Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A Master's Grace is as Vast as the Heavens
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[Title: Now spill the details on that skill]
[Author: Bow God]
I'd love to teach you, but if that's not possible, fine.
Just tell me who your master is, then.
A single Q&A post had turned the Tower Climbing Gallery into a wasteland.
That was when Jeong-uk glanced at a question that had popped up on the back gallery.
Not out of anger, but because it was a little funny.
I mean, come on.
This ancient fossil of a grandpa has other things to forget, but he suddenly goes, "No need for apprenticeship," and asks me to give him a special lecture instead.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
"What?"
Now it was Bow God's turn to be shocked.
Gelrn, on the 6th stratum, gaped in disbelief.
Gelrn had every reason to be shocked and flustered.
Strata generally match their floor numbers in terms of dimension.
The higher you go, the stronger the average power level.
But the 0th stratum was the absolute basement of the tower.
The so-called weakest generation!
It was practically paradise for the first half of the Red Tower.
'And yet, someone with skills like that in the 0th stratum...?'
Does that even make sense?
Isn't there some mistake?
You got scammed, dude.
But Boy Joy's tone was dead serious.
Plus, he said he mastered the skill perfectly.
No way it could be a con artist.
Jeong-uk confirmed that point too.
His master wasn't a scammer, after all.
The real scam artist here was just some deficient talent hammering out replies right now.
Plus personal reasons.
His son died climbing the tower or something.
The tower took his family.
I'd hate to even look at it if it were me.
'But can you really go around blabbing about stuff like this?'
That's disciple fail right there.
Luckily, Gelrn bought Jeong-uk's explanation.
Gelrn let his imagination run wild.
He had good reason to.
Just hearing about it screamed transcendent expert detached from worldly affairs.
Meeting one would be a miracle, talking to one a fateful encounter.
A walking hidden piece in human form!
'Sweet. Got the confirmation.'
He hammered away at the translucent hologram keyboard.
Couldn't match Master William's prowess, sure.
But Bow God had way more experience and levels, right?
Had to ask before he changed his mind.
But.
Jeong-uk's impatience was nothing compared to Gelrn's exasperation after reading the question.
This was the so-called Bow God's teaching?
Jeong-uk felt stifled, not even surprised anymore.
Until he saw the reply below.
"...Huh?"
It felt like a lightning bolt struck the top of his head.
Jeong-uk's mouth hung open like an idiot's.
'My [Swift Arrow] is slow because I'm not using it the proper way?'
Of course.
Even天下's Baek Jeong-uk wasn't that dumb.
Accelerating an arrow while shooting it makes it faster!
Using it as a sword substitute is suboptimal!
Had he never considered that obvious fact?
Even middle schoolers could add numbers.
And dropouts were just evolved middle schoolers.
If middle schoolers could do it, so could dropouts.
In other words, Jeong-uk's shock stemmed from something else.
'Holy shit.'
When did it start?
This intoxication with his own flashy techniques.
- Maybe master isn't all that?
- Maybe I've already outdone him with 'true mastery'?
No need to lug around a bow, right?
Arrows are just for show.
Master doesn't get it.
Grinning smugly to himself over the past two days.
How arrogant had Jeong-uk been?
The foolish disciple hammered the keys in a trance.
True experts don't use bows or arrows.
That had been Jeong-uk's (wildly mistaken) common sense.
William carried a short knife too, after all.
Since when had he deluded himself that archers didn't need bows?
Where did his common sense go wrong?
Jeong-uk hammered that point home.
With his genius intellect that learned ten things from one lesson, then forgot one.
That plague-ridden talent, anyway.
And what was the result?
Jeong-uk acquired [Swift Arrow] that day.
Proof that William's teaching was right.
So what is this [Swift Arrow]?
A skill where you draw mana into a bowstring shape.
Exactly!
The shape-shifting Jeong-uk kept failing at!
Jeong-uk paced the room like a madman.
'All the answers were hidden in master's teachings.'
William said it himself, right?
Unlocked his secret techniques because he learned fast.
That much was true.
Just up to there.
'My talent shortened the curriculum, but originally, [Swift Arrow] comes after standard archery training.'
The arrogant disciple just hadn't realized.
The great hunter had already planned everything, hadn't he?
Jeong-uk focused on that.
One night of instruction.
Every move William made back then.
'Skills and magic both start with sensing mana through perception.'
Mana control via perception.
Which mixes your five senses.
So sensing mana means...
Seeing it with eyes, touching with hands, smelling with nose!
'That's why failure smelled like bloody offal!'
Why wouldn't it?
Jeong-uk's first instinct for 'screwed up'.
That gut feeling something was off.
It was the stench of bad meat.
'Butcher smells offal in the shop. Does he think nothing's wrong?'
Skill fails? Offal smell.
Nasal detection of mana errors.
Jeong-uk clenched his fist unconsciously.
"They say a master's grace is vast as the heavens, and it's true."
He couldn't hold back anymore.
Had to solidify this dawning realization.
-Bang!
Jeong-uk grabbed his bow and bolted out of the cabin.
Fear of the snowy cold paled next to missing master's teachings.
"The feel of shooting a bow... even with eyes closed."
He nocked an arrow, muttering.
The draw of the bowstring and muscles.
Erasing the line between bow and self.
Eyes on the taut string.
Recalling the finger pressure on the release.
Excluding the offal whiff of mana.
Claim the senses' pleas as his own,
engrave this instant into the brain,
Technique becomes skill.
'That's what skills are.'
Shoot the bow, activate Swift Arrow.
Real and mana bowstrings released as one.
Pew-!!!
Arrow speed: 3.24x normal.
It pierced three trees clean through.
Good arrow could punch orc shields.
Surpassed William's 2x benchmark.
True moment of outshining the master.
"Sssss... ."
But Jeong-uk stayed humble.
No whooping success! fail! frenzy like usual.
Instinctively lowered the bow, regulated breath.
Training called composure in some lands.
Mental conditioning for steady performance.
Essential to not ride the highs and lows of single tries.
[Swift Arrow (R) → Swift (SSR) (+1)]
[Skill Enhancement: Great Success!]
Achievement without a skill rune.
Even that didn't shake Jeong-uk's calm.
But this time, for a different reason.
Bow lowered, Jeong-uk just smiled faintly.
"Master's teachings... pierced this complex truth with one arrow."
Training needed for mana shape-shifting.
Who knew handling a bow was it?
"Baek Jeong-uk, you dumb fuck. Skipped archery practice for mana morphing obsession and failed."
Ah!
How far ahead had William seen?
Even sensed Jeong-uk's mana struggles,
ones he never voiced.
That's why he said it.
Treat the bow like a lover.
Do as you please.
No one ignores their sweetheart for training,
and getting close to the bow perfects the skill naturally!
'Thank you, master. I'm still far from worthy.'
A smiling Jeong-uk's side, the arrow returned.
Unmarred despite that power.
Return speed different too.
No frantic dive trusting dynamic vision.
Gracefully.
Like a trained hunting falcon.
Circling before settling in his hand.
"Good boy."
Jeong-uk patted the arrow contentedly.
Shoot daily, never forget the feel,
this [Swift Arrow].
No.
[Swift] won't discriminate projectiles.
Sword, arrow, kick—whatever.
'Fist punch faster than arrows barehanded.'
Barely.
Truly, barely stepping into expert territory.
And a few days later.
6th stratum.
The day Jeong-uk got William's permission(?) and passed on [Swift].
"Leader. Come sit."
"Eek, booze stench! What? Gelrn, what's up?"
"I'm... thinking of retiring......"
"What the hell now?!"
Bow God Gelrn.
Facing his first archery setback in life.
"That's what happened."
"..........................I see. Good work."
The promised second day.
I approached master tensely and explained.
Of course, I got permission for the skill transfer.
What was his answer?
- ...Do as you like.
That.
His distant, hollow smile was scary as hell.
Couldn't read his thoughts.
Who knows?
Maybe inwardly: 'Tch, teaching my arts to others? Useless.'
Docking points or whatever.
But what can you do?
I owed Bow God too.
'Without him, I'd be stuck too.'
Ultimate archery master William's guidance.
And Bow God's pointer to internalize it.
Both made me who I am.
People need conscience.
At least ask permission, right?
- Two guys modding low skills better than mid-stratum SSR drops! Why live longer?!
Sure, Bow God's blood-curdling sobs tugged at me.
Helped despite muddying master's eval.
Just made him despair instead.
If he'd met William young, fighting cave bears like me...
Nah, drop it.
No ifs in history.
"So, master."
Demonstration done, I asked carefully.
Today was the promised second day.
"How's my [Swift]? Pass?"
Master William didn't answer.
Stared at the rocks and trees I'd pierced.
"........................"
Then sweated bullets for a while.
Gazed wistfully at distant peaks before speaking.
"...Remember my first words?"
"Yes?"
"Said I'd check your form if you wanted."
"Ah, right."
Hearing it now, that was the deal.
Master nodded as I accepted.
"You pass. Nothing left to teach."
"Really?! Yes! Nailed it!"
Whoops.
Composure, composure.
Act calm and cool.
"Thank you. I'll keep refining to catch up."
I wiped hands on apron, beamed.
Looked more barista than butcher, somehow.
"Then I'll head to the tower for practice. See you at dinner."
"Y-yeah."
Steps to the tower felt feather-light.
Extra light selling farmed spears to buy master meat.
Arrived cheerfully at floor 6.
I savored the fresh breeze, looking around.
"Kiik!"
"Grrrrrr......"
"Back already? Second run."
Goal today: floor 7.
But this is high-end stratum too.
Can't just skip.
Time to test the new tech.
I raised my left hand, index finger up.
Clone art hand seal.
"Domain expansion."
Anonymous Clone Art.
[Anonymous Clone Art → Anonymous Clone Art (+1)]
[Skill Enhancement Success!]