Legacy of the Modified Ten Stages Brocade

Traveling to China requires a visa—bang! The thunderous gunshot rang out, and the bullet tore viciously into the NPC's gut. As a Korean, one shot felt too heartless... I watched the bastard crumple, then racked the bolt and reloaded. Bang! The next bullet shattered the head of the fallen prick.

The results were just as I'd hoped, and my chest swelled with excitement. Sensing I'd achieved my goal, I stuffed the gun and surrounding materials into my Inventory and dashed down toward the target.

Good thing I took that marksmanship class in my second year of high school. I'd gritted my teeth through it, fearing I might not achieve my 2nd Awakening, thinking maybe I'd become an officer or something in a fit of desperation... Frowning as I mapped the route, I quickly imprinted the general direction in my mind. It was just hiking and climbing, nothing more. I bolted down the mountain path without hesitation, charging straight toward my goal. Leaping ravines and scaling cliffs for what felt like ages, I arrived at the site in just 30 minutes.

A corpse with its head and gut blown open came into view, but I ignored it and started rummaging through its pockets. Gotta grab the spoils. He's supposed to be a first-rate martial artist, so he's gotta have something. Untying the money pouch from its waist revealed a few copper coins and three or four silvers—enough to nod in satisfaction. This much cash should get me to my destination. Grinning slyly, I stood and eyed the cave straight ahead.

Something feels creepy. Swallowing hard at the flow of mana emanating from deep inside and the inexplicable vibe, I stepped into the cave. Relying on the flashlight from my Inventory, I delved into the winding depths until a cavern opened up. In the center knelt a white-haired old man missing his legs below the knees, eyes closed.

That's a corpse. The faded nickname hovering above confirmed it, but the mana swirling around the old man put me on edge as I approached. When I got close enough to touch him with one hand, a colorful booklet caught my eye in front of his severed legs.

Is that it? My hand shot out in excitement, snatching the book. The mana pouring from the old man's corpse suddenly whipped into a frenzy and surged toward me. A dead body won't kill me, right? A flicker of unease crept in. Frowning, I gently pried open my squinted eyes—and suddenly, I stood in the middle of an unfamiliar mountain scene.

Thud. Thud. Footsteps approached. Startled, I whipped around to see the old man from the cave and a monk in Shaolin robes walking side by side.

"Who would've thought I'd get the chance to slay a demonic scourge of the martial world with these hands. Amitabha."

"Hmph! Amitabha my ass, you bald monk. Don't get in my way."

"Heh heh heh. You're quite the ill-fitting Taoist yourself, aren't you? The unorthodox path suits you better."

Ignoring me completely as they grumbled, the two passed right through me like I was air.

Ah! It's a story cutscene?! It wasn't in the original game, but as long as it didn't affect me, no big deal. Feeling relieved, I followed them. Creeping carefully behind, we emerged into a plain where a man in black robes awaited.

"You've come. Divine Monk, Divine Palm."

"Bullshit. It's Demonic Monk."

"This one is normal. You're the mad one."

"You shitty bastard."

The man in black robes watched their banter before speaking. "You're as eccentric as ever."

"Think you're the only one, you darkie?"

"Aren't you going too far?"

"One of us is dying today anyway, monk."

"Can't argue with that. Amitabha."

At that moment, chilling mana and visible killing intent erupted from the two. If I'd been there in person, I'd have died for sure. Killing intent rising like heat haze—these guys were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠monsters.

Fuck. Real monsters. A-rank? No... this is S-rank.

The two, radiating full aura, spoke. "Listen, Cheonma, even if you're on the cusp of enlightenment at the edge of the Fire Realm, that's no excuse for your arrogance... What makes you think you can come down here yapping?"

"Heh heh heh. You think you can win against both of us, even if it's not a fair fight?"

With that, an overwhelming, viscous, domineering aura began pouring from the black-robed man called Cheonma, dwarfing the pair. Unlike the surging energy, his relaxed stance twisted into a savage grin.

"Of course. I am the Cheonma. And once I deal with you two, unifying the martial world is all but certain. Besides, isn't mortal combat the fate of every warrior?"

"Eloquent for a demon."

"Eloquent for a long-nosed one."

"Damn it."

With those words, the scene shifted as the two lunged at Cheonma like leopards. Moments later, it resumed: Cheonma punching into Divine Monk's body amid sprays of blood, while Divine Palm, legless, plummeted off a cliff screaming. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And with that, I was back in the cave.

Dazed by the whirlwind of scenes, I shook my head clear—and a game message window popped up before me.

Divine Palm's perspective...?

Feeling the booklet in my hand, I kept reading the message window.

With the messages ending, a new window appeared before my eyes.

Affirming use of the linking ticket I'd gotten last time, I initiated the link. Knowledge of the martial art etched itself across my body like a barrage. Shuddering in thrill, I lost consciousness.

+++

Drip! A cold droplet hit my forehead. Clutching my throbbing skull, I sat up. Out for about half a day, huh. I spun my head to check the time. But that wasn't important now. I jumped up and started moving my limbs.

Whoosh!Paang!Bang! Perfect hand movements synced with my mental imagery. Gripping my thrusting palm into the air, flowing seamlessly into the natural metal-grasping technique, I buzzed with excitement and circulated mana per Sipdan-geum's incantation.

Kwaang!Thud! The aura bursting from my thrust slammed the cave wall, sending stone dust flying in an unprecedented roar. Straightening into the starting stance, I exhaled to calm my heated body. Trembling as the art's operation methods surfaced calmly, I gathered my wits.

Now it begins. I headed deeper into the cave. There appeared a clear well and glowing turquoise moss clinging to the walls. Spotting it, I carefully harvested and stored it in a container in my Inventory.

Save this for potions later. In the original, the NPC never learned Hyun-chung Jin-in's art. Too difficult, and risk of becoming a Wudang traitor. Instead, he consumed the moss, empowered by the elder's postmortem profound inner energy. Well, now it's mine. Without my abilities, I probably couldn't have learned it either. Who masters an art from a book alone without a master? Skills for the win.

With everything done, I turned to see the old man's drained corpse slumped alone. I carefully collected and stored it in my Inventory. Grab a decent coffin in town and carry it around. A chuckle escaped at the ridiculous real-world drama flashing in my mind.

This is basically my ID. Heh heh. Standing, I scanned the area to ensure nothing forgotten, then began descending the mountain.