90

It had been a while since I last came to the Martial Arts World. I gently stroked the head of Dang Hwa-rin, who lay sleeping beside me. Her soft hair and warm body temperature felt pleasant against my fingertips.

'Hmm… by the way.'

I couldn't quite recall the exact situation. 'Ah…!' Then it came back to me — I remembered smashing those thugs from what seemed to be the Blood Cult on Cheongbong Mountain. The bastards who killed people and used bizarre bells to offer souls as sacrifices. I recalled using the Murim Alliance to wipe them all out.

'Thanks to that, I practically got the quest for free.'

The time was just before dawn, when the sun was about to rise.

"Nngh…"

The cold morning air seeped into the bed. The sleeping Dang Hwa-rin furrowed her brow slightly as if she felt the chill. I covered her carefully with the blanket so she wouldn't wake up, then got out of bed.

'It's awkward.'

Back in the old days, that would have felt like a huge amount of Karma, but not anymore. I pondered what to buy. The thing I wanted most right now was an Advanced Magic Core. More internal energy is always better, after all.

'When will I ever save up eight thousand Karma.'

I'd have to buy an Intermediate Magic Core eight more times to get an Advanced Magic Core. The Karma I had left fell far short.

"Ooh…"

I could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see Dang Hwa-rin sleeping next to me. The corners of her mouth were lifted, as if she were dreaming a pleasant dream. There was something I had once intended to give her. Something I decided on because of those hidden needles that stabbed into me every time I held her.

That seemed safer than giving her a subspace pouch that could be lost or stolen.

"A gift?"

Dang Hwa-rin's eyes sparkled with curiosity. She licked her lips, as if anticipating something delicious.

"Close your eyes."

"Hm? Are you going to feed me? Good! Ah~"

The moment I saw the pink tongue inside her mouth, my lower body tensed up. It was a reflex straight from the spine.

'Ahem…'

After calming down a little, I purchased the [Grant Right – Inventory (Lv.0)].

Light seinto her. Even though it was quite dazzling, she didn't notice. It seemed to be a light only visible to me.

"Ngh…? What is this…?"

She furrowed her brow, staring at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠empty air. Her pupils moved rapidly, and she waved her hand as if she had seen a ghost. Apparently, something appeared before her eyes.

"Can you see something?"

"There's some kind of writing… subspace…? What is this?"

Not an inventory, but subspace. It seemed to have been translated to match her language.

"My gift. Just accept it. You'll understand better once you use it yourself."

"Mm…"

She nodded without hesitation. That's how much she trusted him. My heart swelled with pride. A relationship based on trust and reliance, regardless of mutual benefit, brought a fulfillment that nothing else could compare to.

"Huh…?"

I was curious to see how she would react. A look of astonishment filled Dang Hwa-rin's round eyes.

'I learned how to use it instinctively… I wonder what she'll do.'

After blinking for a whileshe fumbled at her waist. What Dang Hwa-rin pulled out was a plain, undecorated hidden dagger. It disappeared from her palm and reappeared repeatedly.

'She even looks pretty when she's surprised.'

It was cute how her small mouth gradually opened wider in shock, so much that I felt the urge to stick my finger in and touch it.

"So… is it… good?"

Her focus seemed strange. It felt like she was staring at something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far away. Dang Hwa-rin's energy began to surge. I watched carefully to see if there was any problem, but it wasn't anything bad. Quite the opposite…

I used 1,000 Karma but ended up gaining even more. It wasn't intentional, but it was a good thing.

'Hmm… enlightenment?'

A scene I'd seen a few times in videos from the modern world came to mind. Those who awaken from a state of no-mind become a dimension stronger.

'Enlightenment… just from giving an inventory? Well, subspace itself is remarkable, but…'

Dang Hwa-rin's energy flared up like a flame and then subsided, repeating the cycle. I could instinctively tell that something was happening. Anticipation welled up. She was both my lover and my teacher, after all. If she grew stronger, I'd benefit too.

But just as it seemed about to happen, nothing occurred. Instead, it gradually faded. Dang Hwa-rin's internal energy was insufficient.

'That's a shame.'

I felt a pang of regret, as if I was letting a good opportunity slip away. After thinking it over, I pulled out a glass bottle. The Sky Crystal Oil I had saved for the Martial Arts World.

'Ah, whatever. It was easy to come by anyway.'

I felt a little sorry for Helena. It was an elixir she had given me to eat. But seeing such a tense scene, I couldn't help but invest. It was like watching a squirrel keep falling because it couldn't cross a small wall. It just needed a little push on its bottom.

'And it's not like she's a stranger; it's Hwa-rin.'

The one who taught me the basics of martial arts. An elixir like this wasn't something to begrudge.

I pondered how to feed it to her. If I fed it by mouth, she would definitely break out of her state of no-mind.

'A kiss? No way…'

After consideration, I poured it into my own mouth. I refined the energy of the Sky Crystal Oil that surged like a flame using the Mixed Origin Qi Art. The energy that naturally flowed toward my lower dantian I gathered in my palm.

We had been intimate dozens of times. So many times that I couldn't count even using both hands. I already knew what kind of energy she liked. A sharp, fast, yet somewhat hazy energy.

I stopped my palm about an inch away from Dang Hwa-rin's back.

Woong.

Transmitting it from a distance was harder than I thought. I focused as much as I could to deliver the energy to her.

The flame that had been dying down began to rise again.

"Ah…"

Dang Hwa-rin felt as if she had woken from a dream. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Si-woo. He was the person she loved most in the world. Somehow, he had become such a precious existence. She didn't know how she had come to like him so much even though they hadn't been together for very long. Just seeing his face made her happy.

"You're awake? Congratulations."

"Huh…?"

Dang Hwa-rin, who had been blushing from embarrassment, tilted her head. It had been morning when the sun was just rising, but now it was already night. Si-woo had definitely given her a gift, a subspace…

'Ah!'

She gestured subtly with her hand. In that instant, a hidden needle was embedded in a tree far away. A throwing technique surprising enough to astonish Si-woo, who was watching. He hadn't sensed it at all. He only noticed the needle had struck after hearing the sound. Its speed was the same as before. What mattered was the naturalness. The hidden weapon flew from a movement that felt completely unintentional. She had mastered the most important aspect of throwing techniques: natural body movement.

The wall of the Peak Realm was right before her eyes. Moreover, her internal energy was so full it felt like her dantian would burst. There was no doubt who had given it to her. Her heart pounded as if it would explode. Dang Hwa-rin could no longer hold back and threw herself into his arms.

One month.

Time flowed quickly at the Cheongbong Hermitage. First, I used Karma. With the over five thousand Karma I had gathered, thanks in part to Dang Hwa-rin, I bought an Intermediate Magic Core five times. Now, only three purchases remained until the Advanced Magic Core. According to my estimates, the Advanced Magic Core, which costs a total of ten thousand Karma, would grant power comparable to the Peak Realm even in that realm. It felt like the goal had suddenly jumped within reach.

During the day, I trained; at night, I rolled around in bed with Dang Hwa-rin and Moyuseonja—no, Cheongwol Seonja—taking turns. Especially Cheongwol Seonja, who spurted milk every time she reached climax. Just looking at her made my cock stiffen. No matter how strong she was, once I thrust my cock into her, she turned into a whimpering female. As the days of diligent training passed, I gradually grew bored.

'It's good… but…'

In the month that had passed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had only gained about three hundred Karma. Put another way, I had earned three hundred just by relaxing