Chapter 130: Kim Min-soo (3)

The Murim of the Dawn Continent was divided into five regions, each controlled by a major force.

The central Yellow Dragon Temple, the western White Tiger Manor, the eastern Azure Dragon Alliance, the southern Vermilion Bird Palace, and the northern Black Tortoise Sect.

The Black Tortoise Sect was one of the five pillars of the Murim of the Dawn Continent, and the ruler of the northern region.

The one who led such a Black Tortoise Sect was No Yuk.

The Profound Heaven Sword King. The Sect Leader of the Black Tortoise Sect and the absolute ruler of the North.

Even across the entire Dawn Continent, there were no more than five martial artists who could compare to him.

He had been wandering around, thinking the continent was too small, when he happened to see five masters of the Supreme Peak level moving together toward some unknown place and decided to approach them.

“We're going to avenge my brother.”

Even No Yuk had heard of Neungjo, the sworn brother of Yang Woo-geom. He also knew he used the absurd alias, Dragon-Slaying Blade.

But Neungjo wasn't the one who caught No Yuk’s interest.

‘They said Neungjo was defeated in a single exchange?’

Whether it was because he let his guard down and died or because he fought properly and still lost—No Yuk didn’t care. What mattered was that someone on Neungjo's level died in a single strike.

He had believed the world too small to have any surprises left, so it amazed him that a master he didn’t know existed.

Since it had happened in the White Forest, perhaps it was a genius from one of the minority tribes living scattered throughout that region.

No Yuk could crush someone like Neungjo in an instant. But the fact that an unknown master did so piqued his interest.

So No Yuk accompanied Yang Woo-geom and the other martial artists, eventually arriving at the village of the White Horn Tribe.

The first feeling he had upon seeing the man emerging from the village was one of strangeness.

The man came out smiling broadly, as if happy to see them, and something about him felt off.

Seemingly unconcerned about being outnumbered or about the strength of his opponents, he silently drew his sword, ready to fight.

While Yang Woo-geom was flustered by the absurd attitude, No Yuk stepped forward to handle the man himself.

The moment he revealed his energy and pressed down on the man, No Yuk realized something was wrong.

He thought he had just encountered a madman, so his judgment was slightly delayed.

A mistake he would never normally make. He had been swept up by Jang Woo-hyun’s presence.

‘I can’t read his energy.’

He couldn’t gauge the man’s skill. Even if he was hiding his strength, unless he was stronger than No Yuk, it shouldn't have been perfectly concealed—but this man named Jang Woo-hyun hid it completely.

Before he could process the strangeness or gather his thoughts—

“I’ll go first.”

Jang Woo-hyun was the one to speak up first.

And at the same time, a tremendous force erupted.

His thoughts couldn’t continue. No Yuk simply obeyed his instincts and drew his sword.

Jjeooeong!

“Keugh!”

He grimaced under the impact that felt like it would shatter his sword and stepped back to absorb the shock.

‘What the….’

He hadn’t even seen the movement. A speed he had never experienced before.

His instincts had merely screamed danger, prompting him to raise his sword. It wasn’t a reaction—if he had been even a little slower, his face might have been crushed.

Retreating about ten steps, he quickly scanned the surroundings.

“Ggghhh…”

“Urgh…”

Yang Woo-geom and his group lay shattered on the ground.

It was inevitable. There was no way they could have withstood an attack even No Yuk had barely blocked.

As his arms trembled, No Yuk infused Internal Energy into them and searched for his opponent. Jang Woo-hyun was already standing far behind them.

“Not enough.”

Seeing Jang Woo-hyun frown with dissatisfaction, No Yuk was gripped by fear.

‘A monster.’

He thought the man was something wearing the mask of a human. That was someone he could never defeat.

“I’m going straight for it.”

“…!”

As Jang Woo-hyun vanished with his words, No Yuk immediately raised his sword.

Kwaaang!

“Grahhh!”

Even though he knew it was coming, it was still difficult to block. He was blown backward by the overwhelming impact. Though it was just a punch, he had to defend with everything he had.

After rolling several times, No Yuk barely managed to stand up.

As he watched him, Jang Woo-hyun finally opened his mouth.

“What’s your name?”

“No Yuk. I am No Yuk. Are you of the White Horn Tribe, sir?”

Jang Woo-hyun’s strength made No Yuk’s tone change. This was not someone he could treat casually.

“No, I’m not of the White Horn Tribe.”

“Then, are you from another minority tribe of the White Forest?”

“No, I’m just…”

Jang Woo-hyun paused to think of how to phrase it.

“Just a wandering traveler, you could say.”

“…You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s true.”

Jang Woo-hyun looked straight at No Yuk with a calm expression. After holding eye contact for a while, No Yuk cautiously spoke.

“Then, are you affiliated with the Thunder Sect?”

“Thunder Sect? What’s that?”

Once again, No Yuk examined Jang Woo-hyun’s face. It wasn’t a lie—he genuinely didn’t know.

‘Not from the minority tribes of the White Forest, nor from the Thunder Sect… where did such a monster come from…?’

His complete lack of identity only made him more terrifying.

“You said your name was No Yuk, right? I have a request.”

Hearing the word "request," No Yuk cautiously asked,

“You’ll spare my life?”

“You didn’t come here for revenge, did you? You seem different from the others.”

“…That’s true.”

“Then, just leave for today and bring the others with you.”

“The others…?”

“There must be others with strength similar to yours, right? I’d like you to come back with them next time.”

Those on the same level as No Yuk were all Sect Leaders or Grand Elders of the major sects. Jang Woo-hyun was saying he would face all the top figures of Murim at once.

It was an insulting thing to say, yet, considering what he had just witnessed, it didn’t seem impossible.

“…Why should I do that?”

“Then should I go to them?”

At his smiling words, No Yuk trembled.

‘That monster leaving the White Forest and heading to the central continent?’

It would be a disaster. Like a natural catastrophe. Countless martial artists would die or be wounded. A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood would form.

‘I don’t have a choice.’

There was never a real option to begin with. No Yuk could only hope that Jang Woo-hyun wouldn’t rampage.

A moment later, No Yuk, having organized his thoughts, opened his mouth.

"About two months from now, I’ll return.”

“Alright.”

Jang Woo-hyun gave a firm nod, seemingly pleased with the answer.

He didn’t know how vast this world was, nor did he have time to wander aimlessly. His goal for now was to speak with Kim Min-soo’s Projection and return to the Central Heavens.

So if masters came to him of their own accord, he could only be grateful.

‘Besides, just one isn’t enough.’

No Yuk alone wasn’t satisfactory. After a few exchanges, he might just die.

“Then, may I leave now?”

No Yuk, still holding his sword and gauging the situation, moved to exit the White Forest when Jang Woo-hyun gave a nod.

“Aren’t you taking them with you?”

“They’re not my companions. I’ll be off then.”

Without so much as a glance at the martial artists strewn across the ground, No Yuk departed.

Jang Woo-hyun watched his retreating back, then pondered how he should deal with those left on the ground.

Another half-month passed, and Jang Woo-hyun had mostly recovered.

Leaving the village of the White Horn Tribe, he arrived at the cave where he could meet Kim Min-soo’s Projection.

Standing before the cave wall, he infused Internal Energy—far more than before—all at once. The wall and floor began to glow, a pillar rose from one side, and Kim Min-soo’s Projection appeared.

“Long time no see.”

Waving his hand enthusiastically as though greeting an old friend, Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, your skills are better than I expected. Where did we leave off last time?”

“You said you had prepared something.”

“That’s right. So, what I had prepared was—”

“Wait a moment. Before that, I have a few questions.”

“Alright. Let’s clear up your curiosity first.”

As he followed Kim Min-soo’s trail, Jang Woo-hyun began asking what had been on his mind.

“Why did you write the characters that way? Only we could even recognize them.”

“Someone else might read them. Sure, Hangul is superior, but you never know what exists in this world. There are strange monsters and even Immortals. It’d be foolish to think there’s not a single smart one among them. The way I wrote it makes it hard to recognize patterns or rules. That’s why.”

“That’s why the Demonic Divine Fist was written like that?”

“Exactly. Why? Did you think there was another reason?”

He had assumed it was written like that half-jokingly, but it turned out Kim Min-soo had put a lot of thought into it.

“How much is there?”

Instead of saying ‘I thought it was a joke,’ Jang Woo-hyun changed the subject.

“My records, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure exactly. Probably over a hundred.”

“That many?”

“I tried to leave as much as possible. They could disappear or break.”

Hearing the word ‘break,’ Jang Woo-hyun recalled something.

“Do you remember the monument you sent to the Central Plains?”

“Monument? Oh, the record I left. It helped you ascend, didn’t it? I’m glad you found it. It was hard to send.”

While he looked proud, Jang Woo-hyun poured cold water on it.

“What did it say?”

“Huh… I thought you knew?”

“I don’t. It was too broken to read.”

“Then what about the guy? The Silver Giant you meet during Ascension. How did you deal with it?”

“I fought it, but it wouldn’t die. I tried running, got attacked, and fell to the Central Heavens. I think I couldn’t reach the place most Ascendants end up.”

“…”

“I figured it was about that guy, but what did you write?”

“It doesn’t attack if you ignore it. It only reacts to killing intent or a will to attack. So I wrote not to respond to it.”

“…Then fighting it was pointless.”

“You wouldn’t have stood a chance at that level anyway… Must’ve been rough.”

“It wasn’t just rough—I nearly died. But how did you find out how it behaves?”

Kim Min-soo explained that during his Ascension, he was so nervous he didn’t pay attention to the Silver Giant. Since he didn’t pay attention, no fight occurred.

However, while trying to send a Projection down to the Lower Realm, he got entangled with the Silver Giant and learned its nature.

“Why would something so pointless exist?”

He didn’t understand. If Ascenders were its targets, it should just attack.

“Who knows. Anyway, I learned its traits and sent that monument later. Hoping it would help a bit.”

“What about sending a Projection to the Central Plains?”

He asked, thinking it would’ve been easier to send a Projection like now rather than a monument.

“I couldn’t send a Projection to the Lower Realm I came from. That monument was all I could manage. It felt like something was blocking the descent. That’s probably why there’s so little info on Ascension in the Lower Realm. It’s hard to relay it back. And it’s only someone like me who tried. Most people, once they ascend, don’t care about the Lower Realm. They act like they’ve left everything behind. Almost everyone I’ve spoken with is like that. I’m the only one who thought about the next person.”

Kim Min-soo raised his chin proudly as if seeking praise.

But it didn’t work on Jang Woo-hyun, who immediately changed the subject.

“How many Projections did you make?”

“A lot. I’m not the main body, so I don’t know exactly, but at least fifty—maybe up to a hundred.”

Jang Woo-hyun widened his eyes at the unexpectedly large number.

“That’s the arrangement I made. And what I’m about to tell you.”

Kim Min-soo paused briefly, then continued.

“I told you the True Immortals are worms, right?”

“Yes.”

“The moment I realized that, I knew I wasn’t alone. So unlike in the Central Plains, I began leaving behind clear traces. Honestly, I didn’t leave anything at first after Ascension.”

After ascending, Kim Min-soo traveled to many places, trying to learn more about the True Immortals.

“Then I hit the limit of my ability.”

The Absolute Realm. A high level, but inadequate when being targeted by True Immortals.

“So I shifted focus. Martial Arts aren’t everything.”

Thankfully, Kim Min-soo had other talents.

He studied both Sorcery and Formations simultaneously. But even those soon reached their limits.

“I realized I couldn’t do it and prepared for the next person. Someone might appear who could shatter the True Immortals, even if it wasn’t me. And as a senior who fell into this strange world first, I wanted to help somehow.”

What he did was sacrifice. He used his life to prepare for others.

Just as he had once said, Kim Min-soo wasn’t a bad person. Someone selfish would never do what he had done.

“As you know, we were blessed with overwhelming talent when we arrived in this world. I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.”

It was a level of talent ordinary people could never dream of, and yet it still wasn’t enough. Because those targeting them were like gods.

“The one who comes after me might meet a good teacher through fate or have even greater talent than I do. But if they find what I left behind, they could grow faster, and it might help. And even if they’re talented, they might hit a limit or stall in cultivation. I wanted to help in those times.”

Kim Min-soo, proud once again over his story of sacrifice, continued speaking. But Jang Woo-hyun just stared blankly at him.

“Why that face? Are you saying your skills are that good? You must’ve hit a wall in your cultivation at some point, right?”

Expecting an answer like ‘That’s right’ or ‘Yes,’ Kim Min-soo waited, but Jang Woo-hyun continued to stare at him silently.

“What? You’ve never been stuck? Whether you reached the Master Level or the Absolute Realm, there had to be a phase where you were stagnant, right?”

“I haven’t.”

“What? You haven’t?”

“No.”

“What level are you at now?”

“I’m at the peak of the Realm of Transcendence. Before I fell, I think I might’ve just touched the Absolute Realm.”

“Really? How long did it take you to get there? You must be pretty old, right? You’d need a long time training to ascend.”

“I’m about thirty-three years old. I’m not exactly sure.”

“Huh?”

Something felt off. While Kim Min-soo’s expression gradually stiffened, Jang Woo-hyun continued.

“To reach this level… I have a memory gap, but excluding that, about three years? I’ve actually practiced Martial Arts for a little over three years.”

Three years.

From the moment those words came out, Kim Min-soo’s face turned stiff like stone. Like someone who had just seen something he shouldn’t have.

“...Wait, seriously?”

It wasn’t just strange—it was too strange. It was an absurd time frame. Kim Min-soo couldn’t believe it and asked again.

“Yes. Why would I lie about that?”

He was right. Why would Jang Woo-hyun lie to him? After all, they were each likely the only people from their homeland in this world.

Kim Min-soo’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

“Ah…”

No words came out—only a small gasp escaped.

He stayed dazed for a moment, stunned by the ridiculous tale.

Then suddenly, Kim Min-soo realized why the True Immortals were targeting them.

‘It’s this bastard.’

This guy was the culprit. With growth speed like that, even if he were a True Immortal, he’d have killed him.

‘You’re supposed to grow at a reasonable pace!’

This wasn’t just fast—it was far too fast.

“You.”

The way Kim Min-soo addressed Jang Woo-hyun changed from “junior” to just “you.”

“Yes?”

“You, you bastard!”

Even while discussing serious matters, Kim Min-soo had always made jokes.

Depending on the perspective, he could seem cheerful—or childish. But for the first time, he raised his voice in genuine agitation.

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