Chapter 159

Fifty points to Agility. And fifty points to Strength.

That made a hundred points in total. I had poured them all in at once—a massive number of points that would normally take ten Level-ups to earn—but I didn’t regret a single one.

Points really are the best. Always thrilling. Always new.

The toes kicking off the ground and the hand gripping the spear shaft cried out.

The me of now was far stronger than I had been only a few seconds ago.

And at last, I had taken the first step toward winning this duel.

I’ll end this quickly.

Whoooooosh!

The instant the spearhead came crashing down with a terrifying sound, a violet haze rose from Cheongpung’s entire body.

The Zaha Divine Technique.

It was proof that Cheongpung had finally begun fighting at full strength. But there was still one crucial thing left in this match.

Whoooosh!

As expected, a streak of Sword Energy shot up from Cheongpung’s waist.

Sword Energy, the exclusive domain of Peak masters, possessed enough cutting power to slice through steel.

I hadn’t yet crossed the wall into the Peak realm. I couldn’t meet it head-on.

I had to either retreat a step or factor in the spear being destroyed and continue with my next attack.

But…

What is this feeling?

A strange sense of déjà vu. My heart pounded, and my vision grew sharp. In a world that seemed to have slowed down, the cool spear shaft in my grip trembled.

Vrrr. Vrrrr.

A cool head. A hot heart.

That was how I had fought for seven years…but this time was different. This was instinct. Nothing but instinct ruled over my entire being.

I can do it.

Like a man possessed, I put more strength into the descending spearhead.

Forty-five years of internal energy raced along my fingertips toward the spearhead. The trembling in my grip grew stronger, and Cheongpung’s violet Sword Energy dazzled my eyes.

That was all.

Boom!

Two enormous forces collided.

A thunderous roar. A brutal blast of wind. Cheongpung’s eyes flying wide.

And then…

It’s fine.

The snow-white spearhead was still there.

It pressed down on Cheongpung’s Sword Energy without so much as a hairline crack, trembling all the while.

Vrrrrrrr.

It sounded like hundreds of bees beating their wings.

How is this possible?

Was this also the effect of raising my Strength? Or was it simply a coincidence?

At that moment, the answer to my question rang out.

System

• You have finished preparing to step into a new realm.
• Your weapon is resonating with your qi.
• Quest Beyond the Wall has been generated.

Ah.

It wasn’t the effect of raising my Strength. Nor was it a coincidence.

This was the natural order of things. After enduring countless hardships, I had finally come face-to-face with the wall. Now I had to cross it.

The wall of the Peak realm—a wall countless people had failed to overcome.

A Peak master.

True superhumans who wielded Sword Energy, or Aura.

A shiver ran through me at the thought alone. Memories from the past flashed before my eyes like a cheap monochrome film.

A mere F-rank Hunter, one of countless others, had made it this far. There had been countless crises, and someone had made a sacrifice.

System

Quest: Beyond the Wall

Would you like to accept this Quest?

Y / N

I had crossed the boundary between life and death countless times. I had to cross a mere Peak wall with ease if I didn’t want to be ashamed of the days I had lived through.

Obviously yes.

System

• You have accepted the Quest!

Ding.

As the cheerful System notification rang out, I pulled up the corners of my mouth.

My thoughts had been long, but only a short time had passed. I whispered to Cheongpung, who was looking up at me with bewildered eyes.

“Now, it’s Puramyeon spicy flavor.”¹

I’ll show you what Korean spice tastes like.

Krrrnnng.

My Strength had risen by twenty-five percent compared to roughly a minute ago.

It was the difference between heaven and earth. Cheongpung was visibly flustered by my sudden transformation.

“B-Benefactor. Where did this sudden strength come from?”

“It’s Korean rice power. Especially gukbap.”²

“Pardon?”

“I used to eat two bowls of pork-bone hangover soup every morning. And five bowls of rice.”

“What does that even—gasp!”

Krrrnnng.

Cheongpung swallowed a breath as my force continued to build.

He had Sword Energy and the Zaha Divine Technique, but neither was having much effect. Filled to the brim with my qi and resonating with it, the spear had grown sturdy enough that even Sword Energy could no longer cut through it.

I have a real shot at winning.

But Cheongpung wasn’t going down that easily.

“Hup!”

With a short shout, an incredible force knocked the spearhead upward.

It had only been lifted a handspan, but the instant Cheongpung escaped the pressure, he didn’t let the opportunity pass.

“I’m sorry. I took you far too lightly, Benefactor.”

Before he had even finished speaking, an invisible force shot from his palm.

The Taeeul Miri Palm. A secret ultimate technique of Huashan, personally taught to him by the Sword Saint.

“Hngh!”

Bam-bam-bam!

Sharp pain shot through me as I staggered backward five steps in succession.

Thank goodness I had improved my bones and muscles as well as my Sinews and Meridians with every Level-up. Otherwise, I would have been in serious trouble.

“Damn, that hurt.”

Cheongpung stared at me with the wide, startled eyes of a rabbit.

“A Seven-Star Taeeul Miri Palm…”³

“Don’t say that. You’ll make me crave cider.”

“Pardon?”

There it was. Exactly the reaction I had expected.

The instant Cheongpung asked what I meant, my spear was already thrusting toward his chest.

A perfectly timed surprise attack. But there was no way it would end with just that.

As if answering my thoughts, Sword Energy slammed into the spearhead.

Clang!

I wasn’t expecting it to work.

With no expectations came no disappointment. My emotions remained steady, and so did my forms.

Next, the waist.

Whoooosh!

Cheongpung twisted his waist as the spear moved.

The gust raised by the spearhead silently sliced through his shirt. A faint line of blood appeared across the exposed flesh.

A small gain was still a gain.

Next, the neck.

I turned with the motion and swung the spear shaft at Cheongpung’s neck.

Boom!

That was not the sound that should have come from a collision between a human body and a steel spear.

But Cheongpung had martial arts—the Zaha Divine Technique, both one of the greatest internal-energy cultivation techniques under heaven and a protective qi art.

I clicked my tongue as I watched the violet energy around him grow denser.

Even so, how can there be absolutely no damage? This is outright cheating.

Talk about a plum-blossom silver spoon. How was I supposed to spar with this kind of unfair advantage?

But I didn’t have time to complain. Cheongpung had closed the distance to right in front of me in barely half a step, and the Sword Energy he scattered filled my vision.

Whoooosh!

The tip of his sword bloomed with flowers.

The movement was so fluid it was beautiful. But if I let myself be mesmerized, I would soon find myself standing before a sign for Mount Beimang.

The Plum Blossom Sword Technique I had watched until now was a frightening martial art composed of extremely intricate, complex forms.

When Cheongpung wielded it, it felt as though I were trapped in a rainstorm.

But…

I can see it.

I opened my eyes wide. My breathing slowed, and my vision sharpened. The sound of my heartbeat was like thunder, and the spear trembled in my hands.

Vrrrr. Vrrrrr.

The spear was ringing.

At this moment, the spear and I were practically one body.

The spear shaft no longer felt cool.

Shishishishik!

Sword and spear became a blur.

I continuously deflected and knocked away the Sword Energy pouring down like rain.

Ten times, twenty, maybe thirty…

Cheongpung was tenacious and sharp beyond anyone I had ever fought.

When I countered the Sword Energy digging toward my waist, the Taeeul Miri Palm flew at me. When I avoided the Taeeul Miri Palm, the Crouching Tiger Fist aimed for my chest.

Thud!

The shoulder that blocked the Crouching Tiger Fist throbbed.

A momentary pain. As my movements slowed for an instant, Cheongpung opened the fist he had curled shut.

Air burst from the tips of his five fingers.

Ah, damn it. Right, he had that too.

The moment I realized it, I bent my waist backward like a bow.

The Plum Blossom Five-Point Finger. He had shown it only once during his duel with Jin Mukyung.

Pip-pip-pit!

Five streams of finger force grazed the bridge of my nose and earlobe by a hair.

He really is strong.

I felt it again: Cheongpung was not an ordinary swordsman.

He was not only the heir of the Sword Saint Mae Jonghak. He had also mastered Huashan’s secret techniques—in other words, he was a complete gift set of Huashan martial arts.

I wiped away the blood seeping from my wounds and spoke.

“You’re coming on a little strong, aren’t you?”

“That’s what I’d like to say to you, Benefactor. Honestly, you surprised me.”

“Why? Because someone who seemed like no big deal is fighting much better than expected?”

“Yes!”

“…”

“You’re better than I thought. Seriously. And…”

“And?”

“It’s fun.”

As I watched the faint smile on Cheongpung’s lips, I thought about it.

Setting his competitive pride aside, this guy simply loved martial arts themselves. He was proving to me how frightening a genius who truly enjoyed martial arts could be.

“Aren’t you the same as me, Benefactor?”

“Young Hero Cheong, do you know what my dream is?”

“…”

“To retire in one piece and put up a building in my name. I’ll collect rent and spend my old age in comfort as a landlord.”

“A landlord?”

“Put simply, um… Yes. You can think of it as being one of those people up in the sky.”

“Ah-ha.”

Cheongpung nodded as though he understood.

“You want to become the Martial God.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Where did the Martial God come from?”

“Is that not it?”

“No. It’s completely different.”

“But you do seem to like martial arts.”

“Me? Not to that extent.”

“You look happy for someone who doesn’t.”

Only then did I realize that the corners of my mouth had been raised the entire time.

Since when?

As I stood lost in thought, Cheongpung smiled brightly.

“If you’ve caught your breath, shall we start again?”

“…How long have you known?”

“It’s a method I’ve used on my grandfather many times.”

People really did think alike. I burst out laughing.

“You’re more perceptive than I expected.”

“My sword is faster.”

Tsssss.

The moment violet Sword Energy surged from Cheongpung’s blade, the spear in my hands trembled violently.

Clang!

The First Form of the Jin Family’s Spear Technique. The spear thrust straight ahead was blocked by the sword blade.

The Jin Family’s Spear Technique was an honest martial art. Simple and rough.

It was clearly a First Rate martial art, but when it came to subtle principles, it was far too simple.

Compared to Huashan’s secret techniques, it falls hopelessly short.

Martial arts ultimately came down to combinations of movements.

Thrusting, striking, cutting.

By circulating internal energy, adjusting the angle by the slightest degree, and linking one form into the next, one could create endless variations.

I had finally mastered them after arduous effort, but the Jin Family’s Spear Technique and the Jin Family’s Manoeuvre Technique lacked that sort of subtlety.

Whoooooosh! Clang!

In that respect, my opponent was a terrible match for me.

Cheongpung was a Peak master with eyes sharp enough to see through my martial arts at a glance.

As if he had decided to stop holding back, he began pressing the attack in earnest.

Whoosh! Bam-bam!

Sword techniques, fist techniques, palm techniques, hand techniques, even claw techniques.

He really was a genius of martial arts. He chained together roughly ten different martial arts, yet every movement fit perfectly into the next, like interlocking gears.

His eyes shone like morning stars, and his breathing was slow and steady.

So this is what it means to be the Sword Saint’s Disciple.

An excellent Master and excellent martial arts.

And talent on top of that.

The world was always unfair. And over the past seven years, I had learned how to adapt to that unfair world.

Persist, move slowly, and never give up.

That was my way.

I had never wanted to be a tortoise that caught up with a rabbit far ahead.

Crossing the finish line was enough.

Surviving and retiring. That was the greatest dream a lowest-rank Hunter could have.

I had to claw my way to survival.

I learned everything in the Gates. Goblins holding rusty knives and firing poison needles were my sparring partners.

Unlike duels in the Murim, I had to stake my life on every fight. But that was why I learned faster.

And then…

I came to the Murim.

Clang-clang-clang! Slash!

My side burned. I could feel blood flowing, but I didn’t make the stupid mistake of checking the wound.

The human body was weaker than you might think, and stronger in its own way. Even if some blood was flowing, the bleeding would soon stop once it clotted.

“Ugh!”

Funny enough, Cheongpung’s weak stomach gave me an opening.

I charged at the faltering Cheongpung.

Second Form of the Jin Family’s Spear Technique.

Whoooooosh!

It had been about a week after I fell into the Murim, I think.

I found two martial arts manuals in a dust-covered archive: the Jin Family’s Spear Technique and the Jin Family’s Manoeuvre Technique.

If you asked why I learned them, the answer was simple.

To survive.

To me, the Murim was another Gate.

I had to learn if I wanted to survive.

That was how I entered the world of martial arts. Before I knew it, several months had passed.

And then everything changed completely.

Shishishishik! Bam!

Hngh.

The Plum Blossom Five-Point Finger.

The instant I avoided the five streams of finger force, the Taeeul Miri Palm struck me.

I had poured in a full hundred points, but I still hadn’t caught up to Cheongpung.

However, to fight someone who already knew the Jin Family’s Spear Technique inside and out, I had no choice but to keep charging forward like a rhino.

Third Form of the Jin Family’s Spear Technique. Fourth Form.

The Jin Family’s Spear Technique grew more powerful the farther it advanced. Its footwork was designed to match.

Its essence was to pressure an opponent with simple forms tailored for actual combat.

If I can’t do it with my teeth, I’ll do it with my gums.

My understanding of martial arts might be lacking, but my stats were not inferior.

As I pressed forward, Cheongpung retreated.

Riding the momentum, I thrust and slashed with all my strength. Even as I panted until my mouth tasted sweet, I suddenly remembered the conversation I had just had with Cheongpung.

But you like martial arts, don’t you?

Me? Not to that extent.

Then why have you been smiling this whole time?

That was obviously because…

It’s fun.

Whoooooosh! Boom!

Sword and spear collided.

The bluestone laid neatly across the training ground shattered into powder and scattered through the air.

As the thick cloud of dust cleared, Cheongpung came into view.

His smile was clear and bright, completely at odds with the situation we were in.

“Martial arts are fun, right?”

After thinking for a moment, I nodded without a word.

“Why did you say they weren’t earlier?”

“Let’s just call it a difference in how we’ve lived.”

For seven years, I had lived as though I were being chased by something invisible.

Guilt, perhaps. Or a sense of responsibility.

Or maybe it was simply self-satisfaction, a way to rationalize all of it.

As he watched me hesitate, Cheongpung spoke.

“My grandfather once told me something. He said, ‘Martial arts? They’re nothing special!’”

“Hmm? The Sword Saint?”

“It’s true.”

Cheongpung continued with an aggrieved expression.

“He said it wasn’t martial arts, but empty space⁴. Since it’s empty to begin with, you just accept it as it is and fill it in.”

“Accept it as it is and fill it in.”

“I’m serious. You can ask my grandfather later…”

Cheongpung’s voice gradually faded, then cut off completely.

I closed my eyes.

In the pitch-black darkness, forgetting the passage of time and the place I was in, I muttered a single sentence as though possessed.

Accept it as it is and fill it in…

Why did those words keep catching at my heart?

The more I repeated them, the harder my heart pounded and the more my entire body itched.

It felt as though the boulder weighing down my chest were shifting.

It isn’t martial arts. It’s empty space. Accept it as it is and fill it in…

I didn’t know whether several seconds or several hours passed.

In the darkness, even the flow of time seemed to have stopped.

In that suffocating darkness, where it would not have been strange for a day, two days, three days, or even a year to pass, I opened my eyes.

“Benefactor, how do you feel?”

Instead of answering Cheongpung’s question, I looked around.

Hyuk Mujin was dozing in the corner, while the ink-dark sky was filled with a cluster of stars that looked ready to pour down at any moment.

Was this really the world I knew?

“Was my grandfather right?”

His second question.

I answered in a hoarse voice.

“No. Not at all.”

Martial arts were fucking hard.

Still…

Ding.

System

• Quest Beyond the Wall has been successfully completed!
• Your class has changed to Peak Master!

Now I knew one thing.