Chapter 128: The Three Mad Dog Brothers
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: The Three Mad Dog Brothers
I finished a light meal from the supplies stored in my subspace.
The two women, mentally drained after returning from the game, retired early as soon as they finished eating. After ensuring they were sleeping peacefully in their unfamiliar quarters in Wonju, Seo-un stepped out into the pitch-black night and headed toward the vacant lot.
—To command one's internal power freely means being able to move the energy accumulated within the body exactly as one desires; it means there are no blockages in the body's Qi channels.
Since there is not the slightest hindrance in handling the energy stored in the body, manipulating that energy outside the body is not a difficult task.
However, the reason many martial artists get stuck here and fail to progress is that they are too bound by the nature of Qi itself.
They know all too well that Qi tends to be absorbed by greater energies or dissipate the moment it leaves the body. Because they focus solely on trying to hold onto that energy, they face great difficulty in studying Aura Arts.
The essence is simply to forge it into an intense energy that will never scatter and then draw it out.
The energy of the earth is so powerful that all beasts live bound to the ground. However, birds overcome that energy and fly, cutting through the sky.
If one can only realize this principle, the wall of Aura Arts will not be so high.
Recalling the passage that had sparked his enlightenment regarding Aura Arts, Seo-un took the stance of the Blood Bone Claw.
Replacing the Hand Aura he had used previously, an aura resembling the sharp claws of a beast extended from his fingers in five distinct streaks. Compared to before, the size of the aura was significantly larger and steadier, yet the consumption of internal power had decreased overwhelmingly.
Screech. Thud-crack!
When he lightly swiped at a tree with the claw-like aura, the thick trunk was sliced through as if it were tofu. Watching the tree collapse and knock against the surrounding timber, Seo-un withdrew his aura.
He pulled the memoir out of his subspace again. Despite the lack of moonlight, the book began to glow faintly. To be precise, the characters written on the pages were emitting light.
—Once Aura Arts are mastered, one must abandon the greed for internal power that fills the Middle Dantian. To a martial artist, internal power is like blood—something that cannot be lost. However, there are things that can only be gained by letting go. What one can obtain by emptying the Middle Dantian is not human energy, but the energy of the heavens known as Immortal Qi.
'Ah! I bypassed this part using items.'
—To obtain Immortal Qi, one must first sense it among the energies of nature and undergo training to open all pores and accept Immortal Qi with the entire body.
At this stage, most martial artists fail to advance further and give up.
Once you begin to sense Immortal Qi and accumulate it within your body, there will come a point where the Immortal Qi flows into the Middle Dantian. Once about half a cycle's worth of Immortal Qi is stored there, you will reach a state where you can no longer accumulate any more.
From this point on, the real training to step into the Nature Realm begins.
'The Nature Realm...'
The moment he saw the term "Nature Realm" written in the memoir, a chill ran down Seo-un's spine.
The memory of a formless wind passing by more intensely than a visible aura with a mere flick of a hand was still a hair-raising experience. That wind had even shredded the Dragon Armor—made from Black Dragon scales that boasted incredible durability and had withstood Nam Sa-gwang's aura multiple times—as if it were paper.
The shock of feeling that primal fear—like standing alone before the vastness of nature—emanating from another human being was a moment he could never forget.
The Heavenly Demon. The one who had desperately denied that fear until the end, pouring everything he had into the fight.
The Nature Realm, the stage that the Heavenly Demon stood upon, felt so incredibly distant.
—If the internal Qi accumulated in the body is like water, then Immortal Qi is like smoke. Only by piercing the Baihui Acupoint with this infinitely free energy can the Immortal Qi stored in the Middle Dantian be nurtured to conceive the Nascent Soul.
'The Baihui Acupoint... One wrong move, and I could lose my mind.'
As if anticipating Seo-un's concern, the explanation continued in the next passage of the memoir.
—Martial artists consider touching the Baihui Acupoint a taboo and are extremely cautious, but that only applies when using internal power. When using stable Immortal Qi, there is no need for such worry.
Once the Baihui Acupoint is opened, one can begin training to manipulate the energy of Great Nature.
When the energy flowing through nature can be brought under one's will, just like the internal Qi stored in the body, the Immortal Qi in the Middle Dantian will naturally grow, and eventually, the Nascent Soul will be conceived.
'Nascent Soul.'
It was a term with which Seo-un had a deep connection. He had once turned a game around by absorbing a Nascent Soul that appeared as an Epic Monster, and he had also accumulated Immortal Qi through Immortal Spirit Pills.
Turning his gaze back to the few remaining pages of the memoir, Seo-un focused on the text.
—The Nascent Soul is like a mirror reflecting the essence of a martial artist.
One person's Nascent Soul may be as bright as the sun, another's as clear as water, and another's as black as darkness. By nurturing the Nascent Soul—which reveals the martial artist's essence down to their every action—into an Immortal Body and reaching Wuji beyond the Nature Realm, the Nascent Soul finally evolves into an Immortal Body.
At that point, one can discard the impure physical body bound by worldly cycles and, borrowing the Immortal Body, achieve Ascension to become a true Immortal.
I have heard that some Taoists, upon reaching Wuji, choose to discard their Nascent Soul and scatter into all things in the universe. To be honest, I do not understand such a noble choice, but it is something to be respected.
Now, from here on...
The content that followed explained at length why Museon's martial arts could lead to the path of Ascension and detailed the training methods for each stage.
After reading the memoir to the end, Seo-un sat in a lotus position. He drew up his Immortal Demonic Energy and sent it toward his Baihui Acupoint, gently knocking against the tightly closed point.
"Ugh!"
A wave of nausea washed over him, accompanied by a splitting headache. Not only that, but the sudden impact caused the internal Qi throughout his body to boil over.
As if he had suffered internal injuries, his Qi surged violently. He quickly withdrew his Immortal Demonic Energy and began to use energy circulation to stabilize the damaged Qi channels around the Baihui Acupoint.
After meditating for a long time, Seo-un finally opened his eyes around sunrise.
"Whew. Why... Could it be the influence of the demonic energy?"
Though he couldn't be sure of the reason, he realized poignantly that it wasn't as easy a path as the memoir described.
'Well, the memoir made everything from Aura Arts to the Nature Realm and even Wuji seem so simple.'
From the perspective of someone like Museon who had reached Wuji, it might have been that easy, but the reality was entirely different. Even Seo-un, who had learned martial arts relatively easily through the Cloyd system, felt this way. If traditional martial artists heard this story, they would likely dismiss it as a delusional fairy tale.
'The Baihui Acupoint is too much for now. Let's take the training step by step. If I overdo it, I could run into real trouble.'
Since he was dealing with nothing less than the Baihui Acupoint, Seo-un decided he couldn't afford even the slightest recklessness and stood up.
*
A man with a massive build, deep-set eyes, and circular tattoos on his wrists and neck entered the country through Incheon International Airport.
With short hair and a tight-fitting short-sleeved T-shirt, his exotic appearance as he walked out carrying a suitcase with one hand drew the attention of everyone in the terminal. As soon as the man stepped through the gate, a group of people in black suits swarmed him, drawing even more eyes.
Before he could even take a few steps past the gate, the man, surrounded by the suits, twisted his lips into a smirk.
"Oh! A welcoming ceremony already? Thanks."
Jeong Su-hwa appeared from among the people surrounding the man with a stiff expression. She held out a piece of paper and spoke.
"Valery Andrei, correct? You'll need to come with us."
Watching Jeong Su-hwa speak fluent Russian, Andrei suggestively licked his upper lip with his tongue.
"I heard Korean women are quite fun to break in."
Seeing Andrei give such a crude, irrelevant answer, Jeong Su-hwa’s face turned ice-cold.
"It would be best if you came quietly."
"A pretty woman is asking me to follow. I'll follow you all the way to your bedroom if you want."
Despite Andrei's greasy gaze scanning her up and down with a predatory look, Jeong Su-hwa remained unfazed and led him away.
They were in a dark, enclosed room, lit only by a small light hanging from the ceiling.
"Purpose of entry?"
"Tourism."
Andrei replied curtly, leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head and his feet up on the table. Jeong Su-hwa furrowed her brow slightly.
"Isn't it strange for someone from the Russian FSB to come to Korea for tourism?"
"Like I said, Korean women have a certain charm when they're being tamed. I just came for some 'woman-watching' tourism."
"We can deny your entry."
"Heh, Korea must be desperate. I heard the Homeland Security Department got smashed and most of your field agents were replaced by stockpiles. But there's no need to tremble before a mere tourist, is there? I heard the city was turned upside down by a single low-rank ability user. If you're that desperate, just say the word. We'll provide as many ability users as you need. You people have always been good at sucking up to powerful nations, anyway."
Slam!
At Andrei's words, Jeong Su-hwa, who rarely showed emotion, struck the table. The table split in half and collapsed, but Andrei's feet, which had been resting on it, remained suspended in mid-air.
Thud.
Slowly lowering his legs, Andrei wiped the smile from his face and spoke.
"The fact that I entered Korea openly is my way of showing courtesy. If I wanted to, I could enter your country without anyone knowing."
At those words, Jeong Su-hwa’s distorted face returned to a cold, expressionless mask.
He claimed it was courtesy, but she knew well that he had come through official airport procedures just to test the waters after confirming that Korea's Homeland Security Department was shaken. And she could guess the reason to some extent.
"I'll ask one last time. Your reason for coming to Korea."
"Tourism. Hunting tourism, shall we say?"
Seeing him start to sneer again, Jeong Su-hwa spoke.
"Entry denied. Go back."
"You'll regret this. You've just made an enemy of Russia."
"We'll see about that. I'll give you one last warning. It's best not to approach him."
"He's not even a Korean citizen anymore, is he? I don't see why you're bothering to step in. Well, I'll see you again soon."
As Andrei was led back out by the men to board a plane, one of the agents spoke cautiously to Jeong Su-hwa.
"He'll just come back in, like he said. Next time, we might not be able to keep eyes on him. Wouldn't it be wiser to keep him under our watch like this?"
"His goal is obvious anyway. They're the ones who have been killing famous players regardless of nationality. If those who were doing that even before Guild Wars were introduced have come to Korea, it's clear. They intend to draw him out."
"The Arseny Brothers are dangerous. All three of them reached Crown rank through this recent Ranked Game."
"I know. I've memorized all the rank standings. I also know that quite a few new Crowns have appeared on Earth besides them."
"If we just leave them be..."
"We've bought some time for now. Send someone to him and inform him of this. As politely as possible."
*
"It's been a long time."
A man with a wide smile and a deep bow approached Seo-un, who had just finished sparring with Gi-chan in the vacant lot.
Gi-chan, drenched in sweat and unable to catch his breath, lay flat on the ground and only turned his gaze toward the newcomer. Seo-un, on the other hand, faced the man without even his breathing being disturbed.
"Bai Lun, was it?"
"I am honored that you remember me."
He could hardly forget the player from China who had provided information about Japan before the Guild War.
"I appreciated the favor back then. So, what brings you here this time?"
"I've come to show my goodwill once again. But before that, congratulations on the big deal with Sweden."
"The conditions were good," Seo-un replied shortly, prompting Bai Lun to get straight to the point.
"The reason I've come is that I've obtained information that the Three Mad Dog Brothers of Russia are targeting you, Seo-un."
"Russia? The Three Mad Dog Brothers?"
Seo-un tilted his head at the unfamiliar term. Bai Lun quickly pulled a document from his subspace and held it out to Seo-un. Inside were photos of three men, their backgrounds, and their current Cloyd ranks.
"Why are these three targeting me?"
"Those men are players who hold absolute power within Russia. Over the past year, they have murdered countless promising players from other countries."
"Why?"
"Under the pretext of national interest, I suppose. They haven't hesitated to fight other players since before the Guild War system existed. Sweden, in particular, lost four promising players to them. Their grudge must be significant."
"How are guys like that still alive? It sounds like they've targeted more than just one or two countries."
Bai Lun nodded, his brow furrowed at Seo-un's words.
"Even we in China had quite a few players fall victim to them in the beginning. But they are professionals. As the documents show, they are killers raised by the Russian government. Those who performed high-profile assassinations as their primary duty have now gained abilities and become formidable powers... In reality, no country has succeeded in catching them even after being targeted."
Despite his restraint, a hidden resentment lingered in his voice.
"Please look at the documents further back."
Seo-un flipped through the papers. They detailed the various methods the brothers used to ambush players. As he read one particular section, Seo-un's brow furrowed involuntarily.
"As you can see, they stop at nothing. To draw out a target, they don't hesitate to harm those around them or their families. And their methods are beyond cruel."
"They're pieces of shit who deserve to be torn limb from limb," Gi-chan said, his voice uncharacteristically murderous. He had caught his breath and was now scanning the documents over Seo-un's shoulder.
The section he had read described the case of an ability user in India. The act of kidnapping a player's younger sister and filming her torture to lure the target out was something that made Gi-chan, who had a younger sister of his own, shudder with rage just thinking about it.
"You'd better be certain... that these guys are targeting me."
Sensing the heavy pressure emanating from Seo-un as he looked at him with deeply sunken eyes, Bai Lun bowed his head.
"If there is even a single lie, I will offer you my head. We would never do anything to make an enemy of Jin Seo-un."
Just then, a man carrying an envelope ran up to the lot. As everyone's attention turned to him, the man, looking slightly out of breath, quickly bowed.
"I've come on the orders of Team Leader Jeong Su-hwa of the Homeland Security Department..."
"Just the main point."
When the short command left Seo-un's mouth—his mood clearly soured—the man quickly approached and held out the documents.
"I've come all this way because there's urgent information to deliver. From Russia..."
"The Three Mad Dog Brothers?"
"Ah, yes! Oh, you already knew..."
Finishing his sentence, the man finally noticed Bai Lun and swallowed the rest of his words.
"I've got it, so you can go."
At those words, the man dejectedly descended the mountain with a lingering look. Seo-un still didn't have particularly good feelings toward the people from the Homeland Security Department.
Watching the exchange between the two, Bai Lun’s eyes sparkled.
"Thanks for the info. I won't forget the favor."
"I'm glad you feel that way. I'll take my leave now."
As Seo-un nodded, the man turned and headed down the mountain.
"Call Karina. Tell her I need a flight to Russia. As soon as possible."
Seo-un's final words reached Bai Lun’s ears as he was descending. At those words, Bai Lun’s eyes widened to their limit.