Chapter 240
Chapter 240: Abyss of Memory (3)
Cold floor.
Body heat was returning below the knees.
Fingertips, toes.
Sensation traveled up and down the spine, switching on one by one from the extremities, pushing back the chill of dawn.
Light bled through beyond the eyelids.
"Huuuu—"
Eyes opened with a shallow breath.
Light cut diagonally through the window, splitting the room in two. The side where Dong Bong-soo sat was dark, while the table stood in the light. Cold rice and neatly placed chopsticks and spoon were catching the morning sun.
He was looking at the rice when something caught at the edge of his vision.
The afterglow of the UI from Kim Rae-won's memory. Color still remained, but it couldn't hold on long, returning to white and then back to nothingness.
'That was—.'
From the depths of Kim Rae-won's memories.
'Was that Lumina.'
What ought to have been an 'it' stood there as though it were a 'she.' Part of the system, yet it had a form, a proper voice, and even a certain something undeniably human about it.
"Interesting."
But there was no immediate urgency. Still, it was clear that this What is Hero system was changing on its own, and that evolution was possible. Worth keeping note of.
Into the space where the afterglow had vanished, the long-shadowed morning-sun rice came into view.
He rose and sat down before the table.
The rice Jeon Ra-hwa had left was completely cold, but it didn't matter.
As he lifted the spoon to deal with the meal, organization began inside his head. The work of dividing into two what had been dredged up from the archive.
What could be used.
In the Upper Realm there clearly existed Cultivation Seekers, and perhaps things beyond them called Immortals. A separate world distinct from the Lower Realm. Since the texture of that energy that had trampled Kim Rae-won and plunged him into despair was rooted in Spirit Roots—
In many respects it was different from ordinary Martial World practitioners.
And Kim Rae-won had not been able to cross that boundary. It seemed he had made some effort in his own way, but it was because of his innate lack of talent and poor system management.
'He must have gone there to overcome that as well.'
Some nameless sanctuary.
Exactly what kind of place it was, he couldn't know. But—
—……there's a record…… of the Karma Root Clan……
Piecing together the hazy memory, it seemed he had, in his own way, realized he was a Karma Root Clan member and attempted to develop that further. Or it may have simply been the naive impulse of wanting to feel he wasn't alone.
In any case—whether it was rejection, disqualification, or failing some kind of test—the reasons were unknowable since the data was almost entirely crushed, but Kim Rae-won had ultimately never managed to enter that place.
—I've heard that Karma Root Clan members can even share data and systems with each other.
Kim Rae-won's memory, imprinted at the time he first obtained the Karma Root Clan status from What is Hero.
'Sharing data and systems, hm.'
If that sanctuary held information about the Karma Root Clan or its members…… it couldn't help but become a clue to growing stronger.
[Unexplored Location—Partial Coordinates Restored]
He dug through the hazy memories and, while not pinpointing the exact location, grasped the rough direction of the partially restored area. He immediately pulled up the mini-map and left a single 'pin' in that direction.
'I'll have to go there before long.'
Useful memories ended here.
'What cannot be used.'
Kim Rae-won's futile agonizing—the countless disappointments at people who didn't change no matter how many acts of chivalry he performed as quests. Having squandered his energy, time, and effort on such pointless brooding, his already scarce talent lost even more of its luster.
Even having a superb system like What is Hero and dying in a place like the Border Realm—all of it was because of that. Reassessing it, Kim Rae-won had been someone deserving of death.
Even had he survived that, he would eventually have died, scattered away to dust.
And also……
His closeness with other Martial World practitioners—the Three Eccentrics especially—and the warmth that had come along with it.
A grain of rice paused in his throat. Very briefly. But he swallowed it down anyway.
It was worthless memory and nostalgia regardless.
Emotional scraps of no use whatsoever in growing stronger, not worth a moment's consideration.
He lifted the next spoonful.
The unlock conditions for unacquired skills and memories shattered beyond 80% were all evaporated entirely. Wiped away perfectly, leaving nothing anywhere among his synapses.
Soon the rice was finished.
He pushed the bowl aside and spread the Super True Energy Field. The net of energy bled out like ink spreading past the room walls, extending across all of Hero Gate.
People were moving busily about. Commands burst from the training grounds, and the sound of hammers was busy from the western construction zone. The sound of a cart passing by, somewhere children running around.
Of course, Hero Gate was running exactly as expected.
He opened the door and stepped outside.
The pouring morning sunlight struck him first.
The Super True Energy Field had already enveloped all of Hero Gate, and over that, a familiar voice settled.
"Raise your swords! Don't lower them! Goodness! You there, mister? Mister! I said raise your hands! No, not your feet—your hands, your hands!"
It was Ho-ae's commands. They had come over the wall from the training grounds direction. Rough and unbroken. Beneath them the sounds of wooden swords clashing and feet stamping into the ground spread in a jumble.
Dong Bong-soo gave a barely-visible nod and walked slowly forward.
The first thing visible was the newly completed training grounds.
Three rows. The sword tips of the front row were aligned, growing more uneven further back. What had changed was the third row. The trajectories still went askew, but the hesitation in raising their swords had considerably lessened. Bodies for whom standing in this training ground had become natural.
Whether due to Ho-ae or Jeon Ra-hwa, from the perspective of an ordinary Martial World sect's appearance, it was already running properly.
End of the formation.
Seok-gyeong.
He had stepped one pace out of the row. Not following Ho-ae's commands, but at his own pace. One beat slower. Spirit Step Slash. Ho-ae had said she'd layered a sword technique on the rhythm of the Spirit Step to create a move; apparently this was it.
Fwat-, Swish-fwat-!
Seok-gyeong was repeating it over and over.
Then by chance, eyes met with Seok-gyeong.
He quickly stopped his sword and lowered his waist.
After a brief hesitation, he approached quickly and opened his mouth.
"Guild Master. May I ask you about martial arts?"
"Sure."
"I want to properly master the Spirit Step Slash, but…… every time I swing the sword to cut, my body lurches forward and my balance breaks. Should I load the full weight of my body onto the sword first, or should I straighten my body and keep it still, then send energy only through the hand and sword?"
It was a question formed by organizing on his own the problem he had run into through repeated solo practice. He had probably asked Ho-ae as well, but it likely hadn't clicked.
He had gotten the rhythm and footwork of the Spirit Step into his body, but the moment the sword rode atop it, the weight transfer wavered, and because of that everything wouldn't go the way he wanted.
But Dong Bong-soo knew that the fundamental problem with what Seok-gyeong had been doing was not the part he had just asked about.
"In any martial art, in any move, nothing is fixed. So sometimes it is even right for balance to break."
"……What?"
"The eyes come first."
"……!"
"Read the opponent with your eyes, and the move follows accordingly."
"Ah!"
Seok-gyeong nodded. Of course his face wasn't one of full understanding. His lips moved soundlessly, reviewing it.
"If you're talking about a standard for practice with no opponent, then the latter would be somewhat more advisable."
A brief pause.
"I'm well aware…… that I'm not yet at a level to be asking things like this."
"If you're a warrior, drop the unnecessary words."
"What?"
"Just ask. Straight."
"Ah, yes sir!"
Seok-gyeong answered vigorously, then asked again.
"How should I fight when the opponent is stronger than me?"
"You'd have to consider whether it's a sparring match or a fight to the death."
"What if it's a sparring match?"
"You'd have to devise a way to win as though your life depended on it."
"What if it's a fight to the death?"
"If you don't want to die, you'd have to run."
"……What if running isn't an option?"
Dong Bong-soo smiled the way Kim Rae-won would.
"If you don't want to die, you'd have to devise a way to win."
"And if in the end there's no way to win or escape?"
"You'd die."
"……"
Kim Rae-won's lip corners deepened.
"But the one who killed you would die too."
"……"
"As long as you are in Hero Gate, I will protect you—"
He glanced lightly around. The sound of commands, the sound of swords clashing, the presence of a few children running somewhere.
"—all of you."
Seok-gyeong's waist bent again. Deeply.
"Thank you for the teaching."
Then he raised his sword again. He returned to the Spirit Step Slash stance and continued his repetitions.
Kim Rae-won stepped forward. He placed a hand on Seok-gyeong's elbow. With a single finger he gave the inside a minute push inward. That was all.
The sword tip changed. What had been wavering settled, and the path of force and the energy meridians from shoulder to wrist flowed naturally.
Seok-gyeong's sword stopped.
"I will…… certainly live up to your expectations."
A single word.
Kim Rae-won turned away.
"Guild Master!"
Two children came running as if they'd been waiting. One of them grabbed Kim Rae-won's sleeve and looked up.
"Sister said that Guild Master cut a mountain peak near the lake a while back—is that true?"
Kim Rae-won bent slightly at the waist to meet the child's eye level.
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Cut it."
The children gasped in unison. A roar of wowww— spread to the far end of the training grounds.
"Can we do that too?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Really?"
"But, when can we get to that point?"
Kim Rae-won's eyebrows rose in a certain shape.
"If you train the way you are now……"
A mischievous expression.
"About a thousand years or so."
"Whoa! A thousand years!"
"I'm going to train! A thousand years, a thousand years!"
"You dummy, how can a person live a thousand years? He just teased us! Right, mister?"
The children piled on noisily. Questions didn't stop, and Kim Rae-won was smiling and receiving them one by one.
Just then, Jeon Ra-hwa was walking this way holding a letter.
Catching sight of this scene beyond the training grounds, Jeon Ra-hwa's feet paused for a moment, then she gave a small smirk and moved again.
"Hey."
It was Jeon Ra-hwa. In her hand was a letter.
"Branch Leader Bae is waiting in the main hall."
It was an expression that would normally have had one or two more words attached. But seeing that nothing else followed, it was clearly an urgent matter.
Kim Rae-won immediately took the letter and walked away without even unfolding it. Jeon Ra-hwa quickly ruffled the children's heads one by one and immediately followed.
"The Formation Tower Trigram Leaders' group still hasn't returned. Whether it's scouting or something else, it seems to be taking longer than expected."
"Yeah."
Arriving at the main hall shortly, Bae Dal-pae was standing near the door. There was dust on his clothes, and the way he was scratching his temple made him look somehow anxious.
Kim Rae-won indicated a seat with his chin. But Bae Dal-pae did not sit.
"They're moving from three places at the same time."
And immediately he poured out information.
Vast Heaven Limitless Sword Sect. A new group from the main mountain was descending in the direction of Gangdo, it was said. The pretext was confirming the whereabouts of the missing Sword Patrol Corps. Numbers unconfirmed.
Dark Net Rakshasa Path. A small formation moving southward from the Nirvana Mountain direction. Of a vanguard character.
Formation Tower. This one had a different texture. Rather than coming directly, several Formation Taoists had been spotted near the southern boundary. It was all but certain that contact would soon come to the Trigram Leaders inside Hero Gate from the Formation Tower's side.
Kim Rae-won nodded.
Meanwhile, Jeon Ra-hwa standing beside him had her shoulders completely rigid. She had every reason—for the fact that three of the Ten Great Sects, one of the Seven Evil Grand Cults, and the Three Forces Beyond Heaven were all simultaneously approaching a newly founded sect that hadn't even existed for long. Anyone not unsettled by that could truly be called a rare specimen.
After fixing his gaze on each of the two of them once, Bae Dal-pae lowered his voice.
"And among the group coming down from the Vast Heaven main mountain, one particular epithet was mixed in."
He paused briefly.
"Iron-Faced Lady. It seems an Elder-level swordmaster counted among the best even within Vast Heaven is personally on the move."
"Iron-Faced Lady?"
"She earned the epithet Iron-Faced because of her nature that never bends once she has set a direction. And……"
"……"
"She is one of the Three Eccentrics."
Kim Rae-won's nose wrinkled faintly with a puff of air.
"Ahh, that Three Eccentrics?"
"Yes, that very Three Eccentrics."
"Timing?"
Bae Dal-pae scratched his temple.
"At the fastest, within a few days is how we have to see it. If she moves separately on her own, you'd have to assume it wouldn't be the least bit strange to come face to face with her in Gangdo right this very moment."
"Enough."
Vast Heaven had lost the entire Sword Patrol Corps. On top of that, branch sects and allied forces had collapsed in large numbers. They would already know that the surviving remnants were inside Hero Gate. They were coming to retrieve them.
Rakshasa Path had lost contact with the Rakshasa Warrior Monk Unit. It could be a confirmatory visit, or they might already have a rough idea and be coming to clean things up.
Formation Tower had three Trigram Leaders right here. Dong Mu-toe had also gone and come back recently, and if they knew an acute situation had erupted in this direction, it was, in a certain sense, entirely natural for them to come rushing down.
The three were different in reason, but the same in direction.
Gangdo.
And among them, in particular.
This Hero Gate stood at the very center of this board.
The matter of the Three Eccentrics was no more than a single stone in such a board.
Just then.
The far edge of the Energy Field trembled.
The net of Dong Bong-soo's senses enveloping all of Hero Gate—something caught at its edge.
A single energy.
Approaching. Fast. Rapid.
Definitely a fast Lightness Arts. Felt first from ten miles away and……
9, 7, 4, 1 miles.
Dong Bong-soo stopped. Then he slowly began walking toward the main gate.
"Suddenly…… where are you going?"
At Jeon Ra-hwa's words, Dong Bong-soo spoke without stopping his steps.
"She's here."
"What? Who?"
"Who else."
"……"
"The woman we just talked about."
***
The mountain path ended.
The walls of Gangdo required a single leap.
Thwip. Swiiish.
The rooftop shook once or twice and only wind remained. Orderly buildings and main roads turned into lines of various colors. And those lines swept rapidly backward in true swift succession, and—
Her footsteps stopped, and the scenery returned to its true form all at once.
Beyond the stronghold, up on a hill—a single great gate.
On the plaque hanging above it, three characters were written grandly.
"Hero Gate……"
Scale, layout, defensive line. She took it in at a glance; nothing particularly unusual.
Whoooooo—
The spring breeze combed through Yeop Bi-hwa's long drooping front strands of hair.
Crunch, crunch.
She slowly approached the gate, turning something over briefly in her mind. Whether to open and enter, cut through and enter, or simply vault over and enter.
But the deliberation was pointless.
Because the wind blew and the gate opened.
The morning sun risen behind Hero Gate was shining from inside. Light poured out.
In the center of that light stood a single man, looking this way.
The breadth of his shoulders, his standing posture, the angle of his head.
It overlapped with something from over twenty years ago.
It overlapped, yet was different. The outline seemed similar, and yet much was different somewhere.
Yeop Bi-hwa's foot stopped the moment it crossed the gate. From that position she stared hard at the man.
Eyes in which no emotion could be read or felt at all. As though what ought to be readable simply didn't exist to begin with.
Even so, the man was smiling.
"Kim Rae-won……?"