Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Mugak (4)
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Three months into heading toward the center.
"Some people say."
Mugak said.
"That I was born with innate talent, and on top of that, I had a good master."
Whoosh!
Thud thud thud thud!
To his powerful, confident fists.
"Argh!"
"Ughhh!"
The challenging battle ghosts couldn't keep up and fell back.
"But that's a huge misconception. Doesn't the master know that too?"
High skill comes with equally hard effort.
Nothing is obtained for free.
"Right, right."
I nodded.
"I also went through countless trials to climb to this position."
Kwa-gaga-gang!
Standing next to him, I unleashed dozens of kicks as well.
It wasn't just reckless flailing.
This was meticulous work, carefully targeting each approaching battle ghost's face. Labor.
"S-Strong!"
"My name is Chris!"
"We'll serve you as leader!"
In the past, all we saw were rural villages, but now proper large cities were coming into view.
We took over every city we saw, and before long, the followers trailing behind us numbered in the tens of thousands.
"Hmm, master?"
Mugak dusted off his fists with a hearty grin.
"I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding in what I said."
"Hm?"
"Not that. I meant that if they call someone like me innately talented, that's unfair. Because the real deal is the master."
"......Huh?"
I halted my kicking and stared at Mugak with a blank expression.
"You're amazing, master. My foot techniques are such profound martial arts, yet you mastered them in just three months? The world is so unfair. If Jin-gwon knew, he might've stomped the ground and cried."
"......"
"And master, on top of that, you're learning that Fist God's martial arts too, right?"
Indeed.
The Supreme Eternal Azure Palace Reincarnation Law was top of the universe class.
Talent acknowledged by Mugak, the first-generation absolute being of the Fighting God world.
"I'm still far from it, you punk."
The old man says.
What I've achieved is merely the entry to ten thousand arts.
He hasn't seen the end himself either.
Always stay humble.
'Still.'
From constantly using my body.
Compared to before, my physique had clearly changed.
Almost no fat left on my body, and even slight movements made the residual muscles felt everywhere.
Stamina was different too.
No matter how much I ran, my breathing didn't get heavy?
My lungs had grown.
"My goal is to get strong enough to have a proper match with you when you use your feet."
"Is that so...? Looking forward to it."
Mugak smiled brightly.
I'd grown quite fond of the guy now too.
* * *
Three months later.
At the center of the Fighting God world, at the end of a pillar of light soaring high into the sky.
Swish.
A man in neat daoist robes sat in the cloud zone, tilting a wine cup.
Muscles rippled faintly through gaps in his robes.
The aura emanating from him seemed intense enough to stand against the entire world charging at him.
"Hmm."
The identity of the being who smiled meaningfully while gazing at something was the Fighting God (SSS Grade).
"What brings a constellation like you here?"
The object of his gaze was an unknown existence shrouded in a black hood.
"Why? Even if we're not strangers, can't I drop by for a visit?"
"Not exactly welcoming. A being who defies nature isn't my taste."
"What're you saying? The crazy constellation who tries to fight every time we meet."
"So."
Thud!
The Fighting God set down his wine cup on the cloud table.
"You came to fight me, Ancient Magic?"
That's right.
Surprisingly, the hooded constellation's name was Ancient Magic (SSS Grade).
The oldest constellation in the universe.
Also known by another name: Akashic Records.
"Not that. Came to warn you."
"Warn? Me?"
Snicker.
The Fighting God laughed.
In this universe, only the seven gods could touch him.
Who dares warn him!
Rumble rumble...
A fierce aura poured from the Fighting God's body.
"Tsk tsk, such a simple madman."
Ancient Magic shook his head as if it was hopeless.
Should he just leave the retard be and go?
But he didn't.
Because here was the child of his fragment, with whom he'd been communicating enjoyably lately.
'Eloise Arin.'
Ancient Magic had grown fond of her before he knew it.
Unlike other fragments, she knew how to ask him questions through the library.
'The master of the magic tower is one who explores ancient magic.'
He thought she was the only one truly embodying that meaning.
Moreover.
He hadn't predicted that Joo Dong-hoon, whom he'd briefly met and grown fond of through Arin, would connect like this.
"Hey."
So he decided to speak.
According to the universe's records, speaking now would help Joo Dong-hoon grow.
And that would make Arin happy.
"A fragment of the Old Gods has entered your world."
"......?"
Freeze!
The Fighting God, emanating aura, halted his movements.
"Old Gods? What's that?"
As expected, the Fighting God was an idiot.
Well, most constellations besides himself were like that.
Twisted somewhere, or mad about one thing.
Thus ignorant of everything else.
"What else? An existence you touch at your peril. Anyway, I've warned you, so watch yourself. Best to just hole up in these clouds and enjoy your hobby of gathering those lofty apostles."
Swish!
Ancient Magic vanished after finishing his words.
"......What."
The Fighting God sat there with a blank expression.
'Don't touch it?'
?
??
???
'What nonsense!'
Why was he the Fighting God then?
He wouldn't hesitate to poke a beehive if it meant a fight.
Old Gods or not.
Ancient Magic's warning or whatever.
None of his business.
"Gather, my apostles!"
Swish!
Swish swish!
At the Fighting God's command, souls dormant in the clouds began to assemble.
"Weren't you bored all this time? Descend to the earthly world and find the one that old geezer just mentioned!"
At the edge of battle.
Those who became the constellation's kin.
Gray monsters.
Rustle rustle rustle!
They began dropping below the clouds.
* * *
Half a year into heading toward the center.
"Master."
One day.
Mugak muttered with a serious expression.
"Yeah."
"Doesn't the feeling seem off?"
"You felt it too?"
What the Azure Heart Method's senses caught.
Enormous auras gathering around Mugak and me.
I unconsciously clenched my fist like crushing something.
"......What is it?"
Mugak wore a confused expression.
"Never felt anything like this before....... The auras of those approaching now are at least...... on par with me. No, stronger."
Mugak muttered.
Then, the old man tapped my shoulder from behind.
'Huh?'
"Be careful, you fool. Just now, all lifeforms within a 10km radius of this place vanished."
'......?'
"Precisely, the occasional black wraiths we saw turned into them."
Murmur murmur.
We weren't the only ones panicking.
The battle ghosts following us trembled at the eerie aura.
An existence terrifying enough to make battle-maddened guys shiver.
Gulp.
I swallowed.
After waiting briefly like that.
Rustle rustle!
Gray monsters charging with eerie sounds came into view.
'Those.'
Right, Fighting God's fragments!
The ones I saw in Budapest.
There were quite a few of them.
One, two, three......
Four, five, six......
Six visible for now.
The moment we faced them.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[The Fighting God (SSS Grade) has recognized you.]
......Fighting God?
I blinked.
A constellation watching me right now?
Damn it.
No wonder the gaze stung.
At that moment.
Another message appeared in the air.
[The essence of Fire (火), which was asleep, opens its eyes.]
[The essence of Water (水) grumbles 'what's that guy' irritably while rubbing its eyes.]
[The essence of Wood (木) says to calm down.]
[The essence of Metal (金) assesses the situation.]
"Huh?"
I was surprised.
The essences that ignored my calls forever, why wake up now?
'As expected.'
My hypothesis that only dragonkin or constellation-grade could intervene was right?
Reason didn't matter.
I was overjoyed at that message.
How long had it been?
"Excuse me, essence sirs. Nice to see you......?"
[The essence of Fire (火) waves happily, saying it's glad to see me.]
Ooh.
The Fire (火) essence was always like that.
Terrifying or aloof to others.
But oddly favorable to me.
[The essence of Fire (火) says to wait a moment.]
[The essence of Metal (金) asks what you'll do.]
[The essence of Wood (木) judges that the constellation called Fighting God, like Akashic Records, won't recognize us.]
[The essence of Wood (木) says we must help the Skeleton Emperor.]
[The essence of Water (水) sneers.]
[The essence of Water (水) asks why bother helping someone less than dust.]
[The essence of Metal (金) also doesn't want to intervene. After burning that dragonkin last time, many constellations suspect our existence.]
......
Status windows filling my vision in an instant.
"......"
Hey, essences?
You wake up suddenly, ignore me, and hold some serious meeting?
Seems like my situation is more serious.
"Master, what are you doing! Snap out of it! They're coming!"
Mugak shouted urgently.
"I'm watching!"
Mugak doesn't know about the essences.
Beings far above the Fighting God (SSS Grade) he once revered.
Would he even believe multiple such existences were seriously debating overhead?
Rustle rustle!
Anyway.
The six gray monsters charged ferociously.
- Kekeke....
- That guy...? The one the Fighting God marked?
- Let's fight...!
- Kahaha! How long since a fight...!
While making creepy sounds.
"Haa."
I sighed.
I didn't know the situation.
But one thing was clear.
I had to fight.
"Mugak."
"Yeah, master."
"Seems like you'll have to use your feet after all?"
Mugak felt it too, and so did I instinctively.
Our odds of winning against them were less than ten percent.
I'd fought them on Earth too, but they were viciously strong.
"Whew."
After a brief ponder, Mugak sighed and lowered his raised fist.
Then, with short breaths, he spoke.
"Master."
"Yeah."
"Did I ever tell you? When I use my feet, I've never lost once."
"You did."
"......I'll show you."
Mugak lifted his foot.
"The foot techniques of I, Mugak."
* * *
At that time.
Apgujeong-dong, Republic of Korea.
Whooosh! Whoooosh!
Late autumn had passed, and the November winds of early winter bit cold.
「Demir Workshop」.
On its rooftop, a woman in a coat took in the breeze.
'Half a year and 15 days have already passed.'
Since the guild master disappeared, Kim Jin-ah felt like her chest was hollow.
Solitude.
No joy in hard work.
Growing the guild, yet it didn't feel grown.
She keenly felt the guild master's empty seat.
The workshop's stock was already depleted.
Even surrounding guild masters who visited for chats whenever possible had slowed their steps.
To make matters worse.
Some accepted employees had even left the guild.
Of course, she didn't care about that at all.
She knew the value of Byeolcheonji best anyway.
'So. When the hell are you coming back?'
Of course, that value would shine even more with guild master Joo Dong-hoon alive.
"Hoo."
Her exhaled breath scattered coldly like cigarette smoke.
Suddenly, Kim Jin-ah felt this situation familiar.
Was it like this back then too?
The day the guild master first left and didn't return home for a long time.
It was a cold winter then too.
'Right, yeah.'
She nodded.
'It was year-end.'
Right before the world's biggest festival, the 「World Ranker Announcement Ceremony」, Joo Dong-hoon had arrived.
And upon arrival, he shook the world by claiming a high ranker name.
'No way, you're planning to time it like that again?'
[You boring person] Kim Jin-ah grumbled with a smile.
Her smile looked lonelier than ever.