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**

I don’t really know what martial arts is.

I just know it shines remarkably bright.

That’s all Narin knew about martial arts.

In the first place, she only wanted to feel a sense of belonging. There was no reason beyond that.

Martial arts was learned to belong somewhere.

For Narin, martial arts were merely a means. It was not a goal, only a justification to stand beside equals or those she admired.

But that perception was shattered.

Because of the man right in front of her.

—Kuuuuung!!!!

Everything shakes. The pressure of energy disintegrates from his fingertips as the giant roars.

It charges forward. But even that gets crushed. Bones shatter under the same foot that strikes without hesitation.

The movements are not graceful.

What shines within that is just time.

To maintain that one stance…

How much time must he have poured in?

Narin couldn’t know. But in that brief moment, she was captivated.

She could hear the heartbeat of Gwangyang. Turning her head to look, that face was chasing after a man’s back.

A foolish expression.

But Narin realized.

She was wearing the same expression.

An unyielding stubbornness that she couldn’t help but be captivated by. A weight so daunting it felt impossible to fathom.

The scent of blood emanated from Jeok-un’s body.

Not the blood of others, but the scent of his own blood he had shed countless times just to swing a single strike.

“This… is martial arts…”

She had heard that aspiring for strength is what made one a warrior.

Then, does that mean she was stepping into…

that world now?

…

The Warrior of Sapa was thrown to the ground with broken arms and legs.

Narin and Gwangyang rushed over.

“Master! You’re amazing! Truly… truly amazing! Can, can I be like you, Master?!”

“Y-you’re definitely a Master! What on earth… not just swords but divine techniques as well…!”

All the fuss.

First, they tied up the Warrior of Sapa they had knocked out. After utilizing nearby tree bark and vines, they slung him over their shoulders.

“Master. Is it not heavy?”

“I’m fine. No training for now. I don’t know what could be there, so don’t stray from my side.”

Fortunately, it seemed Cheongsung hadn’t strayed too far.

If they simply followed the path, they would reach Cheongsung Mountain. As the day darkened, the sun had set.

While preparing to camp by starting a fire, the giant opened his eyes.

“Grwuhhh?!”

He was lively.

I added firewood to the campfire.

“What happened in Cheongsung?”

“Y-you! Who are you… how dare you treat me, the Invincible Overlord, like this…!”

“Doesn’t look like someone gave it to you. Did you name yourself? If so, I’d recommend taking it off. It doesn’t suit you.”

Narin chuckled. Gwangyang forcefully cleared his throat.

The Invincible Overlord, calling himself that, furiously shouted.

“You’re the weird one! Give me your name! If you’re that strong, you must have a name to go with it! I need to know the name of the one who knocked me down!”

“You seem to be loud for someone who’s captured.”

—Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The Invincible Overlord squinted his eyes.

His tone became polite.

“Wh-what do you plan to do to me?”

“Shouldn’t you answer my questions first?”

“Cheongsung, huh? Well, there are others like me… scattered around here and there.”

“Why?”

“Someone released the Divine Power Overlord.”

“Divine Power Overlord?”

“…….? You don’t know who he is? The most infamous criminal among the prisoners in Cheongsung! The Divine Power Overlord, Yayu-fae!”

That name sounded somewhat familiar.

“And so?”

“What do you mean and so? The Divine Power Overlord, Yayu-fae, broke free and caused a commotion, so part of the prison got destroyed. In the chaos, many like me escaped.”

“Prisoners broke out?”

“Of course, not all of them escaped. Only those who were locked up with the Divine Power Overlord, you see. I waited till it seemed safe and then snuck out…”

The Invincible Overlord sighed.

“I didn’t expect to meet someone like you. I apologize for the threats earlier. Can’t you let me go? I will find a way to repay you.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I suppose not.”

“Are you headed to Cheongsung?”

“That’s right.”

“Ugh, damn it. I’m in trouble.”

The Invincible Overlord looked down at his sore limbs.

“Looks like you smashed everything. What, are my limbs made of steel? Why are they so sturdy? It doesn’t seem like I didn’t get any treatment or anything.”

Sounds echoed from his limbs as they crunched. The muscles twisted, forcibly healing the broken bones.

What an amazing martial art. Though not fully healed, it was adjusting its shape somewhat.

“Is that why they call you the Invincible Overlord?”

“Hmph. Of course. As far as endurance goes, there’s no one who can match me.”

“Is it possible without energy?”

“Is it possible?”

I placed my hand on him in disbelief.

I observed the movements of his muscles. At the same time, I looked inside him.

There it was, the Dantian. I could see the energy moving. But something was off…

It’s peculiar, the way it moves.

It’s like the muscles are breathing. But there are gaps in between those spaces.

By that method, it should be full, but it feels emptier.

Originally… it doesn’t seem like this is how martial arts works?

“Where’s your school?”

“I learned it on my own because I’m a genius.”

“Considering you’re a genius, it seems pretty lacking. Did you learn it from stolen techniques?”

“…Did I say that in my sleep?”

“There must be an original version.”

“…There is, but why would I have it? I was a prisoner.”

“…….”

“Eh? Look behind my pants.”

I retrieved the tattered booklet stuck between the buttocks of the compliant Invincible Overlord. It was so worn that I couldn’t read some of the characters.

How many times had he looked at this? He must’ve gone through countless trial and error before reaching this point.

Even if it was a technique, very few can master it properly. That’s why having a master is so necessary.

In that regard, it’s…

“You learned it wrong.”

“What?!”

“This martial art doesn’t utilize the Dantian. It dwells within the muscles. Storing energy in the Dantian is a mistake.”

“Really?!”

A warrior wouldn’t store energy in the Dantian without reason.

It’s the core, and there’s nowhere else to accumulate it.

But if we go by that theory, it allows for making ‘rooms’ within the muscles. Breathing through the muscles, and one can gather energy in the muscles even without a Dantian.

The entire body strengthens gradually until it ultimately reaches an indestructible state. While I could never verify the truth of all this…

If this martial art written in the booklet, the Formless Diamond Technique, truly exists, it would be a perfect fit for Narin!

I passed the booklet to Narin.

“Narin. Keep this close.”

“…This? Master, it smells.”

“It’s an important secret technique. It will be the foundation of the martial art you learn. If you have this, you too can use energy.”

“R-really?! Master?! Kyaaa!!”

“Sister!!!”

I stared blankly at the Invincible Overlord.

“Let’s be grateful for the secret technique.”

“…I’ve already half-given up, so it doesn’t matter… but… can I ask you one thing? What do you think I should do moving forward?”

“You need to discard what you’ve amassed.”

“What?!”

“I told you. You should have been satisfied with creating a space in your muscles for energy. Extending further caused your martial arts to become a mess. The Formless Diamond Technique shouldn’t gather energy in the Dantian at all. It must be dispersed throughout. The more you concentrate, the smaller those muscle rooms become. If you try to collect energy after learning the Formless Diamond Technique, everything will just become tangled up.”

“…Damn! Now that you mention it! I had this feeling I was getting weaker instead of stronger!”

The Invincible Overlord shot up as if struck.

“I thought I might suffocate, but now you’ve relieved that!” Haha! Hey, bro. If it’s not too much trouble, can we strike a deal?”

“A deal?”

“Even though it doesn’t look like it, I’ve been learning that for over ten years. I can memorize all the content of the secret technique in my mind. But you see, one day my martial arts hit a wall. That probably was… when I started to be greedy. Who would’ve thought the problem was there? I thought I just didn’t understand something in the technique.”

“…….”

“So, you look strong enough, so help me fix it. I’ll assist with your lady instead. I’ll help lead the first parts of her training. It’s a difficult martial art to start with, and as a senior, if I set the foundation, it’ll be much easier for her to learn. I’m even willing to share my trial and errors with her.”

“I have no intention of letting you go.”

“Hey. That’s pushing it. Just being alive is enough for me. I’m just… honestly, I want to disperse the energy stuck in my Dantian. Lately, I’ve been feeling weak, and it seems I’m about to hit a wall… So I’ve fled. Would I be crazy to leave while my sentence is almost done? The idea of a prisoner hitting a wall inside Cheongsung is akin to begging for death.” So, can you help me scatter the energy I’ve accumulated? Huh?”

With a clanking sound, the chains had come off his hands.

“A man of your caliber should be able to dismantle my Dantian without side effects, right?”

He had seen me right.

I pondered. I lifted the Black Pearl slowly.

I tightly gripped the sword sheath and pierced through the area where his Dantian was located.

“Ugh?!”

The energy that erupted inside penetrated the body with no resistance.

The Invincible Overlord, trembling, opened his eyes.

“Yes! This is it! Kyaaa! You’ve got the skills! I can feel the difference already! Master! Master!”

“Keep your promise.”

“Hehe! Of course! But say… can you do one more thing? I came out on my own legs, so I’d like to go back in the same way.”

“I can agree to that much.”

“Yay! I’ll teach you the Formless Diamond Technique! No need to call me Master! Just buy me a meal next time we meet outside!”

…

The Invincible Overlord.

He fulfilled what he promised. The instructions and techniques he shared were honest, free of any lies.

At the same time, it felt like I was gaining something from it as well. I even found myself contemplating the words I was about to say.

“Thinking back on this… why did I do it this way? This method is more efficient… Oh!”

He slowed the pace a bit.

I asked the man known as the Invincible Overlord why he was confined to Cheongsung.

He simply replied.

“I got involved with the Jongnam. A younger acquaintance asked for help, and when I went out, they were Jongnam’s martial artists. I beat them up for causing trouble in a shop. Then more of them came, so I beat them up too.”

“……?”

“Then a guy who couldn’t take it came along. He beat me up. He said he wouldn’t take my life but sent me to Cheongsung. That was the end of it.”

“…That’s it? For a martial artist locked away in Cheongsung, it must have been a serious crime…”

“Hey. What are you talking about? Are you referencing antiquated times? A charge can be fabricated easily. Cheongsung is the best place to lock up someone you don’t like. While Cheongsung itself might be just, other sects handing over criminals are not. Just look at how many got captured like me.”

“…….”

“In the martial world, strength is the law. I don’t particularly resent it… but that behavior doesn’t quite seem right for a righteous sect. But hey, I’m not one to talk, being a rogue! Haha!”

Having received the martial art, Narin learned it faster than expected. Aside from not having a Dantian, her talent was remarkably high, and she quickly created ‘rooms’ within her muscles.

The Invincible Overlord was in awe.

“It seems the Formless Diamond Technique was made for you, my lady. It feels like our meeting wasn’t mere coincidence.”

“Who did you steal that secret technique from?”

“I stole it from an old bookstore. There was no particular reason for stealing it. The owner was the one who kept calling me a thief. I had no interest in books at first, but after getting beaten for stealing, one day I actually stole it. And that turned out to be this.”

“Can you read?”

“Of course not! I caught a guy who can read and asked him. That’s why I still can’t read it. Haha! I learned from the rough sketches and images inside!”

So that explains the clumsiness of his martial art.

I shared with Narin the parts he didn’t manage to teach. Eagerly learning, Narin began to learn how to ‘breathe through her muscles.’

A dazzling development. Gwangyang watched with envious eyes from behind. I shook my head at him.

“Wait, Gwangyang. I’ll find yours too.”

“I understand, Master.”

Though they walked slowly, they arrived at Cheongsung Mountain, which was bustling with activity. They soon came face to face with a group of patrolling warriors.

“This area is dangerous… Huh?! Invincible Overlord?!”

“It’s been a while. Just came to take some fresh air.”

“I thought you had broken out of prison…”

“Hey, I’m just here for a breather. I didn’t finish my sentence yet, what kinda escaping is this? Come on, hurry up and cuff me.”

“Get down! Now!”

The bound Invincible Overlord flashed me a sly smile.

“Well, bro. It was fun. Let’s have an honest talk after you’ve served your time.”

“Don’t try to escape next time.”

“Of course not. Hahaha!”

His smile was quite impressive even while being captured. The Cheongsung warrior turned to me.

His tone was polite. Perhaps because I was the one who brought in the Invincible Overlord.

“May I ask for your name?”

“I’m a Martial Alliance Warrior, Jeok-un. This is Narin, and next to her is Gwangyang. They’re my companions.”

“A Martial Alliance Warrior! You’re doing great work.”

I looked around the area.

“What happened in Cheongsung?”

“That is…”

The warrior opened his mouth with a troubled look.

“Several prisoners have escaped. Among them, the Divine Power Overlord also got out. The worst kind of murderer. The important thing is… most of them have hidden themselves in the Four Thousand Star region.”

“Four Thousand Star?”

“Yes. So…”

The warrior sighed.

“We’ve been asked for explanations by the Four Thousand Families, who have had bad relations with us. The situation is difficult, and we’ve promised them to cooperate as best we can… but they told us not to dream of letting them into the Four Thousand Star region.”

“……”

“If the great hero enters the Four Thousand Star region, be careful. The Divine Power Overlord hiding there is extremely dangerous. Among the prisoners, he is notorious for his vicious nature and has committed over dozens of crimes… so if you happen to meet him, avoid fighting. He’s not an opponent to take lightly. He’s not someone you can compare to the Invincible Overlord.”

 

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