Chapter 7: The First Step

Namjin left a message for Taehoo, telling him to climb the mountain, and then returned to the Summit.

“Did you meet with the Young Master?”

A man with sharp, slanted eyes came out to greet him.

This was Mumyeong, the man who had held the position of First Sword when Namjin led the clan.

He had once been Namgoong’s teacher in his youth, and the name Mumyeong was one he took after swearing loyalty to Namjin, abandoning his original name.

“Yes. Starting today, he’ll be climbing the mountain.”

Namjin replied with a hearty laugh.

“Will that be all right? I believe the Young Master is only ten years old…”

Mumyeong said, his expression indifferent, but his tone tinged with concern.

Both of them knew that reaching the Summit of the forest was no easy feat.

That was why Mumyeong was questioning whether it was too soon.

“Well, at least his body is ready. If he’d stayed put, he would’ve recovered on his own, but he tried to advance by a whole year, so he should show some results.”

Namjin looked at Mumyeong as if to say, isn’t that obvious? Mumyeong didn’t avoid his gaze.

“Still, it was nice to see my lord enjoying himself for the first time in a while.”

Namjin let out a small laugh at Mumyeong’s words.

“Yeah, I suppose I did enjoy myself.”

A month.

After finding Taehoo in the forest, Namjin had gone out hunting himself, foraged for wild herbs, and finally got to show off his skills after a long while.

Though Taehoo had every right to resent the one who put him through such a harsh trial, he never did.

Instead, he looked at Namjin with bold eyes, as if he were staring at some kind of eccentric.

Namjin had been flustered when Taehoo stood guard as if he were on watch, and surprised by the boy’s impressive skills the day he secretly tailed him.

Namjin turned his gaze from Mumyeong and looked down at the mountains shrouded in clouds.

It was as if he could see something down below, even though nothing was visible.

Namjin spoke.

“This enjoyment won’t end here.”

A faint smile played at his lips.

Watching Taehoo’s every move had become quite an enjoyable pastime for Namjin before he realized it.

He acted colder than anyone else, but he’d grown quite attached.

“You’re certain he’ll make it up here.”

“That’s right.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“He’ll come anyway.”

The Taehoo Namjin had observed over the past month was just that kind of person.

Even after being knocked out with a blow to the neck, he didn’t give up on tailing him, nor on uncovering the truth.

Taehoo would surely climb up here. Namjin believed that wholeheartedly.

That was why he set the test for today.

“If my lord believes so, then I’m looking forward to it as well.”

“Is that so? Once he’s up here, you’ll find it quite entertaining to see for yourself.”

Namjin turned his back.

Standing there, along with Mumyeong, the First Sword, were the Second Sword, Jaehon, and the Third Sword, Hyungseok. Excluding the absent Fourth Sword and Fifth Sword, there was also the Sixth Sword, Chiu.

They were all Hunters who had once held positions when Namjin was the head of the Nam Clan.

Even now, they were loyal retainers assisting in Namjin’s seclusion.

“You may look forward to it as well.”

At Namjin’s words, the four bowed their heads.

With the sun rising above the clouds, even a halo seemed to shine behind Namjin.

From the day Namjin pointed to the Summit, Taehoo began climbing the mountain.

He strapped the sword he’d brought for emergencies onto his back.

It was much more efficient than carrying it at his waist when climbing mountain paths.

‘There’s no way I can reach the top in a single day right now.’

Taehoo gazed at the peak hidden by clouds.

He recalled Namjin’s words about having a body that was “more or less ready” and that he’d keep feeding him.

‘He’s telling me to keep challenging myself. And if I’m not too late, he’ll accept me as a disciple.’

That was Taehoo’s conclusion from Namjin’s words.

[Geez, that old man’s ridiculously picky. I thought he was just raising a kid like livestock.]

Ba’al grumbled as if it was his own problem.

He’d been observing for a month, so it wasn’t unreasonable for him to feel this invested.

Even Taehoo himself had briefly wondered if he was being raised like livestock.

‘Anyway, I’ll spend the next few days scouting the route.’

Taehoo searched through the forest paths.

He’d had plenty of time in the past month to master the use of Aura. He was more than capable of clearing a path.

And then—

‘As expected.’

Retracing the route he’d tailed, Taehoo found the path Namjin used most often.

It wasn’t large, but compared to other places, it was a well-maintained mountain trail.

‘This is the best way up.’

He secured his route and carefully checked for any potential dangers nearby.

‘There’s no guarantee that eccentric old man hasn’t set up traps.’

Contrary to his worries, there was nothing dangerous at the trailhead.

‘Okay, first stage complete.’

Just that had taken him a full five days.

But it wasn’t wasted time, so he wasn’t at a loss.

After finishing his work each day, he made sure to eat the meals Namjin provided.

‘From now on, I’ll increase the distance I can travel each day.’

Around that time, Ba’al gave a warning.

[While you’ve been running around, I’ve sensed everything I could. The higher you go up this mountain, the thinner the air gets and the denser the Mana becomes. If you climb unprepared, you might suffocate and die.]

If the mountain had such characteristics, it made sense that Namjin chose it as his place of seclusion.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

‘What matters is when I’ll be able to reach the top.’

Taehoo measured the distance he could cover every day without fail.

Sometimes, he even skipped meals to push himself a little further.

Whenever he did, Namjin would strike him with a palm strike and drag him back to the Cottage.

‘At first, the mountain has a gentle slope, but then it suddenly gets steep. Once the cliffs appear, the air rapidly thins.’

Taehoo organized the information he’d gathered.

A day passed, then two, then a month, then two months.

During that time, Taehoo traversed the mountain and climbed the cliffs.

He continued to eat the meals Namjin prepared. There were no days off.

The once frail body of Taehoo was now filled with small scars and tightly packed muscles.

The skin that was once as fair as jade was now tanned by the harsh sun, even in winter.

In just two months, he had become a true man.

‘It’s already been three and a half months since I came here.’

That much time had passed since he’d followed Namjin.

The year had changed, and Taehoo was now eleven years old.

In that time, thanks to Ba’al’s training, he’d steadily built up Mana and could now climb half the mountain with just his bare body.

“Hoo…”

Taehoo caught his breath after running through the forest.

‘Lunch ends at 1, and dinner starts at 7.’

Compared to breakfast at 8, he was given an extra hour.

‘If I’m going to reach the Summit, I’ll aim for dinner time.’

Since becoming a Hunter, darkness was no obstacle to his movements.

Once he awakened his Mana, all his senses had been heightened.

‘It takes two hours to climb half the mountain…’

Taehoo looked up at the remaining half.

A sheer cliff loomed before him. If he fell while climbing, it would be the end.

And at the end of that cliff, beyond the clouds, was the Summit.

He was now determined to climb up, if only to see what was above the clouds.

‘Today, I’ll finish this.’

Taehoo turned back for lunch.

That day, Namjin seemed to know Taehoo’s resolve and prepared a generous meal.

Taehoo ate his fill without hesitation.

Thinking back, he’d been so busy moving around that he hadn’t felt full even once in the past two months.

‘This is the result of all that…’

Even during his days as a stray, he’d never had such a healthy body.

The abundant Mana in the mountain and Namjin’s balanced diet had played a big part.

[He said it wasn’t, but isn’t this basically being raised like livestock?]

Ba’al grumbled again, but Taehoo didn’t care.

After all, what he’d worried about most since his regression was his physical condition.

‘I expected it to be quick, but I didn’t think it’d be this fast.’

In any case, it was all thanks to Namjin.

Now, he just had to live up to those expectations.

Spring flowers bloomed all over the forest.

Taehoo stood before the trail he’d made, feeling the now slightly warmer air.

After hundreds, thousands of trips up and down, a proper path had formed in the forest.

‘Let’s go.’

Taehoo infused his legs with Mana and shot forward.

He cleared the gentle slopes in an instant.

He bounded up the steep hills like a rabbit, leaping without hesitation.

Then—

Krrroar!

A beast suddenly blocked Taehoo’s path. It was a Half-Moon Bear.

It was the same kind as the one he always used as a blanket at the Cottage.

Even though it was unexpected, Taehoo didn’t panic.

‘The old me, who used to run away at the sight of a single snake, is gone.’

In his previous life, Taehoo had to flee at the sight of even a snake while wandering the forest, powerless.

But now,

Ordinary animals, not monsters, could no longer stop Taehoo.

He drew his sword and skillfully enveloped it with Aura.

As the bear swung its claw at him, Taehoo sliced off its entire arm.

Blood spurted from the severed limb, and before the bear could even groan in pain—

Slash!

Taehoo beheaded it in one stroke.

He neatly cleared the obstacle from his path and dashed forward again.

‘From here on, it’s all cliffs…’

He strapped his sword back onto his back and began climbing the cliff.

At first, he climbed quickly, but as the height became unmanageable, he moved cautiously.

The cliffs, battered by cutting winds at high altitude, offered few handholds compared to the lower slopes.

He had to rely on Mana several times to keep from slipping.

[Sheesh, what kind of lunatic tells his grandson to climb a place like this…]

Ba’al’s voice echoed in Taehoo’s mind as he climbed into the clouds.

Taehoo’s grip felt like it would burst, but he forced himself to keep climbing.

Climbing half the cliff was twice as hard as climbing the lower mountain.

‘Just how much of a monster is Namjin to climb up and down this all the time…’

Taehoo couldn’t help but think.

[You and that guy aren’t even on the same level, you know? Someone like him would probably climb these cliffs as if they were a walking path.]

Ba’al scraped at Taehoo’s nerves.

Taehoo gripped tighter.

[Yeah, just like that! Use your strength!]

‘Haa…’

His whole body burned as if his muscles would burst, but not a drop of sweat came out.

It was because the temperature had dropped sharply at this altitude.

And now, the air had thinned so much that it was hard to breathe normally.

Taehoo climbed the mountain, combining Mana breathing with his ascent.

How long had he climbed, how many times had he moved his hands and feet?

Finally, he could place his hand on flat ground.

Using every bit of strength, he pulled himself up to the Summit. His body felt heavy with exhaustion.

But still—

“Wow…”

The view from the Summit, earned after three months of hardship, was breathtaking.

“You finally made it.”

And Namjin’s voice was even more welcome than the scenery.

[Your body has met the conditions to accept power!]

[Status is being updated!]

[The ability of the title ‘Coexistence of Good and Evil (Temporary)’ is being defined!]

[Your Level is rising to match your stats!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

The system messages sent a thrill through him.

[Reach the Summit! Quest complete!]

[Entering Sanctuary!]

He had reached the Summit.

At last, he had taken his first step.