Chapter 20
“Your body is finally starting to form its foundation.”
It had been about a week since Ki Soyul joined us.
As usual, the old man was personally pounding on my body today.
“That means the intensity needs to increase… You understand that much, don’t you?”
“Gaaah! Aaaaagh!”
“Endure it! If you truly are my disciple, you should be able to stay calm even if your flesh is sliced and your bones scraped without anesthesia! Tsk, such a lack of patience!”
Beating.
“This—this is just plain abuse!”
Slice flesh and scrape bone without anesthesia?
What am I, Guan Yu?
“You brat…”
The old man’s mouth twitched.
“To call my ‘Great Supreme Vital Energy Martial Foundation Technique,’ refined through a lifetime, mere ‘violence’—such a crude word. My heart aches from the disrespect. You knew what you signed up for, didn’t you?”
“Wait, hang on, Elder!”
“Silence.”
WHAM! BAM! KA-BOOM!
The old man’s fists blazed like divine fire.
It felt like a volcano had erupted inside my body.
My head spun and my entire body felt like it was plummeting into the abyss.
“GAAAAAAAH!”
It was like my whole body was melting.
And so, for thirty minutes, a so-called “massage” of pure brutality unfolded.
[Skill ‘Pain Resistance’ (C-rank) has upgraded.]
[You have acquired ‘Pain Resistance’ (B-rank).]
[This skill has further potential for growth.]
“……”
Yeah, whatever.
Even though I leveled up again—
I was in so much pain I couldn’t even celebrate.
Tears welled up as I lay sprawled out, staring blankly at the sky.
Swish.
A shadow fell across my vision—it was Ki Soyul’s face.
“…What are you looking at?”
I grumbled out of spite, and she clicked her tongue.
“No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to it. So this is the kind of training you’ve been going through… I finally understand why you’re growing so fast.”
“Ugh, I don’t even have the strength to reply…”
“I’ll stay on guard duty. Do your best.”
I’d told her everything.
About the old man’s techniques and the level of mastery he was aiming for with his magic arts.
Surprisingly, she believed it all without hesitation.
Trust and belief come from truth and actions.
Since I hadn’t lied to her, she trusted me in return.
‘Thankfully, the old man understood too.’
He didn’t care.
Ki Soyul couldn’t even see him anyway.
And it seemed he wasn’t worried about someone else copying his methods—because they simply couldn’t.
Even if she somehow learned all of his magic arts—
He didn’t seem to mind.
He had completely let go of the idea of passing it down to only one person.
To the old man, who had spent so long yearning for a disciple…
Just having someone capable of accepting his full legacy might be a blessing in itself.
‘A deep, icy grudge… can sometimes turn into blazing hope.’
That’s why the old man could be generous now.
In fact, he was hopeful.
Hopeful about me—this connection with “special potential.”
Hopeful that he might finally pass on the magic arts he couldn’t complete in his previous world.
The white-haired master faintly smiled, experiencing something unfamiliar.
“You brat, are you still lying there? There’s thirty minutes left!”
“Yeah, yeah… How could someone like me stay down? I’m up.”
I pulled myself upright, dragging my body.
Whose turn was it today?
I’d gone through Bone One to Bone Five already.
Bone Two trained yesterday.
So today it was Bone Three’s turn.
Creak!
Bone Three stepped forward, eyes full of resolve.
The skeletons were growing stronger by the day.
Their stats had increased a lot.
Skill levels were rising too.
Most were already at Level 8.
‘The issue is…’
As my skeletons grew stronger, I had to keep up too.
‘Status window.’
I called it up mentally.
[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]
[Alias: X]
[Stamina: 50/120]
[Innate Ability: Cursed Necromancer]
[Rank: D]
[Effect]
– You are a necromancer who manipulates the dead. You subdue enemies using fearsome spirits and poison. However, you are cursed.
– You can only summon skeletons.
[Skills Owned]
– ‘Summon Awakened Skeleton’ (D-rank)
– ‘Memory Reenactment’ (S-rank)
– ‘Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts’ (S-rank)
– ‘Pain Resistance’ (B-rank)
– ‘Slash’ (C-rank)
– ‘Thrust’ (C-rank)
– ‘Shoot’ (C-rank)
– ‘Block’ (C-rank)
‘There’s a lot now.’
Thanks to the old man’s training, I’d learned four new skills:
Slash, Thrust, Shoot, and Block.
Techniques I learned from observing Bone One through Bone Four.
‘But I still can’t learn Bone Five’s magic skills.’
Bone Five was a mage.
To learn his skills—
I’d have to use “Qi,” not physical movement, but mental energy.
“Boy, come sit over here and cross your legs like yesterday.”
Swish, swish.
The old man pulled a staff from thin air and scribbled something on the ground.
A pattern made of unfamiliar letters not seen on Earth.
A stream of mysterious light flowed through them like water.
According to the old man—
This was a technique that gathered natural Qi and made it easier to sense.
“I just sit here, right?”
“Recite the formula of the Supreme Azure Mind Method I taught you.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t just chant mindlessly. Focus. Feel how the invisible energy flows.”
“Yes, Elder.”
I closed my eyes.
The old man said Qi was the foundation of all physical power.
If you could master Qi, you could recreate any skill that existed.
It was the first step toward mastering the magic arts.
Watching me, the old man spoke.
“Don’t dismiss this as pointless. This is the most important step. If you can’t feel the Qi while I build your foundation alongside those spirits…”
‘And if I can’t?’
The old man’s grin deepened.
“Then I have no choice. I’ll assume you have no talent and crank the training up even harder.”
‘Yikes.’
So basically—if I couldn’t keep up, he’d beat me even worse.
Classic violent old man.
But still, what could I do?
Just follow orders.
No complaints.
I’d come this far.
And I could definitely feel myself getting stronger.
In fact—
‘I want to get stronger.’
The desire burned hotter than ever.
Watching myself grow every day made it addicting.
“Hoho, that’s a fine expression.”
Satisfied, the old man turned away.
Today was Bone Three’s turn to train his “Rapid Shot” (Lv.8).
There were still 25 minutes left.
—
“Hm…”
Ki Soyul sighed as she watched Joo Donghoon go through his routine again.
‘So he really did become that monstrous old man’s disciple…’
Honestly, she wasn’t sure at first.
A skill that summoned a ghostly old man who teaches you for an hour a day?
She’d never heard of such a thing.
But now, she had no choice but to believe.
She could feel his aura growing by the moment.
Besides, she had eyes and ears.
All that screaming—there was no way it was just acting.
The way his body twisted and reformed through unseen force…
‘It’s horrifying.’
Ki Soyul shook her head.
Even she—someone willing to do anything to grow stronger—found it hard to watch.
Anyone else would’ve given up already.
But this man’s resolve was remarkable.
Just like the fierce determination she saw in his eyes the first day they met—he endured it all.
‘I have to acknowledge it.’
Not all opportunities are created equal.
Only when one has the strength and willpower to accept it—
Does a true “opportunity” take shape.
As a Ranker, Ki Soyul understood that better than anyone.
That’s why she acknowledged Joo Donghoon.
‘I’ll keep watching him for now.’
She stayed by his side.
It wasn’t just about their promise—it was instinct.
Something told her that, if she stayed near him, she might be able to break through her own limits too.
Deep in her heart—
A certain old man’s figure was still imprinted there.
A man who remained unshaken no matter how many times she fought him.
A being as towering as a mountain and as deep as the sea.
His skill was unparalleled.
Whether wielding a sword or a bow—
He was stronger than any Ranker she’d ever met.
‘Even in assassination…’
She, the queen of assassins, had been toyed with by him.
‘So jealous.’
She was honestly envious.
She knew how rare it was to find a good teacher.
No matter your power, intelligence, or wealth—
To truly grow, you need a mentor.
Even if you train for hundreds of days or dive into dungeons for years—
Eventually, you hit a wall.
Just like she did.
That’s why she was excited.
To see how far Joo Donghoon would grow under the old man’s guidance.
She wanted to watch.
To see how high he would rise in the ever-changing Ranker system.
—
In a luxurious mansion.
A figure emerged from a shadowy corner.
It was Goh Jaeyoung—an A-rank assassin from Shadow Severance.
“……”
Gulp.
Even he was nervous enough to swallow.
Before him stood someone powerful enough to burn him to ash with a flick of the finger.
The master of Shadow Severance.
World Rank 92.
Nickname: Hellhound.
Nick Jakan.
“So… you’re saying you need backup because of Ki Soyul?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
After failing the mission, Goh Jaeyoung had already reported everything about Joo Donghoon in detail.
He’d even tried to approach again—
But Ki Soyul’s vigilance made it impossible.
“Hmph. We don’t like getting involved with Parang either.”
Jakan stroked his chin.
Parang had two Rankers.
World Rank 58: the elite archer Ki Parang.
World Rank 380: the Shadow Empress, Ki Soyul.
“Ki Soyul’s one thing, but Ki Parang’s a pain even for me. Shadow Severance has too many enemies. Stirring up trouble won’t end well for us.”
At those words, Goh Jaeyoung’s expression shook.
“Apologies. I should’ve dealt with it before Ki Soyul got involved…”
“Hmph.”
Jakan tapped his thigh with a finger.
A habit he had when deep in thought.
“…Is this ‘opportunity’ really enough to mess with a Ranker over?”
“It is. Even someone as prickly as Ki Soyul took interest—it has to be.”
“Fair point.”
Ki Soyul was infamous even among Rankers.
She never bowed to anyone.
And her obsession with dungeons was unmatched.
“Yeah… it’s tempting.”
Snap!
Jakan snapped his fingers.
Swoosh!
An assassin appeared at his side.
His personal assistant.
“You called, sir?”
“What’s our schedule look like?”
“The next month is fully booked.”
“One month, huh…”
Jakan turned back to Goh Jaeyoung.
“You said his name was Joo Donghoon? What’s his rank?”
“E-rank.”
“He’s still got a long way to go.”
No matter how good the opportunity, growth takes time.
No one jumps from F-rank to S-rank overnight.
Jakan nodded decisively.
“Alright. Clear my schedule in one month. I’ll go see for myself.”
If Ki Soyul was the only one protecting him—
Then it was doable.
Or so Jakan thought.