Chapter 13
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 13.
Yoo Baek-jun decided not to go meet Ja-yeon immediately and instead took two days to rest.
He needed to recover from the fatigue accumulated during training and sparring, as well as sort out his assets.
“Oh, Brother! You’ve amassed quite a lot here.”
“Young Master! There are also many gems here!”
“Pack them up. Don’t miss any items—take everything!”
These were the assets stored in Yoo Kang-ho’s house.
True to someone who had recklessly spent the family’s wealth, there were many gemstones among the family’s possessions. Along with gold ingots and various items.
“Hehe, just how much is all this worth?”
“Young Master, it’s undignified to laugh so sinisterly…”
“Dignity? What dignity do I have? The family members are too busy looking down on me to care.”
“Well, even so, they don’t openly disrespect you…”
“They all talk behind my back loud enough for me to hear.”
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed. The family ignored him, everyone, from the instructors and disciples to the servants.
However, their disrespect never went beyond muttered words just loud enough to be heard. No one dared to openly provoke him.
They couldn’t.
‘No matter what, I’m still a direct descendant of the family.’
Doing so would be a challenge to the family itself.
Even if Yoo Baek-jun was once considered the discarded son, they couldn’t overlook that much.
Though now, he wasn’t even that.
“But Young Master, what do you plan to do with all this money? You’ve never been one for material desires.”
“I have a use for it. Where’s my account?”
“I opened it yesterday. Here’s your card.”
Choi Seung-min handed him a jet-black card—a so-called black card, the kind used by the top 0.1% of the world’s wealthiest. Though the Sword Saint family was secluded in Seoraksan Mountain, their wealth was immense.
‘They must have made fortunes selling items from the Gates since ancient times. There’s no way they’d be poor.’
He also recalled that they owned an enormous amount of real estate in Seoul. Now, he had become the youngest son of this wealthy family.
‘Oho, a reversal of fortune… or should I not call it that?’
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly. Whether it was a reversal or not, the upcoming major event would soon turn everything into a sea of fire.
“Seung-min, I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes, please go ahead, Young Master.”
“There’s a bar called ‘Somnium’ in Gangnam, Seoul. They hold an auction there once a month… probably next week.”
Choi Seung-min listened attentively.
“Find out what items will be up for auction and report back to me. Since it’s been a while since I’ve been back in society, feel free to eat whatever you want.”
“Well, it’s not like going back to society is difficult. It’s not like this place is the military or anything.”
The Sword Saint family had teleportation magic circles. In this world’s setting, there was an organization called the Magic Tower that stored and refined otherworldly magics.
With their help, the family had created magic circles that allowed easy travel to and from Seoul.
The problem is the insane mana consumption makes frequent use impossible.
Since he couldn’t move freely yet, he planned to send Choi Seung-min in his place.
He needed to acquire a certain 'corpse’ from the auction next week.
The corpse is important, but the event linked to it is even more crucial. I can’t afford to miss it.
Humming to himself, Yoo Baek-jun looked around the mansion. The cleanup seemed mostly done.
“Will you be using this mansion?”
“No, it’s too deep in the family’s territory. I prefer the annex.”
“Hehe, I agree.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s mansion was located at the edge of the family’s estate, making it relatively quiet and less frequented by people.
“I should go meet Grandmaster Ja-yeon. Take care of the rest here.”
“Understood. Ah, Young Master—Instructor Han Seong-ah has decided to stay at the mansion.”
“Oh? Give her a good room, then.”
Instructor Han Seong-ah had chosen to become Yoo Baek-jun’s personal instructor, meaning she would teach only him instead of other disciples.
She’s more of a secretary than an instructor.
All his siblings had personal instructors. Now, he finally had one too.
“Instructor Han Seong-ah… Yes, she’s a good talent.”
Yoo Baek-jun stepped out of the building. Outside, snow was still falling. Though the family’s interior was untouched by snow, it was still cold. He exhaled a breath and began walking.
Should I use my points before I go?
He had earned 300 points from completing a quest related to Yoo Kang-ho.
“Hmm, 300 points…”
It was an awkward amount.
Should he learn a skill? No, he didn’t urgently need one. He’d be learning from Ja-yeon for a while anyway.
Learning a trait would be best.
He knew of a few traits that would help with training. Flipping through the book, he searched the table of contents for the one he wanted.
[Energizer (C)]
―The body does not fatigue easily and recovers from exhaustion faster than an average person.
Being C-rank, it wasn’t an exceptionally powerful trait. But it was quite useful. Fatigue from training would dissipate more quickly, and he’d feel less tired even with less sleep.
Since I can’t rely on elixirs anymore, this will have to do.
Previously, pulling all-nighters during training had been manageable thanks to elixirs. But he couldn’t keep consuming them or become dependent on them.
300 points for a single C-rank trait…
Traits were generally more expensive than skills. Given how hard it was to acquire additional traits in the game, it made sense.
“Hmm…”
He’d earn more points from quests during training and then learn traits that would help.
With that thought, Yoo Baek-jun continued walking.
***
In this world of Heroes Road, there were two main ways to learn skills.
First: Train and learn them.
Second: Use a Skill Book for instant mastery.
The problem is, Skill Books are rare.
Low-grade, trash-tier skills were common. The issue was high-tier skills—they were absurdly hard to obtain, limited in variety, and exorbitantly expensive.
That’s why training is the standard method. Skill Books are more like rare opportunities.
Being able to use the Book of the Martial God meant he could seize those opportunities whenever he wanted.
Additionally, his position as the successor of the Sword Saint family—a place where he could receive the training he desired—was a tremendous advantage.
“I guess it fits my image…”
The place where he was to meet Ja-yeon was a Dojo.
It was a wooden martial arts hall, and upon entering, a pleasant fragrance greeted him.
“You’re here.”
Ja-yeon sat in the center, eyes closed, sipping tea. The scene looked perfectly natural.
“You had much to attend to. Have you finished?”
“Yes, my apologies for making you wait.”
“No need to apologize. Please, have a seat. I don’t know if you enjoy tea.”
“I don’t dislike it.”
Yoo Baek-jun sat across from Ja-yeon. The tea she served was a refreshing green tea.
A brief moment of silence passed.
“So, you said you wanted to learn from me. What do you wish to learn? Should I teach you swordsmanship like the other direct descendants?”
The Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.
It was the symbolic martial art of the Sword Saint family, practiced by both direct descendants and Disciples alike.
Of course, there were differences. Some techniques were only passed down to the direct lineage.
“…….”
What should I learn?
Generally, swordsmanship was the obvious choice. The Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique was already powerful, and its strength only grew with mastery.
However,
“I want to learn fist techniques.”
Yoo Baek-jun had no intention of choosing otherwise.
Ja-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise. She had naturally assumed he would choose swordsmanship.
“Fist techniques… you say?”
“Yes, fist techniques.”
“You do realize this is the Sword Saint family, right, young master?”
“If not the Sword Saint family, then where else?”
Ja-yeon was baffled.
The name itself was ‘Sword Saint.’ To ask for fist techniques in a family that prioritized swordsmanship above all else…
“It’s not that I don’t know fist techniques, but I never expected you to ask for them. I’m at a loss.”
“I’m not disregarding swordsmanship. Fist techniques are just the beginning. I want to master all kinds of martial arts.”
At his words, Ja-yeon’s gaze shifted.
“Interesting. It sounds like you want to follow in the footsteps of the ancient Martial God.”
“Yes. I intend to learn everything that can help me grow stronger and utilize it all. Just as that person did.”
“Hmm……”
Ja-yeon fell into thought. Yoo Baek-jun watched her with a faint smile before speaking again.
“Grandmaster Ja-yeon, I’ve heard you’ve extensively researched the martial arts once used by the ancient Martial God.”
“…That’s correct.”
“If you’ve made any discoveries, I was wondering if there might be something among them that could help me.”
Ja-yeon looked at Yoo Baek-jun.
Her gaze seemed to assess him—and indeed, she was doing just that.
‘Is this the start of the event?’
The event related to Grandmaster Ja-yeon, <The Successor of the Martial God>.
It was an event where Ja-yeon would recognize the protagonist’s talent and teach them martial arts.
Of course, there were conditions.
‘First, they must have mastered the Heavenly Martial Body.’
Only with that level of talent could one satisfy Ja-yeon. And the second condition—
‘They must have reached at least C-rank in any fist technique.’
This was a situation where the heir of the Sword Saint family suddenly asked to learn fist techniques.
Only by having at least a C-rank fist technique could they prove their genuine interest in it.
‘Both conditions are met.’
Yoo Baek-jun waited calmly.
“Interesting.”
The sound of her sipping tea echoed softly.
“It almost sounds like you’re certain I know something, am I wrong?”
“Who knows?”
It was true.
Yoo Baek-jun had approached her precisely because he believed she knew that fist technique—the one said to have been used by the ancient Martial God.
“Very well.”
Ja-yeon set down her teacup.
“As you’ve guessed, there is one fist technique I know. Something I’ve uncovered through records and travels across the world.”
“What kind of fist technique is it?”
“One said to have been used by the ancient Martial God.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes gleamed. This was as good as confirmation that he had successfully met the event’s conditions.
“However, there’s one problem. It’s an incomplete technique. I managed to find a manual containing the fist technique, but only a fragment of it.”
“So, the rest of the manual is still missing.”
“Yes. A significant portion of the techniques has been lost.”
Ja-yeon looked at Yoo Baek-jun.
“Let me be honest. If you wish to grow stronger, you should learn the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.”
“No.”
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head firmly.
“I will learn the fist technique. Please teach me.”
“Stubborn, aren’t you?”
Ja-yeon sighed and stood up. Then, she gestured for Yoo Baek-jun to follow her outside.
“I’ve agreed to teach you martial arts, so if this is what you truly want, then so be it.”
They were likely heading to the training yard.
This dojo was made of ordinary wood and couldn’t withstand the skills used by hunters.
If she demonstrated a skill here, the dojo might collapse, so they had to move outside.
“Hah! Hup!”
The yard was already filled with other Disciples practicing.
Among them were faces Yoo Baek-jun recognized.
‘As expected, her eye for talent is remarkable.’
These were individuals with outstanding potential who would stand out as the game progressed.
All of them had been handpicked by Ja-yeon, proving her keen judgment.
“There are quite a few people here, Grandmaster Ja-yeon.”
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“No, not really.”
As Ja-yeon entered the yard, the disciple stopped their practice and bowed to her.
“Welcome, Grandmaster!”
“Don’t mind me. Continue.”
She walked lightly toward the center of the yard, with Yoo Baek-jun following behind.
“As I mentioned earlier, the fist technique I discovered is incomplete. There are only two confirmed techniques remaining.”
“Hardly enough to call it a proper fist technique.”
“True. I’ve built a rough flow around those two techniques, but it’s still lacking.”
With a wave of her hand, a magical training dummy rose from the ground.
She rolled up her sleeves.
“Now, I’ll demonstrate those two techniques. These are what you’ll be learning, young master.”
Ja-yeon closed her eyes.
Koo-woong!
When she opened them again—
The air around her grew heavy. The sound of Disciples holding their breaths could be heard.
Among them, only Yoo Baek-jun remained composed.
‘It’s about time for the quest to appear.’
Yoo Baek-jun blankly stared into the air.
Ding!
Right on cue, a message appeared. He checked the quest.
[Of course! I’m a genius.]
The news of your victory over Yoo Kang-ho has spread through the family, but people still regard you with skepticism.
Show them your overwhelming talent. After all, you’re a genius.
―Reward: 200P.
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
“That’s child’s play.”
It was an absurdly easy quest.