Chapter 198
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 198.
Yoo Baek-jun decided to leave to conquer the Gate. By the time preparations were made for him, it was already deep into the night.
“Hmm……”
Yoo Baek-jun was looking at his status window.
As he stared at it, he recalled the status window he had seen when he first possessed this world.
[Yoo Baek-jun]
Strength: F (1/100)
Agility: F (1/100)
Stamina: F (1/100)
Magic power: F (1/100)
[Unique Abilities: None]
[Traits: None]
[Skills: None]
A status window with nothing.
It was a barren wasteland of a status window, but now—
[Yoo Baek-jun]
Strength: A+[S] (65/100)
Agility: A+ (71/100)
Stamina: A+[S] (75/100)
Magic power: A+ (88/100)
[Unique Ability: The Book of the Martial God (EX, 4★)]
[Traits: Heavenly Martial Body (S), Vitality Surge(B+), One Invited to the Spirit Realm (C), Master of the Extreme Cold (A+), King’s Dignity (A), Demon Hunter (A), Magical Blood (A), Blood of the Battle Demon (A), Venom Blood (A), Friend of Spirits (B), Massacrer (B+), World Tree’s Blessing (A), Ice Blood (A+), Successor of the Death King (S), Undead Hunter (B), Blessing of Light (C)]
[Martial Arts: Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique (A, 5★), Heavenly Destruction Fist Technique (S, 1★), Heavenly Destruction Heart Technique (A, 4★), Dragon-Fang Spear Technique (S, 2★)]
[Movement Techniques: Flash steps (S, 1★), Ghost Phantom Step (A, 2★)]
[Skills: Blood Mist Absorption (S, 1★), Elemental Manifestation (S, 1★), Frozen Soul Palm(S), Tendon-Shattering Bone Crush (A+, 1★), Plum Blossom Fragrance Across Ten Thousand Miles (A+, 1★), Cold aura (A, 4★), Berserker (A, 3★), Ground Kick (A, 2★), Flame Kick (A, 2★), Thunderwheel Strike (A, 2★), Thunderstomp Kick (A, 3★), Frozen Shattering Kick (A, 1★), Shadow Form (B+), Herbal Medicine Preparation(B)]
It had grown to an astonishing length.
Compared to the pitiful status window from the beginning, it was as if heaven and earth had been overturned.
But even this wasn’t enough.
‘This is barely the bare minimum.’
The bare minimum to face Yoo Tae-rang.
He had wanted to raise his stats even higher, but there simply wasn’t enough time.
At A+ rank.
Fighting while buffed using the Demonic Nacheol was the only option.
“I feel strangely restless tonight.”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh.
The ‘me’ who had struggled between life and death when first arriving in this world had succeeded in coming this far.
Once Yoo Tae-rang was dealt with, it would mean crossing the seventh ridge.
‘And for that, I’ve prepared a few things.’
Yoo Baek-jun secretly called Jeon Soo-yeon.
“Young Master.”
“You’re here.”
Dark circles hung heavily under her eyes. It was due to the exhaustion she had been enduring lately.
“Can you still hold on?”
“Young Master… That’s such a cruel thing to say, like some evil boss……”
“Seeing you complain means you’re fine.”
Sniff— Jeon Soo-yeon made a tearful face.
“Just hold on a little longer. Hey, if you work this hard, do you really think I won’t reward you?”
“Th-that really does sound like an evil boss……”
“A bit, huh?”
Yoo Baek-jun scratched the back of his head.
“Enough of this idle talk. Is the operation to lure out Lee Ja-yae finished?”
“Yes, Section Chief Lee Ja-yae is obsessed with rooting out traitors. We’ve been steadily feeding her false information to confuse her, so, um—”
Jeon Soo-yeon took a moment to organize her thoughts.
“If we just activate the trigger, we can lure her to the location you want.”
“Good, that’s great. Time it with when Yoo Tae-rang causes trouble. She’s a nuisance, so it’s best to deal with her now.”
“Yes……. But, Young Master.” Jeon Soo-yeon, who had been gauging his mood, cautiously asked. “You’re planning to deal with Section Chief Lee Ja-yae instead of conquering the Gate, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then what about the Gate……”
It was a high-tier Emission-type Gate.
No matter what, it couldn’t be left alone. The longer such Gates are neglected, the greater the disaster they bring.
It had to be dealt with eventually.
Moreover, Yoo Tae-rang’s faction would be watching to see if he really conquered the Gate.
So……
“I don’t need to conquer it myself, do I?”
He could just call others to conquer it for him.
* * *
The next day.
Yoo Baek-jun gathered with his swordsmen to conquer the Emission-type Gate.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes.”
Han Seong-ah, Park Chan-kyung, Cheon Min-ju.
The disciples under Ja-yeon who had stopped the Busan incident, as well as the swordsmen from the Seoul branch.
Once everyone was gathered, the numbers were quite substantial.
‘Should I be proud of this?’
From a time when the only person who followed him was Choi Seung-min, he had come this far.
It was enough to make him emotional.
Yoo Baek-jun looked back. Pharmacist Joo Jung-won had come to see him off.
“Master, I leave it to you.”
“Hmm, don’t worry.”
“I feel guilty for burdening you with this, but there’s no one else I can ask.”
“Hahaha, it’s medicine-preparation, after all. This is something only an expert can do.”
Joo Jung-won smiled warmly.
“I’ve prepared everything as you asked.”
“Yes, thank you.”
While Yoo Baek-jun was away, Joo Jung-won had medicines to make inside.
“Huu.”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a long breath.
In the distance, he could see Yoo Tae-rang watching him with indifferent eyes.
In his mind, he was probably only thinking about how to kill him.
He must be itching to do it.
‘Let’s see who’s the one who’ll die.’
Yoo Baek-jun smiled faintly.
“Let’s go!”
And with that, he led the swordsmen out.
“We should move too.”
Jeon Soo-yeon, who had been watching Yoo Baek-jun leave, also began moving with her comrades.
There was only one goal.
“Let’s prepare to lure Lee Ja-yae to the target location. We need to time it perfectly.”
Hunting the red fox.
* * *
Outside, a blizzard was raging.
Yoo Baek-jun led his swordsmen through the snowstorm, walking across the snowy plains.
“Huu, this damn weather.”
The weather of Seoraksan Mountain was harsh.
Just traversing Seoraksan was harder than conquering the Gate itself.
That must be what Yoo Tae-rang was counting on.
‘He’ll attack us when we’re exhausted after conquering the Gate.’
Yoo Tae-rang’s movements were predictable.
While Yoo Baek-jun and his party were away, he would try to tighten his grip on the family from within.
Starting with Ja-yeon and her disciples, Yoo Jung-yeon and her faction, and even Yoo Min.
‘He’ll fully seize control of the family and wait for my return.’
The steps after that were just as obvious.
If you knew how your opponent would move, countering them wasn’t difficult.
“Young Master, just as you said……”
“We’ve got pursuers tailing us.”
After nearly half a day, Park Chan-kyung and Cheon Min-ju, who had been guarding the rear, spoke up.
“Yeah, no way they’d just let us go.”
Pursuers.
They were sent to confirm whether he was really going to conquer the Gate.
“What should we do?”
“No need to deal with them. Just leave them be.”
“Then……”
Yoo Baek-jun looked up at the sky.
“No matter how skilled a pursuer is, they won’t be able to follow in a situation where they can’t see an inch ahead.”
He raised his hand, the one wearing a ring.
Seoraksan’s weather was harsh and unpredictable. Even if a blizzard suddenly intensified—
‘No one would find it strange.’
His ring began to glow.
The Frost spirit that emerged from it laughed as it flitted around, soon unleashing its power.
Whoooosh!
Blizzard Storm.
A snowstorm accompanied by hail erupted, completely obscuring all visibility.
A situation where you couldn’t see an inch ahead.
“Th-this blizzard……!”
“Ugh! Ah, I can’t see anything!”
The pursuers were no exception.
No matter how accustomed they were to Seoraksan’s environment, this blizzard was too much to endure.
They stopped their pursuit and waited for the blizzard to subside. But—
“Dammit, where did they go?”
“We can’t track the footprints. The blizzard erased them.”
“This is insane.”
By the time the blizzard subsided, Yoo Baek-jun and the conquest party were long gone.
The leader of the pursuers stomped the ground in frustration.
“First, keep searching this area. We have to track them no matter what. If we can’t find them……”
He let out a sigh.
“I don’t even know what’ll happen then.”
While the pursuers were frantically searching for Yoo Baek-jun, he was resting in an area less affected by the blizzard.
“Are they gone?”
“Yes.”
There was no sign of the pursuers.
It seemed they had gone in a completely different direction.
“Then this side is done.”
Yoo Baek-jun used magic to send a signal.
After waiting a short while, someone emerged from the forest in the distance.
“Huu! It’s freezing here!”
It was Yoon Song-ha.
She approached Yoo Baek-jun with a large group of people in tow.
“I thought I’d freeze to death waiting! How do you even live in a place like this?”
“You get used to it after a while. Is everyone here?”
“Yeah.”
Yoon Song-ha, who had been shivering and complaining, turned to look behind her.
“The White Wolf Guild members—former Golden Lion Guild members who left to form this guild.”
“Why do you keep naming guilds after animals? Last time it was a lion, now a wolf?”
“Hey, what’s it to you? It’s my preference, okay?”
Yoo Baek-jun looked at the White Wolf Guild members.
All of them were Hunters.
As expected of former members of the prestigious Golden Lion Guild, each possessed exceptional skills.
“Isn’t this too dangerous?”
“Yeah, but they all knew the risks and still wanted to come. They said they owe you.”
“No need to go that far……”
Yoo Baek-jun had helped those who left the Golden Lion Guild establish the White Wolf Guild.
He had also assisted with handling Song Dae-san’s assets.
“We’re deeply indebted to you for many things. We’re glad to have this chance to repay even a little of that debt.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you.”
Yoo Baek-jun bowed slightly in response to the White Wolf Guild member’s polite greeting.
Yoon Song-ha smirked at the sight.
“What are you two doing? We don’t have time for this.”
“Right, I’ve already explained the Gate situation, so just follow the plan. As for the guide……”
Yoo Baek-jun called Park Chan-kyung and Cheon Min-ju.
“These two will handle it. Park Chan-kyung, Cheon Min-ju. Take some of the swordsmen with you. Don’t push yourselves—prioritize your lives.”
“Understood.”
Yoo Baek-jun emphasized acting safely to the two. Both were valuable talents he couldn’t afford to lose here.
“Then we can go?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Just trust me. The environment’s a bit tough, but it’s not my first time in a place like this.”
True to her ranker status, Yoon Song-ha was dependable.
She left first with the White Wolf Guild members, following the guides.
The snowy plains grew quiet once more.
Yoo Baek-jun looked up at the sky.
“Huu, by tomorrow……”
Yoo Tae-rang would overthrow the family.
While he was causing chaos with his rebellion, there were people who needed to be dealt with.
“Lee Ja-yae.”
A woman who would become a nuisance if left alive.
She had to be eliminated this time.
“Young Master, what should we do now?”
“We go back.”
Back to the family.
Because there were things to do while Yoo Tae-rang was subduing the family.
Of course, walking in through the front door would be suicide.
“Let’s use the underground passage.”
So Yoo Baek-jun planned to use the secret underground passage beneath the Family’s estate.