Chapter 1004
Chapter 1004
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1004
Chapter Title: 1004. Ascension to Radiance
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With our business at the Manmu Tower concluded, it was time to depart.
We gathered one last time before leaving the tower right away.
"Sung Ji-gon. Choosing without even a word?"
I grinned as I teased him. My tone was scolding, but it was all in good fun. It was his own decision. Just as I had chosen to become a disciple of the Nakwol Goddess Wi Yu, he had chosen to become a disciple of Neung So-ryeo.
"I had no choice. If I hadn't decided right then, I wouldn't have become Master's disciple. That would've ended my connection with her."
Sung Ji-gon spoke calmly, without a hint of regret.
"Do you have any idea how fucked up it is to join the military?"
"I've heard it's pretty rough. It'll be tough, sure. But... if it means I can fuck my Master... I can endure it."
"Right. Since you're in it now, aim for general. Once you're a general, you can fuck as many women as you want."
"I will."
In this country, the Jinje Empire, the emperor's power was absolute. Becoming a general meant reaching a status far above even the elders of major sects. Even the renowned Namgung Sega would struggle against a single general.
If Sung Ji-gon becomes a general, I can bask in his glory too. Just thinking about it is thrilling.
I smirked, envisioning the future. Sung Ji-gon had what it took to become one—he was the disciple of Guwol Seonja, who had ties to the emperor.
"But you're talking like we'll never see each other again. We'll meet up again soon enough."
That was true. I had the spatial transfer scroll, after all—a game-changer.
"Not as often as before. We'll both be busy. Especially you—you're in for hell."
"Ugh, now you're making me worry for no reason, Yu-jin."
I chuckled and kept ribbing him with all the awful military stories I knew.
Of course, I was exempt from service. Hunters didn't enlist.
"Sung Ji-gon. Advice: never bend over in the baths with the other soldiers. The moment you do, you're done."
"D-done? What?"
"What else? Your ass, obviously."
"N-no way."
"The military's full of all kinds of psychos. All men. When they're pent up with lust, they lose it. The second they see you as weak... you'll be the camp's communal toilet. You know what kind."
Sung Ji-gon's face grew serious. He paled, clearly imagining it.
In truth, he had almost no chance of that happening. After conquering the Manmu Tower and becoming Guwol Seonja's disciple, he wouldn't start as a regular grunt in the military. At worst, special forces. More likely, he'd enter as an officer.
"Amitabha... Places with lots of men are dangerous, that's true. Even Shaolin has monks who can't control their desires. We train to master our urges... but young, vigorous ones lacking enlightenment exist. In the temple's back latrines... Hmm. I'll hold my tongue. Recalling it sours my mood."
Jeong Bin furrowed his brow. He never lied, even in jokes. So it was a real story. What went down in those latrines? A dark vibe stopped my curiosity.
"Baldy. What're you planning after leaving the tower?"
Jeong Bin stared at me blankly.
"This monk wishes to follow Young Hero Sung Yu-jin. Surely you have delicacies I've never tasted..."
It was what I expected.
Before I could respond, he continued.
"But it would be a huge burden on you. I want to remain your friend going forward. We're not parting forever, so I'll stick to the plan I made before challenging the tower."
"Smart thinking. I was gonna ditch you if you got annoying. What's the plan?"
"Heh heh. Beijing. The heart of this land, the capital. I'll seek out its gourmet delights. They say every delicacy in the world gathers there—I'm excited. Especially the Peking duck... it's been a dream since childhood."
"Beijing, huh..."
I glanced at Sung Ji-gon. He looked shocked, eyes wide as he stared at Jeong Bin.
"W-wait, for real? You're going to Beijing too, monk?"
Sung Ji-gon was heading to Beijing too. That was where Guwol Seonja's residence was originally.
"Indeed."
"Awesome. Let's keep in touch, monk."
I turned my gaze. There stood Hwangbo Ga-hye. She'd been silently arms-crossed, haughty, the whole time we talked.
I reached out and groped her ass, kneading it. She swallowed hard and shot me a glare.
"Hwangbo Ga-hye. What about you?"
"...Obviously, back to the clan."
"What about Samjeolmun? O Ji-mu’s dead."
"You say it like it's not your problem. You killed Samjeolmun's young leader, O Ji-mu. They might not know yet, but they'll find out eventually."
I didn't care. Unless they were insane, they wouldn't climb Nakwolsan where I stayed. Even if Namgung Sega confronted the Hwangbo clan, it was a Manmu Tower incident—no grounds for real trouble.
"Samjeolmun might bitch to the Hwangbo clan?"
"The young leader and his guards were no small force in Samjeolmun. With them gone, it's a massive blow. Back home, I can boost our forces with elixirs... Samjeolmun won't be an issue."
Confidence dripped from Hwangbo Ga-hye's voice.
This slut's got some nerve being so cocky... Time to remind her who's boss before she leaves.
I stripped her clothes off and pounced.
"Time to remind you whose pussy this is!"
???
Boom!
The Manmu Tower opened.
Passersby nearby all turned to stare.
The four of us, myself included, met their gazes coolly and went our ways. For the record, Sung Ji-gon and Jeong Bin didn't exit the tower. Word was they'd head to Beijing later with Guwol Seonja and other soldiers.
I started right but ended up tailing Hwangbo Ga-hye. On second thought, one creampie earlier wasn't enough.
She paused and looked back. After eyeing me, she sighed and headed to a nearby inn.
We holed up in one room for three days straight.
After that, we used Cheon-gang-seong's spatial transfer system to return to Nakwolsan.
It felt like ages since I'd been back, but actually, I'd returned 2-3 times a week steadily. Needed for Namgung Seol's treatments.
I took in Nakwolsan's view. The rundown houses from the start were gone, replaced by modern housing out of place in this world, with a huge pool and orchard behind.
That's it for today. End Playful Life.
???
Back in reality, I checked my points as usual.
12,527 points.
Worth saving them up.
Over 10,000 points... Even I'm proud. Time to spend some. Been ages since I upgraded a trait.
Lightning (Lightning) Lv.8
Control lightning at will. Consumes mana and vitality when using.
[Spend 3,000 points to upgrade Lightning (Lightning) Lv.8?]
I used it.
Might as well max it to 10.
Lightning (Lightning) Lv.10
Control lightning at will. Consumes mana and vitality when using.
[Spend 5,000 points to upgrade Lightning (Lightning) Lv.9?]
My Lightning trait hit Lv.10. I'd thought maybe it could master, but no such luck.
Hmm.
My body shuddered.
At Lv.10, I instinctively knew what it could do.
First, the lightning's power grew stronger, and I could wield more of it.
And this too.
Two strands of lightning gathered in my palm, twisting and rotating in midair. The faster they spun, the more powerful they became.
Resonance. Used to take insane focus... now it's effortless.
The resonated lightning shone brightly. I quietly dispersed it.
Available Points: 4,527
Plenty left.
Next up: Acting.
Acting (Acting) Lv.8
Possess exceptional acting skills. Minor corrections apply.
Acting. It's sneakily a huge help.
I dumped 4,500 points to max it at Lv.10. It immediately Mastered.
Acting (Acting) Lv.Master
Perform flawless acting. Even experts struggle to see through it.
I drew a sharp breath. A chill ran down my spine. Voice control, body language, emotion mastery—all flooded my mind.
I could be an actor. Maybe try it in Playful Life someday?
Available Points: 27
Points down to scraps.
Spend it all clean.
I hit Random Gacha 27 times. Mostly junk, but one jackpot.
Playful World Companion Entry Ticket
Designate one target to enter a Playful World together.
Companion exits/entries with you. Stats may adjust per world.
※ Requires consent. Death sends them home. Reusable.
Stay together until the world's ending.
"......"
I blinked.
Totally unexpected—brain freeze. I read the [Playful World Companion Entry Ticket] carefully.
Not all worlds, just one per ticket.
No restrictions on companion... So not just fictional characters—real people too.
Han Ha-rin, Han A-young, Jin Se-young, Ha Seung-hee came to mind. Playing with them sounds fun.
Yuria, Elena, Mi-ryeong too. ...Wait. Doesn't say only one.
Ticket specifies one target. But multiple tickets? Could bring a group.
But 7,000 points each. Pricey, but doable eventually.
Can't now.
"...Hmm."
Checked my info. Points at zero. Stats unchanged.
Leveled from 78 to 79.
Playful Life app gives rewards at level multiples of 10. At 70, I got a [Blank Card] for anything in the gacha shop.
And every 20 levels, inventory and Play slots expand.
Level 80 was close. Probably after next or the one after.
Which world next... Later. To level up, enter a world first.
I lounged a bit, then grabbed my smartphone hours later.