Chapter 141
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 141.
Yoo Tae-rang was a busy man.
He spent most of the year hunting monsters and leading gate expeditions, using the time to build relationships with people who could be of help to his family.
“Phew…”
Today, too, he attended a social gathering to strengthen ties and immediately set out to conquer a gate.
Yoo Tae-rang let his blood-soaked sword hang loosely as he exhaled a breath tinged with the smell of alcohol.
“You’ve worked hard, sir.”
“Hmm, Kang Dae-sung…”
One of Yoo Tae-rang’s closest aides and the leader of the Flying Dragon Sword Unit, Kang Dae-sung approached him.
“Casualties?”
“No fatalities. Two were seriously injured, and three sustained minor injuries that should heal quickly.”
Yoo Tae-rang frowned at the report.
“Demote the two who were seriously injured from the Flying Dragon Sword Unit. Treat the three injured, but train them rigorously to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
“…Understood.”
Cold—no, ruthless.
Raids inevitably result in injuries.
Even though they conquered a high-difficulty gate without a single death, which should be commendable, the first thing Yoo Tae-rang did upon hearing the results was not reward but punishment.
‘No… that coldness is exactly the quality a Sword Saint Family head must possess.’
Wasn’t Yoo Moo-hak the same?
That was why he supported Yoo Tae-rang over the other successors.
The same cold-bloodedness as his father.
‘Yoo Baek-jun… falls far short.’
For the family to stay on the right path, Yoo Tae-rang must become the next head of the family.
Kang Dae-sung sincerely believed that.
“…….”
Yoo Tae-rang felt something in his pocket vibrate. He waved his hand dismissively.
“You may leave now. Handle the cleanup.”
“Yes, young master.”
Kang Dae-sung withdrew.
Yoo Tae-rang glanced around. He was currently at the base of a cliff in Seoraksan Mountain.
He pulled something out from his pocket.
It was a small bell.
Ding, ding.
The clear sound of the ringing bell.
Holding the bell, Yoo Tae-rang began walking slowly. As he did, the sound of the bell gradually grew louder.
When the sound reached its peak—
“Hehe. You’ve arrived, young master.”
A woman appeared.
She had long, striking red hair and a dazzling appearance—but something about her seemed dangerous, like it was all an elaborate illusion.
She smiled at Yoo Tae-rang.
“Report, Ja-yae.”
“My, so cold. After meeting for the first time in so long, can’t we at least exchange some small talk…”
“No time for that.”
At Yoo Tae-rang’s icy demeanor, Ja-yae pouted.
“What about Kim Mok-jun?”
“Ha Yeon-jeong is investigating. I’ve also looked into it personally, but it’s quite…”
“…Is the probability of him being alive low?”
“Close to none.”
Yoo Tae-rang’s gaze darkened.
“Investigate thoroughly and report back. We need to find out why Kim Mok-jun died and who killed him.”
“Yes, I will. Personally, though…”
Ja-yae hesitated, then closed her mouth.
‘Given the circumstances, the only possible culprit is Yoo Baek-jun.’
But since Yoo Tae-rang seemed unwilling to acknowledge that, Ja-yae held her tongue.
Instead, she reported the information she had gathered, as intended.
“…Hmm.”
The details were simple.
Yoo Baek-jun had gone to Busan and requested cooperation from Im Woo-do, the Busan branch leader.
The reason? A calamity was about to occur in Busan.
He also summoned Yoo Jung-yeon separately and asked for her help in preventing the disaster.
“A calamity in Busan…”
Yoo Tae-rang tapped his fingers on the table.
“Is this confirmed?”
“Yes, my direct intelligence team personally gathered and reported the information. You know their capabilities, don’t you?”
“Right. I handpicked them myself.”
They were meticulously selected—the most talented individuals in the intelligence division.
And the most ambitious.
“As you know, Yoo Baek-jun correctly predicted the disaster in Seoul. A precognitive ability—well, whether it’s real or not…”
“What do you think?”
“The probability seems high, doesn’t it?”
Ja-yae smiled and circled around Yoo Tae-rang. Though it looked like affection, it was all an act.
‘A woman driven by greed.’
She was merely trying to seduce and use Yoo Tae-rang for her own gain.
But her ambition was precisely why he chose her, so he let it slide.
‘A calamity will strike Busan.’
The Sword Saint Family was currently embroiled in a succession dispute. Ultimately, the decision of who becomes the next head lies with Yoo Moo-hak.
What he values most is ‘achievements.’
What one has accomplished for the family.
‘Yoo Baek-jun only began gaining recognition after stopping the calamity in Seoul…’
But that was only possible because Yoo Tae-rang wasn’t there. If he were to step forward and successfully prevent this impending disaster—
And if Yoo Baek-jun were to fail—
‘The evaluation would flip.’
Yoo Tae-rang opened his eyes.
“I’ll tell Father that I, too, will contribute to stopping the calamity in Busan. He’ll likely test both me and Yoo Baek-jun.”
Who would better prevent the disaster? Who would demonstrate superior leadership in the process?
“Just as Yoo Baek-jun’s reputation rose after resolving the gate incident in Seoul…”
“If you play a major role in this calamity, the family head’s favor might shift back to you?”
“Exactly. And…”
Yoo Tae-rang smiled coldly.
“At the very least, if it’s on the scale of Seoul… chaos will ensue. In the midst of that, no one would suspect if one person were to die.”
“Are you suggesting…”
“How is Yoo Kang-ho doing?”
At that, Ja-yae smirked as if recalling something funny.
“Preparations are complete. We received some help from Black Shadow. They are ready for deployment.”
“Good…”
Yoo Tae-rang had used Yoo Kang-ho to experiment with demonic arts and other forbidden techniques.
The completion of preparations meant Yoo Kang-ho had fully transformed into a demon.
“Now he’ll be of some use.”
“…….”
Not a shred of emotion, even after using his own flesh and blood as a lab rat.
Despite being his subordinate, Ja-yae felt a momentary chill.
“Handpick the best to kill Yoo Baek-jun, with Yoo Kang-ho at the center. Even if they can’t kill him, ensure they inflict severe damage.”
A blizzard raged.
The howling snowstorm gradually blurred the figures of Yoo Tae-rang and Ja-yae.
“If necessary…” Yoo Tae-rang slowly turned his back. “I’ll step in myself.”
Busan.
There, everything would be set right.
* * *
Yoo Baek-jun used clues from the Book of the Martial God to track the Martial God traces.
This time, the trail led to an underwater cave deep in the ocean.
‘Why is it in a place like this?’
Exploring the surface and delving underground were worlds apart in terms of fatigue.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed and spent days diligently searching for the traces.
The underwater cave was teeming with monsters, and deep inside, a boss monster awaited.
“Oh…”
“A giant… octopus.”
A grotesque creature—half-human, half-octopus—stood waiting.
Each of its tentacles gripped weapons of unknown origin, making it incredibly menacing.
“Can we grill and eat that?”
“Young master, you’ll get a stomachache. You too, no.”
—Growl!
Seol-yeong whimpered as if wanting to eat it, but Han Seong-ah shook her head in horror.
“What a waste. Let’s finish it quickly, then.”
“Yes.”
Though the monster had tricky aspects, it wasn’t particularly difficult to defeat.
Han Seong-ah used her ghost sword technique to bind all of the octopus’s tentacles, and Yoo Baek-jun seized the opportunity to charge in with his thunder spear.
“Hup!”
A precise strike pierced the monster’s head.
Yoo Baek-jun summoned his sword and split the octopus’s body clean in half from head to torso.
The giant octopus collapsed lifelessly.
“Hmm.”
“It was easier than it looked. Ah, Seol-yeong-ah! Don’t eat that!”
—Meow! Munch, munch…
Seol-yeong began eyeing the still-twitching tentacle.
Han Seong-ah yelped and yanked it away after Seol-yeong took a big bite.
The feline flailed, wanting more, but Yoo Baek-jun ignored them.
“Hmm… It was easier than I thought.”
The Martial God typically left trials for his successors where his traces lay.
But this time, there was nothing.
‘That monster occurred naturally—no one placed it there intentionally.’
Judging by the surroundings, this place was once a facility for another purpose before being submerged.
Whether due to terrain changes from gates or other reasons was unclear.
But the change allowed monsters like the giant octopus to settle here.
Meaning, the Martial God didn’t leave it.
‘But if it’s this easy…’
One possibility came to mind.
“I think we’ve found it?”
“Huh?”
Yoo Baek-jun immediately checked the Martial God’s trace—a small pouch’s contents.
Inside was an invitation.
―To those who wish to push themselves to their limits.
―To those who have chosen to walk the path of the Martial God.
―Come here. If you knock, the tower will open for you.
Familiar words.
Yoo Baek-jun whistled.
“Found it.”
An invitation to the Tower of the Martial God.
* * *
The Tower of the Martial God exists not on Earth but in another world—neither Halpeon nor Murim, but a completely separate realm.
As such, the ways to reach it are limited. In fact, there’s only one.
This invitation.
‘Using this will teleport me straight to the tower’s entrance…’
Naturally, there are restrictions to prevent just anyone from entering.
Two main conditions:
Possession of the Book of the Martial God.
And at least an A-rank stat minimum.
‘Well, these conditions are a joke.’
Frankly, if you don’t have at least A-rank stats, you can’t conquer the tower anyway.
Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
He and Han Seong-ah had set up camp on an island near the underwater cave.
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, hold down the fort here.”
“Seol-yeong, this isn’t for you. No matter how much you beg… Huh?”
—Mew… Waaah!
Han Seong-ah was heating up pre-packaged food when Seol-yeong tried to snatch it and burned its paw in the hot water.
Belatedly noticing, Han Seong-ah asked,
“Young master, where are you going?”
“Ah.”
Yoo Baek-jun held up the invitation.
“Just gonna climb a tower real quick.”
“Huh?”
Rip!
He tore the invitation.
A surge of magical energy erupted from the torn paper, enveloping him.
“Young mas—!”
As Han Seong-ah rushed forward in shock, Yoo Baek-jun’s figure vanished.
Yoo Baek-jun clenched his eyes shut. The violent shift in his surroundings would’ve made him nauseous if he kept them open.
“…….”
When the disorientation subsided, he found himself not on the island overlooking the sea but in an expansive, unfamiliar space.
Pillars supported the structure, and Joseon-era decorations filled the area.
“The Tower of the Martial God.”
He had arrived at the tower.
Yoo Baek-jun walked to the edge.
Only the pillars supporting the tower stood at the periphery—no windows or openings.
Yet, the outside was clearly visible.
“Wow, the view’s amazing.”
White clouds stretched endlessly, and beyond them, towering mountain peaks spanned as far as the eye could see.
Beautiful.
No, a mystical landscape.
‘Feels like I’ve arrived in the realm of immortals.’
What would happen if he fell from here?
Even as a seasoned veteran, this was madness he’d never attempted.
Yoo Baek-jun chuckled and turned away.
“Pointless thoughts.”
This was the first floor of the Tower of the Martial God.
No one was here to explain its purpose, and of course, there were no signposts.
Only a massive stone monument stood in the center.
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun approached it.
Inscribed on the monument were the words:
―Successor, test your limits.
“Exactly what I wanted, ancestor.”
Yoo Baek-jun gripped the stone.