Chapter 65
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 65.
“They say Song Dae-san’s condition has worsened significantly.”
The abrupt remark came during dinner.
A high-end restaurant in Seoul.
The night view of the Han River was beautiful, and the luxurious interior was complemented by an exquisite course meal, each dish impeccable.
“Already?”
Yoo Baek-jun was thoroughly enjoying his meal.
In the game, it was hard to savor the taste of food. But here, in reality, he could fully savor every taste.
“His condition had been poor since the last meeting, but it seems to have deteriorated sharply recently.”
“He might not have much time left.”
“Probably not.”
But why bring up such a somber topic out of the blue during dinner?
It was Jin Seo-yeon.
She must have had a reason.
Yoo Baek-jun stared intently at her face.
“Song Tae-yeon’s bothering you, isn’t he?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“If that wasn’t the case, you wouldn’t have brought up such a gloomy topic during dinner.”
“…Hey, is the meat good?”
—Chomp.
Jin Seo-yeon blatantly changed the subject.
Normally, animals weren’t allowed in restaurants, but since they had rented out the entire place, it didn’t matter.
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
“The Golden Lion Guild’s situation is complicated. Song Tae-yeon may be the sole heir, but his charisma and abilities fall far short of Song Dae-san’s.”
The bigger issue was that he wasn’t properly treating the guild’s key contributors.
By now, the guild’s internal affairs were likely in shambles.
“He’s probably trying to secure his position by achieving something noteworthy.”
An engagement with the heir of the Magic Tower.
It was one of the best ways to solidify his shaky standing.
Major guild or noble family successors rarely married for love anyway.
Most of them had arranged marriages.
‘The Magic Tower’s never arranged marriages because they don’t have children. If this works, it’d make for a powerful alliance.
Song Tae-yeon might have personal desires, but there was also this ulterior motive driving his advances.
Jin Seo-yeon, of course, would have coldly rejected him, prompting Song Tae-yeon to turn to Jin Baek-cheon instead.
If the Golden Lion Guild offered its interests as leverage, Jin Baek-cheon would likely consider it favorably.
“…….”
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun looked at Jin Seo-yeon.
Others might say that if she disliked the idea of a political marriage, she could just refuse outright.
But for her, it wasn’t that simple.
‘Having lived under her father’s oppressive control since childhood, she can’t assert herself.’
With anyone else, she might manage, but when it came to her father, Jin Seo-yeon was utterly powerless.
Even if she detested Song Tae-yeon, if Jin Baek-cheon gave his approval, she wouldn’t be able to refuse.
‘How unfortunate.’
Yoo Baek-jun wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“It’s ambiguous right now. Once this matter is settled, I’ll head straight to the Magic Tower.”
“Can you handle it?”
“What’s there to handle?”
Originally, this situation wouldn’t have occurred.
It was a butterfly effect caused by the change in Yoo Baek-jun and Jin Seo-yeon’s relationship from former fiancés to something else.
He intended to resolve it himself.
“…Should I say thank you?”
“No, no need for thanks. But I do have a favor to ask in return.”
“That sounds even more concerning.”
And so, Yoo Baek-jun successfully recruited her as part of the team to deal with the Demon Commander.
“Hey, stop feeding it so much. What are you, a grandma doting on her grandchild?”
“Is your family even feeding it properly? Every time I see it, it’s starving.”
“And that’s my fault?”
Yoo Baek-jun sighed.
* * *
The Golden Lion Guild must fall.
Putting aside the fact that Jin Seo-yeon was like a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck to Song Tae-yeon, if this marriage happened, the guild’s lifespan would be extended.
‘That can’t happen.’
He needed to scoop up the talent fleeing the collapsing Golden Lion Guild.
Right now, it wasn’t easy to gather people within the Sword Saint family who could form his faction.
‘I don’t have a faction of my own.’
He needed to recruit gems like Yoon Song-ha.
Especially to prepare for the battles ahead.
“Young Master, a dwarf has arrived.”
“Ah, I’ll go greet him.”
Bigtums had come bearing gifts.
After dressing appropriately, Yoo Baek-jun saw Bigtums outside, who looked as FLEX as the last time they met.
“Welcome, Bigtums.”
“Hahaha! It’s been ages since I last visited the Sword Saint family. I can’t even remember how long!”
“You’ve been here before, it seems. But dressed like that?”
As always, Bigtums was exuberant.
The problem was his attire—far too thin for the freezing Seoraksan Mountains.
“Ugh, you’re right. I’m freezing to death. Let’s go inside.”
Sure enough, he couldn’t withstand the bitter cold and hurried indoors.
The moment they entered the reception room, Bigtums pounded the table and shouted.
“Bring me some alcohol! I heard the Sword Saint family has a famous liquor—I want that!”
“Seung-min, bring two bottles of Seolhwaju.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
The Sword Saint family brewed a special liquor for entertaining guests.
Seolhwaju, or something like that.
Its reputation was so great that it was almost legendary among the public.
“How do you even live in a place like this? I thought I’d freeze to death on the way up.”
“You get used to it over time.”
“Hmm, we have some crazy dwarves in my hometown who live only in snowy regions. You’d get along well with them.”
“Dwarves who live only in snowy regions.”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
They were the very ones who would appear soon—led by those he didn’t want to deal with.
Rustle.
Choi Seung-min quickly returned with Seolhwaju and some simple snacks.
Bigtums ignored the snacks and immediately downed the liquor straight from the bottle.
“Ohhh, this is good. And these snacks… Munch! Delicious! The liquor goes down smooth!”
“Bigtums… Did you come here just to drink?”
“Oops, my bad. I got carried away.”
Bigtums chuckled and pulled out a box.
There was no need to guess what was inside.
“Here’s the item you wanted.”
It was the Thunder Spear, Gungnir.
Though it had been neglected for a long time, all the rust and grime were gone.
The gleaming spear was a sight to behold.
[Thunder Spear Gungnir (A)]
A spear bestowed upon a hero from another world by a god.
It contains divine power, allowing the wielder to freely manipulate lightning.
Restored by the skilled hands of a dwarf.
―Options: Lightning-Storm, Thunderstrike, Power of the Thunder God, Return
*Lightning-storm: Wraps the spear in lightning, granting lightning attributes to spear skills. Continuously consumes magical power while active.
*Thunderstrike: Calls down lightning with the spear’s power.
*Power of the Thunder God: increases resistance to lightning and enhances lightning-based attacks. Also strengthens Thunderstrike.
*Return: Returns to its owner if within a certain range, even if separated.
A new option, Thunderstrike, had been unlocked.
The Power of the Thunder God now also provided significant resistance, meaning he could withstand the Thunder Dragon’s attacks better.
“Well? Do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s excellent. Very satisfying.”
“Hehe, you shouldn’t be satisfied just yet.”
Bigtums pulled out another box—this one much smaller.
Inside was a bracelet.
“What’s this?”
“Nothing too grand. Just an item that increases lightning resistance. I made it a long time ago and forgot about it until now.”
Yoo Baek-jun examined the bracelet.
[Bracelet of Lightning (B+)]
A bracelet forged by a master blacksmith during a thunderstorm, imbued with the power of lightning.
Greatly increases resistance to lightning.
―Option: Lightning Resistance
*Lightning Resistance: When activated, significantly increases resistance to lightning.
It was an activation-type item.
“You know why I discarded it, right?”
“It’s certainly not up to your usual standards. But for me―”
“It’s perfect, isn’t it? Hehe. You came to me because you couldn’t handle that spear properly.”
“Yes, exactly.”
With this bracelet, he could fully withstand the Thunder Dragon’s impact.
It was incredibly useful for him right now.
“I feel guilty taking it for free.”
“Then give me something in return. I’m not picky.”
“Seung-min! Bring a whole box of Seolhwaju from the warehouse! Our guest is taking it home!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
Offering money to someone as wealthy as Bigtums would be laughable.
It was better to give him something he couldn’t easily obtain himself—like Seolhwaju.
“Hah, you’re quick on the uptake. I like that.”
Bigtums grinned in satisfaction.
* * *
Next, Yoo Baek-jun called Han Seong-ah.
“Yes, Young Master? What brings you here…?”
“I’d like to learn swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship?”
Han Seong-ah’s eyes widened.
“You’re already highly skilled in martial arts and spear techniques, aren’t you? Rather than adding swordsmanship, wouldn’t it be better to focus on those two…?”
She trailed off mid-sentence.
Yoo Baek-jun had once said he would learn anything to grow stronger.
Swordsmanship was just another means to that end.
“…Are you sure about this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“No, it was a foolish question.”
Han Seong-ah shook her head.
“Your talent is the most extraordinary I’ve ever seen. Your physique speaks for itself.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s unique trait, Heavenly Martial Body—a gift from the heavens, granting innate talent for martial arts.
‘Mastering the Heavenly Destruction Sword techniques takes a long time. But for you…’
That time could be drastically shortened.
Just as he had when learning martial arts from Grandmaster Ja-yeon.
She was certain of it.
“How much do you want to learn?”
“The basics, and the breathing technique of the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique.”
“The former won’t be difficult, but the latter will be very challenging. Are you sure?”
“Are you questioning me?”
His confidence was almost blinding.
A faint smile touched Han Seong-ah’s lips.
“Let’s go to the Grandmaster Ja-yeon training ground.”
“Yes.”
The two headed to the training ground.
The disciples were out, so it was empty.
Han Seong-ah and Yoo Baek-jun faced each other.
“Do you know what the Sword Saint family’s disciples practice before learning the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique?”
“Mastering the breathing technique.”
“Correct. The reason is…”
Han Seong-ah lightly stomped the ground.
Then, in a unique manner, she began moving her sword while consciously controlling her breathing.
A rhythmic, deliberate exhalation.
Swoosh.
Her body began to change.
With each breath, magic circulated rapidly throughout her body.
Her blood, influenced by her magic, also began flowing faster, enhancing her physical capabilities.
“Hmm!”
Boom!
Han Seong-ah lightly stomped the ground again.
Though it seemed as gentle as a casual step, the ground split apart with a deafening crack.
The same force as before, but the result was entirely different—her body had been reinforced.
“Swordsmanship—no, all martial arts—rely heavily on breathing. How you inhale and exhale during each movement can drastically alter the power of your techniques.”
Han Seong-ah raised her sword.
“The Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique has one of the most unique breathing techniques among sword arts. It circulates magic through the body with each breath, accelerating blood flow in response.”
“And what does that do?”
“It enhances the body. Greater strength, faster movements. Our family calls it ‘Blood Flow Acceleration.’”
It was similar to Mind techniques.
The concept of circulating magic was especially alike. The difference was that it had to be done while executing sword techniques—and synchronized with breathing.
‘Is that even possible?’
It was an unprecedented breathing technique, unseen in other families.
Only the Sword Saint Family could have created it. There was no other explanation.
“Because of this uniqueness, knowledge in magic manipulation is required, but…”
Han Seong-ah shook her head.
“You’re already more than qualified, Young Master.”
This was why Yoo Baek-jun had delayed learning the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique, despite it being the easiest for him.
It required knowledge in the Heavenly Destruction Mind Technique and a certain level of magic proficiency —B+ rank, with a skill level of at least 50.
“Then let’s begin.”
Yoo Baek-jun began learning under Han Seong-ah’s guidance.