Chapter L - Young Master Tae-Hyun

Even though Arthur no longer had to go to school, the habit of waking up early still remained. He didn’t mind it. It just meant that he’d get to have breakfast with Sophie before she left.

Today, the two were having Kimichi Toast after their run. Sophie enjoyed the crunchy, flavorful breakfast.

“Still can’t believe you’re suspended. . .” Sophie mumbled with her mouth full.

Remembering that Arthur disliked when she did that, Sophie rushed to swallow her food, almost choking on it.

"Don't die on me," Arthur chuckled, realizing why she struggled swallowing a chunky bite. He leaned on his right hand as his elbow pressed against the table. Now that he wasn't in a rush, he could enjoy eating his food slowly. "I don't regret it. Thanks to Irene, we didn't get expelled. . ."

“I was shocked to learn that her uncle was the Principal.”

“Me too. . .” Arthur let out sigh, disappointed at himself for not knowing sooner. “Though, who told you?”

“Rumors started spreading quickly,” Sophie took a few gulps of water. “Ahh. . ." she sighed in relief. "That was refreshing.”

She leaned back into her chair, rubbing her tummy.

“Already?” Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t judge me. . . I was hungry,” Sophie pressed her chin against her chest, stretching her legs out while looking at Arthur.

Arthur couldn’t help but chortle. “Not that. . . I was talking about the rumors.”

“Oh. . .” she giggled awkwardly, left feeling foolish. “Well, it’s not often that something so spicy happens at our school. Besides, J High isn’t really that big.”

“I’ve never actually taught about it, but how many students are even in J High?”

“Iseul should have an easier time answering, but I can estimate. . .” she placed her hands behind her head as her tummy growled. “There’s four classes per year, three years, and an average of about 25 students. . . So, I’d say around 300?”

“Hmmm. . . Feels like there’s more.”

“That’s cuz you keep seeing them all at the same time.”

“True. . .” she left him pondering, realizing that there weren’t even that many buses when they went on the school trip. “So you’re saying that the rumors are already spreading? That sucks.”

“Yeah, the four of you are a major topic right now. Never thought Oppa would be known as a troublemaker,” she chortled. “Though, the rumor about Irene only increased her popularity.”

“Problem is, she kept it a secret for a reason.”

“Sure, if you believe that people will take away from her achievements just because her parents own the school.”

“Won’t most people believe that?”

“Only the envious,” she pointed out, finally sitting back up properly. “I should get ready for school. . .”

“Dreading the idea?” he showed a faint smile.

“You know it. . . It won’t be as fun without you guys, but I guess we girls finally have time to ourselves,” she got up stretching her arms up. “Enjoy your punishment. . .”

Sophie wasn’t happy how Grandpa handled the situation, but considering Arthur asked her to not mention what happened, there was no helping it. He considered telling the truth, but in the end decided against it.

Ryung was the type of person who’d apologize had he realized he was in the wrong, which would also further damage the already feeble parental-like relationship the two had. He already knew that Ryung stressed over Arthur’s final words, going as far as talking to Sophie about it as soon as she returned.

He kept prying if anything had happened to her. Regardless how much she denied everything, he kept relentlessly asking. Though, once he was convinced, he no longer felt guilt regarding his decision.

“Ah, I managed to catch you before you left,” Ryung said as he walked into the kitchen.

“I’ve made extra,” she smiled at him, pointing back at the food.

“Thank you dear,” Ryung approached, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

She smiled and gave him a hug. “I have to go get ready for school.”

“Oh, alright. . .” he closed his eyes, tightening the hug briefly before letting her go.

The two were left alone after Sophie darted to her room. That was the first time they saw each other since their talk as Arthur refrained form leaving his room all day. While it probably looked like a rebellious act, the truth was that Arthur simply slept the entire time.

“This’ll be a good lesson,” he said while grabbing Arthur’s shoulder. “While my punishment might seem a bit harsh, it’ll be a good time for you to find peace and think about the future.”

“You’re right. . .” Arthur faked a smile placing his hand over Ryung’s. “You heading to work?”

Letting go of Arthur, he took a small plastic container and placed it on the table. “In a few minutes. I have to pack up this lovely breakfast!” he placidly smiled while looking at the food.

He was always excited when Sophie made something for him. It wasn’t hard to figure out that he loved the gestures of affection. His job truly was a massive hurdle in their relationship, and Arthur suspected that Ryung felt quite a bit of guilt about not being there for him when he was adjusting, but thanks to Sophie that transition went relatively smooth.

Hopefully this hiccup doesn’t affect our relationship too much. I know for a fact that his trust in me is somewhat shaky now.

Arthur sighed, but at least he could still go running in the morning with Sophie. With her requesting it, he couldn't refuse.

Once both Sophie and Ryung left the house, Arthur was all alone. It reminded him of the days when he was still figuring things out.

It’s already been two months. Time truly flies.

However, this time around he had nothing to do. Preparing for the finals wasn’t an issue since he already learned the material, and he refreshed his memory recently. He planned to do it once more a week before the test just in case.

Tjay called us over yesterday, I wonder if he’s even awake.

It took a while for Tjay to wake up and get ready, but the two eventually decided to meet up to go to his father’s workplace. Max couldn’t come since he, much like Arthur, was grounded.

“So, is it far?” Arthur asked as the two walked around the Central Seoul area.

“Nah, we’re almost there.”

Both were dressed rather casually. Tjay insisted. While Arthur was grounded, he had no intention of abiding by Ryung’s decision. With no one to actually check up on him, he was free to do as he pleased until late at night. There was a risk that Ryung would return early, but that Arthur took willingly. Max on the other hand couldn’t sneak out as he’d have to get past his parents who worked downstairs.

Arriving at the building, Arthur was left in awe. While he knew that Tjay’s father owned a business, he never expected it to be such a grand place. The massive structure was completely covered in glass walls which served as a one-way mirror, obscuring the view on the outside.

“Welcome to the SPSS,” Tjay showed to the doors which had two armed bodyguards standing outside. “Seoul Private Security Services.”

“Your father owns a private security company?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that. . .” Tjay sighed. “Come on.”

Following his lead, the two entered the building without even being checked out.

The inside was just as impressive as a red carpet led to the reception behind which two beautiful women in their mid-twenties worked. Decorating the wide space of the main hall was a giant statue of a Haechi Lion.

The sheer number of people walking around going through their everyday tasks left Arthur wondering just how massive of a business Tjay’s father ran was.

Approaching the reception, the two girls rose to their feet and performed a respectful bow.

“Welcome back Young Master Tae-Hyun,” they said simultaneously.

“Please call me Tjay in front of my friends. . .” he brushed off their greeting all flustered.

“Are you here to see your father?” one of the girls asked as the other chuckled with her hand covering her mouth.

“Yeah,” he stepped to the side, showing of Arthur. “I’m here to introduce a friend to him.”

“Did our Young Master finally bring another friend to the company?” asked another woman who stole Arthur’s attention in an instant as she stood behind him.

She appeared to be in her late twenties, having long red hair tied in a ponytail, blue eyes, and light-toned skin. What made her stand out the most was the fact that she wasn’t Korean.

“Ah, Petra!” Tjay yelled out with an enthusiastic smile. “I didn’t know you were back!”

“I apologize for not informing you,” she had a tender smile as she patted Tjay’s head regardless of Tjay being a bit taller than her. “My name is Petra,” she introduced herself, extending her hand to greet Arthur. “May I know your name?”

Something’s off. . . I haven’t heard nor sensed this woman approaching me.

Accepting her handshake, Arthur showed off friendly smile but remained cautious. “Arthur. Pleasure to meet you.”

Unlike the others, Petra didn’t wear a suit. Instead, she wore tight black pants, black ankle boots, and a white shirt that was slightly unbuttoned at the top. Around her neck was a small silver pendant.

“You have a sharp gaze,” she commented.

“Huh?” Arthur was taken by surprise, admiring her insightfulness after she noticed his wariness.

“It’s nice to see that our Young Master managed to find a mature friend to hang out with. I believe it is good for him as he still has lots to learn.”

“Me? From him? Ha!” Tjay crossed his arms smugly. “We might be friends, but it’s on equal footing.”

It was obvious that Tjay knew Petra for a long time, and by the looks of it he wanted to appear more mature. However, he failed to realize that his lack of modesty took away any points he might have hoped to gain.

“Thanks for the kind words, but what he said is true. It truly is a two-way street. He is full of surprises,” Arthur tried boosting Tjay’s reputation a bit.

“My, my. . . What a charmer,” she chuckled. “The girls must fall for your flattery quite often. I should watch myself.”

She was joking as to her Arthur was still but a kid. However, all of that was to ease the obvious tension between the two.

“I doubt I’d have a chance with a European beauty such as yourself,” Arthur complimented her, but there was more meaning behind it than simple flattery.

He knew that a company dedicated to security wouldn’t willingly give out information about their employees, but this way he’d at least narrow down her origin a bit without directly asking.

“Young Master, you sure there’s nothing you can learn from him?” she chuckled, not responding to Arthur’s compliment directly.

“If you keep that up, I’ll tell Irene. . .” Tjay crossed his arms and glanced towards Arthur, somewhat annoyed by his appealing side.

“Oh my, is that your girlfriend?” she asked looking back at Arthur.

“Yeah right. . .” Tjay shook his head. “Irene’s another classmate of ours that has fallen head over heels for this idiot, but he refuses to act on it. Wait. . .” Tjay stood in place, shocked as if he just had a revelation. “No, that can’t be it. . .”

Whatever Tjay was thinking about was irrelevant. What worried Arthur was how easy his secrets were exposed while failing to learn anything about a woman who possessed the skill to sneak up on Arthur with ease. Tjay probably wouldn't have said that had he not trusted Petra, so there was probably nothing he had to worry about.

Maybe I’m overthinking things. . .

He sighed.

“Sorry for cutting conversation short, but shouldn’t we be meeting your father?” Arthur pointed out.

Tjay was still mumbling to himself.

“If that’s the case, then I have already delayed you long enough,” Petra said smiling at Arthur. “Take care of our Young Master. Though he might be goofy at times, he is quite dear to us all.”

Hearing her say that put Arthur at ease. Regardless of her origin or profession, he sensed the sincerity of her words which erased all doubt in his mind about her.

“I will,” he said back to her while scratching himself behind the ear with a broad smile on his face. “Come on Tjay, let’s go. . .”

He grabbed his hand and dragged him to the elevator, assuming that he wasn’t on the ground floor.

Riding up all the way to the sixteenth floor, Tjay looked at Arthur with worry.

“What?” Arthur asked, confused by Tjay’s behavior.

“Tell me the truth dude. . .” he sounded serious. “Are you afraid because of your size or the ability to perform?”

“Wait, what?” Tjay’s words only made Arthur even more confused.

“You know. . . In bed? I’m sure that a woman like Irene can be intimidating, and you’re a total virgin, but. . .”

“What?!” Arthur yelled out as the doors opened on the seventh floor.

Multiple people kept looking at the two as Arthur was flustered. Regardless, they enter the elevator and start riding up to the tenth floor.

“It’s okay dude. . .” Tjay whispered.

“Not now,” Arthur whispered back while leaning against the elevator’s mirror in the back.

Once they reached the tenth floor, the two were left alone once again, continuing their journey up.

“Oi, are you an idiot?” Arthur crossed his arms and glared at Tjay.

“I mean. . . I know it can happen to guys, so no need to be afraid. I’m sure it’s fixable. . . At least if performance is in question.”

“Seriously, can we stop talking about my dick?” Arthur increasingly became more uncomfortable. “It has nothing to do with that. . .”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m fucking sure. . .”

“Alright, alright. . . No need to get defensive over it. Sheesh.”

Arthur sighed knowing there was no winning. All he could do was patiently wait for the doors to open as they reached the top floor.

Dreading every second of it, Arthur and Tjay finally arrived in front of his father’s office. Without knocking, Tjay opened the door, leaving Arthur to awkwardly follow behind him.

It was completely different than what Arthur expected. No expense was saved when it came to decorating the massive office. While it had things like a typical office which included a large desk, a comfortable leather chair, and a corner sofa next to the glass wall with a small table for guests to sit when discussing business, there were a few items Arthur felt were a bit out of place. These included a shelf of expensive alcohol, a silver longsword mounted behind him, and a massive painting of a floating island from which water flowed down to earth.

Behind the desk sat Tjay’s father. It was no surprise because they were father and son, but the two were truly a spitting image of one another apart from the obvious signs of aging. He too was clean shaved, but unlike Tjay, he had a disconnected undercut hairstyle.

Arthur didn’t know what to expect of such a man.

“Ah, Tae-Hyun! You’ve arrived,” he said with a husky voice. “This must be your friend Arthur.”

“Yeah,” Tjay smiled, presenting his friend. “Arthur, this is my father, Jong Yoon-gi. The head of SPSS.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Sir,” Arthur bowed respectfully.

“Oh please. . .” he got up and walked around his desk. “No need for formalities.”

He was surprisingly friendly, and shorter than Arthur expected. If compared in terms of height, he’d barely be taller than Sophie.

“So, I’ve told him everything that happened,” Tjay mentioned. “He was keen on meeting you ever since.”

“You told him everything?” Arthur looked at him surprised.

“My son and I don’t keep secrets from each other,” he chuckled. “Besides, he couldn’t help but boast about finding someone his age who not only put up a challenge when fighting him but also defeated him rather effortlessly.”

“I wouldn’t say effortlessly. . .” Arthur awkwardly scratched his head.

“Nonsense! No need to be humble,” he walked towards the shelf with the alcohol, grabbing a bottle of expensive whiskey. “Tae-Hyun isn't, nor is he known for bragging about losing, so you must’ve left quite the lasting impression.”

“You should see him fight. . .” Tjay commented while his father poured himself a glass.

"I'd love to," he chuckled before the conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. “You may come in,” Yoon-gi said, as an old man wearing black robes entered the room. “Ah, Master Ye-jun! Right on time. Come meet the little prodigy that put my son, your student, on the floor before he could even land a hit.”

The old man was in his early sixties at best, but even underneath the robes that made him look like he came out of a fantasy movie, Arthur could tell his fitness was no joke. Unlike the two next to him, Ye-jun had long white hair and a beard that reached to his abdomen.

“Drinking already Yoon-gi,” the old man chuckled while glancing at Arthur.

“Would you like some?”

“No, thank you.”

“What about you boys?” he turned to Arthur and Tjay.

“Pour me a glass,” Tjay smirked as he approached the table.

“Your son shouldn’t be drinking,” Master Ye-jun said while standing next to Arthur.

Much like Tjay’s father, Ye-jun was quite a short fellow, having only a few centimeters more added to his height.

“It’s good for them to enjoy the luxuries the world offers,” Yoon-gi laughs while pouring Arthur a glass before he even accepted.

“Thank you,” Arthur politely took the glass.

Compared to anything he tasted before in this world, it was easily the best drink he had thus far. However, it still fell short compared to the wine he tasted in the gardens of the holy ground back in his old world. Granted, those gardens belonged to the worshipers of Daniala, the goddess of the grape-harvest, winemaking, and sex.

“Impressive,” Yoon-gi said, looking at Arthur and the way he handled alcohol.

“I was blessed enough to enjoy a drink or two, so this much is alright with me,” he explained while setting the glass back down on the table.

“So you’re the one who managed to defeat my young and foolish disciple?” Ye-jun asked while extending his hand to Arthur.

It was unusual that he suddenly wanted a handshake, but Arthur had no reason to leave him hanging.

“I just got lucky,” Arthur remained modest, but as soon as their hands met, something felt off.

The old man squeezed Arthur’s hand, but the power behind it was increasing exponentially.

Qi!

Arthur instinctively poured some of his outer Qi into the handshake, perfectly matching the old man’s effort.

“A firm handshake,” he mumbled looking down.

He’s increasing the output.

Arthur kept pouring more into it. It wasn’t an impressive display of skill, but the old man's idea was trying to figure out Arthur's capabilities. He kept wondering how far Ye-jun was willing to take it, but to his surprise, the old man simply let go.

“No wonder you were able to defeat him. Young Master, you have a lot you could learn from your friend.”

“Why does everybody keep telling me that?” Tjay sighed in annoyance.

“I’m sure he just wants the best for you, you little punk. . .” Tjay’s father wrapped his arm around his neck before bursting into laughter while looking at Arthur. “I didn’t believe it at first, but to think that even Master Ye-jun would acknowledge you, I’d say you must be quite tough. Was it hard beating those West High shitheads?”

“Shitheads?” Arthur was completely off-guard by Yoon-gi’s attitude and language. “Ah. . . If I were alone, I would’ve had a bit of trouble. However, Tjay and Max were perfect companions to aid me in such a fight.”

“What a weird way of putting it,” Yoon-gi looked at him weirdly while taking a sip of his drink. “However, I love guys with guts! You also look like a good kid, so I’m glad that Tae-Hyun and you are friends. Yet to meet this boy Max!”

“Arthur’s the impressive friend,” Tjay pointed out, refusing to give Max credit as he was more of a rival than Arthur. “Though he knows how to fight somewhat, he’s a cool guy.”

“Fighting isn’t the only thing that matters Tae-Hyun,” his father said, leaning against his desk. “What matters is if he is a good friend or not.”

“Tjay hates admitting it, but they are awfully close,” Arthur chuckled. “He often keeps your son in check before doing something he might regret later. To be fair, that’s the same case when he’s with me. You could say that Max is the voice of reason out of the three, most of the time.”

“Ha! Sounds like a real friend to me.”

“He’s extremely loyal too. Much like Don, or I should say Dang Dong-Sun,” Arthur averted his gaze as he mentioned Don’s name.

“That’s the boy that got beat up defending the girls, right?” Master Ye-jun asked.

“Right. . .” Tjay answered bitterly, still frustrated about what happened.

“Once he recovers, I’d like to meet him as well,” Yoon-gi mentioned. “I’ve heard of him before as well. You praised him to have helped Max and you with your studies. He must be the brains of the group.”

Tjay looked at Arthur, contemplating who was smarter between the two.

“Don’t know if he’s the smartest, but out of all of us, he’s definitely the hardest working one,” Tjay explained.

“Then maybe after school is over we could offer him an internship within our company,” his father chuckled. “Brave, hardworking, loyal, and good enough to leave an impression on you. I think that’s more than worthy of us paying attention to such youth.”

“Why would he work for a geezer like you?” Tjay teased but instantly regretted it as he got smacked on the head.

Still, the two laughed it off.

The conversation spiraled out of control, and the four talked about various topics which were mostly related to the incident, the group, and school.

“Tae-Hyun, would you mind going downstairs and getting us something non-alcoholic to drink?” Yoon-gi requested.

“Amm. . . Sure, I guess,” he said slowly leaving the office.

It was a bit suspicious since Arthur knew that there were people whose job it was to deal with such trivialities. Left alone with the two of them, Arthur took a deep breath.

“I assume you had something you wished to ask me?” Arthur spoke up first.

“Cutting straight to the chase? I like it,” Yoon-gi chuckled.

With Tjay no longer present, he assumed that Yoon-gi might change his attitude.

“Don’t be alarmed,” Ye-jun placed his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “He asked because I requested it.”

“Did you get scared?” Yoon-gi burst into laughter taking another sip. His personality remained just as goofy. “I just assumed you might not want Tae-Hyun to be part of this conversation.”

“I’m assuming this is related to Qi.”

“Indeed,” Ye-jun said, taking a few steps away from Arthur. “It’s not common for someone to know how to utilize Qi, let alone be able to equalize it to the amount another expert uses it.”

Now that he mentions it, if I focus on sensing Qi, the old man is brimming with it. He is in the peak layer of the body tempering realm. He might even achieve a breakthrough before his life ends.

“Sorry, but I can’t say that I know much about it.”

“Your school claimed you were in an accident and you’ve lost your memories. Tae-Hyun confirmed it,” Yoon-gi said as he took another sip of whiskey.

“That’s all true,” Arthur verified. “Upon awakening, I was already able to sense Qi. So, when I learned how to utilize the internet again, I researched it.”

“While I do accept you not wishing to tell us, I don’t believe you should be lying to us by mixing in the truth,” Ye-jun crossed his arms, but retained a friendly smile.

In fact, the entire situation didn’t feel like an interrogation, even if the topic was serious. Arthur took a deep breath and let out an extended sigh.

“As someone who utilizes Qi, I’m sure that the first thing we are all taught is not to share our secrets,” Arthur answered for the first time without holding back.

“Indeed!” Yoon-gi yelled out enthusiastically.

“Ha, look at him acting as if he was a martial artist,” Ye-jun chuckled while talking about Yoon-gi. “Unlike your son, the talent you possess is negligible.”

“It’s normal for a son to surpass his father,” he ignored Master Ye-jun's words and instead accepted the positives proudly.

“May I know why you brought up this topic?” Arthur asked intrigued.

While Tjay’s dad remained carefree, Master Ye-jun remained serious.

“Tae-Hyun is an exceptional talent, one that hasn’t been seen in years. However, he lacks the focus to train. He doesn’t even believe in the existence of Qi, even if he can somewhat feel it.”

“It’s not something that should be forced upon someone in the first place,” Arthur criticized.

“True, but I serve the family and it is my duty to train Tae-Hyun, much like his father, in the arts of self-defense.”

“Understandable, but talent alone without hard work will never amount to anything.”

“Which is why I was hoping you could motivate him to train.”

Arthur felt uneasy about Ye-jun’s request. While he understood that Tjay was more likely to train following someone like Arthur, he disliked the idea of training anyone, especially one as impulsive as Tjay. Granted, they were friends and with proper guidance it could turn alright.

“I’ll have to refuse,” Arthur hesitated a bit but came to the conclusion that it’s not something he wished to do, at least not yet.

“So quick to-“ Ye-jun started talking but was interrupted by Yoon-gi clearing his throat.

“Had I known you were going to make such a request, I’d be against the two of you meeting,” Tjay’s father commented. “The boy is Tae-Hyun’s friend. I don’t wish to force such responsibility onto someone like him.”

“I was only suggesting it because I believed it would benefit the Young Master. . .”

“The reason you did it is noble, but we must respect Tae-Hyun’s wishes, and his friend's,” Yoon-gi explained as he turned to Arthur. “I’ll have to apologize in Master Ye-jun's place. He had no bad intentions.”

“No need. . .” Arthur was shocked as he deemed those words to be stunningly truthful. “I too would’ve made such a request if I was in Master Ye-jun’s situation. Tjay can be quite unruly.”

“Well, of course! He is my son after all,” he burst into laughter.

“Guess there’s nothing I can do about that,” Ye-jun chuckled, shaking his head before glancing up at Arthur. “I must also apologize. It wasn’t right of me to ask.”

“Seriously. . .” Arthur awkwardly smiled. “I’m running out of ways to respond to such words.”

The tension completely disappeared as the three were laughing.

“I’m back!” Tjay said smilingly as he put drinks on the table. “So, what did you talk about?”

“Just light sparing,” Ye-jun mentioned. “I wondered if your friend believed he could take me on in a spar.”

Tjay was puzzled by the thought. The fact that he was even considering for so long proved just how much respect he gave Arthur.

“You’d undoubtedly win,” Arthur interrupted. “Regardless of how we look at it, I am still too young to face such an expert.”

“True. . . The old man is surprisingly nimble,” Tjay mentioned as he imagined Ye-jun having cat ears and baring his fangs and claws ferociously.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I should get going,” Arthur pointed out looking at the time. “I’m still technically grounded,” he chuckled awkwardly.

“Troublemaker, huh?” Yoon-gi laughed, downing the rest of his drink.

“Then I’ll go and see how Don is doing,” Tjay pointed out. “Wonder if Max is still sobbing in his room for being imprisoned.”

Yoon-gi’s laugh was pure and joyful. “I’m so glad that my son has friends like you. I know I’ve kept on saying it, but other than that little bird Nabi, Tae-Hyun wasn’t the best at making friends.”

“What are you talking about!?” Tjay protested flustered.

“It’s a sign you’ve matured,” he reassured him which left Tjay speechless, only showing a faint smile after accepting the compliment. “Arthur, wait outside the building, I’ll have one of my men drive you home.”

“There’s no need. . .” Arthur for the millionth time felt a bit awkward.

“You need to stop doing that,” he shook his head. “I’ll make the call. It’ll be quicker.”

“Thank you I guess. . .”

“Come on, I’ll show you out then,” Tjay said, walking towards the exit.

“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Arthur said his goodbye, as the two men nodded in respect.

As he was about to leave, the old master cleared his throat. “Would you mind if I asked you another question?”

“Go ahead,” Arthur looked back.

“While we are talking about a spar, I doubt you could win. However, if the circumstances were a fight to the death with the lives of those you care about on the line, who do you think would win?”

Arthur froze for a moment, averting his gaze. The memories of all the hardship he faced, all the death he witnessed, and the memory of Sophie, Irene, and his other friends being in danger or worse sent a chill down his spine. It wasn’t intentional, but for the first time ever, he let out his true bloodlust out as his internal Qi quaked which significantly strengthened since the school trip. He gazed into Ye-jun’s eyes which made the old master break a cold sweat, feeling as if his heart would be ripped out by simply looking at Arthur. It was as if he stood before a ferocious beast that had been cornered that decided to finally fight back.

“I don’t know.” Arthur answered calmly, turning around towards Tjay and tapping him on the shoulder before the two left.

Alone with Tjay’s father, the old master looked towards Yoon-gi.

“What a monster,” his voice trembled while smiling.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.