episode_0103

103. Lee Gye-in.

“Kheu-euk…”

Yohan groaned and raised his head. He felt a burning pain from his side.

He saw Yeom Han-jin slowly tilting into his view.

Thud-!

Hoo, Yohan let out a weak sigh.

‘I deployed the shield weakly, but I almost got hit.’

Fortunately, the wound wasn’t too deep. The defense of the rock skin and shield was not to be ignored.

Yeom Han-jin’s skill was definitely superior to his master’s. If the opponent hadn’t underestimated him or ambushed him, the match would have been decided in just a few exchanges.

Several strokes of luck overlapped, so he was able to compete for quite a while. Yohan was satisfied.

He roughly dusted off both hands and approached Yeom Han-jin. Faint blue light scattered along his white, long fingers.

It was the afterimage left by the Magic Missiles.

“Move him inside. The wound looks severe.”

“Yes.”

Following Yohan’s orders, the cult members moved quickly.

He also felt a little regret.

‘Killing him might bring bad karma…’

He seemed to be in a fairly important position in the Black King Fortress. Yohan spoke to his master, who had approached him.

“Master. Didn’t you say a martial artist of similar level to Master would come?”

“……There seems to have been some kind of misunderstanding. He’s definitely not the kind of person you’d see in a backwater place like this, so what is he?”

His master didn’t seem to know either. Yohan put the question aside and left the training ground.

Sparring in the morning, a life-or-death match around lunch. He was quite tired.

Yohan lay down on the bed prepared in the safe house.

“Wake me up if anything happens.”

“Yes.”

He fell asleep right away without even hearing the answer.

In his dream, Yohan was able to meet his parents and his lover.

A sweet fantasy embraces Yohan.

***

About five hours later, Yohan opened his eyes to the sound of someone calling him.

“……Lord. Cult Leader.”

The cult member was waking Yohan up in a quiet but powerful voice. His tone was deeply polite.

Yohan rolled only his eyes to look at the cult member. It was Jang Cheong.

“What’s the matter?”

“The man from the Black King Fortress has woken up.”

“Oh, he’s fast.”

He made a complete beehive out of him with Magic Missiles, but he’s already recovering.

‘Since his level is high, his recovery ability is also excellent.’

“Where is he now?”

“Many cult members are out on business trips to the neighboring village. There are many empty rooms. I put him in one of them.”

“Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

Jang Cheong bowed his head and led Yohan. Yohan looked around like a child and walked slowly.

Naturally, Jang Cheong’s pace also slowed down to match him. A cult member should always match the pace of the cult leader.

Yohan’s view takes in a different structure of the safe house than before.

‘They’ve changed a lot in a month.’

All the unnecessary luxury goods were sold off, and sturdy lumber and bricks filled their place.

And they also bought good quality weapons from time to time. Among them, the most groundbreaking change was that the quality of agriculture had improved.

‘I didn’t know the Dew Order and Dig Order would be so useful.’

Yohan’s routine was very simple. Sparring, and inspecting the village.

At first, the residents didn’t really welcome Yohan’s inspection either. From their point of view, the Black Forest Gang and the Demonic Cult weren’t that different.

However, when Yohan performed various divine arts, they changed their stance.

A stream of water sprang from the air with a wave of his hand, and the ground was easily dug up for farming with a light stomp of his foot.

Truly a living god!

Yohan smiled when he thought of that time.

‘This is, you know, like being a pseudo cult leader.’

No, is he already one?

While Yohan was having such random thoughts, Jang Cheong broke his reverie.

“We’ve arrived.”

When Yohan nodded, Jang Cheong grabbed the doorframe with both hands and opened it. There, a man resembling a lion was lying on the bed.

Yeom Han-jin smiled at Yohan, then frowned again as if pain was surging. It was a funny sight.

“Kheu-eu, you’re in a bad state. Cult Leader. Couldn’t you have gone a little easier on me?”

Yohan scoffed.

“Who was it who said they’d blow off an arm? I didn’t know you’d be this thick-skinned.”

“Hehe, that’s right. I was short-sighted.”

Yeom Han-jin pointed to his abdomen.

“Even so, isn’t it too much? Mr. Lee Gye-in?”

“……!”

Yohan’s pupils widened slightly. And then contracted again. Ah, so that’s what it was.

“It wasn’t that I was ignoring it on purpose. No wonder, I heard a stronger martial artist than I expected was dispatched.”

Yohan continued, shining a sharp expression.

“I’m not the first? Right?”

“Oh, you’re quick to notice. That’s right. I don’t know if it’s because the world is going to ruin, but these days, there are more and more young people who use bizarre sorcery.”

“Young people…”

They must be players. Most of the humans running at the top of the Tower are young people.

It was a natural thing. Humans cannot overcome time. Aging makes humans sick, and also weak.

The competition between the old and the young can never be equal. That was the same for children.

The Tower brought people in regardless of age, and relatively weaker age groups died in countless numbers.

“So what happened to them? Did they die?”

“Of course not. How can we recklessly discard such excellent talents. The Black King is not that kind of person.”

“……”

Yohan smiled inwardly.

‘It seems that many players have also fallen to the side of the White Path. They are also on fire right now.’

The emergence of unexpected foreign mercenaries began to shake the power balance of the two forces.

I don’t know how many have fallen, but it’s at least more than one or two.

That means a sufficiently meaningful number. Moreover, the potential of mercenaries is superior to martial artists. Because they received the blessing of the Tower.

“I’m curious about something at this point, what do you think my level is? You’ve seen other Lee Gye-ins, right?”

“Well, how would I know that.”

Yeom Han-jin stared intently at Yohan’s fingers.

“Judging someone else’s power without showing the bottom is bound to be an arrogant delusion.”

He continued.

“It’s scary. I heard that you haven’t learned swordsmanship for very long, but you have outstanding talent in both sorcery and swordsmanship.”

Yeom Han-jin shook his head.

“Did you say it was the Demonic Cult? Maybe a new force will be born.”

“That’s an overestimation.”

“I thought it was lacking.”

Yohan waved his hand as if he was done. It was like chasing away flies.

“Okay, is there anything else we need to do now? The life-or-death match is already over, when are you planning to return to the Fortress?”

“I’m going even if you don’t tell me. Don’t rush me.”

Yeom Han-jin said that while poking his whole body. His expression warps.

“Umm… I think I’ll heal faster if I have delicious food, so if you want to get me out of here quickly, bring me a feast. I’m hungry. And if possible, a woman too.”

Yohan turned his body. His long robe fluttered.

“I’ll give you food. If there are any women who volunteer, I’ll tell you to speak up.”

“Uh, wait─”

Thwack-!

Yeom Han-jin’s cry was lightly buried by the sound of the door closing.

The man with the lion’s mane looked at the tightly closed door, laughing in disbelief.

“Keu-heuk, crazy bastard. He’s definitely not an ordinary guy.”

Well, he was much better than other Lee Gye-ins. Yeom Han-jin thought so and lay down on the bed.

A bed made of the same material as a stone rolling around on the street greeted him.

He thought as he felt his aching trapezius muscles and back.

‘……Damn it. It’s terribly hard.’

I like something fluffy. The man closed his eyes while thinking about that. Surprisingly, he fell asleep well.

***

On the second day after the life-or-death match, Yeom Han-jin kept his word.

He got up from the sickbed with bandages wrapped all over his body. His physical condition didn’t look good, but his complexion was pretty good.

Yohan said.

“Are you leaving?”

“I have to go. I should have gone right away on the day of the sparring, but this is quite late.”

Yohan felt a little regret. It’s definitely not that he grew attached, but he regretted his teachings.

Yeom Han-jin seemed restless, and he darted around here and there even while recovering.

While doing so, he saw Yohan and his master sparring, and he didn’t spare any advice for Yohan.

“It was very helpful.”

He was sincere. A different kind of enlightenment than what he learned from his master came to Yohan. It was a fun experience.

Yeom Han-jin smiled.

“Heu, just with words?”

“……Ah. Is that so.”

Yohan hurriedly rummaged through his bosom. Seeing Yohan, Yeom Han-jin was startled and waved his hand.

“No, no! Ha, look at this heartless guy. Hey, you son of a bitch. Are you showing off that you’re an Lee Gye-in?”

“……?”

Yeom Han-jin chuckled and raised both hands. He clenched his right hand heavily, and tilted his left hand diagonally.

Yohan instinctively followed him. He just had to.

Cheo-eok-

The moon and the sun touch. Yohan felt that way as he looked at his hands and the man’s hands.

Yohan and the man’s heads slowly lowered.

Fist and palm salute.

A serious voice, different from what he had shown so far, flowed from the man’s mouth.

“Thank you for your hospitality. Cult Leader.”

“It’s the same here.”

Giving respect with sincerity.

“Thank you for the teachings of the senior.”