The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 225

Talking casually with Han Si-hyuk at the front gate of Ardel Academy was practically a death wish. There were too many eyes watching.

So, the place he chose was a secluded clearing outside the academy.

I frowned at Han Si-hyuk.

“What the hell are you trying to do?”

Han Si-hyuk had dragged me all the way here, saying he had something important to discuss.

I had no idea how he’d been living all this time, but there was always the possibility that he had been tainted by the dark mages.

So following him here alone was a reckless move on my part.

But I trusted him.

I’m not sure how to explain it…

I just didn’t believe he was the kind of person who would screw me over like this.

“So, what is it you need to say?”

As I’d hoped, the clearing Han Si-hyuk led me to was free of traps and dark mages lying in wait.

It was just the two of us.

But then—

Han Si-hyuk suddenly said something unexpected.

“Raise your staff.”

My staff?

I looked down at my staff, bewildered, and Han Si-hyuk urged me on.

“Think of this as a sparring match. I have something to teach you.”

Did he really come all this way, putting himself in danger, just to spar?

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, so I couldn’t help but mock him.

“Since when did a fired professor suddenly want to teach?”

That comment seemed to get to him.

“I wasn’t fired.”

“You were.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“You would’ve been soon enough.”

As I kept teasing him, pushing the topic further—

“Hey—oh!”

Whoosh—

Han Si-hyuk suddenly lunged at me.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, I lost my balance.

A precise strike to my side.

Han Si-hyuk kicked me hard with his boot.

“Ugh!”

I managed to dodge, but the grazing blow still stung painfully.

Is he really mad about losing his professor job?

Why the hell is he taking it out on me?

“What the hell’s your problem?!”

“I thought I gave you a chance to raise your staff.”

Thud—

Isn’t it common courtesy not to hit someone while they’re talking?

Another unexpected strike hit me squarely.

I wasn’t even holding my staff, nor was I using any weapons, but it felt like I was being hit by a rock.

“Wait, wait.”

I hastily blocked Han Si-hyuk’s attack with a barrier, but it didn’t take long for him to shatter it.

I knew he was strong, but not to this extent.

What the hell did he do to himself in that short time?

The sheer strength made my jaw drop.

But I had no time to sit back and be impressed.

“Argh!”

This time, it was my head.

A blow even more destructive than before, likely infused with magic.

Unable to avoid it, I raised my arms to block.

“Urgh….”

The pain in my arms was so intense, it felt like they were breaking.

The relentless barrage continued.

Han Si-hyuk overwhelmed me with his sheer strength, leaving me scrambling to defend against his attacks.

He wasn’t holding back anymore.

One wrong hit, and it felt like it would be the end of me. This wasn’t sparring—it was closer to an actual fight.

At the very least, he could explain why he was doing this.

Showing up out of the blue and immediately throwing punches—was that it?

Had he been consumed by dark magic?

Or was this his plan from the start, dragging me out here for this?

As a million thoughts raced through my mind, Han Si-hyuk muttered quietly.

“You’re weak.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

How does he not realize that he’s the one who’s absurdly strong?

This crazy bastard who once single-handedly took down dark mages had somehow grown even stronger.

He was mercilessly pressing an obviously weaker opponent.

And he wasn’t even holding back.

Barely managing to block his attacks, I watched as Han Si-hyuk simply prepared his next strike.

As he slowly advanced towards me, Han Si-hyuk clicked his tongue and said coldly.

“Are you really losing to someone like me, a mere prophet?”

Behind Han Si-hyuk, a dark aura flickered.

“What the hell is that? There’s no way he’s just a prophet.”

It wasn’t the aura of someone who reads the will of the gods; it was more like he had sold his soul to a demon, with an aura that was intimidatingly powerful.

Han Si-hyuk simply glared at me in silence.

“…”

The dark aura around him began to surge wildly, and instinctively, I knew—

Oh, shit.

This was closer to a berserk state of demonic energy, and Han Si-hyuk had no intention of holding back.

He spoke icily.

“Remember these movements.”

“As your professor, and before that, as your brother. This is my final lesson.”

That was the last of our relatively civil conversation.

The moment Han Si-hyuk extended his hand, a blast of dark energy struck my chest.

“Gah….”

My vision blurred as I staggered, and Han Si-hyuk seized the opportunity.

He never missed an opening, launching a ferocious attack and grabbing me by the neck before slamming me into the ground.

Pain shot through my body as if my bones were shattering, and my mind momentarily went blank.

I thought he wasn’t holding back during this sparring, but the reality was that he had been showing restraint.

Now, having let go of what little self-control he had, Han Si-hyuk attacked with full force, and it was clear that I was far out of my league.

I poured my magic into an attack against Han Si-hyuk.

I was sure it landed, but he didn’t even flinch.

“Damn it.”

I launched a few more magic projectiles at Han Si-hyuk and used binding spells to try and restrain him, but none of it lasted.

Barriers? Useless. Bindings? Useless.

It wasn’t that magic didn’t work on him—he was just overwhelming everything with sheer power.

Somehow, this man who had no magic before had gained insane strength.

Han Si-hyuk pinned me down with one hand, slamming me into the ground a couple more times before unleashing a torrent of dark energy.

It felt like my skull was splitting open.

I couldn’t believe I was being overwhelmed so easily in just a few exchanges.

Coughing and gasping for breath, I gritted my teeth.

Even in the midst of it all, I was trying to gauge Han Si-hyuk’s full power.

Han Si-hyuk had called me weak, but that wasn’t it.

He had simply returned as an undeniable monster.

It felt like Han Si-hyuk was stronger than Han Taesu, and at least as powerful as three people combined.

If I had brought Adela and Solia, we might have had a chance in this fight.

But why was I even calculating such odds in my head?

Why was I getting beaten up in this absurd sparring match?

I was reaching my limit trying to dodge Han Si-hyuk’s relentless attacks.

“Ugh….”

The demonic energy crushing my lungs was clouding my judgment,

and my once nimble limbs were growing sluggish.

Thud—

Thud—

I failed to block Han Si-hyuk’s attack twice, taking the hits head-on. In my weakened state, it was the worst possible outcome.

My legs were shaking so much that I could barely stand.

I couldn’t hold on much longer.

This had to end here.

“Stop.”

Thud—

“I said, stop!”

Han Si-hyuk grabbed me by the throat.

“Are you really trying to kill me? Gah…!”

Just as I was about to pour all my magic into breaking free from Han Si-hyuk’s grip, I hesitated.

Was he out of his mind, or was he genuinely trying to kill me?

I couldn’t tell, but one thing was clear: Han Si-hyuk was beyond controlling his own strength.

I had to survive first.

As my hand fumbled to reach for my staff, it found something else instead.

“Ugh… Ugh….”

The Sword of the Earth.

Castica’s heirloom, something I had never used before.

I didn’t know if it would work.

But I was desperate.

I had no intention of becoming the laughingstock who died in a sparring match.

I mustered all my strength and pushed Han Si-hyuk away.

“Damn it, I don’t care if you die…!”

Then, I swung with all my might.

“…!”

A cloud of dust engulfed Han Si-hyuk.

* * *

The ground quivered, as if it were alive.

I stood on guard, gripping my staff tightly.

I felt like I should help him, but what if he just attacks me again?

As I wrestled with conflicting emotions—

Whoosh—

Han Si-hyuk’s face emerged from the soil.

“Tastes like dirt.”

At least he was alive.

He spat on the ground, staggering out slowly.

I knew he wouldn’t die easily, considering he survived Katablam, but witnessing someone crawl out of several meters of dirt was surreal.

I muttered with a frown.

“You’re pretty calm for someone who just got buried.”

“Being surprised by unexpected situations during a sparring match is amateurish.”

“That wasn’t a sparring match.”

“No way.”

Judging by his eyes, his sanity had returned.

I lowered my staff and gritted my teeth.

I was barely standing; my current state was a mess.

I was pretty sure a few bones were broken.

“Was sparring just an excuse, and you just wanted to beat me up?”

“You’ve been asking for it with all the trouble you’ve caused.”

His blunt response only made me angrier, as I couldn’t deny it.

I glared at Han Si-hyuk, but he continued to speak calmly.

“I told you this was your last lesson, and I taught you.”

“What exactly did you teach me? How to get beaten to a pulp? Or how to get utterly destroyed? Thanks to you, my self-esteem is in the gutter.”

“You got beaten up from start to finish, but this sparring match was your victory. You neutralized me.”

I glanced at the Sword of the Earth.

“You should’ve buried me deeper so I couldn’t come out.”

“If using your weapon counts as skill, then I guess you’re right.”

But using the Sword of the Earth in a sparring match was insane.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if Han Si-hyuk had actually died.

I only used it because I needed to survive.

But instead of being angry about almost being killed, Han Si-hyuk was praising me.

Regardless of the method, without hesitation.

“Remember, rules don’t apply in a real fight.”

His words left me speechless.

“You came all the way here just to teach me that?”

I grimaced, and Han Si-hyuk nodded.

He then began to give more specific feedback from our sparring session.

Han Si-hyuk started pointing out my weaknesses from the fight.

“From the start, you were too complacent. Why did you assume I wouldn’t go all out?”

“…”

“That complacency left you vulnerable from the beginning. If your life’s on the line, you should fight at full power from the start. Even if I lose control, your innate magic isn’t that far behind. Use it.”

His advice didn’t stop there.

“You lack experience, but your reflexes are sharp. You’re not used to taking hits, so your endurance is weak. If that’s the case, focus on dodging.”

There was a sting in his words.

I thought these were just standard tips a teacher would give to a student.

But then things started to feel off.

“I tend to attack with my left hand. If we ever fight, target my left arm.”

“…”

“I excel in prolonged battles. The longer the fight goes, the more it will turn against you. If you’re going to push me, do it with everything you have at the start.”

His unreadable, cold eyes stared at me.

Everything Han Si-hyuk said felt ominous.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Even as my expression hardened, Han Si-hyuk continued speaking.

“As you just saw, that sword can’t kill me. Instead, use it to bind my movements and make sure to finish me off.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“And…”

Han Si-hyuk locked eyes with me, his voice steady.

“When the time comes to take me down, don’t hesitate like you did today.”

His previously unwavering eyes began to waver slightly.

“Do your best.”

Han Si-hyuk spoke in a trembling voice.

“Otherwise, you’ll die.”