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“Huh… whew.”

I let out a faint breath.

‘How many times has it been now?’

Honestly, I couldn’t remember. I was sure I counted up to 8,000, but the exact number just slipped my mind. The thought of having to do this 92,000 more times felt like a mental breakdown waiting to happen, so I pushed it aside forcefully.

Beside me, Master Yun Kwang was watching with hawk-like eyes. He struck my calf with a wooden sword and yelled, “Wake up! Your stance is all wrong!”

“…!!”

I felt like I was about to collapse. My body was recuperating quickly thanks to my nearly unlimited internal power, but my mental strength was draining fast. I hadn’t rested a single moment in the two and a half days since I had only been practicing the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique. I certainly never thought my training would begin with something this intense.

‘I want to rest.’

I was so sleepy. I felt physically fine, but I kept dozing off. If I could just stop this craziness and lie down for a bit, I’d feel like I could find happiness. When I swayed, Master Yun sneered.

“They said we got a new instructor, but it seems like you’re just here to get chased away? Hahaha.”

“What did you just say…?”

“I’ve been a master for more than a few years, but this training method is insane. You might as well give up.”

Master Yun was originally a top expert acknowledged near the arena. However, after getting unexpectedly defeated by Lee Kwang at a young age, he was so impressed that he gave up all martial activities to live as a master of the Thunder God Lineage. Being a powerhouse from the start, his tone had both arrogance and frivolity.

‘But still, that guy’s skills are solid…’

I let out a sigh inwardly.

Two masters supporting the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School alongside Grandmaster Jin So-cheong—Yun Kwang and Lee Ji-pyeong. What they had in common was that they were both previously top experts from the arena and also masters of the Thunder God Lineage, which meant they were quite strong. If I had to guess, they probably qualified as peak experts in the eyes of the world.

Even I had no guarantee that I could bring down Yun Kwang in under 100 seconds. I gritted my teeth.

“I’m not giving up! Just shut up and watch!”

“Hmph, the kid’s got some spirit. Keep it up.”

Yun Kwang smirked and resumed monitoring my stance. Jin So-cheong, Yun Kwang, and Ji-pyeong would strike me down with the wooden sword at the slightest imperfection in my posture, clearly following Lee Kwang’s orders to the letter.

Swish!

I rallied my willpower and made it to 10,000.

“Time for a swap, Ji-pyeong.”

“Mmm.”

By that time, three days had passed, and Yun Kwang switched places with Ji-pyeong. Unlike the somewhat frivolous Yun Kwang, Ji-pyeong was a stoic man, as sturdy as a bison, merely observing me in silence. He didn’t seem like the type to strike up a conversation.

Thud!

“Ugh.”

Without a word, Ji-pyeong struck me as soon as he spotted an error in my posture. Though I quickly protected myself with my internal power, I still felt considerable pain. At that strength, a single hit from Ji-pyeong could take down a regular-grown man.

‘Is he trying to kill me?’

However, Ji-pyeong’s stoic demeanor made it hard to read his emotions. I had to endure longer than before. My hands felt like they were going to blister from overuse, but I pushed through and continued wielding the sword.

I felt my head turning completely white. I was at the end of my limits. I wanted nothing more than to collapse and sleep. Even if just briefly, I longed to lay down. My body was screaming for rest. I couldn’t even remember how many times I had performed the technique. The thought of being dead seemed more appealing than continuing this.

At that moment, Ji-pyeong spoke up.

“If you want to give up, feel free to say it anytime.”

“…?”

“One hundred thousand is impossible. At this rate, you could tear your ligaments or completely rupture your muscles and never be able to do martial arts again. You should approach it moderately.”

This was the first time I’d heard the usually taciturn Ji-pyeong say so much. But I soon realized that his concern was genuine. From his perspective, this training method appeared to be merely cutting a martial artist’s life short and was devoid of value, so he was advising me out of pity. I felt my mind clear.

“I’m going to do it!”

“… Fine, keep it up then.”

Ji-pyeong fell silent again and resumed watching over me. Even as my consciousness teetered on the brink, my body moved on its own. My random thoughts started fading away completely as I endured the exhaustion.

Eventually, Ji-pyeong’s shift ended and Grandmaster Jin So-cheong took over in the middle of the night. He stood over me, drenched in sweat, and said, “Just a moment.”

Splash!

He suddenly poured a bucket of cold water over me. When I looked at him with shock, Jin So-cheong said monotonously, “How many times have you even done this?”

“About 26,000 times…”

“Sluggish. If you don’t pick up the pace, you’ll die doing this training.”

“What…?”

Jin So-cheong chuckled as he unwrapped some snacks.

“This training is something my master believes in for a reason. But really, it’s kind of a gamble. My master believes in your potential, believes you’ll overcome this, and is betting on you to grow a step further. So just trust it and don’t doubt.”

“I don’t care about that. I said I’d do it, so I’m going to finish it.”

“Remember this. The key to this training is to be ‘accurate and fast.’

It seemed like Jin So-cheong had just given me some kind of clue.

‘Could it be that Jin So-cheong has gone through this training himself?’

A terrifying thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. If that were the case, then Jin So-cheong must be a divine being born just to martial arts. Even with my nearly boundless internal power recovering my strength endlessly, I was clearly struggling—how could an ordinary human even do such training?

But I decided to take his advice straightforwardly. I made sure to focus on unleashing the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique accurately and rapidly. My concentration had already surmounted all limits, yet it felt like a bug was crawling in my head.

My vision flickered momentarily.

I must have momentarily lost consciousness from sheer fatigue. Shaking my head, I resumed swinging the wooden sword.

Finally, when I exceeded 35,000 times, the fourth day was drawing to a close.

I was so wrecked that I could hardly discern who was observing me. I could just barely feel a black shadow yelling at me while striking me. My eyes fluttered, and I couldn’t even remember its shape anymore as I continued onwards.

“Hey, get it together!”

Splash!

Yun Kwang doused me with ice cold water. I must have zoned out for a moment. The moment the water hit me, I regained mechanical consciousness and resumed swinging the sword. I heard Yun Kwang murmuring beside me, sounding awestruck.

“Crazy guy… Are you really going to keep going? Just insane…”

Am I crazy? I pondered on Yun Kwang’s blunt remark and kept swinging. The sword path of the Thunder Shadow Sword technique faded away, and it felt like my fingertips became a single sword. For a moment, in that bizarre sensation, I recalled memories from the past.

Death. Massacre. And feelings of loss and powerlessness. I had endured too much of this for decades.

And then, Mangnyang died.

He died because of my foolish choices, because of my own powerlessness.

If I remain weak, the same will happen again in the future.

‘I am weak.’

I never thought about why I was weak. I had been put in the position of a natural underdog since the moment I was born. I had lived a hopeless life for decades, getting beaten and tumbled down. In those years, I had been entirely dominated by that feeling of powerlessness.

So I endure.

I don’t want to let go.

I’ve lived comfortably rotting away my whole life; I’ve tired of that long ago. Each time I faced my limits, I realized that you can gain nothing without giving something up.

The only thing I can give up now is my own laziness.

If I abandon this training midway, then Samjeol Lee Kwang will lose interest in me and give up on me. If that happens, I will merely rot away in a stagnant life without achieving any growth, just like before. And casually live on as if nothing ever happened.

I hate that. I don’t want to let go.

I have to seize it now.

That too, I have to grab it desperately, betting my life on it.

And so the fifth day began. As the fifth day dawned, Ji-pyeong came over to look at me with worry. If a stone-faced guy like him was showing such concern, I must have looked pretty pitiful. But even so, I was too numb to concern myself with that, just counting the repetitions in my head.

‘55321… 55322…’

I’ve just passed the halfway mark.

‘Wait… halfway…? It’s only half?’

At that moment, my heart felt like it might break. After all this, I still had to do it all over again? The thought of doubling my efforts was something a human simply shouldn’t have to do. But still, I clenched my teeth and pushed through.

I no longer had a reason to endure.

I just held on.

It felt like the sword was growing from my hands. Time seemed to slow down, and somehow my body synchronized with that slow-motion rhythm. Captivated by the glowing sword path in the darkness, I passed through the process of casting the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique for the 55,623rd time.

‘I won’t give up. I won’t give up. I absolutely won’t give up.’

I kept muttering it like a mantra.

Because I am…

“Master! This seems insane.”

On the morning of the 11th day, Jin So-cheong finally voiced an opinion.

While having breakfast, the Master of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, Samjeol Lee Kwang, glanced at him. His disciple, Jin So-cheong’s face was set in a grim expression, and he no longer moved his chopsticks.

While eating a stir-fry, Lee Kwang said, “You’re right. It is insane. But why?”

“That kid is going to die.”

Jin So-cheong replied, horrified.

That’s right. Viewed through normal common sense, Baek Woong was indeed about to die. A typical human, after enduring so much, would usually either collapse from exhaustion, suffer from wounds leading to tetanus, or dehydration, dying as a result. Failing to mention, muscles and ligaments would tear, leaving him incapable of martial arts forever.

Jin So-cheong had faith in his master’s training methods. He believed the master’s reasoning behind insisting on the insane 100,000 sword swings. However, as time progressed, that notion seemed less credible. Seeing Baek Woong’s face deteriorate in real-time under this mindless repetition broke up his confidence.

As he enjoyed the aftertaste of breakfast, Samjeol Lee Kwang said, “He needs to die. There’s no other option.”

“Huh?!”

“Baek Woong has a desperate resolve. And I’ve come to realize that the cause of that desperation is not a lack of talent. Though at this age, it’s hard to understand how he’s grasped the Thunder God Lineage technique to this extent, he lacks the insight needed to truly understand the ascended martial arts.”

“…!!”

“Perhaps his low potential is why he’s come this far, thanks to an incredible reservoir of internal power. However, that has turned into poison—he has to be taken down before any worse habits take root.”

He has to die.

Understanding the meaning behind that made Jin So-cheong tremble as he spoke, “Are you trying to forcefully induce a state of forgetting?”

“If I don’t do this, he will stagnate forever at this level.”

Jin So-cheong crossed his arms.

“On top of that, there’s something suspicious about that kid. I want to see his will confirmed through this training. Accounting for that suspicion, I want to see if he can be accepted as the successor to the Thunder God Lineage.”

“But… but that’s just too…”

“Enough. If you’re that worried, come with me.”

Finishing breakfast, Samjeol Lee Kwang headed to the training ground with Jin So-cheong. This training area, accessible only to masters, was wafting a rancid smell. It stemmed from the sweat of the boy standing in the center of the training ground.

Buzz.

Buzz…

Baek Woong was still swinging the sword. However, his eyes were half dead, and his movements had slowed; they were mechanical. It was almost as if a living skeleton was wielding the sword.

However, as Jin So-cheong noticed Baek Woong’s movements, he was shocked.

‘He’s forgotten everything! And he’s drawing on his potential!’

Lee Kwang turned to Yun Kwang, who was on guard nearby, and asked, “How many times has it been now?”

“… There are 150 left.”

A moment of silence passed.

“… Good. I’ll observe him.”

Jin So-cheong caught a glimpse of a slight twitch near the master’s eyes responding to his calm tone. The trembling glimmer in his expression suggested that even Samjeol Lee Kwang was slightly perturbed; it implied he hadn’t anticipated this outcome.

‘My master is really pushing him to the edge of life and death.’

Could this be a precaution against the Thunder God Lineage?

Unbeknownst to Jin So-cheong, this wariness came from Lee Kwang’s awareness of Baek Woong’s enormous internal power, equivalent to that of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, causing him to exercise caution. It was a sense that Baek Woong could die and even wished for death.

At the same time, Jin So-cheong looked at Baek Woong with awe.

‘He’s using his internal power to recover infinitely while bringing forth all his potential. The instinct to protect his body means that his energy is being most efficiently used for recovery, raising his absolute levels. So, is he enduring this when he should normally be dying?’

Where does this willpower even come from?

If Jin So-cheong flooded the same internal power of Baek Woong, he wouldn’t even have believed he could endure such madness. Of course, his talent made it unnecessary for him to endure such trials, but if he had to, he would need an inhumane force to achieve it.

Vvvk—

As they approached the remaining ten counts to 100,000, a radiant glow suddenly erupted from Baek Woong’s body, illuminating the training area as he seemed to recover entirely in an instant. Any bruises or injuries, as well as pain and tearing in joints and muscles, vanished without a trace. The internal power infused with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng erupted, showing an alarming level of rapid recovery.

“…!!”

Baek Woong now exuded an internal power that couldn’t be compared to what he had before. Jin So-cheong found it utterly unbelievable.

‘All that previous power was… just a small fraction?’

Jin So-cheong had thought Baek Woong’s internal energy surpassed that of a typical top expert by a hundredfold. However, due to his childlike form and his clumsiness with using Qi and Intent, he hadn’t been able to harness that strength. Still, he believed it was extraordinary, bordering on the transcendental.

But—he was utterly mistaken. Everything they thought they knew about Baek Woong’s internal energy was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Rumble, rumble!

The entire training area shook, and Samjeol Lee Kwang’s expression turned serious as his focus wavered under the immense power. He had never anticipated that Baek Woong’s true internal energy could be tenfold what they had perceived on the surface.

Whir—

As Baek Woong’s energy crystallized, it coiled up tightly, continuously radiating outward in a bid to stabilize his body. Every time Baek Woong faced death, the power of six doses of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng would release explosively. Raising his hand, Samjeol Lee Kwang murmured, “What a monster…”

Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine.

…One hundred thousand.

With his mind barely conscious, Baek Woong swung the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique for the last time, diving into a state of ‘no self’. In that moment, a colossal force he had never wielded manifested in a radiant display within the sword, bursting forth like dazzling stars.

Observing the shoot of iridescence, Jin So-cheong gasped, “Sword Ridge!”

Although he had not achieved complete enlightenment, he never imagined one could form a sword ridge purely from internal energy alone! It was ridiculously inefficient, and yet, paradoxically, it was magnificent. Forming a sword ridge in such a manner was something humanly impossible—only a master who had become one with the spirit could perform.

Shh—

The light from the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique glimmered unwaveringly through the sword path. Successfully wielding it one hundred thousand times, Baek Woong executed the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique faster and more accurately than ever before. The flash of lightning became a river of stars.

Suddenly, Lee Kwang shouted with excitement, “Wonderful!”

Thunder God Lineage.

Secret Technique.

True Thunder Cloud Palm!

Lee Kwang’s spear sliced through the cyclical time and space. The Thunder God Lineage’s secret technique that could slice even the lightning of heaven clashed with Baek Woong’s sword ridge, releasing an overwhelming pressure. Though the sound was inaudible, the high-frequency shockwaves would burst forth multiple times, creating a resonance beyond perception.

Boom!

In the now-quiet training area stood Baek Woong, unconscious with his eyes rolled back.

“……”

“……”

Who wouldn’t feel solemn at this moment?

A teenager, no older than his early teens, had just endured this impossible, insane training. What’s more, the final manifestation of the sword mastery appeared to be a pinnacle for any martial artist. Thus, even the usually chatty Master Yun Kwang was silent, staring blankly at Baek Woong.

As Samjeol Lee Kwang approached Baek Woong, he laid a hand on his shoulder. A flow of energy surged into him, stimulating Baek Woong’s blood channels, soon bringing him back to consciousness.

“Huh, wh-where am I?”

As he struggled to regain his bearings, Samjeol Lee Kwang calmly stated, “Congratulations. You’ve succeeded in completing 100,000 repetitions.”

“Oh, really.”

“From now on, you’ll likely make great progress in studying Qi and Intent.”

“Woohoo!!”

Baek Woong’s face couldn’t hide his joy. He had thought he’d die in the course of this, yet had miraculously lived to tell the tale and succeeded in his training. Of course, he was utterly unaware that he had produced a sword ridge.

Samjeol Lee Kwang, staring pensively at Baek Woong, asked, “What’s gotten into you?”

“Huh?”

He was losing his poise.

“What makes you strive so desperately? There’s no way a kid your age should possess such will power. Even a veteran warrior would struggle under pressure, so from where does this naiveté to endure all this even come? What makes it so imperative for you to seek strength?”

Lee Kwang’s questioning was entirely reasonable.

Baek Woong’s resolve surpassed any normal boundaries. Having sensed his lack of talent and potential, Lee Kwang thought that regardless of his spirit and stubbornness, he would merely achieve something trivial. However, what he had just endured was akin to the mindset of self-destruction, akin to risking death for training.

Lee Kwang had experienced such willpower only once in his countless travels through the martial world. It had belonged to Grand Master Myung-ho, renowned as a high monk and divine being in the Shaolin Temple. A spirit that felt entirely detached from the mundane plane of existence.

Baek Woong hesitated, working his mouth for words.

Then he spoke.

“I don’t want to have regrets.”

Even now, he cried out in his heart.

The hell he passed through in those eight lifetimes churned inside him.

I won’t give up.

I won’t give up.

I absolutely won’t give up.

Because I decided…

To face death a hundred times, if that’s what it takes.

That’s the resolution I made through reincarnation!

 

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