Chapter 20

I Continue to Grow Stronger

“Now, the framework of your body is gradually taking shape.”

About a week has passed since Gi So-yul joined.

The Old Man is personally tapping my body again today.

“That means we need to increase the intensity more than before… You know that too, right?”

“Kkeuaaaak! Kkeuaaaak!”

“Endure it. If you’re going to be my disciple, you should be able to calmly endure having your flesh cut and bones scraped without anesthesia. Tsk tsk, how can you be so impatient!”

Beating.

“Wait a minute. This is just violence!”

Besides, what?

Cut flesh and scrape bones without anesthesia?

Am I Guan Yu or something?

“This punk…”

The Old Man’s lips twitched.

“To call the Great Law of Supreme Clarity and Material Accomplishment, which I created by carving away at my own time, a mere ‘violence’… It truly saddens my heart. You were prepared for this, weren’t you?”

“Yes? Wait, just a moment? Old Man!”

“Quiet.”

Thump! Thump! Kwaang!

The Old Man’s fists were in a frenzy.

The vibrations shook as if a volcano had erupted inside my body.

My head was spinning, and I felt dizzy, and my whole body felt like it was falling into the abyss.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

It felt like my whole body was melting.

For 30 minutes, a beating disguised as a massage unfolded.

[Skill, ‘Pain Tolerance’ (C-grade) has been upgraded by one level.]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Pain Tolerance’ (B-grade).]

[This skill has room for further growth.]

“……”

Ah.

I don’t know.

Even though it grew by one level.

It was so painful and difficult that I didn’t even have the energy to be happy.

With tears welling up in my eyes.

Just as I was collapsing and staring blankly at the sky.

Swoosh.

Gi So-yul’s face loomed over my vision like a shadow.

“…What are you looking at?”

When I grumbled for no reason, she clicked her tongue.

“Even after seeing it, seeing it. I can’t get used to it. To think you’ve been receiving this kind of training every day since then… I can understand your rapid growth.”

“Ugh, I don’t even have the strength to answer.”

“I’ll keep guarding you. Good luck.”

I explained everything to her.

About the Great Law that the Old Man practices and the realm of Myriad skills that the Old Man dreams of.

Gi So-yul believed it surprisingly cleanly.

Belief and trust are formed by accumulating truthful words and actions.

Since I had never lied to her, she trusted me as well.

‘Rather, it was fortunate that the Old Man understood.’

Mansul Old man didn’t care.

After all, Gi So-yul couldn’t even see the Old Man’s form.

He seemed to think that even if someone saw his teaching method, they wouldn’t be able to follow it.

Even if she completely mastered Myriad skills by his side.

The Old Man didn’t seem to care much.

He had completely given up on the desire for exclusive transmission.

In fact, for the Old Man, who had accumulated a ‘grudge’ of wanting to gain a disciple.

Wouldn’t it be a great blessing just to have someone who could accept all of Myriad skills?

‘A grudge as cold as frost… can sometimes turn into a hope as hot as a furnace.’

That’s why the Old Man could be generous.

Rather, he was looking forward to it.

To the connection with ‘me,’ who possessed a special ability.

To the transmission of ‘Myriad skills’ that he couldn’t achieve in the other world.

The white-haired absolute being slightly raised the corners of his lips at the emotion he was feeling for the first time.

“Hey, aren’t you going to get up soon? There are still 30 minutes left!”

“Yes, yes… How could I lie down at my level? I have to get up right away.”

I mustered the little strength I had and staggered to my feet.

Whose turn is it today?

We’ve gone through Bone One to Bone Five once.

Bone Two trained yesterday, so.

Today is Bone Three’s turn to train.

Creak!

Bone Three stepped forward with eyes full of enthusiasm.

The Skeletons were getting stronger every day, every moment.

Their stats had increased a lot.

And their skill levels had also increased appropriately.

Most skills were reaching around Lv.8?

‘The problem is.’

As the Skeletons get stronger, I have to learn as well.

‘Status window.’

I mentally called out the status window.

[Hunter: Ju Dong-hoon]

[Title: X]

[Stamina: 50/120]

[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer]

[Grade: D]

[Effect]

-You are a Necromancer, a profession that deals with dead souls. You can subdue your opponents by utilizing terrifying evil spirits and poisons. However, you are cursed.

-You can only summon Skeletons.

[Skills]

-‘Awakened Skeleton Summon’ (D-grade)

-‘Memory Recreation’ (S-grade)

-‘Teachings of Supreme Art’ (S-grade)

-‘Pain Tolerance’ (B-grade)

-‘Slash’ (C-grade)

-‘Thrust’ (C-grade)

-‘Shoot’ (C-grade)

-‘Block’ (C-grade)

‘I’ve gained quite a few.’

I had a total of four skills thanks to the Old Man’s training.

Slash, Thrust, Shoot, Block.

My own techniques learned based on the skills of Bone One to Bone Four.

‘But I still can’t learn Bone Five’s skills.’

Bone Five is a mage.

In order to learn his skills.

I need to utilize ‘qi’ mentally, rather than physically like before.

“Young one. Come up here again today and sit in the lotus position.”

Swish, swish.

The Old Man, who had taken out his staff from thin air, scribbled something on the ground.

A series of letters that couldn’t be seen on Earth.

Between them, light of a mysterious color flowed like water.

According to the Old Man.

It’s a technique that condenses the qi scattered in nature, making it easier to feel?

“I just have to sit down, right?”

“Recite the incantation of the Supreme Clarity Heart Method that I taught you last time.”

“I understand.”

“I’m not telling you to memorize it thoughtlessly. You have to concentrate. You have to feel how the intangible energy is moving.”

“Yes, Old Man.”

I closed my eyes.

The Old Man said that ‘qi’ is the foundation of all physical power.

If you can control ‘qi,’ you can construct all existing skills.

In other words, it’s the first step towards Myriad skills.

The Old Man, who was watching the scene, opened his mouth.

“Don’t think it’s meaningless. It’s the most important step. If you can’t feel ‘qi’ while I personally lay the foundation for these dead souls…”

‘If I can’t?’

The Old Man’s smile deepened.

“There’s no choice. I’ll have to judge that you have no talent and unfold the Great Law even more strongly.”

‘Keuk.’

In the end, he’s saying he’ll beat me up as much as I can’t keep up properly?

Indeed, it was a statement worthy of a violent old geezer.

But well, what can I do?

I have to do as he says.

I had no complaints.

I’ve been doing well so far.

And I was definitely feeling that I was getting stronger.

Rather.

‘I want to get stronger.’

My motivation became much stronger.

My enthusiasm was burning.

Since I could see myself getting stronger every moment, I became interested.

“Hehe, you have a good expression.”

The satisfied Old Man turned around abruptly!

Today is Bone Three’s ‘Low-Grade Rapid Fire’ (Lv.8) training time.

There were still about 25 minutes left.

“Hmm.”

Gi So-yul, who was watching Ju Dong-hoon’s bizarre behavior again today, let out a groan.

‘He really became that weird Old Man’s disciple!’

To be honest, she was half-doubtful at first.

A skill where a ghost-like Old Man bestows teachings for an hour every day.

Isn’t that an unheard-of skill?

But.

Now she had no choice but to believe it.

Because she was personally feeling that his aura was developing every moment.

Besides, she has eyes and ears.

She couldn’t dismiss the writhing and screaming [Kkeuaaaak!] every day as acting.

The process of the body being twisted and the bones being reconstructed by an intangible force.

‘It’s terrible.’

Gi So-yul shook her head.

It was such a gruesome scene that even she, who doesn’t hesitate to do anything to get stronger, frowned.

It was a harsh training that a normal person would have given up on halfway through.

But the man’s will was amazing.

Like the venom she read in his eyes the first day she saw him, he endured to the end.

‘I have to admit this.’

Not all opportunities are opportunities.

When you have the ability and mentality to accept that opportunity.

Only then is a true ‘opportunity’ born.

Gi So-yul, a Ranker, knew that fact better than anyone else.

That’s why she acknowledged Ju Dong-hoon.

‘I’ll have to keep watching him for a while.’

Gi So-yul didn’t leave Ju Dong-hoon’s side.

Apart from the promise, it was an instinctive judgment.

She felt like she could break through her blocked limits if she took care of him?

Deep in her heart.

The image of an absolute being was still engraved.

A strong person who didn’t even waver, even though she, a Ranker, had fought against him dozens of times.

An Old Man with a strength like Mount Tai and an unfathomable depth like the deep sea.

The Old Man’s skills were definitely amazing.

Whether he held a sword or a bow.

He was stronger than any Ranker she had ever met.

‘Even with assassination techniques…’

Even she, who is called the queen of assassins, was being toyed with using assassination techniques.

‘I’m jealous.’

Honestly, she was jealous.

Because she knew how difficult it was to meet a good teacher.

No matter what abilities you have, how smart you are, or how much money you have.

You need a good teacher to grow properly.

Even if you train for hundreds of days, even if you dig into Dungeons for thousands of days, you will eventually hit a ‘limit’ on your own.

Like herself.

That’s why she was looking forward to it.

How much Ju Dong-hoon, whom the Old Man was determined to teach, would grow.

She wanted to watch.

How high he would climb in the Ranker System, which changes every year like mushrooms after rain.

A luxurious mansion.

A figure appeared from the pitch-black shadows.

He was Go Jae-young, an A-grade assassin of the Dark Shadow Unit.

“……”

Gulp.

A-grade Go Jae-young swallowed nervously.

Because.

A strong person who could burn his whole body with just a flick of a finger.

The owner of the Dark Shadow Unit.

World Ranker 92, codename Hellhound.

Nick Jakan was in front of him.

“So. You need support because of Gi So-yul?”

“Y, yes.”

Go Jae-young, who had failed the operation, had already reported in detail about Ju Dong-hoon.

In fact, he had tried to approach him several times.

But Gi So-yul’s vigilance was so strict that he couldn’t even try.

“Hmm, contact with Parang is not welcome for us either.”

Jakan grabbed his chin and pondered.

There are two Rankers in Parang.

World Ranker 58, Archery Master Gi Parang.

World Ranker 380, Dark Emperor Gi So-yul.

“Gi So-yul is one thing, but Gi Parang is difficult for me to deal with as well. Moreover, the Dark Shadow Unit has many enemies. It’s disadvantageous for us if it gets noisy for no reason.”

Go Jae-young’s eyes shook at Jakan’s words.

“I’m sorry. I should have taken care of it before Gi So-yul got more involved.”

“Hmm.”

Jakan tapped his thigh with his finger.

It was his habit when his head was complicated.

“…Is it really an opportunity that can be used to play with Rankers?”

“Yes. Just the fact that Gi So-yul, that picky bitch, is interested in it is proof enough.”

“That’s true.”

Gi So-yul is a famous viper even among Rankers.

She never bows down to anyone.

And she is a Hunter with a stronger obsession with Dungeons than anyone else.

“I’m definitely tempted.”

Snap!

Jakan snapped his fingers.

Sssst!

Then, an assassin appeared from the side.

It was Jakan’s personal secretary.

“Did you call?”

“What’s the Dark Shadow Unit’s schedule?”

“It’s fully booked for the next month.”

“A month.”

Jakan’s eyes turned to Go Jae-young again.

“Ju Dong-hoon, was it? What grade is that guy?”

“E-grade.”

“He still has a long way to go to grow.”

Even a good opportunity needs time to grow.

There is no case where an F-grade gets an opportunity and goes to S-grade in an instant.

Jakan nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Okay. Leave the time open after a month. I’ll go and check it out myself.”

If the only one guarding him is Gi So-yul.

Jakan judged that it was worth a try.