Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 023
Chapter Title: Two Fortuitous Encounters (5)
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-Crackle!
The outside world was still gripped by winter, which made the weather in here feel especially biting these days. I tossed some logs into the fireplace and lit them up. The chill air gradually warmed.
I seated the guest, who had arrived after such a long time, in front of it. The chair creaked unpleasantly beneath him.
Guess I'll have to make a new one soon, I thought idly as I examined the young man's attire.
He was a young man past his twenties but still carrying a boyish air.
Judging by that odd, form-fitting undergarment clinging to his body and the outer coat that looked thin yet felt substantial, I could tell the outside world's technology had advanced considerably.
"Hm."
But as I kept staring at the young man, a strange feeling crept over me. Yes, truly bizarre.
This realm was an unexplored demonic landscape.
Not only did it rage with flesh-cutting blizzards and ferocious storms, but the rampant natural energies here disrupted the qi within one's body. No matter how mighty a superhuman, reaching the heart of this place was no easy feat.
It's been 27 years since I settled here. In that time, the four superhumans who made it were all unparalleled powerhouses who stood apart from the rest.
Yet what of the youth before me? Far from a powerhouse, he seemed barely worth one person's share. His qi was faint beyond measure, and his timid gaze didn't suit a fighter in the slightest.
How had such a one pierced the blizzard to arrive here?
Those mysterious clothes didn't seem to have shielded him from it either.
Truly bizarre. Bizarre indeed—but that also meant it was endlessly intriguing.
The first to arrive had been a frail girl.
The second, a dashing young man with a bold air.
The third was a foreign warrior whose words I couldn't understand, and the fourth a taciturn woman whose voice was hard to hear even when she spoke.
Now, what sort of person was this fifth arrival? What method had he used to breach this demonic realm? What had driven him to stand before me?
I couldn't wait to hear his tale. My aged body trembled with excitement, a childish grin spreading across my face.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -Crackle.
The bonfire's heat drove away the frozen winter air.
Savoring its warmth with my whole body, I gazed at the old man sitting across from me.
The old man's first impression was like a finely honed blade.
He stared silently into the flames, lost in thought. His armor, etched with the marks of time, gleamed crimson.
A medieval-style suit made merely from monster materials, without any fancy features. Likewise, two longswords that were simply sturdy and sharp.
Relics of a bygone era, obsolete in this age of advanced tech. They starkly reflected the old man's life, cut off from the world outside.
The old man's name was Yeo In-hyeok.
A first-generation hunter active in turbulent times, Korea's inaugural S-grade superhuman. He had conquered countless dungeons and slain over ten thousand monsters, making him the national hero who forged modern Korea.
"...You're pretty banged up, I see."
With those words, the old man approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.
-Crunch! Crack!
In the next instant, a racket echoed as my muscles churned throughout my body. But there was no pain. Instead, the lingering ache began to fade.
"...I fixed up some of the damaged muscles and organs. The pain should have eased a bit. But it's not a full cure, so once you leave here, make sure to visit a proper hospital."
As I marveled at my body, the old man finished and returned to his seat.
"Well then."
The old man spoke. His dark eyes pierced right through my brow.
"How did you reach this place?"
No half-baked lies would work on the man before me. His enlightened eyes could even detect the flow of mana in my body from emotional shifts.
I told him the unvarnished truth.
About my ability. About the talisman. About the Whisper of the Morning Star. And about the true nature of the blizzard, as I knew it.
The old man listened intently, occasionally murmuring "I see" or "Indeed," as if genuinely fascinated.
"...I get it. So that's the way. If the rampant natural energies are the issue, then dive in with your internal qi—your mana, as you call it—depleted. A brilliant idea. A superhuman with exhausted qi is as weak as can be. No ordinary mind would think to throw themselves into that blizzard in such a state."
A commonplace body, but extraordinary insight. He chuckled as he added that.
"So, why did you enter this demonic realm? To conquer the dungeon? Or to meet me?"
"...I came to meet you, Master Yeo In-hyeok."
"You know my name. Did the previous visitors tell you?"
"No. I've known it from the start."
At my answer, the old man looked surprised. Soon, a pleased smile lit his face. He'd seen with his mana-sight eyes that I spoke truth.
"For an old recluse like me to still be remembered—quite an honor."
"Recluse? You're a legendary figure all superhumans revere. You may not know it, Master, but your feats are even in elementary school textbooks."
"Heh heh heh. The young ones learning my tales? Not a bad feeling at all."
In this world, 'superhuman Yeo In-hyeok' held prestige rivaling any historical giant. A statue of him had just been erected in Gwanghwamun Square, after all.
"Right. You came to see me."
"Yes."
"Then your goal's obvious. The Taiji Physique, I presume."
Taiji Physique.
A term straight out of a wuxia novel, yet I nodded. I knew what he meant.
The idol of all hunters. The first S-grade superhuman. Korea's national savior.
That was why such a man had secluded himself in this Heavenly Lake Dungeon for decades: the 'Taiji Physique.'
"Do you know about my superpower?"
"I heard it's called 'Muscle and Bone Alignment.'"
"You know it. That makes this quicker."
Muscle and Bone Alignment. The ability to adjust bones and muscles' positions and shapes to enhance physical prowess and heal injuries.
It sounded modest for the first S-grade's power, but a lifetime of refinement had elevated it beyond such a simple label.
"The reason I entered this demonic realm of my own accord was to forge a perfect body that could withstand any environment."
Before settling in the Heavenly Lake Dungeon, he had roamed dungeons worldwide, subjecting his body to harsh conditions. With his extreme mastery, he optimized his flesh to endure them.
Skin impervious to any flame, from a dungeon brimming with lava.
Immunity to all poisons, from a fog that induced vomiting blood with one breath.
Bones and muscles to bear hundreds of tons, from a gravity-dominated dungeon.
The dungeons' brutal environments fueled his body's evolution. After traversing countless demonic realms, his physique transcended humanity. That was the secret behind the national hero's strength.
Then one day, a rumor reached his ears.
'The dungeon at Baekdu's Heavenly Lake has conditions so harsh, even the strongest superhumans can't endure.'
Without hesitation, he headed there—no reports to guilds or associations. Alone, he plunged into the mana storm head-on.
A body honed over a lifetime. Yet even the toughest superhuman flesh had limits. The backlash from internal and external mana was insurmountable, even for him.
Or so it should have been.
"I endured stubbornly, again and again, until one day my body began to adapt. I could even see the natural energies raging across the dungeon. My power, my body, had finally acclimated to this demonic realm's environment."
When muscles tore, he mended them. When bones broke, he reset them. When organs pulped, he forced them together.
He never despaired in failure. Fail once, advance a step next time. His body might crumble, but his spirit never bent.
After repeating this life-risking process dozens, hundreds of times, his body adapted to the Heavenly Lake Dungeon's mana storm.
But adaptation wasn't true mastery.
In pursuit of perfection, he entered and exited daily. After three years, he built a home inside and stayed. Barren with only snow, but livable.
"Beyond the gate, there's a surprisingly vast forest for some reason. A winter woods, but teeming with beasts, and strangely, fruits on the trees. I thought, 'This is enough to settle here permanently.'"
He resolved to reside here until fully adapting to the mana storm, honing his body.
Save occasional hunts or firewood beyond the gate, he spent days in the storm.
Face the mana storm head-on, retreat when the body failed to heal, reenter once recovered.
That routine marked 28 years this year.
Reflecting on that long life, he murmured softly.
"Even after 28 years, I haven't fully conquered the storm. But I've come infinitely close."
A body free from rampant natural energies. Harmony between external and internal qi. Thus, he named his state the Taiji Physique.
"And the pinnacle of my superpower? I can induce that bodily evolution in others."
His power wasn't limited to himself. Just as he'd adjusted my muscles to heal me, if he willed it, he could transform my pathetic frame into the Taiji Physique he'd forged over a lifetime.
"But I won't pass the Taiji Physique to you. Two reasons."
The old man raised a gauntleted finger.
"First: I'm no saint handing out a lifetime's achievements for free. Teaching all to a chance wanderer? That's cliché wuxia nonsense. Reality's harsher."
"Second: Even if I wanted to, your body couldn't handle it. The previous superhumans were similar, but you're especially frail. Your prowess as a superhuman must be well below average—bottom-tier, even."
Finishing, he blinked in surprise at my calm demeanor. He'd seen I wasn't disappointed or dejected.
"You look like you expected this."
"I thought the same, Master. A hermit imparting techniques for free? Pure wuxia fantasy."
"That seems sincere, yet I sense something hidden. Some ulterior motive?"
I smiled awkwardly. How could I say this world was that novel? But his sharp insight had glimpsed the truth.
"I never sought the Taiji Physique to begin with. But surely you've given guidance to the superhumans who've visited."
"Guidance? I just patched their bodily flaws. They braved the blizzard expecting something; couldn't send them empty-handed."
"That's exactly what I want."
Perfect body conquering all environments? I didn't care. I wasn't so shameless as to demand world-topping power outright.
I sought the bare minimum baseline. A body worthy of one superhuman share. The least needed to overcome the Blissful Heavenly Demon's schemes.
The old man laughed, amused. He hadn't wiped the smile from his face throughout our talk—enjoying the rare conversation.
"Heh. Should I praise your self-awareness or scold your lack of ambition?"
"I know my place and have ambition. All superhumans crave strength."
"True enough. Then how far does your ambition stretch, coming here to meet me?"
His eyes sharpened. A false vow here would disappoint him.
"I..."
Only the truth would do.
"I want to change the world."
Straighten this world's derailed plot twists. That was my unshakeable resolve.
For the first time, his smile vanished at my earnest words. But only briefly—soon, a hearty laugh boomed forth, unlike before.
"Hahaha! Truly, that scrawny frame dares speak of the world with such sincerity!"
He rose and approached, grabbing my shoulders with a grinning face.
"Good. Your base is low, so I can't overhaul much. But I'll lay a foundation for future growth."
"...That's more than enough."
A life starting far behind due to the Blissful Heavenly Demon's tricks. Standing at the same starting line as others would suffice.
"I like that spirit. Return when you've reached enlightenment."
At those words, an electric jolt surged, muscles writhing. Indescribable agony.
"Heh heh, heh heh heh!"
But from my lips came not screams of pain, but laughter of ecstasy.
Blissful Heavenly Demon, you bastard. Still watching?
I tilted my head up, glaring at the ceiling—beyond to the sky, to this world's god somewhere out there.
Whatever you scheme, it won't go your way!
No matter the interference, schemes, or petty tricks.
I would overcome every trial and hardship, return to my original world no matter what.
Gnashing my teeth against the pain of bones and flesh tearing apart, I vowed it again and again.
A few days later, Friday, February 28.
The morning of the exam had dawned at last.