29: Dormitory Assignment (1)

Hae-ryang, who chose to follow Mo Il-hwa, smiled softly and pointed to the people in front of the barracks which were set up next to the stone statues.

“I think it is starting now.”

Mo Il-hwa, puzzled, asked.

“Starting now? Who are they?”

“You can think of them as the representatives of the dorms.”

“Representative of the dorms?”

“As far as I know, each dorm has a supervisor in charge of the rules and the order of the dorms, but the actual operation of the dorms itself is done by students, and the students that are selected for it are the representatives.”

“There seem to be quite a lot of them.”

The number of those who were in the barracks near the stone statues were around 8 to 10, if not even more.

It was strange to have so many representatives.

To that, Hae-ryang replied.

“They must be the floor managers who are in charge of each floor and along with their supervisors.”

“Oh, is that so? Are the floor managers and supervisors from last year or maybe the third year?”

“My Lady. You surely are unique. Sure it could be that. But from what I know, the best person on each floor is selected.”

The information of the Lower District clan was truly excellent.

Mo Il-hwa nodded her head, understanding all the information Hae-ryang was giving her.

“Then, they are like leaders in the dorms.”

“Yes.”

“So, if I tell them, then will I be able to enter the dorm?”

“I think that should be correct, yes.”

The entrance to the dorms was something even Hae-ryang didn’t know.

All he knew was the information his clan managed to gather on the academy.

While they were talking, Jin-hyuk looked somewhere else.

At the site of the western dorm.

‘Isn’t that, that woman?’

Like the other dorms, there were people inside the barracks of the western dorms too.

Most of them were standing, but one woman was wearing an extravagant skirt and sat cross-legged, exposing her thighs through the slits in her skirt.

With her indigo blue hair, she seemed like a cold beauty, but even so, Jin-hyuk already knew who it was.

‘Guyang Seorin.’

The Poison Air of the West, Guyang Gyeong, had twin successors.

And one of them was Guyang Seorin, and it was known that she had the best footwork which was as fast as light and was on the same level as extremely skilled warriors.

And Mak Il-woong, Jin-hyuk’s teacher, had spoken about her.

His teacher wasn’t someone with greed, but he was once driven by it.

[There was this one time that I met the Poison Air of the West. And I asked for a secret match.]

A confrontation between the two.

Jin-hyuk listened to it with a thumping heart, and the result was, of course, the defeat of his teacher.

He was told that not even a single technique responded properly.

Even though he wasn’t a full-fledged warrior, his teacher wanted to be recognized by someone great, but he was defeated, and for a while, he felt ashamed that his training didn’t amount to anything.

[However, it was back when I hadn’t completed this current technique. Right now, the opportunity is gone as there is too much of a gap, but not for you Jin-hyuk.]

Coincidentally, at the time of Jin-hyuk joining the academy, the child of the Poison Air of West had already been in the academy for a year.

And Mak Il-woong wanted Jin-hyuk to be recognized by the descendants of the person that once defeated him.

To let them know that the path he took wasn’t wrong.

‘… it won’t end with me just being recognized, Teacher.’

Jin-hyuk’s goal wasn’t that small.

Like his elder brother, he wanted to complete the academy within three years.

And to do that, he had to succeed the successors of the Poison Air of West.

‘But Guyang Seohan isn’t here?’

He knew that the kids were twins, but he didn’t see the other one.

Of course, that didn’t matter.

He was more conscious of the woman, who was known to be one of the best among their generation.

Just as he was making up his mind to fight her, Mumu was looking at someone in the northern direction.

“What are you staring at… oh…”

Mo Il-hwa looked at the barracks on the northside of the statue, and when she looked at where Mumu was looking at, her face flushed.

There, a large boy with well-developed muscles and no shirt was sitting on a chair.

And he was moving the pectoral muscles to show off his body.

“What kind of person does that! Is he not even ashamed! Oh god. It is so hot.”

She fanned her red face.

And then frowned while looking at Mumu.

No matter who saw, it looked like Mumu couldn’t take his eyes from the muscular man.

‘!?’

Carefully, she opened her mouth.

“Mumu. Are you…”

“I like his muscles, but it is a pity. He is too focused and oriented with the upper body. The lower body muscles are too weak.”

“…”

The reddened face of Mo Il-hwa went back to normal.

She felt that it was nice that what he said was different from what she had expected to hear, but she felt disappointed too.

‘Is muscles all he thinks about?’

Mumu was obsessed with muscle training so much that it irritated others.

Seeing this, it wouldn’t be weird if people thought that Mumu’s brain was full of muscles.

As she shook her head, Hae-ryang asked.

“Miss. Which dorm will you go to?”

At that question, Mo Il-hwa looked in all directions looking troubled.

She had Mumu and Jin-hyuk, but it was still a place where she would have to live for 2 to 3 years, and it was also necessary to choose a place that went well with her personality.

At some point, people started fighting with each other, and the whole square turned into a battle ground.

“What? What is happening?”

“Ah. We are late.”

“Huh?”

“It is my fault. There is a limit to the number of people each dorm can take, so I should have told you in advance; if you have a dorm chosen, we better move quickly.”

“… you should have told me this earlier.”

Mo Il-hwa clicked her tongue.

Most of the students were already lined up next to the dorms they wanted.

And if this kept happening, then she wouldn’t be able to get into the dorms that she wanted to go to.

While she was feeling troubled, she also saw other students who weren’t lining up like her.

One of them was Hong Hye-ryung, the daughter of the Southern Sword of the Emperor.

She was crossing her arms and seemed to have a relaxed feeling.

It was as if what was happening around didn’t matter to her.

“Why is she not standing in line? If she stays still, then someone will end up picking the…”

At that time, four people approached her.

And then knelt on one knee, and the representative spoke.

“My lady! We hope we have not made you wait for a long time. How could we not reach quicker when the true owner of the Southern dorms is here?”

“Please sit here.”

“This is a place prepared for Miss Hong Hye-ryung.”

In the middle of the southern barracks was a splendid chair that looked like a throne.

They didn’t even know when they had prepared such a thing.

Hong Hye-ryung tried to make an expression that she was satisfied with the preferential treatment, but then she covered her mouth with a trembling hand and said, ‘This is nothing’.

“… Ha.”

Mo Il-hwa was amazed at the sight.

When she wondered why the other one wasn’t standing in a line, it seemed like she had predicted that people would come for her.

Seeing that, Hye-ryung nodded her head.

“I see.”

“What?”

“I did think that something like this would happen.”

“Something like this?”

“As the dormitory competitions start, the admission students would all want to enter an advantageous place, but the situation of the seniors is also more or less the same.”

“situation of the seniors is also same? Ah…”

Mo Il-hwa was able to understand what he meant.

Not surprisingly, the seniors who were knelt in front of Hye-ryung, were now all moving around and trying to pick strong people.

“The best talents are found in their own natural way.”

And it was as she said.

Formal dorm assignment.

At first glance, this seemed like a simple process of selecting new students into the dorms.

But this was another war in itself.

In each dorm, there is a warrior who has the task of supervisor, and below them is a manager picked from the students, and then floor leaders of each floor also made up of students.

These ranks were filled with outstanding people, and when they leave the academy, vacancies are created.

Which means new talents were needed to fill the vacancies created.

The barracks on the west side.

Guyang Seorin, who was sitting cross-legged, pretended not to see the male students who were flocking to apply but kept observing each one.

Seeing them like that, she snorted.

After all, no man of any cult wouldn’t be conscious when a woman with smooth legs and seductive gestures was present.

“This is the longest line. All thanks to my body, right?”

An arrogant and stern voice; the floor leaders next to her agreed immediately that she was right.

They were her ardent followers.

But she was treating each of them like an exclusive slave.

‘… annoying.’

Tang So-so, who was next to her, snorted and clicked her tongue.

As the senior in her group had graduated, Seorin had managed to take up the position and, from then on, treated it as if she ruled the world.

And So-so hated seeing that.

But since she wasn’t skilled, there was no way she could openly express her dissatisfaction about one of the most popular students.

At that time, the floor leader who had gone to recruit the admissions came and reported to Guyang Seorin.

“Manager. The disciple of East River Blade has refused.”

“Ahh. That’s upsetting.”

“It is. How could he reject the offer from the manager with just a single word? He is so unwise.”

Seeing the floor leader and Guyang Seorin discuss that, Tang So-so mumbled.

‘Upsetting, what is upsetting? He is the disciple of the Eastern River Blade; everyone would expect him to go there.’

Why would a disciple of the Eastern River Blade even come to their dorms?

It was natural for him to go to the Eastern Dorms, which was built to honor his teacher.

Guying Seorin gestured to the floor leader who was defending her and said, “Go.”

“And be sure to get at least four out of the other eleven I told you about.”

“yes! I got it!”

Eleven students. She meant the rest of the top-ranked people in the admission process.

For example, Moyong Wol or Baek Yu-seok were all on the list.

Seeing the floor leader running back at her command, Tang So-so looked for someone.

‘He must be included, right?’

If it was that guy, then surely, he had to be in the top 12.

She was waiting for that guy to come, the one she saw in the second test.

Meanwhile, on the barracks of the Northern side.

None of the floor leaders in the barracks were moving.

Because they preferred doing stuff differently.

Those who admired the Fist of the Northern Heaven were all people who wanted to rise to great levels with just their fists.

Of course, it was the same for the floor leaders and even more so for Do Yang-woon, the manager.

He was the grandson of the Fist of the Northern Heaven.

“What? You use a sword? You are not allowed to join.”

The new kids who requested to enter the dorms were being sent away immediately.

“I don’t get it, is that even a reason to refuse me?”

There was one kid who was dissatisfied with it.

And each time there was someone like this, Do Yang-woon would get up from his seat.

“Do you have some complaints?”

And each time he got up, he would flex his pectoral muscles, making the opposite person’s face darken.

‘As long as I am the manager of the Northern dorms, I have no intention of receiving people who hold weapons like girls, unless there is a shortage in our rooms.’

He had no favorites here.

All depended on what weapon they used.

But there was one person he was interested in.

[This time, one of the 12 strong people was the younger brother of Yu Jin-sung, and this time’s admission was said to have been delayed because of him.]

And from what he heard, it was said that the kid was strong enough to tear off the test gates.

That would mean that the kid had no shortage of internal energy.

“Yu Jin-hyuk or something, is he still open to recruitment?”

“The 3rd-floor leader, Go Du-ho, has gone there to bring him here.”

“I want to see him.”

There was only one person he was looking forward to recruiting.

Go Du-ho, the third-floor leader of the Northern dorms, spoke.

“That would be difficult, junior.”

“Really?”

“The manager of our Northern dorm doesn’t accept those who use weapons. Was it Mumu? I think we can give him an opportunity, but for the rest of you, it will be difficult for me to accept.”

Jin-hyuk couldn’t hide his embarrassment at those words.

Someone from the Northern dorms had come to recruit them, and then Mo Il-hwa asked if four of them could enter.

But was immediately rejected.

Only he and Mumu could enter.

However, even Mumu was not accepted completely, and he would be taken in only after he got into the line like the others and was tested.

Jin-hyuk looked at Mo Il-hwa.

“Ahh. I see.”

She didn’t seem fine.

In addition to the Northern dorm, the floor leaders of two other places had also come to invite Jin-hyuk.

It was the Eastern River Blade and Southern Sword of the Emperor.

For the Southern dorms, Mo Il-hwa said that she wouldn’t enter because Hong Hye-ryung was there, so he refused.

However, the Eastern dorms, like the Northern dorms, didn’t want people from the Lower district clan, and said that they didn’t accept anyone from the Forces of Evil.

“Ah, the manager you know, only takes those who meet his standards.”

Thanks to that, Mo Il-hwa joining a dorm was inconvenient.

They all wanted to be in one dorm, but it was turning out to be difficult.

The last was the Western dorm, and it was the right to say that it could be done only with special conditions.

Go Du-ho, the floor leader of Northern dorms, looked at Mo Il-hwa and said,

“It is a rule set by the manager, so there is nothing we can do, Junior. However, since each dorm has their own conditions to accept people, it is possible for you to enter the other dorms too. I am sorry, just not our…”

“Can we get in if the manager changes the rules?”

Mumu asked.

“Well. That is possible, but I don’t think that is going to happen as our manager is quite tough. Perhaps, it would be possible IF the manager wishes to change it.”

Go Du-ho suddenly remembered what Do Yang-woon had said.

[Anyone can come and be the manager if they beat me with their strength at any time. You guys can try as much as you like.]

Was what he said to the floor leaders.

Some thought it was over-confidence, but he has the right to be like that.

No matter what people said, the man represented the pinnacle of power among the students.

Mumu asked him.

“How do I change the manager’s conditions?”

“I don’t know about the other dorms, but in our Northern dorms, you will have to break past our manager in strength. But for you who just entered the academy, this is unreasonable.”

Winning over the manager of the Northern dorms was impossible for even the descendants of the Four Great Warriors.

Not the kid, but even he himself wouldn’t win over the manager despite being a floor leader.

He was in his second year in the academy.

And the kids in front of him were sure to have experience and skills different from those in the academy.

Go Du-ho, slightly released his energy and nodded at Jin-hyuk as he said.

“If it is you, you would know what I am talking about. Even if you are in the top 12 students, it will be difficult to even win over a floor leader, let alone our manager, who is a monster. Do you get it?”

“…”

Jin-hyuk gulped at that.

‘He is strong.’

The man was clearly trying to show the difference between them.

It seemed like he was saying that only the best students in the second and third years are the floor leaders.

“I think you understood it. So…”

“Do I need to stand in line over there to compete with the manager?”

“…”

At Mumu’s words, Go Du-ho was stunned.

This kid didn’t seem to understand what he was talking about.

Even Jin-hyuk, the strongest in this group of four, seemed to grasp the reality when he released a bit of his energy.

“Sigh.”

Go Du-ho sighed and placed his hands on Mumu’s shoulders.

It seemed like making the kid experience it first-hand would be the easiest way to make him understand.

Go Du-ho spoke while raising his internal energy as he put pressure on both his hands.

“Mumu, was it? I guess you didn’t understand, no matter how much you try, you can’t do…”

Go Du-ho frowned.

He was inducing 5th level internal energy, but Mumu was tilting his head instead of feeling pain.

‘What is he?’

Was the kid stronger than he had expected?

Go Du-ho, who thought, quickly raised his energy.

It went from the 6th to the 7th level.

Grab!

This should be enough to make Mumu kneel.

But,

“What are you doing?”

‘!?’

Mumu asked

‘What is with this guy?’

Normally, when one used internal energy on the shoulders of others, the opponent would raise his own internal energy to withstand the force.

And that would cause a reacting force, but nothing of that sort was happening now.

And Mumu was still standing.

Woong!

At that time, the floor leaders of each dorm were gathering around them.

‘Damn it.’

Go Du-ho thought that if he didn’t win, he would end up feeling embarrassed because of all the attention.

Even though he knew it would probably cause immense pain to Mumu, he decided to induce even more energy.

“I… you are pretty good. But be careful now. You won’t be able to look at me in the eyes anymore.”

Go Du-ho raised his internal energy to the 10th level.

And for the first time, Mumu frowned.

‘Right. Is it painful now? Now stop trying to endure and bend your knee…’

That was when Mumu opened his mouth.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“What? Don’t tell me, this too doesn’t…”

“So, you are doing this on purpose. Sigh.”

Tak!

Mumu sighed and put his hands on Gu Do-ho’s shoulders as well.

And then pressed him down the same way Go Do-ho did.

That moment,

“Kuak!”

Crack!

The stone floor below cracked, and the legs of Gu Do-ho dug into the ground.

And it didn’t stop there, not stopping at the legs; he went on until his entire lower body was inside the ground.

‘!!!!’

And everyone who saw that was shocked at that sight.