People Live in the Arctic Too
"Please take good care of me, Master!!"
"Uh... call me Teacher instead of Master for now."
"Got it!!"
After buying the skillbook at the exchange and heading out, I met up with Teacher as planned in the Cheonam Guild's training room.
Learning martial arts in the exchange warehouse would've been a stretch anyway.
"Let me introduce myself first. I'm I-hwa, working for the Cheonam Guild, an A-rank Hunter."
"I'm Jeong Sion, working at the Association!"
This loop being our first meeting, we kept the introductions brief before the super-premium martial arts lecture from an A-rank Hunter kicked off.
"Some Hunters have their own unique skills. Most S-rank Hunters do, and so do I."
"You mean unique skills?"
Unique skills are those no one else in the world has—one-of-a-kind abilities you can't get from skillbooks or other routes.
They boast performance leagues beyond regular skills, but they're rare as hell because of it.
The prime example? My infinite loop skill, obviously.
"My unique skill is 'Cheonmu Library'. Think of it as a library stocked with hundreds of martial arts manuals."
"Then why are you collecting martial arts skillbooks?"
"Let's just say there are special conditions needed to read those manuals. It's a skill with a ton of restrictions."
Teacher I-hwa's skill, Cheonmu Library, apparently lets you browse a massive trove of martial arts manuals.
But once you teach one to someone else, you can't access it anymore, so you have to choose carefully, she said.
But why teach it to some random guy she's meeting for the first time? What a weirdo.
"Anyway, I can only teach my little bro one martial art."
"Which one?"
"You pick. I'll show you about 20, and you choose."
With that, Teacher I-hwa scribbled some martial arts on a piece of paper and handed it over.
Analog like this instead of a skill? Kinda fresh.
"Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Techniques, Emperor's Sword Forms, Hundred-Pace Divine Fist... what, every martial arts novel cliche is here?"
"Just jotted down the top-tier ones. All guaranteed quality, so no worries."
Even I, who doesn't know much about wuxia, recognized these as famous names.
In the Hunter world, where name value sells half the hype, that means they're all killer skills. But only one pick, so time for a smart choice.
"Choose carefully. No take-backs once you decide..."
"I'll go with Plum Blossom Sword."
"Uh... you can think it over more."
"Plum Blossom Sword."
Of course, I had zero intention of dragging this out.
"...Won't take responsibility if you regret it?"
"I'm good."
Her pale white hand covered my eyes as mana surged.
My mind filled with an indescribable sensation, and suddenly the air was thick with plum blossom scent as the status window popped up.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Techniques
The status alert for a new skill acquired. Top-tier martial art in seconds.
I swung my sword using the new Plum Blossom Sword from my skill window... but honestly, not thrilled.
Something about it just didn't mesh—unstable weight balance on swings, overly aggressive focus.
"Hmm, not feeling it. Not my style."
"Told you to think it through properly!"
Teacher looked exasperated, like she saw it coming, but I wasn't bummed. Got a backup for this exact scenario.
Pain Ignore (B-rank)
"Haa... well, can't revoke it now, so train hard at lea— hey!! What the fuck are you doing?!"
I activated Pain Ignore and immediately slashed my carotid—careful to avoid instant death for testing. B-rank held up; zero pain.
"Why the hell—potion, where's the po—..."
As consciousness faded, I reached out to the panicking Teacher.
"Head..."
"Wh-what the..."
My weakening right hand stroked her hair. Bitch, still pissed you touched my head.
***
You have looped!
Fading consciousness sharpened; blood stopped gushing from my neck.
Looped back to my pre-saved point. Gotta test every option, compare 'em all.
Chances like this to snag high-grade skills for free don't come often.
"Choose carefully. No take-backs once you decide..."
"I'll take Emperor's Sword Forms."
Even supermarkets have samples—gotta taste-test.
***
"Emperor's Sword Forms ain't my vibe either."
You have looped!
"Hundred-Pace Divine Fist? Why fists when I got a weapon?"
You have looped!
"Taiji Subtle Sword is way too convoluted."
You have looped!
You have looped!
You have looped!
[You have looped...]
"Choose carefully. No take-backs once you decide..."
"Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian it is."
Twenty deaths and regressions later, I found the winner.
The top pick: Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian, pinnacle martial art of the Zhongnan Sect.
It claims perfect coverage of all thirty-six directions under heaven, unbeatable against any foe—at least in theory. Whatever.
Two reasons I chose it: Best fit for my combat style among sword arts, and killer synergy with infinite loops.
Especially the second—knowing attacks ahead via loops pairs perfectly with omnidirectional forms.
Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian
Activating Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian from my skill window, the swing felt worlds apart from the others.
Grip snug, air slicing at the tip. Objectively perfect for me—and Teacher noticed, chuckling in disbelief.
"Well, damn. For a random pick, this matches you insanely well."
"Right?"
"Even top arts vary wildly by user... fate, maybe?"
Fate my ass. It was the last one I tried.
Still, huge debt owed—free A-rank-plus skill. Felt bad about snapping over the head pat.
"Thanks for the opportunity. I'll master this and become a Hunter who pulls her weight!"
"Good. Now spar with me."
"...I'm just C-rank?"
"You're my disciple. Can't stand seeing my people get beat on."
With that, she drew and charged.
"Basics are everything—looked like you haven't fought for real. Time to teach you proper combat!"
"Wait, fuck, hold up!!"
Got my ass handed to me like a dog for days under "training."
***
I-hwa, leader of Cheonam Guild's 9th Raid Team, couldn't wrap her head around this.
Started as curiosity.
Opened upper dantian, pure high-quality mana, body brimming with purity—no waste. Perfect for martial arts.
"Dodge the side attack!"
"Hyeek!!"
Before she knew it, she'd taught martial arts to a total stranger—a woman, no less—and was investing personal time in real instruction.
Her body was too ideal to pass up. Association ID around her neck made her trustworthy enough.
But seeing her trial run of Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian changed everything.
"Upper! Lower! Middle! Gap!"
"No off-beat timing!!!"
Her talent went beyond perfect physique. Unreal comprehension. That was the real deal.
Skillbook just implanted the forms—basics.
Who masters a manual on first read?
Even I-hwa took a month for her first art—and that's prodigy speed.
But Jeong Sion's first swing? Amateurish, but unmistakably Tianxia Sanshiliu Jian.
Talent unseen even in martial world history.
Not even in her dungeon's lore. One-of-a-kind.
Couldn't let it rot—spent days sparring basics. But she grew daily, now into advanced tech. Her eyes sometimes pierced ahead like she foresaw moves—eerie, genius-level.
Wanted to recruit on the spot, but Association eyes... scout later.
"Training's done. Got a dungeon next week."
"Finally!!"
Per Association docs, she'd join Cheonam raids anyway. Opportunity would come.
She licked her lips, eyeing the ecstatic white-haired beauty bouncing around.
***
A week since I-hwa's brutally shitty training ended.
Looped my ass off to cheese wins, but zero clean hits. Still, basics felt solid now.
With the new skill? Leagues stronger.
So, what could powered-up me do in a new dungeon?
"It's fucking freezing!!!"
In the North Sea at minus 35 degrees, the answer was simple: jack shit.