Chapter 1. Don't Lie, Kid (1)
Chapter 1. Don't Lie, Kid (1)
Beep. Beep. Beep....
A university hospital near Yeouido, Seoul.
Inside the hospital room, the eyelids of the man who had been keeping his eyes closed moved slightly.
As he slowly opened his eyes, what he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
"...Ugh...."
"...Ga-hyeon-ah? Are you awake? Oh my god. Doctor!"
As the familiar voice gradually faded away, Ga-hyeon began to slowly understand the situation.
'No... no way. Cheon-gi-ja's words....'
Ga-hyeon recovered his body while slowly regaining consciousness over several days.
As a result, his condition improved enough to communicate without issue.
"Overall, your condition is improving very rapidly. It's truly a miracle. Thankfully, there are no signs of aftereffects."
"Yes, yes! Doctor. Thank you."
"We'll have to wait and see for the details, but... for now, you can rest easy."
The doctor, who had been explaining Ga-hyeon's condition, soon left the room.
Ga-hyeon's mother, Shin A-yeon, carefully placed her hand on Ga-hyeon's face.
"Ga-hyeon-ah. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
Looking around calmly, he saw a concrete building and various objects he was familiar with in the past.
This place was definitely Earth.
'Oh my god....'
The reason Ga-hyeon was so flustered.
The reason was that while Ga-hyeon was unconscious, he had been reincarnated into another dimension, not Earth.
And it was a world that only appears in novels.
Central Plains Murim.
Superhumans who wield immense power using a force called Internal Energy.
A world where strange and extraordinary people called Murim people openly exist.
There, Ga-hyeon went through countless events and became the number one person there, The World's Best.
The heads of the three major powers of the Central Plains knelt before Ga-hyeon, and the Murim Alliance Leader, the Sadoryeon Leader, and the Heavenly Demon met their deaths by Ga-hyeon's sword.
Having finally led the Murim to peace, he had decided to establish a new alliance and become the Alliance Leader, but looking at the current situation, everything was messed up.
'Was Cheon-gi-ja's word true....'
Ga-hyeon had been born in the Murim with all his memories of Earth from the moment he was born.
Around the time he was 12, Cheon-gi-ja, known to have mastered the heavens and earth, came to find him.
And he was caught by him for the fact that he had moved dimensions.
He thought he might be harmed, but Cheon-gi-ja instead helped Ga-hyeon by casting a spell that preserved his Earth memories intact.
Thanks to that, even though he spent several decades in the Murim, he could clearly remember his life on Earth.
Cheon-gi-ja told him one thing while casting the spell on Ga-hyeon.
To Ga-hyeon, who was flustered by his insight, Cheon-gi-ja left those words and departed suddenly.
Meanwhile, Ga-hyeon pondered what he had to do and even grabbed the departing Cheon-gi-ja to ask, but he only heard the reply that reading any more of the heavenly energy was difficult even for Cheon-gi-ja.
After he left, Ga-hyeon continued to ponder his words, but he couldn't get a grasp on what on earth he was supposed to do.
Above all, it seemed like someone presumed to be a transcendental being had brought him here, but what kind of ability did he have?
Ga-hyeon eventually buried Cheon-gi-ja's words in a corner and struggled to survive in the Central Plains Murim.
In that process, he met his master, gained and lost connections, and even participated in two Murim wars: the Jeongsa War and the Jeongma War.
Having survived that hellish carnage, he had suddenly become The World's Best and a martial artist who had defeated all the leaders of the Jeong, Sa, and Ma factions.
The World's Best. Yeom Ga-hyeon.
Whether it was a twist of fate or not, his name in the Murim was the same as on Earth, Yeom Ga-hyeon.
Ga-hyeon, who had been lost in thought while lying in the hospital, suddenly realized he hadn't asked this either and asked his mother.
"...What's the date today...?"
"Huh? Ah! Wait a second!"
Ayeon hurriedly checked the date on the smartwatch she was wearing on her wrist.
"It's April 23rd, 2051. Ga-hyeon-ah."
"...It's been two months...."
It seemed like the time he collapsed was around February.
It was two months on Earth, but the time in the Murim was a whopping 35 years.
Ga-hyeon, whose consciousness was intact from birth to death, had effectively lived longer in the Murim than on Earth.
If it hadn't been for Cheon-gi-ja's spell, his memories of Earth would have faded.
His mother, Ayeon, teared up at her son's words and hugged Ga-hyeon.
"Even if you were unconscious for two months, it's a relief that you woke up again.... Really... really. It's a relief.... I thought I was going to lose you after your brother.... Mom was really...."
At her trembling and quiet crying, Ga-hyeon barely managed to get up from the bed and wrapped his arms around his mother.
Feeling his mother's warmth in his arms, Ga-hyeon calmed his confusion a little.
Around 5 PM.
The mother and son, who had been talking for a while in the private hospital room, heard someone's approaching footsteps and turned their heads toward the entrance.
"...Dad."
"Ha... ha...."
Ga-hyeon's father, Yeom Tae-hwan, saw Ga-hyeon sitting up as soon as he opened the hospital room door and collapsed on the spot.
"Ho...honey!"
Ayeon, who was next to Ga-hyeon, hurriedly ran over to support Taehwan.
"Sorry. I think my legs have no strength because I ran here in such a hurry...."
"I told you to exercise!"
Taehwan, who was getting smacked on the back, approached Ga-hyeon with a silly grin.
"Ga-hyeon-ah."
"......Dad."
Looking at Ga-hyeon, Taehwan shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry I'm late. I just got here because of work...."
Taehwan said casually, patting Ga-hyeon's shoulder.
Taehwan and Ga-hyeon were father and son, but they were close, and thanks to that, the atmosphere of their conversation was very light.
"You're still the same, Dad."
"...It's a relief."
At the same time, Taehwan hugged Ga-hyeon tightly.
"You have no idea how worried I was. I was afraid I'd lose you after Seong-hyeon.... It's a relief...."
The two hugged for a moment and soon let go. Taehwan turned his head to Ayeon.
"Ayeon-ah. When does he get discharged?"
"Ah. They said he needs to stay for a month to see how he progresses...."
"Ugh. Get discharged quickly. I have no money."
Taehwan, who was grinning while saying that, got smacked on the back by Ayeon, who was next to him.
"This man, really!"
"Ow! Ow! I'm joking. Ga-hyeon-ah. Let's stay for another year!"
"What are you talking about!"
Watching the two, Ga-hyeon slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
Taehwan, who had barely calmed Ayeon down, turned on Nutube on his smartphone and showed it to Ga-hyeon.
'Nutube... it's been a while.'
On the smartphone screen, soldiers were moving according to the commander's orders. There was a character who looked like the protagonist fighting against monsters.
It was a scene that looked fun at a glance.
"I really wanted to show you this when you woke up. Do you know what this is? It's that. 'Ancient Booklet 8'"
"...Crazy."
A profanity came out of Ga-hyeon's mouth, but his parents didn't care.
Because it was understandable.
"To think there's a company releasing a new game after 15 years. Wow...."
"Exactly."
For a brief moment, Ga-hyeon thought it was good that he came back.
Ancient Booklet.
This game series, which has been out for almost 40 years, is a fantasy game set on one of several continents in a vast world.
The Ancient Booklet series was a game that possessed its own unique fun, to the extent that it was the only game Ga-hyeon, who wasn't interested in games because of exercise, took an interest in and enjoyed in his spare time.
"And they did something quite fun."
"...What is it?"
"They said they made it difficult on purpose, so try challenging it."
"...Oh."
"There are many cases of incorporating deep learning or AI into games these days, and it looks like Silas really went all out.
But what's funny is, the game itself is rumored to be difficult, but the production company said there's something even harder than this."
"...What does that mean?"
Taehwan said, snapping his fingers.
"It means they hid something."
"Oh...."
"So the Ancient Booklet gamers are going crazy trying to find it."
Taehwan chuckled as if it were funny.
"It's been out for about a month already. Make sure to play it when you get discharged."
"...Yes."
Ga-hyeon looked at the date on the clock hanging on the wall.
Now, two months later.
And now, 35 years later.
This time is slowly starting to feel real.
Seeing that, Ayeon looked at Ga-hyeon and stroked his hair.
"Why are you like that? You don't look happy."
"...I'm not adjusted yet."
His parents thought he hadn't adjusted to the fact that two months had passed, but Ga-hyeon was struggling to adjust to the 35-year gap.
"It's okay. It's only two months. You'll adjust soon."
"Two months...."
Ga-hyeon, who was an employee with about one year of experience, had stopped by his parents' house for the weekend and lost consciousness.
"The company...."
"Are you going back?"
Ayeon looked at Ga-hyeon with worried eyes. She was worried because he brought up work when he hadn't even been awake for long.
"Hmm.... Anyway, it'll be impossible for the time being."
"Go to Dad's company! I have a salary to give you."
"Ah. That's a bit.... It sounds like nepotism."
"What nepotism!"
When Taehwan sulked, Ayeon smacked his back again, asking what he was doing to a kid when he was a grown man.
"Don't think about work for a while and rest well. Okay?"
"Yes."
He remembered work, but the 35 years in the Murim had killed his interest in the company.
Above all, the life of an office worker didn't feel real after a life lived relying on a sword.
'I remember it, but.... Hmm. Should I quit.... But what would I do if I quit?'
Just as Ga-hyeon's worries were deepening, the two spoke.
"Anyway, rest well. Mom and Dad are going now."
"Yes. Go safely."
Having sent the two off like that, Ga-hyeon looked at the scenery through the window. The sunset sky of Seoul. It was quite a beautiful scene.
"...The people. What happened to them."
After he died like this.
Friends. Lovers. And countless others.
Would they all have grieved for my death?
"...."
A single tear fell without him knowing.
However, Ga-hyeon did not realize that tear.
"They'll be fine. Everyone."
Because I killed all the enemies. Because I did.
They'll be fine without me.
Surely.
They'll be fine.
Surely...."
Su...."
Drop.
Another tear falls.
At least. At least for a moment.
I wanted to say goodbye.
A man wept sadly in the sunset sky.
About a month later, Ga-hyeon was discharged.
Ga-hyeon, who pledged to continue outpatient treatment and exercise, exercised with a consistent routine every day.
In a way, a normal daily life.
However, recently, Ga-hyeon was somewhat dissatisfied.
"...Tsk."
Ga-hyeon, who was lying on the bed in his room, lightly waved his hand.
Then his hand moved.
But Ga-hyeon didn't want this kind of movement.
"...Martial arts."
His martial arts that split the sky and overturned the earth.
His Internal Energy that exceeded several gapja based on the Heaven-Breaking Divine Art, which is called the strongest divine art in history, and the various forms he unfolded with the strongest sword technique, the Sura Pacheon Sword Technique.
He who eradicated the evil paths that were constantly pushing in with those martial arts.
The days in the Murim, which were like a dream, come to mind.
But that was not a dream.
As proof.
"Simsang World."
Then, 11 worlds unfolded their presence to the fullest in Ga-hyeon's mind.
11 Simsang Worlds created after entering the realm of Hwagyeong, beyond the peak and super-peak.
The Simsang World was a world that embodied the martial arts of a martial artist who had reached a specific realm, the realm of Hwagyeong, and the sum of their enlightenment.
In other words, it was a world that embodied all the martial arts he had accumulated so far.
If a Simsang World was created, not only was it recognized that one had entered the realm of Hwagyeong, but one could also perform various miracles.
Also, because it created a foothold to establish martial arts and advance further, it was a realm that every martial artist dreamed of.
And Ga-hyeon was a person who possessed 11 of those worlds.
Seeing that this Simsang World existed, the time in the Murim was definitely not a dream. And another piece of evidence.
Ga-hyeon got up from the bed and grabbed a back scratcher in one corner of the room.
And he began to unfold numerous forms.
These were the forms of the Sura Pacheon Sword Technique that Ga-hyeon had created through countless experiences in the Murim.
The martial art whose realm reached the sky and finally brought down even the one called the Heavenly Demon, the pinnacle of the evil paths and the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
That was the Sura Pacheon Sword Technique.
Ga-hyeon put down the back scratcher he was holding, sat on the floor, and crossed his legs.
And he began to operate the Heaven-Breaking Divine Art, which was his divine art.
However.
"Why isn't it working...."
The Qi seemed to gather in the Dantian, but then disappeared.
That was it.
Ga-hyeon was currently in a situation where it was impossible to even create a Dantian, the basis of martial arts, or even gather Qi.
In other words, it was a situation where it was impossible to rebuild the martial arts he had accumulated so far.
Fortunately, the 11 Simsang Worlds created after entering the realm of Hwagyeong were intact.
It seems the words of martial scholars that the Simsang World is not simply engraved on the body but on the soul were true.
So what? Right now, he was in a situation like a top-class sports car with no gas.
Strangely, the reflexes and dynamic visual acuity he had honed in the Murim were also intact.
To chase martial artists moving at tremendous speeds with the power of martial arts, strengthening dynamic visual acuity through Qi was necessary, so it wasn't as good as his reflexes or dynamic visual acuity during his Murim days, but this was a spec above the national athlete level.
"...Kendo.... I've already let it go...."
Ga-hyeon, who was recalling the past, soon shook his head and erased the thought.
He didn't feel like doing Kendo after that incident.
"Ah."
Come to think of it. He remembered the game his father, Taehwan, had recommended.
Ga-hyeon got up from the floor and stood in front of a device in one corner of his room.
The device was quite large, enough for one person to enter, and it was round like an egg.
The device was dusty, as it looked like it hadn't been used for a long time at a glance.
"...Ancient Booklet... shall I try it?"
He decided. He would try it once.
Ga-hyeon brought wet wipes and muttered while wiping the dust off the outside of the device.
"No matter how much I think about it, it's amazing. To think a new series of Ancient Booklet is coming out...."
It was a game that people joked would never come out until they died.
The Silas company, which made the Ancient Booklet series, hadn't released a new work for a whopping 15 years since Ancient Booklet 7.
The reason? I don't know. Only the director would know.
After turning on the power of the device, Ga-hyeon opened the device.
When he pressed the button, the egg-shaped device split horizontally and the top part slowly lifted.
When the inside was revealed, all he saw was a sofa that looked fluffy.
Ga-hyeon wiped the inside clean with wet wipes, sat on the sofa, and pressed the button to close the device.
And he closed his eyes.
A while later, in his slowly brightening vision, a fantasy that was indistinguishable from reality began to appear.
"It's been a while."
This was the revolution that came out 10 years ago.
It was a capsule.
While virtual reality research was actively taking place, a company called Illusion released something called a capsule, and this soon led to a revolution.
The era had come where people didn't play games with computers or devices anymore, but used a mysterious device called a capsule.
A game where you play by moving a virtual body just by thinking.
Illusion's capsule, which claims tremendous reality, made all gamers enthusiastic and dominated the market with an overwhelming market share.
Now, other capsule companies have emerged besides Illusion, but the number one capsule market share was still Illusion.
The game lobby and social venue provided by Illusion.
Ga-hyeon, who connected to <Life>, entered his personal space there.
The space had only the very basics, and it was in a state where nothing was decorated.
"It's the same."
Ga-hyeon, who looked around the room for a moment, brought up the menu screen and moved the screen around with his fingers.
<Ancient Booklet 8 - Return of the Legend>.
The main screen of Ancient Booklet displayed on the screen.
Ga-hyeon, who finally got to play this game, felt glad inside and ran the game.
The darkened vision begins to slowly brighten.
"Hey! Wake up quickly!"
"Wow. To think I'd finally hear this classic line."
Ga-hyeon felt a new sense of emotion upon hearing the classic line that starts the series.
What he saw in front of him was the middle of a medieval battlefield.
While he was looking around and grasping the situation, the blond handsome man who had spoken to him a moment ago shouted at Ga-hyeon.
"What are you talking about? Wake up! If you don't move quickly, you'll die!"
Ga-hyeon decided to immerse himself in the situation now.
"What! What is this situation!"
"General Segrik sold us out! We're surrounded!"
'Who is Segrik....'
He could only tell that this was a battlefield, and he didn't know the other detailed situations.
As Ga-hyeon slowly looked around, it was obvious. He was surrounded by enemy troops.
"Hmm. I don't know who Segrik is. Can I just escape for now?"
"Follow me! Let's break through!"
At those words, Ga-hyeon followed the handsome man.
The handsome man was going to a place where soldiers were struggling like crazy to escape somehow.
The surrounded soldiers were struggling as if they were trying to escape by focusing on breaking through one spot.
"Hey! Where did you put your weapon! Hurry up and pick up anything!"
At those words, Ga-hyeon realized that this was the moment to choose a weapon.
"...A sword."
Ga-hyeon hesitated for a moment and then immediately picked up a sword.
Even though it was a Western fantasy game, he saw a sword that looked somewhat similar to the sword he used in the Murim.
Ga-hyeon smiled slightly at the appearance that brought back a bit of nostalgia.
The time in the Murim. And during this time on Earth, the weapon that had been intertwined with him countless times. A sword.
If he thought about the distracting thoughts about the sword, he could recall them endlessly, but after clearing his mind, he just liked the sword.
In the Murim. In that harsh environment, he became The World's Best.
'I am The World's Best.'
Ga-hyeon recited in his mind the sentence that someone had always said, and that Ga-hyeon had also said without hesitation.
Ga-hyeon, who smiled for a moment while looking at the sword, went to find the man he had been following until just now.
And he quickly threw the sword.
"Ugh!"
One of the large enemy soldiers collapsed after being hit in the neck by the sword.
Below, the blond handsome man from earlier was gasping for breath and looking at Ga-hyeon.
"Huff! Huff! Thank you! I thought I was going to die!"
"If I had been even a little late, you would have died."
That was also why he threw the sword. Because even if he had run, it would have been too late.
Ga-hyeon, who approached the handsome man and picked up his sword, asked him.
"Can we go now?"
"Ye...yes. Let's break through now. That's the only way to live."
He, who had a determined expression, asked Ga-hyeon.
"I'm Roland. What's your name?"
Ga-hyeon realized that this was naming himself.
Ga-hyeon thought for a moment and then said his name.
"...Sura."
"Sura? That's a unique name. I'll remember it well. Let's go now."
Sura.
A name taken from his unique sword technique, the Sura Pacheon Sword Technique, and his nickname, Sura Hero.
Above all, it was also a word that explained the path Ga-hyeon had lived in the Murim.
As Roland was about to step forward, Sura stopped him.
"Wait. I'll go first."
"Really? Then that's good for me. Try breaking through."
Roland nodded and stepped back one step.
'Well. Shall I try.'
Ga-hyeon gripped the sword tightly with both hands.
He recalled the memories of wielding a sword for several decades on Earth and in the Murim.
'Cross the wall. If you can't cross it, destroy it thoroughly.'
There were countless walls, and every time, Sura destroyed everything.
And he became The World's Best.
Now, on this battlefield, The World's Best has appeared.