Rookie: Baek Jaesung 44
In the pitch-black haze of a dark void,
a figure wearing a helmet tilted its head slightly, gazing at the image projected before it. The image showed the natives of this world who had invaded its castle.
(Useful beings.)
These natives invading its castle wielded tremendous power despite their pitifully meager mana reserves. Above all, their mastery of that power was exceptional. They were beings worth devouring.
Among them, two in particular caught its eye.
-Seungjin! Watch your back!
-Got it!
The native who freely manipulated the power of darkness,
-I can't maintain the Light Sword for long! Hurry!
-Okay!
and the one who wielded the power of light. It was an amusing coincidence that these two, who commanded opposing forces, had invaded its castle at the same time. Soon, those two powers would become its own. That would narrow the gap with the other candidates.
It didn't step in personally for the devouring. It was too busy managing the castle.
The intruders were repelled by the castle itself anyway. Once the monsters of the castle brought them down, it could devour them then. Devouring the intruders' power to strengthen the castle and itself—this was a most desirable virtuous cycle.
Having devoured quite a few natives, its castle had grown considerably stronger. Now it could open and close the castle gates at will. Quite the growth. Of course, it was still far behind the leading candidates.
(Those two will wreck my castle further if I leave them be...)
Murmuring to itself as it watched the projected image,
the native wielding darkness and the one wielding light displayed a level of power utterly unlike the others. It might have to intervene personally.
The castle could recover from moderate damage by devouring more natives, but excessive destruction would be problematic.
(But... there seem to be fewer Monoeyes than expected...? What the hell are they doing?)
The images flickering before it were far too sparse. It had thought they were working diligently lately, but Monoeyes were tricky to handle after all. Grumbling to itself, the figure focused on the images.
*-*-*
The KHC I'd learned was fundamentally a bare-handed martial art that turned the body into a weapon.
One of KHC's greatest strengths was its superb versatility and convenience. The ability to unleash powerful techniques without a weapon had captivated countless dungeon hunters.
Weapons capable of performing against monsters couldn't be bought for pocket change. Even for dungeon hunters—the high earners who looked down on everyone else—weapon costs were a significant burden. Especially for rookies.
This backdrop was a key reason KHC had spread so widely. An advanced martial art that let you match armed foes with just your bare body was practically scripture to poor newbie hunters.
The orthodox KHC I'd learned from Master Kim Minyoung fell into that category. KHC was a fearsome art that turned a dungeon hunter's fists and feet into weapons.
Yet here I was, gripping swords in both hands, unleashing KHC—the pinnacle of body techniques. So, could this even be called KHC anymore?
Vwooooom!
I could vividly feel the surge of qi coursing through my body. It was as if I'd injected an awakener directly into my veins—my mind was sharper and more alert than ever.
I could taste the air I breathed, see the shapes of sounds scattering in the void, and hear the scorching heat of the flames baring their jaws of death toward me.
I was a diver hurling myself into those deathly flames. But an even greater power than the inferno seeking to swallow me gathered in my lightsaber.
'This feels just like using a straight punch and hammer kick at the same time!'
Both the straight punch and hammer kick shared the principle of squeezing every ounce of whole-body power into a single point. What I'd gathered this time was similar. The only difference? The power converged not in my limbs, but in the sword.
'Is this the realm of Man-Sword Unity?'
The thought flashed through my mind. But it melted away in the onrushing heat. Right now, I had to focus on the enemy ahead. I could sort out the enlightenment later, after the fight.
Roooaaar!
The Tyranno's breath was blisteringly hot. It felt like molten lava marching toward me. Each inhale of the hellishly superheated air brought searing agony. But I endured it all, spinning my body.
A motion similar to yet distinct from Jisu's Whirling Sword technique. I became a lofty full moon in the sky, cleaving the Tyranno's breath in two and plummeting toward it.
Shiiiing!
To others, I probably looked like a razor-sharp disc.
I sliced straight through the Tyranno's face. A heavy thud reverberated through the lightsaber's hilt. I knew my strike had landed effectively without even looking.
Spluuuurt!
My spin didn't stop there. Like a fan blade whipping through the air, I cleaved the Tyranno's face in half, then its entire torso.
The monster's massive frame, dozens of meters long, offered no resistance. I severed its bones and innards, but the spinning sword's speed never faltered. The Full Moon Slash's physical penetration must have played a role.
True KHC - Full Moon Slash Lv1 (A-rank)
Consumes internal energy to maximize the sword aura's lethality, delivering a devastating strike that utterly rends the foe. Full Moon Slash has 50% physical penetration.
Splaaash!
My body landed behind the Tyranno's tail. Yeonji perfectly anticipated my drop zone and caught me effortlessly.
"Jaesung!"
Thud!
Yeonji's body was soft like a sponge. She didn't even flinch catching me from dozens of meters up.
A torrent of blood erupted behind me, spraying everywhere. A red line appeared across the Tyranno's body. Blood gushed from it like a wave crashing over us.
Booom!
The Tyranno's halves collapsed to either side. The cross-section of the severed beast was unrealistically clean. Only then did the reality sink in—I'd taken down another formidable foe.
"Haa..."
A weary sigh escaped me automatically. My whole body went limp. That single strike was the masterpiece of my life. The exhilarating sensation still lingered in my hands.
"Oppa! You okay!?"
Jisu rushed over. I brushed off the blood-soaked clothes roughly and replied.
"Eh, hanging in there."
*-*-*
Jaesung's Tyranno takedown was broadcast live worldwide. Hoseok and Minyoung watched it together.
Minyoung's lips twitched nonstop with a grin. When Jaesung bisected the Tyranno, she couldn't hold back, pointing at the screen and shouting.
"That's my disciple! My disciple!"
Hoseok had never seen Minyoung act so rowdy. Looking flustered, he replied.
"Impressive. But he's your disciple, Kim, yet using a sword?"
"Ah! True. Hmm... With KHC's power, he wouldn't even need a sword..."
Hoseok's observation soured Minyoung's expression instantly. Among dungeon hunters using martial arts, swordsmanship, spearmanship, marksmanship, etc., there were unspoken factions.
Not rigid boundaries, but a culture where swordsmen subtly looked down on martial artists, and martial artists sneered at archers or gunners. Especially among martial house folks like Minyoung.
"Anyway, remarkable. Hard to gauge precisely from footage, but that dino monster looks at least 6-rank difficulty, conservatively."
Minyoung nodded at Hoseok's words.
"Yeah. Bottom of the barrel, sure, but definitely 6-rank level."
"If that party returns safely, promotion's a sure thing."
With achievements like this, the Association would pave the way for quick advancement. Minyoung planned to lobby upper management herself.
"If they return safely... Ah!"
Hoseok cut off mid-sentence with a sharp cry.
"What's wrong, Kim?"
"Another one's dead."
He pointed to a corner of the screen. In one of the live feeds on the computer, a dungeon hunter bit the dust. Cause: combat.
"And this party's about to get wiped."
The deceased was the healer. Zombies swarmed the party.
Without the healer, the survivors lost their endurance edge. Another party wiped in the dungeon. Seven remained now. The number would dwindle far more.
*-*-*
After felling the Tyranno, we took a breather. The bat monster flapped over, wings buzzing.
It seemed to like Jisu. It kept rubbing its face against her, begging for affection.
"Kyarr! So cute!"
Jisu pulled out a snack and fed it. Seeing her innocent smile warmed my heart.
"Oogoo! There, there! This big sis'll give you lotsa yummy treats~!"
"That's a female?"
"Nope. But if it's cute, it's my little sis."
Jisu brazenly doled out snacks.
The others were too exhausted to glance at Jisu or the bat. After the Tyranno fell, the other dinos fled. They'd realized their boss was done.
That bought us ample recovery time. Topple the head, and the rest scatter.
We were deep in rest when a bizarre sound hummed from thin air.
"Hm?"
Vwooom!
Black smoke coalesced in the air. The sudden anomaly sparked dread. The smoke formed a shape—a door. We shot to our feet.
"What now? No break at all."
Yeonji griped, scowling. An unknowable ominous vibe emanated from the door. Why pop up now?
"What is this? Does killing the boss here summon it?"
"Feels like final boss room aura, right?"
Rina's words had me and Yeonji nodding in sync.
"Yeah."
No clue why it appeared, but our choice was clear: enter and find the next path.
"Jaesung-ssi, that door feels extremely foreboding."
Kim Sunwook eyed the new door warily. Only someone with weird senses wouldn't feel the black aura pouring off it. Its entrance alone screamed trouble.
"Safe to go in?"
Jang Hana stared anxiously.
"Monsters here were this tough already. Can't imagine what's behind that creepy door."
Her anxiety was justified. The Tyranno was no pushover. I'd gone all-out.
The kill was smooth thanks to my new skill epiphany. Without it, I'd have burned through every trick.
If something stronger than the Tyranno lurked beyond, hopes of everyone escaping alive were slim. High probability, too.
My girls were the exception, of course. I'd pull every ace to protect them if needed. Jang Hana included.
"Let's top off HP first, then go."
Everyone nodded. We steeled ourselves, prepping for the next room.