Why Did I Have to Enroll

Wednesday, Second Period: Aura Combat Class, Second Session.

Last week, Ryu Cheol-myeong learned a lesson after provoking Dokgo Yeon and being attacked by Luciel Ortima, whom he considered an ally. He decided to narrow his target this time.

Naturally, that target was Ban Yu-won.

“You’re exposing videos about the Academy to the external network, aren’t you? No one has the right to stop a student’s free activities. However, if you claim to represent the Academy, you must meet certain qualifications. Therefore, from today, I will personally team up with Ban Yu-won for intensive training.”

Wow, what a forced yet seemingly plausible idea.

As Ban Yu-won thought this, Ryu Cheol-myeong gave him a look that said, ‘I won’t let you go this time.’

“Be glad, Ban Yu-won. I’ve never taught a student from a lower dimension one-on-one before.”

“It’s truly an honor.”

Ban Yu-won laughed and willingly stepped onto the stage Ryu Cheol-myeong had set for him.

Apparently, Ryu Cheol-myeong’s Aura Combat class was notorious. He would call out the slowest student, like now, for special education, claiming it was to help them feel the aura, and then beat them up thoroughly. Other students were encouraged to watch closely, as it was said to be more effective to feel the aura up close, like watching a monkey in a zoo.

Thanks to the magic circle surrounding the space, minor injuries could be healed immediately, and since he usually picked students with no backing or weak spirits, Ryu Cheol-myeong had nothing to fear from repercussions.

Moreover, usually—everyone except the student involved in the lecture would side with him.

This was, after all, education, and you were lucky to have the opportunity to learn directly from Ryu Cheol-myeong.

‘It was actually lucky.’

Facing Ryu Cheol-myeong, who held a wooden greatsword, Ban Yu-won genuinely thought so. Even if Ryu Cheol-myeong’s swordsmanship depth was shallow, the weight of the years he had spent mastering the sword was not something anyone could easily dismiss.

His profound history, the countless experiences he had accumulated.

How much could one learn from observing such things up close, displayed so proudly?

“Since this is a spar to elevate your swordsmanship, magic is prohibited.”

“Understood. I will only use the sword from now on.”

When Ban Yu-won replied with a smile, Ryu Cheol-myeong chuckled and said, “I control this space, Ban Yu-won. When I say magic is prohibited, it means you can’t use magic here. So, trying to use magic during training is pointless.”

“Yes, I had no intention of using it from the start. It’s an opportunity to learn swordsmanship from Professor Ryu Cheol-myeong; why would I use magic?”

With a grin, Ban Yu-won’s confident response made Ryu Cheol-myeong uneasy. However, since he controlled the space and could prevent magic activation, and he wasn’t some low-class thug who could slap Ban Yu-won just because his smiling face was annoying, he said no more and pointed his wooden sword at Ban Yu-won.

Ban Yu-won inwardly scoffed as he watched Ryu Cheol-myeong emit a crimson aura.

‘The magic professors who gave you control of this space are on my side, you idiot.’

Ryu Cheol-myeong, who had no knowledge of magic, would never understand. The protective magic Ban Yu-won showed in the first session was merely a means to deceive Ryu Cheol-myeong visibly.

The ‘real’ protection was a spell that returned any damage inflicted on the body to the entire space, which had been applied to all Rebellion members from the moment they entered.

Of course, with higher administrative authority than Ryu Cheol-myeong.

“Let’s begin. Don’t forget to feel the aura with your soul!”

—Thud, thud-thud!

Naturally, the training was one-sided. No matter how much aura was imbued, a wooden sword became a lethal weapon, so Ryu Cheol-myeong removed the killing intent from his aura, leaving only the impact.

Thus, Ban Yu-won wouldn’t be cut to death, but he had to endure a thorough beating. The other Rebellion members watching the spar found it hard to suppress their murderous intent toward Ryu Cheol-myeong.

“Worm…”

Dokgo Yeon gritted her teeth, her hand on the hilt of her small sword. Light placed his hand over hers to calm her.

“Stay calm. Ban said he’d be fine. He’s holding up well.”

“I know. He’s strong enough not to fall for such a fool’s tricks. But just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean getting slapped feels good.”

“Dokgo Yeon, you…”

Seeing Dokgo Yeon’s hand trembling slightly on the hilt, Light realized.

“You really think of Ban as a precious friend…!”

“…What are you saying, Light? Are you obsessed with the word ‘friend’ lately?”

“Master…!”

While Light and Dokgo Yeon were having a banter that was starting to feel familiar, Luciel stared intently at Ban Yu-won, who was slowly moving while being struck by Ryu Cheol-myeong’s wooden sword.

In her eyes, Ban Yu-won’s reaction speed to Ryu Cheol-myeong’s movements was gradually increasing.

‘If you know how to use this space properly, its efficiency as a training ground is incomparable to the Academy’s annex training room. It’s fine no matter how much you get hit!’

Before the class started, Ban Yu-won assured Luciel, who was planning to boycott the session, thinking she’d end up clashing with Ryu Cheol-myeong again, that he would take all the aggro.

‘The stronger the enemy, the greater the damage, the faster my abilities will grow. And to be able to return all that damage to the space… When else will I get to use such an expensive facility?’

Of course, this facility was extremely costly to install and maintain. That’s why not all training rooms could have magic applied to them. Ban Yu-won said he was monopolizing this advantage by attending this class, but Luciel still felt uneasy.

However, seeing Ban Yu-won’s reactions improving in real-time, it seemed his words were true.

“Hmm?”

By then, Ryu Cheol-myeong also noticed something strange. Despite adjusting his strength, Ban Yu-won, who should have collapsed long ago, was still standing.

Yet the impact was certain, and Ban Yu-won’s painful expression made it impossible to think he was using any defensive magic this time. It seemed Ban Yu-won was merely enduring the pain.

‘His endurance is unbelievably good. Well, if he’s weak, he should at least have good endurance.’

But something felt off. The unique pleasure he felt when punishing a student he disliked was absent. Moreover, strangely, it seemed Ban Yu-won was gradually reading his movements.

That couldn’t be. The difference in years between him and Ban Yu-won was vast. Could that worm read his movements?

‘Impossible.’

After being hit so much, Ban Yu-won’s body might be moving erratically, which coincidentally made it seem like he was dodging his sword. But even if it was a misunderstanding, it wasn’t fun this way.

Annoyed by Ban Yu-won’s resilience, Ryu Cheol-myeong increased his speed and aura.

—Wooong

At Ryu Cheol-myeong’s level, it was possible to imbue various meanings into his aura. For instance, emphasizing cutting power or removing it entirely to increase impact. Although the damage remained the same, it could cause excruciating pain upon contact.

Since aura was the power of the soul, its energy was entirely separate from the body, defying all physical laws. Thus, mastering aura was akin to awakening to omnipotence!

‘I will crush you as painfully as possible. You’ll never dare to show your face in front of me again!’

Seeing the more ominous and intense aura, the students held their breath. The truly bleak and terrifying will emanating from the aura! Even students who couldn’t handle aura could sense that much.

On the other hand, Ban Yu-won, who was facing the aura with shining eyes, made Dokgo Yeon suddenly feel uneasy.

“Could it be…?”

“Why, why. Is it too much for him to handle? Should I step in? I could take the hits for Ban if it’s for him…!”

“Where’s the person who told me to stay calm earlier? No, that’s not it. I’m not worried about Ban Yu-won; it’s just that right now…”

Ban Yu-won.

Feeling the aura striking his body intensely, he thought with all his powers.

He finally understood Dokgo Yeon’s words about aura being the purification of inner strength after experiencing aura hundreds, thousands of times with his body.

‘Aura is like martial arts.’

Compressing inner strength to create a solid vessel of energy and imbuing it with a unique meaning. That’s why everyone’s aura is different, and it changes depending on the martial arts they’ve mastered.

He also understood why there was no need to rush in mastering aura. Aura is naturally learned as one tries to handle more inner strength efficiently, and more importantly, it embodies one’s unique martial arts and will.

‘I haven’t found my own sword yet.’

What he meant by Ryu Cheol-myeong’s aura being incomplete was that the meaning contained within the vast vessel of energy was crude. Aura wasn’t something abstract like the power of the soul; it was a stage of martial arts for those who truly understood the ‘sword’ through long years of study.

‘But I learned something good from this man.’

How to compress energy. How to handle it more easily. It was merely scratching the surface of aura manipulation, but it was highly effective for now.

Ban Yu-won had no intention of completing his martial arts here. But…

“Can you feel the aura? Do you feel it, Ban Yu-won?”

He wanted to tease this foolishly dull and despicable pervert.

“Uh… Yes.”

“…What did you say?”

Ban Yu-won decided to reveal the aura he had formed, thanks to being thoroughly beaten by Ryu Cheol-myeong.

—Wooong

“…Aura?”

“Isn’t that aura?”

“Black aura… It’s aura! That’s aura!”

The students began to chatter with their mouths agape, confirming the aura emanating from Ban Yu-won’s sword. No matter how much they usually ignored Ban Yu-won, it was impossible for the Special Class students to pretend not to see the aura, a privilege of advanced swordsmen, displayed right before their eyes.

“My goodness! How can a first-year have aura…!”

“He’s not even from Murim. It’s impossible! Impossible, but…!”

“I heard Dokgo Yeon is teaching him. Damn, aura!”

Apparently, the word aura held significant meaning for swordsmen. Ban Yu-won laughed inwardly, and like the students causing a commotion, Ryu Cheol-myeong, who had stopped swinging his sword and was staring blankly at him, bowed politely.

“Thank you so much, Professor Ryu Cheol-myeong. Thanks to you, I was able to grasp aura, which I didn’t even know the concept of, in a short time!”

“N-no, I…”

He must have known. If getting beaten with aura could awaken aura, every student in the Academy would be able to handle aura by now. There were only two ways to explain this phenomenon.

First, Ban Yu-won might have already been handling aura. Second, Ban Yu-won was such an extraordinary genius that he learned Ryu Cheol-myeong’s aura manipulation in that short moment.

Neither made sense. Neither should have been possible for a worm from a lower dimension without even magic power.

But Ryu Cheol-myeong, still retaining enough reason to suppress an impulsive outburst, held it in.

“Congratulations on awakening your aura, Ban Yu-won.”

And he offered his insincere congratulations.

“I’m a bit tired from drawing out the aura. May I end the training and go rest?”

“…Yes.”

Ryu Cheol-myeong nodded with a soul-drained expression. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won, with a gentle smile, didn’t forget to express his gratitude and bowed politely before returning to his seat.

“Erase it.”

Then Dokgo Yeon glared at Ban Yu-won as if he had taken away her cocoa and grumbled.

“Erase the memory of learning such a pathetic aura from your brain!”

“Hey, hey, wait. You can’t erase memories by hitting, right? Hey! Wait!”

“Erase it, erase it! I can’t allow that, erase it!”

Dokgo Yeon started hitting Ban Yu-won’s head with her fist. Light, watching this, blinked his eyes and quietly turned to ask Luciel.

“Luciel, what do you call that?”

“Student possessiveness.”

Light nodded in agreement at Luciel’s brief assessment. Although Ryu Cheol-myeong hadn’t intended it at all, he had succeeded in dealing the biggest blow to Dokgo Yeon since taking over this class.