The Power of Imagination
Mana and internal energy... The true secret to a raider becoming truly strong lay in the ability to turn thoughts in one's head into reality.
Fire Arrow was a spell where a mage meticulously shaped mana into a blazing arrow, and its core was the power to vividly imagine that fiery projectile.
The clearer the imagination, the easier it was to cast, and the less mana required for the same destructive power. That's why fire dealers trained by staring into candle flames or campfires, feeling the essence of fire directly, or even venturing to volcanic regions.
Circulating internal energy through the body's meridians was also a form of will and imagination.
Experts' experiments had proven it beyond doubt: internal energy didn't move just because of a direct command. It only stirred from the dantian after being vividly envisioned in a specific pattern.
As far as Skyla knew, the Jungchwi variant of Mokhonbo involved creating a virtual spring in one's legs, storing power there, then exploding forward at blinding speed.
Kim Jun... had devised and added a mechanism to precisely control that imaginary spring. Thanks to it, he could now draw out the stored elastic force bit by bit when needed.
Skyla watched Kim Jun grin and felt certain of one thing.
This guy's got no idea how incredible what he did really is.
Countless people had trained in MokhonboJungchwi.
Among them were raiders just as smart and diligent as Kim Jun. Were they idiots, leaving it as a flawed skill?
No!
Masses had researched its weaknesses, producing dozens of papers on the topic.
But no one could bridge the gap between theory and reality—actually manifesting that device through sheer imagination. The colossal chasm between sketching it on paper and bringing it to life had forced them to give up.
Kim Jun... had leaped across it.
He'd imagined a device to fine-tune the spring's power—and made it real.
"What's up? You okay?"
Kim Jun asked, noticing Skyla's expression.
"You know you're a real pain in the ass, right?"
"Me? Why?"
"How'd you come up with that mechanism?"
"Automatic watches. I looked into how the wound mainspring's energy gets transmitted so slowly and precisely to move the second, minute, and hour hands. The answer was right there."
Skyla was floored.
She knew how watches worked too.
The problem was... even knowing didn't let you vividly imagine it into existence with mana.
Only then did Skyla realize what had propelled Kim Jun from carrier rags to passing the awakening test and claiming a team leader spot.
That ferocious imagination.
The fierce, aggressive power to drag his inner visions into reality—that was Kim Jun's strength.
Skyla stared at him.
"You're acting weird today."
Kim Jun said.
"Sigh."
Skyla explained the value of his invention to the oblivious genius who'd created it without grasping its worth.
At first, Kim Jun just chuckled. He probably thought she was overhype.
But the sharp Kim Jun gradually pieced it together—the implications of her words, the vast world beyond the door he'd flung open.
His smile faded, his eyes deepened. Proof enough.
After a long pause, Kim Jun looked at her.
"Is it really that hard?"
"Pfft."
Skyla burst out laughing.
She wanted to broadcast that question to every raider. They'd all hate on him for being so infuriatingly clueless.
"Flying's simple: just flap like a bird. Problem is, humans don't have wings. That idea's ancient—maybe back when we wielded stone axes. But actually flying took ages because we needed tech to make the imagination real. That's why the Wright brothers endured endless failures to invent the airplane before we soared. But you... you didn't build a plane. You just made the wings. With imagination alone. Get it now?"
"Nah."
Kim Jun tilted his head.
Skyla felt annoyed yet envious. What if she had that imagination? How different would her life be?
"Got your Leaderbook?"
"Yeah."
"Pull it up. I'll show you."
Kim Jun opened his Leaderbook, and Skyla searched "Jungchwi" and "imagination." She pulled up related papers and showed him the list.
Kim Jun's eyes widened.
One paper suggested incorporating part of an automatic watch's structure into Jungchwi to eliminate its flaws.
Its conclusion was killer.
The weaknesses of Jungchwi have been theoretically resolved with crystal clarity. Yet it will remain an unloved skill among martial artists. No practical method exists to eliminate those flaws.
This stems deeply from human imagination—the peculiar thought process called imagination. It is the most reliable, realistic solution.
Should a raider surpass current imaginative limits appear, they could perfect Jungchwi in their unique style. I end this paper awaiting that superhuman's arrival.
The superhuman the paper awaited was Kim Jun.
Skyla glanced at him.
Kim Jun blinked, stared back—then clenched his fist and yelled.
"Whoa!"
He bounced around, sprinted wildly, scaled walls, reveling in joy.
Skyla got why he was thrilled. Watching him up close all this time, she knew.
It wasn't about being the paper's superhuman.
He was ecstatic because it meant he could master any technique—and with effort, shatter every skill's limits.
A total martial arts maniac.
Then Yeom Sang-taek entered.
His eyes widened at Kim Jun.
Skyla noticed he hadn't brought a cage today, unlike usual.
"Where's Medusa?"
"Uh, she absorbed a marble last night."
"What? That's dangerous."
"Luckily, nothing happened."
A faint but confident smile.
As Kim Jun grew, Yeom Sang-taek advanced step by step too.
"Why's Kim Jun acting like that?"
"Dunno. Probably hungry."
Skyla headed inside to change.
An Seong-ho sat in his car after killing the engine.
He replayed last night's call.
Buffer Lee Seung-jin had gushed excitedly about temporary leader Yoo Min-jeong's unconventional training, innocently reporting to the absent team leader. But that call had kept An Seong-ho up all night.
Yoo Min-jeong had imposed Pink Team's internal rules on the joint training with An Seong-ho's team and Blue Lightning. The mismatched vibes vanished completely.
The two teams had merged in just two days.
The members didn't grasp the implications yet. But An Seong-ho, who'd clawed his way up on sharp eyes alone, saw it instantly.
Kim Jun started it; Yoo Min-jeong, Sa Yeonggyo, and ex-guild master Go Cheolmin spread it. Those rules would unleash massive change, resistance, chaos.
Members would cheer—hierarchy smashed, free challenges. A golden shot for the pyramid's bottom rung.
Most team leaders would fight tooth and nail against it. Guild masters craving tight control wouldn't welcome them either.
Guilds would split in two.
Raiders would divide sharply by mindset.
Where should An Seong-ho stand?
To keep leading as before, oppose the rules.
He was a raider, but no prodigy. Sending money home to Mom nonstop, he couldn't even lean on family clout.
If he allowed challenges... how long could he hold team leader?
Tanker Kim Jang-woo might challenge; he'd win once or twice, but one slip and he'd lose it. Even reclaiming it later, could he command with the same authority?
Those rules might only work for exceptional raiders like Kim Jun or Yoo Min-jeong—leaders confident in their own skin.
Maybe it'd fizzle out like a candle in the wind. An Seong-ho desperately hoped so.
Why?
He lacked faith he could become like Kim Jun.
If Pink Team's rules trended, sparking fierce clashes... he'd end up opposite Kim Jun.
Now I get why everyone fixates on him.
That's why he'd sat here killing time.
Then—tap tap—someone rapped the window.
An Seong-ho startled, spotting Do Jin-yong outside. Too lost in thought, he'd missed the Hummer's roar.
"What're you doing?"
The same blunt, straightforward Do Jin-yong.
An Seong-ho grabbed his bag, smiled wryly as he got out. Do Jin-yong's no-fuss fire was enviable right now.
"Wasn't sure if you turned off the stove."
"Hilarious bastard."
Do Jin-yong strode in, bulging arm muscles flexing.
An Seong-ho cocked his head.
Familiar yet off.
Definitely Do Jin-yong... but the vibe felt different.
Probably the training. Kim Jun's simulator rampages, driving the whole team hard, had rubbed off—even on Do Jin-yong.
Inside the Raid Center, Kim Jun, Skyla, Yeom Sang-taek, and Choi Muhyun were already running laps.
An Seong-ho changed and fell in beside Kim Jun, who gradually upped the pace.
"Traffic accident? Grintree's doing."
An Seong-ho whispered.
Kim Jun glanced over, eyes sharpening slightly.
An Seong-ho reported: Grintree buffer An Ji-hee attempted suicide, got hauled to hospital; within an hour, an Acacia Guild buffer replaced her in Grintree.
Running and talking winded An Seong-ho fast, but Kim Jun's pace held steady.
"Maybe some other reason?"
"Jeong Myeong-ho and Kwon Joo-chan met Jason Tyler together. Before that, they trashed Hong Yong Planning's Gangnam office. FYI, An Ji-hee commissioned the hit. Dungeon Association investigator confirmed."
"Thanks for the heads-up."
Calm as still water.
Unexpected.
An Seong-ho figured he'd at least scowl.
Kim Jun eyed him.
"Surprised?"
"...At what?"
"The internal rules."
"Yeah, a bit."
An Seong-ho felt exposed.
"What do you think?"
"Dunno yet. Only day two."
Half lie, half truth.
"It'll stir shit up. Don't care. I just wanna raid dungeons with the strongest team. Catch you later."
Kim Jun surged ahead.
The strongest team? Not strongest members—strongest team.
In that instant, An Seong-ho grasped why Kim Jun made those odd rules.
Team leader meant little to him. He craved entering deadly dungeons as the ultimate team.
Dungeons were always perilous.
Hence beefed-up team leader authority? With trusted comrades... nowhere felt scary.
Like Yoo Min-jeong.
An Seong-ho's face burned.
While he obsessed over position, they focused on raids themselves—maximizing team power through rivalry.
Starting lines diverged.
An Seong-ho always preached "team first" to his crew. Most leaders pushed "team spirit." But how much did they sacrifice? How much ego did they drop?
Pink Team's strength... might be that team spirit.
Their insane raid records? Likely team spirit's fruits.
Kim Jun's rules weren't born from cocky talent.
Team spirit willing to ditch anything for the team—crystallized as a system.
Rejecting it crushed team spirit itself.
An Seong-ho couldn't.
He pushed to catch Kim Jun, gasping.
Words had to be said.
"I... I wanna raid... dungeons... with the strongest team too."
Kim Jun grinned wide.
Do Jin-yong watched them from afar.