When I regressed, I was a martial arts genius

Han Ji-yoo walked toward Lee Jun with confident strides.

“Are you Lee Jun?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve also been assigned to Class 5.”

Lee Jun’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘The future has changed.’

In his previous life, Han Ji-yoo belonged to Class 1, the elite class.

This unexpected development was due to the Green Zone haven, Cheongho’s Nest, which had drawn the attention of Shin Geum-ja’s clan.

‘It’s still manageable for now.’

It was just a minor variable; no need to overthink it.

In truth, it didn’t matter much if the future changed.

As long as he became strong enough, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone.

For now, Han Ji-yoo remained a potential threat.

“Let’s get along.”

Han Ji-yoo extended her hand first.

‘Why her specifically?’

While others admired Han Ji-yoo’s beauty, Lee Jun knew better.

Her appearance was only part of her strength. What truly stood out was her swordsmanship. Though known as Ice Flower due to her cold demeanor, her skills with a sword were exceptional. She could be called the Sword Bloom, possessing unparalleled mastery in sword techniques.

Her ruthless and unyielding nature made her even more formidable.

‘Getting involved with her will only bring trouble.’

A relentless and calculating individual, Han Ji-yoo was a headache-inducing opponent.

Lee Jun, aware of this, refused her handshake and replied,

“I don’t make friends, so treat me like air.”

As he glanced at her, Han Ji-yoo wore a chilling smile.

Her face exuded an icy aura, and a subtle killing intent shimmered in her eyes.

‘Look at that smile… it has an unsettling edge to it. She’s dangerous.’

Whether she realized it or not, Han Ji-yoo’s chilling expression sent shivers down Lee Jun’s spine.

The male students, on the other hand, admired her beauty.

“Wow, is that even a human face?”

“Just once, I wish I could hold your hand.”

“Lee Jun is lucky. He even gets involved with Ice Flower.”

“Damn it. I’m stuck in the fields. Sigh.”

“It’s the fate of the unlucky, bro.”

But something even more surprising happened.

Han Ji-yoo brought a desk from nearby and placed it right next to Lee Jun’s desk.

“Holy—”

“Seriously?”

“I didn’t just imagine that, did I?”

The male students pinched themselves to make sure they weren’t dreaming.

“Damn, I’m so jealous.”

“Hey, don’t be too envious. You might get beaten up by the seniors.”

Students surrounding Han Ji-yoo were many, but the most prominent was Gwon Ryong.

He was Lee Jun’s half-brother and currently undergoing closed-door training, so he wasn’t attending school.

If he found out about this, he might drop everything and rush to school immediately.

Lee Jun scowled.

“Are you planning to sit here?”

“Why not?”

There was no mocking tone or kindness in her voice—just a matter-of-fact statement.

[This kind of person is the most exhausting.]
‘I have to agree.’

That’s why Lee Jun had been trying to avoid this situation.

If she caused any trouble, he could simply create some distance by feigning interest. But sitting next to her and avoiding confrontation wasn’t an option.

“Do you have to sit next to me?”

“Yes.”

Her gaze was unwavering.

Even if he refused, it seemed she wouldn’t entertain the idea of changing her mind.

“Ha.”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

School life, which had been relatively smooth, began to take unexpected twists and turns.

And the stress was just a bonus.

As soon as Han Ji-yoo sat down next to him, the history teacher entered the classroom and began the lesson.

***

Lee Jun couldn’t focus on the class.

Every time Han Ji-yoo turned her head slightly, her cold, murderous expression made it difficult to concentrate.

If it weren’t for the sound of his master’s voice cutting through the classroom, he might have collapsed from the mental strain.

[What’s the current power balance?]
‘Why the sudden question about power?’

[Answer the question, disciple.]
Having dodged Han Ji-yoo’s icy gaze, Lee Jun now faced his master’s sharp voice.

‘The 15 Families Alliance, Mo Alliance, and Samaryon are present.’

[Focus on the places where the Nine Families and the Five Great Clans are concentrated.]
‘They’re all part of the 15 Families Alliance, and their power levels are quite similar.’

[What about the Shingija, inheriting the martial arts of the Jegal family?]
‘Yes.’

[They don’t solely maintain power through brute force, do they? They gather talents here to recruit them, don’t they?]
Clap!

Lee Jun suddenly clapped his hands.

His strange action drew the attention of the history teacher and the other students in the classroom.

“Sorry.”

Lee Jun lowered his head.

Han Ji-yoo stared at him with a curious, almost skeptical gaze.

Ignoring her gaze, Lee Jun focused ahead.

If he kept looking at her, he wasn’t sure what kind of words would come from her mouth.

‘How do you know?’

[The Jegal family is weak in martial arts, so they made a significant effort to recruit talents. Looks like this place is no different. Most likely, they’re trying to gather information on you to scout for talents.]
Being unable to resist talents, Shingija was meticulous in collecting them.

The fact that their interest had been piqued was a good thing.

Rising in value would prove that the judgment of the Shinryeok family was wrong.

Their reputation would plummet.

The worst part was that Han Ji-yoo, the terrifying woman, was the one they assigned to gather information on him.

‘So, you’re saying that scary woman is here to observe me?’

[It was an inevitable outcome. You’ll have to figure out how to use them.]
‘I don’t want to be entangled with them… but compared to other families, they’re probably the better choice.’

At least the Shingija never sold their souls to demons when a new world gate opened.

That alone made allying with them sufficient.

‘I’ll need to think about this.’

The final bell for morning classes rang with just five minutes left before lunch.

Even though the martial arts high school wasn’t much different from regular schools, the lunchtime rush began in full force.

Ding Dong Dang!

The school bell echoed loudly.

Students bolted out of the classrooms like bullets.

Some even used light movement techniques to escape quickly.

As the crowd rushed out, only Lee Jun and Han Ji-yoo were left in the classroom.

“Are you going to eat lunch?”

She turned her head.

From her flowing hair came a scent.

That scent drifted into Lee Jun’s nose.

Suddenly, his heart began to pound wildly.

To calm his excited heart, he quickly activated Hwonwon Shin Gong, suppressing the turmoil within.

The pounding heart gradually returned to its normal rhythm.

As Lee Jun’s expression settled, Han Ji-yoo’s eye muscles twitched subtly.

‘He looks unaffected by me.’

Han Ji-yoo was born with a mystical power—an innate charm that drew people in.

Even without using the martial arts technique, Mihon Sul, which mesmerized others, her mere presence naturally commanded attention.

Yet, it seemed that her power had little effect on Lee Jun.

“Yeah. What about you?”

Lee Jun responded nonchalantly.

However, her response was met with silence.

It was one of her habits. She would speak her piece and then seal her lips.

This was why the nickname ‘Ice Flower’ suited her so well.

Knowing her well, Lee Jun didn’t wait for a reply before leaving the classroom.

Han Ji-yoo turned her head to gaze out the back door.

‘Lee Jun. This is interesting. Even without Uncle’s words, it was a good choice to come here.’

No man could resist her.

Today, for the first time, she saw a calm expression on a man’s face. Although an unfamiliar sense of defeat stirred within her, a faint smile appeared on her face.

Not the usual cold smile, but a different, softer expression.

***

Lunch break ended, and afternoon classes began.

Lee Jun’s next subject was Swordsmanship.

Unlike the previous calm atmosphere, the current mood was chaotic.

‘Looks like they’re trying to drain me dry.’

Lee Jun identified the cause.

A woman whose face seemed to descend from the heavens—Han Ji-yoo.

Ranked 10th in the school, she didn’t need to learn ordinary school martial arts.

She surpassed even the family’s lower-tier martial arts.

Yet, with Ice Flower appearing here, it was bound to turn into a bustling market.

“Everyone quiet!”

The instructor of the Swordsmanship class, Park Jae-min, spoke with internal energy, commanding silence.

He was a swordsman dispatched from the Iron Blood Sword Family.

His pseudonym was Chamhon Sword. He was also the one who donated the martial arts technique to the school.

His technique, Chiljeol Chamheon, created seven horrifying wounds with each strike of the sword.

Aside from Chairman Han Min-seong, he was the strongest awakener in the school.

Perhaps because of that, his simple words instantly silenced the training hall.

“Have you all memorized the form of Chiljeol Chamhon?”

“Yes!”

“We practiced all evening.”

“Well done.”

Unlike his cold expression, Park Jae-min was known for praising his students frequently.

He smiled warmly at the students.

“Since a new student has arrived, how about a 1:1 sparring session today?”

“Oooh!”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll show off my skills in front of Binhwa!”

Park Jae-min valued practicality.

No training came closer to reality than sparring.

Following the school’s martial arts technique, Chiljeol Chamheon, he always began with sparring sessions once the students had mastered its form.

This term was no different.

“Who will go first? The winner will receive extra points. As you know, the top student will be scouted by the Iron Blood Sword Family.”

Students eager to master the school’s martial arts were primarily ordinary awakeners.

A scouting offer from the 15 Families Union was a huge opportunity.

Though they were ordinary awakeners, they could gain the right to learn the family’s martial arts in the future.

“I’ll be the first!”

“Hey, hey. With Binhwa here, how do you think we can be first?”

“Do you seriously think that even with family martial arts, you can compete with Chiljeol Chamheon?”

“Yeah. Even though Shingijiga may be weaker in raw strength, their martial arts are undoubtedly superior to Chiljeol Chamheon.”

The previously sullen expressions turned to determination once again.

“Is there anyone who wants to go first?”

“I’ll go first.”

“Good. You can choose your opponent.”

A confident student stepped forward and chose a friend weaker than himself as his opponent.

Two male students drew their swords.

They simultaneously adopted the form of Chiljeol Chamheon.

They exchanged a series of probing moves before simultaneously charging forward.

Kaaang!

***

The sparring continued.

One student would win, while the other would lose.

The format was a knockout tournament.

The winner chose the next opponent.

The students’ records were 1 win and 1 loss.

No one managed more than 2 wins, let alone 3.

Except for two people.

Only Lee Joon and Han Ji-yoo remained undefeated.

Lee Joon fought with Chiljeol Chamheon learned during class, while Han Ji-yoo used the Seven Blade Technique from Shingijiga.

“Okay, we get Han Ji-yoo, but how can Lee Joon, who’s with us, fight with the same Chiljeol Chamheon?”

“Our training time is the same, yet he’s insane at it.”

“He’s using it like someone who already mastered it.”

As if it were second nature.

Chaeng chaeng chaeng—

The male student facing Lee Joon clenched his teeth and attacked fiercely.

However, Lee Joon seemed to anticipate every move, blocking them all effortlessly.

Only defending, Lee Joon meticulously observed, as if deconstructing the opponent’s moves.

‘This is easy.’

His opponent’s sword path was crystal clear. Rather than slow, it felt as if he could see into the future—where the next attack would come from.

He was excited.

He wanted to continue this sparring indefinitely.

Curious to see how far he could predict the opponent’s movements.

“Stop blocking already!”

Perhaps out of frustration, the opponent’s sword was imbued with powerful internal energy. A faint, shimmering white glow emanated from it.

“Spirit Blade!”

The incomplete spirit blade, as if launched from a distance, came crashing toward Lee Joon from close range.

Lee Joon could see the blade’s trajectory heading straight for his neck.

‘Should I dodge? Or block? Or….’

In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind.

At that moment, Lee Joon caught Han Ji-yoo’s face. She was looking at him with a gaze that seemed to ask, How are you going to block this?