---

“……”

When I woke up, I found myself in the dormitory of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. This familiar place was undoubtedly the residence of the Grandmaster, so I scratched my head and got out of bed.

Then I met Jin So-cheong, who was waiting outside. Upon seeing me, she gave a slight bow.

“Did the esteemed one sleep well last night?”

Esteemed one?

Suddenly, I realized that both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong had seen through my internal power level. And if they saw that level, they could only think that I was a master of Half-Transition!

As I thought back on it, it was a ridiculous mistake. I scratched my head, and Jin So-cheong spoke up.

“It seems you’re a master of the Thunder God Lineage. Are you perhaps one of the successors?”

“So you figured out that I achieved Thunder Spirit?”

“That’s correct.”

I sighed and said, “I’m not in a position to explain my situation. I will compensate for my recent disgrace shortly, so please wait a bit.”

“Is there nothing I can assist you with?”

Huh?

Surprised by her unexpected offer, I looked at Jin So-cheong. She continued, “If a master like you drank to the point of unconsciousness, there must be some heavy worries and sorrow weighing on you. The loss of a sect is a grief we at the Thunder God Lineage also share, so I want to help.”

“……”

Her words carried a sincerity that felt genuine, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pain inside.

‘In the end… Jin So-cheong is dead too.’

In this life, not in the past, Jin So-cheong had died while confronting the Three Sovereigns. And that outcome had resulted from my wrong choice leading to their descent. I was left speechless, overwhelmed by disillusionment.

If I form connections, more people will die.

I had anticipated this, but I needed time to think alone.

“… I appreciate your kindness…”

Suddenly, something flew at me, and I quickly caught it. It was a long sword, and the one who threw it walked over and said, “You really are quite impressive.”

I shot a cold glare at him and said, “Samjeol Lee Kwang. What’s the meaning of this?”

Lee Kwang responded nonchalantly, “It seemed dangerous for you to roam alone without any weapon, so I wanted to gift you a training sword from our school.”

“Huh…”

My expression turned even colder. Although Lee Kwang spoke so casually, I knew he was itching to test the skills of the unknown master from the Thunder God Lineage. And when I questioned his rudeness, he seemed ready to dodge the topic.

‘He probably realized it wouldn’t be easy to fight with me using his own skills.’

Indeed, I felt confident I could win against Lee Kwang right now. The insight I gained from the Soul Removal Technique, Celestial Light, had raised my martial arts far beyond mere footwork.

As I considered whether to knock Lee Kwang down, I glanced at Jin So-cheong and changed my mind.

‘… Jin So-cheong died because of me.’

It wouldn’t be right to recklessly attack my master without having apologized for that. Turning my head away from the guilt I felt for Jin So-cheong, I responded to Lee Kwang.

“I’ll gladly accept your kindness. Then, I wish for the prosperity of the martial arts school.”

“Are you leaving?”

“Indeed.”

“Before you go, how about stopping by to see Geuk-ho? He said he has something he wants to discuss with you.”

Geuk-ho?

Curiosity piqued, I nodded my head.

“Got it.”

I received the location and went to find Geuk-ho. He was lying down in a large inn in Guanzhong, the smell of alcohol wafting around him. No matter how skilled he was, it seemed he had consumed an impressive amount of liquor because he looked utterly hammered. Geuk-ho squinted at me and said.

“Hey, Baek Woong… So you really are a master of Half-Transition, huh?”

“… Maybe.”

“You’re from the Thunder God Lineage, so why on earth were you drinking so much? Did something heart-wrenching happen?”

“……”

“If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine… I’m in the same boat.”

Geuk-ho started chuckling as he lay in bed, then continued, “It’s kind of funny. My master was killed by the Wind Spirit Sect, and here I am, too weak to do anything but live as a pillar in a tavern…”

“Geuk-ho, you should already be at the elder level of the Great Sect.”

“What? Can you really tell that just from a glance? I haven’t even fought in a great duel yet.”

I casually replied, “You can tell by looking.”

“Geez… You’re even more amazing than I thought.”

Geuk-ho muttered in disbelief before continuing.

“Anyway, it seems that Lee Kwang secretly wants to hold you back. He told me to entice you and talk about our power and future goals…”

“Is that so?”

“Since you’re a master of the Half-Transition from the Thunder God Lineage, it’s only natural. Otherwise, Lee Kwang wouldn’t have emptied his own pockets to cover your drinking bill, and you would’ve sobered up in the cold cell of the bureaucracy.”

“Hmm.”

“But… just go. Just leave.”

Feeling something strange from Geuk-ho’s words, I narrowed my eyes.

“Leave?”

“Yes. Go wherever you want. You came here without intention anyway.”

“That’s true. But if I don’t help you, it’ll be hard for you to seek revenge.”

At my question, Geuk-ho smirked.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to take revenge on the White Lotus Sect anyway.”

“……!!”

“Lee Kwang talks about revenge but is overly swayed by personal emotions. For him, revenge is just a reason, not a goal. In the end, he’ll just drag it out and accomplish nothing. Or he might recklessly charge in and perish like a moth drawn to a flame.”

I looked at Geuk-ho with newfound respect.

‘He knows Lee Kwang’s true nature well.’

Even if Lee Kwang appears to be a vengeful spirit on the surface, he is truly a complex individual filled with contradictions. That was something I’d taken multiple lifetimes to finally understand. I pondered for a moment and spoke to Geuk-ho.

“You speak as if you’re different.”

“What makes me better? The difference is just that while Lee Kwang has built up so much, I have nothing left. Even if Lee Kwang dies, I’ll have no choice but to continue seeking revenge.”

“… I see.”

In an instant, I understood what I saw in Geuk-ho’s eyes.

He truly was a genuine avenger.

No matter who the opponent was, he would remain unwavering in his will to seek revenge, untouched by outside situations or justifications. In fact, when the past suggested that we should bow to the White Lotus Sect for the sake of practicality, Geuk-ho had steadfastly refused and chosen the path of wandering instead. It might have seemed foolish, but it showed that his will wouldn’t bend under any circumstances. He was completely different from Lee Kwang, who was torn by loyalty to the imperial family and his own contradictions.

‘If only Geuk-ho’s skills matched his resolve… The White Lotus Sect would face a great calamity.’

As I silently observed Geuk-ho, he suddenly laughed and said, “What are you looking at? Am I that handsome?”

“Well, you’re definitely better looking than me.”

Geuk-ho made a face that looked mildly disgusted.

“Ew… Don’t take jokes seriously. I’m not popular with the ladies.”

“I was hurt because I thought you meant it.”

“Hahaha.”

As I watched Geuk-ho laugh, I fell deep into thought.

‘This might actually work out.’

No, maybe it was the beginning of something new.

I was feeling a bit worn out. The deaths of my companions weighed heavily on me, and while I barely avoided going crazy, things were still tough. But sharing a drink with Geuk-ho helped me feel a bit better, and I wanted to give back to him.

After finishing my thoughts, I said to Geuk-ho, “Geuk-ho. Will you follow me?”

“Huh?”

“I can give you the power to take revenge on the White Lotus Sect. And I’ll show you a whole new world you never knew about.”

Geuk-ho looked flustered.

“Uh… I’m not really into that…!”

“I’m not talking about that kind of partnership.”

“Just kidding, hehehe.”

Though Geuk-ho tried to brush it off lightly, the seriousness in my gaze made him turn serious as well. He thought for a moment before suddenly grabbing a spear that was resting near his bed, standing up.

“How about we have a spar? Then I can judge whether I’d want to follow you.”

“Sounds good.”

I nodded. “Seeing is believing.”

Thud!

Geuk-ho and I leaped down from the high pavilion and headed outside the castle. Being at the peak level, we both knew that fighting in the city would cause quite a ruckus. As we neared the grasslands outside the castle, Geuk-ho asked, “Your internal power seems incredible. How did you achieve that? Did you eat a spiritual pill like they were candy?”

“You’d need to die and come back to life about twenty times for that to happen.”

Geuk-ho laughed upon hearing my answer. “Now I see, you’ve got a sense of humor too.”

“……”

I wished it were just a joke.

Eventually, we faced off, and Geuk-ho initiated the attack.

Clang!

Geuk-ho’s spear was pretty formidable. I hadn’t noticed it when we first met, but he was clearly capable of refining his qi to manifest spear flames, and he seemed able to use powerful techniques as well. Though he still lacked experience and insight, he had already reached the ranks of notable masters.

Considering Geuk-ho’s age, he was also a genius.

‘That’s probably why he will become one of the Ten Great Masters of the World in the future…’

While I was lost in thought, I defended myself against Geuk-ho’s Thunder Spirit Eight Forms with my Thunder Dragon Sword. The basic technique of the Thunder Dragon Sword surged forth infused with qi, forming a flawless defense. As if there was an invisible sphere around me, all his attacks were deflected, causing Geuk-ho to take a step back.

“Impressive.”

Geuk-ho swallowed hard.

“You’re even stronger than Lee Kwang.”

“Geuk-ho, there’s no need to hold back your secret techniques.”

“What?”

“You’ll understand what I mean in just a moment.”

Whoosh!

I quickly used the Soul Removal Technique to barrage him with speed, reminiscent of Lee Hyeong-hwan’s movements. Geuk-ho swiftly concealed his weaknesses and countered with his own Soul Removal Technique to evade. But as he executed his technique, I remembered how Jin So-cheong used to follow closely behind me in close quarters and accelerated even more.

Fwhoosh!

The air vibrated slightly as our chase continued. With my divine technique and internal power significantly surpassing his, Geuk-ho couldn’t shake me off.

“Cough!”

Geuk-ho could no longer withstand the pressure and switched to an offensive stance with his secret technique. I seized the opportunity and retaliated with my own secret technique.

Soul Removal Technique

Celestial Light

Bang!

As the techniques collided, a thunderous sound shattered the air. And as Geuk-ho caught a glimpse of an opening, I dove in and halted my sword right before his solar plexus. Faced with the impending strike, Geuk-ho stopped resisting.

He didn’t look at the sword at his solar plexus. Instead, he gazed at me with suspicion in his eyes and said, “How do you know the Soul Removal Technique of Celestial Light?”

“Is it that strange for me to use it? Knowing the Soul Removal Technique isn’t just limited to your master. Jin So-cheong knew it too.”

Geuk-ho scoffed at that. “Damn it, you’ve just crushed my pride. That technique was my only means of survival.”

“Well, my martial arts don’t end here. If you want, I could teach you something even greater than Celestial Light. A treasure beyond imagination…”

“……”

I slowly lowered my sword and asked, “Will you follow me?”

At that, Geuk-ho puzzled over my question. “Why me?”

“……”

“Your master, Lee Kwang, is much stronger than me, and my fellow disciple, Jin So-cheong, possesses talents that I can’t even compare to. That guy is a true genius. No matter what you’re planning, bringing along someone as ambiguous as me would serve no purpose.”

“Don’t make presumptions about usefulness. Even with talents that seem garbage, one can become strong someday.”

I dismissed Geuk-ho’s doubts and added, “And you shared a drink with me. Without any ulterior motives. That’s reason enough to be my companion.”

“Companion? You’re not trying to make me your subordinate?”

“If you want to be a subordinate, go ahead.”

“Hahaha… Nah. I can tell you want to drink again.”

Geuk-ho chuckled heartily and let his spear hang limply.

“Alright. I’ll follow you. I might give you a lesson in leading, though.”

Then I suddenly remembered and warned him, “Just so you know, the path I’m taking is a chaotic one. Fighting the Master of the White Lotus Sect will be like a stroll in comparison to what we’ll face.”

“… I don’t know what kind of madness you’re planning, but it doesn’t bother me. It’s better than being stuck here.”

“Great.”

I sensed that a new bond had formed.

Geuk-ho was now to become my companion.

 

---