《Murim Login》 Chapter 0 - Prologue There was a Russian proverb that went like this¡ª ¡®The only free cheese is in the mousetrap.¡¯ Thinking back on it now, everything that happened that day was because of someone¡¯s mousetrap. I got fired from my job of 7 years, the weather was fucking hot, and on top of it all, I lived in a poor neighborhood that had to be reached by walking up two roads¡­ As I tried to catch my breath, that was when it came into my eyes. Underneath a street lamp, there was a weathered game capsule. And after that? Well, it¡¯s obvious. After one morning as an unemployed person, I became a hungry rat. I wasn¡¯t able to take my eyes away from the free cheese. If someone were to see me, struggling to carry the capsule, wouldn¡¯t they have clapped 1 their hands and laughed? And would have said something like! That stupid fool got caught in a trap. Not sure if this is worth mentioning, as I¡¯m not sure how knowledgeable people are about Korean habits but a lot of Koreans clap their hands when laughing Chapter 1 ¡°It¡¯s trash.¡± Jinho hyung1 said, like a judge making a sentence. Jinho hyung was the manager of the goshiwon 2 and an examination student who was 30 years old. Not only were we only three years apart, but he was also a close friend of mine. I only showed him the capsule because I remembered the way he spouted IT terms. ¡°It¡¯s really that lame?¡± ¡°No. I told you, it¡¯s trash.¡± Wow, Jinho hyung didn¡¯t even hesitate. I felt like my pride was hurt without even realizing it. ¡°You didn¡¯t even look at it properly.¡± He didn¡¯t even look inside. All he did was glance at it from top to bottom and abruptly say that it was trash. All I wanted was a reasonable price for the capsule and instead I received a huge shock. ¡°Taekyung. Taekyung. Jin Taekyung. You¡¯re misunderstanding me.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Shit is shit. Even if you dig through your shit, you don¡¯t need to make sure the soybean sprouts you ate yesterday are there. Because even if you look at it, it¡¯s shit.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ssh. Don¡¯t say anything weird. It¡¯s not like I said that to hear some flattery.¡± ¡°Hyung¡­¡± I wanted to kill him. Impulsively, I made a fist and as it shook, Jinho hyung looked at it, taken aback. Unlike someone who just sits at a desk all the time, my body was a lot bigger than his.3 ¡°Taekyung. Let¡¯s think about the Awakened Beings Law. Specifically Article 1-12. Violence from an Awakened Being to a civilian¡­¡± ¡°I thought you said a F rank hunter wasn¡¯t even Awakened?¡± ¡°I did? When? Wasn¡¯t I crazy?¡± I sighed, seeing him act like a fool. My fist dropped. ¡°Right, you made the right decision. The world is small, if rumors went out that you were violent against a civilian, you could be expelled from the guild¡­¡± ¡°I was fired.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As soon as I went to work, my team leader said this to me. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± I started working when I was 20. I had to look after myself after my father passed away and that was why I chose to be a hunter. F rank. Even though I was the worst possible hunter, I was proud of the work I did because I worked so hard. And with the money I earned, I fixed my mom¡¯s illness and took care of my only younger sister. But now¡­ it feels like my past 7 years have been taken away. My heart felt heavy as I thought about how calm my team leader¡¯s face looked a few hours ago. ¡°Uh, mmmh.¡± I could see Jinho hyung¡¯s flustered smile. ¡°You feel sorry right?¡± ¡°Honestly, a little.¡± This bastard. Looking so serious, unlike himself. ¡°Then buy me alcohol. On a day like this, I need it. You need to act like a hyung.¡± ¡°Look at the way you¡¯re talking. You only tell me to treat you like a hyung when you talk like this.¡±4 Even though he was talking like that, he came out when I asked. Today, I was going to drink until I collapsed.5 Gates were the world¡¯s boundary. Outside the gate, it was the modern society that we knew but if you went inside, monsters you haven¡¯t even heard of are everywhere. And the most ordinary type of monster that even an F rank hunter like me could catch, was the goblin. Why am I saying something like this? ¡±Keck. Wrrecck.¡±6 ¡°How can a person be like that?¡± Was that a human or a monster? Jinho hyung leaning against the telephone pole and throwing up looked just like a goblin who was hit in the stomach. ¡°Look here. Jinho hyung. Mr. Sung Jinho. Come to your senses.¡± ¡°Kkkuweeh?¡± ¡­ Just do what you were doing. ¡®I told you to drink slowly.¡¯ In the first round, he was drinking crazily by himself and ended up like this. Setting aside I paid¡ªmy whole body was covered in sweat from having to carry a drunk person on my back all the way to the goshiwon. Sweating was the basics, throw up was optional. And from whose mouth it came from was obvious. I looked out at the sun, as I heard the background sound of vomiting intermittently. ¡°Fuck, even though it feels like shit to get fired.¡± Like a panorama, today¡¯s events passed by through my head. Geez, today was just amazing. ¡°Kkkuuk. Kkkhh. Where is this, Mr. Driver? Hello?¡± And the highlight of today, was you. ¡°It¡¯s your house, where else would it be. We¡¯re already here, so get your head together.¡± ¡°My house? But my house is in Gangwon. Ah, mom. Mom! I want to eat my mom¡¯s soybean paste stew.¡± ¡°Ah, please. Hyung, I said it¡¯s your goshiwon.¡± ¡°Goshiwon? My goshiwon of hope?¡± ¡°Yes. So get it together.¡± ¡°Hope¡­ Okay, you can buy hope with money. My mom said it¡¯s inside everyone. She makes the best soybean paste stew.¡± Here I was, being as patient as I could possibly be but when Jinho hyung talked about his mom¡¯s soybean paste stew, I hit him in the stomach. And even though he was still throwing up, he proved he was an examination student by reciting Article 1-12 of the Law of Awakened Beings. ¡°It feels unpleasant.¡± Even though I showered for 30 minutes, I could still smell the throw up. And my source of anxiety was waiting for me inside the room. And not just one, but two. ¡°Kkuuweeh.¡±7 One was the drunk Jinho hyung, and the other¡ª ¡°Ah, I forgot about this.¡± Capsule. The room felt especially small in a 3 pyeong8 room because the capsule was about the size of a refrigerator. I laid down and began to think about what I should do. ¡°Should I throw it away?¡± Or I could give it away at an used goods store. What was the price of scrapped metal again? It has to be about 50 kilos, so it should at least be the price of a snack. ¡°And I thought it was a good item.¡± It¡¯s shit. If it¡¯s at this level, it¡¯s junk? Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I haven¡¯t even opened it. Out of curiosity, I started to look more closely at the capsule again. ¡°First, the appearance¡­ is lame.¡± The capsule was a yellow color and it looked like it was rusting. Looking at it this closely, I could understand what Jinho hyung was trying to say to me earlier. ¡±Is this how you open it?¡± After I pressed a button, the interior of the capsule was revealed. I thought something amazing would happen after I pressed it but in reality, it fell short of my expectations. Inside the capsule, was an ergonomically designed chair and a VR helmet was everything¡­ What? ¡°What is this? An instruction manual?¡± Specifically, it was written as ¡®Product User Manual¡¯. Was there a situation where someone would leave an instruction manual for an item they were throwing away? For this kind of junk? Curious, I opened to the first page. [Product User Manual] Product Name: Virtual Reality Connector Model Name: Ark ¨C 2020 Manufacturer: H Soft Production Date: 1-1-2020 Without a thought, my eyes stopped at the production date. January 1, 2020. It has to be a printing error. Anyways. ¡®What kind of crazy bastard, on that kind of day, would even think about making a game capsule?¡¯ In the past, there was a great ¡®catastrophe¡¯. January 1, 2015. It wasn¡¯t the New Year¡¯s sunrise that humanity had waited for. Gates, or dungeons appeared all over the world and as a result, monsters you couldn¡¯t even believe came out of the gate. Monsters and Awakened Beings. War and destruction. A nightmare became reality and a major war ended when the demon, Prince of Darkness, Asmodeus died. That day was January 1, 2020 and was called ¡°Victory Day¡±. ¡®So that doesn¡¯t even make any sense.¡¯ Tut tut9. I turned the page. [Warning] ¨C Player cannot randomly logout. ¨C Player cannot resurrect in the middle of death. Ah ha. I see. I nodded my head and laid down on my small mattress. Even though there were a few pages left, I didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡°I should just sleep.¡± It would be better to just sleep, rather than reading a stupid manual. I pushed Jinho hyung off the mattress into the corner, and closed my eyes. Kkuuweeh. Kkuuweeh. ¡°¡­¡± Kkkuuweeh. Kkuuweeh. But that capsule, was it working? The chair was hard. Since it was made in the year 2020, it was the same age as me. On the comforting thought that it didn¡¯t smell, I pulled my blanket all the way up to my neck. Kkuuweeh. Kkuuweeh. ¡­ I wore the VR helmet. ¡®If I sleep like this, my neck will hurt.¡¯ My small complaints disappeared, once I wore the helmet. A totally silent world. Even the smallest sounds disappeared. But in return, I got sleepy. ¡®What should I do starting from tomorrow?¡¯ Although hunters earned a lot, it depended on your rank. It was hard for hunters without a guild. The government policy wasn¡¯t reasonable for guileless hunters and hunters were imposed a ridiculous tax that made your breath short. ¡®Now I¡¯ve become that hunter.¡¯ Unlike me, my mother and younger sister were in an apartment in the Safety Sector. Even though to me, a hunter¡¯s salary was a luxury, my family came first. Up until now, I was able to pay the rent. But now, who knows. ¡°Fuck, I don¡¯t know.¡± Suddenly, I thought of my dead father. My father who was devoted to his family and someone who was acknowledged by society, passed away when I was only seven years old. Once the gate cracks appeared, monsters attacked. My father, who was just an ordinary company worker, wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid it. If my father was still here, would he have told me what direction to go towards? ¡®But until now, I¡¯ve done my best. Believe me.¡¯ Maybe it was the alcohol affecting me or maybe it was because I was thinking about the past but I felt my eyes close. ¡®I hope things are better when I open my eyes.¡¯ I thought I heard someone¡¯s voice in my ears but I felt myself fall asleep. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I felt a cold breeze touch my face. When I was younger, I was weak to the cold, so I usually kept the window closed. But then who opened it? ¡®It¡¯s obvious.¡¯ Sung Jinho, this guy.1 Complaining, I pulled my blanket all the way to my neck. And lying next to me, I could hear a woman¡¯s whines. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Woman? What woman? In an instant, I was wide awake. As if I heard a siren, I jumped up out of bed. And slowly turned my head. ¡°Tailungle (Ì«ÁæÁË).¡±2 Dear Lord. I was surprised for the second time. The first, this situation I couldn¡¯t understand. The second, the woman who was lying on the bed next to me was extremely pretty. The goddess mumbled something I couldn¡¯t understand and burrowed back into the blankets. Even though I didn¡¯t know what was going on, she was so pretty I felt my heart shake. If it wasn¡¯t for the cold breeze, I would just lay in bed looking at her. ¡®But where is this?¡¯ I looked around. A brightly lit candle. A strangely provacative woman. And a place I¡¯ve only heard about but never been to. ¡®A room salon?¡¯3 But why am I here? I felt bewildered. What happened? I was drinking with Jinho hyung up until yesterday and then went back to my goshiwon. I wanted to avoid the loud snoring sounds, so escaped to the capsule. I remembered everything clearly. ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯ I pinched myself. It hurt. It wasn¡¯t a dream. It became more mysterious. I looked around myself with a blank expression and then grabbed the woman¡¯s shoulder and shook it. ¡®Ex¨Cexcuse me.¡± The woman opened her eyes and looked at me. She looked at me with her sparkling, dark blue eyes and I felt my heart shake again. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Sh¨¦nme?¡±4 ¡°Ah, you must be Sunmi. But that¡¯s not what I meant when I asked you that question¡­¡± ¡°Sh¨¦nme?¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Sh¨¦nme¡­?¡± What is this. It became silent and we stared at each other. And then I realized. This woman, she wasn¡¯t Korean. ¡°Are you Chinese? Or Filipino?¡± ¡°¡­ Zai naoren ma?¡±5 ¡®What, we can¡¯t even communicate with each other.¡¯ I scratched my head in frustration and in the next second, sprung up like an idiot. Ring. Would you like to read an unread message? Accept / Reject You have exceeded the time limit, so a character has been randomly selected. Navigating to [Murim]¡­ Starting as player [Jin Taekyung] Logging into [Murim] Preparing reward for first login. Character has the ability to translate languages. Would you like to use the [Translation Package]? Character? Murim? Login? ¡°Uh? Uuuh?¡± Applying the [Translation Package] ¡°Hold on, hold on!¡± At that moment, the woman spoke. ¡°Master Jin6, are you okay?¡± It was perfect Korean. As the [Translation Package] was now installed, I couldn¡¯t but think¨C What was going on? ¡ª Wol Hwa(ÔÂÈA)7. It was a girl¡¯s name. Skin that was fair and smooth and a small face that was the size of my fist. And dense features with big, clear eyes. She could have been a celebrity. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her one more time. ¡®The graphics are amazing.¡¯ After observing my situation roughly, I realized it was simple. Murim. Character. Login. Player. And the last place I fell asleep in was a game capsule. And the most obvious. Would you like to open your messages? Accept / Reject It was the system window. I could respond by speaking aloud or I could think it. Scratching your head was a notice. Clicking the window in the air was possible too. ¡®The more I look at it, the more amazing it is.¡¯ Finally, even though there was a sense of separation between the game and the player, this was still a game. I was playing a game. ¡®But when did I login?¡¯ I don¡¯t remember plugging the capsule in. As I was thinking about yesterday¡¯s events, Wol Hwa pushed her hands forward. In her hands with a full cup of water. ¡°Drink this. I think you¡¯re still drunk from sleep.¡± ¡®The A.I. is amazing too.¡¯ I glanced at Wol Hwa¡¯s face and raised the cup to my mouth. Startled, ¡®What is this?¡¯ The refreshing taste of the water. The refreshing feeling of the water going down my throat to my stomach. It was so fresh that I could feel the goosebumps on my arm. The realistic graphics, the NPC¡¯s artificial intelligence, and the unbelievable water was enough to make it hard to believe that this was just a game. I heard rumors of how amazing technology has advanced but who knew it was at this level. I could see why there were so many bad gamers. ¡®This must be why people say virtual reality that, virtual reality this.¡¯ Like a kindergartener arriving at a playground, I looked around at my surroundings with an open mouth. But as I was looking around an acrid smoke was covering my sight. When I turned back around, Wol Hwa was looking at me with a curious expression on her face. ¡°Yes¡­?¡±8 Because she looked so real, I spoke to her politely without even realizing it9. But it could also be because she was so beautiful. Wol Hwa blew out the smoke and exhaled. ¡°Just because I wanted to look at you?¡± I thought all she had going for her were her looks but she also knew how to set the mood. Her force was enough to cause female students to get a nosebleed. From top to bottom, you could see it written. ¡®Femme Fatale.¡¯ They set her character concept well. I felt like there would be a lot of players who would start the game just because of Wol Hwa. ¡°Master Jin, did you know you¡¯re a little weird today?¡± Master Jin? It was a cringey nickname. But I pretended like I was innocent. I just wanted to enjoy the scene a little. ¡®Because it¡¯s a game.¡¯ ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Everything? You staring blankly, or you suddenly using formal language. I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡± As Wol Hwa finished, it was at that second. Ring. There is a new [Tutorial Quest]. The game progress was fresh. Usually games would start along the lines of ¡®You¡¯ve regained consciousness¡¯ and then start the tutorial quest. But they gave you this kind of freedom? ¡®Uh, confirming quest?¡¯ I was confused if I was doing it right when the quest window popped up. Tutorial ¨C Round One You have taken the first step in Murim. Collect basic information and become familiar with your surroundings. Rank: Tutorial (Quest Chain) Restriction: First Registration Mission: Collect Information (Incomplete) Familiarize Surroundings (Incomplete) Reward: Set of Sturdy Clothes Gain access to Character Status Window Gain access to inventory Gain access to skills Collect information, become familiar with my surroundings? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve played a lot of games, but this kind of quest is a first. Isn¡¯t it usually something like catch this many bunnies, or practice using the game interface? But I should at least make an effort. ¡°How much do you know about me?¡± Even I thought this was a straightforward question. I could see the smile on Wol Hwa¡¯s face as she blew out more smoke. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting question. Should I tell you exactly what the rumors say?¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already stuff Master Jin knows. They¡¯re not really good things to say in front of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± I felt myself getting more and more interested in the game. Even though I haven¡¯t played a game in a while, it was also because the game was unexpected. Wherever it was made, it was made well. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m curious. If the rumors you¡¯ve heard are the ones I¡¯ve heard. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll get offended, since this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve heard them.¡± ¡°¡­ Well, if you say so.¡± She bit the bait. I smirked proudly. Now all that was left was getting the information. ¡°First. Do you know who I am?¡± Even though it was a strange question, Wol Hwa answered the question innocently. And it seemed like she was enjoying the situation. ¡°The young master of the Jin family in Taiyuan. I don¡¯t need to tell you what your name is do I?¡± I answered confidently. ¡°No. Jin Taekyung.¡± My name was Jin Taekyung. I was the youngest member in the Jin family. As Wol Hwa blew the smoke out and breathed it in, she coughed. ¡°Second. What kind of place are the Jin¡¯s in Taiyuan?¡± Wol Hwa finished coughing and replied. ¡°The Jin¡¯s public recognition is good. Every once in a while, they take care of the bandits in the area. And during a drought, they¡¯ll bring supplies even before the government does.¡± That was all? As if sensing my disappointment, Wol Hwa continued. ¡°And above all else, they¡¯re the representative family in Shan Xi providence. You could say they¡¯re like a great tree with deep roots.¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± I exclaimed without realizing it. It wasn¡¯t because I felt proud of how amazing the Jin family sounded but because of the system¡¯s alarm. Ring. You have earned the title [Child of a Noble Family]. Titles can later be seen through the status window. ¡®Title? Child of a Noble Family?¡¯ There must be a title, since this was a fantasy game. ¡®Like a Dragon Slayer or something like that.¡¯ Not only do I gain certain achievements, I also get additional effects from equipping titles. On that note, you could say that my luck is quite good. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a totally gold spoon character?¡¯10 Who knew that even being born to a noble family would be considered an achievement. It made me angry but happy at the same time. A random character that was selected for me turned out to be the lottery winner. But the information didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°But lately there have been problems inside and out.¡± ¡°Problems? What kind of problems?¡± Now that I was looking at the quest window, it still said [incomplete] next to ¡®Collect Information¡¯. There must be more information. ¡°From the outside, there is an opposing force who is eyeing the leadership position in Shan Xi, and the problem from the inside¡­¡± Wol Hwa slowly blew out the smoke. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the third son of the family is an idiot.¡± ¡°Ah ha, wherever you go there¡¯s always an idiot like that.¡± I unconsciously nodded my head up and down. ¡°You there.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking this out of fun but in the Jin family, which son are you?¡± I answered with a laugh. ¡°The third.¡± In the Jin family I was the third son and the youngest, but she said the third son is the idiot. But then. ¡°Fuck. It¡¯s me?¡± Ring. You have gained the title [Information Collector]. Titles can later be seen through the status window. [Collect Information] has been completed. Should I cry, or should I laugh. After thinking about it, I smirked and Wol Hwa looked at me and laughed. Right. A good thing is a good thing. So what if I was the family¡¯s disgrace. It¡¯s just a game anyways. I checked the quest window and double checked that I completed collecting information. ¡®The problem is familiarize myself with your surroundings.¡¯ The quest said it in such a roundabout way, that I wasn¡¯t sure what it was specifically asking for. In the end, wasn¡¯t Wol Hwa the only answer to my problems? ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°The number one in the Red Light District. And this is my room.¡± I was able to find out additional information just through talking. This place was located in the center of Taiyuan. And I spent the night with someone who ranked high in the brothel. Hmm hmmm. Even though I heard all kinds of information, the system alarm didn¡¯t go off. It was to the point that I asked this kind of question. ¡°And my situation right now?¡± Wol Hwa let out a breath. ¡°Master Jin. I¡¯m sorry to say this but you seem like a crazy person right now. How about we take a break?¡± Right. To me I seem crazy too. Looking out the window, I wondered what I was doing. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a mind game.¡¯ Graphic, the A.I., everything was great but I felt my interest drop from the tutorial. But if I could only pick one good thing, it was that the capsule I picked up yesterday was better than I thought. If it was this level of a game, I didn¡¯t pick up junk. It would be okay to sell to a used goods store. ¡®And I have to decide what to do starting from today.¡¯ Right, for playing just a little it wasn¡¯t bad. Lastly, I passed over Wol Hwa¡¯s eyes and shouted¨C ¡°Log out!¡± You are unable to log out. What? ¡°Log out.¡± You are unable to log out. What¡¯s wrong with this. An error? Or the antique capsule finally broke down? ¡°¡­ log out?¡± You are unable to log out. It was for sure. An error, a wreck, the stupid capsule finally broke down. After that, I tried ten more times and they all failed. At this point, I could feel the angry and worry come up and slowly change to regret. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a problem?¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t have picked it up just because it was free. When Jinho hyung said that it was trash, I should have just thrown it away. Or I shouldn¡¯t have read the stupid instruction manual. ¡®But wait.¡¯ The instructional manual. Right, I read that. Even though I tossed it after reading a couple warnings, I did read it. ¡®What did it say again?¡¯ At the instant I remembered the warnings I read, I felt chills all over my body. ¨C¨C Player cannot randomly logout. ¨C Player cannot resurrect in the middle of death. I¡¯m stuck inside the game? Me? To my question, the system alarm went off. Ring. [Familiarize Surroundings] has been completed. [Tutorial ¨C Round 1] has been completed. Preparing rewards. Accessing [Set of Sturdy Clothes] Accessing [Skill Set] Accessing [Inventory] Starting [Tutorial ¨C Round 2] At that moment, only one thought filled my head. ¡°I¡¯m fucked.¡± Chapter 3 A young man could be seen. Dark eyebrows and distinct features. Dimples that appeared when he smiled. But in the next second the smile disappeared. Clink. A bowl used for washing faces was thrown to the ground, fragments scattered. ¡°Fuck, FUCK!¡± What¡¯s the use of looking good. I can¡¯t even logout. Even though three days had passed, the reply was the same. ¡®To think someone thought of making something like this. Crazy bastard.¡¯ As I was cursing, I thought of the warnings again. ¨C¨C Player cannot randomly logout. ¨C Player cannot resurrect in the middle of death. To sum it up, it was simple. I am currently in a martial art genre game called [Murim]. I cannot log out randomly, plus if my character dies then I also die for real. Hahaha.1 ¡®What kind of bullshit is this.¡¯ But this was actually happening. I couldn¡¯t logout and even though I waited for three days for someone to rescue me from outside, nothing happened. Although I couldn¡¯t confirm the fact about death¡­ It was likely to be true. ¡®But there is a way.¡¯ The words, player cannot randomly logout, meant that if I satisfied a certain condition, it would let me logout. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, level up through quests.¡¯ It was the answer I came to because of this [Murim] game. Once I completed a quest, I would get a reward every time I leveled up. Which was proven through Round 1 of the Tutorial. ¡®First I need to focus on quests and leveling up.¡¯ It was what I decided after three days of thinking. And there was also an essential requirement. Survival. In order to live, I needed to stay in a safe place. And it was even better if I could get the help of someone else. ¡®And I know just the place.¡¯ At that second, Wol Hwa¡¯s voice came from outside the room. ¡°Master Jin, the carriage is ready.¡± The carriage was ready to take not the F rank hunter Jin Taekyung home, but the Jin Taekyung of the Jin family home. ¡ª The carriage Jin borrowed from the brothel was big and flamboyant. The driver was silent but that was more comfortable in my position too. I didn¡¯t want to be in anyone¡¯s way. ¡®Confirming quest.¡¯ Accept / Reject During the past 3 days, I opened the window a dozen times. It was because I was afraid of the unknown. But now I wouldn¡¯t hesitate. Accept. Ring. But Murim is an unknown place. Starting now, you will have to use the only strength available to you, the ¡®system¡¯. Rank: Tutorial (Quest Chain) Restriction: First Registration Mission: Distribute and Confirm Character Points Distribute and Confirm Skill Set Equip Inventory Reward: Sharp Spear Quest Chain Progression ¡­ If it¡¯s like this I can get it done quickly. It was an obvious progression. Even though it was an abnormal game, in the end it was still just a game. I thought of my past and the online games I used to play. ¡®Confirming status window.¡¯ Son of a Noble Family (All Abilities +5, Fame +50) Shame of the Family (All Abilities -5, Fame -50) ¡®What is this.¡¯ I blinked my eyes. It felt like someone hit me on the back of my head. I was from Taiyuan¡¯s Jin family.3 I came from a Murim family¡­ but I was only at level 10? ¡®Is this real.¡¯ I felt my neck get stiff when I read the rest of the status window. The benefits of [Son of a Noble Family] were completely canceled out by [Shame of the Family]. ¡®I¡¯m the idiot for looking forward to anything.¡¯ Even though my character was born in a good family, training took the backburner and he was just a rich playboy lost to alcohol and woman. He wasn¡¯t a disgrace to the family for nothing. ¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯ The die is cast. I just need to swallow it and move on. The good thing was my abilities were at the start. It was a benefit to be able to raise the abilities I wanted. With sharp eyes, I looked at my status window. ¡®This isn¡¯t a simple game. Let me think, let me think, let me think¡­¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t think of this as a simple game. This is an issue that has to do with life or death. Like when I was a student playing RPG games, I put it all into strength, all into agility. Doing this will make me go straight to the goal. My eyes, which were moving restlessly, stopped. ¡®Should I put it into my Qi?¡± Experience, or skills. In the real world top hunters use mana, or it can also be called Qi (šâ). Usually in martial art novels, the old man is young and is able to chew, tear into, taste and have fun with Murim masters. The reason he is able to do that is because he has a lot of skill.4 Martial arts or skill. If you¡¯re a master, I¡¯m a master. If it comes to it, being able to divide the masters can be considered a skill. ¡®First calmly¡­ 1 point into Experience.¡¯ Bik!5 Right. I knew that would happen. I knew this would happen so I didn¡¯t have any expectations. ¡­ This fucking system. ¡®So Qi is the exception.¡¯ If I take out Qi, the remaining abilities are five. Strength, Stamina, Agility, Intelligence, Charm. Out of the five, I decided to take out Intelligence and Charm. ¡®They¡¯re not helpful.¡¯ My goal is to survive and to be able to logout, it wasn¡¯t to take exams or date. Thankfully, I had seven years of experience as a hunter and I knew what I needed in order to survive. ¡®Stamina, strength 30 points respectively. Agility 40.¡¯ It was the final decision I came to after thinking about it painstakingly. Normal strength and the ability to excel at dodging. And finally stamina. It was the kind of combat style that I was used to for the past 7 years. ¡®Yes.¡¯ It was at that moment. Ring. A total of 100 points. I felt my body change after I distributed the points. From top to bottom, and even from inside the body. I could feel the system granting me strength. Everything. Clumping together and releasing. Like I ate the sun, smoke started to rise from my body and after it was gone, I was able to open my eyes. I was shocked. ¡°Th-this.¡± Without me knowing, I could feel my voice shake. It wasn¡¯t because I was unfamiliar with this feeling. I felt like this once before. It was because I couldn¡¯t forget the feeling. How could I forget. That day 7 years ago. ¡®Awakening¡­!¡¯ The awakening that came without notice when I was a helpless 20 year old. And when I opened my eyes again, I felt like I was chosen. The 0.1% chosen. Awakened. The happiness I felt startled even me that day. ¡°This why, here?¡± Feeling at a loss, the system woke me up. Ring. I liked my dry lips and thought. Right, let¡¯s focus. I only have to complete two more. ¡®Confirming skill window.¡¯ Remaining Points: 100 You are unable to use martial arts. Due to not training for a long time, you have forgotten how to use techniques. Opening the skill window was a good idea. I looked at the skill window and found wise man time.6 ¡®One, two, three.¡¯ Did I count wrong? Or maybe I was seeing it wrong since the text was so small. I focused on the text in front of me. One, two, three¡­ and three. The Jin Family Cultivation Technique, the Jin Family Spear Technique, plus the Jin Family Footwork. That was all the skills Jin Taekyung, that I, had. And on top of it all, I forgot all three. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ And if I died the cause of death would be hwabyeong. Hwabyeong.7 I calmed myself down and looked at the skill window with a cool head. Right. In the future, I just needed to learn martial arts. ¡®Having remaining points is better than nothing.¡¯ So I controlled myself and looked at the skill window one more time. Maybe it was because my skill window was so empty but certain phrases caught my eye. ¡®External State and Internal State. I¡¯ve seen this in a lot of martial art novels.¡¯ External State had to do with your physical strength and veins, while Internal State had to do with your muscles and bones. That meant that Internal Force was essential to maintaining your Internal State, while an External Force was essential to maintaining your External State. But I decided to focus more on my External State. The reason was simple. ¡®I needed to choose what was most familiar to me in order to survive.¡¯ In reality, I was a F rank hunter. To compare it to Murim, I could be considered a third rate warrior. Or it could even be below that. Using magic, reading auras¡­ although I¡¯ve seen it with my eyes, how dare I with my abilities. It was something I couldn¡¯t even dream about. ¡®Someone who has eaten meat, eats it well.¡¯8 Someone who is already using Internal Energy, is the one using it. The combat style I was used to was similar to External Energy. ¡®External State 60. Internal State 40.¡¯ ¡°Yes, apply.¡¯ At that moment, I felt a different kind of pleasure sweep over me. Or it could have been pain. From deep within my body, I could hear my bones twisting. ¡®Kuk.¡¯ How many seconds? How many minutes? I don¡¯t know. As the pain passed, I gasped for breath and my reward was patiently waiting for me. ¡®My physique¡­¡¯ It was different. My shoulders became broader and from front to back, my muscles became firmer. My clothes, which used to be loose, were now too tight. Before I wasn¡¯t able to feel anything even if I made a fist, but now I could feel the strength and tendons. I became stronger. It was a sensation I haven¡¯t felt before in real life. ¡®Because I don¡¯t have a system.¡¯ Stamina, physical strength, flexibility were all things I could grow through training but I could only feel growth after measuring myself. But this place¨CMurim was different. Through the status window, not only was I able to see my abilities but I was also able to improve them. Although I wasn¡¯t sure where the end was, I could only know by going. ¡®I¡¯m going to get stronger. And I¡¯ll survive.¡¯ For the past seven years, I¡¯ve fought dozens and dozens of monsters. There were days where I didn¡¯t come home with one scratch and days where I skipped death. There was no Murim Jin Taekyung without the F rank hunter Jin Taekyung. Experience. And courage. I¡¯m going to get more, more, more stronger. And I¡¯m going to survive. As I made that decision and clenched my fist, at that moment the system alarm went off. Ring. There was just one left. ¡®Confirming Inventory.¡¯ Ring. For a basic item, the description was simple too. ¡®Use item.¡¯ I felt my body feel refreshed for one second and before I knew it, I wore a set of black robes. In martial art novels, the hero wore a bandana tightly around his forehead and instead of silk shoes, wore leather shoes. Will I even seem like a warrior? ¡®Store item.¡¯ At that thought, the silk clothes I was holding, disappeared. Inventory. This is really convenient? Depending on how I used it, it could be useful in battles. ¡®If I had an inventory, raids would be really comfortable.¡¯ You wouldn¡¯t even have to fight monsters, you could easily earn money by collecting magic stones. ¡®But it¡¯s not going to work.¡¯ Because it¡¯s a game. It¡¯s over once I logout. ¡­ Although it¡¯s a mystery whether I¡¯ll be able to logout or not. Ring. A new reward! I instantly went to go check my inventory. ¡°¡­¡± If the status window and the skill window are both a mess, then wouldn¡¯t it make sense to give a good item. But then again, if I thought about what happened before, if its this much then I¡¯m a yangban.9 ¡®Equip item.¡¯ The instant I grabbed the spear. Ring. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Ready? For what? I haven¡¯t even opened up the quest window yet though? The answer came from an unexpected place. The driver spoke up for the first time. ¡°Master-nim.¡±10 ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a small problem.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden.¡± Ring. There is a saying that there need to be results from what you¡¯ve learned. Defeat the bandits that have appeared suddenly! Rank: Tutorial (Quest Chain) Restriction: First Registration Mission: Eradicate Bandits (Incomplete) Reward: Full Recovery Quest Chain Failure: Death ¡­ Bullshit, it¡¯s a small problem. Chapter 4 Jang Sam is a bandit. In his lifetime, he¡¯s never left Mount Odae1 and from the age of 20, he started targeting mountain passengers to pay tolls. Maybe it was because of his diligent work, but at one point people began to know him as ¡®Heavenly Power¡¯ Jang Sam. Today was the same. At the crack of dawn, with his five henchman, he left to go work¡­ but stopped when they saw something strange. They walked from Mount Odae and when they stopped for a break, they saw a carriage approaching from afar. ¡®How did they come this far?¡¯ Were they possessed by ghosts? Although Jang Sam looked bewildered, at the moment he saw the expensive carriage, he shook himself out of it. ¡®We need to take that for sure.¡¯ Jang Sam and his five henchman blocked the road and the driver pulled the carriage to a stop. The horse whinnied and shook his mane, stopping. Just looking at the carriage at a glance, they could tell that they could get a lot of money. They had good luck today. Jang Sam laughed, pleased and gripped his axe. Okay, let me tighten my muscles. One, two, three. ¡°Give us your money!¡± ¡ª What¡¯s with his voice, is he a singer?2 But at this level I wasn¡¯t even surprised. After all, I was a hunter who had been through all kinds of hardships for the past seven years. ¡­ But it was still a little scary. ¡°A total of six. And it doesn¡¯t look like there are any lying in ambush.¡± The driver explained the situation calmly, like a secret agent. Is this ahjussi3 trustworthy. Why is he so relaxed. He stared curiously and scratched his head. ¡°It happens from time to time. Although it¡¯s the first time in this vicinity.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°How come? Because messing with someone from Murim is basically suicide. To steal right in front of the Jin family¡¯s territory, why I¡¯m curious who these people are.¡± ¡®Who? Of course, they¡¯re the Tutorial¡¯s NPCs.¡¯ But they must be close if they¡¯re right in front of the Jin family¡¯s territory. ¡®Should I stall for time?¡¯ Right now I¡¯m second-rate. Even though I can feel I¡¯m higher than a F rank hunter, I¡¯m not sure what level I¡¯m at in the Murim world. Six versus one. If I include the driver, six versus two. ¡®Will it work?¡¯ There¡¯s a reason why there¡¯s an idiom ¡®there¡¯s no fighting against such odds¡¯. If I make a mistake, my life could be at stake.4 ¡°How long until we get to our destination?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there. It¡¯ll take about half shi-jin5.¡± If it¡¯s half shi-jin¡­ then here¡¯s one hour left? Even though I guessed, the driver and I had different standards when it came to ¡®almost there¡¯. ¡®Yeah right we¡¯re almost there.¡¯ Maybe it was the background but the scale was different. The scale. Anyways, I should assume there are no reinforcements coming. However, thankfully I wasn¡¯t alone. Judging by how relaxed the driver was, I felt he smelled like a master. Like right now. ¡°Should I take care of them?¡± I imagined him saying, while gripping the horse whip and destroying all the bandits. ¡®He¡¯s a master!¡¯ That¡¯s the way it should be. I have a reputation coming from a noble family, and am a special customer of the brothel. There¡¯s no way they would send along a normal driver to send me off. ¡®Wol Hwa must have paid special attention to me. Not only is she pretty but her personality is pretty too.¡¯ My worries disappeared and I smiled, pleased. The driver took my smile as a confirmation and as he turned around, the bandit shouted for a second time. ¡°Bastards! Are you not listening to this Heavenly Power!¡± Opening the carriage window, I saw a huge hairy man carrying a double-edged axe. He had an impressive upper body and his arms and legs were as thick as pillars. However, the driver muttered under his breath how ridiculous the sight was. ¡°He¡¯s like a one day puppy6. How dare he.¡± Kyaa, I¡¯m getting drunk off his force. And the driver sternly started to denounce the bandits. ¡°How dare a bandit that steals food provisions and raise blood pressure block our paths! We¡¯ll lock you up and take you away to prison!¡± Even though he seemed like Justice Bao7 making a sweeping speech, Jang Sam8 and his henchman didn¡¯t seem to be moved at all. ¡°Yeah, so we blocked your paths. What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°You bastards who have committed countless evil deeds, we¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs and grind your limbs with a mortar and then spread your ashes all over the Nine Provinces! And we¡¯ll exterminate your whole family for nine generations¡­¡± ¡­ His punishments aren¡¯t a joke. He¡¯s basically a criminal, a criminal. As if he read my mind, Jang Sam opened his mouth. ¡°Is someone from the imperial family in there? My muscles are going numb just listening to you. Let us see that precious face of his.¡± ¡°If you knew who he was, you¡¯re the idiots who are going to be the ones to regret it!¡± ¡°Okay. We got it, so tell him to come out.¡± ¡°These young bastards¡­!¡±9 I turned my head once I heard the driver hold his tongue. My heart thumped at the thought that I might finally see a Murim master¡¯s performance. ¡°Master-nim. I think you¡¯ll need to come out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Me? Why me? ¡°These bastards will only spill tears if they see a coffin. How dare they block master-nim¡¯s path. Teach them what kind of master they¡¯re messing with.¡± As he said that, with a cold expression, he opened the carriage door. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the prestigious Jin¡¯s Heavenly Sword. At the age of 20, the genius swordmaster who reached his peak! You don¡¯t know how much my heart shook every time I heard of your tales.¡± ¡­ Jin¡¯s Heavenly Sword? Genius swordmaster? ¡®What is he saying.¡¯ My head felt all messed up. What is Jin¡¯s Heavenly Sword, who is the genius swordmaster and what kind of fucker is this driver? You said you were going to take care of it. You weren¡¯t a master? ¡°Idiots! Don¡¯t you know who this is!¡± He¡¯s wrong. But like a 8-ton truck whose steering wheel broke, he kept going. Stop, don¡¯t say anymore. Stop! The driver gripped his hand into a fist and whipped around to look at me. He smiled like he knew everything. A gaze full of confidence. ¡°Ho-hold on. I¡¯m Jin¡­¡± But without giving me a chance to speak, he roared. ¡°Taiyuan¡¯s of the Jin family, the second master of Shan Xi providence. This is Jin Mukyung-nim!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m Jin¡­ Taekyung.¡± For a second, a cold breeze blew by. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Like I was saying I¡¯m not Jin Mukyung I¡¯m Jin Taekyung. I¡¯m not the second master, I¡¯m the third master¡­¡± ¡°¡­ third master? You mean that third master? That¡¯s right, you yangban10. The driver¡¯s eyes shook. It was like a 8.0 earthquake. ¡°Then, then Jin Mukyung¡­¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± If it¡¯s at this time, wouldn¡¯t he be asleep? The driver looked at me like he lost his country and as he stared at me, he fell to the ground like a puppet without its strings. As if he dozed off. ¡®Fuck. What master.¡¯ I let go of the driver¡¯s wrist.11 His wrist was like a chicken¡¯s fragile bones. I felt like life would get harder if I grabbed it. Who knew he would be all talk. ¡°Hah, hahaha!¡± The bandits shrieked with laughter. Me? I broke out in a cold sweat and felt as if my back was wet. ¡®This, I¡¯m really unlucky.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even bring out the word death and gulped instead. I looked at the bandits with nervous eyes. Fuck. I¡¯d rather fight with 6 goblins. How am I supposed to win against people who look like that¡­ oh? ¡°Huh?¡± What, maybe it¡¯s my feeling? But no matter how much I look, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a feeling. An impressive upper body, thick arms and legs. And¡­ he¡¯s short. The five guys next to him didn¡¯t look that special either. At least Jang Sam has an impressive body, no matter how I look at them, they look like they¡¯re light years away from ¡®healthy¡¯. Physically, they looked like that. ¡°They look just like goblins?¡± Oh goblins? As I was staring blankly, caught off guard by the unexpected situation, I came to when I saw the axe flying towards me. ¡°Hey, hey! Hold on, time!¡± As I said that, the axe stopped 10 meters away from me. No actually, it fell crooked onto the floor. The bandit who threw the axe, scratched his head embarrassed. ¡°Should I have thrown it a little bit higher?¡± ¡­ This perhaps. ¡°I can probably live?¡± During the 7 years I was a hunter, if I had to choose one monster I faced against the most it would be goblins. But because of that I came to know all about them. That was also why when I was doing my apprenticeship as a hunter I chose the spear as my main weapon. When it came to attacking them, the range of the spear became an advantage. And it just so happened that the bandits were physically same as the goblins. I didn¡¯t see six bandits, instead I saw six goblins. And the Chief Goblin was Jang Sam? ¡®And the remaining five bandits could even be weaker than goblins.¡¯ At least goblins can shoot poison darts. I could feel it based off of how the bandit threw his axe. I could feel it. I licked my dry lips and raised my two hands. A few bandits panicked and looked as if they were going to surrender, while Jang Sam smiled pridefully, as if he were looking at his son who just discharged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a commendable fellow?¡± ¡®Right, laugh a lot while you can.¡¯ One step, two steps. I slowly walked 30 meters forward, shortening the distance between us. I walked forward steadily. One foot forward, one breath. As I breathed, my breath fogged. Even though I was simply walking, I could feel it. ¡®It¡¯s different!¡¯ I realized once again. In this game, compared to the me in reality, is much stronger. My heart raced. At the same time, I raised my head. I needed to concentrate until the very last second. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the son they¡¯ve given up on. A third-rate martial artist, first-rate when it comes to chasing after women. Looking at you, I can see it¡¯s true.¡± Jang Sam said, loosely stretching the arm that held the axe. I could plainly see how I looked in their eyes. Hopeless when it came to martial arts, a playboy whose only good thing going for him was his family. My empty two hands. Jang Sam let his guard down. ¡®And of course, letting your guard down is death.¡¯ I sent all my pay to my family and even though I lived in a small goshiwon, I was still a hunter. Even F rank hunters risked their lives to fight monsters in the gate. No, F rank hunters literally bet their lives to fight. As someone, who for the past 7 years, fought without rest, I bet my name as a hunter against Murim. That¡¯s why I knew. I knew the difference between life and death. Carelessness and inattention meant death. I shortened the distance between us by half. My steps became faster. Jang Sam gestured towards me. ¡°Uh huh12. Come slowly, slowly. What if you fall as you¡¯re walking here.¡± 20 meters. ¡°Boss. Don¡¯t you think the way he¡¯s walking towards us looks like a puppy?¡± 15 meters. ¡°A puppy? Hahah! That¡¯s what I wanted to say!¡± 10 meters. At the moment I took another step forward, my stomach felt hot. It was the first time I felt this way. But oddly, what was this familiar feeling? ¡®Qi?¡¯ The heat was flowing to my abdomen. My goal was just one thing. A little faster, lighter, and stronger! Huk. I breathed in deeply. My body¡¯s muscles tightened like a bowstring. And finally, one last step. Kwang¨C! I shot towards the front. The bandit fell to the ground with a large thump. As if time stopped, Jang Sam stood there with his mouth open. ¡°Impossible¨C¡° Jang Sam and the bandits looked at me as if they couldn¡¯t believe it. They saw me for the first time. And I could feel it. Stiff and greasy hair, cracked lips like a rice paddy during a drought season, and a foul breath. All of it. Without me realizing it, my lips lifted into a smile. ¡®Inventory open. Equip [Sharp Spear].¡¯ I gripped the spear that appeared mid-air. He raised his axe at the same time I lifted my spear. He blocked it and even though he managed to block the spear with his axe, the spear crashed into the axe, breaking it. And with it, penetrated Jang Sam. At the same time. ¡°Kuh huk.¡± The blood spilled out. And the light in Jang Sam¡¯s eyes, as he lay there shaking, faded. Huu. I blew out my breath. Although the system alarm went off, all I could hear was the sound of my thumping heart. I took a breath. All of this happened within seconds. I ripped out my spear from Jang Sam¡¯s chest. ¡®Something like this is possible too.¡¯ Through points, my character stats go up and through Experience13 my skills are linked. This is the strength of the system. A strength F rank Jin Taekyung wouldn¡¯t even be able to think about. ¡®I can do it. Definitely.¡¯ The way to return started to look brighter. I gripped my spear and turned around. ¡°So¡­¡± Five pairs of eyes stared at me like their lives were in jeopardy. ¡°Who wants to go next?¡± The fucker who threw the axe first come out. ¡°¡­¡± Flop. Flop. Clang. The five bandits fell to the ground face down. ¡°Please forgive us!!¡± Starting [Tutorial ¨C Round 4]. Now, let me breath. Chapter 5 ¡°One, be kind. Two, let¡¯s live. Okay, one.¡± ¡°Be kind!¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s live!¡± ¡°Your voices are quiet.¡±1 ¡°BE KIND!¡± Is this hell? This was the first thought the driver had after he regained consciousness. Like a cotton ball that soaked up water, his body felt heavy and his head was spinning. And in the distance, they continued to scream. ¡°LET¡¯S LIVE!¡± ¡°Louder!¡± ¡­ There¡¯s no doubt this is hell. He heard the grim reaper¡¯s voice and he followed after the sounds of the dead. ¡°BE KIND!¡± The driver closed his eyes and bitter tears fell down his face. As if he came to hell. If he knew he would have died like this, he would have offered more. ¡®Aigoo2, mother!¡¯ The driver started to cry aloud. He was so loud, he didn¡¯t even notice someone staring down at him. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The driver¡¯s heart stopped for 3 seconds and started again. He gripped his chest and shouted. ¡°I almost died because I was so surprised!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He felt strange after he said that. The driver stared blankly and raised his hand to his chest. It¡¯s racing. His heart is racing. It¡¯s not just that. The horses are here, the carriage is here. His body shivered in the cold winter air. ¡°I¡¯m alive?¡± As if thinking ¡®no way¡¯, he turned and saw a man with a black eye on one eye. Even though he had a look on his face¡­ there was no mistake. It was a person that was alive. I¡¯m alive! ¡°Alive! I¡¯m alive!¡± The driver hugged the man violently and was pushed away with a shudder. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°Huk. Huk huk3. Thank you so much. But who¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that. I saw him for a second a minute ago.¡± A minute ago? Who? He knew all the faces at the brothel and the Jin¡¯s family idiot was the first customer. Where did he see these thankful travelers. The driver stared at the man and in a instant gulped his breath. ¡°You¡¯re that bandit!¡± ¡°Yes. That¡­¡± ¡°Next to the big bandit! The five idiots!¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°And among them, the one who was the shortest!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The ugliest!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The one with the small package!¡± ¡°No!¡± At the bandits shout, the driver came to his senses. What was he saying just now? Soon regret and despair came rushing in. ¡®Now I¡¯m really dead.¡¯ No, actually he wished he was already dead. Then at least he wouldn¡¯t be in pain. But. ¡°Huu. Stop saying nonsense and hurry and follow.¡± He walked in front of the bandits. The driver who ended up following them, felt dejavu. ¡®This feels like I¡¯m being guided somewhere.¡¯ Compared to before he fainted, he was calmer and had a more courteous attitude. The driver mustered up his courage and asked. ¡°Where are we going right now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the Head.¡± The driver¡¯s face turned white. He remembered what he said to Jang Sam before. I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs, grind your limbs with a mortar¡­ ¡®I need to run away, even if its now.¡¯ But in the next instant, his legs shook and he felt cold sweat fall like rain. He couldn¡¯t even move one step. The blood dripping down the swords that surrounded him. And next to the road, among the grass, he could see legs from a dead body sticking out. ¡®These crazy bastards.¡¯ Even though he thought ¡®as if¡¯, to think they killed the youngest Jin master in broad daylight. The driver felt his death coming. Until he saw the figure walking towards him from out of the grass. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± Behind the figure, the bandits had their arms around each other and were gasping for breath. They each had a black eye. ¡°What are you doing. Don¡¯t you see your colleagues suffering? Go join them.¡±4 ¡°Yes. Head.¡± ¡°This fucker. I told you not to call me that.¡± The driver watched the situation in front of him with a blank face and thought. I¡¯m keeping my life. ¡ª ¡°So that¡¯s how it became like this.¡±5 The driver listened with eyes that sparkled like a flashlight. Whew, it¡¯s shining. It¡¯s hard to look because it¡¯s so dazzling. ¡°That is, by chance.¡± By chance? ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not Jin Mukyung master?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m telling you to stop.¡± I said I was Jin Taekyung for the umpteenth time. It¡¯s a NPC made to make a person crazy. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be impressed by the A.I. or if I should consider it a failure. If I knew how to drive the carriage, I would have already thrown him away. ¡°Are you done with your preparations?¡± The driver answered while finishing up a knot. ¡°Yes. I am all done.¡± What kind of knot was it? It was a knot to tie the five bandits. It was such a tight knot, that the groans from the bandits were neverending. ¡°Head. Are you sure you can¡¯t loosen up the knots a little?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t. It¡¯s not changing. Just stay here.¡± ¡°Please give these younger brothers a chance to serve you as a Head¡­¡± ¡°If you call me Head one more time, I¡¯ll take you to see King Yeomra6. Leaving behind silence, we got into the carriage. I already gathered their belongings into my inventory, and felt great after receiving the reward from levelling up. ¡°We shall depart.¡± The driver whipped the horses, and the carriage started moving. For a trail in the mountains, it was a good road. Through the open window, a cool breeze and fresh mountain air blew in. ¡®No matter how much I look, it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ I shook my head. Science. Technology. Whatever you called it, it was an field of expertise that I didn¡¯t understand. Furthermore, even thinking like this in this kind of situation was a luxury. ¡®Goddamn. What kind of time scale is this game on?¡¯ In virtual reality games, there was something called a time scale. If the scale between reality and virtual reality was 1:3, then even if three hours passed in the game, only one hour would pass in reality. That was also one of the reasons why I spent three days at the brothel. If it¡¯s this much time, then someone should save me¨Cthat kind of hope. ¡®What the heck is Sung Jinho doing.¡¯ I sighed deeply. At the same time, I slowly felt anxious. This, what if the time scale was bigger than I thought? ¡®No way.¡¯ There¡¯s no way. Sung Jinho said that the time scale in the capsule was proportional to the performance and price. And even though the performance was greater than I expected. ¡®No, if it¡¯s this much than it¡¯s fantastic.¡¯ I¡¯ve been playing games for years that I wasn¡¯t so blind that I didn¡¯t even know this much. Even though [Murim] had high specifications, the antique game capsule wasn¡¯t operating without strain. Even that much was alarming. So. ¡®From now on, I hope there aren¡¯t anymore alarming incidents.¡¯ Please. I muttered those words and opened my skill window. Remaining Points: 10 Due to not training for a long time, you have forgotten how to use techniques. You are able to read information from skills you own. Looking again, I was startled. To think I could forget how to use techniques just because I hadn¡¯t trained for a long time. ¡®How much did I play.¡¯7 After another deep sigh, I moved on. The first was the remaining points. It looks like after levelling up one, I would get 10 points. And it was probably the same for the status window. ¡®If I were to combine the skill window and the status window, then the total number of points would be 20?¡¯ It was an ambiguous number. I set aside the points, and touched the last sentence. ¡®Access all.¡¯ Ring. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ The first place my eyes went to was the rank. The Jin Family Spear Technique and the Jin Family Footwork were first rate. Only the Jin Family Cultivation Technique was at a Peak rank. And it was also only the Jin Family Cultivation Technique that had a clear Stage and Effect written. ¡®I haven¡¯t been able to use the Jin Family Spear Technique or the Footwork. But the Jin Family Cultivation Technique is¡­ alright.¡¯ Who cares if the accumulation speed is slow. A very stable and outstanding technique. I only needed that. My life¡¯s motto was be long and thin.11 It was at that thought. Ring. However, lack of control can become a double-edged sword. Until the end, don¡¯t let your guard down! Rank: Tutorial (Final) Restriction: Player Mission: Qi Circulation (Incomplete) Reward: Item Box, Obtain [Qi Sense]12, [Main Quest] Failure: [Qi Deviation]13 or [Death] Accept / Reject I answered without hesitation. ¡®No. I won¡¯t.¡¯ Reward? I don¡¯t need anything like that. Crazy idiots should only take the joke so far. They want to make a deal with someone¡¯s life? Look at the shallow tricks. I didn¡¯t even look the driver¡¯s way and instead responded clearly, again. ¡°Re. Ject.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Accept / Reject ¡°I said to reject! Why is accept the only two options!¡± ¡°Hey! You shitheads!¡± The curses I had been holding in exploded out. ¡ª Through the [Jin Family Circulation Technique], stability is rising by a large margin. I never missed my family more. My mom that I love. My cute younger sister¡­ that I¡¯m not close to, Hayeon. If I ever go out, I¡¯ll buy you a ton of chicken. ¡®If I get out.¡¯ It¡¯s not as if they¡¯re letting go of the knife and rubbing medicine on me¡­ Accept / Reject My gaze shook as I looked at the message window. ¡°Re, reject.¡± That was a coincidence just now, right? Right, it was a coincidence. Before my unpleasant feeling could even disappear, my vision turned upside down. And the place where I came back to consciousness. An unfamiliar white space. Come over here. Surprised, I turned my head and saw an old man gesturing towards me. If I saw an old man like that in my dream, I would have run away but this was just a game. ¡®That old man must be the helper.¡¯ Without suspicion, I went to him. It seemed weird but I was thinking like this. An odd familiarity. Plus trust. Sit in a comfortable position. Huh? If it¡¯s Qi Cultivation, wouldn¡¯t it be a lotus feet position? As if he read my thoughts, the old man said. Although weak fools do this and that, masters don¡¯t need to do that. His calm way of speaking smelled. It smelled. This was a master¡¯s smell. This time it was for real! Uh huh. This fool. I thought I saw his wrinkled hand come towards me but then it disappeared. Huh? Tak. Tak tak. At the second I thought I saw something pass me, I paused. Is this what it feels like to be like a dead body with its eyes open? I couldn¡¯t move an inch. I¡¯m simply hitting your pressure points, so don¡¯t be alarmed and focus. As the old man was talking, he jabbed at my back. And with a low voice, spoke quickly. Qi Cultivation is one of the most important training that a warrior can have. Not only do you accumulate Qi, but by sharpening and polishing Essence (¾«), Qi (šâ) and Spirit (Éñ), you are able to soar to higher heights. So¡­ Although I was listening, I had no idea what he was saying. Only the fact that Qi Cultivation was important. Your mind should be like a clear stream. Focus on drawing the flow out. Now I will recite you the Jin Family Cultivation Technique. And without even giving me a chance to stop him, he recited the technique¡­ and I could hear it. It was as if I was listening to someone speaking in another language and my brain was automatically translating what they were saying. ¡®What is this.¡¯ Specifically it was 318 characters. The moment I felt the Jin Family Cultivation Technique imprinted in my head, I felt a change. Go. The old man¡¯s one word. Go where? Before I could ask, I was sucked in. No, it seemed like I was getting sucked in. My eyes were definitely shut, but I could see. Feel. A slight breeze that came and dispersed, the sunlight, the sound of the driver breathing and the horses nickering¡­ I pushed all those away. And just one. I focused on only my body. Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t even hear the old man or the system¡¯s voice. My awakened mind flowed downwards. I wasn¡¯t even aware the the shining acupoints were my meridians. Just, everything felt familiar. And reached my dantian14. A small but pure energy. It was the accumulation of 10 years of my Qi. ¡®But that?¡¯ In the corner of my dantian, I could see something shaped like a rock, firm and large. Instinctively, I realized. ¡®It¡¯s different Qi.¡¯ It was Qi that I, Jin Taekyung, couldn¡¯t circulate and was similar energy. ¡®If I combine it?¡¯ Of course, I would become even stronger. But that would be reckless and didn¡¯t have a goal. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to die by overdoing it.¡¯ I regained the use of my skill. I followed the system and was slowly led to my Qi. In the midst of this, I thought I vaguely heard a voice. You made a good decision. ¡ª [Tutorial ¨C Round 4] Complete. Preparing rewards. Obtained skill, [Qi Sense]. By taking care of your Qi, it will become more natural and you will be able to sense your opponent¡¯s energy. A small amount of impurities has been ejected. . . . [Tutorial] has been completed. Starting [Main Quest]. At the same time the system finished speaking, the driver spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is Taiyuan¡¯s Jin¡¯s family home.¡± Right. Finally. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Jin residence, located on top of the hill, looked like a village. On a large land, dozens of small buildings were spread out and surrounding the buildings was a tall stone wall, with the Jin family crest. Not only that, but the shadow the Jin residence cast was spectacular. The nature curled around the family crest. Just looking made me feel overwhelmed. ¡°Wow.¡± Even the driver was impressed. No, wait. ¡°Haven¡¯t you come here often?¡± ¡°This is my second time.¡± ¡°¡­ When did you start working again?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a little over a month.¡± This is my first time seeing someone who was like an onion.1 He looked like he was a 20 year veteran but to think he was a newbie. ¡®But then again, if he had that much experience, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize me.¡¯ I was a face who was seen coming in and out often from the brothel. It was understandable if he thought I was Jin Mukyung if he was a new employee. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing everything went well.¡¯ I finished the last tutorial quest and on top of that, I felt thankful it happened right in front of the Jin residence. ¡°Please drive slowly.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± I felt the carriage slow down and opened my skill window. [Qi Sense] Rank: None (Ÿo) Stage: ¡ï Restrictions: Jin Taekyung Effect: You are able to sense opponents below level 30 Description: You are able to sense opponents if they are within your range. As your stage increases, your range increases. As I finished reading the description, I thought of something. ¡®It¡¯s that. Sensing your opponent¡¯s power level.¡¯ In famous manhwa¡¯s, characters used devices2 to sense their opponents power level but I wasn¡¯t sure what [Qi Sense] was like. ¡®Activate Qi Sense.¡¯ Was this right? The second I paused, underneath my feet, a blue circle appeared. And at the same time, an alarm went off. Ring. You have used [Qi Sense]. As the current stage is 1 star, you will be able to sense opponents less than level 30, within 10 zhang3. If it was 10 zhang, then that would be 30 meters. Swaaak. The blue circle widened underneath me and I could feel a person enter into the range. Above the driver¡¯s head, a window appeared. Through [Qi Sense], you are able to sense your opponent¡¯s power level. [Lv. 4 Jang Sam]4 Ah ha, so it was like this. ¡®It¡¯s easy, simple, and above all else¡­¡¯ It was a skill I needed to survive. To see if someone was stronger, or weaker or at the same level as me. I would be able to sense it with Qi Sense. ¡®They gave me something decent.¡¯ I nodded my head up and down and opened the quest window. And upon confirming the [Main Quest], my mouth opened. ¡°¡­ What?¡± It was like everything in front of me brightened. Compared to a ray of light in a ditch, this was the sun. My heart started racing. [Log Out] You now need to leave the rough Murim world. Become stronger and gain more fame. Until that day¡­ Rank: Main Quest Restriction: Jin Taekyung Mission: Reach [First Rate] (Incomplete) Reach Lv. 30 (Incomplete) Reach 500 Fame (Incomplete) Reward: [Log Out] The words that I desperately wanted. ¡®Log out!¡¯ I was happy and surprised. Even though I was determined to survive no matter what, I did feel a small amount of anxiety. Would I be able to leave? What if I was stuck here? Those kinds of anxieties. ¡®I can leave.¡¯ But now it was different. I got confirmation that I could log out. It was a feeling like I was awake for the first time. ¡®Fuck yeah. This is just a game.¡¯ Quest? What was so hard about that. I lived day after day struggling to make ends meet. The ordinary life of a citizen couldn¡¯t be compared to a hunter¡¯s life. ¡®And this strength.¡¯ I made a fist. Even though this was all just a virtual reality, the strength I felt, felt real. That was why I knew. The me inside the game was stronger than the me in reality. Even though it was a small difference. ¡®It¡¯s all because of the system.¡¯ Levelling up, quests, the stats and the skills. This was all the system¡¯s strength. It was possible because it was a game and I was the player. It was only a matter of time before I logged out if I combined my experience as a hunter and the system¡¯s strengths. ¡®Everyone¡¯s dead when I¡¯m out.¡¯ Including the game developers. Those assholes. The sound of someone¡¯s shout reached my ears. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡ª A uniform. An upright posture and a firm voice. The thought that flashed across when I saw the guard in front of the game was the word ¡®Murim-in¡¯5. ¡®A prestigious family.¡¯ It was really different. If Jang Sam and the bandits were disorderly, then the guard could be described as someone who received formal training. The NPC walked towards the driver. He had a youthful face with big, thick eyebrows like caterpillars. ¡°I am the captain of the gatekeepers for the main Jin family, Hyuk Mujin. Please reveal your identity and purpose.¡± The captain of the gatekeepers. Now that I was paying attention, I noticed the armband around his arm. Although looking at him, he looked like he was only around twenty years old. ¡®But then again, if your skills are great than who cares.¡¯ While I was thinking this, the driver replied. ¡°We have come from Hong Hwaru6.¡± ¡°Hong Hwaru? You mean the brothel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beyond the window I could see the NPC, no Hyuk Mujin scrunch up his face. I heard his respectful tone of voice cut in half. ¡°What business does the brothel have?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± No matter where you went, there was always someone like that. Someone who thought he was a chaebol7, just because he worked at a large company. But there was actually a real chaebol. I quietly opened the window and coughed. ¡°Cough. Hmm. Hum.¡± In many ways, it was an intentional fake cough. The kind of fake cough only someone who was successful in life could do. As if to say, ¡®don¡¯t you know who I am?¡¯¨Cthat kind of fake cough. ¡°Mmmh.¡± Sure enough, Hyuk Mujin recognized me instantly. I opened my mouth, adopting a calm expression on my face. It was a sentence that high ranking officials, military officers and company workers used. ¡°Mmmh. Right. Work hard.¡± And I made to close the window but¡­ Tuk. Dul kuk. ¡°Huh?¡± It wouldn¡¯t close. It was because of the hand that instantly gripped the window from closing. The hand, of course, belonged to Hyuk Mujin. I saw his face which had stiffened. ¡°Please get down.¡± ¡°Uh, me?¡± ¡°Then would I be talking to the air?¡± What is this. What¡¯s wrong with this guy¡¯s reaction. ¡®He didn¡¯t recognize me.¡¯ I smiled, generously. ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize me, I¡¯m a person that lives in this residence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a person that lives at this residence.¡± ¡°No, what I¡¯m trying to say¡­¡± ¡°The third master of the Jin family. Is that what you wanted to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He was exactly right. Hyuk Mujin spoke. ¡°I know exactly who master is, so please get out of the carriage. We¡¯ll proceed according to procedure.¡± No other way. He said it was procedure. But as I got out of the carriage, warning bells went off in my head. ¡®Something feels weird.¡¯ My face begun to sting8 when Hyuk Mujin brought out a brush and paper. ¡°Your name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Your name.¡± What was this. It wasn¡¯t like I was the criminal and he was the investigator. Even though it didn¡¯t feel good, I decided to watch over the situation for now. ¡°¡­ Jin Taekyung.¡± ¡°Your affiliation.¡± ¡°The Jin family of Taiyuan.¡± ¡°Your age and martial art stage.¡± ¡°Twenty. Second Rate.¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s brush paused. ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate and please answer honestly.¡± Honestly? ¡®I distributed my stats and got raised to Second Rate. If I say it like this, will he understand?¡¯ Instead of answering, I just stared at him and Hyuk Mujin shook his head back and forth. ¡°Well, if you insist we¡¯ll keep going. Now let¡¯s see¡­ It seems like you¡¯ve been gone for a few days. Where did you go?¡± ¡°The brothel.¡± ¡°Wow, a few days at that expensive brothel? Good for you. You must have spent a lot. Or did you use the family¡¯s public funds again?¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Why are you making excuses. Isn¡¯t that what Master from time to time or every once in a while does?¡± As I saw Hyuk Mujin¡¯s hostile stare, I felt a truth. ¡®Jin Taekyung.¡¯ I forgot for a second. What kind of character Jin Taekyung was in this game. ¡®The shame of the family.¡¯ Seeing as how I even had a title for it, there was no way NPCs would like me. I could feel the proof through the contempt he was showing me. In this game that wasn¡¯t going my way. ¡®Ah, really¡­¡¯ Somewhere deep inside me, I felt upset. My head hurt and my eyes felt hot. He spoke to me in a low voice. ¡°Third Master, although I am the lowest Captain, let me say just one thing.¡± Pathetic fool. Hyuk Mujin spoke to me with that kind of expression on his face. ¡°Please stop tarnishing the family name. Live like a human being for once. Okay?¡± He threw those words out casually and as he turned around, I just stared at the back of his head with a blank expression on my face. I laughed, as if it were absurd. ¡°Live like a human?¡± I knew. That Hyuk Mujin was just an NPC who didn¡¯t know anything. I knew that he wasn¡¯t speaking to me but to the Jin Taekyung in the game. But¡­ ¡®I feel shitty.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t important that this was just a game or that Hyuk Mujin was just an NPC. No, I didn¡¯t think like that. The stress that had been piling up, exploded and my patience disappeared. ¡°Hey. Stop there.¡± Hyuk Mujin turned around. His face was irritated. I wanted to stab his face. Like a kid who saw Santa Claus, I smiled brightly. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ dead.¡± I flew towards him with my fist clenched. ¡ª A heavy atmosphere. A large pile of papers on a table. And like a painting, a cold-faced guard. Ssk. Ssk. The head of the gate guards9 swallowed. The moment he walked into the office, his mouth felt dry. ¡°Speak.¡± His voice came from behind the tall stack of papers. The gate guard head spoke in a barely audible voice. ¡°Among my subordinates, I have a precious worker. His loyalty to the main family is impressive and he is talented¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s still young but he¡¯s arrogant and doesn¡¯t know his front from his back.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°He got into a fight with the Third Master.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s understandable. And the youngest?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been moved to the infirmary. Right now he¡¯s unconscious but there is a little brusing¡­¡± Silence. ¡°Everything is my fault! Please give me my punishment!¡± The head of the gate guards lowered his head, sensing his dark future. He heard a voice after a long moment. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s that much. Go out now.¡± The head of the gate guards felt as if he had been promoted to board of directors and lifted his head. ¡°Ah. Just one more.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I see that young man? I would like to speak with him.¡± ¡°That is. Master. I¡¯m sorry to say this but that young man is still being treated.¡± ¡°Being treated?¡± ¡°Yes. That young man is in the infirmary as well. I heard that there were cracks in his bones.¡± ¡°¡­ Really? Then that¡¯s fine.¡± It was silent even after the head of the gate guards left, when the tall stack of papers fell. ¡°Hui Peng.¡± Hui Peng answered the just turned 35 year old patriarch, Jin Huikyung, with a hard face. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to step out for a moment.¡± It has started again. Hui Peng, the guard for Jin Huikyung, sighed and looked at Jin Huikyung¡¯s back, as Jin Huikyung walked away. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I was dreaming. Well, how did I know it was a dream? ¡®Because I was looking at myself?¡¯ It was exactly as I was saying. I was watching myself. To be more specific, I wasn¡¯t looking at the me in reality but the me in the game. ¡°Huk. Huk.¡± Jin Taekyung was panting. His clothes were ripped, and his face and body were starting to bruise. On the other hand. ¡®That fucker looked fine.¡¯ Hyuk Mujin looked fresh. He was smirking and looked laid back. ¡°Although you¡¯re better than I expected¡­ who told you to fight like an idiot. If you¡¯re Murim-in, you should fight using Mugong1.¡± Ah, that hateful asshole. Even now I wanted to hit him but maybe because this was just a dream, I couldn¡¯t move my body or even let out a sound. ¡®Looking at it from this perspective makes me even angrier.¡¯ Right. This dream was showing me the fight from a third perspective. ¡°THIS FUUUUCCKEEER!¡± It didn¡¯t matter what Jin Taekyung did. I knew because I already experienced it. ¡®I was already tired.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t breathe and my arms and legs felt heavy. My movements became wider and there were a lot of gaps in-between. Sure enough, Hyuk Mujin dodged my punch and swept my feet, toppling me over. His movements flowed smoothly like water. The fight with him was a repetition of that scene. ¡®Asshole, he fights well.¡¯ I needed to acknowledge that fact. Hyuk Mujin was stronger than me. He used his skills well and used Mugong I didn¡¯t recognize forcefully against me. In other words, he was ¡®Murim-in¡¯. ¡®It felt shocking.¡¯ I was over confident after beating Jang Sam and his badnits, so I felt the expectation that all fights would be like that one. And I also thought that if I combined my experience and the system¡¯s strength, that logging out would only be a matter of time. ¡®It was a good way to die.¡¯ Jang Sam and his bandits were existences created by the tutorial. It was like a beginner catching bunnies at level 1 and laughing like an idiot afterwards. A hunter for 7 years? It was now a laughable thought. ¡®I need to become proficient at using Mugong.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t just a simple game. My life was at stake. I needed to do everything possible in order to survive. Levelling up, Mugong. I was determined to become familiar with it. The determination not to be an F rank hunter but a Murim-in. Puck. Puck. Puck.2 ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re only good at taking blows. Let go! Let go!¡± ¡°Kwaaaaah!¡± Even though he kept getting knocked down, Jin Taekyung kept getting up. No, I was watching myself. ¡°And in the end, I got done in one blow.¡± Bak! Right, you were supposed to do it like that. Like my past experience. How I was doing it up until now. ¡®But how many levels does Hyuk Mujin have?¡¯ At that moment, as if someone was replying to me, a window appeared above Hyuk Mujin¡¯s head. [Lv. 20 Hyuk Mujin] ¡­ Shut up, shouldn¡¯t I raise my level first? ¡ª Sleep Mode has ended. My eyes opened at the same time I heard the system¡¯s message. Briefly, I thought I woke up in my goshiwon but it was a useless thought. ¡°Have you woken?¡± I saw a man with a white robe. I was in a clean room that had an odd scent. Where was I? As if he read my thoughts, the man answered. ¡°This is the infirmary. It has been half shi-jin3 since you have woken.¡± So this was the infirmary. And this NPC was a doctor. ¡®If it¡¯s half shi-jin¡­ I was unconscious for an hour?¡¯ That Hyuk Mujin, he hit me well. ¡°You will probably be in a lot of pain due to your bruises. Don¡¯t move too much and rest.¡± After he said that, the doctor left. As I heard the sound of his footsteps getting farther and farther away, I quietly muttered. ¡°Status Window open.¡± Ring. [Lv. 11 Jin Taekyung] Occupation: Second Rate Warrior Fame: 10 Titles: Son of a Noble Family / Shame of the Family (Titles Currently Applied) Strength: 40 Stamina: 10 Agility: 50 Intelligence: 10 Charm: 10 Qi: 10 Years Remaining Points: 10 Please distribute your remaining points. The 10 points I received after I beat Jang Sam were still there. Just in case, I put off distributing my points but that was when I didn¡¯t know I would be fighting Hyuk Mujin. ¡®I didn¡¯t know I would be beat up like that.¡¯ After thinking about it, I decided to distribute my remaining 10 points to Stamina. It was because the image of me panting in exhaustion came to mind when I was fighting with Hyuk Mujin. ¡®If I distributed my points earlier, would my odds have been higher?¡¯ It was a sudden thought but I shook my head. ¡®The end result would be the same.¡¯ It was a fight between an adult and a child. That was the difference between Hyuk Mujin and me. And I felt it wasn¡¯t because of my level or stats but because of the Mugong he used that widened the gap between us. ¡®How was that response, movement possible?¡¯ Of course in reality, there was martial arts. Boxing, Krav Maga, Jujitsu, and so on. It was basically modern martial arts. But in this place, martial arts was different. Every movement was practical and sophisticated. Each skill moved like it was part of a cogwheel. ¡®I need to become familiar with Mugong.¡¯ If I ran into Hyuk Mujin instead of Jang Sam during the tutorial? Defeat, or even death was natural. I needed to learn Mugong in order to survive. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± A curse came out of my mouth. Someone from outside came into the room. ¡°It is this room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Squeak. The door opened without a chance to respond. And in that place¡­ ¡°You¡¯re a sight.¡± With a cold gaze, there stood a middle-aged man. ¡ª ¡°How is his condition?¡± ¡°Although there is bruising, he¡¯s not in any serious condition.¡± ¡°What a waste. It would be nice if even his legs were broken.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The middle-aged man looked at me with a nefarious gaze. ¡°This reckless fool!¡± I lowered my eyes, silent. Even though it was my first time seeing this person, no this NPC, but I felt I had to do it. No, I needed to do that. [Lv. ???] Three question marks. It was a level I couldn¡¯t even see with [Qi Sense]. ¡®At a minimum of level 30.¡¯ It was enough to think of Hyuk Mujin as cute. And the attitude he was showing me was enough for me to think he wasn¡¯t an ordinary NPC. At the very least, he looked like he had the authority to punish the third master. ¡®If I get hit once¡­¡¯ Gulp. I swallowed my saliva when I saw how big his palms were. Disregarding levels, he just looked dangerous. A build that was close to two meters4, the muscles that looked like a bulletproof vest and his cold gaze was enough to make a person freeze. I was curious to know who he was. His hobby and his talent looked like it could be murder. ¡®But weirdly, his face looks vaguely familiar.¡¯ Where did I see this ahjussi. I thought about it for a second when it came to me. ¡®Jin Taekyung?¡¯ He looked like Jin Taekyung. No, it was right to say that Jin Taekyung looked like him. His high level and his gaze that trampled all over the third master. And lastly, his face. There was only one answer. He was Jin Taekyung¡¯s¡­ ¡°Father?¡± Without me knowing, the words came out of my mouth. ¡°Fa, father?¡± His hand curled up into a fist and shook. If someone didn¡¯t know, it looked like someone cursed his mother out. I looked at his fist carefully and spoke. ¡°Just, just hold on a second and calm down¡­¡± ¡°Calm down? How dare those words come out of your mouth? Even in this situation, you¡¯re playing around!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not true, then I¡¯m really sorry. It was my mistake.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± He blocked my words with his cold gaze and turned his head towards the doctor that was still waiting at the side. ¡°Thank you for leading me here. You may leave now.¡± I looked at the doctor desperately with a ¡®help me¡¯ gaze but the doctor left in a hurry. ¡°Fuck no¡­ the doctor is just going to leave his patient?¡± Kwang. The sound of the door shutting, sounded like the sound to the door to hell. The room in which the two of us were left. I kept an eye on his large palms as he walked towards me. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much of an idiot you can be. How long will you live like this!¡± I started to slowly inch backwards. Bruises? Pain? I didn¡¯t feel those things. Actually, I was afraid of not being able to feel pain anymore. ¡°Give, give me just 10 minutes. Actually if you can just give me the time to explain. Why are you mad? Are you mad because I called you father? Then are you my mother?¡± ¡°This bastard!¡± My body froze as his voice became louder and louder. I felt my back touch the wall. You have fallen into a state of [Confusion]. You will be unable to move for 3 seconds! What the fuck¡­ ¡®I¡¯m dead.¡¯ My 27 years of life passed by like a panorama. To lie a little bit, even my days as a sperm cell up until the day of my conception came to mind. Those days were hard. ¡®Mom, dad, Hayeon¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes and thought of my family. It was at that second. ¡°When you have time, all you do is play around with girls!¡± Pat. Pat. ¡°And go into gambling houses!¡± Touch. Touch. ¡°You¡¯re being treated contemptuously by the family because you act this way!¡± Massage. Massage. ¡­ What is this ahjussi doing right now? He was reprimanding me with his words but was looking after me gently. I got goosebumps on the back of my neck. ¡°No this is¡­¡± Ring. You have fallen into a state of [Fear]. You will be unable to move for 5 seconds! ¡°You¡¯re the shame of the family, the shame!¡± I really felt the shame. To think I would be assaulted by not only an A.I. but a middle-aged NPC. ¡®Mom¡­¡¯ The realization that it was all a misunderstanding came after. His hand was busy. But it felt like a doctor examining a patient¡¯s body. He looked under my eyes, he checked my pulse, and even looked attentively at my bruises. Every time his hand passed over a certain area of my body, it felt like I was not only getting a massage but the pain disappeared too. ¡°You fool! If you keep acting like this, huh? Huh! You¡¯ll have a hard time. Do you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± His hand stopped moving and he spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°It¡¯s a relief it¡¯s not as serious as I thought. Why did you fight. You don¡¯t even do Mugong training regularly.¡± I opened my mouth with sincerity. It was a question with different implications. ¡°Who are you?¡± The next moment, sternness. Solemnity. Seriousness. All three were present in his face when he looked at me like someone looking at a injured fawn. ¡°Why are you suddenly using formal language with me. I only called you the shame of the family before so that other people could hear me¡­ is this because you¡¯re disappointed with me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your hyung is sad. When you were young I even changed your diapers, held you when you cried, and helped you sleep. You know how fondly I looked after you.¡± ¡°What? Hyung did?¡± Silence. ¡®He wasn¡¯t my father but my hyung?¡¯ I was surprised that this ahjussi was my hyung. ¡°Aigoo, our youngest must have hurt his head. Look here. Doctor! Doctor!¡± The middle-aged left like that while calling for the doctor. A puzzle piece fell into place, as I looked at him walking away. ¡®I understand now why Jin Taekyung grew up into such a disaster.¡¯ It was a great example of home education gone wrong. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with him.¡± It was the doctor¡¯s examination result. He nodded his head with the sincerity that he was right. Because his words were the truth. ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong with my brain.¡¯ It was only that I entered this body. But it seemed like someone wasn¡¯t satisfied with the examination results. ¡°Then why can¡¯t he remember anything?¡± A dangerous voice. Now I knew his name. ¡®Jin Huikyung.¡¯1 He was Jin Taekyung¡¯s oldest brother and the patriarch of the family, Jin Huikyung. He really wasn¡¯t my father. ¡®That yangban, he even looked like he was going to cry earlier.¡¯ But now like clockwork, he had a mask of dignity. The doctor, who didn¡¯t do anything wrong, answered. ¡°Even though that is my result, occasionally I might be wrong¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can leave.¡± The doctor left with a hurt expression and Jin Huikyung, as if were waiting, came to my side. His voice was overflowing with affection and worry. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± I quietly nodded my head up and down. I already calculated how I would act. ¡®I¡¯ll just keep going like this.¡¯ Like a patient with amnesia in a drama. There was no way I could be even more comfortable in this kind of situation. I didn¡¯t need to put in effort to match the situation in the game, and I didn¡¯t need to gain any more information. I just needed to lay in bed and say I didn¡¯t know anything and just blink my eyes and the situation would just keep going naturally. Just like right now. ¡°Do you remember the words you just said a minute ago?¡± ¡°Which words?¡± Thinking I lost my memory, Jin Huikyung told me some basic information and that was when I found out who he was. ¡°What is my name?¡± ¡°Jin Huikyung. Taiyuan¡¯s Jin family¡¯s patriarch.¡± ¡°My age?¡± ¡°35.¡± Geez, to think he was in his thirty¡¯s with that face. And on top of that, he was even a bachelor who wasn¡¯t even married yet. ¡°Our parents?¡± ¡°Our father is touring the central area. Our mother passed away ten years ago.¡± ¡°Good job. And your second hyung?¡± ¡°Jin¡¯s Heavenly Sword, Jin Mukyung. Twenty five. He¡¯s currently a student at Cheon Mu Academy.¡± I didn¡¯t know where Cheon Mu Academy was. I was just repeating what I was told like a parrot. I answered like a machine and Jin Huikyung nodded his head at my words. ¡°Jin¡¯s Heavenly Sword? Did I say that too?¡± No. I heard that from the driver. Jin Huikyung and I looked at each other at the same time, and I hit my head. ¡°Ah, my head! My head hurts!¡± ¡°Aigoo, youngest!¡± If it was at this level, it was a cheat key. ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s simply bruises, so even at the maximum, the swelling and bruises should disappear in three days.¡± The doctor spoke and left the infirmary. A servant who looked easy-tempered stood waiting at the entrance. ¡°I am here to lead master-nim to his room.¡± The servant walked ahead of me. As if he was already aware of the fact that I lost my memory, he also explained to me what building was what and quietly pointed out who was who when we saw them. ¡®A guide, an errand person, an encyclopedia.¡¯ I could see what Jin Huikyung¡¯s goal was when he sent the servant. He wanted to look after me, even though he was busy himself. ¡°We are here.¡± The building we stopped at was two stories and was made of wood. Usually you would see these kinds of buildings in China. It was a very traditional looking building. ¡°Wow.¡± It was really large. It was at the level that my mouth dropped open automatically as soon as the servant opened the doors. ¡°The 2nd floor is the bedroom. There are bells placed all over the interior, so if there¡¯s anything you need, please feel free to ring them.¡± After the servant left, I came back to my senses and looked around the front. The 1st floor alone looked like it was over 100 pyeong2. Compared to my lonely goshiwon, which was only 2 pyeong, it was comparable to an Olympic stadium. ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve been jealous of an NPC.¡¯ On the first floor, there were 6 rooms. My interest skyrocketed. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s in there.¡¯ Treasures? Mugong manuals? Or amazing items? It didn¡¯t matter what it was. I opened the cloest room. ¡®Whoa.¡¯ I opened the door and an exclamation came out of my mouth. It wasn¡¯t like there was a florescent lamp in the room but it was bright in all directions. There were shelves all along the walls, and all along the shelves were filled with robes. Even looking there was a tremendous amount. Although it wasn¡¯t the sort of items I was looking for. ¡®This guy has a lot of clothes.¡¯ Club, no it was typical of a guy who went to brothels. I clicked my tongue and closed the door. And immediately headed towards the second room. I opened the door. ¡°It¡¯s clothes again?¡± I underestimated Jin Taekyung. If it was by this era¡¯s standards, wouldn¡¯t he be considered a fashion people? I slowly felt anxiety rising up and pushed it down, as I went to the third room. Gulp. ¡°¡­ This shopping addicted bastard.¡± Wow, how could a person like this exist? Looking at the three rooms which were filled with clothes, it felt like a sweet potato was stuck in my throat. ¡®This maybe¡­¡¯ My anxiety rose and I felt my body squeeze. With heavy steps, I walked to the last room. Unlike the other rooms, it looked like it wasn¡¯t used and I grabbed the rusted handle and slowly opened the door. Squeak. The sound of the creaking door and I finally saw the inside of the room. There was a small window and a ray of light. Dust that rose every time I took a step. And from what I could see, numerous books. ¡°I found it.¡± Without me knowing, I laughed. ¡ª There were a total of five books. I picked up the closest book to me. I wiped the dust off the book and read the words on the outer cover. The system was comfortable because of this. Because it translated the words, I could read the alien-like words like a native. ¡°Three Footwork of Warfare?¡± Ring. [Three Footwork of Warfare] Type: Scroll Rank: Third-Rate Restrictions: None Description: The very basic of footwork. Can be bought at the market. Would you like to learn this Mugong? (3/10) This was it! With a racing heart, I read the rest of the system window. Three Footwork of Warfare. A very basic third-rate footwork. Right. It was the type of scroll you would see in novels. My first goal was to become familiar with Mugong. ¡®It looks like I can do Mugong training with the system as well.¡¯ And for the first time, since coming to the Jin residence, my feelings changed after receiving the Qi Sense quest. ¡°What a relief.¡± I was afraid that like the main character in a novel or like the NPCs, I would have to start from the very beginning but it was just me overthinking. ¡®A sucky game is still just a game.¡¯ If like Qi Sense, I could learn Mugong through the system, rapid growth was a piece of cake. I was about to say accept¡­ but¨C Would you like to learn this Mugong? (3/10) The numbers caught my attention. The current Mugong that I knew was three. The Jin Family Footwork Technique, Jin Family Spear Technique, and Jin Family Cultivation Technique. Don¡¯t tell me. ¡®The Mugong I can learn is restricted?¡¯ If my guess was correct, then it wasn¡¯t the time to learn [Three Footwork of Warfare]. I had to survive until I could log out, and I needed to learn higher-level techniques in order to raise my level and fame quickly. But thankfully, in this room there were at least a few hundred Mugong manuals. ¡°Great. Great.¡± The number of Mugong I could learn was seven. It was only a matter of time before I logged out if I chose the best techniques. With a proud smile, I picked up the next book. Ring. [The Great King of Night] Type: Erotic Novel3 Rank: None Restrictions: None Description: It¡¯s even better if you look at the illustrations, while reading it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ª Today the work was fierce as well. Since the morning and now till midnight, he hasn¡¯t left the room. It was already the second month since he started working hard. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± It was the words of Hui Peng after a day¡¯s work. Jin Huikyung stood up, his body stiff, and left the room. It was because the owner of this place, his father and not Jin Huikyung, suddenly disappeared. He was residing in the center of the Jin residence and needed to do a lot of work. ¡°It¡¯s cold out today.¡± Like a painting, Hui Peng put the fur robe around Jin Huikyung¡¯s shoulder. Jin Huikyung laughed with a tired face. ¡°Thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would probably already be sick in bed.¡± ¡°What can you do. Even if it¡¯s me, I have to at least play the role of the lady of the house.¡± ¡°Stop. It¡¯s already looking like I¡¯ll become an old man.¡± Jin Huikyung rubbed his tired eyes. Even though he was in his mid-thirties, he was still a bachelor. With the excuse of he was young, he pushed it off and pushed it off and now already a decade had past. ¡®Eventually I¡¯ll need to marry. At least for the family.¡¯ If someone were to ask him if he¡¯s ever been in love, the answer would be no. But Jin Huikyung was never an immature child. He knew he was eventually going to become the head of the family and thought that a political marriage was a cheap sacrifice to make. ¡°The stars are bright. We don¡¯t even need the torches.¡± Hui Peng changed the subject, sensing the atmosphere. Jin Huikyung shook his face back and forth. Eventually, they saw the residence. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hui Peng followed the direction of Jin Huikyung¡¯s gaze and tilted his head. From not too far away, they could see a pinprick of light. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the third master¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°It is. Even though it¡¯s late, his lights are still on.¡± Jin Huikyung strode forward. Hui Peng followed, having no choice. ¡°Lord. Let¡¯s just see him next time. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s pretending to have lost his memory and is probably just drinking alcohol.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± The two people entered. The light was coming from the old room all the way to the left. And you could hear the sound of someone moving. ¨C I judged the third master too quickly. It looks like he has even called a woman over. Listen to the sounds. I¡¯ll bet it on my salary this month. Hui Peng would shut his mouth. Because it was the sound of skills. ¨C Hui Peng. ¨C Yes? ¨C Shut up. Quietly, Jin Huikyung walked closer to the door. He looked into the room through the opening of the door. With a hurt expression, Hui Peng followed. ¨C I didn¡¯t see you like that but your Lord¡¯s hobby are¡­ huk. The next moment, Hui Peng¡¯s mouth dropped open. What did he just see just now? Maybe it¡¯s because his body felt weak that he was seeing things? He rubbed his eyes and looked inside again. ¡°This time walk two steps in a diagonal line and¡­¡± It was a young man with a sturdy build. He was muttering under his breath and moving his body. And on top of the dusty floor, numerous footprints could be seen. Slide. Slip. ¡°FUCK, fuck this damn Mugong!¡± It was the third master. That horrible personality and foul mouth. It was really the third master, Jin Taekyung. The person who hadn¡¯t trained since he was 12 years old, was sweating profusely in a dusty room, was actually awake past midnight and unbelievably was training! ¨C Hui Peng. In a daze, Hui Peng came back to his senses. ¨C Yes, yes? Jin Huikyung with sparkling eyes was looking inside the room. Jin Taekyung, having fallen to the floor with his head faced towards the ceiling, cursed, stood up again and continued to practice foot techniques. ¨C Like you promised, it looks like you won¡¯t have a salary this month. Something I forgot to mention in the earlier chapters, but if people think it¡¯s weird that the three siblings have the same ¡®Kyung¡¯ in their name¨Cit¡¯s actually very common when parents name their children, i.e. a generational name. So it¡¯s basically used to indicate that certain family members are part of a certain generation. Another example would be, my sister and I share ¡°Soo¡± as a generational name. It¡¯s not required but very common. About 3558 square feet I wasn¡¯t sure what this meant ¡®??¡¯ but I think it¡¯s a shortened word for ¡®?? ??¡¯? Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Ring. ¨C [Jin Family Footwork] acquired. ¨C Can gain effects when the Mugong is successful. ¨C Achievement, [Mugong Familiarization] has been achieved. ¨C The title [Novice Trainee] has been rewarded. ¡°Aigoo.¡± I flopped to the floor as soon as I heard the system¡¯s alarm. Who cared about the dust on the floor, I already looked like a beggar. ¡®Why is this so hard.¡¯ Jin Taekyung only found two kinds of books in the study. Erotic novels. And novels that weren¡¯t erotic. Over 400 of the books were erotic novels, excluding the 100 I left out. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ If he had been born in Korea, he would have been an illegal adult website user1, if he had been born in the States, he was the kind of person that would be in prison. Regardless, after I divided the books, only 30 or so were Mugong manuals. ¡®If only there were at least half as many manuals as there were erotic novels.¡¯ Even though it was a pity for me, it was still a harvest. Because I discovered Mugong manuals that I would need right away. The Jin Family Spear Technique and the Jin Family Footwork. It was the Mugong I forgot because I hadn¡¯t trained in so long. ¡®Confirm Jin Family Footwork.¡¯ Ring. [Jin Family Footwork] Stage: 1st Stage2 Type: Footwork Rank: Second-Rate Restrictions: Direct Line of the Jin Family Description: The footwork technique the founders of the Jin family created. A technique of little change, monotonous and practical. The Jin Family Spear Technique¡¯s description wasn¡¯t that different. But. ¡®A technique of little change and monotonous, damn it.¡¯ The Mugong was ridiculously complicated. Just thinking about it made my teeth grind. ¨C Starting acquisition of [Jin Family Footwork]. ¨C Memorizing skill. The speed of the Mugong will be different depending on the rank and intelligence. Right, it was fine up until this point. The problem started afterwards. Displaying completion of [Jin Family Footwork] rounds (0/100) I followed the system¡¯s directions on where to place my foot, but if I stepped my foot even a little outside the footprint then I would fail. If I was late in placing the next foot down, then another fail. I needed to do the whole thing exactly right and then I would complete a round. ¡®This fucking crappy game.¡¯ The difference between my character¡¯s physique and the me in reality was big. My original height was cut in half and my reach was shorter too. I wasn¡¯t able to adjust to the small changes, so I ended up making a lot of mistakes. ¡®It¡¯s a miracle I succeeded.¡¯ I finished 100 rounds like that and now my arms and legs were shaking. ¡®Still I gained something.¡¯ Having battled as a hunter for a long time, especially in dungeons, repetition was important. The difference between life and death in a fight was (1) luck and (2) your feet. Forward. Retreat. Or stop. Even if your arms got cut off, if you could still move, you could live. But if your legs got cut off, that was the end. Your arms go out when your legs go out. That was the martial arts I experienced, and that was why I learned footwork techniques first. ¡°But¡­¡± I was too slow. I borrowed the systems strength but half a day past just like that. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how much more time would pass if I learned the spear. ¡®Today is the fifth day.¡¯ Time flowed faster in the game than it did in real life. But even considering the time difference, 5 days was a long time. ¡°Huuu.¡± I shook off all of my stray thoughts with a sigh. Structure? Log out? Rather than looking at probability, it was better to just keep going. ¡®I¡¯ll just do this much for today.¡¯ I picked up the Mugong manuals and left the room. And as I reached the 2nd floor bedroom, I discovered an unusual book stuck in-between the manuals. [The Great King of Night] ¡°Kuhmm.¡± Aigoo, this kind of mistake. ¡ª ¡°You have already coughed?¡± The servant looked at me with wide-eyes. He was holding a tray he had been using for breakfast. ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep that well¡­¡± It was the truth. It was because of Qi Cultivation. ¡®The effects are amazing.¡¯ Qi Cultivation cleared my mind, my five senses, as well as relieving my fatigue. Thinking about it now, after learning Qi Cultivation, I haven¡¯t felt tired once. ¡®My pain is almost all gone too.¡¯ ¡°Your pain may come back, so please rest a little.¡± At the servant¡¯s words, I felt a corner of my heart warm. Even in this crappy game, there was an NPC who was like a ray of light. I finally met someone normal. ¡®Why is this making me emotional.¡¯ With an emotional face, I started eating my breakfast. Even though the side dishes were both bland and salty, because of my hunger I finished all the plates. ¡®Kkhhh.¡¯3 It was a taste that made my eyes shut. The servant bowed after cleaning my dishes. ¡°Then I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Ah, just a minute please.¡± ¡°Please speak informally to me. How can you speak formally to someone like me?¡± Now that he said that, it was true. At first because of the graphics and the A.I., everything seemed too real so every time I met an NPC, I would speak formally to them. But now I was a little bit more comfortable with the situation. At last, it was time to get my dignity back. I replied with as much dignity as possible. ¡°For now, I will do what is most comfortable for me.¡± Fuck, I couldn¡¯t do it. Just looking at him, he looked like he was over forty years old, so how could I speak informally to someone who looked like an ahjussi. This crappy game, making the graphics look too good that I couldn¡¯t even speak informally. ¡®If I keep going like this, I¡¯ll become friends with an NPC.¡¯ Knowing I hurt my head, the servant reluctantly nodded his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do. But is there anything you need me to do?¡± ¡°I was wondering if there were any empty rooms.¡± The servant tilted his head. ¡°I can get you an empty room, but what will you use it for?¡± ¡°I want to do Mugong training.¡± ¡°What?¡±4 ¡°All the rooms here are either dirty or too stuffy¡­ but why is your expression like that?¡± ¡ª The place the servant went to afterwards was the patriarch¡¯s office. After the servant finished his report, Jin Huikyung, towering over the documents on his desk, said with a voice full of gratitude. ¡°Good work.¡± As the servant left the room, Jin Huikyung sprung up out of his seat and the documents went flying everywhere. ¡°It¡¯s a joyous day! I¡¯m not going to work today!¡± ¡°According to who?¡± Hui Peng sighed, grabbing the fallen documents. ¡°People will say things if they know you are acting this way.¡± ¡°Who cares, right now our youngest is learning Mugong!¡± ¡°Even more importantly, the elders are determined this time.¡± The elders. At those words, Jin Huikyung¡¯s expression calmed down. ¡°Those damn elders.¡± ¡°I think the council will open soon. In their positions, if they see a chance they¡¯re going to bite.¡± It was obvious even without seeing the meeting agenda. They would attack by starting off with Jin Taekyung¡¯s regular behavior and rumors. ¡°Those guys sure are persistant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like this is the first time? There¡¯s a saying that bugs boil on old pillars5. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way?¡± ¡°It looks like you will have to be the third master¡¯s shield again.¡± Hui Peng sighed. ¡°Lord. May your subordinate say something?¡± ¡°I will reject.¡± ¡°Then I will also reject. It¡¯s already the fifth time since he¡¯s used family funds. I can¡¯t even count his other acts. If we enforced regular regulations on the third master, it would be a miracle if he was even alive.¡± ¡°Uh huh. This person.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m saying this since I¡¯m already speaking, but ask anyone here. It¡¯s only because it¡¯s your younger sibling that you love, but to other people¡­ huu, I can¡¯t even say it.¡± ¡°Are you dissatisfied with our youngest? Why are your words like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m uncomfortable. Uncomfortable. If the third master gets into an accident, you¡¯re the one to take care of it, and then because you¡¯re in the way, you have to listen to the elders demands. Like this you¡¯ll get your leadership taken away bit by bit. Do you know what kinds of rumors are circling right now?¡± ¡°What kind of rumors?¡± ¡°That the third master is the elders follower. That he¡¯s receiving money from them, in exchange for causing accidents on purpose.¡± Jin Huikyung¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°Those sinners!¡± ¡°If it was like that, that would be even better. At least that way he wouldn¡¯t be using the family funds.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m done saying everything I wanted to say. If you¡¯re going to fire me, fire me.¡± Huu. Jin Huikyung sighed deeply. ¡°I was already thinking that if it keeps going like this, it won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°That is good thinking. The problem is if they will move.¡± ¡°Still, we need to try.¡± ¡°Aigoo, Lord¡­¡± ¡°This will be the last time. I promise.¡± Jin Huikyung spoke seriously. Hui Peng asked. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°His memory isn¡¯t that great yet. Not only that¡­ but in a day he¡¯s become a different person. Haven¡¯t you felt that too.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Hui Peng trailed off. It was true the third master changed. Even if he was lying or not, if you were to look only at him now, there was hope. Lost in thought for a moment, Jin Huikyung opened his mouth. ¡°Hui Peng.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Write a command in my name.¡± ¡°What kind of¡­?¡± ¡°Pick a few suitable charges and lock him up in the training room.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Hui Peng picked up his meaning. Even though it was a ceremony, in the current situation it was a good plan. It was enough to take care of the threats that would come up in the meeting, while being able to lower the punishment level for Jin Taekyung. And on top of that¡­ ¡°And we can take care of the third master¡¯s request at the same time. I¡¯m talking about his request to find a separate training room.¡± This was killing a bird with two stones. Hui Peng felt admiration. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s the Lord.¡± ¡°Our family is like this. Ah, did I say that? When Taekyung was little, he was exceptionally intelligent, and then¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I will go write out your command.¡± ¡ª ¡°Having violated 14 of the laws and regulations and as a breach in discipline, the third master, Jin Taekyung will be locked indefinitely inside the training room.¡± Did he say his name was¡­ Hui Peng? He had a face that made me lose my appetite and after I finished listening to him, I raised my hand. ¡°I, I have a question.¡± ¡°Please ask.¡± ¡°What do you mean by indefinitely?¡± Hui Peng answered with a sour face. ¡°It means there isn¡¯t a specified time limit.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± And here I thought that the language in the game had an error. But it had the same meaning I knew. Haha. ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Heo heo heo.¡±6 It was said that laughter is contagious. Hui Peng followed after me and laughed as well. In that kind of warm atmosphere, Hui Peng said his last sentence. ¡°Offender Jin Taekyung, accept your brother¡¯s will.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I said no. Fuck.¡± As if to say, this wasn¡¯t what I expected, Hui Peng stared at me. But who cared because I said what I wanted to say. ¡°I said I wanted a training room, did I say I wanted to be locked up?¡± Aren¡¯t they crazy bastards? ¡°Look, Third Master. Calm down and listen to me.¡± ¡°Fuck listening, everything I need is in the training room. You¡¯ll be well taken care of. You¡¯re just going to say something like this.¡± Looking at his expression, it looked like I was right. I drove a wedge in. ¡°You¡¯re basically saying we¡¯re going to give you higher wages, so be conscripted into the army happily. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not going to listen. I¡¯ll just train by myself in the field or in my room.¡± To be honest, the training room didn¡¯t sound that bad. But his words felt like a weapon pricking me. But even though learning Mugong and raising my level was important, I couldn¡¯t wait while they locked me for who knows how long. I laid down just like that. ¡°Just cut my belly!¡±7 ¡°Third Master. Calm down and sit up.¡± Hui Peng looked at me with a pained expression. ¡°The Lord is doing all of this for Master¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Jin Huikyung, no I mean hyung-nim did?¡± That dongsaeng8 lover put down that kind of command? At that moment, Hui Peng snapped his lips together. And that the same time, I heard a voice in my ears. It was a different feeling. ¨C This is me9. Don¡¯t be surprised and listen. Transmitting your voice in secret. I remember hearing about this technique. The telepathy that only masters could use. ¨C You might not remember since you lost your memory but the third master is on the blacklist. You could have received a bigger punishment, so the Lord did this before they could do anything. What was he saying to someone who worked hard for 27 years. Hui Peng continued sorrowfully. ¨C Even though he said indefinitely, do you think the Lord will lock you in there forever? I shook my head. If it was that yangban, there was no way he would. Although who knew if it was just me and him in the training room. ¨C At the most, you will be out within seven weeks. What do you think? I could see the will in Hui Peng¡¯s eyes. He looked like he would just take me himself by force if I rejected. ¡®Fuck, are all these NPCs gangsters or what.¡¯ Hey, you bastard. You fight that well? I turned on [Qi Sense] and looked at Hui Peng¡¯s level. [Lv. ???] ¡°¡­¡± I was right. He was a gangster. Level gangster. As strong as Jin Huikyung, he was his butcher. Hui Peng with glaring eyes asked. ¨C What do you think? Shaking with fear, I counted three fingers. ¨C ¡­ do you mean let you out in three days? What kind of asshole was this. Looking at me with that kind of face, Hui Peng sighed and said. ¡°I will see.¡± #Training #LockedUp #Negotiations #Success Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Translation Note: Jin Huikyung will be referred to as the ¡®Leader¡¯ or ¡®Clan Leader¡¯, while their father will be referred to as the ¡®Patriarch¡¯, who is above the Leader or the Clan Leader. The previous chapters will be edited to reflect this change. Sorry about the confusion! After walking for several minutes, they arrived at a cliff, located at the rear of the Jin residence. And in front of the entrance stood a person. ¡°Mmh. Have you come?¡± With a build like a brown bear and a stern voice. It was Jin Huikyung. I awkwardly lowered my head. ¡°Hello, hyung¡­ nim.¡± Jin Huikyung was an uncomfortable existence. Not only did I suddenly get an NPC who was my family but he also had a lot of interest in me. Look at him, just look at how much effort he is putting in so that others won¡¯t notice. But if you looked closely, you could see his glistening eyes. ¡®Is his sensitivity real.¡¯ Outwardly he looked like he could be the head of the Triad, so why were all the game characters like this. ¡°I can no longer tolerate your behavior as the Leader of this family and so you have been ordered to be locked up. Do you have any last words?¡± ¡®Of course I do.¡¯ But it was about playing a secret deal. I heard the ongoing situation from Hui Peng on the way to the training facility. About the power struggle happening inside the Jin family, and Jin Huikyung¡¯s role as a shield for my behavior. So me getting locked up, was basically all a show. And master, didn¡¯t you say you needed space to train anyways? Just be patient for three days. Remembering Hui Peng¡¯s last words to me, I pretended like I was reflecting and lowered my head. ¡°I will accept my punishment.¡± The benefits to this play were that my lines were short. Jin Huikyung stared woefully at me and said his last lines. ¡°Lock the offender into the training facility. I shall notify you of your public appearance later.¡± As he finished speaking, two warriors grabbed my arms on either side. Now that the play ended, it was time to send me off. I stood in the entrance of the training facility. ¨C I left items you needed. Youngest, don¡¯t overdo it too much. ¡ª The training room was basically a cavern. Not only that but it was a man-made cave. High and wide. And wet. Splash, splash. I wonder how far I¡¯ve walked with the warriors. At the point where I wasn¡¯t sure whether the shoes I wore were leather or wet rags, I saw a huge iron gate. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ My mouth opened at the sight. Rather than a door to enter through, it looked like a wall we weren¡¯t allowed to access. The warriors who brought me here, raised their torches and shouted. ¡°Open the door!¡± Gghhh-1 The large iron gate opened slowly. It wasn¡¯t like this was a magic trick, an NPC who stood waiting was using a device to open the door but still, it was an amazing sight. And the minute my eyes saw what was inside. ¡°Whoa.¡± Even I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. When I first entered the training facility, I thought it would just be another wet cave¡­ ¡°What is all this.¡± A wide bed and a fur blanket that made me happy just looking at it. And rather than wet grounds, instead it was a clean gray floor. ¡®Cement¡­ of course it¡¯s not, maybe it¡¯s limestone?¡¯ Except the cold air, no considering the cold air, it was better than what I was thinking. ¡®This is locked up?¡¯ As I was staring at my surroundings, at my back someone coughed. I turned around and saw the warriors who guided me here. ¡°Everything you need has been left here for you. Then I shall leave.¡± Kung. As I looked at the door slowly closing, I remembered the words from the entrance. I left the items you need. Youngest, don¡¯t overdo it too much. Ah, his warm hearted NPC feelings for his dongsaeng. This foolish user is crying. ¡ª In reality, this would have happened numerous times. Corrupt high ranking officials in a wheelchair, in and out of prosecution, and in order to evade sentences, being admitted into a hospital. Even though it was slightly different, that was me right now. With a face that looked touched, I looked around the training facility. ¡°So this is what it means to be a gold spoon.¡± Graphics, the artificial intelligence wasn¡¯t real life. But it left a message that basically said that gold-spoons were the best. Geez, what would I have done if it wasn¡¯t for this character. My father was the Patriarch, my oldest hyung was the Clan Leader, and my second hyung was a Mugong genius. I could understand why I was a regular at brothels. ¡®Jin Taekyung this guy¡­¡¯ Thinking about it, he was a wise man for realizing how the world worked at a young age. I walked around the training facility. And I was able to find the items I needed. ¡®First food.¡¯ The food was stored in two jars. Looking into them, they were food balls that smelt strongly of medicine. [Excellent Medicinal Pills] Type: ??2 Rank: First-Rate Description: A pill stuffed idiotically with all kinds of good ingredients. Regain energy when ingested, if many are consumed, additional effects may be gained. ¡°Ah, these are those medicinal pills?¡± I¡¯ve seen these before in martial art novels. They were light and small, so they were comfortable to carry. Not only that but they worked as supplementary nutrition. The other jar was full of pills too. ¡®First, I¡¯ll just put them in my inventory.¡¯ Grabbing them in both hands, I muttered. ¡®Acquire Item.¡¯ If someone saw me like this, they would be surprised. Pills that were in my hands, suddenly disappeared. I looked at the pills sitting in my inventory happily. ¡®With this my food problem is taken care of.¡¯ Next was the second item I found that I needed. As I looked around the training facility, there was a cold pool of water in the corner. That took care of my drinking water problem. And lastly, the third. ¡°Hmm.¡± Numerous weapons laying side by side. Of course, the first weapon I grabbed was a firm looking wooden spear. ¡®Identify Item.¡¯ Ring. [Wooden Spear for Training] Type: Weapon Rank: Third Rate Description: Made for a beginner. ¡°Oh.¡± A wooden spear made for a beginner. For me right now, it was the perfect item. I only needed one more thing for it to be perfect. ¡°Open Inventory.¡± I smirked and grabbed the [Jin Family Spear Technique]. Ring. Would you like to acquire [Jin Family Spear Technique]? (3 / 10) ¡°Of course yes.¡± I really liked the system. Sometimes it was lovable. ¡ª I realized something after learning the Jin Family Footwork. That the system didn¡¯t only have one type of ¡®ring¡¯ sound. And how much I hated hearing it. Bik! ¨C Movement failed. ¨C Number of Successes (2 / 100) The failure message. If I heard a ¡®bik¡¯ sound, then that system window would pop up every time. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve already looked at that message. I looked at the [Wooden Spear for Training] in my hand. ¡®I thought wrong.¡¯ Maybe because it was a wooden spear, but it was light. Wherever I thrusted, swiped, it moved fast. That was why it was a problem. ¡®It¡¯s so light that it¡¯s hard to control.¡¯ The fine movement was too hard to control, so I kept getting it wrong. And there was no way the freaking dirty system would overlook that kind of small mistake. Bik. ¨C Movement failed. ¨C Number of Successes (5 / 100) ¡°Ah. Fuck.¡± In the end, I put back the [Wooden Spear for Training] and grabbed the [Sharp Spear] instead. It felt closer to the length and thickness of the spear I used in reality. But why didn¡¯t I grab it first? ¡°It¡¯s too heavy. Really.¡± Because it was made of steel, it couldn¡¯t help but be heavy. It felt like it could be 50kg. If I swiped this spear around, my stamina wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. Currently my stage was Second Rate but even if I borrowed the system¡¯s strength, if I swung a spear that weighed as much as half a bag of rice, it was impossible. ¡®It¡¯s not like I have the strength of a tiger overflowing somewhere.¡¯ It was when I had that thought. ¡°¡­. uh?¡± What did I just say right now? The strength of a tiger? ¡°I have it?¡± This place was a game. I had skills because of the system. And I had Qi. Through Qi Cultivation, I had 10 years worth of Qi. I was embarrassed I forgot even for a minute. ¡°I would know if I ever used it in the first place¡­¡± They said that only people who ate meat knew. A F rank hunter was an F rank for a reason. I didn¡¯t have mana and fought using my body. Even among hunters I was treated as unwelcome. ¡®Still, at least I solved one problem.¡¯ Huu huu, laughing like it was ridiculous, I gripped the spear. And slowly, carefully, I pulled out my Qi. I rewound the Jin Family Cultivation Technqiue the system imprinted in my head and led my Qi through my pathways. Jolt. The reaction was immediate. The 10 years worth of Qi that was curled up in my dantian spread throughout my whole body. Maybe because it was a game, or because I was a Murim-in3, but I could feel the energy spreading through my four limbs. ¡°This¡­¡± I could feel the strength overflowing. As a F rank hunter, I could feel my abilities and senses heightening. ¡®To think it could be this different.¡¯ I grabbed my spear and started the [Jin Family Spear Technique]. I no longer felt like it was a spear that weighed 50kg, and thrusted my spear through the steps exactly. Eventually. Ring. Number of Successes (6 / 100) I heard the sound I was waiting for. ¡ª Jin Huikyung, who had a troubled face, opened his mouth. ¡°Is he doing well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well. If he has any conscious.¡± ¡°His body isn¡¯t recovered yet¡­ he should be okay right?¡± ¡°If someone who didn¡¯t know was hearing this, they would think that the third master was in critical condition. In his body condition, it¡¯ll get better if you put some spit on it.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re only able to say that because you don¡¯t know how weak the youngest was when he was little.¡± Hui Peng answered with a cold face. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine with the spiritual medicine and health supplements provided for him. And did you already forget? His theft of the 100 year old ginseng!¡± ¡°Uh huh4. That¡­¡± ¡°The physician was so angry he wanted to cut open the third master¡¯s belly. And to be honest, I even thought this. That even if he cut open his belly, it would be self-defense.¡± Jin Huikyung avoided his gaze. In the end, it ended with Jin Huikyung emptying his private funds, but at the time the physician¡¯s anger was impressive. ¡°If he had that much medicine, he won¡¯t die from minor injuries or illnesses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not enough. Can¡¯t you tell by just looking? I feel bad every time I look at the youngest. He doesn¡¯t have that much flesh on his bones. And every morning, he¡¯s so weak and feeble that he doesn¡¯t have any strength.¡± ¡°You say he doesn¡¯t have strength?¡± Hui Peng thought of the rumors he¡¯s heard in the past. That in the red-light district, there were rumors he was known as the King of Night. ¡®If it¡¯s that much, how long is it?¡¯ It looked like at least he was receiving one medicine. Without even realizing, Hui Peng lifted his arm and was imagining the size. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jin Huikyung looked at his documents stacked up like a mountain and sighed. ¡°The youngest too, but there¡¯s too many things to take care of in and out of the Clan. Especially¡­ ¡®those people¡¯ that we¡¯ve reluctantly come into contact with.¡± ¡°You mean the Mount Heng Sword Sect.¡± The Mount Heng Sword Sect. It wasn¡¯t a name to be said lightly. Dozens of years ago, they rose up at a scary pace, and if it kept going like this, it was enough to make things dangerous. ¡°What are their intentions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having my subordinates investigate.¡± Jin Huikyung fiddled with the Mount Heng Sword Sect correspondence. Why? What goal did they have by coming here? There was only one conclusion. ¡°Let all the branches in Shan Xi Providence know. No matter what the Mount Heng Sword Sect goals are, to be ready.¡± This was Murim. Only those that were ready would survive and be ready for tomorrow. 1.Sound of door opening. 2.I¡¯m sorry I have no idea what this means. If someone knows, I¡¯ll update. Thanks! 3.Murim Warrior 4.Sound of scolding Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Swiik. Woong. Multiple pinpricks of light twinkling in the air were being penetrated. Every time a movement was completed, the red embroidery string attached to the spear would fluctuate back and forth. It wasn¡¯t there for decoration but was there to distract the enemy¡¯s gaze. Pang! Again, there was a sound of the air piercing. The [Jin Family Spear Technqiue] had seven forms. And the last was Piercing Heaven (ÌìØžÝW)1. And before any of the other 99 Piercing Heavens, this Piercing Heaven was even more accurate and powerful. ¡®This is it.¡¯ My fingertips felt electrified. Even though the seven forms of the Jin Family Spear Technique were destructive, together they had a genuine effect. If I were to compare it to car race, the first form was the car starting up. And the last Piercing Heaven could basically be seen as the goal. ¡°Huu.¡± It was at the moment I set my spear aside and was breathing heavily. Ring. ¨C Number of Successes (100 / 100) ¨C Acquired [Jin Family Spear Technique] ¨C As a result of repetitive training, certain stats have risen! ¨C Strength, Stamina, Agility have risen by 1 point. ¡°Oh. My stats rose.¡± I could rise my stats through this method. Thinking it was amazing, I opened my status window. Ring. [Lv. 11 Jin Taekyung] Occupation: Second Rate Murim-in Fame: 10 Titles: 3 (Titles Currently Applied) Strength: 41 Stamina: 51 Agility: 51 Intelligence: 10 Charm: 10 Qi: 10 years Remaining Points: 0 ¨C Son of a Noble Family (All Abilities +5, Fame +50) ¨C Shame of the Family (All Abilities -5, Fame -50) ¨C Novice Trainee (Training Speed +10%) If it was this much¡­ ¡°I¡¯m an excellent Second Rate loser.¡± But it was better than reality. Because I could go higher. Since the day I awakened as a F rank hunter, I could feel my own limitations and the glass ceiling society placed upon me. ¡°But what does that matter. I can¡¯t even log out when I want to.¡± I sighed and sat on the floor. Because I was training for hours without resting, my body felt heavy like a cotton that was soaked with water. ¡°Aigoo. It¡¯s hard.¡± Ring. You are feeling fatigue and hunger. Recover your health by eating. Right. I thought it would be like that. ¡°Fatigue and hunger.¡± The answer was a break. Eat well and sleep well. But it felt like a waste of time to be laid back. If only I had an item that recovered my health¡­ ¡°Ah, right. The pill.¡± I took out the pill that I put into my inventory. Even though it had an unusual smell, if I was picky about cold food or hot food, than I wouldn¡¯t be a pro hunter. I opened my mouth wide and chewed on the pill. And thought. ¡®Should I just spit it out.¡¯ It didn¡¯t just taste bad. My tongue was screaming at me to save it¡¯s life and my stomach even had a sign up that entrance was prohibited. But there were times when humans would display shows of superhuman will. I shut my eyes tightly and swallowed the medicinal pill. Gulp. ¡°Euuuh. I ate it. I really ate it.¡± If in the next second the system alarm didn¡¯t ring, I would have rolled around. Ring. ¨C You have ingested [Excellent Medicinal Pills]. ¨C You are feeling full. ¨C You are recovering from fatigue. ¨C For one hour, all skills will go up by 2 points. ¡°What?¡± I urgently checked my status window and saw that all my skills really went up by 2 points. Not only that but my hunger and fatigue were going away. Feeling full and recovered, I muttered. ¡°This is total fraud?¡± Who knew that something that tasted this bad would have such great effects. No, wait. ¡°Does this have duplicating effects?¡± I only ate one but the total number of points it went up was 10. Two, three, or if I ate 10 of them? ¡®I would eat even goblin droppings.¡¯ Although I honestly thought that even goblin droppings would taste better¡­ I still wanted to try. ¡®I can do it. I can do it. Jin Taekyung.¡¯ My hand shook as I ate my second medcinal pill. And afterwards. ¨C You have ingested [Excellent Medicinal Pills]. ¨C Effects will not duplicate. ¨C You are currently feeling over full. ¨C You are currently impacted by [Over Eating]. Your movements are being slowed down for one hour! I kneeled at the same time at the same time I heard the alarm sound. ¡°Waaaaaahk!¡± ¡ª I was only able to train after one hour. The number of days I would stay at the training facility was three days. During that time I needed to raise my strength. ¡°Hah!¡± With a short shout, I drew a trajectory with my spear. ¡®My posture needs to be low, my steps heavy, and my spear fast.¡¯ The Jin Family Spear Technique was more attack based. It continuously pressured the enemy. The technique was both simple and deadly. ¡®Did they say it was derived from the military?¡¯ Even though I didn¡¯t know what the game setting was like, it didn¡¯t seem like a Mugong that a soldier could learn. It was because you needed to be at least a Second Rate Mugong-in2, plus the body and abilities to go with it. I felt like it was Mugong for elite soldiers, or even commanding officers. ¡®If I were to compare it to my training as a hunter, it¡¯s the difference between heaven and earth.¡¯ It was at that thought. It may have been because my stamina was depleted, or because of the distracting thoughts I was having but my feet twisted. As my feet got twisted, my hands were in disarray. Full of energy, I lost my momentum and sliced the air. Swiik¡ª At the same time the system. Proficiency for the [Jin Family Spear Technique] has gone up by 1. (6 / 100) ¡°Only 1?¡± Just like that, if I did the forms from the start to the end, proficiency would go up. Although by the system standards, the proficiency that I gained was different, this time even my feet got twisted, all I got was 1 point. ¡°How am I getting worse the more I do it?¡± After acquiring it, by the third time I was doing it, I was getting more and more terrible at it. The first time I did it, I got a proficiency of 3. The second, 2. The third, which was just now, 1. ¡°3, 2, 1. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s counting down, what is this?¡± It was looking as if I wouldn¡¯t get any points during my fourth time. Taking a deep breath, I held my spear up again. Even though it felt as if my breathing was different, I went through the forms of the Jin Family Spear Technique. But during the fourth form, I lost my balance and fell down. Ring. You were unable to gain any proficiency for the [Jin Family Spear Technique] (6 / 100) ¡°This is making me crazy.¡± I looked at the stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling. My feet kept getting twisted. I followed through the forms I learned, so why? I didn¡¯t encounter any problems when I was learning to acquire it. ¡°What could be the problem?¡± I needed to figure out what the problem was. Like a roly poly, I stood up and went through the Jin Family Spear Technique forms. This time I fell after only doing the third form. You were unable to gain any proficiency for the [Jin Family Spear Technique] (6 / 100) It wasn¡¯t a problem with the spear but because I was too focused on my feet. Great, one more time. You were unable to gain any proficiency for the [Jin Family Spear Technique] (6 / 100) I knew what the problem was. But¡­ ¡°Why is the Jin Family Footwork showing up?¡± When I was first learning it, it was a struggle. Because learning the footwork took half a day. But if you were to ask me if I were to use it while going through the forms of the Spear Technique, then I would have said no. ¡®If I were to say that, I could argue that all the movements that I¡¯ve used for the past seven years would have been mixed in too.¡¯ I learned spear techniques3 too. In order to enter hunter training, it was the basics that I needed to learn but because I couldn¡¯t use mana, among F rank hunters we called it the crappy spear technique. If I were to compare it, then the Jin Family Spear Technique would have been an intermediate hunter technique. ¡°Should I try one more time?¡± Even if I racked my brains, I would only get bald. The only way to learn was through the body. I slowly went through the forms of the Jin Family Spear Technique. And using my lower body, I went through the steps of the Jin Family Footwork. ¡®The movements feel unnatural.¡¯ I kept getting it wrong. But it felt different. Up until now, the strings were getting knotted together but now, it felt like the cogwheels were only slightly off beat. Like that, I tried multiple times. Swiik¡ª Pang! A simple penetratingly movement. Without knowing it, I thought I already reached the final seventh form but it was actually only the fifth movement. ¡°What was that just now?¡± My spine felt like pines and needles. For one moment, the Footwork Technique and the Spear Technique fitted together perfectly. My hands that were holding the spear, shook. You were unable to gain any proficiency for the [Jin Family Spear Technique] (6 / 100) I ignored the system alarm sounds and again, held the spear up. Thinking about the feeling from before, I took a step forward. And then again. Swiik¡ª Swii Swiik¡ª This was it. The instant I thrusted the spear out, I could feel it. My Footwork with the Spear Technique. It was like two cogwheels fitting together perfectly. There weren¡¯t any words to describe the pleasure I felt at the two cogwheels working together perfect. My footsteps, alongside the sweeping movements with the thrusting spear felt faster and stronger. My dantian felt hot. My Qi became like a ball of fire and permeated the spear. I needed to throw it up. It was now! ¡°Hap!¡± Piercing Heaven. The Jin Family Spear Technique pierced the sky. There was a muffled roar. Kwang¡ª! In all directions, dust flew everywhere and the rocks scattered. The spear was lodged in the training facility wall, while my body shook. There was a large hole in the center of where my spear was stuck. A hole? No. This was a crater. It was a sight enough to make me breathless. ¡°Huk, huk¡­¡± I felt pleased, along with goosebumps. Fuck, it was me. I did it! A movement that was enough to take a troll out, I¡­! Stagger. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I needed to shout and take a picture for proof. I needed to make Jinho hyung¡¯s nose flat, who used to make fun of me for being a rice bug. ¡®Ah, this place. It was just a game.¡¯ The sight in front of me was getting blurry. The strength was leaving my body. And I felt so sleepy that I struggled pushing it away. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡¯ I stopped thinking and listened to my body. A familiar sound felt like it was coming from far away. Ring. Ring. Ring. . . . ¨C All your Qi has been exhausted. ¨C You are feeling extreme fatigue. ¨C Achievement, [Awareness of Oneself]4 has been achieved. Preparing rewards! ¨C You have connected Mugong on your own. As a reward, Mugong stages are largely rising. ¨C [Jin Family Qi Cultivation Technqiue] Stage is¡­ ¨C [Jin Family Footwork] Stage is¡­ ¨C [Jin Family Spear Technique]¡­ ¨C Level up! ¨C Level up! ¡ª Sleep mode has ended. I opened my eyes. I could see the stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling. ¡®The training facility.¡¯ I wonder how long I was out for. Half a day? Or one day? I don¡¯t know. The important fact was that I was still inside the game, and that I¡¯ve rested long enough. ¡®My condition is at its best too.¡¯ My condition felt so great in fact, that it was weird. Now that I thought about it, I felt like I heard the system alarm before I fainted. ¡°Open Message Window.¡± In the next second, I saw all the messages that I hadn¡¯t confirmed. I organized my thoughts and after a dozen minutes passed, I muttered. ¡°I hit jackpot.¡± The Jin Family Footwork and Spear Technique both hit the third stage and the Jin Family Qi Cultivation Technique rose up to the second stage. Not only that¡­ ¡°I rose two levels?¡± I felt happy but dazed. It was because I didn¡¯t have any expectations that I would raise my level while I was in the training facility. ¡°Normally don¡¯t I need to raise it through quests or by catching monsters?¡± Who knew that I would raise my level just by learning Mugong. Maybe it was because the genre of the game was martial arts? It was beyond my grasp. ¡°Ah, no wonder my body felt so refreshed.¡± It looked like my body recovered after levelling up. All my bruises and pain I felt before levelling up was gone. ¡°Open Status Window.¡± My status window changed. I rose up to level 13, gained 20 free points, and it looked like through training I was able to raise strength, stamina and agility. ¡°Level 13.¡± The quest requirements were that I reach level 30 and 500 fame. Although it wasn¡¯t fast, raising my level through training felt steady. ¡®Once I leave the training facility, all I need to do is open my sails and go.¡¯ I smiled proudly and distributed my remaining points. Now all I needed to do was confirm the rewards I received through [Awareness of Oneself]. ¡°Open Inventory.¡± There is 1 new item in your inventory. Would you like to check? Yeah, give it. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Translation Note: All mentions of the ¡°Jin Family¡± have been changed to the ¡°Jin Sect¡±. Mainly because I feel like this makes more sense, since people can become part of the Sect, without being directly blood related to the family (i.e. Hyuk Mujin). Previous mentions will be edited to match. Was it 10 years ago? When I was in high school, there was an incident where dozens of ordinary citizens were able to enter the gate through government approval. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure it was China.¡¯ Even hunters who entered the gate struggled, it was a miracle to think an ordinary citizen could even think about entering. On the day of that crazy departure, I found out who they were through an interview with a child. The Chinese Martial Arts Federation. In modern terms, it was the same as Murim-ins. They, who were awakened, declared in front of dozens of cameras. ¡°Today, through our technique1 we will splendidly resurrect.¡± It really was splendid. In only half a day, they decorated the front page of every news. ¡ª The Chinese Martial Arts Federation consists of 25 people. Exterminated by a F rank gate. And it was found that over half died as a result of poison needles by goblins¡­ I didn¡¯t know how incredible their technique was but through that incident, China was totally humiliated and all that was left of the Chinese Martial Arts Federation was their sign. ¡®They were completely destroyed.¡¯ Considered the best martial artists on the continent, they died from the goblin¡¯s poison needles, and the Tai Chi masters got beat up by the boxers. That was reality. In novels, or in scenes that appear in movies, mysterious stories in media broadcasts seemed like fiction. ¡°But¡­¡± Now I didn¡¯t know. The movements that Hyuk Mujin showed me were ¡®real¡¯. It changed into conviction as I slowly become more and more familiar with Mugong. In reality, there wasn¡¯t a Mugong that was weak and limp. In this place, Mugong was systematic and included dozens of movements. It couldn¡¯t be compared to the Mugong or even boxing in reality. ¡®How is something like this possible? Is it because this is a game?¡¯ Suuuup. Huuuu. Through my breathing, I was able to sense the energies outside of my body. And I drew it back in. Following my meridians, the rotating 10 year Qi could be compared to a speck of dust and even though it was small and weak, even that was a regretful situation. ¡®One round, two rounds¡­¡¯ Following the internal energy through the Jin Sect Qi Technique, I continued onto Qi Circulation. It was as natural as if I had been training since I was young. ¡®Gyeon Jeong2, Ah Moon3, Bong An4, Ip Dong5¡­¡¯ Pressure points that I hadn¡¯t even heard of appeared and disappeared in my head. I reached the hundreds of pressure points that were in my head. How much was the system capable of? ¡®It¡¯s to the point that it¡¯s extraordinary.¡¯ The human brain wasn¡¯t a computer. But the system, like a computer making copies, entered the information into my brain. And it was the same for other Mugong too. Was a phenomenon like this possible? And simply because it was a game? ¡®No. For now, let¡¯s concentrate on Qi Cultivation.¡¯ I breathed in and out and guided my qi. Taking my 10 years worth of qi, I followed my internal energy through the Jin Sect Cultivation Technqiue twelve times and then opened my eyes. Ring. ¨C You have finished [Qi Cultivation] ¨C The [Jin Sect Cultivation Technique]¡¯s proficiency has risen weakly. ¨C Impurities have been discharged. ¡°Huuu.¡± Stage 3 of the Jin Sect Cultivation Technique was right in front of me. Maybe it was because I started from the bottom, but I felt like I was going at a fast pace. ¡®Or it could also be because of the item.¡¯ I looked at the ring that was on the middle finger of my right hand. It was the reward I received through my achievement of obtaining [Awareness of Oneself]. [Cheongsimhwan]6 Type: Ring Rank: None (Ÿo) Restrictions: None Description: A ring that is very firm, quality is unknown. The wearer is able to help the user be calm and to focus. Cheongsimhwan. Even though the shape was different from what I was used to, the effect was the same.7 After I wore the ring, the time I went into Qi Cultivation was shorter, and the proficiency I gained was greater too. ¡®It really is great¡­¡¯ It was an uncomfortable feeling. Logging out, let¡¯s just say it was the workers, that I didn¡¯t know, field. But the internal energy or this ring, I felt uneasy about using cheongsimhwan. ¡®I would say it feels like I¡¯ve been forcibly injected?¡¯ Even though it was helpful for my survival, it didn¡¯t feel good. In more ways than one, it was a crappy game. ¡°Sung Jinho, what is he doing. That goshiwon manager yangban.¡± If he was awake, he should have woken me up to have hangover soup.8 But if until now there hasn¡¯t been any changes¡­ ¡®No. It can¡¯t be.¡¯ At the very least, I was still alive in reality. That was why I was still a player in this game. In real life and in this game I was still alive. That was why I needed to survive. If I died a crappy death then I would feel like my life was a waste and the burden was too heavy. ¡®I can¡¯t die here.¡¯ I clenched my teeth and sat in the lotus feet position. Maybe it was the cheongsimhwan¡¯s effect but my heart calmed and my breathing evened out. Starting from moving my qi from my dantian, I started doing Qi Cultivation for who knows how long. ¡ª Two days passed since I last entered the training facility. Without resting, I continued to train. Like crazy I practiced the Spear Technique and my Footwork, and as soon as my qi was exhausted, I practiced cultivating my qi. Ring. ¨C [Jin Sect Cultivation Technique] has risen to Stage 3. ¨C Qi has become more refined, while Qi Cultivation has become more efficient. 3rd Stage Jin Sect Cultivation Technique. Even though I was going at a slow pace, it wasn¡¯t bad. No, I wanted to think that way, which was why I was trying my best. ¡®Even like this I need to keep going.¡¯ At least when I was doing Mugong training I was able to get rid of any negative thoughts. Swiik, swi-swiik. I went through the different forms of the Jin Sect Spear Technique. After discovering the connection with the Footwork Technique, the Spear Technique became sophisticated and sharp. In my mind I was fighting against a person no one could see but me. ¡®Hyuk Mujin.¡¯ In this game, he was the first real Murim-in I met. My level 20 opponent who played around with me like I was a child. ¡®Would I be able to beat him in my current state?¡¯ It was when I asked myself that question. Ring. ¨C New function, [Training Mode] has been activated. ¨C You will be able to face previous opponents. You will only be able to face opponents with a difference of 10 levels or less. ¨C Currently Available Opponents: [Lv. 20 Hyuk Mujin], [Lv. 10 Jang Sam] ¡°Huh?¡± Training Mode? I¡¯m able to face my previous opponents? Even though I felt at a loss for a moment, in the end I decided to try out the new function. ¡°Summon Hyuk Mujin.¡± Summoning [Lv. 20 Hyuk Mujin]. The system alarm rang and scarily, a transparent body appeared. He wore the dark blue robes of the Jin Sect and had the caterpillar-like eyebrows. With his eyes closed, it was an exact replica of Hyuk Mujin. ¡°Hul9, it¡¯s real.¡± I carefully approached and grabbed Hyuk Mujin¡¯s body. But maybe it was because he was transparent, my hand passed through his body. Good, with this it passed the safety test. You are able to partially change your opponent¡¯s level. ¡°First Hyuk Mujin at half.¡± Inputting data from [Lv. 20 Hyuk Mujin]. Able to dispatch skill level at 50%. At the same time, the Hyuk Mujin replica opened its eyes. Not only its skill level but it looked like it had a similar personality to the real Hyuk Mujin, as it stared at me. Would you like to start the training? ¡°Of course!¡± Ring. The system alarm rang. Like lightning, I ran forward and raised my spear. Although it was a fight with just a replica, I didn¡¯t waste in putting any of my qi to use. ¡®1st Form.¡¯ I started by piercing forward at the same time. It would have ended if he wasn¡¯t able to avoid my first attack. Swheeek. But Hyuk Mujin moved like a loach and avoided my attack. My next movement became pointless. ¡®Let¡¯s see if you can avoid this too.¡¯ I continued to use the Spear Technique. Even though I could hear the sound of the air ripping, Hyuk Mujin continued to dodge all my attacks. At a glance, it seemed as if his transparent face was sneering at me. ¡®Who told you to fight like an idiot. If you¡¯re a Murim-in, you should fight using Mugong.¡¯ It was the words he said to me, the last time I fought him. Even though I was just imagining it¡­ it still made me angry. ¡®If you¡¯re that confident, then stop dodging and bring it on.¡¯ As if he received my thoughts, Hyuk Mujin smoothly came at me. But it was a fight between a spear and fists. If I continued to attack like this, it would make it seem as if I had been only shoveling for the past 7 years. ¡°You dare!¡± Hwoong¡ª The spear swung. If he wasn¡¯t transparent, then it would have been a sound of hitting flesh. Even though he avoided it, it was also a failure when it came to shortening the distance between us. ¡®Let¡¯s see how long you can avoid me.¡¯ I started the 2nd form. As he felt the attack coming, Hyuk Mujin didn¡¯t bother approaching closer and instead stepped back. The battle was also a flow. I rode on top of the flow and swept away Hyuk Mujin. With an exhausted expression, Hyuk Mujin fell to the ground and I thought. ¡®It¡¯s weak.¡¯ I could see his movements. In this space, the transparent Hyuk Mujin was a martial artist who used his fists (È­Ê¿). If I looked at his feet, I could see and predict his movements. He wasn¡¯t able to touch me with his fists. Swi-Swi-Swiiik! In one moment, in three consecutive movements, I thrusted. An attack that was impossible for the F rank hunter Jin Taekyung. But it was possible for the Murim-in Jin Taekyung. ¡ª Kuuaak! As I pierced his chest, it seemed like the transparent Hyuk Mujin was screaming. Without pausing, I drove the spear deeper into his chest. I smashed into his chest with the spear and split open his heart. Hyuk Mujin fell and his body started to disappear. ¡°Ah. This was too easy.¡± It hasn¡¯t even been 5 minutes but I already won. Not only that but I had the advantage and it ended so blandly. ¡®Was half too weak?¡¯ I thought of my attacks that were exhausted with Qi Cultivation. Hyuk Mujin was a level 20 Murim-in who trained relentlessly for who knew how many years. He couldn¡¯t be this weak. ¡®Good, again.¡¯ I stood up and grabbed my spear. A new Hyuk Mujin appeared. A height of 180cm.10 Lean muscles and selfish eyes. He was infused with the movements I saw from before. He opened his eyes and in front of me stood another version of him. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. Hyuk Mujin was stronger than before. ¡®Your physical capabilities are better than mine.¡¯ I put in more conditions and Hyuk Mujin¡¯s replica smiled at me. He became faster and his stamina improved. ¡°Right, it should be at this level.¡± At those words it was the start. Like a ray of light, I raised my spear and thrusted it towards Hyuk Mujin. Swi-Swi-Swiiik! ¡ª Woong. Pang! The spear pierced the air. Alongside the sound of a swarm of bees, the spear created a breeze of air. The last straw of the Jin Sect Spear Technique. It was a heavenly day. ¡ª Kuuuuh¡­ The Hyuk Mujin replica grabbed his chest. He had a gaze that was in disbelief. Kneeling, the image of Hyuk Mujin faded away. ¡°This isn¡¯t it.¡± I scratched my head as I heard the system message pop up that the proficiency of the Jin Sect Spear Technique went up. ¡®Why do I keep winning?¡¯ Maybe it was the system¡¯s mistake, or¡­ ¡®Maybe I became stronger? It was a sudden thought I had. As if. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some extraordinary genius. It was only that I became familiar with two different Mugong. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, I won¡¯t receive any benefits.¡¯ If I kept winning in this kind of training simulation, then I wondered what meaning there was to the whole thing. If only I knew what kind of Mugong Hyuk Mujin had, then I could have him use that¡­ but, wait. ¡°There¡¯s an easier way.¡± The Jin Sect Footwork and the Jin Sect Spear Technique. What happens if level 20 Hyuk Mujin used two of those techniques? As a third party, I would be able to see the advantages and disadvantages as well. Right, this was better. ¡°You think that way too right?¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s replica smirked and nodded. ¡°Right, let¡¯s try again.¡± I raised my spear and took a step forward with my left foot. Like a mirror, the replica copied my movements. ¡ª You¡¯re going to regret this. ¡°You¡¯re talking garbage.¡± Now I was talking to the replica. If someone saw then people would probably call me a crazy bastard. ¡ª Crazy bastard. It was just my imagination but it still made me angry. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Without hesitating, I raised my spear and aimed it at him. The same weight and the same Mugong. It looked like it would be an entertaining fight. ¡ª Entertaining? You really are crazy. Ah, really. To think I would find this kind of situation fun. I find myself crazy too. Chapter 13 Five horses were racing. As they passed mountains, fields, and a river, they arrived at their destination around noon. ¡°Where have you come from?¡± The young man smirked at the nervousness of the guard at the Jin residence. He wasn¡¯t able to hide the animosity from his crooked lips. ¡°Mount Heng (ºãɽ).¡± It was shortly after Jin Huikyung convened with the senior members of the family. ¡ª Hyuk Mujin was ever changing. I just needed to envision in my mind how I wanted him to change. A spear, a double-edged weapon, a single-edged weapon1, a bow¡­ Even though there were times when I won and times when I lost, there was one thing for sure. ¡°I got the feel now.¡± My body familiarized itself with Mugong. At the beginning, from the start to the end, I did it one by one but now it was different. Depending on the situation, my forms were different too. Doing each of the forms in order didn¡¯t make it Mugong. I was now at the level where I could connect the different forms, no matter the order. ¡®Like right now.¡¯ Sweeeek! It was already too late by the time he heard the sound of the air. As I penetrated his abdomen, Hyuk Mujin groaned. ¡ªYour skills have quickly gotten better. ¡°I¡¯ve only used the spear for 7 years. You bastard.¡± I closed my eyes for a second and as I opened them, I saw an empty training facility. As if congratulating my win, the system alarm sounded. Ring. ¡°Now I¡¯m level 14?¡± I managed to raise my level by 3 in only three days. Setting aside I was stuck inside the training facility for three days, I was rising quickly. Not only that but the Jin Qi Cultivation Technique was at Stage 3, and both the Footwork and Spear Technique were at Stage 4. ¡°Open Status Window.¡± After I distributed my remaining points, I felt moved. Remaining Points: 0 ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s really beautiful.¡± Look at the skill level of someone whose got the balance. This was the abilities of someone used to combat. ¡®And Mugong on top of that.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t the me from before. Hyuk Mujin? If I went against him now, I had the confidence I would win. The F rank hunter who didn¡¯t know anything about Mugong was dead. I was at the peak of Qi Cultivation, a second rate Murim-in who knew two different Mugong. ¡®It¡¯s only the beginning.¡¯ I was done with all my preparations. If I was able to leave the training facility today, I would take my belongings with me and leave the Jin Residence. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to receive Jin Huikyung¡¯s help.¡¯ If I took care of an idiot like Jang Sam and his bandits, I felt like I would reach my goal at a fast pace. If it¡¯s long, then two days. And after that I would be able to return to the warm embrace of my family. ¡®Mom, Hayeon. I miss you.¡¯ It was at that moment when I was on the verge of tears. Kkkhh¡ª ¡°Oh, ooooh!¡± It was the moment I was waiting for. The doors to the training facility were opening. Those heavy iron-wrought doors opened like they were the doors to heaven opening. ¡°Finally! I¡¯m leaving!¡± With a face full of happiness, I ran towards the door to heaven. Beside the doors, I saw the face of the angel who was going to let me out. ¡°Third Master. It¡¯s been three days.¡± It wasn¡¯t a face of joy but I still felt happy. ¡°You came to let me out right? Yes? Right?¡± An angel who looked like a desert fox, Hui Peng answered vaguely. ¡°Yes. For now.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You are going to leave. But there is a place where you will need to go right away.¡± ¡°A place I need to go?¡± I felt chills on my spine. I could feel something instinctively. ¡°Where am I going?¡± ¡°It is the conference room. The Clan Leader is waiting for you there. And¡­¡± Hui Peng added. ¡°Senior members of the family, as well as a messenger (ʹÕß) from the Mount Heng Sword Sect has also arrived.¡± ¡°The Mount Heng Sword Sect? Why did they come?¡± At the brothel, Wol Hwa said this. That the Mount Heng Sword Sect and the Jin Sect were old enemies. So why were they there? ¡®Something isn¡¯t right.¡¯ It was ominous. Ominous. Anyways, I needed to find a way. ¡°Then couldn¡¯t I go to my home and get changed really quick?¡± ¡°You cannot.¡± ¡°It seems like an important meeting, so I shouldn¡¯t go in smelling¡­¡± ¡°Are you thinking of running away?¡± Even though he looked like a desert fox, his wits were like a meercat. Without giving me a chance to speak, Hui Peng put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Third Master. Please answer my questions truthfully. Do you understand?¡± His voice sounded ominous and his gaze serious. I wasn¡¯t able to open my mouth because of his force. All I could do was nod my head up and down. ¡®Jin Taekyung.¡¯ I saw in my head three words. It was for sure. It was this bastard. He was going to give me shit. And¡­ ¡°Did you assault a daughter from Mount Heng Sword Sect?¡± The shit was bigger than my imagination. ¡ª As I followed Hui Peng to the conference room, my head was a blank slate. ¡®Attempted sexual assault?¡¯ Setting aside that it was attempted but it definitely wasn¡¯t a minor offense. From one person to another, from someone who has a younger sister, I remembered saying once that sexual offenders deserved to be put to death. ¡®This crazy fucker.¡¯ My palms were sweaty. I said again for the umpteenth time. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me. Please believe me.¡± Hui Peng didn¡¯t even turn around and responded. ¡°Did your memory come back?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. But it really isn¡¯t me. Do you see me as that kind of bastard? To do that kind of trashy act?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± No, fuck. He didn¡¯t even pause when answering. ¡°Look here. Then the bathroom, no then I¡¯ll use the toilet and go in.¡± ¡°You cannot.¡± ¡°At least let me do my business!¡± ¡°Just poop in your pants.¡± This fucker. I gave up and immediately ran in the other direction. And concentrated by using all my Qi. Snap. ¡°Third Master.¡± He caught me in three steps. Grabbing the back of my neck, Hui Peng looked at me. ¡°If you keep behaving this way¡­ I may act rudely.¡± Resistance was futile. Using [Qi Sense], I couldn¡¯t even look at Hui Peng¡¯s level. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it.¡± I didn¡¯t know how far I walked feeling the disastrous feeling in my heart, I saw the place where we were headed towards. In front were numerous guards and I saw the blue robes of the Jin Sect but also saw for the first time, guards who were wearing red robes. ¡®They must be from the Mount Heng Sword Sect.¡¯ Normally they would be like cat and dogs, but now they were looking at me with the same look in their eyes. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Hui Peng turned his head at my hesitant steps. ¡°The Clan Leader believes in you. Don¡¯t forget that truth.¡± Right. I had Jin Huikyung. My biggest shield. Thinking of that truth, Hui Peng opened the doors to the conference room. ¡°I have brought the Third Master.¡± I went inside, taking a deep breath. Inside though, I was thinking again. ¡®Even if I get bit by a tiger, I can live if I keep it together. Even if I get bit by a tiger, I can live if¡­ As I stepped inside the conference room, the voices that were lowly muttering to one another, stopped. Dozens of old and young men sat next to each other side-by-side and at the head of the table was Jin Huikyung. And an important young person. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Master Jin.¡± It was at the moment I saw his leery smile. Ring. ¡­ Turn on your blinkers before you come in. ¡ª Bloodlust. It was familiar. Monsters were beings full of bloodlust. I felt it dozens of times before, and it was a feeling familiar to me now. But this guy¡­ ¡®He¡¯s different.¡¯ It was completely different from what I experienced before. If I were to compare, it was the difference between an inferior-level monster and an intermediate-level monster. He was much more polished, and covertly gave me goosebumps. ¡°I thought I saw you in town. But I¡¯m not sure if you remember.¡± One word, one word. There was a window above Lee So Geun¡¯s head. As soon as I detected his bloodlust, with [Qi Sense] I looked at his level. Level-wise, he was two times higher then me. ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ What was even more sad was the look in other people¡¯s eyes. Both the young people and the old people were staring at me with looks of cunning. In that kind of atmosphere, Lee So Geun opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. If you came a little bit earlier, we could have had a deeper conversation. Even just now, we were having an interesting conversation.¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Are you curious about what we were talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m okay.¡± Should we cut his head off, should we cut his balls off, it was probably that kind of conversation. And if my guess was true, instead of my neck, I hoped they would cut off my balls instead. ¡®If they really do it, levelling up should recover me¡­ do I really need to think about these kinds of things.¡¯ It was miserable. Lee So Geun spoke after looking at the expression on my face. ¡®It looked like you returned a few days ago. Where were you?¡± ¡°The brothel.¡± ¡°Then where were you before you went to the brothel?¡± ¡®I was at the goshiwon. Mom.¡¯ I wanted to be honest too. That day I was fired from the guild, drank some alcohol with my hyung from the goshiwon, and slept in the capsule afterwards. When I opened my eyes, I was at the brothel, and made logging out my goal. Something like that. ¡®If I don¡¯t have to pull out knives, it¡¯ll be a relief.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t answer and in response, Lee So Goon pulled something out. I really thought it was a knife but instead, it was a bunch of paper. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t remember so I will let you know. The day before you went to the brothel, you stopped by Myeongwollu2. You specially reserved the room.¡± ¡°Myeongwollu?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a place you used as a temporary residence? Don¡¯t make excuses that it¡¯s the first time you heard this. We have eye witnesses who have spotted you there.¡± It looked like he had a list of evidences. I read the paper he presented to me. And found something weird. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know after looking at it directly?¡± Look at this guy speaking informally to me. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I looked at it. It¡¯s all unproven evidence.¡± I read all the evidences listed on the paper but I couldn¡¯t see any solid evidence. All the things listed were similar too. Jin Taekyung was drunk and went into the wrong room and the owner of that room was someone from Mount Heng Sword Sect. And then they heard screams. ¡°You¡¯re shameless after ripping off my sister¡¯s clothes and assaulting her. Indeed, you¡¯re just like the rumors.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°You villain!¡± Thud. ¡°Ah.¡± The bunch of papers that hit my face fell to the floor. Lee So Geun spit on top of the fallen papers. ¡®Look at this fucker.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t irritation. It was just suspicous. What can I say, this series of events. The evidence especially felt artificial? But there wasn¡¯t a chance to feel uncomfortable. ¡°Follow me out, I will make you pay for your crimes!¡± At the moment Lee So Geun shouted. Ring. Now what was this. Chapter 14 ¡°Follow me out, I will make you pay for your crimes!¡± At the moment of Lee So Geun¡¯s rage-filled shout. Ring. You must take care of your own problems. There is only one way to avoid Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s anger and protect the little honor you have left. Type: Sudden Quest Rank: First-Rate Restrictions: Jin Taekyung Mission: Win the 1:1 battle (Incomplete) Reward: Title, [Winner] Large Amount of Experience 50 Fame Failure: Title, [Sex Maniac] Injuries Accept / Reject ¡°¡­¡± No, from someone who hasn¡¯t dated since high school, do I really have to hear the words sex maniac? In a normal day, I would do a raid in half a day, go home to the goshiwon and knock out. But now I was expected to clean up shit that wasn¡¯t even mine. ¡®At least give me a good quest.¡¯ How can Lee So Geun, who was at level 30, be considered my opponent. ¡®This crazy, the level difference is twice as much¡­¡¯ This was a fight that couldn¡¯t happen. I rejected the quest. No, I was about to reject it. But Lee So Geun was quicker than me. ¡°If you run away¡­ the Jin Sect will have to pay a price.¡± Ring. ¡­ I knew this would happen. I wondered why they were giving me a choice. As I sighed deeply, the conference room was slowly building up like a cauldron on fire. ¡°How rude!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing a young man1 can¡¯t say with the power of his family!¡± ¡°Even though the Third Master acted in a way even a dog wouldn¡¯t do, how can you be such a disgrace to the family!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everything is good but who was that last person. As the atmosphere was becoming more violent, Jin Huikyung intervened. ¡°Everyone calm down. Enough of this small talk. Let¡¯s just think of this incident as a slip of the tongue and forget about it.¡± As the Clan Leader, sitting at the head of the table, warned everyone, his force wasn¡¯t a joke. I should say he seemed like the next Patriarch of a well-established family. Maybe because Lee So Geun was pressed down by his force, he replied in a distinctively lower voice. ¡°I understand. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a slip of the tongue. Do you think I came here with my own qualifications?¡± At those words, people¡¯s expressions and Jin Huikyung¡¯s expressions became stiff. Right. Lee So Geun was just a messenger (ʹÕß) sent from Mount Heng Sword Sect. ¡°My father, no as the leader he gave me permission to act with authority.¡± ¡°¡­ So what is it that you want?¡± ¡°Like I have already said, I would like to fight one-on-one with the Third Master.¡± No. That I don¡¯t want. Looking at the situation happening around me, it looked like Mount Heng Sword Sect was determined to start a fight. Through this situation I could gain the most important things, and in the event of failure, it looks like I would get destroyed¡­ to be blatantly attacked like this was chilling. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another way. Just tell me what you want.¡± ¡°I would like you to remove your control over Taiyuan. If it¡¯s this much, I will forget you blocked my sister¡¯s path to marriage.¡± The conference room scarily erupted with shouts as he finished speaking. In sparse words, he was basically saying excluding your undergarments, I will take everything. It was obvious what the Clan Leader, Jin Huikyung, would choose. ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°Then the one-on-one¡­¡± ¡°I will also reject that.¡± It was the dongsaeng-lover Jin Huikyung. There was no way he would push me into such a dangerous situation. At Jin Huikyung¡¯s answer, Lee So Geun smiled triumphly. ¡°Then there¡¯s only one way.¡± War. I wasn¡¯t the only person who thought of that word. At the weight of the word ¡®war¡¯, the conference room was silent. In the midst of that silence, I was looking in the air. If the quest is rejected, [Mount Heng Sword Sect] will declare war on the [Jin Sect]. Also, [Jin Taekyung] will be pointed to as the enemy. I read the system¡¯s message and looked at the ground. I looked at the ceiling. And read the message again. ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a choice. There was only one way. ¡°I will do it.¡± Everyone¡¯s reaction was the same. Shaking eyes, open mouths. Lee So Geun, who suggested the match, Jin Huikyung who rejected the match. Everyone in the conference room thought they heard wrong. ¡°Wai-wait. Taekyung?¡± Before Jin Huikyung could dissuade me, Lee So Geun spoke. ¡°Come out. Let¡¯s fight.¡± Lee So Geun¡¯s lips lifted cruelly. ¡ª The winter air was cold. As I stared up at the cloudy sky, I took a deep breath. ¡°Huuu.¡± The place I was face-to-face with Lee So Geun was the Jin Sect¡¯s courtyard.2 Sitting far away were about fifty people watching us. The people in Jin Sect were wondering if I ate something wrong, and if popcorn existed, the people from Mount Heng Sword Sect would be eating it. Ah. And there was also a person who was sending me a message via a sound technique. ¡ª Youngest. Take a deep breath. Huu. Hah. Huu. Hah¡­ What was he was saying. This yangban. With a solemn face and like a dog who wanted to poop, he was moving his butt up and down. If he wasn¡¯t pressing down on Hui Peng¡¯s shoulders, it looked like he would break in. ¡ª Don¡¯t worry. If it seems too dangerous, your oldest hyung will. Like this. Huh? If he lays one hand one our youngest, I¡¯ll-kwak! Shi! Huh? You know? Don¡¯t get too excited, and slowly, calmly. You can do it. Jin Taekyung! ¡­ I got it, so calm down. In the conference room, his force seemed like it was overflowing but just as expected, Jin Huikyung didn¡¯t let me down. ¡®Still it¡¯s better than not having anything.¡¯ Before I got destroyed, at least I had someone to save me. Including Jin Huikyung and Hui Peng, my life insurance equaled two. Great. With a lighter heart, I looked at Lee So Geun and changed my mind. ¡®What¡¯s great. Fuck.¡¯ I knew why the people from Mount Heng Sword Sect looked so confident. Out of the blue, he took off his top, and upon seeing his muscles, I couldn¡¯t help but gulp¡­ The blood-red level window, my hands and feet became numb. A level difference of 16. It was overwhelming. Knowing that, like the system was letting me know, a window popped up. ¡®Before someone can even save me, it looks like I¡¯ll die at least 3 times. As if Lee So Geun could sense my mood, he smiled cruelly at me. ¡°Do you understand your situation now? You can¡¯t breath and your hands and feat are numb right?¡± Now he was paying attention to me. But fighting was half spirit. With a solemn expression, I answered. ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Your voice is shaking. Of course you would feel fear. Good, if you answer my question sincerely, I will go easy on you.¡± ¡­ Truthfully, I was almost shaken. ¡°Take away your nonsense.¡± ¡°Oh, is it because you¡¯re the son of a noble?¡± Lee So Geun laughed as if it was ridiculous. ¡°Let me ask you just one thing. With what confidence did you accept this fight? Your Mugong is insignificant and there are rumors of you being known as a coward. I would like to hear your reason.¡± ¡±My reason?¡± No matter how much I thought, I could only think of one way. If war happened, I would become Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s enemy. Hunting? Leveling up? I couldn¡¯t even dream of it. The moment I stepped outside of the Jin Sect¡¯s borders, assassins would come after me. ¡®If I have at least my life, I¡¯ll have another opportunity.¡¯ I had magic. Recovery magic that was called leveling up. I felt calmer. ¡°I thought it¡¯s doable if it¡¯s against you.¡± ¡°Hah! You fool!¡± I lightly provoked him but as expected, he wasn¡¯t affected by it. Maybe it was the confidence in his own abilities, but he looked laid back. ¡°Is it my turn to ask a question?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll answer¡­ as a willful person, I¡¯ll at least listen.¡± ¡°This incident. You were the ones to fabricate the events right?¡± At the unexpected question, Lee So Geun¡¯s face became awkwardly stiff. The expression on his face was answer enough for me. ¡®I¡¯m right.¡¯ I was just guessing but I was right. No wonder I could smell something foul. ¡±Aigoo, you cheap bastards. You should have just declared war.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll rip your mouth off.¡± Lee So Geun was holding up a greatsword and was muttering something spookily under his breath. I also took out my [Sharp Spear] and straightened it. ¡®Right, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ I knew Mugong now too. I also had experience from the past 7 years. F rank hunter and Second-Rate Murim-in. Let me show him the skills of someone who has two jobs! ¡°Kkuuaaah!¡± As expected, Lee So Geun was agile. In seconds, he was in front of me holding up his greatsword and as he struck it down, I blocked it with the spear. Clang. ¡°Kuk.¡± I was worried we would stay like that but my sharp spear stayed firm. But because of the strength of the grwatsword, my two feet started to dig into the ground. ¡°Die, you bug like human!¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Because he was closer, his force felt stronger. Was a monster¡¯s Fear like this. ¡°Beg for mercy by kneeling in front of me! Then I will end it with one of your arms intact!¡± ¡ª Youngest! Beyond Lee So Geun¡¯s shoulders, I could see Jin Huikyung spring up. The people from Mount Heng Sword Sect were just sitting there laughing, while the people from Jin Sect couldn¡¯t bear to watch and were turning their heads. ¡®I need to hold on.¡¯ Even if it¡¯s until Jin Huikyung comes to save me! ¡°Kuuhap!¡± Without hesitation. From all sides I blocked his attacks. It was for sure metal hitting one another, but my ears heard the sound of cannons. Clang! Clang! Clang! I blocked them all. ¡°Kuuaah!¡± ¡°Hap!¡± Clang! Clang! I blocked them again. ¡°Kuuaah!¡± ¡°Haaaap!¡± Clang! Again, I blocked them. ¡°Kuuuhaaap¡­¡± ¡°Haaah¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± In the next moment, Lee So Geun and I met eyes. The minute I saw his dazed and panicked expression, I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. ¡®What is this.¡¯ Lee So Geun was strong. With the strength reminscent of a monster, muscles that made him agile, and he was swinging around his greatsword with ease. Not only that, but he was the son from Mount Heng Sword Sect. And the Mugong he was using was at a high level. But¡­ ¡®It¡¯s doable?¡¯ Even now I was blocking all the incoming attacks from the greatsword. Attacks that numbered over 20. And the defense. I could see it. I could see it, so I was able to block it. Before I knew it, the ankles and buried legs, I could see the stealthy footsteps. He pulled them out. ¡®This can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ No, really. It can¡¯t be. Sweeek! That moment, I pushed aside the greatsword that was aiming for my waist. And instinctively, I saw an opening and attacked towards Lee So Geun¡¯s chest. ¡±Pak!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± ¡­ Huh? Lee So Geun slide back a few steps, gripped his abdomen, and scratched his nose, acting as if nothing had happened. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good. Unlike trash, you have a little talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huhu. I¡¯ll only go easy up until here.¡± ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± ¡±The next blow will be towards your head¡­ What?¡± With a shaky face, I pointed to his face. ¡°You, you¡¯re bleeding.¡± Drip. A second later, the blood dropped down Lee So Geun¡¯s face and onto his lips. It looked like he but his tongue. It must hurt. ¡°Ah! Eep! Eek! Huk!¡± Lee So Geun, who was wiping the blood away, said. ¡°Shut up. Let it be.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier if I wipe it away all at once later.¡± Because basically starting from now, he¡¯ll be beat up by me. Chapter 15 Hui Peng thought. ¡®What am I watching right now?¡¯ He had a hard time believing it, even though it was happening right before his eyes. The Third Master, not even a different person, but to think that the Third Master was actually facing off against Lee So Geun. ¡®Is this a hallucination?¡¯ Who was Lee So Geun. Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s son and a First-Rate swordsman. When they received Lee So Geun¡¯s one-on-one request, Hui Peng had sighed. To someone who barely was Third-Rate, with what guts. Also what? Follow me out? Let¡¯s fight? ¡®Crazy fool, he¡¯s talking crazy.¡¯ But listening to Jin Taekyung, it did seem like something changed. Suddenly he was using formal language, and was practicing Mugong late into night. Ah right, it was because he was saying something about losing his memory. At that time Hui Peng thought he was crazy, and as he listened to Mount Heng Sword Sect, he realized something. It seemed like a fable. ¡®Of course. A person can¡¯t change overnight.¡¯ He had been in the Jin Sect for 10 years. In Hui Peng¡¯s eyes, Jin Taekyung was someone close to gold. But what was the big deal. He grew up with a lot of love, the youngest in the direct line of the Jin family. But before Lee So Geun became a half wit, Hui Peng thought he needed to go save him. But¡­ Puk, puk, puk! Now he was beating him up without mercy. Jin Taekyung was. To Lee So Geun. It was Mugong that Hui Peng was familiar with. The Jin Sect Footwork and the Jin Sect Spear Technique. His skill in connecting the two techniques was pretty good. It looked like the skills of an old man who had been eating in the back alley for 10 years. ¡®What on earth¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t Mugong you could learn in just one or two days. That was just what Hui Peng believed, and Hui Peng only knew of one person that went outside of those expectations. ¡®The Second Master.¡¯ The Jin Sect¡¯s Second Master, Jin Mukyung. He was a genius who already reached the peak. ¡®By any chance, is the Third Master¡­¡¯ But Hui Peng wasn¡¯t able to think any further. It was because of the sounds coming from nearby. ¡°This battle is void!¡± ¡°Stop this battle this instant!¡± ¡°The Jin Sect has used dirty tricks!¡± ¡°Right! That¡¯s the only reason trash like that¡­¡± Just seconds ago, the warriors from Mount Heng Sword Sect were laughing behind their hands. ¡®Have I seen any crazier bastards.¡¯ Even though Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s authority was impressive, to think even the lower members would misbehave. It was when Hui Peng was about to intervene. Sweeek¡ªbak! The wind blew, and dozens of teeth flew into the air. Blood was flowing down the faces of the Mount Heng Sword Sect warriors. ¡°What bullshit?¡± Uh buh. Uh buh buh.1 Jin Huikyung shut up the warriors, who couldn¡¯t even speak properly, with his huge hands. Jjak! Pitter patter. The warriors who lost all their teeth, forgot who they were and became guilty. Leaving behind the frozen warriors from Mount Heng Sword Sect, Jin Huikyung went back to his seat and continued to watch the fight. Hui Peng let out a sigh. ¡°A problem could arise¡­¡± ¡°Hui Peng.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Jin Huikyung was watching the youngest with sparkling eyes. ¡°This is the best moment in my life.¡± ¡ª It was the first time I was using the Mugong I practiced. After becoming more familiar with Mugong, I didn¡¯t have a chance to fight anyone, and it¡¯s not like I wanted to either. ¡®But¡­¡¯ I always thought. If I faced off against someone and a situation arised where I used the Mugong I learned, what the response would be. In that regard, the time spent in the training facility felt meaningful. Puk¡ª ¡°Kuhuk!¡± As the spear hit Lee So Geun¡¯s abdomen, his waist bent forward like a shrimp. The greatsword he had been holding, fell to the ground a while ago. I continued to advance with my spear, and every time I did, Lee So Geun would scream. Puk, puk, puk! ¡°Kaaaak!¡± To be honest, at first I was taken aback. My attacks were working? Me, who was level 14, to Lee So Geun, who was level 30? But after attacking him, I realized. ¡®I¡¯m stronger.¡¯ Lee So Geun was definitely strong. If this was reality, he would be at least a C rank hunter. But I was stronger. Even though it was a small difference in strength, it was for sure. Strength, stamina, agility. ¡®And experience.¡¯ ¡°Kaaaak!¡± Lee So Geun screamed and ran forward. He was fast. It looked devastating. Every time he took a step, the floor would cave in. ¡®But it was obvious.¡¯ Lee So Geun was young. Because he was young, he didn¡¯t have that much experience. In some cases, you would be able to beat experience with strength but I was different. I was stronger, and I had more experience. ¡®I¡¯ll win. For certain.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a resolution, it was reality. That was why I threw away my spear without regrets. A fight without weapons. I could see the flames in Lee So Geun¡¯s eyes as he watched me throw away my spear. ¡°Are you looking down on me! How dare you, how dare you!¡± Anger overflowed and his movements became simpler. I aimed at Lee So Geun¡¯s legs, who was running towards me like a bull. And as he was trying to get back up, I stepped on his chest. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Looking at his flustered expression, I asked. ¡°Have you heard of Full Mount?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for his response, and instead aimed a fist down at him. Even though Lee So Geun tried to avoid it, there was no use. Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! His chin, cheeks, forehead, nose¡­ like a shower of rain I punched at his face. Soon Lee So Geun, who was struggling, became silent. ¡®If it¡¯s this much, it should be enough.¡¯ At the beginning, it was Mount Heng Sword Sect who asked for the battle, but with this the war was avoided. If Lee So Geun was seriously injured, it would be troublesome. I needed to stop at the right time. With a worried expression, I shook Lee So Geun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, are you okay¡­¡± Pak! For a second, everything in front of me flashed. And I felt slightly dizzy. And from my sore chin, droplets of blood fell down. It was from Lee So Geun¡¯s fist. ¡®Ah, I let my guard down.¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t managed to avoid his punch at the last second, I would have been in trouble. It was a punch that was full of Qi. ¡°You avoided that?¡± I escaped from the Mount and saw that Lee So Geun had a flustered expression on his face. Of course. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t expect to be attacked by someone like me, no, someone like Jin Taekyung. Furthermore, even his attack didn¡¯t work. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. There¡¯s no way this could happen.¡± I kindly replied to Lee So Geun who was muttering to himself. ¡°In life anything can happen.¡± ¡°Why! How! How can something like this happen. I¡¯m Lee So Geun! I¡¯m Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s Lee So Geun!¡± Lee So Geun screamed with bloodshot eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve honed myself for ten years. So why! To someone like you. How can I to someone like you whose lazy trash!¡± Even though he was a game character, I understood Lee So Geun perfectly in this moment. The feeling that your hard work betrayed you. The hollowness and emptiness. ¡®I was like that.¡¯ I felt that for seven years. It was a feeling that would dull over time but wouldn¡¯t disappear. So in the end, I listened. It was cruel reality. I said to Lee So Geun. ¡°Just give up. You¡¯re weaker than me.¡± Lee So Geun¡¯s eyes rolled over as he heard those words. ¡°Shut up!¡± In the next moment, the air in the area surrounding us rose. Lee So Geun who mustered up the last of his strength, shot forward like an arrow. ¡°I told you. You¡¯re making the choice.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Hooong¡ª The sound of the air with his fist blew by my face. It was only that but a cut appeared on my face and blood dripped down from it. Compared to the attacks from before, it was faster and stronger. ¡®But I could say the same about me.¡¯ He lowered his right foot. Crunch. Accompanied by the sound of bones breaking, every time Lee So Geun would take a step, his footsteps would sink into the floor. ¡°Kaaaak!¡± I gathered power as he came towards me screaming. His nose broke and teeth scattered. I couldn¡¯t even pull myself out because my legs were buried. One more time. More. More. Puk. Puk. Puk. Chest. Side. Stomach. And last. ¡®The pit of the stomach.¡¯ Slam! It went in. And it wasn¡¯t an ordinary fist but a fist full of Qi. Lee So Geun¡¯s eyes became wide. ¡°Cough.¡± His eyes were becoming unfocused. And like slow motion, his strength escaped him and he fell backwards. I lowered my right foot towards his abdomen. Pung! With the sound of a balloon popping, Lee So Geun flew. Everyone watched. Jin Huikyung, Hui Peng. The people from Jin Sect, as well as everyone from Mount Heng Sword Sect. And me. Bam. Lee So Geun who flew dozens of meters, fainted. I let out a breath I was holding. I stood, receiving the attention of everyone who looked at me and Lee So Geun. ¡°Huu, huu.¡±2 Ring. Like a celebration, I heard the system alarm. ¡ª Mount Heng Sword Sect departed. Because they all rode horses, they borrowed carriages from Jin Sect to carry their wounded. But setting aside Lee So Geun, why were the others injured? I didn¡¯t know what happened but all their teeth were gone and the cloth between their lips was drenched in blood. Wow, who on earth¡­ At that moment, Jin Huikyung with a solemn face, patted my shoulders. ¡°Good job. You¡¯ve overcome my expectations.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thank¡­¡± ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Well, that¡¯s because of the blood on your cheeks. I didn¡¯t know the reason but in that moment, I was made into a fool. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°Yes? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you being done with confinement. Although you¡¯ve misbehaved in the fast, today you¡¯ve shown an impressive display and shown great success for your family.¡± Jin Huikyung spoke after looking around him. ¡°What does everyone else think?¡± Although they looked begrudging, they weren¡¯t saying he was wrong. Actually, if I compared it to the looks I got before in the conference room, it was enough to feel favorable. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re Murim-in?¡¯ In novels, even though jeong was jeong3, this was a place where strength was important. It looked like my fight with Lee So Geun made an impact. ¡°You guys need to answer. Hahaha.¡± ¡­ Or maybe it was because of Jin Huikyung. His mouth was laughing, but his eyes weren¡¯t. It especially looked like a horror movie because of the blood spots on his cheeks. ¡°I agree.¡± As Hui Peng added his agreement, he manipulated everyone else to agree. Watching the rigged votes, Jin Huikyung looked on with satisfaction. ¡ª ¡®Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!¡¯ Lee So Geun bit his lips. Jin Taekyung. He wasn¡¯t able to forget that bastard¡¯s face. ¡®I lost? To that trash?¡¯ They had enough evidence for the case. If Mount Heng Sword Sect had gained from this, it would have been great and if they rejected, a war would have been considered a success. Jin Taekyung. If he made him into an idiot, rumors would have spread throughout Shanxi Providence. Mount Heng Sword Sect would have turned the Jin Sect into a disgrace. But they failed. ¡®How on earth.¡¯ He practiced swordsmanship since he was young. Even though he wasn¡¯t a genius, he wasn¡¯t mediocre. The Second Son of Mount Heng Sword Sect. A promising warrior. A First-Rate swordsman. Everyone always envied him¡­ ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Today. Everything he had was destroyed. For the first time he kneeled and forgot who he was. When he opened his eyes, he was already inside the carriage. Not only that, but the carriage belonged to the Jin Sect. Lee So Geun¡¯s eyes burned. ¡®I¡¯ll kill you. You¡¯ll die by my hands. Jin Taekyung!¡¯ He wasn¡¯t able to control himself and hit the carriage and the carriage stopped. Lee So Geun shouted. ¡°What are you doing! Stop moseying and hurry up!¡± In that moment, his forehead stung.4 ¡ªHurry up? You should. But it¡¯ll be troublesome if you keep going to Mount Heng Sword Sect. ¡®A sound technique?¡¯ Who is it! Lee So Geun shouted but the sound didn¡¯t escape. His chest felt stuffy and his throat burned. The carriage started moving again. ¡ªLet¡¯s do this. First, you¡¯ll go to Mount Beimang5. And then you¡¯ll proceed to Mount Heng Sword Sect. ¡®What is that.¡¯ It was enough time to blink a few times. His limbs became paralyzed and the pain became unbearable. Lee So Geun shook and turned his head. Someone wearing a mask was staring at him. ¡°Kuk, gurgle.¡± Who was this. But instead of his voice, black blood flowed out. He became unfocused and the sound became farther away. ¡®Sa, save me¡­¡¯ That was his final moment. In the next moment, he fell into darkness. ¡°Sleep well. Young Murim.¡± The masked man smiled and retrieved the dark blue needle that was embedded in the dead body. Chapter 16 ¡°Whew, it¡¯s finally over.¡± Jin Huikyung put down his brush. And like always, Hui Peng who was sitting in a chair next to the doors, lifted his head. ¡±It looks like you¡¯re finishing your work more quickly these days. You¡¯ve worked hard today as¡­¡± Hui Peng¡¯s words trailed off. It was because he saw the mountain of papers that were still left on the desk. He also realized it was only around noon. If there was that much left, it wasn¡¯t time to stop. ¡®Maybe I heard wrong?¡¯ ¡°Good. If it¡¯s this much¡­¡± This time it wasn¡¯t his imagination. It was proof when he saw Jin Huikyung¡¯s face above the stack of papers. ¡°Hui Peng. Come here. I have an important task for you.¡± Hui Peng felt slightly worried when he heard how solemn his voice sounded. Did something serious happen? Like he discovered something corrupt in the documents, or maybe the Elders, who were vigilantly awaiting an opportunity, caused something big to happen. ¡®Something bad must have happened. We haven¡¯t even finished up what happened with Mount Heng Sword Sect.¡¯ And afterwards, Jin Huikyung gave Hui Peng a document and Hui Peng looked at the document with an odd expression on his face. ¡°¡­ What. What is this?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know by looking at it? It¡¯s a drawing.¡± It was as exactly as Jin Huikyung said. It wasn¡¯t the document that Hui Peng was expecting and instead it was a single sheet of rice paper with a drawing on it. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. What is this all of a sudden¡­¡± Jin Huikyung smiled as if he had a secret. ¡°Look closely. It¡¯s not an ordinary drawing.¡± It wasn¡¯t an ordinary drawing? Suddenly, Hui Peng¡¯s eyes widened. All the Murim legends passed by in his head. A master who looks at a fable. A master who was enlightened by looking murals of ancient caves! As he looked at the rice paper and realized what he was looking at, Hui Peng shook as if he was hit by lightening. ¡°This, this isn¡¯t¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve realized. You¡¯re right.¡± Jin Huikyung laughed and said. ¡°I drew yesterday¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The fallen Lee So Geun and Jin Taekyung who is standing firmly! The sky over the young hero who will become the world¡¯s greatest!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I purposefully drew the audience looking down, what do you think. I drew it well. Yes? I drew it well?¡± Hui Peng¡¯s hands shook as he held the rice paper in his hands. If it was up to him, he would crumple the paper, rip it up, while on top of it he would put his week¡¯s urine and feces on it, and after the paper dried, he would set it on fire. ¡°¡­ You drew it well.¡± Hui Peng was a rational person. He opened his mind as a Murim-in whose reached his peak. Of course, it was the courage of someone who suspected his Lord¡¯s mental stability. ¡°You have so much work stacked up, how can you draw this picture from this morning until now!¡± ¡°Of course that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°If you knew that¡­¡± ¡°You think I would only work on one thing for three hours?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Of course I drew one more picture. I was going to give it to you later but of course, you¡¯re quick witted.¡± Hui Peng, with a shaky hand, grabbed the paper that Jin Huikyung took out. Jin Huikyung smiled and explained the picture. ¡°I drew the situation after the fight. A young warrior who is dissatisfied and wants to return to the training facility! And the people who are looking on the situation.¡± ¡°Well, on that topic I would agree. The Third Master has changed a lot.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯m surprised too.¡± After he won the fight with Lee So Geun, he broke everyone¡¯s expectations and went back to the training facility. As he thought of the previous events, Jin Huikyung¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°Who knew a day like this would come. Our youngest is an angel. Hui Peng, didn¡¯t you hear yesterday? The sound of Taekyung¡¯s powerful wings¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about wings, but I can hear a bunch of nonsense.¡± Hui Peng gave up and let out a deep sigh as he put the rice paper down. Flap. ¡°Huk.¡± ¡°See! You heard it!¡± Hui Peng turned his head towards the window. A hawk flew down and attached to his leg was a small container. ¡°It is a messenger hawk (‚÷•øú—).¡± It was a hawk that they raised since birth, used mainly for communication. In the Jin Sect there were only two messenger hawks and they were used only for urgent communications. ¡°A problem has arisen.¡± Jin Huikyung¡¯s voice became serious. And reality set in. ¡ª ¡°My name is Han Yeop.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It is a honor to meet you.¡± It was an introduction out of the blue. Of course, it was a face I recognized. It was the face I saw the most after entering the training facility. ¡®Should I say he¡¯s the training facility guard?¡¯ A guard. A security guard. No matter what you called it, he was an NPC part of the Jin Sect, who was responsible for the training facility. He was also responsible for bringing me my meals and medicine. ¡®But why suddenly medicine?¡¯ It was an NPC I¡¯ve never even exchanged words with. I didn¡¯t have a bad feeling about him but he didn¡¯t have an especially favorable impression either. ¡±Ah, yes. It¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡± The trembling guard, no Han Yeop¡¯s expression brightened. What, why is he suddenly like this? ¡°I was there yesterday.¡± ¡°There? Ah.¡± He must be talking about the fight. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he was one of the many people that was there yesterday. ¡°I watched from the very beginning until the end. The heroic appearance of Master fighting against the vicious Lee So Geun!¡± Vicious? Heroic appearance? ¡®Did it happen like that?¡¯ If I looked at it through modern times, he was just him. No, actually I wanted to lift Lee So Geun¡¯s hand up. As an older brother, even though my sister¡¯s personality was crappy, if someone like her was crazy about Jin Taekyung, my eyes would have rolled back. Of course, Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s accusations didn¡¯t even make sense in the first place. And that was why there was no choice but to fight. ¡°As I was watching, my heart was thumping. And it wasn¡¯t only me who felt that way, but everyone who was there felt the same way.¡± Han Yeop spoke with a reminiscent face. It looked like he was mistaken about something but I didn¡¯t know how to interrupt him. ¡°I was also someone who misunderstood you. But now everyone in the Sect knows the truth.¡± Now I wasn¡¯t able to correct him. ¡°The truth? What truth?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Han Yeop spoke breathlessly. Setting aside the hot breath that was reaching my ears, the contents were giving me goosebumps. So, that content. ¡°That I¡¯m the Jin Sect¡¯s secret weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Han Yeop nodded up and down enthusiastically. ¡°That up until now it was all just a disguise, and that from when I was young, I¡¯ve been training fiercely, with virtue and rigeousness, the sleeping. Sleeping¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t able to continue. In order to save my shriveling hands and feet, Han Yeop intervened. ¡±Shan Xi¡¯s sleeping dragon! There¡¯s no one in the Sect who don¡¯t know. That Master hasn¡¯t risen to the sky yet, but is the sleeping dragon of Shan Xi, hidden in the waters!¡± Ah, please. Save me. I wanted to shout. A sleeping dragon he said. A person who doesn¡¯t know he said! ¡®If I die, the cause of death would be shame, shame.¡¯ To me who was suffering mentally and physically, Han Yeop asked me with sparkling eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the truth right? I know it¡¯s too much to ask but just slightly to me¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t do it. I didn¡¯t know who spread the rumors but in order to stop the nonsense, I opened my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know who spread those rumors but¡­¡± It was at that time. Ring. With a solemn face, I spoke. ¡°Everything is the truth.¡± ¡°Of course! I believed in them!¡± I watched as Han Yeop left with a bright expression, a single drop of tear fell down my face. ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ Ah, I missed my mom. ¡ª After the fight with Lee So Geun, I realized several things. First. ¡®I¡¯m strong.¡¯ At the beginning of the game, I defeated ¡®Heavenly Power¡¯ Jang Sam through the Tutorial. At the time it was an assumption, but now it was a certainty. I was strong. I was at the level where it wasn¡¯t difficult to defeat level 30 Lee So Geun, and even though there was a difference in experience, my basic abilities were at a superior level. ¡®Strength, stamina, agility. They were all about the same or a little higher.¡¯ Stats. It was the difference in abilities. In this game, I was a player and I improved by repeatedly using the system. Gaining Mugong, along with training and doing quests, I was able to raise my stats quickly and those results were seen through the one-on-one fight. And second. ¡®I don¡¯t have enough Qi.¡¯ In terms of Qi, Lee So Geun was ahead of me. No, he was leaps ahead of me. I don¡¯t know what he ate growing up, but no matter how many times I hit him with my spear and even though I hit him while I was on top of him, he still persisted. He even managed to counterattack using Qi. ¡®Right now, I only have 10 years worth of Qi.¡¯ Compared to me, Lee So Geun probably had 20 years worth. And I realized a third fact. ¡®I was able to overcome the difference in Qi through Mugong.¡¯ I defeated First-Rate Lee So Geun. But the system still said I was at Second-Rate. I thought the difference in rates was because of my Qi. If I raise my ability that I lack, won¡¯t my level rise? I suddenly thought. ¡®This is how hunters rank themselves.¡¯ Initial awakenings held at designated centers checked your aptitude, competence and mana, but no matter how high your abilities were, if your mana was low than your rank as a hunter would be low. There was a reason why magic users needed to be at least a D rank. Because using mana was a specialty of magic users. ¡®At least the game is better than reality.¡¯ At least you could improve. Reality wasn¡¯t like that. I worked hard for the past 7 years, and as a F rank hunter I didn¡¯t see any changes. But now I could see the approximate picture. ¡®I have enough stats. Whenever I have time, I should practice the Jin Sect Cultivation Technique, and receive quests in order to receive more experience. It¡¯s been more than a week since I¡¯ve been stuck inside this crappy game. Even though I didn¡¯t know what was happening in reality, it was asking too much to be rescued. I needed to prepare and end it. ¡°Open Quest Window.¡± Ring. Become stronger and receive more fame. Until that day¡­ Rank: Main Quest Restriction: Jin Taekyung Mission: Reach [First Rate] (Incomplete) Reach Lv. 30 (17 / 30) Reach 500 Fame (70 / 500) Reward: Log Out ¡°Ah, it¡¯s too hard.¡± I sat in the lotus feet position. Two days left until I left confinement. I needed to raise my Qi. I felt comforted by the message that my Fame was rising slowly. ¡ª A late night. The lights were on in the conference room. It was a secret meeting called by the Clan Leader, Jin Huikyung. Because the senior members were called so late at night, they had sour expressions on their faces. ¡°To call us so suddenly. What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Right. He didn¡¯t even let us know why but have called us so late at night.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the Clan Leader is still young. He doesn¡¯t know procedures or basic manners.¡± ¡°He must have felt uplifted by yesterday¡¯s events. Although, it is as if our only weakness has disappeared. No one expected the Third Master to win.¡± ¡°The Elders must have lost their steam. They wanted to use the Third Master for their own purpose.¡± ¡°It looks like the Elders will need to intervene.¡± ¡°Uh huh.1 Be careful of your words¡­¡± At that time, all sounds stopped. It was because the door opened to reveal Jin Huikyung. Even though amongst the senior members, he was a Clan Leader that needed to be evaluated, the silence that followed showed that he had the qualities of a Head. ¡°Thank you all for meeting me so late at night.¡± At Jin Huikyung¡¯s first words, he wasn¡¯t able to find the words to continue. What words. How and where was he supposed to start. His head was pounding. But it was something they needed to know. ¡°The reason I have called this meeting¡­¡± At that minute. ¡°It must be because of Mount Heng Sword Sect.¡± It was a eccentric sounding voice. At first, it sounded like an eldery voice but on the other hand, it was as smooth as a young person. And there was an unknown resonance. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me.¡¯ Jin Huikyung¡¯s face twisted. The door that didn¡¯t seem as if it would open again, opened. Step. Step. Step. Five Elders stepped smoothly into the room. And at the sight of the center Elder, everyone stood up and bowed their heads. ¡°Greeting l¨£oy¨¦ (ÀÏ ”)2!¡± L¨£oy¨¦. The Head Elder made an entrance. Chapter 17 Qi Cultivation. It was a way to discipline myself in order to breathe evenly to gather energy. By circulating external qi into internal energy, I would be able to accumulate it. I was using the Jin Sect Cultivation Technique in order to cultivate qi. ¡®I¡¯m always amazed every time I do it.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know. That I had this many acupoints in my body. I heard the other day that the body had 360 acupoints throughout the body, but I was actually able to feel it through cultivation. Maybe it was because I was a virtual character inside a game? ¡®Who cares.¡¯ 10 years worth of qi was being circulated from my dantian. If my qi was a car, than my acupoints were the road. All I needed to do was sit in the driver¡¯s seat and press on the accelerator. My qi was repeatedly going in straight lines and curves through my acupoints and then returning to my dantian. ¡®And from here is the real problem.¡¯ I took a deep breath. And I could feel. Something that didn¡¯t even budge with my will, a different large rock-like qi that was taking up space in my dantian. ¡®What on earth are you.¡¯ It was a question I had asked myself ever since I first started Qi Cultivation. It was an unidentifiable energy that was confidently taking up space. When, how it came to be and why I wasn¡¯t able to use it, I didn¡¯t know but at least I knew one thing. This unidentifiable energy seemed stronger than the 10 years worth of qi that I currently had. ¡®I didn¡¯t dare touch it.¡¯ To be more specific, I didn¡¯t feel the need to mess with it. Until a few days ago, I didn¡¯t feel like my life was in danger and I was in the position to be rescued. But now it was different. ¡®I need qi.¡¯ The situation was different. If I wanted to use my own strength to escape, and satisfy the conditions of the Log Out quest, I needed to raise my occupation to First Rate. And in order to become a First Rate Murim-in, I needed enough qi like Lee So Geun. ¡®I will make it mine.¡¯ I started to focus on moving my qi. I felt half anxious, half expectant as I moved my qi towards the unidentifiable energy, when I realized. ¡®There¡¯s no point.¡¯ Strictly speaking, the qi had no shape, in it of itself. But even just coming into contact with it, I could feel a strong refusal and backlash. No, actually I could pull on it. If I kept going like this, I felt like it would chew me up. ¡®Hey, hey, hey. Hold on!¡¯ I quickly withdrew. I shrugged off the unidentifiable energy that I had been pulling on. At the same time, the system alarm rang. Ring. ¡°What the heck is this?¡± Calming myself down, I opened the status window. Remaining Points: 0 It was now a status window with high stats. Through the one-on-one battle, my level went up by 3 levels, I resulted in gaining 30 points for my Strength, Stamina and Agility. But my heart felt bitter as I looked at my status window. ¡®Huu, only my Qi has stayed the same.¡¯ This crappy game would only say through words that my Qi rose, but when I looked at my status window, the Qi was exactly the same as before. ¡®Medicinal pills, elixirs, don¡¯t I need to take something like that?¡¯ I thought of Jin Huikyung. If I said, Hyung, could close your eyes just this once and give me an elixir, I don¡¯t think he would reject me. At least regarding the unidentifiable energy taking up space in my dantian. Thud. At that moment, the doors to the training faculty opened and two people walked in. ¡°Excuse us, Master?¡± It was Han Yeop. And behind him was someone I didn¡¯t recognize. Like his appearance, he spoke stiffly. ¡±We have received orders from the Clan Leader that you need to participate in the meeting with the Elders.¡± ¡°The Clan Leader?¡± It was good timing. I did need to ask him something. ¡ª ¡±There¡¯s no doubt about it. There were some broken and slight internal wounds but there¡¯s no way¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure? Can you swear on the infirmary?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure. I examined him myself!¡± ¡±If you¡¯re sure it¡¯s fine. Why are you speaking informally? Huh? You must think light of me because I was treating you well as a fellow Captain!¡± ¡±You started speaking informally to me first!¡± I stared blankly at the scene in the conference room in front of me. My ears were prickling from the shouts and curses all around me. ¡®What is this.¡¯ The meeting I envisioned in my mind wasn¡¯t like this. I thought it would be quiet and orderly, where everyone would listen to one another¡¯s opinions, something like that¡­ ¡°You think all Captains are on the same level! You floundering lawmaker.¡± ¡°Look at what this person is saying. Just pierce my heart with a needle.¡± It hurt to watch two old men grabbing each other by the collar and shaking each other. The problem was that this was happening in this kind of situation. Maybe it was because of that but no one even noticed when I came into the room and sat down. ¡ª Have you come? It wasn¡¯t through my ears but it was a voice I heard in my mind. It was a sound technique. I turned my head and met eyes with Jin Huikyung who was sitting at the center. He smiled at me tiredly. ¡ª It¡¯s a mess right? It was. So why did he call me here to this mess. Seeing my reproach, Jin Huikyung guiltily replied. ¡ª I wasn¡¯t able to do anything. The Elders demanded your presence. Anyways¡­ it¡¯s the truth that you¡¯re involved in this. The Elders? I was involved in this? ¡®What was I involved in¡­ Ah. Mount Heng Sword Sect?¡¯ I quickly put the puzzle pieces together amidst the loud noises. First, if it was something that involved me then the only thing left was the Mount Heng Sword Sect, and through that the Elders called me. It was this. ¡®Now that I see, there are a lot of grandfathers I don¡¯t recognize.¡¯ There were four of them. Like one, they had faces full of age spots and white hair. They were staring with cold eyes. No matter who looked, they were seniors, no Elders. ¡ª And¡­ the Head Elder is here as well. I glanced inadvertently towards Jin Huikyung¡¯s way. ¡®What. It¡¯s that old man.¡¯ Since when was he there? Today there were two seats at the center. He was sitting to the right of Jin Huikyung and was staring towards my way. ¡®That old man is the Head Elder?¡¯ White hair, white salt, white rice.1 It was a face that was like an old painting that caught your attention. An upright posture, wide shoulders, and firm skin that looked colorless. ¡®But why is he staring so hard at me?¡¯ I put strength into my eyes and I was going to stare at the Elder¡­ but I sneakily turned my gaze away. If I was against him, I had a feeling I would lose, no it was out of respect for the elder. Really. ¡®¡­ Let me just crouch down.¡¯ In that space, Jin Huikyung sent me a message. ¡ª You might not know since you lost your memories but the Head Elder is your grand-uncle2 and the highest Elder. Pay special attention to what you say or do. I haven¡¯t even seen my father¡¯s face but to think he was my grand-uncle. Who knew, maybe they were my in-laws or second cousins, or even fifth cousins. I slightly nodded towards Jin Huikyung¡¯s way. ¡ª And¡­ you mustn¡¯t be taken aback by what¡¯s about to happen. Only speak truthfully and calmly. Do you understand? Even though I didn¡¯t know what was happening, I knew for certain that Jin Huikyung was on my side. I nodded slightly again and Jin Huikyung smiled faintly and stood up. ¡°Everyone please quiet down.¡± A voice full of qi resonated throughout the room. ¡°This is a meeting held by the Jin Sect, and we have gathered here today to discuss a matter of grave importance. As the witness has arrived, we shall start the interrogation.¡± Suddenly the room became silent. Standing at the center of attention, Jin Huikyung opened his mouth. ¡°As the Clan Leader and interim leader, we shall start. The Third Master, Jin Taekyung, please come forward.¡± Feeling the gazes of the people around me, I walked out. I predicted up until here. Because I couldn¡¯t have been called for nothing. But¡­ ¡°I shall ask. Did you poison Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s Lee So Geun?¡± I didn¡¯t predict this. ¡ª ¡°I did not.¡± I barely managed to open my mouth. At the unexpected words, my mind was in chaos. Lee So Geun was dead? And not only that but by poison? ¡°Speak the truth. If we find out you are lying¡­¡± ¡°I have no connection with Lee So Geun¡¯s poisoning.¡± At my knife-like response, Jin Huikyung let out a breath. ¡ª You just need to continue like now. The interrogation moved quickly. They asked, I answered. Jin Huikyung started and the questions came one after another. Half of the questions were about if I was connected to poisoning Lee So Geun, and I kept on denying it. ¡®Because I¡¯m telling the truth.¡¯ Just in case, I snuck a peak at the system window and it was for sure. The Mugong I had and the abilities I possessed, had nothing to do with poison. I didn¡¯t even have that kind of item. So without hesitation, I answered. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± The problem was that the mood in the conference room was becoming strange. ¡°Are you able to provide evidence?¡± ¡°Evidence?¡± Did he say he was the Captain of the White Tigers? I didn¡¯t even know his name but he stared at me unpleased. ¡°Right. Proof. Some kind of proof that you¡¯re innocent.¡± What was this fucker saying. ¡°Why do I need to provide evidence?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is informal.¡± ¡°Look here. Third Master!¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you suspect me, but shouldn¡¯t you be the ones to find evidence? Yes? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± These fuckers must think I¡¯m a wrapping cloth3. I squirmed in my seat and glared at the Captain of the White Tigers and discovered something odd. ¡®Huh. Look at this.¡¯ The appearance of the Captain of the White Tigers as the Elders sent him glances. Coincidentally, everyone who was questioning me and pressuring me had similarities. It was a sorry state to watch the number of participants who pretended not to know anything. ¡®There are factions.¡¯ Jin Huikyung and the Elders. Even now a fight was occuring between the Elders and the Clan Leader. ¡®The household sure is running well.¡¯4 There weren¡¯t many remaining members. Faces riddled with age spots. Sly gazes. The Elders were seniors. And the oldest and fattest senior opened his mouth. ¡°I would get rid of the questions and answers that have no substance. What this old man wants to say is just one thing. From where did this problem originate?¡± They waited respectfully for the Elder to finish speaking. ¡°From the Third Master.¡± ¡°Who has tarnished the Sect¡¯s reputation with his promiscuous behavior and actions?¡± ¡°Again, the Third Master.¡± At the same response, the question came out. ¡°Then, who has angered the Mount Heng Sword Sect and brought us to where we are now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just kill me now, you fuckers. Chapter 18 The atmosphere was becoming worse. ¡°The important truth is that the one-on-one fight was justified!¡± ¡°Justified? Do we justify the use of poison now? Are we the Sichuan Tang Clan1 now?¡± ¡°He said himself that he didn¡¯t do it! Also, like the doctor said, Lee So Geun was fine when he was in the infirmary¡­¡± ¡°Of course the Third Master would say that he didn¡¯t do it. Also, how can you believe that quack?¡± ¡°Quack? This bastard!¡± At that minute, a loud voice came into my ears. ¡°If needed, we should at least offer the Third Master¡¯s head to stop the war!¡± ¡­ What? ¡°What kind of absurd talk is that!¡± ¡°Are my words wrong? Let¡¯s just admit it. Mount Heng Sword Sect is stronger than us. If the war starts, hundreds of people will die, and in the worst situation, our Sect will be exterminated. If we hand over the Third Master, then all of this would be over!¡± Are those words or farts. My chest felt stuffy from hearing the bullshit that was coming out of their mouths. But there was someone who intervened before I could. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Even though his voice was low, there was strength behind it. Actually because it was said so quietly, his words were heard more clearly. It was Jin Huikyung. He looked around him with an impassive face. ¡°Whose. Head. Was. That?¡± With one syllable cutting off after another, the room became frosty. Even my body felt chilly in that kind of atmosphere, the White Tiger Captain opened his mouth. ¡°Of course the perpetrator of this event is the Third Master¡­ Ah.¡± That bastard didn¡¯t have any hair, but it looks like he didn¡¯t have any sense2 either. Even though the White Tiger Captain made a slip of the tongue, it was already too late. ¡°So, we¡¯re offering the Third Master¡¯s head to the Mount Heng Sword Sect on something we haven¡¯t even actually confirmed yet? Is that something a Sect Captain should say?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant when¡­¡± The White Tiger Captain got pushed down by Jin Huikyung¡¯s force and avoided his gaze. Jin Huikyung silently looked at the White Tiger Captain. It was scarier to watch because someone who doesn¡¯t usually get angry was getting angry. Looking at the White Tiger Captain¡¯s face, it felt like 10 years of my congestion was going down. Jin Huikyung stood up from his seat and stared down at everyone with a harsh face. ¡°Everyone already knows.¡± Jin Huikyung looked at everyone around him and firmly said. ¡°The one-on-one fight was conducted fairly and that Lee So Geun¡¯s poisoning is a conspiracy. Everyone already knew this but because of your fear, you guys want to submit to them?¡± All the Elders avoided each other¡¯s gazes. Jin Huikyung said even more firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who poisoned him, but Mount Heng Sword Sect are holding the sword of justification. Today, tomorrow. If not, they may have already pulled it out but it¡¯s too late for us to turn back now. There¡¯s only one way. We¡¯ll need to fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You want to live? You want to protect the Sect? If you feel that way, prepare your warriors and prepare for war. If not, hand over my head and my brother¡¯s over to them. It¡¯s not a bad solution if all you want is fame and fortune.¡± Suffocating silence occupied the conference room. In the next moment, if one person didn¡¯t open their mouth then the suffocating silence would have lasted forever. ¡°How excellent.¡± A man who, until now, had just sat there and watched. The Head Elder. ¡ª The Head Elder. He was a person of interest. The Sect¡¯s greatest senior and also the Head of the Elders. I thought of what Jin Huikyung said to me previously in a sound technique. ¡®He told me to be careful.¡¯ The NPC Jin Huikyung was my greatest ally and advisor. I didn¡¯t listen to his words vainly, and kept an eye on the Head Elder. And also, came to a conclusion. ¡®Fuck, I have no idea.¡¯ After I started this crappy game, if someone were to ask me to count the number of NPCs I¡¯ve met, I felt like it would number over a hundred. They each had their own individual expressions and personalities. The servant I met at the brothel had a salesman smile, the warrior who dropped me off had a kind of clumsiness, and the seniors I met at the Sect were unexpectedly innocent and had a radical side to them. However the Head Elder¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t read his expression.¡¯ He had a strange smile on his face and was simply watching everything that was happening. When the interrogation started he had that strange smile on his face, when everyone was shouting and also at this moment too. Clap. Clap. Clap. The sounds of the Head Elder clapping filled the room. ¡°I thought you were just young, but it looks like the Clan Leader has become a confident Murim-in. Wonderful. It needs to be that way so that we can call you a Clan Leader.¡± ¡°I apologize for showing you something unsightly.¡± ¡°Too much humility can be seen as arrogant. There¡¯s no need for the Clan Leader to apologize.¡± At the Head Elder¡¯s compliments, Jin Huikyung¡¯s face was as stiff as always. ¡°This old man wants to add something, what does the Clan Leader think?¡± ¡°I shall listen carefully.¡± Everyone looked his way, as the Head Elder slowly rose up from his seat. He was the highest senior in the Sect. Based on authority, he could even be beyond Jin Huikyung. The biggest problem was on the other hand, that influential person was the Head of the Elders. ¡®Shit, it¡¯s become fucked.¡¯ In this worst possible situation, I slowly started to move my body towards the door, when the Head Elder spoke his first words. ¡°It¡¯s rotten.¡± Huh? I turned my head around. Like always, the Head Elder had the same strange smile on his face. Did I hear wrong? But I didn¡¯t. ¡°Even animals will join forces against an enemy. But the Sect seniors are suggesting that we offer up the head of the direct line of the family in order to stop a war. Haha. And you¡¯re telling me that these kinds of bastards are sitting here in the meeting.¡± ¡°L¨£-l¨£oy¨¦. It¡¯s a misunderstanding. That is¡­¡± ¡°Captain.¡± At the cold face of the Head Elder, the White Tiger Captain¡¯s face became tense. ¡°Was my trip abroad too long? If not, maybe it¡¯s because I left my seat empty for too long?¡± ¡°L¨£-l¨£oy¨¦.¡± If I were to just look at his expression, he looked like an old man who was asking someone if they had water at a gym but his words were cold. ¡®What is this.¡¯ What was happening? Why was he on our side? Even though I looked around the room, everyone else¡¯s reactions were the same as mine. On either side, everyone looked taken aback. ¡°What do you think. Clan Leader?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If we are to go into war, it is important to take care of things internally first. So wouldn¡¯t it be a priority to cut off their heads?¡± In the chilly atmosphere, Jin Huikyung just gazed at the Head Elder for a long moment and then just sighed, while responding. ¡°We cannot do that.¡± Whew. The White Tiger Captain let out a sigh of relief. I thought it was too bad, considering just a moment ago he was talking about offering my head. ¡­ Should I try suggesting that we just kill him. ¡°Not only did they insult the direct family line, but they also insisted on handing it over to the enemy, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re treating them too softly?¡± ¡°They have been loyal to the Sect for a long time. I will think that they were words spoken out of excitement.¡± The Head Elder laughed at Jin Huikyung¡¯s response. ¡°A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue you say. Right. The Clan Leader¡¯s bowl is bigger than I thought.3 Indeed Clan Leader. If so, I won¡¯t hold them accountable. I¡¯d like to thank the Clan Leader for forgiving their slip of the tongue.¡± As the Head Elder bent his head, the other people in the room bent over and waved their hands in a hurry. ¡°Aigoo. L¨£oy¨¦. No. It¡¯s our fault.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°If you do this, we shall be even more embarrassed. Please¡­¡± ¡°L¨£oy¨¦!¡± They sure were overreacting when it was Jin Huikyung who saved them. They were really putting on a show, a show. It was at that minute when I was watching. ¡®Wait, hold on. Show?¡¯ I felt an unknown feeling all over my body. I looked at the people surrounding the Head Elder. And realized. The ones who were talking about me earlier. And the slight smiles on their faces. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯ It was all a plan? All of it? For what intention, for what reason? Multiple questions rose and disappeared in my head. My mind was in chaos. ¡®I wonder what Jin Huikyung knows?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even need to turn my head. Because the Head Elder was holding Jin Huikyung¡¯s hand and was shouting. ¡°The space that the Patriarch has left behind, the Clan Leader should be seen as basically the Patriarch. In this event, I shall support the Clan Leader. If we support him, no matter how amazing those fools are, they won¡¯t be able to covet the sect!¡± The heated atmosphere, the chants and shouts of the people. Where did I see this before, for some reason it felt familiar. Also. ¡°Thank you.¡± The moment I saw the shaking smile of Jin Huikyung and the Head Elder¡¯s mysterious smile, I realized what the familiar feeling was. An election campaign. I could see the image of a politician on TV overlapping with the Head Elder¡¯s appearance. ¡ª Even though it didn¡¯t feel great, after the Head Elder held Jin Huikyung¡¯s hands, the rest of the meeting proceeded smoothly. The elder¡¯s persistance about the one-on-one fight went away, and the rest of the meeting was about the war. ¡°What is the number of available people that we have?¡± ¡°If we call back the people currently outside¡­ it¡¯s a little more than 200.¡± It¡¯s about 200 people? At the large amount, I opened my mouth in admiration but closed it shut again as the talks continued. ¡°What about if we were only to select First-Rate Murim-ins?¡± ¡°It is less than twenty. Of course if we were to include the people in this room, the number might be different.¡± Including the three master seniors in the room, it was a little more than 40. Even though I didn¡¯t know the current situation, I felt like it was a good number of people. It really was a deep-rooted prestigious family. The power of a 200 year old family wasn¡¯t for nothing. ¡°What about Mount Heng Sword Sect?¡± ¡°First, the minimum number of confirmed warriors is at least 300.¡± 300. Only the minimum was a difference of 100. But it was okay. The number of heads in a fight¡­ ¡°And the number of First-Rate warriors is at least fifty.¡± This war, it was hard. But still, it seemed doable with masters like Jin Huikyung and Hui Peng. Because they were NPCs that had high enough levels that I couldn¡¯t even read with Qi Sense. And the Head Elder was probably the same. ¡°The peak masters of the Sect include the Clan Leader, L¨£oy¨¦ and Hui Peng, which would make it three. For Mount Heng Sword Sect, they currently have five peak masters. ¡­ I can¡¯t because it feels like a beggar. Really. ¡®What? Deep-rooted prestigious family? A 200 year history?¡¯ What did these bastards do for 200 years. Listening, Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s history wasn¡¯t even 30 years, in terms of power they crushed us, crushed. ¡®Did they go through the black plague last year.¡¯ Even if they went through the black plague or not, it felt like I would go insane right now. As I stared up at the ceiling of the conference room, I made a resolution. ¡®I need to escape.¡¯ It should be enough if I left at about 4 in the morning. I just need to run far away while everyone was still sleeping. If it was me right now, I could probably get defeat five or six people at Jang Sam¡¯s level. If I looked around every mountain I saw, my experience and fame¡­ ¡°A carrier pigeon from Mount Heng¡ªMount Heng Sword Sect has arrived!¡± It was the shout of a warrior who burst into the room. They opened the roll of paper and spread it out and words that looked like they were written in blood came into my sight. It was writing I could read, even without the system translating it for me. ²»¾ã´÷Ìì. ¡®Mortal enemy.4¡® Enemies who weren¡¯t able to live together under one sky. Jin Huikyung spoke with a heavy expression on his face. ¡°As of this time, our Sect is in war. Without my approval, regardless of their status, it is important that we prohibit entry and to remain alert. Do not let a single ant in. Do you understand!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The system alarm rang in my ears. Ring. ¡­ Haha. Hahahaha. Chapter 19 The way to prove yourself in the Murim world is through strength! The one who survives becomes stronger, and only the strong will survive. I wish you all the best. Rank: Main Quest Restriction: Player Mission: Surrender and extinction of Mount Heng Sword Sect (Incomplete) Reward: ??? Failure: ??? Jin Huikyung spoke as I stared at the quest window. ¡°You look exhausted.¡± Exhausted? I felt shocked that he could sum up my state of mind so simply with just one word. Instead of responding, I stared at the smoke rising up out of the tea cup. ¡®It¡¯s water already spilled.¡¯ Even though I tried my best, I wasn¡¯t able to stop the war. The meeting switched to planning for a war instead, and Jin Huikyung who received the full support of the Head Elder, proceeded to go forward without hesitation. All Sect members are to immediately return! By dawn, dozens of carrier pigeons flew into the sky, and messengers ran by horse. A thorough perimeter spread outwards like a net. In the midst of that tension, Jin Huikyung who broke up the meeting, left with Hui Peng and went into his office. ¡°It was something that was bound to happen sooner or later. It¡¯s not your fault, Taekyung.¡± I felt as if I could tear up listening to Jin Huikyung¡¯s warm words. But it wasn¡¯t because I felt touched by them, but because I felt wronged. ¡®Of course it¡¯s not my fault!¡¯ Also, since the topic is already brought up but why was ¡®something bound to happen sooner or later¡¯ happening right now. As I was venting out my anger, Hui Peng opened his mouth. ¡°But Lord.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°About the Head Elder¡­ I¡¯m not sure what his intentions are.¡± The Head Elder. At his name, all other thoughts were thrown away. Among all the NPCs I met in this game, he was the one I was most leery of. He really seemed like he was acting for the Sect, but he also seemed like someone who would move by profit as if he were a politician. I carefully spoke up. ¡°What kind of person is the Head Elder?¡± ¡°He is a high ranking Murim-in and is someone with a deep heart. You could say that he¡¯s the most dangerous person in the Murim world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that much?¡± Jin Huikyung nodded his head up and down heavily. ¡°Even the other Elders are nothing when compared to the Head Elder. Although he rarely shows up, he is someone who moves and commands the other Elders. The number of years are decades.¡± ¡°Then in the meeting, the reason he supported us was¡­¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know the exact truth, he has something up his sleeve. It¡¯s certain.¡± ¡°We should have killed them all.¡± Hui Peng cut into the conversation with a cold voice. ¡°They are an unfaithful burden. When the Head Elder made the suggestion to kill them, truthfully I hoped you would have said yes.¡± I felt the same way. It was also the Head Elder¡¯s clever way of speaking. At this point, how about withdrawing. If Jin Huikyung was crazy enough to accept the proposal, the outcome would have been obvious. ¡°It would have resulted in a bloodbath.¡± ¡°I know. That is why I held myself back.¡± The head authority of the Jin Sect would have been cut in half and the rest of the fight would have continued on until death. If we lost, it would have been death and if we won, it would have resulted in great damage. ¡®It was probably something the Head Elder was wanting to happen.¡¯ The Head Elder. A hand you couldn¡¯t see. At a sudden revelation, I felt chills all over my body. And it matched the image I had of the Head Elder. A politician who was like a hyena lying in wait. Jin Huikyung tilted his tea cup. ¡°But these are just guesses. We don¡¯t know what the Head Elder¡¯s intentions are. He is still a senior of the Sect and a powerful ally. Be careful, but don¡¯t be hostile. Rather than being wary of people, now is the time to get through this situation.¡± He was basically saying to look at the forest and not the trees. The problem was that the trees weren¡¯t that great. As if he read my thoughts, Hui Peng brought up the topic related to him. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t great. According to outside sources, rumors about Lee So Geun being poisoned have spread and our reputation is falling.¡± ¡°In just half a day?¡± ¡°Yes. Talks about it have spread throughout the Shanxi Provience.¡± Jin Huikyung¡¯s face looked worried. ¡°That was fast. Even though rumors spread quickly, it¡¯s too quick. It seems there¡¯s someone behind the scenes.¡± It wasn¡¯t like this place had internet, so it really was weird that rumors could have spread so quickly in a region so large. ¡®An unseen enemy.¡¯ Who on earth could it be. A third party? A fabrication by Mount Heng Sword Sect? I hoped it was the latter. There was nothing more dangerous then an invisible enemy. ¡°The public sentiment seems to be skeptical but other Sects¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s still no answer?¡± Instead of answering, Hui Peng just nodded his head. After Jin Huikyung obtained the information that Lee So Geun had been poisoned, he immediately asked for support from other Sects in the Shanxi region. But it looked like it was all in vain. ¡®It gets worse and worse.¡¯ Did I really need to run away. It was when I was staring out the window with those thoughts. Flap. A pigeon was perched on the window. ¡°¡­ It looks like we¡¯ve received an answer.¡± ¡ª The Taiyuan Jin Sect. The driver approached the warriors, who were sternly guarding the front gates, with a magnificently written sign. ¡°Stop. Reveal your identity and purpose!¡± He shouted and at the same time, blocked the carriage from going any further. Because of the situation, his voice was filled with nervousness. Furthermore. ¡®It¡¯s unusual.¡¯ The driver gripping the reins gave off a smell of a disciplined warrior, and the carriage being pulled by the four horses looked impressive and elegant. ¡®But it looks strangely familiar?¡¯ The driver looked familiar. And the carriage too. Where did he see it? As he questioned myself, he forgot himself as he stared into the driver¡¯s piercing eyes. That spirit, that gaze. It was an unusual guest. The guard who swallowed nervously, opened his mouth. ¡°Please reveal your identity and purpose.¡± The carriage door opened, and a pair of bright silk shoes appeared. And a soft voice that sounded like a spring breeze came into the guard¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯ve come from Hong Hwaru.1 My name is a secret.¡± And a face to go with the voice. The guard looked at her with a dazed expression. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone who saw the woman¡¯s face had a similar expression on their faces. The guard spoke with a lost voice. ¡°Ah, a secret¡­ Then please state your purpose.¡± The woman, Wol Hwa, answered with an enchanting voice. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m here to collect a payment?¡± ¡ª ¡°Have you been well? Haven¡¯t you missed me?¡± I stood up and my body stiffened. An unforgettable face. And also a face that shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°Wol Hwa?¡± The first NPC I met in this game. A courtesan at the brothel and I, Jin Taekyung¡¯s pinky finger.2 Why is noona3 here¡­? ¡°It looks like you remember me. Our Master Jin.¡± Wol Hwa laughed. Not only was her face pretty but the sound of her laughter was pretty too, and because someone pretty was laughing, she looked even prettier¡­ No, this wasn¡¯t the time for this right now. I said in a low voice. ¡°How have you come here. Ah, it¡¯s fine. Leave. Go out.¡±4 I pushed Wol Hwa out slightly with my elbow. Wow, it was crazy. Of all things, to think she came in this kind of atmosphere. Rumors might appear that I called a courtesan in the midst of an emergency situation. I was dizzy just imagining my reputation. ¡°Please don¡¯t nudge me. It tickles.¡± ¡°I got it, so please hurry and leave. There are other people in the room, so what do you mean by suddenly coming here? An important guest will be arriving soon.¡± The timing wasn¡¯t great. I was currently waiting in the Clan Leader¡¯s office for a guest from the Lower Class Society.5 And of course, Jin Huikyung and Hui Peng were here with me. ¡°Taekyung.¡± Jin Huikyung called me. I didn¡¯t bother looking behind me and instead waved my hand in a hurry. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. I didn¡¯t call her. This person will also be leaving now. Right?¡± Wol Hwa laughed louder. ¡°Our Master Jin is as cute as always. But you guessed wrong. I have business here, so that¡¯s why I came.¡± ¡°Tsk, what do you mean our Master Jin. Starting from today, I¡¯m going to be living a pure life. I won¡¯t be seeing you from now on, so please hurry and leave.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t want to?¡± Then there¡¯s no choice. I would have to move her by force. With a desperate expression, I grabbed Wol Hwa¡¯s waist and lifted her up¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± What is this. Why couldn¡¯t I lift her. From the outside, Wol Hwa looked skinny but was she heavier than she seemed? ¡®That¡¯s bullshit.¡¯ Especially considering my stats. Even with just my Strength, I could turn a stone into dust. But if I couldn¡¯t even lift a woman NPC¡­ ¡°Excuse me, Taekyung?¡± As Jin Huikyung called me for a second time, I furtively loosened my hand. And turned on my [Qi Sense]. ¡°Ahahahaha! I¡¯m going crazy, really.¡± Wol Hwa¡¯s level window popped up as she was laughing and Jin Huikyung called me for the third time. ¡°Taekyung, say hello. She is the Shanxi¡¯s branch head for the Lower Class Society¡­¡± Ahh. Ahhhh. I wanted to die. ¡ª ¡°I am greeting you. I am the Head for Shanxi¡¯s Lower Class Society, Wol Hwa.¡±6 Eun So Wol. No, first let¡¯s just call her Wol Hwa. Her image up until now was different. In each of her movements, she was as elegant and graceful as a lady. ¡°I am Jin Huikyung from the Jin Sect.¡± ¡°I am Hui Peng.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I sat there unable to say anything, mutely and Wol Hwa looked at me and smiled slightly. ¡®You can¡¯t. Don¡¯t smile.¡¯ Don¡¯t talk to me. Please don¡¯t do it. ¡°It looks like one person hasn¡¯t introduced himself yet.¡± I felt prickly from her gaze. Someone stepped on my foot underneath the table. I opened my mouth, feeling as if I was going to throw up blood. ¡°¡­ I am Jin Taekyung.¡± ¡°Yes. Please look after me. Master Jin¡± Cough. Jin Huikyung coughed and looked at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were close with my younger sibling.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a regular at our place. At Hong Hwaru in Taiyuan. You could say it¡¯s the main branch in Shanxi.¡± ¡°Ah, a regular¡­¡± I avoided everyone¡¯s gaze. Wol Hwa laughed once and brought out the main point. ¡°Should we start now?¡± I felt it multiple times, but she was a refreshing woman. Jin Huikyung and Hui Peng removed their gazes from me and started the talk. ¡°First, we would like to talk you for your help.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°But, can we know the reason you have decided to help us?¡± At Jin Huikyung¡¯s words, Wol Hwa smiled. ¡°The reason¡­ if you need it, of course I¡¯ll say it. First. It¡¯s for our benefit.¡± ¡°Benefit you say. Specifically, what kind of reward did you want?¡± ¡°Half of the property and goods from Mount Heng Sword Sect.¡± ¡°Great.¡± ¡°Lord!¡± Even though Hui Peng protested, Jin Huikyung didn¡¯t care. It also looked like Wol Hwa was surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve decided quickly.¡± ¡°Because we have bet everything.¡± ¡°Is it already agreed upon?¡± ¡°I am the Clan Leader, because my father is not here, I currently have the power to make the final decisions.¡± ¡°I understand that there is a lot of internal opposition. For example, from the Elders?¡± ¡°As one would expect from the Lower Class Society. Your information is fast.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. In order to survive in this dreary Murim world, information is the most important. We can at least eat if we have this skill, no?¡± I thought of something as I looked at Wol Hwa¡¯s smile. ¡®That information. Was it me, no, Jin Taekyung who spilled it?¡¯ Lower Class Society, I thought I heard of that name but it was a information group that appeared regularly in martial art novels. In other worlds, it looked like Wol Hwa was a veteran information seller. Not only that but she was a level 50 Murim-in. That kind of courtesan met a bastard like Jin Taekyung? ¡®It was enough to make a dog laugh.¡¯7 I stared at Wol Hwa. Her appearance was so dazzling it was like a goddess came down. Everytime she laughed, I could see flowers. But now I could see the hidden thorns. Jin Huikyung spoke with a stiff face. ¡°Then speak your second reason.¡± Wol Hwa spoke with a polite and bright smile. ¡°I am fond of Master Jin.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not only that but his face is handsome, his body is impressive, and his personality is cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was she serious, or was she joking? Chapter 20 The negotiations were in their final stages after an hour passed. ¡°Half of the property and goods from Mount Heng Sword Sect. And exclusive rights to the entertainment district. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. And the contract?¡± ¡°From this moment on, the Jin Sect will not sell information to other Sects, and will put all effort into gathering and delivering information.¡± It was a decision reached after a lot of negotiation. Jin Huikyung and Wol Hwa, until the very end, carefully checked the written agreement and exchanged information. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve formally become allies. Take care of us well. Clan Leader.¡± ¡°Me as well.¡± It was at the moment they shook hands. Ring. Even this kind of information popped up. Of course, when the war with Mount Heng Sword Sect started, a similar window popped up. ¡®Since we¡¯ve joined forces with the Lower Class Sect, I wonder if our chances of winning have gone up?¡¯ The Lower Class Sect was a group that focused on gathering information. According to Wol Hwa, all information in Shanxi passed through them, so if that was the truth then they would be a huge help. ¡®There¡¯s nothing more important than information.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure how it was in Murim but I knew. How the situation changed depending on what information you had. It could be a knife, shield or even a bomb that would turn the tides. If Wol Hwa brought that kind of information, it would be great. ¡°Then I shall leave now.¡± ¡°Pardon us for not seeing you out.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was finally over. Hui Peng, with a stiff face, bowed his head and I, floundering, followed after him. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Wol Hwa¡¯s eyes bent like half-moons after looking at me. ¡°Master Jin, you should leave with me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to send me off?¡± ¡°¡­ Why should I?¡± ¡°Hmm. Because we¡¯ve spent a hot night together?¡± I was dazed after she said that to me so straight forwardly. No, she said she was going to bring information but why was she bringing out this R-rated information. And in front of other people. ¡°Hoho.¡± ¡°A ho-hot night? Together?¡± Hui Peng looked at me and Wol Hwa with an interested expression, and Jin Huikyung¡¯s pupils looked like an earthquake. ¡°Taekyung. Is this the truth? Is that the truth?¡± After a brief silence, I answered. ¡°I will go see her out.¡± As I grabbed Wol Hwa¡¯s wrist and hurried out, I could hear Jin Huikyung¡¯s mournful cry from behind me. ¡°Yoooungeest!¡± ¡ª Wol Hwa was a rare beauty. Her thin body and glamorous clothes, it was no wonder she attracted gazes. ¡°Was there a beauty like that in our Sect?¡± ¡°Of course there isn¡¯t. She¡¯s an outsider.¡± ¡°An outsider?¡± ¡°Yeah. According to my guard friend, she¡¯s from the brothel.¡± ¡°Ah, that super expensive brothel. Of course I know. Hold on, but why is someone like that here?¡± ¡°She said she was here to receive payment from the Third Master. It looks like she¡¯s here to receive payment before we go into an all-out war.¡± ¡°¡­. huh. The Third Master sure is doing all sorts of things.¡± The whispers of the people around us were coming into my ears. Wol Hwa, humming, turned around and looked at me. ¡°Master Jin. Why are you walking so far away?¡± I replied bluntly. ¡°People will misunderstand if we walk together. Even now they¡¯re saying weird rumors¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the payment?¡± Right, that. ¡°That isn¡¯t a weird rumor though?¡± Wol Hwa smiled brightly. ¡°The guards asked me why I was here, so I just said I was here to get my money. And it isn¡¯t like it¡¯s a complete lie.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Then were you thinking of saying that we¡¯ve become allies?¡± ¡°¡­ It isn¡¯t like that.¡± Why was it my name that was being used. My image already was a mess. If rumors like that spread out during the war, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the trashy image I already had. ¡°As someone falsely accused at using poison, being seen as a gigolo is fine. And that is the way Master Jin normally behaves, so people are easily convinced.¡± She was strangely convincing. Unknowingly, I was already nodding and then suddenly felt a sense of danger from Wol Hwa¡¯s words. ¡°A false accusation?¡± Now that I thought about it, she never once brought up anything related to Lee So Geun. Like a strict businessman and as if it was natural, signed the alliance with us. ¡®Believing what?¡¯ Sensing my suspicions, Wol Hwa smiled. ¡°Master Jin. Did you forget who I am?¡± ¡°The Head of the Lower Class Sect¡­¡± My eyes widened. Information, she had information. Information that I wasn¡¯t the perpetrator! I hurriedly sped up to Wol Hwa¡¯s side. ¡°Can you lift the false accusations against me? You really have that kind of information?¡± The beginning of the war was because of Lee So Geun¡¯s poisoning. If we revealed that this was all a conspiracy, then the war could be blocked. But Wol Hwa¡¯s next words shattered my expectations. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have that.¡± What? ¡°Then why did you form an alliance with us?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a merchant.¡± Wol Hwa continued cheerfully. ¡°The Lower Class Sect is basically a group of merchants. We move based on the pros and cons.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the truth, then it¡¯s even more unbelievable.¡± ¡°Gosh, why?¡± ¡°Because Mount Heng Sword Sect is stronger than us. If like your words, you move based on weighing the pros and cons, then shouldn¡¯t you be going to Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s side?¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest. No, should I say you¡¯re innocent?¡± Wol Hwa smiled. ¡°This is an investment. This is the result after weighing everything neutrally on either side of the scale.¡± ¡°Are you saying it doesn¡¯t matter as long as you benefit? Even if I really did poison Lee So Geun?¡± ¡°Master Jin. The Shanxi branch of the Lower Class Sect wasn¡¯t able to gain the information even after putting all our effort into it, do you know what that means?¡± I paused but Wol Hwa didn¡¯t wait for my response. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Master Jin is really innocent or you hid it so well that we weren¡¯t able to find out the truth.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lose anything if it¡¯s either side. If it¡¯s the former, then it¡¯s great and if it¡¯s the latter then it just means that the Jin Sect skill is that impressive.¡± I was surprised. That it could be seen in this way. Her thorough understanding of the situation and her calculations. I knew what Wol Hwa meant when she called herself a merchant. But¡­ ¡°You forgot something important. If I really was falsely accused, then who is the real perpetrator of Lee So Geun¡¯s poisoning?¡± That was the core of the war. It was the biggest piece of the puzzle that Wol Hwa wasn¡¯t able to find. If the Lower Class Sect knew who really was responsible, then they would have brought that information with them today. Wol Hwa let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to admit but we don¡¯t know. But we are trying our best. Ah, it looks like we¡¯re nearly here.¡± Even though I had a lot of questions, but because of how close we were getting to the guards, I had no choice but to stop. ¡®Because our alliance with the Lower Class Sect is still a secret.¡¯ I could see the carriage that Wol Hwa rode and the the guards that stood around it. There was a weird tension that I could sense even from where I stood. ¡®I wonder if there¡¯s a problem?¡¯ I used Qi in my eyes and ears. My senses improved and I could hear the guards. ¡°He¡¯s a master. There¡¯s no doubt. At least a First-rate, he could even be a Peak Master. Do you see how he moves his waist? I¡¯m sure he uses his whip like a ghost.1.¡± ¡°To think a master like that is a carriage driver, outstanding people really are different.¡± Warriors, who looked like they had a lot of experience stacked up, were talking to each other seriously. Listening to those words, a young warrior hesitantly spoke up. ¡°But doesn¡¯t he look like he¡¯s lacking a little? Physically he looks a little thin¡­¡± The senior warriors clicked their tongues. ¡°Hey, between me and this friend, our experience totals 10 years. We know just by looking at his gaze. What does a young bastard like you know to be butting into our conversation?¡± ¡°What the hell. Gaps? You see those as gaps? The posture only masters can have, that naturalness. You don¡¯t see any of this?¡± ¡°Then what about greater yang?2 They say that a master¡¯s greater yang energy sticks out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rebuttal¡­¡± Unfortunately, the conversation stopped there. It was because they scattered when they spotted us. Thanks to them, I was able to make a confirmation. He was a master of using his whip like a ghost. A romantic Murim-in who wasn¡¯t fazed by Wol Hwa¡¯s beauty. ¡°Master. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± How could I forget. A heavy voice. A sharp gaze and the air of a master. He was the driver that brought me to the Jin residence some days ago. To think I would see his face here. Wol Hwa spoke seeing me speechless. ¡°He was saying he was close with Master Jin. Because you guys had gone through life and death together, that your friendship transcended age and status¡­¡± No. That wasn¡¯t it. Please, just stop. I grabbed Wol Hwa¡¯s sleeve but it was too late. The driver with a calm expression, opened his mouth. ¡°Even now, when I close my eyes, I remember that day as if it was yesterday. Heavenly Power Jang Sam¡­ he really was strong.¡± The guards, overhearing, exclaimed. ¡°Oooh.¡± ¡°Jang Sam¡­ you don¡¯t mean that bandit Heavenly Power?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a notorious master bandit. To think that kind of person died, that person really¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looks like you guys are misunderstanding something. I didn¡¯t know where to start in order to correct them. The driver pulled me in, as I stood there blankly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Master, we would have suffered a lot.¡± This ahjussi sure was speaking mysteriously. If it wasn¡¯t for me, then you would be drinking a cup of rice wine right now.3 ¡°If you could let me go first and talk¡­¡± I was just about to remove myself from the driver¡¯s grasp. ¡°Yeomra¡¯s Whip. A master who disappeared after a decade. Right. It has to be.¡± The guards were muttering amongst themselves. ¡°Yeomra¡¯s Whip? Do you mean the one who beat up the remnants of the magician. It has to be.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that name then I¡¯ve heard of him too. A master whose past is unknown¡­ And they say that the last place they saw him was in Shanxi.¡± ¡°Then that Third Master, no I mean our Master, basically means he¡¯s close with the great Yeomra¡¯s Whip.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only that. He played a part in getting rid of the Heavenly Power.¡± ¡°Oooh. Ooooh.¡± I could feel their hot gazes. Even though it felt weird and even though the driver tried to remove himself from me, I was firmly gripping onto his shoulders. ¡°Master?¡± I smiled brightly. ¡°To think we would see each other again like this. The Great. Yeom. Ra. Whip!¡± My words had the effect of adding fuel to the flames. Whoa. The guards stamped their feet, and Wol Hwa was struggling to hold back her laughter. Ring. In the midst of the beautiful system alarm, I thought of a famous saying. ¡®A perfect lie4 is a true story.¡¯ ¡ª A young man was staring up at the ceiling with open eyes. His once bright eyes now looked bleak, and on his face was both fear and pain. ¡°So Geun. My son.¡± A rough and large hand was touching the young man¡¯s face. The poison had penetrated the skin, and the naturally rising Qi was blocked. ¡°How did you become this way?¡± The elder lamented. Born an orphan, and a dozen years in Murim. He met a lot of people, and saw a lot of people leave. He wasn¡¯t able to count the number of memories in his head. ¡°Was it painful? Were you unable to close your eyes due to the resentment?¡± He looked down at his son¡¯s open eyes. His veins were all popping out, along with his eyes. It was the infirmary. Tears flowed out of his eyes, as he stared at his poisoned son. ¡°Son.¡± The poison was spreading throughout the body through his hand. His head was spinning and his limbs started to get numb just within a few breaths. To think it was this deadly. The sight of his son, who had struggled so much, stood out. ¡°I will remember this pain.¡± In the next moment, the poison that was spreading throughout his body disappeared by use of his Qi. Like he was bitten a hundred times, the poison disappeared within seconds. ¡°I will repay this back a hundred, a thousand times.¡± The Lord of Mount Heng Sword Sect, the Blood Wave Sword (ѪÀË„¦) Lee Chun Baek, turned around and walked forward. He opened the doors and underneath the dark night sky, he could see a fluttering torch. At least two hundred fully armed men. And leading the men, a young man bowed his head. ¡°Father.¡± Lee Chun Baek nodded his head. ¡°Go. Today¡­ is the start of our revenge.¡± That night, two hundred warriors left Mount Heng Sword Sect. The next chapter will be delayed as well. Which means another one chapter/week. But after next week, I¡¯ll be back on my two chapters/week schedule. Thanks! Chapter 21 Ring. ¡°Huu.¡± I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. As daybreak hit, there was someone sitting in a dimly lit room. ¡®I failed again.¡¯ Silently, I made a fist. How many times did I try, twenty times? Thirty times? The important part was the results. This time I failed again at trying to pull my Qi out. ¡®At least I¡¯m getting better at it?¡¯ Dealing with my Qi was becoming easier. I wasn¡¯t a F-rank hunter but a C-rank. No, if I was at least a D-rank then I¡¯m sure I would have become more familiar faster but reality was cold-hearted. ¡®It might be thanks to my Internal, External State improving steadily.¡¯ Qi flowed along the meridians. The more I trained using cultivation, my meridians became firmer and stronger because of the improvement seen through my Internal and External State. If I compared it with my first time, I was able to circulate larger amounts of Qi at a faster face. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of the skill points.¡¯ I was able to see the results of the 10 points I received after levelling up. There wasn¡¯t a better nutrient than improving my Internal and External State. Remaining Points: 0 ¡®I can see the possibilities.¡¯ The impenetrable fortress was becoming small. If I kept going, I felt like I could open the doors. Thankfully, even though I didn¡¯t have any talent, at least I was persistent. ¡®Let¡¯s keep trying. Until it works.¡¯ It was at the moment when I was about to start Qi Cultivation. Maybe because of the Qi Cultivation, but I could hear an alarming sound. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Hum hum hum. What sounded like a swarm of bees, was actually the sound of people buzzing. ¡®I wonder what happened?¡¯ I concentrated Qi into my ears. Maybe because it was far away, it wasn¡¯t enough to hear clearly. But it was still enough. Among the sound of people talking, I could hear one word. ¡®Battle!¡¯ It was Mount Heng Sword Sect. Battle was finally happening. I got out of my lotus position and stood up. And left through the half-opened window. I landed like a cat, and I could see the lights from all directions. ¡®In the end¡­¡¯ It started. ¡ª Twenty-five. It was a neat number. As I saw the bodies lying there like lifeless, old trees, I spoke after I was at a loss of words. ¡°This.¡± I was a hunter. I encountered numerous battles and saw death multiple times. Those who were poisoned, cut into, crushed, exploded¡­ There were numerous ways a person could die depending on the monster you faced. But they all had one similarity. They were all ¡®adults¡¯. That was the basic requirement in order to experience an awakening. No one knew exactly why. But it was a natural law when it came to the existence of gates. That was why when it came to the numerous deaths that I saw, a child wasn¡¯t included in one of them. ¡®This is a game. This is just a game.¡¯ I muttered repeatedly to myself. But it was too horrific to dismiss so easily when it was right in front of my eyes. Blood (Ѫ). Words engraved on a forehead. The torch shone over the dried blood. Over ten bodies of children were becoming cold like that. At the most they were middle-school students. Not including children who looked even younger. They were lying there, dead. ¡°Hurrk.¡±1 The warrior who held up the torch with his shaking hand, bent at the waist and started to throw up. There was someone who grabbed the torch that was dropped. ¡°Somi. I¡¯m for certain it was that name. It was when I became acting Head, the Yingxian branch head bragged, saying she was his treasure.¡± It was Jin Huikyung. He shone the light over the child with dark eyes. One person. One person. As the light shone over each face, he called out each of their names. As he called out the name of the last child, Jin Huikyung looked at me. ¡°Do you know this child?¡± ¡°¡­ I do not know.¡± ¡°They are the family members of the branches Yingxian (‘ª¬F), Shanyin (ɽêŽ), and Shuozhou (Ë·ÖÝ).¡± I didn¡¯t know where those places were. But I could guess what kind of end these kid¡¯s parent¡¯s could have imagined. I felt nauseous from Mount Heng Sword Sect¡¯s intentions. ¡®Crazy psycho bastards.¡¯ Look, we can kill even young kids like this. You guys will become like this too. I didn¡¯t even know what members of Mount Heng Sword Sect looked like but I felt like I could hear their voices. ¡°Everything is my fault. To think they would kill children who don¡¯t even know Mugong¡­¡± It was when Jin Huikyung, his voice shaking, was blaming himself. ¡°That is the nature of war. Clan Leader.¡± The Head Elder approached while touching his moustache. He was looking at the bodies with a calm gaze. ¡°Win or lose. Death exists between either option. Mount Heng Sword Sect. I think the Sect Head is called Lee Chun Baek? He knows war well. I can tell by just looking at these children.¡± At his words, I felt chills. ¡®What kind of artificial intelligence is this.¡¯ This NPC was lacking in some way. That was why he felt even more dangerous. I kept my mouth closed, and Jin Huikyung with a lost face opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ Your words are too harsh. They are a part of our Sect.¡± ¡°No, those children are fallen soldiers. Numerous people will probably die. Even at this moment.¡± ¡°Head Elder. I ask that you refrain from speaking.¡± Jin Huikyung growled. If people didn¡¯t have eyes, I felt as if something would have happened. But like always, the Head Elder was calm. ¡°Did you not expect this?¡± It was a sudden low-blow. But it was so natural that I, as well as Jin Huikyung were unaware. ¡°Yingxian, Shanyin, Shuozhou. They were all places reachable from Mount Heng Sword Sect. Are you saying even though you sent carrier pigeons out, that this was something you didn¡¯t expect to happen?¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°You knew. That they would be angry. Sending carrier pigeons was a way to solve your guilty conscious.¡± ¡°Stop. Please stop.¡± ¡°It was an impressive decision. If you would have come to their aid, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to rest for at least seven days and seven nights, and you would have needed to fight in that exhausted state. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Jin Huikyung stared at the Head Elder with a pale face. Blood flowed from his tightly gripped fist. ¡°I, I¡ª¡± ¡°Everything has a sacrifice. Face the Sect. You are responsible for hundreds of clan members as the Clan Leader.¡± Jin Huikyung¡¯s body shook. Anger and sadness was flowing out of him and his expression was full of despondency. ¡°Sacrifice¡­¡± ¡°The war has just started. Isn¡¯t that right? Clan Leader.¡± As I looked at the Head Elder¡¯s face, I bit my lips sharply. ¡®He¡¯s an unpredictable old man.¡¯ The Head Elder was for sure a dangerous existence. His location in regards to the family and what was going on in his mind was anyone¡¯s guess. And even his unwavering psychopath appearance as he looked at the children. But¡­ ¡®His words were right.¡¯ From my point of view, Jin Huikyung was a good Clan Leader. He seemed to be a good person and he seemed intelligent as well. But once he felt eyes his way, his resolve shook. If it wasn¡¯t for the Head Elder, it would have taken a long time for him to come to terms. ¡®He helped. Not just anyone, but the Head Elder¡­¡¯ When it was calm, he was a hostile existence but maybe during war he wants to stick together? ¡®If it¡¯s like that, than it¡¯s a relief.¡¯ It was at the moment when I was looking at him with a mixture of suspicion and relief. ¡°It looks like the Third Master is here as well.¡± My heart thumped. It was the first time the Head Elder had spoken to me. ¡°I greet the Head Elder.¡± As I hid my flustered mind, the Head Elder looked at me with a mysterious smile. ¡°There have been interesting rumors circulating around the Sect these days, I think it was¡­ the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon?¡± To think that even the Head Elder heard those ridiculous rumors. ¡°According to the rumors, they say you¡¯re close with someone on Yeomra¡¯s side. And that you joined forces with him and defeated Heavenly Power Jang Sam.¡± ¡°Cough. Cough.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°N¡ªno. It¡¯s just my body was feeling a little chilly.¡± ¡°Oh dear. We can¡¯t have someone who will be playing a large role getting sick.¡± My awkwardly laughing face became stiff. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a valuable resource if you were able to get rid of the Heavenly Power. And don¡¯t tell me that rumor is a lie.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, it should be your duty as someone from the direct line to stand in front of the lines. What does the Clan Leader think?¡± He smiled slightly. Jin Huikyung who looked at the Head Elder¡¯s smile, asked me. ¡°What do you think?¡± Checkmate. As I thought of that one word, a familiar alarm sounded in my head. Ring. ¡ª From now on, you are assigned to lead men under your command and to gain merits! Rank: Repeatable Quest Restriction: Jin Taekyung Mission: Achieve 100 Merits (0 / 100) Rewards: Can change depending on your success Failure: Can change depending on your failure A quest window popped up. Even though I¡¯ve seen them many times, the warriors affiliated with the White Tiger team had returned. ¡°These are what the leaders will be provided with.¡± Swords, also a crudely embroidered dark black robe and a smooth wooden card (ľÅÆ)2 that smelt of wood. That was everything. ¡°The new men assigned to you are on standby. Their location¡­¡± Thankfully it was a place I was familiar with. When I went back and forth multiple times, the pavilion I saw was the one assigned to the reconnaissance team. After leaving, I escaped into a hidden alley. ¡®Open inventory.¡¯ I only needed 10 seconds to change. After I changed, I stored the sword and took out the [Sharp Spear] instead. Even though I was known as the Third Master living in a magnificent pavilion, I was different now. ¡®They said we would be living together.¡¯ Eating and even sleeping would be done together. I wouldn¡¯t be able to pull my spear out in mid-air every time I needed it. As I wore the wooden card on my waist, I felt like I was one of the warriors a part of the Jin Sect. ¡®I¡¯m not just an ordinary warrior. Since I¡¯m the leader of the reconnaissance team.¡¯ The reconnaissance captain of the White Tiger team. I didn¡¯t even imagine that I would receive responsiblities like this. Of course there were disagreements. The Head Elder wanted to put me into a unit guided by the Elders, but Jin Huikyung fiercely opposed the decision. ¡®In the end they came to a compromise.¡¯ The mission itself wasn¡¯t difficult. But I came to the team under the command of the Head Elder. And in the end, I came to accept the mission. ¡®I didn¡¯t know I would join the war this way.¡¯ I wanted to leave but I held it in. The first reason was because I thought of the Head Elder¡¯s eyes and the second reason was¡­ because of the children. ¡®It¡¯s a game. This is all just graphics and virtual images.¡¯ The countless number of bodies, the words carved into their foreheads. Right. There was an emotional reasoning behind the decision. If it was like this, it wasn¡¯t good. ¡®Let¡¯s not get too sucked in. I can¡¯t mistake the game for reality.¡¯ There were many times I felt like that. At first the NPCs felt like people, and now I felt like they really were people. Every time I felt like that, I got surprised at myself. Now that I was doing this game for a long time, there were bound to be side effects. ¡°Is it this place?¡± I opened my mouth as I saw the building. Split wood and a pleasant smell. Wow, there was even a beehive underneath the eaves. It was my first time seeing one that big. ¡®As expected, a family-like business¡­¡¯ Look at the state of the building. No, maybe they were acting this way because they disliked me. Maybe it was their way of saying eat my shit. ¡®Right, let¡¯s try first.¡¯ I took a deep breath, opened the door and took a step forward. Creeak. The sound of the wailing old floors was particularly ominous. Chapter 22 As I stepped into the room, the smell of mold hit me. The team was on standby, so it reminded me of my days in the army.1 ¡¯10 people.¡¯ I used Qi Sense and faced the people in front of me. As my gaze looked at each unfamiliar person, their levels popped up in front of me. ¡®Level 14. Level 15. Level 14¡­¡¯ Everyone was around the same level. It was when I passed by the ninth person. The number popped up. And not only that, it was a familiar face. ¡®Hyuk Mujin?¡¯ When I first arrived at the Jin residence, Hyuk Mujin was the person to greet me with a fight. As our gazes met, he smiled. ¡°It looks like we meet again. Third. Master.¡± I spoke after looking at his smile of hostility. ¡°From now on, please call me Captain.¡± ¡°¡­ Of course.¡± I passed by Hyuk Mujin¡¯s hot gaze and looked at the tenth person. He was the one who smiled the brightest, as soon as I walked into the room. ¡°Master, no I mean Master-nim. Please look after me well.¡± Looking at the situation in front of me, it looks like their positions changed. It seemed like they made the reconnaissance team by gathering warriors from various places within the Sect. ¡®Because Hyuk Mujin was originally part of the guard.¡¯ That was probably why the room was a mess. They had various expressions on their faces as they looked at me. The awkwardness at the unfamiliar faces, their feelings of nervousness at the war, and their expectations. I opened my mouth for the first time. ¡°My name is Jin Taekyung and I have been assigned to the White Tiger team. Please look after me.¡± Clap clap clap. A single person was clapping and after a few seconds, Han Yeop lowered his hands with an embarrassed expression. Beyond my expectations, it was a stiff atmosphere. ¡®But it isn¡¯t bad like this either.¡¯ We were currently at war. Rather than smiling at each other and acting friendly, it was better to have some tension like now. Of course if there was too much tension, then it could turn into poison. It was my role as a leader to release some of the tension in the team. ¡®Well that¡¯s familiar anyways.¡¯ At the first gate, only beginner hunters were frozen together. Reality was different than practice. The knowledge that hunters learned flew far away and instead they became overwhelmed by death. That was why in the guild, the veterans helped the beginner hunters, and I was among one of those hunters. ¡®Even though I was only a F-rank hunter.¡¯ Their levels were similar too. I felt that in Murim, Second-Rate warriors, were similar to E or F rank hunters. So it felt like I was in charge of a party of 10 F rank hunters. To think I was a team leader, even though I didn¡¯t have any experience leading a team, I knew what to do because I had seen others do it. ¡°Who has experience in battle. Show of hands.¡± They raised their hands at the sudden question. Everyone had a puzzled face. ¡°Who has experienced more than five battles. Show of hands.¡± About half of them lowered their hands. Among them, Han Yeop was included. There were five of them who had experience in more than five battles. If it was this much, it wasn¡¯t that bad. No, it was actually beyond my expectations. But the most important question was still left. ¡°Who has experience killing someone. Show of hands.¡± Four hands who lowered their hands lifelessly. I looked at the only person who still had their hand raised. ¡°How many have you killed?¡± He laughed through his nose. ¡°Five. It was last year when we were taking care of the bandits. They were really stron¡­¡± I didn¡¯t need to hear anymore so I spoke. ¡°Good. From now on, I am your team leader.¡± Hyuk Mujin who was in the middle of speaking, closed his mouth. ¡°Team Leader?¡± ¡°Yes. If you have problems, speak up now.¡± For a team who only had beginners, the most important thing was experience. The only person who would be able to swing their weapon without hestitation towards the enemy was Hyuk Mujin. ¡®Black cat white cat.¡¯ Black cat or white cat, if it can catch mice, it¡¯s a good cat. 2 Hyuk Mujin who had a complicated expression on his face, replied. ¡°¡­ Hmph. Since it¡¯s an order, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± He sure was saying he wanted to be Captain in a hard way. ¡°Then Hyuk Mujin is the Vice Captain. From now on, when you¡¯re called, you will be number one.¡± ¡°Number one? What is that?¡± ¡°Number order. Instead of names, we¡¯ll call each other by numbers. Hyuk Mujin is one. And you sitting there. Right. You¡¯ll be number two.¡± From one to ten. I finished assigning numbers to each of the members. Hyuk Mujin wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°This is comfortable. We don¡¯t even know if we¡¯ll be sent out to battle today, you want to spend the rest of the day just memorizing each other¡¯s names?¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°Then just do what you¡¯re commanded. It¡¯s an order.¡± Hyuk Mujin stared at me with a stiff face, and sat down as if avoiding me. Actually I wanted him to act like he did when he first met me. We could go into battle any day but if we continued on like now, it would be troublesome. If he protested, then I would show him the gap in our strengths. So that there wouldn¡¯t be any doubts. ¡°¡­ I will follow your command.¡± ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°One, I¡¯m one.¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s voice shook. He had quicker senses than I thought. Although, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the rumors about me being Shanxi¡¯s Sleeping Dragon. The important truth was that Hyuk Mujin was following my lead. I didn¡¯t show any indicitation of how I was feeling and continued. ¡°From now on, you may hear my words as unfamiliar or weird. But listen first. It¡¯s better than dying by a blade. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Even though no one showed their dissatisfaction as outright as Hyuk Mujin, everyone looked at me with similar expressions. Except for one person. ¡°I will follow Captain¡¯s advice!¡± Han Yeop shouted like a fan. If there was a difference between a fan holding a cheering stick3, then it would be that he was holding a spear¡­ ¡®Ah. Right.¡¯ I looked towards the team members and smiled. ¡°Those of you who use a sword. Show of hands.¡± The heart of a party. Assigning positions. ¡ª In reality, the method of a raid, had already been decided. Three tankers. Four dealers. Two magic users and one healer. For a party of 10, it was the most ideal combination. ¡®Of course there aren¡¯t any magic users or healers.¡¯ If we had a tanker or a dealer then there would at least be some kind of balance, but¡­ ¡°¡­ No one here knows how to use a shield?¡± My voice shook at the shocking discovery. Wow, to think there would only be 10 dealers. Not only that but 9 of them used swords, while Han Yeop used a spear. ¡®What kind of horrible species is this?¡¯ Multiple species would be better. Because at least there was a little of everything. Hyuk Mujin spoke as if there was nothing wrong. ¡°If you¡¯re a man, you should hold a sword.¡± Seeing everyone nod along at his words, I resisted the urge to pray. ¡®Their stomachs sure are full. Their stomachs are full.¡¯4 Blade? Spear? There wasn¡¯t anything like that. Throwing stones, spraying dirt or even biting¡­ In a life or death (ËÀ¾€) situation, whatever you could grab could become your chance to survive. The men in front of me, who had only ever faced bandits, didn¡¯t know that yet. ¡®Maybe I need to have them practice as soon as tomorrow?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just for their sakes, but in order for me to survive. If I taught them some tricks, there would probably be some benefits. ¡®I suffered like a dog for 7 years, I can¡¯t die because of these beginners.¡¯ It was when I was thinking that. Clang. Clang. Clang. The sound of a large bell rang three times. In a place where I wasn¡¯t able to accurately tell the time, this place rang a bell at every hour. The meaning of the bell ringing three times, meant it was around 1 to 3 in the afternoon. Also¡­ ¡°Get ready. It¡¯s our first mission.¡± It was also a signal to start the team¡¯s first mission. ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well.¡± At Hui Peng¡¯s sudden words, Jin Huikyung lifted his head. Until now, he had been staring out the window with a blank expression. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Third Master.¡± A day had already passed since Jin Taekyung left with his team. Their mission was to scope out the nearby prefectures. ¡°They left yesterday around noon, so they should arrive in about two days.¡± ¡°Ah. Taekyung.¡± Jin Huikyung smiled. It was a smile full of fatigue. ¡°I was wondering what you meant. No.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Until when should I treat him like a young child? He is also a young man now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do well on his own.¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t believe my ears.¡± ¡°I have watched over him until now. But that was because he was still young.¡± ¡°I also agree until a certain point. He seems to have changed.¡± ¡±A hero improves when he faces challenges.¡± ¡±¡­¡± ¡±Anyways, regarding the youngest I will let go a little. I should be able to focus more on the Sect now.¡± ¡±You should rest. You look tired.¡± ¡°Hui Peng. The Sect¡¯s family have died.¡± Hui Peng closed his mouth as he heard his voice that was full of sadness and resolution and Jin Huikyung looked at his tasks. But after one hour, the silence broke. ¡°That¡­¡± A black spot was flying closer to them and landed in the window. It was a messenger bird from the Lower Class Sect. Jin Huikyung stood up and grabbed the message. They saw the words as he opened the correspondence. [One Word One Kill¡ª†–¡ªš¢ Cho Pil and twenty people. They have appeared at Dingyang ¶¨ÈÀ.] ¡°Dingyang¡­!¡± If you pass Dingyang, then you would reach Hengshui. If you passed Hengshui, then you would reach Taiyuan. Even though they were a separate force, to think they would run hundreds of Li.5 It wasn¡¯t only that. There were still members of the Sect who hadn¡¯t returned yet. Those bastards couldn¡¯t be tracking them, could they? ¡®We can¡¯t waste a minute.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for Jin Huikyung to reach a decision. ¡°Select fifty warriors and go to Dingyang. Cho Pil is a peak master who is known for using cruel methods. The members of the Sect¡­¡± He thought of the children. Their small arms and legs, their pain-filled faces and their empty eyes. Jin Huikyung gritted his teeth. ¡°Bring the members safely.¡± ¡°Lord.¡± Hui Peng¡¯s face became stiff. Jin Huikyung caught on and his face became blank as he opened his mouth. ¡°Taekyung. Where did Taekyung go again?¡± His voice squeezed out. ¡°¡­ It is Dingyang.¡± Also slightly random information but the Korean artist spells his name ¡®Cho Yong Pil ???¡¯, so I spelled ¡®Cho Pil ??¡¯ the same way. Thanks! Chapter 23 Taiyuan¡¯s Jin Sect. The Sect a person knew by name, whose home base was in Taiyuan. However in reality it was like a conglomerate, and the Jin Sect wasn¡¯t just confined in Taiyuan. 200 years passed since the day of the Sect¡¯s founding. Many years have gone by since the Jin Sect established branches scattered around Shanxi. [In five days, scout out Dingyang and return.] The first mission the team received. When we received the order, the team showed two different reactions. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Like Hyuk Mujin, there were those who were disappointed and like Han Yeop, there were those who let out sighs of relief. Of course, I wasn¡¯t satisfied with either reaction. Hyuk Mujin¡¯s side was too caught up in their ambitions, while Han Yeop¡¯s side were too afraid to fight. ¡®Right, a safe mission is better.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if these guys faced the enemy. Even just imagining it was horrible. Rather, facing the frontline with people I trusted could be more dangerous. ¡®Do I need to at least apply for a transfer.¡¯ I sighed and raised my fist. It was one of my signals. The meaning was to stop. The eleven horses that were moving at a good pace, stopped. Hyuk Mujin, who was on my right, spoke gruffly. ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± ¡°To rest.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve moved for one hour. After that, we¡¯re resting for 15 minutes. Didn¡¯t I already explain this?¡± ¡°We can keep going!¡± ¡°Then go alone.¡± I slightly moved my chin. The other team members were resting, while breathing roughly. In return of going at a fast pace, stamina was depleted faster. Even though Hyuk Mujin, who was at a higher level, could keep up, the other members of the team couldn¡¯t. ¡°If I say to rest, rest. It¡¯s an order.¡± Hyuk Mujin, with a crumpled face, ignored me and looked towards the team members and spoke. ¡°Rest for fifteen minutes.¡± Fifteen minutes. Even though I gave them 15 minutes to rest, the team member faces weren¡¯t bright. It¡¯s because I pulled out a large backpack. I thought of something as I put my hand into the backpack. ¡®Open Inventory.¡¯ Along with the sounds of items clanging, three shields were summoned into the backpack. The iron-coated wooden shields that I grabbed before we left were light and firm. ¡°Seven. Eight. Nine.¡± The chosen team members grabbed the shields with expressions of death on their faces. The three that I selected were the tankers. ¡°Seven dealers. Three tankers. And me.¡± If they went into a gate, they would probably be exterminated but it was good enough at this level. ¡°To your positions.¡± Next was formation. ¡°Basic formation.¡± The three raised their shields and stood at the very front, while number one Hyuk Mujin all the way to number six stood in a second row. Han Yeop stood at the rear. It was a frontline guard formation. ¡°Spread out. Line up. Gather.¡± Even though their faces were full of resentment, they were now pretty efficient. If they were at this level, they would be better than F-rank hunters who had just graduated. ¡®NPCs are better then people.¡¯ Maybe it was the difference between having the presence of Qi. F-rank hunters couldn¡¯t use mana but in the Murim world, NPCs could utilize Qi. The only difference was their levels were lower, and they didn¡¯t have any experience. I started the final formation. ¡°Power retreat.¡± The team stopped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is a power retreat?¡± ¡°Exactly as I said. Use all of your strength to retreat.¡± ¡°Then what position¡­?¡± ¡°At that point, your positions would be pointless. Just use all of your strength to fall back. Don¡¯t even turn back and just escape.¡± ¡°Haha. Are you saying those are words right now?¡± The person who was sneering at me, of course was Hyuk Mujin. ¡°I can¡¯t hold back anymore. Third Master, do you think war is playing house? If you¡¯re going to say nonsense, then you should have at least read military strategies.¡± ¡°Military strategies?¡± ¡°Right. Military strategies! Retreating in an orderly manner is the basic of the basics, what kind of absurd words are you saying right now?¡± Hyuk Mujin dropped all formalities1 and the other team members were muttering to one another. ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not even government-affiliated soldiers but we¡¯re practicing formations, and he¡¯s forcing us to hold shields¡­¡± ¡°Power retreat? I haven¡¯t even heard of anything like that.¡± Look, everyone is thinking the same thing I am. Hyuk Mujin looked at me with that kind of expression. At that moment, Han Yeop spoke up with an uncertain voice. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t think that way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Third Master, no the Captain has thoughts so that is why¡­ yes?¡±2 ¡°Thoughts?¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Thoughts what thoughts! From when he was young, he skipped training, played around with woman and drank alcohol all day. All he did was create problems. It¡¯s not only that, this war was also caused¡­¡± ¡°You should stop now?¡± Hyuk Mujin flinched. It looked like he knew he spoke too much. But there was always someone like that. When they needed to step back, but instead they took a step forward. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Third Master who is responsible for this war!¡± Hyuk Mujin had too much pride in order to stop what he was saying. In the end because of the words he spit out, the atmosphere became chilly. Gulp. Someone swallowed loudly. Hyuk Mujin looked at the nine others and I. ¡°You¡ªyou have something to say?¡± Something to say? Of course I did. ¡°15 more minutes of break.¡± At the same time I struck Hyuk Mujin with my hand. Slap¡ª! ¡°One.¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s jaw turned. It was a hit without any use of Qi. In that sudden situation, he turned blank and my hand went towards him for the second time. ¡°What¡ªwhat is this!¡± But he had a strong mind, and raised his arm and blocked me. But if there was something he overlooked, it would be the difference in strength. Slap¡ª! ¡°Two.¡± Hyuk Mujin who fell towards the ground, immediately stood back up again. Like a tattoo, the imprint of my hand could be seen on one side of his face. It didn¡¯t take long for his fluster to turn into anger. ¡°This fucker!¡± It looked like he was really angry this time. As he furiously ran towards me, I put my leg out and tripped him. And at the same time, I struck him with my left hand. Slap. ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± The strength went out in his legs and he stood up, shaking. Since I hit him three times, it made sense he didn¡¯t have any strength. ¡±Did you want to leave your Qi and turn it into soup?¡± My words had an effect. He had been shaking before but he put strength into his lower body and now he looked like he was overflowing with strength. He glared at me with poison dripping from his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I grabbed his fist that flew towards my face. Speed, strength, timing. I could see everything. Compared to Lee So Geun, he was far behind. ¡°Four.¡± Hyuk Mujin¡¯s face recoiled backwards. Like slow motion, the blood flew into the air. Loose pupils and his legs that lost strength. But he still managed to stand back up. ¡°Five.¡± Slap¡ª! It was only until that point. Hyuk Mujin couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and looked confused instead. Hyuk Mujin who was lying on the floor in a weird way, while I felt something land on me from above. ¡°Snow?¡± I lifted my head and looked at the sky. ¡°Break is over. Let¡¯s go.¡± I turned around and my team looked at my back and they let out the breaths they were holding. ¡ª The first thing Hyuk Mujin did when he woke up was rush towards me. ¡°This fuck¡ª!¡± Slap. Flop. ¡°Take care of him.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± As I slapped him, he fainted again and the other members struck him in the corner of the hut. ¡®A shack. We have good luck.¡¯ If we kept going, we could have reached Dingyang before the sun set. But because snow started to suddenly fall, there was nothing we could do and we barely managed to find shelter. Maybe it was a shelter that only hunters knew about? ¡®It¡¯s pretty small, but still I¡¯m thankful for even this much.¡¯ Even though we were probably going to be late, but rather than meeting our enemies exhausted, it was a hundred times better to stay here. It was when I was thinking that. ¡°Cap¡ªcaptain.¡± It was Han Yeop. He glanced at his team members and looked nervously at me. ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°Huh? We should go to sleep.¡± ¡°That, I mean¡­¡± Looking at him stall, I thought of something. You, it can¡¯t be¡­ ¡±You want to train?¡± Nod nod. I looked at him fiercely nodding his head up and down, and his enthusiastic gaze. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it.¡¯ Rather than repeating myself a hundred times, it was better to beat someone up once. ¡ª It was around noon. The sunlight flashed on the blade of the sword, and that was the only thing the warrior could see. ¡°Cough.¡± Flop. He kneeled and his face fell forward onto the frozen ground. From his shoulders to his chest, blood flowed from his injuries. Injuries he wouldn¡¯t be able to recover from. The warrior could tell he was about to die. ¡±The others¡­ please save them.¡± Their voice that was full of strength cut off. A middle-aged man clicked his tongue at the warrior. ¡°Aigoo, this foolish friend.¡± How could he just come at him like that. But the following words didn¡¯t reach the dead. The fifty men surrounding him laughed. ¡°Of all things you had to be caught by the eldest hyung, you really had dirty luck.¡± ¡°Just like a politician until the end, making demands of us. What should we do, eldest hyung?¡± They looked with greedy gazes towards the remaining survivors. There were six or seven women and children bundled up together. ¡°Leader. Please save the children.¡± ¡®One Word One Kill¡¯ Cho Pil, the middle-aged man, spoke gently and smiled at the woman, who was the oldest of the group. ¡°I apologize. But I am not the one with the most power here.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a person. How can you kill children who haven¡¯t even had a chance to live yet?¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯ve got a lot of backbone. But wait, I heard the branch Head of Shuozhou was still alive. By any chance?¡± ¡°He was my husband.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it. To think such a man would have a wise wife like you.¡± Cho Pil smiled, and the woman¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°You have no thoughts to save them.¡± ¡°Be calm. I don¡¯t make it a hobby to rape or murder (¸Éš¢).¡± ¡°The children¡­¡± ¡°This tough world. How can these young children survive without their mothers?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lower than a brute.¡± ¡°Woman, listen well.¡± Those words were a signal. Swords flashed and death spread out. In moments, the ground was soaked in blood and the men tossed the bodies into the bushes. ¡°It looks like the mountain animals will eat well.¡± A man with tiny, narrow eyes muttered. He was Cho Pil¡¯s right-hand man, known as Heuk Sando ¡®Black Mountain Blade¡¯ (ºÚɽµ¶).3 ¡°We need to eat as well. If we finish this up well, will we earn at least a thousand gold?¡± Cho Pil, in a good mood, smiled. Even though the mission they received was big, he was enjoying himself in the current situation. ¡°To think the day would come when we could hunt down the Jin Sect bastards. It¡¯s unimaginable.¡± He stepped on the fallen warrior¡¯s body. The warrior was from one of the dozens of branches, the Shuozhou branch, belonging to the Jin Sect. ¡°Is that the last?¡± ¡°No. Eldest hyung.¡± ¡°They escaped well like a rat. The head count?¡± ¡°Altogether three. One warrior, and two children. They passed through Dingyang a few hours ago, and are headed towards Hengshui.¡± ¡°What a headache. It¡¯s probably going to take half a day.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to get involved. I will go myself.¡± ¡°Will you?¡± Cho Pil smiled, pleased. ¡°Good, take half of the men with you. The time limit is about half a day, what do you think?¡± His answer was already decided. Heuk Sando bowed deeply. And like always, I try to edit it a little to make it more readable, so hopefully the chapter doesn¡¯t sound too awkward. Thanks! Chapter 24 He ran. There was nothing he could do but run. Even though his father and the Head of the Shuozhou branch were dying, the only thing the young 14 year old boy could do was run away. ¡°Oppa.1 I¡¯m cold.¡± It was the words of his younger sister, who he was holding in his arms. The young boy, Soo Chun, blew on his younger sister¡¯s hands. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, so hold on a little bit longer. Okay?¡± ¡°When are we going home? Soo Yul misses mom¡­¡± ¡°She came to see us yesterday.¡± ¡°You liar. Oppa saw her?¡± ¡°Of course I saw her.¡± In his dreams. Soo Chun swallowed the words that were about to come out. The mother who came out in his dreams looked the same as she did three days ago. He spoke as he patted his younger sister¡¯s head, who had fallen asleep from being tired. ¡®You must live. You must survive for sure.¡¯ He could still hear that voice and the view of her walking away. ¡®I wonder how our mom is doing. I wonder¡­ no, no. It can¡¯t be.¡¯ As he suppressed the ominous feeling, it was then. Rustle. ¡°Who is it!¡± He immediately hugged his younger sister closer to him and grabbed the dagger hidden in his clothes. ¡°I will count to three. One, two¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Amidst the voice hidden in the darkness, a face appeared. ¡°Uncle?¡±2 ¡°Shh. Lower your voice.¡± His uncle with the tired face was a middle-aged man. He was the Shouzhou branch head¡¯s and also the close friend of Soo Chun¡¯s father, and was currently protecting the two children. ¡°I was worried when you didn¡¯t show up after half an hour.¡± ¡°I needed to be careful. We have someone following us.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes. We need to hurry.¡± Soo Chun didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately stood up. Soo Chun carried Soo Yul and pushed ahead through the grass thickets. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Hengshui. Even though they¡¯re brutal, they shouldn¡¯t be able to follow us that far.¡± But will it really happen like that. Soo Chun felt dubious. Already the Shouzhou branch had fallen. The buildings were all burned down and everyone had died. Even though they didn¡¯t know who they were, it was certain. ¡®Extermination.¡¯ As he thought of those words, he breathed out. Soo Chun started to walk again. It was at that moment after walking for a long time, and the snow was beginning to pile up. ¡°Quiet.¡± They stopped walking and kneeled down. Soo Chun followed after his uncle and bent down. The sound of the wind. The sound of the branches hitting up against each other¡­ Those were the only sounds. But Soo Chun felt something instinctively. ¡°Are there people?¡± His uncle responded with a stiff face. ¡°There¡¯s at least ten. They will catch up soon.¡± It was a bleak situation. But weirdly, all Soo Chun felt was calmness. ¡°It¡¯s my mistake. We should have hurried before the snow fell¡­ the heavens are cruel.¡± ¡°You have done everything you could.¡± Soo Chun brought out the dagger he had hidden. It was the dagger he inherited from his father. It was the only thing he left behind. ¡°Even though it¡¯s an insignificant amount, I have a Mugong trained body. I will also die like a Murim-in.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s still to early to give up.¡± Those were the only words his uncle could say. They started to move after gathering up their remaining strength. As they spent all their strength running away, they began to feel their limitations. Their steps became slower, and they began to breathe heavily. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve almost caught up!¡± Soo Chun could hear them now as well. Their pursuers voices, as well as the sound of their footsteps were getting closer. Their uncle handed Soo Yul over to Soo Chun. ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your uncle isn¡¯t an easygoing guy.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Soo Chun continued up the mountain. Even though he was tired, he couldn¡¯t stop. As he continued up the snow-covered mountain, he could hear the sounds of weapons clashing behind him and the sounds of someone screaming. ¡®Uncle.¡¯ Soo Chun gritted his teeth. He wanted to grab his dagger and run down the mountain. But¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s hold back. I need to calm down.¡¯ For the past five days, he made hundreds, no thousands of commitments. That he would survive and protect his younger sister, and get revenge. On top of the hill, Soo Chun looked at his torch with a passionate gaze. ¡®I need to survive.¡¯ And as he came to the top of the hill, Soo Chun stopped walking as if he had been hit by lightning. ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­¡± On top of the hill was a wide open space, and ten men wearing dark blue robes were staring at Soo Chun. He saw one word in front of him, which was the word ¡®Jin¡¯ embroidered on their chests. ¡ª It was when we just started training, when I felt something weird. The wind blew strongly and I could hear a sound. As I used Qi, I could hear the sounds more clearly. ¡®A person¡¯s voice?¡¯ By a rough estimate, it sounded like it was over ten people. It was enough that I wondered how I only discovered it now. ¡®If it¡¯s that many people in this weather¡­¡¯ Good, I decided. ¡°Pack your things.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The team members who were just about to get ready to start training, looked at me confused. ¡°Hurry and pack your things. And one person go inside and get Hyuk Mujin¡­¡± ¡°Captain. There¡¯s a kid right there though?¡± Damn it. It was real. A small kid, carrying an even smaller kid, was staring at us. ¡°Who is that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he¡¯s this hut¡¯s owner?¡± I wished that were true. But I didn¡¯t think the men following after him were part of his big, happy family. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s crying?¡± Like his words, the kid was crying. He was sobbing and running. But the problem was the direction he was running towards. ¡°Uuuh, he¡¯s coming this way¡­ Captain, where are you going?¡± The young kid was coming my way. But I was already turning my back. ¡°Get the horses ready. We need to slowly leave.¡± ¡°In this weather? The horses won¡¯t be able to move.¡± ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s just throw them away.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a mission is. Even in the snow or the rain, we need to do our jobs. Close your mouths and pack your things.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Pack your things! Wake Hyuk Mujin!¡± Just a few moments ago, they were just looking at me but now their gazes changed as if they were looking at a mental patient. ¡°Why are you suddenly acting this way?¡± What do you mean why. It¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t getting a good feeling. I knew what they were thinking, even though they didn¡¯t say anything. As the kid was coming closer, a strong smell of bullshit was coming our way. I could feel what was coming our way. There was only one way. ¡°Then I will go ahead and leave first¡­¡± At that minute, uninvited guests appeared with a shout. At least twenty men were following after him. ¡®Ah, fuck.¡¯ Ring. Save the survivor from the brutal Mount Heng Sword Sect! Rank: Sudden Quest Restrictions: Jin Taekyung Mission: Save the Survivor (Incomplete) Rewards: Quest Chain ??? Failure: ??? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± We saw the men. And they saw us. A silence that felt like death descended upon the open space. ¡®I knew this would happen. I knew it would happen like this.¡¯ But it was too late for regrets. What could I do about my unlucky fate. I sighed deeply and then shouted. ¡°Attack formation. Spread out!¡± Step step step. Even though it was an unexpected situation, the team moved like they were trained. In seconds, they stepped into the formation, and the men in front of us realized who we were and shouted. ¡°They¡¯re youngsters from the Jin Sect!¡± ¡°There¡¯s not that many of them. Take them out!¡± Youngsters. Not that many of them. The fact pierced my heart like a pair of tweezers. I didn¡¯t even get to train them for very long, and not only that but their levels were low and they didn¡¯t have much experience. They were just new recruits¡­ ¡®If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll at least run away by myself.¡¯ As I felt hopelessness, I used [Qi Sense]. The waves of blue that only I could see appeared before my eyes. Ring. Ring. Ring. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± At that moment, my pale-faced team shouted at me. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming, they¡¯re coming!¡± ¡°Caaaptaain!¡± 30 meters, 20 meters¡­ I opened my mouth as I saw them coming towards us at a fast speed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re only experience points¡­ I mean, they¡¯re nothing more than a mess. Only!¡± ¡°Only?¡± ¡°Block them using all of your strength. You need to block them.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean.¡± What do you mean, what does that mean. It means don¡¯t get hit hard. ¡°Defense formation. Spread out!¡± Right. The experience is all mine. ¡ª ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do it. Caaaptain!¡± ¡°The Captain went to commit suicide!¡± That wasn¡¯t it, you crazy bastards. I turned away from my team¡¯s shouts, and ran towards the enemy. The Qi rushed out from my dantian. ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± The leading enemy smiled at me with his yellow teeth. I met his gaze and smiled. ¡°You pretty fool.¡± ¡°What?¡± Crunch. It was at the moment when I grabbed his neck and passed by him. I heard the sound I was waiting for. Ring. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat is this!¡± ¡°This fuckers dares to¡­¡± The face of the enemy was really magnificent. They had knife marks on the face3 and their basic hygiene was terrible. But¡­ ¡°Wow, this is great.¡± It felt like I was in a flower field. Twenty flowers that were experience points. With a face of happiness, I sucked all of the honey out of the flowers. Thud. Thud. Thud. Ring. Ring. Ring. I dug my way into them without hesitation. In the midst of snow, they fell and the enemy faltered. ¡®If it¡¯s like that, I¡¯m thankful.¡¯ I used the Jin Sect Footwork and the Jin Sect Spear Technique to progress. Using the Footwork techniques to move forward. I centered myself and swiped my spear. ¡°Kuuhak!¡± ¡°Uuuaak!¡± Using my sharp spear, I used the heavy weight to defeat them with the Technique. As the situation went on, the enemy started to back away. It was at the time when I was using the Jin Sect Spear Technique. ¡®First form.¡¯ I started using both the Footwork and Spear Technique simultaneously. As I thrusted my spear, someone would scream in pain and blood would come gushing out. ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°Kuuuaak.¡± Second form, third form. Fourth form. Without even realizing it, I followed the flow of my body. The ripples became waves, and the enemy was swept away. I felt my whole body chill. More, more, more¡­ ¡°This baaastard!¡± Thud. Thud thud. The throat, chest, the abdomen. I thrusted and cut them down. The confirmation of death came through the system alarm. Time went by like that. There was only one person standing with both feet on the ground. ¡°The Lead¡ªLeader will find you for su¡­¡± I didn¡¯t wait for him. The wave was a flow. And the final wave burst out from my spear. The Jin Sect Spear Technique¡¯s final movement, Piercing Heaven (ÌìØžÝW). Puwaak! The last person, with tiny, narrow eyes, looked at his broken sword and fell down. His chest burst out as if hit by a bomb. Ring. As I heard the nonstop alarm, I rubbed my belly. ¡°Uugh.¡± Wow, I¡¯m full.