Chapter 64

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 64

Chapter Title: Toward the Summit (1)

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There are two most entertaining spectacles in the world.

Watching fights and watching fires burn.

This was proven by the fact that the top five spots on Mutube's viewer rankings over the past week were all dominated by the Mind-Image Sword Debate tournament.

It had even pushed girl group dance videos out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the rankings, which went to show that nothing beat watching a good fight.

Though up until just moments ago, I'd been the one on the receiving end of the spectacle.

Not anymore.

"Let's go. I've got a great tavern lined up."

"I knew it!"

"As expected of Geum-hyung!"

I led the gambling addict who'd successfully turned his entire fortune into a 1.7x payout by betting it all on Samsungano, along with the plain beggar, boldly changing venues.

We arrived at a tavern in Hundred Flowers City that I'd reserved in advance for today.

"A giant screen? You magnificent bastard!"

"Heh."

In repayment for the favor old man Song had done me before, I'd pulled strings with Ten Thousand Gold Hall to have it installed ahead of time. Seeing it now brought a proud smile to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my face.

This was the life of luxury.

I tucked away deep in my heart any questions about how a primitive ancient backwater like China had beam projectors, or why they worked just by channeling internal energy into them.

Videos were meant to be watched on a big screen, after all.

"Young master, what would you like for drinks and dishes?"

"Come on now. I told you to speak comfortably. Just bring whatever liquor you've got plenty of, and for food... hmm, is Chef Wang available?"

"How could we speak casually to you, young master? Chef Wang is standing by."

"In that case, make it hambugi, please."

Even though I'd insisted he treat me casually, old man Song bowed deeply in a way that felt burdensome and headed downstairs to the first floor.

Compared to Dad, he was a true elder.

"What's hambugi?"

"Ah, you don't know? Then just wait quietly. You're in for the best taste under heaven today."

"Hmph..."

Moyong Taek shook his head.

This was why you shouldn't hang out with uncivilized primitive ancient Central Plains folk. Tsk tsk.

Hambugi.

That's right. Hamburger.

Ever since I'd been thrown into Geum Sihyeon's life.

For about a year, I'd enjoyed Chinese cuisine—which wasn't too different from Korean food—and lived happily.

But the Korean soul slumbering deep in my heart remained pure and unyielding, unpurified by mere Chinese fare.

So I'd made a proposal to Father and ambitiously prepared a project.

Home Cooking Master Geum!

Of course, the "home cooking" label didn't quite fit. Mostly, I'd worked tirelessly with the chefs to recreate Western dishes unavailable on Chinese soil.

Acquiring seeds of the lettuce—knotball greens from the Western Regions—was nothing short of a miracle.

And thus, hambugi was born!

I couldn't recreate modern wheat buns, so I used soft-textured rice buns as substitutes.

After trial and error, I approximated the taste of cucumber pickles.

The patty was kneaded like dumpling filling and grilled, topped generously with traditional cheese from Mongolia, and even the not-quite-crisp lettuce from unimproved breeds.

It wasn't quite up to original hamburger standards.

"Ooh...!"

"What is this flavor? Salty, crunchy, slightly sweet, with a subtle spicy kick...!"

To palates accustomed to dried meat sticks and jerky, it was the pinnacle of cuisine.

"Hey, Geum Sihyeon!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Geum-hyung, you're talented at cooking too? Impressive!"

Praise me more. More.

No carbonated drinks was a shame, but munching on this 0.7 hamburger equivalent felt great.

Some Zhuge whatever dude initiated with insane energy.

I wondered what Zhuge Liang would've thought of modern martial arts and that clownish descendant if he saw this.

"One Night's Dream, fighting!"

A sudden outburst made me glare at the mutt worse than a dog, right alongside Unhak.

"Isn't Nine Mile Double Swords Seol noona?"

"The odds were low. 1.4x."

"You crazy reverse-bet bastard."

No wonder he always came crawling, broke and begging the great Geum Sihyeon for a handout.

Gambling addiction is a disease.

I smacked Moyong Taek's head with a smooth palm strike for perfect attendance and focused on the match.

Overall setup felt similar to my buzzcut fight.

Luri, with her cheat-level movement ignoring distance, hopped around maximally far, poking and vanishing.

Seol noona swung her twin swords flashily, dodging what she could, parrying what she must, steadily closing in like a spider weaving its web.

This was seriously...

Watching made twin-sword vibes surge.

Definitely bad matchup.

No matter that twin swords symbolized defeat.

At ultimate mastery, they were supreme swordsmanship.

Simple reason, straightforward logic.

Two swords meant twice the slashing.

In other words, the strongest.

"Ack, hot. What're you doing?"

"Geum-hyung, why the sudden chill?"

Without realizing, I'd channeled ice arts in my left hand.

Flame arts in my right.

Someday, I'd punk the world with ice and flame swords... Nah, risky thought. Shelve it.

In the end, Luri lost tag and drew her sword, clashing seriously with clangs and whooshes.

But Luri's sword skill was at best equal to mine, maybe a bit higher.

Under Seol noona's onslaught, she gradually fell into a defensive position.

Bad matchup from the start if she let her get close.

She could've whittled her down while evading plenty.

But to my eyes, it looked like she deliberately yielded distance.

"Nooo!"

I ignored the reverse-bet's wail and observed more intently.

Seemed like Luri was overwhelmingly pushed at first glance.

But I strongly sensed she was plotting something.

Not pushed back with 100% force.

More like 80%?

Right after the deputy leader spoke, the sword in Seol noona's left hand sliced sharply across Luri's chest.

"Whoa."

A pure exclamation escaped me.

She used that like that?

VR limitations, probably.

Luri's elbows had touched, so no hit registration on her chest, I guess.

"As expected, still not fixed! I've tricked a few that way myself. It depletes internal energy instead of stamina, great for creating openings. Shame it wasn't enough; I got eliminated anyway..."

"?"

"?"

Unhak.

How do you know that?

We shot him suspicious, contemptuous looks.

"W-Well, I thought playing a woman in Mind-Image Sword Debate might help me understand women better..."

"You were friends with this creep?"

"Beggar, back off a bit."

We distanced ourselves from the netkama spouting sleazy excuses.

...Honestly, I'd considered making a female character too.

But I hadn't actually done it, so I was a better person than Unhak.

In Martial World Raising Simulator, I'd debated changing Geum Sihyeon to female but stuck with default...

Best choice of my whole life.

Obviously.

You bet.

"Beggar, why not just learn Jade Transformation Preservation?"

"Don't say that! Geum-hyung, aren't you going too far?"

"Yeah. Unhak's right this time. How could we live with eyes open after seeing you turn into a woman? We'd have to gouge them out."

"Hmph... Agreed."

"...No, I have no intention of learning it!"

We pounced on the opening and teased Unhak mercilessly.

Amid that, Luri seized the momentum with her coming-out, exploiting Seol noona's off-balance stance to plant a Heavenly Demon Punch in her gut.

"Pfft."

No matter we couldn't openly say Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but "Thud" as a move name?

As if perfectly covering, the follow-up Heavenly Demon Punch duo launched Seol noona airborne.

Best status ailment.

Floating in midair!

The tide turned in an instant.

True masters' fights were decided by such tiny openings.

"Yesssss!"

With the madman's cry, blinded by money over heavenly principles.

Luri claimed victory in the first bout.

I glanced at the chat.

The Big Tits gang was wailing.

Honestly, unexpected.

Luri had desperately guarded her chest from all attacks before, but suddenly used it for a counter.

Did she want to win that badly?

Luri kid's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart was unknowable.

Even after abandoning dignity.

Luri ultimately tasted defeat in the quarters.

Even I would've.

From set two, Seol noona relentlessly targeted Luri's knees and elbows.

I.e., where hands and feet should've been.

She seemed adapted to her stretched-out body, but actually getting hit created dissonance between felt impact zones and VR body, tripping her up.

Perfectly read the structure from that chest slice, analyzed inner weak points of Big Tits Dream, and struck true.

Seol noona.

A terrifying woman.

"Noona won. Let's drink."

"Right. The Moyong name rises high."

"Ugh, uuuugh..."

We sipped booze, Moyong Taek's loss as appetizer.

"Yongtaek-ah. Bitter booze? Life's like that. Hyung's is sweet."

"Urgh... Hurr..."

My personal wealth steadily grew 1.4x today too.

Low odds? Obviously.

I'd dumped big money, tanking the payout.

Investment failure is personal fault.

"Ahh, sweet."

Soon I could squeeze a body deed from that punk.

Two days passed.

In that time, wild Luri popped out five-ish times, cheeks puffed, snatching candies—smoothly handled side event.

Lingered near Medicine Hall, bumped into me and Sojeo, joined herbal lesson—youth event.

Grabbed by collar by Chicken Dad whispering "Lose to twin swords and you're dead," force-fed twin-axe counters—training event.

I'm complete...

I'll smash her full power and exorcise her.

Ice Sword Duo.