The Martial Arts Training Hall

Two days had passed since winning the promotion match.

"Behold, the world is abuzz with talk of you."

Nyx pointed at the tablet screen with her dainty hand.

…….

I furrowed my brow.

"Don't press that while eating cotton candy. It'll get sticky."

"Do not interfere with this one's happiness!"

One hand held the tablet. The other clutched pink cotton candy, and melted sugar clung to spots all over the screen.

Just pick one, would you? Either eat the cotton candy or look at the tablet.

"Haha, the summon seems quite lively."

Han Suchang laughed heartily.

"I'd prefer if she were a little less lively."

I spoke with genuine feeling.

"This one is no lowly summon!"

"We're talking adult business here. Go play with Jiyoung, Goddess."

"Hmph. You must relearn the proper etiquette for addressing this one."

Nyx puffed out her cheeks and flew off toward the training hall, grumbling.

"Ah, Jinho-nim."

"Is she really a goddess?"

"Yes. She doesn't look like an ordinary summon."

"She was sealed away, but she's the real deal."

I answered calmly.

Han Suchang let out a gasp.

"Isn't that top-secret information?"

"So far, you're the only one I've told, Team Leader."

"I'll make sure to keep my mouth shut."

Han Suchang pressed a finger to his lips and mimed zipping them closed.

Was I revealing my hand too easily?

Based on my memories from before the regression, this man was trustworthy.

Besides, framing it as "I'm only telling you" was the better way to earn his loyalty.

He was competent, too.

"By the way, there are a few things I need to report today."

"Perfect timing. I had a few requests of my own."

"Aren't you working the Association too hard?"

Han Suchang grumbled briefly, then wiped the smile from his face.

"Actually, a request came in from Guryong-bang."

"They still have more to say? Their grudges run deep."

"It's about Ping Lei. He wants to join your team, Jinho-nim."

Huh?

My eyes widened at the unexpected news.

"Guryong-bang proposed that?"

"Yes. To operate as a player in Korea, he needs the Association's approval."

Han Suchang didn't bother hiding his bewilderment as he spoke.

Even the Association had no idea what Guryong-bang was plotting.

"What if they try to…"

"You don't have to worry. There's no chance I'll be scouted by them."

Even with the regression, I didn't remember every detail of the past.

Especially not events from other countries at this point in time.

I only recalled the major incidents, one or two at most.

To make the most of the regression advantage, staying in familiar territory was best.

"Ahem, that's a relief."

"What does the Association plan to do?"

"We have no grounds to refuse, so we'll approve it."

I see.

So that was the real reason he came to see me first thing.

The Association had wanted to test me before deciding whether to let Ping Lei enter the country.

After this promotion match, plenty of people overseas were paying attention to me now.

"No Special Task Force missions?"

"No. There aren't any incidents that require your strength right now."

"Well, the tax breaks are nice. Contact me if something comes up."

"With everything you're already doing for national prestige, you don't need to worry too much about Special Task Force duties."

If he put it that way, I was happy to take it easy.

"Oh, right. Those items you entrusted to us have all been processed."

"The Caden crystal ore?"

"Yes. After fees, it came to 24.3 billion won."

For a moment, I was speechless.

Three months ago, my bank balance had been ten million won.

I couldn't even guess how many times it had multiplied since then.

"Perfect timing. Let's just buy this building outright, then."

"Understood. I'll handle that on my end."

"And with the rest of the money, could you get me a Tyrannosaurus fossil?"

Question marks floated across Han Suchang's face.

"A T-Tyrannosaurus?"

"Yes. A dinosaur fossil."

"Understood."

He looked curious but didn't ask why.

That was why I liked him. He knew how to keep business and personal matters separate.

After our conversation, Han Suchang stood up.

"I have a mountain of work to do."

"Tell me about it."

"Will you challenge the 11th floor right away, Jinho-nim?"

"I have to. I've already been promoted."

"Ah, that reminds me. There's one thing I wanted to ask."

"What is it?"

"The name of the team you're leading. I haven't heard anything about it."

We'd gathered people, but I hadn't announced the team name to the outside world.

Jiyoung and Kim Youngsoo probably didn't know it either.

"Yeokcheon."

"The team name is Yeokcheon…?"

"It fits a team that's going to conquer the Tower of Babel."

It was the team name—and later guild name—I'd always thought of after regressing.

"Quite the scale."

Han Suchang gave an awkward laugh.

After sending Han Suchang off, I headed down to the training hall.

"Master, please take care of today's training as well."

"Ah, today's solo training."

"What?"

"I need to challenge the 11th floor."

"Then I'll log into the Tower of Babel too."

"You're banned from tower challenges for the time being."

"W-Why?!"

"The 11th floor requires full preparation before you go up."

Since we'd been promoted to Iron rank, missions on floors 1 through 9 were no longer accessible.

That didn't mean I could send her up unprepared, either.

"Aaaah, Masteeeer."

"The rewards are biggest on your first attempt. So focus on developing your abilities for now."

Jiyoung stared at me with eyes full of disappointment.

No meant no.

"Youngsoo hyung-nim, spar with her. Have you gotten used to the puppet techniques yet?"

"They're working better than I expected. They move as naturally as if they were my own skills."

"Even so, don't choose Puppeteer for your second class change."

"I haven't even cleared the Bronze promotion match yet."

The second class change took place on the 25th floor.

Like Kim Youngsoo said, it was still too early to worry about.

But.

If my memories were correct, Kim Youngsoo would grow rapidly once he started handling puppets.

I didn't want him getting too obsessed with puppet techniques.

While the two of them sparred, I pulled out my phone.

"You've barely left the tower and you're already challenging it again?"

"I've already calculated the odds."

I clenched my right hand into a fist, then opened it again.

My senses had sharpened like a well-honed blade.

All thanks to doing nothing but resting for two days after the Unranked promotion match.

Of course it was yes.

The moment I pressed Y, I was transported to the Tower of Babel with no matching wait time, just like before.

When I opened my eyes after closing them, a massive building made of white marble appeared.

The entrance bore the words "Training Hall," and beyond it I could see rooms marked with signs like [Martial Arts] or [Magic].

The Training Hall is a privilege granted to players who have just reached Iron rank.

Here, you may hone your specialties or train in new fields.

Test your abilities and claim your rewards.

▶ Objective: Clear one Training Hall theme

"Quite the peaceful theme."

"Most people treat this as a rest mission."

"There's no need to clear every test the Training Hall offers, is there?"

"That's the trap."

The Training Hall hid many treasures.

If you completed the trials each theme presented, it rewarded you with rare elixirs, skill books, or items that were difficult to obtain at Iron rank.

Information that wasn't public knowledge at this point in time.

This was also information revealed by the explorer Laurent.

Rather than Laurent being the first to discover it, it was more likely that high-rankers who already knew had simply kept it to themselves.

This was why seizing information first was so important.

"You're scheming again."

"You've been nagging more lately. Must be fun."

"This one merely speaks the truth."

Using facts against me like that was cowardly.

I'd have to watch my expressions around Nyx from now on.

"So, which of these many fields will you choose?"

"I've already decided."

Without hesitation, I knocked on the door marked [Martial Arts].

Creaaak—.

The door swung open to the sides.

The path leading inward.

A path filled with nothing but darkness, not a single point of light.

Yet I stepped forward without hesitation.

"Are the other training halls also this dark?"

"Only the martial arts one."

"What a delightful place."

The moment I entered the training hall, the door that had opened automatically closed, plunging everything into complete darkness.

A massive wall stood in front of me.

A small jar appeared to the side.

"The space suddenly shrank."

"The martial arts training hall's theme is wall-facing training."

I sat down on the floor and crossed my legs.

The lotus position.

The basic stance for circulating internal energy.

"Of course."

I squeezed my eyes shut and sharpened every sense in my body.

Some time passed.

The moment my sixth sense reacted with a thump, a needle flew toward me.

"Be careful. A small object is targeting you."

"I can't deflect it."

The needle embedded itself in the Quchi point on my arm.

The technique was so exquisite that I felt no pain at all.

If I tried to locate the needles by pain, I'd be too late.

I quickly circulated the internal energy gathered in my dantian.

The moment the needle that had pierced my meridian met the energy of the Three Talents Qi Gong—

Ting! The needle bounced away.

"You didn't even touch it. Why did that tiny thing fly off?"

"I drove it out with my internal energy."

"So that was the test."

While Nyx muttered, a second needle shot toward my meridian.

Thud!

This time it struck the Tianzhu point at the back of my neck.

A vital point where all nerves passed through; striking it would paralyze the entire body.

It was also a classic location for pressure-point techniques.

I immediately circulated my internal energy and expelled the needle lodged in my nape.

If I'd been even a moment slower, I'd have been paralyzed and left the needle stuck there.

"This one is flying toward your head."

Along with Nyx's warning, a needle embedded itself in the crown of my head.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Training Hall's needles even targeted lethal points like the death points.

Since it was a tower mission, I wouldn't actually die, but failing to deflect them in time would hurt like hell.

Ting! Ting!

Needles flew from every direction.

The real trial of the Martial Arts Training Hall was only just beginning.