Episode 19. Three, no—four legs
That question, too, was still difficult for him to answer fully.
'To move on to the next stage ....'
To face the enemies of the next stage, he needed strength capable of dealing with them. If he lacked that confidence, then no matter how slowly he leveled up, he would have to continue hunting the black faction. Since he had wiped out all the black faction members here, even if it meant going to another city, hunting the black faction was the natural course.
First, after checking the abilities gained upon reaching level 7, he would have to arrive at an answer to that problem.
[Critical ERROR ... ]
As expected.
At the same time as the level-up, the now-familiar Critical ERROR message window appeared and muddled his mind.
A critical error.
It would have been fine if it stopped telling him by now, but once again, without fail, the system informed him that he himself was a product of a critical error.
Click.
Dong Bong-su closed the noisy error window.
And calmly began checking the benefits brought about by leveling up.
The status window, as usual, showed nothing beyond steady increases. The quest window was still filled with X marks, and there were no newly added gifts in the inventory.
Just like when he rose from level 2 to 6, the only window with any distinctive change was the skill window.
First, the proficiency of the two active skills obtained at level 5 had risen little by little. This he already knew and was only natural.
What mattered was that upon reaching level 7, two new skills had been added.
[Circulating Energy and Performing the Technique Lv.1 Proficiency : 0%]
A training method that artificially guides the energy accumulated in the dantian through the meridians distributed throughout the body.
When activated, attack power and defense temporarily increase.
Duration/Cooldown : 5/10 (minutes)
True energy consumption per use : 100 JP
Current skill bonus : attack power/defense +30%
[Three Talents Sword Art 2nd form Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon L1:1 Proficiency : 0%]
A sword art commonly found in the Martial World. Even ordinary people without internal energy can learn it.
Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon is an enhanced version of thrust.
All action bonuses of this skill are related to the proficiency of related skills and whether sword energy/sword force is activated.
Current applied level : Lv:1 (the player can adjust this skill's level.)
Thrust range bonus: 1%
Thrust attack power bonus: 1%
Thrust casting speed bonus: -0%
True energy consumption per use : 30 JP
[Lightness Skill], [Circulating Energy and Performing the Technique], [Three Talents Sword Art 1st, 2nd forms]
Along with the skills obtained at level 5, Dong Bong-su carefully reviewed the abilities of the skills he had just gained.
Lightness Skill could be used like a passive skill as long as JP was infinite, and Three Talents Sword Art was, as its name implied, an attack skill—a sword technique.
In contrast, Circulating Energy and Performing the Technique was the first 'buff' type skill he had obtained. The true energy consumption seemed quite large, but the ability it granted was exceptionally good.
Attack power and defense increased by 30%.
Even without testing it, he could easily imagine how tremendous it was.
Although it had the drawback of a 5-minute duration and a 10-minute cooldown, if used only when necessary, that drawback did not seem all that significant.
Next.
Swoosh-, slash-.
He consecutively activated Sweeping the Thousand Armies and Straight Piercing the Yellow Dragon, the 1st and 2nd forms of the Three Talents Sword Art. They connected very smoothly, but there did not seem to be any special bonus. He then reversed the order and tried again, but once more, the two movements flowed together as if they had originally been one. That was all. He realized that chaining forms of the same sword art did not produce any special benefit.
After finishing his verification of the new skills, he placed the horribly dead body of Cho Pyung into the inventory and advanced forward.
Splash, splash.
The road of Nakwon Village, which had turned into a sea of blood, ended quickly.
Behind Nakwon Village, wide rice paddies and fields spread out, and in the middle of them stood a fairly large estate.
Nakwon Estate.
"Nakwon, huh."
An unfitting name.
Ah, from my perspective, it's a sufficiently fitting and romantic name.
For me, that is.
Once that place is destroyed, the black faction of Bongyang will be completely wiped out.
After testing the newly acquired skills over there, I will decide.
Whether to advance, or to remain here a little longer.
***
Dong Bong-su stepped inside Nakwon Estate.
Thinking that black faction members might be hiding in the fields or paddies, he approached slowly and cautiously. However, there was no one who obstructed his advance.
Rather, the gates of Nakwon Estate stood wide open.
Seeing the open gate, he recalled the two strategies that the Black Snake Association leader Bang Po-yeom could have chosen.
The Empty Fort Strategy? Or was it fleeing the battlefield?
If it was the Empty Fort Strategy, he would have to halt his advance for now, and if it was fleeing the battlefield, then likewise he would have to stop here. After all, even if he went in, there would be no one inside.
Even so, Dong Bong-su stepped into Nakwon Estate.
Because besides those two strategies, there was one more choice a person could make.
That was—
Abandonment.
When humans face difficulties they cannot possibly deal with, or when they stand on the brink of losing everything, they choose one of two options. Either brace themselves to fight to the death, or otherwise die as they are.
Dong Bong-su was certain that Bang Po-yeom had chosen the latter. The entire Nakwon Estate was steeped in that atmosphere.
The fight at Nakwon Village had merely been a last stand before death.
"Are you the Nameless Martial Hero?"
As Dong Bong-su set foot inside Nakwon Estate, an old, hollow voice echoed from the darkness.
A frail old man with white hair was looking at Dong Bong-su. Dong Bong-su instinctively knew that the old man was Bang Po-yeom.
Even at Bang Po-yeom's words, Dong Bong-su said nothing. He merely walked slowly toward Bang Po-yeom.
"If you're a martial hero, why are you so tightly wrapped up?"
"Because I'm not a martial hero."
A short reply.
"Heh heh. Not a martial hero? Then why have you been killing the black faction?"
"Because I'm not a martial hero."
The answer was the same. And both were correct. He hid his face because he was not a martial hero, and because he was not a martial hero, he killed the black faction members.
"Heh heh. You fooled everyone in Bongyang."
"I never fooled anyone. They simply chose to believe it themselves."
Dong Bong-su spoke the truth as always. He had merely hidden himself within the beliefs people wanted to hold.
There is a saying that you only see as much as you know. Similarly, people believe what they want to believe, or what they want to see. For their own convenience. The truth behind it all is not important.
"... An interesting fellow. Even if I cross the Sanzu River today, I don't think I'll regret it."
Clang!
A clear sword ring echoed through Nakwon Estate. Bang Po-yeom had drawn his sword.
"Come then. Whether you're a Nameless Martial Hero or not, you came to kill me anyway. Let's have a bout."
Dong Bong-su slowly drew his own sword. It was a novice's sword. And he also activated Circulating Energy and Performing the Technique, the skill he had obtained today. For a brief moment, a fierce energy burst forth from his body.
"A fine sword, and fine momentum."
Bang Po-yeom exclaimed in admiration as he extended his sword toward Dong Bong-su. It was a kind of courtesy taken when crossing blades. But Dong Bong-su did not know such a thing. Even if he had known, he would not have observed it.
Screech—.
The merciless cry of steel.
To him, the sword was nothing more than a weapon to kill the opponent.
Without the slightest hesitation, Dong Bong-su charged at Bang Po-yeom.
***
How strong am I now? Am I truly at the level where I can leap into the real Martial World?
Step, step.
As he left Nakwon Estate, Dong Bong-su once again posed the question to himself.
Drip, drip.
The answer was instead provided by the blood flowing down from the tip of his sword.
It was time to move on to the next stage.
***
The martial world.
A world of life-and-death duels and a land of ambition where desires are realized.
A place where revenge and grudges are tangled like threads, where the laws of everyday life are ignored and the laws of the martial world take precedence.
If one gains power, one reigns over all under heaven, but if one falls behind, one must lie upon the cold earth, bleeding.
Thus arose phrases like the merciless martial world and the heartless martial world.
People also classify martial artists with terms like orthodox faction, unorthodox faction, or demonic path, but to ordinary people, it was all nonsense. To them, martial artists were all the same—mere 'lawless ones'.
The current Martial World was structured around a balance of three great powers. This was known as the Tripod Balance. Like a cauldron standing upright on three legs. If even one of those legs were to collapse, the state of the world would change drastically.
People called each of the powers forming the three legs of the cauldron the Three Conquerors, and accordingly referred to the current martial world as the Realm of the Three Conquerors.
The Martial Alliance.
A collective formed by the Nine Sects and Beggars' Sect, the Five Great Families of the Central Plains, and countless small and medium orthodox factions of the martial world. Since Shaolin had originally led the formation of the Martial Alliance, its main headquarters was also near Mount Song, where Shaolin is located, in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan.
When all orthodox factions under the Martial Alliance unite, the greatest power in the martial world is unquestionably the Martial Alliance. However, under the laws of the Martial Alliance, the Alliance Leader holds very limited authority, so the massive organization cannot be privatized by him. Therefore, in ordinary times, the Martial Alliance is merely a symbolic body of the orthodox faction.
That said, there are times when all orthodox factions of the martial world unite under the banner of the Martial Alliance and its leader—when the Central Plains are invaded by foreign forces. Except for such times, it is nothing more than a loosely connected confederation, and sometimes fierce intrigue and struggles erupt among the orthodox factions within it.
Heavenly Demon Castle.
A group that venerates the Heavenly Demon, who unified the martial world over a thousand years ago, and is located in Xinjiang. Their influence in truth reaches every corner of the world, but their overt power is concentrated in Xinjiang and Tibet.
It is effectively the largest single power in the martial world, and the Lord of Heavenly Demon Castle wields absolute authority within it. If he so desired, the experts of Heavenly Demon Castle could cross Qinghai and invade the Central Plains as early as tomorrow. However, in that case, the Martial Alliance Leader would immediately circulate the Martial Summons and launch a counterattack, which is why they cannot easily make such a move.
Hall of Gathering Evils.
The weakest among the Three Conquerors, and a force looked down upon as an unorthodox path. However, if they were to support the Martial Alliance, the world would instantly become one ruled by the orthodox faction, and if they were to support Heavenly Demon Castle, Heavenly Demon Castle would immediately seize the world. In effect, the Hall of Gathering Evils plays the most crucial role in maintaining the Tripod Balance.
It is not merely because they are masters of walking a tightrope that they are feared. As they control the underground world of all under heaven, they possess enormous financial power, allowing them—albeit in a limited way—to move even the authorities from the shadows. They are the only force capable of doing so.
For the past hundred years, there had been no fatal clashes among these three powers. It was a so-called era of peace.
However, a tripod balance is an unstable structure that begins to creak even with the slightest imbalance.
In truth, the cauldron known as the martial world has been constantly creaking over the past century. It is only that the dangerous tightrope-walking of the Hall of Gathering Evils has maintained its equilibrium.
But what if—
What if this cauldron had not three legs, but four? And what if that leg was hidden at the very center of the cauldron, barely visible from the outside?
What if that central leg had been maintaining balance from the shadows?
The three legs might have mistakenly believed that balance was maintained by themselves alone. After all, at a glance, the central leg is hardly visible, giving the illusion that it does not matter whether it exists or not.
But is that really the case?
If the central leg were far larger and sturdier than the other three combined, then the cauldron could stand even without the other three legs.
An unseen...…..
If such a leg truly exists, and if that leg is larger and stronger than the other three combined.