007 - White Flow Step (2)
The next day at dawn.
Kim Sun-woo, who had stepped out of the house around sunrise, was dashing up the mountain path.
"Hoo, hoo."
Having slept deeply for a full day and even circulated his energy, his body felt as light as a feather.
His stamina must have increased too—despite sprinting up the steep trail, not a single breath was out of rhythm.
'Nice.'
This mountain path was his regular training route for conditioning his body on days off.
For a neighborhood hill, it had rugged terrain that kept people away, letting him run freely.
After sprinting full throttle for about thirty minutes, he reached the summit.
Kim Sun-woo placed his hands on his hips, gazing down at the land below with a satisfied smile.
The sun had risen during his climb, bringing morning fully.
He pulled water from his bag, drank deeply, then refueled with a chocolate bar before rolling his shoulders.
"Body's all warmed up. Time to get serious."
The summit had a fairly wide clearing.
Untended, it was overgrown with weeds and littered with trash, but that posed no issue for footwork practice.
Kim Sun-woo reviewed the notes and videos he'd saved on his phone, recapping the lecture.
"White Flow Step consists of five distinct steps."
Flash Flow Step
Illusion Flow Step
Dark Flow Step
Advance Flow Step
Shatter Flow Step
As the name suggested, Flash Flow Step focused on speed.
At mastery, it was said to become a streak of light slicing through the air.
Illusion Flow Step split one's form as if facing multiple foes, while Dark Flow Step hid one's presence in shadows, true to its name.
Advance Flow Step and Shatter Flow Step were honestly hard to grasp.
Even Baek Ryuk Geom had said they were tough for beginners and best taught once overall skill rose.
"First up is memorizing the movements, right?"
Once the forms were mastered, you'd combine them with inner energy incantations.
Learning from lectures had limits, leaving him pondering study methods.
No one could teach him like a paid sect disciple.
Fortunately, though Baek Ryuk Geom was computer-illiterate, he was a natural teacher.
He'd even outlined training methods for a distant pupil like him.
Zip.
Opening his bag, Kim Sun-woo pulled out colored spray paint and a measuring tape.
"Let's see..."
Baek Ryuk Geom had marked Flash Flow Step's motions down to the centimeter for a solid foundation.
With just tape and spray, he could set up a training ground anywhere.
Chiiik. Chiiik.
Kim Sun-woo carefully marked out the Flash Flow Step.
Each step left a bright blue spray trail on the ground.
Finally finishing all the footprints, he straightened and looked down, frowning slightly.
"Might wear off after a few tries."
After a brief ponder, inspiration struck—he stomped hard on the marks.
Crunch.
Not just spray, but deep imprints to resist fading.
No need for constant touch-ups now.
With all twelve footprints done, he dusted his hands.
"All that for one technique, huh?"
Precisely stepping on those twelve while circulating inner energy via the White Flow Heart Method and following the incantation—that unfolded Flash Flow Step.
One by one? Manageable. But chaining them? Absurd difficulty.
This felt like true martial arts initiation.
Tucking away the spray and tape, he stretched his leg muscles.
"Flash Flow Step first."
The lecture was incredibly detailed: breath allocation, gaze direction, knee angle, foot pivot, everything.
Precision in all for perfect execution.
Thud!
First attempt.
Flash Flow Step was for blazing speed, but he prioritized form accuracy for now.
Thud. Thud.
Precisely on the marked spots, advancing forward.
Actually doing it, the motions weren't that hard.
'Piece of cake for a ten-year vet hunter.'
No raid stakes—no death for slip-ups—so he practiced carefree.
"Good."
Completing all twelve steps, he glanced back.
First try, flawless—no deviations.
Now, repeat to ingrain, gradually ramping speed.
Thud. Tatat. Thud.
Kim Sun-woo kept at it relentlessly.
"..."
He wobbled when accelerating unadjusted, but adapted after one or two reps, flowing smoothly.
"...Hoo."
How many cycles later?
Wiping forehead sweat, the sun was high noon.
"Lunch already?"
Morning training done, he exhaled wearily and stepped back.
Training needs fuel.
Lunch break for a light meal and breather.
Menu: pre-ordered bento from yesterday.
Pricier than convenience store fare, but packed with meat and rice—perfect stamina boost.
Afternoon meant infusing inner energy into Flash Flow Step; eat hearty.
Satisfied meal done, he immediately began energy circulation.
Sip, whoosh.
Breathing in natural qi to refill his dantian.
'...Definitely faster here than at home.'
Mountain beats dense suburb for qi density—obvious.
Circulation complete, stamina restored, he stood.
"Forms are down. Issue's syncing with the incantation. Can I pull it off?"
All lecture notes on his phone.
Scanning incantation section, recapping Baek Ryuk Geom's directions.
Couldn't memorize every acupoint—focused on flow and paths.
Like with White Flow Heart Method, it'd work out?
Zzzt.
Circulating White Flow Heart Method, drawing up light inner energy.
Qi rose to his head, circulated, then dipped low.
'Maintain this flow consciously while stepping.'
Ready, he tensed and stomped the first Flash Flow Step mark.
Shwaak!
Kim Sun-woo's eyes bulged.
Sudden massive acceleration.
Exhaling sharply, he hurriedly stepped next for balance—but...
Kudangtangtang!
Diving forward, tumbling wildly.
His own speed betrayed him.
Flat on his back, staring at the clear sky.
Pain wracked him; he groaned, exhaling held breath.
"...Ugh, that hurts like hell."
What just happened?
Cautiously rising—no sprains, no breaks.
Just scraped hands and arms—minor.
Dusting dirt from clothes, he stood slowly.
What went wrong? Glancing back—
"The ground..."
First mark was deeply cratered.
Old imprint ~3cm; now a full handspan deep.
Rest erased by his roll.
"Too much power?"
Tension amped force on first try.
No control thought—full throttle qi.
Should've started slow, built up—missed that.
"Hoo."
Short exhale; recirculated White Flow Heart Method, less qi this time.
Sak!
First step—whoosh past ears again.
Less qi helped—manageable.
Maintain, step ingrained next.
Thump! Thump!
Each step cratered deep.
Speed surged, leaps lengthened—marks irrelevant.
Five steps: overshot summit to downhill path.
Pagagak!
Forced stop on fifth.
"...Ugh."
Scenery halted, but abruptness nauseated.
Clutching gut, he scanned around.
"Whoa."
Five steps, over 50m.
~10m per step?
"...Nice."
Nausea easing, he steadied breath, reset stance.
Two tries in—grasp forming.
Baek Ryuk Geom's intensity control clicked.
"Key's not form—qi control. That tunes speed."
Nausea from clashing flow and halt.
Rebound hit him.
Shwaak!
Third try—stable.
No destructive craters; no traces left.
Thud.
Back at summit in a gale—whoosh.
Elation surging, he grinned ear-to-ear.
"This is fun."
Entry-level already this fast.
Mastery as light streak? No exaggeration.
"Wait. Baek Ryuk Geom said three months for all White Flow Steps?"
He nailed it—not three months, three tries.
If Illusion or Dark same pace...
"Forget three months—three days'll do."