stems from a pea-sized core hidden within its body.
Destroying that would mean killing it, and Kim Ilshin had already pinpointed its location.

But he had no intention of finishing it off immediately.
‘Why kill such a good opponent right away?’

A monster that doesn’t die unless its core is destroyed.
In other words, it was a combat opponent he could use whenever he wanted.
Its physical strength and movements were likely top-notch, making it suitable for training in various techniques, including Ilshin’s Sky-Devouring Punch.

“Come.”
At those words, the Undead Hound charged forward swiftly. Thus began the final match of Champion Road.

For Kim Ilshin, it marked the start of his training.

*

And that day, Kim Ilshin realized that even the Undead Hound’s regenerative abilities had limits.