Academy’s Villain Professor

Chapter 68. Swordmaster

A figure clad in an all-black dobok, outdated for the era, revealed muscles honed to the extreme—a warrior’s physique.

Yet, despite this striking presence, his aura was faint, almost intangible, like clouds scattering and reforming in the wind, blending seamlessly into nature itself.

This was a concept beyond mere strength, one that Ho-cheol recognized as the essence of the hero known as Swordmaster.

The Swordmaster’s gaze, fixed on Ho-cheol, revealed no emotion, as serene and deep as a still lake.

But Ho-cheol saw through to his core—a raging natural disaster, wild and perilous.

His hands clenched and unclenched, palms sweaty with tension.

An S-rank top hero?

A unique kind of powerhouse?

Unfathomable strength?

None of that posed a threat to Ho-cheol.

His tension stemmed from something else entirely.

He had anticipated this day would come, but it arrived too soon.

He wished it never had.

The man before him was a specter of his past sins—a clear victim-perpetrator dynamic.

Ho-cheol was the perpetrator, the Swordmaster the victim.

The blatant hostility in the Swordmaster’s eyes suggested those memories were still vivid.

Ho-cheol had assumed his absence during his imprisonment meant the grudge was forgotten, but life was never that convenient.

As the crowd parted, the Swordmaster stepped forward.

“President?”

His aide called out in panic, but the Swordmaster ignored him, advancing toward Ho-cheol.

Ho-cheol’s group, noticing his absence, returned to his side.

“What’s wrong?”

So-hee asked, naturally following his gaze.

“Gasp.”

She, too, recognized the Swordmaster and drew a sharp breath.

Knowing Ho-cheol’s past better than anyone here, she was aware of their history.

Their relationship was beyond bad—it was catastrophic.

“Why is he here…?”

Da-yeon muttered, startled by her father’s sudden appearance.

The Swordmaster continued toward Ho-cheol, closing the distance.

Stopping, he spoke calmly.

“What did you see in me?”

The question carried certainty that Ho-cheol had pierced his essence.

“Raging storms, boiling lava, crashing lightning,” Ho-cheol replied briefly.

“I saw a monster in you. Madness and bloodlust barely concealed by human skin. A river of blood formed by your sins. That’s who you are.”

The Swordmaster took another step closer, his face twisting.

“Then why the hell are you here?”

Ho-cheol was taken aback by the intensity of his killing intent.

Sure, Ho-cheol had blindsided him in the past, so resentment was expected.

But this reaction was fiercer than the Dean’s, who’d lost an eye.

As the Swordmaster seemed ready to lunge, Da-yeon stepped in front of him.

“You.”

Noticing her for the first time, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

Da-yeon didn’t answer.

Grit—the Swordmaster ground his teeth.

“Do you know who you’re protecting?”

“Professor.”

Her voice was colder than ever.

“My professor’’

System: professor.

A stunned silence followed.

The Swordmaster’s face contorted further.

“Protecting him?”

Da-yeon stood firm, her eyes defiant.

“My professor.”

The Swordmaster shook his head in disbelief, his gaze returning to Ho-cheol.

“Of course. Professor and student. You’re her teacher, aren’t you? What’s your game?”

“Pure coincidence. I only found out much later. Even the Dean doesn’t know about this,”

Ho-cheol replied.

“Unbelievable,” the Swordmaster sneered, his lips twisting.

“A villain teaching kids? The world’s gone soft.”

He stepped forward, placing a hand on Da-yeon’s shoulder.

“This isn’t your place. Move.”

She didn’t budge.

Her eyes said she’d never intended to.

The Swordmaster’s expression darkened, his grip tightening.

“Ugh.”

Da-yeon winced in pain.

In an instant, Ho-cheol grabbed his wrist.

“Hey.”

He growled, his voice low.

“Don’t touch my student.”

“She’s my daughter. What right do you have to interfere with her upbringing?”

“She’s in a school uniform, on Academy grounds. That makes me her guardian.”

Crack—Ho-cheol forced the Swordmaster’s hand off Da-yeon, his presence now radiating a different kind of menace.

“And you call this parenting?”

The air around the Swordmaster grew heavy.

Ho-cheol matched his intensity, their overwhelming presences clashing, distorting the space around them.

The standoff was interrupted by an enraged shout.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Se-ah, who had been distracted by a booth, stormed over after Ye-jin filled her in.

“Swordmaster! Think you can do whatever you want because you’re S-rank number one? This

is the Academy! I’ll formally protest your actions against a student and professor!”

The Swordmaster clicked his tongue, recognizing Se-ah.

His fury had clouded his judgment, but he realized raw power wouldn’t solve this.

His aide’s Trait kept civilians unaware, but escalating further would break that veil.

He stepped back and said curtly to Ho-cheol.

“We’re changing locations.”

So-hee and Se-ah grabbed Ho-cheol’s arms.

“Don’t go! Just call someone to kick him out!”

“Who’s going to kick out the top S-rank?”

“The Dean, maybe.”

“I can contact the Association,” Ye-jin added.

Ho-cheol shook his head.

“No need.”

This was a problem he’d have to face eventually.

He needed to know why the Swordmaster was so enraged.

Avoiding it now only delayed the inevitable.

But first—

“You okay?”

He checked on Da-yeon, still in his arms from shielding her during their clash.

The pressure had been too much for her to handle.

Had he scared her by grabbing her so suddenly?

She nodded silently, her ears and neck flushed red, clearly shaken.

Releasing her, he waved off the group’s concerns.

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t complicate things by calling the Dean.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

So-hee pressed.

He shrugged.

“He’s not gonna kill me.”

Not reassuring at all, they thought, but his faint smile silenced them.

* * *

In a warehouse far from the expo, marked “Authorized Personnel Only,” the two entered, ignoring the sign.

The vast, empty space was devoid of life.

The Swordmaster nodded.

“Perfect. For settling old grudges.”

He drew his sword, its blade pulsing with concentrated killing intent.

Eyeing Ho-cheol’s defenseless stance, he asked, puzzled?

“What are you doing?”

Even for someone as strong as Ho-cheol, the Swordmaster was among the nation’s elite.

Both could kill in a single blow, and the conditions were ripe.

Such carelessness could mean a crippling injury.

Gripping his sword menacingly, the Swordmaster said.

“Killing you like this would be satisfying, but it’s not revenge. Show me that damned monster—”

He stopped, stunned by what followed.

“I’m sorry,” Ho-cheol said, bowing his head.

“What…?”

The Swordmaster’s mind reeled.

“An apology? To me?”

Confusion, shock, suspicion—all flooded through him.

The final emotion was.

“Don’t mock me!”

Rage.

His face twisted like never before.

“Why? Why apologize? Fight! Grab a weapon! Take a hostage! Do something!”

His pent-up fury exploded.

Ho-cheol’s apology wasn’t a dodge; years as a hero told the Swordmaster it was genuine.

That only fueled his anger.

“Don’t mock me! I’ve cursed my weakness and trained endlessly to never feel that helplessness again. And now—”

His sword trembled.

“The bastard who killed my wife is free, teaching my daughter?”

Ho-cheol’s eyes widened in shock.

Their bad blood stemmed from Ho-cheol stealing a Rainbow Cosmos after roughing him up.

He’d planned to let the Swordmaster vent and calm down, but this revelation derailed everything.

Before he could respond.

Clang!

Da-yeon burst through the warehouse door, shouting.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Her voice rose for the first time, thick with anger and grief.

“Mom died of illness! And you—you didn’t even show your face until the end!”

She remembered her frail mother, bedridden more often than not, with Da-yeon always by her side during her rare outings.

Ho-cheol couldn’t have been involved.

Stomping, she screamed.

“Obsessed with your sword, why don’t you just die swinging it? Why do you keep taking what’s precious to me?”

Ho-cheol almost scolded her for talking to her father that way but stopped, struck by a chilling realization.

He’d thought the Swordmaster had mistaken him for someone else, but Da-yeon’s defense confirmed the truth.

The Rainbow Cosmos, a rare cure for certain terminal illnesses, was nearly impossible to obtain.

By the time it could be cultivated, better treatments existed.

“Right?”

Da-yeon, pouring out her emotions, turned to Ho-cheol for confirmation.

But he was speechless, his understanding of the situation now complete—and horrifying.

“Professor?” she called, sensing something ominous.

Snapping out of it, he looked up, but.

Rumble!

Boom!

A tremor shook the warehouse, the distant explosion indicating a serious issue at the Academy.

His phone flashed red, signaling a major problem.

Ho-cheol’s face twisted.

Just my luck.

At such a critical moment, with civilians at the expo, he couldn’t ignore it.

“Sorry, I’ll explain later,” he said to Da-yeon, turning to leave.

“Professor…” she whispered, hurt by his avoidance, as if the Swordmaster’s accusations were true.

His frail, apologetic demeanor deepened her unease.

Clank!

Ho-cheol rushed back, placing both hands on her shoulders.

“I’m an idiot. I’ve regretted this before, and I almost did it again,” he muttered, head bowed.

Lifting his gaze, the fear and weakness were gone, replaced by his usual resolve.

“Let’s be clear. You probably won’t understand, accept, or forgive me. But I promise one thing.”

His grip tightened.

“I won’t drag this out, gloss over it, or run. I’ll explain everything from start to finish. So…”

He bit his lip, unable to ask for trust or patience.

But Da-yeon, staring at him, replied softly.

“I’ll wait.”

She placed her hands over his, the same firm grip as her father’s but with opposite emotions—warmth, trust.

“And I believe you.”

“…Thanks.”

With that, Ho-cheol left the warehouse.