Chapter 167
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 167.
“…Are you insane?”
After a long silence.
The words that Seol Hwa-ryeon barely managed to utter were those.
“That is a martial art only the Ice Palace Lord can master. Handing it over to an outsider… No, even if it weren’t that, you couldn’t learn it.”
“Why, because I lack Yin energy?”
“That technique, the Frozen Soul Palm, is difficult even for those raised from childhood learning the Ice Techniques and cultivating yin energy. There’s no way an outsider could handle it.”
“Then why don’t you check?”
Yoo Baek-jun reached out his hand and gestured toward his own hand as if telling her to check.
“Even if I do, it won’t mean anything.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon clasped his hand.
Then, closing her eyes, she tried to sense Yoo Baek-jun’s internal energy.
At the same time, he activated his magical power.
A bitterly cold, Elemental ice magical power.
“……!”
An intense chill emanated from their clasped hands.
But that wasn’t all.
A piercing cold energy surged from Yoo Baek-jun’s entire body.
It was so cold that even Seol Hwa-ryeon felt the chill.
“You, what in the world is this……?!”
Seol Hwa-ryeon channeled her internal energy to examine the Yin energy within Yoo Baek-jun’s body.
Her face twisted in shock.
‘This… this is an amount of Yin energy that would rank among the highest in the North Sea Ice Palace!’
Moreover, his internal energy was unfathomable.
For a moment, Seol Hwa-ryeon was speechless.
Even compared to her incomparably strong older brother, he was not lacking.
‘No, perhaps…….’
She shook her head, erasing the thought that had almost surfaced.
‘Who is this man?’
He was no ordinary person.
His vast knowledge of medicine, enough to revive her when she was on the brink of death, described as a mere lump of flesh.
And that tremendous internal energy and Yin energy.
There were rumors of masters who severed ties with the secular world and lived in places no one visited.
‘Is he one of those? If so, he might be much older than he looks.’
It was said that masters who reached the pinnacle aged slowly. Perhaps the man before her, despite his appearance, was closer to an old man in age.
“Hey, I’m still young, you know?”
“……!”
Yoo Baek-jun, as if seeing through her thoughts, spoke with a hint of pity.
Seol Hwa-ryeon was shocked again.
“D-did you read my thoughts?”
“Read? It’s all over your face. Don’t misunderstand, I’m around your age.”
“R-really……?”
“Why would I lie about something like this?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Seol Hwa-ryeon stared intently at Yoo Baek-jun’s face, then quickly let go of his hand as if burned.
“Well, is this enough to qualify?”
“E-enough… No, it’s not! No matter what, I can’t teach the North Sea Ice Palace’s secret techniques to an outsider. Absolutely not!”
“Hmm.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon shook her head firmly.
“Then there’s nothing I can do.”
“You understand?”
“Yeah, I understand. I’ll consider the treatment I’ve given you so far as free service. But…….” Yoo Baek-jun’s expression turned cold. “Can you get out of here on your own?”
“That……”
“As I said earlier, there are many pursuers around here. They’ve formed a wide encirclement centered on the cliff you fell from.”
Yoo Baek-jun pointed at Seol Hwa-ryeon’s body. Though she had recovered a lot, her condition was still not good.
Moving would be difficult.
“Can you break through that encirclement alone?”
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun tilted his head slightly.
His trait, King’s Dignity, and the Overwhelm skill subtly pressured Seol Hwa-ryeon.
“If you teach me the Frozen Soul Palm, I’ll do everything in my power to help you escape.”
“But the Frozen Soul Palm is……”
“Or you can try to escape alone. Surely you’re not asking for help without offering anything in return? From someone who’s already treated you for free?”
“Ah, ugh……”
She had nothing to say.
Seol Hwa-ryeon felt cornered. But she had no rebuttal.
“Look, I understand the North Sea Ice Palace’s techniques are important, but are they more important than your life? More important than your resolve to take revenge on the traitors?”
“…….”
“If you teach me the Frozen Soul Palm, I’ll make sure I get you out of here safely . Even if I learn it, I won’t teach anybody else.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon took a deep breath.
Everything he said was true.
She was in a situation where she had to survive at all costs.
She had to survive and take revenge.
Even if it meant giving up a secret technique.
“…Fine.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon nodded.
“Great, it’s a deal.”
Yoo Baek-jun smiled in satisfaction.
* * *
Once he agreed to help Seol Hwa-ryeon escape, the gate quest’s content changed.
[The Fugitive of the North Sea]
The Ice Palace Lord, who once ruled the North Sea, is dead, and his enemies have taken the seat of the new ruler.
The only surviving kin from that bloody rebellion is trying to escape the North Sea.
You have decided to help her. By any means necessary, you must help her escape this place.
―Difficulty: A+ rank
―Entry limit: 1 person
―Objective: Ensure the last surviving kin escapes the North Sea safely.
―Reward: Enhancement of the Frozen Soul Palm, traits related to the North Sea Ice Palace, items.
The difficulty increased by one rank, and the objective changed. The rewards were also updated.
‘Not bad.’
The rewards were satisfactory.
Compared to the difficulty, they might seem slightly lacking, but considering the Frozen Soul Palm as a reward, it was more than enough.
‘When is that guy coming back?’
Yoo Baek-jun closed the quest window and thought of Seol-yeong, who still hadn’t returned.
Not that she was hurt.
She was probably just excited to run around the snowy fields after so long and forgot to come back.
“Hmm… A bit more treatment is needed.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon’s wounds weren’t fully healed yet.
Yoo Baek-jun stayed in the tent for two more days, focusing on treating her.
At the same time, he began learning bits and pieces about the Frozen Soul Palm from her.
“…Let me make one thing clear: I don’t know everything about the Frozen Soul Palm either. My ice techniques are still lacking.”
“So?”
“I can only teach you what I know about the Frozen Soul Palm. That means……”
“Whether I can digest that knowledge or not is entirely up to me, right?”
Seol Hwa-ryeon nodded.
Even if he couldn’t fully understand, there was nothing more she could do to help.
Yoo Baek-jun chuckled.
“Just teach me first.”
“Where does that confidence come from?”
Seol Hwa-ryeon, baffled, taught Yoo Baek-jun what she knew about the Frozen Soul Palm.
It wasn’t proper instruction.
It was more like verbally explaining a martial art from a book without demonstrating it.
But that was enough.
“Hmm……”
Yoo Baek-jun combined the knowledge of the Frozen Soul Palm in his mind.
Then he stood up and channeled all his Elemental ice magical power.
Whoosh!
“……!”
An intense cold filled the tent.
The chill emanated from Yoo Baek-jun. He focused his mind, controlling the cold energy, guiding it to gather in his hands.
Ssss!
His hands froze over.
The concentrated cold energy caused his hands to freeze.
Yet, his expression didn’t change as he thrust his hands forward.
And just as the knowledge in his mind dictated.
Crrrrack!
He unleashed the Frozen Soul Palm.
The frozen hands released a palm force.
A bitter cold spread widely, covering the tent’s walls with countless ice shards.
“Ah, I missed.”
The leather tent instantly froze stiff. When Yoo Baek-jun poked it with his finger, it shattered easily.
“…….”
Seol Hwa-ryeon, who had watched everything, was stunned.
‘He mastered a North Sea Ice Palace’s secret technique……’
In just two days.
And without proper instruction—essentially self-taught.
How was this possible?
“Wh-what kind of person are you?”
“Just a passerby.”
“…….”
Seol Hwa-ryeon was dumbfounded.
Contrary to her thoughts, Yoo Baek-jun hadn’t perfectly mastered the Frozen Soul Palm.
[Frozen Soul Palm (S [B])]
―A secret ice technique that only a select few in the North Sea Ice Palace can master.
―Gathers the body’s cold energy into both hands, releasing a freezing chill that freezes everything it touches.
―If the user’s ability supports it, the skill can be utilized in various ways.
The original rank of Frozen Soul Palm was S.
But now it was B-rank. Because Yoo Baek-jun’s understanding was still lacking.
Learning it essentially self-taught without a proper teacher also played a part.
‘Originally, there are several forms within the Frozen Soul Palm, but… whatever.’
They weren’t necessary.
Mastering the Frozen Soul Palm alone allowed for versatile use, so the forms weren’t essential.
Yoo Baek-jun dispelled the cold energy in his hands.
“Hey, stop being so surprised.”
“Uh, um.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon closed her mouth.
She had been so shocked that her mouth had been hanging open. It was that astonishing.
“Learning the Frozen Soul Palm in two days, how……”
“Enough, take off your outer clothes. I need to check your wounds.”
“How is this possible……”
Ignoring her dazed state, he checked her condition.
Her wounds were mostly healed.
“You should be able to move now.”
“Even my brother took much longer to learn……”
“Hey!”
Seol Hwa-ryeon flinched and looked at him.
“It’s time to leave this place.”
“…To escape?”
“Yeah. Your wounds are mostly healed, and I’ve roughly learned the Frozen Soul Palm, so as promised, I’ll help you get out of here.”
Yoo Baek-jun reached out and removed the bandages and splints from her body.
Finally, her face.
“…….”
When the bandages covering her face were removed, her hidden beauty was revealed.
Waist-length light blue hair, snow-white skin, blue eyes, and a face as if painted.
Even the injuries from her fall had fully healed.
‘Pretty or not, I don’t care.’
Anyone else might have praised her looks, but Yoo Baek-jun wasn’t interested.
Beautiful or not, he had no time to get entangled with women.
“I did a good job, if I do say so myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re well treated. Here, put on some clothes.”
Yoo Baek-jun handed her the equipment he had brought earlier. Her original clothes and weapons were no longer usable.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, sure. And here’s a map……”
Yoo Baek-jun unfolded the map.
He had drawn it while gathering herbs to treat her, marking the enemies’ encirclement.
“The south is the most heavily guarded. The north is relatively safe, and the west and east are somewhat manageable if you take the risk.”
“Then……”
“We’re going south.”
Seol Hwa-ryeon’s eyes widened.
But you just said the south was the most dangerous—why go there?
“You need to go to the Central Plains, right? Someone who left the North Sea Ice Palace and established a power there?”
“Y-yes.”
“Going other ways will complicate things and make it harder. Going straight south is better.”
“But isn’t it dangerous? The south is wide open, making it easy for pursuers to follow. Even if we break through, the traitors will persistently chase us.”
“It’ll be dangerous. But so what……”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
‘Since when have I ever taken the easy path?’
Hardship was all too familiar to him.