Episode 10: Sung Siwoo (3)
I am the protagonist.
[You are the protagonist of this world.]
[Uphold justice.]
When I first saw these words, I couldn’t understand what they meant.
I was only ten years old at the time, and the meaning itself was beyond me.
“Protagonist…? Justice…?”
Even when I repeated the words to myself, I couldn’t grasp their meaning.
It felt like something out of a fairy tale or a comic book.
In my rural school, the teachers always smiled when they saw me.
“Siwoo, you’re the best.”
The girls my age would blush every time they looked at me.
During breaks, I was always surrounded by people.
I was the center of everything. I was the standard.
This environment constantly reinforced the idea that I was special.
[You are the protagonist of this world.]
‘Of course.’
Of course, that was how it had to be. I was better than anyone else in both looks and ability.
This was my destined role.
‘Uphold justice?’
I was justice itself.
For the next ten years, I maintained my position. I graduated from the military academy as the top student. There was no way I could lose first place. I didn’t even know how to lose.
An Invitation arrived—from Gaon Academy.
‘This is it.’
I had grown tired of this tiny, stifling pond.
A place like this countryside wasn’t where I belonged.
‘Gaon.’
Gaon, the world’s greatest academy, was the perfect fit for me.
So naturally, even after entering Gaon, nothing should have changed.
But.
[Sung Siwoo]
[Rank 42]
‘What the hell….’
This is supposed to be me? No way.
Something was definitely wrong.
I didn’t feel anxious, but my surroundings kept provoking me.
‘Fine, let’s do this.’
Unit training.
If I proposed a strategy, everyone should naturally follow it.
That was how it was supposed to work.
‘Um… but that seems pretty inefficient, doesn’t it?’
Even though I had come up with a flawless plan, someone dared to question it.
At first, I was upset and argued.
In the past, whenever I said something, everyone would nod and step aside.
But they didn’t back down so easily.
In fact, they stood their ground and pushed their arguments even harder.
‘Well… that’s just your opinion.’
It was strange.
I wasn’t at the center anymore.
People weren’t moving based on me as their standard.
‘What… is wrong?’
The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became.
I had this overwhelming feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.
And that frustration found its target.
‘Hey, why don’t we spar?’
Jung Haein.
Perfect. For some reason, he kept bothering me.
He’d make a great outlet for my frustration.
***
‘Wow, look at that glare.’
He’s staring at me like he wants to kill me.
In the original story, there were slight variations between players…
But the protagonist’s core essence in the scenario never changes.
‘He’s supposed to be sincere and righteous.’
Yeah, maybe Sung Siwoo looks like that on the outside, but inside, he’s probably similar.
There’s got to be at least a shred of justice left in his heart somewhere.
…Hopefully.
The instructor’s signal hadn’t sounded yet.
There was still some time left until the auditorium filled completely.
Maybe I should ask him.
We might be able to solve this through conversation.
“Hey, buddy.”
‘Would you consider putting down your sword?’
I repeated the words silently to myself as I carefully approached him.
Before the duel began, he stood there calmly, as if meditating.
“Who said I’m your buddy?”
…Forget it.
Honestly, if a complete stranger came up to you and told you to put down your sword, anyone would get angry.
For a hero, their weapon is a sensitive and critical matter.
But I had no choice. The fate of the world was at stake here. No exaggeration, just facts.
In the end, I’d have to rely on what I initially planned—a conversation through the language of combat.
By then, the auditorium had filled to capacity.
In one corner, Yu Hana and Cheon Yeoul stood facing each other.
They seemed to be sparring partners.
‘That looks more interesting, though.’
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get to watch their match.
—The sparring matches will now begin.
The instructor’s sudden announcement instantly filled the hall with tension.
I gripped my weapon lightly and looked up at Sung Siwoo.
He was still glaring at me with sharp eyes.
Closing his eyes, Sung Siwoo began to draw in energy slowly.
Golden mana flowed through his body, enveloping his blade.
‘Sword aura.’
Sword aura rose along his blade, but it wasn’t smooth.
It was uneven and unstable, indicating poor control over mana.
To anyone else witnessing this, it might look impressive.
After all, sword aura isn’t something just anyone can wield.
But I could tell.
Whether it was merely wielding a sword with learned techniques or truly mastering the ‘sword.’
Sung Siwoo was entirely the former.
As a natural protagonist, his body possessed an abundance of mana, so creating sword aura wasn’t difficult.
However, the process was nothing more than forcing mana into the blade.
It was the epitome of inefficiency—a display with no real understanding of the sword.
After summoning the sword aura, Sung Siwoo studied my expression.
I hadn’t drawn my energy, merely observing him quietly.
Seeing my reaction, he smirked mockingly.
“Scared? Looks like this is your first time seeing sword aura.”
His voice brimmed with confidence, as if he’d gained certainty from my reaction.
As if to show off, he intensified the sword aura even more and stepped toward me.
“Here I come.”
I didn’t reply.
Thwack!
Sung Siwoo charged, his eyes blazing. His blade tore through the air as it came flying at me.
Clang!
A simple horizontal slash from left to right.
It carried a fair amount of power, but it was basic. I slightly tilted my sword, deflecting the impact with ease.
Clang! Clang, clang!
Sung Siwoo pressed on relentlessly, launching a series of consecutive slashes and thrusts.
I took slow, steady breaths, carefully observing the patterns of his attacks one by one.
‘So, this is how it is.’
His swordsmanship could be summed up in a single word.
Crude.
He relied blindly on brute force to overpower his opponent, with no technique, principle, or finesse.
His sword strikes exuded nothing but an awkward roughness.
“Haaaah!”
He raised his energy and swung his sword fiercely again.
But my response remained the same.
A slight movement of my sword was enough to redirect the impact.
This repeated several times.
With each exchange, his breathing grew more labored.
Recklessly drawing out mana seemed to have left him gasping for air.
He didn’t even notice his exhaustion, instead smirking mockingly as he spoke.
“Hah… how long… do you plan to keep running?”
I lightly rotated my sword, pushing his away.
It might be time to end this.
“Do you know what sword aura is?”
I asked him.
This wasn’t a duel.
It was more like a lesson.
“What did you say?”
Startled by my sudden question, Sung Siwoo frowned and retorted.
“Everyone might have a different opinion, but this is what I think.”
“When we draw mana from our bodies, we create a kind of pathway.”
I raised my sword slowly, making sure he could see every movement clearly.
“And it’s the same with the sword.”
“Think of the sword as an extension of your body. When you channel mana into it, it needs to be steady and uniform—not poured in recklessly.”
As I spoke, I slowly began to draw mana. Closing my eyes, I focused.
The sensation of becoming one with the sword—it’s the same essence as with a spear.
It’s like opening a path in a previously blocked part of your body. You form a channel for mana to flow.
And then, you let it flow slowly, steadily, and evenly.
Finally, a faint glow began to emanate from the tip of my blade, spreading until it enveloped the entire sword.
The soft gray mana coated the blade, transforming it into something as solid as armor.
“Some people call this Sword Aura Fortification…”
Sung Siwoo’s expression twisted. His face showed a mix of disbelief and fury that words couldn’t fully capture.
“… Looks like you recognize it.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!!”
He shouted furiously, unable to accept what he saw, and charged at me again.
This time, I dropped the defensive stance I’d maintained so far and took a step toward him.
His blade came at me diagonally.
I lightly extended my sword along his trajectory.
No great force was needed.
“See, sword aura… it’s not just this.”
Ssshhh…
The moment his aura-coated blade touched mine, all the mana on his sword was sucked away, vanishing without a trace.
“This is what true sword aura is.”
As our blades connected, his sword shattered effortlessly, unable to resist for even a moment.
Clang!
“So, if you think you can’t handle it…”
I looked him straight in the eyes and lowered my sword lightly.
“Give up your sword.”