A Man Should Strengthen Himself!
"Hit me," Bukjin said.
"Pardon?!"
Cheong-cheong, who had been marveling at the strange changes occurring within her body, stared at him with a look of utter bewilderment. 'D-Does the Young Master... actually enjoy that sort of thing?'
A memory from her maid training suddenly flashed through her mind. She recalled a hushed conversation about how some men found a peculiar sort of excitement when a woman struck them with leather whips or canes. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that Bukjin would harbor such tastes.
'No wonder... His reaction was so cold when I came in earlier with only a towel covering me.'
"Where... where should I hit you?" Cheong-cheong asked, her face flushing a deep crimson.
"Anywhere is fine. Just throw a punch," Bukjin replied.
After a moment of hesitation, Cheong-cheong raised her hand and swung it toward Bukjin's cheek. She vaguely remembered hearing that men with such unique preferences particularly enjoyed being slapped. As her hand moved, a profound light of Mystic Energy erupted from her palm, causing the air in the bedroom to churn with violent power.
Surprise flickered across Cheong-cheong's face, but Bukjin reacted instantly, reaching out to catch her hand. Her skin felt incredibly soft against his palm.
"Excellent," Bukjin praised, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
The strike Cheong-cheong had thrown wasn't a formal martial arts technique, yet the power behind it was terrifying. Not only was it infused with the strength of shared Mystic Energy, but her physical power had been bolstered to at least 4,000 jin of force.
Bukjin's hypothesis was proven correct. While he could only share physical strength with A-kwang, he could share both physical power and Mystic Energy with a human like Cheong-cheong. However, perhaps due to the level of their Affinity, the power shared with Cheong-cheong was less than what he could provide to A-kwang.
'Even so, this is incredible!'
Bukjin had her swing her hands a few more times. The power she displayed was remarkably stable. Having finished his tests, Bukjin deactivated the Wi-Fi function and sent Cheong-cheong out before calling for Cheon-cheon.
Though her mind was filled with a thousand questions, Cheon-cheon didn't dare ask a single one. She rose and made her way toward Bukjin's bedroom. As she reached the door, she saw A-kwang and Wang Chung sitting solemnly on the second floor, appearing to be in the middle of a serious discussion.
Just then, Cheong-cheong stepped out and whispered to her, "Sister, the Young Master wants you to go inside."
The slight jealousy Cheon-cheon had felt when Bukjin called Cheong-cheong into the bedroom vanished like smoke. A soft blush bloomed on her fair, delicate face. Nearby, A-kwang and Wang Chung exchanged a meaningful look after overhearing the exchange.
A-kwang remained perfectly composed. Back at Bukhwang Mountain, he had been the emperor of the ghost rats, often attended to by seven or eight females in a single night. In his eyes, Bukjin was the alpha of the Bamboo Garden, so his behavior was only natural.
Wang Chung, however, was thinking along different lines. 'Ah, to be young again! To go for a second round so quickly!'
A short while later, Cheon-cheon emerged from the bedroom. Only about fifteen minutes had passed. Wang Chung and A-kwang exchanged another look. This time, the expression on A-kwang's face was quite clear.
Wang Chung's face was clouded with worry. 'This won't do. I'll have to look into a new diet to replenish the Young Master's... vital essence.'
Inside the bedroom, Bukjin was grinning ear to ear. 'This is great... This Wi-Fi function is truly legendary!'
He was already formulating a new strategy for the upcoming team battle of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition. After a moment, he remembered that the recent smartphone system update had granted him a chance to draw a random new feature within the App Store.
'It's a bit different from before. Previously, I drew for a whole new app, but now it's a new feature within an existing one...'
"Sin-sin, draw the new feature now," Bukjin commanded.
"Yes, Master."
Sin-sin began spinning a digital wheel to select the feature. The wheel on the screen blurred as it spun at high speeds. A moment later...
Ding!
You have acquired the ability to download one new song within the Music app! Please launch the Music app to proceed with the download.
"Oh? So that's what it meant by a feature within an app!"
Bukjin launched the Music app. Previously, the playlist only contained one song: How Lonely It Is to Be Invincible. But now, a new title had appeared on the list.
The title was A Man Should Strengthen Himself!
It was a song Bukjin knew quite well.
With spirit, face the ten thousand waves,
Blood boiling like the radiant sun.
Courage forged of iron, bones of tempered steel,
A heart of grand ambition, eyes fixed on the horizon.
With all my soul, I shall be a man,
A man must strengthen himself, as the hot blood burns...
Bukjin knew all the lyrics. It was a song that stirred the soul of any man, a classic that every male back on Earth felt compelled to sing at least once. Bukjin used 1G of data to download the track. It consumed significantly more data than How Lonely It Is to Be Invincible had.
However, Bukjin was delighted. In his experience, the more data a function consumed, the more powerful its effects were. A Man Should Strengthen Himself was bound to have a much stronger buff effect than his previous song.
Once the download was complete, Bukjin played the track to test its power, adjusting the volume so only he could hear it.
Unmong City Carriage Station.
"Greetings, Master."
Jo Pacheon entered the private room and bowed respectfully. Baek Hae-geum gave a slight nod and asked, "Have you finished the refinement?"
"I have fully absorbed the power of the pill," Jo Pacheon replied, his voice trembling with excitement. "My Mystic Energy cultivation has reached the 4th Grade Martial Warrior rank, and my physical strength has increased significantly. I can now exert 8,000 jin of force!"
Baek Hae-geum nodded. "Excellent. You never fail to impress. I have already secured the teammates who will join you in the team battle. Now, there is only one more thing you must do."
'He's already found my teammates?' Jo Pacheon was thrilled. If his master, Baek Hae-geum, had arranged it, there would be no issues.
"Master, please give the command. What must I do?"
Baek Hae-geum spoke calmly. "The teammates I have chosen for you are Im Yeok, Dongbang Jeon, Mo Wu-chon, and Jeong Seok. These four are the strongest individuals within their respective rankings. It is the most advantageous selection possible. Furthermore, I have given them some personal instruction. Your task now is to find a way to warn the other students against becoming Im Bukjin's teammates. If you succeed, Im Bukjin will have no one to choose from."
"Wouldn't that be a violation of the rules?" Jo Pacheon asked.
"You are a participant in the competition," Baek Hae-geum replied. "As a participant, advising other students and engaging in a war of public opinion is well within the permitted rules. I cannot intervene directly because I am not a participant, but you can."
"I see. I understand perfectly, Master. I will crush Im Bukjin into the dirt and make him regret he was ever born."
Jo Pacheon hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Master, Im Jin of the City Lord's Manor is very close to Bukjin. Her skills are formidable... If she joins him..."
"You need not worry about that," Baek Hae-geum said dismissively. "Word has already come from the City Lord's Manor that Im Jin will no longer participate in this competition. She will not be appearing in any future matches."
"What? Did she withdraw on her own?" Jo Pacheon asked in shock. "Master, did White Cloud City put pressure on the Im family? I heard Senior Brother Wei is about to complete his secluded meditation."
"That is a possibility," Baek Hae-geum said.
"That is wonderful news."
Their conversation concluded, Jo Pacheon rose and left the room. Silence descended upon the chamber where Baek Hae-geum sat alone. Suddenly, he spoke to the empty air.
"How did it go?"
A figure, like a dark shadow, materialized before him like swirling smoke. "The measures have already been taken."
Only then did Baek Hae-geum breathe a sigh of relief. "Then we proceed as planned. Hehe... Finally, I can completely sever the sprouts of this grudge that has lasted for years. We must ensure the roots are destroyed so that no future troubles remain."
His sinister laughter echoed through the room.
City Lord's Manor.
An inexplicable tension hung in the air. Soldiers of the Unmong-wi were maintaining a strict guard throughout the city, and within the manor itself, experts from the Bureau of Internal Affairs were on high alert.
"It is confirmed. This was the work of the Outworld Demon Worshippers," Jin Ju-je said as she emerged from the morgue after examining Bang Jin-yu's body.
"It is the aura of the Divine Ruins Demon Worshippers. They are a sect that worships the Lord of the Void. Traces of Void Demonic Qi still remain within Director Bang's body. The one who struck was a Demon at the 3-star Peak rank."
The faces of those present paled at her words. A 3-star Demon was generally equivalent to the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm. A 3-star Peak Demon possessed combat power comparable to an Innate Realm expert. It was no wonder Bang Jin-yu and his ten guards had been slaughtered so easily.
Jin Ju-je and the two priestesses she had brought with her soon departed. Her status was unique; she faced no restrictions on her movements within Unmong City. Im Gun-hyeon personally saw her off.
Upon his return, Im Gun-hyeon spoke with a heavy expression. "Has this been reported to the higher-ups?"
Jin Geom-nam of the Unmong-wi replied, "A report has already been sent through the military's emergency channel. The Provincial Governor's office in Pungeo Province will have received the news by now. At the latest, officials from the province will arrive in Unmong City by tomorrow morning."
The military's emergency reporting system was far faster than the civilian administrative channels. This was precisely why garrison units like the Unmong-wi were stationed throughout the North Sea Empire.
"Lock the morgue doors tight and permit no one to enter. We will wait for the provincial officials," Im Gun-hyeon ordered.
"Understood!" the experts from the Bureau of Internal Affairs replied in unison.
After a moment of thought, Im Gun-hyeon turned to Jin Geom-nam. "Commander Jin, if an emergency arises, can the Unmong-wi dispatch experts to cooperate with our local security forces?"
"City Lord, rest assured," Jin Geom-nam replied. "I will personally lead my men to guard this place."
Im Gun-hyeon nodded and led his retinue away.