A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 178

The training was incredibly simple.

I started by learning the absolute basics, while Luna honed her skills by sparring with Rod.

Honestly, I wanted to spar as well, but Rod firmly refused.

He said there would be no sparring if I insisted on using a sword as a blunt weapon. If that’s the case, I might as well use an axe, he added.

Since it was an undeniable fact, I grumbled but complied. Still, it’s not like he was entirely indifferent.

Whenever Luna collapsed from exhaustion, he corrected her posture. Thanks to that, she’s been making decent progress.

“Ah, so you were here. I was wondering where you went.”

Around the time Luna and I were struggling through our training, Kara came to find us.

She said she had initially looked elsewhere but, finding no one, decided to check here on a hunch.

Not many people have unrestricted access to the Principal’s Office, which is located outside the main building.

So, acting on a whim, she came here—and happened to find us.

“By the way, swordsmanship? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? And what’s with that sword?”

Kara pointed at the Bloodstained Greatsword in my hand, her curiosity evident.

Explaining everything would’ve taken too long, so I gave her a brief summary, naturally omitting the part about meeting Erica.

After hearing my explanation, she nodded as if it made sense. Then, she joked playfully.

“So, once you’ve mastered swordsmanship, can I take Ragnarok? It’s my father’s weapon anyway.”

“Uh…”

I blinked rapidly. Even though she said it jokingly, it was a troubling issue.

To be honest, I want to ‘own’ Ragnarok. There’s no other weapon that fits me as perfectly.

But it’s something I’ll have to return eventually. Just because I want it doesn’t mean I can keep it.

“…Can’t it be extended?”

“It’s not a book; what do you mean by extension? Anyway, don’t take it too seriously—it was just a joke. You’ll probably find another weapon along the way.”

Sure, I can find weapons. The problem is that there are hardly any weapons capable of withstanding my mana.

Ragnarok doesn’t even need an explanation, and the Bloodstained Greatsword can also endure my mana thanks to its absorption ability.

If I really tried, I could find a replacement, but it would still feel lacking. Besides, didn’t I just recently acquire Thunder?

‘To obtain Ragnarok in the Soul World…’

There’s only one way. Either steal it and never set foot in Tatars, or both the father and daughter die.

Even if Hector dies, Ragnarok would end up in Kara’s hands, rendering it meaningless. Killing both of them would only make sense if I were going for an evil disposition.

The thought of Kara dying is something I don’t even want to entertain. If it comes to that, I’d rather just look for another weapon.

Crack!

“Ah…”

Another tree broke. I had adjusted my posture and maintained my balance, yet this is the result.

As I scratched my head in frustration, Kara chuckled softly beside me. Her reaction was one of fond amusement.

“You don’t need to rush. Once you get the hang of it, the rest is easy. I picked up swordsmanship itself pretty quickly—it was the practical combat that was the challenge.”

“Practical combat?”

“Yeah.”

“Aaaah!”

Right on cue, a sharp scream pierced the air between us. Both Kara and I turned our heads toward the sound.

Looking over, we saw Luna sprawled on the ground, clutching her head. Rod stood calmly in front of her.

It seemed she had been struck on the head with the back of the sword. At this point, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Luna.

“Like that. In practical combat, all sorts of variables come into play. Unless you’re professionally trained, it’s better to approach it as a battle of wits. What’s more important than technique is the ability to read the flow of the battlefield.”

“The flow?”

“Yes. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like stacking stones one by one to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses. You store it all in your head.”

Kara tapped her temple lightly with her finger as she explained. Just hearing it didn’t give me much clarity.

Thinking of it as something like a build-up might make it easier to understand. Whether in games or reality, everyone tends to have certain patterns.

If you can exploit those patterns, great—but how you go about it depends on individual skill.

“And there are situations where even stored knowledge doesn’t work. That’s when there’s an overwhelming disparity in power. Remember when I tried to beat you no matter what, but it was useless? That’s one of those cases.”

“Aaaagh!”

Following Kara’s explanation came another scream from Luna. This time, she was clutching her hand as she lay on the ground.

Rod, standing before her, remarked that hands are the most critical part of the body and thus the easiest to target. He added that it’s best to be cautious.

It looked more like a beating disguised as practical combat, but Rod was undoubtedly passing on various insights. After all, he had risen to the rank of Sword Saint relying solely on basic skills.

While techniques are important, none of us have a broader perspective than Rod. That’s probably why Luna is getting completely outmatched.

“In any case, there’s no need to obsess over it. Fights are ultimately won by the stronger person. It’s not that the strong survive; it’s that those who survive are strong.”

“Agreed.”

“Haha. Come to think of it, you did survive in the wilderness, didn’t you? No wonder you’re strong.”

Kara laughed brightly as she pinched my cheek. Lately, she’s been doing things like this more often.

Ever since she confessed during the Freshman Banquet, she’s been much more uninhibited. Even Gulak has given his half-hearted approval.

Things could progress further from here, but now doesn’t feel like the right time. Not just Kara, but I have to consider others as well.

For now, focusing on mastering swordsmanship seems to be the right choice. Gripping the greatsword with both hands, I fixed my gaze on the tree ahead.

‘Not with strength, but with speed.’

Easier said than done. I’ve already destroyed dozens of trees. For the record, I sold all of them.

If I fail again, I wouldn’t be surprised to be labeled an environmental destroyer. Even Rod is starting to prepare alternatives to trees.

I took a deep breath and slowly raised the greatsword in both hands. I angled it slightly to make a clean cut.

Following Rod’s advice, I applied force while smoothly slicing diagonally. I made sure there wasn’t even the slightest wobble.

Swish!

“Huh?”

The sound was different. Up until now, it had been the sound of trees breaking, but this was something else.

The aftermath was also different. There were no flying wood fragments; instead, a fine crack appeared along the path I had cut.

Creaaak—

The upper section of the tree began to slide off along the crack. Soon after, the tree collapsed under its own weight.

It was a flawless cut. All the training I had done up to this point had finally paid off.

“Wow! I did it!”

“You finally succeeded. Congratulations.”

Kara praised me as I celebrated with genuine joy. Her voice was filled with satisfaction.

But my happiness was short-lived—the System remained silent. Apparently, a single successful cut wasn’t enough to trigger anything.

Still, it didn’t matter. I had grasped the sensation, so all that remained was to refine it. Unable to hide my excitement, I continued my training.

Whirrr—

In the midst of it, the Bloodstained Greatsword began to emit a faint vibration. It felt like it was whining about being hungry.

It seemed to have completely depleted the mana stored within it. Thanks to Rod’s ample infusion of mana, it had lasted quite a while.

‘My mana should suffice, right?’

Following the sword’s demand, I injected my mana into the Bloodstained Greatsword. The sword began vibrating intensely in response.

The blade itself seemed to take on a slightly redder hue. Even the eye embedded in the sword hilt appeared to tremble slightly—though that might have been my imagination.

My Red Mana might not be as potent as Rod’s, but it certainly wasn’t ideal. After all, Rod’s mana was navy-colored.

‘Is it complaining about the taste?’

That seemed likely. Who knew a sword could be so picky?

Ignoring the sword’s vibrations, I lifted it once more. This time, I planned to make a horizontal cut instead of a diagonal one.

Cutting horizontally was trickier than cutting diagonally. The posture required made it inherently more challenging.

‘Rotate the waist slightly…’

And then, execute a horizontal slash.

Clang!!

The horizontal slash itself was fine. But why did it make that sound?

It felt less like cutting wood and more like firing something. And I hadn’t even controlled it.

Looking ahead in disbelief, I saw a truly astonishing sight.

Shhhk!

A Red Sword Aura, formed of my mana, cleaved through the entire forest.

Because it was a horizontal slash, the aura grazed every tree in its path. As I mentioned earlier, this wasn’t intentional.

“… …”

“… …”

Both Kara and I were left speechless at the scene before us. What on earth had just happened?

I had no idea what had occurred, but it didn’t matter. Where there’s a process, there’s always a result.

Boom! Boom!

Numerous trees began to collapse helplessly. Every single one that had been grazed by the red sword aura.

The number of fallen trees was enough to easily build several houses.

No, it went beyond that—it was as if a massive road had been carved out. There was absolutely no need for a bulldozer.

“Wow… You’re really preparing for winter, huh? No worries about firewood, I see.”

“… …”

Kara let out a hollow laugh, clearly impressed. I, on the other hand, was more afraid of Rod’s reaction.

When I cautiously turned around, Rod’s face was frozen in a stiff smile. Luna, standing beside him, was no different.

I was too busy gauging the mood to say anything. To be honest, this was not the result I had intended at all.

…Of course, it was always the same whenever I caused trouble. The outcome was always far from what I had hoped for.

[Skill: Swordsmanship has been acquired!]

After causing a massive incident, a message popped up. Who was this meant to mock?

[Wild Instinct is activated!]

[Skill: Swordsmanship has been converted to Skill: Weaponry!]

The swordsmanship I had painstakingly learned was now transformed into weaponry. I wasn’t sure whether I should be happy or upset about this.

To make matters worse, I hadn’t even learned spear techniques, yet it had turned into weaponry. All I had done were slashes, thrusts, and blocks.

‘…Let’s set this aside for now.’

I turned my gaze to the scene of destruction I had caused. Cleaning all this up was going to be a real headache.

And yet, there was something even scarier. At that moment, the frightening person approached me quietly and spoke.

“It seems like you cause trouble every time you gain something, Sivar.”

“… …”

Unlike before, his tone was soft and gentle. As a bonus, he placed a hand on my shoulder.

If the hand on my shoulder felt strangely oppressive, was it just my imagination? Definitely not.

While I was racking my brain for an excuse, the bloodstained greatsword in my hand suddenly came to mind.

This wasn’t my fault. The problem was the sword that had absorbed all my mana and unleashed it in one go.

“This is the culprit.”

“The greatsword is the problem? Then I suppose I’ll just take it away.”

“I’m sorry.”

It’s all my fault.

[Faith Increases!]

Chaos seemed quite pleased with the situation. Honestly, he always enjoyed it whenever I caused trouble.

While I was grumbling internally, Rod ruffled his hair as he looked at the devastation I had caused(?).

Even for him, restoring the forest would be difficult. On top of that, the cleanup was another issue.

“Sigh… It’s too much to sell all of this… If we leave it, the trees will just rot away.”

“…Should we build a house? A big one.”

“You, keep your mouth shut.”

It seemed Luna’s attitude was rubbing off on him. I could only roll my eyes and stay silent.

“What the hell?! Who’s the bastard that destroyed my acorn storage?! Huh?! My acorns!!”

Another victim (Porori) appeared.

It’s all my fault.