Stepping into the Realm
Tower of Trials, 1st Floor Residential Zone — Chunja Halmae's House.
Jin Hong fought to keep her hazy mind steady as she slowly sipped the water Chunja Halmae had brought out.
Yeon Cheong watched her closely. Though the mental toll of Yeongdeung hadn't been excessive, it was still more than Jin Hong could handle. He wanted to make sure there were no lingering aftereffects.
"I'm fine, Cheong."
When Yeon Cheong kept staring at her, she waved a hand and answered. He glanced at the sweat running down her back and said, "You don't look fine."
"I really am okay. Thanks for worrying."
How many times had she fainted in her life? From sheer exhaustion? From taking a blow to the head? In a ruined world, fainting could easily mean death. Especially during deliveryman work — there would be almost no one to protect an unconscious body.
"Don't push yourself. You could die."
Yeon Cheong's single sentence carried the weight of everything he had lived through — both advice and warning. Training was good, but dying because of it was nothing more than a pointless accident.
"Heh… That won't do."
Jin Hong seemed to regain some strength just from Yeon Cheong talking to her. She smiled weakly and replied. Yeon Cheong smiled back and took a small sip of the water Chunja Halmae had brought.
"Aigoo, what were you two brats doing to end up collapsed on the street?"
"Just malnutrition, I guess."
Jin Hong brushed off Chunja Halmae's question. If she admitted she'd fainted after fighting thugs, the old woman might grab her by the scruff of the neck and faint right alongside her. Besides, malnutrition was a common enough excuse, so Halmae simply told them to eat properly and brought over a few pieces of bread and some canned food.
"Eat this. And don't collapse again."
At Chunja Halmae's worried tone, Yeon Cheong nodded. In truth, he rarely suffered from malnutrition. Uncle Ben always distributed rations fairly, and the thug groups hadn't been stealing their food lately. Jin Hong was in the same situation. Thanks to the cleaning week, the streets had far fewer thugs, so she could eat her full share without interference.
"I'm not really hungry…"
"Eat!"
Halmae barked at Jin Hong's protest. Since she'd claimed malnutrition as the cause, she had no choice but to eat.
"Cheong… help me."
"Helping you eat? This is quite the luxury."
At Jin Hong's earnest request, Yeon Cheong chuckled and picked up a piece of bread. He chewed it slowly before asking, "How does it feel to use martial arts?"
"That was martial arts?"
"Roughly. It was far from perfect in many ways."
Yeon Cheong recalled the moment Jin Hong had faced the thugs. Even with only a faint trace of Yeongdeung, she had subdued them. That instant would become the greatest experience of her life. Having used it once meant she could step into that realm again whenever she wanted.
But Yeongdeung is too much for her.
For Jin Hong, Yeongdeung was poison. If someone lacking mental strength and focus tried to wield it freely, their life would end first. She had fainted after using it only briefly — reaching Yeon Cheong's level was nearly impossible without the artifact known as the power of a god.
I don't even know if the time artifact could help.
Without knowing its exact usage, he couldn't risk bringing it out. In the end, Yeon Cheong gave up on teaching her Yeongdeung. Still, letting her taste the realm of martial arts was an achievement in itself.
"Cheong, martial arts are really scary."
"…?"
"It didn't feel like me."
Jin Hong had borrowed a glimpse of Yeongdeung through the talisman. With it, she had sensed the thugs' presences and defeated them. Now she wondered if any of it had truly been her own power. Many people struggled to adapt to strength they suddenly gained. Training the body and mind created a clear gap between one's past and present self.
"It's because your training went well."
"You think so?"
Her worries weren't complicated. She simply couldn't yet accept how much stronger she had become.
"Martial arts have stages."
"Stages?"
At Jin Hong's question, Yeon Cheong nodded.
"The more you train, the more you reach certain levels — like the floors of the tower. Just as the view from the first floor differs from the tenth, martial arts strength is divided by stages. We can't divide it too finely, but you've at least stepped into the first one."
In the old days, they called it reaching a realm. Through training and experience, one internalized knowledge, made it their own, and advanced. Repeating that process would make someone incomparably stronger than before.
"So…"
After much thought, Yeon Cheong reached a decision. The Focus Talisman was precious to him. As an assassin, it granted every possible advantage and had countless uses. But right now, Jin Hong needed it more. It would be far more efficient in her hands, and the partial experience of martial arts it provided would greatly boost her combat ability.
I worked hard to get this at the black market…
Still, no other piece of equipment would help Jin Hong's training more.
"Do you want this talisman?"
Yeon Cheong asked carefully. Jin Hong looked at the talisman wrapped around her wrist, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and slowly unwound it.
"No, it's fine. I don't need it."
She refused. Yeon Cheong took the talisman back and studied her face. She looked embarrassed. That expression made him wonder what had happened because of it.
"I get that I got stronger because of the Focus Talisman."
"Yeah."
"But I don't want to get stronger that way."
She didn't want to rely on equipment for her strength. She refused to grow by taking her friend's belongings. Even though the talisman had made her stronger instantly, Jin Hong questioned whether that power was truly her own. Without it, she feared she might not grow at all. That was why she turned down the offer.
"Besides, I already used that martial arts thing! I'll figure it out somehow!"
"Optimistic as always. I like that."
Yeon Cheong smiled as he rewrapped the talisman around his own wrist. Her words weren't wrong. She had already stepped into the realm and experienced it. That alone would be enough for her to grasp the feeling next time.
"Then the rest of your training will be physical conditioning."
"I've been doing that steadily."
Jin Hong let out a long breath. She spent three or four hours a day on exercise alone. Even counting meditation, her stamina had improved considerably.
"But don't you train separately, Cheong? Shouldn't you build up your stamina too?"
Jin Hong touched her own forearm and suddenly looked curious. To her, Yeon Cheong seemed to wander around without doing much. It wasn't entirely inaccurate, but he wasn't wandering aimlessly.
"I'm training steadily too. Becoming a deliveryman doesn't just happen."
In truth, Yeon Cheong was always training. After obtaining the Focus Talisman from the black market, he had kept Yeongdeung active at all times. Even while lending it to Jin Hong, he hadn't stopped using it.
It actually helped me a lot.
Without the talisman, he could focus more purely on vigilance — the core mindset of Yeongdeung. By forcing himself to think and act within limited time, he had gained valuable experience.
Still not even half of my prime…
His current level of Yeongdeung was far weaker than his peak. Yet it was also far stronger than right after his return. Because of that, his presence concealment and detection had become noticeably sharper than when he first used it. This growth had become a great foundation for the preparations he was making on the 1st floor.
"But I'm still lacking in physical training."
"Oh? Which part?"
Jin Hong's interest sharpened instantly. Yeon Cheong answered casually.
"Physical conditioning. The 1st floor rations aren't enough to build a proper body."
Experience and growth gained through assassination alone left his physical training severely lacking. The nutrient-poor rations on the 1st floor simply didn't provide the conditions needed to train muscles.
"Training together…"
Jin Hong started to speak, then stopped. She trained alone and often stripped down when it got hot. Having Yeon Cheong join might only get in the way.
"It's fine. We can do that later."
At his words, Jin Hong laughed loudly on purpose to hide her embarrassment.
Still, she's grown a lot.
By choosing to set the Focus Talisman aside, Jin Hong could no longer use Yeongdeung even temporarily. But having tasted martial arts had made her stronger and more determined. It planted a powerful motivation in her — one that would drive her growth and become a great strength for Yeon Cheong, his true partner in spirit.
"The deliveryman exam isn't far off. You know that, right?"
Yeon Cheong handed Jin Hong a cup of water. Though she was still a minor and couldn't touch alcohol, he wanted to create some atmosphere. Of course, even adults rarely drank in the tower — obtaining such luxuries was never easy.
"A toast? I've always wanted to try that."
Jin Hong picked up a cup of water beside her. The two clinked their cups together and drank with cheerful expressions.
"Whoa, look at these kids. Who told you to gulp water down like that?"
Chunja Halmae clicked her tongue, then smiled warmly. For 1st floor residents, drinking water freely was a luxury. The unspoken rule was to drink sparingly, and she thought it rude for young ones to drink so boldly. Still, she spoke to them in a playful tone.
"S-sorry!"
Jin Hong bowed her head and apologized. Yeon Cheong laughed at the sight.