Chapter 36: If I'm Going to Do It Anyway
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: If I'm Going to Do It Anyway
O Jung-min snapped back to his senses.
“……!”
Ki Mu-hyeok, his eyes flashing like a ghost’s, had closed the distance in an instant, his sword flying towards O Jung-min’s wrist.
His last memory was gripping his sword tightly and swinging it, determined not to lose it.
“My sword is……”
“The first thing you look for after waking up is your sword? Your wrist almost got chopped off, you know?”
O Jung-min turned his head at the voice beside him, to see Ki Mu-hyeok looking down at him with a bewildered expression.
“……How long was I out?”
“You just woke up. About three minutes?”
“My sword is……”
Ki Mu-hyeok gestured with his eyes towards O Jung-min’s right arm as he mumbled, "I guess it was taken," and made a gloomy face.
“You’re holding it right now.”
“What?”
O Jung-min’s right hand was still gripping his sword tightly.
It was still bound to his hand with the torn sleeve, but for safety, it had been sheathed and placed gently.
“Ugh……”
As he tried to sit up, the pain belatedly surged.
His deeply cut forearm was heavily bandaged, and a faint stain of blood had seeped through, coloring it red.
“I applied Golden Wound Ointment and sealed the pressure points for emergency treatment. It wasn’t a deep cut, so you’ll be fine in a few hours.”
“……Thank you.”
With Ki Mu-hyeok’s help, O Jung-min sat up and checked his condition.
The wound on his forearm was just a superficial cut; though it stung, it didn’t seem like there would be any major after-effects.
And the cloth binding his sword to his hand showed no signs of being torn or cut.
“Why didn’t you take it?”
O Jung-min asked with a look of incomprehension, and Ki Mu-hyeok shrugged.
“You tied it up so tightly I couldn’t undo it. Besides, the time limit was over.”
“……”
O Jung-min thought that was a lie.
It wouldn’t have taken Ki Mu-hyeok even a second to take a sword from an unconscious person.
‘He had at least five seconds. If he’d put his mind to it, he could have taken it easily.’
O Jung-min wondered if Ki Mu-hyeok hadn’t done so out of respect for him, or perhaps pity.
But he didn’t ask anything.
He didn’t deserve to.
“They’re treating the injured people right now. Black-White, the examiner, seemed coercive, but surprisingly, they do give breaks.”
“Really?”
Looking around, O Jung-min saw that, just as Ki Mu-hyeok said, the injured were resting, applying Golden Wound Ointment, or bandaging themselves.
Just then, Ki Mu-hyeok sat down beside O Jung-min and asked, “By the way, Hyung, were you planning to give up on the License Exam entirely if you lost to me?”
“……What are you talking about? If you lose, it’s over anyway.”
“I knew it,” Ki Mu-hyeok mumbled in response, then continued in a relaxed voice.
“Black-White said Weapon Seizure was the ‘first event’ of the basic assessment test. Doesn’t that mean there’s a next one?”
“Huh?”
“And earlier, they also said that if you beat them, you could skip ‘all’ of the basic assessment and pass.”
“No way……”
That meant Weapon Seizure might not be the entirety of the basic assessment.
O Jung-min, momentarily blank-faced, turned his head to look at Black-White.
Black-White, who happened to be looking their way, nodded and replied.
[That is correct. Losing in Weapon Seizure does not mean complete disqualification from the License Exam. While there will be a slight penalty, another opportunity remains.]
You don’t get eliminated from the exam even if your weapon is taken?
The examinees, who had been listening intently to Black-White’s words, all looked furious.
“Why are you only explaining this now?!”
At someone’s protest, Black-White covered their mouth with a hand and chuckled.
[So that you would fight with more desperation, of course?]
“Ugh……!”
[If you have a complaint, come at me. If you win, I will let you pass the exam immediately.]
Perhaps due to the previous example, those who were protesting clamped their mouths shut.
Many were also relieved to hear that it wasn’t a complete disqualification.
O Jung-min looked back at Ki Mu-hyeok with an expression full of apology.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask……”
Of course, no matter what situation arose, O Jung-min would not have easily let go of his sword.
But when he realized he couldn’t beat Ki Mu-hyeok even with his best effort, if he had known the current rules then……
“You should have won this. I can’t let you suffer a loss because of my stubbornness.”
“It’s fine. Like Black-White said, the exam isn’t completely over.”
Ki Mu-hyeok was genuinely fine.
Unlike most examinees, he had noticed the loophole in Black-White’s words from the beginning, but he deliberately hadn’t explained it to O Jung-min.
That way, he could truly test his sword against O Jung-min’s full power.
‘Thanks to that, I was thoroughly satisfied.’
Therefore, he had no regrets about the outcome.
He also felt no need to take the sword from an unconscious person.
But O Jung-min seemed to think differently.
He raised his uninjured hand and asked Black-White.
“Examiner! May I ask what the result of our duel was?”
[Well, since neither of you managed to seize a weapon, both of you are processed as having lost.]
“Examinee Ki Mu-hyeok was clearly stronger than me. If he had put his mind to it, he could have cut off my arm several times and taken my sword. Is it fair for the result to be a loss?”
[I also watched your duel with great interest, but rules are rules. There is no special reason to make an exception, so they will be applied as is.]
“But……!”
Black-White raised an index finger and placed it on their mask.
[Shhh. Any further unreasonable arguments will be strongly sanctioned.]
O Jung-min bit his lip tightly, lowered his head, and fell into thought.
Black-White glanced at him, then looked around at the martial artists staring at them and spoke.
[It seems the injured have mostly been treated, so I will provide additional explanations regarding the basic ability test.]
Black-White spread three fingers, as if enjoying the hostile glares directed at them.
[This year’s basic ability assessment will proceed as duels between martial artists. Best of five. If you win three out of a total of five duels, you will acquire a Third-Rate Martial Artist License and be granted the qualification to challenge for a Second-Rate Martial Artist License.]
Then they folded their ring finger, leaving only the index and middle fingers.
[In other words, those who won in Weapon Seizure only need to win two more times to be recognized as Third-Rate Martial Artists. However……]
Black-White folded all remaining fingers into a fist, shook it in the air, and concluded.
[Conversely, those who just had their weapons seized will have to go home if they lose two more times. The rules are quite simple and straightforward, aren’t they?]
They were clearly smiling, but the flat, mechanical voice made it sound even more bizarre.
Ki Mu-hyeok clicked his tongue softly and mumbled.
“Whoever it is, they really have a twisted sense of humor……”
[Examinee over there! If you have a complaint, you can come at me. If you defeat me, I’ll even tell you the hidden rules.]
“……”
Ki Mu-hyeok stared intently at Black-White for a moment, then shook his head.
‘I don’t know what other tests there will be. There’s no need to overexert myself unnecessarily.’
Black-White, who had been watching him with interest, smacked their lips and continued.
[Alright, then, we will divide into the Loser Group and the Winner Group. Winner Group, please follow me along the red arrow, and Loser Group, please follow the blue arrow.]
As soon as the words ended, two arrows appeared in the air, pointing in different directions.
Martial artists who had seized their opponents’ weapons headed towards the red arrow, while those without weapons, looking indignant, split off towards the blue arrow.
“Wait a minute!”
O Jung-min suddenly untied the knot binding his hand and sword himself, then placed the sword in Ki Mu-hyeok’s hand.
“Hyung?”
[What are you doing?]
Not only Ki Mu-hyeok but Black-White also tilted their head, looking at O Jung-min.
“Examiner. You said earlier there was no special reason to make an exception, right? Does that mean if there is a reason, an exception can be made?”
[……That is not incorrect, but.]
“Then please count me as having lost twice. In return, give Ki Mu-hyeok one win and let him go to the Winner Group.”
“What are you doing?”
Ki Mu-hyeok said there was no need for that, but O Jung-min forcibly pressed his sword into his hand.
“This is right. So take it without another word.”
His resolute gaze brooked no refusal.
Ki Mu-hyeok stared at his eyes for a moment, then sighed and nodded.
“Come get it back yourself later.”
“Of course.”
Black-White, who seemed to be pondering for a moment, also nodded.
[Hmm……. Considering Examinee Ki Mu-hyeok’s skill and the content of the duel, it seems acceptable to the higher-ups. I will acknowledge it at the examiner’s discretion.]
[Martial Artist O Jung-min accumulates two losses. If you lose one more time, you will be completely disqualified from the License Exam.]
[Martial Artist Ki Mu-hyeok accumulates one win. If you win two more times, you will acquire a Third-Rate Martial Artist License and can challenge for a Second-Rate Martial Artist License.]
No one objected to Black-White’s decision.
Everyone had witnessed Ki Mu-hyeok and O Jung-min’s duel firsthand.
Only a few shook their heads, as if O Jung-min’s choice was foolish.
“What’s he going to do with an injured body……”
“He’ll regret it later if he gets disqualified like that.”
But O Jung-min, the person in question, smiled as if his mind was at ease.
“Keep my sword safe until we meet again, okay?”
“……”
Ki Mu-hyeok, who had only thought of O Jung-min as a good-natured person, now saw him anew as a martial artist.
A martial artist with strong competitive spirit, a stubborn swordsman.
O Jung-min, a First-Generation Disciple of the Pine Moon Sect, was quite a likable person.
So, he lightly extended his fist, as he usually did with Shin Kang-heon.
“If I’m in a pinch, can I use it as a secondary weapon?”
“Well, I can’t really argue with that.”
O Jung-min chuckled, raised his left hand, and bumped fists with Ki Mu-hyeok.
[Alright, alright, Losers, please follow the blue arrow immediately!]
And so, O Jung-min departed, following the blue arrow.
Black-White looked around at the winners, who now each had two swords, and said.
[Winners, please follow me from now on. The next test will begin soon, so stay sharp!]
Most swallowed hard or sighed deeply, but only Ki Mu-hyeok mumbled, hanging one sword on each side of his waist.
“Two more times, huh……. If I’m going to fight anyway, I’d rather fight someone strong.”
Black-White, walking ahead, chuckled, having overheard Ki Mu-hyeok’s mumble.
CRASH!
“Alliance Leader! What in the world is this?!”
Yeo Pil-geuk, the Martial Alliance Leader, who had been watching the monitors with an intrigued expression, frowned at the voice from behind him.
His anger flared for a moment at the rough manner in which they had burst through the perfectly fine door, as if to break it, but he forced a smile, stood up, and turned around.
“Sect Leaders, what brings you here?”
Several of the Eight Great Sect Leaders, usually slow to move, had gathered, glaring at him with eyes wide with fury.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?! Changing the License Exam methods arbitrarily without notifying us, what kind of tyranny is this?!”
The Martial Alliance had suddenly changed the License Exam process this year, a process that had been maintained for over ten years, and had not informed the Eight Great Sects.
From the Eight Great Sects’ perspective, the exam content they had been preparing for had changed overnight, so they might feel blindsided.
But the Martial Alliance Leader replied calmly.
“Strange. Everything concerning the License Exam is the Martial Alliance’s sole authority. Why should I notify the Eight Great Sects in advance?”
“Well, of course……!”
“Sun Moon Sect Leader. Answer carefully. Even for the Eight Great Sects, overstepping your authority will not be tolerated.”
The Sun Moon Sect Leader, who had been the first to argue due to his impatient nature, found his words caught in his throat at the sight of Yeo Pil-geuk’s chilling gaze.
‘Why is this old man suddenly acting like this?’
For a long time, the Martial Alliance Leader had lived quietly, treading carefully around the Eight Great Sects.
They had planned to let him keep his position for a few more years if he continued to be so compliant……
But now, he was suddenly asserting his authority as if he’d gone senile, making them pause, wondering if he had some new backing.
“Haha. Alliance Leader. We didn’t come to fight, but to hear the full story.”
The Taiji Sword Sect Leader, who had intervened appropriately, smiled with a gentle expression and asked.
“Could you tell us why you suddenly changed the exam content?”
“It’s simple. Too many martial artists who are all show and no substance have appeared.”
The Martial Alliance Leader turned his body and pointed to the dozens of monitors spread before him.
Various martial artists taking the exam were displayed on the monitors.
“Take a good look. Those who hesitate to swing their swords at an opponent, those who throw down their weapons and retreat at the first sign of defeat, even those who cowardly ambush from behind……. Can a machine discern such behavior?”
The Eight Great Sect Leaders could not easily answer.
Not because they had nothing to say, but because they realized something had changed in the Martial Alliance Leader’s eyes.
“Injecting Internal Energy into a machine, swinging a sword at a stationary piece of metal to score points, is convenient for selecting many people. But that way, we cannot properly discern true martial artists.”
The Martial Alliance Leader recalled the duel between Ki Mu-hyeok and O Jung-min he had just witnessed.
Two swordsmen, showing respect for each other, clashing with all their might.
The process and the outcome, and the respect and consideration they showed each other.
To Yeo Pil-geuk, who had dedicated his life to the Martial Path, those were true martial artists.
‘It doesn’t matter if this becomes my last duty as Alliance Leader.’
He knew it was a position he wouldn’t hold for long anyway.
So, before stepping down, he had secretly changed and prepared the License Exam without the Eight Great Sects’ knowledge, hoping to leave something behind.
It was a result achieved by mobilizing his few remaining confidantes and old connections.
“Not everyone who learns martial arts and accumulates some Internal Energy is a martial artist. Excluding those eligible for the separate Peak Master assessment, everyone else will have to prove their qualifications from the very beginning.”
It was also a warning to the Eight Great Sects and their subordinate sects, who secretly leaked exam content, shared it, and taught only methods to score well.
Faced with the Alliance Leader’s resolute stance, the Eight Great Sect Leaders could only wear troubled expressions and offer no rebuttal.
“Well, I understand what you’re saying, but……”
The Golden Glory Sect Leader, clad in a splendid golden robe, stroked his beard with a displeased expression and spoke.
“The outcome won’t be significantly different anyway. The Eight Great Sects have trained for all situations. Rather, it’s the mid-sized sects or unaffiliated martial artists who will be greatly flustered. They’ll fall away in droves due to the suddenly changed exam method, and that’s simply regrettable……”
KWAHHH!
Just then, a piercing scream erupted from one of the monitors.
The Martial Alliance Leader and the Eight Great Sect Leaders involuntarily turned their heads, their eyes falling upon a young man in a golden martial uniform, identical to the Golden Glory Sect Leader’s, screaming.
“Wh-what is that……”
A large young man with bright yellow hair was breaking the Golden Glory disciple’s arm and stripping off his hand combat gloves.
“Golden Glory Sect Leader. Why did you stop talking?”
To the Martial Alliance Leader’s question, the Golden Glory Sect Leader could offer no reply.