Fixer (2)
Fixer (2)
After deciding to become a Solver following my conversation with Kang Yuna at the resort, I received a lot of common sense and information necessary to work in this industry from her.
From essential common sense to useful gossip, I covered it all, so I wouldn't be looked down on as a newbie anywhere.
Among those, the area I paid particularly close attention to was the factions in this industry. Because I needed to know about the various powers that might be colleagues at times, and adversaries at others.
'Liangshan Marsh's Cheonguseong, huh.'
My gaze, which had been looking ahead as I walked, lowered. I could clearly see the small back of Cheonguseong Mok Hong's head as she walked ahead with confident steps.
'She doesn't match her appearance at all?'
Upper elementary, or generously middle school level, maybe. Her incredibly petite frame made me question whether this girl truly possessed the skills of a 1st-grade Solver.
They say appearance isn't everything, but when it comes to strength, appearance does account for a significant portion.
However, since Kang Yuna, who is the HR Manager of the Management Bureau, acknowledged that this girl's identity as Liangshan Marsh's Cheonguseong was correct, her appearance became irrelevant.
'A group that mainly trains in Secret Martial Arts and Breathing Techniques in a world where Mugong has disappeared, working to restore the lost martial arts.'
I recalled the summary of Liangshan Marsh that I had stored in my mind.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Liangshan Marsh the largest mystical faction in China. Composed of a select few 108 members, each individual was famously outstanding in skill.
'So much so that even the Management Bureau pays attention to the traits of members who bear star names, and refers to Liangshan Marsh members as constellations.'
Moreover, the star name that Mok Hong in front of me bears is Cheonguseong. Not an Earth star, but a Heaven star.
In the system of Liangshan Marsh which broadly divides its 108 members into 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends, she is a constellation belonging to the 36 Heavenly Spirits, all of whose skills are at minimum the level of seasoned 1st-grade Solvers.
'If I were to classify the strength of Marcel Lacrima, who possessed the Shisikgyojeonui, according to the Solver grade system, it would be 3rd-grade, they said.'
At that time, Marcel Lacrima had been fairly well-prepared, but he was a guy who endured Naegajungsubeop bare-handed and perplexed me.
It was only after creating the Limit-Transcending Sutra that I could finish him in one blow, meaning that even a mere 3rd-grade Solver isn't weak enough to be dismissed anywhere.
'She's two whole levels above that.'
From what I heard beforehand, there are five grades of Solvers, from 1st to 5th. And it's famously known that the difference in combat power between grades is tremendous.
In extreme cases, dozens of 5th-grade Solvers can't defeat a single 4th-grade Solver. That's how huge a single grade difference is, enough to overturn a numerical disadvantage of dozens.
"Now that I think about it, where are we going now?"
As I silently followed Mok Hong down the corridor of the Solver Association, I casually threw out the question.
Kang Yuna, who brought me here, took out a single sword for the assessment from her inventory, handed it over, and went back saying she had work to do, while Mok Hong, who said she would serve as both examiner and guide, hadn't opened her mouth since telling me to follow her.
I had a rough idea of where we were going, but still, wasn't the atmosphere too stiff? Since this wasn't an interrogation, I wanted to lighten the mood a bit.
"Normally, to measure the grade of a new Solver who knocks on the door of the Solver Association, you must visit a separate measurement room."
She hadn't spoken because I hadn't asked. As if she were the same type, once I actually posed a question, Mok Hong poured out her words refreshingly.
"However, upon checking the documents submitted by the Management Bureau to the Association, your record is quite impressive."
"Are you referring to having resolved several strange phenomena?"
"That is part of it. But most of all, it's because of your Secret Martial Arts and Breathing Technique, which have been evaluated as close to Mugong."
Mok Hong, who had been leading the way down the corridor, said that and stopped in front of a door. In front of a place where a pair of doors, like those of a school auditorium, formed one large door, Mok Hong continued for a moment.
"You clearly wrote in your documents that you have formed an organ similar to the danjeon and successfully accumulated energy there. Now that I face you in person, I can see that it is indeed true."
She's been poking me with her energy since earlier; so that's what she was examining. With that realization dawning on me, I waited for Mok Hong's next words.
"The reason I was called here is for the same reason. Normally, the assessment of a new Solver is handled by a Solver affiliated with the Association, but the Association judged that to accurately evaluate you, who possesses techniques close to Mugong, they needed to borrow the power of Liangshan Marsh."
Having said that, Mok Hong opened the door. The fairly large metal door opened smoothly without even a small hinge sound.
"Furthermore, you are objectively strong. You resolved three strange phenomena that the Management Bureau deemed troublesome, and then went on to single-handedly subjugate Marcel Lacrima, whom the West couldn't kill despite persistent pursuit."
Beyond the opened door, a tremendously wide room was revealed. It felt desolate, as if all the goods and equipment had been removed from a distribution center, leaving only empty space.
"Thus, after discussion with me, the Association decided to forgo the conventional measurement-style assessment and proceed with a sparring-style evaluation."
"Sparring-style, huh......."
Indeed, so that's why they brought me to such a spacious place.
Honestly, I liked it. Rather than going through all sorts of procedures tediously like a physical examination, I preferred to get it over with quickly and decisively like this.
Besides, even setting that reason aside, it's a chance to fight against a high-ranking constellation of Liangshan Marsh, who possesses the Secret Martial Arts currently closest to Mugong.
"In short, you want to spar, right?"
"You're quick to understand."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Mok Hong's mouth as she glanced back at me. To the extent that emotion was openly displayed on her previously expressionless face, I could feel that she too was looking forward to sparring with me.
"Actually, I wasn't originally supposed to be here."
"Huh?"
We stood at an appropriate distance inside the room, which was spacious enough to be called a plaza. Before starting the spar, Mok Hong let out a chuckle and said,
"Originally, Cheontoeseong was scheduled to come. I came by steamrolling with my senior's authority. Heuheu."
"Cheontoeseong, you mean......."
"Ah, I'm talking about Noe Hoeng. He's also called Sapsiho. Have you heard of him, by any chance?"
......Is that okay? No matter how you slice it, this is an official matter where the Solver Association requested help from Liangshan Marsh.
My momentary doubt was immediately answered by Mok Hong.
"Unlike me, a 1st-grade Solver, Cheontoeseong is a special-grade Solver. The mystical disasters in my home country, which the Management Bureau can't enter due to pressure from the Chinese authorities, are handled by Liangshan Marsh, so it's hard for a talent of special-grade Solver level to easily vacate their position for something like this."
A special-grade Solver, huh. Come to think of it, I remember hearing about it in passing from Kang Yuna. Because just the name sounded extremely demanding, I hadn't paid it much mind for the time being.
After all, the requirements for a special-grade Solver were utterly absurd.
The first condition: capable of toppling a nation single-handedly.
Second: possessing something uniquely one's own.
In my case, the latter is satisfied by the existence of Mugong, but I think the first condition is still premature.
Even if public authority often gets criticized as incompetent, when you clash with it head-on, it can crush and steamroll most factions. It's not a level where a martial artist at the Peak Realm can talk about whether they can overturn it just because they're good at Mugong.
"That's enough talk. Let's gradually start the assessment."
With those final words, Mok Hong took her stance. She drew a sharp sword from her waist and aimed its tip at me.
A typical thrusting stance. Since her small build makes it hard to gain an advantage in brute force, she seemed to be the type to rely on speed.
"Cheomgeom (Thrusting Sword), I see."
I casually tried to speak to her, but there was no reply. As if her words 'enough talk' were final, Mok Hong kicked the ground hard instead of answering.
'She takes in that much Energy of Nature in a single breath.'
If you had to point out a characteristic of the Breathing Technique, which is regarded as the modern method of internal cultivation, it would be the absence of a danjeon. Naturally, the energy is so extremely minute that it's virtually impossible to gauge the opponent's level by reading their qi paths.
Instead, because of the characteristic of continuously manipulating Energy of Nature through breathing, once you start operating the Breathing Technique, you can clearly determine the level from that point on. It's a method of gauging how much Energy of Nature is taken in with a single breath.
—Sswaek!
Mok Hong's thrust, surging through the air, aimed at my shoulder. Since this was a spar for assessment, not a life-or-death duel, she seemed to intentionally avoid vitals.
'I can't just take it.'
If I could use Mugong fully, I would have deployed the Shoulder Strike Technique with my shoulder clad in Protective Energy, deflecting the thrust of her Cheomgeom, then closing in to ram her and create an opening.
But since I'm not using Mugong now, and must use Breathing Technique and Secret Martial Arts that only look like Mugong, I first need to evade Mok Hong's attack.
—Hwik!
......?!
However, just because evasion is the only option doesn't mean the movement needs to be large. Because Cheomgeom, with its thrusting nature, inevitably has an attack range in the form of a point, its range is extremely limited.
'If you shift your center of gravity slightly and just change the position of your shoulder a bit, it'll naturally pierce the air on its own.'
Unlike a slash, a thrust is difficult to change trajectory immediately if it misses.
One must either immediately step deep to redirect the forward force downward or sideways, bearing the strain on the lower body, or completely pull back the extended sword and retract it to prepare for the next attack.
And that series of short movements required for repositioning becomes a fatal opening in combat.
'How will she respond, I wonder.'
Having evaded Mok Hong's thrust, I immediately extended my sword toward her straightened right arm. Because if I attack the hand holding the sword, I could seal her Cheomgeom, which seemed to be her specialty.
The distance was close enough that just reaching out my arm would make contact. Mok Hong's posture was broken from the failed attack. There was plenty of time to slash her before she regained her stance.
But contrary to my expectations, my sword sliced through empty air.
"......What's this?"
To be precise, my body moved on its own. As if something was pushing me, a strange current forcibly moved my steps and subtly tilted my center of gravity and the angle of my arm, twisting it.
'The sword definitely touched. It touched, but I couldn't cut.'
The moment contact was made, Mok Hong did something to me. The instant I realized that, I immediately relaxed my body and kicked off the ground.
'This can't be penetrated by brute force.'
I could see through it immediately because I can use a similar method myself. The technique Mok Hong just used on me was clearly the result of delving extremely deeply into the subtle principles of flow.
'It feels less like touching a human body and more like touching a soft, slippery object and sliding off as if repelled.'
If I had to make a comparison, it was a sensation similar to poking a quail egg in braised pork with chopsticks.
'Of course, Mok Hong's body doesn't actually have a jelly-like property, I'm sure.'
I suspect it's a phenomenon or illusion caused by that technique called Secret Martial Arts.
'......Interesting.'
This is my first time directly experiencing Secret Martial Arts, which I had only heard about. With my heart fluttering, the corners of my mouth curled upward; I slightly distanced myself and threw out a question.
"What is that? That technique just now. It seems like a Secret Martial Art."
.......
Is she not going to speak this time either? While I was thinking that and smacking my lips at the lack of reply.
"Taekkukgwon."
"......!"
A single word, returned indifferently.
"To be precise, it is my Secret Martial Art, an attempt to reproduce its principles."
At those words, I let go of the sword I was holding.
Because right now, I thought discarding the sword would be far more helpful for me.