Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Chapter 182
"Hahaha! I never thought I'd set foot on this land again!"
As soon as they entered the 60th floor, Hyeon-wol jumped around happily as if returning to her hometown.
With the combat body Circe gifted her, directly stepping on her homeland's soil and freely breathing the air, her expression looked even better.
Hyeon-wol wasn't the only one delighted.
"Heh, this is the stage where I can truly shine."
Nam-gung Cheon unnecessarily fluttered his martial robe's sleeves, displaying confidence.
Just as Austin had been active on the 50th floor, the world of spirits, he declared his ambition to run wild on the 60th floor, the world of martial arts.
Seo-jin, dressed in similar martial robes to blend into the 60th floor, looked at Nam-gung Cheon and spoke calmly.
"Your confidence is impressive. But it would be better to refrain from openly using your sword technique here."
"What's wrong with my sword?"
"If some mere thug wielded a sword and called himself emperor, that would be quite amusing."
"Mmm, well……."
Nam-gung Cheon frowned but agreed with Seo-jin's words.
Though he couldn't immediately know this place's governance system, if by any chance there was a centralized state or dynasty, openly using the Emperor Sword wouldn't be advisable.
In a sense, it could be perceived as insulting the royal family.
"Then you should be careful with that martial art you use too."
"Of course."
Seo-jin nodded.
The martial arts he currently used were Mixed Origin Unity and Reverse Heaven Divine Art.
Mixed Origin Unity was an orthodox school so it wouldn't be much of a problem, but Reverse Heaven Divine Art, presumed to be the Heavenly Demon's martial art, should be avoided.
He could unnecessarily be labeled as a demonic cult member and get into trouble.
Meanwhile, Nam-gung Rin approached the jumping Hyeon-wol and asked her to guide them.
"Hyeon-wol-nim, since this is your hometown, you must know it well. Please explain."
"Sure, leave the guidance to me."
Hyeon-wol answered energetically as if her mouth had been itching to speak.
Beings belonging to the Tower couldn't divulge detailed information about floors not yet opened to Climbers.
But now that they'd reached the 60th floor, she could speak to her heart's content.
First, Hyeon-wol warned before explaining.
"This world is not easy, so it's best to be careful. This expedition has few members too."
The members who entered the 60th floor were only Seo-jin, the Nam-gung siblings, and Se-yeon.
The other four were either conducting sub-quests on lower floors or handling their own business.
Since they had to proceed with the quest with just these four members and Hyeon-wol, they needed to move carefully.
'Also, unlike the shithole worlds we've visited until now, this 60th floor is a land where humanity prospers.'
That many hidden masters abound, so if they acted rashly thinking of the natives they'd met before, they could lose their heads…….
This wasn't mere empty words, as Hwangseokgong, whom Seo-jin met on the 2nd floor, was also a being with absurd power.
If the 60th floor was full of such monsters, it was right to move cautiously.
"Then I'll start with the basics."
Hyeon-wol walked ahead, explaining the 60th floor's historical background.
From the ancient era when heaven and earth opened and mythical beings appeared to wage war, to the story of how the current martial world was formed.
"The dynasty currently ruling the continent is the Great Ming. Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, is the ruler of this era."
"The late Yuan and early Ming period."
It was an era that commonly appeared as the background of martial arts world settings, so there was no great sense of incongruity.
Hyeon-wol's explanation continued after that.
While the broad framework was similar to the martial world background of the Chinese continent, there were many detailed differences.
Seo-jin, who heard the explanation, nodded.
"We should consider it a kind of parallel world. But the broad framework remains unchanged."
While detailed sect origins and history might differ, the basic framework like the Nine Sects and One Association or the Five Great Noble Families was no different from a promise when discussing the martial world.
As a regressor, Seo-jin already knew most of the content, but he pretended to understand appropriately for his companions.
"Then Hyeon-wol-nim, do you know roughly where we are?"
At Nam-gung Rin's question, Hyeon-wol looked around at the mountain terrain for a moment, then slightly shook her head.
"Hmm, I don't know……."
"You're useless as always."
At Seo-jin's reproach, Hyeon-wol frowned.
"You brat, then if you were randomly dropped somewhere on that place called Earth, could you immediately tell where it is?"
"Of course I wouldn't know."
How vast is Earth?
Even if dropped on Korean soil, there would be countless places he wouldn't recognize.
"So why are you applying such strict standards to me!"
"I didn't say anything, and you were the one making a fuss as if you knew everything."
"Grr!"
Seo-jin grabbed and blocked Hyeon-wol's head as she lunged at him.
Due to the height difference, Hyeon-wol could only struggle from below.
Just then, Seo-jin perked up his ears at a sound coming from somewhere.
Clang-! Cling-!
The faint sound of swords beyond Hyeon-wol's struggling cries.
Sniffing the air, he even detected a faint scent of blood.
A battle seemed to be taking place somewhere.
"How convenient."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Be quiet, it seems someone's fighting nearby. Let's go see."
***
Clang- Cling-!
Kwaaaaak-!
Metallic sounds loud enough to assault the ears and desperate screams.
Masters wearing golden martial robes appeared, mercilessly slaughtering people in a carriage and their escort warriors.
"Kill them!"
"Don't let a single one escape alive!"
The character for brocade (錦) embroidered on the chests of the golden martial robes worn by the masters.
These were the Brocade Guard, the Ming Dynasty imperial family's direct guards.
Escort warriors falling futilely to the Brocade Guard's swords.
In the midst of that one-sided massacre.
"Quickly, you must escape!"
An old man grabbed a girl's shoulder and urgently shouted.
The Brocade Guard's skills were truly formidable, so at this rate, total annihilation was only a matter of time.
But the girl shook her head with teary eyes.
"I-I can't do that, Grandfather. How can I leave you behind……!"
"This old man will be fine! So please go quickly! The Gongsun lineage must not end here!"
He hastily packed a small bundle with quick hands, hung it on the girl's body, and continued speaking.
"First, go to the Nam-gung Family in Anhui County and seek shelter. But you must not completely trust even them. The family's shadow will contact you soon, so you must follow him and flee to a farther place. It will be a difficult journey, but Miss can surely endure it."
The old man then pressed a wooden box containing Mixed Origin Elixirs firmly into the girl's hands.
"This will be of great help to Miss someday. Now go quickly!"
He pushed the girl's back.
The girl turned to look at the old man once, then ran away in the opposite direction.
Clang- Cling-!
"……!"
The masters in golden martial robes, who had been concentrating on the battle, noticed that the girl who was their main target had fled and shouted.
"Wait! Don't mind the rest, capture and kill that girl first!"
"Yes!"
The Brocade Guard warriors paused their engagement and turned their swords toward the fleeing girl.
But then.
"Where do you think you're going!"
The old man blocked the masters' path and emitted powerful energy.
Energy so powerful that even the Brocade Guard masters flinched for a moment.
The Brocade Guard stepped back and recited the old man's epithet.
"He's indeed not someone to take lightly. Truly the Medicine King."
"Form the coordinated formation. No matter how strong, the opponent is just one person."
Sssss-.
The Brocade Guard warriors surrounded the old man and deployed a sword formation.
Thus began a many-against-one battle.
Crack-! Crunch-!
"Kuak!"
The old man called Medicine King struck down Brocade Guard warriors one by one with his fists and kicks, but he couldn't handle them all.
As his stamina and energy waned, wounds gradually increased on the old man's body.
At the end of that.
Thunk-.
"Kugh!"
A sword thrust by a dying Brocade Guard warrior at the old man's feet pierced through the old man's thigh.
Thud-.
The old man collapsed, kneeling on one knee.
"We've subdued the Medicine King! You three, pursue the girl!"
Having subdued the old man, the Brocade Guard warriors released the coordinated formation and chased after the fleeing girl.
Whoosh-.
And not long after, the Brocade Guard warriors caught up to the girl who had fled into the forest.
"Huff. Huff."
The girl sat down in fear, seeing the three swordsmen surrounding her.
They approached the sitting girl and spoke.
"I'm sorry, but it's an imperial command. You'll have to die."
"Hehe, I heard she's of very high status—shall we have some fun before killing her?"
"Enough. Her entire family's already been exterminated, would it be right to humiliate her too?"
"I'll kill you painlessly. That's the maximum mercy I can offer."
Whoosh-.
Just as the Brocade Guard warrior's sword was about to strike the girl's neck.
"That won't do!"
Clang-.
A man with a topknot wearing white martial robes intervened and blocked the Brocade Guard's sword.
The Brocade Guard warriors immediately corrected their stances at the intruder's appearance.
"What are you!"
"This is imperial business! Lower your sword!"
The topknot man, Nam-gung Cheon, blocked the girl's path and pointed his sword at the Brocade Guard warriors.
"I don't know about the imperial palace or whatever, but I can't let you kill a child."
The Brocade Guard warriors were dumbfounded by Nam-gung Cheon's absurd chivalrous act.
To point a sword at them, who had received the emperor's command, for just such a trivial reason.
"This rebel!"
"Kill that madman too!"
Whoosh-.
Golden swords flew like rays of light toward Nam-gung Cheon.
Nam-gung Cheon wore a confident smile, facing his long-awaited first battle of his martial world debut.
"Fine, come at me together!"
***
A while later.
"Now, you've successfully eliminated your target. When you wake up, go report to your superiors……."
Nam-gung Rin cast Dream Eye Technique on the dazed Brocade Guard warriors.
Starting with Nam-gung Cheon's appearance, Seo-jin's party appeared one after another and subdued the Brocade Guard warriors in turn.
They inevitably killed half of them, and brainwashed the surviving half with Taoist Arts so they could no longer pursue.
If they killed all of them, additional forces would be dispatched.
Of course, the Taoist Arts would eventually be broken and exposed, but at least they could flee far away in the meantime.
The old man who joined belatedly stared blankly at Nam-gung Rin casting Dream Eye Technique, then looked at Seo-jin and asked.
"Who are you… great heroes?"
Mysterious masters who subdued the Brocade Guard's experts in an instant. Everything from their attire to the martial arts they used was strange.
Not only Taoist Arts that brainwashed people, but even miraculous elixirs that healed deep wounds without leaving a single scar.
Could they be legendary immortal Taoists?
"I am Nam-gung……."
Just as Nam-gung Cheon was about to answer the old man's question showing off.
Thud-.
Seo-jin blocked his mouth and appropriately deflected.
"We are martial artists from Haedong. We're traveling the world to experience Central Plains martial arts."
"Aha……."
The old man finally understood their peculiar attire and strange abilities.
Beyond Mount Changbai in Goryeo land, there were said to be many remarkable people who learned unique martial arts and Taoist Arts.
Moreover, as they were people from outside, they must have touched the Brocade Guard without fear.
The old man, who quickly thought things through, bowed politely before them.
"Thank you so much. I am indebted to you for saving my life."
Whoever they were and whatever purpose they had didn't matter.
The clear fact was that they survived thanks to them.
Not only Miss, but several servants preserved their lives too.
At this, Nam-gung Rin helped up the prostrate old man and said.
"It's nothing. We simply couldn't watch powerful masters' one-sided violence."
Se-yeon, standing beside Nam-gung Rin, also silently nodded.
Though they didn't know the full situation, for now, siding with the weak being one-sidedly massacred was what chivalrous warriors did.
"……."
Meanwhile, Hyeon-wol clung to the old man's side, staring blankly at the girl trembling in fear.
'Normally she would have shown off while summarizing the current situation with lots of words.'
For some unknown reason, she seemed to be deeply contemplating something.
Seo-jin looked at Hyeon-wol for a moment, then turned his head and asked the old man about the circumstances of this incident.
"Old sir, if it's not too impolite, could you tell us why you were being pursued?"
***
Whoosh-.
The deep courtyard of the Imperial Palace.
Amid auspicious smoke rising, a group of foreigners set foot on this land.
The Summoning Formation from Beyond Heaven, which summoned warriors from another world, had successfully activated.
A sorcerer of the White Lotus Cult who devised the formation and a Chiliarch of the Brocade Guard welcomed them warmly.
"Welcome, foreigners. I am Brocade Guard Chiliarch Hyeon Muk. By His Majesty the Emperor's will, I have summoned you to this land."
"……."
The foreigner, Sword Star Ju Won-jae, briefly looked around and finished assessing the situation.
A native who mentioned the emperor and identified himself as Brocade Guard, and an ornate Eastern-style garden.
This place was probably the Chinese continent during the Ming era.
Judging from the energy of martial artists felt nearby, rather than simply coming to the past, there was a high probability it was a world closer to martial arts.
Also, as for the reason he was summoned to this imperial palace, the moment he used the teleportation stone to climb floors, he must have been drawn by the power of a formation activated by natives and his coordinates shifted.
'Not bad.'
Being admitted to the imperial palace right after climbing meant he could quickly reach the core of the World Quest.
Having finished thinking, Ju Won-jae nodded toward the martial artist before him.
"Good, guide us to His Majesty the Emperor."