Brothers Forged in Lightning
The wave crashed over Yeon Mu-jin, who had fallen to the sand in his Baepung stance.
His mouth was locked rigid from the electric shock, seawater pouring in through his gaping lips.
If he'd only used Po-noe Strike, this wouldn't have happened. Baepung was a technique that attacked and defended simultaneously. But because the seawater hit first... the power of Po-noe Strike had multiplied several times over, rendering Baepung useless.
Kim Jun grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of the waves.
"The paralysis will wear off soon. That martial art you just used—was it Yeonhwan-gak?"
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Yeon Mu-jin nodded.
"That was incredible. I've seen it a few times before, but what you showed me just now? That felt like the real Yeonhwan-gak. The best."
"……."
That expression, those gestures—they didn't seem fake at all.
For some reason, it made Yeon Mu-jin feel good.
Back at the Yeon Family estate, he couldn't remember ever receiving praise like that from anyone.
Everyone was a rival, so they hid their skills as much as possible. Even when witnessing someone's achievement, they'd act indifferent or hide their true feelings behind vague compliments. Then they'd train furiously in secret to surpass them.
That was the atmosphere that enveloped the Yeon Family.
Kim Jun massaged Yeon Mu-jin's legs and arms. It helped the paralysis fade faster.
"Let's go again."
"...Fine, if that's what you want."
In the second bout, the ninth form of Yeonhwan-gak, Eopung Ihyeong, landed clean. Kim Jun plunged into the surf.
Rubbing his chest as he stood, Kim Jun showed no twisted expression of defeat or frustration. He just complained that his ribs felt cracked, then fired off a question.
"What the hell is that move? I thought I'd dodged it, but it felt like your leg stretched out. Tell me the name. I really want to know."
"Eopung Ihyeong."
"Here I go again."
The sparring... continued until sunset.
Yeon Mu-jin forgot why he'd even started the fight. It had gotten rough—scrapes everywhere, bruises covering every inch of his body—but the time had been enjoyable.
Gazing at the sea dyed golden by the sunset, Yeon Mu-jin sat down beside Kim Jun. The sparring was finally over.
They watched the sunset in silence, and it didn't feel awkward at all. If anything, his heart felt more at ease than ever.
"Hyung."
"...What?"
Yeon Mu-jin thought he'd misheard.
"In front of Master, we've gotta stick to senior-junior stuff. But it's just us here. No need for all that annoying formality."
Yeon Mu-jin burst out laughing.
Through the sparring, he'd gotten a rough read on the guy. He focused entirely on what he wanted. Everything else was just baggage. Senior-junior titles were baggage to him too.
"Works for me."
"I'm starving."
"...After all that you ate earlier?"
"Gone. How about sashimi?"
"...Sounds good to me."
"Let's go."
They devoured sashimi with gusto, polishing off the spicy stew too. Back at the minbak, they clashed again under the moonlight.
Yeon Mu-jin was stunned to realize the Kim Jun he fought at night was completely different from the one during the day. He'd never seen anyone improve so fast. Now he understood why heavyweights like Choi Min-su and Yeon Un-jae had taken him on as a client.
Kim Jun's talent... was his focus and killer instincts.
Like combining Po-noe Strike with seawater, his occasional brilliant attack combos left you speechless.
Choi Min-su and Yeon Un-jae had zeroed in on that.
That fight... lasted until dawn.
Lying on the beach, Yeon Mu-jin stared up at the sky. It wasn't light yet; the pitch-black heavens glittered with stars.
"I'd drop dead before doing more. Whew, you're one of a kind."
"Wanna stick around a few more days before heading up?"
"Hey! Just kill me instead."
"It was really fun."
Yeon Mu-jin glanced at him. Kim Jun, gazing at the sky, wore a smile of pure satisfaction—one that made even the onlooker feel good.
"Yeah. For me too."
He meant it.
Since starting martial arts, he'd never had a day this satisfying.
It felt good to fight without any calculations. To unleash his arts without worrying about judgment. He'd only realized today how liberating that was.
"Where do you plan to go from here?"
He asked casually.
"Association President."
"……."
Stunned, Yeon Mu-jin sat up and stared at the grinning lunatic. No Raider, no matter how cocky, dreamed of that. They knew how impossible it was.
The Association President was the pinnacle of the Raider world.
"Never crossed my mind before, but seeing how the Dungeon Association and guilds are run... I can't just sit by. I've gotta climb up there and clean house."
"Pfft."
"For real. I'm dead serious."
"Yeah, yeah."
"And you, hyung? Where you headed?"
"Dunno."
He hadn't thought much about it. Being Yeon Chung-jae's grandson—the guy who'd lost the Cheonroegeom—felt more like a shackle than a privilege. Becoming Yeonmu Academy's head was a miracle in itself.
Being framed and on the run... didn't leave much room for dreams. He tried to brush it off, but the guy cut in.
"Yeon Family patriarch."
"P-Patriarch?"
"You've gotta get there. Otherwise, I can't keep calling you hyung."
"...You little shit."
Yeon Mu-jin's nose stung. It was absurd, and he knew it... but it still felt better than anything.
"Can't be Cheonhondan leader though. That's got its own boss."
"Who?"
"Choi Muhyun."
Kim Jun grinned at him.
In that moment, Yeon Mu-jin got it—the bond between Kim Jun and Choi Muhyun. He already knew Choi Muhyun, Choi Min-su's son, was a unique Raider. They'd been friends even before Kim Jun became a carrier.
"What about Yoo Min-jeong?"
"Jushin Master."
"...She came from there."
"She'll go back. Jushin's perfect for Min-jeongie. Sang-taek'll be Miracle's guild master. He's got everything but confidence, and lately even that's looking solid. Perfect."
Kim Jun stared dreamily at the sky.
"You guys are gonna take it all, huh."
Yeon Mu-jin looked up too.
"Not you guys—us. Us."
"...Us."
Yeon Mu-jin nearly teared up.
Showing tears because of this lunatic would embarrass him for life. Why did his heart tremble at "us" from the idiot dreaming of Association President?
Yeon Mu-jin was the thief of the Cheonroegeom.
The Yeon Family guy who'd kidnapped Kim Jun's friend—and bore responsibility for it.
Even knowing all that, he called him hyung.
Said he had to become Yeon Family patriarch.
And declared "us."
Lunatic.
So why did he want to go mad too?
That madness... must be contagious.
Late morning, after a hearty breakfast of samhap and seasoned raw pollack roe, Kim Jun headed back to Seoul.
Yeon Mu-jin took Fisherman Kang's boat back to Yeongun Island.
Nam Eung-ryeol was waiting.
"You're late."
"Teach me Moomyeonggong, Master."
Last night, Kim Jun had told him Bone Transformation was just the entry stage of Moomyeonggong.
"You're not cut out for it."
"...Am I lacking?"
"Everyone walks their own path. Can a fish survive out of water?"
"What path should I walk?"
"Noesin."
Speechless, Yeon Mu-jin turned. Fisherman Kang's boat was vanishing into the distance. He could leap into the sea, maybe catch it and escape.
"Before leaving yesterday, Kim Jun came to me. Said the Cheonroegeom's master is you. He wants to return it someday. But what's the point if you can't even hold it? To become the Cheonroegeom's master, don't you need to remake your body first?"
Yeon Mu-jin couldn't speak. He tried to hold back, but tears welled up anyway.
Good thing.
That lunatic wasn't here.
"Master... can I... can my body become the Thunder God?"
"Odds are pretty good. Fifty percent."
His face twisted. Fifty percent success meant fifty percent failure.
"Hahaha, let's go."
Master laughed like a madman and moved.
Yeon Mu-jin shook his head, forced a smile, and followed.
Yoo Min-jeong checked her watch.
2:45 p.m.
In fifteen minutes, the team leaders' meeting for the Sokcho Dungeon raid would start in that hotel conference room.
She pulled out her phone, hesitated on calling. He was probably racing here; a call might distract him.
Instead, she checked her outfit. First impressions mattered in any meeting. Dressing sharp might soften the rejection and disdain a bit.
Of course, she knew it was wishful thinking.
None of the team leaders gathering today would accept Kim Jun as a peer. Jushin had endorsed him, so they wouldn't outright dismiss the ex-carrier, but subtler discrimination and contempt might come.
Screech.
A dust-covered car pulled up. Kim Jun tumbled out and ran over.
"Not late yet?"
"Change first."
"Thanks."
Kim Jun grabbed the clothes and bolted into the hotel.
Yoo Min-jeong moved the car to the lot, then headed inside. She couldn't enter the conference room, but she'd wait outside until it ended.
She ordered coffee and pulled out Jerry the Fire's latest, , when her phone buzzed.
"Huh?"
Yoo Min-jeong jumped. It was Kim Jun.
―This got interesting.
"What happened?"
―No one's in the conference room. Hotel staff said it got canceled this morning. Called the expedition leader—venue changed, didn't you get the notice? Classic hazing, right?
"Come out front."
―Got it.
She fetched the red Ferrari from the lot and picked up Kim Jun out front.
She unleashed her honed driving skills. She tried to obey lights, but gunned it through if it was tight.
"Not pissed?"
Yoo Min-jeong asked carefully.
Kim Jun grinned at her.
"Nah. Kinda disappointed, actually. Small-time thug level."
"Thugs?"
Yoo Min-jeong burst out laughing.
What faces would those giggling team leaders make if they heard? Her tension from rushing eased up. She throttled back a bit.
"Can I ask why you suddenly left Seoul?"
"Kinda long story... but we've got time."
Yawning, Kim Jun recounted finding the Cheonroegeom in the dungeon—what happened. Yeon Chung-jae's memories and inner power flowed into him; Po-noe Strike and Yeon Yeop came from that.
Mouth agape, Yoo Min-jeong stared. It sounded like a joke, but the vibe felt dead serious.
"Eyes on the road!"
Kim Jun yelled.
She swerved, barely dodging a truck, then pulled over.
"That true?"
"Last time I worded it different. Had to. Just play dumb for now. Master'll explain when the time's right."
"Got it. But you still haven't said why you left Seoul."
"That part..."
Kim Jun confessed: Cheonnoe Heart Technique was slipping control, rampaging. That's why Master sent him to Nam Eung-ryeol.