‘Done!’
He succeeded in planting the Five Elements into his body.
Water and Wind were planted into his bloodstream, adding vitality. Regeneration was beyond compare.
Metal and Earth were planted into his bones, making them strong and sturdy, while Fire pervaded his entire body.
At any moment, his body was strengthened, and whenever he wished, he could draw upon it and use it as magic.
‘Ah…’
The moment he felt all the balance within his body was fulfilled.
Even his body, which had already undergone Transcendence, felt like it leaped to another dimension. The filled balance allowed his body to take one more step forward.
It was different from the leap achieved through enlightenment.
His understanding of Qi and magic was still insufficient.
‘It’s subtle, that’s all.’
Even with this subtle difference, enlightenment remained just out of reach, always hovering but never grasped. That was the nature of enlightenment.
Instead—
Crack, crackle.
The level of the Liu Lei Method had risen.
New flesh grew, becoming tougher and more resilient. According to the principles of the Liu Lei Method, the body in which the Five Elements had been planted was finally attuned.
“…This is great achievement.”
The end of the Liu Lei Method was in sight.
Achieving great mastery in a martial art was different from merely seeing its end.
‘It’s a leap in dimension.’
It was a step different from before. Even just moving his body was now at a different level. The vitality planted in his body led him to an optimal state.
—Did you suddenly change?
“I learned something new. That’s why I changed.”
—Hmph… Most ordinary people never change even once in their lifetime. Yet you, even after signing the contract, have changed more times than I can count.
“This is just the beginning.”
As he understood magic, his mana grew deeper.
By unifying magic and martial arts, his level rose.
It was a simple method, just beginning. Yet he was growing stronger.
—If you’re serious, there’s much to learn. It seems I too can become stronger…
“If possible!”
—A little help would be more than enough.
“Confidence is good, but don’t forget the tuition?”
—Gulp.
While engaging in this small squabble, Rayrn quickened his steps and entered.
In his field of vision, the castle—his goal—appeared small.
Between evening and nightfall.
Rayrn arrived at Machinery Castle.
It was his return after a long time. At any other castle, there would have been a welcome ceremony. But Machinery was just as usual.
That was because Rayrn didn’t announce his return, but instead entered through the barrier formation that had replaced the wall.
The barrier formation, created with the help of Ruan and the mages from the Magic Tower, was a natural fortress. However, it couldn’t stop Rayrn, who had personally created the formation.
Since he came through the barrier rather than the formal gate, it was only natural that no one knew he had arrived.
Several months had passed just from the time spent inside the dungeon.
Given that Machinery and Merchant changed day by day, it was also natural for changes to occur during this period.
‘It’s changed a lot.’
Buildings that had been under construction before he left were now completed.
Next to them, new buildings were rising. Places previously marked as dangerous zones had become residential areas.
‘Because they know it’s safe now.’
Before, no one would have moved in even if he forced them to build residences.
After all, this was the Northern Mountain Range. Countless people had died here. It was natural, with monsters abundant enough to be called a monster’s paradise.
But back when he first built the fortress, it was also natural for them to be filled with distrust.
Later, the Academy, the Commercial District, and Rayrn’s castle at the center had dispelled the unease.
‘But it was still lacking.’
In the early days, only the major facilities barely functioned. But now, it was different.
Even though it was almost night—
“Come, cheap, cheap!”
“Open until dawn!”
“Come see the weapons just brought in from Merchant!”
The store lights hadn’t gone out. That meant business was still running at this hour.
Indeed, quite a few people were heading toward the brightly lit shops.
The inns, taverns, and other establishments also had many people moving about.
‘A few are from the Academy. Are they out on a night pass?’
Some were dressed as mercenaries, and some outsiders were also visible.
This meant that during Rayrn’s absence, Machinery’s commerce had developed considerably.
In this world, aside from nobles and mages, mercenaries had considerable purchasing power.
Some even spent their payment as soon as they received it, driven by the anxiety of possibly dying the next day.
Given the situation, it seemed facilities for mercenaries had filled Machinery.
‘Good. It’s developing without me having to lift a finger.’
It was Rayrn who had divided the three castles into districts and had the major facilities built.
He had only given permission for the rest.
Whether the administrative officers had put in a lot of effort, the districts were thoroughly divided. There were no troublemakers like the Parakho to be seen.
If commerce continued even into the night, it meant the economy was functioning properly.
Moreover, the mercenaries stepping foot here—
“When’s the next batch of Academy admissions?”
“Still three weeks away. I heard that taking temporary quests until then will reduce the Academy fees?”
“Then I’d better do those.”
—were filled with anticipation.
The fact that they had come this far proved their skills.
Instead of the anxiety of dying tomorrow, their eyes were filled with hope of becoming stronger. Even Rayrn found it pleasing to see.
In a short time, Rayrn wandered around the castle, taking it all in.
‘Shall I see how the most important place is doing?’
He launched himself and went deep into Machinery Castle.
***
Splaying his Stealth Technique, there seemed to be nothing that could catch him moving.
But—
“Mm?”
He sensed a slight presence.
‘Did I let my guard down too much?’
They hadn’t precisely detected Rayrn. But there were two eyes that briefly glanced in his direction.
The opponent was also using a Stealth Technique.
Their technique seemed to be at its peak, hiding deeply without anyone else knowing. Perhaps because they were such a master of Stealth Technique that they had caught a trace of Rayrn’s presence, even if just for a moment.
Whoosh.
Rayrn deliberately let his presence be known.
“You’ve improved a lot, Sian?”
…
“Ah?”
Her eyes went wide, as if she had momentarily thought she’d imagined Rayrn’s presence.
Without her realizing, her Stealth Technique broke. Her composure shattered at his appearance.
Rayrn watched her without a word.
“Impressive. Mastery is almost within sight.”
“I’ve been training hard.”
Her eyes were full of confidence.
And rightly so. Although Rayrn wasn’t using his full power in Stealth, she had managed to notice him for a moment.
“How did you know?”
“Your presence was stronger than usual. Hmm… how should I put it? Should I say I felt your Life Force?”
“Ah… damn. So that’s why.”
Only after a brief conversation with Sian did Rayrn realize what she had used to detect him.
‘I need to adjust my body further.’
His body had the Five Elements planted in it. He had been caught because he couldn’t fully control his own body.
Just because he had become stronger didn’t mean he would achieve the best results automatically. He needed to know how to handle his own body.
Especially someone who had learned martial arts.
Mind. Qi. Body.
Heart, energy, and body. These three had to be in sync.
By planting the Five Elements into his body, the balance among the three had been disrupted.
‘A new task.’
Rayrn realized that finding this balance would be the next direction for his training.
Just as he was pondering what to do next—
Sian, whose expression had been almost unchanged, was now looking at him with joyful eyes.
“…When did you return?”
“Just now. Sian, you’re the first to know I’m back.”
“Hmph… Is that an honor?”
Perhaps because her level had risen, she looked more relaxed than before.
She had immersed herself in harsh training, and it was clear she had achieved quite a bit. Besides Stealth, her Gyeong-gong had also improved significantly. Her movements and bearing had changed.
‘As expected, she’s talented.’
Who would have known she would become this strong so quickly? Even Rayrn found it hard to predict such fast progress.
“Want to spar for old times’ sake?”
“Hmm… I’d like to, but…”
Even at Rayrn’s suggestion, Sian hesitated for a moment.
Though she didn’t say it, she also had a remarkable obsession with martial arts.
Unexpected. Rayrn felt curious.
“Today, I don’t think it’ll be me. There’s someone who’s been waiting longer than I have.”
“Oh? Really? Who?”
“If you go inside, you’ll find out. You’ll be quite surprised.”
“Then let’s go.”
At Sian’s reply, a single figure came to his mind.
‘If it’s him… he might have gotten his answer. He might have resolved his concerns.’
Not talent, but a thorough hard worker.
There was one person who never hesitated to train if it meant taking another step forward.
“May I follow?”
“By all means.”
Rayrn led Sian further inside.
Inside—
‘As expected…’
He was there, living up to Rayrn’s expectations.
When he thrust his sword, the atmosphere split. It wasn’t just splitting.
‘He’s grasped the grain.’
He naturally split the flow.
Even while wielding a massive greatsword, the sound was calm. That was possible because he understood the grain and rode the flow.
Despite the silence, the energy imbued in the greatsword was not shallow.
‘Upper-level Aura Expert. He’ll soon surpass that.’
The energy was deep.
It wasn’t just about emitting overwhelming force. It was refined.
His movements carried weight.
He regulated his breathing in silence.
Even while swinging the greatsword, he moved his body endlessly. It was so fast that it seemed as if the weight of the greatsword wasn’t felt!
The abruptly increased speed became—
Faster! Faster! Faster!
Light as if the sword in his hand was a rapier, not a greatsword! Yet the depth of power embedded within was considerable.
It was like a well-crafted sword dance.
But if anyone stepped into it, even a decent knight would be torn to pieces by that power.
What finally broke the long-lasting sword dance was—
“Gajei.”
It was Rayrn.
Even with its depth, a solo sword dance swinging a sword alone was nothing compared to—
“You’ve arrived?”
“I just got here. I’m surprised as soon as I arrive. Is that worry you had finally settled?”
“Thanks to you.”
“Then how about we exchange a move for old times’ sake?”
“Let’s go right now.”
“Anytime!”
Rayrn was eager for a duel that measured their levels.
Boom.
The atmosphere in the training ground where he landed settled. The energy in Rayrn’s body naturally pressed down on the atmosphere.
“Hmph.”
A single grunt. With just a short breath, Gajei overcame his pressure.
Rayrn’s eyebrows twitched briefly in surprise.
‘Good progress.’
Instead of words, Rayrn drew his sword.
Shing.
The well-forged sword faced Gajei’s greatsword.