Chapter 13: Getting Serious!!!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Getting Serious!!!
Seo-un doubted he’d find anything of value in these sprawling ruins, but he figured there was no harm in looking. He carefully positioned a scorched, charred wooden door over the iron hatch, gripping them both to heave them open together.
“Heave!”
After propping the wooden door against the iron hatch at a ninety-degree angle, Seo-un brushed the dust off his hands and scanned his surroundings. He crawled inside and pulled the iron door shut behind him. As it closed, the charred wooden door naturally fell over the hatch, perfectly concealing the entrance.
Leaning his weight against the ladder, he descended into a pitch-black void where he couldn't see an inch in front of his face. It didn't take long before his boots hit the floor.
Seo-un pulled a lantern from his subspace and lit it. A basement far more spacious than the mansion’s living room flickered into view.
“Incredible.”
The basement was filled with slabs of meat tied with twine, hanging from the ceiling to age, alongside stacks of barriques—wooden barrels typically used for aging wine.
Having filled his stomach with nothing but dry beef jerky lately, Seo-un’s eyes immediately drifted toward the hanging meat.
Gulp.
Back on Earth, he wouldn't have spared a second glance at meat that looked so unhygienic. But for a man who had been chewing on tough, flavorless jerky for twenty days straight, those slabs were a gourmet feast.
“Should I have a taste?”
He lowered a piece, used a hidden weapon as a makeshift paring knife to slice off a small sliver, and brought it to his nose. His eyes widened. The scent of the salt-cured meat was remarkably similar to the high-end ham he remembered.
He popped the raw meat into his mouth. The tender texture and intense saltiness immediately sent his salivary glands into overdrive.
“Ah… if only I had a bowl of rice…”
After stuffing nearly half a head-sized portion of meat into his stomach, he stowed the rest in his subspace and began to explore.
Passing through the wide storage area and a narrow corridor, he found a long, straight path. The underground space was well-organized, free of foul odors, and only slightly damp. However, as he walked, Seo-un’s expression soured.
At the end of the corridor were prison-like rooms with iron bars and devices whose purposes were painfully obvious. His face twisted into a grimace.
“Torture devices.”
From blades of varying sizes to branding irons, pincers, and chairs designed to bind a human body, these tools offered a sickening glimpse into the previous owner’s twisted hobbies. Seeing such things in a basement built by a noble living in a fine mansion reminded Seo-un of infamous historical figures known for their cruelty.
“I guess there are psychos in every world.”
Seo-un turned away from the unpleasant sight and returned to the open space where he had first arrived. There, he began to physically practice the Boundless Fist that had been occupying his mind.
As he moved through the forms, starting with light movements, beads of sweat began to form on his brow.
Though he hadn't encountered many martial arts yet, the Boundless Fist was undeniably unique. Unlike other styles where movements were often static or grounded, this one placed the center of gravity in the upper body while keeping the lower body light, even lifting the heels slightly. It felt less like an ancient martial art and more like modern combat sports from Earth.
Furthermore, despite being a striking art, it placed heavy emphasis on the mental aspect. Every form focused on maintaining distance and preparing before the fight even began.
“Right… it’s similar to Jeet Kune Do.”
He had never officially learned Jeet Kune Do, but Bruce Lee was a legend. He had seen enough videos to understand the philosophy behind the art.
The Boundless Fist shared many commonalities with it. It stressed constant awareness of the gap between oneself and the opponent, adjusting that distance based on the enemy's weapon, and treating a preemptive strike as the ultimate defense. Many of the forms were designed to neutralize an attack with a counter-attack rather than a block, aiming to destroy the opponent’s offensive capability in one motion.
“Easier said than done, though.”
Seo-un’s grumbling was natural. It was one thing if the opponent was unarmed, but it wasn't easy to take the initiative against swords, sabers, or spears. Being told to thrust a fist toward a blade being swung with lethal intent felt like a manual on how to become a cripple.
Of course, the manual taught techniques to strike the flat of a blade, push the spine of a saber, or dodge a spearhead to get inside the shaft's reach. But Seo-un knew all too well that there was a world of difference between knowing a technique and executing it under pressure.
However, he couldn't complain forever. He had to make the most of his safe time in this basement, which was currently just barely inside the magnetic field.
After hours of swinging his limbs and infusing them with internal power, the basement floor was drenched in sweat.
“Haa… haa… whew! I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
By physically acting out the movements, the underlying intent of the Boundless Fist began to resonate within him.
“I guess learning through the system doesn't make it entirely mine.”
The system of this game was certainly broken—it could condense decades of training into seconds. But it didn't grant complete mastery. It didn't transmit the lived experience, the subtle realizations, or the muscle memory of a real battle.
“Still, it’s plenty broken as it is.”
Heated from the intense workout, Seo-un tossed off his shirt and pulled a small wooden box from his subspace.
“I think it’s time to use you.”
When he opened the box, a pill with a verdant tint revealed itself, releasing a clear, refreshing fragrance. He had imagined an elixir would be dark or black, so the deep green color was unexpected.
“Well, if it was refined from plants, I guess this makes sense…”
Seo-un sat in a lotus position and popped the pill into his mouth. It didn't magically melt away.
This is incredibly dry.
He had to chew and swallow the parched pill, which seemed to suck every drop of moisture from his mouth. He spent a frustrated moment trying to pick the bits out of his teeth with his tongue.
What a waste… I hope this doesn't lower the effectiveness… Gack!!
For a moment after swallowing, there was nothing. Then, a sudden, searing heat erupted from his stomach. The heat felt like it was going to burst out of his throat, so Seo-un quickly clamped his mouth shut and closed his eyes.
As he began his energy circulation, the power that had been surging explosively began to follow the path guided by his internal power. The energy raced through the meridians of his entire body, completing a full circuit through the Ren and Du Meridians before returning to his Dantian, where it settled and filled the void.
“Whew.”
Seo-un finished his circulation with a long exhale. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was deep and steady. After fully absorbing energy overwhelmingly more powerful than what he had possessed before, he felt as if the world itself had changed.
He realized now how insignificant his previous energy had been. The solid power filling his Dantian gave him a massive surge of confidence.
“This is what real martial arts feel like.”
All martial arts forms were designed with a practitioner’s internal power in mind. A sword thrust was just a movement that would likely break a wrist without the proper energy backing it. A palm strike was nothing more than a slap without the weight of one's cultivation. Because these forms assumed the use of internal power, they were fundamentally different from mere brawling.
Seo-un stood up and pulled his shirt back on, realizing that without abundant internal power, martial arts were only half-complete.
“Map!”
It was time for the next magnetic field location to be determined.
“Hmm… It’s barely catching me one more time. It’s a God circle.”
‘God circle’ was the slang used when the magnetic field landed on the same spot twice in a row. Luckily, the ruins were included in the next zone, buying him another day.
“Survivor list!”
Seo-un checked the remaining survivors, and his eyes widened when he saw the count.
Ding!
• 10/100
“That man… just how dangerous was his training that he died in less than fifteen days…”
He had seen the mage who leveled the mansion, but Seo-un still believed Jang Do-cheon was likely the strongest player. If such a man had died so quickly, Seo-un couldn't even fathom the lethality of his training.
“I’ve made it into the TOP 10 because of this… but I feel uneasy.”
Since he was the one who had suggested that dangerous training, he felt a pang of guilt. Besides, the man had given him an incredible fortuitous encounter.
“Well, it’s not like he’s actually dead… even if we meet again, don't blame me,” he muttered, pressing his hands together in a quick prayer to ease his conscience.
During that final day, Seo-un opened one of the barriques and drank the liquid inside. It was wine—and it was excellent. He wasn't slacking off; he just knew that the moment these ruins fell outside the next magnetic field, his final struggle would begin. He had been stockpiling strength; now it was time to use it to fight tooth and nail.
His chances weren't high, but he had grown exponentially since the start.
And I’ve had good luck so far.
Hoping his luck would hold, Seo-un finished his wine.
“Kwah! I don't know what this is, but it’s good. Hmm… subspace.”
He tried putting a whole barrique into his subspace. It fit. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
“Since it belonged to a noble, it must be high-quality. When else would I get to drink wine like this?”
Indulging in his last bit of leisure, Seo-un ate well, rested, and for once, slept soundly.
[ Ding! You are outside the restricted area. You may take damage outside the force field. ]
Awakened by the notification, Seo-un pulled up the map.
“Hmm… there’s still some time. Since the notification just popped up, I should be fine for an hour or two.”
The force field usually shrank at midnight. He took a deliberate, deep breath and stood up, dusting himself off.
The charred door rattled before being kicked aside. Seo-un vaulted up to the surface. Seeing the shimmering force field closing in from behind, he began to run.
Calculating the speed of the shrinking zone, he moved along with it to avoid encountering other players until the last possible second. His pace quickened.
“Huff, huff. About two kilometers?”
Two kilometers. Even for someone recently discharged from the military, sprinting that distance at this speed wasn't easy. But twenty days in this world had changed him. The internal power in his Dantian made the sprint feel effortless.
Running through the night in his pitch-black cloak, he was a ghost, nearly impossible to spot. The sky was choked with dark clouds, obscuring the massive moon. Just as sweat began to prickle down his spine, the force field behind him came to a halt.
Seo-un checked the map, moving lightly to catch his breath.
The real battle starts now.
The remaining play area was still relatively large, but that only applied to ordinary people. As soon as the magnetic field finished shrinking, powerful waves of mana began to batter Seo-un’s senses from all directions. The pressure was intense, comparable to the magic that had leveled the mansion.
At the same time, he felt a sensation like needles pricking his skin.
Is this… killing intent?
The energy he had only understood abstractly was now physically constricting him.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a thunderous roar tore through the air.
K-Boom!
Along with the sound of trees splintering in a nearby forest, a scream filled with pure spite echoed across the ruins.
—“NAM SA-GWANG!!!!”