The Vampire Incident (3)
The sharply lifted eyes turned toward me. Her neatly tied black hair caught the glow of the streetlamp and shimmered softly. The contrast against her snow-white skin created an almost ethereal beauty. If I didn’t know her, I probably wouldn’t have been able to look away from such a stunning girl. Fortunately, I’d seen her so many times that I’d built up some resistance.
Even without using internal energy, the passive boost from the Heavenly Demon Divine Art still gave me the edge in stats. The slightly quickened sound of Han Yeoreum’s heartbeat and breathing hit my ears clearly.
“Nervous?”
“I-I’m not!”
Han Yeoreum shot me a pouty glare. Her personality really was easy to read. Maybe the Conscience on Vacation trait should have gone to her instead of me.
She was still holding the basic stance of the Lesser Demonic Art, as if ready to counter whatever I threw at her. I had no idea what Cheon Hayeon was thinking when she suggested this spar, but there had to be a reason.
I glanced sideways. Cheon Hayeon was quietly watching us with a steady gaze. Because we shared the Martial Soul, it was hard to spot any openings. At our level, there was no way we didn’t have weaknesses, so it seemed the trait itself was canceling them out. That was probably for the best. I couldn’t keep relying on some unidentified Martial Soul forever.
Tap.
I exhaled a long breath and immediately kicked off the ground. Even without internal energy, my body was already overwhelmingly stronger than a normal person’s. It felt light. I never expected raising my stats by just ten points or so would make this much difference. Without using qi, the sensation was even clearer.
I stepped firmly and threw a punch. Han Yeoreum, who had been staring at my fist with cold eyes, immediately countered with her own. Bam!
Fist met fist. Something was off. My stats should have given me the advantage. Yet the more we exchanged blows, the more I was the one being pushed back. Especially strange was the power behind Han Yeoreum’s light-looking strikes. I tried sensing with my qi perception to see if she was using internal energy, but it was clear she was purely relying on physical ability.
I had no idea how such tremendous power could come from that slender, almost fragile-looking body. I accelerated my thoughts within the slowed-down world and made my judgment.
I’m going to lose.
If things continued like this, defeat was certain. Losing to Han Yeoreum? That was impossible.
Tap.
I stepped back a few paces and asked, “What the hell did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything?”
Han Yeoreum tilted her head with an innocent look. That expression told me everything.
“You hid your trait, didn’t you?”
“N-no?”
Hey, you’re obviously panicking. That’s a dead giveaway.
“What kind of trait is it that you’re trying to hide it?”
“Shut up…!”
With a face as red as a ripe persimmon, Han Yeoreum charged at me. Thanks to that, her movements became larger and easier to read. I calmly assessed the situation.
From when we had previously shared and compared our stats, I held the advantage in internal energy while she led in raw strength. But that was only according to the visible ‘status window.’ Humans weren’t that simple.
What I felt from our exchange just now was that even though both were EX-rank, the Unicorn Divine Art held the upper hand over the Heavenly Mountain Goddess Art. The biggest difference was in footwork. She had simply overpowered me with force, but she often missed the unique movements of the Heavenly Demon Tyrant Step. That was also why I had been able to retreat.
Because Han Yeoreum’s movements had grown larger, the power behind her attacks had increased as well. I stepped with paper-thin precision and struck the back of her gauntleted hand.
“Ouch!”
Han Yeoreum let out a small cry and slightly lowered her guard. Even without the Martial Soul telling me, her movements and openings were completely visible. I stepped into her range.
If I landed a clean punch to her abdomen right now, it would be my victory…
“Shit…!”
I barely avoided her counterattack while cursing under my breath. I could have punched her in the stomach. But hitting that slender belly with my fist… yeah, that didn’t feel right. What if she got hurt? This was just a spar to show our skills, not to actually knock someone out.
I urgently sent a pleading look toward Cheon Hayeon.
“That’s enough.”
Fortunately, she seemed to understand the meaning in my eyes. Cheon Hayeon immediately stepped in and stopped us.
“Ugh, I could’ve won.”
Han Yeoreum grumbled as she plopped down on the ground.
“Yeah, yeah. You won.”
I let out a deep sigh and placed a hand on Han Yeoreum’s head.
“Huh?”
She looked up at me with wide, round eyes.
“You won.”
“Wait, what?”
“I lost.”
“For real? No take-backs? You mean it?”
“Yep.”
“Yesss…!”
Watching her clench both fists in excitement, she must have been really happy. After suffering nearly two hundred losses and finally getting one win, she probably felt like she’d achieved something. From my perspective, knowing the truth, I could only smile.
I thought we could just let it slide like that, but—
“No. Han Yeoreum, you lost.”
The judge’s verdict was merciless.
“Huh…?”
“If Kim Mugong hadn’t held back his final attack, you would already be lying on the cold ground. In my eyes, it was clearly your defeat, Han Yeoreum.”
“N-no way. Hey, you’re lying, right?”
Han Yeoreum desperately grabbed my arm.
“It’s true I stopped the last attack, but I’m not sure you would’ve gone down in one hit…”
“…I lost again.”
Han Yeoreum looked like she had just lost her entire country. If she had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously before drooping straight down. I had even kindly suggested the possibility of a draw, but the word ‘defeat’ seemed to have been hammered deep into her mind.
“So, what are your thoughts?”
I gently stroked the dejected Han Yeoreum’s head and asked Cheon Hayeon.
“There is one more thing. I need to confirm something.”
“What is it?”
“I also need to see attacks that use internal energy.”
“I’ll do it.”
I put some distance between myself and the half-dazed Han Yeoreum. Even though she had that blank look on her face, the moment she heard we were demonstrating martial arts, her eyes sparkled. That girl really was a born fighter.
“How much power should I use?”
Against Cheon Hayeon, I didn’t have the stat boost. The duration of the stat increase had already ended while we were preparing. Still, A-rank internal energy wasn’t something to sneeze at. Even though A-rank and S-rank were only one stage apart, the actual difference in power was enormous, so I felt a little regretful.
“You underestimate me too much. One strike. Come at me with everything you have.”
Cheon Hayeon spoke while standing with her hands behind her back in a dignified posture.
“…Alright.”
I nodded and began drawing up the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Like a volcano erupting, a massive surge of power raced through every meridian in my body. I poured everything into a single strike. My opponent was the woman closest to becoming the next Heavenly Demon.
The energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art transformed according to the principles of the Blood Demon Art and began condensing in my right hand. A blood-red aura flickered below my wrist.
Thud!
I immediately kicked off the ground and charged forward. My steps, now infused with internal energy, were on a completely different level from before. I wasn’t looking for an opening. Frontal assault. I unleashed the technique that had once dealt a serious blow to Kim Yong—Blood Demon Art: Blood Flame Destruction—right in front of Cheon Hayeon.
Until that moment, Cheon Hayeon had remained still. Then her hand drew a strange trajectory.
The crimson destructive force collided head-on with an unknown counter.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The immense power carried in both our hands clashed violently. The ground around us shattered, sending dirt and stone fragments flying in every direction. The red and black energies intertwined before shooting high into the sky and dissipating.
…Crazy.
The moment I realized what had just happened, goosebumps spread across my entire body. The Martial Soul activated naturally and began analyzing Cheon Hayeon’s response. It was close to the profound principle of Transferring Flower, Grafting Wood. Not only had she met my Blood Demon Art head-on, she had redirected the force to neutralize it, sending the power veering off into the air.
“…What a vicious attack. To think you could pierce even a portion of the Heavenly Demon Supreme Hand.”
Cheon Hayeon said lightly as she brushed off her hand.
“You’re the real monster here. In that short amount of time…”
“I am the Young Heavenly Demon of the Divine Cult. This much is only natural.”
“Are you done?”
Han Yeoreum, who had been watching our clash with wide eyes, came running over.
“Yes. I understand the general situation now. Let’s move over there.”
Cheon Hayeon walked toward a pavilion near the training ground. It made sense that a place like this existed, considering the academy had an Eastern aesthetic mixed in. Sitting together under the soft moonlight gave the scene a certain charm.
“I don’t know what your respective sects’ policies are. But one thing is certain.”
“We’re self-taught,” I answered. Cheon Hayeon tilted her head.
“…That is hard to believe. We can discuss that later. What you two need most urgently right now is ‘fundamentals.’”
“Fundamentals? In what sense?”
“What is martial arts? What should a martial artist pursue? For thousands of years, countless martial artists have staked their lives in battle to find the answer.”
“Is there a correct answer?”
“There is something close to one. A conclusion reached after countless trials and errors. A martial artist must pursue the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.”
Because a large amount of information had been forcibly injected into my mind, I already knew this in theory. Essence referred to the body, Qi to internal energy, and Spirit to the mind. It was perhaps an obvious concept. The only thing that had been unclear was exactly how it worked now that the game had become reality.
“Is that our problem?”
Cheon Hayeon wouldn’t have brought this up for no reason.
“…Kim Mugong, Han Yeoreum. Your bodies are far too abnormal. Especially you, Kim Mugong. You are even worse. Your body is pathetically weak compared to the enormous amount of internal energy you possess. While you are skilled at handling qi, your intent is barely noticeable in your attacks. Honestly, I have no idea how something like this is possible.”
It was possible because of the Martial Soul. But I couldn’t exactly say that.
“You can probably think of it as… innate disposition.”
“I suppose so. You two possess the legendary bodies of the Sun and Moon Yin. This is my first time seeing them in person as well.”
“Let’s say we can train the body. What about intent?”
Time was the issue, but physical training would naturally improve with consistent effort. In the long run, Essence could be resolved naturally. The real problem was Spirit—the mental aspect.
Imagine if a human suddenly grew a tail and wings. Could they move them freely right away? That was exactly how I felt. Thanks to the Martial Soul, I could use it ‘unconsciously,’ but even I didn’t understand why it was possible. That must have been why Cheon Hayeon said my intent wasn’t clearly felt. From her perspective, it probably looked no different from a child throwing punches on pure instinct.
“Spirit is the manifestation of intent and will. You two are already using it unconsciously. To bring it into the realm of conscious control…”
Cheon Hayeon narrowed her eyes and murmured quietly.
“The easy path, the difficult path, or the brute-force path. Choose.”
“I get the others, but what’s the brute-force path?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I cannot guarantee the results, but it may be the fastest way to reach a higher realm.”
“The fastest… Then I’ll take the brute-force path. What about you, Miss Han Yeoreum?”
“Uh, yeah? Me too.”
Han Yeoreum, who had been blankly listening to our conversation, jumped in surprise. Did she even understand what we were talking about?
“A good decision. In that case, for now, each of you should pick one technique from the Blood Demon Art and Lesser Demonic Art you have learned and aim to repeat it lightly ten thousand times.”
“…Lightly how many times?”
I asked again, thinking I must have misheard.
“Ten thousand times.”
Cheon Hayeon said firmly.
“We’re splitting it up, right?”
The corners of her mouth drew a gentle arc. Even while cross-dressing, her smile was breathtakingly beautiful. Yet instinctively, a chill ran down my spine.
“Of course not. Ten thousand times at once.”