When I regressed, I was a martial arts genius

‘A call from the family. Should I eavesdrop?’

Kim Tae-hyung glanced around, ensuring no one was watching before continuing his call.

“The school took this matter seriously and held an emergency hearing on the same day. Yes, of course, I recommended it. However, Yi Jun took a much more aggressive stance than expected, which caused the conclusion to become ambiguous…”

He exhaled a sigh of frustration.

Though the words on the other end were inaudible, Kim Tae-hyung’s reaction gave everything away.

“You’re going to cut support? That’s unacceptable.”

It seemed that Shinryeokkwon was considering withdrawing its support for Kim Tae-hyung.

And that wasn’t all.

They were likely blaming him for failing to properly support Yi Hong.

At worst, he could be silenced discreetly.

A reckless family could easily dispose of him in such a manner.

Kim Tae-hyung, well aware of the consequences of losing support, pleaded earnestly.

“Please, just one more chance. At the rank assessment tomorrow…”

The conversation dragged on longer, indicating that the family was still viewing it positively.

Perhaps that’s why—

Unaware that he was being observed, Kim Tae-hyung enthusiastically shared his plan.

‘The rank assessment must have been rescheduled for tomorrow.’

The annual event marks the beginning of the school year.

It was the day when students were evaluated on how much they had improved during the vacation period—how much stronger and more skilled they had become.

‘If I hadn’t eavesdropped, I would’ve been in trouble.’

There was no need to listen further, so Yi Jun turned away.

[Why do they hate you so much? It’s not just because of your bloodline, is it?]
‘I was born outside the family.’

[So, the first wife’s interference is the real problem.]
‘My stepmother likely despises me. My father loved my mother too much.’

The Great Sage tilted his head in confusion.

[It’s strange. A child born from the woman your father truly loved should be protected, not despised. Yet, your father just watches from a distance.]

Hearing this, Yi Jun bitterly smiled.

At first, he tried to understand. But he eventually came to one realization:

‘My father loved the family more than my mother. For the sake of the family, he’d sell his soul to even the devil.’

[Such a father… what a fate you’ve been handed.]
‘I’m used to it. And now, I have the strength to stand on my own.’

In this life, he wouldn’t live as a fool like in his past life.

He would grow stronger and assert dominance.

Once he became powerful enough, the family’s reputation would sink into the abyss on its own.

For now, that remains his goal.

[Yes, just trust this master, and everything will go smoothly.]
‘You shouldn’t trust someone who says to only believe in them.’

[Hmm. You seem like someone who won’t get scammed easily.]
Yi Jun walked down the hallway, chatting with his Great Sage about trivial matters.

Now, he doesn’t feel alone.

Unlike his previous life, where he thought he had no allies, he now has the Great Sage—his greatest mentor and friend—by his side.

***

The indoor gymnasium was bustling with first and second-year students.

It was the day of the rank assessment.

The originally scheduled event had been pushed to today from yesterday.

“Did you hear? Yi Hong was taken down.”

“A freshman saw it firsthand.”

Students with loosened school uniforms and chewing gum scattered around.

They were the troublemakers of their respective classes.

Just like Yi Hong, they were delinquents.

“That’s messed up.”

“Yi Hong was always weak anyway, wasn’t he?”

“He’s famous for being a good fighter, but no one’s seen him fight.”

The delinquents openly stared at Yi Jun.

It was a reconnaissance mission.

They only did this when they targeted someone weaker than them.

“Damn it. Thinking about how Yi Hong always looked down on us makes me so mad.”

“I should’ve gone straight at him like that guy.”

“Heh, you? Please.”

“Hey, wanna step up and fight him? Let’s settle the hierarchy once and for all.”

“Don’t even try. You’ll just humiliate yourself.”

The delinquents belittled Yi Hong while casually chatting.

“Hey, I’m thinking of taking him on. What do you think?”

One of them, Park Ho-young, pointed to Yi Jun with his chin.

“You go first. After you, I’ll take my shot.”

“If you win, you’ll be a star. Yi Jun defeated Yi Hong, and I’ll take down Park Ho-young—what a show!”

The entire school buzzed with talk about Yi Jun.

Rumors spread about a new star rising.

It was said Yi Jun was already ranked in the top 50, and his victory over Yi Hong suggested he was likely even higher.

All eyes were on Yi Jun.

Even in the gymnasium, the gaze directed at Yi Jun was far from ordinary.

Students looked at him with admiration, trying to get closer or gain favor.

“Okay. Registered.”

Park Ho-young, with his eyes wide open, passed by Yi Jun.

At the same time, he deliberately shoved his shoulder into Yi Jun.

A classic way to provoke—a shoulder bump.

‘No one can dodge this.’

Park Ho-young inwardly celebrated his cleverness.

If he managed to provoke and defeat Yi Jun, he would instantly rise to stardom.

With his ego inflated, he shoved Yi Jun’s shoulder hard.

Thunk

Park Ho-young stumbled backward awkwardly, hitting the wall hard.

Yi Jun looked down at him with a calm expression.

“Are you okay?”

Park Ho-young couldn’t focus on how ridiculous he looked after falling. His gaze was fixated on something else entirely.

‘What, what kind of eyes are those?’

The moment he met Yi Jun’s gaze, his stomach turned.

It was an instinctive reaction—one he had experienced in dangerous situations before.

‘No, this can’t be real. How can a dropout have eyes like this…’

Yi Jun’s eyes weren’t ferocious like Yi Hong’s.

They weren’t menacing either.

Instead, they were as deep as the ocean floor—impossibly fathomless.

A sheer cliff, endless in depth.

Park Ho-young’s mind was screaming multiple warnings.

Whenever he ignored this instinct, things always went badly.

“….”

“You still there?”

“Ah? Yeah, I’m fine.”

Park Ho-young frantically nodded his head up and down, a silent warning not to approach Yi Jun.

“Be careful. Watch where you’re going. It’s because it’s me that I’m letting this slide.”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Go ahead.”

Park Ho-young returned to his group of delinquents with a dazed expression, as if haunted by a ghost.

“What the hell? Why’d you just come back?”

“Oh, I guess today’s not my day. I don’t feel great.”

“Did you take some kind of medication? If you won’t do it, then I’ll do it instead.”

“W, well… You go first.”

Another delinquent stepped forward confidently.

Yi Jun chuckled softly, watching them.

‘These kids think they can outdo me.’

Though they appeared to be of the same age, Yi Jun’s mind was firmly set in his mid-20s.

He could read the thoughts behind their confidence—it was all too familiar from his past life.

[How little they must think of you.]
‘It’s all thanks to the Hwonwan Ring.’

With the Hwonwan Ring masking his true energy, Yi Jun’s level was only around E-grade.

[Hahaha. You’re blaming the tool for being underestimated.]
‘I’d rather not draw attention if I don’t have to.’

[Some only learn when they’re beaten senseless.]
‘Is it necessary to be that barbaric?’

Mugeukja could guess Yi Jun’s thoughts from his calm demeanor.

[You truly are despicable. Where did you pick up such rotten habits? Tsk, tsk.]
‘It’s a common trope in martial arts novels, isn’t it? Hehe.’

Just then, a delinquent stood in front of Yi Jun.

“Hey. You defeated Yi Hong…”

“Get lost.”

Yi Jun’s voice, imbued with inner energy, reverberated loudly throughout the gymnasium.

The entire room fell silent as everyone’s gaze turned to him.

[The passive skill of Hwonwan Shin Gong, Fear, has been activated.]

The delinquent’s face turned pale, and he began to tremble uncontrollably.

His body shook like a leaf in the wind—so much so that it seemed pitiful.

Then, it happened.

“Ugh, I smell something.”

Yi Jun grimaced, holding his nose.

The delinquent, unable to control his fear, wet himself in front of everyone.

This outcome wasn’t unexpected for Yi Jun.

“Grr? Gaaah.”

The delinquent’s eyes rolled back as he foamed at the mouth and collapsed onto the floor.

[The opponent succumbs to fear and passes out.]
“What?”

This wasn’t the result Yi Jun had anticipated.

The delinquents who had fainted were looked down upon with an incredulous expression.

[Tsk, tsk. Focusing the power of Hwonwan Shin Gong in one place causes fainting. Your disciple still has a long way to go.]
‘But I only infused a small amount of my voice into it?’

[You seem unaware, but Hwonwan Shin Gong is the pinnacle of all martial arts. Even a small amount can kill someone.]

Meanwhile, Park Ho-young, watching Yi Jun and his friends, had a stunned expression.

‘I knew it! Yi Jun is even more dangerous than Yi Hong.’

His body trembled involuntarily.

With Yi Hong gone, an even greater devil had appeared.

‘Should I transfer out?’

Murim Academy, the top-tier school for awakened individuals, was the best path to a bright future after graduation.

However, Yi Jun’s presence made him want to abandon all of it.

As Park Ho-young and his friends gawked, Yi Jun slapped the unconscious delinquent sharply, waking him up.

“Hey. Wake up! What did I do to make you pass out? Hey! Someone take care of this guy.”

Yi Jun looked at Park Ho-young and said,
“Hey, you?”

Park Ho-young, without realizing it, spoke politely to Yi Jun, addressing him by his honorific.

“Your friends aren’t here?”

“W-we’re not friends though?”

“Hey! Park Ho-young.”

“Shut up. From now on, I don’t know him.”

Yi Jun, wanting to be forgotten, distanced himself from Park Ho-young, cutting ties with the fallen delinquent.

The other delinquents took care of him instead.

“We’ll get you back for this.”

“We’ll make you pay for messing with us!”

Yi Jun revealed his white teeth and even waved at them.

“Sure. See you later.”

***

Murmurs filled the gymnasium.

“Did that delinquent back off because of Yi Jun’s pressure?”

“Crazy.”

“Do you think he was hiding his strength?”

“Does being in the top 50 even make sense? At least he should be within the top 20.”

Delinquents walked around with an extra sense of confidence.

They wouldn’t be surprised to see Yi Jun within the top 60.

They were quite formidable individuals.

Fainting such strong individuals with mere pressure was something only rankers could achieve.

“How strong could he be?”

“Did he face Yi Hong with his full power?”

“Exactly. I’m curious after hearing that.”

As the students talked, Kim Tae-hyung and the teachers entered the gym.

“Quiet!”

“Stop making noise and line up in front of the capsule rooms by class.”

Kim Tae-hyung’s voice, imbued with inner power, echoed loudly through the gymnasium.

It was a sharp, impatient voice.

Numbers were written on the walls, with capsule rooms beneath them.

“Number call!”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

…

…

…

“Forty. No more numbers.”

After counting the students, Kim Tae-hyung entered the control room.

“Enter in order from number one.”

The capsule rooms where students were lining up were advanced training equipment that simulated virtual enemies for training purposes.

They were primarily used for grade evaluations and senior mock battles.

Kim Tae-hyung sat in the control room, quietly smiling to himself.

‘Nowhere better for an accident to happen than here, besides a gate.’

In the control room, the difficulty level could be adjusted.

It was the perfect setup for a scheme.

Today was the golden opportunity to deal with Yi Jun.

‘Once Yi Jun enters, increase the difficulty and pretend the control system malfunctions.’

A student’s death due to mechanical failure?

While Kim Tae-hyung would not escape blame entirely, it was better than facing revenge from the Shinryeokkwon family.

Moreover, Yi Jun was a thorn in Shinryeokkwon’s side—a disgrace to the family’s honor, a failure who couldn’t even succeed in bloodline inheritance.

If he were to die today, the Shinryeokkwon family would quietly cover it up.

After all, Yi Jun was nothing but trash unable to pass down the family legacy.

Kim Tae-hyung waited leisurely for Yi Jun’s turn to come.

They occasionally locked eyes, and every time, Tae-hyung smiled warmly at him.

‘What kind of teacher smiles like that?’

Yi Jun, seeing Tae-hyung’s unsettling grin, returned the smile mockingly.

It was evident on Tae-hyung’s face.

He was silently vowing, ‘I’ll make sure you die here.’

Though Kim Tae-hyung appeared composed, he was feeling quite anxious.

The Shinryeokkwon family was merciless in handling matters.

They would lavishly support allies until something went wrong, then eliminate them without hesitation.

Their methods were no different from a criminal organization like Saryun, yet they were part of the 15 Family Alliance.

Currently, South Korea is largely controlled by the 15 Family Alliance.

Even if Shinryeokkwon’s methods were harsh, no one dared to oppose them openly.

‘I won’t just sit quietly and take it.’

Kim Tae-hyung knew that today would not go as he planned.

It would only enhance Yi Jun’s reputation.

From the moment Tae-hyung planned to kill him in the capsule room, his defeat was certain.