episode_0003

[ Title: Discovering 4 Newly Added Overpowered Traits.txt ]

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( Photo )

Traits are randomly assigned during character creation.

Naturally, the performance of each trait varies greatly, but I’ve brought over developer comments on 4 recently added overpowered traits.

No rephrasing or mistranslation criticisms accepted.

1. Clear Spirit Body ㄴ The Murim’s best detoxification trait. ㄴ Nullifies all poisonous qi and evil qi. ㄴ Requires piercing approximately 108 ‘major acupoints’ using the Cheongseong Sect’s secret manual ‘Clear Spirit Qi Scripture’, then cultivating for 49 days on the Clear Spirit Vein. Success rate is extremely low. 1% chance during character creation.

2. Empty Spirit Body ㄴ A constitution that transcends the body’s limits and directly communicates with nature’s qi. ㄴ Can borrow the qi of all creation and utilize it as one’s own. ㄴ The state of ‘Heaven-Human Unity’ that Wudang Sect founder Gongcheon Seonin is said to have attained after traveling famous mountains and great rivers for 108 years. The current Wudang Sect preserves the method of forming this constitution as a secret, but there have been no successful cases for hundreds of years. 0.5% chance during character creation.

3. Divine Unbreachable Meridians ㄴ A unique constitution where all meridians are arranged in reverse. ㄴ Nullifies acupoint striking and meridian attacks. ㄴ Qi utilization efficiency +100%. ㄴ A secret meridian modification technique researched by a Hwasan Sect Grand Elder throughout his life. Success rate is extremely low, and failure results in death from ruptured meridians throughout the body. 0.8% chance during character creation.

4. Indestructible Diamond Body ㄴ An indestructible body with strong resistance to external impact. ㄴ A True Adamantine Body that is difficult to injure even with ordinary sword blades. ㄴ Can only be obtained by mastering the essence of the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art, passed down in Shaolin Temple’s Bodhidharma Hall. 2% chance during character creation.

…

…

****

As the sun set in the west, a ragged boy and a woman in martial attire entered the village.

It was Cheongun and Namgung Yul, who had set out to receive their promised reward.

“Cheong Daehyeop! Let’s go together!”

Cheongun clicked his tongue and slowed down.

To be staggering and whimpering after just one mountain trek.

How could that woman, who claimed to be a martial artist, be so frail?

“Tsk, tsk.”

Be patient.

The one who pays the money is ultimately the customer.

What does it matter if her body is a bit frail?

Her backing was none other than the famous Namgung Family.

Moreover, wasn’t she a reliable benefactor who would soon fork over one gold ingot?

No amount of kindness shown to her would be wasted.

“Cheong Daehyeop. That mountain there is Cheongseong Mountain.”

“Why? Do you have business over there?”

Cheongseong (Blue City).

It was named because its evergreen forests surrounded the mountain like a castle year-round.

It was also the base of the Cheongseong Sect, a member of the traditional Nine Great Sects and One Alliance.

So what?

Even so, its importance in the game was as insignificant as mouse droppings…

“The Justice Alliance branch I mentioned is located near Cheongseong Mountain.”

Cancel.

If it’s a place where gold ingots await, that’s a different story.

Had they walked for about an *ilggyeong* (approximately 30 minutes)?

Namgung Yul, who discovered a shabby eatery located in a corner of the path, carefully looked at Cheongun.

“Cheong Daehyeop.”

“What now?”

“It’s getting late, so how about we stay at an inn for tonight?”

Namgung Yul carefully asked Cheongun.

It was precisely because her energy was running out, and she was on the verge of collapsing.

Cheongun stared at her with a sullen face.

Her face was dark from being covered in dirt, her martial attire was torn and tattered in many places, and her staggering gait seemed to indicate she barely had the energy to walk properly.

Assuming a leisurely walk, the time required to reach Cheongseong Mountain from now would be roughly half a day.

And that was only if they maintained their current speed.

If she collapsed from exhaustion on the road during their journey, then there would truly be no solution.

No choice, then.

There was no choice but to retreat one step for a two-step advance.

Cheongun, uncharacteristically, smiled kindly and replied.

“Alright.”

“Really?!”

“But you said you don’t have money?”

No money, so how would they stay at an inn?

Surely she wasn’t asking him to pay?

Somehow, Namgung Yul felt as though she could hear Cheongun’s unspoken thought.

“Once we arrive at the headquarters, I’ll make sure to give you extra payment.”

“Oh, dear. There’s no need for that. However, to coldly refuse your sincerity would also be a great discourtesy, so I shall gratefully accept your sincerity along with your kind intentions, Miss.”

“……”

He had intended to extort her from the very beginning.

Now that she looked at him, it seemed he had no intention of hiding it from the start.

Namgung Yul let out a hollow laugh.

Despite possessing such exquisite martial arts, his attitude was strangely obsessed with material possessions.

Perhaps it was a side effect of having spent isolated years holed up in the mountains.

****

Thousand-Mile Inn.

A boy and a woman entered the inn at a slightly late hour for lunch.

It was Cheongun and Namgung Yul.

As the innkeeper wasn’t visible, Cheongun and Namgung Yul set out to find empty seats themselves.

Surprisingly, there were no empty tables, but it wasn’t all that strange.

Unlike a tavern, an inn was smaller in scale, and all sorts of people, from regular customers to low-ranking escorts and wandering merchants, frequented it, so it was natural for it to be full of people even at this late hour.

This was especially true around noon, like now.

It was common to share a table if there were no empty seats.

As Cheongun approached a table with an empty chair, the innkeeper, who had been dozing inside, scurried over.

“Hehe, you can share a table here. How about it, would you like to order right away?”

Cheongun shared a table right nearby.

The people already eating didn’t seem to care at all and said nothing.

Only when Namgung Yul sat next to him did Cheongun begin to order.

“What’s best at this establishment?”

“The lamb soup, hot plate beef, and chicken noodle soup are delicious.”

“Then bring all of them.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll prepare them right away.”

As the innkeeper returned to the kitchen, he glanced curiously at Cheongun and Namgung Yul.

Seeing the sword at their waists, they seemed to be martial artists, but their appearance was no different from beggars of the Beggar Sect, so it must have been quite unfamiliar to him.

Cheongun subtly turned his head out of curiosity.

Indeed, as if confirming the innkeeper’s words, most people were eating either lamb soup or noodles, as if by prior arrangement.

Then Namgung Yul spoke softly.

“Cheong Daehyeop, look over there.”

Suddenly, Cheongun’s eyes gleamed.

He knew whom she was pointing to without having to ask.

In a secluded corner, three men and one woman were frantically devouring the food laid out on their table.

All of them had outstanding looks and exuded an extraordinary presence, making it clear at a glance that they were Murim practitioners.

They shoved the food into their mouths without a single word, as if in a great hurry.

Their appearance felt almost combative.

Cheongun unconsciously licked his lips.

His appetite had already been stimulated by the smell of food, but seeing them made it hard to control his hunger.

Most importantly, wasn’t it free?

He would pay now, but he had already secured a promise for additional payment once they arrived at the Justice Alliance branch.

Surely, with the prestige of the great Namgung Family, they wouldn’t skip out on the meal payment?

Having hunted animals or fish daily and simply grilled them to save money, the sight of properly cooked food brought on a sudden surge of hunger.

Namgung Yul, sitting beside him, was no different.

Since fleeing the pursuit of the Black Forest Gate, she hadn’t properly eaten or rested.

Her energy was already depleted, and her eyes had been blurry from the moment they entered the inn.

She was so hungry that sweat beaded on her palms.

Gulp.

The saliva pooled in his mouth slid down his throat.

It was then, as they licked their lips and waited for their food, that it happened.

Bang!

Someone violently flung open the inn’s door.

The old wooden door swung open violently with a creak, and the doorknob clattered against the wall.

The customers eating their food simultaneously stopped their spoons and turned their heads towards the door.

Soon, with a boisterous clamor, over ten men poured into the inn.

The man leading them surveyed the inn with sharp eyes, then his gaze met the four Murim practitioners frantically eating in the corner.

The man drew a weapon from his waist and wore a shallow smile.

“Hehehe, just as I thought. Were you hiding here like a bunch of rats? You had enough leisure to stop at an inn and eat while fleeing, did you?”

Cheongun was instantly intrigued by the man’s words.

Rats? It looked like he had pursued them all the way here, breathless.

It was clear from the four martial artists’ faces turning pale the moment they met the man’s gaze, despite their voracious eating.

What is martial arts?

These so-called martial artists may adorn it with all sorts of flowery language, but the essence of martial arts is ultimately nothing more than a means to kill people more efficiently.

Not cultivation for ascension, but the fastest and most efficient tool for power—that is what martial arts in the current era can be called.

That’s why martial artists are like this.

They intrude on people’s meals and cause annoying disturbances.

They are effectively no different from strong thugs.

The man who had drawn his weapon took a threatening step forward.

“Oh, look at these bastards? Do you want to die with them? Get out now!”

Still, they could be considered fairly conscientious thugs.

Given that they were driving people out first before really causing a ruckus.

“What are you staring at? Get up quickly!”

“Damn it! Look how slow they are, move!”

At their shouting, the customers, who had been eating, hastily left the inn, abandoning their food.

Of course, Cheongun and Namgung Yul didn’t budge.

Cheongun had already paid for the food and had no intention of leaving before finishing his meal, and Namgung Yul, knowing Cheongun’s exquisite martial arts level, had no reason to be afraid.

However, the innkeeper, startled by the sudden commotion, was carrying the finished dishes towards Cheongun’s table when his eyes met the man driving out the customers.

“What’s this bastard doing! Aren’t you leaving?”

A martial artist causing a disturbance is akin to a disaster for ordinary people.

At least if you leave when told to, you can save your life.

Therefore, the innkeeper also intended to abandon the food he was carrying and bolt out.

But Cheongun, seeing this, casually threw out a remark.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

“It’s fine if you leave, but leave the food behind.”

“…Huh?!”

The innkeeper gaped, his mouth agape.

He was about to die, yet he was being told to leave the food behind?

He wondered if Cheongun was in his right mind.

Soon, the innkeeper glanced between Cheongun and the man, then carefully placed the dishes on Cheongun’s table and swiftly exited the inn.

Lamb soup, hot plate beef, and chicken noodle soup.

Steaming hot dishes were laid out abundantly on the table.

Cheongun began slurping the noodles straight from the bowl, while Namgung Yul shoved the sizzling beef from the hot plate into her mouth, chewing with her eyes closed as if in bliss.

Her lips were covered in oil, and her smacking sounds made her seem as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

Then, as Cheongun was slurping his noodles, he suddenly shot out his hand.

In an instant, his finger, imbued with internal energy, cut through the air and snatched a piece of hot plate beef from in front of Namgung Yul.

Before Namgung Yul could protest, Cheongun already had the meat in his mouth, chewing.

“No, my beef!”

“A martial artist never misses an opportunity.”

“Cheong Daehyeop!”

At that insane sight, the man blinked, his face stunned.