Dungeon Hunter
Chapter 03's

-SWORDMASTER

The alarm clock shows at 5:59.

He set his alarm clock to 6:00 exactly.

In just one minute, he would hear a deafening alarm!

But a faint shadow pressed the alarm button.

And who is that shadow? It was none other than Jae Woo.

He stood up straight, wriggled lightly, and headed to the bathroom.

Jae Woo collects cold water inside the red sink, and rubs his face with cold water. Therefore, he immediately woke up.

He then whispered to his reflection in the mirror.

"Now, let's start."

He would only be satisfied if he immediately did as he thought.

After all, when he decided to drop out of school and become a pro-gamer, he immediately dropped out of school.

'At that time, my homeroom teacher tried hard to stop me... I wonder if they're okay.'

He dispelled those sudden thoughts and left the house.

Hwing.

It was still early in the morning, so the air was cold, but that didn't mean he couldn't stand it.

But there was something that made it difficult: his staggered body in the wind.

Since he lacked muscles, he felt as if a strong wind would blow him away.

'Let's at least try walking.'

Jae Woo tries his hardest to push the wind, and takes it step by step.

"Phew. Phew."

5 Minutes had not even passed, yet his breathing had become haggard.

Walking is as hard as finishing a marathon. Still, he did not give up, nor did he rest.

'If I take a break today, then I will lie down tomorrow!' Jae Woo punished himself.

He lost 2 years of his life. He had no time to waste or hesitate anymore.

'2 years!' he thought, a venomous statement coming from the bottom of his heart.

'One more step. Just one more step!'

Jae Woo gritted his teeth, pushed, and continued to trudge along step by step.

* * *

Jae Woo walks for a week, building his endurance and muscles.

Of course, he only trained for a week, so there was no major change to his body.

He still has skin and bones. Still, he no longer tripped because of the wind.

Therefore, he decided to start his training in earnest, and looked for a fencing school.

"Swordmaster," Jae Woo read the sign.

Swordsman.

It was not a sport; it was a dojo that taught those who were pursuing the art of combat swordsmanship.

Thus, the training his students undergo is harsh and rigorous, and their spars reflect real-life combat.

In short: it teaches the true swordsmanship. It has nothing to do with Jae Woo, who was once a pro-gamer.

'At that time, it was.'

But the situation has changed.

He had to get into fencing school anyway.

There are three reasons behind this.

'First, train my body.'

He did not want a body he could show off, but a well-trained body. Like a true martial artist!

'And actual combat instincts.'

He had no scientific evidence, but he felt those who could fight in real life could fight well in the game.

Since Jae Woo has spent years as a pro-gamer, he experiences it firsthand.

In other words, virtual reality characters are heavily influenced by their controller senses, experiences, and combat senses.

That is the reason why so many virtual reality gaming ratings are black belts.

Of course, there are people like Jae Woo in the past who have improved his abilities inside the game itself.

In any case, Jae Woo is currently unable to play the game, so he needs to improve his fighting skills.

And to improve that combat sense, Jae Woo feels the Swordmaster is the most suitable.

Because it was the dojo that fought the most in the country.

And the last reason is...

'It's really cost-effective.'

A one-month membership to Swordmaster cost 200,000 won.

Overall, it's not cheap. Because a sports fencing school will cost about 100,000 won per month.

But instead, Swordmaster was open from morning until late at night and was even open on weekends.

It is only closed on the new year and Korean Thanksgiving.

Jae Woo plans to attend the dojo from morning to night every day, so Swordmaster is indeed the most suitable for him.

However, once he was out, his family no longer needed to pay for his medical expenses.

So, he apologized to his mother for 200,000 won and came here.

His mother gives him money easily, and Jae Woo decides himself once again.

'I promise, I will succeed as before. and give you a luxurious life!'

After all, for all these reasons, Jae Woo must be a disciple of the Swordmaster.

Trouble is...

Would they accept it even when it was difficult for him to lift a wooden sword?

"Well, let's go in first."

Jae Woo forcefully opens the dojo door.

"Excuse me."

Ding.

The doorbell rang, and the man who seemed to be the instructor came over.

The instructor was wearing a uniform and a tall, rough man, with thick eyebrows and large bright eyes.

"What is your business here?" the man asked.

"I want to learn swordsmanship" Jae Woo said.

"M."

The man, after looking at her, showed an awkward expression.

It was nice that someone came to learn swordsmanship.

However, Jae Woo's body is in no condition to learn it.

"He has almost no muscles."

It would be catastrophic if Jae Woo, with his weak body, had to undergo their hard training. No, it would definitely be a disaster.

"I was bedridden for 2 whole years due to an accident. That's why my body is a little... But I can still do it well." Seeing the instructor's expression, Jae Woo immediately replied.

"I'll lead you to some other dojo. The training here is too heavy. You can't withstand our training with that body of yours."

His training was so rigorous and boring that even the healthiest of people quit on the first day.

Worse, Jae Woo's body won't even last all day; even an hour would be difficult.

That's what the man decided.

"I can take it," Jae Woo said, his eyes showing his confidence.

"I've been doing this for over 10 years. At first glance I know. Please listen to me" said the man, trying to convince him.

Of course, Jae Woo won't just give up.

"Please give me training for at least a few days" Jae Woo said.

"I can't."

The man shook his head.

"Then one day. Please train me for one day. If I can't handle it, then I'll leave immediately" Jae Woo said, underscoring the value of that one-day training.

"Hm."

The man changed his mind, because the skinny boy was unwilling to give up.

'He'll give up in a day. No, one hour. After an hour, he'll go by himself.'

The man finally nodded his head.

"OKAY. Spend the day at the dojo. Your name is...?" the man asked.

"My name is Jae Woo. Choi Jae - Woo."

"I'm Mr. Kim Deok Bae."

"Yes sir."

"Then, how about we start with 500 swings down? If you can't do it, then you can do it" Deok Bae grinned. It was obvious why he was grinning.

Then let's see how much you can take!

However, his grin soon turned to astonishment.

Every time Jae Woo drops his sword, he will take it back and swing it once more. Every time he fell down, he would stand back up, grit his teeth, and continue swinging his sword stubbornly. And thus, he managed to complete 500 swings!

As soon as he is done, Jae Woo takes his sword and uses it to prop himself up. His whole body was trembling.

"A-What ... next?" jae Woo asked, his voice weak. He basically said, 'What else do you have in the store?'

"Again and you will die!" Deok Bae shouted and snatched the sword from him.

As soon as he picks up Jae Woo's sword, Jae Woo falls to the ground.

Deok Bae is so shocked that he sees Jae Woo. Fortunately, Jae Woo has just spent all his energy and fell asleep.

'It's a tough cake!'

Deok Bae's eyes, which were staring at Jae Woo, were filled with astonishment.

She once thought that Jae Woo would give up in an hour, but she changed her mind.

'A man like this is not a quitter.'

He's correct.

The first day, the next, and even a week passed without him giving up.

And that's how half a year went by.

THANK YOU FOR READING