Time to Grow (1)
Hwaryon interlaced her fingers with mine, closing her eyes and remaining utterly motionless as if examining every corner of my body with her internal qi.
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence hung in the air for a long moment.
Eventually, Hwaryon released her hold, opened her eyes, and looked up at me.
"Cheonma was right... There is indeed something inside you, but... it is entirely different from anything I have ever encountered. It feels completely foreign."
"...I see."
Foreign, huh? A mutation, maybe?
"So... could you tell me what kind of information you're looking for?"
"Well... to be honest, if you or Cheonma hear this, you might think I've completely lost my mind."
"Me...?" Cheonma scoffed, raising a brow.
"Me...? Please, don't worry about that; feel free to speak comfortably. Cheonma would never understand, of course, but I'll explain everything while keeping in mind that you're an outsider to the martial world."
"..."
Cheonma scowled fiercely at Hwaryon's blatant snub, glaring daggers across the room. Judging by the subtle twitch of her lips, she was undoubtedly firing off a sound transmission laced with venom. Regardless, that meant I had permission to speak freely, right?
"I don't know the first thing about internal qi, so thank you. By any chance... have either of you ever met an internal qi expert?"
At my question, Hwaryon and Cheonma blinked in unison, exchanging baffled glances.
"An internal qi expert... simply refers to someone skilled at manipulating qi," Cheonma snapped, pointing a finger at herself. "And the greatest among them would be us. Have you forgotten who's standing right in front of your eyes? We are the supreme masters of internal qi in the entire Murim... you idiot!"
Cheonma took great care to correct my terminology with pinpoint accuracy—complete with her signature insults as an innate passive skill.
"Ah, I phrased that poorly. How should I put it... there are probably plenty of internal qi masters, but... ah! Maybe think of it as an expert in palm blasts?"
"Palm blasts...?"
"Right. How should I describe it? Someone who blasts internal energy out of their hands or feet to attack, maybe?"
"Releasing internal energy directly from the hands or feet... Ah, are you referring to a master of qigong?"
"Exactly! Yes! That's what it's called—qigong!"
"Do you require information regarding qigong...?"
"Yeah. I was hoping you could tell me about it. Seeing as you and Cheonma both fight with swords, I figured qigong must belong to a completely different discipline."
Between Cheonma wielding her Heavenly Demon Divine Sword and Hwaryon—whose blade's name I didn't know, but who carried one all the same—both women were unmistakably peerless swordswomen.
"Though neither Cheonma nor I specialize purely in qigong, we can certainly answer the fundamentals. What specific aspect of qigong are you curious about?"
"Ah... well, I was wondering how useful qigong is for offense, and especially for defense."
"...Pardon? Hmm~ The offensive and defensive utility of qigong, you say..."
"Tsk... Qigong fundamentally begins with the principle of projecting internal qi outside the body," Cheonma interjected, crossing her arms beneath her bountiful chest. "Reach the absolute pinnacle of mastery, and you can manifest pure astral energy. Projecting that astral energy makes for an exceptional long-range attack, and the moment you wrap it around your flesh, it becomes an impenetrable shield... However. Eodum, you don't even possess a third-rate internal cultivation manual, so how on earth do you expect to pull that off?"
"Cheonma. Eodum knows nothing of martial arts. Did you really have to phrase it with so little... consideration?"
"...Tch, give me a break."
The moment my attention slipped, Hwaryon and Cheonma were baring their fangs at each other once more. At this point, they were practically sworn nemeses, constantly itching to tear one another apart. Put them in the same room, and sparks flew without fail. What was their problem?
More importantly... an internal cultivation manual, huh?
Well, from their perspective, their skepticism made total sense. They had no idea what a Skill Creation Ticket was capable of. A divine miracle that forged something out of nothingness... Just wait until you see it. Try not to faint from shock.
"Thank you, both of you. That was actually a huge help."
"...?"
"...?"
Both Hwaryon and Cheonma stared at me with looks of utter incomprehension.
"What's with those faces?"
"...Could it be... Eodum, forgive me if I'm mistaken, but... are you genuinely interested in qigong?"
"Come on... No way..."
"Yeah, I am."
"WHY?!"
Oh? Did they just speak in unison? Did I actually manage to get them on the same wavelength?
For once in their lives, Hwaryon and Cheonma acted in perfect harmony, rounding on me with fierce interrogation.
"When you have me, the greatest sword of the Righteous Path, standing right before your eyes! You're telling me you're interested in qigong instead of the sword?!"
"When you have me, the supreme blade of the Demonic Path, standing right in front of you! You're interested in qigong rather than the sword?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"..."
Both breathtaking beauties planted their hands firmly on their hips, glaring daggers at me from either side.
...Isn't this an unavoidable trap?
If I picked one of them right now, the other would throw an immediate tantrum. Besides, a sword had never been part of the grand blueprint I'd drawn up in the first place. It simply didn't align with what I was trying to achieve.
I looked back and forth between the two of them in silence for a moment before finally opening my mouth.
"...Why? Is qigong really that bad?"
"Whew... It's simply that I have never seen a martial artist achieve true greatness solely through qigong. I apologize, Eodum."
"Unless your internal energy is overflowing to the point of rotting away, it's horribly inefficient," Cheonma added bluntly. "Channeling internal qi through a weapon is infinitely more practical. It's far easier to slice and slaughter an enemy with a blade. Why would you deliberately choose an inefficient discipline like qigong that burns through your energy like wildfire...?"
Naturally, I understood where they were coming from. How frustrating must I look to them? If I simply learned from them or heeded their counsel, I could walk a guaranteed path to strength.
However...
"Well... it's easy for you to say that because you don't really know me. Or more accurately, you don't know the world I came from. I lived in a society where people didn't have to defend themselves with overwhelming brute force. To be told to bathe in the blood of living creatures and slaughter to grow stronger... that's something my ethics simply cannot accept. It terrifies me..."
"..."
"..."
Perhaps because it was the first time they had ever heard me speak about my past, both women widened their eyes in surprise, staring at me in stunned silence.
"Sorry. I guess I was speaking purely from my own perspective. But... I don't think I can ever cast those values aside. Can someone like me, raised like a fragile flower in a greenhouse, truly accept what you take for granted in a world steeped in slaughter? Justifying murder to myself, striking first to take another's life the moment I feel threatened... do you really believe I could do that? Right now, I never could. Not even if you beat me to death. Though... if someone precious to me came to harm—say, the two of you, for instance—then my morals would probably shatter into pieces. I'd turn into a blood-crazed avenger, a monster devoid of mercy or compassion. But... that isn't who I am right now."
Having listened patiently to my honest feelings, the two heroes looked at each other and gave a quiet nod.
Cheonma spoke up first.
"Fine... I understand your perspective now. I'll respect it a hundred times over. Then... how exactly do you plan to proceed with qigong?"
"...What comes next, you mean?"
"Yes. What's next? I'm assuming you didn't preach all that morality without an actual plan. If you don't have one... I'll force it on you myself."
Wait... force what?
At those ominous words, my hands instinctively flew up to clutch the collar of my T-shirt in a defensive posture. Seeing my reaction, Cheonma's face flushed bright crimson, and she shrieked in embarrassment.
"T-That's not what I meant! I'm talking about breaking those ridiculous values of yours! I'll force your mindset to change!"
"Honestly... what a temper... Eodum?"
Hwaryon, who had been quietly taking everything in, called out to me. Turning away from Cheonma, I looked toward Hwaryon's voice.
"Yes?"
"...Cheonma only acts like that because she worries for you, Eodum. As do I. You said you had a method in mind, didn't you? You asked us just to confirm whether your concept was feasible. Am I correct?"
As expected... Hwaryon's age and experience—or rather, her seniority—made her exceptionally quick on the uptake. Of course, if I actually uttered the word 'seniority' out loud, she would transform into a demon on the spot and lop my head off. Better to keep my lips sealed. There was no need to invite my own doom, was there?
"...That's right. Everything up until now was just preparation... I believe this Skill Creation Ticket will make it possible."
"..."
"..."
I produced the Skill Creation Ticket I had received from Lancelot, holding it up before Cheonma and Hwaryon. Both of them stared at the parchment with utterly dumbfounded expressions.
"Do you truly believe a mere scrap of paper can change anything?"
"Yeah. This was my secret... but I'll show you now. Watch closely."
"..."
Faced with my unwavering confidence, Hwaryon said nothing more, crossing her arms as she watched. Naturally, her expression remained steeped in heavy doubt.
"...Do you remember the Red Wave?"
"...?"
"...?"
"That Red Wave was an innate ability created from this very paper. It's the absolute foundation of my power."
"...!"
"...!"
Beside me, Hwaryon and Cheonma—along with the other heroes who had been eavesdropping on our conversation—flinched in profound shock at hearing the secret I had guarded so fiercely until now.
Looking at the gathered heroes, I took several steps forward.
"Watch closely... I'm showing you this because we're comrades."
I slipped four of the Skill Creation Tickets into my jeans pocket, then tore the remaining ticket in half as I yelled:
"Because this is my power!"
Riiip—!
Flash—!
A blinding white light erupted from the torn parchment, painting the entire surroundings in pure, radiant brilliance.
Moments later, the brilliant light vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared, and...
Pfft—!
With the distinct sound of power cutting out, the Rock-Paper-Scissors arcade cabinet behind me went completely pitch-black!
The heroes were thrown into utter disarray, glancing erratically between me and the darkened arcade machine, unable to comprehend what was unfolding.
About ten seconds passed.
Bzzzt—!
Accompanied by a burst of static, the screen of the Rock-Paper-Scissors cabinet flickered back to life—not returning to normal, but boldly asserting the presence of a very familiar entity across the glass.
The System angrily demands to know why you only called for it now.
The System states it has been waiting on pins and needles for you to summon it.
The System declares it will summon the Scales for you.
The System instructs you to step onto the Scales on your own.
Finally... the relief pitcher who would extend my life—no, my sole savior, you could say...
At long last, the System had returned to me.
RUMBLE— CRACK-BOOM—!
With a thunderous roar like a lightning strike, a colossal set of scales materialized right before us, balanced on either side by two massive, semi-transparent dish-shaped plates.
Scuff, scuff.
Dragging my slippers across the floor, I took one steady step after another toward the scales.
Just then...
Merlin's voice drifted into my ears. Clutching her chest with a flushed, feverish face, she was staring at my scales and hyperventilating uncontrollably.
"Haaah... haaah... haaah... hahn... haaak, hah, haaak...! I... I... c-c-c... can't b-breathe... haaaah, hah, haaak...!!!"
...
Are all mages like this?
Good grief...
Like that even matters right now!
It was finally here!
The time for my growth had finally arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!