[Untitled]

I looked down at Seo Ji-yoo, who was twitching on the floor, completely spent.

"Ah... hiiit...?!"

When I gently pressed her nipple, her convulsions grew stronger. I circled it slowly with my index finger, then flicked it lightly.

"Hiiik... ♥"

Her hips began to buck up and down. I traced circles around her areola, then reached for her nipple once more. Finally...

Pssshhht! Pssshhuuut!!

"K-Kyuuuuh... ♥!!"

Nipple stimulation. Unable to withstand even that simple act, she let loose a grand fountain of her love juice.

I calmly stroked her lower belly to let her savor the lingering afterglow of her climax. Beneath me, a beautiful woman drenched in sweat lay completely undone. It was a sight I thoroughly enjoyed.

"Haah... haah..."

I cleaned up Seo Ji-yoo, who lay sprawled on the floor covered in semen, and rose to my feet.

'Finally.'

The three thousand Karma I had aimed for had finally been gathered.

"Purchase intermediate magic core."

Three purchases were complete.

At last, the pure internal energy contained within the magic core alone exceeded twelve years of cultivation — a gapja cycle. The kind of internal energy an ordinary martial artist could only accumulate after sixty years of diligent training. An immense amount of energy surged through my entire body.

Whoong.

I could feel the quality of my internal energy changing. It felt as though the very grade of my energy had elevated. As the rapidly growing power demanded, my body began to evolve as well.

'Krrk...!'

This past-life body had started martial arts late. Countless impurities had accumulated in my energy channels. The violent flow of internal energy rampaged through my body like a tidal wave. I simply let it wash over me, making no effort to resist.

The Mixed Origin Qi Art was a technique that mimicked nature. Rather than forcing anything, I accepted it as it was.

Whoong!

Injuries formed in my energy channels even as regenerative power healed them. I felt a sensation like being burned and a cooling relief simultaneously. My skin cracked and flaked away, and fresh, smooth new skin emerged in its place.

Crrack!

Not only that — my bones twisted and realigned, correcting my physique. There was no pain. Instead, I felt an exhilarating refreshment, as if receiving a pleasant massage.

It was like a typhoon inside a teacup. Despite the violent changes happening within my body, my surroundings remained perfectly calm. I quietly opened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my eyes and surveyed the cave.

'It's bright...?'

For a moment, I thought the surroundings had brightened. But that wasn't it. The cave hadn't gotten brighter — my eyesight had grown stronger.

Seo Ji-yoo had risen to her feet and was staring at me in shock.

"M-Marrow Cleansing...?!"

Seeing the beautiful woman who had shared my bed so astonished lifted my spirits. A playful mood came over me.

"Indeed. I am a supreme master who has undergone Marrow Cleansing."

"G-Good heavens...?! Y-You...! Th-the Peak Realm...?! No, how could a Peak Realm master...?"

"Heh heh..."

I watched Seo Ji-yoo looking at me with eyes full of shock, then closed my own eyes. Everything in the small chamber felt within my grasp. I could sense the water flowing gently beneath the cave. My very perception had evolved to a higher dimension.

Naturally, I ignited Sword Qi at my fingertips. With a bit of focus, it gradually extended. What had previously required intense concentration just to extend a tiny bit now came easily. I had crossed the wall.

Another week passed.

Leaving the energy swirling inside my body unchecked was, in a sense, a crude method. The destructive force could damage my energy channels. In fact, my energy channels repeatedly broke and healed, growing tougher and stronger in the process. That was one of the reasons I had experienced something akin to Marrow Cleansing.

'Apparently this normally only happens at the Super Peak Realm...'

Seo Ji-yoo had told me. Proper Marrow Cleansing is something only Super Peak masters — those who can scatter Sword Force — can experience. But I had gotten a taste of it through a kind of back-alley shortcut. A body overflowing with impurities. The power of regeneration. The nature of the Mixed Origin Qi. It was a stroke of fortune born from the convergence of all those elements.

I recalled Mok Yi-do's final words.

A bead that looked like an enlarged pearl. It appeared ordinary, but Mixed Origin Qi was emanating from it. This was the Mixed Origin Orb.

'He wants me to break this?'

It looked so fragile that even a light tap with my fist would shatter it. I shook it gently. I pressed my palm against it, but no more words came. It just seemed like an ordinary bead. I clenched my fist and struck it softly.

'Huh?'

It showed no reaction, as if it had absorbed the impact. There wasn't even the sound of contact I'd expected. And it was harder than I'd thought. Not a single crack appeared. I stroked my chin, then focused Mixed Origin Qi into my fist.

The Mixed Origin Orb didn't budge.

'Huh...'

The bead was perfectly fine. Breaking it wasn't as easy as I'd thought. This time, I placed it between both palms and projected my Mixed Origin Qi into it.

Whoong—

I pushed my internal energy inside to understand its structure. But the moment I poured it in, it vanished. Like tossing a pebble into the ocean. There was no reaction at all. After trying various methods for over ten minutes, I shook my head. I couldn't think of another approach for now. I looked at the Mixed Origin Orb lying on the floor, then put it into my inventory.

Seo Ji-yoo looked at Si-woo with suspicious eyes. He had been sitting with his eyes closed, focused on training, when he made an absurd request. A bizarre demand for her to hit him.

"...You're really not going to fight back?"

"Yeah. Hit me as hard as you can."

"You mean it...?"

Watching Si-woo nod, Seo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ji-yoo's eyes glinted. She wasn't entirely free of resentment over what had happened to her almost by force. Of course, the experience had felt a little — no, a lot — good, but...

'Ugh...'

The moment she recalled the previous night, her lower abdomen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠throbbed. That experience that made her entire body tingle and her mind go blank. That perverted bastard had broken her body somehow. She forced herself to summon anger and ignited her internal energy. It went completely against her master's advice — her master had said the quietest footsteps were the fastest — but she couldn't help it.

"I'm really going to hit you...?"

"Yeah."

Circling around Si-woo, looking for an opening, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seo Ji-yoo pouted. As expected of a Peak Realm master — even the back of his head showed no gaps. It was completely different from when she'd picked his pocket a few days ago.

'An opening!'

Suddenly, his entire body was overflowing with gaps. It looked as though he had completely let his guard down. Her long legs pushed off the ground. Her leg shot into the sky and came crashing down like lightning.

Swiiish!

Right before her heel was about to strike the back of his head...

THWACK!

"Ow!"

Her vision flipped in an instant. She was suddenly rolling on the floor. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she snapped back to reality and glared at Si-woo. Her butt stung from hitting the ground.

"Ugh... that hurt! You said you wouldn't fight back!"

"Sorry. Just once more. I think I almost got it."

"What...?! You want me to attack again?! No way!"

"Aw, just one more time. I'll let you have that back attack you like so much."

Seo Ji-yoo's face flushed bright red. She let out a shriek.

"W-What are you talking about! No!"

"I'll get you something tasty too. Your favorite —"

"I said no! Hah—!"

Seo Ji-yoo, who had been pretending to turn away, suddenly lunged like lightning.

BOOM!

Her master's teachings about quiet footsteps went completely out the window. It was all about speed. Her springy thighs pushed off the ground. She wrapped herself in internal energy and formed a knife-hand. Whoong! The strike was twice as fast as before. Seo Ji-yoo extended her hand toward his shoulder with a triumphant smile. The essence of a surprise attack. The one technique her master had praised her talent for. She unleashed it.

'This will...!?'

True enough, Si-woo showed no reaction until her hand touched his shoulder. He just stood there motionless.

"Huh...?"

The satisfying impact she'd expected never came. The ceiling was in view again. Seo Ji-yoo blinked her large eyes. She couldn't understand what had happened. She was lying on the floor again, just like before. Si-woo, who had been right in front of her, was now a few steps away. She had been sent flying all the way here in the blink of an eye.

'What...?'

The strangest part was that there was no sound at all. No impact noise from being thrown this distance. Not even any pain. It was as though time had stopped and she had been gently laid down on the floor. She looked down at her trembling hand. The internal energy she had concentrated so intensely that it nearly manifested as energy had vanished without a trace. Involuntarily, she looked at the culprit behind all this. He simply nodded with a satisfied expression.

For a week, Si-woo stabilized his Peak Realm cultivation and trained in the Flowing Clouds and Running Water technique.

'I roughly understand it, but...'

For now, he failed once out of every two tries. Each time, Seo Ji-yoo rubbed her butt and scowled.

"Ugh... that hurt! You did it again...!"

"Sorry. It was really an accident."

It was no wonder Seo Ji-yoo, rolling on the floor, accused him of messing with her. From her perspective, he was hurting her as if playing a prank. If he had completely mastered the flow of force, there would have been no pain, not even a sound — but it wasn't easy. I placated her, just a step away from sulking, by giving her a sweet chocolate milk.

'Man, this place is great.'

Mok Yi-do's small chamber was the perfect environment for training. It was a place where stray thoughts didn't easily arise and concentration was heightened. It felt a waste to just leave it behind. I wanted to use it often.

'I should set up a teleportation array.'

The Academy Earth, where magic was well-developed. I felt like going there after so long.

Flash—

Arriving at the Academy Earth, Si-woo recalled the circumstances.

'Ah, right. It was a training ground.'

He only had two days left to stay in this place. He saw Amelia sleeping beside him, clutching her voluptuous chest like a pillow. She was closer to a mage than a martial artist. Perhaps because of that, her softness was second to none. An extreme softness, as if there wasn't a single muscle in her entire body.

Boop.

Looking at her pure white valley of cleavage, I poked a finger into it. The warm, chewy flesh pressed back pleasantly. Her skin was so soft, like a baby's, that just touching it felt good. I poked here and there with my finger. Then Amelia grabbed hold of it.

"Heheong..."

Whatever dream she was having, she wore a happy smile and gripped my finger tightly. She seemed to have grabbed it in her sleep, but she wouldn't let go.

"Uueung...!"

When I tried to pull my finger free, her brow furrowed and her face crumpled as if she might cry. I had intended to properly apply the advanced magic core to this body, but that was impossible now.

'...I'll do it tomorrow.'

I hugged the soft, pliable Amelia and lay down on the bed.