Chapter 51 - New Martial Art 2 (1)
The severely injured twins, Baek Hwa-un and Baek Hwa-yun, had finished their initial treatment and were transferred to the hospital.
The dungeon portal had closed for now, so everyone was pulling back.
Once the Association confirmed no anomalies in the mana flow, the operation would officially end.
Kim Sun-woo, who had joined the Night Team, gathered Robert the team leader and the Association staff member who had arrived for measurements.
"Could you take a look at this?"
The purpose was to show the conversation he'd recorded with the vampire inside the dungeon.
It felt too weighty to handle alone, so sharing it with the Association and the guild seemed like the right call.
"……"
Robert the team leader and the Association staff member's faces hardened as they watched the full exchange with the vampire. The staffer even went pale and started stammering.
"Th-this... this is beyond my pay grade."
"Please report it up the chain. But keep security tight. If this leaks, it'll cause a massive uproar."
Robert asked Kim Sun-woo gravely.
"Sun-woo, did anyone else besides us hear the vampire's words? The other explorers...?"
"Just us three right now. I handled the vampire solo."
"Good. That's a relief. We'll keep quiet, so report it through the Association's direct line. And prioritize security."
"...Don't worry."
The staffer nodded heavily.
The moment this got out, the fallout wouldn't just be waves—it'd mean legal accountability too.
As the staffer rushed off to report upward, Kim Sun-woo headed to the temporary Mugung Guild tent for some rest.
"It was insane. Shadow beasts weren't enough—then a zombie horde charges in all at once. Their strength crumpled my shield like nothing."
"Without Hunter Kim Sun-woo, the exploration team would've been wiped out. That vampire from the inner area? Jin So-hui from the Crimson Tower said it's at least a B-rank dungeon boss level."
Yi Han-su and Seong Ha-rin, who had entered the dungeon with him, seemed tireless as they regaled the team with tales from the depths.
"A real vampire."
"It can talk."
"Boss monsters from B-rank dungeons and up have intelligence, right?"
Everyone murmured in awe while watching the footage recorded for internal documentation.
"Summoning abilities too?"
"If it got out, disaster. If zombies like that started multiplying, the city would've been overrun in no time."
Robert the team leader, watching the footage with the Night Team hunters, let out a short sigh.
"If not for you, Sun-woo, it would've been a catastrophe. Huashan Sect sends their thanks too. They'll compensate later."
If the Huashan examiners, the Crimson Tower heir, and a Mugung Guild team leader had gone in for exploration and gotten wiped out, it'd have been a total disaster.
Not only had Kim Sun-woo's presence gotten everyone out safely, he'd even taken down the boss vampire. They couldn't thank him enough.
"So that's it, then?"
"If the dungeon's fully sealed, the Association will confirm. But that intel you brought... even I can't predict how high it'll go."
Robert stroked his lip, his voice low and somber.
"Hm."
Everything was unknowns, so Kim Sun-woo leaned back in his chair.
He just wanted to focus on training his martial arts, but why did trouble keep piling up?
He had no interest in getting tangled in world secrets or truths either.
"...And Su-ah, I'm fully recovered. You can stop now."
"You never know."
After entering the Night Team tent, Han Su-ah had been relentlessly piling heals and buffs on Kim Sun-woo. She replied lightly.
"High-level monsters like vampires can curse you just by proximity. I've checked thoroughly—no major issues. But get a proper scan later, just in case."
"Got it. I'll swing by a church on the way home and grab some holy water."
A half-body soak in it while bathing ought to wash away any lingering impurities.
Soon, the Association's measurements came back.
Dungeon break halted. Portal fully closed. Activity ceased.
Huashan Sect withdrew swiftly after thanking Kim Sun-woo, and the Night Team began dismantling their tents to head back.
"Hey."
As the Crimson Tower group returned to their tower, Jin So-hui peeled off from the pack and approached Kim Sun-woo.
"Mind swapping numbers? Fate brought us together again. In this line of work, meeting someone reasonable isn't common."
"Sure."
Kim Sun-woo gladly exchanged contacts with Jin So-hui.
He felt some piercing stares from behind, but building ties with the Crimson Tower heir was no loss for him.
"Alright, time for us to head out too."
Of the three guilds dispatched to Daehangno, Mugung Guild returned last.
Kim Sun-woo clocked out right away.
He'd done his part in the raid and submitted the vampire conversation records. His job was done.
He went straight home, lay on the bed hoping for sleep, but the vampire's words nagged at him. No rest came.
After staring blankly at the ceiling for an hour or two, he finally bolted up.
"...Might as well train."
The vampire fight was brief, but it sparked plenty of insights.
Especially that flame that ravaged the zombies and vampire—it warranted more study.
If it truly was the Parasa Flame as the vampire claimed, it meant absolute dominance over undead and evil spirits.
Effective even against a B-rank dungeon boss? Most foes wouldn't mount a proper defense.
'Maybe craft a fire-based martial art?'
He'd mixed it into Flying Thunder Flash to down the fleeing vampire, but the efficiency was lower than hoped.
What if he built a full fire technique on Heat Nourishing Finger Force?
Cheoncheonmun's legacy lay in innovating new martial arts.
Master Baek Ryuk Geom had said the same: after mastering White Flow Divine Art to a point, create your own.
"Blending it into existing forms won't be easy. Bare-handed fits better than weapons."
Flame Fist?
No, Flame Kick had a nice ring too.
Sword arts felt premature—he still sensed his own shortcomings.
At least, he needed solid sword gang control to claim a starting line.
"Better with a sparring partner than solo."
A name popped into his head. Kim Sun-woo grabbed his smartphone.
"Team leader, what're you up to?"
-Just finished the report and prepping to leave. What's up?
True to form, he hadn't clocked out yet.
...Do team leaders always stay late writing reports?
His sudden urge to become one evaporated.
"Gonna train. Wanna join? Need a sparring partner."
-Perfect timing. I was itching after just deploying without a real fight. ...Guild training hall's fully booked. Everyone's sharpening up given the situation.
"I've got a private spot outside. Come there."
-Send the address. Heading out now.
"Cool."
Kim Sun-woo immediately messaged Essential Armory HQ.
They'd offered their training facilities anytime.
Approval came quick: all clear.
"Nice."
He'd planned to hole up in martial arts training post-Gangwon-do.
No dungeon break, and he'd probably still be at it now.
More events in recent months of training than a decade hunting—not an illusion.
But he'd stopped a dungeon break too. Time for dedicated training ahead.
He cabbed to Essential Armory HQ.
Waiting at the underground parking elevator, Robert arrived in the same gear from hours ago.
"...Sun-woo, isn't this Essential Armory?"
"New contract. Let's head up."
The elevator reached the lobby, and Deputy Manager Shin Young-sik rushed out.
"Thanks for the heads-up. The training hall's ready."
"Appreciate it. Oh, this is Robert, team leader of the Night Team I mentioned."
"Deputy Manager Shin Young-sik of Essential Armory."
Shin politely offered his business card.
Connections with a major guild like Mugung's team leaders weren't everyday opportunities.
Robert knew ties with corporations never hurt, so they exchanged cards courteously.
"Call if you need anything."
After Shin left, Robert scoped the training hall.
No illusion field, disappointingly, but the setup rivaled Mugung Guild's.
"Fancy for a private hall. Rentals like this cost a fortune."
"They're branching into hunter training systems. That's why the facilities."
Free use as a perk.
No clue on contract length, but maximizing it benefited both sides.
"Let's gear up."
Robert deployed his dedicated armor on the spot.
Crimson full plate mail enveloped him, shifting to full combat mode.
Seen it before, but the design was killer—straight out of a fantasy flick, a true knight.
"Please go easy."
"...Light spar, and you're going full armor?"
Robert shook his head firmly at Kim Sun-woo's question.
"Your 'light' and mine differ in weight. This is how I keep up. I've got the eye for it."
"Hm."
...Fair enough?
Kim Sun-woo nodded.
'Yeah, my growth is abnormal.'
Just hit C-rank, already eyeing B.
Two months into martial arts? No one'd believe it.
He'd brushed it off before, but doubts about his talent grew daily.
'What the hell is this aptitude?'
Why innate genius in martial arts, blooming after ten hunter years?
...Unraveling that would be next.
For now, focus on the task at hand.
"Here I come."
Kim Sun-woo exhaled shortly and slowly drew Black Flow Sword.