The Middle Stratum (2)

As I thought—my base speed itself has changed.

While neutralizing the gatekeeper's sorcery with Brain Lightning, Cheon Woo-jin realized once more just how dramatically his reaction speed had improved.

He had sensed it while dealing with the demonic cultivators as well, but he was operating at a level far above the average Foundation Establishment cultivator. The fact that he could overwhelm other Foundation Establishment cultivators despite still being in the early stage of that realm was surely due to both his innate talent and the Cerebral Thunder Great Connection.

However, there was one more thing he had come to understand.

My mind's processing speed has quickened along with it.

The gatekeeper had clearly launched his sorcery as a surprise attack. The distance was so short that it hadn't even taken a single second to reach Cheon Woo-jin.

Yet Cheon Woo-jin had possessed the composure to calmly analyze the spell as it flew toward him. In reality, less than a second had passed, but in his subjective experience, he had enjoyed more than ten times that much leeway.

That was precisely why he had been able to make an accurate judgment and respond within that fragment of a second.

Of course, in everyday life everything felt the same as before. A brief conversation with someone didn't stretch out into what seemed like tens of minutes.

But depending on the situation, it appeared he could accelerate his mental activity to an extreme degree. Presumably, once he ascended to the Core Formation or Nascent Soul realm, he would be able to think even faster than now. His reaction speed would quicken as well, so by that point he would likely find himself fighting at speeds that truly transcended human limits.

And yet… considering things from that perspective, one source of unease remained.

So the Instant Killing Heavenly Eye really won't work on higher existences.

This was a hypothesis he had been turning over for a long time. The Instant Killing Heavenly Eye activated the instant a target was designated. But for higher existences, even that single instant was ample time. Transcendents capable of moving through time sliced into infinitesimally fine fragments could notice Cheon Woo-jin's intent and counter it.

If my realm rises and my speed improves further, I might be able to kill even existences at the Soul Formation stage or beyond… but for now, I should treat it as impossible.

Extrapolating from the game's settings, his limit was probably somewhere around the middle stage of Nascent Soul. Heukha-ryong, whom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he had insta-killed at the very beginning, had been a middle-stage Nascent Soul entity. From the late Nascent Soul stage onward, the lore stated that one transcended the limits of speed, so attempting the Instant Killing Heavenly Eye was out of the question.

To instantly kill beings who lived within transcendent speeds, Cheon Woo-jin himself would have no choice but to approach that speed. In the end, there was no path but to keep raising his realm.

"You bastard…!"

A beat behind, the gatekeeper moved to land a follow-up strike. According to his status window, the man was at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. The middle stratum of Ghost Head City was where cultivators of middle-stage Foundation Establishment took jobs as gatekeepers.

But even that middle-stage Foundation Establishment attack failed to catch Cheon Woo-jin off guard. He extended Brain Lightning from his hand and intercepted the sorcery hurtling toward him. When the gatekeeper saw the spell shatter into fragments and dissipate, his mouth fell open.

"N-no way…"

After a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nervous gulp, the gatekeeper asked in a frightened voice.

"Are you… a Core Formation senior…?"

Watching Cheon Woo-jin casually dismantle a spell from a fellow middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the man had clearly misjudged him. In truth, Cheon Woo-jin was merely in the early Foundation Establishment stage, having only just escaped Qi Condensation. His growth had simply endowed him with abilities that exceeded the Foundation Establishment average.

"This is a letter of introduction I received."

Before the terrified gatekeeper, Cheon Woo-jin produced Seo Seol-ryeong's letter of introduction.

"It's not a formal one, but I was told that if I show it to Hoyeon Rin, I'll be granted entry."

"Hmm…"

Normally, only a letter bearing the member number of a registered Cheonryong Pavilion member with entry privileges would be accepted. Carrying such a letter would get you through the main gate. But tracking down someone willing to write their member number would take time, so Cheon Woo-jin had simply substituted Seo Seol-ryeong's letter.

"I don't know who this person is… but I can't summon Madam Hoyeon for you. I cannot leave my post here…"

"Then I'll go in and find her myself."

"But I can't possibly let someone through without a medallion—"

"I'll move quietly so no problems arise. Just let me through."

"……"

His duty as a gatekeeper mattered, but if he kept stubbornly defying a Core Formation cultivator, his head could depart his shoulders in a single stroke. In the end, the man stepped aside.

He had to survive, after all.

"Please don't tell anyone that I let you in, my lord."

My lord?

It was a form of address Cheon Woo-jin had never heard since arriving in this world. The man had apparently taken him for a disciple of the inner hall of some sect, the kind who ranked just below an elder.

Cheon Woo-jin merely nodded and entered through the back gate. Once he passed through the narrow corridor, the bustling interior of the tavern came into view.

The first floor of Cheonryong Pavilion… a space that was never rendered in the game.

To the accompaniment of music played by resident musicians, Foundation Establishment cultivators were drinking the night away. Cheon Woo-jin swept his gaze across the establishment. Unlike the seated patrons and the servers attending them, a few individuals stood motionless, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

It took nothing more than checking their status windows one by one to find the person he was looking for.

"Cultivator Hoyeon."

"…?"

The woman had her arms crossed, back against the wall, surveying the hall. At the sound of Cheon Woo-jin's voice, she turned her head.

"Who's asking?"

Standing before her clear black eyes, Cheon Woo-jin found himself washed over with nostalgia—for she was someone he had seen countless times in the game.

Hoyeon Rin was one of the major named NPCs of Ghost Head City's middle stratum. Ordinarily she kept watch here on the first floor, but whenever trouble erupted, she emerged at the forefront as Cheonryong Pavilion's enforcer. That was why she always showed her face in some capacity whenever an event involving the pavilion triggered on the fourth floor.

She's upright and righteous, too. If only she'd belonged to the Orthodox faction.

Her destiny was Loyalty, which meant that once intimacy was built up, she would never betray you and would display self-sacrificing devotion—making her a highly popular character among players.

"I don't recognize your face. Did you come up from the lower strata?"

In answer to Hoyeon Rin's question, Cheon Woo-jin took out Seo Seol-ryeong's letter.

"What's that?"

"I received it on the second floor."

"……"

Hoyeon Rin accepted Seo Seol-ryeong's letter with a dubious expression.

"Mm…"

As she examined it, she let out a low murmur, then looked Cheon Woo-jin over.

"You're the one named in this letter, I take it?"

"I don't know what the letter says, but it's about me, yes."

Seo Seol-ryeong had written the letter's contents in cipher, so even Cheon Woo-jin had no way of knowing what was in it.

"Hm. I see."

Hoyeon Rin looked back and forth between the letter and Cheon Woo-jin, then nodded.

"Hmmm…"

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing."

She smiled.

"Lady Seo once helped me through a very hard time. If it's her request, I have no choice but to grant it."

With that, Hoyeon Rin handed over a metal medallion.

"This is an entry medallion. From now on, just show this at the main gate."

"Much appreciated."

"However, I don't have the authority to issue a medallion for the upper floors. You'll have to procure one yourself."

This was all he needed for now, anyway. He had no plans to ascend any higher at present.

"What brings you here today?"

"I'd like to use the auction house."

"The auction…"

Hoyeon Rin nodded.

"Today only magical artifacts and pills are on the block. Will that do?"

"No trouble at all."

He had checked the schedule before coming, after all. Cheonryong Pavilion's auction house handled different categories of goods each day.

"Then come this way. The auction is due to start any minute now."

It looked as though she intended to escort him personally, and Cheon Woo-jin obediently followed behind her.

"Lady Seo seems to hold you in deep regard."

"Does she?"

"In all my time here, she's never once gone this far to help someone. She must have great expectations of you."

"Hm…"

Walking down the corridor, Hoyeon Rin glanced back at him with a look of mild suspicion.

"You're not… in a Dao-companion relationship with Lady Seo, are you?"

"Hardly."

A Dao companion was a partner with whom one cultivated the Dao together. Because the bond was forged for the exchange of yin and yang, it could only exist between a man and a woman.

"We're simply colleagues working together."

"Hm, is that so? You certainly get treated specially for a mere colleague."

"Do you really think that woman is the type to open her heart easily to a man?"

The moment Cheon Woo-jin said it in a cool, level voice, Hoyeon Rin burst out laughing.

"Fair point. That aloof one would never give her affection so readily to a man. Understood."

"Glad the misunderstanding's cleared up."

"Still… if that's the case, then she truly does rate you highly indeed, to look after you this carefully."

Hoyeon Rin studied him for a moment.

"Any interest in joining Cheonryong Pavilion?"

"Cheonryong Pavilion?"

"Don't mistake us for some ordinary tavern. So long as your ability is recognized, we'll supply you with pills and cultivation manuals as well—far better for your training than joining any average sect."

Cheon Woo-jin knew that already. The game had contained a route for joining Cheonryong Pavilion. In that case, if the player character was set to male, the usual course was to form a Dao-companion bond with Hoyeon Rin. For reference, a female character was instead recommended to become the Dao companion of the pavilion's master.

"Sorry, but the life of a loose cultivator suits me better."

"You prefer being a rogue?"

"Besides, if you made me exclusive to Cheonryong Pavilion, wouldn't that be a betrayal of Seo Seol-ryeong?"

"Ah…"

At his observation, Hoyeon Rin's expression turned sheepish.

"You're right. I can't go poaching a talent that Lady Seo is investing this much effort into. My mistake."

With that, she raised her hand and gestured.

"The auction hall is through here."

In front of the auction hall, masks were being handed out one per person.

"These aren't mere face coverings—they're magical artifacts imbued with the power of concealment."

"So no one knows who wins each lot."

"Exactly. It's not perfect, but still."

The measure existed to prevent anyone from ambushing a winning bidder and stealing their purchase by force.

"Oh—you did bring enough spirit stones, I trust?"

Hoyeon Rin posed the question to Cheon Woo-jin, who was now wearing a red fox mask.

"You'll want the equivalent of at least a hundred thousand ordinary spirit stones."

"I've brought more than enough, so don't worry."

He had burned through a great many spirit stones refining the Heavenly Armored Flying Spirits and cultivating his Foundation Establishment Pill, but his reserves were currently comfortable—he had looted the storage pouches of those demonic cultivators, after all. Thanks to that, he could afford even a fine pill or two.

"Hm, understood. Then I'll take my leave."

"Thanks again."

That was the end of Hoyeon Rin's escort. Cheon Woo-jin entered the auction hall alone.

"……"

Roughly thirty people sat inside the hall. Thanks to the concealment enchantments on their masks, it was impossible to make out not only their faces but even their clothing. And yet… by employing his status window, Cheon Woo-jin could identify every single one of them.

Some of the Six Trade Guild and the Defying Dragon Society in there too. And disciples of Seongak Ilwon Sect.

Before long, the auction began. The master of ceremonies explained the basic rules, then introduced the first item.

"The first artifact up for auction today is… a wooden puppet of the Blood Puppet Sect."

Cheon Woo-jin flinched. Of all things, for the very first lot to be that.

"As you all know, some time ago one of the Blood Puppet Sect's branch strongholds was ambushed and annihilated by an unidentified Core Formation cultivator. Most of the puppets burned in that battle, but fortunately three puppets untouched by the flames have come into our possession."

Apparently the cultivators who had sided with the Azure Cloud Caravan had smuggled them out here on the side. Having failed to recover the cargo, they would have received no compensation, so they'd needed some pocket money by whatever means.

"Some of you may worry that all of the Blood Puppet Sect's puppets are linked in consciousness to their Blood Puppet Furnaces. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rest assured—this puppet's long-range communication apparatus has been destroyed, so there is no such risk."

The master of ceremonies tapped the back of the wooden puppet's head.

"You may modify it yourself to obey your commands, or you may dismantle it to study the Blood Puppet Sect's techniques."

Finishing his explanation, the master of ceremonies opened the bidding.

"For all three together, we'll start at ninety thousand ordinary spirit stones."

"I'll take it for ninety thousand."

Someone in a corner seat raised a hand. A raccoon mask hid his features, but his status window revealed him to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Huangju Spirit Valley Sect.

"Ninety-two thousand."

But a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Six Trade Guild raised his hand and called a higher figure. The Huangju cultivator immediately drove the price up again.

"Ninety-three thousand!"

"Ninety-five thousand!"

"Ninety-seven thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!"

The rivalry between the two men sent the price climbing and climbing. When it passed one hundred thousand, the Huangju cultivator groaned—but in the end he thrust his hand high and shouted.

"One hundred five thousand…!"

"Ugh…!"

The Six Trade Guild cultivator's shoulders slumped. Apparently calling anything above one hundred five thousand was more than he could stomach.

"Sold. You may collect your purchase in the side chamber once all bidding has concluded."

The Blood Puppet Sect's puppets thus went to the Huangju Spirit Valley Sect. That sect specialized in pills, talismans, and artifacts, so they would surely find any number of uses for those puppets.

"Now, let me present the second artifact. This is a high-grade artifact known as the Crimson Fire Azure Wind Sword…"

At the words high-grade artifact, a considerable number of the attendees leaned forward. Foundation Establishment cultivators could swagger with just a single mid-grade artifact in hand, so a high-grade one was enough to turn their heads entirely.

The master of ceremonies waxed eloquent until his mouth ran dry about how magnificent the blade was, then announced that bidding would open at one hundred thousand ordinary spirit stones.

"I'll bid one hundred thousand!"

"Not a chance! One hundred ten thousand!"

"One hundred twenty thousand!"

"One hundred fifty thousand!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

The price shot up in the blink of an eye. For ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Cheon Woo-jin, who had no stake in it, it made for an entertaining spectacle.

That one's a trap, though.

The Crimson Fire Azure Wind Sword was indeed a high-grade artifact, but its performance was poor. It had been forged in a bid to catch two rabbits at once—fire attribute and wind attribute—and ended up a half-baked failure at both. In the game, no one would even use it if it were handed out for free.

"Sold!"

In the end, the Crimson Fire Azure Wind Sword went for four hundred thousand spirit stones—four times its opening price. The winning disciple of Seongak Ilwon Sect rejoiced, but Cheon Woo-jin could feel nothing but pity.

"Now then, the third artifact is…"

The auction rolled on. Since the pill bidding wouldn't begin until every artifact had been sold, Cheon Woo-jin simply watched at his leisure.

"Our next lot is the final artifact of the day."

The master of ceremonies' voice sank a little.

"This one is a mid-grade artifact."

"Mid-grade?"

"What a letdown…"

The attendees grumbled. Everything thus far had been either high-grade artifacts or unclassifiable curiosities like the Blood Puppet Sect's puppets. A mid-grade artifact could be bought on the open market with plain money, so interest naturally flagged.

"But ladies and gentlemen—once you hear that this is a legacy left behind by the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace, I expect your thinking will change."

"What?"

"A legacy of the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace?"

"Behold."

The master of ceremonies raised a jet-black sword.

"The inscription reads Black Gauze Strange Sword. It was forged from darksteel, and judging by its refining method, it is unquestionably a work of the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace."

"……"

"Our investigation shows it to be extremely durable and highly responsive to water-attribute qi. It may even conceal a hidden power."

"……"

The attendees, whose hopes had been briefly kindled by the mention of the Ghost Bone Palace's legacy, sank back into disappointment.

"So in the end, it's just a mid-grade artifact with nothing special about it."

"Not everything the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace made was good just because they made it. That sort of thing is nothing but an antique."

"Well, it's darksteel, so toss it to some martial world bigshot and he'd probably love it."

But.

Cheon Woo-jin was leaning forward, utterly focused.

That is…

No doubt about it. That was the Black Gauze Strange Sword from the game. And just as the master of ceremonies said—there was a hidden power sleeping within that blade.

"We'll start at one hundred thirty thousand spirit stones!"

Laughter rippled through the hall. He had set the opening price far too high on the strength of the Ghost Bone Palace name alone.

But…

None of them know a thing.

If it was the Black Gauze Strange Sword he remembered, its value wasn't one hundred thirty thousand—it was more than ten times that. This was an item he absolutely had to win.

"One hundred thirty thousand."

At that very moment, a single cultivator in a corner seat raised a hand and entered the bidding.

Every head in the hall swiveled toward him. A hundred thirty thousand spirit stones on THAT? They all stared at him in disbelief.

But the cultivator, his face hidden behind a white tiger mask, simply sat still.

"One hundred thirty thousand. Do I hear any other bids?"

The master of ceremonies glanced around the room. Just as he was about to declare the lot sold, seeing that no one raised a hand—

"One hundred thirty-five thousand."

"…!"

Every gaze swung to the opposite side of the hall. The one who had called one hundred thirty-five thousand spirit stones was—none other than Cheon Woo-jin.

"……"

The bidder who had opened at one hundred thirty thousand turned toward him. The tiger mask and the concealment array made it impossible to read his expression, but an intense emotion radiated from the gaze fixed on Cheon Woo-jin.

Don't interfere. Get lost.

That was what the look seemed to say.

"One hundred forty thousand."

The cultivator raised his bid again. The other attendees began to murmur among themselves. Perhaps the thing really did conceal some manner of power after all, they thought.

While they sat lost in deliberation, Cheon Woo-jin raised his hand once more.

"One hundred fifty thousand."

Are you trying to die?

With eyes that seemed to say exactly that, the tiger-masked cultivator glared at Cheon Woo-jin. But Cheon Woo-jin's demeanor remained unshakably calm. He had no interest whatsoever in the man's glare.

What Cheon Woo-jin was looking at was the man's status window.