Chapter 80: The Sinners (1)
Maru-mun is a martial sect that represents our country.
It is a professional institution equipped with systematic education facilities where one can learn various combat techniques, including swordsmanship, spear fighting, axe throwing, archery, and even shooting.
Among all its strengths, the most outstanding feature was its excellent teaching staff.
Maru-mun consistently produced outstanding martial artists every year. These individuals were often rehired as instructors, creating a virtuous cycle.
Notably, the successive heads of Maru-mun were always recognized as the strongest in Korea.
At least, that was the case until the previous head.
High-Ranker, the Pursuer of Souls Spear, Na Chu-sam.
A master of spear techniques so fast and precise that even souls couldn’t escape.
He was revered as the strongest in Korea at the time, earning the trust and admiration of the entire nation.
"Until that day, that is."
No country has a good relationship with its neighboring nations that share borders.
They frequently quarrel over territorial rights, resources, and various other interests, sometimes even leading to war.
Korea was no exception, maintaining a delicate balance of cooperation and hostility with China, Japan, Russia, and other nations.
Then, about 15 years ago, an incident occurred with China.
The conflict arose over the ownership of a dungeon that appeared near the border.
Such conflicts were common in the era of hunters.
It could have ended as a trivial dispute over pride.
But unfortunately, at that very place, both a Korean and a Chinese top-level master were present.
The two fought over the dungeon's ownership for half a day, and the battle ended with Na Chu-sam’s defeat.
The opponent was also a highly promising high-ranker at the time.
Now, 15 years later, that opponent had become a proud top-ranker.
Ranked 8th in the world, an EX-class martial artist, Tahwa Jajaecheon.
Since that day, Tahwa Jajaecheon had continued to rise in prominence, but Na Chu-sam never appeared in the world again.
The Korean government, having lost a high-ranker, quickly tried to win him back, but it was to no avail.
He stepped down from the position of head of the sect, and his daughter, Na Yeon-sil, took over as the new head.
“Why would someone like him ask to meet me?”
“I’m not really sure either... My father isn’t someone who talks to others often. I can’t even remember the last time I had a proper conversation with him.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Well...”
Na Yeon-sil bit her lip as if there was a deeper story, then sighed.
Sigh!
Hyun Suho was also well aware of Na Chu-sam's story.
A martial artist whose spirit was completely crushed by a single defeat.
In contrast, Tahwa Jajaecheon continued to rise, becoming one of the most influential figures in the world today.
People often wondered: What if Na Chu-sam had won that day? Would history have been different?
Would Na Chu-sam, instead of Tahwa Jajaecheon, have become a top-ranker?
History doesn't entertain "what-ifs," but it was a question many people were curious about.
The place they arrived at was the deepest underground training room in Maru-mun.
There, Hyun Suho finally encountered the legendary martial artist.
Whisk~ Whisk~
A middle-aged man was moving diligently in the wide training room.
He was about 170 cm tall, not very large, but he had a solid build, and a long goatee that stood out.
Contrary to the speculation that he might have been crippled or despondent after his defeat by Tahwa Jajaecheon, his eyes burned with intense passion, with a hint of stubbornness.
He was moving energetically in the small space, unaware of the others' presence, and his movements were oddly familiar.
“Huh?”
It was clearly the movements of the Suho Sword Technique.
Though he was wielding a short stick instead of a sword, the overall movements were very similar to the Suho Sword Technique.
Na Yeon-sil noticed this as well and shouted in shock.
“Father!”
Only then did Na Chu-sam turn to look in their direction.
He had been moving so intensely that even in the cold underground room, steam was rising from his body.
“Father! How many times have I told you not to copy others' movements! That's no different from stealing!”
Hyun Suho felt a pang of guilt at her words.
After all, he had copied every useful move he could find, including those of Na Yeon-sil.
[I'm an accomplice too.]
‘You're the main culprit.’
[Is that how you’re going to be?]
In any case, the unpleasant feeling that had been bubbling up disappeared like snow melting in the sun.
He realized he wasn’t in a position to criticize anyone.
Then, Na Chu-sam, ignoring Na Yeon-sil, looked straight at Hyun Suho and spoke.
“This is different. The sword isn’t the goal here.”
He then half-demonstrated part of the Suho Sword Technique again, before stopping at a particular movement and turning to speak.
“It’s not about mana. Are you aiming for something higher?”
Na Chu-sam spoke without any context.
Na Yeon-sil hurriedly intervened.
“Sorry, my father has a rather unique way of speaking.”
Hyun Suho wondered if Tahwa Jajaecheon's fight had damaged his mind, but it seemed this was his usual behavior.
Strangely, though, Hyun Suho could understand most of what Na Chu-sam was saying.
“Yes. This is not just a martial art for swordsmanship. It’s more complex, and the low mana usage... is because the goal is different.”
When Hyun Suho responded without hesitation, Na Yeon-sil’s eyes widened in surprise, and Na Chu-sam nodded and continued with another question.
“Upper Dantian? But it’s still incomplete.”
“Yes. Ultimately, the goal is a combat technique that can be utilized with divine power. As you said, it’s still unfinished.”
“Directly?”
“No. Not by me. It was created by someone else.”
“Hm!”
Na Chu-sam pondered for a moment before performing a few more movements in the air.
Then he looked at Hyun Suho seriously and said.
“If I master it all, I could win. Though it was 15 years ago.”
“You mean Tahwa Jajaecheon, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Na Chu-sam implied that if one mastered the Suho Sword Technique, they could fight and defeat Tahwa Jajaecheon.
Of course, he was referring to Tahwa Jajaecheon from 15 years ago when he was still a level 9, not the current level 10 top-ranker.
"An outstanding martial art. Where can I meet the person who created it?"
"I'm sorry, but you can't meet the creator of this martial art. He's someone from inside the Dimensional Gate."
"Huh!"
At those words, Na Chu-sam's disappointment was clear.
The reason he had called Hyun Suho here was that he had recognized the excellence of the Suho Swordsmanship and wanted to meet the person who created it.
Hyun Suho asked, "Could it be... you've continued your training to defeat Tahwa Jajaecheon?"
"Of course."
"But it's already been 15 years."
"Time doesn't matter."
Rather than giving up or falling into despair after being defeated by Tahwa Jajaecheon, Na Chu-sam had been training in seclusion.
It had always been that way. But he was unlucky.
Just when he felt he had trained enough to believe he could win in another fight, he heard rumors that Tahwa Jajaecheon had risen to Level 10.
While Na Chu-sam had been growing stronger, Tahwa Jajaecheon hadn't been idle either. In fact, Tahwa Jajaecheon had achieved so much more that reaching Level 10 had been effortless.
In the end, Na Chu-sam went back into seclusion.
His goal was to surpass Tahwa Jajaecheon.
To do that, he absolutely had to reach Level 10.
But unfortunately, Na Chu-sam wasn't as naturally gifted as Tahwa Jajaecheon.
Na Chu-sam was an A-rank martial artist.
Reaching Level 9 as an A-rank, not an SS or S-rank, was already an incredible achievement, but sadly, it wasn't enough to reach Level 10.
Even after all these years had passed, Na Chu-sam remained stuck at the same level.
The greater the expectation, the deeper the disappointment.
"What a shame."
Na Chu-sam had drawn some inspiration from Hyun Suho's movements.
He believed that if he could have a serious conversation with the person who created the martial art, he might find some clues.
When that possibility was shattered, his disappointment was so evident that anyone could see it.
Seeing her father like that, Na Yeon-sil also felt a pang of sadness.
She knew all too well how much her father had been disappointed and how hard he had worked.
At that moment, Hyun Suho reached into his pocket and pulled out a booklet.
"If you don't mind, would you like to take a look at this?"
What Hyun Suho handed over was the original manuscript of Suho Swordsmanship that he had obtained after clearing the Dimensional Gate.
It was a martial arts manual filled with the lifelong insights of Dokgo Jeong.
In terms of value, it was priceless, something no amount of money could buy.
Yet, Hyun Suho handed it over without any hesitation.
"After all, I've already memorized everything in my head."
He already knew everything that could be learned from the book. The remaining task was to develop it further by linking it with his divine power.
Since it was no longer of use to him, he could give it away without hesitation.
"Oh!"
Na Chu-sam accepted the martial arts manual with trembling hands and quickly began flipping through the pages.
For a martial artist of Na Chu-sam's caliber, just seeing the first page was enough to understand how profound and extraordinary this martial art was.
He became so engrossed in the book that it seemed he had forgotten all about Hyun Suho, flipping through the pages feverishly. Na Yeon-sil, caught off guard by this, asked hesitantly, "Is it really okay?"
She already had an idea of Hyun Suho's exceptional martial prowess after sparring with Eun Hui-gwang.
Na Yeon-sil had been curious about the origin of Hyun Suho's skills but had refrained from prying out of respect.
Yet here was Hyun Suho, not just revealing the origin but offering the entire martial arts manual.
Even Na Yeon-sil, who usually taught others without expecting anything in return, found this level of generosity hard to imagine.
But Hyun Suho remained calm.
"It's fine. After all, this elder has saved Korea from crises multiple times. Consider it a repayment for that."
That wasn't the only reason.
Suho Swordsmanship wasn't something Hyun Suho had acquired simply because he was skilled or because he cleverly cleared the Dimensional Gate.
It was a gift from Lakshmi.
She had sacrificed her own life to pass it on to Hyun Suho.
He knew all too well how greedy and foolish it would be to keep such a great teaching all to himself.
In a way, this was for the best.
Suho Swordsmanship was created specifically for Hyun Suho, so it wouldn't be of much use to others.
Only a martial artist of Na Chu-sam's caliber would be able to grasp its true essence and apply it to other areas.
"Besides, you’ve taught me so much without expecting anything in return."
Na Yeon-sil had been teaching Hyun Suho because of the incident with Eun Hui-gwang.
She knew that having Hyun Suho around would motivate Eun Hui-gwang to work harder.
Even if that was her reason, she had never given half-hearted instruction.
She was always sincere and did her best.
She was a martial artist worthy of respect, regardless of skill level.
The fact that Hyun Suho could offer up the Suho Swordsmanship manual without hesitation was greatly influenced by Na Yeon-sil's example.
But that wasn't the whole story.
Hyun Suho intended to assist Na Chu-sam in preparing for the future.
At present, the world was at peace thanks to Lakshmi.
A false peace.
If anything were to happen to Lakshmi, the world—especially Korea—would be thrown into chaos.
With Japan and the Reus Knights targeting Korea's EX Hunters, having a strong ally was crucial.
But a high-level hunter wasn't just going to appear out of thin air.
Na Chu-sam was already a master who had reached the rank of High Ranker long ago.
Although he was currently shackled by the challenge of surpassing Tahwa Jajaecheon, if he could overcome that obstacle, he would become a great asset to Korea.
He could also protect Eun Hui-gwang, Na Yeon-sil's disciple.
Taking all this into account, Hyun Suho handed over the manual.
"I hope it helps."
If Na Chu-sam could gain inspiration from Suho Swordsmanship, it might also benefit his daughter, Na Yeon-sil.
If the leader of Maru-mun, Na Yeon-sil, grew stronger, it would lead to the growth of Maru-mun, which in turn would raise Korea's overall combat strength.
Hyun Suho dreamed of such a grand cycle of positive feedback.
He had nothing to lose.
All that would be gone was a martial arts manual that he no longer needed.
He realized this might not have been the best decision when, a month later, he received an urgent call from Na Yeon-sil.
* * *
Gangge, the northernmost region of Korea.
It’s located less than 50 kilometers from the Chinese border.
Of course, the concept of borders has long become meaningless.
With monsters swarming everywhere, aside from a few cities, no other areas can truly be considered human territory anymore.
The Owlbear is a top predator that roams between Gangge and the Chinese border.
A massive beast-type monster with the head of an owl and the body of a bear, standing 5 meters tall.
A fully grown adult is classified as Level 6, and a particularly unique species discovered a few years ago exceeded Level 8.
A named monster, the Armored Bear.
It earned this nickname because its densely packed fur resembled armor.
It was vicious and highly territorial, attacking ferociously if anyone intruded.
There were quite a few unlucky hunters who took a wrong turn and ended up being hunted by the Armored Bear instead.
As a result, this Red Zone was practically off-limits to hunters.
The Armored Bear ruled over this place like an emperor.
Its keen sense of smell picked up a strong scent of blood.
It wasn’t just one, but the mixed blood of several creatures. Clearly, someone who had killed many prey had appeared.
[Grrrr!!]
The resting Armored Bear growled in irritation and stood up.
This was its territory.
It was enough for there to be only one predator—himself.
Without hesitation, the Armored Bear charged in the direction of the scent.
Despite the massive trees and rocks in its path deep in the mountains, the Armored Bear didn’t go around them.
It bulldozed its way through as if it were a machine.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The noise caused the birds and animals in the area to scatter in fear.
From a distance, it looked as if a mountain itself was shaking.
It was moving so fast that it didn’t take long to find the intruder.
Surprisingly, the intruder was human.
Strange beings that walked on two legs.
The Armored Bear knew that humans, hunters, used bizarre abilities.
Abilities so outlandish that even the Armored Bear’s imagination couldn’t predict them.
But still, all they could do was run.
The foolish hunters who dared to challenge the Armored Bear all ended up as prey, slashed by its sharp claws.
Human flesh was special.
Though the quantity was small, it was more tender than any other animal's meat.
The target was an older human, but it didn’t matter.
Today’s meal would be this fearless human.
[Roar!!]
The Armored Bear leaped in an instant to ensure its prey wouldn’t escape.
Just the sound of its roar would make most enemies’ legs give out and collapse.
But unexpectedly, this human seemed unaffected by the roar, merely staring back with indifferent eyes.
No matter.
The hunt would end with a single swing of its claws.
As the Armored Bear swung its arm with that thought...
Crack!!
For a moment, the Armored Bear couldn’t understand.
The human had lightly extended his arm and, in the instant that he thrust his spear, the bear’s body lifted into the air.
Since reaching adulthood, the Armored Bear’s weight had approached 7 tons.
When it sat down, it could shatter solid rock.
It couldn’t believe that its massive body had been lifted by the mere motion of a human.
What the puzzled Armored Bear saw was its own body, shattered into pieces.
The giant torso was being torn apart as if crushed by the spiraling thrust.
Only then did the Armored Bear realize.
Its heavy body hadn’t been lifted.
Only its head, severed from the rest of its body that had been torn apart, was left spinning in the air.
And that was the end.
It was the final moment of the named monster Armored Bear, which had devoured countless hunters from both Korea and China.
The Armored Bear’s head, having finished its flight, rolled onto the dirt.
Thud.
Watching from a distance, Eun Hui-gwang yelled into his radio.
“Damn it! It ended in a single strike! The Armored Bear couldn’t even buy us time!!”
Eun Hui-gwang, who had shouted without realizing it, panicked and hid when Na Chu-sam glanced in his direction.
Fortunately, Na Chu-sam didn’t seem to care and slowly continued his march north.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Eun Hui-gwang spoke into his radio again.
“Is that guy really in a state of qi deviation? He seems completely fine! What now? He’s about to cross into China. If he enters a Chinese city like this, there’s going to be an international incident! If he really ends up facing Tahwa Jajaecheon...”
Hyun Suho’s response came through the radio.
[We’re all set on this side. So just make sure to lead Chuhon Chang (the Pursuer of Souls Spear) here.]
