Chapter 214
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 214.
The place Yoo Moo-hak took Yoo Baek-jun was once the estate of Yoo Tae-rang.
After the owner of the estate died, all the servants left, and the estate was left completely empty.
‘Should I call it a bitter aftertaste?’
Yoo Moo-hak brushed the dust off the window frame.
“Tear this place down.”
“Are you saying to erase the dark history?”
“Yes. There’s no benefit in leaving behind traces of a traitor in the family.”
“Hmm…”
Even if he was his son.
It felt unbearably harsh.
“Isn’t that a waste? The estate is still in good condition.”
“Even if we leave it, it’ll be hard to use properly. Tear it down completely and build whatever structure you need.”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
A needed structure.
Yoo Tae-rang’s estate was spacious, so tearing it down would create usable empty land.
“This room is empty.”
Yoo Tae-rang’s room had little furniture.
Only the bare minimum necessary furniture was there, making it feel eerily desolate.
“…….”
Yoo Moo-hak stood by the window.
As always, he gazed outside with emotionless eyes.
It was his habit when lost in thought.
‘It’s suffocating.’
For ‘me,’ Yoo Moo-hak was the most difficult person to deal with in this family.
He rarely showed any emotion, and since there were no significant interactions with him, it was hard to understand him.
‘It’s about time for him to step down.’
Still, Yoo Baek-jun knew why Yoo Moo-hak had called him here now.
He waited patiently.
For Yoo Moo-hak to speak.
“Do you want to become the family head?”
He abruptly broke the silence.
“Should I be honest?”
Yoo Moo-hak slowly nodded.
“I have no interest in the position of family head.”
“Your recent actions seemed full of ambition for the position. Yet you say you have no interest?”
It sounded like a lie.
Anyone listening would think it was unnecessary humility.
But Yoo Baek-jun meant it.
“It’s not that I wanted it. I had no choice but to take it.”
Though the words were vague, Yoo Moo-hak understood what he meant.
“You knew Yoo Tae-rang would kill you if you didn’t become the family head.”
“Yes. I nearly died, didn’t I? To survive, I had to become the family head. I didn’t want to die like that.”
“Wise.”
A simple answer came back.
For a moment, Yoo Baek-jun felt irritated. After all the suffering because of someone.
“If a certain someone had stopped the family from killing each other, I wouldn’t have had to become the family head.”
“Your words have bite. So, are you blaming this useless father?”
“There’s no point in blaming you now. I just wanted to vent.”
Yoo Moo-hak let out a small scoff.
“I went through the same process. I killed my siblings begging for their lives and became the family head as the sole survivor.”
“Weren’t you sad?”
“Well, what about you?”
Yoo Moo-hak looked at Yoo Baek-jun.
“You don’t seem sad either.”
“…….”
The fact that Yoo Tae-rang was dead left him with mixed feelings, but he wasn’t sad.
It couldn’t be helped.
Though they were blood-related, their minds were not.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you use the martial arts of the Martial God.”
“Yes.”
“…….”
Yoo Moo-hak looked out the window and continued.
“Haven’t you ever wondered? Why the family founded by the ‘Martial God’ is called the ‘Sword Saint’ family, not the ‘Martial God’ family. And also…”
Yoo Moo-hak turned his back.
Sunlight illuminated his face. Still devoid of any emotion.
“Why most of the martial arts used by the Martial God were lost, leaving only swordsmanship.”
“…I have wondered.”
He had always thought about it.
The Martial God of the past was said to have mastered numerous weapon-based martial arts, yet the Sword Saint family only preserved swordsmanship.
Other techniques like internal energy methods or movement techniques remained, but all weapon arts besides swordsmanship were lost.
And the successors also stubbornly focused solely on swordsmanship.
‘It’s distorted.’
That distortion in the Sword Saint family gave Yoo Baek-jun a strong sense of dissonance.
He had assumed it was because the Martial God only left behind sword techniques…
‘But is that really true?’
Yoo Baek-jun looked at Yoo Moo-hak.
Perhaps he had the answers.
“I’m curious. Was there… some reason for it?”
“Because it’s a history we wanted to erase.”
“Huh?”
Yoo Baek-jun frowned.
A history they wanted to erase?
“Long ago, this family wanted to erase a bloody history that took place.”
“A bloody history?”
“As you know, the Martial God founded this family on barren land. He gathered followers and taught them.”
That was the beginning of this family.
The Martial God’s intentions were noble. To train specialists who could prepare for the Gates that would appear in the distant future.
That idea wasn’t wrong.
“But he didn’t account for human greed. Even he himself harbored greed. It’s laughable.”
“What greed?”
“Power.”
Yoo Moo-hak stated firmly.
“Martial arts breed obsession. The desire to grow stronger. It’s an insatiable greed. A desire all humans inevitably possess.”
“That’s…”
“The legacy the Martial God left was perfect for it. So, it brought many disasters.”
Yoo Moo-hak exhaled deeply.
“The Martial God taught all the martial arts he knew to his children. He told them to learn these arts and teach them to those worthy of wielding such power.”
“His intentions were good.”
“Yes. But there was a problem.”
“What?”
“He taught different martial arts to each child. He tailored the arts to match each individual’s talent.”
Yoo Baek-jun furrowed his brow.
He could guess what happened next.
“Exactly as you think. Those who coveted each other’s arts, those who believed only they should inherit the Martial God’s techniques, waged war.”
Once-family members led the charge, and much blood was shed.
And then.
“In the end, we were the survivors.”
“The Sword Saint family won the war.”
“Correct. And during that war, most of the Martial God’s techniques were destroyed. The Sword Saint family gained nothing.”
They waged war to steal the techniques of their kin.
Yet, the war itself caused most of the Martial God’s arts to be lost.
“Still, the Sword Saint family was satisfied. Only they could fully claim the Martial God’s legacy.”
“That’s ruthless.”
The survivors declared themselves the Sword Saint and founded the family.
That was the beginning of the Sword Saint family.
“But the history of that brutal fratricide was shameful. So, they erased it all to ensure it wouldn’t be passed down.”
“Was that possible?”
“Since the war took place in Seoraksan Mountain, it remained unknown to outsiders, making it possible.”
“Hmm…”
It was an unbearably cruel story.
Killing each other out of greed for power, then erasing the history out of shame.
And at the same time, it was shocking.
‘This is… the first time I’m hearing this.’
Even Yoo Baek-jun, rotten to the core, had never heard this setting before.
It was impossible not to be intrigued.
“So, why are you telling me this lesson-filled story?”
“Yoo Tae-rang’s judgment in starting the rebellion wasn’t wrong.”
Yoo Moo-hak spoke abruptly.
“In truth, no matter what he did, I intended to make you the family head.”
“Why? Until now, you never treated me as your child. Was it because of power?”
“No.”
Yoo Moo-hak stated firmly.
“Because you can lead the Sword Saint family back to what it was meant to be.”
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun fell silent.
Uncharacteristically, he was flustered.
Yoo Moo-hak’s words were that baffling.
“What do you mean…?”
“After founding the family, the Martial God left. When he returned after time had passed and saw his children fighting, he was deeply disappointed.”
“After the Sword Saint family was established.”
“Yes. By then, most of the Martial God’s techniques were lost. The Sword Saint begged the Martial God to teach them again.”
In response, the Martial God didn’t hide his disappointment and answered firmly.
“You are not worthy, and I have no time. I will leave my traces in the world. If someone worthy appears, I will consider it.”
Yoo Moo-hak pointed at Yoo Baek-jun.
“From what I see, you seem to be that worthy one.”
“That’s…”
Worthy.
Yoo Baek-jun had an idea of what that meant.
‘The Book of the Martial God.’
Yoo Baek-jun had already obtained it early in the route, but originally, the Book could only be acquired after uncovering clues through various events.
“Neither I nor the previous family heads could uncover those traces or what ‘worthy’ meant. But you… seem to have figured it out.”
Yoo Baek-jun remained silent.
“…….”
The family’s original intended form.
It was simple. Not just swordsmanship, but other martial arts being learned by those with the right talents.
A family thriving through the harmony of diverse martial artists.
“Why… should it be that way?”
But one thing puzzled him.
The reason.
‘What is this?’
Yoo Baek-jun was deeply confused.
The route was changing.
Yoo Moo-hak’s words were something he had never heard before.
Not even the 'me' who was so steeped in knowledge.
‘This… is new to me.’
Even in the original Heroes Road, some mysteries remained unresolved.
The most prominent being the Martial God.
‘Is that mystery being unraveled in this iteration?’
And of all times, now, when he had been dragged into the game’s world.
It was too coincidental.
Uncomfortably so.
“Why do you think the Martial God founded this family?”
“To train specialists to conquer the Gates during the nation’s turmoil, right?”
“No. There’s a greater purpose.”
“A greater purpose?”
Yoo Moo-hak nodded.
“A purpose that may be tied to the very cause of the Gates appearing in this world.”
“……!”
Yoo Baek-jun couldn’t help but be shocked. The cause of the Gates’ appearance?
‘It wasn’t a MacGuffin?’
He thought it was just a dangling plot point that would never be resolved.
Yet here it was.
“Do you… know what it is?”
“…….”
Yoo Moo-hak smiled quietly.
A meaningful smile, as if he knew something. But he showed no intention of sharing.
“Regardless, the Martial God disappeared. Without a word, alone. So, his whereabouts became legend.”
“Father, what is this purpose?”
“That’s not for me to say. You must uncover it yourself.”
Yoo Moo-hak, who had been standing by the window, slowly—very slowly—walked toward Yoo Baek-jun.
“After all, you—”
As he approached, he raised his hand. It rested on Yoo Baek-jun’s shoulder.
“—must already know how. Once you do, you’ll understand why the family must grow.”
“……!”
A pat on the shoulder.
It was the first time Yoo Moo-hak had ever done such a thing, but Yoo Baek-jun was more curious about something else.
“In a week, we’ll hold the succession ceremony. You’ll handle the preparations.”
“Father!”
Yoo Moo-hak walked past him.
“Congratulations. On your victory in the succession battle.”
His voice echoed through the room.
“From now on, you are the head of the Sword Saint family.”
Thud!
The door closed.
Left alone, Yoo Baek-jun stared at the door in bewilderment. Then he looked around the empty room.
“What the hell is going on?”
His mind was in utter chaos.