A power he had never possessed before had awakened, and the Solar Divine Technique emerged as a mystery.
On top of that, his mana capacity had increased by 10.
“Is this a counter…?”
No matter how much young Kim Seo-jun searched through his memories, there was no clue that could explain this situation.
The accepted truth in this world was that a Hunter could awaken only one mystery.
But Kim Seo-jun had awakened two mysteries.
Without any sign or indication.
He had merely done his best to interrogate and investigate for the sake of his parents.
“Could it be…?”
A sudden thought came to mind.
On this Earth, internal energy didn’t really exist, but Kim Seo-jun used his past experiences and knowledge to form his dantian, cultivating internal energy.
Perhaps the formation of that internal energy was the trigger that awakened the Solar Divine Technique as a mystery?
“If that’s the case, then other martial arts could also be awakened as mysteries…”
Thoughts kept piling up.
If he started seriously learning other martial arts, maybe he could awaken them as mysteries like he did with the Solar Divine Technique.
“First, let’s figure out what kind of mystery the Solar Divine Technique is.”
Kim Seo-jun looked up the explanation for the Solar Divine Technique.
[Solar Divine Technique]
- Accumulates the natural energy collected through breathing into the dantian to strengthen the body or release powerful destructive energy externally when needed.
- Cooldown time: None
- Usage penalty: Rapid decline of internal organ function due to oxygen vaporization within cells
It was exactly the effect of the Solar Divine Technique that Kim Seo-jun knew. But there was no cooldown time.
“So it can be used constantly.”
Becoming a mystery hadn’t changed anything about its use.
Thanks to the oxygen poisoning young Kim Seo-jun had, the usage penalty was cleanly resolved.
But as a mystery, his mana capacity increased, and he was now able to measure his internal energy numerically.
“Does this mean there’s a way to increase mana capacity without absorbing mana stones?”
That was a huge advantage.
In this world, there were only three ways to increase mana capacity.
One was to kill monsters and ingest mana stones that came from their hearts.
The second was to constantly use and expand mana capacity slowly but steadily.
The third was to improve the proficiency of mysteries.
“Every time proficiency increases by 20%, mana capacity goes up by 5%, right?”
At 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% proficiency, an additional 5% of the current mana capacity was granted.
Though no awakened person had yet surpassed 90% proficiency worldwide, it was already proven that this effect worked up to 80%.
Anyway, since Kim Seo-jun’s mana capacity increased by a fixed amount when he awakened martial arts as mysteries, a fourth method of increasing mana capacity had come into existence.
In truth, increasing mana capacity through mana stones was not an easy task.
Mana stones didn’t always drop just because monsters were slain, and not all mana stones were equal.
The lowest grade of mana stones was Red. Next was Orange, then Yellow.
Simply put, mana stones were graded like a rainbow spectrum.
It had been 34 years since the Rift appeared and monsters began to emerge, but no mana stones above Indigo (dark blue) had ever been found.
Yet, just one Indigo mana stone could instantly elevate a Hunter with C-grade mana capacity to A-grade, making its effect tremendous.
Because of this, all Hunters in the world had to kill monsters relentlessly to increase their mana capacity.
But Kim Seo-jun could increase his mana capacity simply by awakening martial arts as mysteries, without needing to hunt for mana stones.
He now had a reason not to go hunting.
Moreover, as mysteries awakened, he could even see the proficiency level of martial arts, so it was definitely necessary to awaken martial arts as mysteries.
“Let’s do it.”
Kim Seo-jun prioritized the strongest martial arts from those stored in his mind and decided to train them to awaken them as mysteries.
Whether it was really possible to awaken mysteries just by training was yet unknown.
But even if not, simply training martial arts was a great opportunity to become stronger, so he had more than enough reason to start.
His mind vividly remembered countless martial arts.
Among internal energy techniques, the Solar Divine Technique was both the strongest and the most dangerous, and he had many powerful martial arts using weapons like swords, sabers, and spears.
Kim Seo-jun first narrowed down three martial arts.
The sword technique he was most familiar with from the previous world, Suragukseon.
The lightning-fast step capable of easily breaking through any encirclement, Biroe Sinb.
And the heavenly bow technique, Cheongungsi, capable of unleashing devastating firepower from any distance.
“If I master these three properly, even A-rank monsters would be a joke to fight.”
That was true.
Even if the rift opened and monsters appeared right now, Kim Seo-jun could easily handle C-rank, and even B-rank monsters using just the Solar Divine Technique and his natural energy output.
If his mana capacity and internal energy increased enough, he could gain the power to take on S-rank monsters beyond A-rank.
“Where should I train?”
Training at the academy while avoiding the gaze of others was out of the question, and the playground or park in the apartment complex wasn’t suitable either.
Training indoors was just stupid.
“For now, let’s try the rooftop.”
The apartment rooftop was the best option at the moment.
If he trained using internal energy, noise could get reported, or the rooftop might collapse, so he had to be careful.
“From now on, after classes end, I’ll come straight back to train.”
He had hoped to enjoy this peaceful and quiet new life, but reality was not so easy.
In both the previous world and this one, if you wanted to protect and enjoy something, you had to be strong yourself.
Otherwise, you couldn’t protect your life, family, or anything else.
****
The next morning.
Kim Seo-jun climbed to the apartment rooftop at dawn.
It was the moment when dawn was just breaking, and the cold chill of early morning weighed heavily on his body.
Shaking off the stiffness, Kim Seo-jun stretched to wake up and immediately recalled the martial arts he had planned to practice the night before.
“Starting with Suragukseon.”
There was a long sword at home that his father had used in his prime, but he couldn’t use it without his father’s permission.
It was a weapon his father treasured dearly, not an ordinary sword.
So he took a tennis racket.
It weighed about 320 grams.
Compared to the weight of swords or sabers, it was insufficient, but it was usable.
Ideally, he should use a master-crafted sword with a precisely balanced center of gravity, but under the current circumstances, the tennis racket would have to do.
Suragukseon was an extreme quick sword technique.
There were separate footwork steps for wielding the sword, and after the sword’s strike, the technique used swift, confusing movements to distract the opponent’s gaze and slash at the target like a flash.
In the previous world where 29-year-old Kim Seo-jun lived, Suragukseon was known as the “Swordsmanship of Millennia,” a powerful technique that poured everything into a single attack.
That didn’t mean it was unsuitable for long battles.
Suragukseon was a one-hit-all-in technique but also had considerable sustain power to continuously harass the opponent if the first strike failed.
The key to mastering Suragukseon was concentration.
A lightning-fast sword move executed the moment a weak point was detected in complete stillness.
Kim Seo-jun gripped the tennis racket and focused all his mind to imprint Suragukseon into his body.
Standing with the racket, he faced the rising sun.
Without moving, one minute passed, then three.
Sweat formed on his forehead just from standing still with intense concentration.
At that moment, when he forced himself not to blink so as not to miss the split-second moment…
The cold wind of dawn swept over Kim Seo-jun’s body.
A small leaf was blown by the wind.
It settled right between the rising sun and Kim Seo-jun.
Spot.
Kim Seo-jun moved his hand.
The heavy tennis racket sliced through the leaf, tearing it halfway and sending the pieces fluttering in midair.
“Damn, can’t be satisfied with the first strike, huh?”
Kim Seo-jun gritted his teeth.
If this was a proper Suragukseon, the leaf would have been cleanly split in two and fallen to the ground.
But the leaf was barely torn and still danced in the wind.
Still, anyone who saw it would be amazed.
Kim Seo-jun wasn’t wielding a sword but a tennis racket, and he had sliced a light leaf that fluttered even in the gentlest breeze.
Without using any mystery power, he cut a leaf floating in midair with a racket?
This was an astonishing sword technique even an A-rank Hunter couldn’t perform.
Kim Seo-jun repeated Suragukseon’s footwork several more times the same way.
Then he swung the tennis racket left and right, matching precise sword stances.
The movements were simple—strike, stab, diagonal slash—but the concentration in each motion was immense.
After 30 minutes, Kim Seo-jun’s entire body was soaked in sweat.
The heat inside his body was not only because he constantly used the Solar Divine Technique but mainly because of the intense concentration needed to train Suragukseon.
“Phew… I guess that’s enough for the first day.”
He took a deep breath, slipped the racket into his belt, and descended the rooftop.
Shortly after he left, two torn pieces of leaf fluttering in the wind collided with the rooftop’s ventilation duct. Suddenly,
Patsusss.
The leaf split into hundreds of pieces and scattered in all directions.
*****
“Where are you off to this early?”
He ran into his father in front of the house.
Kim Joo-hyeok was on his way to work despite it being Saturday.
“Just some morning exercise.”
“Massage, and now tennis too?”
Kim Joo-hyeok’s eyes landed on the tennis racket at his waist.
“Tennis is the best for strengthening my energy.”
“Take it easy. Even exercise can be harmful if you overdo it.”
“Yes. I’m not overdoing it, so don’t worry. By the way… come with me. Today, I’ll take you all the way down to the first floor.”
Kim Seo-jun led his father to the elevator.
“Heh, why has this kid been so weird since yesterday? Just act like yourself, like always.”
Young Kim Seo-jun deeply cared for his family but was shy about showing it outwardly. So his current forwardness felt somewhat strange to Kim Joo-hyeok.
“Guess he’s finally growing up, even if late.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d hear that from Kim Seo-jun.”
“You’re in your mid-forties now. Isn’t life supposed to start at 40?”
Kim Seo-jun smirked as he stepped into the elevator.
Pressing the button for the basement first-floor parking lot, he glanced at his father, who stood nearby with a faint smile.
The chubby face and body had lost half their weight overnight.
The pot belly that had been hidden under his shirt was now proudly sticking out as he did his morning exercises.
“Losing weight really makes you look better, huh?”
“Hmm? Have I lost that much weight?”
Kim Joo-hyeok seemed to have forgotten he was once overweight before the interrogations.
“I’ll give you another massage next Friday.”
“Really? Then I guess I shouldn’t work overtime that day. Maybe I should get your mother to buy a massage bed?”
Kim Joo-hyeok was looking forward to the massage his son gave him.
He even wanted to prepare a special bed for a more comfortable massage.
“Try not to work too much overtime. No matter how important money is, a company that works people to death isn’t normal.”
“Don’t worry about me. If it were the kind of company that treats employees like that, I wouldn’t have lasted nearly 20 years.”
“It’s not the company’s fault; it’s your friend who’s the problem.”
Kim Seo-jun targeted Go Tae-hwan, the vice guild master of the Hyunmu Guild.
He had never met him in person but disliked him because he was Go Han-seok’s father and a boss who troubled Kim Joo-hyeok.
“That’s…”
Kim Joo-hyeok hesitated.
He knew full well.
Although the Hyunmu Guild showed a friendly attitude toward Kim Joo-hyeok, one of its founding members, life at work was getting harder because of his friend, Vice Guild Master Go Tae-hwan.
“Actually, yesterday I knocked Go Han-seok out.”
“Knocked out Go Han-seok? Did you fight?”
Kim Joo-hyeok was surprised to hear the name of Go Han-seok, Kim Seo-jun’s classmate and Go Tae-hwan’s son.
“It wasn’t a fight. We sparred as practice. I just ended up knocking him unconscious.”
Kim Seo-jun had taken the elevator with his father specifically to tell him this story.
He wanted his father to be prepared so he wouldn’t get caught off guard if anything happened.
Kim Joo-hyeok’s expression stiffened upon hearing that Kim Seo-jun had beaten Go Han-seok.
“How badly was Han-seok hurt?”
Only now did Kim Joo-hyeok understand why Go Tae-hwan had hurried off somewhere the previous evening.
Go Tae-hwan’s beloved son, Go Han-seok, had been knocked out by a classmate during lessons, so he had rushed away.
“He flew about 10 meters, and I think he even foamed at the mouth a bit.”
“That wasn’t a normal spar, then. Can you tell me why you had to go that far?”
Kim Joo-hyeok looked directly at his son with a neutral expression.
“He… crossed the line. That’s all.”
Kim Seo-jun couldn’t bring himself to say that Go Han-seok insulted and mocked his father.
Unexpectedly, rather than getting angry and scolding him, Kim Joo-hyeok quietly placed his hand on Kim Seo-jun’s shoulder.
He gently squeezed his shoulder and patted his back.
“Good job.”
“W… what?”
“That bastard crossed the line, right? Then it’s okay to break an arm or a leg. And… as long as it’s not you who gets hurt.”
Kim Joo-hyeok could easily imagine the situation.
Go Han-seok, son of his friend Go Tae-hwan.
He had heard plenty about Go Han-seok’s personality as he grew up.
Like his father, Go Tae-hwan, Go Han-seok was known for stopping at nothing to achieve his goals.
The rumor was that he even inherited the same ruthless methods.
So Go Han-seok crossed the line with his own son?
No wonder.
He must have insulted Kim Joo-hyeok directly.
That’s why Kim Seo-jun couldn’t hold back and beat him so fiercely.
Kim Joo-hyeok had to praise his son.
Even if this caused more resentment from Go Tae-hwan at work, it didn’t matter.
“Father…”
“That expression on your face — you don’t think I’m scolding you because I’m worried about work, do you? Silly.”
“Am I supposed to feel okay crying like this?”
“That’s not your problem. I’m just satisfied as long as you and your mother live healthy and happy. I don’t worry about anything else.”
Kim Joo-hyeok smiled.
He reassured his son not to worry and praised him for doing well.
His father’s attitude made Kim Seo-jun’s heart ache once again.
At that moment, the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
They had arrived at the basement parking lot.
“Here, take this.”
Kim Joo-hyeok took out four 50,000-won bills from his wallet and handed them to Kim Seo-jun.
“Since it’s the weekend, go somewhere nice and eat well. Don’t stay out too late worrying about your mother.”
“……”
Kim Seo-jun stood quietly holding the bills.
“A man must have a spirit that pierces the heavens and, above all, a strong conviction.
Helping the weak and ensuring the strong don’t oppress the weak — that’s what a real man must do.”
“I… understand.”
“Don’t just say it, do it. If you don’t, there’s no worse scoundrel than that.”
Kim Joo-hyeok smiled wryly as he pressed the elevator button and jumped out just as the doors closed.
“Son, stay strong.”
He clenched his fist and even struck a fighting pose.
Kim Seo-jun smiled brightly back at his father.
“You too, Father.”