Ch-33. **Summer**
—
In the lush height of spring, Elena submitted her quarterly report to the Dercia Mage Tower.
For Fourth-Tier mages, submitting performance reports every quarter was mandatory—and it wasn’t limited strictly to magic. If they had nothing worth reporting, they could instead take on appropriately ranked commissions through the Adventurers’ Guild.
But that standard applied only to ordinary Fourth-Tier mages affiliated with the Mage Tower. For a candidate to become the Tower Master’s disciple, far harsher criteria were enforced.
Out of the four quarters, at least two reports had to concern magic itself.
In other words, one couldn’t neglect magic and coast by on physical work alone and still become the disciple of Heaven-Thunder Orca.
The second quarter of the year.
What Elena submitted was **Volume One of the Heinderga Magical Formula (provisional title)**. Though the concrete spell structures were not yet complete, it organized the magic she pursued along with its fundamental theories, and Orca awarded her high marks in the quarterly evaluation.
“Just wait until the third quarter.”
That was what Elena said while sitting at the dinner table prepared in celebration on the day she returned from her evaluation.
There was no need to ask what she meant by *wait.*
“Okay.”
The season changed.
Even in this world, with only one sun and one moon, the four seasons apparently existed.
When twenty-seven-year-old orphan Lee Su-hyeok became twenty-year-old orphan Yuri, it had been spring—cool in the day, chilly at night. But a few months after Bakered left, a sweltering summer arrived.
He didn’t know the exact temperature, but it felt about as hot as summer in Korea. Thanks to that, training in the estate garden became exhausting. He already moved his body constantly, and with the added heat, sweat poured down him like rain in the most literal sense.
And in fact, it really did rain often.
Living through that summer, he found himself grateful he was staying at Elena’s estate.
If he had spent the summer back in Aldor’s public housing complex—the one that looked ready to collapse at any moment?
Pit toilets that reeked even when you merely passed nearby. A well that required hauling up water every time just to wash. A communal kitchen that had nothing to do with hygiene. A cramped single room whose only cooling method was opening a window.
No air conditioner—hell, not even a fan.
Just imagining spending the summer in that room was horrifying.
By contrast, Elena’s estate remained comfortable even in summer. There was nothing to be done about the scorching sunlight that beat down directly in the garden, but indoors, he couldn’t feel the heat at all.
While Elena prepared her third-quarter report, Yuri devoted himself to martial arts.
**Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique.
Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist.
Storm-wind Steps.**
He didn’t spend any special time training the **Pure and True Heart Method**. As his attainment in the Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique rose, his understanding of the Pure and True Heart Method naturally improved as well. After all, an inner cultivation method was simply a way to control and use internal energy—so focusing solely on the divine art was more than enough.
Using the Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist and Storm-wind Steps together also stopped being difficult. He had grown so accustomed to them that separating the two now felt awkward and unnatural.
Linking the four forms into one continuous flow.
Compared to the first time he demonstrated it before Bakered, he had made considerable progress.
“To connect every form into one without interruption… do you even realize how incredible that is, Yuri?”
With Bakered gone, there wasn’t really anyone suitable to ask for martial advice. Yuri still had no intention of becoming Namgung Yuri—or Yuri Namgung—and he had even less desire to seek out Full-Moon Play.
In the end, the only person left near him who could offer martial guidance was Haryeong. But the moment he said he wanted to connect all the forms, she immediately turned serious.
“To do that, you must comprehend the ultimate essence of each form and master their shapes completely—so much so that you can execute them instinctively and unconsciously. To put it simply, you must be able to deploy the optimal form in any situation without thinking.”
“Hmm…”
“Executing them in order. Mixing up the order. That’s easy. You just break them apart and perform them one by one. But ‘connecting’ is different. Like flowing water—natural, flexible—multiple forms fused together as though they had always been one from the start.”
“It’s hard to grasp just from words. Show me once.”
“Oh, really now.”
Even after months of knowing her, Haryeong’s expression rarely changed. But now Yuri could at least detect very subtle shifts. There was a faint playfulness in her eyes as she looked at him.
“Are you trying to use this as an excuse to analyze my martial arts?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen you use them.”
“That’s fortunate—and only natural. I’m an assassin, and Lady Elena’s bodyguard. Situations where I use my martial arts occur only in two cases: when I must act as an assassin, or when Lady Elena’s life is threatened.”
“Right…”
“As I said before, Yuri. When I’m on a mission, I’m a ruthless, merciless, terrifying assassin. And as a guard, I’m diligent, loyal, and exemplary. Someone like me doesn’t use martial arts for trivial matters.”
“Wow, you’re pricing yourself pretty high.”
“You speak correctly. I am expensive. And not merely in money. Even if you’re ‘the man worth 3.5 billion,’ hiring me is impossible. Because I am an expensive assassin.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
The playful glint in her eyes. The expressionless face. But what she said wasn’t a joke—it was sincere.
He had been curious about an assassin’s martial arts and tested the waters, but as expected, she refused.
“But.”
Just as he thought that, Haryeong suddenly raised a finger.
“I may be a terrifying assassin, but right now, I’m not an assassin. I have a human heart.”
“…?”
“The time and connection we’ve shared isn’t heavy—but it’s not exactly light either. So today, taking all that into account, I’ll give you a special discount.”
“A discount?”
“In exchange for observing your martial arts, I’ll show you a little of mine. What do you think? Isn’t that an attractive offer? Getting to see the martial arts of such a terrifying and disciplined assassin.”
The talk about connection was just an excuse.
To be honest, Haryeong also wanted to gauge Yuri’s true martial level.
His internal energy cultivation was still unimpressive, but even the Martial Zenith had acknowledged Yuri’s martial prowess. Yet she had never properly assessed him, since she had never spied on his training.
“You say you’ll observe my martial arts—how?”
“A spar would be simplest.”
“A spar?”
“Why so surprised? Ah, don’t worry. I’ll approach it with a human heart, not as an assassin. No weapons, and I’ll barely use internal energy.”
“What do you mean ‘barely’?”
“If I don’t use any at all, it’s hard to execute the forms properly.”
“Still sounds dangerous…”
“My, my.”
Haryeong’s eyes widened. She stared straight at Yuri with steady eyes and spoke with lips devoid of laughter.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried about me?”
“No, I mean it sounds dangerous for me.”
“If you were worried about me, I was about to teach you a proper lesson for being so arrogant. Since you’re not, I’m oddly disappointed.”
“Why disappointed?”
“Even if it’s presumptuous, worrying about me would’ve been commendable. Instead, you’re only worried about yourself.”
Saying that, she stepped back a few paces.
“Anyway, let’s spar.”
“I never said I would.”
“After saying all this, how could you not?”
“You decided that on your own.”
“Didn’t you want to see my martial arts? And weren’t you unsure whether you’re really connecting your forms properly? Sparring will answer all your questions.”
Listening to her, she had a point.
Without further hesitation, Yuri stepped back as well and took the opening stance of the **Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist**. Facing him, Haryeong relaxed her shoulders and extended her index and middle fingers together.
“What’s that?”
“A substitute for a dagger.”
“I’ll use the Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist.”
“It’s not like you know any other martial arts anyway.”
“What martial art will you use?”
“Don’t subtly try to pry into mine. I’m not some fool who’d fall for such leading ques—”
Before she even finished speaking, Yuri moved.
The footwork of **Storm-wind Steps** closed the distance instantly, and the countless punches he had thrown countless times became clouds that swallowed Haryeong whole.
“How underhanded.”
She muttered, not the slightest bit surprised.
To state the conclusion—
He lost.
He wasn’t knocked down in a single blow, but not once did Yuri’s fists touch Haryeong.
It was a strange experience.
They felt like they should connect—yet they didn’t.
*No… did they connect?*
—He couldn’t tell. It was ambiguous. If he had to describe it, sparring with Haryeong felt like fighting a fluttering feather. Too light, too drifting… Even when he thought he hit her, it didn’t feel like he had.
He chased her around for quite a while as she moved here and there. Haryeong didn’t focus solely on evasion. Swaying loosely, then bending at odd angles, she struck back several times. Those long, extended fingers—she had called them her ‘dagger.’
Which meant Yuri had been stabbed by that dagger dozens of times during the spar.
If it had been a real blade, he would have collapsed long ago in a pool of blood.
Anyway—he lost.
“Why that expression?”
It was Yuri who asked.
Still seated on the ground while calming his ragged breathing, he tilted his head as he looked up at Haryeong, who stood stiffly in place.
“What about my expression? I look the same as always.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You look dissatisfied. Irritated.”
That’s how it seemed to Yuri. Her brows were ever so slightly furrowed compared to her usual blank face, and the corners of her straight lips were faintly—very faintly—twisted.
“Yuri, are you a fortune-teller?”
“No.”
“Then did you learn mind-reading?”
“Nope.”
“Then why pretend you know? Without knowing anything. Dissatisfied? Irritated? I am a cold-blooded assassin. Emotions like dissatisfaction or irritation are utterly useless for an assassin’s mission. That is why I cut them away at a very young age.”
“Doesn’t seem like it. You sound even more irritated and dissatisfied while saying that.”
“I said I’m not.”
“Even your tone’s different from usual. Why are you so annoyed? The one who got beaten up is just sitting here quietly.”
“Would you like to get beaten some more?”
Rarely, Haryeong widened her eyes and glared at him.
“No.”
Yuri immediately backed down.
Even after he obediently shut his mouth, she kept staring at him with the same look for a moment.
“…Hmm.”
After a while, Haryeong composed her expression.
“First, Yuri. About what you mentioned earlier—connecting all the forms of the Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist into one.”
“Yes.”
“From what I saw, it was… decent enough. Of course, still at a level where you couldn’t even brush the hem of an outstanding assassin like me, but considering your martial experience, your current attainment is impressive.”
“Don’t you have any more advice? Something I should improve?”
“Well, I don’t know the forms or verses of the Rantian Flowing Cloud Fist. If you’re feeling ambiguity, it might simply be because you lack internal energy. Or perhaps you lack experience.”
“Experience?”
“The only people you’ve properly sparred with are me and Mad Wolf, right? That scuffle with Young Master Namgung doesn’t even count as sparring.”
“Yeah… that’s true.”
“There’s always a limit to training martial arts alone. To clearly grasp what feels vague, you need to accumulate various experiences.”
Haryeong tilted her head slightly.
Her complicated, displeased look had disappeared, but her eyes were still dull and chilling—like a snake sizing up its prey.
“Yuri. What tier are you now?”
“Huh?”
“You must have a rough sense. From what I see, you passed the Second Tier a long time ago.”
“Well… I do use internal energy to reinforce my movements, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near the Third Tier.”
Yuri lied calmly.
Haryeong had held back her strength—and so had Yuri. Throughout the spar, he had carefully regulated his internal energy.
He might be innately talented in martial arts, but his mana aptitude was only average. That had always been the evaluation from those who acknowledged his talent, and Yuri didn’t want to stray from that image.
A Second-Tier martial artist actively uses the internal energy of the dantian to enhance the body—lifting heavy rocks, moving violently without losing breath, taking blows without serious injury. The body grows tough beyond simple conditioning.
A Third-Tier martial artist can emit internal energy outside the body. For swordsmen, it’s the beginning of sword energy. Fighters can coat their bodies with internal force.
“Second Tier, huh…”
In truth, Yuri had already reached the Third Tier, but he couldn’t boast about it.
“Judging solely by your understanding and level of forms, no one would think you’re Second Tier.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Does it sound like an insult?”
With that, Haryeong abruptly turned away.
“Where are you going?”
“It’s about time Lady Elena returns. Since we’ve sparred, I’ll go greet her.”
“I learned something from watching your martial arts too.”
“Oh? And what did you learn?”
“That an assassin’s martial arts are really strange. You hit, but it doesn’t connect. You think you’re facing them, but suddenly they’re behind you.”
“You saw correctly. So always watch your back, Yuri.”
“Why?”
“I won’t do it—but some assassin might smack the back of your head.”
Leaving those words behind, she exited the garden.
*What the hell was that?*
Staring at the closed estate door, she thought.
Haryeong hadn’t mixed lies into her evaluation.
After sparring directly and feeling it herself—
There was no way he was Second Tier.
Putting aside his footwork, what shocked her was his sense of deploying the right form at exactly the right moment.
But what truly sent chills down her spine were Yuri’s eyes.
Even if he suppressed his internal energy, she had used her footwork fairly seriously.
*At first, he definitely couldn’t follow.*
He said he couldn’t hit? A simple but accurate assessment. The assassin’s martial arts she practiced were like that—becoming a ghost that seemed present yet absent. Something you couldn’t approach even if you tried.
*But gradually… he followed.*
The distance kept shrinking. At some point, she had to move to *shake off* his persistent attacks.
At first, she hadn’t even been conscious of that.
He hadn’t been an opponent worth being conscious of.
*If I hadn’t stopped midway…*
The one who ended the spar hadn’t been Yuri—it had been her.
The reason was simple.
If it continued, she felt she’d have to get more serious too.
“…A genius.”
Letting out a hollow laugh, Haryeong looked up at the sky. The summer sun was hot and blinding, forcing her eyes to squint.
It was still summer.
Yuri. Since that man had begun learning martial arts, only a single season had passed…
“…Should I report this?”
Thinking that, she resumed walking.
In a few months, Yuri would leave Elena Heinderga’s estate. He would leave Lutran and head out into the world.
What that man would do—what he would become—was still undecided. Apparently, he planned to wander the world.
*Too much of a waste to leave him as an adventurer.*
It was a cold assessment.
*Maybe I should mark him first.*
Yuri himself didn’t seem interested in becoming an assassin, and he didn’t have the temperament for one.
It didn’t matter. Even if he wasn’t suited to it, if she marked him first and guided him, the Lord of the Salho gate would find a proper place for him.
*Too early.*
Haryeong thought expressionlessly.
She wanted him—but her current mission was guarding Elena Heinderga, not recruiting talent for the sect.
Unless her greed overrode that boundary… for now, it was better to watch. At least after Yuri completely left Elena.
*It’d be overstepping my place, too.*
If she acted purely out of personal desire—
The sect she did not love would sharpen their eyes.
She hated that.
—Summer ripened.
The time for the Dercia Mage Tower’s third-quarter report arrived.
Referencing the Seven Forms of Flash Thunder, Elena submitted the unfinished portions of **Volume Two of the Heinderga Magical Formula (provisional title)**, and once again received high marks.
A sweltering night.
‘I am the fire that carries out heaven’s punishment, the asura that destroys evil, the apostle who sets the laws of heaven aright.’
‘My hands bear the sacred flame, and my feet trample demons.’
While immersing himself in the **Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique**, Yuri felt the internal energy in his dantian **ignite**.
The distant wall of the Fourth Tier, once barely perceptible—
now began to come faintly into view.
