The Magnetic Light Mine
"Pleasure to meet you. I am Chi-o, in service to Lady Hayeon."
"I am Sahan Guryo."
"I'm Bo-ah."
Each of them was a warrior who had reached Qi Circulation. Including myself, we were essentially the commanders heading out on this expedition.
"I'm Gang Hayun. I've only just unlocked Qi Circulation, so I still have much to learn. I look forward to working with you all."
A faint warmth flickered in their eyes as they looked at me. A humble newcomer always gets a head start, no matter where you go. Since I had to do the job anyway, I might as well do it right.
After sharing a few light laughs and pleasantries, I managed to build at least a baseline level of rapport. Then came a brief period of rest.
"You awake?"
We had promised to forge a better partnership. But despite that promise, Ryeo-ah had been undergoing a lengthy period of digestion, preventing us from taking our cooperation any further.
"Still, I'm putting what you gave me to good use."
So-wol's growth potential, Jeongha's single-edged blade—which was enhanced to the point where even Ryeo-ah admitted she'd hesitate to draw it—and her help in hunting down the Blood Curse Blooming True Spirit. I had received quite a lot from her.
"Lay it on me."
As long as it wasn't anything too unreasonable, there was no reason not to help an ally who doubled as a highly efficient encyclopedia.
But she was high-performance. She was practically a living wiki—one click, and whatever knowledge I wanted popped right out.
"So, what do you need help with?"
If she was showing up right before a major event like this, her request probably boiled down to either heads or spirit stones.
"Why?"
"Hmm."
Since I had already agreed to deepen our partnership, it wouldn't be right to refuse. Still, I felt a tiny, microscopic prickle of unease.
Reading my thoughts, Ryeo-ah let out a soft chuckle and added:
"Sorry about that. But hey, that's just human nature, isn't it?"
It wasn't like I was planning to betray her or refuse to help. As long as she needed me and I needed her, our cooperation would continue. If her utility far outweighed the unease, then minor emotions were just secondary details.
"I've always been a pretty rational guy."
After all, wasn't I once a shining salaryman in a modern society driven by logic and reason?
"Well, when you put it that way, I've got no defense."
But sex feels good, doesn't it?
"Uh, that might be a bit hard to stop."
If you tell someone not to think of a pink dolphin, they can't help but think of it, right? She's lived a long time, but I guess she doesn't know how the brain works.
"Sure, let's do that."
Not that the mental porn vanished instantly, of course. Perhaps desperate to purge the images from her mind, Ryeo-ah cut straight to the chase.
Quite a gruesome quest. I wasn't the type to squeamishly worry about hygiene or gore when a job needed doing, but aside from that, there was one major issue.
"The clan is on high alert right now. If it looks like foreign magic, we're going to have a problem."
Most of the knowledge Ryeo-ah possessed wasn't in circulation within Yagwi City. In such a tense climate, if I got caught using some technique from the Nata-paryeo sect or whatever, I'd be thrown straight into a dungeon.
"What?"
"Isn't that exactly what people call 'foreign power'?"
A formation diagram of completely unknown origin was practically screaming "suspicious."
"And where am I supposed to say I got it?"
"Well, if you say so."
There was no reason to refuse. We were going to kill a bunch of people anyway, and once we seized the spirit stone mine, we'd be drowning in stones.
"Of course I do."
Qi Circulation was split into three distinct stages. First was A-un (Self-Circulation), where one perfectly controlled all the energy within their own body. Second was Ta-un (External Circulation), where one reached beyond themselves to seize and manipulate the energy of others and nature. Finally, there was Tong-un (Universal Circulation), which allowed one to commune and connect with nature itself.
I could wrap my head around most of it, but that final stage of Qi Circulation—Tong-un—was giving me a massive headache. I could grasp Ta-un well enough, but "communing with nature"? That was way too abstract. Was this a joke? I was never cut out for the liberal arts.
"I'm already looking all the way to Deity Transformation."
You need to aim at least that high if you want to live a comfortable life, don't you think?
"What? What's so funny?"
Can't a guy dream big? Hoping and dreaming is the most basic right of any living being.
"You're terrible."
"Really?"
In the end, when it came to moving energy, the difference between what lay inside and what lay outside was paper-thin. Once countless experiences were carved into your body, you would naturally comprehend it. Though, of course, no one could say how long that would take.
Experience had density. Why did people hire tutors and attend lectures when they could just read the same textbook? It was to understand the same material faster and more deeply. That was exactly what Ryeo-ah was getting at.
"Excuse me?"
If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. Did she think I was slacking off and wandering around for no reason? I had nothing to do but leave it to time, so I was just taking it easy while trying to get a feel for the energy.
"Trust you?"
Ah, damn it. Now I couldn't even slack off. Leaving me with those parting words, Ryeo-ah's consciousness faded once more. I scratched my head in frustration before heading over to the room where Jeongha was sleeping.
. . . . . . . . .
"What is it now? Summoning me in the middle of the night..."
Jeongha, dragged all the way to my room, pointed at So-wol, who was fast asleep beside me.
"If you're horny, just ravish her. Why wake someone who was perfectly..."
"Hey."
"What?"
"When are you going to break through to Qi Circulation?"
"?"
Her sleepy, half-lidded red eyes narrowed slightly, then blinked in confusion.
"Why... why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"I mean, I gave you a Qi Circulation Pill, but you're taking forever."
It was a precious item, but it wasn't something she could hoard forever. Once she reached Qi Circulation, it would become useless anyway, meaning her current state at the peak of Core Condensation was the only time she could use it. She wasn't a woman who lacked a thirst for power, so I had been wondering about this for a while. Jeongha wasn't exactly known for her patience, either.
"I-it's just..."
"What?"
"It's my choice when to take it. Why do you care?"
Her lips pouted petulantly, and she averted her gaze, turning her head away. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me.
"Ugh! What are you doing?!"
"I'm doing this because you're sitting on a gift I went out of my way to give you."
"It's my business, okay?!"
Tsk. Now that her mind was healthy, her tongue had gotten quite lively too. Of course, what she did with the pill was entirely up to her, but I just couldn't understand her reasoning. If she could just reach Qi Circulation, we could accomplish so much more.
"I'm just frustrated, that's all. Is it a matter of time? It'll take about a day to reach the mine, and once we get there, it'll take at least a week to set up a temporary base, scout the area, and meet up with our allies. Do you need me to guard you while you break through?"
"I said I'm fine."
"No, seriously. Just tell me why."
"I... I don't know."
Argh! Can we please just communicate? I'm the one who gave it to you! I at least have the right to ask why.
"Did you... sell it or something?"
"No, I didn't!"
"Then what is it?!"
"I don't know!"
In the end, our late-night conversation concluded in utter futility. After sending Jeongha away, I pulled back the blanket covering So-wol, who was peeking at me with half-open eyes from the bed.
"What do you think her problem is?"
"I do not know either, Master."
"You're both women."
"Do you truly understand Lady Jeongha's heart, Master?"
"Ah."
I got it immediately.
"But this throws a wrench in my plans."
Since she was being so stubborn, I couldn't exactly force-feed it to her. It looked like my dream of exploring the mine hand-in-hand with a newly ascended Jeongha was out the window. I had only brought it up because having another Qi Circulation warrior firmly on my side would make things so much easier.
A day later, we arrived near the spirit stone mine outside the city.
I say "near" because our smooth-sailing vessel had suddenly lurched and was now being dragged downward.
The elderly Qi Circulation warrior acting as the captain bellowed:
"It's a Magnetic Light Ore Vein! If we fly any further, we'll crash! We're grounding the ship and moving on land from here!"
Having the power to fly meant also having the ability to crawl. The ship, which had been rowing through clouds of its own making, descended slowly, its clouds dispersing like mist.
Soon, the runes engraved on the hull glowed, wrapping the vessel in a blue barrier. Even a casual estimate suggested that the barrier's strength would be difficult for even a Qi Circulation expert to breach.
"This thing..."
The more I looked at it, the more I wanted it. A sleek, badass chariot of one's own was the ultimate romance for any man, after all.
Creeeak! Crunch! The cloud ship plowed forward, ignoring the obstacles and terrain in its path. However, every now and then, it would shudder and grind to a halt against something indestructible, making our progress sluggish.
"Ugh."
The elderly captain unfurled a map, scratching his head in frustration. Based on our conversation yesterday, we were supposed to advance a bit further before establishing our base.
Tap, tap. Feeling the gravity pull down on me far more intensely than usual today, I gripped my rattling dokkaebi club.
"This is rough."
Since the inhabitants of this world were all monsters, I had assumed Mother Nature would be a pushover. I was wrong. This bizarre, supernatural land was incredibly harsh, as if asserting its dominance over the monsters it had spawned.
Even with my Qi Circulation-level body, my movements felt sluggish unless I coated myself in demonic energy. The Core Condensation warriors were bound to have a miserable time. They wouldn't die or get injured, but they'd feel as if their body weight had suddenly doubled.
Several Qi Circulation warriors approached the elderly captain, their faces etched with concern.
"Chi-o, this is..."
"Indeed. It seems they anticipated our arrival and used the power of the Magnetic Light Ore Vein to lay down a restriction barrier. Keep your guard up for an ambush. We still have some distance to cover before we rendezvous with Lady Soye's vanguard."
It happened then.
Ssssshh—
Countless light sources began to pierce through the thick, misty clouds. It wasn't just one or two. Multicolored points of light flickered and pulsed in every direction, contracting and expanding in unison. The demonic energy radiating from them was as terrifyingly diverse as their colors.
"Chi-o! Maximize the defensive formation!"
Someone shrieked in panic. But the decision of the elderly captain, Chi-o, was:
"Ready the main cannon! Wipe them all out!"
"Chi-o?! What in the world are you—"
A direct clash. He was going to crush them with sheer force.
K-crack! Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the turtle-head figurehead at the bow, which I had assumed was a mere decoration.