I could still make a run for it if I try. But how would I outrun my Master and where would I even go?
Besides, and perhaps most importantly... I didn't want to descend after climbing up so arduously.
Kreeeee-!!
Just as I was in the middle of thinking about non-existent escape plans, a sharp ear-piercing screech shattered the silence.
My gaze snapped to the source of the sound, and I saw the massive wooden gates slowly creaking open before me.
The delicate fragrance of blossoming spring intensified, washing over us until I felt as if I was standing amidst a vast field of a thousand plum blossoms.
But before I could completely take in the scent of fervent spring in the midst of a snowy mountain â a spectacle in itself â the wooden gates in front of us completely opened, revealing a figure emerging from within.
The individual who came to stand before us was an elderly man who oozed off an otherworldly aura like that of a stern and noble warrior.
His age could not hide the lethal presence he carried. In fact, if anything, it seemed to have only sharpened it to the razor's edge over the years.
He had a tall and robust stature and a head full of white hair that flowed down to his waist, perfectly complementing the thin mustache adorning his lips.
Draped over his shoulder was a red fur coat that contrasted sharply with the light red and black robes he was wearing.
Although his back was slightly hunching, his sharp, decisive movements clearly showed that he was still a deadly warrior.
Coming face to face with us, the man looked at us with a piercing gaze, as if measuring us in his mind.
I felt a chill run down the length of my spine as I stood there, stunned. His deep black eyes had a maniacal glint to them. It felt like he was thinking of ways to kill us in the most efficient ways.
After an unusually long moment of tense, spine-chilling silence, the old man finally broke into an amicable smile.
"Leo, my boy! How have you been?"
"Master! I'm well, and it seems you still haven't kicked the bucket, eh?"
"How dare you?! I won't shuffle off this mortal coil until I've reached the ripe old age of two centuries. Just five more years to go."
"Hahaha! Right, this year you'll be 196!"
"Indeed, indeed."
Wait, what?! This old man was how old again?! 196?! What on Earth?! He barely appeared to be in his sixties, late fifties at most!
My goodness!
And what was that way of talking? "Shuffle off this mortal coil"? He sounded like one of those wise old men from Murim novels, the ones always ready to shout, "Courting death!"
But then again, given where I was standing right now, maybe I shouldn't have found it all that unusual, right?
After exchanging greetings, the old man moved his deep black eyes to look at me with a curious gaze.
"And who might this seemingly delicate young man be,
accompanying you?"
De-De... Delicate, what?! Not everyone aspires to be jacked like you, old man!
Leo chuckled, his response laced with a touch of pride. "He is Lucas Morningstar, my disciple."
The old man widened his eyes, scoffing, "Disciple? Haah! Has the sun moved from its place or has the Earth plunged into the abyss?
Is the apocalypse already upon us?"
Leo visibly rolled his eyes. "Quit being so dramatic, master. Your face has begun to show some wrinkles."
The old man gasped as if he had just heard the most blasphemous statement in his entire life. "How dare you, disciple?! Do you no longer love your life?!"
They exchanged glances, their expressions growing slightly serious before the both of them burst into heartfelt laughter.
Meanwhile, I kept standing there with a blank expression, thinking over every life choice I made that had led me to this point in time.
After a while, they composed themselves, and Leo smiled at the old man. "Anyway, I'd like Lucas to train at Mount Hua."
"Fine," the old man shrugged.
Leo frowned. "That's it? That's all it took? I thought you'd refuse, ask Lucas to prove his worth to even enter Mount Hua, and only accept him when he defeats your top student."
...Seriously, master? Have you been reading those third-rate Murim novels too? I won't blame you, they are addicting.
The old man chuckled. "Who are we to deny a request from the God of War, Leo Kurogami? Besides, what's stopping you from obliterating this entire sect if we refuse you?"
After a brief pause, he continued, "And also, if he's your disciple, I'm sure he'll be exceptional... even if he does look a bit delicate."
Oh, come on!
Leo grinned in response to that statement and gave a nod. "Good, because I have one more favor to ask of you. I want you to personally train him. I'll be here, of course, but I want you to lay the foundation for his sword skills."
The old man sighed as if faced with a troublesome request, but he didn't object. "I don't have an issue with that, but is your disciple prepared?"
At that moment, both Leo and the old man turned their intense gazes on me.
Their fierce glares forced me to nod in agreement before I could fully understand what I was even agreeing to.
"Excellent!" The old man clapped his hands together. "Then brace yourself. The next five months of your life are going to be extremely hellish for you, little one."
Suddenly, I froze, blinking a couple of times before stammering, "Five months?"
The old man nodded firmly. "Five months."
"....." I turned to Leo in complete panic. "I can't stay here for five months, master! What about my classes? My assignments! I'll fail this year!"
Leo waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I'll submit your leave of absence application. You'll just have to catch up on your course when you return. You can easily catch up to five months' worth of work in a single month, right?"
"....Huh?" I was about to protest, but then a sudden realization struck me.
I wanted to grow stronger, didn't I? This was my chance, a golden opportunity that might never come again.
Besides, it wasn't as if I had much of a choice at this point anyway. I had already agreed to this. Tsk.
Letting out a long, resigned sigh, I nodded. "Fine, let me just inform my friends-"
But before I could tap on the screen of my smart bracelet, the old man swiftly moved toward me, his palm slashing at my wrist.
Kach-!!
And instantly, my smart bracelet shattered into a million shards, as if it had been struck by multiple blades.
My eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't help but exclaim, "WhWhat have you done? That was assigned to me by the academy! You can't just break someone else's belongings at your whim like that!"
The old man laughed as if I had told him a joke. He turned away, heading inside the massive wooden gates, and said without turning back to me:
"Will you be saying the same when I'm breaking your bones?"
...Huh?!
I turned to my master with a sense of urgency. "He won't actually do it, will he? He won't really break my bones, right?!"
Leo also chuckled before making his way through the gates. "All I can say is that he once broke my ribs just because I wasn't paying attention during his lecture."
As I watched both of them disappear inside, the thought of making a run for it crossed my mind once more.
"...I'm definitely going to die, aren't I?"
