The Phantom Walker
The man didn't seem to notice Kim Jun as he pulled out his phone and held it to his ear. He was probably calling to give orders to Choi Muhyun.
Kim Jun pressed himself against the stone wall along the Deoksugung Palace path. He was about 25 meters from Daehanmun Gate. This guy had targeted Choi Min-su's family to get his hands on the Stormcleaver Manual, so he wasn't some ordinary person. An active Raider... or maybe a villain.
Kim Jun exhaled slowly, focusing his mind on his right hand.
A moment later, a sharp crackle of sparks ripped through the air as the Thunder Brain Sword tore open space and appeared.
The Jeep driven by Choi Muhyun began moving toward Daehanmun Gate from the west. The man on the roof had just given him instructions.
Kim Jun leaped onto the path and charged straight at him.
15 meters.
The man still hadn't spotted him.
10 meters.
Kim Jun hurled the Thunder Brain Sword at him.
The instant the man whipped his head around and saw Kim Jun, he retreated with unbelievable speed.
His body floated about 30 centimeters off the ground, and even as he stared at Kim Jun while backing away—as if pulled by someone from behind—he kept perfect balance and moved incredibly fast.
The Thunder Brain Sword grazed past him and buried itself deep into a tree beyond.
'Phantom Walk!'
No way—Ju Shin?
The man fled into Deoksugung Palace.
Kim Jun summoned the sword back and gave chase.
Late at night, Deoksugung was dimly lit only by streetlamps. A chill wind swept through, sending fallen leaves rustling down.
The man moved swiftly without touching the ground, bounding lightly from branch to branch.
'Is there a technique in Mokhonbo that can do that?'
Kim Jun dashed forward in Mokhonbo Tan step, scattering the leaves rolling on the ground to either side.
The man landed gracefully in the front courtyard of Hamnyeongjeon Hall.
Kim Jun arrived gasping for breath but wasted no time, thrusting the Thunder Brain Sword forward without mercy.
It was the first form of Yeon Ga Shipil Geom: Yeon Yeop.
Crackle.
A thin, lethal spark shot out from the sword's tip with ferocious momentum.
The man dodged it effortlessly. No—he sidestepped after calmly observing the spark. As if he knew exactly how the Yeon Yeop spark would arc.
The gap he created was... about 30 centimeters. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he'd merely twisted his body slightly to avoid it.
'A formidable opponent!'
Whenever Kim Jun closed in with Mokhonbo Tan, the man shifted exactly that much to the side or behind. If Kim Jun curved in with Dang step to flank him, the opponent mirrored the curve and pulled away.
No matter what he tried, the distance stayed the same.
Fear and excitement surged through Kim Jun simultaneously. This guy was leagues beyond Jeong Taek-su or Yoo Gwan-ho—stronger even than Kim Se-wi.
Head-on tactics wouldn't work at all.
'I have to fight unpredictably!'
Mid-form of Yeon Yeop, Kim Jun released the sword hilt. Not thrown—it slipped from his grip in the flow of the technique.
Even as the Thunder Brain Sword suddenly flew at him, the opponent didn't panic. He dodged sideways and closed in on Kim Jun immediately.
In that instant, Kim Jun leaned his upper body back and shot his leg straight up. He'd started with bent knees, then extended with full force as his foot neared the man's chin.
It was a modified version of Yeon Mu-jin's chained illusion kick.
For the first time, he got a reaction. Caught off guard, the man couldn't fully dodge and raised his left hand to block.
Kim Jun realized one thing.
This guy knows me inside out. Not just my skills, but my attack style too.
Then, the man's right arm bent at an unnatural angle.
Thud.
The arm, twisted at an angle no human limb could achieve, smashed into Kim Jun's shoulder.
Kim Jun spun three—or maybe four—times in the air before crashing face-first onto the ground.
Even without internal energy infused... the impact defied imagination. It hurt like being clubbed with an iron rod. What was shocking was how his entire body ached from a shoulder hit.
Kim Jun staggered to his feet.
His side cramped painfully with every breath. Warm liquid trickled under his nose. That single blow had burst his nose wide open.
In that moment, even the fact that his friend's mother had been kidnapped... even the need to capture this guy for clues... all vanished.
One question seized his mind.
How is that strike possible?
No physical strength alone could produce that shock. And it wasn't infused with internal energy either.
Kim Jun shook his head, picturing his friend's pale face. He could ponder that later.
He summoned the Thunder Brain Sword and charged again.
Whoosh.
He swung, but the man moved precisely 30 centimeters from the blade's path. He neither fled further nor closed in.
It felt like fighting a ghost.
Helplessness spread through his body. The thought that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't win... grew heavier.
Despite unleashing every skill he'd mastered, every bit of experience, every improvisation he could muster, he couldn't even graze the man's clothes. It hit home just how vast the Raider world was... how many powerhouses lurked within.
If he'd mastered not just the first form of Yeon Ga Shipil Geom, but all of them—if he could wield them freely—he might have ripped off that plastic mask.
If he could perform Mokhonbo as fluidly and lightly as his master on Yeongun Island, he might have smashed the mask with his fist and revealed the face beneath.
What truly enraged him was that this guy was... toying with him.
If he decided to kill, Kim Jun would be dead in 10 seconds—no, 5. He'd end up as a corpse found hours later in Deoksugung Palace.
His body burned with fury.
The Thunder Brain Technique surging from his dantian, wrapping and coursing through him, accelerated several times over.
The gap shrank by 5 centimeters.
The man tried to widen 25 centimeters back to 30, but Kim Jun clung desperately.
His breathing grew ragged.
His heart pounded wildly inside his chest. His fingertips trembled. His body had reached its limit, but Kim Jun wasn't satisfied.
'Just a little more!'
He ignored the pain signals from his body. Staring at the man's mask slipping away like a shadow, he focused his mind solely on closing the distance.
Crack.
A foreboding sound of bones grinding. His calf cramped like needles stabbing in. His thigh swelled, on the verge of bursting.
Finally, he narrowed it to 20 centimeters.
There was a clear difference between 30 and 20. Though hidden by the mask, he could almost see the man's expression. Surprised, as if saying, "This is your limit."
Defiance flared.
Kim Jun tossed the Thunder Brain Sword.
To close those extra 5 centimeters.
With focus solely on shortening the gap... a startling change began. The four basic principles of Mokhonbo—Tan, Dang, Po, Chu—linked seamlessly, drastically reducing the seams.
No longer four separate motions... it was evolving into one complete footwork. But Kim Jun paid it no mind. He didn't even notice the change.
His goal was only to close the distance.
The instant it hit 10 centimeters, the man accelerated unbelievably. The gap ballooned to 20... 30... 50 centimeters in a flash.
Kim Jun slammed to a halt, thrusting both hands forward.
Crackle.
The Cheon Noe Byeok unfolded.
"Tch."
The masked man dodged even faster, but couldn't fully evade the widely spreading wall. The end of his sleeve charred red.
But only his clothing singed—the body beneath was unscathed. Even the Cheon Noe Byeok couldn't touch him.
Crack.
A fracture in his bone.
Kim Jun tumbled forward, losing balance. He rose gasping, but his right calf burned like fire—he couldn't even walk.
The hairs on his neck stood on end.
The man's overwhelming power blew away even his anger.
In that moment, one question surfaced.
Why? Why go through this hassle?
With that level of ability, he could just break into the house, knock out Choi Muhyun, and grab the Stormcleaver Manual from the safe himself. He even knew the combination—nothing to hesitate over.
How did he know the safe code?
Did Muhyun's kidnapped mom tell him?
It didn't feel like a standard kidnapping.
The moment he thought the Stormcleaver Manual might not even be the goal, Kim Jun realized who the masked man was.
His unease melted away. Excitement took its place.
Ping.
A finger flick from the man pierced deep into his solar plexus. Kim Jun blacked out.
* * *
Slap, slap.
Small waves endlessly crashed against the concrete wall, their clear sound mingling perfectly with the sizzle of pork belly cooking on the grill.
Yang Hee-seon downed her shot of soju with satisfaction.
This bitter burn sliding down her throat.
The first time, she'd wondered why anyone paid for this stuff. Now, she preferred this humble soju over pricey whiskey or wine. It felt grounded, everyday—never tiresome, even daily.
"Here, have a shot."
Yang Hee-seon glanced at Choi Min-su.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Pour one for me too, Elder."
She even filled a glass for Choi Min-su's wife—the mother of his son, who was rushing here in a panic.
"Well, I have to. Didn't know you were such a good actress. A bit younger, and you could've been a star."
"Really? Hohoho."
She chewed the pork belly, its savory juices flooding her mouth. The ssamjang, green onion salad, white kimchi on the round stainless table—all delicious. It'd been ages since a meat feast like this; the soju went down easy.
She felt eyes on her.
Yang Hee-seon chuckled and poured for Go Cheolmin, who was flipping the pork.
"Did you reach out first, Elder?"
Choi Min-su asked.
"No. Your friend called, said there was a good opportunity—want to try it? Sounded fun, so I said yes."
"I see."
Choi Min-su seemed to have suspected as much.
Traditions worth preserving were fading fast.
Back in the day, handing items to heirs or clients wasn't like casual birthday gifts.
The original owner prepared tricky, entertaining trials for the next bearer. Only after passing did they inherit it. Sometimes fellow Raiders joined for a romp.
"What did you prepare?"
Yang Hee-seon asked.
"Just the armor I wore when I was young."
"The Stormcleaver Armor, then. Very sturdy."
Yang Hee-seon recalled Choi Min-su at the vanguard in black armor, holding back waves of monsters.
The Stormcleaver Armor had more scratches than smooth patches—perhaps twice as many gouges.
Its power proven in brutal combat, eventually Choi Min-su stopped wearing it for dungeons.
He'd surpassed the need for its aid.
"I heard you prepared items for Yeom Sang-taek and Skyla. Yeom makes sense as your client, but Skyla too? Quite the surprise."
Skyla, licensed Raider from America, had no ties to Yang Hee-seon.
"An investment. Put in now, get multiples back later."
Yang Hee-seon skipped details.
Kim Jun's Pink Team was advancing to D-rank dungeons too fast. No team leader ever raided one right after promotion.
Plus, Ju Shin—humiliated over the awakening test mess—would target Kim Jun in dungeons, obviously.
Kim Jun couldn't crumble.
Uramata Guild had to stay strong.
Only then could they check Ju Shin's frequent oversteps, maintaining fragile guild balance.
That's why Yang Hee-seon welcomed Yoo Wan-seop as Uramata's new master with open arms. When he called about this plan, she'd agreed without question.
To protect the kids, they needed proper support. Items were one way.
Yang Hee-seon reached toward the distant car.
Its trunk popped open.
Two items flew over.
One was silver gloves, the other black arm covers. Either could buy two apartments on the black market.
"DM-made Ice Gloves, Buildup version. Geludium plus Enarium... a rare item."
Yang Hee-seon smiled warmly.
Most saw plain Ice Gloves. Only experts spotted the Buildup—special edition amplifying chill effects nearly fivefold.
With these, Skyla's training Ice Blast would mature faster, smoother.
"You know what this is, right?"
Yang Hee-seon showed the arm cover.
"How could I not? You used it yourself. But can Yeom Sang-taek handle it?"
Choi Min-su voiced slight concern.
Fair enough. This ArmCover was a temperamental beast—easy to injure the wearer if mishandled.
"Don't worry. That kid will manage."
Yang Hee-seon grinned.
Choi Min-su's eyes flickered. He knew her mischievous pranks—like the one that nearly killed Kim Jun in a dungeon.
"By the way, rumor has it Yeon Un-jae gave his treasured armor to Kim Jun. True?"
"Once a year, he fights challengers from Yeon Ga to keep it—under that condition, he gave Kim Jun the Yeon Ga armor."
"Once a year? Challengers?"
Yang Hee-seon saw through Yeon Un-jae's scheme instantly.
Using Kim Jun to prod his clan into overdrive, pushing limits to reclaim the Yeon Ga armor.
Sly old fox.