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“That’s insane talent!”

To read Kwon Tae-ho’s movements, which were far quicker than his own, and to launch a counterattack after just three rounds in the sparring match—Ghost Blade suddenly realized what an outstanding martial artist Kwon Tae-ho truly was.

“With skills like that, it seems his talent hasn’t fully awakened. Was it a lack of time? Or perhaps he didn’t have a proper Master?”

The reason wasn’t particularly important. What mattered was that the latent talent of Ghost Blade was surging even more after facing Kwon Tae-ho.

Originally, a quick resolution was the answer, but now it was crucial not to drag things out. Delaying any longer would mean Kwon Tae-ho would soon catch up in the areas where he held the advantage.

“Relying lazily on speed for reckless attacks won’t work anymore. Even if it does, there’s a high chance it would backfire on me. If that’s the case…!”

– Crackle!!

Ghost Blade aimed his sword at Kwon Tae-ho’s charge.

“Fast. But I can see it!”

In his eyes, Kwon Tae-ho’s movements were crystal clear. A deep smile spread across Ghost Blade’s face.

He realized it for himself. His talent was overflowing. The movements that once seemed impossible to follow were now within reach.

Just like this—

“Hmm?”

However, in the next moment, a question flickered through Ghost Blade’s mind.

Why does it seem like Kwon Tae-ho has slowed down a bit?

It wasn’t that he had become faster, making Kwon Tae-ho look slower. No, he really had slowed down a tad. Just as Ghost Blade started to register that fact—

– Screeeeech…!

Magic bullets shot up from behind Kwon Tae-ho.

“!!”

Ghost Blade was startled. Nonetheless, he didn’t lose focus. He knew the power of that attack was nothing to worry about. Thus, he concentrated again, putting all his effort into striking down Kwon Tae-ho.

However—

– Boom!!!

“Ugh…!”

The heavy impact of a magic bullet striking his chest sent Ghost Blade reeling back. Then came Kwon Tae-ho’s fist like a bolt of lightning.

– Whoosh!!

Barely dodging, Ghost Blade was pushed back considerably.

“What was that attack? Is it a different technique from last time?”

Indeed.

Realizing that his sixth-layer acceleration charge had been neutralized, Kwon Tae-ho immediately changed his strategy.

Kwon Tae-ho could maintain six magic slots at once. Four of those were invested in acceleration magic while the other two were allocated to magic bullets and enhancement.

As a result, the now-strengthened magic bullets could sufficiently impact Ghost Blade. They could no longer be dismissed as mere constraints.

“If I can’t break through with speed alone, then I’ll add unpredictability to my speed.”

– Whoosh!!

Kwon Tae-ho rushed in and unleashed a storm of rapid punches. As Ghost Blade tried to dodge and counter, he quickly realized that the speed of each punch varied ever so slightly.

“This is…!”

Kwon Tae-ho, dedicating the base three slots to acceleration magic, skillfully mixed in the remaining three to enhance speed, inertial control, strength augmentation, and shockwaves with each punch. Added to that was the pressure from the magic bullets.

Ghost Blade knew nothing of magic. However, he could clearly tell that the technique displayed by the man in front of him was anything but ordinary.

“……Impressive.”

When they first fought, he had thought Kwon Tae-ho’s style was brute and straightforward. But now, the technique Kwon Tae-ho exhibited made him wonder if this was even the same person.

There was no sign of excessive habits in Kwon Tae-ho’s punches.

In other words, there was neither obsession nor overconfidence.

If his technique failed, he would immediately abandon it and switch to another approach. That thoroughly practical appearance made Ghost Blade find himself smiling unintentionally.

“Hah!!”

Desperately swinging his sword, Ghost Blade recalled.

That swinging the sword was a joy.

Indeed, it had been a long time.

The thrill of struggling in a closely contested match. The sense of achievement that came from colliding their bests.

How long had it been since he had felt such emotions?

Looking back, he realized he had originally wielded the sword to experience such feelings.

To purely pursue a level and to clash with that level—just that process itself was fun.

So why recently had he not felt joy in the sword?

– Clang!

The answer he already knew well.

Revenge.

From the moment he vowed vengeance and cried out for judgment, his sword carried only anger and regret.

How could a sword swung with such emotions be enjoyable? Was it even right to feel joy in that?

“……”

Of course, he knew that revenge wasn’t inherently wrong. Still, Ghost Blade couldn’t help but cling to it.

Anyone who had watched over his life would likely understand his decision.

And rightfully so.

While others may lose, he had lost his family, whom one only loses once in a lifetime, twice.

*

Everything has a cause and effect.

This seemingly obvious truth was shattered fifteen years ago when the dimension rift occurred worldwide.

The rift had no forewarning or signs.

It appeared suddenly and devoured countless people. This meant that billions suffered the sorrow of loss and separation.

And among them, there was Ghost Blade, alongside his family.

“Here’s your order of hot crispy chicken set!”

“Yes, thank you. Good work.”

“Yes! Please come again! Thank you!”

That day, a young man was leaving the store holding a large chicken box.

His name was Baek Seong-cheol. He was 36 years old.

Later, he would come to call himself Ghost Blade in front of Kwon Tae-ho. But at that time, he was just an ordinary dojo master in the neighborhood.

In his youth, he had gained some recognition in the area for his swordsmanship but never made it to the national team. After retiring as a player, he bounced around various jobs, eventually meeting his wife, and they now had a ten-year-old daughter.

Surviving as a self-employed person in South Korea was tough, but Baek Seong-cheol was very satisfied with his life.

Not wealthy, but not lacking either. And every time he returned home, his loved ones were always waiting for him. There are certainly many happier lives, but he had no complaints about his own.

Therefore.

If someone offered Baek Seong-cheol a chance to completely change his life, he would have refused right away.

– Beep beep beep!

But life doesn’t flow as one pleases.

Suddenly, he felt ringing in his ears. At the same time, a massive rift appeared before him.

“……Huh?”

After a dizzying sensation and disorientation, when he regained his senses, what stretched out before Baek Seong-cheol was a scenery completely unlike his familiar neighborhood alley.

Eastern-style buildings that looked like something out of a historical drama. People dressed in old-fashioned attire moving along smoothly down an open path.

“Oi, Jjeom-soi! Order me a chilled Jukyeopjeong that makes my teeth chatter! No, make it two!”

“Right away!”

“No, that’s all the sales for today! If you take all that, what are we supposed to do? Are we digging up the land to sell?”

“You should be grateful that one day’s sales can cover a month’s worth of expenses. If it weren’t for us, last time during the Green Forest gang’s attack, we would’ve all been in a mess!”

Occasionally heard words resembled ones from a martial arts novel he had once read in his youth. At that moment, Baek Seong-cheol still could not understand what was happening to him.

Though Baek Seong-cheol was no fool.

As time passed and he asked stories from here and there, he gradually had no choice but to realize his situation, and various emotions began to dominate his mind.

From confusion to rage, from rage to despair, from despair to longing, from longing to resignation, then from resignation to despair.

– Step, step, step…

So, about half a month later.

– Thump.

Baek Seong-cheol looked like nothing short of a beggar.

It was clear what would happen to someone without money, skills, or connections in the unkind middle ground. In the blink of an eye, Baek Seong-cheol had become a beggar, living off the streets, barely hanging on.

– …Growl.

His stomach had been empty for several days and was now too weak to growl properly.

“……If I could just have a piece of meat, I’d have no wishes left.”

Thinking about it, the chicken he had in his hands on the first day he arrived in this world was his last meat dish.

With just a few steps outside his house, one could easily buy various foods, and he deeply realized how blessed modern life was.

“Hey you! Are you a wandering martial artist?”

At that moment, an old man approached him, who was slumped in an alley.

“Is that a sword you have next to you, wrapped in cloth?”

“Ah….”

Baek Seong-cheol turned his gaze to the side. It was the training wooden sword he had carried along with the chicken on his first day. Baek Seong-cheol shrugged and replied.

“Well, it’s something sword-like… long, yes.”

“May I take a look?”

“Sure.”

With Baek Seong-cheol’s consent, the old man picked up the wooden sword. Startled by its lightness, he was even more surprised by its materials and shape.

“… I thought it was a sword, but it’s a wooden stick. Or rather, is it a training sword?”

– Whoosh! Swish!

The old man, having gripped the wooden sword again, skillfully swung it with one hand. Although Baek Seong-cheol was a bit surprised, he accepted it. There were many who were more skilled in martial arts in this world than in reality.

“You can handle a sword, I see.”

“A little in my youth. Now, I’m just an old man in the back room. It’s not humility, but the truth. Even when I devoted myself to training, I couldn’t achieve even the label of a third-rate.”

“If you’re a third-rate, then I must be a fourth or a fifth.”

“Do you think that flattery for this old man will produce results?”

“It’s not flattery; it’s the truth. And if something comes out of it, great. As you can see, I’ve been starving for days.”

Exposing his shabby appearance as if showing off, Baek Seong-cheol spread his arms, and the old man briefly hesitated before speaking to him.

“Anyway, if you’re a martial artist, why don’t you visit Master Dokgo’s place instead of starving here?”

“Dokgo… What does the elder do?”

“Dokgo Clan, a well-known martial arts family in this area decades ago. The bloodline has run dry, so one would be hard pressed to find remnants of its former glory…”

With a distant gaze that seemed to see the memories of the past, the old man continued.

“The current head likes young wandering martial artists just like you. If a wandering martial artist comes asking for a bit of hospitality, he would surely lodge you for a night at least. You won’t be chased off at the door.”

“That’s music to my ears. Where should I go?”

If he could fill his stomach, he would go anywhere. At Seong-cheol’s question, the old man pointed north with his finger.

“If you follow the market road straight north, there’s a low hill. If you keep turning east around the base, you should come across an old mansion surrounded by old walls. There’s a family name written on the sign, so you won’t get lost.”

“Thank you, elder. You will be blessed. By the way, what is the elder’s name, who is the head of that family?”

In response to Baek Seong-cheol’s question, the old man answered.

“Dokgo Jang-woon.”

Baek Seong-cheol followed the old man’s directions, going north along the market road and turning east along the base of the hill. Soon after, he came across a wall covered with vines, cracked and breaking away.

From its appearance, it looked like a house that had long been abandoned, but thinking he had nothing left to lose, Baek Seong-cheol headed for the main gate. Fortunately, it seemed someone had come and gone, and the weeds around the gate had been neatly cleared.

“Is anyone there!”

Baek Seong-cheol shouted, clutching at his empty stomach with all his might, still adorned with the wooden sword on his back, trying to look like a martial artist. But to anyone who saw him, he looked like nothing more than a beggar.

“Is no one here? Hello!”

– Creak.

Just then, the main gate opened, and a small girl walked out from inside. She appeared to be around 12 years old—slightly more mature than Baek Seong-cheol’s own daughter.

“Oh… how delightful. Um, if it’s not too much trouble, is this the place where Elder Dokgo is…?”

“Are you a wandering martial artist?”

“Um? Ah, yes, but….”

“Come inside. I’ll boil some water right away, so while we prepare the meal, warm up yourself.”

At the girl’s invitation, Baek Seong-cheol stepped into the Dokgo Clan manor in a daze.

“This is….”

An old tiled house that had long been in disrepair. A garden that was utterly overgrown and untended.

Seeing the little girl walking quickly in the midst of it all felt surreal, like something out of a movie scene.

“Realistically, it’s not so different, but…”

Following the girl’s guide to a separate room, Baek Seong-cheol immediately washed away the grime. As he soaked in the warm water for the first time in a long while, it felt as if his whole body was melting.

When he emerged from the bath, he found neatly folded training clothes waiting for him instead of his worn modern shirt and pants. When he asked the girl who brought the meal, she said it was prepared for the time when the previous elder had independently sought out disciples from outside.

“Not much has been prepared, but please eat comfortably.”

True to her words, the meal the girl brought was simple.

Mixed grain rice and clear soup. A few types of vegetables and some dried jerky.

“Thank you…!”

However, for Baek Seong-cheol, it was nothing short of a feast. Watching him gulp down the dishes hastily, the girl, with an awkward expression, said.

“Eating so hurriedly on an empty stomach is no good. Take your time. If it’s not enough, I can get more.”

“Thank you! Um, that… what’s your name….”

As polite words slipped out before he realized, the girl chuckled softly.

“I’m Dokgo Ye-ryeong. And please speak comfortably. Just treat me like a neighborhood kid.”

“Really? If you say so…”

“By the way, I haven’t yet heard the name of the distinguished guest….”

At her prompting question for his name, Baek Seong-cheol suddenly realized:

Since coming to this world, he hadn’t been called by name at all.

“Seong-cheol, Baek Seong-cheol….”

Even though it was his name, it felt awkward in his mouth. Upon hearing his name, Ye-ryeong smiled brightly and stood up.

“Seong-cheol-nim! Is there anything else you may need?”

“Uh, if it’s fine, I’d like one more bowl of rice…. And maybe some side dishes….”

“Yes, I’ll bring it right away. And if you need anything after finishing your meal, feel free to call me by coming to the main house.”

“Oh, and I’d like to thank the elder….”

“The grandfather is not here right now. He’ll likely return only late tonight, so better get some rest today and thank him tomorrow.”

“Hmm….”

Delaying his words of gratitude for those who had helped felt a bit uncomfortable, but with how exhausted Seong-cheol was, it was clear he would fall asleep right after finishing his meal. It would be better to postpone the greeting to tomorrow, just as Ye-ryeong said.

And to prove that, shortly after, Seong-cheol finished two more bowls and promptly fell asleep. Perhaps due to falling asleep so early, when he awoke, it was just past midnight.

“Ahh.”

A deep sigh carried with it a sense of satisfaction.

How long had it been since he had a place with a roof over his head to sleep and since he enjoyed warm meals and baths.

“But this is only a night’s kindness. I can’t stay here forever….”

As the sensation of satisfaction faded, a sense of helplessness washed over him. Even half a month had gone by since his transport to this other world, and Seong-cheol was still struggling to adapt to this world of martial arts.

“I could at least try to find a menial job somewhere, but I’m just turned away everywhere. People here seem so cold-hearted. Is it just this neighborhood?”

In the martial arts novels he used to read, they spoke of righteousness and charity, helping beggars and the like. It seemed everyone in this town was too busy worrying about their own survival.

“If only I could put my kendo experience to some use.”

Of course, Seong-cheol had thought that too. However, without understanding martial arts or the existence of “qi,” his sword techniques amounted to nothing more than childlike movements.

Though he had once taken pride in being a former athlete, that pride had crumbled within less than a week.

“Ha, it’s really so hopeless, so hopeless….”

– …Bang! …Bang!

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Seong-cheol caught an unusual noise in his ears.

– Bang!

A sharp sound that sliced through the air.

In an instant, Seong-cheol recognized the nature of the sound. It was the sound of someone wielding a sword, and not just anyone—it was someone of considerable skill.

– Swish.

He made his way to the door and peeked outside.

Then—

– Bang!!

Under the full moon in the midnight sky, an old man was swinging a sword in the middle of the garden.

– Bang!!

Every swing of the sword ended with a burst of air where it came to rest. Even from Seong-cheol’s limited knowledge, it was clear this man was proficient.

– Bang!!

The old man’s swordsmanship lacked any flashy techniques.

He swung the sword at waist height with remarkable speed, then returned to the same position. Each swing was swift and precise, and the way he sheathed the sword afterward seemed timeless.

It felt more like art than training. Seong-cheol stood captivated, his spirit entranced by the view.

“There.”

“Yes, what?!”

The old man, seemingly oblivious that Seong-cheol was watching him, spoke.

“Looks like I woke you up.”

“Ah, no, that’s not the case….”

When Seong-cheol opened the door and stepped outside, the old man approached him.

He was small.

From a distance, the old man appeared large, but up close, he was two shins shorter than Seong-cheol. However, the intangible pressure emanated from him became clearer the closer he got.

“I’ve heard from my granddaughter. You’re a wandering swordsman.”

“A swordsman? Not at all. Compared to your skill, I’m nothing….”

“If you’re skilled, you’re a swordsman, and if you’re not, then you’re a ruffian, is it? You don’t need anything grand to call yourself a swordsman. Just a sword, a hand to wield it, and a sincere heart. That’s all you need.”

The old man’s voice flowed into Seong-cheol’s heart like warm sunlight. Unknowingly chuckling, Seong-cheol bowed his head to the old man.

“Thanks to you, today I was able to rest comfortably under a warm roof. I sincerely thank you. My name is Baek Seong-cheol.”

“I’m Dokgo Jang-woon. And thanks? What’s all that? If the effort feels tough, we help each other out, that’s all.”

“I’ll pay back this kindness one day, I promise.”

“Don’t make empty promises. I heard my granddaughter say you looked like someone who wouldn’t have enough food for the next day. It’s better to pave your own way first than repay a kindness.”

“Hmm….”

As the old man’s biting words struck him, Seong-cheol swallowed his embarrassment.

His own future—that was indeed the most pressing concern for Seong-cheol at this moment. However, no matter how he thought about it, it was a daunting problem.

“Wait, come to think of it…”

He recalled what Ye-ryeong had said earlier, about the time when the elder had received students from outside.

According to Seong-cheol’s limited knowledge of martial arts, big families like this one typically did not accept external students, but this one seemed different.

As the thought crossed his mind, Seong-cheol cautiously glanced at the old man and tentatively spoke.

“Um, elder. I know this might be an impertinent question, but—”

“I won’t be accepting any disciples.”

Baek Seong-cheol’s eyes widened in surprise at the old man’s blunt refusal. The old man chuckled and continued.

“I watched you as intensely as a child gazing at delicious treats set before them. I could easily anticipate what you were going to say. But unfortunately, I no longer accept disciples. I’ve learned that it’s ultimately a futile pursuit.”

“Is that so…? Then at least let me stay here a little longer, even as a laborer….”

“This household runs just fine with my granddaughter Ye-ryeong and me. We don’t need an extra hand. I apologize.”

The old man’s rejection felt as sharp as a blade, and Seong-cheol’s shoulders drooped.

However, having already received so much kindness, he couldn’t expect anything more. Seong-cheol surrendered gracefully.

“……I understand. Once again, thank you for the kindness shown today, elder. While it may sound like empty words to you, I will definitely repay this kindness someday.”

“It’s cold at night still. Come inside and rest.”

The old man turned to leave, and Seong-cheol went back inside as well. As the cold night air filled the room, to escape the chilly draft, Seong-cheol burrowed deep into his blankets.

“If only you had agreed to take me as a disciple or even as a laborer, I wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.”

As Baek Seong-cheol lay down, he tried to push away the daunting feelings. Wandering through various thoughts, his mind inevitably landed on his wife and daughter left behind in his original world.

“……Eun-jung. Ye-soo.”

No response followed his calls. But repeating those names helped Seong-cheol regain the last flickering resolve in his heart.

“I will definitely return. I assure you….”

With that promise, Seong-cheol once again fell into a deep sleep, blissfully unaware of the events that awaited him the following day.