Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Chapter 1: Another Chance Given (5)
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Flinch!
The moment they passed through the barrier and stepped into the cave, Martin and Sien froze in place.
That wasn’t all.
Goosebumps erupted across their skin, every hair standing on end.
A tremendous aura flowing from deeper inside was pressing down on them.
“This isn’t… monster energy. It’s the aura of someone who’s mastered martial arts to the absolute limit, refined to perfection.”
Sien concluded in a trembling voice. Her gaze then turned to Martin.
“Out of all the places in the world, a person living in a dungeon? Who could it be? And someone radiating this kind of power would be incredibly famous.”
“Hmm. You’re right, in a way. But what can I say—he’s an ancestor of our family.”
“…What? An ancestor?”
Martin’s unexpected reply made Sien’s eyes widen round.
Her reaction was so cute that Martin couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Want to die?”
“Sorry.”
Sien clenched her fist. Martin immediately straightened his expression.
“Anyway, who is it? If you’re calling him an ancestor, he must have lived a really long time.”
“Huh? I’m not speaking figuratively—it’s our actual ancestor. He passed away about three hundred years ago.”
“…You’re joking, right?”
“Come on, why would I lie to you about something like this?”
“I-if even a dead person can emit this kind of presence… how strong must he have been in life?”
The way for a dead person to retain their aura after death was simple.
Be overwhelmingly powerful.
More precisely, one had to reach the 10th Circle, the realm of absolutes.
The heads of the Alteria Empire’s Three Great Prestigious Families had all attained that realm—Daniel von Adalbert, Martin’s father, being the sole exception.
“Phew. Someone that strong wouldn’t just be ‘famous’—his name would echo everywhere.”
“Well, anyone on the Krasian Continent, not just in the Alteria Empire, would know him.”
“Who the hell… Wait a minute. Someone that great—why spend his final days in a place like this? Shouldn’t he have passed peacefully at the main house?”
“Don’t get so worked up, Sien. You’ll find out everything soon enough—no need for me to explain.”
“What’s the harm in telling me ahead of time?”
Sien grumbled, but Martin didn’t respond.
He shrugged lightly and stepped forward.
The oppressive pressure from the aura intensified the deeper they went, but fortunately, the cave wasn’t large, and they soon reached the end.
A spacious chamber held stone furniture like desks and drawers.
But what captured Martin and Sien’s attention was something else.
In the center of the space sat a corpse, legs crossed in a meditative posture.
It was clearly the body of someone who had died three hundred years ago, yet it didn’t look like a corpse at all.
His hair gleamed with luster, and his skin had a healthy flush.
Even now, an overwhelming pressure emanated from the body, enough to choke them.
He looked merely asleep—no one would think he was dead.
“Urk!”
The instant Martin saw the corpse’s face, he let out a groan.
The immense aura stimulated his mana circuits, causing sharp pain.
“Martin!”
Startled, Sien rushed to his side.
She opened her sub-space and handed him a potion in a glass vial.
Martin quickly took a sip, and the pain subsided rapidly. As expected of a top-grade potion, its effect was outstanding.
He then circulated his mana to shake off the pressure.
Letting out a light sigh, he grumbled.
“Phew. This damn disease is such a hassle. The slightest issue sets off a seizure.”
“Save the chit-chat. Are you okay now, Martin?”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, I recovered fast, Sien. Really grateful.”
“Whatever. It’s just routine. So, who is this? You can tell me now, right?”
“Rota Adalbert.”
“…Gah, the Fist King? The strongest on the Krasian Continent three hundred years ago?”
“Correct. You caught on quick.”
“How could I not? He’s the most famous collateral branch member of the Adalbert family.”
Sien raised her voice without realizing it.
Rota Adalbert.
A collateral branch of the Adalbert family, yet he reigned as the strongest on the Krasian Continent.
What made him even more unique was that, despite coming from the swordsmanship prestigious Adalbert family, he never learned the sword. He reached the pinnacle with his bare fists alone.
It was common for heads or direct descendants of the Alteria Empire’s Three Great Prestigious Families to claim the continent’s top spot.
But Rota Adalbert was the first collateral branch member to be acknowledged as the strongest. Naturally, his fame shook the entire continent.
Yet the event that truly made him legendary was something else.
“He defeated the Adalbert family’s 22nd head and then vanished. To think he was hiding out here…”
As Sien said, after defeating his own family head, Rota Adalbert disappeared from history.
By rights, he should have established his own branch family and passed down his martial arts.
As the Fist King, he had every qualification. But his disappearance buried it all.
“Do you know what happened, Martin?”
“No. Father only told me the Fist King’s body was here. He said to figure out the rest myself.”
It was an answer far from the truth, but what could he do?
Kallain Gustin, who had claimed the Fist King’s legacy, revealed only this location and nothing more.
At least it was a relief that he didn’t have to agonize over it much.
“Well, I’ll find out soon enough.”
“How?”
“Look over there.”
Martin pointed with his right index finger at the desk.
Three books were neatly arranged on top.
The two on the left were simply labeled as journals, but the one on the far right was different.
Its title read:
Rota Body Arts.
‘Well, now.’
A treasure of immense value to anyone.
But to Martin, it was far more important.
Because it was a martial art that could alleviate the Dragon’s Curse.
Still, it left him feeling unsettled.
After all, that bastard Kallain had mastered it and grown strong. That very power contributed to his downfall.
In the end, the ancestor’s strength had led to the Adalberts’ destruction.
‘But that’s all in the past now.’
Martin composed himself lightly.
His arrival here had already changed fate.
That was enough for now.
Rustle.
Finally, Martin opened the book.
* * *
“Phew… The 22nd head of the main house and the other heads of the Three Great Prestigious Families—such a disgrace. They couldn’t accept defeat gracefully and schemed behind his back.”
“They saw a mere collateral branch as beneath them. Their pride took a hit, so it’s no surprise they’d resort to dirty tricks.”
The truth revealed in the journal was surprisingly straightforward.
The heads of the Three Great Prestigious Families harbored grudges over their defeats and relentlessly targeted the Fist King.
Sometimes using others who had lost to him like themselves, other times deploying assassin organizations.
The Fist King defeated all who came for him.
But in the end, he lost someone precious, and unable to bear the grief, he secluded himself in this dungeon—where no one else could find him.
He survived on dew from the cave ceiling, focusing solely on recording his enlightenment.
The Rota Body Arts were born from his rage and resentment.
Proving it, the final page bore these words:
“One who masters the Rota Body Arts must defeat each of the Three Great Families’ heads once…”
“Talk about a tough demand.”
This was one reason the Fist King chose this spot among the vast dungeons.
This cave was near the entrance managed by the Adalbert family in Barehain City. Considering direct descendants were few and rarely entered dungeons, it was likely a collateral branch member would discover it.
The Fist King had bet on that possibility—that an Adalbert collateral would find this place, inherit the Rota Body Arts, and deal a blow to the family.
He had even prepared a grand spell for it.
‘In the end, his wish came true, in a way.’
Kallain, a branch family member who could be called collateral, had indeed claimed the legacy. And he succeeded in toppling the Adalberts.
Though this time, as a direct descendant inheriting it, the Fist King’s wish would come to nothing.
“What will you do, Martin?”
“Well, we have to report that the Fist King was here. The journals too.”
“But hide the martial arts manual?”
“The journals don’t mention it anyway, right? Better to hide it if we can. Credit where credit’s due, and take the benefits for ourselves.”
“…Is that okay? As you know, anything from a dungeon must be reported, no matter what. If they find out you hid something, the price will be enormous.”
Dungeon byproducts were under strict control.
Because of the most vital resource: mana stones.
Among them, mana stones were paramount.
These chunks from monsters practically sustained the continent’s entire industry.
They were the source of wealth for nations controlling dungeon entrances and the Alteria Empire’s Three Great Prestigious Families.
Thus, after clearing a dungeon, entrants underwent thorough inspections of what they obtained.
To prevent tax evasion and core resource leaks.
If caught hiding something, they were punished for treason immediately.
Regardless of gender, age, or status.
While inspections were rigorous for everyone, Adalbert family members faced even stricter scrutiny—due to their sub-spaces, accessible only by space-affinity inherents.
“Even if a faction controls a dungeon entrance, the dungeon belongs to all humanity… Honestly, it’s a bit much. Getting checked by nobles and adventurer guilds over such absurd reasons. If it were up to me, I’d ignore it.”
“Martin!”
“Kidding, Sien. Relax your face.”
“Phew. So what’ll you do with the manual? It’s useless to you anyway.”
“No, it’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to learn the Rota Body Arts. Then destroy the manual, and every problem’s neatly solved. Right?”
Gape.
Sien opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. It was so absurd she couldn’t speak.
“…You’re going to learn body arts with your body? Determined to commit suicide, Martin?”
Martin’s body was like a bomb that could explode at any moment.
Swordsmanship was manageable, at least.
Just holding a weapon granted immense combat power, plus Martin’s own overwhelming talent.
But body arts were different.
They required far more intense movement than swordsmanship alone—a problem in itself—but the real danger was elsewhere.
Absorbing all the impact from attacks and defenses directly into the body. For Martin, weaker than even a mage, it was poison.
No wonder Sien looked so reluctant.
And beyond the nature of body arts, there was another issue.
“I haven’t read the manual yet, but I’m certain of this: The Rota Body Arts originate from the Adalbert family. To perform it properly, you’ll need space-affinity inherent ability. Just like our other Adalbert arts.”
“That’s true. Still, there are plenty of techniques usable without it. Much more accessible than the main house swordsmanship, you could say.”
The Adalbert family’s swordsmanship was tailored strictly to space affinities. Without his inherent ability, Martin had to learn other schools’ techniques.
So Sien’s expression soured.
Her words had just pointed out Martin’s weakness.
‘Still, I have to stop him.’
She couldn’t let him self-destruct when it was so obvious.
“No matter how you put it…”
“Above all, the breathing method stands out.”
“Breathing method? Something special about it?”
“Yeah. It says just breathing this way strengthens the body. Seems like no better martial art for me right now, huh?”
“I-is that even possible?”
“Your Egrid family boasts superior physiques now, but the Fist King had a robust body too. So a breathing method like this isn’t strange.”
Sien was at a loss for words.
Martin’s greatest weakness was his frail physique.
Even after awakening to aura, it remained weak.
He couldn’t compare to knights of similar realm.
But a breathing method that strengthened the body? Irresistible.
“…How much did you memorize?”
“All of it.”
“In that short time? Just one read?”
“Why act so surprised? You know this is nothing for me.”
“Sigh. Your talent really is insane.”
“Not quite. I memorized the content, but haven’t fully grasped it yet. Though the grand spell will fix that quick.”
“Grand spell? What’s that?”
“The Fist King left a lot behind. He included a way to master his art as fast as possible. Said to use it first before learning the martial art.”
“…Now I have no idea what’s going on.”
“And get this? Mastering it might even awaken my inherent ability.”
“Ugh. Do what you want.”
Sien sighed again. In the end, she gave up trying to dissuade him.
She still thought it dangerous. But the breathing method’s allure was too great.
A stronger body for Martin meant a longer life. Nothing could make her happier.
Plus, it might trigger his inherent ability.
Swoosh.
With Sien’s approval, Martin approached the Fist King’s corpse.
The intense pressure still bore down, but circulating mana left him unscathed.
With a calm expression, he extended his right hand. His palm touched the Fist King’s forehead.
In that instant.
Rustle.
The Fist King’s body crumbled into ashes.
At its center floated a glowing blue orb.
Martin picked it up.
‘I’ll make good use of your art.’
He’d told Sien it was for the breathing method, but there was another reason.
Among all martial arts on the Krasian Continent, none suited him like the Rota Body Arts. That’s why he’d resolved to claim it this time.
‘I’ll fulfill your wish too. Though toppling the Adalberts is impossible.’
He couldn’t defeat himself, after all.
Instead, he’d reign as the continent’s strongest. Martin vowed, gazing at the Fist King’s ashen remains.
Then.
Gulp.
He swallowed the orb.