The Gate of the Sun and Moon Divine Art

Cho Sang-hyuk logged into the awakener community.

Tap- tap-

Cho Sang-hyuk smirked as he scrolled through the comments.

He'd been spending more and more time staring at his phone lately, but every single day had been an entertaining one.

Of course, it wasn't all good news.

For reasons he couldn't quite pin down, the rotten filth he'd been keeping on a tight leash with Mind Control was now crawling out of the woodwork.

Cho Sang-hyuk murmured under his breath.

"Everything else I can handle. But if anyone touches Mr. Jae-woo······."

He gazed out the window.

The unsettling presence he'd felt that day resurfaced in his mind, and goosebumps crawled up his arms and legs.

"If they so much as lay a finger on him······ they all die."

The moon hung brilliant and silver in the sky, and the Milky Way stretched overhead in all its beauty.

Trickle, trickle-

The water wheel turned with a pleasant clatter, and the faint scent of grass tickled my nose.

I filled a luxurious crystal glass with ice, and it chimed softly — clink, clink.

With Vacuum Retrieval, I uncorked the Johnnie Walker, and amber whiskey swirled lazily into the glass.

Exactly 45 milliliters!

The same precise pour for 15 milliliters of Disaronno.

Then I extended my internal energy into the air and stirred with delicate care, letting the deep, smoky whiskey meld smoothly with the sweet, nutty liqueur.

On top of that, I set a cinnamon stick in place.

And raised Blazing Heat Control to kindle a flame.

Fwoosh-

Once the cinnamon's fragrance had drifted richly through the air, I sheathed the glass in a barrier of qi and bathed the drink in a thin veil of smoke.

I'm probably the only person alive using martial arts for this.

One glass, holding the depth of fine whiskey,

the sweetness of amaretto,

and the warm perfume of cinnamon.

Tap. Slide-

"The modern era's drink, Master — the Godfather."

My master accepted the glass, thin wisps of smoke curling from its surface, and quietly savored the aroma.

Then, one sip.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

I waited for his verdict.

After a moment, my master spoke.

"It lives up to its name."

I cheered inwardly.

He likes it!

Before long, our glasses met in a toast.

The cold liquor slid down my throat, warmth blooming in its wake.

A deep, layered flavor lingered on my tongue — and for that moment, there was nothing in the world I lacked.

We traded stories back and forth, glass by glass.

Conversations in a dream were impossibly grounded — and that was precisely what made them surreal.

Once I had told him everything, my master finally spoke.

"Towers and Apostles, hmm······. Something is certainly at work there."

"Right? There's definitely something going on."

I'd never given the towers much deep thought.

They appeared in 1980, and I was born in '96.

They'd been there since the day I was born — finding that strange was the harder thing to do.

But after hearing Daniel's story, I'd finally come face to face with the fundamental question.

What do the towers exist for?

At that very moment, my master's answer came, calm and unhesitating.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"······I'm sorry? You did hear what I said, right?"

"Are you not my disciple?"

"Oh······."

It felt like a hammer coming straight down on my skull.

"You are the one who will become this era's Cheonma. Whether your opponent is a tower, a god's proxy, or a god itself makes no difference. You need only overwhelm them — and reign above them."

"······H-haha."

Right. My master is the Heavenly Demon, after all.

My job is simply to overwhelm and reign over—

No, no. That's not it at all.

I'm just here to enjoy life.

I nodded vigorously.

As expected.

Talking with my master always puts my heart at ease.

Which meant — now was the time to ask.

"Master. I have a favor to ask."

"Shall I go kill that Daniel Jensen fellow for you?"

"No no, that's not it!"

My heart plummeted for a split second.

If my master, descended into reality, went on a rampage—

There would be no way to stop him.

That would be the true apocalypse, so I asked with painstaking specificity.

"Your disciple has agreed to conquer Korea's top awakener alongside the tower's highest floors. Might you be willing to help with the tower climb, Master?"

My master was silent for a while, and I swallowed dryly at the tension.

Gulp—

Will he actually grant my request?

Then—

"······I suppose one should step out for some fresh air now and then."

He said yes! Permission granted!

"Thank you, Master!"

My master went on stirring his drink in lazy sweeps while I pulled open my skill window.

"Buy it, now."

"Master. Then, I'll be in your care."

"Mm."

I might have been imagining it,

but somehow my master looked to be in a rather good mood.

"Master! Let's clear the tower fast and go eat something delicious."

I'd expected him to snap 'stop spouting nonsense,' but he gave a placid nod instead.

"Mm."

Hearing that answer,

the meal I'd share with my master afterward became more exciting than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the tower climb itself.

"It's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a promise!"

The next day, I called Team Leader Cho.

"Yes, Mr. Jae-woo."

"Hello, Team Leader. How have you been?"

"······Yes. Quite well, thank you."

Something was off. His voice sounded like something had happened.

"Have you set a date for the tower climb?"

"Ah, about that······ The politicians and senior officials I've had under control have been causing trouble lately. We'll need to push the schedule back a little."

Figured. Something was going on.

Politicians and senior public officials.

Just hearing it gave me a headache.

"Yes, yes. Take your time and pick a date that works."

"How about the end of December? I'll have everything resolved by then."

"Sounds good. By the way, would it be alright if I brought one more person along?"

"······Don't tell me you mean Daniel."

"No. My master — the teacher I look up to."

"······I understand your feelings, Mr. Jae-woo, but that would be difficult."

"Why is that?"

"I hesitate to say this, but Floor 48 is far too perilous."

It seemed the Team Leader had assumed I wanted to bring an acquaintance along to observe the tower climb.

"Team Leader. My master is stronger than I am."

"······."

Silence drifted through the phone for a long moment.

"...Is that really true?"

"Yes. You might find it hard to believe, but it's a fact. He's stronger than me, and he'll only be helping for a single day. So please, prepare everything to the fullest."

"······Very well. I'll make preparations on the assumption there will be two of you."

Team Leader Cho accepted readily enough,

and the call ended with a click.

But still.

Honestly, he really didn't look like he believed me.

"Oh, this is going to be good. He's going to flip when he sees my master."

The next day, I browsed the list of upgradable skills.

"World of Dream Souls — World Manifestation."

"Buy buy buy."

"Whoa."

I pointed at a corner of my studio apartment.

"World Manifestation."

A thread of energy stretched out from my dantian and began to swirl in the corner of the room.

Vroooom—

Space warped, and a round passageway opened up.

Beyond the threshold, I could see the World of Dream Souls.

"That's insane."

Slide—

I stepped through, and nothing went wrong at all.

Nice.

After crossing back into my apartment, I opened the window.

Those maddening mosquitoes that somehow still survived this late in the season.

With Vacuum Retrieval, I snagged one and hauled it through, back into the World of Dream Souls.

Slide—

The mosquito thrashed furiously, desperate to live.

In other words — living things could pass through freely.

Smack—

I killed the mosquito on the spot and whooped with joy.

"YESSSS!"

After that, a few species of insects. A few species of fish.

Tested them all — no problems whatsoever.

Carrying objects through worked too.

Living creatures could enter.

Only one final check remained.

With trembling hands, I picked up my phone.

And checked my data connection.

"Whoa!"

The data was blazing. Absolutely incredible.

The signal reached all the way inside the gate.

With this, the possibilities just multiplied!

Straight on to the next skill.

"500 points."

The World of Dream Souls had been one kilometer across,

and beyond that, a wall of cloud blocked the way.

But now—

Whoosh—

The clouds receded,

and the world's radius stretched wide.

Out there were mountains, and rivers.

Valleys, and hot springs.

Waterfalls, and canyons.

The sensation of my world growing larger was pure, wondrous joy.

I turned my head toward the pavilion.

My master was gazing out over the world.

"Master! What do you think!"

The very faintest smile crossed his face.

Of course.

It didn't last long, and his voice was flat as ever.

"Did you come here to train, or not?"

"Ah, I'll get to that too. But from now on, only at night—"

"You rascal. Honestly."

My master chuckled heartily, then launched himself into the air.

He selected a mountain on the spot, and black-violet flames erupted from his palm.

Fwoooosh—

In an instant, the mountain was sheared flat.

My master clamped his pipe between his teeth, and thick clouds of smoke billowed upward.

Upon the flattened peak, a training ground took shape.

"I will inscribe the formation for your next martial art upon that ground."

"······Wow. You really have everything planned out, Master."

"Enough of your chatter."

My master descended, treading on empty air, and continued.

"Listen carefully."

He raised one hand.

Fwoosh — flame kindled, and before long the fire condensed into a tiny sun.

"The pinnacle of supreme yang. The Sun."

He spread his other hand.

Crrrk— Ice crystallized, compressing to its utmost extreme until it became a small moon.

"The pinnacle of supreme yin. The Moon."

He brought his two hands together, and sun and full moon collided.

——Vmmmmm!

Supreme yang and supreme yin. Light and darkness.

Yet neither canceled the other out.

Just as the moon rises when the sun sets, and the sun dawns when the moon fades—

The two spheres symbolizing the heavens chased each other's tails in endless rotation.

Day and night.

As if that were the very history of the sky.

In the end, they became one.

Darkness within the light, light within the darkness.

A heaven-defying Dao, making one of two forces that could never, by nature, be mixed — and wielding them as such.

That was the martial art of my master, the one they call Cheonma.

"This is the Sun and Moon Divine Art."

I stared, my soul stunned out of my body.

Of course. That's not a demonic art — it's a divine art.

"So the training ground and the formation are for that."

My master nodded.

"Yes. But I cannot simply teach it to you."

"Why not?"

"Because your enlightenment falls short."

Enlightenment, huh.

The thing that pops up every five pages in every martial arts novel.

But how am I supposed to actually do it?

"Contemplate the teachings on your own and surpass the Demon-Slaying Heavenly Art you have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mastered to this day. That is the gate you must pass to learn the Sun and Moon Divine Art."

So basically, to do a hidden class advancement, I have to clear the advancement quest first?

Okay. Got it. Message received.

I mean, fair enough. There's no way he'd just hand over a masterpiece like that.

"Understood, Master. I'll surpass the Demon-Slaying Heavenly Art on my own and report back to you. Although—"

I flashed a sweet, easygoing smile.

"If something comes up while I'm training, it's okay to ask you about it, right?"

At my less-than-subtle question, my master gave a derisive snort.

"Do as you please."