episode_0015

Damn, I almost died for real.

There were several moments that were truly dizzying.

Thanks to Yang Sowol’s help and the fact that attacks barely came through the side protected by Jin Jangmyeong, I barely survived.

But Jin Jangmyeong didn’t get attacked.

The goal of all those villains who gathered at the inn was to target this little brat, who was nothing but a troublemaker.

And to think I was being pushed around like that.

Who does he think he is? Some kind of princess?

But he doesn’t really have the demeanor of a princess…

At that moment, Yang Sowol bowed deeply to Acheong.

Acheong was startled.

Even though she had aged gracefully, being treated like a mother was a hundred times more burdensome, it was a royal burden.

“I have once again received grace from Dae Hyeop.”

“What grace? Oh, just leave it. Leave it, ack.”

Acheong swung her arm, swallowing her scream.

Blood was oozing from her arm.

Is it selfish of me to think that other people’s blood is fine, but mine is precious?

“Dae Hyeop, you’re injured…!”

“It’s okay. It’ll get better if I apply some salve.”

Acheong didn’t need to worry about infection.

It was just a simple wound that would heal with some ointment and proper care.

It might take a while and be quite uncomfortable, though.

“But Dae Hyeop, your arm…!”

“Miss, this is another test of patience…”

“Dae Hyeop?”

“It’s okay. It’s just an arm. I’m relieved that the child is safe, that’s all.”

I did it! Acheong muttered like a fool.

“More importantly, we should treat it quickly.”

Fortunately, Yang Sowol knew some basic medical techniques.

She also had some good herbal medicine with her.

But there was an unfortunate point.

There was no way to anesthetize.

In the end, instead of anesthesia, she wet a handkerchief and put it in Acheong’s mouth.

So, while pulling out the arrowhead and stitching the wound, Acheong tasted the hell of pain.

Deep wounds turn inside out and protrude outward.

She presses them firmly to contain the flesh, stitches them with a large needle, and repeats the process depending on the depth.

Then she stitches the outside with a smaller needle.

It was after she bandaged the wound with clean cloth that Acheong’s eyes turned bloodshot.

Her blood vessels had burst, that’s why.

Of course, bursting into tears also played a part.

It was too painful, both physically and emotionally.

Really.

Embarrassed by her own vulnerability, Acheong changed the subject.

“So, what are those guys?”

“Well, that’s…”

Yang Sowol hesitated, clouding the end of her sentence.

Then, after a moment, she became resolute.

“It would be proper to tell the benefactor.”

“Oh, I wasn’t that curious.”

She asked without thinking, making it awkward.

Even though she was sincere, Yang Sowol didn’t believe her.

“I appreciate your consideration. In fact, this child is…”

It seemed like there was a big secret despite the grandeur!

Acheong swallowed hard.

“He is a child born with pure blood.”

It was a shocking conclusion!

Pure blood! I have no idea what that means!

Yang Sowol understood that fact with her experienced eyes.

“Dae Hyeop, what is pure blood…”

—-

Yang Sowol was originally a martial artist, but she retired and settled in a distant village after marrying her husband.

Her husband was a kind man, and so on.

Basically, it was about her being happy with her husband.

The peak of their happiness was when a child entered their lives.

The child was frail.

He often had cold hands and feet, and once he fell asleep, he couldn’t wake up easily.

Of course, this fact didn’t hinder their happiness.

As the child grew a little and she started teaching him basic martial arts, she realized that there was something strange about his constitution.

It was a type of congenital deficiency.

A child born with a congenital deficiency finds it difficult to live past thirty.

The shocked couple spread the word and brought in experts in congenital deficiencies.

The results were devastating.

Congenital deficiency.

It refers to the basic energy that a person possesses.

The amount of congenital energy varies slightly from person to person.

But it’s all the same in the end.

There may be slight differences, but there isn’t a big difference.

The nature of one’s disposition also varied slightly from person to person.

It was commonly known as the Five Elements Theory.

However, it was all the same in the end.

There may be slight differences, but there isn’t a big difference.

However, very rarely, truly very rarely, there are children born with an extreme manifestation of this disposition.

Yin and Yang each have two characteristics.

Yin energy is cold and dark.

Separating only the cold energy and calling it pure Yin.

Dark energy alone is Sha Yin.

Yang energy is bright and hot.

Similarly, brightness is pure Yang, and hotness is pure Yang.

These are the six extreme children born with the energies of pure Yang, extreme Yang, and pure Yang for boys.

And pure Yin, extreme Yin, and pure Yin for girls.

Among them, the girl with pure Yin blood was the most precious.

The child was precisely that pure Yin blood.

On the other hand, among Gangho’s evil techniques, there was something called Chaeeum Boyang.

An act of taking away Yin energy through sexual intercourse with a woman.

It was different from Dogga’s Bangjung technique.

The Bangjung technique involves sharing and circulating energies, benefiting both men and women.

Therefore, the Bangjung technique, while not without flaws, was not evil. It was originally a type of Taoist technique.

And the pure Yin energy among the six Yin and Yang was too convenient.

When it meets Yang energy, it spreads downward, adding to its hotness and brightness.

For a martial artist who has mastered the Yang Gang’s martial arts, there was no better elixir.

For a martial artist who has mastered the Yin Han’s martial arts?

It was an outstanding elixir that made the Yin energy even more pure.

And the thoughts that martial artists had about elixirs.

Elixirs are worth risking one’s life for.

If one doesn’t risk their life for elixirs, what else would they save their life for?

Martial artists are a clan that is immortal when it comes to elixirs.

If the fact that the child was born with pure Yin blood was revealed, the child couldn’t survive.

They would face the most miserable death in cruel agony.

A background was needed to protect the child from such dire threats.

At least until the child reached the level of a first-class master, where no method could take away their innate talent.

Fortunately, there was such a faction in Gangho Murim.

The Musan Shinnyeomun.

However, the journey from the remote and backward Bukgeonseong to Musan in the north was too harsh for the child.

To cross half the continent with a child who was already weak.

But after her husband’s death, Yang Sowol had no time to hesitate.

So, mother and daughter held hands and left home.

—-

“Wait a minute. So these crazy bastards are now…”

It meant that all those bastards were gathering to have their way with one high school girl.

This kind of… martial arts?

Regardless, the identity of the kid was somewhat shocking.

You… were a high school girl…?

Acheong looked down at the kid who had fallen asleep after cutting her thigh.

Ignoring the torture disguised as treatment, Acheong kicked the thigh of the kid who was sobbing with a blocked mouth and tears streaming down, instead of moaning in pain.

Truly, the kid was endlessly wicked.

“Uh, I apologize for saying this, but if you don’t mind taking pity on the child, may I ask if you could accompany us to Musan?”

“Of course! Those horny bastards…”

Suddenly, a mission window popped up, blocking Acheong’s words.

[Mission, (Unknown)th Crisis]

[You stand before the fateful connection of a lifetime.]

Actions for mission completion

Primary task) Escort the child to Shinnyeomun

ㄴ Or escort the child to an appropriate faction

Primary task) Transfer the elixir to the rightful owner

Secondary task) Sell the elixir

Secondary task) Consume the elixir

Ultimate task) Destroy the elixir and extract the pure blood

[This choice may have a significant impact on the world.]

It was a mission window with an unfamiliar format.

Mission change? Is it just a sudden mission like killing a bad guy or doing something bad?

Going further, killing even the bad guy’s friends.

No discrimination between bad guys and good guys, just kill them all.

It was always like this.

If I had known, I should have read some mission guides.

Character creation and early farming routes.

Before entering the game as Achyeong, these were the only pieces of information I had.

There was no time to find out any other information.

The game’s capacity wasn’t that big to begin with.

Installation was quick, so I immediately launched the game.

What’s the prelude? What’s the nth crisis?

The conditions for achieving the second setup were the same.

Pass the potion to the rightful owner?

Moreover, the word choice was so blatantly unpleasant.

There was only one mission method that treated Jinjang as a person.

Potion?

Giving a potion to someone who is breathing fine.

Click. Achyeong ground her teeth.

What the hell?

What should I do? Who am I?

Am I inside the game? Am I the protagonist? What world is this?

The child? The mother? Are they human or programmed?

Why me, why only me, why?

What’s the prelude again?

Why did I meet a middle school girl?

If it’s not a coincidence, then it’s meant to happen.

If I’m stuck in a predetermined path without any choice, leading to a predetermined ending, then I’m doomed after all–

Suddenly, something cold touched my wrist.

With faded eyes, Achyeong moved her neck like a rusty machine.

A small hand grabbed her wrist.

It felt so cold that it sobered her up.

“It’s cold…”

The child pulled her wrist with weak strength.

As Achyeong’s hand followed, it touched the child’s unusually cold cheek.

“Ha…”

Achyeong let out a deep sigh.

It feels really shitty.

Even this twitching in the status window is a disease, a disease.

Is this a mental illness? Am I mentally ill?

That’s truly an amazing fact.

But if you experience it, you’ll understand.

Achyeong forced down the rising nausea.

The bitter gastric juice that had reached the root of her tongue couldn’t come out and went back down.

She hoarsely scratched her throat in frustration.

“Daehyeop?”

“Oh. Yes. What were we talking about? Oh, right. Of course, we have to go together. I can’t say otherwise. Whatever.”

Achyeong replied like that.

Isn’t there something like a settings menu?

Just turn off the sudden mission window that pops up.

Damn it.

Instead of cursing, Achyeong looked down at the child’s face.

A sleeping child naturally calms the mind.

Perhaps that’s how humans evolved.

To protect weak children? Probably?

Regardless of the mission or anything else, Achyeong had only one choice to make.

The middle school girl is a child. The child must be protected.

It was common sense for a cultured modern Korean.