At the moment the Fire Bell Society party arrived on the rooftop of a house no more than several dozen meters from Single Eye Gate.
"Leader. Something is off."
The Fire Bell Society's First Guardian, who had been following directly behind Jo Jung-heon, pressed himself flat against the rooftop and murmured in a low voice.
Jo Jung-heon, the Society Leader himself, had already sensed something amiss, so he saw no need to question it. He simply gestured for his subordinates to lower their postures, then fixed his gaze on the wall of Single Eye Gate, now quite close, and opened his ears and Energy Sense wide.
It was too quiet.
And too deserted.
Not a single guard protecting the main gate was visible, and not a single sound could be heard. Even accounting for the power struggle with Black Wind Hall, wasn't it only natural that guards protecting the main gate would be visible?
""
He continued watching for a good while longer, but from Single Eye Gate came not a single hint or sign.
"...Damn."
There was no other option now.
"We go in first."
Jo Jung-heon moved toward the main gate of Single Eye Gate with a stealth incomparably greater than when they had come this far. The Fire Bell Society's Guardians, Elders, and Vanguard Warriors followed close on his heels.
It was only once they reached the main gate that they could sense it, even a little.
That some kind of incident had occurred inside Single Eye Gate.
Not only was there no Gate Guard present, but the thick iron gate of Single Eye Gate was already ajar.
"...It could be a trap-"
Just as the First Guardian, out of excessive caution, was about to argue for prudence.
*Shwwwwwwwwwsh-!*
Hundreds of wind-splitting sounds tearing through the air.
Arrows and flying darts rained down like a torrential downpour. From random directions too. From the walls of Single Eye Gate, from nearby houses, and even from near the eaves where they had been hiding just a moment ago.
For no less than One Watch Period, the volley of hidden projectiles claimed the lives of two Fire Bell Society elites.
Hidden weapons generally did not work well against masters, but that common sense too was meaningless before sheer numbers.
"What sort of scoundrel commits such a cowardly act?"
As if in answer to Jo Jung-heon's grave words, a silhouette dropped down from atop the wall of Single Eye Gate.
"I'd rather not hear that sort of thing from a ruffian who barged rudely into someone else's home. Society Leader Jo?"
A grinning face, a black eyepatch covering the left eye, and a sharp, high-pitched voice like a bird's call.
The moment Jo Jung-heon saw the man's face, he recognized him at once.
"Smiling-Face Poison Eye Cheong Go-ryang.... How are you here?"
Cheong Go-ryang.
None other than the Gate Leader of Single Eye Gate.
Smiling-Face Poison Eye was a double-meaning epithet given to him because behind the smiling face of his single eye he concealed viciousness. That was how renowned a master Cheong Go-ryang was in Gangdo's Martial World-known for his outstanding scheming and ability alike.
"How? Is there anything strange about me being in my own home?"
Cheong Go-ryang's single eye-corner curved long. Combined with his lips curled up to the maximum, it gave a most peculiar sense of pleasure. As if savoring in advance the slaughter that was about to unfold.
"In any case, glad you came. I shall make sure the hospitality is nothing short of generous, so relax and enjoy yourselves. Friends."
*Thud thud*
Every time Cheong Go-ryang stepped forward, clear footprints were left on the Blue Stone floor. And then, dropping down one by one behind him, a group of dozens of silhouettes.
Those who revealed themselves fully all had but a single eye each.
They were Single Eye Gate's finest elite-the Single Eye Poison Hand Squad.
Cheong Go-ryang advanced, closing the distance once more together with the Single Eye Poison Hand Squad. The formation naturally became a semicircle, pushing the Fire Bell Society party into Single Eye Gate.
A semicircle whose radius slowly contracted.
"Fall back! If you fall back now, you can still save your lives!"
Even against the ferocious killing intent radiating from Cheong Go-ryang and the Single Eye Poison Hand Squad, the Fire Bell Society's First Guardian did not lower his head.
Instead, he drew flames up into his palm and glared at Cheong Go-ryang.
"Even surrounded as we are, with this strength, we can at least send you, Cheong Go-ryang, to the afterlife as company!"
Was the word company amusing?
Cheong Go-ryang cackled even more deeply than before.
"I won't say anything about a cornered dog barking. But in those moments, you see.!"
The instant his words ended.
*Swish~*
Cheong Go-ryang's hand touched the sword hilt thrust at his waist.
No-he was not touching it. He was sheathing it.
The blade had already sliced through its target's throat and returned to its home before even a drop of blood could stain it.
"Baring your teeth is far less conducive to survival than wetting yourself."
Along the diagonal cut running from the Fire Bell Society First Guardian's left shoulder to his right ear, his body split in two.
*Slllide—*, the upper half of the First Guardian slipping along the cross-section.
Cheong Go-ryang stepped lightly on his fallen head as it rolled across the floor and advanced toward Jo Jung-heon.
Each time Cheong Go-ryang stepped forward, Jo Jung-heon stepped back. Naturally and without intention, Jo Jung-heon and the rest of the Fire Bell Society party were being drawn inside Single Eye Gate.
"I say, Fire Bell Society Leader."
At that, Cheong Go-ryang crooked his left index finger toward himself and smirked.
"Enough of this-go ahead and die. Unlike your leisurely schedule, I am extremely busy. After I cut you into five pieces, I must hurry off to take the Black Wind Hall Leader's head as well."
But of course, Jo Jung-heon had no intention of dying.
With a glance, he sent the remaining Guardians and Vanguard Warriors ahead into Single Eye Gate first.
Tiger's Maw.
In truth, entering Single Eye Gate right now was the same as voluntarily thrusting one's head into a tiger's jaws. It was already beyond question that everything that had unfolded was Cheong Go-ryang's scheme. Which meant it was a foregone conclusion that he had deliberately lured them into being herded inside.
What kind of formations might be set up.
How many men might be waiting.
How many mechanical devices might be lurking.
None of it was knowable.
Even so, there was no other option now, and so he had sent his subordinates first, as a kind of reconnaissance.
Keeping his gaze fixed on Cheong Go-ryang, he slowly stepped backward into Single Eye Gate. Because if he took his eyes off Cheong Go-ryang for even a moment, he could be cut down in an instant, just like the First Guardian.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Slowly, very slowly, he stepped fully inside Single Eye Gate. Hoping his subordinates had at least established a basic foothold.
And yet...
It was too quiet.
And too still.
Whether formations, mechanical devices, or men-there should have been a clash with the subordinates who had entered first.
'Something has gone wrong....!'
Using the moment Single Eye Gate's main gate blocked him from Cheong Go-ryang's line of sight, he immediately turned his body to face the interior of Single Eye Gate.
"..."
The subordinates who had entered first were indeed well positioned, as he had ordered.
The problem was that they were positioned here and there lying down.
No formations, no mechanical devices, no men-nothing whatsoever had come out to meet them.
He hadn't exactly been expecting a warm welcome.
But he hadn't anticipated at all a situation where he would be standing alone in this vast space.
No-to be precise, there was one more person.
A young man standing alone in this wide-open space.
"Who-"
-He could not finish asking.
His vision slides. His voice does not come out.
*Thud, roll roll-*
The world spins and spins as it falls, and then one person's body looms large.
The clothing is familiar. The three characters written large in red-brown on the back.
Fire Bell Society.
The thing standing there headless and alone was...his own body.
Without even realizing it, as Jo Jung-heon was tumbling down into hell, a single last voice pierced his ears.
"Five."
Even as he fell into hell, he was curious.
Five.
What that meant.
And who the owner of this emotionless voice was.
***
Cheong Go-ryang did not bother pursuing Jo Jung-heon in any hurry.
The opponent was a rat in a jar regardless.
The Fire Bell Society Leader himself was quite a skilled master, but in the end, he was hopelessly outnumbered.
Right now, 326 elites were on standby inside Single Eye Gate, and yet, just in case there might be any room for escape, he had set up seven Bewilderment Formations at various points throughout the compound. He had also hidden several dozen Fire Bomb Soldiers.
"And yet...."
He was lightly whistling as he slowly approached Single Eye Gate's main gate, which would become his gate of victory, when he cocked his head to one side.
"Why is it so quiet?"
If the Fire Bell Society Leader and his party had gone inside, even if not quite a fierce battle, surely sounds of them struggling and floundering about in the formations should have been audible?
Aah.
He quickly understood why.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh. If I'd known the Fire Bell Society Leader was this weak, I would have made my move long ago."
The Fire Bell Society Leader and his party must have been too feeble and been subdued in an instant.
He smirked broadly and shoved open the main gate of his own sect-Single Eye Gate, which would soon grow several times larger and come to dominate all of Gangdo-striding inside.
"I say, Fire Bell Society Leader. Are you still ali-. Huh!?"
There was a young man standing there.
To be precise, that man 'alone' was standing there.
Someone who appeared to be Jo Jung-heon was also standing, but calling that 'standing' was something of a misnomer. Someone standing without a head was either a statue, or a corpse that amounted to one.
The rest of the Fire Bell Society members were all lying down as well. Either without heads or torn to shreds so completely that their forms no longer remained.
Then what of his own subordinates?
The formations he had laid out?
The Formation Trigger Stones of the various Bewilderment Formations he had carefully placed throughout were all reduced to powder scattered across the floor.
The Fire Bomb Soldiers he had secretly deployed throughout the manor had been struck by their own fire bombs and turned to charcoal, and the iron spike devices set up at various points were twisted and warped as though wrung by a giant hand.
Single Eye Gate's 326 elites.
They too were collapsed here and there. No-even the word 'collapsed' was inadequate. Most had been torn to pieces so badly their forms were unrecognizable.
Beyond that, countless more corpses were strewn about. Their identities hardly needed asking.
"...Who are you?"
The young man, who had been standing still as a stone statue, slowly turned his head toward him.
Only then could Cheong Go-ryang meet his eyes.
Jet-black pupils.
Deep.
So deep that whatever pooled inside those pupils was entirely unknowable.
Whether it was hot emotion like rage or fury, a cold feeling like dread or terror, or simply the tranquil emotionlessness of nothing at all.
"Late."
The word that then fell from his lips. A voice with no rise or fall.
If that emotionless gaze of his could be put into words, it would feel exactly like this. An intonation like nothing but a bottomless abyss.
Cheong Go-ryang furrowed his brow at an inexplicable chill.
"The master of this house is me. Anyone hearing you would think you were the owner of this place."
As he said so, he slowly placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Simultaneously, he began channeling all the Internal Energy gathered in his Dantian, sending it through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
It did not matter who this man was.
The moment he had entered this place, he was an enemy, and Cheong Go-ryang never permitted an enemy within his own sect.
-x-X-x-
*Fzzzt-!*
Single Eye Flash Light Slash.
A martial art meant only for those who perceive the world through a single eye.
It was a swift sword technique centered on sword-drawing that pursued one-strike kills by dominating space at extreme speed and concentrating all energy into a single point, in order to overcome the limits of one-eyed vision.
The technique that had disposed of the Fire Bell Society's First Guardian earlier was this very same one.
Cheong Go-ryang kicked off the Blue Stone floor.
*Thud*, the Blue Stone warped as his silhouette stretched long toward the young man.
Single Eye Flash Light Slash, First Movement: Flash Lightning Light Trace.
Because he moved as fast as lightning, the air compressed as if time had stopped, and afterimages remained consecutively along the path of movement, making it appear so.
*KRAAANG-!*
The vast sound wave generated as the floor shattered wholesale.
By the time it spread throughout all of Single Eye Gate, Cheong Go-ryang's silhouette was already surging close enough to nearly graze the young man's nose.
One Eye Ten Thousand Miles Step.
The moment it was deployed, the practitioner's body accelerated to supersonic speed while producing an effect that seemed to fold all space along the path of movement a custom Lightness Art created solely for straight, swift sword techniques like Single Eye Flash Light Slash.
'Heh-heh-heh-heh.'
Even as he charged forward cleaving through the wind, his lips curled into his characteristic deep smile.
Whoever this was, he could not be forgiven. To dare kill his own subordinates and on top of that steal his prey.
And yet...
The young man was still standing there.
At first he had thought it was because the man could not react in time, but even in the midst of accelerating to supersonic speed, his own silhouette was reflected and visible in the pupils of the man's eyes.
Strange.
The man's expression remained exactly like a bottomless abyss.
Even while he himself was in the middle of an attack, his expression was one of bewilderment.
Splitting and splitting instants as he flew, Cheong Go-ryang's thread of thought stretched out long as a spool of thread thanks to that, allowing him to perceive all such changes in expression.
Single Eye Heavenly Heart Formula.
It was a Mental Cultivation Method that allowed one to deliberately perceive the world through a single eye, expanding concentration to its utmost limit and stretching an instant out like eternity for thought.
Single Eye Heavenly Heart Formula was precisely the kind of formula that existed solely for Single Eye Flash Light Slash and One Eye Ten Thousand Miles Step.
In truth, until just moments ago, he had been confident that even if it were Bukgung Ri, a surprise attack combining these three martial arts would kill him in a single blow...
That confidence shook.
The man was far too composed.
Moving this fast, and yet the man watched every one of his movements while gazing at him. Though not moving at all, from the trembling of his pupils alone it was clear-could be felt that he was seeing it all.
He was accomplishing it all far too naturally.
A sensation as if he himself had instead stepped into the man's own time and interval, caught in the man's spider's web.
But he had already launched, already struck out. From the start, the combined blow of these three martial arts was an attack that, once thrust out, could not be withdrawn.
'Fine. Just believe in it.'
I am Cheong Go-ryang, Gate Leader of Single Eye Gate.
One of the supreme masters who has ruled this lawless city of Gangdo for decades—Smiling-Face Poison Eye.
*Swish—!*
At last, his blade was drawn and extended toward the young man.
In that instant.
Something leapt out from the young man's previously bottomless-abyss eyes.
A dreadfully sharp and burning emotion that burst out like an explosion from eyes that had seemed to hold no warmth whatsoever.
Killing Intent.
Honed so keenly that it cut through all of Cheong Go-ryang's will in an instant.
Like a peerless blade of renown slicing tofu-lightly.
Ah...
Only then did Cheong Go-ryang realize he had moved far too rashly.
This man-more than any master he had encountered in decades in Gangdo, whether Bukgung Ri or Cheol So-a, or even the Assembly Leader of the previous generation's Seven Star Immortal Assembly or the Society Leader of the Iron God Society.
Was incomparably above them.
No-he was not of the same kind of existence as them.
Those others, in any case, were within the human range, were they not?
This man...
He had never seen nor experienced one, but he must be among the ranks of the Immortal Realm.
Without doubt, he was either one of them or a Cultivation Seeker who approached their level.
An existence incomparably higher than the humans of the Martial World.
In every respect-in martial arts and in emotion alike.
"Tch-"
A sense of futility settled at the corners of Cheong Go-ryang's lips.
Only then did he come to understand why martial artists who had reached or approached the Peak-men like Bukgung Ri-were so obsessed with Cultivation.
"-Six"
At the end of his life.
The young man's silhouette moved. His body evaded his sword and then overlapped him directly-his forehead onto his forehead, his chest onto his chest, his lower body onto his lower body.
It passed through.
Passed through completely.
Every last cell was disintegrated.
Before he could even think about what meaning the '6' he heard at the very end held, his consciousness too was dismantled and scattered.
Single Eye Gate Leader Cheong Go-ryang, exactly as he had been in the midst of charging, dissolved into a spray of blood and scattered over his own sect.
*Sssss*
As the blood mist slowly settled, Single Eye Gate's courtyard sank into silence. In a stillness where even the wind seemed to have ceased, Dong Bong-soo stood alone. His black hem trembled faintly, and
*Ting—!*
A beautiful mechanical chime, closing the curtain on the 'Purification' here, reached his ears.
[ [Sub] Unification of Gangdo
[Sudden]: The world is always overflowing with evildoers worthy of being purified. A hero has the duty to properly dispose of such people and make the world more beautiful.If you unify by force all guilds currently existing in this city, you may be able to gain the trust of the city's inhabitants.. Unify all of Gangdo's guilds (6/13)
Progress: 48.5%
Reward: Hero History +2
*There are various methods, so find the one you prefer.* ]
***
Dong Bong-soo's frenzied activity continued for quite some time.
As the night deepened, a strange stillness spread throughout all of Gangdo. At an hour that would ordinarily have been filled with the din pouring out of taverns and gambling dens, tonight was different. Not even the sound of crickets could be heard. It was as if the entire city was holding its breath.
It continued until the leaders and sect heads of every sect of sufficient scale for the [What is Hero] system to recognize as a 'guild' had been eliminated.
On the Western Road: Black Wind Hall, Single Eye Gate, Fire Bell Society, Blue Snake Society, Ten Thousand Gold Tower, Brilliant Offering.
On the Eastern Road: Clear Wind Stronghold, Cloud Flower Society, Black Tooth Tower, Flying Stream Moon Squad, Drunk Star Tower, Mysterious Yin Society, and Wall Snake Squad.
The long night held long stories, bloody battles, and incidents, but to Dong Bong-soo they were already finished matters, nothing more than passing 'numbers.!
When at last he wrapped things up, a dry, flat declaration fell from his lips.
"Thirteen."
The place where he stood was atop the ruins of Wall Snake Squad.
Dawn was breaking. The red morning sunlight stretched his black shadow even longer. The shadow of death that had swept Gangdo through the night had finally come to a halt.
*Ting*
[ [Sub]Unification of Gangdo
Progress: 100% achieved
Reward: Hero History +2 obtained
[Your heroic march advances Hero History considerably. A reward is given.] [+2]
[The world has become quite a bit more beautiful.] ]
Behind the simple reward hologram, the dismantled corpses of the Wall Snake Squad Leader and countless Wall Snake Squad warriors overlapped into view.
But not all living beings within Wall Snake Squad were dead.
"P-please spare us. W-we...."
Wall Snake Squad warriors who still remained, along with their households.
*There are various methods, so find the one you prefer.*
*Tread. Tread*
Dong Bong-soo approached those gathered at one side of the ruined building.
About thirty people?
All the adults were plastered against the wall, frozen with terror.
Most of the children were the same, but one among them gathered their courage and came toward him.
"A-are you going to kill us all too?"
"That is not my preferred method."
"Huh? What do you mean—"
"Have you done deeds evil enough to deserve death?"
"N-no. I...."
"Then it's fine. Those whose lives still hold value must live."
All those who died today were killed because they could only hold value in death.
That was his preferred method.
Perhaps the system intended various 'heroic aspects' of various methods, but this path was the fastest and most certain.
Dong Bong-soo let a bitter-or rather, a bitter-seeming-smile settle on his face as he looked over the gathered people.
A perfect smile. So perfect it might actually be a mistake. Anyone looking on would see it as the lonely smile of a chivalrous warrior who could not help but agonize between death and killing.
"I am called Kim Rae-won."
He gently ruffled the head of the child who had just asked, then continued speaking toward the people.
"There must surely be among you those whose family members died today. For such people, I have undoubtedly become a mortal enemy. However-"
Dong Bong-soo met the eyes of those who remained, one by one, and spoke in a sincere tone that came from the heart.
"—I will say this plainly. All who died today were those who deserved to die. They were people who would have eventually received their just punishment even without me."
Among the people, there were clearly those who twitched, wanting to object.
Eyes that seemed to cry out: My brother, my father, my uncle-they were not that bad a person.
Yet, the intense gaze of Dong Bong-soo, armed with his 'chivalry and heroic spirit', devoured the gaze of every last one of them.
"If any of you wish to take revenge...then very well. Come and find me and our Hero Gate anytime you please. If that is your sense of chivalry, I shall receive you anytime. However, I would ask that you know just one thing."
Dong Bong-soo looked at each of them in turn with an even more intense gaze and opened his mouth with force.
"This Kim Rae-won swears he acted with chivalry today."
"Just because your family has died does not mean that chivalry ceases to be chivalry."
With those words, Dong Bong-soo ruffled the child's head once more and turned away.
In any case, all the work here was done and 'bait' had been scattered plentifully enough. Whether what might be called 'justification' would take root and sprout remained to be seen a little longer, but for now, this much would suffice.
From behind, along with murmuring, he could feel piercing gazes coming to rest on him, but it mattered little. The important groundwork had already been completed and laid down in a manner that could not be resisted even by the great tide of things.
And so all the influential powers of Gangdo collapsed entirely without even a single day having passed.
The Night of the Long Sword-which began at the Hour of the Dog (around 7 PM) and ended the following day at the Hour of the Tiger (around 6 AM).
During that brief span of time, the order of Gangdo that had continued for hundreds of years collapsed completely.
And upon those ruins, a new name was carved in perfectly.
Countless blood and wreckage swept throughout all of Gangdo, leaving every sect with nothing but an empty shell.
No–to be precise, one remained.
The owner of the long sword.
The enemy of all who survived.
And yet–
The hero of all others who survived.
Kim Rae-won.
And.
Hero Gate.
The single, solitary sect that would henceforth sustain Gangdo.
-x-X-x-
-x-X-x-
My name is Ho-ae.
When my father first sold me to some rough-looking men, my name was Ho-ae, so that must be right. Isn't it?
Oh right, now there's one more character added in front, isn't there?
Kim.
That man said so.
— From today, you are Kim Ho-ae.
Kim Rae-won.
I first saw him three months ago...
District 6.
The place I was first sold to.
It had more bad memories than good ones, but well, even so, I met all nine of my younger siblings there, so in the end I should say it was good, shouldn't I?
Ho, Uk, Yuyeon, Wi, Soran, Pung Ji-ho, Roe, Jomi, Seon.
There were older brothers and sisters too, but they disappeared one by one and in the end only we remained.
The men who bought us and locked us in the basement troubled us without end, but well, it was bearable.
Since we survived in the end without dying, I should say it was bearable, right?
That's how we somehow managed to hold on without dying.
Then one day Kim Rae-won-that man whose name I didn't even know at the time-appeared.
*Thud thud-*, something like arrows fired from his fingers and in the blink of an eye smashed all the bad men who had been tormenting us to pieces.
Then without much of a word he freed all of us and disappeared.
Suddenly given freedom, we didn't know what to do with ourselves.
All we could do was rummage through trash nearby or search for rotting food to get by...
Did the heavens help us?
Truly like a miracle,
— How many of you are there?
— Ten.
We met Auntie Jeon.
— Then come with your sister.
Since we'd starve to death if we stayed still anyway, we decided to follow Auntie Jeon.
But while that was happening, we ended up seeing that man again.
Kim Rae-won.
As it turned out, Auntie Jeon and Uncle Rae-won were living together.
Anyway, later when I asked Auntie Jeon 'Why did you take in people like us?', she said Uncle Rae-won had said:
— Households are always better off the more members there are. That man.
— What's a Household?
— Family.
— What's a Family?
— Ah, right, since you grew up in places like that, you might not know. Family, you see—
— Yes. What's Family?
— People who eat together.
— .... People who eat together?
— That's right, in other words it's also called family.
I didn't fully understand, but I felt like I got the sense of it.
Family.
Heh-heh
I thought, if I work as hard as the meals given to me, I can keep being family.
I told myself again: if I eat one meal I must do one meal's worth, if two meals then two meals' worth, if three meals then three meals' worth.
Anyway,
We moved to a big house following Uncle Rae-won and his wife.
That's when I first understood.
That a house can have a name too.
Hero Gate.
Anyway, right around the time we arrived at Hero Gate, I was really frightened.
Because there were corpses piled up like mountains. The smell of blood was tremendous too. Uk and Seon were so scared that they kept crying. I wanted to cry too but I held it in. I'm the oldest sister. I have to hold on.
But Uncle Rae-won was composed.
Go over there and clean up following that sister. Keep at that and everything will be sorted out quickly.
That was all. And then he went off somewhere just like that.
Auntie Jeon sighed deeply and comforted us.
— That's right, that's right, that man is right. It's okay. It'll be clean soon.
And truly, very quickly dozens of men came and cleared away all the bodies that had been piled like mountains. Carpenters came after. The next day other people came and painted the walls and scrubbed the floors.
After roughly a month passed like that, it became a completely different place.
On a day when spring rain was falling, for the first time the roof of Hero Gate didn't leak.
— Phew, now it really feels like a proper home. Doesn't it, children?
It was just as Auntie Jeon said.
None of us could believe it.
Every trace of how it first looked had vanished and there were simply halls full of palatial pavilions. Well, it wasn't all finished yet and still being built, but that's fine. Isn't this enough to be no different from a palace for children like us?
But they're saying this palace is our home?
What more can I say!
Anyway, once the house took on a proper shape like that, our daily life changed in a dizzying rush.
Every morning we woke at the start of the Hour of the Rabbit (around 5 AM), swept the courtyard, ate, and then did a quick cleaning of the rooms.
When all that was done, Auntie Jeon would gather us all together and teach us characters. We started from Heaven-Earth-Dark-Yellow, and I memorized only about ten characters a day. Jomi memorizes a hundred at a time.
It's frustrating.
In the afternoon, Uncle Rae-won gathered Auntie Jeon and all of us in the Training Grounds.
— Stamina is life. Those with weak stamina die, and those with strong stamina survive longer.
At first we just ran.
Ten laps of the Training Grounds. Ho and Wi collapsed before they could even complete five laps. I barely managed seven.
Auntie Jeon... actually no. I'll keep Auntie secret. It's national law to protect the auntie who feeds us well.
— If it's hard, you can rest. But you must not give up.
Barely managing to complete the laps of the Training Grounds, Uncle Rae-won would tell us a few phrases we couldn't understand each time and have us memorize them.
Then he had us all sit in a circle and tapped here and there on our bodies-it felt so good that I thought I could receive this for the rest of my life, that's how refreshing it was.
More than anything, the feeling of that refreshing sensation accumulating day by day somewhere in my lower abdomen? That was so wonderful it couldn't be expressed in words.
When I asked Uncle what that was, he said:
— Internal Energy.
— What's that?
— Your path.
— Path?
— The direction you must advance throughout your entire life from now on.
— What if I want to go in a different direction?
— As long as you don't take an evil path, I think it would be fine.
— What if we take an evil path?
Uncle's deep eyes fixed on me intently for a moment, then soon answered.
— It would become a great experience for me.
— A great experience?
— That's right, as much as I raise you, as much as you grow, it will become an even greater experience for me.
I've thought about it many times, but even now I'm not quite sure what it means.
Adult words are difficult.
Anyway, from that point our daily life was always the same.
Wake early and clean briefly and eat lots and lots of food.
Learn characters in the morning.
Run the Training Grounds in the afternoon.
Memorize the phrases Uncle recited.
Receive the massage Uncle gave us.
Eat lots and lots more in the evening and go outside to play to our hearts' content.
At first Auntie Jeon said something to Uncle Rae-won about whether it was all right to do that, but Uncle said it was fine now.
— Gangdo is safe now.
We used the pocket money Uncle distributed to buy and eat Jeonbyeong outside, and noodles too. Just as Uncle said, Gangdo really does seem to be safe now.
As summer drew closer, running the Training Grounds became harder.
Running under the blazing sun, sweat poured down like rain.
But strangely, I felt the heat less. Is it thanks to the breathing technique Uncle Rae-won taught us?
Passing each day pleasantly like that, we gradually became accustomed to everything and got better at it.
Now I've memorized the whole book of Cheonjamun too.
I can do a hundred laps of the Training Grounds easily.
Most importantly, instead of memorizing phrases, we started sparring with the other children while wielding wooden clubs.
The Internal Energy Uncle speaks of has also clearly settled in my lower abdomen. Now every day it pulsates a little and grows harder and harder.
Uncle still gave us generous pocket money but we no longer went out much to play.
Because sparring together became much more fun!
Heh-heh, I became the eldest sister among the children because I'm the oldest, and honestly it was a little embarrassing and somehow awkward, but now I'm a bit proud.
Because I'm the strongest among the children!
That means I qualify as an older sister!
Of course, everyone has their own strengths too.
Ho is strong, so when he swings once, I get pushed far back too.
Uk is a genius at dodging nimbly. 'If you don't get hit, it doesn't hurt!' is Uk's motto.
Yuyeon is flexible like her name, so she attacks well from strange positions too.
Jomi is clever and always aims at unexpected spots.
Seon is the youngest, but surprisingly tough. Once she bites down she doesn't let go.
Oops, I talked too much about just us.
Auntie Jeon is always busy with the time she spends apart from us.
It seems there's no place within Hero Gate that doesn't bear Auntie Jeon's touch.
Sometimes Auntie received official guests who came from the government office, and Auntie also managed the various worker men Uncle Rae-won brought, and in the evenings she would also do something like training by herself.
Whenever Auntie would wave her hands through the air every now and then, the surroundings would freeze and shatter, or some of the furniture and furnishings would crumble and such.
— Ah, again! This again? Why can't I control my strength? Honestly.
Each time that happened, the flustered Auntie would huff and puff on her frost-covered hands. After that she would always look at us and scratch the back of her head.
— Sorry. Children. Ho-ho.
Outside the time he spends with us, I've never seen Uncle Rae-won inside Hero Gate.
He only occasionally comes to us and asks this and that.
Whether there's anything uncomfortable, whether there are any complaints, whether there's anything lacking.
Of course there wasn't anything, and yet our uncle who keeps asking and shows interest.
I love him so much.
Not just me-all of us came to love Uncle, Auntie, and this home so much.
Family.
That's right, Family.
Now I've clearly come to understand what Auntie meant-what it means to be people who eat together.
And so one day in the third month as summer was ripening.
A large plaque was hung at Hero Gate. Having learned to read at least a few characters now, we read it proudly.
"Hero! Gate!"
"That's right. You read that well."
Auntie Jeon stroked our heads.
That day, for the first time, all of us officially received names.
"You are all Kim from now on."
Kim Ho-ae, Kim Ho, Kim Uk, Kim Yuyeon, Kim Wi, Kim Soran, Kim Ji-ho, Kim Roe, Kim Jomi, Kim Seon.
We have a family name now.
I don't really understand it fully, but...
I just like it because it's the same as Uncle's.
Uncle approaches and asks.
"And you are all now disciples of Hero Gate. Do you agree?"
"Yes sir!"
Uncle smiled brightly toward us as we answered with vigor.
In that moment.
Is it an illusion?
I felt an unknown power pouring forth from Uncle.
[ : All allies within range Attack Power +5% / Defense Power +5% / Status Ailment Resistance +10%: All enemies within range Attack Power -5% / Defense Power -5% /Critical Hit Resistance -10%]
It's the first time I've seen him smile properly.
Anyway, I was happy.
I—we smiled back at him.
Because all of us had become family and disciples of the same Hero Gate.
***
It had been a long time.
[Ting!]
[ [Guild] Hero Gate Declaration: No matter how much a hero, one cannot accomplish great things alone. At your guild formation declaration, countless evil practitioners will tremble.However, as light gathers, equally strong darkness will also linger nearby, so I pray you and your guild members overcome all crises with faith.. Recruit ten guild members (11/10).
Progress: 100%
Reward: Hero History +1, [Guild Window] Activated
[You have enlisted qualified, trustworthy individuals into your guild. A reward is given.]
[+1]
['Guild Window' has been activated.]
[Though small, the world has become more beautiful.] ]
Three months after the Unification of Gangdo.
At last, Hero Gate as a 'guild' was truly activated.
"Remember this. The stronger you become, the stronger Hero Gate becomes.
Keep firmly in mind that the strengthened Hero Gate is you, and you are Hero Gate."
Dong Bong-soo looked over Ho-ae and the children one by one and spoke.
"Hero Gate is only just beginning. The day all of you become true heroes-that day will be the day Hero Gate is truly complete."
He meant every word.
If these children grew stronger, Hero Gate would grow stronger...
'And I will grow stronger.'
If each and every one of these children became a 'hero'...
A mask reveals its true dignity all the more when it is worn to properly conceal.
And there could be no one in the entire universe to whom that mask would suit better.
The smile at the corners of Dong Bong-soo's lips deepened.
'Hero.'
Was that not precisely a new evolution entirely different from before?
-x-X-x-
===================================
[HERO GATE]
Guild Lv.1 (Growth: Initial)
Guild Reputation: [Newborn Guild]
===================================
Guild Master: Kim Rae-won
Vice Guild Master: -
Guild Members: 11/10 (Over Capacity)
Guild Assets: 18,750 Silver coin/234 Martial Goods
Territory Income: 150 coins/Day
[Emergency! Guild is over capacity. If the guild is not expanded within one week, all guild functions will be suspended!]
========[Guild Member Details]========
[Jeon Ra-hwa]
===================================
• Position: Guild Member (Vice Administrator)
• Combat Level: Intermediate
• Status: Normal
• Trust Level: [Deep Trust]
• Main Specialty: Ice Binding Combat Arts (Training)
• Sub Specialty: Operations Management, Education
• Current Mission: None
• Main Equipment: Heavenly Yin Sect Dharma Maiden's Jade Token
• Growth Speed: Very Fast
• Potential: Supreme [Special Notes]
• Specialized in Cold Energy-type abilities
• Hero Gate's Practical Affairs General Manager
• Guild Member Training Supervisor
===================================
[Kim Ho-ae]
===================================
• Position: Guild Member
• Combat Level: Beginner
• Trust Level: [Firm Belief]
• Main Specialty: Command Ability
• Growth Speed: Fast
===================================
[Kim Ho] - [View Details]
[Kim Uk] - [View Details]
(Lower (7) Members)
>÷>÷> [Guild Traits ]
> [Bond of Heroes]: Strengthens overall guild member cohesion
> [???] - Unlocked upon reaching Guild Lv.2
> [???] - Unlocked upon reaching Guild Lv.3
>÷>÷>[Guild Quests]-
>In Progress:
(None)
>÷>÷> Completed:
> [Guild Establishment] - Recruitment of 10 guild members complete
>÷>÷> Pending:
>÷> [First Mission] - Complete the first commission in the name of Hero Gate
> Reward: Guild EXP +100, Guild Member Limit +10
* Available to proceed.
>÷> [Facility Expansion] - Construct 3 new facilities at headquarters
> Reward: Guild EXP +100, Guild Member Limit +10
* Available to proceed.
>÷>÷> Emergency:
> [Guild Expansion Urgent Task] - Guild expansion required within 7 days
Time Remaining: 6 Days 23 Hours
Penalty: Guild Functions Suspended
* Immediate action required.
>÷>÷> [Hero Gate Headquarters ]
Location: Former Iron God Society Site (Gangdo)
Scale: Large
Status: Under Reconstruction (Basic Facilities Complete)
Defense Level: Intermediate
>÷>÷> Current Facilities:
Training Grounds - In Operation Armory - Basic Level Archives - Under Construction
>÷>÷> Constructible Facilities:
Medical Room Alchemy Workshop Dormitory Underground Training Grounds
[External Relations ] —
Gangdo Government: [Cooperative]
Friendly relations with Magistrate Yo Han-myeong-Great Beggar Sect: [Interested]
Attempting contact Gangdo Citizens: [Reverence and Fear]
~~~~Both savior and slaughterer~~~~
===================================
-x-X-x-
Dong Bong-soo climbed up to the main hall roof of Hero Gate and briefly scanned the activated [Guild Window].
The What is Hero system was fantasy-based by nature, so it had twisted somewhat in the process of intermingling with this world's setting.
Even so, its visibility itself was excellent.
The things that needed to be done immediately were also plainly visible.
[Emergency! Guild is over capacity. If the guild is not expanded within one week, all guild functions will be suspended!]
"What are you staring at like that?"
It was Jeon Ra-hwa, who had by now grown capable of climbing up a roof of this height without a second thought. She quietly approached and stood beside him.
"You."
"Tch. You were staring at empty air and now you're pulling this?"
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't wrong.
He had been looking at her in the [Guild Window], after all.
[Position: Guild Member (Vice Administrator)
Trust Level: [Deep Trust] ]
The [What is Hero] system had automatically recognized her as Vice Administrator, and she was extending [Deep Trust] toward 'Kim Rae-won.'
[Main Specialty: Ice Binding Combat Arts (Training)]
It recognized the Snow Snow Yin Cold Art as Ice Binding Combat Arts.
[Growth Speed: Very Fast
Guild Member Training Supervisor]
"You're training hard, I see."
"How would you know that? Every evening you're always out gallivanting around."
"There are ways to know everything."
Dong Bong-soo smiled, winking one eye.
"I have several eyes, you see. And one of them is always watching you."
"Telling lies that seriously is a sickness too. You know that?"
"Yeah yeah. Believe it or not, it's up to you."
At his words, Jeon Ra-hwa let out a small laugh.
Dong Bong-soo could feel [Deep Trust) woven into that laugh. Whatever she might say, he could now trust her firmly. And the reverse would work perfectly as well. Whatever he might say, this woman would almost certainly believe it and act on it.
Until the system broke down, that is.
"By the way."
"What?"
Jeon Ra-hwa looked down below. There, the children were fiercely sparring among themselves.
"About managing the children and the sect."
"Yeah. What about it?"
"How long are you going to leave it all to me?"
"Is it too much?"
"It is."
Jeon Ra-hwa raised her head and looked him straight in the eye.
"Honestly speaking. What do I have over those kids? It's the same for all of us none of us have been free people for more than three or four months..."
"You know more characters."
"That's all."
Dong Bong-soo looked her straight in the eye as well.
"You're an adult."
"Is that important?"
"It is."
"How so?"
"For children, the simple fact that a parent exists carries great meaning in itself."
"...A parent? Me?"
"Then how do you think those children see you?"
"..."
"You're the mother."
He pointed at himself with his index finger and smiled faintly.
"I'm the father."
"H-how does that make sense?"
"Why wouldn't it?"
"..."
"It was already decided the moment you took those children in. And over these three months, it will have solidified nearly completely."
"No, no, that's not what I mean-"
"Then what?"
"If I'm the mother and y-you're the fa...ther! That means yo..u would be hu...sband and-"
"That's not what I said. Do you want that?"
"No! It's just because you phrased it in a misleading way!"
"I know, I know."
"..."
"No need to get all worked up. It was just an example, an example."
"Tch, things like that don't count as examples. You're going to ruin someone's prospects for marriage."
"Then will you take responsibility?"
"Take responsibility for what?"
"The feedback is really satisfying."
"Feedback?"
"You. I mean you."
"You were teasing me again, weren't you."
"Yep."
"Ugh! Fine! There's no point talking to you any longer, I'm only the one losing out!"
As Jeon Ra-hwa turned away in feigned indignation, Dong Bong-soo spoke to her seriously.
"You're doing well."
Jeon Ra-hwa stopped in her tracks.
Dong Bong-soo walked up and ruffled the top of her head with a smile.
"You're doing well, I said. Just keep doing what you're doing now."
Dong Bong-soo passed by her and leaped down from the roof.
"Oh, and also - could you build a medical room, a workshop, and some more dormitories inside the gate?"
[Medical Room - Dormitory]
He wasn't quite sure yet what alchemy in What is Hero entailed, but it needed to be built regardless. Whether it was for refining rare metals like gold or for synthesizing magic, it went without saying that it would be of some use.
And furthermore-
[ [Facility Expansion] - Construct 3 new facilities at headquarters
* Available to proceed.]
The guild quests needed to be carried out steadily from now on as well.
"Always just handing out work. Goodness... Where are you off to again?"
Jeon Ra-hwa fixed her ruffled hair belatedly and called out loudly.
To which Dong Bong-soo simply raised a hand and waved it lightly in reply.
"Out for a stroll."
***
A stroll.
It refers to stepping out briefly to a nearby place for leisure.
And Dong Bong-soo had gone out to 'play' like that every single day for nearly three months without missing a day.
Having left Hero Gate, Dong Bong-soo wound through winding and twisted paths and arrived at an old teahouse.
*Cree-eak*
The door sound, old and worn enough to be unpleasant to the ears.
Of course, by now it was familiar. The same went for the tobacco smoke mixed with a stench that seemed like the scent of tea yet was not quite the scent of tea.
"You're a little late to work today, aren't you?"
"What do you mean, work? Anyone who heard that would think I was actually a beggar."
"Huh? Weren't you?"
Dong Bong-soo merely curled the corners of his lips and let it slide past him without a second thought, then pulled back a chair and sat. Across from him, naturally as though it were already decided, the middle-aged beggar with a scraggly beard who had just spoken took a seat opposite him.
"I thought you were one of our kind since you showed up every day without fail?"
"Cut the stale talk - what's the work for today?"
The middle-aged beggar, Ten Thousand Things Known Proprietor Bae Dal-pae, promptly poured a cup of tea and set it in front of Dong Bong-soo as he spoke.
"You'll choke on your own breath. What grudge do you have against work? Every single time you arrive, it's nothing but work, work, work."
"Every day is a war, naturally."
Bae Dal-pae watched Dong Bong-soo reply dryly, then soon opened his mouth again.
"Before I give you today's work, I need to say something first."
"What?"
"The conclusion our Ten Thousand Things Known no, the Great Beggar Sect has reached about you."
"A conclusion about me? Why would the Great Beggar Sect be drawing conclusions about me?"
Even in the face of Dong Bong-soo's blunt words, Bae Dal-pae steadfastly continued.
"It was a commission received from Young Lady Jeon. This matter."
"I believe I told you it was fine to stop."
Dong Bong-soo had said it clearly.
Around the time he had begun coming out here for his 'strolls' - he had said there was no need to investigate him any further.
Bae Dal-pae merely smiled enigmatically.
"Truth be told. Even without Young Lady Jeon's commission, an investigation into you would naturally have been initiated."
Bae Dal-pae filled his own cup with tea as well, took a light sip, and continued the conversation.
"There's no need to ask why - Kim is well aware of that."
"..."
"If we didn't investigate the man who cleaned up Gangdo overnight, the Great Beggar Sect would have to take down its plaque as the number one intelligence house in the Martial World from that very day, wouldn't it?"
"So what's the conclusion?"
"That Kim is the high school student Kim Rae-won."
"Your reason?"
"Because if Kim is not the high school student Kim Rae-won, the situation itself cannot be explained."
Slurp Bae Dal-pae took one more light sip of his tea, then tapped the table with his index finger repeatedly, and continued what was a report that was not quite a report.
"One day, a man who fell straight down from the sky - at that, a fellow with no memories appeared in Gangdo, and that man cleaned up every faction in Gangdo before even five days had passed? How likely do you think that is?"
"So, a master of that caliber couldn't have been made overnight, therefore it must be the high school student Kim Rae-won?"
"That's right."
"Is that really all? Your reasoning."
"Young Hero's martial arts had an unclear origin to begin with, so tracking the lineage through martial arts was out of the question. Most of all, you gave no room for that."
"Well, that's true."
"In any case, after three-odd months of continuous investigation following the Unification of Gangdo, that is the conclusion the elders of our main sect have reached for the time being."
The conclusion reached by the main sect's elders?
"Then what's your conclusion?"
"What importance could the conclusion of a mere Seventh Formula disciple like myself hold? The elder sirs have already concluded as such."
"Well, I'm just curious."
Bae Dal-pae, at that, looked Dong Bong-soo up and down, then took another sip of his tea, then scrutinized Dong Bong-soo carefully here and there again repeating this behavior.
"A Chivalrous Warrior."
After all that, Bae Dal-pae finally opened his mouth.
"Aah, in your terms a Hero."
"A Hero?"
"What does it matter who Kim is? The conclusion I've reached after watching Kim for three months is that."
Dong Bong-soo also took a sip of tea and looked straight at Bae Dal-pae. Deep within Bae Dal-pae's still question-filled pupils, Dong Bong-soo could already read the conclusion he had drawn.
"A Great Hero. Regardless of whether Kim is that 'Kim Rae-won' or not a Great Hero who will overturn this Martial World."
"Your reason?"
"Fifty-two... twenty-seven... thirty.... Ah, forget it."
Bae Dal-pae counted something on his fingers and then gave up.
"What are you counting right now?"
"Madness."
"Madness?"
"What Kim has done over these past three months."
"..."
"Human trafficking cases, fifty-two. Predatory usury cases, twenty-seven. Mountain and river strongholds, thirty locations. And dozens more things on top of that. Most of all-"
"..."
"-To call a person who is practising all these acts that is to say, all this chivalry 'paying money out of their own pocket' to carry it out, what else should we call such a madman?"
Bae Dal-pae was right.
The 'strolls' Dong Bong-soo had taken over the past three months were precisely that.
He had paid silver or Martial Goods here at Ten Thousand Things Known and bought information.
The information was about all the 'injustice' occurring in the vicinity of this Gangdo.
In the world, there are people who step up personally to prevent unjust things.
In this world, there are certainly those who come forward to resolve unrighteous matters.
However, a madman who spends money on top of it all to carry out chivalry - at the very least, within the scope of what Bae Dal-pae knew - did not exist.
No, such a person should not have existed.
At that, a Chivalrous Warrior who spent a whopping 123,755 silver coin and 229 Martial Goods as information fees to carry out that chivalry.
The person who practiced it, who proved the very existence of a Chivalrous Warrior.
That was this very 'Kim Rae-won!'
-x-X-x-
"Ordinary martial artists never spend the spoils they earn-or the loot they gain from subjugating enemies-for the sake of others or other factions."
Bae Dal-pae drained the remaining tea in a single gulp and grinned.
"Unless I use the romantic, 'old-fashioned' martial world expressions of hero or chivalrous warrior, Brother simply cannot be explained otherwise."
"So why are you telling me this?"
"Aah, just out of curiosity."
Dong Bong-soo pressed the teacup to his lips and quietly studied Bae Dal-pae's eyes. It certainly wasn't filled with suspicion. He could sense a deep, purely welling curiosity.
"What about?"
"Just what kind of circumstances would lead a peak master at the Three Eccentrics level-one who has even lost his memories-to practice chivalry to such a degree, and to intend to keep going."
*Clink! Clink!*
Because Dong Bong-soo was rotating the teacup, the bottom of the cup and the surface of the table rubbed against each other, producing a sound for quite some time.
At last his hand stilled, and the sound stilled with it.
"Who knows."
Then, a voice that flowed out calmly.
"It's fun."
"Fun...? You just said it's fun?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"..."
"For an ordinary person, that's just how it goes-killing evil bastards and punishing wicked ones."
Perhaps because the answer was so entirely unlike what he had anticipated.
Bae Dal-pae remained silent with his mouth slightly open, doing nothing but blinking as he stared at Dong Bong-soo.
Then, soon after, he wrung his facial muscles mercilessly to collect himself and asked again.
"W-well. In principle you're not wrong, but. Ordinary people don't go quite that far, do they?"
"Isn't that even simpler?"
"..."
"Seems I'm not an ordinary person."
This time, Bae Dal-pae's pupils shook relentlessly, as though an earthquake had struck.
"Ha...ha...ha. Is that so? A truly simple and clear-cut answer it was."
Bae Dal-pae murmured quietly, shaking his head slightly.
Simple, simple, simple.....
The right answer.
The look of someone who had attained a kind of enlightenment.
Dong Bong-soo watched that look in silence and felt it once again.
Seeing truth in falsehood, and seeing falsehood in truth.
And on the other hand-feeling goodwill within hypocrisy, and feeling malice within feigned wickedness. That is what humans are.
A few moments later.
Dong Bong-soo lightly flicked the teacup with his index fingernail.
*Ting-*
Only then did Bae Dal-pae awaken from his contemplation.
Immediately after, he fixed his gaze squarely on Dong Bong-soo.
"Thank you. Brother Kim. No-!"
"..."
"Great Hero."
Bae Dal-pae had just crossed over a single wall. In terms of character, and in terms of martial arts alike.
Whatever the reason, that was entirely Dong Bong-soo's doing.
And then.
*Ting-*
In that same moment, Dong Bong-soo too crossed over a new wall.
[ [Relationship Quest]: Please respond to the 'Second Belief.'Belief always brings corresponding rewards.]
A new 'belief,' arriving after quite some time.
Dong Bong-soo glanced at the hologram text visible only to him and let out a quiet chuckle.
"Enough. Stop with the cringe-worthy talk and bring out today's work."
"Aah, my apologies. Great Hero."
"Drop the Great Hero bit too."
"Yes, Young Hero."
"...Just do it the way you normally do."
"Yes, Chivalrous Warrior."
"Fine, fine. Call me whatever you want. Ah, and from now on I'll be buying information in the name of Hero Gate."
"Yes? What significance does that hold?"
'It holds significance.'
[ [First Mission] - Complete the first commission in the name of Hero Gate
Reward: Guild EXP +100, Guild Member Limit +10
* Available to proceed.* ]
The great significance of proceeding with a [Guild Quest].
"Well, I mean, now that we've established a sect too, it's a bit strange to keep doing things privately."
"Ah! You mean that the practice of chivalry must be carried out openly and publicly. As expected of a Great Chivalrous Warrior! I, this humble commoner, could not hope to fathom the full depth of that intent!"
He still couldn't get a precise feel for what the 'belief' recognized by the What is Hero system actually was, but for now, this 'Second Belief' had something of an excessive quality to it.
'Which might make it all the more useful.'
Dong Bong-soo lightly shook his head in feigned nonchalance and said.
"Well, let's say that's it. Anyway, there's no time so hurry up and bring out the work."
At that, Bae Dal-pae's face slowly contorted. There was even the sense that he was reading the mood.
"To be honest with you....."
"What?"
"There is none."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
"..."
"Thanks to Brother's efforts over these past few months, Gangdo has become very peaceful-that is what I mean."
"..."
Peace?
***
Having left Ten Thousand Things Known, Dong Bong-soo strolled through the streets of Gangdo.
It certainly was not the Gangdo he and Jeon Ra-hwa had first arrived at.
Gangdo, where countless variations of 'die' and 'kill' had endlessly echoed no matter which road or building one passed that Gangdo no longer existed.
— Honestly, I thought it would be impossible, Great Hero.
— What?
— This transformation of Gangdo.
Yes, that's right.
Even from Dong Bong-soo's own perspective, it was so.
Gangdo, stretching from the Eastern Road through the Central Great Road to the Western Road, had become an entirely different city.
The stone pavement that had once been soaked with the stench of blood was now a playground filled with the laughter of children. Merchants no longer concealed blades, and customers no longer walked while repeatedly looking over their shoulders.
A street vendor selling fruit recognized Dong Bong-soo and hurriedly picked out the most luscious apple to hold out to him. Saying it was his small token of gratitude.
Dong Bong-soo took the apple and bit into it. There was no poison. He continued walking.
As he did, people began gathering before long.
Elders offered deep cupped-fist salutes, and young people cast gazes full of respect. Some children even followed along at his heels.
He had thought Gangdo would eventually stabilize, but he could confirm firsthand that the moment had arrived far sooner than expected.
Well, naturally—
Your heroic actions have slightly filled [Hero History]. [+1]
This mechanical sentence, he had heard dozens of times in Gangdo alone by now.
Three months was certainly not a short time.
A short while later.
After shaking off all who had followed him, he stopped in a corner of the Central Great Road marketplace.
The sun was still high in the sky, making for brilliant weather.
Even so, a damp breeze swept past, ruffling through his hair. Summer-with this level of humidity in particular, the rainy season undoubtedly existed in this world as well.
Dong Bong-soo stood still in that spot for a long while, feeling the transformation of this city of Gangdo as fully as he could. More precisely-perceiving it.
From the dried flakes of blood on the ground reflecting the bright sunlight in the color of dusk, all the way to the chirping of flocks of birds twittering on the outskirts over there.
It was unmistakably too flat.
Overflowing with an all too brilliant energy.
Then his gaze fixed itself on a certain alleyway in the corner over there.
"Come out."
There was no response from inside the alleyway.
"Isn't it still a little too soon?"
Even so, Dong Bong-soo warned once more.
"Little one."
Only then did a child who had been hiding in the shadow of the alleyway begin moving with small, fidgeting feet and stepped out onto the main road.
It was none other than that tiny survivor child from the Wall Snake Squad ruins who had audaciously asked him before, 'Are you going to kill all of us too?'
The child approached him with both hands pulled fully behind the back and hidden.
"I said it's still too soon."
But the child did not stop and kept approaching.
There was clearly no killing intent, but humans are unknowable creatures.
Perhaps, if that child were the same kind as himself, killing intent could be concealed to any degree.
[If any of you intend to take revenge... Fine. Come find me and our Hero Gate at any time. If that is your chivalry, I will welcome it whenever you come.]
It had undoubtedly arrived as a duet of youthful recklessness and that line.
'For now.'
Since there were watching eyes here, it would be wise to withdraw...just as he thought that.
The child's two hands pressed together toward him.
In front of him, a few meters away. Quietly.
"Here."
"What is this?"
"It's a flower, mister."
Flowers.
That was indeed what rested in the child's small, clasped hands.
Yellow-the forsythia variety.
He had already perceived the fragrance, but he had not expected it to actually be a real flower.
"Why are you giving me this?"
"Just because."
"..."
"Flowers are finally blooming properly in Gangdo now. First time in my life I've seen one that wasn't trampled to pieces."
"..."
The child stepped closer and forcibly pressed the forsythia into his hand, then turned around on the spot.
"Because it seems like mister isn't a bad person. Even though...."
A deep-hearted child who left the rest unsaid. Whether it was genuine or not, he couldn't quite tell.
Seeing truth in falsehood, and seeing falsehood in truth.
Feeling goodwill within hypocrisy, and feeling malice within feigned wickedness.
As expected that is what humans are.
What was even more interesting was the fact that a mere single 'mask' had completely overturned this Gangdo.
To the point where flowers that had always been trampled in the endless fighting could bloom, and people could so easily extend forgiveness to those who had done harm to their loved ones.
— So I dare to ask you, Great Hero.
Gangdo had become this peaceful.
That must be why Bae Dal-pae had asked that question.
— Great Hero, what is the true purpose of Hero Gate?
— Having seen it all this time, do you still not know?
— No. It's precisely because I know that I ask. It looked as though you were trying to do something impossible.
— ....
— But having watched until now, the thought has come to me that perhaps it may not be impossible after all-that is why I ask.
— ....
— Do you truly believe you can raise the banner of heroism upright in this Martial World?
— Of course.
— You are naïve.
Heh heh heh.
At that moment he had been unable to hold it and inwardly let out a slight laugh.
Well, that much is true.
The thought had come to him, that of a foolishly naïve person-that was Kim Rae-won.
The What is Hero system, compared to that of New Murim Online, was exceedingly convenient and well-adapted and applied to reality. Thanks to that, it was a system far too easy to use and improvise with at his own discretion.
And yet, to have failed to utilize it so thoroughly.
Kim Rae-won was someone who deserved to die-a truly naïve soul.
— Why, is it wrong to be naïve?
— No. No it isn't. Although I, Bae Dal-pae, am buried in this Gangdo, I am nominally one among the disciples of the Orthodox Path, am I not? Though the current Great Beggar Sect takes actions that are not Orthodox-like at all.
— So what's the point?
— Just... I'm saying I wish to share the same purpose as Great Hero. In my eyes as well, a place like Gangdo needed peace.
Peace.
In and of itself, a very peaceful and human word.
Bae Dal-pae might be right. From the perspective of humans, a place like Gangdo may indeed need peace.
However, and for that very reason—
For a 'hero,' it was, in and of itself, a thoroughly unnecessary and unkind word.
In times of peace, heroes are not needed.
For a hero, discord, injustice, war, and absurdity are natural necessities.
Peace is, by its very nature, nothing less than a hero's enemy.
A natural predator, at that.
If Gangdo had transformed into a place of peace, it could no longer serve as a hunting ground.
For a hero is a creature that has no choice but to thrive on blood.
And all the more so for a hero wearing a mask.
At that moment, Dong Bong-soo realized it immediately.
That this was the same situation as that very time he had dealt with the Black Snake Society.
Just in time, Bae Dal-pae had reminded him of it.
— However.
Dong Bong-soo continued to recall the final part of the conversation he had shared with Bae Dal-pae earlier.
— Outside Gangdo, it is still the Martial World.
-x-X-x-
Bae Dal-pae was smiling toward him.
A sincere smile, one Dong Bong-soo rarely showed, formed at the corner of his lips.
— As you well know, the current Martial World is corrupt.
Tch
At Bae Dal-pae's words, Dong Bong-soo's snow-white teeth were revealed. A very heroic and natural expression-and yet an instinctive one.
— Originally, is it not so that pus and insects, maggots, swarm in a rotted wound?
— How much?
A question worthy of Dong Bong-soo.
— Enough to require a great physician.
The answer Dong Bong-soo had wanted.
Originally, a hero is like a physician.
Only the method of treatment differs.
— Shall we head outside now?
[A commission has been submitted to Hero Gate.]
Dong Bong-soo reviewed once more the quest he had obtained from the earlier conversation with Bae Dal-pae.
[ [Guild] First Commission: The goddess of fate has led you to command a group. That too is the destiny of a hero. Now, the first mission has been entrusted to you and those who follow you.
This was the first 'prescription' for the Martial World here.
Disband the Red-Red Alliance.
• Progress: 0%
• Reward: History +1, Bae Dal-pae's Trust Level slight increase ]
Red-Red Alliance.
According to Bae Dal-pae:
It was a group formed from the merger of all the 'bandits' near Azure Dragon Lake that he had failed to fully clean up when he arrived here.
There couldn't be a more fitting quarry for bringing things full circle.
Dong Bong-soo raised the forsythia flower in his hand once.
A rough hand that had gone through countless cycles of blood staining and drying and washing and staining again, of being wiped clean, of wounds opening and healing and gushing blood and healing again.
No matter how he turned the hand this way and that, it was clean now.
Only after confirming all of that did the flower come into view.
He had certainly been holding a forsythia flower.
Indeed, it was clear.
What was needed right now...
A short while later.
He left Gangdo with empty hands.
That day, in a corner of an alley in the Gangdo marketplace, a small forsythia was planted.
***
The Red-Red Alliance.
The various kinds of foul-smelling refuse-like oil and water, utterly incapable of mixing-from the Rainbow Lake had at last merged together.
The reason was not extraordinary.
It had been plain as day that if they did not unite, they would all die.
Originally, the bandits based at Rainbow Lake had been exceedingly peaceful.
Sometimes receiving the scraps that the garbage of Gangdo had eaten and tossed away.
Sometimes robbing escort agencies that passed through the vicinity without knowing any better.
Sometimes abducting nomads from the border region with Northern Yan not far from here, plundering and raping.
It had truly been a peaceful era...
Then one day, a meteorite fell, and from that day on, the peace of this place was shattered.
When Plum Blossom Stronghold first disappeared, they thought it was the fault of a meteorite that had fallen in an unlucky spot. But then one stronghold became two, two became four, four became eight.
And eventually.
Of the Ten Mountains, Twelve Waters and Twenty-Four Horses that had dominated the vicinity of Rainbow Lake, no fewer than twelve of the mountain bandits, water bandits, and horse bandits had been subjugated.
Twelve out of forty-six.
While there had been cases before where one or two mountain strongholds or water strongholds were exterminated or merged due to conflicts over each other's interests, there had never been a case where twelve were smashed apart in such a short span of time.
At first, nobody knew how things were unfolding.
They simply thought the meteorite that had struck the vicinity was no ordinary meteorite.
However, it was soon revealed that the meteorite that had struck them was not a meteorite but a single person-and with that, the fact that every mountain stronghold and water stronghold along that person's path of movement had been wrecked.
The destination of the path was far too clear.
The Lawless City, Gangdo.
And so the bandits were reassured.
Whoever that person was, if he had entered Gangdo, he would no longer be able to run rampant.
Whether he died there or had been keeping a low profile from the start, it would come to that.
However,
The rumors that arrived thereafter shattered their wishes to pieces.
— Gangdo has been pacified!
It was something unimaginable, something that should never have been.
And then.
The stories that came in one by one additionally made them tremble all the more.
— A man called Kim Rae-won swept clean Gangdo's Eastern Road and Western Road overnight!
— Hero Gate Leader Kim Rae-won has joined hands with the authorities and is sweeping away every evil in Gangdo!
The security vacuum and disorder that arose from Gangdo's existence.
For the bandit hordes of the Red-Red Alliance who survived on the crumbs of the resulting lawless chaos, it was news like a bolt from the blue.
It was around that time that all the bandits of Rainbow Lake came to understand.
That as long as Kim Rae-won existed, the peaceful days would never return to them.
And so it was formed.
The massive alliance formed from the total convergence of thirty-four strongholds of mountain bandits, water bandits, and horse bandits-the forty-six minus twelve-the Red-Red Alliance was formed for their own peace.
And with a trump card weapon at that.
***
An atmosphere entirely unlike anything before now hung over Rainbow Lake.
Not only were everyone's pupils laced with tense bloodshot veins and dark shadows draped heavily beneath their eyes, but from every single person there emanated a resolute energy that one might only sense from soldiers preparing for battle, filling the entire vicinity of the Red-Red Lake.
The clouds of war.
A ferocious energy of the kind one might feel only on a battlefield where tens of thousands are being torn apart was flowing from the various weapons the bandits were holding.
Spears, axes, halberds, battle-axes, sabers, swords, bows, and more.
"Alright. At this level even that monster bastard wouldn't dare come charging in recklessly...."
The overlord of the Red-Red Alliance, Underworld Stronghold Leader Heo Tang-hyang, murmured quietly while sweeping his gaze across the deployment of the bandits from the peak of the summit.
"Are all the formation masters holding their positions?"
At his words, the Alliance's Guardian, Spiked Tooth Stronghold Leader Ak Sa-bi, nodded.
"That they are."
Formation masters, or formation Taoists. Shortened simply to formation-do.
Their numbers were by nature bound to be few. Martial arts could be achieved to a certain degree through training, but one had to be born receiving at least some measure of blessing from each of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements to be able to master all eight paths of formations or formation-do.
For that reason, these were individuals who, in a different way from the extreme powerhouses called Cultivation Seekers, had set foot in an unfathomable realm impossible to achieve by ordinary means.
That was to say, they were exceedingly scarce and of strategic value-and furthermore, their worth was beyond measure.
However,
No matter how high that worth, it could only be lesser than the worth of a life.
The Red-Red Alliance, in preparation for the inevitable invasion of Hero Gate, had poured out all the wealth accumulated during the peaceful times to hire a considerable number of freelance formation Taoists from Formation Tower as 'mercenaries!
"But you know. If that bastard doesn't come, wouldn't everything we're doing right now be completely pointless? Every last bit of it."
Ak Sa-bi tilted his head with only one cheek twitching.
At that, Heo Tang-hyang turned his head toward him.
"That won't happen."
"How can you be so certain?"
"A few days ago I sent a spy into Gangdo."
Heo Tang-hyang immediately turned his gaze back in the direction of Gangdo and relayed the results of the reconnaissance.
"Gangdo is already not the kind of city we knew it to be."
"Then what is it?"
"The spy said this. It was far too quiet."
"Quiet? What's wrong with that?"
"That is precisely what's wrong. When has Gangdo ever been quiet?"
"..."
"It was because Gangdo was noisy that we could peacefully receive its leftovers."
Heo Tang-hyang then stated his conclusion with even greater certainty.
"If Gangdo has fully recovered its stability, who do you think will be next?"
Even without needing to finish the sentence, everyone understood.
After Gangdo, it will be here.
Though it was a conversation between just Heo Tang-hyang and Ak Sa-bi, it was a conclusion that the dozens of other stronghold leaders deployed in the vicinity could not help but agree with.
This place, where mountain strongholds, water strongholds, and horse bandit strongholds of every kind were crammed together like an anthill.
The next target of those evildoers of Hero Gate was far too clear.
The conviction that they were sure to come, though when was unknown, was shared among all the bandits.
With that conversation concluded, no further voices flowed from this place.
Instead, only the cawing of crows and a bleak atmosphere pressed down upon the entire vicinity of Rainbow Lake.
Then, at a certain moment-
"Aah!"
A short scream shattering the peace of this place echoed across the approach road to the southwestern peak. It was precisely the position where the Demon Horse Bandit Corps had been deployed.
"They're here! They actually came! The bastards actually came!"
"Attack! Attack instead of running your mouth, you idiots!"
"Strike! Kill!"
"The enemy's here!"
The bandit horde that had been holding its breath, waiting only for that moment.
It did not matter whether it was on land, on water, or on horseback.
From every area near Rainbow Lake, scorching energy erupted simultaneously together with dust and water spray.
The number was still unknown, but Hero Gate had appeared-and for the sake of their own survival, the bandits had no choice but to slaughter their enemies with everything they had.
"Raaaah!"
"Kill them!"
"You filthy wretched scoundrels! Die!"
"How many came? How many came, you goddamn pieces of trash!"
"For the women, I'll tear open their lower halves! For the men, I'll rip out every last testicle and shove them up their own backsides!"
Spewing every curse and foul oath imaginable, the bandits swarmed in droves toward the place where the first scream had been heard.
The Red-Red Alliance, having concentrated all its forces here, could no longer recover if it lost this single battle. This place had to become the grave of Hero Gate.
*Bang!*
An explosion erupted across the area where the Demon Demon Horse Bandit Corps had been circling on horseback. Every person on the battlefield perceived something.
It was far removed from the destruction caused by ordinary Energy Waves.
What could it have been?
Before the question could even continue, a second and third explosion were heard in rapid succession.
*Bang! Bang!*
It was not the entrance to the peak where the Demon Horse Bandit Corps had been.
The second rang out from mid-slope of the peak, the third from directly below the summit.
Had the enemy secretly infiltrated and risen up all at once?
It was impossible to know precisely.
But the explosions were already striking various places across the battlefield.
*Boom!*
*Bang!*
*BOOM-BOOM*
*CRACK-*
The forms of the thunderous sounds varied, but the result was the same.
Every area was being breached, every battle situation was being trampled.
No matter how many days they had spent preparing, the entire deployment across the vicinity of Rainbow Lake was collapsing all at once.
The Alliance could mount no response, no countermeasure.
"Attack! Attack! Attack, you worthless bastards!"
Heo Tang-hyang shouted and shouted, but the tide of battle was lurching sharply.
"The formations! What happened to the formations? What are the formation Taoists doing, goddamnit!"
Beginning with the Demon Horse Bandit Corps, the formations of Green Forest Stronghold, Blood Wind Lake Squad, Dark Bird Bandit Corps, Flowing Water Bandit Stronghold, and Night Moon Rainbow Stronghold could be seen collapsing before his eyes.
And then.
Only then did Heo Tang-hyang realize.
That the enemy was a single person.
'He' was breaking through the Heaven-and-Earth Net the Red-Red Alliance had constructed. He was in the midst of trampling it recklessly.
The Soul Demon Horse Bandit Army had charged at 'him' in formation, but the instant they closed in, every single one of them turned to dust.
They had boasted that even if the leaders of the Ten Great Sects came, they could hold them off... yet they were crumbling.
Nothing could be done.
"..."
Words would not come.
Heo Tang-hyang could only watch. Their peace and well-being collapsed in an instant.
Powerlessness.
An emotion he had never felt once in his life dominated his entire body.
Before his eyes in that state, something appeared. It was someone's afterimage.
*Boom-*
A short explosive sound.
In an instant, his consciousness vanished.
The Red-Red Alliance had been laboring under a misconception.
That if they built embankments, dug drainage channels, and erected solid structures, they could block a storm.
But a storm merely passes through.
No questions, no answers, no exchange of any kind holds any value.
Let alone when that storm is Dong Bong-soo.
The natural disaster that was Dong Bong-soo swept over the entirety of Rainbow
Lake.
In an instant...