A fresh breeze rolled over the training ground — a wide grassy field near the mountain, secluded, peaceful...
And about to be hell.
Kang Woo stood with his arms crossed, looking at his kids — Ji Hoon and Ara — who were visibly exhausted and still rubbing their eyes. Hajin stood beside them, stretching like a seasoned soldier.
Claire, wisely, had taken leave saying, "Nope. I value my life."
Kang Woo clapped his hands with a bright smile.
> "Alright kids, listen up!"
> "Starting today, I won't be training you for Murim-style camp anymore."
Ji Hoon and Ara immediately slumped in relief.
> "YES! YES! FINALLY!"
> "Thank the heavens!"
> "We're free!"
Kang Woo raised a brow and smirked.
> "Oh? You think this is good news?"
> "Hold your celebrations."
He stepped aside dramatically and pointed to the man beside him.
> "From now on... your lovely uncle Hajin will be your new instructor."
> "He'll train you to be strong enough to survive me."
Hajin gave a kind smile and cracked his knuckles, radiating pressure like a coiled beast.
> "Don't worry."
> "I'll go easy on you… by Murim war standards."
Ji Hoon: "...We're doomed."
Ara: "We should've run away with Claire
Morning mist still hugged the grass.
Ara was already on her knees. Ji Hoon was flat on his back, wheezing.
And Hajin?
He hadn't even started the real training yet.
---
"Warm-up" Murim Style
> "Alright," Hajin said with a bright smile, hands on hips.
"That was the warm-up."
Ji Hoon blinked through the mud on his face.
> "THAT WAS A WARM-UP?!"
Hajin nodded sincerely.
> "Yes. Now let's move on to the endurance run with weighted clothes."
He tossed them a pair of clearly cursed, clearly dangerous-looking tunics.
Ara held hers up with suspicion.
> "Uh… why are these humming?"
> "Because they each weigh fifty kilograms," Hajin answered cheerfully.
> "Also, they're soul-bonded to your aura. You can't take them off."
Ji Hoon's eye twitched.
> "I wanna go home."
---
Kang Woo Watching Proudly
From the shade of a nearby tree, Kang Woo sipped tea like an old master.
> "This is beautiful."
> "They're finally experiencing what I went through in my second life's third reincarnation."
Min Seok stood next to him with a towel over his neck, whispering,
> "You're insane."
> "You know that, right?"
Kang Woo smiled.
> "Took you long enough to realize."
---
Suffering Builds Bonds… Maybe
After three hours of screaming, crying, falling, and spiritual core burning:
Ara: "Uncle Hajin, I love you… but I also hate you…"
Ji Hoon: "Tell my mom I died in honor."
Hajin patted both their heads.
> "You two did well today."
> "Tomorrow, we start sword dancing with real blades."
Both: "WHAT?!"
It was now Day 3 of training.
By this point, Ji Hoon had tried faking unconsciousness, digging a tunnel, and even writing a will on a leaf using bird poop.
Nothing worked.
Hajin never missed a heartbeat.
---
Today's Lesson: Blade Dancing
> "Let the blade be an extension of your soul," Hajin said, swirling his sword like flowing water.
Ji Hoon was holding his sword backward.
Ara's sword was stuck in a tree.
> "How is this an extension of my soul when my soul is dying?" Ji Hoon shouted.
> "You'll get used to it," Hajin smiled.
> "Or not. Doesn't matter. Swing again."
---
Meanwhile, Kang Woo was watching from the cliffside, sipping soup.
> "Huh. I told him to go easy."
Claire sat beside him, munching popcorn.
> "This is him going easy."
---
The Last Straw
As Hajin demonstrated the 72 Heavenly Sword Steps, Ji Hoon dropped his sword, collapsed on the ground, and dramatically screamed:
> "MOOOOOM!!!"
> "MOM, PLEASE SAVE US!!"
> "DAD'S A DEMON! UNCLE'S A DEVIL!"
At the same time, Ara was writing "Help me" with her body in the dirt.
---
Enter the Final Boss: Mom
That evening, Yunhee came to deliver food.
As she approached the camp, she saw the battlefield of broken children and smiling madmen.
Ji Hoon crawled toward her.
> "M-Mom… water… human rights…"
Yunhee blinked. Then glared.
> "Kang Woo."
> "What did I say about not traumatizing the children?"
Kang Woo smiled nervously.
> "Character development?"
She raised the ladle in her hand like a sword.
> "Want to see my character development?"