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**

I was born as a tiger.

I smashed everything within reach effortlessly. My natural strength was so overwhelming that even blades couldn’t pierce my skin.

But there was no one to embrace me. My mother died the moment she gave birth to me, and my father was absent from the start.

I grew up as an orphan, with no one to take care of me.

Despite that, I could still manage to scrape by, all thanks to my innate strength.

I accomplished tasks that others found difficult without a hitch. I even flew around while carrying heavy loads.

There were times when I thought I should try hard to live better, wishing for a life much more respectable than the contemptuous stares I received.

But…

I was too weak to be considered a martial artist.

Yet too strong to be seen as an ordinary person.

Caught in an awkward middle ground, even after approaching first, there was no one who truly cared for me.

It became even more pronounced when I was pointed out as a suspect in a murder scene in the marketplace. Though I hadn’t done anything, everyone whispered behind my back.

Eventually, when the real culprit was revealed, everyone fell silent, but by then, Narin had learned not to trust anyone.

I realized that some things can’t be exchanged for money.

So I stopped working and left the village with the money I had saved.

I wandered through the martial world.

Wondering if I could find an equal somewhere.

Out of curiosity, I had sought out martial artists a few times. But those people were weaker than I had expected, and they belittled what I possessed.

Their movements were even less than beast-like. It was embarrassing to call them martial artists.

Some even claimed that while their external strength was exceptional, they had been born unable to cultivate inner energy.

They told me that practicing martial arts would yield only half-baked results, advising against starting at all.

In the end, those words were like a declaration that I did not belong to either side.

So where should I go?

Narin really wanted to know. But she had no idea.

Thus she spent time living as a bandit…

“…….”

This is…

This is real.

“…ha!”

Narin’s eyes sparkled. Her body instinctively leaned forward.

He moves. The man. The movement, though, is clearly simple.

Stab, slash. Horizontal and vertical cuts.

The bones of the enemy shatter. The areas hit deform strangely.

—Crack!

The sound of flesh bursting is blood-curdling. A massive figure, completely maimed, rolls onto the ground.

The movement itself was something I could recognize as normal…

But it was different.

The ferocity contained within.

“…What…?!”

I had encountered a tiger.

At the moment when Gwangyang and his gang were about to be eaten.

There, I confronted that beast and engaged it barehanded.

But even after being thrown away, the beast bared its teeth. Cornered as it was, it still lunged at me endlessly.

That same feeling resides within that ferocity. A beast unwilling to pull back its embedded fangs.

The ferocity itself is howling like a beast.

I’m curious.

I wonder what kind of life such a person has lived.

At the same time, I’m curious why they don’t use their inner energy.

Could it be… the same as mine?

…

“Grrooooar…”

The beast collapsed, covered in foamy blood. I looked back at the remaining foes.

“Get lost.”

I didn’t take their lives. They weren’t worth it, and I didn’t want to stain my hands with blood lightly.

Instead, I ended it by smashing their bodies to pieces. That would break their ferocity completely.

Perhaps the next time he picks up a sword, he will feel fear. Even if his wounds heal and his bones mend, it would be the same.

I gave him one chance. Because I wanted to.

But if we meet a second time…

That time, I will decapitate him.

The frightened bandits fled in a rush. Thirty of them had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

In an instant, only two people remained in the desolate place.

A woman and a man.

Narin and a person named Gwangyang.

I turned to leave just like that. I had no more words left. Though it was an unexpected help I provided, I didn’t want to get more involved.

I tried to leave without saying goodbye. But Narin grabbed me.

“W-wait a moment!”

“What?”

“Oh, can you stay just today? Huh? I owe you a debt for saving me, so it would be strange not to repay it, right?”

“No, it’s not necessary.”

“P-please don’t say that…”

“I don’t want to get involved with bandits. Let go.”

“I-I’m going to quit! I’m really going to quit… but I want to ask you something.”

“Ask now.”

“Are you really a martial artist? But you’re completely different from the person I saw before. Inner energy? Don’t you use that?”

I sighed. I slapped her hand off my arm.

“I have no inner energy. I’ve only trained in external energy.”

“External energy… that means what? Just building muscles?”

“Yeah.”

“W-would you mind arm wrestling with me just once?”

“What?”

“I-I just want to try… is that okay?”

What on earth is this sudden proposal?

I looked at her in disbelief. But the sparkles in her eyes seemed genuine.

…What a strange girl.

I turned my body. Arm wrestling just once wouldn’t be too much trouble.

“This is the end.”

“Cool!”

I took my stance. Facing a tree stump, we clasped hands.

I didn’t feel any inner energy. It was as if she had no external energy at all.

An ordinary person. But the grip of her hand felt oddly strong.

What is this…?

“Ready! Go!”

—Kududududududu!!!

A vicious sound erupted in an instant, and I flinched.

Her hand was sliding back little by little. I said I wasn’t using inner energy, but the sheer power was at an unimaginable level.

She didn’t seem to have trained at all…

Was this innate strength?

But if so, it wasn’t to an overwhelming level. My external energy had already far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

The strength didn’t seem to fit her fragile body, but that was about it.

—Kuwung!

When she lost, her hand sank deep into the tree stump. Narin’s body lifted up momentarily.

Rolling over, I had accidentally put in more strength than expected, and I looked at her.

“Are you okay?”

“You… you are amazing! Seriously, no joke?! Were you always like this?! Or did you get this from training?!”

“Both, actually…”

“How is that possible?! All the martial artists I met before talked big about inner energy and whatnot, but had nothing at all! Who are you?! Where did you come from?! You must be from a wealthy family, right?!”

“I… was born and raised in a poor place. Nothing close to a rich family.”

“Poor?!”

Narin shot up.

“How poor was it?”

“I had to worry about my next meal…”

“I was the same! You… how do you think of me?!”

“What?”

I pondered, unsure of what she was asking.

Narin urged me for an answer.

“Don’t you find me strange? How do I look? Am I twisted? Am I just a strong girl, making it all a bit disturbing?!”

“I’m not sure what you mean… Have you ever learned martial arts?”

“No!”

“Really? You were always like this?”

“Hmmm…”

So it was indeed innate strength.

“Impressive.”

“Don’t you think I look like a beast? Like a feral dog or something?”

“A beast?”

Narin did a backflip in the air. Then she started bouncing between the trees like a joyful wolf standing on a wall.

“Like this!”

“You’re agile.”

“What about this?!”

—Boom!

With a swift kick, a tree was snapped in half. No injuries on her skin.

Is her body sturdy? Now that I think about it, she was also strong while arm wrestling.

From my perspective, it was merely a slight sturdiness.

Simply put, she might have been able to match up against the best, given pure strength.

If I hadn’t stepped in, she would have probably taken care of those bandits all by herself.

“You’re strong.”

“Is that it?”

“That’s all I have?”

I’ve seen many monsters with far greater talents than that.

People not only with exceptional external strength but internal strengths as well.

Eun Seol-ran, for example, and Baekmae were outright shining with talent.

What about Ju Ryeongryeong? Didn’t Black Danhwa receive praises for being gifted from birth?

Ilma, Wolhyang, Nohahcheonn, Gun Ho-kwang, and so on…

Given the monsters swarming around, my perspective had shifted entirely.

Ah. It’s quite unique — feels like the end of my thoughts.

What does she want to hear from me? I looked down at the little girl sitting across from me.

“Why did you start living as a bandit?”

“I had nothing to do. I was so unmotivated I didn’t want to do anything. But I didn’t want to steal from others, so I just collected tolls. Sprucing up the roads, of course; not me, but my subordinates.”

“I see. Will you keep your word from earlier?”

“Yeah. I’m going to stop being a bandit. But…”

Narin’s eyes sparkled.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Martial Alliance.”

“You’re a part of the warriors?!”

“Correct.”

The conversation went on. I began packing my things again.

Narin’s gaze followed me, and questions relentlessly chased after.

“Am I really… not strange? Honestly, tell me, we’re parting ways anyway, right?”

“……”

I scrutinized her face, not quite understanding what she was saying.

“Honestly, you’re quite pretty. You should take pride in that.”

“…Huh?”

Leaving Narin, who blinked in surprise, I departed.

There was a long road ahead. The next stop was Qinghai Castle, near the Kunlun Sect.

I needed to organize the necessary supplies there. Ultimately, I needed to reach Anhui Castle, where the Martial Alliance resides…

It’s going to be a long way. I had to walk quickly.

…

The brief ruckus with the bandits came to an end as I entered the Kunlun area.

The entirety of Qinghai Castle belonged to the Kunlun Sect from the Nine Factions, so it was only natural that bandits couldn’t run rampant there.

What is the Nine Factions?

Ten prestigious sects commanding the orthodox martial world.

If a bandit were to appear in such a place, it would be all the more strange. They would be devoured by the Kunlun Sect the moment they emerged.

Thus, the internal peace of Qinghai Castle was quite exceptional. People were abundant, and everyone passing by wore smiles.

The streets smelled strongly of human habitation.

I settled into a suitable spot. After taking a bit of rest, I planned to leave again.

Provided there were no unwelcome guests.

“There’s no seat here. Come on.”

“…….”

The bandit from before.

Narin and Gwangyang casually waved at me from a tavern.

I tried to slip out, but Narin immediately jumped out and grabbed my arm.

“I’ll treat you! Huh?! We should eat together.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t treat me like a freak. Would this answer your question?”

“I still don’t get it.”

“If we eat together, I’ll tell you everything.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Don’t say that!”

Gwangyang sighed at Narin’s lazy demeanor, his face turning concerned as he earnestly pleaded with me.

“Um… Sir. Could you eat with us just once? My sister is rather stubborn. It would be…”

“Are you in any position to talk to me?”

“…I’m sorry.”

The attention from those around us shifted. I reluctantly sat down. Excited, Narin began ordering various items.

Gwangyang looked anxious, checking his pockets.

“Umm, sister. It’s still precarious. We can’t go overboard…”

“Don’t worry. I have emergency funds.”

“No way, you had extra funds?!”

As Narin shook the purse I had casually handed her, I looked back at my journey.

It had been five days since I fell from the mountain stronghold and walked a long distance.

As long as I don’t abandon the mountain stronghold, they can’t keep up.

“Are you really done with banditry?”

“Yeah? Of course. I told you I was going to quit. I won’t lie about that.”

“What kind of job are you considering?”

“I thought long and hard about that…”

Narin stole glances at me.

“You have money, right?”

“……”

“Don’t look at me like trash. If we’re going a long way, it’ll be needed.”

“What?”

“I’ve been to many places. I’ve been everywhere nearly. I’ve been to where the Martial Alliance is too. Of course, I’ve never entered, but…”

She puffed up her chest.

“I know shortcuts! Think of me as your guide and hire me!”

“I don’t need it.”

“Is that really true?”

“I have a map, so finding my way is easy. I could get to my destination alone even without a guide. After all, it’s a place I’ve passed before.”

Of course, it was several years ago. The memory itself was hazy.

But it wouldn’t be impossible to locate. I poured water into the cup.

“If you’re looking for a job, find somewhere else. You expect me to travel with someone who aimed for my life… isn’t that normal?”

“…S-sir, about that time…”

“Because I was strong, I can speak about it as a past event. If not, it could have resulted in bloodshed. Regardless of the excuses I give, it’s no different from ambushing someone unable to fight…”

I stared firmly at Narin.

I drew the line clearly.

“I don’t like your kind.”

Narin blinked her eyes, her previously stoic face twisting.

She awkwardly laughed, fidgeting with the water cup in her hands.

“…Then I guess I have no choice. You aren’t wrong. I did something wrong.”

“Sister!”

“Sorry. I tried to cling to you by force. That was rude of me.”

Narin jumped up. She dashed out of the tavern.

Gwangyang glanced back and forth between me and her. He swiftly followed her.

I had inadvertently taken their place. However, it was better to speak my mind clearly.

I didn’t want to trust someone ambiguous. Even among those who wield swords…

I didn’t want to grow close to someone who ambushed people who didn’t know how to wield swords.

…

I bought some food. I had ample travel funds. Ilma may be different, but he had given me an absurd amount of money to take with me.

The total was unquantifiable. Financially, I was more than comfortable; I could splurge a little once I reached the Martial Alliance.

But I didn’t want to indulge. I simply kept it as insurance, leaving it untouched.

Only the amount I needed at the time and the necessary funds.

I sat quietly in the room, slowly practicing the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique. Excluding the deceptions, the practice of my martial arts continued.

I had to grow stronger. Much stronger than I am now.

After lightly practicing my meditation, I engaged in a deep conversation with Black Pearl. To be precise, it consisted of one-sided chatter.

Black Pearl responded harshly to everything I said. Just like when I first spoke with Bai Ya, he outright rejected the idea of conversation.

Of course, I could now suppress him by force.

Huaxing was a realm where a martial artist with a human form had reached its peak.

But I didn’t want to do that. Simply threatening someone by brute force was a behavior less than that of a beast.

I hoped for Black Pearl to cooperate with me. With such feelings, I put my heart into grooming him.

I also didn’t forget to take care of Ear Sword Bai Ya and Blood Sword when I could. I didn’t want to lose what I had obtained by neglecting one.

As I groomed the swords, I also continued my mental training. A newly available training method after reaching the state of Huaxing.

In the clear perception of self, I mixed the experiences I had with Ilma and the swords. Merely imagining a spar was all it took, and by concentrating with all my might, my muscles and body would respond automatically.

The training that Ilma had taught me stimulated my body as if it were real.

It was nice to be able to train while just sitting still. I wasn’t content with the present and continued to push forward.

Like always, I piled effort upon effort.

Yesterday’s me and today’s me subtly diverged. After getting beaten up by Ilma once more in my mind, I slowly opened my eyes.

I sensed someone’s presence.

Someone was standing at my door.

“…Who is it?”

“…Sir.”

It was Gwangyang’s voice.

“Could you give me… just once to talk?”

 

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