Yeongcheon Style [1]

The Yeongcheon Swordsmanship Academy was located in a neighborhood about a 40-minute bus ride from my apartment.

Situated in a relatively quiet area, the academy was a larger building than I had anticipated. It occupied a four-story building that was over 5300 square feet in size.

The first floor served as a reception and parking area.

The second floor was a fitness club exclusively for hunters.

The third floor had a sauna, changing rooms, and a combat training room.

The fourth floor housed individual combat training rooms.

'This kind of building… It wouldn't be strange if it were the top hunter academy. It's a bit out of the way, but it's easy to reach by car, so people should come.'

I thought Oh Joon-hyuk was just trying to scare me for fun. Looking at this building, it seemed like a professional place.

"Hello, are you here to sign up?"

The woman at the counter greeted me with a business-like smile.

'She's pretty, but not celebrity-level… Oh, she's not a trainer, just an employee.'

It made sense that a trainer wouldn't be manning the counter.

"I'm not here to sign up yet… I just want to hear about Yeongcheon style and maybe try it out."

"Oh! Could you show me your hunter license?"

I handed her my freshly issued hunter license. It was only two days old.

She checked the license, entered something into the computer, and handed it back.

"Okay, I've confirmed it. Here at Yeongcheon Swordsmanship Academy, a one-day trial is free. To become a member, you need to be admitted to Yeongcheon style, and the membership fee is 3 million won per month. We have an ongoing promotion where you get a month of personal training and access to private training rooms for free if you join."

The employee explained everything kindly.

The event was appealing, but the price shocked me. 3 million won per month. The typical tuition for a hunter academy exceeds 5 million won per month. Famous academies that produce well-known hunters can charge over 10 million won per month.

She handed me basic workout clothes and sneakers. They were a bit tacky, but wearable. I planned to buy new workout clothes if I decided to join. No matter how much they were washed, I didn't want to wear clothes soaked in sweat by someone I didn't know.

"Please change in the locker room and head to the combat training room. A trainer will be waiting for you."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Yeongcheon style is a great swordsmanship style. You'll definitely like it."

"…Yes, sure."

I felt a vague uneasiness as I headed to the locker room.

The men's locker room was clean. There was no old furniture, and it seemed like it was cleaned daily.

'…But why is it so empty?'

It was deserted.

Not a single soul, not even an ant.

It was 5 p.m. Hunters don't have fixed working hours, so they aren't bound by time. There should be at least one or two people here.

'…Shit. Something feels off.'

A sense of anxiety surged. Oh Joon-hyuk's words replayed in my mind.

"It's really intense."

I swallowed hard and changed my clothes.

'If it sucks, I'll bolt.'

Entering the combat training room, I gasped.

At the center of the room, which was arranged like a sword dojo, stood a beautiful woman with her hair tied back, reaching down to her waist.

With flawless white skin and a sculpted body devoid of any excess fat, she wore gray leggings on the bottom and a sports tank top on the top, revealing her toned abs.

'C-cup breasts…! Her face looks fierce, but pure! That ass is a work of art!'

Feeling grateful to Oh Joon-hyuk for recommending this place, I approached her.

"Are you Seong Eugene?"

"Yes, I am."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jin Se-young, the deputy manager and a hunter trainer here."

"Nice to meet you too."

We shook hands. I was a bit surprised. Her hand, which seemed soft, was covered in calluses.

Without thinking, I activated my erogenous zone detection ability.

[Jin Se-young's Erogenous Zones: Inner thigh, Left ear]

"I heard you recently became a hunter."

"Yes. But I'm from Gukcheon University's Hunter Department, so I know the basics about hunters."

"Here at Yeongcheon Swordsmanship Academy, your experience as a hunter isn't very important. What matters is your talent for Yeongcheon style. If I find you lack talent for Yeongcheon style, unfortunately, I won't be able to allow you to join."

"...Oh, really?"

I was taken aback. No wonder there were so few people here. Wasn't the point of running a hunter academy to make money?

"I know it sounds strange. But my goal isn't to make money. It's to promote Yeongcheon style. To do that, I need talented people."

"Wouldn't it be better if you became famous and promoted it yourself?"

"That's true. But I want to make Yeongcheon style more mainstream. Regrettably, the basic aspects aren't fully established yet, so I have to judge based on talent. Accepting talented people is also part of gathering data on Yeongcheon style."

"How do you determine if I have talent for Yeongcheon style?"

"One month. I'll personally train you for a month to judge your talent. But that's contingent on you paying the monthly fee."

"...I see."

I gave a bitter smile. Even if I managed to last a month, if she didn't think I had talent, I'd have to leave.

I wasn't confident about earning her recognition. I'd never been told I had talent for anything in my life.

The same went for swordsmanship. Most hunters used swords, and I chose a sword because it seemed cool.

"Can I check your body for a moment?"

"Oh, sure."

I spread my arms as if showing off. I was willing to strip naked if she wanted.

Jin Se-young stepped closer.

She must have been working out before I arrived, as a faint scent of her sweat wafted into my nose. It wasn't unpleasant. Rather, it was an alluring, fragrant smell that aroused me. Or maybe it was pheromones seducing me.

"…Hmm! Not a trained body."

"I came to get trained."

"That might actually be better. If you were half-trained, it would've been harder to correct for Yeongcheon style."

She stepped back. I felt a pang of disappointment. If this were the virtual world, I might have pounced on her.

"Today, I'll teach you the basics of Yeongcheon style and how to use the equipment. Follow me."

"...Okay."

My eyes were drawn to her ass. Clad in gray leggings, it swayed slightly with each step.

And what really turned me on was the inverted triangle space just below her crotch.

'If only my…'

"Mr. Eugene? Come over here and pick up a wooden sword."

"Oh, yes!"

I hurried towards her. It was hard to focus with how aroused she made me. Even though I was satisfying my lust almost daily in the 'Vampire Detective' world,.

"Alright, I'll show you the basic stance of the Youngcheon style. Follow my lead."

I stood facing her, holding a wooden sword. Jin Se-young held hers in her right hand, lowering the tip slightly. It was a bit different from the basic stance in Kendo.

Even though I'm just a lowly hunter, I could easily follow the stance.

"Honestly, once you reach a certain level, the basic stance of Youngcheon isn't that important. The core principle of Youngcheon is to be able to wield your sword from any position. So, once you're familiar with it, the basic stance becomes irrelevant."

"From any position?"

"Yes, to be precise, it means wielding your sword in any position and location. But these are just the basics. The true purpose of Youngcheon is to kill your opponent faster than they can kill you."

"That's a pretty ruthless sword style."

"Youngcheon is designed for real combat. I assure you, it's not inferior to other sword styles. So, do your best."

Jin Se-young swung her sword slowly for my benefit. I tried to mimic her posture and movements, but something felt off.

Even though I imitated her exactly, it didn't feel quite right.

"Your stance is a bit off. This is a strength issue. Don't worry, just follow me for now."

I focused on the training. But my concentration didn't last more than three minutes.

'...Wow, look at her breasts bouncing.'

Every time Jin Se-young swung her sword, her firm C-cup breasts would press against her arm, changing shape. The flesh of her breasts slightly spilled over the top of her sports tank top.

"This stance is for swinging from a high position."

I listened to her explanation with one ear while following her movements. My eyes were glued to her, but my gaze roamed over her breasts, waist, and ass. I was sneaking peeks at her body.

'Those firm ass… I'd love to spank them hard.'

When she spread her legs, I could see her mound protruding. It seemed she had a thick pussy.

'…No, no. Focus. Focus. You're here to learn swordsmanship.'

About 30 minutes later.

The torturous eye candy session—I mean, swordsmanship lesson—ended.

"Do you think you've got the hang of it?"

"Ah, um… It's a bit difficult."

"The basics will come naturally with practice. Let's head downstairs and work on your body. I'll show you how to use hunter-specific exercise equipment."

Hunter-specific equipment wasn't all that special.

They were just regular gym machines, but made tougher for hunters. The usage was similar.

"One of the best exercises is the squat. Lower body strength is crucial for any exercise, and few exercises are as effective for building it as squats. Follow my lead."

I assumed the squat position alongside her, spreading my legs and pushing my hips back.

"Watch your knees. One, Two, Three..."

In front of the large mirror, we both did squats. It was a male instinct to glance at Jin Se-young's butt.

She meticulously taught me how to use the exercise machines, correcting even the slightest mistake.

"It's an exercise for your chest, not your arms."

"You're a bit weak for a hunter, but don't worry. A hunter's body gets stronger the more you train."

"Straighten your back more."

"These aren't called hunter-specific for nothing. Be careful, or you could get seriously injured."

Sometimes, she didn't just explain; she adjusted my posture with her hands. I deliberately made mistakes to feel her touch.

"Great job today~"

"You too, Se-young."

Exhausted, I forced a smile in response.

I was drenched in sweat. My muscles were already screaming. I thought I might not be able to get up tomorrow without a massage.

'I get why it's tough. How does she know my limits so precisely?'

I had tried to slack off, but it didn't work at all. Jin Se-young just smiled and made me do three more reps.

"Today was just a free trial, but tomorrow we'll start serious training. About four hours, give or take?"

"Do you usually train that much?"

"No. But, as you can see, we don't have many people, so I have time. I'll make sure to help you properly. You're joining, right?"

"...Joining? Is quitting not an option?"

"Joining and quitting are, of course, your choices. We're not gangsters or a martial arts sect from a novel. But if you don't show talent for Youngcheon, I'll have to expel you."

Jin Se-young looked at me intently. It was silent pressure, asking if I'd join now or not.

"...I'll join."

She was a B-rank hunter. That meant she was skilled. Training here would be tough, but it would make me stronger.

Besides, I liked Jin Se-young.

"Great! I'll be waiting!"

She smiled brightly.

Why did her pretty face suddenly remind me of a wicked demon's grin?