Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 8

After the skill honing class ended, class B moved to the marshlands.

The terrain adaptation training, which Lion’s Castle boasted of, had begun.

“The marshlands are one of the most common terrains found in gates. Common doesn’t mean you can underestimate them. Due to the nature of a swamp, it’s difficult to measure its depth, and once you get stuck, controlling your body becomes difficult.”

Kim Jinmyung’s voice was serious as he explained.

“Moreover, all sorts of venomous insects and monsters inhabit here. The monsters that operate in swamps are cunning, never revealing themselves before their prey is trapped in the swamp. Hence, identifying them with your eyes is near impossible.”

As the explanation grew longer, the students’ faces turned pale.

Kim Jinmyung didn’t coddle them.

He wanted the students to understand that danger was always present for players.

Those with a strong desire for wealth, fame, and power. Those born as warriors. Those who had unwavering beliefs.

Those who worked as players were often such extraordinary beings.

Even though many awakened, only a few leveled up due to the severe dangers of the gates.

“Marshlands are a player’s grave. The mortality rate exponentially increases the moment you fall in, so countless players have died in swamps. Yet it’s a terrain commonly encountered. It’s to say that death always follows the thorny path of a player.”

“…”

“Avoid stepping into a swamp if possible. However, to complete quests, you often have to break through a swamp. If you have a player who has honed their senses by raising their Insight stat accompanying you, it will be easier to respond to the monsters hidden in the swamp, but such luck doesn’t come easily.”

Kim Jinmyung met the eyes of each student before shifting his gaze to the vast marshlands spread before them.

“Therefore, you need to get used to the swamp. Experience firsthand the dangers of a swamp, and become adept at handling your body while trapped in one. Also, endlessly ponder on how to utilize your weapons and skills to lower the swamp’s danger.”

That concluded the explanation.

Kim Jinmyung began tossing the students into the swamp.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Splutter, splutter!”

Hell had begun.

Students swelled in number, seriously contemplating whether to abandon their dreams of becoming players.

In contrast, Jaehyuk was thrilled.

The process of adapting to an unfamiliar environment seemed incredibly exciting.

He was confident that mastering how to handle his body in the swamp would make him much stronger.

‘Moreover, the swamp isn’t all there is.’

There were more than ten types of terrains to experience at Lion’s Castle.

During the skill honing times, it felt like nonsense, but now he was glad to have enrolled here.

“Haha! Bwahahaha!”

Jaehyuk’s laughter mingled with the students’ cries.

For Jaehyuk, the swamp was unfamiliar as well, and at first, he actively utilized the students.

He trampled the shoulders of Chun Hyeji, who was submerged up to her solar plexus, pleading for help; kicked off the butt of Lee Jinsung, who had tangled with a peer and fell; and climbed onto the large face of Do Baesoo, analyzing the swamp’s characteristics step by step.

Jaehyuk especially focused on observing the swamp’s changes.

What amount of force and movement creates ripples in the swamp and how the shape of those ripples changes in different situations.

He assumed the floundering students to be monsters inhabiting the swamp and observed them.

“Hey! Hey, Kang Jaehyuk, you punk! What are you doing trampling on the students!!”

Kim Jinmyung, busy ensuring students didn’t drown, angrily scolded, but it fell on deaf ears.

***

“Is he even human…?”

“Almost died because of that bastard… Ugh!!”

Lee Jinsung and Do Baesoo, continuously spitting out mud, cast their eyes toward Jaehyuk, who was chuckling in the distance.

After rolling in the swamps for a staggering three hours, while others lay on the brink of collapse, this unscathed guy grated on their nerves.

They desperately wanted revenge.

“I’ll kill him… absolutely kill him…”

Chun Hyeji continuously muttered the same words. Her expression was so venomous that if she had any mana left, she might have shot a skill at Jaehyuk immediately.

‘They do have some guts, though.’

Jaehyuk looked at his classmates with satisfaction.

First skills only bloom through intense and prolonged training.

Different methods aside, they were individuals who had proven their persistence and passion, those who made up Class B.

Considering that even when whining, they rolled in the swamp for three hours straight, their tenacity wasn’t bad.

‘The problem is their bodies don’t keep up.’

What confidence drove these guys to awaken?

Players become powerful by increasing their stats, but conversely, it means that you only get stronger if you increase your stats.

Once the system is fully activated, the human body doesn’t develop through traditional training methods.

One doesn’t build muscle through push-ups but by increasing their strength stat.

So Jaehyuk was working hard to train his body as much as possible before awakening, to carry a high base stat when he started.

‘Though, from a general perspective, I might be considered abnormal.’

If one awakens even a bit early and levels up, strength naturally follows, so why bother finding hardships?

Techniques such as swordsmanship or martial arts are much easier to learn after awakening and raising stats.

‘Maybe I too…’

If only his parents were well.

If he could have lived normally, perhaps he would have walked this path like others.

Jaehyuk’s eyes dimmed as he thought.

He suddenly missed his father and mother.

The fate of having to seek struggles seemed pitiful.

“Ugh.”

Shaking off the idle thoughts, Jaehyuk observed the now familiar swamp intently.

‘In the advanced stage, they say they’ll even release monsters here?’

He was looking forward to it already.

Only the problem was, Jaehyuk shouldn’t kill monsters.

‘I need to obtain the desired skill quickly to awaken.’

Would the three years of time truly be on my side?

Would I be able to bear it if both the world and luck, which had always turned their backs on me, betrayed even my efforts?

‘… It’s bad if the body is too comfortable.’

He needed to sweat quickly.

He wanted to swing the sword until he passed out to cast aside the distracting thoughts.

“Today’s class ends here. You must be exhausted, but go back to the dorms, clean up, and have your meal.”

Right then, Kim Jinmyung announced the end of the training.

Students barely managed to rise and started walking like zombies, dragging their feet.

Jaehyuk was already running far off.

“I bet 100,000 won that kid has dumped all his stat points into endurance.”

“I’m betting 100,000 on agility. He annoyingly jumped over our heads, and he was too fast to catch.”

“Wasn’t his stat investment supposed to be in mana?”

“What…?”

Even if affluent families fall, they last three generations.

Did the child of a fallen duke family overdose on potions?

“Teacher, shouldn’t Kang Jaehyuk be transferred to Class A?”

The students, exchanging bewildered glances, earnestly asked.

Kim Jinmyung wore an expression of pity.

“It might be harsh to say this to you, but… Class A is a different level. They’re students who’ve already leveled up before enrolling.”

“Does that mean they all have gate experience…?”

“Yes, half of them leveled up easily leaning on their family’s background, but the stat difference is greater than you’d imagine.”

Of course, high-ranking noble or conglomerate offspring rarely enrolled in Lion’s Castle.

But even the children of ordinary nobles or business folk typically filled all three skill slots.

Cases like the young master of the Silla family were not uncommon.

In conclusion, the prowess of Class A was on a different dimension.

“…”

Time and again.

Students glanced at Park Haerin.

The heiress of one of Korea’s top five guilds, the Guardian Guild.

The reason she was in Class B instead of Class A suddenly sparked curiosity.

No, even enrolling in Lion’s Castle itself was peculiar.

Guilds were enterprises where tens to hundreds of players gathered.

Wouldn’t the guild master’s child naturally receive special treatment?

“…”

Park Haerin walked silently.

***

‘First, time for food.’

After a neat shower, Jaehyuk left his room.

He half-heartedly shook his wet hair with his hand.

Students, sharing the same dormitory, frequently glanced as they passed him by.

Tall stature, a well-toned physique, and good looks.

Jaehyuk looked striking even in simple sportswear with a belt and scabbard hanging at his side.

However, no one easily approached or spoke due to the fact that he was a child of the fallen Kang family.

Public opinion towards the Kang family was indifferent.

If Jaehyuk’s appearance was feeble, many students might have provoked him. But his sharp eyes, giving a rather rough impression, unbeknownst, was fostering peace.

Moreover, rumors had already spread far and wide.

The infamous delinquent who received 20 penalty points on the very first school day.

Causing a commotion in front of a teacher was one thing, but didn’t he also get into a fistfight with a second-year awakener?

At least, the first-year students were not confident enough to handle Jaehyuk.

However, for the second-year students’ perspectives, it was different.

“Hey, are you Kang Jaehyuk?”

Students at Lion’s Castle varied widely in age.

Since common people who blossomed their first skill trend to enroll, there were incidents of even thirty-something students. This was the reason why C Class’s average age was considerably higher than that of A or B Class.

However, school was still school.

A hierarchy beyond age existed there.

Among the second-year students, there was an argument that a cocky first-year who dared to brawl with seniors should not be let off lightly, and a group subsequently took action.

“Yeah. I’m Kang Jaehyuk. Why?”

“Yeah…?”

“What for?”

“What for, huh? Don’t you see the color of the uniform? Talking down to a second-year senior, are you? First time at school, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“… Yeah? Anyway, isn’t speaking politely to a senior just basic decency? No manners at home?”

“Yeah…”

“…”

The second-year students, momentarily speechless, took a step back.

“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you, why suddenly touching someone’s sore family issues?”

“I didn’t know.”

“That’s Kang family’s son! He probably spent his life shut away at home taking care of his sick father, how could you not know?”

“I might have heard something like that on TV once…”

“Exactly, so take it easy! Just stick to talking about what happened during lunchtime!”

“Y-yeah.”

After a brief strategic meeting, the second-year students turned back.

Kang Jaehyuk had already disappeared.

“W-where did that guy go?”

‘Is the site of the school cursed? There sure are a lot of strange folks.’

Oh, it’s a gate location so obviously, the site would be bad.

Reaching the cafeteria, Jaehyuk stacked food high on two trays.

His grin seemed genuinely happy.