“How About Invincible Under Heaven?”
“How about Invincible Under Heaven?”
“Nah, that sounds like some early-morning kids' soccer team name. Kinda lame.”
“What about Nam Gyuil and the Kids?”
“That’s got a vibe like some old-school idol group from Grandpa’s era. Not great.”
Nam Gyuil and his comrades were in the middle of brainstorming guild names. Lee Chanu was throwing out outdated gems like “Nam Gyuil and the Kids” and “Invincible Under Heaven.” Nam Gyuil waved them all off dismissively.
This time, Hong Shinu piped up with her suggestion.
“How about Jade Throne?”
“No way. I’m not trying to be some king or anything—Jade Throne feels off.”
Nam Gyuil shook his head. Next, Han Kangsu raised a finger thoughtfully.
“What about Five?”
“Since we’ve got five people, right? Five?”
“Yep.”
“Eh, that doesn’t sit right either. What happens when we add more people? We gonna call it Six?”
Nam Gyuil wasn’t sold on that one either. Hwang Ilsu just shrugged.
“I’ve got nothing coming to mind.”
Nam Gyuil scratched the back of his head, racking his brain for something good. Then it hit him.
“How about Public? It means ‘public’ in English.”
“Public?”
Lee Chanu tilted his head. Nam Gyuil grinned, leaning in to explain.
“We can’t team up with those greedy bastards hoarding training methods for profit. So Public fits—open to everyone, right?”
“Oh, that’s solid!”
Lee Chanu gave a thumbs-up. Hong Shinu and Han Kangsu nodded in agreement, and Hwang Ilsu followed suit.
Nam Gyuil checked one last time.
“Alright, guild name’s Public. No complaints?”
“Nope.”
“Of course not.”
Everyone was on board.
Nam Gyuil headed to city hall to file the guild registration form. He filled out the template the clerk provided, listing his own building as the office. He’d bought it cheap from a guild that went bust from lack of hunters—the facilities were top-notch.
He handed the form to the clerk.
Tap-tap-tap.
The clerk typed away, and seconds later, Public Guild was official.
“Here’s your guild business registration certificate. The government offers all sorts of benefits—check out this pamphlet too.”
The clerk handed over the certificate and pamphlet. Nam Gyuil thanked her, stepped out of city hall, and stared up at the guild building.
Now it really begins.
The guild he’d dreamed of was finally real. He rested a hand on his hip, gazing at it intently. Soon, his teammates gathered out front: the cheeky Lee Chanu, the genius Han Kangsu, the prudent Hwang Ilsu, and the timid Hong Shinu. The five of them would face thick and thin together, no doubt tackling plenty of hardships. But with this crew, they could handle anything.
That’s what Nam Gyuil believed.
They stepped inside to inspect the facilities.
“Whoa, it’s huge!”
Hong Shinu’s eyes sparkled at the news that the entire building belonged to the guild. Han Kangsu, meanwhile, stayed nonchalant. Honestly, it was smaller than his father’s guild, so he didn’t have much to say.
Nam Gyuil clapped to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright, time for training!”
As if they’d been waiting for it, their eyes lit up. They headed to the top floor. Nam Gyuil handed each a vial of low-grade elixir.
“Drink all of these first.”
They downed them in one go.
“Now, mana cultivation time. But don’t think of it as stimulating your muscles—focus on gathering mana in your chest, like holding it there.”
They followed his instructions, breathing deeply. As they cultivated with mana centered in their chests, a strange sensation washed over them.
“!!”
Han Kangsu reacted first.
W-what is this?!
Nam Gyuil’s method matched the conditioning technique big guilds called the Taebaek Heart Method—with one key difference.
Normally, you can only do this in mana-rich zones they’ve all monopolized. Why does it work here?
That’s what stunned him. Nam Gyuil addressed his cross-legged teammates.
“This method only works in mana-dense areas, which the big guilds have all locked down.”
“Then how’s it possible here, sir?”
Han Kangsu couldn’t hold back his curiosity mid-cultivation. Nam Gyuil chuckled.
“The elixirs you took make it happen. Now we can train properly anywhere.”
Goosebumps prickled Han Kangsu’s skin. It was too astonishing to process. How had he devised this? And it sounded like he’d made the elixirs himself.
Sergeant Nam Gyuil’s a genius?!
Or maybe he’d met some legendary master through a fateful encounter. Either way, this was an opportunity.
Might even be better than training under Dad.
That’s what Han Kangsu thought. Soon, cultivation ended. Lee Chanu jumped up, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“Feels different from usual.”
His mana’s purity had risen, leaving him more energized than normal. Hwang Ilsu blinked in surprise. His body hadn’t changed much visibly, but he sensed an inner shift—hard to put into words. He wanted to test it.
“Spar with me, Chanu.”
“Sure thing.”
Hwang Ilsu and Lee Chanu grabbed wooden swords and went at it.
Thwack, clack-clack.
The wooden swords rang out crisply. Nam Gyuil watched idly at first, then blinked at an unexpected sight. They’d gotten stronger, sure. Not dramatically—just one day of low-grade elixir and training—but progress nonetheless. Better than their powerless past.
But that wasn’t what surprised him. It was their fighting styles.
When weak, their combat lacked flair. No choice—low power meant no room for personality. Now, with a bit more strength, their individuality peeked through.
Lee Chanu darted in with short, quick steps. Hwang Ilsu was the opposite: focused defense with minimal movement. No big swings, but when attacking, he put his whole body into it, wooden sword heavy with centrifugal force.
Nam Gyuil crossed his arms.
I didn’t notice during my own training, but personalities shine in battle.
Watching them, it clicked. Leveraging that could accelerate their growth.
Thwack!
“Ugh!!”
The spar ended with Lee Chanu taking a hit to the head. He clutched it, wincing in pain.
Nam Gyuil glanced at Han Kangsu and Hong Shinu.
“You two not sparring?”
“Sergeant Nam Gyuil, even if we—”
Han Kangsu started, but Nam Gyuil waved him off.
“Hey, this isn’t the Hunter Agency anymore. Just call me bro—Gyuil-hyung. No need for formalities. We’re basically civilians now.”
“Got it, Gyuil-hyung.”
“So, you sparring or what?”
Han Kangsu was about to say no. Hong Shinu had taken the elixir, but she was still way below him. But then—
“Let’s do it!!”
Hong Shinu burned with determination. Nam Gyuil smirked.
“Whoa, fired up! See how much stronger you got. Knowing your limits is key to surviving gates.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hong Shinu stepped into the sparring area. With things heading this way, Han Kangsu couldn’t back out. He joined her.
“Shinu, you’re not seriously thinking you can beat me with your level, right? Elixir or not, it’s just one day of training. You can’t surpass me.”
“We’ll see about that!!”
Hong Shinu’s eyes hardened with resolve. Han Kangsu’s widened in surprise. The gap wasn’t closing in a day—why the fire?
Hong Shinu steeled herself. Back at the agency, she’d always been the weakest. She hated it. She wanted to be stronger than anyone. And Han Kangsu always stood out. Not that she resented him—their situations were just worlds apart. Same age, but he was already a prodigy. The opposite of her.
She didn’t want to drag the team down in gates anymore, or be rescued. She’d joined for Nam Gyuil—she needed skills to contribute.
I’ll get strong too.
Her eyes sharpened fiercely. She bellowed.
“Here I come!”
She charged headlong. Her momentum was heavy. But—
Thud!
Han Kangsu sidestepped and swung before she connected.
“Gah!!”
Hong Shinu flew back. Her vision spun, ceiling in view. She didn’t even know what hit her. Her ankle stung—somehow targeted.
“That it?”
Han Kangsu turned to leave, but—
“Not yet. It’s not over.”
Hong Shinu sprang up, eyes fierce. Han Kangsu stared, then shook his head.
“Look, straight talk: you’re too weak. Elixir or not, if that’s your level, you’ve got no talent.”
“……”
“This is for your sake. Stick to support, not fighting.”
“……”
Hong Shinu didn’t reply, just gritted her teeth like talent didn’t matter. Her tenacity was something else. Han Kangsu sighed, assuming a stance. He’d take her seriously now.
Thud-thud.
Hong Shinu rushed in, accelerating and thrusting straight. Her sharpest stab yet—born of sheer will, beyond her usual.
But Han Kangsu was unfazed. He pivoted on his heel, dodging effortlessly.
Smack!
His wooden sword nailed her neck.
“Eek.”
Hong Shinu collapsed, out cold. The gap was vast. Nam Gyuil noted their swordplay differences.
Han Kangsu reads opponents best in combat—counter specialist.
Hong Shinu had grit, but that was it. Her final thrust was decent, but average to his eyes.
He splashed cold water on her face to wake her.
“Pfft.”
Hong Shinu wiped her face and sat up. Nam Gyuil checked the clock: 6 PM.
“Training’s done for today.”
He announced it and added advice.
“Now that we’re out of the agency and in a guild, you’ll need to move out of those housing allowances. Start packing.”
“Got it.”
“Will do.”
They nodded and headed to their agency dorms. Nam Gyuil did the same, entering his soon-to-be-former place for the last time.
“Krang!!”
“Ssusss.”
Cute and Shy greeted him as always. Cute hugged him happily; Shy hung back, peeking shyly. Nam Gyuil grabbed moving boxes and packed. The pets found it fun, diving in to play.
“You little innocents.”
He muttered with a smile. On moving day, he’d box them up to avoid prying eyes.
Packing done, he lay on the bed.
Time to hit the Akashic Records.
Now that he could wield a mana sword, he could access the second floor—not just Arnia knowledge.
He closed his eyes. A floating sensation pulled his mind in. Opening them, the grand library filled his vision. He eyed the stairs. Before, an invisible barrier blocked the second floor. Today, he’d shatter it.
Huuu.
He stood at the base, gathered mana in his fist, and punched.
Crash!
Glass shattered, fragments scattering.
Second floor, here I come.
He ascended. Finally, level two: shelves of vast tomes.
Wonder which dimension this time?
His heart raced with curiosity. Higher floors meant superior worlds—insane knowledge ahead.
Ideally martial arts. To build on the team’s traits and make ‘em strong. Me too.
He pulled a book and opened it.
Flip.
A strange phrase caught his eye.
Heaven Demon's Descent
All Demons Rise in Fury
“??”
The dimensional knowledge Nam Gyuil had unlocked this time was murim.