A Boy's Grit

The description of the Myriad Realms Wrist Ring ran to only two sentences, yet Yeop Pung was utterly stunned.

A pocket dimension... Does this mean I can finally carry items with me across time and space?

The time-dilation function was even more remarkable. Used properly, it would outperform most divine martial arts in real combat. Of course, he would need more experiments before he fully grasped the ability.

And look at that—the test subjects have come looking for me all on their own.

Yeop Pung's eyes flashed. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠returned to the real world.

"GRAAAAH!"

The beast-like roar still echoed from the far side of the mountain at his back. In the time it took him to catch his breath, three martial artists of the Gi Clan came into view.

"Hmph!"

When Yeop Pung stopped running, the captain—a Five Meridians expert—burst out laughing.

"What's the matter, Yeop Pung? Can't run anymore? Ha! Trying to play the hero with skill like that—I'll show you just how foolish that was!"

"Seize him! Now!"

He gave a single wave of his hand. The three of them charged at Yeop Pung with the ferocity of tigers descending a mountain.

The Five Meridians captain was the first to close in, cutting Yeop Pung off. The other two flanked him, waiting for an opening to complete the encirclement. It was a flawless tactic. Even if Yeop Pung could hold his own against a Five Meridians expert, he would never survive a coordinated assault from all three at once.

But in the blink of an eye—at least as far as they could tell—Yeop Pung had become an entirely different person.

From a distance, it almost looked as if he were treading on blossoms of golden electricity. His attack speed had already far surpassed the Five Meridians Realm.

"Wh-what?!"

The Five Meridians captain's pupils shrank in shock.

Damn it! He's gotten even faster?!

That brief moment of carelessness was all it took. Yeop Pung had already slipped past him and was charging the next man.

"S-Senior Brother! Save—"

Terrified by Yeop Pung's explosive Thunder Shadow Steps, the martial artist froze so completely he couldn't even scream properly. All that remained before his eyes was a dazzling golden palm print.

"Damn it! Yeop Pung, over here!"

The captain clenched his teeth and spun around. He drew a gleaming long saber from his waist and poured Profound Qi into it. A blade-aura ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠erupted forth as if it would shake the heavens, flying straight at Yeop Pung.

But the more he pursued, the more unease grew in his heart. Yeop Pung's attack speed had become so much faster than before that he seemed like a different person entirely.

Impossible... Has he been luring us in this whole time? Don't tell me... we've walked into a trap?

A chill ran down his spine. Then, barely ten paces ahead, Yeop Pung's kick sent the remaining man flying backward into the mountain wall. The captain could only watch, helpless.

In a single breath, the situation had reversed. The three tigers that had come down from the mountain were now nothing more than a single sheep waiting to be sheared.

Yeop Pung stopped moving and gazed, expressionless, at the opponent still standing with his long saber. A devilish smile slowly spread across his lips.

The captain swallowed dryly. Every trace of his former arrogance had vanished. Cold sweat poured down his face like rain as he stared at Yeop Pung.

"Y-Yeop Pung, you... you'd better come to your senses. Even if you run today, you'll never escape the palm of our Gi Clan... Young Master Gongsu will never let this go!"

But Yeop Pung paid his words no mind at all. Still wearing that icy smile, he crooked a finger at the man.

"You... come here... and try to cut me down."

"W-what did you say?"

"Can't hear me? Or is that blade of yours a fake? Come on, then. Cut me down!"

"You, you...! Yeop Pung, you've got some nerve..."

"Cut me or don't. If you won't, I'll cut you down instead!"

"Y-you little...! Take this!"

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gi Clan expert screamed inwardly. He couldn't fathom Yeop Pung's intent, but he had nowhere left to retreat. He exploded every ounce of Profound Qi in his body and leaped into the air. True to a Five Meridians expert, his presence was like a great bird soaring into the sky. The long saber in his hand formed a blade-aura of Profound Qi more than three feet long, the razor-sharp edge flying straight for Yeop Pung's head.

"Good. I've been waiting for this!"

Yeop Pung smiled as if he'd been waiting for exactly this. At his current speed, he could have easily dodged the attack. But he wanted to test the Myriad Realms Wrist Ring.

Yeop Pung poured Profound Qi into the bracelet on his right wrist. Instantly, a tremendous suction force activated from it, and half of the golden Profound Qi flowing through his body was drained away in a heartbeat. At the same time, the transparent membrane of Profound Qi spread from the bracelet to cover a space of about ten paces around him. The captain, charging in with his saber raised, was trapped inside it as well.

And then something astonishing happened. Yeop Pung could clearly feel everything around him slowing down.

The swift, vicious blade-aura of Profound Qi instantly dropped to less than half its speed, looking no more threatening than a slash from a Third Meridian expert. Yeop Pung could have dodged it with his eyes closed.

"Time dilation... now that's impressive!"

Yeop Pung focused every nerve on analyzing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠everything happening around him. The effect lasted no longer than a single breath, so he had to gather as much information as he could. Sensing it was about to fade, he twisted his body lightly to evade the attack, then reached out and plucked the long saber from his opponent's hand.

The next instant, the transparent time-dilation field vanished, and everything returned to normal.

"Huh? Wh-what?!"

The captain staggered and nearly fell. He stared blankly at his empty hand.

Where did my saber go? What just happened?

He whirled around in shock—and was horrified to see the long saber, a weapon as precious to him as his own life, resting on Yeop Pung's shoulder, gleaming coldly.

Impossible... Is he so fast I couldn't even perceive it? No—just now I couldn't see his movement at all... Just how far does this guy's skill go?

He could fight no longer. This was a battle he could never win.

He didn't even have time to wipe the cold sweat from his face. To escape Yeop Pung and that unfathomable power, he ran without looking back.

But a cold gleam flew from Yeop Pung's hand a step faster. It pierced through his leg at lightning speed and sent him crashing to the ground.

"AAAAAGH!"

A scream like a pig being slaughtered rang out. The Gi Clan genius who had once been so full of arrogance was now writhing on the ground, howling. The horrific pain in his leg made his vision swim.

But Yeop Pung felt not a shred of pity. He remembered all too clearly how they had insulted the Cheonun Sect, and he intended to pay it back in full. Of course, there was one thing he needed to confirm first.

Yeop Pung leaped high and came down, stomping on the saber's hilt. The sharp blade drove into the ground, grazing the captain's leg bone, and the man screamed once more.

"B-Brother Yeop! Spare me, please spare me!"

The Gi Clan genius who had once been insufferably arrogant now looked no different from Ja-ryong. Snot and tears streaming down his face, he begged Yeop Pung desperately for his life.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you."

Yeop Pung said it wearing a devilish smile as he looked down at his enemy.

"Now, tell me. Didn't you notice something strange just now? Did you see how I took your saber?"

"Huh? W-what..."

The Gi Clan martial captain babbled, his face contorted with terror.

An hour later, Yeop Pung came down the hill with a satisfied smile.

Behind him, all three Gi Clan martial artists, including the captain, lay unconscious. After getting the answer he wanted from the captain, Yeop Pung had smashed every last one of the man's teeth. Then he'd made him repeat "The Gi Clan is garbage!" a hundred times in a whistling, toothless lisp before finally knocking him out.

That was right. Yeop Pung had always been this vicious. The martial artists had to pay a fitting price for insulting the Cheonun Sect.

Wait... since when did I get this righteous?

The rest was simple. When Yeop Pung returned to the clearing by the campfire, the only remaining Gi Clan martial artist was still waiting like a fool for his captain to come back. What awaited him instead was a beaming Yeop Pung.

"Come here. I won't hit you."

Yeop Pung smiled and beckoned, but the other man's face had already gone white with terror.

"Please, spare me!"

Once again, screams rang out across the clearing.

In the end, Yeop Pung bound Ja-ryong and the two martial artists back-to-back. And of course, he didn't forget to smash one of each man's teeth—his signature—and toss them into the woods.

The remaining four Cheonun Sect disciples, including Mo Soo-mi, quietly followed behind Yeop Pung once their ropes were untied. The group walked slowly for a little over ten minutes.

At last, Mo Soo-mi couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Yeop Pung, you..."

"I was just passing through. I didn't come to save you."

Yeop Pung said it coldly, without even looking back.

Of course, most of it was an act. No matter how strong-willed he was, Yeop Pung was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. He didn't fear pain or blood, but he still couldn't handle an awkward situation like this with any real maturity. Like any ordinary boy, he sulked, pouted, and played it cool.

"Hmph!"

Another Cheonun Sect disciple beside him bristled.

"Don't get full of yourself. Who asked you to save us?"

"Fine by me, then."

Yeop Pung stuck out his lip and started to turn away, then thought better of it, stopped, and said:

"With skills like yours, what are you even doing in a hunting tournament? Go back already. Don't embarrass the Cheonun Sect!"

"You! Who do you think you are, sticking your nose in?!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Mo Soo-mi cut off his childish companion, then looked at Yeop Pung and said quietly:

"Yeop Pung... thanks, anyway."

Yeop Pung's body froze for an instant.

Mo Soo-mi gave a bitter smile. He'd said the "thanks" quietly, but his voice grew louder as he went on, until he was practically shouting in his usual fashion.

"But don't you dare get cocky! You and I aren't done yet! And don't pretend you're worried about us! We don't need it!"

Yeop Pung turned around and let out a short laugh.

"Is that so? You don't seem to remember thanking me just now."

"You! Hmph, I'll have you know this Mo Soo-mi is far too busy to waste time fighting you!"

Mo Soo-mi turned his head away from Yeop Pung with a prim little sniff. For today, at least, he decided not to keep arguing with the benefactor who had saved him. He walked past Yeop Pung in a different direction.

"Where do you think you're going? Didn't you hear me?"

Yeop Pung asked.

"To Mucheon, of course, to help them! Those Gi Clan bastards will be fighting our people there!"

Mo Soo-mi said, glaring at Yeop Pung.

"Well? Are you coming too?"

"Why would I?"

Yeop Pung answered, his face expressionless.