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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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My mother and younger sibling, who had entered the Korean restaurant first, didn’t ask much about the conversation we had. They acted as if nothing had happened, maintaining their usual demeanor.
Thanks to that, the somewhat somber atmosphere completely dissipated, and we were able to enjoy a pleasant time without any major discomfort.
I thought the day would end like that.
It definitely would have, if it weren’t for the gaze I felt near our home on the way back.
‘…Who is it?’
The number of reporters tailing me had increased recently, so I would have easily ignored an ordinary gaze. But the energy I sensed wasn’t that of an ordinary reporter.
‘On par with Jo Se-hyuk… no, even stronger.’
It meant they were a considerably skilled individual, among the top in South Korea. I needed to ascertain their intentions.
“Come to think of it, I forgot to buy something from the convenience store. Would you mind going ahead?”
“Should I go with you?”
“No, it’ll be faster if I go alone.”
“Alright, be careful.”
After a brief exchange with my family, I turned around and started walking. As my smiling family turned the corner and disappeared from sight…
Whoosh—!
I leaped as if flying, lightly clearing the nearby buildings. I expected to confront the presence that had been watching me.
‘…This is unexpected.’
The distance remained constant. I circulated my internal energy faster and increased my speed, but the result was the same. At the edge of my senses, I could see a large man, nearly two meters tall, moving swiftly.
‘Not bad.’
Although I wasn’t at full power, he was keeping pace with the superhuman speed of Pungnyeobo, my movement technique.
‘Who is he?’
I was momentarily curious, but there was no need to increase my speed and chase him. The swiftly moving presence stopped at a dark, empty middle school playground.
‘…Is he intentionally luring me to a deserted place?’
I still didn’t know his intentions, but it was a favorable situation.
‘There won’t be any unnecessary commotion.’
As I landed, the large man scanned me with sharp eyes.
“Your movements aren’t bad…”
After a moment of contemplation, with his hand on his chin, the large man nodded and spoke, “I’m curious about your skill level.”
Having finished speaking, he charged at me.
Light and efficient footwork, identical to the movements of countless martial artists I had seen in the Thousand Continents.
‘A martial artist…’
I knew there were martial artists among the returnees, so I had expected to encounter one eventually. But actually facing one like this gave me a strange feeling and a sense of anticipation.
‘…This will be interesting.’
What level were they? What kind of martial arts had they learned? My competitive spirit, the instinct of a martial artist who revered martial arts, began to rise. I smiled, circulating the energy surging from my dantian, my lower abdomen, and raised both arms.
Crack—!
My hands clashed with the large man’s fists as he threw a series of punches.
In the midst of the seemingly endless exchange…
A momentary opening appeared. I clenched my outstretched hand into a fist and thrust it toward the large man. But the man before me vanished like a mirage.
‘Body Displacement Technique…!’
He had closed the distance, lowered his stance, and pushed his attack into my opening. It was an unexpectedly swift move, but not one I couldn’t handle. My widely spread senses were capturing every detail of his movements.
‘He’s aiming for my right side, my chest.’
I stepped back, creating distance. At the same time, I spread my left palm, which had been hidden, and gathered my energy.
Woooong—!
The energy concentrated in my palm resonated, ready to explode. But I held it back. The large man, withdrawing his attack, quickly stepped back and enveloped himself in a blue aura. Simultaneously, both his arms sliced through the air.
“Maengnyeobeoncheon (Fiercely Overturning the Heavens), Hwansachangpa (Illusion and Malice Shatter the Blue Sky).”
A ferocious martial art, true to its name. With every swing of the large man’s arms, sharply honed energy surged towards me. My eyes turned red, and energy surged from my entire body.
Crackle—!
In an instant, my energy spread out, engulfing the energy the large man had released and trapping it within a circular ring.
‘Cheonhwa Hyeolmu, Hyeolmu Mansang (Blood Martial Arts, Ten Thousand Forms), Hyeolguk Hoehwan (Blood’s Extreme, Return).’
Caught in the principle of Blood Reversal, the energy began to move along the circular ring. From right to top, then left, reaching the bottom, and finally returning to the starting point of the ring, flowing back to the large man who had originally unleashed the blue energy.
Whoosh—!
With a strong gust of wind, the man’s eyes flickered as the redirected energy shot towards him.
“Huh—!”
He gasped and swiftly moved his hands and feet, deflecting the incoming energy. His movements were urgent, suggesting he hadn’t expected the attack. But he perfectly deflected all the attacks.
‘He’s not someone to take lightly.’
Judging from his movements alone, his skill level was a cut above mine. He also seemed to have considerable combat experience.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was considering defeat. On the contrary, my eyes were fixed on victory. I was confident that my experience and memories as the ‘Demon God’ could bridge the gap. My eyes gleaming, I enveloped myself in a strong gale and stepped forward without hesitation.
‘Pungroe-bo, Jeolcho, Taeseon Jilju (Wind and Thunder Step, Ultimate Technique, Taesan Dash).’
Whoosh—!
I instantly closed the distance, a smile forming on my lips.
‘At this range……’
Even if the man before me was unexpectedly skilled, he wouldn’t be able to avoid my attack. Indeed, his eyes, which had always been calm, widened like full moons.
“…?!”
Seeing that, I took a deep breath and unleashed the energy I had been holding back.
‘This ends it.’
As a seductive red aura spread, and the power of the Asura gathered in my right arm…
The man before me vanished. It was similar to his Body Displacement Technique, but distinctly different. Even my widely spread senses couldn’t grasp his movement. It was as if his very existence had disappeared like smoke.
‘Is this… a skill?’
Though surprising, there was no need to panic. If he entered my range, I could counter him. I narrowed my eyes, preparing for his next attack.
“Not bad! Not bad at all!”
Not far away, the large man was laughing heartily, his white teeth flashing.
“Hahaha! It’s been a while since I’ve had such an enjoyable fight, but let’s stop here for today… It would be a shame to end it like this.”
Although it was a puzzling situation, there was no need for alarm.
‘…He had no intention to kill from the start.’
None of the large man’s attacks had been life-threatening. They were more like probing attacks, testing something, rather than attacks aimed at victory or taking me down. However, being attacked itself wasn’t pleasant, so I frowned and asked,
“What are you trying to do?”
“Nice to meet you. I am Baek Mu-jin of the Returnee Alliance.”
It was a somewhat unfamiliar name, but from our brief exchange, I could infer that Baek Mu-jin held a high position.
‘At least executive level…’
But his position wasn’t important right now.
“The Returnee Alliance… those arrogant bastards. I expected them to send some small fry, but they actually sent someone with decent skills.”
At my casual remark, Baek Mu-jin burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Decent skills? You dare say such a thing to me, Baek Mu-jin! Are you tired of living?!”
His voice boomed with a powerful presence, but I wasn’t one to back down from such a thing.
“Try me if you’re so confident, but…”
I glared at Baek Mu-jin and said quietly, “You’ll pay the price.”
My boldness and composure, which didn’t waver even under his pressure, brought a satisfied smile to Baek Mu-jin’s face.
“Hahaha! You’re a hundred times more interesting than those loudmouthed executives! I acknowledge you! You have both the guts and the skills to say that to me!”
A look of near-maniacal desire flickered in Baek Mu-jin’s eyes as he stared at me.
“One year. I’ll give you exactly one year. No one in the Returnee Alliance will touch you, so take your time and grow. I look forward to the day we meet again!”
Having said his piece, Baek Mu-jin kicked off the ground and vanished as if he had no lingering attachments.
“……”
Although it was an abrupt situation, my expression remained calm.
‘He’s an eccentric.’
I had encountered such people several times in the Thousand Continents, so I was certain. An unpredictable personality and erratic behavior. The term ‘eccentric’ perfectly suited Baek Mu-jin.
‘Judging from our conversation, he doesn’t seem to be an immediate threat to my family or me, but…’
It was impossible to predict an eccentric’s actions, so I wouldn’t just leave it be.
‘I’ll have to ask the Association to investigate him.’
I mentally organized my thoughts about Baek Mu-jin and, remembering what I needed to do, pulled out my smartphone.
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