Lim Hye-yeon, who had been watching the clash between the two men, quietly murmured.
"Not bad."
Her red eyes gleamed with interest as she watched the fight.
A completely unexpected sight.
Lim Hwa-yeon, who was watching the fight with her arms crossed beside her, shrugged and said.
"Right? He's my man."
"...Your man?"
Lim Hye-yeon looked at her daughter with an intrigued expression.
And Lim Hwa-yeon's face instantly flushed as she recalled the words she had blurted out unintentionally.
"Ah, no! When I said 'my man,' I meant...!"
While she was flusteredly making excuses, the fight between the two men in the center of the training ground grew even more intense.
-KWAANG!
A powerful impact sound echoed, followed by a massive collision.
The confrontation between the two men had already surpassed the realm of a simple spar.
Embracing her flustered daughter, Lim Hye-yeon watched the fight again.
'He's more outstanding than I thought.'
Her gaze deepened.
Jo Hansu.
He was already an ability user on the verge of S-rank. And the man fighting him on equal terms, without an inch of retreat, was impressive.
Lim Hye-yeon observed the fight carefully once more.
'It's not just his swordsmanship skills. His sense for reading the flow of battle and luring his opponent is exceptional.'
Compared to the top-tier combat ability users she had seen in America, he was by no means inferior.
Perhaps-
No, she was certain.
She felt that he might possess even greater potential than she had initially thought.
The moment she had that thought-
"But... Mom. Why have you been so cold to Dad lately?"
At Lim Hwa-yeon's unintentional remark, Lim Hye-yeon instantly gritted her teeth.
"There are reasons for that, dear."
Her voice was calm, but an undeniable rage seethed within her.
'How dare he cheat on me while I was in America? And not just with one person, but with four?'
Before she left for America, worried about her daughter and husband, she had left her eyes and ears in Korea. However, what they reported was shocking.
Jo Hansu.
While she was away, he had been involved with other women. Not just one, but four.
Lim Hye-yeon's lips subtly twisted. Though she pretended to be unfazed on the outside, she was suppressing a boiling rage within.
'If it were up to me, I'd divorce him right now...'
She glanced at her daughter beside her. Her innocent daughter, unaware of her husband Jo Hansu's infidelity, still respected and loved him.
Fearing her daughter might be shocked, she had kept this fact to herself.
'He used to follow me around so much when he was young, saying he liked me... Ha, how dare he cheat on me and leave me behind?'
Swallowing the seething rage within, she gritted her teeth.
If she had her way, she wanted to burn him and those women to ashes.
"Mom, that hurts."
Lim Hwa-yeon looked at her with surprised eyes.
"Ah, sorry."
It seemed she had unconsciously tightened her grip, holding her daughter's arm too strongly.
Lim Hye-yeon took a deep breath.
'Hoo... Let's forget about it.'
She swallowed her anger for her daughter's sake.
She refocused on the fight before her. She looked at the man her daughter liked.
'His face is decent enough... and his skill and potential are excellent.'
Moreover-
'Han Mugang. That old man seems to have his eyes on this guy...'
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
If Han Mugang showed interest, this man must possess greater potential beyond mere talent.
Her gaze was now fixed on Jin Seoyun. The firm muscles revealed through his training uniform and his delicate movements captivated her sight.
'His body... is good... And he had a nice scent earlier...'
As the fight grew more intense, his movements felt even more sensual. The moment his sword cut through the air, the abs revealed beneath his shirt moved fluidly. Beads of sweat slowly trickled down his muscles.
'Haa... Why do I keep...'
Lim Hye-yeon's gaze naturally explored his body. His firm forearms, broad shoulders, and the abs that stood out with every movement.
Her lips involuntarily became moist. Unconsciously, her tongue moistened her lips as she followed his movements.
His sword was as fluid as a sensual dance. The movements of his powerful muscles, revealed with each swing, captivated her gaze.
'No... I shouldn't think like this...'
However, her body was already reacting instinctively. She squeezed and crossed her thighs tightly, but she couldn't stop the sensation of her groin heating up.
'Huk... Am I...'
She felt her underwear becoming damp. Every time she watched his movements, her waist tingled and her lower abdomen tightened.
This was the first time she had such a reaction. She had seen countless men before, but her body had never been so aroused as a woman.
'Heueut... Why is this happening all of a sudden...?'
Her hips twitched at the sensation of her panties becoming soaked with arousal fluid. Her instincts as a woman were awakening to his powerful masculinity.
'If I keep watching... like this...'
His firm forearms cut through the air as he swung his sword. Every time his muscles, chest, and abs were clearly revealed through his shirt, her body grew hotter.
She felt arousal fluid continuously flowing from her pussy. She wanted to avert her gaze, but the more she tried, the more vivid the sensation in her groin became.
She wanted to deny it, but her body was honest.
'Lim Hye-yeon... Are you crazy...? To be aroused by your daughter's man...'
As reason and instinct clashed, her body grew hotter and hotter.
***
-KWAANG!!
The ground trembled with a massive explosion. His fist, equipped with metal knuckles, swung lightly.
Even that simple movement felt as if it was tearing the air.
"Is that all you've got?!"
He smirked and took his stance again.
Moreover, his fighting style was more systematic than expected.
It wasn't just brute strength, but a style that combined attack patterns to corner his opponent.
I slowly raised my sword.
I organized the distance between us and his attack patterns in my mind.
Jo Hansu suddenly lowered his body, then kicked off the ground powerfully and charged.
-KWAANG!!
He instantly closed the distance and swung his knuckles.
'I need to create distance.'
I stepped back and swung my sword diagonally.
However-
-KWAANG!
As if he had anticipated it, he swung his knuckles and parried the sword.
The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the training ground.
'My fingertips are tingling.'
A heavy impact was transmitted to my fingertips. He deflected the sword and unleashed another powerful punch.
I instinctively rotated my sword, letting the force flow with the attack's momentum.
'Use the speed to counterattack.'
I put the rotational force directly into the swing, sweeping the sword sideways.
-Seuk!
A sword strike that grazed his chin for an instant. But he quickly tilted his head back and dodged it.
-KWAANG!!
He slammed his fist down as if counterattacking.
A powerful impact cracked the ground, scattering dust everywhere.
I instinctively leaped backward to create distance.
'He's not an easy opponent after all.'
He clacked his knuckles together and looked at me with interest.
"With this level of skill, it'd be hard to call you a rookie."
Jo Hansu's massive body vanished from my sight in an instant.
-KWAANG!
The ground beneath my feet trembled.
I twisted my body to evade while simultaneously launching my sword.
-Shuuuk!
However, Jo Hansu had already altered his trajectory and was moving in the opposite direction.
His massive fist crossed my vision faster than expected.
'Is my speed superior...'
-KWAANG!!
The knuckles, which had flown in an instant, struck the ground, sending shattered stone fragments flying everywhere.
I held my sword diagonally, preparing to counterattack. But a faint smile flickered across Jo Hansu's lips.
'It's a trap!'
I immediately twisted my body. But his counterattack had already begun.
-KWAANG!
The impact grazed my chest directly. Despite the sudden hit, I instinctively wrapped my sword around his arm, moving up it.
-Seuk!
"Keueut!"
The moment the sword blade grazed his knuckles, Jo Hansu's movement was half a beat late.
"Moonlit Slash."
I quickly rotated my body and launched a counterattack.
A blue sword strike cut through the air, drawing a diagonal line.
-Shuung!
A streak of sword light swept past, grazing Jo Hansu's side.
"Ugh...!"
His body instinctively recoiled. A faint trickle of blood spread on his side, and drops of blood fell one by one.
I caught my breath and looked at Jo Hansu.
'Was it too shallow...?'
"Kuhuhu...."
Jo Hansu clacked his knuckles together and chuckled, showing no sign of pain.
"Still, you're not some mediocre guy."
He lightly stretched his body, not even bothering with his wound.
Then he took his stance again. I frowned. A powerful aura was surging from his body.
'What is this?'
At that moment, Jo Hansu's muscles subtly trembled and underwent a change. The air itself felt heavy, pressing down.
"From now on, I'll face you with my full power."
His voice resonated low and deep.
-Woongwoongwoong...!
The space trembled. I gripped my sword firmly and took my stance again.
Jo Hansu's muscles swelled, and a powerful aura erupted. The ether enveloping his body vibrated as if it were tangible.
'How many abilities does he have?'
"Now I'll show you properly."
His voice deepened. His physique, which had grown even larger as his muscles expanded, was like that of a beast.
Suddenly-
-KWAANG!
The speed at which he kicked off the ground and charged was completely different from before. His fist came flying with an overwhelming presence that tore through the air.
'A momentary amplification of power... No, it's a method of intensely augmenting ether into his body.'
It seemed to be an ability that enhanced his fundamental physical capabilities, not just simple strength and speed.
"Father-in-law, aren't you being too harsh on your son-in-law?"
I chuckled and held my sword diagonally.
"You still have the leisure to flap your mouth, I see. Let's see how long you can afford to be so relaxed!"
A chilling smile flickered across Jo Hansu's face. And then, his figure vanished.
-Kwajik!
Jo Hansu, who had vanished from my sight in an instant. I instinctively turned my head.
'Behind me!'
-KWAANG!!!
A massive pressure was felt from behind me. I immediately spun my sword to counterattack.
-Chaeng!
The knuckles and sword clashed head-on.
-KWAANG!
Due to the immense repulsive force, I was flung backward, kicking off the ground.
'Heavy...!'
I realized that his strike was not just simple force, but compressed destructive power concentrated with ether.
Jo Hansu quickly approached again. I, too, put my internal energy into my sword and swung it.
A blue sword light drew a crescent shape, cutting through the air and spreading out.
The air instantly split, and a massive sword strike extended towards Jo Hansu.
He narrowed his eyes and raised his arms, taking a defensive stance.
-KWAANG!
With a massive collision sound, the two energies clashed.
I gripped my sword again, preparing for the next attack.
"That's enough."
Lim Hye-yeon's voice echoed through the training ground. Jo Hansu and I stopped our movements simultaneously.
The lingering reverberations of the powerful impact still remained in the air.
I slowly caught my breath and lowered my sword. Jo Hansu, on the other hand, clacked his knuckles together and glared at me, seemingly displeased with the fight ending.
"Tsk, consider yourself lucky."
Then Jo Hansu took out a blue-glowing crystal from his pocket and placed it against his wounded side.
Light spread, and the bleeding stopped, with the wound rapidly healing.
I watched the scene and muttered to myself.
'Is that a healing artifact? It would be quite useful to have one.'