When I regressed, I was a martial arts genius

The surroundings were filled with shock.

Even Park Jae-min’s mouth was wide open.

The power of Lee Joon’s “Seven Winds Cutting Technique” was something only an A-rank practitioner could display.

Yet, Lee Joon, who had only recently begun his training, showcased the power of a technique he had honed for a lifetime.

How could anyone not be astonished?

“When did you gain the insight of a True Strike…?”

Park Jae-min muttered unconsciously to himself.

However, the person who was even more shocked was someone else entirely.

Han Ji-yoo, the one who had been defeated, had her eyes wildly shaking.

‘I missed the movement.’

She had seen him lay his sword horizontally.

After that, the only thing she saw was the wind blowing as her hair floated in the air.

She raised her hand to touch her neck, a cold, chilling sensation lingering.

Goosebumps spread across her entire body.

‘This is real.’

Though there was no intent to kill, the oppressive energy was overwhelming, filled with a dense murderous intent.

“Teacher, I think it’s over.”

If it weren’t for Lee Joon’s calm voice, Han Ji-yoo might have lost herself.

She sheathed her sword with a dazed expression.

“I… I lost.”

She admitted defeat with a blank look on her face.

“I’m sorry. Your beautiful long hair has become a bob now. But you still look beautiful.”

However, Han Ji-yoo didn’t care about her short hair.

No, she couldn’t even process it.

Overwhelmed by the shock, she couldn’t hear Lee Joon’s comforting words.

‘Is she angry?’

[You fool. Of course, she’s angry. Her long hair was cut off—how would you feel if that happened to you?]

Master Moogeuk shouted furiously.

Lee Joon scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

The hair was cut unintentionally.

In his excitement, he inadvertently unleashed the Seven Winds Cutting Technique with the Hyeonwon Sin Gong.

The result was a clean victory.

Yet, even now, using Hyeonwon Sin Gong to perform techniques requires caution.

“Lee Joon wins!”

Park Jae-min snapped back to reality and declared the winner of the sparring match.

The previously silent students finally exhaled and erupted in cheers.

“Waaah!”

“Is this for real? What did I just witness?”

“Wow. Insane! Amazing!”

Lee Joon’s victory was impressive, but the high-level sparring captivated everyone.

All the students were martial artists and awakened individuals.

The intense sparring left their hearts racing with excitement.

“I thought I was going to pass out.”

“Me too! I couldn’t even fully see their movements.”

“Wooosh…”

The thrill of the sparring persisted long after it ended.

Despite the spar being over, the class didn’t resume.

Everyone was either replaying the moments enthusiastically or savoring the lingering emotions.

***

From the day Lee Joon won the sparring match, Han Ji-yoo didn’t bother him again.

She seemed lost in thought, absorbed in something internal.

Lee Joon tried talking to her several times, but every time their eyes met, she simply walked away.

[Why did you cut that precious girl’s hair?]
‘I didn’t mean to.’

[If she harbors grudges, it’ll become troublesome.]
Lee Joon scratched the back of his head in frustration.

In his excitement, he had done something unnecessary, creating unnecessary complications.

He had no intention of making enemies with her.

Alongside the Ironblood Clan, Gaja, and others, they were one of the few families that dared to oppose them.

Maintaining a good relationship was essential when the time came to unite against them.

***

Lee Joon pondered how to make Han Ji-yoo feel better until the time of their evening departure the next day.

Then, it happened.

“Lee Joon.”

Han Ji-yoo approached and spoke first.

“Uh? Yeah, what is it?”

“Let’s go out for dinner.”

“With me?”

Lee Joon glanced cautiously.

Why is she acting like this?

Is she trying to lead me to a secluded place to confront me?

He continued to stare intently at Han Ji-yoo’s face.

‘Her long hair was beautiful, but short hair suited her even more. Well, it was because of her that C-curl bob became popular.’

Han Ji-yoo was well-known not only as an awakened individual but also for her fashion sense.

Her outfits often appeared in fashion magazines and quickly spread across social media.

Her school uniform alone commanded attention from head to toe.

She was the top choice for talent scouts from the entertainment industry.

She only cut her long hair because it was interfering with her training, but it suited her perfectly and drew immense attention.

From that point on, her nickname became “Short Hair Trendsetter.”

Han Ji-yoo simply responded to his question.

“I cut my hair, so you owe me.”

Unlike before, she didn’t exude killing intent or threaten him.

Instead, she casually fiddled with the sword at her side.

“Sure.”

There was no reason to refuse when Han Ji-yoo extended an olive branch for reconciliation.

Lee Joon quickly stood up from his seat.

“What should we eat?”

“I’ve already made a reservation.”

The two walked out of the classroom and headed toward the school gate.

***

The restaurant they entered was a pizza place near the school.

They stood in front of it for a moment, lost in thought.

‘I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.’

One of Han Ji-yoo’s obsessive favorites was pizza.

In her previous life, she had a deep love for pizza, just as she did now.

“What are you doing? Why are you just standing there?”

“Nothing.”

Sitting at a table, Han Ji-yoo raised her hand and ordered a pizza.

“Owner, give us the reserved pizza.”

“Yes, coming right up.”

A large pizza was soon placed in front of the two.

“Try this. It’s Hawaiian pizza, and it’s really good.”

She picked up a slice of pizza and took a big bite, wearing a blissful expression.

Lee Joon furrowed his brows.

‘Is it that good?’

Seeing Han Ji-yoo enjoy the pizza so much made his mouth water.

His stomach was growling too.

He took a slice to try and savor the flavor, eating slowly to appreciate it, but to his surprise…

‘Ugh. Not my taste.’

Hawaiian pizza.

A dish that sharply divides opinions—love it or hate it.

Lee Joon hated it.

Han Ji-yoo, on the other hand, absolutely loved it.

In her previous life, pizza like this was one of her favorite comfort foods, especially when stressed or in a bad mood.

It baffled him how she enjoyed something like this so much.

“How is it? Isn’t it delicious?”

A smile as sweet as spring melted over her face, a contrast to the icy silence that had settled before.

Her eyes glistened brightly, making her appear stunning.

If anyone else saw her, they might have been mesmerized by her beauty. The problem was, that Lee Joon was the one watching.

“No. Why would I eat this?”

Lee Joon’s critique broke Han Ji-yoo’s facade.

The smile that had been warming her face quickly turned cold, like ice.

“Even if I buy you something delicious, you still act like this.”

Harsh words came from her lips, shattering Lee Joon’s ideal image.

The idealized fantasy of beautiful girls never speaking harshly.

Lee Joon’s expression froze, dumbfounded.

Just then, Han Ji-yoo brought up the real question.

“How did you beat me?”

“Finish eating first, and then I’ll tell you.”

“Tell me now.”

She continued to eat rapidly, not letting up for a moment, clearly determined to get an answer while eating her pizza.

Lee Joon shook his head and responded.

“I saw your weakness.”

“Weakness?”

“Yeah. When I use the quick strikes, it feels like they’re breaking apart mid-way. I targeted those gaps, and you got flustered.”

Han Ji-yoo’s large eyes widened even further.

“You caught the openings in such a short moment?”

“Pretty much. I sensed an opportunity and took a shot. It just happened to hit.”

She had been aware of the issue with her Seven Forms technique for some time.

The Seven Forms technique was incomplete martial arts.

It even had parentheses around it in her martial arts manual, labeled as ‘Incomplete.’

Yet, even with its flaws, it was an A-rank technique that she couldn’t abandon, so she continued training.

Today, though, Lee Joon pinpointed the exact problem with her technique.

“So, that’s how I won.”

“So, my technique was the problem, and you beat me with your skills.”

“That sounds about right.”

“I had an idea, but not quite clear.”

“So, I shouldn’t be mad about my hair anymore?”

At Lee Joon’s words, Han Ji-yoo gave a small smile.

A very beautiful smile.

Lee Joon, momentarily, was mesmerized.

“Hair? Honestly, it feels refreshing and good. Besides, I’ve always preferred short hair.”

“What?”

“I was trying to figure out why I lost to you, but you cleared up my curiosity with that straightforward answer.”

Her face showed a sense of relief.

Seeing that expression, Lee Joon began to wonder if he had made a pointless fuss.

***

During lunchtime,

Lee Joon left the school cafeteria and headed to the bathroom instead.

He checked each stall carefully before proceeding.

“Gate Summon.”

Zing—

A white portal appeared. Lee Joon stepped into it.

As his body fully disappeared, the portal vanished with him.

Lee Joon reappeared on the rooftop of a Gangnam building.

“It’s so convenient.”

He had placed another designated point here, which had helped hide Shin Gija’s movements all along.

Sliding down from the rooftop of the high-rise building, Lee Joon descended to the ground.

His destination was a bank.

Lee Joon stepped out to sell a B-grade Magic Stone.

Entering the bank, he took a number and waited.

Ding—

Not long after, his turn came.

“How can I assist you today?”

“I’d like to sell this.”

Lee Joon presented his student ID along with the B-grade Magic Stone.

The bank employee examined his student ID.

It indicated that he was from Murim Academy High School.

This was proof of Lee Joon’s awakening ability.

“May I ask you to follow me to a private room?”

The attitude remained unchanged, but the tone subtly shifted to a more friendly one, almost as if receiving VIP treatment.

“Sure.”

“Please follow me.”

Following the bank employee’s lead, they entered a private room.

“Thank you for choosing our bank. The grade of the item has been confirmed as B-grade.”

“How much will it be?”

The bank employee retrieved a piece of paper from a document and handed it to Lee Joon.

“Based on the appraisal, it is approximately 1 billion won.”

‘As expected, getting the highest price even among B-grade Magic Stones.’

[Haha. Quite the hefty sum.]
When will I ever handle such a fortune?

Lee Joon couldn’t hide his excitement.

After savoring the moment, he adjusted his expression and told the bank employee,

“Please deposit the money into a new account and issue a card.”

“Shall we proceed with that?”

“Yes.”

“To proceed, you’ll need approval from the Clan Alliance to access information. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Lee Joon nodded.

Selling the Magic Stone was the goal, after all.

“I understand. Please wait a moment.”

As the bank employee left, Mugeukja’s voice rang out.

[Are you sure about this?]
‘They’ll just be more confused. Since B-grade Magic Stones only drop from Blue Zone-level gates or higher, they’ll wonder how I acquired it.’

This bank belongs to the Shin Giga family.

The more rumors spread about him, the greater the benefits he would receive. Therefore, Lee Joon chose the bank owned by Shin Giga.

Shortly after, the bank employee returned.

He handed Lee Joon a newly created bankbook and card respectfully.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for choosing our branch. If you contact us in advance, we’ll welcome you warmly.”

The bank employee seemed unwilling to straighten his back.

“I’ll visit again soon.”

Before Lee Joon left the bank, he was seen off by the employee.

“Take care.”

As Lee Joon disappeared, the bank employee finally straightened his back.

He then picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“This is me. Chairman Han. There’s a student named Lee Joon…”

***

At that moment, the secret members of Shin Giga were watching the 2nd-year boys’ bathroom.

‘It’s already been 30 minutes. Could he be suffering from constipation?’

Even with constipation, 30 minutes was an unusual amount of time.

A bad feeling crept in.

‘Did he go out through the window?’

‘No. The others are watching that side too.’

That meant he was still inside the bathroom.

‘Let’s wait a little longer.’

Another 10 minutes passed.

It had been 40 minutes.

Even with constipation, he should’ve come out by now.

‘You go in.’

A man in a school uniform dropped from the ceiling.

He glanced around and then moved to enter when the door opened, and Lee Joon stepped out.

The man naturally entered the bathroom, while Lee Joon didn’t pay him any attention, walking with a light step.

‘Walking so lightly must be severe constipation.’

‘Looks like extreme constipation.’

‘Kind of makes me feel pathetic.’

Even if it’s the Steel Blood Clan’s sword dragon, questioning whether Lee Joon is the type of person to be monitored at the bathroom entrance crossed their minds.

Still, what could they do? It was an order from the higher-ups, and if told to do it, they had to do it.

The secret members let out a heavy sigh and followed behind Lee Joon.