Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Mugak (2)
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“Master, I watched you deal with this wraith back in your world.”
“Really? So those filthy undying bastards were from here?”
“To be precise, they’re not ‘existences’ here. They’re the souls who died in this world without fulfilling their dreams.”
Wraiths who died in the world of wraiths.
In other words, wraiths of wraiths.
Wraiths upon wraiths?
“Their obsession and resentment to reach the Battle God fused together, but since no one remembers them, they’re called specters.”
Mugak gave a bitter smile.
“They no longer retain their past forms. Only their madness-fueled battle lust remains. But dealing with them is simpler than you’d think.”
“……Yeah?”
I tilted my head.
“From what I saw last time, they regenerated like crazy.”
Those guys.
No matter how much I beat, exploded, or burned them, they kept coming back resiliently.
Truly invincible.
And he’s saying they’re simple?
“That’s because you used weapons, Master.”
Swish.
Mugak stepped forward, clenching his fist.
- Heh heh… looks… tasty….
- Are you… strong? If you’re strong… let’s fight….
He smiled leisurely at the three black monsters charging toward him.
To a being once called the strongest of the first generation,
the ecosystem of this world must seem laughable.
“They follow the laws of this world.”
Mugak’s robes fluttered in the wind.
Wow.
I was impressed.
He really exudes that aura, huh?
“I just need to show them I’m far stronger. Using only my own power, without any tools.”
Rumble!
Dust rose around Mugak, his thick fist raised high.
“Break their battle lust.”
Ah.
This must be the presence of an absolute being.
Whoosh!
Mugak’s fist slammed straight into the black monster’s abdomen.
Bam! With that sound, a hole punched through one’s gut instantly.
Swish.
He twisted his body downward to the right, letting the corpse slide past.
Bam!
Then drove a straight punch into another’s abdomen.
A perfectly clean fist.
Strength is relative, they say?
His punches had felt awkward when we fought, but against these specters, they were phenomenal.
‘That means.’
I can do it too, right?
‘Plus.’
The black monster that took a hit from Mugak couldn’t move properly, unlike back on Earth.
It just writhed on the ground, unable to regenerate.
‘What the hell.’
So the solution was just to fight with fists?
Swish!
I stepped on the shadow and appeared beside Mugak.
Only one monster left now.
“Shall we let the Master handle it?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a score to settle with those bastards.”
Clench.
I powered up my fists and raised both hands.
Left hand extended to gauge distance, right fist cocked and ready.
“Hup!”
With a sharp exhale, my straight punch shot out.
Boom!
A thrilling sensation ran through my fist.
The swirling energy piercing the foe’s skin.
- Grraa….
Thud!
The black monster collapsed in one hit.
I was purely amazed.
This is easier than I thought?
Budapest should’ve sent Jang Dae-woong instead of me.
- Kee!
- There… a strong one….
- Let’s go play…!
- Let’s go fight…!
After taking down the three,
other denizens of the village peeked out.
Monsters approaching with overwhelming battle lust.
“Master.”
Mugak grinned.
“Why?”
“How about we start your training now?”
“Training for what?”
Mugak patted his thigh.
“What else? Fist arts, of course.”
* * *
Cultivation.
The act of souls summoned to the Battle God world tempering their mind and body through ‘battle,’ aiming to unite with a constellation-level being, the ‘Battle God’ (SSS Grade).
“Master, the essence of my fist arts boils down to three things: strike, dodge, and stomp. I’ve never lost to anyone wielding these three freely.”
“Sounds good. Show me. Is demonstrating okay?”
“Well, just against the air. Besides, it’s your order, isn’t it? Gotta follow the rules.”
And so our cultivation began.
We’d pass one village, then another would appear.
Pass that, and yet another.
The gaps between villages were fairly long.
In between, Mugak and I kept instructing each other.
“Mugak, this is a technique used by someone called the Fist God from the afterlife.”
“Impressive. Fist God, huh? Reached divine realm with fists alone?”
“Damn right. The guy elevated all sorts of miscellaneous skills to mastery.”
“Alright, teach me. I’ll judge how impressive after learning.”
Boom!
I crushed the chiefs of other villages with my kicks.
Thud, thud!
Mugak smashed challengers’ jaws and solar plexuses with his fists.
The occasional black monsters served as precious practice dummies.
And the lunatics following me grew day by day.
“Whew, can’t even count them anymore.”
“Struggling over that many, Master?”
“That many?”
“Yeah, that many. The closer we get to the center, the more elites there are. They lead tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands like that.”
“……Insane.”
Tens of thousands following one person.
Practically a moving city.
“That’s why bigger cities appear closer to the center.”
“…….”
“Once, nearly a million followed me.”
I glanced back while walking.
Rough count: around 2,000, give or take.
“So that means…….”
“Master, you’re not thinking we’re already near the center, are you?”
“……?”
“Oh dear, Master. We’re not even at 10% yet. Past the halfway mark, you won’t see puny villages like these.”
This.
Feels like it’ll take way longer than expected?
“Hmm.”
I scratched my cheek.
“So, when do you think we’ll reach that center?”
“The center?”
Mugak smiled slyly.
“Even rushing, brace for at least a year, Master. At least a year. Lose to a strong one along the way, and you might rot here forever.”
It hit like a bolt from the blue.
A year all of a sudden? That’s brutal.
Not just ‘a bit’—a lot.
* * *
“Haa.”
Inside the Demir Workshop.
Kim Jin-ah, arms crossed, let out a deep sigh.
Her face was full of dissatisfaction.
“What the hell happened to him?”
Some high-rankers say
Joo Dong-hoon’s fine.
Not the type to die easily.
‘Bullshit.’
She chewed her lip.
Not dying easily doesn’t mean he’s definitely alive.
Some say
└ No, if he’s alive, show up. Why keep insisting he’s alive without proof?
└ Propaganda or what? High-rankers know but civilians don’t need to? What?
└ Fr real lol
└ Heard he opened a dungeon right then and slipped in. Lol, makes sense?
└ Who’d think Skeleton Emperor mains dungeons.
The doubters.
└ Obviously trust the rankers.
└ System ever lie? Ranker dies, it updates instantly, news breaks right away.
└ High-rankers are asymmetric power stronger than nukes. Survive a nuke? Believable.
└ True. If nuke was stronger, Korea wouldn’t be power rank 2.
The believers.
“Whatever.”
Kim Jin-ah irritably scrolled past comments.
Of course she wanted to believe he was alive, but two months had passed since the incident.
Sure, the guild master vanishing without a word wasn’t new.
But this time was different.
First off.
No Demir, no Eldrin.
Before, summons lingered, easing the anxiety.
Now, even survival was unconfirmed.
‘World ranking board?’
Hah.
Kim Jin-ah scoffed.
The world overflows with ‘errors.’
Mutants born from species.
Novel viruses like corona popping up.
Who knows?
Maybe non-ranker fights don’t glitch the board, but nukes do.
‘Or rather.’
Has any ranker ever taken a nuke?
“Haa.”
Kim Jin-ah felt hollow.
Murim Dojo closed, business stalled.
Dwarf-made stock dwindling.
Book translations for the Magic Tower?
Impossible without A-rin.
In the end.
All she could do was
Gulp!
Sit pathetically at her desk, chugging booze.
- Heh heh, what’s a young one like you drowning in drink for.
- Shame. If my body were intact, I’d join you. Haha, but as you see, just bones now.
Demir’s chuckling voice occasionally echoed.
Ping!
Why the tears welling up?
He has to be alive.
Star Heaven World is her life now.
Kim Jin-ah had bet everything on Joo Dong-hoon.
Gulp gulp!
She poured more harsh whiskey into her glass.
“Whew.”
Exhaling to shake off the buzz, she sank back into thought.
‘Been running nonstop till now.’
As Star Heaven’s vice guild master, she’d given her all.
Collaborated with Korea’s president and Hunter Association chair to wrap up diplomacy.
First, Hungary.
Near-anarchy from nukes and monsters—Korea pledged responsibility and investment.
Later, trade industry rights and land ownership for national revival.
Fancy words for virtual colonization.
Hungary’s sparse 10 million pop.
Monster disaster plus nuke.
Homes lost, economy shattered overnight—no choice but Korea’s hand.
The nation whose Skeleton Emperor came solo in crisis.
Perfect justification.
Of course, Kim Jin-ah was thorough.
Half the treaty benefits to ‘Star Heaven’ too—explicitly stated.
Justification all from Joo Dong-hoon; president couldn’t refuse.
Next, Romania.
Ex-president and global criminal Klaus was gone.
Succumbed to Kim Jin-ah’s month-long torment—heart attack.
“…….”
Kim Jin-ah felt regret.
Meant to keep him alive till guild master’s return.
Korea demanded astronomical reparations from Romania.
UN resolution: about 20 trillion.
Facing war threats from Korean public will, Romania surrendered hands up.
No grounds to refuse, no power.
Nation cleans leader’s mess.
Of course.
Kim Jin-ah pocketed half those rights.
“Whew, I’ve got this place handled fine.”
She grabbed her glass again, downing whiskey smoothly.
The sharp burn in her chest, rising buzz.
“Please come back soon.”
Kim Jin-ah fully felt the weight of the path she’d chosen.