Epilogue Chapter 32 - Proper Sexual Education (2)

After school, Kang-Hyun sent his little sisters home after telling them he had things to do with his friends. Kang-Hee was adamant about following him but Kang-Hyun barely persuaded her against it.

He headed to the supply storage behind the school. Students and staff rarely used the storage so it had become a hideout for delinquents like Jeon Yeong-Woong. However, Yeong-Woong barely came to school after that incident, and even when he did, he caused no trouble.

“I hope he stays that way...”

Kang-Hyun did not have his hopes up— that ill-tempered bastard would eventually show his true colors. He did not know when but there was a good chance Yeong-Woong would revert to his old self. Kang-Hyun was young but he knew people did not change so easily.

“You’re finally here.”

Kang-Hyun noticed Si-Ah who had been waiting for him. Her silky black hair reached her waist, her skin was pale, and she had well-defined facial features; she was more beautiful than cute despite her age. She stared at Kang-Hyun with her uniquely haughty eyes as she placed her hand on the child-sized bamboo sword on her waist.

“Yeah. What’s up?”

Kim Si-Ah had asked Kang-Hyun to meet her after school but he had yet to hear what for.

“Is it true... you’ve been training under Mr. Balrog every weekend lately?”

“Oh, yeah. I was.”

“Was?”

“Yeah. I can control demonic energy now so I won’t be going to see him every weekend. I’m sure Uncle Balrog has other stuff he needs to do.”

“Is that so?”

Si-Ah turned her head away, crossing her arms as if uninterested. Kang-Hyun thought he saw the corners of her mouth rising slightly.

“Then... are you going to train by yourself from now on? I’ve heard demonic energy is more dangerous than mana because of its ferocity,” asked Si-Ah as she twirled the ends of her hair around her finger.

She seemed worried that Kang-Hyun might cause damage while training by himself with the demonic energy he had just succeeded in controlling.

To put her at ease, Kang-Hyun answered energetically, “It’s okay. Kang-Hee offered to teach me how to control it.”

“Kang-Hee did...?”

‘Huh? Is it me or did her eyes turn a little scary?’

“Uh, yeah. Kang-Hee might be my little sister but she could freely control demonic energy since she was three.”

“...”

“That’s why there’s nothing for you to worry ab—”

Smack!

Si-Ah kicked Kang-Hyun’s shin as she was listening in silence. Intense pain shot up Kang-Hyun’s leg.

“Ouch! Wh-What was that for?!”

“Hmph. No reason,” Si-Ah snorted and turned around.

Kang-Hyun rubbed his aching shin, frustrated by the unfair violence.

“I’ll... teach you too,” Si-Ah remarked.

“H-Huh?”

“I’ll help so you can control demonic energy too.”

Kang-Hyun was left dumbfounded by her sudden proposal.

“But you don’t use demonic energy, Si-Ah. Don’t you use, uhh...”

“Qi.”

“Right. Don’t you use Qi?”

Although demonic energy, mana, and Qi were fundamentally similar, they had different properties.

‘Tigers and cats were both felines but they’re different.’

Demonic energy was far more aggressive and rough than mana and Qi.

‘And... it stimulates one’s desire.’

Kang-Hyun remembered hearing from his father that he needed to learn how to control his desire before learning how to control demonic energy.

‘Compared to that, Qi is...’

He did not know about Qi in detail but from what Uncle Si-Hun had told him about it when he once asked out of curiosity, Qi was almost the complete opposite of demonic energy. It was calm and highly refined— far more than the mana used by regular Players.

In comparison, demonic energy was like a raging fire while Qi was like a tranquil lake. Hence, Kang-Hyun did not understand how Si-Ah would teach him how to control demonic energy when the properties of the powers they used were the complete opposite.

Si-Ah scoffed. “Hmph. You’re just a fledgling who only just learned how to control demonic energy. Are you in any position to worry about that?”

“I-I mean, even so...”

“Don’t worry. Whether it be demonic energy, mana, or Qi, it’s all the same when controlling the power inside yourself.”

“I guess... you have a point.”

“Besides, my dad taught me how to control demonic energy before.”

“Huh? Uncle Si-Hun did?”

Kang-Hyun tilted his head in confusion. Uncle Si-Hun was purely human unlike Kang-Woo, a pure demon, so he shouldn’t know how to control demonic energy.

Si-Ah shook her head. “I don’t know... I’m not sure about the reason either. He didn’t answer me even when I asked.”

“Hmm. Could it be Uncle Si-Hun once used the power of a demon?”

He could have fallen into a demon’s trap during the war against demons and become their Familiar or borrowed the power of a demon to protect those precious to him. Stories of heroes sacrificing themselves while tainting themselves with the power of darkness were quite common.

‘And they overcome that power of darkness to rise as a true hero.’

It was the kind of trope Kang-Hyun liked the most. Si-Ah interrupted him as he fantasized about scenarios boys his age would find the coolest.

“Hmph, get real. Do you seriously think my dad would do something like that?”

“Haha, I guess not,” Kang-Hyun laughed awkwardly as he woke up from his fantasies.

There was no way the Martial God would become a demon’s Familiar or fall after accepting demonic powers.

“Anyway, I’ll teach you how to control demonic energy so don’t learn it from your little sister,” Si-Ah said.

“Hmm. I don’t think I can do that.”

Kang-Hee would sulk for sure if Kang-Hyun said he would learn from someone else after he promised her. Not even Kang-Hyun could handle a sulking Kang-Hee.

“I promised to learn from her first.”

In a promise, the person one made the promise with was important but the person one promised first was just as important.

“Haaa... fine. You can learn from the both of us, then,” Si-Ah remarked.

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Well, you’ll see who’s the better teacher over time,” Si-Ah expressed confidently as she pulled out her bamboo sword. “Right, let’s start with a spar.”

“W-We’re starting with a spar?”

“I need to know the level you’re at.”

Teaching how to control demonic energy came second.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

“Okay,” said Kang-Hyun as he gulped and took some distance from Si-Ah.

He got chills as he stood before Si-Ah holding the bamboo sword. It felt like a sharp blade was a hair’s breadth away from him.

‘So this is... the Martial God’s daughter.’

Kang-Hyun felt like he was suffocating with her just standing before him. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“Huuu.”

He forcibly quelled the fear taking over his mind and took a battle stance as he clenched his fists.

‘I... can’t win.’

An insurmountable wall existed between a brat who had only just learned how to control demonic energy and a girl who had trained in Qi since she was little.

‘But I might at least be able to land one blow.’

Fighting spirit blazed in Kang-Hyun’s eyes.

“I like your eyes.” Si-Ah smiled and lightly stomped her foot. “But...”

Whoosh!

She appeared before Kang-Hyun in the blink of an eye and thrust her bamboo sword into Kang-Hyun’s solar plexus.

“I’m not weak enough for you to beat with just fighting spirit.”

“Kurgh!”

Kang-Hyun was blown backward into the air.

“Kuh!”

He barely managed to land on his feet and regained his balance.

“Use your demonic energy!”

Blue sword energy enveloped Si-Ah’s bamboo sword. It was nowhere near as vivid as when she stood up against Jeon Yeong-Woong but it was enough to send chills down Kang-Hyun’s back.

“Kurgh!”

He wrapped his arms in the demonic energy he drew out of his heart to block the bamboo sword.

Wham!

Impact closer to a sledgehammer than a bamboo sword shook his arms.

“Wow, you can block this, huh?”

“Guh...”

“Then try blocking this too!”

Si-Ah’s swings became stronger.

“Argh!”

Kang-Hyun could only cross his arms to block his head and neck. Si-Ah’s torrent of swings barraged Kang-Hyun.

‘It... hurts...!’

He felt like he was about to pass out at any second due to the shockwaves shaking him but managed to stay conscious because he was protecting his vital points.

‘I can’t... stay getting beaten like this.’

Kang-Hyun gritted his teeth and withdrew the demonic energy wrapping his arms to his heart.

Smash!

Kang-Hyun was blown away by the bamboo sword after the demonic energy protecting him disappeared,

“Huuu. I’ve more or less figured out your level.”

Si-Ah calmed her labored breathing and lowered her bamboo sword. Just then, Kang-Hyun, who Si-Ah thought would tumble across the ground after being blown back, managed to regain his balance and reached for her.

“Huup!”

However, Kang-Hyun was too far away to reach Si-Ah with his hands.

‘Now!’

Kang-Hyun drew out as much demonic energy as he could to activate an Authority.

Schwing!

His palm split open and a black blade sprouted toward Si-Ah.

“Ngh!”

Si-Ah expressed shock as she swung her bamboo sword again.

Whoooom!

However, she failed to control her strength due to shock. Intense sword energy wrapped her bamboo sword.

‘Oh no...! Kang-Hyun might get hurt by this!’

“Arghh!”

She managed to reduce the Qi wrapping the bamboo sword significantly but could not stop the bamboo sword from colliding with the black blade.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

An explosive sound akin to cannon fire echoed, creating a large dust cloud.

“K-Kang-Hyun!”

Si-Ah rushed through the dust cloud and quickly pulled Kang-Hyun’s arm.

“H-Huh?”

Kang-Hyun, who had coincidentally just managed to maintain his balance, stumbled toward Si-Ah after being pulled by her.

“Mmrp?!”

“Mmph!”

The boy and the girl’s lips touched.