Manghon Villa (1)

Game clear congratulatory phrase pops up on the monitor. For a few seconds, I don't realize the situation, then I raise my hand.

Woke up. Finally.

The virtue of humans falls to the ground, and in proportion, the realm of martial artists soars, filling the world with war.

This vicious game that reflected the setting too well, where even the early regions couldn't be crossed, is finally ended.

'It's already 2 AM.'

Because I was too immersed in the game, I didn't notice the dawn. Just as I was about to give rest to the computer and my body that had been worked to death.

[If you want to challenge the impossible with honed will, select.]

This is...

I can't help it.

I skim the detailed explanation. Penalties continuing from the chaos are visible.

Character aptitude and background cannot be set randomly. It means you have to play as a randomly set character. It was necessary to draw quite a few characters to clear the chaos.

Faction proportion randomization and historical dilution. Usually, the power of the right path Murim decreases and the evil path Murim becomes strong. Historical dilution is an option for the imperial court's non-interference in Murim, often called Guanwu Bulga, but...

'It's not just Guanwu Bulga, it just raises the bad event rate.'

Meaning that actively intervening in Murim from the court increases the probability of the head being chopped off by a passing evil expert right at the start of the game. From the moment historical dilution is turned on, you have to worry about the killing moves of crazy hidden experts.

But they were penalties already familiar from the chaos difficulty. I scroll down the scroll. Most penalties are the same as the chaos, with the standout word "chaos".

『The martial arts of the right path are divine.

They infuse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meaning into every movement. They discuss true intent beyond the form of techniques. Se-in disparages their martial arts as catching clouds in the air, but martial artists who advance the way finally roam the clouds in truth.』

『The martial arts of the evil path are wondrous.

They have no time to discern intent. If it's a one-tenth chance to be accepted in the furnace, the neck will be cut ten times. They refine their forms more delicately and plot more unpredictable ambushes. More efficiently, more sharply. Their own rationality that deviates from the norm is forged into a strange blade.』

And now, with the Murim divided into black and white, a new hero has appeared, and that is you... With the phrase "Black and White Army Alliance War" game title, the intro ends.

『The martial arts of the demonic path are.』

『Weird.』

This is a new pattern.

Smiling at the witty variation, the next moment I see the new character's profile.

I was a third-class vagabond.

Knock.

The sound of footsteps stabs into my ear, and I draw my sword. After three heartbeats, I realize the sound is my own footsteps echoing.

'Damn it.'

Looking around, it's all fog. The mist rising from the layered mountains sometimes blocks even sunlight.

The problem is.

'I was camping at the edge of the village, not even at the mountain top.'

Having lived as a third-class vagabond for a few years, I had experienced all kinds of harsh things, but this isn't just harsh, it's weird, isn't it.

And that's why it's more dangerous. A sense of conviction that something much more cunning and sinister than an ordinary murderer is casting a shadow over me.

How did I end up like this. I focus my inner energy in my eyes again. Since it's barely beyond third-class, I can't pierce this thick fog, but at least it's better than seeing with the naked eye.

The Murim Alliance's public martial arts covered a wide range of fields, and among them was Eye Method.

Including body vision, techniques to strengthen the eyes' senses. Ming family disciples receive much more efficient and powerful martial arts, but for me without a foundation, this was enough to make me capable.

Thanks to clearer vision, I could dodge enemies several times.

However, even with the Eye Method strengthening vision, what enters my eyes is only hazy tree shadows.

The ones I was teamed with didn't even leave traces.

The Murim Alliance's name is a union that would make one cry, but since it's a group of vagabonds, not proper sect disciples, it's understandable.

At the same time, it felt out of place. The martial force unit I belong to is Baekgeomdae.

Just the word "Baekgeom" looks grand, but it's just a metaphor for a rookie vagabond who didn't gain any martial fame with a sword.

A white sword without a single wound meant a greenhorn who hadn't fought properly.

Those who want to enter a famous sect or have the skill to become a guest of a famous family, but lack both, join the Murim Alliance to get even a single verse of sword intent.

It's more likely to survive properly than relying on the evil path. Even if I enter under the eaves of the Murim Alliance, being a vagabond is a fate that doesn't go anywhere.

Usually, they are mobilized for the most trivial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠odd jobs or, conversely, become targets for the evil path's blades.

Therefore, vagabonds are sensitive to danger. Knowing their own weakness, they crawl into a great force, and perhaps wanting to enjoy even a little prestige.

Even at third-class, if they gather under the name of the Murim Alliance, they can somewhat deal with second-class. These are those who know themselves better than anyone else, as they would be nothing if they scattered.

That the members of Baekgeomdae have scattered...

Means that there were enemies of realms they couldn't face, and they fled in different directions, considering that the only way out.

Or

"Is it a formation?"

The suspicious fog or the sudden disappearance of the village scene can also be explained if it's a formation.

But who would interfere with the encirclement prepared by the Murim Alliance to hunt demons?

'Sahyeolryeon?'

No. They say even as demons, they are close to difficult to deal with pests. If the Murim Alliance takes up the sword, they would welcome with open arms.

Then is it the sorcery of the pursued demon?

'No, even if it's a demon's desperate struggle, it's strange. It would be much more reasonable to intervene on the side of the demon extermination unit rather than ours.'

The proportion of Baekgeomdae in the encirclement was negligible. The extermination unit for actual combat was prepared separately.

The only missions assigned to rookies were introductions to prevent villagers from wandering around carelessly and resident control to some extent.

It wasn't a mission to use high-level techniques like formations to interfere.

I chewed my lips twice, then looked up at the sky.

The damn fog doesn't even show the sky. A bitter smile tugs at my mouth.

Why did I play such a game.

Suddenly becoming a third-class vagabond and waking up, I struggled to survive in any way.

After burning through a few years, I barely stepped into the threshold of second-class. If it were a game, I wouldn't have looked at it, but I had carved the public martial arts of the Murim Alliance into my eyes with effort.

Nevertheless, it was frustrating that I couldn't respond to proper ascension martial arts, divine arts, or formations.

Still, I had no choice. To survive, I had to move.

Normally, the common sense in wuxia novels is not to move carelessly if trapped in a formation, but at the same time, staying in the same place for too long was also a problem.

Someone who prepared this formation would move to hunt those trapped in it.

I slowly move my steps. The humid fog wets the stream. It feels like I have to breathe forcibly in water.

I recite the inner energy formula. It can't instantly dispel worries like high-level inner arts from Dao or Buddhist schools, but at least it blocks being swept away by fear.

Huff—

The wind brushed my neck. A chill flowing on the skin carried by sweat that hasn't dried yet. Goosebumps for no reason.

I reflexively turn my head, but it's still just trees and bushes around. Damn it.

Normally, I wouldn't be bothered by small natural phenomena, but now I'm overreacting to each one. Is this why people die from madness in formations.

'...Wait.'

The fog is thinning. Thanks to the wind just now?

I look around. Is this also a trap prepared by the formation, or have I luckily found a passage where the influence of the formation is weakening.

'If it were the latter, it would be good, but I don't have that kind of luck.'

If I were a really lucky person, I wouldn't have drifted into the strange game Murim chaos.

Beyond the hazy fog, a wide open clearing is visible.

In the center of the clearing is a house.

It doesn't seem to fear wild animals, so no fence. The building with red bricks and blue roof tiles is too gorgeous to be in the middle of a deep mountain.

The clearing is circular around the house. Behind the tiled house, dense forest and rising mist ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are still visible.

It looks too artificially like "enter here".

Obvious trap.

But if I try to escape to another place, it will just be endless repetition of the forest.

What should I do....

'If this strange forest is really a formation, then that tiled house is the core that attracts people.'

Then, there should be traces of other Baekgeomdae members around. Instead of throwing my body into that strange house alone, it would be better to move while at least two or more protect each other's backs, increasing survival rate.

I send inner energy to my eyes again. I scan around while looking for human traces. I move along the boundary between the clearing and forest around the tiled house and thoroughly scan the surroundings.

And.

'Nothing?'

It was strange. I myself arrived at the tiled house so easily, but none of the other vagabonds could reach the tiled house.

At the same time as swallowing saliva, an ominous intuition flashed through my mind.

I turn around.

"Haa... life."

The footprints I left while walking are fading. Like time is turning back, the footprints from far away are gradually fading.

'When I tried to mark by breaking branches in the forest, I couldn't even recognize it.'

At the moment I was about to stop using the Eye Method to suppress this excessive inner energy waste ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by adjusting my eyes.

A strange book enters my eyes.

Right in front of the only entrance to that ominous villa.

A book hanging on a single tree directly in front of it.

Hanging a book on a tree is also strange, but what I thought was "strange" was for another reason.

The book cover was glowing with blue light.

I swallow saliva. A glowing book reminds me of a snake's eyes, making it creepy. Is this also a trap?

I re-inject the inner energy I was about to retrieve into the blood vessels around my eyes.

At that moment, the blue light became even stronger.

"Huh?"

When I gathered all my inner energy, the blue light disappeared. Not only that. Even though I clearly knew the book existed, I couldn't find its appearance.

I use the Eye Method again. The blue light slowly brightens.

'Is it the Murim Alliance's arrangement?'

I cautiously approach the tree. After throwing stones around the tree trunk to confirm no traps, I climb the tree and snatch the book.

When I turn the first page, there is a very business-like sentence written there.

『You are at Manghon Villa.』