Peak Master Status Check... Denied
I blinked hard, staring at the status window that had popped up right in front of my eyes.
Yeah. This was definitely me. Han Young-hoo. The guy who just got isekai'd into this alternate-universe version of ancient Korea, or Cheonje as they called it here. And according to this fancy status screen, I was already sitting at the Peak Master realm. The absolute top tier of martial artists in this world.
I let out a low whistle, leaning back against the wooden pillar of the rundown pavilion I'd woken up in. The air smelled like old pine and distant rain. Somewhere in the mountains, birds were chirping like nothing weird had happened at all.
Peak Master, huh? Not bad for a guy who used to spend his days rotting in front of a computer screen back on Earth. Guess body possession comes with some serious perks.
But then the status window glitched. The elegant golden frame flickered like bad reception, and the text started to distort.
{'status': 500, 'code': 500, 'errmsg': 'Invalid Access.'}
"What the hell?" I muttered, sitting up straight. The window didn't disappear. It just hung there, mocking me with its error message like some cheap mobile game that crashed during a gacha pull.
I tried waving my hand through it. Nothing. I even poked it with my finger, but the floating text just shimmered like it was made of stubborn light. My new body's internal energy — qi, I guess — felt perfectly fine. Strong, even. Like a river of warm power flowing through my meridians without a single blockage.
So why was the system throwing a 500 error at me?
Don't tell me this is some kind of bug. I finally get to live as an overpowered martial artist and the damn interface is broken? That's just my luck.
A soft breeze rustled the bamboo leaves outside the pavilion. In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of training — wooden swords clacking, disciples shouting forms. This place was apparently some kind of small sect hidden in the mountains. My memories from the original owner were still fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream, but I knew enough. I was supposed to be the young master here. Or maybe the reclusive genius. The details were still sorting themselves out in my head.
I closed my eyes and focused, trying to pull up the status window again. This time it appeared cleanly, without the error.
Okay, good. No more errors. But that 500 thing earlier... it felt like someone, or something, was trying to access data they shouldn't. Like the system had caught an unauthorized peek and immediately shut it down.
I scratched my head, feeling the long black hair that now belonged to me. This body was ridiculously handsome. Sharp jawline, piercing eyes, the whole package. No wonder the original owner had been called a reclusive master. With looks like this, hiding away in the mountains was probably the only way to avoid getting mobbed by admirers.
"Young Master!" A cheerful voice called from outside the pavilion. "The morning training is about to begin. Will you be joining us today?"
I turned to see a young man in simple gray robes standing at the entrance. He looked about eighteen, with an eager expression that screamed 'loyal sidekick.' According to the fragmented memories, his name was something like... Do-jin? Yeah. My personal attendant and one of the few people who knew I wasn't completely useless.
"Nah," I waved him off casually. "I'm feeling a bit... reflective today. Tell the elders I'll observe from here."
Do-jin bowed deeply, though I caught the slight disappointment in his eyes. "As you wish, Young Master. Shall I bring your usual tea?"
"Sure. And maybe some snacks. Those honey cakes if we have any left."
After he left, I let out a long sigh and stared at the mountains stretching into the horizon. This was supposed to be my new life. A lazy, comfortable one where I could coast on the original owner's reputation as a Peak Master. No need to fight. No need to get involved in sect politics or the crazy geopolitical mess that was this alternate 1000 AD Korea.
But that error message kept nagging at me.
Invalid Access. Who the hell was trying to access my status? Was there another player in this world? Some kind of admin? Or was the original owner's soul still lingering somewhere, trying to reclaim his body?
I stood up and walked to the edge of the pavilion, looking down at the training grounds below. Dozens of disciples were practicing sword forms in perfect sync. Their movements were crisp, their qi steady. But compared to the power I could feel humming inside me, they might as well have been children playing with sticks.
A sudden urge hit me. Maybe I should test this power. Just a little.
I drew the sword that had been resting at my side — a beautiful blade with a faintly glowing edge. The moment my fingers wrapped around the hilt, knowledge flooded my mind. Sword techniques. Forms. Even a bit of sword energy manipulation that felt as natural as breathing.
With a casual flick of my wrist, I sent a streak of sword qi flying toward a distant boulder.
A single invisible blade of concentrated qi slices through the air, cutting the massive boulder cleanly in half without a sound.
The boulder split with a delayed crack, the two halves sliding apart as if they'd never been one piece. Dust rose in a lazy cloud. Down below, the disciples stopped their training, staring up at the pavilion with wide eyes and open mouths.
Do-jin came running back, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Y-Young Master! Was that... did you just...?"
I sheathed the sword with a satisfied grin. "Just stretching a bit. Don't mind me."
Inside, though, my heart was racing. Holy crap. That was way too easy. If I'm really a Peak Master, then what the hell is a Grandmaster like? Or whatever comes after that?
The error message from earlier flashed in my mind again. Something was off. This power felt borrowed, like it wasn't completely mine yet. And if someone or something was trying to access my status without permission, it probably meant trouble was coming.
I looked out at the vast mountains again, the weight of this new world settling on my shoulders.
"Guess being a reclusive master won't be as relaxing as I thought," I muttered to myself.
But hey. At least I was hot now. And ridiculously strong. That had to count for something, right?