Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 117

117 – It’s Always a Cliché in the End. (4)

What was that just now?

Faced with an unexpected situation, I could only be bewildered. No, has the martial arts reached its extreme?

Just one punch. No matter how complacent I might have been, I never imagined I wouldn’t even be able to react and just explode like that.

What kind of encounter did future me face that, even reaching this level, couldn’t prevent the destruction of the human world? It’s an incomprehensible matter.

But that’s one thing, and… what’s important to me now is defeating that guy.

It won’t be easy. I thought so and got up from the bed.

“Now, it’s martial arts of all things. This is awkward…”

-You, surely…

From Noble mtl dot com

Muttering to myself, the guy bound by restraints spoke with an expression of fear. There was a faint trembling in his voice. Surely, that guy. Did he think I would even touch martial arts?

“Don’t mess with martial arts.”

-Phew…

As I said that, the guy breathed a sigh of relief. The dignified tone from the beginning was nowhere to be found, and now he seemed as friendly as if he were my friend.

Anyway, as I told the sword, I had no intention of getting involved in martial arts. If I were to foolishly mess with martial arts now, it would lead to an even more disastrous outcome than being devoted to a sword.

Suddenly, what I had thought of earlier came to mind. Resistance is futile.

Similarly, looking at it, it seemed that my future self had reached a similar level. Having become a master of the sword, it must be a state where one gains insight into how to handle their entire body in the aftermath.

So, my task here was simple. The sword.

Focus solely on the sword. Now is not the time to divert my attention to any other discipline than the sword. Once I achieve perfection with the sword, the path will naturally open.

In this space that could be called the training ground, digging deep into one well was what I had to do.

Complete my own swordsmanship. By digging deep and narrow into the well, a vast ocean would be waiting.

“Are you going straight away?”

“Yeah. No reason to dilly-dally.”

– But there might still be lingering mental fatigue and physical pain.

“I’ve been through enough to get used to it.”

I replied lethargically, harboring the desire to meet my future self again. It was a fact I realized around the hundredth time I died, but simply intending to meet my future self would automatically take me to that space.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and upon opening them, I saw again the figure of the guy gripping the longsword.

Is it the hundred and thirtieth time now?

Quite a lot.

But I know it’s still not enough. Also, even if I gain insight here, it doesn’t mean I’ll become dramatically stronger when I go outside.

The me outside is not as strong as my mental self, especially in terms of the physical aspect. Perhaps my body might not withstand my enlightenment.

But as much as that, I get to know the path I need to take. That alone is a tremendous benefit to me. Of course… it will be quite painful dealing with the disparity between enlightenment and the physical body.

Knowing the path, having enlightenment in a high place, and having the Sword of Restraint.

I gain the possibility of becoming stronger than my future self.

Yeah. So… now is the time to shut up and hit my head.

* * *

1033rd attempt.

It flowed almost parallel to him, but ultimately couldn’t surpass him by just a hair. Perhaps, the key is overcoming this slight difference.

1117th attempt.

Every time I try, I feel something. It’s like the sword becomes an extension of my body, and that sensation becomes clearer. Maybe it’s because I keep watching what the completed form of Imperial Swordsmanship is like.

1320th attempt.

Now, I can clearly see the path the sword takes. Additionally, I’ve caught up to his speed. There were rarely any opportunities to see his martial arts in action. After all, I never had to take his sword away.

1500th attempt.

Now, it feels like the sword is a part of my body. In other novels, they call this the state of Sword Unity, and when I finally stepped into that realm I felt like the world changed. But there was still something missing. What could it be? Even though his sword was clearly visible, and our sword techniques were already the same, I felt a sense of lacking.

1612th attempt.

Now, it’s like we’re in a never-ending cycle, unable to determine the outcome. Our swords are perfectly identical, and we know each other’s weaknesses too well.

1620th attempt.

I realized what was missing. It was because I was the same as him. I was clearly doing this crazy thing to surpass him, but I couldn’t find any flaws in his sword. How foolish of me to realize this so late. There’s no one more foolish than a fool like me.

1623rd attempt.

I abandoned the sword I learned by watching him. If I continue like this, the result won’t change. I didn’t try to learn the sword of a loser. Even if he has reached his limit, that’s his limit, not mine. It was simply an imaginary ‘me’ created based on the current possibilities.

1624th attempt.

Since the day I vowed to abandon the sword, I was once again surpassed by him. I knew where his sword was heading, but I had no intention of drawing the same sword as him. My own sword. It was good to dismantle his masterpiece and explore beyond it, but it ended up being mere imitation and made no progress.

So this time, I had to find the path I wanted to pursue. That will be the answer.

1625th attempt.

I see some progress bit by bit. Since I am fully grasping his sword technique, it is

With each attempt, my swordsmanship unfolded gradually. Honestly speaking, it was subtle to call it swordsmanship. It was merely bringing out the basics according to the situation. Yet, it eventually felt right. What Prax had built before the possession was a foundation so distant, basic skills beyond measure. Even after the possession, my swordsmanship derived from there. It was the fundamental part even in Imperial swordsmanship, where everything I had built was rooted. What I learned from Edan ultimately didn’t go beyond that line.

Attempt 1627.

A path appeared. The flow of swordsmanship remained uninterrupted. If the basics were sturdy, it seemed anything was possible. Although I diligently piled up the basics, it was clear it was like a frog in a well, limited. The extreme of basics meant the extreme of freedom. No matter how one moved, the swordsmanship didn’t collapse. The flow remained unbroken. Instead, the opponent’s sword seemed to waver.

—

Before I knew it, attempt 1630.

I could see his struggle. He swung his sword. And I, in response, swung mine.

But it didn’t reach me. Even if he sliced through space, even if it was a swordsmanship that carved the space itself, he couldn’t cut through my sword, nor could he cut through me.

Because I could see it. Where his sword was directed, what flow he aimed to sever. My sword, on the contrary, latched onto his sword attempting to carve space, stubbornly, ultimately disrupting his flow.

Disrupt the flow.

Yeah. If I had to name it, it would be like this. In a swordsmanship that existed only in basics, this was perhaps the only thing worthy of being called a technique.

With a single swing, sever the opponent’s flow. By interrupting the very path the sword takes, prevent the opponent’s sword from continuing.

Although Imperial swordsmanship already emphasized basics, my swordsmanship went one step further. Basics… meaning, I cut out all actions except slashing and thrusting. Eventually, a swordsmanship that had passed through many hands started valuing something beyond basics.

Cutting out those actions brought forth the essence of what humans have done since first holding a sword. Touching that essence, nothing seemed impossible with a sword.

Disrupting the flow emerged from cutting out those actions. A swordsmanship that cut out everything except the basics from the opponent’s swordsmanship.

With no form, even as an opponent, he couldn’t respond.

Clang—

A rather subdued clink resounded. The brutish roar from the beginning was no longer heard. Because I had been redirecting or blocking his sword completely.

Without exerting much force.

Yet, disrupting his sword’s path without any exertion left him confused.

There’s a path in a sword. What we call the sword road ultimately has an end because it’s a path. However, the opponent’s sword ultimately cannot reach that end.

I was satisfied. This is it. With this, I can defeat the guy.

I press on. Riding the opponent’s sword like a snake, I snatch away his future.

At that moment, the guy’s sword shattered. Breaking a wavering and lost sword flow was not a difficult task.

Driven by the momentum of breaking the opponent’s sword, I struck the guy’s neck.

Swoosh-

Finally.

The guy’s neck was cut.

It was a triumphant achievement after 1630 challenges.