Chapter 11

Time flowed on, even in the darkness.

The children adapted to the training at a rapid pace.

By now, most of them had figured out the true purpose hidden within the running training.

The children tried to activate their senses to the fullest to detect where the instructors were hiding beforehand.

Of course, not everyone succeeded, but So Yeowol and a few other children showed outstanding talent and were successful. And they finally succeeded in accumulating Internal Energy through the Thunderclap Mind Method.

Once they could feel their qi, their senses became even sharper. Thanks to this, they showed even greater achievement in their training.

As more children began to feel their qi, the instructors threw them a second Mind Method manual.

It was a Mind Method manual called the Poison Dragon Mind Method.

The Poison Dragon Mind Method was a Mind Method that allowed one to build Internal Energy at an accelerated rate. Although the path to the Ever-Victorious Realm was blocked, it allowed one to build Internal Energy rapidly up to a certain point, making it far more efficient than other Mind Methods.

At Complete mastery, its destructive power was immense, like a dragon full of poison, but its stability was low, and a single misstep could easily lead to Qi Deviation. However, the instructors did not tell the children this.

They simply threw the book at them, explained the Oral Formula, and forced them to learn it.

The children learned the Poison Dragon Mind Method without a moment to think.

By now, the children were addicted to becoming stronger.

As they learned Internal Energy and their overall physical abilities increased by leaps and bounds, their confidence grew as well. The children were crazed with becoming stronger, as if intoxicated by a drug.

Madness was taking control of them.

Those who showed outstanding achievement were given a commensurate reward.

Abundant food and good weapons.

These two things fueled the children’s competitive spirit and brought about rapid growth.

Pyo Wol stared at the Poison Dragon Mind Method manual with sunken eyes.

Just as with the Thunderclap Mind Method, no children bothered to read the Poison Dragon Mind Method. This was because Il-geom, I-geom, and the others had already explained the Oral Formula in detail.

Because of this, Pyo Wol was able to easily secure the original copy of the Poison Dragon Mind Method.

Pyo Wol read the Oral Formula of the Poison Dragon Mind Method, comparing it with the Thunderclap Mind Method.

He had already read the Thunderclap Mind Method dozens of times. Thanks to that, the booklet had long since become tattered.

Pyo Wol had probably read the Thunderclap Mind Method many times more than Il-geom and the others who had interpreted its Oral Formula.

After poring over the Thunderclap Mind Method dozens of times, Pyo Wol came to one conclusion.

‘They haven’t perfectly understood the Thunderclap Mind Method.’

To use a tree as an analogy, the Thunderclap Mind Method was a giant tree with incredibly lush branches. But Il-geom and the instructors had cut off all the numerous branches, leaving only the core trunk and main stems.

They thought that was enough.

And in reality, it was.

Most of the children learned Internal Energy through the core-only Thunderclap Mind Method, and its purpose was served.

There was no need to go to the trouble of learning the parts that were the branches.

The parts that were branches could simply be supplemented with the Poison Dragon Mind Method.

That was much more efficient.

The children here were not prodigies of the Orthodox Faction who would one day lead the Jianghu.

They were nothing more than swords being forged to carry out a single mission.

Rather than a sturdy sword that would never break, a sharp sword that was less durable but could leave a fatal wound with a single strike was what they wanted. And the children were steadily growing just as the Bloody Shadows Guild desired.

The children who delved deeply into the Poison Dragon Mind Method grew just as quickly. And they overwhelmingly dominated the other children.

On the other hand, Pyo Wol, who had been the first to feel qi, was making slow progress.

It was because he had not yet learned the Poison Dragon Mind Method.

A doubt that arose from deep within his heart prevented him from learning the Poison Dragon Mind Method.

Feeling uneasy, Pyo Wol postponed learning the Poison Dragon Mind Method and immersed himself in the Thunderclap Mind Method.

‘The essence of the Thunderclap Mind Method is Heart Speed.’

Everything was contained within the name Thunderclap Mind Method.

A thunderclap strikes the earth from the sky at a speed that humans cannot perceive. The spectacle humans see is the completed form after the thunderclap has pierced heaven and earth, not the process itself.

Bun-roe, one had to split the thunderclap.

It was impossible for a human to split a thunderclap. It was the same for even an Expert of the highest caliber in Martial Arts.

And yet, the creator of the Thunderclap Mind Method had deliberately chosen the word ‘Bun-roe’.

Pyo Wol thought there was no way such a word would be chosen without reason.

Every word has a meaning befitting it.

This was even more true for the Oral Formulas of Martial Arts.

Depending on how one interpreted the Oral Formula, the power and achievement could differ as much as heaven and earth.

Pyo Wol thought that ‘Bun-roe’ referred to the mind.

It was impossible with the power of the body, but it was possible with thought.

Normally, one would consider such a thing a delusion, but Pyo Wol did not think the author of the Thunderclap Mind Method was a dreamer.

With just the core Essential technique, with all the branches cut away, the children were able to quickly perceive qi and build Internal Energy. There was no way the creator of such an amazing Martial Art could be a dreamer.

After countless deliberations, Pyo Wol concluded that ‘Bun-roe’ meant the speed of thought, that is, Heart Speed.

If one could think fast enough to split a thunderclap, many things that were impossible by common sense might become possible.

The problem was whether Pyo Wol, who knew no Martial Arts, could perfectly master the essence of such a Thunderclap Mind Method.

It would be less of a headache and his progress would be faster if he just switched to the Poison Dragon Mind Method now.

It was obvious that the path Il-geom and the instructors had already verified and for which they had laid the theoretical foundation would be much easier. Yet, the reason Pyo Wol hesitated was that if he comfortably took the path others had prepared, he would never be able to surpass the limits they had set.

Pyo Wol had absolutely no intention of being satisfied with just that.

As he overcame life-and-death crises alone in the deep darkness, Pyo Wol developed a stubbornness that others did not have.

Perhaps a rebellious nature that had been hidden was only now awakening.

He did not want to be controlled by others.

He did not want to submit to the humans who had thrown him into this dark space.

To do that, he had to break away from the path they had created.

Instead of the safe and smooth road, Pyo Wol chose the rough, treacherous path where unexpected dangers lurked.

Pyo Wol pushed the Poison Dragon Mind Method manual far away.

＊＊＊

The children were now used to the running training.

The running training had made their bodies and stamina incomparably stronger than before.

They came to possess taut muscles like wild mountain goats. The combination of their excellent physiques and the Poison Dragon Mind Method had made their talents bloom.

The children’s achievements were something that Il-geom and I-geom had not anticipated.

“Their growth rate is faster than I thought.”

“At this rate, five years should be enough, not six. In fact, the reason we set a six-year timeframe wasn’t because the target is that strong, but to erase all traces and ensure perfection, wasn’t it?”

“You underestimate the target. He’s a man called the greatest talent in all of Sichuan Province. To face such a talent, even taking every precaution is not enough. One wrong move and the entire Bloody Shadows Guild could be wiped out. Isn’t that why the Unit Leader is training children who have no connection to the Bloody Shadows Guild? So that there will be no problem even if they fail.”

That was why they never took off their masks.

They were trying to maintain secrecy by not showing their faces to the children.

I-geom apologized.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking down on the target.”

“I know! But you must never let your guard down.”

“Yes!”

I-geom answered vigorously.

Il-geom stared at I-geom silently for a moment before speaking.

“It’s time to start teaching the children the Killing Method.”

“Understood.”

I-geom replied immediately.

An Assassin is never made overnight.

The method of killing must change depending on the target’s status, Martial Arts, and circumstances, so they had to learn that many techniques.

From practical techniques that actually snuffed out life, like Sword Art, Saber technique, poison arts, and Hidden Weapon arts, to infiltration-related techniques like Stealth Skill, Breath Concealment Art, and covert movement arts, there was a mountain of things to learn.

I-geom had said five years would be enough, but Il-geom thought even six years was not enough time.

“Push the children even harder.”

“Many of them will die.”

“The ones who survive will become that much stronger.”

“Understood.”

I-geom relayed Il-geom’s orders to the instructors.

The instructors immediately carried out the order.

“From today, we will teach you Sword Art.”

An Assassin’s sword is a killing sword.

They did not seek the Way of Immortals through swordsmanship like the Mount Hua Sect or the Wudang Sect. They only researched how to cut a person’s life short in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of effort.

For that reason, an Assassin’s sword was simple yet efficient.

The path to the highest realms was blocked, but when it came to swiftly ending a person’s life, no great orthodox sect could compare.

To do this, one had to be well-versed in the human body.

That was why Assassins were as knowledgeable about the human body’s structure as Physicians. It was because they spent every day researching nothing but how to kill people.

“No matter how much of an absolute Expert one is, if these three places are struck, death cannot be avoided. Those places are the head, the neck, and the heart. If these three places are pierced, it doesn’t matter how high one’s Martial Arts are. The Sword Art I will teach you from now on is one that focuses on attacking these three places. Its name is the Serpent Soul Sword. It is a One Strike Certain Kill technique that snuffs out the opponent’s life in an instant, just as a snake snatches its prey in a flash.”

“If it’s One Strike Certain Kill, does that mean there’s no second attack?”

The one who had fearlessly asked the question was none other than Pyo Wol.

I-geom stared at Pyo Wol for a moment with emotionless eyes. It was a gaze so cold it sent shivers down one’s spine.

Even though they weren’t the ones being directly looked at, the children flinched.

I-geom said,

“For an Assassin, a second chance does not exist. If you fail to kill the opponent with the first strike, only death awaits. So it’s best not to think about a second attack.”

For the first time, I-geom had uttered the word ‘Assassin’.

Only then did many of the children realize they were being raised as Assassins and began to murmur amongst themselves. But that too was brief; they quickly shut their mouths when they received I-geom’s cold gaze.

The instructor organized the children into pairs of two and threw each pair a Dagger. It was a real sword with a gleaming blue blade.

Pyo Wol was paired with a boy named Gok Su-chang.

Gok Su-chang was short, and his face was covered in acne scars. His appearance was unremarkable, but his eyes were full of Poison Qi.

He said out of the blue,

“Let’s get along.”

“With what?”

“Just… everything.”

Pyo Wol furrowed his brow at Gok Su-chang’s incomprehensible words.

Just then, the instructor’s voice was heard.

“First, we’ll start with the neck.”

Following the instructor’s words, the children executed the sword form toward their partner’s neck.

Using Daggers, which were much shorter than ordinary swords, they feigned stabbing their partner’s neck.

Until just a short while ago, they had burned with Killing Intent for each other, but after the instructors’ appearance, the children had stopped fighting.

With the appearance of a powerful external enemy, they had tacitly agreed to a truce.

For that reason, the swords they swung at each other held no Killing intent.

Of course, if the situation changed later, a day would come when they would swing their swords in earnest, but for now, there was no reason to harbor Killing Intent for one another.

The children repeated the sword forms the instructors taught them over and over to get used to them.

These were children who had committed murder with their bare hands without anyone teaching them. When such children were given weapons with gleaming blue blades, they became familiar with them in no time.

The children used them as skillfully as if they had learned the sword from a young age.

Sshhwiik!

The sound of the children swinging their Daggers echoed through the underground cavern.

The instructors only taught them the sword forms; they did not correct their posture or offer detailed instruction.

It was as if their job was done just by teaching the sword forms.

And in reality, it was.

These were children who had already tasted blood through a hellish situation.

There was no need to give detailed instruction to them, who were full of madness. Just by opening the door a crack, they would instinctively find the path they had to take.

The children’s swords grew sharper and sharper.

“Heehee!”

Gok Su-chang was the same.

He freely swung his Dagger at Pyo Wol.

Sshhwiik!

The way he stabbed like lightning and retreated like the wind made it seem as if he had been learning the sword forms for a long time.

Pyo Wol also responded appropriately to match him.

It was when he feigned a stab at Gok Su-chang’s neck and was pulling back.

Suddenly, the look in Gok Su-chang’s eyes changed.

Outwardly, no change could be detected, but Pyo Wol’s senses did not miss his subtle change.

‘You?’

Sshik!

At that moment, Gok Su-chang’s Dagger flew in at a speed incomparable to before.

His Dagger was aimed precisely at Pyo Wol’s Adam’s apple.

It wasn’t just a feint like before; he had attacked with real Killing Intent.

Pyo Wol almost instinctively threw his head back and swung his Dagger.

Chaeng!

Pyo Wol’s sword deflected Gok Su-chang’s.

Normally, it would have stopped there. But Gok Su-chang charged at Pyo Wol like a demon.

The Killing Intent he harbored was real.

He was genuinely trying to kill Pyo Wol.

The instructor watching nearby also knew this. But the instructor did not stop Gok Su-chang’s actions.

Instead, he watched with an interested gaze.

Pyo Wol opened his mouth as he dodged the Dagger.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Heehee! It’s no fun fighting for pretend.”

“Is that so?”

“So give it your all. Or you’ll be eaten. Heehee!”

Gok Su-chang smiled a mad smile and drove into Pyo Wol’s personal space.

In the moment of crisis, Pyo Wol threw away his Dagger. He felt it was a hindrance.

Peok!

Pyo Wol extended his leg and kicked Gok Su-chang in the stomach. Taking advantage of the moment Gok Su-chang faltered from the strong impact, he grabbed the wrist holding the sword. And he twisted it hard.

Ududuk!

“Uwaaack!”

As the wrist twisted, a white bone pierced through the skin and jutted out.