Chapter 8: A Master’s Acknowledgment

A clear day.

Not a single cloud marred the summit.

The lush, green San Peaks stretched out before his eyes.

It was truly spring.

He thought, ‘I didn’t even notice the seasons changing…’

Taehoo recalled how he had been so absorbed in climbing to the summit.

There hadn’t been a moment to take in his surroundings.

Namjin approached, coming to stand beside Taehoo, who was lost in appreciation.

He thumped his chest twice—thud, thud.

“Are you overwhelmed?”

He asked Taehoo, who was still gazing, entranced, at the view from the summit.

A brief silence.

Namjin looked at Taehoo’s face for a moment, then changed the question as if satisfied.

“Is it beautiful?”

“…I never realized how wonderful these forests were until now.”

Namjin let out a short laugh.

“Soon enough, this place will become a real mess.”

“Only a Hunter would ruin the mood like that.”

Taehoo replied, grinning in a way that resembled Namjin.

“But Grandfather, that’s exactly what I was hoping for, you know?”

Namjin looked straight at his bold grandson.

“Cheeky brat.”

With that, he grabbed the still-exhausted Taehoo’s hand and pulled him to his feet.

“From now on, you need to properly forge your vessel.”

It was an acknowledgement of Taehoo as his disciple.

At the same time, Namjin stepped aside, revealing the people who had been standing behind him.

Taehoo’s expression hardened as he saw them.

‘These are the swords of Namjin I’ve only heard about…’

He’d heard there were six in total, but for some reason, two seemed to be absent.

[They’re all pretty capable, aren’t they?]

At this point, Taehoo couldn’t help but wonder just how high Ba’al’s standards for “capable” really were.

[Who knows? I haven’t seen anyone better yet, so I can’t say.]

Right. What did he expect… Taehoo decided not to add another headache to his already heavy mind.

Each one of them was someone who occupied a line in legend.

Ba’al’s bar was just absurdly high.

‘For now, I should at least greet them.’

Taehoo started to walk toward the four swords standing in the sunlight.

Or rather, he tried to walk.

[You’ve stayed in a state of exhaustion for too long! Rest is recommended!]

[Oxygen is insufficient!]

[Mana breathing technique is recommended!]

Warning messages flashed through Taehoo’s mind.

‘Ah…’

In the rush of exhilaration, he hadn’t checked his condition.

He’d even stopped the breathing technique he’d used the whole way up the cliff.

A wave of fatigue crashed over him.

One step.

The moment Taehoo took a single step, he collapsed on the spot.

[I told you, you were pushing your limits, didn’t I?]

Ba’al snickered in a tone that said, “I told you so,” and, as if he could hear none of it, Namjin instantly rushed over and caught Taehoo as he fell.

“Hmm…”

Letting out a low groan, Namjin turned to his subordinates.

“I guess the trial was a bit much, after all?”

“Didn’t I tell you so?”

Mumyeong responded with a slight smirk, not forgetting to add,

“Even so, he made it all the way here. I have to agree—the young master is worth looking forward to.”

The subordinates looked at Taehoo in Namjin’s arms, as if in agreement.

In the clan’s history, only Namjin, the Six Swords, and Namgoong had set foot in the Sanctuary.

A rare few.

Moreover, none of them had entered this place before coming of age.

But Taehoo was different.

At just eleven years old, the youngest young master had succeeded in entering the Sanctuary.

Namjin’s swords were all now eagerly anticipating the day he would descend the mountain.

Taehoo woke after sleeping for a full day.

It was due to the sudden Level Up and the accumulated fatigue from the climb.

“Where am I?”

Opening his eyes, Taehoo saw a scene reminiscent of a Cottage at the mountain’s foot and asked,

[Do you know how many times you’ve said that line since your regression?]

Ba’al’s sarcasm was an added bonus.

‘Hmm…!’

Still, it brought Taehoo back to reality.

‘I made it to the summit.’

The messages that had filled his mind, and Namjin’s hand acknowledging him as a disciple—all of it became clear.

‘Right. My stats and abilities were determined, weren’t they?’

He’d even heard the Level Up message.

He couldn’t help but be curious about the Stat Window.

[Open it already. I’m curious too.]

Ba’al couldn’t hide his curiosity either.

[Name: Nam Taehoo]

[LV: 5]

[Patron Constellation: ‘Sword God’, ‘Ba’al’]

[Title: Coexistence of Good and Evil (Temporary), One Who Devoted Life and Effort.]

[Hunter Rank: ??]

[Strength: 47(+10), Agility: 46(+10), Stamina: 42(+10), Mana: 43(+10)]

[Special: Your potential cannot be determined! Rank evaluation will be delayed!]

When he opened the Stat Window, statuses he’d never seen before came into view.

‘These stats are incredible…!’

Considering that the average stat for Level 5 hovered around 20, this was astonishing.

He couldn’t help but be surprised as he checked his information.

‘No wonder I suddenly leveled up.’

Still, there were things that bothered him even amid the good news.

‘Not being able to determine my Rank is a bit troubling.’

Rank was essentially the measure of a Hunter’s potential.

No matter how good your stats were, if your Rank was low, you’d hit a wall before long.

‘You can improve it to some extent over time, but…’

That was only when you knew exactly what you were dealing with.

With his Rank showing as ‘??’, there was no way to plan ahead.

‘Guess I just have to wait and see.’

Eleven wasn’t such an old age.

He wasn’t planning to get complacent, but there was still time.

[Right, sometimes patience is necessary. Speaking of which, do you know how long I was stuck in that cave, huh?…]

Taehoo ignored Ba’al’s impending long-winded speech and moved on.

[Title: Coexistence of Good and Evil (Temporary)]

-Origin: ??

-Description: Good and evil coexist within your body! This is your first Title! Be proud! Fulfilling the conditions will evolve your Skill!

-Two locked abilities.

[Why is your system so unfriendly just to you?]

Ba’al commented, noting the constant ‘??’, locked abilities, and vague descriptions—a triple combo.

Taehoo agreed with Ba’al.

He tried to make sense of the situation.

‘Either the system really has it in for me, or… I’m a massive Irregular.’

The latter seemed more likely.

That cute little message asking him to wait for evaluation, and the fact that he’d only just gained access to the system—he doubted he’d already made himself a target.

‘Besides, my abilities are just absurd…’

Skill Evolution was something he’d never even heard of before.

‘There’s a lot I need to figure out from here.’

There was a realm of mystery ahead—one even Ba’al couldn’t fully grasp.

Training in the Mountains and whatever else awaited them—they’d have to tackle it all together.

‘Still, it’s lucky I have a good partner.’

Taehoo thought deliberately, as if to make sure Ba’al heard.

[Of course I’m great! You should be honored!]

As always, Ba’al took the bait without fail.

‘I’m counting on you.’

[You bet!]

Ba’al cheerfully replied, not realizing he’d become Taehoo’s equal.

Taehoo let out a quiet laugh and stepped outside.

“Gasp!”

He had to catch his breath the moment he opened the door.

‘The oxygen level is different!’

He quickly calmed himself and began the breathing technique he’d grown used to on the climb.

He walked slowly.

‘Just how little oxygen is there…?’

If he didn’t pay attention to his breathing, he’d be out of breath in no time.

Even for a place dense with Mana, this was extreme.

‘The Cottage must have some special processing.’

He reasoned this since he hadn’t felt any discomfort breathing inside.

‘It’ll take some time to get used to this.’

It felt different from when he’d climbed up without thinking.

“You’re up.”

Namjin, who had been boiling something in an iron pot, greeted the pensive Taehoo.

“Yes.”

“I had a feeling you were pushing yourself too hard… tsk tsk.”

Namjin clicked his tongue teasingly.

‘After all the trouble I went through because of you…’

Taehoo suppressed the irritation that flared up for a moment.

“What’s that?”

“What do you think? I’m making some nourishment for the one who worked so hard.”

“Nourishment?”

Taehoo’s expression instantly hardened.

Don’t tell me…?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Namjin cut him off.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, so don’t worry.”

With that, he plunged his bare hand into the boiling pot.

Thud.

With a sound of tearing flesh,

“A chicken?”

Namjin pulled out a hefty chicken leg from the pot.

“It’s a Mana-Blessed Chicken from the Mountains. Try it.”

Taehoo had experienced Namjin’s cooking more than anyone.

The taste was guaranteed.

He readily accepted the chicken leg offered to him.

The whole chicken vanished in the blink of an eye.

“If you’re done eating, follow me.”

“Yes.”

Until now, Namjin had never given him any instructions after a meal.

Taehoo felt that something was truly about to begin as he followed Namjin.

If you couldn’t keep up with any possibility, it was meaningless.

He steeled his resolve.

‘I wonder what we’ll start with…’

The training Namjin had given Taehoo’s father, Namgoong, was only ever spoken of in rumors.

Other than it being merciless to the point of cruelty, he knew little else.

And…

‘They say becoming Namjin’s disciple is the same as becoming a disciple of the Six Swords…!’

He’d heard that Namjin only watched as the Six Swords trained his disciples.

That was why the power Namjin wielded as the Sword God was an enigma.

He had no intention of being left to his own devices.

He wouldn’t follow the same path as his father.

‘I’ll learn everything I can from this mountain before I descend.’

That was the resolve with which Taehoo had come here.

[That’s the spirit! You need that kind of guts!]

Ba’al cheered in his mind.

Taehoo strengthened his resolve, and right then, Namjin stopped in his tracks.

“This is the place.”

Standing before him was one of those introduced as Namjin’s swords.

A small-framed man with two Swords strapped to his waist.

Behind him was a massive lake.

Despite his slender build, he exuded an overwhelming presence that seemed to block out the lake entirely.

“This guy will be the first to train you.”

The man introduced himself as Namjin’s sixth sword, Chiu.

There was none of the warmth you’d expect from an ordinary Hunter who called him young master in the clan.

It felt different from Sangjin, too.

[This is getting serious.]

Taehoo agreed with Ba’al’s comment.

“So what will I be doing here?”

He asked, and Chiu opened his mouth.

“This lake is both the Heavenly Lake of this mountain and is called the Heavenly Lake.”

“Heavenly Lake…?”

[Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?]

Taehoo’s mouth and Ba’al’s mind reacted at the same time.

“That’s right.”

Chiu turned away.

Then, he gazed at Taehoo in silence.

After locking eyes for about five seconds, he turned to Namjin, as if seeking some kind of approval.

“From now on, this child is your responsibility. What are you asking permission for?”

Namjin spoke with his arms crossed, and Chiu offered a brief bow to his lord.

“He’s just so young, I couldn’t help but worry unnecessarily.”

‘What the…? Why are these people always like this among themselves?’

Taehoo stared at the two, unable to follow the context of their conversation.

He didn’t even have time to figure out what was being permitted or agreed upon.

Suddenly, Chiu closed the distance in an instant and grabbed Taehoo by the neck.

He strapped one of his Swords onto Taehoo’s waist.

“What?”

It all happened before Taehoo could even react.

“If you’re curious, go find out for yourself.”

With just those few words, Chiu hurled Taehoo—armed with nothing but a sword—straight into the center of the Heavenly Lake.

[Heavenly Lake! That’s right! Now I remember!]

Ba’al’s voice rang out just after Taehoo plunged into the water.