Chapter 42: Ultimate Vessel

Skin began to peel away.

All the impurities within my body began to pour out.

My body was being purified.

It reached a point where even evil energy wouldn’t dare to invade.

*Crack, snap.*

The body that was known for being weak began to undergo a full-scale transformation.

Bones realigned themselves, shifting into a form perfectly suited for martial arts.

My meridians widened.

A new Danjeon formed and began to expand.

Transcendence!

It was the fortuitous encounter that every martial artist yearned for.

My body began to change into the ultimate vessel for martial arts, fueled by the evil energy and internal strength accumulated throughout my entire frame!

*Ssssssss—*

At the same time, something completely unexpected occurred.

‘How?!’

There was no time for shock. Four circles suddenly began to rotate in response.

Synchronizing with the internal strength flowing through my body, they began to draw in the surrounding mana.

*Vrummmmmm—*

The magic circle holding the stone soldiers in place began to shatter first.

Without mana, a magic circle cannot function.

However, this was not a crisis.

—You… die…

The stone soldiers created by magic also crumbled simultaneously.

The mana within the magic circles embedded in the stone soldiers was being torn apart as well.

The mana in my circles began to draw in energy from even further away.

“Oh… damn it. Get back!”

“Crazy!”

The three who had followed me stood there staring blankly, and there was also the sarcophagus covered in all sorts of evil energy that couldn’t be avoided in time.

*Cr-cr-crunch—*

The sarcophagus made of stone began to be crushed.

As the evil energy that allowed the sarcophagus to exist was pulled away, it could no longer hold its shape.

The sarcophagus was not merely made of stone.

What mattered was the meaning within it—the magic circle was what was important.

The four circles, which were pulling in everything in the vicinity, targeted the magic circle embedded in the sarcophagus.

Even the knowledge and purpose contained within that sarcophagus were drawn into me without filter.

‘So that’s what it was…’

The purpose of the sarcophagus’s existence was the resurrection of the being inside.

Its reason for being was to endlessly suck in those with mana and use that mana to revive the one within.

To resurrect at any time, he had embedded everything he owned into the sarcophagus.

The stone soldiers were just one part of what had been created with his knowledge.

‘…Was he a black mage?’

Memories of Energy Drain, the methods of creating golems, and the knights who had been slaughtered like mad for human experimentation all seeped into my mind.

—You! You! How dare you!

The will of the being contained within the sarcophagus was also present.

—Hmph, actually, this works out better. If it’s a body like this, it might be worth inhabiting…

He was greedy.

He surged his will as if he were going to devour me right then and there.

He thought it would be better to be resurrected in my young body if he was going to come back anyway.

However, the Murim was full of people like this. There were countless individuals who dreamed of resurrection through the secret arts of the Blood Sect.

And furthermore…

‘I have more than enough experience with this.’

I was accustomed to the life of living not as a single spirit, but as multiple spirits.

—W-What on earth… is this…

*Gasp.*

Jegal Hyeon, Kim Seonggeon, and Rayrn Ophern. The three were one, and they were all me.

This was not a body to be taken by someone who had lived only a single life, or by someone who had lived as a parasite on another’s power.

I was Jegal Hyeon, who had left a mark on the Murim even without Mugong, and I was Kim Seonggeon, who had ended his life with nothing but fierce intensity.

Furthermore, I was the one currently living to resolve all those lingering regrets.

—What are you!!!!

‘Ref… Quiet.’

Apart from physical power, I crushed the creature’s will with the strength of my spirit alone.

That was enough.

A battle of will against will can end overwhelmingly, unlike a battle of strength against strength.

It only required a brief moment of time.

That will, which had even forgotten its own name, should never have attempted to enter me.

It should have hidden itself in another place it had prepared instead.

The mistake was being blinded by greed, thinking it could take over my body.

—…Guwaaark.

‘I’ll use it well until the very end.’

I began to absorb all those secrets, knowledge, and experiences as if I were devouring them.

—N-No, absolutely not!

‘Yes. It’s happening.’

My experience in creating golems deepened. My understanding of magic grew more profound.

*Vrummmmmm—*

The fourth circle, which had been clumsily formed, became more solid. All the circles grew thicker. My mana became deeper.

As the experience of another person was added, my spirit became more profound.

‘A fortuitous encounter.’

Simultaneously, my understanding of the human body deepened. By understanding the anatomy of a knight, my understanding of Aura grew deeper.

And understanding Aura was equivalent to understanding internal strength.

Everything was triggered. That was the beginning and the end.

*Pop, crackle, snap.*

The final stage of Transcendence. The tuning of my entire body concluded at once.

“Whew…”

‘My vision is higher.’

Transcendence had created a body more suitable for martial arts.

To make it fit for Mugong, my internal strength had grown my body in an instant.

It had deemed my previous body insufficient.

The fact that my line of sight had risen was proof of that.

‘Good…’

*Thump, thump.*

My heart beat fiercely. Vitality overflowed through my body. It felt as if I could move further and faster if I ran.

Now, this body would not tire easily, even with intense movement.

Even if I did get tired, I would recover more quickly. I had attained the ultimate body.

“Ha… I didn’t expect to obtain it like this.”

I had gained the healthy body I had yearned for in my past life much faster than expected.

‘If Jegal Hyeon could speak, wouldn’t he say ‘I am satisfied’?’

It felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. It felt like one of the regrets from my previous life had been completely resolved.

The moment I felt my transformed body, Gajei’s cautious voice reached me, as if he thought everything was over.

“W-What on earth happened?”

He and his companions were staring at me blankly.

When I looked at them, they flinched and unconsciously took on a respectful posture.

‘They’re either scared, or they sensed a portion of my power.’

Either way, it wasn’t a bad direction for me. Judging by the current atmosphere, they needed to understand the situation as well.

Since they had seen me deal with the undead and change while absorbing that power, there were no better witnesses.

“This Dungeon itself was a trap.”

“A trap?”

I nodded and pointed toward where the sarcophagus had been.

*Crumble—*

Inside the shattered sarcophagus, a skeleton was turning into dust and scattering.

“Yes. That’s the trap. This place existed to obtain sacrifices to gather mana for that person’s resurrection.”

“Does that mean…”

“If we hadn’t overcome it on our end, we all would have had our mana drained and died.”

“How could that…”

“The undead that died out are all proof of that.”

I swallowed the explanation that the Skeleton Warriors and zombies we had faced earlier must have all died that way.

The explanation wasn’t necessary.

They looked at me, then back and forth between the sarcophagus and the now-motionless stone soldiers.

That was enough.

The three of them, including Gajei, understood my words.

“We lived thanks to the Young Master.”

“I suppose so.”

Young Master. They didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding the fact that they had realized I was the child of a Noble Family.

‘Well, that’s fine.’

I saved their lives; would it be right to just accept a thank you and call it even?

“You dragged me here saying you found a new Dungeon, but you actually brought me to a place that was essentially a death trap. What would have happened if I hadn’t won?”

“That’s…”

“Isn’t a Dungeon a place where you originally come at the risk of your life?”

Sian countered on Gajei’s behalf.

“True. Sometimes a Dungeon is a place where you don’t know what might happen. Especially when it comes to things like distribution. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“…”

I saw it clearly. The bodies of the three flinched.

“There’s nothing as profitable as swindling a clumsy Young Master. Yes, indeed…”

“T-That’s…”

“Sian!”

She trembled involuntarily. I pushed them even further.

“There’s always someone better than you. And many times, you have to pay a higher price than you thought. I wonder what the price of your lives will be?”

It was time to collect payment.

The momentum, the situation, and the power—everything had shifted to me. There was no need to persuade them. I was the one holding their life threads.

However…

‘There’s no motivation if I only grab and shake them. Motivation is key.’

It’s difficult to get proper service out of people if you only swing them around with coercion.

“W-Whatever it is, just give the order.”

“I will give you my full loyalty.”

“Sigh… I will follow.”

Even if they said those words, it wouldn’t be strange for them to betray me whenever the situation went wrong. I had to tell them what kind of benefits they would gain by following me. For instance…

“I don’t need the magic stones that came from the monsters. I’ll have more than enough of those in the future.”

“Could it be… all of us…?”

“At least that much.”

Tying them down with wealth was one method.

“Wow…”

I didn’t miss the sparkle in Sian’s eyes.

‘Sian values money.’

Compensation always makes people move.

“If you listen well, all your equipment will probably improve too.”

“Like the knights?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…”

Next was Hoden. For him, it was equipment.

As a swordsman, he was obsessed with good gear. And for good reason. For a mercenary, good equipment was like a lifeline. Only one remained. I looked directly at Gajei, the one I desired most among the three.

“And I can also teach you how to become stronger.”

“Like you, Young Master?”

“Pfft. As much as me… it’s theoretically possible. Whether you reach it will depend on your own effort.”

“That is more than enough.”

Finally, Gajei was obsessed with strengthening his own body.

His eyes shone enough to be visible even from here. Whether it was Mugong or an Aura breathing technique, if given to him, he would become stronger somehow. He would work himself to death and swing his sword.

It was just that the opportunity hadn’t been given; there are people everywhere who will put in the effort if given the chance. Gajei was exactly like that.

Even if he lacked talent and couldn’t reach that level, it didn’t matter.

‘I can just help him.’

If he was such a desirable talent, I was willing to help him multiple times.

It didn’t matter if I obtained them impulsively. Sometimes these coincidences led to deep connections. I had already experienced such connections several times in my previous life.

“Good. As long as you move properly, I’ll let you obtain as much as you need.”

“…In that case, I will serve you with all my heart.”

“Just remember that sentiment.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Patting Gajei on the shoulder, I surveyed the surroundings.

‘There it is.’

I had destroyed everything around me while undergoing that grand Transcendence. The magic circle on the sarcophagus was destroyed, so there was no way the teleportation circle would have survived.

Instead, there was a hidden entrance that existed before the magic circle was made.

‘One shot should do it.’

I raised my Aura and swung my fist.

*BOOM! Rumble—*

The stone wall crumbled. The place revealed outside was a deep cave.

*Screeeech!*

A flock of bats and small monsters in the cave welcomed us.

“…This is interesting.”

It had only been a single day. During that time, I had accomplished and changed many things. Now it was time to return. I had obtained better things than expected.

People, a fortuitous encounter, and even a place suitable for my plans. It was perfect.

“First, let’s get out of here.”

*Screee!*

*Crunch!*

I crushed a monster that lunged at me and charged forward.