When I regressed, I was a martial arts genius

“I, I lost….”

“Yeah… I saw it too.”

“No, no way!”

The students had forgotten all about being late. They were intensely replaying the scene they had just witnessed.

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Wow!”

“I can’t believe it! How do I explain this to the whole class?”

Even after seeing it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.

Yi Hong had a terrible personality, but his skills backed him up.

Students who had been bullied by him couldn’t believe it—an outcast who couldn’t inherit his family’s legacy had taken him down.

Those who had endured Yi Hong’s torment felt a weight lifted off their shoulders.

“Hey.”

Yi Jun called out to a nearby student.

A first-year student jumped in surprise and responded.

“Yes?”

“Take this trash to the infirmary, will you?”

“M-me?”

“Yeah. I’ll leave him to you.”

Yi Jun left Yi Hong, whose dantian was shattered, in the care of the male student and entered the main building.

The student had no choice but to take Yi Hong to the infirmary.

[Sub Quest 1 – Defeat Yi Hong] [You have completed this quest.] [You have earned 100,000 Tech Tree Points.]
A message appeared before Yi Jun.

The reward for defeating a bully like Yi Hong.

These points allowed him to increase 15 of his stats.

He had taken revenge as well, a two-for-one deal.

A surge of exhilaration filled him.

‘I won.’

A small smile appeared on Yi Jun’s face.

[Don’t laugh like that, you freak. Focus.]
‘I wasn’t laughing like a freak.’

[Then at least laugh when you’re alone. People are watching.]
It seemed Yi Jun’s laughter had been louder than expected during the fight.

Students and teachers gathered outside.

Their eyes were all focused on Yi Jun.

[Hmph. They’re amazed by your skill, aren’t they?]
The Mugek master was highly pleased with Yi Jun’s ruthless approach.

His work was thorough and efficient.

It was easy to get blindsided if handled carelessly.

Even though Yi Hong had the backing of the Shinyeokwon family, Yi Jun’s actions were justified.

He, too, was a member of the Shinyeokwon family.

‘This is stressful.’

Yi Jun entered Class 2-5, which had been assigned to him, avoiding the gazes that followed him.

Thankfully, the homeroom teacher wasn’t present.

“Yi Jun!”

“Jun-ah. Sit here.”

Suddenly, friendly voices from classmates.

It seemed they had witnessed his clash with Yi Hong through the classroom window.

“….”

Yi Jun glanced at his classmates before quietly sitting at the back corner of the window seat.

Every other desk in the room had a pair of students, but this one desk stood alone, almost as if isolated on an island.

It had been this way since his first year.

Now, in his second year, the other students had carved out their seating arrangements.

Creak-

As Yi Jun sat down, the male students swarmed around him like a swarm of bees.

“Jun-ah, what happened?”

“Was what I saw right?”

“You weren’t using any special martial arts, right? Did you learn something new over the break?”

The students approached, pretending to be friendly.

“Are you asking because you don’t know, or do you just want to hear it from my mouth?”

In the past, Yi Jun would have stumbled over his words under such attention.

The school’s lowest-ranking student.

An incompetent inheritor of the Samjae-shimbeop.

That was how Yi Jun was commonly referred to.

However, the change in Yi Jun’s attitude left his classmates stunned.

His voice was sharp, full of barbs.

“A, ah, no. I just….”

The male student gestured to his friends.

The rest of the group hesitated just as much.

The current Yi Jun was difficult to approach.

“You need to prepare for class, so just leave.”

“Ah? Oh, sorry.”

‘Always treated like I was invisible.’

Now that Yi Hong has been defeated, the same students who ignored him were suddenly showing interest.

They were no different from Yi Hong.

Pretending not to see the bullying happening right in front of them.

They were just bystanders, complicit in the harassment.

Just as Yi Jun was about to distance himself from the students, bang!

A man in his early 30s stormed into the classroom with a rigid face.

***

Yi Jun was sitting alone at the center desk.

The place was the school’s temporary inquiry room.

An emergency hearing was hastily convened due to Yi Hong’s incident.

“Do you know what kind of mess you’ve caused!”

One of the inquiry board members scolded Yi Jun furiously.

“I acted according to the school rules.”

Yi Jun replied with a nonchalant expression.

The inquiry board member’s anger flared up even more.

“Nowhere in the school rules does it say that breaking a student’s dantian is allowed!”

“Sir, you might be mistaken. Let me clarify. Section 1, Clause 4 clearly states that a defender can act if they sense murderous intent from the opponent. Please read and memorize it if you’re unfamiliar.”

Bang!

The middle-aged man, with a bald head, slammed the desk and stood up.

“Is this some kind of joke? Sit properly!”

“Calm down and check it for yourself. My point is valid.”

They all knew Section 1, Clause 4.

Muirim Academy was not an ordinary high school.

Here, the law of survival of the fittest was the fundamental principle.

“The chairman, please calm down and take a seat.”

The chairman, Han Min-seong, raised his hand gently and guided the angry inquiry board member back to his seat.

As the man settled down, still seething, Chairman Han turned to Yi Jun and asked gently,

“According to your explanation, this section allows for defense. Yet, you blatantly attacked Yi Hong. Not just any attack, but targeting the most crucial point for an awakened warrior—the dantian. What’s your perspective on this?”

Chairman Han spoke calmly, his gentle demeanor contrasting with the immense pressure placed upon Yi Jun.

Yi Jun was barely holding back his sharp energy.

‘Is this grade A?’

If it weren’t for the Hunyuan Divine Art, he might have passed out.

“I’ve felt several times that Yi Hong posed a mortal threat. If I hadn’t shattered his dantian, I would eventually face retaliation. I decided to act in self-defense. After all, the best form of defense is an offense, isn’t it?”

Yi Jun calmly overcame the pressure and spoke with a composed demeanor. Han Min-seong looked at him with a curious gaze.

‘A student who can withstand my energy… aside from Gongryong, there’s another.’

The same feeling he had when first encountering Gongryong came back to him with Yi Jun.

Han Min-seong was beginning to wonder.

‘Was he the discarded failure from the Shinryeokkwon family?’

Yi Jun was famous, unavoidable, and well-known.

The child who inherited the Three Calamities Heart Method from the Shinryeokkwon family.

The child was abandoned by the Shinryeokkwon family.

And yet, this student defeated Yi Hong, who was a grade D.

‘Is there something I don’t know?’

Han Min-seong’s eyes scanned Yi Jun thoroughly.

At that moment, a voice interrupted with a loud slam on the desk.

“A single person, especially from the Shinryeokkwon family, reduced to nothing but a cripple while spewing nonsense! Don’t you understand what kind of chaos your actions will bring to this school? Unforgivable!”

“Mr. Chairman, calm down.”

Han Min-seong shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man who was visibly outraged.

This was a hearing room.

Emotions didn’t solve anything here.

“I understand Yi Jun’s explanation. But that doesn’t mean Shinryeokkwon will understand. They won’t sit idly by.”

Hearing those words, Yi Jun took a deep breath.

[Harness the Hunyuan Divine Art and channel your voice into it.]

The previously silent Mugeukja, his master, finally spoke.

‘But what about the chairman?’

[Their skills are not enough to uncover your true lineage. Follow my instructions.]

Yi Jun nodded slightly, following his master’s command.

He infused his voice with Hunyuan Divine Art.

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but I am also from the Shinryeokkwon family. I am the son of the family leader. Attacking me is an act of disrespect toward the King of Authority. This matter will be handled privately by my family. There’s no need for the school to intervene.”

Yi Jun drew a clear line between the school and his family.

No more involvement here.

The matter with Yi Hong would be handled solely between his family and himself.

It was an attitude befitting the heir of the family, not the discarded failure of the past.

‘So this was the reason.’

Han Min-seong couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

His body trembled slightly, even though he was an A-grade awakener.

Han Min-seong couldn’t shake the intense curiosity he felt toward Yi Jun.

A prodigy he couldn’t afford to overlook—a student who could bring a fresh wind into the school.

Han Min-seong turned his head left and right.

Other teachers seemed to share the same unsettling feeling.

‘Feeling fear from an 18-year-old? From their perspective, it must seem ridiculous.’

His gaze shifted to the trembling eyes of a council member, shaking with intensity.

It felt like the hearing had already concluded.

***

‘This isn’t right.’

From the back of the hearing room, a man watched closely.

Kim Tae-hyung, Yi Jun’s homeroom teacher, stood observing quietly.

He had been sponsored by the Shinryeokkwon family to oversee their children.

But things had spiraled out of control.

The promising student, who was once hailed as a tyrant, had his dantian shattered.

If left unchecked, Shinryeokkwon wouldn’t spare him.

“This can’t end like this. We have to give Yi Jun some form of punishment.”

Kim Tae-hyung was desperate to take action.

The hastily convened hearing was unraveling without achieving anything.

As Han Min-seong began to leave the hearing room, Kim Tae-hyung caught his attention.

“Chairman.”

“Oh, Mr. Kim. What’s the matter?”

“Are you going to end this without any punishment for Yi Jun?”

“Well… I believe that would be best.”

“But leaving Yi Jun as he is will provoke Shinryeokkwon. They won’t stay quiet.”

Han Min-seong ran his hand thoughtfully over his chin, a habit that surfaced whenever he was deep in thought.

“Yi Jun is, after all, a member of the Shinryeokkwon family. By drawing a clear line between his family and the school, there’s little we can do.”

“However, even among Shinryeokkwon members… you know, don’t you? Taking action is necessary to alleviate their anger.”

“Hold on, Mr. Kim.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“When did this school start being controlled by the Fifteen Families Alliance?”

Han Min-seong’s previously easygoing expression hardened into a stern glare.

“No, I—”

“I know you’ve been receiving support from the Shinryeokkwon family. It’s not just you; many other teachers also receive support from their respective families, and I merely turn a blind eye and accept it. However!”

Boom!

The force emanating from him instantly overturned the hearing room.

Han Min-seong was an A-grade awakener.

Though his abilities were concealed by advanced formations and machinery, his strength in sheer power was unmatched here.

“Enough!”

His commanding presence subdued the overwhelming force that had filled the room.

Turning to the other teachers, Han Min-Seong continued,

“Today’s scheduled annual event will be postponed to tomorrow. Please ensure proper preparations. That’s all.”

“Please go ahead, Chairman.”

Han Min-seong left the hearing room.

‘Tch. Do you think I’ll step down just like that? I can’t afford to let go of the ties I’ve maintained with Shinryeokkwon.’

Receiving support from Shinryeokkwon wasn’t just about valuable items or money—it included sacred martial arts texts as well.

If the support were to be cut off, he’d have to return everything he’d received.

But even if he switched to another family, Shinryeokkwon wouldn’t make it easy.

If news spread that he was transferring families, he’d vanish without a trace.

Especially in the case of martial arts texts, nothing held greater importance in this era.

The reason why ordinary awakeners remained tied to their families was simple—once they accepted support, they couldn’t easily sever those ties.

***

Meanwhile, Yi Jun walked down the hallway.

“My Master’s Hwoninshingong truly is incredible.”

[Of course. With a little more training, they would’ve all pissed themselves right there. I regret not being able to witness that scene.]

‘If what you said was true, it would’ve been quite entertaining.’

The atmosphere of the hearing was completely overshadowed by Hwoninshingong.

The pressure, the intimidation, and the sheer fear—these were all-natural effects of using Hwoninshingong.

A passive skill embedded within a tremendous martial art.

The master who created this art stood like a towering mountain.

Though he often acted like a strange figure, his power was undeniable.

“My master has a fun story to share,” he began.

[Back in my day, the Gu Pailbang and Odae Seka factions would kneel before me… (ellipsis).]
The master’s tale began.

Yi Jun listened half-heartedly, letting his mind wander.

‘I bet Kim Tae-hyung was the one who orchestrated the hearing.’

Kim Tae-hyung’s ties to Shinryeokkwon were deep.

As both a teacher and an oppressive figure, he harassed Yi Jun just as much as the students did.

Kim Tae-hyung maintained close relations with his family until his death.

‘Now that I’ve shattered Yi Hong’s dantian, the relationship must have fractured.’

The fight with Yi Hong had already reached Shinryeokkwon’s ears.

Kim Tae-hyung was likely fearful of retaliation from the family, and in an attempt to avoid it, he would be plotting something else.

Suddenly, Yi Jun heard Kim Tae-hyung’s voice from the back of the school.

“Yes, this is Kim Tae-hyung. Has the matter with Yi Hong reached the ears of Lord Paeryeokjin yet? Ah, not yet?”

The image of Kim Tae-hyung on the phone came into view.