Chapter 55 - Turning Point (2)
Han Kang-seok, whom he hadn't seen in a while, looked far more worn out than before.
Seoul had its hands full dealing with the monsters pouring out of gates there, but things had apparently been even worse in Chungcheong Province.
He'd heard that an A-rank dungeon had nearly broken out.
Not just Han Kang-seok, but other A-rank hunters as well had been deployed, barely managing to contain it.
'The Guild Master...'
Kim Sun-woo, summoned to the guild master's office, quietly sipped his tea while observing Han Kang-seok.
Unlike Baek San-hu, whom he'd caught up to in a single leap, Han Kang-seok exuded a profound depth that still felt utterly unattainable.
To close the gap with him, he'd need to raise his proficiency in the Sword Gang Technique first and foremost.
"After returning from an expedition, I've made it a habit to come here and have tea. That's when it finally feels like the job's truly done."
Clink.
Finishing his preparations, Han Kang-seok poured the freshly brewed tea himself and sat down across from Kim Sun-woo.
"Do you have something like that too?"
"...Yeah, I do."
Kim Sun-woo scratched his head.
Routines to separate everyday life from the hunter's abnormal world were essential for any hunter.
"It's something small, but I drink cola. Zero cola, specifically. I grab some on the way home with my meal."
"Cola, huh. Not a bad choice."
Han Kang-seok grinned, took a sip of his tea, and leaned back against the sofa.
"First off, congratulations on your B-rank promotion. Normally, we'd throw a guild party, but unfortunately, the timing's off."
"I don't really like rowdy stuff anyway, so it's probably for the best."
"Glad you see it that way. Once things settle down, we can do a team dinner. You like beef?"
It didn't seem like a question expecting an answer. He let out a long sigh and stared at the ceiling.
The fatigue from the raid must have been considerable.
Kim Sun-woo cautiously gauged his mood before speaking.
"If it's about the guidance you promised before, we can do it later. You just got back."
"...Nah, I'm finally unwinding a bit. Hacking away at monsters while dealing with the others built up a ton of stress. I'm healing in my own way, so don't mind me."
How could he not mind?
Still, this side of Han Kang-seok was unexpected.
To the public, he was the epitome of ironclad resolve—unshakable.
Was this a sign that he was acknowledging Kim Sun-woo enough to show a glimpse of his inner self?
"Oh, right—the Association contacted me about awarding you a medal. You made waves at Daehak-ro and this time too, apparently. That vampire footage was especially impressive. Even the higher-ups at the Association were buzzing about it."
"Is that true?"
"Beats me. The other guild masters and Association bigwigs probably don't know either. But it's not something we can just brush off. It came straight from a monster's mouth."
The Golden Realm, and the maturation of the world.
A cycle of creation and destruction.
None of it was easy to believe.
Even Kim Sun-woo, who'd delivered the footage, had doubted its authenticity.
"It won't be announced publicly—too much risk of panic. Either way, you earned it, so take it without worry. It'll look good on your record. A few other hunters who stood out got selected too. Mostly rookies. Seems like the Association and government are trying to create some star hunters to turn the mood around..."
Stroking his chin as he eyed Kim Sun-woo's face, he nodded.
"You'd be perfect for it. Good looks, tall, plenty of buzz. If you want, I could push you that way..."
"No interest in becoming a celebrity."
Kim Sun-woo cut him off firmly.
Shooting ads, appearing on variety shows, jumping from event to event?
If it blew up, the money could eclipse even a hunter's earnings.
But that held no appeal for Kim Sun-woo.
His focus was solely on honing his talents to advance his martial realm.
"I see. Shame."
"You don't do it either, Guild Master."
"Too much hassle."
Han Kang-seok shrugged.
"I've saved plenty, so money's not an issue. Guild PR keeps me busy enough. No need to sell my face for nothing. Leave that to guys like Robert."
"Same here. Unnecessary attention just brings headaches."
"We're alike, then. Desks are piling up with offers to sign you, so I figured I'd ask. I'll tell them to shove off."
The teacup had emptied unnoticed.
As the office air cooled, Han Kang-seok fixed Kim Sun-woo with a more serious gaze.
"Enough chit-chat. You came to me to master sword gang, right?"
"Yes."
Kim Sun-woo nodded.
The fourth form of the White Flow Sword Technique, Full Moon, was still beyond him.
Not because of the form's complexity, but because it wielded such overwhelming power that deploying it casually was impossible.
In real combat, attempting it would get him killed two or three times over.
He could manifest sword aura with conscious thought alone now.
To use it practically, he'd need to handle sword gang with the same ease.
Thud, roll.
Han Kang-seok rolled a pen across the table toward him.
"Manifest sword aura on that."
"Got it."
Kim Sun-woo grabbed the pen and drew forth his sword aura.
Sizzle.
A brilliant white glow bloomed, illuminating the office.
"Can you manifest sword gang in that state?"
"I'll try."
He hadn't expected instruction right away, but there was no time for hesitation.
Han Kang-seok's guidance was crucial to mastering the Sword Gang Technique.
Baek Ryuk Geom's teachings had skipped those details.
They covered condensing sword aura into sword rings, protective sword gang, and rebounding sword gang, but not how to raise proficiency.
'It's a sensory thing that's hard to convey in words or writing.'
He'd felt that sometimes while learning martial arts.
Reviewing Baek Ryuk Geom's lessons, those parts were glossed over or assumed as given.
It hadn't been an issue before, but as his realm advanced, delays like this cropped up.
A normal person couldn't even attempt this.
But Kim Sun-woo refused to settle for his talents.
'I want to get stronger.'
With that, he gathered all his inner energy and focused it on the pen.
Sizzle.
The flickering sword aura surged toward the ceiling.
Just as it threatened to touch it, it hit a critical threshold—its form stabilized and began condensing.
Soon, it formed a stable blade shape enveloping the pen's tip.
"...How's that?"
Straining to control his energy, Kim Sun-woo exhaled shortly and asked.
"......"
Han Kang-seok crossed his arms, staring intently with a grave expression.
He seemed deep in thought, then slowly looked up.
"How did you do that?"
"Pardon?"
"Explain the process from the start."
"Uh."
Not the reaction he'd anticipated.
Kim Sun-woo eyed the pen awkwardly before answering.
"It's from the teachings of the master who passed down my martial arts. He said condensing sword aura brings it close to sword gang, so I followed that."
"I know that. Basic knowledge around here. But whether this qualifies as sword gang..."
Examining the white blade rising from the pen tip, Han Kang-seok frowned in confusion.
"Do you know about sword threads?"
"Yes. The stage between sword aura and sword gang. Sword aura drawn out like threads, hence the name..."
"It's not really a distinct realm. A byproduct of transitioning to sword gang. What your master meant by 'condensing' was sword threads. Draw them out, wrap them around the sword, keep connecting them—that forms sword gang. Once that's second nature, the barrier breaks, and you attain Sword Gang Technique. But you..."
Glancing around briefly, Han Kang-seok pulled out a small box the size of his palm.
He grabbed several tissues from nearby and stacked them on the table.
"This tissue is sword aura. Stretch it long and wrap it around the sword—that's sword threads. Stack them layer by layer to form a shape."
He neatly stacked tissues in the box to form a square.
Flipping the lid and tapping it, the square tissue block dropped onto the table.
"That's sword gang made the orthodox way. But yours..."
Shhk. Shhk. Shhk. Shhk.
Grabbing fresh tissues, Han Kang-seok crammed them forcefully into the upside-down lid.
The tissues piled up haphazardly, forming a rough square following the box's shape.
...Unlike the neatly aligned layers before, it was a mangled, lumpy mess.
"That's your sword gang. What do you think?"
"...A mess?"
"No, not that."
He pointed to the two tissue blocks on the table.
"You possess talent and intuition overwhelming enough to skip sword threads and forge sword gang directly."
"......"
"Unbelievable. To think I'd witness a once-in-a-generation genius with my own eyes."
Amid the repeated exclamations and praise, Kim Sun-woo awkwardly scratched his cheek.
At this point, he half-suspected Han Kang-seok was teasing him.
"Where's your master? I'd like to meet and talk with them."
"Ah, well..."
Kim Sun-woo rolled his eyes, searching for words.
No improvised lie would fool someone far superior like Han Kang-seok.
Better to come clean and seek more direct help.
"...Online lectures?"
"Yeah. During leave, I went to the Huashan Sect and other schools to learn martial arts, but they were too expensive. Basic intro courses ran tens of millions. So I went with online lectures and self-study. Looking back, I got lucky."
If it'd been shoddy martial arts or demonic arts with malicious intent, he'd have suffered.
Having heard it all, Han Kang-seok feigned astonishment.
"I've met countless eccentrics in the martial world. But self-studying martial arts from online lectures? First time for everything."
"Haha..."
Kim Sun-woo let out an embarrassed laugh.
Then, straightening up, he asked seriously.
"So, what should I do next?"
Kim Sun-woo needed guidance.
How to proceed.
Where to head.
Until now, he'd groped forward like navigating a dark room, but he was hitting limits.
'The Guild Master could be...'
His beacon.
But contrary to that hope, Han Kang-seok shook his head.
"I won't teach you anything. Or rather, I can't."
"...Pardon?"