Before Dawn.
Inside the quiet sanctuary of the Sect Leader's quarters, Dong Bong-su opened his eyes.
It was not a sudden awakening from a deep slumber, for he had not slept at all. He had spent the entire night in a state of hyper-lucid meditation, where the blue luminescence of the System window flickered endlessly.
Click.
[Hero Rank: ★★ First-Rate]
All Stats +5
Trait Unlocked: Faith Weight
He had reviewed these notifications dozens of times, yet he studied them again.
To a casual observer, a +5 increase to all stats might have seemed incremental. But to Bong-su, a Dual Karma-Root, these numbers were not mere additions; they were force multipliers.
In the high-velocity, high-stakes realm of Murim combat, the smallest margin-a microsecond's faster reflex, a milligram's more dense muscle fiber-was the razor-thin line between a triumphant return and a cold grave.
He slowly clenched and unclenched his right hand.
Throughout the night, he had run internal simulations, acclimating his nervous system to the minute surge in power.
The extra points had fully settled into his marrow and sinew. He knew now, with mathematical certainty, that if a conflict erupted at this very second, his body would move in perfect synchronization with his intent, without the slightest lag in execution.
"Unlockable Skills"
Faith Judgment Lv.1 [Y/N]
Hero's Blessing Lv.1 [Y/N]
His index finger hovered in the air.
But after a moment of cold calculation, he lowered his hand.
'Not yet,'he decided.
'There is no urgent necessity. Better to keep these cards for the future.'
Click.
He minimized the skill menu and accessed his Inventory. With a thought, he retrieved the shattered 'pieces' and laid them out across the floorboards in the center of the room.
Arms. Legs. A torso. And a broken, hollowed head.
It was the mortal remains of Cheol So-a, the former Seventh Dharma Maiden of the Heavenly Yin Sect.
With the detached precision of a clockmaker, Bong-su began the grim task of reconstruction.
He fitted the limbs back into their original sockets, aligning the bone fragments as best he could.
The face had been half-crushed by the finality of his strike, but the structural outline remained intact-certainly enough for identification by those who had known her.
A faint, unnatural chill began to seep through the room.
While this world lacked the technology for refrigeration, the System's Inventory acted as a temporal stasis field. The moment the body was retrieved, a thin, spectral mist of frost rose from the pale skin. The flesh was icy to the touch but perfectly preserved, devoid of any hint of decay.
To Bong-su, this task carried no emotional weight.
He was not looking at a person, nor was he mourning a fallen rival. He was merely arranging components. Whether this lump of flesh had once been a high-born mistress or a common criminal mattered as much to him as the origin of a cut of meat matters to a butcher.
The meat infront of him was just a commodity-a diplomatic tool.
Once the assembly was finished, he wrapped the corpse in a clean, heavy cloth and carried it to a detached annex located outside the main sect grounds, hidden from the prying eyes of the children.
Returning to his room, he sat and expanded the Super True Energy Field.
Woooong-.
The world bloomed in his mind's eye..
Ice Night and her nine attendants were stationed just outside the sect's perimeter. He could sense their suppressed pulses and the cold, rhythmic hum of their internal energy. They had not relaxed their vigilance for a single second.
From the way they shifted their formation every two hours, Bong-su confirmed his earlier assessment: the Heavenly Yin Sect was a highly refined, professional killing machine.
Turning his focus inward, he swept the sect grounds.
From the quarters of Jeon Ra-hwa and the children, he sensed deep, even breathing. They were safe, dreaming of a future he was currently building for them.
'As for Eom Bi-ryeong's side...'
Already awake.
The Trigram Leader's energy was sharp, restless. It seemed she hadn't slept either, her mind likely looping through the impossible display of power she had witnessed at the wall.
Myo Jin-heo, on the other hand, was a pool of absolute stillness. In the guest wing, his presence was as unchanging as a stone at the bottom of a lake.
Bong-su knew that for a master of that caliber, trying to distinguish between genuine sleep and a perfect disguise was a waste of processing power.
He would simply have to observe and adapt when the man eventually moved.
He withdrew the field and ran through his mental checklist for the day.
Hand over the corpse and the jade token to Ice Night and ensure their departure.
Consult with Jeon Ra-hwa before retrieving the jade token.
Conduct the interviews. 215 applicants.
He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, then opened them.
Whether the person who opened those eyes was the same soul that had closed them was a question no one in this world-perhaps not even the System-could answer.
Soon, the door to the Sect Leader's room creaked open. Kim Rae-won stepped out into the morning light.
***
The Hero Gate
Martial Arena.
Before the children began their morning drills, Kim Rae-won went to find Jeon Ra-hwa.
"You're up early," he said, his voice carrying the warm, resonant tone of a leader who cared.
"You too," she replied, not looking up from her work.
Ra-hwa was already deep into the administrative labor of the day. She was organizing the recruitment roster-a thick, meticulously bound booklet containing the names, family origins, and brief martial histories of all 215 applicants. Beside it lay a hand-drawn diagram of the arena's layout for the interviews.
'Capable, Bong-su noted internally. She was the type of asset that anticipated requirements and finished them a step ahead of the command. Her growth was exceeding all initial projections.
"There is something I need to ask of you," he said.
"What is it?"
"That jade token around your neck. It needs to be returned."
He briefly summarized the late-night encounter with the Heavenly Yin Sect. Ra-hwa's eyes widened, and she started at the mention of the assassins, but as she confirmed that no blood had been spilled and the situation was under control, a long sigh of relief escaped her lips.
Even so, her hand reflexively moved to her throat, her fingers brushing the cold surface of the jade.
The token was a treasure of the Heavenly Yin Sect, an item that had served as an artificial catalyst, significantly boosting the efficiency of her Snow Snow Yin Cold Art.
"You need to return it to those people," Rae-won said gently. "It belongs to them. Keeping it would only act as a beacon for more trouble."
"...I understand."
Without a hint of protest, she unfastened the cord and handed the token over.
But as she did, she looked up at him with a mischievous, slightly weary smile. "Without this, though, the training might get a little colder."
"I'll miss the warmth it provided."
Kim Rae-won accepted the token, his fingers brushing hers, and he offered a smile that radiated an almost tangible sense of security.
"Don't worry. You've got me, don't you?"
"Tch," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "What are you supposed to be?"
"A human brazier?"
"When I am around, warmth tends to overflow, doesn't it? The people of Gangdo seem to love it," he teased.
"Ha. Ha. Was that supposed to be a joke, Sect Master?"
"No. I meant it quite literally."
"..."
"Or what? Should I offer a hug?" he asked, stepping slightly closer.
"This body possesses a significant amount of what people call 'body heat, you know."
Ra-hwa let out a short, genuine laugh. She lowered her gaze back to the roster, pouting in an attempt to look annoyed, but she couldn't suppress the way the corners of her lips curved upward. She knew she had failed to hide her amusement, and the realization only made her blush deepen.
"...Stop talking nonsense. Please. We have work to do."
"Nonsense? How disappointing," he said, though his eyes twinkled with the practiced warmth of his persona.
"Yes, yes. I heard you, Sect Master."
'This woman is approaching the peak of utility, Bong-su thought.
It was not an emotional sentiment. It was an evaluation. In the cold, calculating mind of Dong Bong-su, calling someone "utility" was the highest possible honor a human could receive.
"What about the interview preparations?" he asked, pivoting back to business.
"Everything is ready. I've organized the flow of applicants. You just have to sit there, look dignified, and judge them."
Rae-won nodded and gestured toward the detached annex. "Let's settle the matter with Ice Night's group first. Then we begin the selection."
"Understood."
***
The Detached Annex.
He summoned Ice Night and led her alone into the annex. He ordered her nine attendants to remain. outside, creating a space of forced intimacy and solemnity.
As he pushed the door open, the sight of the cloth-covered shape on the floor commanded the room.
Kim Rae-won reached down and pulled back the fabric.
Thud.
Ice Night's footsteps faltered.
There lay Cheol So-a.
The corpse had been pieced together with clinical care. Though the face remained a fractured ruin of what it once was, the identity was unmistakable. The cold mist still clung to her skin, making the flesh look like a marble statue rather than dead meat.
Ice Night did not weep. She did not scream.
She was a high-ranking member of the Heavenly Yin Sect, a woman whose very soul had been tempered in the freezing Abyss to suppress the "waves" of human emotion. Yet, the air in the room suddenly sharpened. The temperature plummeted another ten degrees, the ambient moisture in the room turning into fine needles of frost that hung in the air. That microscopic shift in the environment was the only scream she allowed herself.
Slowly, Ice Night sank to her knees.
She reached out a pale hand and lightly touched the forehead of the corpse. It was a silent, ceremonial gesture-the specific courtesy the Heavenly Yin Sect afforded its fallen.
The silence in the room stretched until it became heavy.
Ice Night was likely remembering the girl as she had been within the sect-a bright, cold talent, a prodigy whose name the Great Sect Leader had spoken with pride.
And then, she layered those memories over the horrors she had heard last night. The man-eating pigs. The human trafficking. The systematic cruelty that had turned this "bright child" into a monster.
It was not just a body she had to bring back to the Abyss; it was a report of total moral failure.
"And this too," Rae-won said, breaking the silence.
He held out the jade token.
Ice Night accepted it with a trembling hand. As her fingers closed around it, she felt a lingering trace of energy. It was the internal energy of her own sect, yet it felt... wrong. It had been wielded not by a Law Maiden's refined method, but as if it had been forcibly crammed into a cracked, foreign vessel.
She looked at Rae-won, a question forming in her eyes, but she did not voice it. Not yet.
"I will take the remains and the token," Ice Night said, her voice a flat, hollow rasp.
She rose to her feet, her gaze fixed on the doorway. "There is much I must report to the Great Sect Leader.
She paused at the threshold, her silhouette framed by the morning sun.
"I will come again."
It was a short, declarative statement. But Dong Bong-su knew it was far more than a polite farewell.
It was a promise.
She would return to deliver the Sect Leader's final judgment on the Hero Gate. The fact that she intended to return in person meant that the 'Connection' established by the System was not just a line on a screen-it was a taut, vibrating cord of fate.
He smiled, the warm mask of Kim Rae-won perfectly in place.
"I'll be waiting."
Ice Night departed. He heard her low, commanding voice instructing her attendants to recover the body, and soon, the ten energy signatures moved away from the Hero Gate.
Gradually, then completely, they vanished from the city.
Dong Bong-su monitored them through the Super True Energy Field until they were beyond the city gates.
'The connection still holds, he thought.
They are returning to their hive, but the thread is still connected to me. This is sufficient for now.'
***
Later that Morning.
The sun was high now, casting long shadows across the Hero Gate Martial Arena.
Two hundred and fifteen people stood in disciplined rows. It was a diverse crowd-some wore the scarred leather of veteran mercenaries, some carried the heavy staffs of wandering monks, and some were young, barehanded aspirants with nothing but fire in their eyes.
But all two hundred and fifteen pairs of eyes were locked on a single point.
Kim Rae-won.
He sat at the head of the arena, his posture effortless yet commanding. Jeon Ra-hwa stood at his right hand, the roster open.
And in the corners of the arena, the 'guests" watched.
Eom Bi-ryeong leaned against a pillar in the shade, her arms folded across her chest, her eyes narrowing as she studied the crowd. Opposite her, Myo Jin-heo sat on a stone bench, his fan spread open, masking the lower half of his face as he observed the proceedings with the detached interest of a scholar.
Kim Rae-won stared at the crowd in a heavy, contemplative silence. For several minutes, he did not speak, allowing the weight of his presence to settle over the applicants until the air felt thick with anticipation.
Then, he rose.
The reaction was instantaneous. Two hundred and fifteen people tensed as one, their pupils dilating, their heartbeats quickening in response to his sudden movement.
"The Hero Gate is a place that practices Chivalry," he began, his voice clear and resonant.
"It is not a place you can enter simply because your fists are strong or your blade is sharp."
With that single sentence, the entire atmosphere of the arena shifted.
It was the activation of his new trait.
『Faith Weight
The moment the words left his lips, they didn't just carry sound; they carried energy. It was as if a giant, invisible hand had descended from the sky to press against the applicants.
A considerable number of them reflexively straightened their backs. Slumped shoulders were drawn back, and dull eyes suddenly sharpened with a layer of newfound purpose. It was as if his very voice was physically realigning their spines.
"..."
Dong Bong-su's internal sensors registered the change with satisfaction. The trait was functioning perfectly. It was creating a psychological resonance, a "frequency" that aligned the crowd with his persona.
"One by one, step forward," he commanded.
The interviews began.
His questions were deceptively simple, yet they were designed to probe the fundamental architecture of their characters.
"Why do you seek to enter the Hero Gate?"
"What, in your heart, is the meaning of chivalry?"
"Have you ever truly risked your life to protect someone weaker than yourself?"
To the observers, it looked like a leader seeking heroic values. But beneath the surface, Dong Bong-su's Super True Energy Field was conducting a total diagnostic.
He was reading the micro-tremors of their heartbeats, the subtle hitches in their breathing, and the way their muscles unconsciously tensed or relaxed when they spoke. The System showed him their names and basic stats, but he was looking for the "texture" of their souls.
His criteria for selection were absolute.
Strength could be manufactured. Martial arts could be taught through the System's facilities. What he needed now was not power, but Faith.
He needed those who fundamentally believed in the concept of the "Hero." He needed people with a rigid moral principle carved into their very bones-those whose sense of justice wasn't just lip service, but a visceral fire in their guts.
Why? Because those were the people who would believe in "Kim Rae-won" most deeply. And their absolute trust would become Dong Bong-su's ultimate power source.
He filtered them with ruthless efficiency.
The First Applicant.
He was a young man with poor martial arts. His build was slight, and his hands lacked the thick calluses of a true swordsman. But when asked why he came, his answer was straight and unyielding.
"I saw what you did, Sect Master. I saw how this city changed when you wiped out the Iron God Society and the Seven Star Immortal Association. I saw that a single person's strength could actually make the world better. I want to learn under the man who accomplished that."
Heartbeat: Stable. Breathing: Even. No deception detected.
'The perfect vessel,' Bong-su thought. 'The type most likely to believe with total devotion and be swept up in the narrative.'
He was exactly the kind of talent a high-level organization-or a cult-wanted most.
Kim Rae-won smiled warmly, the light catching his eyes. "Good. You have the heart we seek. Pass.
Next."
The Second Applicant.
He was a man of massive proportions, radiating confidence and carrying an expensive, well-maintained saber.
"I came because I want to be the strongest in Gangdo," he declared.
It was an honest answer. There was no lie in his heart. But it was fundamentally hollow.
Bong-su noticed that Faith Weight had no effect on this man. When the rest of the crowd had straightened their backs at Rae-won's speech, this man had remained unchanged-not because he was enlightened, but because his back was already straight from self-absorption.
'The type who believes only in himself,' Bong-su evaluated.'
A mercenary soul. If he becomes strong, he will leave for a higher bidder. If he becomes weak, he will betray to survive. He does not build trust; he only seeks transactions.
"If fate allows, perhaps we shall meet again on the road," Rae-won said gently, his voice full of "regret."
He was turned away with a warm smile, but the internal judgment had been instantaneous and final.
The man looked deeply disappointed and muttered several complaints, but he did not dare lash out. The prestige of the Hero Gate in Gangdo had already become absolute. To resist the "Justice" of Kim Rae-won was to mark oneself as a villain in the eyes of the entire city.
The interviews continued for hours.
Bong-su categorized them into two groups: the "Believers" and the "Mercenaries." Those who fell into the ambiguous middle were placed on a "hold" list.
The classification was nearly finished. The types of human beings were, in the end, finite and predictable.
But as the sun began to dip, the final applicant stepped forward.
The Two Hundred Fifteenth.
He was a taciturn man in his early twenties. He wasn't particularly tall, but his shoulders were broad, his hands were thick and scarred, and his eyes held a depth that felt like an old wound.
"What is Chivalry?" Rae-won asked.
The silence that followed was long. In a typical interview, such a delay would be a sign of ignorance or hesitation-a major deduction.
But Bong-su's field read something different. This silence didn't come from a lack of thought; it came from a heart that was beating with a violent, agonizing intensity. It wasn't the heat of anger, but the cold weight of something else.
Bong-su waited, his gaze patient.
"I do not know," the man finally said, his voice slow and heavy.
"But I remember when my younger sibling was dragged away by the Iron God Society. I stood there. I watched. I did nothing because I was weak. I do not know what chivalry is... but I know that what I did that day was its opposite."
Kim Rae-won's gaze sharpened. "And that sibling?"
"Dead."
The Super True Energy Field surged. Heartbeat rising-not with rage, but with a profound, crushing sense of self-loathing. This was a "Living Emotion."
This man was fueled by a desperate need to prove his existence, to atone for a moment of helplessness that had defined his life. Such people would run until their hearts burst to follow a signpost that promised redemption.
"Your name?"
"Seok Gyeong."
"No," Rae-won said softly. "Your younger sibling's name."
"...Seok Ran."
Kim Rae-won nodded, a look of solemn respect on his face. "I will remember that name. And I will remember you. Pass."
Selection Complete: 20 New Disciples.
As the sun set, Bong-su prepared to hand the final roster to Jeon Ra-hwa. But as he reached out, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.
Ding-!
[System Alert: You have exceeded the Guild Member Limit.]
[Current: 12/30. Remaining Capacity: 18.]
[Action Required: You have selected 20 people, exceeding the limit by 2.]
Bong-su had known the limit was 30; he had purposely selected 20 to test the System's boundaries. He wanted to see how the "World" would react when his growth hit a mechanical ceiling.
The result was immediate.
Doooong-!
[Guild Quest: Threshold of Growth]
[Your sect is expanding. To embrace more souls, you must build a vessel worthy of their potential. Accomplish one of the following to increase capacity.
Option 1: [Laying the Foundation]
Raise the average combat level of all guild members to a specific standard.
Progress: 0%
Reward: Member Limit +10, Guild EXP+100
Option 2: [The First Resonance of Martial Fame]
Resolve a major crisis outside the city of Gangdo in the name of the Hero Gate.
Progress: 0%
Reward: Member Limit +15, Fame +10, Guild EXP +200 ]
Bong-su's eyes narrowed as he read the second option.
'Outside of Gangdo...'
The Hero Gate was about to outgrow its cradle. The stage was finally getting bigger.
-x-X-x-
The interviews were over.
Out of 215 applicants, twenty were chosen, and the rest were sent away.
Only dust and silence remained in the Training Ground.
The sun had already begun to set, and the evening glow hanging at the edge of the eaves was rapidly fading.
Dong Bongsu stood in the middle of the empty Training Ground, looking down at the Guild Quest window floating before his eyes.
[Solidify the Guild's Foundation: Raise the average combat level of guild members above a certain standard.
Progress: 0%
Reward: Guild Member Limit +10, Guild EXP +100]
[First Resonance of Martial Fame: Resolve a crisis outside of the River Capital in the name of the Hero's Sect.
-Progress: 0%
Reward: Guild Member Limit +15, Fame +10, Guild EXP +200]
Looking purely at the numbers, the expected value of the second option was overwhelming.
However.
'To go outside, and to go the distance, I need to build my strength.'
The twenty people chosen today.
They weren't chosen because they were strong.
They were chosen because they believed.
The 'Faith Weight' I used today proved it.
They are resources who believe in me, not a fighting force to be sent to a battlefield.
'Not yet.'
There was still no news on the outcome of Dongmun Mutoe.
For the Sect Leader to leave the River Capital without knowing what decision the Formation Tower had made was the height of inefficiency.
For now.
'I will solidify the inside, then venture out.'
As his finger clicked the upper option, the familiar mechanical sound rang out.
Instantly.
The second option scattered like paper turning to ash, and the first option flipped over like a sign, revealing new text.
[[Solidify the Guild's Foundation] Accepted
: Raise the average combat level of guild members to 'High-Beginner Rank' or higher.
Current Average: Low-Beginner Rank
Goal: High-Beginner Rank
Progress: 12%
Time Limit: 7 days
Reward: Guild Member Limit +10, Guild EXP +100 ]
12%.
It means a portion has already been accounted for.
The levels of Jeon Rahwa and the ten children have been reflected.
In the end, it will be determined by the average of thirty people.
Dong Bongsu quickly made a mental calculation of the levels of Jeon Rahwa, the children, and the newly chosen members.
He weighed their levels against the standards of this Murim.
Their skill and talent were at a level where it would be impossible to turn them into an elite force in just a week.
But there were certainly parts that were possible.
'What the System wants is precisely a survivable level.
The point where they can take care of themselves.
Just crossing that line would be enough.
He could have closed the quest Ul then, but Dong Bongsu stood still for a moment and waited.
And before long.
Du-woong-.
The sound he wanted echoed in his head again.
[Urgent! The guild has exceeded its member capacity. If the guild is not expanded within one week, all guild functions will be suspended!]
"..."
The corner of Dong Bongsu's mouth twitched slightly.
'As I thought.'
He remembered.
This warning had appeared even when the guild capacity was exceeded by just one person.
Back then, he solved it through Facility Expansion.
- The System never overlooks exceeding the member limit. Yet, it faithfully provides an opportunity.
That was the biggest difference between 'Murim Online' and 'What is Hero'.
Having confirmed whether it was an exception or a rule, he finally closed the Guild Quest window.
In the meantime, the evening glow beyond the Training Ground had completely faded.
The lanterns hung here, and there began to light up one by one.
Dong Bongsu closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, a suitable warmth had returned to the skin of his face.
He turned his head.
He saw her walking towards him, holding a register.
"You worked hard."
"Yes, I did. And-"
Jeon Rahwa took the register from her arms and held it out.
"While I was at it, I also drafted a plan for organizing the twenty new members."
"A plan? What's that?"
"Wow! You did all this without even thinking about something like that?"
"Well, no. If I created a sect and held an opening ceremony, it's only natural to have members, right?"
"Then don't you think about how to place them, how to utilize them, or how they'll be able to eat well?"
"Yeah. I don't."
"...You don't? Or you can't?"
"The former."
Kim Rae-won gave a nonchalant smile.
"I have you, after all."
"...What would you do if I weren't here?"
"You can't not be here."
"In this Jianghu... who can be so sure of the future? Who knows when or how...."
"No."
Kim Rae-won cut her off in a tone that held not a hint of wavering, hesitation, or doubt.
"You are my guidepost. No one can touch that, or destroy it."
"..."
"You are mine. . As long as I do not die."
"..."
Hwiii-.
Jeon Rahwa didn't open her mouth until the slightly chilly night wind broke the silence.
For some reason, her heart was beating irregularly, a little faster than usual.
"...Aren't you embarrassed?"
"About what?"
"No. Forget it. If you don't know...."
Quickly recovering her usual composure, Jeon Rahwa put on a prim expression.
'Anyway, I organized it right after the interviews ended, so just take a look."
Dong Bongsu took the register and flipped through it, page by page.
Group assignments.
A simple evaluation of their basic Martial Arts level.
Dormitory placement plan.
She had certainly finished almost everything one step ahead, without even being asked.
'As expected.
"Well done."
"Is that all the praise I get? Really?"
"What more should I do?"
"Well... Ah, whatever. Forget it."
Jeon Rahwa lightly ruffled her hair with her hand and picked up a sheet of paper from the register.
It was a summary of the organization plan.
'Anyway, the real problem is this."
"What is it?"
"Most of these people's Martial Arts are only at a third-rate level. There are ten people like that. The rest are barely at a second-rate level."
"I know."
"The only thing I can teach is the Twin Snow Yin Cold Art. It doesn't suit these people, and it's not a martial art I can just teach to anyone in the first place."
"I know."
"Wow! Look at this guy. You have no thoughts again, do you?"
"No."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
What Kim Rae-won had to do was very clear.
The same went for Dong Bongsu.
"I'll do it myself."
Jeon Rahwa's hand, which was flipping through the register, stopped.
"You? Yourself?"
"Yeah. Myself."
"...You do know what 'doing it yourself' means, right?"
"What, is it hard? First, I'll make it so they don't die."
"..."
"Making them strong comes after that."
Jeon Rahwa's incredulous expression was becoming more and more pronounced, but Kim Rae-won paid it no mind.
"Basic Internal Energy, basic Footwork, basic Weapon Arts. I'll even teach them how to survive first."
"How long will it take to teach all that?"
"7 days."
"7 days... you say?"
"Yeah. Once I've taught them everything, they'll have to go through a real battle."
"...Hey, if it were that easy, why didn't you just pick them sooner?"
Jeon Rahwa's eyes scanned Kim Rae-won's face.
It was unclear if she was trying to read something or if she was confirming something she had already read.
"Ah, I see. You should have told me beforehand."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. That was funny. Really funny."
4G
'As expected, you're the only one who laughs at my jokes. The kids all run away."
"...I'm going to run away too. From next time."
"..."
'Anyway, since you say you can do it, I guess it's not impossible. Right?"
"Yeah. It's possible."
"Yes, it's possible. Yes, yes."
Jeon Rahwa started flipping through the register again, the corners of her mouth curling up.
It was a smile that made it hard to tell if she was trying to hide something or reveal it.
"Then what about me?"
"You'll do what you've always been doing. Organization, schedules, supplies, and lodging. I'm leaving all the administration to you."
"That was already my job."
"That means you're doing a good job."
"Ah, yes. Thank you so much. I'm so grateful that I've been sleeping like a log these days. Ha. На."
Then, Jeon Rahwa hesitated for a moment, swallowing the words she was about to say next.
Her hand, which was rising towards her neck, paused mid-air before falling.
It was the spot where her jade pendant used to be.
But Dong Bongsu already knew everything.
The circulation of her Twin Snow Yin Cold Art was already rougher than before.
The flow of her Qi lacked its smoothness.
The difference between having the jade pendant and not having it was already palpable.
Nevertheless, he let out a light chuckle and said.
"Don't worry. Even without it, you're already a master."
"...A master? Someone like me?"
"Well. You should probably refrain from calling yourself 'someone like you'."
"... "
"Because when you actually go out into the Jianghu, you'll realize there are thousands, even tens of thousands of people below you. You wouldn't lump all those people together and call them 'someone like that', would you?"
Jeon Rahwa's expression was the very picture of the question, 'No way, really?"
Dong Bongsu lightly tapped her arm and smiled.
"Have some faith. Anyway, I have one more favor to ask."
"One more? Why don't you just give me a hundred more tasks while you're at it? A thousand would be great too."
"That's enough. For now, just bring me Hoae."
"What? Hoae?"
"Yeah. I have something to check."
Jeon Rahwa tilted her head but soon nodded and started walking towards the children's dormitory.
***
"You called for me?"
Dong Bongsu faced Hoae and asked.
"You've been looking after the other children's training lately, haven't you?"
"Yes. Something like that."
Dong Bongsu knew very well that it wasn't 'something like that', but almost entirely her.
Whenever he checked the individual status of the guild members in the system UI, the children's training patterns were consistent.
It meant someone was managing them, and since Jeon Rahwa had become buried in administrative work, it could only be Hoae.
"When the ten of you move together, what do you do if the formation breaks?"
A sudden question.
Hoae thought for a moment.
"Um... Instead of trying to align the front from the back, I go to the front."
"Why?"
"If I shout from the back, the kids in front will turn around. That slows them down even more. If I stop at the front, the ones behind will naturally stop too."
"..."
An answer a child shouldn't know, one not found in any textbook, that could only come from real experience.
"Then, what if one of the ten gets injured?"
"...It depends on where they're hurt."
"Which part is the most dangerous?"
"The legs."
"Why?"
"If your hand is injured, you might not be able to fight, but you can still run away. If your leg is injured, you can't do anything."
"Let's say you fought with enemies, and one of your younger siblings' legs was injured. What should you do?"
"It's a sad thing for the injured kid, but... for the sake of the remaining children, I have to leave that child behind."
"Why?"
"Because it's better for nine to live than for all of them to die. Depending on the situation... for that child's sake, I might even have to kill them myself first...."
Hearing her answer, Dong Bongsu gave a pale smile.
Not a shred of hesitation.
Environmental factors might have played a part, but she was definitely different.
This child was a natural.
Just like me....
-x-X-x-
It was simply latent, not yet manifested.
"Starting tomorrow, the training for the twenty new members will begin."
"What? Already?"
"Didn't you all start training almost as soon as you arrived?"
"Well, that's true... but those men looked very weak."
Does she mean she's already figured them all out?
Indeed, in this respect, this child is a bud no less promising than Jeon Rahwa.
No, in this regard, I should say she is somewhat different from me.
Whether that's good or bad is still impossible to tell.
"I'm thinking of giving you a role as well."
"What? Me?!"
"Yes. You."
Looking straight into Hoae's trembling eyes, Dong Bongsu asked with certainty.
"Can you do it?"
The child's eyes were filled half with nervousness and half with anticipation.
"What kind of role is it?"
"Instructor."
"Instructor? What's that?"
"Someone who beats up people who don't listen and makes them stronger."
"Ah? I beat them up? Those men? Me?"
"Yes. You have to beat them up."
"...Why?"
"Because those men have all become family members of this Hero's Sect now."
"Family... members."
"No need to be scared. Just do the same thing you did with the children. The only difference is that the number of people will be a bit larger."
Family members.
People who eat together.
Hoae, who repeated this word several times, firmly pressed her lips together in a determined manner before nodding her head.
"...Yes! I can do it. I will do it."
"Good. Come to the Training Ground before sunrise tomorrow."
Hoae bowed deeply and disappeared with quick steps.
Her back, though still small, was straight.
Just then, Jeon Rahwa, who had been watching from a distance to see what Kim Rae-won would do, approached.
She was still gazing at Hoae's retreating back as she muttered.
"You really... Do you even know how old she is?"
"Age doesn't matter when it comes to skill."
"That's true, but..."
"You've already agreed."
"What?"
"You said, 'That's true, but, didn't you?"
"..."
"Watch carefully. You'll be surprised when you see how strong that child already is."
He was the one who had actually taught the child martial arts.
Although he hadn't passed them down thoroughly and persistently, Dong Bongsu could feel it.
If his judgment was correct, she was already....
Click.
He opened Hoae's individual Status Window.
The numbers were much higher than he remembered.
The last time he checked was only a few days ago.
Interesting.
'I'll find out for sure if I check properly over the next week.'
"In any case, this is a field she was already specializing in."
A smirk.
"All I did was give it a fancy name."
"Yes, I understand. Still, if it seems like the child can't handle it, I'm going to make her stop immediately."
"Just try not to push her to work even harder."
"Tch. As if."
Watching Jeon Rahwa's back recede into the distance, Dong Bongsu opened the Quest Window again.
[Progress: 12%.]
Seven days.
The words 'making sure they don't die' were quite plausible for something said as Kim Rae-won.
Not only had Jeon Rahwa and Hoae been convinced, but it was also a line that Dong Bongsu himself could have said.
'The surest way to teach someone how to survive is...
Dong Bongsu also turned his body.
"To make them cross the threshold of death countless times."
Because the driving force of evolution is always, inevitably, survival.
* * *
The next day, just before sunrise.
About thirty people were gathered in the Training Ground.
The children had already been arranged into two squads by Hoae.
The new members were restless.
The heat from last night's interview had cooled, and only the chilly dawn air weighed on their shoulders.
They glanced at each other or looked down at their feet.
Dong Bongsu stood in the middle of the Training Ground, scanning each and every one of them.
'Seven days.
Arithmetically, it was entirely possible.
After all, it's much easier to raise a 10-point person to 50 points in a short period than to educate a 90-
point person to become 91.
However, it couldn't be done here.
"Attention."
It wasn't intentional, but 'Faith Weight' naturally spread beneath his voice.
The effect, however, was clear.
The backs of the thirty people straightened all at once.
It must have been because they felt an indescribable weight pressing down on the air.
"You are all new recruits. We are a new sect. And as such, we are weak. But!"
Dong Bongsu continued speaking as he calmly looked at each person one by one.
"The Jianghu is old, and as such, it is rotten."
His outstretched index finger pointed to the sky outside the Hero's Sect.
"Out there! The Murim! The Murim! The Jianghu, for all its long history and the foul, rotten stench it
gives off, is stronger than us."
At his speech, the entire Hero's Sect was enveloped in silence.
"As you all know, our Hero's Sect will venture out into the Jianghu. And soon, at that."
"..."
"..."
"Then what is it that you need right now?"
The area around the Training Ground remained silent.
However, an unknown resolve began to flow from their bodies.
It was all a natural atmosphere that Dong Bongsu had drawn out.
He slowly approached, passing by the children and then each of the new members as he continued to speak.
"Pack your bags immediately to last for seven days and nights."
Silence.
Thirty pairs of eyes widened simultaneously.
All the new members looked at the person next to them, and the children looked at Hoae.
The meaning of packing their bags was all too clear.
"What you need is strength. Skill."
Of course, this was the first time Hoae had heard of this, too.
"I, this Kim Rae-won, will make you strong. Strong enough not to get beaten up easily wherever you go."
* * *
Jeon Rahwa came running, panting for breath.
She was hugging a register tightly, suggesting she had been pondering what roles to assign to each of the new members.
"You're taking everyone outside this time?"
"Yes. Everyone."
"But if everyone leaves the Hero's Sect, who will guard this place?"
"Why guard it?"
"...What?"
"If no one's here, we don't have to guard it."
"..."
"The people are the Hero's Sect. Not some buildings and land."
Jeon Rahwa's mouth closed.
A moment of silence.
Just then.
"...Then what about us?"
A sharp voice was heard.
It was Eom Bi-ryeong, standing with her arms crossed under the eaves of the Training Ground.
Myo Jinheo stood next to her, holding a fan.
Dong Bongsu nonchalantly turned his head in their direction.
As if he had only just seen them.
"Oh? You were still here?"
"..."
The corner of Eom Bi-ryeong's eye twitched.
Myo Jinheo, who glanced at her, covered his mouth with his fan and spoke softly.
"Hasn't Trigram Master Dongmun returned yet?"
"Ah, that? Is that why you're still here?"
"For now, yes?"
"Then you should come with us."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"If two Trigram Masters of the Formation Tower are left alone in an empty house, wouldn't it become the River Capital branch office of the Formation Tower, not the Hero's Sect?"
Dong Bongsu, faithfully wearing the persona of Kim Rae-won, raised the corners of his mouth and said.
"You've been eating for free all this time, so you should at least play the part of a houseguest. Don't you think?"
After a brief silence.
Eom Bi-ryeong smirked, and Myo Jinheo folded his fan.
For now, it was a sign of affirmation.
Jeon Rahwa, who had watched it all, approached, shaking her head.
"But."
"Yeah?"
"Have you decided where we'll be training?"
"Of course..."
"Ah, so you did have a plan?"
"No."
"...You're joking, right?"
"Of course..."
Dong Bongsu smiled.
"I'm not."
It wasn't a joke.
Outside the River Capital was a vast, empty plain.
And lions are originally raised in such places.
A lion becomes a lion by running and rolling, getting broken and battered tirelessly on the vast plains.
If it's raised in a zoo, it becomes no different from a large cat.
"We'll start with a run."
"No, I mean, if we're going to run, there needs to be a destination, right?"
"Ah, that?"
"Yes, that."
"There is one, that."
"...Ah, I'm seriously considering not packing your lunch."
The Kim Rae-won mask is certainly not bad for having this kind of fun.
But that's enough.
Dong Bongsu looked in one direction and said.
"The place where we first met."
"...?"
"The Colorful Lake."
"The Colorful Lake?"
"Yes. There."
Unlike the first time, it was now a completely quiet place.
"Even if the mountain bandits have been wiped out... It's extremely far from here."
"That's why it's good."
"...?"
"It only counts as training if it's far enough for dozens of people to drop dead from running."
"..."
* * *
One meal's time later.
The entire group from before stood in front of the Hero's Sect's main gate, carrying their belongings.
Their baggage consisted of little more than provisions, water, and a change of outer clothes.
Even then, most didn't know how to pack, so Jeon Rahwa had to hand things out to each of them.
The faces of the new members were filled with half nervousness and half bewilderment.
The children were different.
Hoae had already divided them into two squads and positioned them at the front and back.
Without even being told.
"The men will feel less anxious if they see familiar faces at the front and back."
That's what Hoae had told Jeon Rahwa.
On the other side, Eom Bi-ryeong came out with a sword strapped to her back.
Myo Jinheo silently unfolded his fan and stood with her at the rear of the formation.
Both of them had an attitude that suggested walking itself was nothing to them.
The moment the two Trigram Masters' participation was confirmed, a murmur arose among the new members.
Rumors had spread so much that their identities were no longer a surprise in the River Capital.
It was just surprising that such masters were coming along.
Dong Bongsu let the murmurs pass him by.
It wasn't bad.
It was another reason that added to the authority of the Sect Leader.
Of course, he wasn't very interested in that at the moment.
Somewhere in the middle of the formation.
A man named Seok Gyeong was standing there.
The two hundred and fifteenth, and last, applicant from last night's interview.
- I don't know what righteousness is.
- I do know that doing nothing when my sister was dragged away was not righteousness.
A man whose river of emotion was aimed not outward, but inward at himself.
This type of person grows quickly when they start to stretch out, making a path of water.
Because the one they have to prove themselves to is not others, but themselves.
'I'll remember that,'
Was not part of Dong Bongsu's calculation, but a line from Kim Rae-won, an ad-lib of sorts. It came out very naturally as he became the persona itself and acted. But that didn't affect him, the person was still himself and will be, if this 'mask' turn out to be hindrance then he would disregard it as such.
Nevertheless, it was quite effective for now.
Because Seok Gyeong's eyes had changed at that moment.
Right now, Seok Gyeong was standing without any particular expression.
His baggage was tied to his back.
It was on the lighter side compared to the others.
It seemed he was a man who originally traveled light.
His eyes were deep.
A transparent gaze.
This man had broad shoulders and thick hands, yet his movements had no scent of martial arts.
'Below third-rate. A body that has not even properly learned basic internal energy.'
Nevertheless, there was a point worth noting.
That physique was a practical 'body' forged through all sorts of life experiences.
The way his muscles were built was not from training, but from work and a proper daily life.
A man over twenty.
By the standards of this place, one might think it was impossible to achieve anything by teaching him martial arts, but not Dong Bongsu.
It was quite the opposite.
'He has no martial arts, but his foundation is solid'
A clean, empty vessel that held nothing else.
'All I have to do is fill it, and fill it again.'
However, it was necessary to drastically shorten that period.
Dong Bongsu's gaze moved away from Seok Gyeong.
In any case, he could confirm it sufficiently over the next seven days.
For now, departure came first.
"Let's go."
Kim Rae-won threw out a single word and started walking.
With his steps as the start, the entire group began to move.
As they passed through the gates of the River Capital, a wide plain unfolded.
The morning sun was still low, and a light fog hung over the distant mountain ridges.
What on earth did she eat, and how did she grow up for this to be so natural?
Hoae had already tightened the formation and brought it into overall balance.
The two groups of children formed a shape that enveloped the adults from the front and back.
The march began, and Kim Rae-won gradually increased his pace.
When the formation began to stretch out in less than a meal's time, Seok Gyeong moved.
He silently took the baggage from an older member who was staggering at the back.
Without anyone telling him to.
He was now carrying the baggage of two people.
Yet, his pace did not slow.
Because his basic physical strength was outstanding.
Hoae saw the scene.
Their eyes met.
Seok Gyeong nodded, and Hoae nodded back.
They didn't know each other's names.
They had never exchanged words.
Yet, it seemed as if something had been communicated between them.
'There are always two types of people.
Dong Bongsu thought as he walked.
The strong and the weak.
The rich and the poor.
The ruler and the ruled.
In this way, everything could fundamentally be created with two contrasts.
And among them, naturally.
There are those who do what they are told, and those who do things without being told.
Hoae had proven it among the children.
And Seok Gyeong was now demonstrating it with his own body.
'Interesting!
The march continued.
It was still a long way to the Colorful Lake.
-x-X-x-
His feet were heavy.
It was not because his baggage was heavy.
Even carrying the bundle on his back and the load he had taken from a staggering middle-aged new member, a portion for two men, his legs were fine.
What was heavy was not his feet, but his heart.
Trudge, trudge.
Had it been about a meal's time since they left the gates of the River Capital?
An unpaved road snaked on, and on both sides, tall silver grass swayed in the morning breeze.
The dust rising from the front of the column glittered like gold powder in the morning sunlight.
Seok Gyeong walked, watching the back of a man beyond that dust.
Kim Rae-won.
The Sect Leader of the Hero's Sect.
He had not once looked back.
Yet, the pace was mysteriously being controlled.
If the rear fell behind, it slowed minutely, and when the column closed in, it quickened again.
It was as if he had eyes on the back of his head.
Whether that was martial arts or a sense, Seok Gyeong had no way of knowing.
The procession of several dozen people was crossing the plains.
Twenty new members.
More than half of them were already gasping for breath.
Though it had only been two hours since they set out, two were already panting to an extreme degree, and one was barely moving, holding onto the shoulder of the person next to him.
Seok Gyeong was different.
His breathing was even, and his steps were steady.
He had never formally learned martial arts.
He had only been carrying loads, pulling carts, and digging soil since he was twelve.
There were things his body remembered.
That he could go longer if he shortened his stride.
That his chest would not burn if he breathed in through his nose.
That he should put all his weight on one foot, but relax his ankle.
This was not martial arts.
Just the habit of a survivor.
The wind blew.
The silver grass leaned to one side in unison, making a rustling sound.
That sound felt like the wind rustling through young Seok Ran's hair. ... Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
When that name came to mind, a bitter taste rose from the depths of his throat.
Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
It was a small to medium-sized power located on the street called the Western Road, in the west of the River Capital.
The Western Road was a mixture of large and small martial halls, merchant guilds, escort agencies, and brothels.
All of them had impressive signboards, but their insides were mostly shabby.
The signboard was their face, and their face was their survival.
The Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion was one of them.
It presented itself as a martial hall.
The name made it sound like a grand sect where ten thousand nyang of gold was exchanged, but the reality was different.
Its main business was cargo transport, escort services, and... running a gambling den.
The name 'martial hall' was merely a pretense to list its name in the hierarchy of the Western Road.
Sixth in rank.
There were five above it and dozens below.
But that ranking, in reality, held little meaning.
Only one thing had meaning.
The Iron God Gang.
The massive power that dominated the west of the River Capital.
Every martial hall and merchant guild on the Western Road had to pay tribute to the Iron God Gang.
If they were short on silver, they paid with goods.
If they were short on goods, they paid with people.
Seok Gyeong's father was a low-ranking warrior of the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
His skills did not even reach the third-rate.
Still, he was a diligent man.
He swept the training ground at dawn, carried goods during the day, and guarded the gate at night.
He was more like a handyman than a low-ranking member of a martial hall, but his father was not ashamed of it.
"I earn the money for your food. You earn what you need to move forward."
It was something his father often said.
His mother was a servant at the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
She was in charge of laundry and cooking.
She was a small, thin woman, but her hands were large and rough.
The memory of her stroking Seok Gyeong's hair with those hands and smiling was still vivid.
His father collapsed while carrying goods.
It must have been from accumulated fatigue.
His mother did not survive that winter.
It was unclear if it was an illness or if her will had been broken.
It happened when Seok Gyeong was fourteen, and Seok Ran was ten.
Seok Ran.
His sister, four years younger.
Her name contained the character for orchid, Ran.
It was said his mother had given her the name.
She was sometimes teased that her name was too pretty for her family's situation, but Seok Ran liked her name.
The Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion did not kick out the orphaned siblings.
Instead, they put them to work.
Seok Gyeong became a porter, and Seok Ran went to the kitchen.
They had simply inherited the work their father and mother used to do.
He could endure it up to that point.
No. He had to endure it.
When you carry a load, you either endure or collapse.
There was no third option for a porter.
The Jianghu was said to be such a place.
It was not a place where sympathy was given to a child who had lost their parents.
If you could earn your keep, you could live; if not, you had to leave.
And..
At that time, in the River Capital, it was impossible for orphans to survive without at least the shelter of a place like the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
Seok Gyeong worked hard enough for his sister's share as well.
Two years passed like that.
The year Seok Ran turned twelve.
The season of tribute returned.
They were short even after offering up all their silver and goods.
"We'll have to send a person."
That one sentence from the Pavilion Master split Seok Gyeong's life in two.
A 'person' that the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion could offer as tribute to the Iron God Gang meant a young girl or someone with a body suitable for use as a servant.
It was Seok Ran.
She was young, accustomed to kitchen work, and above all, had no parents.
Seok Gyeong begged the Pavilion Master.
He knelt and struck his forehead on the floor until it bled.
The reply that came back was a single sentence.
"Do you wish to add your own life to the tribute?"
"It's okay, brother. They said it's just kitchen work."
Seok Ran's last words.
It was not okay.
Seok Gyeong knew that people sent to the Iron God Gang for kitchen work rarely ended up working in the kitchen.
But he could do nothing.
Seok Ran was dragged away.
She did not look back.
A month later, news arrived.
She had died.
Her body was not returned.
What kind of death it was that not even a body was returned.
Seok Gyeong did not imagine it.
It was not that he could not imagine it, but that he chose not to.
From that day on, something inside Seok Gyeong died.
Not anger, not sadness, but something deeper.
An arrow aimed at himself became lodged within him and could not be pulled out.
He did nothing.
When his sister was being dragged away.
Nothing.
The wind blew.
Seok Gyeong raised his head and looked up.
The sky is so high it feels like it might pour down.
A blue sky without a single cloud.
Beneath it, about thirty people were marching, kicking up dust.
The scent of dry grass and earth mixed on the breeze and brushed past his nose.
The Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion suddenly crumbled into disarray.
It happened on the night the man with the seemingly strongest back in the world unified the River Capital.
The night everyone in the River Capital called the 'Night of the Long Sword.
- Are you going to kill us all, too?
- Have you done something bad enough to deserve death?
- N-no. I... I haven't done anything to deserve death.
- Then what are you afraid of? I do not kill those whose lives have value.
Perhaps the conversation that person had with someone from the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion at that time was what led him here.
After that day, he simply passed the time before leaving the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
He had come out after seeing the notice for the Hero's Sect's interview.
He did not say anything to the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
Who would care if one porter was gone?
It had already become a pathetic group just living because they couldn't die.
He wondered if he was much different, but at least this body of his remained strong.
The reason he had not left was not that he had something to hold onto.
It was that he had forgotten how to take a step.
In fact, at that time, he had not expected to be able to join the Hero's Sect at all.
The events of the interview naturally came to mind.
He was the two hundred and fifteenth, the very last in line.
He waited for a long time.
Hundreds had gone before him, and most left the training ground with their heads bowed.
By the time it was Seok Gyeong's turn, the sun had already set.
Only Sect Leader Kim Rae-won remained in front of him.
His face was expressionless.
It was not so much cold as it was empty.
Eyes devoid of emotion.
Like a well full of water, deep, but with nothing reflected on its surface.
But the moment those empty eyes looked at him, an unknown weight settled upon his entire body.
It was not hard to breathe, but his back strangely straightened.
"What is righteousness?"
The moment he received that question, something... he found himself ridiculous.
What was he, a porter who couldn't even be called the son of a third-rate martial artist, doing here?
So he thought for a long time.
In the end, the only answer he could come up with was...
"I do not know what righteousness is."
Seok Gyeong bowed his head.
"However."
He clenched his teeth.
"However, I do know that doing nothing when my sister was dragged away to the Iron God Gang was not righteousness."
A silence fell.
But it was not very long.
"That sister is?"
"Dead."
Another short silence.
"Your name."
"It is Seok Gyeong."
"No, your sister's name."
Seok Gyeong, slightly puzzled, looked straight at Kim Rae-won.
But his eyes were still like a deep, deep abyss, impossible to read.
"It is Seok... Ran."
His voice trembled slightly.
The Sect Leader nodded after a beat.
"I will remember it."
That was all.
But that one phrase changed something.
An unknowable ripple was spreading in Seok Gyeong's heart.
What meaning it held, what kind of seed it was, Seok Gyeong still could not explain.
Just one thing.
That name, his sister's, for whom no body had returned, and no grave existed, a name no one at the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion ever uttered.
He said he would remember it.
The man who had turned the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion that abandoned Seok Ran into an empty shell.
The man who had erased the Iron God Gang that swallowed Seok Ran from this world.
It was certain that he had shattered a stone-like gate that had been closed for five years.
Around the time it passed noon, the Sect Leader stopped for the first time.
"Rest."
At that single word, the column sat down in unison.
At the rear of the column, there were two people who were particularly at ease.
A woman with a sword on her back and a man holding a fan.
They were said to be Trigram Masters of the Formation Tower.
Since they were called Formation experts, it was ambiguous how to describe them, but they were surely masters who had reached a level unimaginable for an ignorant person like himself.
The woman leaned against a tree, her expression unchanging as she looked ahead, while the man slowly fanned himself, his eyes scanning the column.
Despite having walked at a near-running pace for half a day, not a single speck of dust was on his clothes.
Why such people were in a place like the River Capital, and in the Hero's Sect no less, was something Seok Gyeong could not understand.
But that fact alone allowed him to guess that the Sect Leader of this Hero's Sect was no ordinary person.
Seok Gyeong sat on the grass, drinking water and watching the Sect Leader at the front.
Just then, a commotion arose at the front.
One of the members had collapsed.
The moment Seok Gyeong was about to move, the child called the Instructor was already running.
He grabbed the fallen member's arm, helped him up, and handed him water.
He said something.
It was too far to hear, but the fallen member nodded and began to walk again.
It was fast.
It was over before Seok Gyeong could even move.
He was called the Instructor.
A child who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen at most.
When he first heard it, he did not think much of it.
A Murim sect was not a place where hierarchy was decided by age, but he had heard that the Hero's Sect was a completely new sect.
He had heard that when Sect Leader Kim Rae-won took down the Iron God Gang, he had done it alone and established the sect alone.
That meant the child must have joined after that, so his martial arts skills must be shallow... But.
Watching him now, he could not help but admit his judgment was wrong.
That child was the first to spot anyone falling behind.
The fact that the children were divided into front and rear groups, with the front group responding to the Sect Leader's pace and the rear group catching those who fell behind, had all been calculated before they even set out.
It was not the perspective of a porter.
It must be something like the perspective of a commander.
The rest lasted for less than a meal's time.
The child called the Instructor personally went around, checking each person's feet and legs.
Then he went to a woman with a lean build and reported something in a low voice.
The woman standing right next to the Sect Leader.
She was the one carrying the register.
The woman nodded, gave the Instructor some instructions, and the Instructor returned to the column and rearranged the children's positions.
He moved two children from the front group to the rear and brought one child with better stamina from the rear to the front.
Seok Gyeong just drank his water and watched.
That woman seemed to be the Sect Leader's subordinate.
But not a simple subordinate.
Seeing her give instructions to the Instructor, it seemed she was in charge of the actual management.
The Sect Leader set the direction, the woman handled the details.
The Instructor moved the field.
The three people were holding this column together from different levels.
It was a structure he had never seen at the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion.
The Pavilion Master of the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion only gave orders.
The details were handled by the Pavilion Master, and the field was also handled by the Pavilion Master.
The rest just moved as they were told.
That was why when the Pavilion Master collapsed, everything fell apart.
Since there was no one to share the load, one person carried everything, and when that one person fell,
the load and all spilled onto the ground.
It was different here.
It was more than just their actions being different; even though they must have joined after the Hero's Sect was established... they 'had' martial arts.
That woman and the children were strong.
He, a low-level practitioner, could not guess how strong, but the demeanor of the masters was clearly visible.
He did not know if that was possible in such a short period.
At the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion, no one had properly taught him martial arts.
"Let's go."
The Sect Leader stood up.
One word.
That was it.
At that one word, everyone was seen getting up at once.
Even those who had collapsed gritted their teeth and forced themselves up.
No one said, 'Let's rest a bit more.'
That was strange.
Seok Gyeong also hoisted the baggage onto his back.
A portion for two men.
The walking began.
And.
It had changed.
-x-X-x-
At first, he did not know.
The Sect Leader's gait was the same as before.
The stride, the swing of his arms, the rhythm of his feet touching the ground.
Nothing seemed to have changed.
However.
The column had to break into a trot.
It was not clear from which moment it started.
As if the flow of a river was quickening imperceptibly, the distance covered by the Sect Leader's single step was gradually increasing.
He was clearly walking, yet those following behind could not keep up unless they ran.
It was not walking.
It was a martial art in the form of walking.
Seok Gyeong's legs quickened on their own.
The weight of the luggage for two people on his back pounded against his spine with every step.
The breath he had been inhaling through his nose had, at some point, shifted to his mouth.
A scream was heard from the front.
"Sect, Sect Leader! You're too fa..."
There was no reply.
The Sect Leader did not look back.
He did not slow his pace either.
Seok Gyeong watched the Sect Leader's feet even as he ran.
A porter is someone who makes a living with his feet.
Which paths are slippery and which are firm, and where to shift one's weight to avoid falling.
Reading the movement of feet was the one thing Seok Gyeong was better at than others.
That was why he noticed.
The Sect Leader's feet had a pattern.
The left foot pushed off the ground first.
Then the right foot moved forward, its tip turning slightly inward.
And the moment that turned tip touched the ground, the center of gravity shifted forward, and the next
step was propelled by that force.
A structure where one step pushed the next.
Seok Gyeong did not know martial arts.
He did not know what kind of footwork it was, or what name it had.
However, his seven years of living by his feet were telling him.
That was not getting faster through strength.
The very structure of the steps was creating the speed..
***
The column began to collapse.
The new members were running with all their might.
They ran, flailing their arms and clenching their teeth.
However, that was just running with all their strength, not following the Sect Leader's steps.
One person fell.
His knees buckled first, and his face plunged into the dirt.
Seok Gyeong reflexively tried to reach out a hand, but the Instructor was already there.
The child grabbed the fallen man's arm to help him up and said.
"Get up. It's not time to fall yet."
The man shook his head.
It seemed his breath was too ragged for words to come out.
The Instructor's voice lowered.
"You can rest here."
He paused for a moment.
"But the column won't wait."
Another person buckled.
And another.
The Instructor moved back and forth through the column, helping up those who fell.
His face was red from being out of breath.
His voice was also cracking.
At that moment.
The Instructor's feet stopped.
The child's gaze was fixed on the front of the column.
The Sect Leader's feet.
The very same feet that Seok Gyeong had been watching.
The realization dawned on the child's face.
His eyes widened, his mouth opened, and then.
"Stop!"
The Instructor shouted.
The column fell into chaos.
Those who were running collided with each other and staggered.
The Sect Leader was still walking ahead at the same pace.
"Don't run."
The Instructor's voice cut across the field.
"Look at his feet. The Sect Leader's feet."
"...?"
"If you just run, you'll only tire yourself to death. Focus and look at his feet."
The Instructor ran to the front of the column and stood behind the Sect Leader.
Then he began to follow the Sect Leader's steps.
The child's feet matched the same rhythm as the Sect Leader's.
Left foot, right foot, toe turning, center of gravity shifting.
It was slow.
Far slower compared to the Sect Leader.
However, the speed coming from the child's steps was clearly something impossible with leg strength alone.
"This is footwork. Our Hero Sect's basic footwork... right? Basic footwork?"
Though he received no answer from Kim Rae-won, the child continued to shout as he ran.
His voice was a little breathless.
But it was clear.
"The moment you step with your left foot! Give all your energy to the center of your sole! It's called the Yongcheon!"
Seok Gyeong had never heard the name Yongcheon before.
However, he understood 'the center of the sole'.
"From there, four inches above the inner ankle bone! Sam-eumgyo! Pass that point and pull it up to two inches below your navel! Like scooping up water!"
The Instructor shouted, pointing to his own body.
While running, he tapped the inside of his ankle bone and pressed his palm below his navel.
"Qihae! That is the sea where qi gathers!"
Seok Gyeong knew none of the names of the Meridians.
However, he understood the locations of the body the child was pointing to.
The center of the sole.
Above the inner ankle bone.
Below the navel.
"Now the right foot!"
The Instructor shouted again.
"From below the navel to the outside of the thigh! The spot your middle finger touches when you make a fist and lower your arm! Pungsi!"
While running, the child made a fist with his right hand and tapped the outside of his thigh.
Exactly that spot.
"From there to behind the outer ankle bone! Kunlun! Push out forcefully! Hard!"
A path was drawn in Seok Gyeong's mind.
It was not precise.
However, a porter's body was more accustomed to movements than words.
As he stepped with his left foot, he consciously pushed his internal energy-as small as a mosquito's eyeball, acquired through Qi Circulation he had overheard at the Ten Thousand Gold Pavilion-into the center of his sole as much as possible.
Then he imagined that feeling rising above his ankle bone, to below his navel.
Nothing happened.
Of course.
His internal energy was meager.
However.
When he pushed with his right foot.
As he imagined sending it from his stomach to the outside of his thigh, and from his thigh to his outer ankle bone.
A little.
Just a little.
He felt his foot become lighter.
He could not tell if it had actually become lighter, or if it was an illusion created by his consciousness.
But it was certain that he had taken one more step.
Something like this was not yet martial arts.
It was just the work of a porter.
Just one more step.
The work of a porter was always that one step.
But if that accumulates... wouldn't it become a martial art?
A certain faith was building up.
Even though it had only been a day since he had joined this place called the Hero's Sect.
***
The sun began to set.
The Sect Leader's pace slowed minutely.
A momentary difference.
But just by being able to take one more breath in his lungs that felt like they were about to burst, Seok Gyeong felt it.
He slowed down.
He had slowed down for them.
A man who knew exactly how far the rear had fallen behind without even looking back.
Pushing them to the very brink of their limits, but not breaking them.
Seok Gyeong did not have the luxury to judge whether that was cruel or merciful.
Just one thing.
That man's steps had a purpose.
Around the time the sun set behind a distant mountain.
"We rest here."
Before he could even put down his luggage, Seok Gyeong's knees buckled.
The luggage for two people slid from his back and fell onto the grass.
There was no strength in his legs.
His hands were trembling too.
He looked around.
Of the twenty new members, none were standing properly.
But there was one thing different from before.
There were those who were moving their mouths while lying collapsed.
Sole of the foot, ankle bone, and below the navel.
They were repeating the path the Instructor had shouted.
It was not just one person.
Many were doing it.
The Instructor was weaving through them.
Handing water to one, checking another's feet, then the next.
Sweat was also streaming down the child's face.
His voice was hoarse.
His legs could be seen trembling.
Yet he did not stop.
Until the twentieth person.
Finally, the Instructor stood before Seok Gyeong.
"Are you all right?"
Seok Gyeong nodded.
"The verses, you tried to follow them, right?"
"...I understood the locations. But I felt nothing."
"That's okay."
The Instructor smiled faintly.
He smiled even though sweat had not yet dried on his face.
"It's like that for everyone at first. Even if you don't feel it, your body remembers. You can fill up the internal energy later. The path comes first."
Seok Gyeong silently looked at the child.
The path comes first.
Was that something he learned from someone?
Either way, it was surprising that he could say such a thing at thirteen or fourteen.
And he was envious.
Wishing that he, too, had someone to guide him like this from an early age, that sort of feeling.
"Is the Instructor all right?"
The child's feet stopped.
A beat.
"Of course."
Seok Gyeong knew it was a lie.
Because the child's legs were trembling.
Because his voice was hoarse.
Nevertheless, the back he showed as he turned was straight.
If the person standing in front falls, the person behind also falls.
He was a child who knew that at his age.
***
Dong Bongsu was leaning against a tree, watching the column.
'So there was a guy who noticed. Two of them, at that.
The basic form of a Lightness Skill.
The most elementary footwork, called the Spirit Step.
A principle of converting the repulsive force of one step into the propulsive force for the next.
With internal energy, the body would seem to glide over the ground, but even with almost no internal energy, just mimicking the form was more efficient than running.
The original plan was this.
Walk by incorporating the basic form of Spirit Step into the pace.
Those following would at first just feel that it was fast.
But anyone with an eye for martial arts would notice the pattern in the feet, and anyone who had learned the basics would realize it was a footwork.
That much was within his expectations.
But spreading the verses was unexpected.
Hoae had recognized the footwork and, on his own judgment, spread the verses to the new members.
And not just by shouting the names of the meridians, but by pointing out each location on the body.
While running.
While he himself was in a considerably exhausted state.
Taking care of others even when at one's limit is not a matter of stamina.
It is a matter of will.
Will alone does not move muscles, but without will, even the remaining muscles stop.
As expected, he was not just fit to be an Instructor.
That child is....
He is simply prime timber.
A sapling of a great tree, so tall that its limits are unclear, though it is unknown in which direction and how it will grow.
His gaze shifted once more.
Yan Bilyeong was sitting in the shade of a tree with his sword resting on his knees.
His eyes were closed, but he was surely not asleep.
Myo Jinheo stood beside him with his fan folded, scanning the column.
Both of them seemed completely unaffected by today's march.
Of course.
For masters of their level, this kind of pace was nothing more than a stroll.
'But those two aren't just looking at me.!
Yan Bilyeong was probably spreading his Qi sense even in that state, and Myo Jinheo was likely observing the column's reactions.
Both were in the process of grasping how the Hero's Sect operated.
Good.
Let them watch.
The more they watch, the more they will be drawn in.
And Seok Gyeong.
This one was unexpected.
He barely knew any martial arts.
His internal energy was also meager.
He probably did not even know what footwork was.
And yet, he extracted a pattern from the 'walk'.
He was already watching the feet before Hoae shouted.
Click.
He opened the Status Window.
[Seok Gyeong
Position: Guild Member
Combat Level: Low-Beginner Rank
Trust: [Faintly Favorable]
Status: [Determined], [Fatigued]]
Nothing unusual.
No special abilities.
No sensory-type passives either.
Yet he read the feet.
Dong Bongsu trusted his own eyes.
This man undoubtedly had potential that the system could not detect.
A man who carries loads makes his living with his feet.
He reads the terrain, follows the steps of the person in front, and adjusts weight distribution through subtle differences in his feet.
It is not a martial art but a survival skill.
However, that survival skill was used to read the pattern of the footwork.
He could see him trying to channel only his will according to the verses, with almost no internal energy.
But will is the first shovel that properly carves the path of qi.
Qi follows the will's movement.
If the will goes first, the qi will eventually follow.
The fact that he attempted the form, the fact that he attempted the verses.
When those two overlap, it is like a path for water beginning to be carved in an empty vessel.
'The empty vessel has begun to fill on its own.
Also, he did not abandon the luggage.
Carrying a load for two people, while even attempting the footwork, he remained in the column until the end.
He's either a fool or the real deal, but....
He remembered those eyes he saw at yesterday's interview.
The eyes of someone who clenched his teeth, saying he could do nothing when his younger sibling was taken away.
He is by no means a fool.
That is the will to never return to being a person who can do nothing.
A guy who does things that are a minus in terms of efficiency.
Such a person is tricky to use because he is unpredictable, but he seems to have value.
Value worth raising.
Click.
He closed the Status Window.
[[Guild] Threshold of Growth
Progress: 12% → 15%
Remaining: 6 days 18 hours
Condition Update: Average Combat Level Low-Beginner Rank]
'3%'
The morning march raised it by 2%, and another 1% was added in the afternoon when the footwork instruction began.
It was the effect of the verses being spread.
Since it was not just simple stamina depletion but the sowing of seeds for basic qi circulation, the system must have recognized it as 'growth'.
Just then, Jeon Rahwa approached.
She opened her register and said.
"Four complete dropouts today. Fortunately, they're all still within the column, but if we go at the same intensity tomorrow, someone will really break."
"If they break, we can just put them back together."
"...Is that something you say about people?"
"Ah, right. They were people."
Jeon Rahwa lightly tapped Kim Rae-won's shoulder with the register.
"Did you just hit me?"
"Yes, I did. You should know I held back from hitting you harder."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For not killing me."
"What?"
"If you hit me harder, I would have died, wouldn't I?"
"Ha. Ha. You want me to really kill you?"
Dong Bongsu smiled gently.
"Yes. Kill me. If there is anyone who can truly kill me, it would only be you."
"Ah, yes, yes. Just wait until you die by my hand, and don't go dying somewhere strange. Please."
Death.
They were already as intimate as friends, yet their relationship was lukewarm, not wanting to get any closer.
"Alright. I'll try to stay safe until you can kill me, I guess."
"That's enough out of you. That's enough."
Jeon Rahwa let out a sigh, then turned a page in her register and said.
"Anyway, Hoae did everything today. The footwork is one thing, but to spread the verses as well... you
were aiming for that, weren't you?"
"..."
"Ah, really? It was a coincidence?"
"Yeah. It was a coincidence."
"Ha. Ha. Such coincidences happen often, don't they? And to a twelve-year-old, no less."
"That's what makes it fun."
Jeon Rahwa looked toward Hoae for a moment.
The child was sitting among the other children, sharing water.
His eyes were half-closed with exhaustion, yet his hands did not stop.
"How will you set the travel speed for tomorrow?"
"Twice today's."
"...Are you serious?"
"Growth has to be remembered by the body. The ones who heard the verses today will catch on a little faster tomorrow. Then they'll be able to endure even if we keep raising the level."
"..."
"Seven days of this, and all the basic forms will be ingrained in their bodies."
Dong Bongsu looked up at the darkening sky.
'Seven days.
In seven days, he had to make these people into humans.
Not combatants, but at least people who could survive.
The sword comes later.
Internal energy also comes later.
First, they must run.
Run until they fall, then get up and run again.
Once the vessel is made that way, he can pour martial arts into it later.
Far away, Seok Gyeong was lying on the grass, moving his feet.
Left foot, right foot.
With his mouth, he was repeating the path the Instructor had shouted.
He still kept the luggage by his side.
'Looks like he'll be carrying it tomorrow too.
The luggage.
And the footwork.
As expected, not bad.
That man, Seok Gyeong.
And.
Dong Bongsu's eyes naturally shifted to Hoae.
'That child, too.'