The Night Goddess's Heart Method
Even before the guild had been founded, an invitation to join.
Shin Junseok stood there with his mouth agape, looking utterly dumbfounded.
“Was that bet we made back then… serious?”
Someone else answered.
Hong Yunsu’s expression had turned grave.
“What bet?”
Shin Junseok asked, his voice brimming with curiosity.
“If I clear the 30th floor within a year, I join Yu Jinho’s guild.”
“I’m glad you remembered.”
I smiled faintly.
“That one-year period… when exactly does it start?”
Hong Yunsu gave a wry smile.
“Last December, so about three months have already passed.”
“Silver rank within a year. That’s unprecedented.”
A chuckle escaped Shin Junseok’s lips.
“You think it’s impossible?”
“Hardly. If it’s you, Junior, I don’t think it’s impossible at all.”
I shrugged lightly, playing it off.
Hong Yunsu spoke again, his face still uncertain.
“There are still nine months left until the deadline. Isn’t this too soon?”
“Well, I was planning on next month originally, but circumstances changed.”
The bet with Baal.
Because of that once-in-a-lifetime wager over Ars Goetia, I was scrambling to prepare for the Silver promotion match.
Offering the same deal to Hong Yunsu was just an afterthought.
I looked Shin Junseok straight in the eye.
“So. I’d like to hear your answer, Senior.”
“You did help me out, after all. This much is nothing.”
Shin Junseok nodded without hesitation.
I already knew he was this kind of person, but he agreed so readily that the one making the offer felt embarrassed.
“There is one condition, though.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll accommodate it. We’re recruiting a Ranker, after all.”
“As you know, I’m still building my own team. I’d like you to guarantee that I can continue operating independently.”
“Come on, just think of it as lending us your name.”
Team, and guild.
I was building an organization to prepare for the age of ruin.
Gathering those who would become major forces in the future and keeping them under one roof.
“I won’t cause you any trouble, Senior.”
“If that’s all, it’s not much of a burden. I’ll be counting on you, Guild Master.”
The Fist Saint who had been a reliable comrade before my regression.
Now we met again as guild master and guild member.
“Looks like I’ll be in the same boat soon enough.”
Hong Yunsu smiled wryly from the side.
“Ah, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you, Senior.”
“Speak.”
“I want to obtain a heart method.”
The moment I finished speaking, Shin Junseok’s eyes lit up.
“A heart method? Who for?”
“Ah, it’s not for a player.”
“I see.”
Shin Junseok couldn’t hide his disappointment.
That martial arts fanatic.
He really was serious when it came to martial arts.
“I want the one I’m contracted with to learn martial arts.”
Grass Flower Art (★★)
Classification: Passive
A heart method that stores natural energy in the body without alteration.
*Grants Internal Energy stat upon acquisition.
-Could it be that you speak of this one?
Nyx, who had been silent until now, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“Yeah.”
“A heart method, is it? Give me a moment.”
Shin Junseok checked his inventory and listed several martial arts names.
-Three Yang True Qi.
-Single Foot Flying Art.
-Main Battle Art.
……
All of them were second-rate to third-rate at best.
“A bit disappointing.”
“I’ve been collecting manuals from China, so anything first-rate or higher is hard to come by.”
Shin Junseok had secured most of the domestic supply, but when it came to the entire world, China’s money-fueled approach was far more efficient.
Even that would probably stop in about two years.
As I’d mentioned before, martial artists were blocked by the wall of “enlightenment,” making it difficult to advance beyond a certain level.
It wasn’t particularly superior to physical techniques, either.
“I’ll take this one.”
After some thought, I named a specific martial art.
“Are you sure? It’s classified as second-rate, but it’s extremely difficult to master.”
“Probably.”
If my guess was right, there was no heart method more suited to Nyx than this.
“I’ll pay the price.”
“Think of it as repayment for the sparring match.”
“Didn’t we already settle that with the guild recruitment?”
“Not at all. The price for recruiting me was granting me enlightenment.”
Good grief.
Even I couldn’t easily read the mind of this martial arts fanatic.
* * *
After returning to the team building, I dismissed the other members and headed to the training hall with only Nyx.
-Are you not tired?
“I gained something from that sparring match too. I need to sort through my thoughts.”
-Oh? I’m curious what you obtained.
“First of all, that Platinum rank is manageable?”
I had fought on equal footing with one of Korea’s top players.
I surrendered because I lacked that one decisive move, but still.
If I studied Void Mirror a bit more, I probably wouldn’t lose to a Ranker.
-If you had transformed into that monstrous form, the outcome might have been different.
The essence of a primordial species.
Transforming into a Tyrannosaurus raised all close-combat related stats by 500%.
Even during the last mission, the moment I used White Tiger Dominion Kick, its power rivaled the high-level spell Earthquake.
“I can’t use most martial arts in that form.”
I shook my head.
Most of the Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts techniques were designed to be performed with arms.
There were kicking techniques like Twin Wing Phoenix Kick, but it was impossible to execute them with a primordial species’ body structure.
White Tiger Dominion Kick.
Or perhaps using the mouth, the Tyrannosaurus’s most powerful weapon.
Using the primordial essence as a trump card still required more research.
“That’s why I used the stable power of the orc.”
-Reckless yet cautious.
“I calculated everything.”
Everything except Void Mirror stayed within my expectations.
As expected, I needed more research to use it properly.
“And the second thing is this.”
I pulled out the shabby booklet Shin Junseok had given me as thanks for the sparring match.
-You were serious?
“Yeah. This internal energy heart method will compensate for what we lacked in combat.”
-I find that hard to believe. This one felt no deficiency.
“If we’d had just a little more internal energy to fuel Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword, we would have won.”
The Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword enhanced by the power of Polar Night.
It was our strongest attack at our current level.
Tsk.
Nyx clicked her tongue.
-My contractor, it seems you have forgotten one important fact.
“What?”
-The one you contracted with is a supreme existence—the Goddess of Night!
Nyx raised her chin.
Even like that, she radiated cuteness rather than intimidation, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
-Do you truly believe this one would deign to learn the techniques of mere mortals?
“I understand. Learning martial arts is difficult, after all.”
Nyx blinked twice.
She looked like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I must have said something unnecessary. Pretend you didn’t hear it.”
-You. Repeat what you just said.
“It was wrong of me to suggest that the Goddess learn such a low-level, difficult mortal technique.”
Haah. I let out a short sigh.
-Do you believe this one cannot master martial arts?
“That wasn’t my intention.”
-Wasn’t your intention, you say! No matter how difficult, it is still nothing more than a mortal’s technique!
Whoosh!
Nyx, now manifested in her homunculus body, snatched the manual from my hand.
Even while materializing, she didn’t forget to wrap herself in Polar Night to form clothing.
“Uh, uh, uh.”
“Engrave the greatness of the Goddess of Night into your foolish eyes.”
Nyx rapidly scanned the contents of Grass Flower Art.
The manual instantly turned to dust.
Good. Everything was going according to plan.
I swallowed my laughter.
Handling the Goddess was as easy as pie.
“Indeed. So this is how mortals handle the energy of nature.”
Nyx nodded with a thoughtful hum.
Energy flickered at her fingertips.
She had only just learned Grass Flower Art, yet she was already moving internal energy freely.
Wasn’t this much faster than I expected?
“Behold the greatness of the Goddess of Night!”
“As expected, Goddess, you’re amazing.”
“Your expressive ability is truly lacking.”
“The greatness of Goddess Nyx is like the night that covers the sea—its end cannot be measured.”
“Hohoho, say more.”
After continuing to praise Nyx’s greatness for quite some time, she finally nodded in satisfaction.
“From now on, do not show such an unsightly appearance.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll serve you well.”
“Hmph. Only now do you show proper respect to this one.”
Using her pride to make her learn martial arts was good, but the side effects were no joke.
I’d have to be more careful next time.
“Then, shall we try circulating energy according to the Grass Flower Art’s mantra?”
Nyx sat cross-legged without complaint.
It was worth all the flattery.
“Here, take this.”
I took out a blue stone from the Pocket of Desire.
The Moonview Stone obtained from the tutorial.
Since it could only be consumed once every two weeks, I had been steadily melting it into internal energy, yet more than half still remained.
“This one accepts it only because it is you who offers. Remember that.”
“Of course.”
Nyx swallowed the Moonview Stone and began operating the heart method.
Some time passed as I stood guard nearby.
With a short exhale, Nyx opened her eyes.
“Internal energy. When operated this way, I can feel its depth.”
“Right?”
“This internal energy aids in the operation of Polar Night.”
Sssssst!
Black energy surged from Nyx’s shadow.
“The output increased?”
Polar Night’s output had risen by about 10%.
Nyx looked bewildered.
“Indeed. Mixing it with internal energy made it much easier to control.”
“The effect is better than expected.”
Grass Flower Art was a heart method that absorbed natural energy into the dantian as it was.
Though only second-rate, the profundity contained within made it as difficult to master as a first-rate art.
However, just because the acquisition difficulty was high didn’t mean its performance was exceptional.
That was why Shin Junseok had told me to reconsider when I asked for this manual.
But for the Goddess who governed “night,” one of nature’s aspects, there could be no better match.
“How wondrous. That a mere mortal could contain nature’s power as it is.”
A Goddess who used martial arts.
Nyx was already strong enough with Polar Night alone, but how much stronger would she become once she mastered martial arts?
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Team Leader, are you in there?”
Ping Lei lightly knocked on the training hall door.
“What is it?”
“I came to give my answer regarding what we discussed last time.”
Oh. He was making his move faster than I expected.
“Come in.”
Ping Lei appeared through the open door.
His ragged breathing and trembling fingertips made his tension obvious.
“So. Did you think long and hard about my proposal?”
“Yes. I couldn’t even sleep properly for several days while thinking about it.”
“I don’t like beating around the bush, so let’s get to the point. Have you decided?”
“Yes. My answer is……”
He was dragging it out.
As Ping Lei trailed off, I found myself growing tense as well.
The future that was beginning to change.
Indeed.
Could this guy choose a different fate than before his regression?
“It seems difficult to leave Guryong-bang.”
Ah, so that was it.
I felt genuinely disappointed.