From Now On, You're Chun-sik
From now on, your name is Chun-sik. You're following the beggar. Not mindlessly, of course. I'm no kid.
I had confidence. Even if that beggar led me into a trap, I could break out of it with ease. And it wasn't baseless bravado.
The ring Shimbu Rumkun had swapped out for me, and the flames of the sun god. With just those two, I could bulldoze through anything.
That said, I didn't drop my guard. The beggar kept heading toward emptier spots.
We were drifting away from the village.
Trap?
The path to the Heavenly Demon Cult might just be this shady. But I didn't have enough info to call it a trap for sure.
Rustle—!
We'd ended up in the mountains after all. And now I could sense presences around us.
"Haa...."
A sigh slipped out.
Three of 'em? Hope these bastards are loaded.
I waited for them to jump me first.
"Hey, mister. You shouldn't follow strangers like that."
The second I waited, enemies popped out from all sides. They crept up grinning like idiots.
"Time to teach you how scary the martial world is. Tuition's your life!"
The bearded guy who looked like the leader shouted. The moment he finished, the bandits charged all at once.
I pulled Gram from my Inventory. The sword materializing out of thin air startled them.
That bought me time. I sliced the two in front clean in half, upper and lower bodies separating.
The feel of flesh parting and bones cracking transmitted through the blade to my hand.
Feels gross....
Not a great sensation. Better finish this quick.
Four left, leader included. All small fry I could handle easily.
They hesitated after seeing the first two get diced so effortlessly.
"Not coming? Fine, I'll come to you."
I moved as I spoke. Before they could react, I cut them down.
"Ha...."
I'd meant to take their heads, but I ended up slashing shoulders instead. Hesitation about killing people.
I gripped Gram tighter. This shit was gonna happen a lot from now on.
So no more hesitating to kill. If I don't kill enemies, they kill me.
"B-Boss!"
One bandit sensed something off and turned to call the leader. But no one was there.
The boss was already bolting far away.
To survive in the martial world, you need instincts like that, huh.
Sharp senses. A bit quicker and he might've made it.
That distance? One leap and I'd catch him. So first, deal with these guys.
I walked toward the bandits, who looked dumbfounded at their fleeing boss. They tensed at my footsteps.
They drew their swords, but—
Slash—!
Not one swing before their heads rolled. Three heads down in one step, then I caught up to the boss.
"Aigoo! Big bro!"
Anyone could see he was older, but he called me big bro. He dropped to his knees, kowtowing and groveling.
"Big bro! Spare me and I'll do anything!"
The bandit boss groveled for his life.
Hm, could use a sidekick.
I didn't know much about wuxia stuff. No info either.
Needed a helper. Couldn't trust a bandit, but—
If he betrays me, I can just kill him.
He had decent strength for a bandit boss. And as one, he'd have info.
"Hm...."
I let out a thoughtful sigh, and he started trembling.
"What's your name?"
Couldn't keep calling him bandit boss forever.
"Bom-chun."
Bom-chun? That'd work for a girl, maybe.
But for this furry bastard? Nah.
Had to give him a new name. And one popped right up—perfect fit.
"From now on, your name is Chun-sik."
"Pardon?"
Chun-sik blinked blankly for a sec.
"Ah! Yes! From now on, I'm Chun-sik!"
Sharp as ever—he accepted it quick.
"Chun-sik, you know anything about the Heavenly Demon Cult?"
"Heavenly Demon Cult, big bro?"
Figured he wouldn't, but asked anyway. Never say never.
"Yeah, I know it."
Chun-sik actually knew about the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"Reason I'm a bandit? To join the Heavenly Demon Cult."
With war raging, the cult was recruiting. It was far, so he was saving travel money, he said.
Damn, my luck was nuts.
"Good. We're heading to the Heavenly Demon Cult!"
"Great, big bro, but... you should change clothes first."
Chun-sik said my outfit stood out too much. Fair—modern clothes in wuxia world? Obvious sore thumb.
Too fancy, perfect bandit bait, he warned. But I didn't wanna swap.
Looks rugged.
His spare rags were filthy and rough. So I kept my undershirt and reshaped Brun into an overcoat.
Bam—wuxia-modern hybrid fashion. Coat hid everything, no more eyesore.
"Alright, let's go?"
My journey with Chun-sik to the Heavenly Demon Cult began. We talked a ton en route.
Chun-sik was surprisingly chatty. Spilled his life story without me even asking.
"So yeah, I fled my abusive dad, and boom—ran into bandits!"
His life was a mess. Violent dad, slutty mom.
Fled to bandits. They tried selling him, but he was too ugly—no buyers. Ended up lowest grunt.
Clawed his way up to boss through grit. Wildest part? His age.
17. Chun-sik's age.
"So what?"
His tragic youth? Not my problem.
"Tell me useful shit. Like about the Heavenly Demon, or that psycho who masters all four great martial styles."
"Got it!"
Chun-sik didn't know much. First, the four-styles psycho.
Name: Cheon Mu-yul. No sect ties, dropped from the sky outta nowhere.
Young powerhouse in the orthodox sects. Current Heavenly Demon? Daughter of the previous one, inherited after dad died.
Name unknown.
"Folks just call her the Heavenly Demon. No one knows her real name."
That sparked a conquest point. A name no one calls her.
I'll call it. Check—one down.
No other Heavenly Demon deets. Just "super strong" rants. Useless.
Thought I'd squeezed him dry, but—
"And the third faction, the yokai."
New info. This dimension: three-way war. Heavenly Demon Cult (demonic), orthodox sects, yokai.
Three-way battle....
Three-way with near-endgame protag specs. Heavenly Demon as final boss.
Story's late-game, probably.
Where's the demon king?
Every dimension with a hero has one. No mention here.
Guess: yokai boss is it?
Whatever. Difficulty's a bitch.
Scraping info from Chun-sik, we hit a village.
"Rest here tonight."
Sky dark, so yeah—crash at the rundown inn. Dirty, but beats camping.
**
Good, he's out cold.
This fucker who renamed me out of nowhere. Snoozing like a baby next to me.
Wanna kill him, but he'd wake the second I draw steel. Masters sense threats sharp. Better sneak out.
Cracked the door super careful, slipped outside.
"Phew...."
Dead quiet. Just my breathing.
Gotta bolt.
Stuck with him? Dead any second. In the martial world, life's a candle in the wind.
No thanks to squashed like a bug once I'm useless. I stepped quick but quiet.
"Hm? Already leaving?"
Old lady's voice from behind—the inn granny, still up.
Put finger to lips—shush. She saw and shuffled closer anyway.
Damn, back off! Shoo!
Waved her away, but she ignored, kept coming.
"Why leave so soon?"
Chattering as she approached. Zero awareness.
Shit, don't wake him.
Bolt running? Then—
"No choice. Not fully prepped, but...."
Granny transformed.
Crack—!
Lower body spider-fied. Six eyes popped up.
Fangs sharpened.
"Paralyze you first?"
She licked her chops at me.
"B-Big broooo!!!!"
Ah, save meeeee!!!!