Chapter 14

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: First, Let's Secure the Fortuitous Encounter (1)

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Curiosity turns cats into carpets......

No, more precisely, there's a Western proverb that says curiosity kills the cat.

Unfortunately, I fell hook, line, and sinker for this unheard-of, rootless new concept called the Mind-Image Sword Debate.

I ended up committing the sin of abetting the lonely death of the goldfish in one corner of my heart, starved for chronic walks.

Be born as a dragon in your next life.

Just in case my mind changed, I quietly followed behind Moyong Wicheon, who was hurrying ahead, his long robe fluttering.

"So, what the hell is the Mind-Image Sword Debate?"

I tossed the question to Unhak, the prime culprit behind the goldfish murder.

"Ah...... You don't know......?"

What the hell.

That regressor-like tone, like someone peeking at future knowledge.

I drove my fist into Unhak's side.

"Ugh! But you really don't know? It's a product of Ten Thousand Gold Hall, too."

"Hm?"

Ten Thousand Gold Hall is a modern business venture—close to a company in contemporary terms—created through collaboration between our Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, the Zhuge family, and engineers of unknown origins.

It's the root of all evil in this pseudo-martial world, supplying over-tech items like smartphones or tablets.

"Among martial artists, there are those who lose arms in accidents and can't fully demonstrate their true abilities. Such people have to live with that sense of loss forever, but the Mind-Image Sword Debate was created for them—to recreate their original power, even if it's just an illusion."

That's basically a VR setup for treating PTSD.

"It was further developed so that, based on mental images in the head, it manifests illusions of actually performing martial arts, and you can even compare your mental image against others'. How could this not be a wondrous device?"

No way!

My heart suddenly pounded.

The one dream I couldn't achieve in my lifetime.

A full-dive VR capsule exists in this pseudo-wuxia world......!

But soon enough, this platoon leader—or rather, this Geum Sihyeon—couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠help but feel disappointed by the primitive tech of this barbaric martial world.

Following Moyong Wicheon's footsteps, we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arrived at the Heart Tempering Pavilion.

A grandiose name meaning "where one tempers the mind"...

But it resembled the Yongsan eSports Stadium in its bizarre way.

"Yes! Counter with a blunt sword there!"

"No, use an illusory sword to feint here!"

"That guy's decent in the Mind-Image Sword Debate—I didn't realize during sparring!"

"Didn't that Pang Socheon guy even learn palm techniques? If he'd countered with palms there, the whole fight would've flipped!"

In the giant screen at the center.

No matter how generously you looked at it, the graphics were sub-clay level.

Two humanoid clay blobs that you could hardly call avatars were flailing at each other.

And on either side of the screen... two martial artists sat cross-legged, unmistakably wearing what looked like VR headsets.

As I stared in shock.

"Indeed, it looks just like real martial artists moving...!"

"This... is huge. If we make a betting site, it'll boom...!"

The beggar and the illegal gambling site operator let out exclamations of awe.

"You're saying we're settling things with that nonsense?"

A curt voice slipped out unbidden.

If not for all the eyes on us.

I would've yelled a rebuke right then, proclaiming this wasn't wuxia at all.

I mean.

In virtual reality, isn't graphics more important than content?

Like an 8-head proportion chubby Heavenly Demon revealing her thigh gap as she steps into Heavenly Demon Supremacy, her skirt fluttering to flash a T-panty.

Or the Nangong family's great young lady, a first-class disciple, gangbanged by evil faction martial artists, her clothes torn to expose her skin.

Or an Ami Sect female master, thoroughly toyed with by rope—a strange weapon—bound and frustrated, her face showing helplessness as she succumbs to masochistic pleasure.

That's what a real wuxia game needs.

What's the fun in polygon blobs punching each other?

Fuming, I expounded my rational, cool-headed theory to the group.

"Oh...! As expected of Gold Mold, you're a connoisseur!"

Only Unhak—who strangely loves women despite being unable to talk to them—agreed.

"As expected of lowly scum—your words and actions are utterly vulgar. Scared?"

All I got back was Moyong Wicheon's even chillier gaze.

I'll plant another fist in his solar plexus soon.

"You need a reservation in advance for a session. The earliest available slot is in a week, at the You hour."

"Then reserve it under the names of Moyong Wicheon of the Moyong Family and Gold Simulation."

"...It's Geum Sihyeon."

"Moyong Wicheon Geomdo-nim and Geum Sihyeon Geomdo-nim. Confirmed. There's pre-session training half a shichen before—please arrive by then."

Fortunately, no chance to experience that monstrosity today.

Honestly, the rematch was just an excuse.

Moyong Wicheon's face plainly showed regret at not trying the Mind-Image Sword Debate right away.

"I wanted to settle things immediately. You're lucky, punk."

"The loser... talking back?"

"Hmph."

Moyong Wicheon furrowed his brow.

Then he earnestly warned us to show up here exactly a week later at the You hour before leaving.

"I'll watch a bit longer! This is eye-opening!"

"Business plan... I need to make a business plan..."

The two barbarians were utterly glued to the novel spectacle.

Thinking it was for the best, I headed back to the dorm alone.

I sent a long message—about 5,700 characters—to my dear eldest brother, the head of Ten Thousand Gold Hall.

Roughly 5,500 characters outlined the need for graphic improvements and ideal implementation directions.

The rest requested they send a Mind-Image Sword Debate device to my dorm.

Considering the profits I'd brought in, this was a fair demand.

And.

A duel had naturally been scheduled, so I needed countermeasures.

A gentleman seeks the wisdom of sages on matters he doesn't know well.

But question posts usually don't get much attention.

So I needed bait to draw eyes.

The response was hot.

Mostly curses or aggro comments like "Is this real?"

But.

The sex pest who'd helped my curiosity before kindly explained again.

Thanks! Sex Pest-nim!

May you live up to your nick!

I gave a thumbs-up cone, and tossed a "Huh?" cone at the weird aggro in between.

I easily ignored the comment alerts ringing every 2 seconds.

Returning alone to my lonely dorm.

I grabbed my sword hidden in my luggage bundle, tucked it securely out of sight inside my robe, and headed out again.

A busy day, but.

Things to do must be done.

What does someone isekai'd into a game do first?

Monopolize the nearby fortuitous encounters, obviously.

Sure, minor events kept me from grabbing any so far.

But I have to steadily devour them in spare time.

Fortuitous encounters don't stay put forever.

In Martial World Raiser, if I didn't claim them before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the timer, other NPCs would snag them all.

I even once saw a fortuitous encounter NTR'd by one turn right in front of me, rage-challenged to a life-or-death duel, and got the bad end "Expulsion Ending"...

Well, not going that far.

So, one early-vanishing fortuitous encounter.

The "Silver Wolf of the Western Forest"—that's what I came to subjugate.

I decided not to question why a quasi-spirit beast wolf lived in the academy forest.

In a world with qi-charging smartphones.

Even a Shakespeare-Einstein fusion reincarnation couldn't fix this world's logic and physics.

Anyway.

This is why I seriously considered the archer build.

Turns out the silver wolf descends from one raised by the old Supreme Archer Under Heaven or whatever, letting you get an insanely OP bow early-game.

Item power doesn't lie.

It'll greatly aid archery training to become an archer master.

But.

"Agh......"

Game and reality were definitely—quite a bit—different.

Normally, click search for 1 turn, mini-game, then text and win/loss based on specs.

But an hour of aimless wandering in the forest already.

It's ridiculously vast.

Where even am I......!

And the sun was properly setting.

Darkness gradually thickened.

Visibility narrowed, naturally.

Good thing I marked the exit with Hansel-and-Gretel meta, or I'd probably go home empty-handed today.

The moment I thought that.

"Awooo......!"

"Oh."

A low wolf howl came from not far away.

Protagonist correction auto-guiding me, maybe?

As expected of me.

I drew my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sword and cautiously approached the sound.

Staying alert, pushing through the underbrush.

A massive clearing that screamed boss arena appeared.

At the edge, a stone door led to a huge cave.

And before it.

A silver-furred wolf stood majestically...

"Three...?"

No.

Why.

Not one, but three?

1:3? That's evan-de.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine.