Link (3)
I respected my master from my previous life.
Unable to meet in reality, I could only encounter him through the Link.
“He taught me martial arts.”
Moreover, I have always prided myself on being a proper man who respects elders and knows his place.
Yet…
“What? You cheeky little girl! How dare you speak to this seat like that!”
With my spirit hazy from severe internal injuries, I couldn’t bring myself to apologize for the words that had slipped out.
Looking into those sharp, narrowed eyes of the brat, no respect came to mind at all.
Oh, right. It’s not a brat. Those words sound like an old man’s, and she must have regressed, right?
That was the irritating part.
“No matter how I look at it, it seems like raising the difficulty halfway through the exam was never part of the plan.”
I could tell from her anxious expression whenever I took a step.
And I had vowed earlier—I would absolutely pass the exam and mess up those pink buns until they were a disaster.
“Will you not let go?”
Was that the final warning?
My answer came in action.
Tap tap tap.
The pink buns in her hand were mashed to bits.
The rubber band on those stupid buns snapped with a sharp sound.
The murderous aura rising from her chest felt like a light pinch compared to what I had endured moments ago. She ignored it cleanly.
Let me check out the loose hair.
“I-iiiiik!”
She was rolling on the floor, biting her lip. What was she going to do if I touched her again? If I killed her, I’d be killing a candidate who passed the test.
The sight of her face turning bright red with rage was strangely satisfying.
***
A short while later.
I faced the Heavenly Demon once more, my body fully recovered. It was the privilege of someone who had finished the exam.
Thankfully, even after I recovered, the Heavenly Demon did not bring up what had happened earlier. I had been ready for a beating, yet she acted as if nothing had occurred. It was unexpected.
“Maybe she’s feeling guilty for slapping her own face? Does she have a conscience?”
Instead of the buns, her hair now hung long and loose.
“Will you not tie it again?”
“Hmph. I’ll tie it later. Don’t worry about it.”
Her sharp tone, yet she kept adjusting the strands of hair that kept falling over her shoulders, looking oddly awkward.
Did she really need to tie it?
“Don’t do that. It suits you much better when loose.”
Really. I still couldn’t understand why a martial artist would have pink hair, but the long loose style suited her way more. Those twin buns were weird, after all.
“Stop with the nonsense. Anyway, since you passed the exam splendidly, I won’t go back on my word. I will teach you everything I know beyond the contract scope.”
Yes, of course. That was only natural.
One of my teachers had said martial artists lived and died by their pride, so there was no way the strongest would back down over such a petty thing.
“Before that, there is one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Did you raise the difficulty halfway through for the others as well?”
The Heavenly Demon glared at me.
Why was she so agitated?
I glared back. I had to hear the answer.
The eye battle ended with her subtly looking away first.
“…No.”
“Then why only me!”
“The others couldn’t even take five steps. There was no need to raise the difficulty for them. You have talent and spirit far beyond what I expected. Honestly… I wonder if you might be better than me.”
The corner of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth twitched upward. This time, it wasn’t mockery.
It looked like a proud smile.
“Ah… yes.”
Unexpected praise made me feel awkward. I guess I really was weak to compliments.
The atmosphere softened a little.
Only a fool spits on a smiling face.
There was some commotion, but now it was time to make the contract.
As if waiting for the moment, the system message appeared.
Contract with Heavenly Demon Wi Jiyeon has been established.
The fine print that followed was all familiar. There wasn’t much important content, so I skipped it.
My feelings were complicated. I had regretted not seeing my master enough in this life.
“Master… farewell. I hope you live happily.”
She had been a kind person, but there was no way to meet her again unless I regressed once more.
The fact that the contract had increased the chances of defeating the Doom Dragon was my only comfort.
She was the strongest in this dimension, after all.
How amazing and powerful must the martial art I would learn be?
“Shall we begin training immediately?”
“Of course. It hasn’t been long since then.”
“Decide carefully. You may know some things, but time continues to flow in your body even now. It would be fine to prepare thoroughly. The training will take quite some time.”
She didn’t seem heartless after all. She was worrying about me.
But I hadn’t even tried the Link for a day or two. I had prepared with a fuss for this very moment.
“There’s no need to worry about that. I want to learn martial arts as quickly as possible.”
“Good. I will teach you the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
Heavenly Demon Divine Art!
I knew that name well. Even if my teacher had only said the Heavenly Demon was the strongest under heaven, that was enough.
I calmed my racing heart and looked at her with sparkling anticipation.
The Heavenly Demon smiled at me, lips curving. It wasn’t mockery, nor pride.
To put it plainly, it was “enjoy your first lesson, kid.”
Knowing the opponent’s subtle expressions would help. This was another special ability, I guess.
The reason for her smile would soon become clear.
“Before that, you must study the acupuncture points starting now.”
The smile grew deeper.
But you know, right? It was within the expected range?
“There are countless acupuncture points in the human body, but the ones you must memorize as essential for practicing martial arts…”
“Wait a moment.”
“What…?”
She looked displeased when I interrupted, but a long story would waste time.
“I already know them. We can move on to the next topic.”
“…?”
Curious expression.
To prove it to her, I recited the acupuncture points in a steady stream.
Her changing expressions were quite entertaining.
“G-good. No need to waste time.”
The Heavenly Demon was terrible at controlling her face. The disappointment was obvious.
“To master the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, you must first learn the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method. The method is the foundation of all martial arts…”
This time, I listened obediently.
The method was the study of accumulating inner energy. It was the basis for learning martial arts, and the first thing to learn. The only downside was that with the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method, I could only unfold lower-level skills of the Divine Art.
“The Thunder Emperor Shin Yuseong will never appear in this world again!”
But that was fine.
New martial arts would be even more amazing.
“From now on, I will instruct you in the sealed formula and guide you through inner energy.”
Deep down, I was confident. I had already entered martial arts with my master’s supreme techniques, and my comprehension was at a high level.
Yet…
“Why is it so difficult?”
I really wanted to learn the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method in one breath, surprise the Heavenly Demon, and hear more praise. But the difficulty was not ordinary.
Even with the inner energy guidance, it was no simple task. The energy moved according to my control, but operating the method itself was no easy matter.
“I suppose the speed of learning martial arts will be much slower than I expected.”
The plan I had hoped to devour from my previous life’s memories had slightly backfired.
“But considering the returns, it is more than acceptable. Rather, I’m looking forward to it. I wonder how powerful she will show after making it so difficult.”
The Heavenly Demon smiled when she saw me grimacing.
Damn it, frustrating.
“Even I, who was praised as a heaven-sent talent, took a full month to enter the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method. You will likely take the same time even if you put in all your effort.”
A month? Too long. I would definitely achieve it within that time.
I was concentrating on training, steeling my resolve.
“You’ll do well! The rest depends on you. Once you enter the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method, come find me again!”
“…Yes.”
The Heavenly Demon saw me out.
***
Thanks to my careful preparation, my physical condition in reality was not bad.
Instead, I felt refreshed, as if I had slept well.
I checked my phone and found a reply email from Yoon Sera.
“Oh, good. You told her about Han Yura’s stunt. I bet she’ll have a positive reaction?”
There was a mention of the Saint Guild struggling, and with only one person, joining would be simple.
That should have been the case.
“What? Rejected?”
I read it in surprise.
And I sighed.
“Hah, this silly woman.”
Yoon Sera was worried about me. She was afraid I would get entangled with the Taeseong Guild and never be able to turn back.
Even in this life, she seemed to have an unselfish personality.
She should have been more determined when facing Han Yura.
It was worrying.
Well, since she was such a person, the Saint Guild had vanished without a trace and appeared in the United States.
Then I thought.
“Could she have rejected it because she thought it was my Link trait?”
I had written that I was linked to the highest rank inspection, but…
I erased the ominous thought and sent a reply.
It would be good to know her phone number, but it was troublesome.
I had written many stories, but the most important part was this.
-I would like to meet you in person and talk.
A reply came soon after.
-Sure. Come to the guild house tomorrow.
With the appointment set, it was time to focus on training.
I had to enter the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method as quickly as possible to use my abilities as a hunter.
Since I couldn’t use the existing martial arts, this was the only thing I could do right now.
“A month? Don’t make me laugh.”
Even my previous master had evaluated me as having exceptional talent. I had always grown beyond his expectations.
Moreover, I was a body that had once reached a higher realm.
Even if the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was difficult, I would break her expectations by mastering it and seeing her shocked face again.
I had one win: passing the exam and ruining the buns. Two wins: surprising her with the known acupuncture points.
But one loss: struggling with the Heavenly Demon Primordial Mind Method.
So far, I had a 2-1 lead.
Though it was only my own math, the Heavenly Demon was a rival I really wanted to beat, unlike my master from the past life, who had been a thunder spirit.
It was irritating.
She looked like an easy bratty body.
I sat in the middle of the room and assumed the lotus posture.
***
The next day.
I arrived in front of the Saint Guild House.
“Whoa…”
I stood in front of the building and let out a whistle.
It was too grand? No, the opposite.
“What kind of shabby place is this…”
Maybe the reason the Saint Guild collapsed in my previous life wasn’t because the building physically fell apart.
It was located in an old commercial building that had seen many years.
Even…
There was a spicy braised ribs and samgyetang shop on the first floor.
Only one floor on the second was rented for the guild house.
Compared to the skyscraper Taeseong Guild House I had seen yesterday…
Wait, don’t compare. This was still a place where people lived. If cockroaches came out, I’d just catch them.
I entered at the appointed time.
And when I went up to the second floor, I was immediately met by a man in his early twenties.
His outfit was strange.
Chains dangled everywhere, his hair was spiked with effort, and he had multiple piercings in his ears.
He looked like a thug.
“Who are you?”
The man asked in a low voice.
“Ah, I’m Shin Yuseong. I have an appointment with the Saint Guild Master.”
“Ah, the one who came to the Taeseong interview?”
The man’s eyes narrowed.
Could he be suspecting that Taeseong sent me?