Chapter 139: Faintly, Suddenly (9)
-Stick to it like a dog, until the very end.
Thats what the old man had said when the training started.The source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))
-Your body has already transcended realms. So, as long as your spirit doesnt break midway, you will eventually be able to win.
And then the old man added more.
-Except when youre up against me.
Crack!
Getting punched straight on, I crumpled to the ground.
My ribs broke, and the shattered bone fragments pierced my lungs, cutting off my breath. My vision turned bright red.
I died again.
The training continued, embedding the foreign experience of death into my body.
No.
Its become a familiar experience now.
I shivered and forcibly brought myself back to consciousness.
Kahak Kuh.
The training I underwent back in the modern world was relatively leisurely.
There was time to think between engagements and even time for the occasional joke.
The battle with him was a fight of how much less I could die.
Haugh, Hah. Cough, cough.
My body turned into a blood-soaked rag, with no time even for tears in this desperate battle.
As I bled and struggled to breathe, the old man exclaimed in admiration.
Is this really human talent?
Blood streamed from my nose and ears, soaking the grass below.
Talent my ass. I dont think I can even beat Baekdo yet. In what realm do these people live?
Cheonma The more I saw, the deeper and more unfathomable he seemed.
In contrast, I was a pitiful being whose shallowness was evident with just a glance.
Uh.
As I tensed my body, my bones and flesh forcibly returned to their places.
Crack!
I stood up again, clenching my fists.
Instead of petals, sticky black magic wrapped around my arms.
It seems its about time to teach you.
The old man, unscathed, looked down at me. As I lowered my arms, the black magic sank to the ground.
Pull back your power, yes. Now youre somewhat fit to be called a human. You could even take on those boasting about being S-class outside.
S-class hunters or heroes.
I had experience winning against them, decked out in all sorts of high-performance lottery items and buffs.
It felt like an experience from purgatory, winning against lifeless bodies. But realizing Im now at that level gave me a rough idea of how much stronger Ive become in just a month.
Even after a compliment, no reaction. Going to die once more?
Maintaining consciousness is already overwhelming.
Of course. Who do you think youre up against?
The old man, having sat down on a nearby rock, tossed me a water bottle he had taken from his waist.
A potion for healing magic.
My magic had grown to the point where one bottle was no longer enough.
I drank the potion and asked the old man.
But what do you mean by teaching?
Have I ever really taught you anything before?
I pondered for a moment and then replied.
None. It seems all Ive gotten was a severe beating.
Thats right. Theres not much I actually have to teach you. Youve had the knack from the start, so theres no need for me to say much, as you would figure it out on your own anyway.
The old man spread his palm and emitted his magic.
Black Qi floated above his wrinkled hand.
It wrapped around his hand, and when he clenched his fist, it lightly folded and disappeared.
However, there are a few things that, if not mentioned now, could lead to serious trouble later.
I straightened up and listened attentively to the old mans words from across the battlefield.
First-
The old man, having prefaced his speech, finally began.
You still dont know how to conceal your power.
Ive always made it a habit to suppress my magic.
Thats merely a secondary measure at best. Now, watch.
The old man, as a demonstration, retracted all his magic into his body, and the menacing aura instantly dissipated.
Do you feel anything?
Surprisingly, no matter how hard I tried, I couldnt sense any power from him.
I understand whats lacking. Something was missing from the start. And thats the most important thing. It seems the eldest daughter didnt see you in a very favorable light.
I closed my mouth.
Because it was a question directly connected to the future, with the eldest daughter, Cheondo.
And because the remark about me being seen as insufficient was irritating.
What is it? Whats missing? I dont see where anything else could fit into what Ive learned
There is one.
White Peach, Thousand Layered White Peach, Thousand Layered Red Peach, Fading Peach, Sweet Peach, Dragon Eye Peach, Cheondo.
I had learned everything, and my power, which was once limited to White Peach, now extended beyond to other techniques.
But something was missing?
The most important thing is absent.
The old man, mocking me, generated a very weak force of magic on his finger.
Bang!
A sound like a grenade exploding echoed in the air. I widened my eyes.
Such power was produced with magic barely capable of conjuring the simplest spell.
Explosive power, that is, the most crucial point in completing this martial art. The eighth form. Its name is currently non-existent.
A technique that could ruin the magic circuit in ones body if used internally due to its explosive nature.
I was able to learn somewhat just by observing.
I emitted a very slight amount of magic in my hand and tried to mimic it.
The old man looked surprised for a moment at this display.
You, wait-
Crackling!
Suddenly, the mountaintop was enveloped in brilliance.
A loud sound poured out in short intervals, and dots of light filled the sky, momentarily bringing morning to the forest.
Drip, drip.
The surrounding trees burned, and I dumbly watched my hand, now blackened and dripping with blood.
Ah.
My eyes hurt.
Had I not instinctively wrapped my body in magic, I might have been swept away by my own martial art.
The old man looked at me with a face that seemed to say he found it absurd.
There was a reason it wasnt taught.
I almost carelessly agreed.
The destructive power was dispersed, so it ended at this level, but if I could concentrate that power to a single point, I could achieve power comparable to White Peach with just a handful of magic.
But its interesting.
The old man harbored a similar madness-infused laughter to when he first saw me.
It was created by me, but it seems like it was made just for you.
Chills ran down my skin.
Accompanied by a stinging pain, I regenerated my body. It took quite some time to fully heal the deep burns.
Normally, this would be mixed into the forms for deployment.
Thats right. Its utterly useless if you cant control it like now.
Magic energy.
I thought the black magic that burst out when deploying Black Path could be called magic energy, but that was all a misconception.
I practiced refining my magic into magic energy while speaking to the old man.
But why is this considered a form? Arent forms supposed to be movements?
Well, if you attach a name to it, that becomes a form. The methods are much different from the old days.
That was said to be the era at the end of the martial world.
The old man didnt particularly deny it. Well, it was easier to refer to it as a form. In this world, martial arts were almost forgotten, so no one would argue.
Yet, having acquired this made it seem like there was enough reason to have come to the past.
Once I get used to it.
I felt I could reach those three, whom I had thought were beyond my grasp.
It was as if a sense that had been blocked until now had suddenly cleared.
Thwack!
At that moment, the old mans pipe struck my head again.
Stunned, I looked at him, and he was warming up with a smile.
Getting arrogant already? Its too early to be excited.
Didnt you say we were done for today?
I never said that. And if theres a form, naturally, there should be the next step as well.
A joyful face, having found an opponent to fight.
Cheonma, his face bore the fierce look of a war-crazed deity.
Without a word, I wrapped my hands with magic.
Dark weapons emerged between my fingers like thorns.
Understood.
That day, I took a step closer to Cheondo.
Somehow, a strong conviction surged within me.