Chapter 213
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 213.
Yoo Moo-hak has returned.
“Where on earth have you been?”
“Who knows.”
Yoo Moo-hak moved alone, without any attendants. When asked, Grandmaster Ja-yeon said this wasn’t the first time he had done this.
And even Yoo Baek-jun didn’t know about it.
‘After the successor dispute in the game, Yoo Moo-hak’s whereabouts were unknown.’
That’s just how the game Heroes Road was. It was like a MacGuffin, so to speak.
Yoo Moo-hak is the most significant figure in Yoo Baek-jun’s route.
Yet, he exits the story after the Sword Saint family’s arc concludes.
And never appears again.
‘And that’s not the only case.’
Yoo Moo-hak, and the Martial God.
Despite their major roles in the story, there were many instances where they either didn’t appear or their plot threads were left unresolved.
‘It’s possible I just couldn’t find the conditions to unlock the related events.’
The game was simply too vast.
Even if that weren’t the case, the nature of Heroes Road might have made it impossible to find the conditions in the first place.
‘Heroes Road is a game where the story changes slightly—or sometimes drastically—with each playthrough. Considering that…’
In fact, there were times when plot threads that remained unresolved in one playthrough were resolved or revealed in another.
Perhaps there were playthroughs where certain plot threads were resolved, but he just never experienced them.
‘Isn’t that strange to begin with?’
Yoo Baek-jun tilted his head in confusion.
What kind of game changes its story and settings with each playthrough?
People praised it, saying it felt like playing a brand-new game every time.
“……”
Not to mention the incredible degree of freedom.
And the flawless implementation of virtual reality, making it feel like you’ve stepped into another world.
When Heroes Road first came out, gaming media hailed it as a game generations ahead of its time.
“Now that I think about it, this is…”
Strange.
It doesn’t make sense to begin with.
To go even further—
“Developing a game like this…”
“Young Master? Is something wrong?”
“……”
Han Seong-ah, standing beside him, asked with concern.
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Yoo Baek-jun and Han Seong-ah moved forward.
They were following the procession led by Yoo Moo-hak and the others.
“……”
“……”
A heavy silence hung over the family.
Despite the many people moving about, not a single sound could be heard beyond footsteps.
“Hmm.”
At the forefront walked Yoo Moo-hak.
He surveyed the ruined—and now being restored—interior of the family estate.
“Dwarves?”
“Yes, they are the dwarves under Young Master Yoo Baek-jun’s command. They were commissioned to restore the family estate in exchange for repairs and storytelling wine.”
“Not bad.”
The dwarves’ skills were exceptional.
With their help, the estate could be rebuilt even stronger than before.
“Those are elves.”
“Yes, again, thanks to Young Master Yoo Baek-jun…”
“Does he intend to turn the Sword Saint family into a shelter for mixed races? There are all kinds of non-humans here.”
The elves were treating the wounded and inspecting the magic circles within the estate.
As he walked ahead, Yoo Moo-hak asked,
“If they’re helpful to the family, there’s no reason to refuse. Both are races that provide great assistance.”
“Hmm… Fine. That’s your call to make.”
Despite asking, he seemed indifferent.
“What about the gnomes?”
“They’ve been transported to Seoul. They collaborated with the family’s traitors.”
“Make sure these other races don’t cause trouble like the gnomes did.”
“Understood.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
They walked for a while longer, eventually stopping before a certain ruin.
“My mansion is gone.”
“Yes, well… Ahem!”
It was the site of the family head’s residence.
Yoo Baek-jun cleared his throat awkwardly.
His conscience pricked him since he was the one who destroyed it.
“Haha, well, while dealing with the traitors…”
“I have no intention of reprimanding you.”
“R-Really?”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh of relief.
“However, I wonder if there wasn’t a wiser way to resolve it.”
“Hah, haha…”
“The reconstruction?”
“Well, I left it to the dwarves.”
After staring at the ruins for a long time, Yoo Moo-hak turned his head.
His gaze met Yoo Baek-jun’s.
“Rebuild it as you see fit.”
“What do you mean…?”
“There’s no need to restore it to its former appearance. You’ll be the one living here from now on, after all.”
“……!”
Those listening behind them gasped.
Yoo Moo-hak’s words were tantamount to declaring Yoo Baek-jun the next family head.
Yoo Moo-hak turned forward again.
“Where are the traitors?”
“Locked in the underground detention cells.”
“And the mastermind?”
“That…”
Cheon Jong-won, standing beside him, hesitated briefly. Grandmaster Ja-yeon answered Yoo Moo-hak’s question in his stead.
“The corpse is being preserved with magic.”
“Let’s see it.”
Yoo Tae-rang’s corpse was stored separately in an underground chamber.
Unlike the gruesome state of his death, the body was now cleanly preserved.
Elves stood beside it.
“Delowin, any issues?”
“None, human.”
Delowin gave a slight bow.
The preservation magic was the elves’ doing.
They had a separate spell to prevent decay during their lengthy funeral rites, and Yoo Baek-jun had asked Delowin to use it on Yoo Tae-rang.
“So, Yoo Tae-rang led a rebellion.”
“Yes. We questioned the imprisoned traitors about their motives. It seems he concluded he could never become the family head.”
“Many would be in trouble if Yoo Tae-rang couldn’t become the head.”
“Indeed. The key figures joined for that reason. Or… out of personal greed.”
Yoo Moo-hak looked at his son’s corpse.
Yoo Tae-rang’s perpetually cold expression had finally softened in death.
“…….”
Though he stared at the corpse for a long time, Yoo Moo-hak’s expression remained unchanged.
Despite his own child’s death, he showed no sorrow.
His face was as impassive as ever.
“Like a moth that flies into the fire, unaware its body is burning.”
That was the extent of Yoo Moo-hak’s reflection on his son’s death.
He turned away.
“What about the funeral…?”
“No need to hold a funeral for a traitor. Throw him to the beasts.”
“Family Head, surely that’s too far—”
Even as a traitor, he was the family’s successor.
Moreover, Yoo Tae-rang had long served as the face of the Sword Saint family.
Such treatment was unthinkable.
“What, should we build him a grand tomb and hold a lavish funeral? The swordsmen who died because of this fool would rage from their graves.” Yoo Moo-hak’s voice was icy. “Setting aside that he was my son—he was a traitor. A wretch who sought to seize the family out of selfish ambition. Do not pity him.”
“…….”
He wasn’t wrong.
One could argue it was a fitting end for a rebel.
The problem was that the rebel was his son.
Those listening shuddered at Yoo Moo-hak’s ruthlessness.
—The Family Head has no human emotions.
A saying from the past came to mind.
Even Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Brutal. Absolutely brutal.’
It was a level of coldness that seemed excessive.
Then again, if he were the type to grieve over such things, he would’ve taken action long before his children kept dying.
“…We’ll proceed as you’ve said.”
Grandmaster Ja-yeon obeyed Yoo Moo-hak’s command.
He headed to the underground cells where the other traitors were imprisoned.
“These are the traitors?”
“Yes.”
Countless swordsmen filled the underground.
Yoo Moo-hak stopped before a cell holding only the highest-ranking figures.
“Lee Gun-mo, Jeon Dong-heon, Han Shin-ok, Lee Jae-im, Kim Rae-ho… and many others whose names I recognize.”
Yoo Moo-hak was the Sword Saint family’s head.
He didn’t remember the names of ordinary swordsmen or instructors. If he knew a name, it meant they were important figures in the family.
And these were the ones who had rebelled.
“Why did you rebel? Was it greed?”
The traitors’ eyes held a faint glimmer of hope as they looked at the family head.
Hope that he might spare them.
But it was meaningless.
“Jeon Dong-heon, Han Shin-ok. You two always resented your positions as branch leaders. You wanted to be Grandmasters.”
“Family Head, th-that’s not…”
“Do you deny it? Then how will you explain the corruption you’ve committed?”
“……!”
Jeon Dong-heon and Han Shin-ok paled.
“You, and the now-deceased Im Woo-do. I know about the corruption committed by the branch leaders who sided with Yoo Tae-rang.”
“Th-That can’t be!”
“And I also know you cooperated with him on the condition he’d cover it up.”
To be precise, it was blackmail.
Yoo Tae-rang had pressured the branch leaders with that knowledge, drawing them to his side.
That was how it began.
“You will pay for your crimes.”
“Family Head, please!”
“And Lee Gun-mo.”
Yoo Tae-rang looked at the old man.
Lee Gun-mo, who had lost both hands and now looked like a broken old man.
“Grandmaster, did I ever treat you unfairly?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Had you remained content with the position I gave you, you wouldn’t have lost your hands like this.”
Yoo Moo-hak gestured to the swordsmen.
The cell door opened, and they dragged Lee Gun-mo out.
He knelt before Yoo Moo-hak.
“You supported Yoo Tae-rang for years and scorned the other successors. Were you afraid your position would be lost if Yoo Baek-jun became head?”
“N-No! I was just… deceived by Yoo Tae-rang’s words! I didn’t realize—”
“The crime of disrupting the family for personal ambition, despite being a Grandmaster sworn to protect it.”
Yoo Moo-hak cut him off. He drew the sword at his waist.
“An unforgivable sin.”
“P-Please, spare me! I was… bewitched somehow! After serving you for so long…!”
Swiish!
The sound of flesh being cut.
Blood splattered loudly against the wall.
Moments later, Lee Gun-mo collapsed.
“The Family Head is unmoved by sentiment.”
His words held not a shred of emotion.
The traitors trembled as they watched Lee Gun-mo die. The swordsmen and instructors who had joined the rebellion shook like leaves.
Yoo Moo-hak’s gaze finally settled on the rankers.
“Lee Jae-im, Kim Rae-ho. Answer me. Why did you cooperate?”
“…….”
The rankers of the Sword Saint family.
Well-known even outside the family, they showed no fear, as if believing Yoo Moo-hak wouldn’t kill them.
Lee Jae-im answered.
“We wanted greater power.”
“Greater power?”
“Yes. Power like what Yoo Tae-rang wielded before his death—the strength to face ten thousand enemies alone.”
“Greed for martial prowess.”
Yoo Moo-hak gave a bitter smile.
“An inescapable greed for those of the Sword Saint family.”
He muttered as if he understood. Hearing this, Lee Jae-im’s expression brightened.
Surely, he wouldn’t execute them.
“Yoo Baek-jun, come here.”
“Yes, Father.”
Yoo Moo-hak called Yoo Baek-jun forward.
The two stood side by side, looking down at the imprisoned traitors.
“I leave their fate to you. How do you wish to deal with them?”
Yoo Baek-jun studied their faces.
Grandmasters, branch leaders, and rankers. Losing them all would plunge the family into chaos.
But,
“They must all die.”
“Y-Yoo Baek-jun!”
“How can you say that?!”
Even so.
He had no intention of sparing them.
“These wretches are like pus in the family. If you leave pus untreated for fear of pain, it only festers.”
Yoo Baek-jun spoke firmly.
“The ordinary swordsmen and instructors can be closely monitored, but those who committed grave crimes must die.”
“Family Head!”
“…….”
The traitors screamed.
Yoo Moo-hak, however, silently studied Yoo Baek-jun’s face.
A faint smile touched his lips.
“Interesting. Do as Yoo Baek-jun says.”
“F-Family Head!”
“You’d dare kill a ranker like me? The government or the association won’t stand for this!”
Shouts and protests flew, but Yoo Baek-jun and Yoo Moo-hak ignored them.
Yoo Baek-jun even smirked at them.
“I told you. You’d be better off giving up hope of leaving here alive.”
Yoo Baek-jun turned his back.
“I keep my promises.”
“Yoo Baek-jun!”
Shouts followed him.
Yoo Moo-hak, having no further business in the cells, moved to leave.
“Follow me. We have matters to discuss.”
“Yes.”
With those words,
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.