Once, while Jinho hyung1 and I were watching TV, we had a conversation like this.
“That’s him, right? Han Seongjin.”
“You know Han Seongjin?”
“Wouldn’t it be weirder if I didn’t? His face is everywhere whenever I turn on the TV. I’ve seen him so often, he feels like family.”
“Watch your mouth. That’s defamation.”
“Son of a bitch.”
On the screen, a handsome man with a lanky build was smiling brightly. Dozens of cameras and a huge crowd reacted to his every move. Flashes and screams kept going off without a pause.
“He’s got everything. An A-rank Hunter is basically a walking mid-sized company, isn’t he? And he gets a model’s proportions and a celebrity’s face on top of that? That’s just cheating. How old did you say he was?”
“I think he’s the same age as me.”
“…Hang in there.”
No matter the profession, some people made good money and others didn’t. And no profession had a wider gap between the two than Hunters.
“Don’t worry, man. If you wait a little longer, your day will come.”
“How long do I have to wait?”
“Try waiting another hundred years. It’ll be possible in your next life.”
I wished I could show Jinho hyung1, who had cackled as he mocked me back then, what I looked like now.
I wonder what kind of face he’d make if he saw this.
With every step I took, dozens of people swarmed after me. NPCs from the Jin Family of Taiyuan, men and women of all ages, were looking at me with shining eyes.
Is this how famous people feel all the time?
All that attention, all those admiring looks—it was a burden, but it also felt kind of good.
For the first time, I understood that clichéd line from game ads: A new hero awaits!
Yeah. It’s almost over. I might as well enjoy it.
I smiled and waved, and a roar went up. With the ever-growing crowd trailing behind me, I arrived at the main hall used for meetings.
“They’re waiting for you.”
The martial artist at the door looked familiar. He was the same man who had stared at me with contempt when Lee Seogeun came to visit.
Has it been about fifteen days?
Just as I was no longer the person I had been then, neither was he. He gave me an extremely respectful fist-and-palm salute and opened the door wide.
The main hall looked exactly as I remembered it. A large table stood in the center, and the chairs scattered on either side showed that a meeting had just ended.
“You’re here?”
Seated at the head of the table, Jin Wikyung gave me a weary smile. He was alone in the spacious hall.
“Where’s Wipeng?”
“He’ll be back shortly.”
Once I sat down, Jin Wikyung got straight to the point.
“The Lower District Sect has contacted us. The Mount Heng Sword Sect is gathering every last fighter it can.”
They must be shitting bricks over there.
I didn’t know war, but I knew fighting. And war was made up of battles. The enemy had already lost many martial artists and suffered a crushing blow to its morale. They would throw everything they had into the next battle.
“It’ll be a difficult fight.”
“They’ve poured their sect’s entire wealth into it. If the reinforcements join the main force led by the Blood Wolf Sword, they’ll number around a thousand.”
“A thousand…”
That was an insane number. I had never fought in a battle on that scale, and I had no desire to.
Jin Wikyung continued grimly.
“We’ll march north with all our forces and strike the enemy’s main force before it can join the reinforcements.”
“When?”
“In two days.”
Goddammit. That’s fucking fast.
The race against time wasn’t only between the Jin Family of Taiyuan and the Mount Heng Sword Sect. I was in one too.
Can I log out by then?
If I reached First Rate within two days, I could log out. But if I didn’t, I would have to fight my ass off all over again.
Then I’d be completely screwed.
Jin Wikyung spoke again.
“I’d like you to take charge of the rear guard.”
Can’t. Won’t.
I barely swallowed the words that tried to leap out on reflex.
Jin Wikyung looked more serious than I had ever seen him.
“This is a fight our family is staking everything on. Your presence alone will greatly raise morale.”
“…”
I was still debating whether to accept when he continued.
“Fortunately, the Five Gates of Shanxi have agreed to help us. I want you to move with some of their people in the rear guard.”
“The Five Gates of Shanxi?”
“An alliance of five small and mid-sized sects. They’ve always been on good terms with our family.”
“…I see.”
“Then will you take charge of the rear guard?”
Ding.
System
Quest
Rear Guard Defense
Jin Wikyung has proposed that you take charge of the rear guard.
If you accept this mission, the martial artists will praise your will and courage.
Type: Short-Term Quest
Grade: Second Rate
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Objective: Accept the proposal (Incomplete)
Reward: Fame +10
Failure: Fame −10
I answered without another thought.
“I will.”
A message appeared announcing the Quest’s completion and the increase in my Fame.
My Fame drops if I refuse?
The Quest Window had made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. It was ridiculous, yet a strange sense of relief spread through me all the same.
Relief? Have I actually lost my mind?
As I berated myself for being a game addict, Jin Wikyung smiled broadly.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
He was smiling, but an invisible shadow hung over his face.
As if spending all day buried under stacks of paperwork wasn’t enough, now there was a war. Leading a vast clan like the Jin Family of Taiyuan had to be a heavy burden even for him.
He said two days.
Two powers that divided an entire region between them were about to collide. The Jin Family of Taiyuan was short on martial artists, so even if we threw everything we had into the fight, we would still be at a disadvantage.
Can we win?
I forced the thought aside. What did I care whether they lived or died? The march was in two days, and it would take several more days for the battle to begin. No matter who won, I would be gone by the time a victor was decided.
Now it was time to hear what I needed to know.
“Um, there’s something I wanted to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m still stuck at the Second Rate realm…”
After hearing me out, Jin Wikyung tilted his head.
“You’re Second Rate?”
His tone said he couldn’t understand what I was talking about. I had utterly crushed Lee Seogeun and even brought down Jopil. Jin Wikyung had assumed I was First Rate long ago, and so had Jopil.
“Yes. My realm just won’t rise, so I was hoping you could give me some advice.”
“Advice…”
Jin Wikyung thought for a moment before speaking.
“You’re already First Rate.”
“But I’m Second Rate.”
“I’m telling you, you’re First Rate. More than that, you’re a Supreme First Rate martial artist standing at the wall of the Peak realm.”
“No, I really am Second Rate…”
“Who told you that?”
Ugh, this is driving me crazy.
I wished I could show him the System Window. It plainly said Second Rate, but I was the only one who could see it, and the frustration was killing me.
I sighed.
“No one told me I was Second Rate.”
“Then?”
“It’s just… I’m Second Rate. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
“Do you believe you’re Second Rate?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s simple.”
“Wh-what is?”
Is he finally going to reveal the secret to advancing realms?
I stared at Jin Wikyung, my eyes full of anticipation, but he said nothing. Instead, he dipped a finger into his cold tea and brought it to the table.
Scritch.
A single character appeared.
信
信? The character for “belief”?
Jin Wikyung took one look at my face and let out a short laugh.
“You look like you’ve just been slapped.”
“…You must be seeing things.”
More like I look like I want to slap you.
“What is this?”
“Exactly what it says. Believe in yourself.”
“What does that have to do with advancing realms?”
“Because martial arts begin with belief.”
Martial arts begin with belief? It sounded like airy nonsense. Yet the moment I heard those words, my heart began to pound.
They begin with belief…
For some reason, that one sentence kept circling through my mind, spinning around and around until I felt dizzy.
What had I believed in all this time?
The first word that came to mind—and the only one—was the System.
The thing that had helped me most in this game, the thing that had always told me nothing but absolute facts.
I had believed I was Second Rate because the System said I was Second Rate.
Because I believed in the System.
I had already overwhelmed Lee Seogeun, a First Rate master. I had taken down more than twenty wandering martial artists by myself and even defeated Jopil, a Peak master.
Everyone hailed me as a First Rate master and a hero, yet I had remained Second Rate.
Because I had believed in the System instead of myself.
But now I understood.
I’m already First Rate.
Already. Maybe I had been for a long time.
I was First Rate.
“You look like you’ve just been slapped.”
This time, Jin Wikyung was right. I slumped against the back of my chair, stunned.
What a dumbass.
If I couldn’t even believe in myself, I was Second Rate. No. I had been Second Rate.
Ding.
System
— You have reached the First Rate realm!
— The realm of all martial arts increases by one stage!
— Your Muscles and Bones and your Sinews and Meridians improve greatly!
— The size of your dantian expands!
— Level Up!
— Level Up!
From Third Rate to Second Rate. Then from Second Rate to First Rate.
I felt power surge from deep within me, and Jin Wikyung burst out laughing.
“What happened?”
Wipeng showed up late and asked, looking bewildered.
It felt like a blocked nose had suddenly cleared. Reaching First Rate had brought a tremendous leap in every way—my senses, my martial arts, everything.
I left the main hall and started walking. The wind felt cool and refreshing.
“It’s the Third Young Master.”
“Has he fully recovered?”
Sure enough, people’s gazes gathered on me. I changed course toward an even more crowded area.
Anyone watching would think I was desperate for attention.
But everything happens for a reason.
Ding.
System
— Someone gazes at you with awe.
— Fame increases by 1.
— Someone is impressed after hearing rumors about you.
— Fame increases by 1.
As I walked, people gathered around me like clouds. Among them were plenty of NPCs wearing clothes I had never seen before.
Who are they?
I made eye contact with one of them. The young man looked to be in his early twenties. He flinched in surprise, then hurried over and gave me a fist-and-palm salute.
“Gwak of the Samdo Sect presents his respects.”
“Ah, yes.”
By now, the fist-and-palm salute came out on reflex and looked fairly convincing. But where was the Samdo Sect?
Oh. Could it be…?
“Are you with the Five Gates of Shanxi?”
Gwak Whatsisname nodded enthusiastically.
“That is correct. Our Samdo Sect has agreed to lend its strength to the Jin Family of Taiyuan. I, Gwak, could not be more delighted to offer what little help I can.”
In a situation like this, he was a reinforcement worth his weight in gold. I took Gwak Whatsisname by the hand, hoping he would fight hard enough for both of us.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Please, think nothing of it. It is an honor simply to take part in the Young Master’s tale of martial valor.”
System
— Someone is impressed after hearing rumors about you.
— Fame increases by 1.
A total stranger had come all this way to fight for us, and he was even making my Fame shoot up. I offered the endlessly generous Gwak Whatsisname my warmest thanks.
“God bless you.”
“Pardon?”
“It means I hope the Jade Emperor’s2 blessing will be with you.”
“Ahh. Thank you. God bleshyoo.”
“Ah. Yes.”
I put on a fake smile and kept walking. Maybe because everyone who needed to know about me already did, the Jin Family of Taiyuan’s people no longer raised my Fame.
Still, I’ve built up quite a bit.
I opened the Status Window and saw that I was about fifty points short of the target. If I grinded hard for two more days, maybe I could log out.
“Um, Young Hero Jin.”
I turned around. It was the fellow from the Samdo Sect. He looked ready to follow me to the ends of the earth.
“If you aren’t busy, perhaps we could have some tea together…”
“I’m sorry. I have somewhere to be.”
It sounded like a lie, but it was the truth. My destination had been decided from the start.
I pointed to a building as disappointment crossed his face. A faded signboard hung above it, and the heavy smell of medicinal decoctions wafted from within.
Medicine King Hall.
Beneath the signboard hung a small wooden plaque.
Authorized Personnel Only.
The people surrounding me let out pitying sighs.
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