A closer look revealed that the explanation was plausible.
Though there was no doubt that they were Human, their wide shoulders and their physiques outclassed the Orcs.
Just by seeing those bodies, the simple Orcs had easily become friendly toward them.
***
“Hyaa!”
SwordNoob violently swung the two-handed sword.
The Ogre. In terms of physical strength alone, the monster was an opponent second to none.
The SwordNoob who was at the apex of his class, doctrine, and sword arts was not able to suppress his piled up rage.
The movement of the sword was rapid and intense.
*Kuoooooo!*
The Ogre swung its ax with extreme fury, and although the wind grazed his face as the ax passed, the Ogre was unable to follow the natural movements of the SwordNoob.
“Tak!”
The SwordNoob’s swung sword frayed the Ogre’s side. Even with his outstanding attack power, the Ogre did not die easily.
Since he didn’t use any skills, he had a lot of mana left. He purposely did not aim for the fatal vital spot and hacked away at the Ogre’s whole body.
The words of his most brilliant pupil, who had come to him late, would not leave his mind.
“To have no dream…”
The SwordNoob’s memories of his youth came to mind.
‘There was only fighting for me.’
He had chased strength and advanced towards the fighting that made his blood race.
There were many times when he’d had to put his life on the line, and he’d even struggled with gruesome wounds in deadly situations. Although he had very briefly felt satisfied after defeating a strong opponent, it just led anew to the process of looking for more powerful men to challenge.
After only fighting and training as if possessed by something, his youthful days had passed.
Then, one day when he regained consciousness and looked around, he had risen to the position of the top swordsman.
The glory of the admiration and scars he received every time he beat a strong opponent. He was the ground-breaking, risen SwordNoob whom no one could surpass with a sword.
Although there were many people in the general populace who did not know who he was, martial artists and the people of the backstreet world were all in awe of him, and feared him.
Despite that, one part of SwordNoob’s heart was empty. After he’d achieved his goal, he did not have a lifelong partner, and his whole family thought that he had died.
“I didn’t have a family.”
The emptiness and despondency that resulted from the goal that he had achieved over his life!
“Although I have become the best with the sword, there was no one around me.”
Before SwordNoob returned to the ordinary life of going back to Korea, finding his family, and raising his disciples, he had spent a lot of time alone.
There was no reason for his disciples to follow in his footsteps.
That was because the burden of family was heavily weighing down on his shoulders. Since it was something that could be done together with family, friends, and fellow brothers, there was no reason to feel alone.
Weed had strong will and judgement, and possessed the ability to take action immediately and put his skills into practice. If there was anything he needed to do, he did not hesitate. Although he occasionally showed a tendency for timidness, he was a man.
In his current state he was like a child searching for his lifelong goal and dream.
“I envy that kid.”
The SwordNoob’s honest feelings understood his best pupil one hundred percent. If he had also had a little sister as beautiful and cute as Lee Hye Yeon, he would have never left his family.
“And how are his friends again.”
He even had pleasant and beautiful ladies like Hwaryeong, Irene, and Romuna by his side.
SwordNoob looked back at his memories.
How had his youthful days really been?
“There were only unlucky-looking men! I had to get stronger if only to trample down those arrogant bastards.”
If he had been in enviable circumstances like Weed, why would he have only fought in his youth!
“This loathsome, unmarried life.”
SwordNoob grumbled and hardened his resolve.
“I’ve left him alone in the hands of the other instructors for too long. It’s time to teach him now.”
He would show Weed what true hell training was.
He was resolved to teach Weed the real sword.
***
WIth the festival approaching, the number of students staying late in Korea University was increasing.
Each department was preparing plays and musicals, and a stage for performing music was installed. Expectations of a music festival, magic show, and even the neighboring university’s sport meet spread through rumors.
Lee Hyun could not possibly understand this.
“Why must we do something that can be seen on television?”
With his utterly meager sensitivity, merely not having to attend the festive school for a few days was gratifying. To Lee Hyun, the festival of the Korea University that matched the regional culture matched well and was sought out by many famous celebrities was simply an inconvenience.
However, his department seniors came out and threatened them.
“We cannot be outstripped by other departments in this festival. We can’t let them make light of us just because we’re a new department. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes!”
The new students answered with smiling faces.
Lee Hyun held his tongue.
“What useless competitive mentality. Why can’t we be looked down upon? A life lived while passing unnoticed is quite comfortable. Stopping the school’s antagonism and prejudice? What nonsense.”
He had considerable complaints, but since he did not want to get involved in something troublesome, so he stayed silent.
‘Even if I don’t say it, someone else probably will.’
There wasn’t a rule that said everyone had to participate in the festival, so all he had to do was wait for it to pass.
As the day of the festival came closer and closer, the virtual reality department had not made definite plans on what to do.
“What about dressing up as our Royal Road characters and doing a parade?”
“We should make a large dinosaur. We could make a Tyrannosaurus hologram, and if we had it roam around the festival, it could be the highlight of the festival.”
“How about the incomparably vicious Velociraptor? If we have hundreds of them running around and hunting humans…”
Only absurd and grandiose opinions emerged and a reasonable plan did not form.
It was when there were only two weeks left until the festival.
The student body executives held a meeting with the whole department.
“We must do something as well.”
This was the united view of the executive seniors, including the president.
However, there were neither preparations nor plans.
“It’s tiresome to prepare something for every festival, and there’s already no time so can’t we just pass it?”
Choi Sang Jun cautiously presented his opinion. Then the returning senior spoke with an impartial tone.
“The professors are currently wondering whether or not they should do another department membership training (MT) before the break.”
“….”
“Specifically, it’s a considerable Silmido, a 6 night, 7 day course…”
“I definitely want to participate in the festival!”
The previously uninterested seniors and new students offered their opinions.
“The problem is what could we do…? Of course we have to do the sports meet in the name of our department. Since there are a lot of girls in our department it’d be good if a lot of them came out and participated. Anyone opposed to it?”
“…”
“I see there’s none. Then let’s just have everyone attend.”
The President’s words were absolute.
Suffering a little in the festival was a hundred times better than going to Silmido.
“After that I think we urgently need to go out on at least the music festival, because the professors never fail to come and watch.”
“For the music festival, have about five teams practice and send them up.”
They were quickly coming to an agreement. Though it was a festival that the students should enjoy, they would do anything to impress the professors.
Even for the students, just attending was bothersome, but since Korea University’s festivals were famous and there were a lot of things to watch, they were waiting for the festival.
“And I think we’ll have to open a bar too, because we have to earn event funds from the bar. Who wants to participate in the bar?”
If it was a bar, they would have to cook until late at night, and there were a lot of chores to do. All things considered, though it was a tiresome job, Lee Hyun willingly raised his hand.
“You’re Lee Hyun, right? Okay, thanks. Anyone else?”
By the mood it seemed like all the freshmen and seniors had to participate in at least one task.
He had judged that it was better to work in the relatively comfortable bar.
‘The play or whatever is preparing all week, so just suffering during the festival time is probably better.’
Since the bar opened during the day, he might even be able to set aside some time. However, excluding Lee Hyun, there were no students who voluntarily raised their hands. In many ways, working the bar would make it difficult to sightsee and they regarded it as a pain, so no one wanted to participate.
Then, 1 female student raised her hand and broke everyone’s expectations.
It was an honor that she simply came to the same school as them. Though they saw her at school every day, it was she who was so beautiful that they wondered if it was a dream, reality, or heaven.
Seo Yoon was raising her hand.
Even the President was so taken aback that he spoke formally.
[T/N: In Korean, formal and informal speeches are very distinct.]
“Surely you do not plan to participate in the bar?”
Seo Yoon nodded slightly.
Then the other male students simultaneously raised their hands.
“President, me too! I would also like to try working in the bar.”
“I raised my hand first. Please just let me do it.”
“Sunbae. No, hyung-nim! It’s me, Dong Hun! You’ll squeeze me in, right? Right?”
“Sang Hyuk, I’ll buy you booze until we graduate so I’ll just request that you give me the bar job.