“So…” Jang Childeuk continued with difficulty. “You were in the middle of training?”
“Yes.”
“Were you, by any chance, practicing the Gecko Art[1]?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think that’s what it is.”
Gecko Art. I’d seen it a lot in martial arts novels. A technique inspired by the way a lizard climbs a wall? It was similar to the modern sport of climbing, but with two key differences.
First, unlike climbing, it uses internal energy.
Second, there is no safety equipment.
‘This is the Murim, alright. No backing down.’
It was a true man’s martial art, where a fall meant certain death. When I nodded, the two men stared at me as if they were looking at a ghost.
“At this height?”
“Is that even possible?”
“It was.”
When I first heard Cheong Pung’s suggestion, I too had thought it was insane. But when I tried it, it actually worked. It only felt unrealistic because I hadn’t attempted it before; it was no exaggeration to say that my physical body had already entered the realm of a superhuman.
“Aigoo, Third Young Master, what will you do if something terrible happens!” The middle-aged geezer fussed, dusting off my body. Just three minutes ago, he was treating me like a Jiangshi from the Starting Town, but now he was as careful as if I were the only son in three generations of a family.
“Now, now, I think it would be best to stop training for today and return to your quarters.”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask! You were lucky this time, but if you fall one more time, you might really die.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. It’s not the first or second time.”
“Pardon?”
“This is already the fifth time. What’s the big deal?”
“The fifth… time?”
“Yes. Five times.”
His trembling eyes darted between me and the steep cliff.
“H-How on earth are you still alive?”
“It’s fine. There’s a guy who’s fallen more than ten times.”
“……?”
“……?”
“It’s about time for him to fall again… Ah, here he comes.”
I pointed to a spot on the towering cliff. A growing black dot was followed by a piercing scream.
“Kiiiaaaaaaaah! Team Leadeeeeer!”
The two men’s mouths fell open.
“Good heavens, there really was another one.”
“Who is that?”
“My right-hand man. No, my pinky toe.”
“Pardon? What does that mean?”
“No, before that, shouldn’t we save him right now?”
“Save him? Him?”
I shook my head. Hyeok Mujin was also a healthy adult male. Trying to catch him falling from that height would result in more than just a broken bone somewhere.
“Just leave him be. Don’t get involved and get hurt yourselves.”
The two men screamed.
“He’s falling! He’s falling!”
“He’ll die if we leave him like this!”
“He won’t die.”
If he could, he would have died ten times over already. But Hyeok Mujin had a lifeline. A sturdy lifeline that always saved him by a hair’s breadth.
“Kiiiaaaaaaah!”
Hyeok Mujin’s falling scream grew closer by the second until finally, just as his horrified expression became vivid, a streak of light flashed from above. Descending rapidly like a shooting star, it glowed with a faint violet hue.
“Th-That’s…”
“What is it?”
I answered curtly.
“The Purple Mist Divine Arts.”
To be precise, it was someone who had drawn out the Purple Mist Divine Arts. The two men might not be able to see it, but my eyes could clearly see Cheong Pung, enveloped in the unique violet energy of the art. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Woooooah!”
Look at that guy, he’s having the time of his life.
However, apart from his slightly unhinged personality, his abilities were on another level. I clicked my tongue at the scene that followed.
‘How is that even possible?’
Cheong Pung, shooting down like an arrow, snatched Hyeok Mujin’s waist in the blink of an eye. Then, he extended his palm toward the rapidly approaching ground.
PANG! PA-PA-BANG!
Once, twice, three times. With the sound of compressed air exploding, the ground was gouged out. Would it be like this if an invisible giant punched the ground? Each time Cheong Pung unleashed a one palm strike, the frozen earth was overturned, and the rebound force stopped their falling bodies in mid-air. Soon, Cheong Pung’s feet lightly touched the ground.
“Phew, that was fun this time too. Right?”
Hyeok Mujin, already unconscious, let out a groan.
“Heo, heo-eoeo.”
“See, I knew you’d like it.”
In what universe does that look like he’s liking it?
Cheong Pung, who had cheerfully set Hyeok Mujin down, acknowledged me.
“Oh, Benefactor! You’re still here?”
“I fell. Thanks to someone.”
I glared at Cheong Pung. The truth was, I’d had several chances to reach the top. The problem was that the person named Cheong Pung was not of a normal state of mind.
“Hehe, it makes me feel good that you say it’s thanks to me.”
“Shut up! I would have made it up long ago if you hadn’t interfered from above!”
“Gasp! Calm down, Benefactor!”
“Calm down? You should have said that before you started rolling rocks!”
Just think about it. It was tough enough to climb a cliff well over a hundred feet high with bare hands, but whenever I made some progress, boulders the size of a child came rolling down from above. Cheong Pung’s innocent shout was just the cherry on top.
‘Benefactor, a rock is rolling down!’
Only someone who has experienced it can understand. If Shakyamuni Buddha had been in my shoes, he would have strangled that bastard with his prayer beads.
‘Just thinking about it again is pissing me off.’
Maybe I should just charge at him.
Just as I clenched my fist, Hyeok Mujin, who was lying on the ground with only his fingers twitching, shot up with a scream.
“Kiiiaaaaaaaah!”
“Hey, hey. Breathe, breathe. This is the ground.”
“Gasp, haaah, haaah. Am I really alive?”
“Yeah, you brat. You’re still alive.”
“W-Water…”
Cheong Pung offered the bamboo canteen from his waist.
“Here you go.”
“Thank…”
Hyeok Mujin’s body froze as he unconsciously took the canteen. And then, a lion’s roar erupted.
“Hey, you son of a bitch!”
At the sight of Hyeok Mujin flying into a rage with bloodshot eyes, Cheong Pung was startled.
“W-Why are you suddenly doing this to me!”
“You’re asking because you don’t know? Squad Leader, grab that bastard!”
“I’m just doing what my grandfather taught me.”
“Get over here right now!”
“Benefactor, I’ll see you at the top later!”
Cheong Pung, who had hastily backed away from Hyeok Mujin, kicked off the ground.
BOOM! Leaping over ten meters in a single bound, he stuck to the cliff and began to climb using the Gecko Art.
Pat-pat-pat-pat-pak!
A true veteran player.
At the sight of Cheong Pung disappearing rapidly as if he had been walking on all fours since birth, Hyeok Mujin collapsed.
“That… that bastard threw rocks at me… rocks…”
I replied solemnly.
“I know. I saw you falling earlier. It hit you in the eye.”
“He’s a complete madman. He throws things the size of a child’s head.”
“Mine was smaller than that. He also threw dirt at me.”
“Squad Leader. I’ve made up my mind.”
“About what?”
“I won’t give up until I catch that bastard and beat him to a pulp. I swear on the name of a man, Hyeok Mujin.”
Hyeok Mujin’s eyes blazed with fire. It was the first time I had seen him burning with such passion. He had always been a cheerful and easygoing fellow, at least on the surface, whatever he might have been thinking inside.
‘Don’t tell me he was aiming for this?’
Was this all Cheong Pung’s plan to make Hyeok Mujin angry and force him to do his best…? Nah. That nature boy from Mount Hua didn’t have that kind of brain.
‘Well, good is good.’
I tossed a bundle to the fuming Hyeok Mujin.
“Keep this safe in your robes.”
“What is this?”
“Grain pills. I packed them before we started training.”
There was nothing better for replenishing hunger and energy. They were small and light, so they were easy to carry.
“Eat them if you feel your strength giving out on the way up.”
“How am I supposed to eat grain pills when I’m surrounded by a sheer cliff? I’m going to go up right now and kill that bastard with a single strike…”
“You’ll be the one to die with a single strike.”
It seemed he wanted to climb Mount Mang using his newly learned Gecko Art. I smacked the back of Hyeok Mujin’s head.
“Ack!”
“And is the cliff a straight line? There are ledges here and there, so find a spot and eat. Don’t rush and fall. Go slowly, with the mindset of succeeding in one go.”
“Hoo.”
“Let’s go, then.”
“Yes, sir!”
It was when Hyeok Mujin and I stood before the cliff with determined expressions.
“Um…”
“Th-Third Young Master.”
Ah, right. These guys were here too. Jang Childeuk and the middle-aged geezer hesitantly opened their mouths.
“Would it be alright to report to the Lesser Family Head?”
“The matter is what it is. If you were to get injured, Young Master, we would…”
I held up a hand to stop them. I could guess the rest without hearing it. I understand the position of employees better than anyone.
“Report it. But.”
“But?”
“After your shift ends. How much time is left now?”
“About three hours left.”
“That should be enough.”
It had already been half a day since we started climbing the cliff. I intended to conquer this damn cliff within the remaining three hours.
***
This high, steep, nameless cliff had weathered the ages, making some parts rugged and others smooth. There were sections with thick roots or protruding rocks that were easy to grab, but there were also times when I had to hold on by fitting a single finger into a tiny crack.
‘If only I could use internal energy or a weapon, it would be easier.’
Using internal energy could crush hard rock like tofu. If I took out a weapon from my inventory, I could climb by driving daggers in like a staircase. The reason I was going through this trouble instead of taking the easy way was because it was training… but also because every time I tried, Cheong Pung would notice like a ghost and drop rocks.
Tududuk.
A sudden shower of rock dust from above was an ominous sign. Hyeok Mujin and I hastily covered our heads with one arm and shouted.
“I didn’t do it! I really didn’t do anything! Don’t roll rocks!”
“Uwaaaah!”
A pale face peeked out from above.
“Really?”
We nodded like crazy. We hadn’t even made it halfway yet. If we got hit by a stone shower here and fell, the grand declaration I made before climbing would become a dark part of my history.
“Please believe us!”
“Young Warrior Cheong! No, Great Warrior Cheong!”
“My grandfather used to say. There can be no shortcuts in training. Martial arts are obtained through blood and sweat.”
After his long speech, Cheong Pung added a word as if doing us a great favor.
“I’ll let it slide just this once.”
“……!”
“……!”
He’s a real tyrant. Hyeok Mujin and I suppressed our rage and began to climb the cliff again. It was a situation where a single, tiny mistake would send us plummeting back down. Because of this, my senses sharpened, and I had to pay immense attention to each and every finger and toe.
‘If it weren’t winter, I would have made it up long ago…’
The higher I climbed, the steeper the slope became, and the smoother the surface. The cliff was already slippery, but to make matters worse, the sporadic flurries of snow and the wind blowing from the northern highlands had turned the cliff into a giant sheet of ice.
‘I’m stuck. I can’t see a path at all.’
As I gnawed on my lip, something suddenly caught my eye. A crevice in the rock, blocked by a still-unfrozen snowball. It was a small space, barely big enough for one finger. It would be tough, but right now, I had no other choice.
“Hup!”
With a shout, I threw my body. At the same time, I accurately plunged my smallest finger into the crevice.
Plop. My prediction was only half right. I was able to pierce the unfrozen snowball, but the crevice was much shallower than I thought. Just one knuckle’s worth. And with that pinky, I had to support a body weighing nearly 220 pounds.
“Kngg.”
Even for me, this was a bit tough. To make matters worse, my finger was slowly slipping due to the moisture collected in the crevice.
‘If I delay, I fall.’
I was almost there. I regulated my breathing and relaxed the tension in my body. Using my pinky as a support, I lifted my entire body. It was a physical ability worthy of being called superhuman.
Tiring!
- [Strength] has increased by 1.
- [Agility] has increased by 1.
- [Stamina] has increased by 1.
A stat increase at a time like this, too. Just as I was about to smile triumphantly and reach for the next crevice…
“Hup!”
“Squad Leader!”
Dammit, my breathing got messed up at a crucial moment. As I was trying to regulate my breathing again, Hyeok Mujin’s shouts continued.
“Argh! Argh!”
“What are you saying?! I can’t hear you well!”
The fiercely blowing snowstorm scattered both sight and sound. Just as I was about to speak again, a clear shout struck my ears.
“Up! Above you!”
“Up?”
The fact that I could hear Hyeok Mujin’s voice meant the fierce wind had subsided. Only then did my blocked vision and hearing clear up. Following Hyeok Mujin’s gesture, I looked up and finally saw it. A giant boulder falling towards my face.
Fwoooosh!
“Ah, fuck.”
BOOM!
“Wow, to think you’d shatter that huge rock with your bare fists.”
Letting Cheong Pung’s admiration go in one ear and out the other, I collapsed on the ground. Just a moment ago, I only wanted to beat the crap out of that guy, but now I was completely drained.
‘I made it. It’s over!’
As I was cheering internally, unable to lift a single finger, a bluish, frozen hand reached the top.
“Heok. Heo-eok.”
“To succeed in just one day! You are both so amazing!”
If it weren’t for you, we would have succeeded in an hour, you brat.
I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I was too tired to speak. Watching us panting with a sense of accomplishment and fatigue, Cheong Pung bowed deeply.
“You’ve both worked so hard! Since you’ve succeeded once, you’ll be able to climb much faster for the remaining nine times.”
“……?”
“……?”
His words were so shocking that Hyeok Mujin and I forgot to breathe and just stared at him.
‘What did he just say?’
Could it be what I was thinking right now? No way, right? As a man of modern knowledge, I spoke in a calm manner.
“Nine times? What kind of bullshit is that?”
“My grandfather used to say…”
This kid is either a nature boy or a boy detective. At this moment, I couldn’t help but see red, Sword Saint or no.
“So you’re telling us to do this nine more times?”
“Yes!”
“While you throw rocks from up here?”
“Yes!”
“Not happening.”
“Pardon?”
Hyeok Mujin and I lay down on the spot at the same time.
“I said, not happening. I don’t even have the strength to go down. Sue me.”
“You can sue me too, you vicious bastard!”
“Puhehe.”
“…You’re laughing?”
Cheong Pung said with a broad smile, “I’m sorry. It’s just that you look like I did when I first started this training.”
“See! You didn’t want to do it either!”
“No. I thought it was fun and wanted to keep going, but my body wouldn’t follow.”
Hyeok Mujin muttered in a voice low enough for only me to hear.
“…Is he a madman?”
“So I told my grandfather. My legs won’t listen, so can’t I continue tomorrow?”
Cheong Pung, who was reminiscing about his happy past, suddenly drew his sword. At the same time, violet Sword Qi was unleashed.
Slash.
Ice, dirt, rock. Slicing through everything without distinction, Cheong Pung continued.
“And then my grandfather answered. It’s difficult to climb up, but easy to go down. If you just endure for a moment, you’ll be down in no time.”
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The edge of the cliff, a space of about 100 square feet where Hyeok Mujin and I were lying, began to vibrate.
‘Are you for real?’
As we stared blankly, Cheong Pung waved at us.
“Nine more times to go.”
Tiring!