episode_0106

106. Gap (2)

After finishing the meal, as Yohan tried to get up, Chief Marim grabbed him.

“Wait, just wait a moment, Religious Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“You have to write a reply, don’t you?”

“Ah.”

Yohan snatched the letter as if he had just realized it. Chief Marim added.

“After you finish writing, tie the letter to the right foot. It was the left foot when it came.”

“Okay.”

Yohan said that and left the spot. He planned to return to his office to write the letter.

Step, step-

Reaching the office, Yohan plopped down on the chair that had been prepared.

It’s an office that now feels like his own home. Yohan grabbed the letter and began to write a reply.

It didn’t take long. That’s because there wasn’t much to say.

“Whew, if I didn’t have a special ability, I wouldn’t have been able to write at all.”

The original owner of this body could speak, but didn’t know how to write.

It’s only natural, how would an orphan youth know how to write?

‘If I return to Earth, I might be able to speak all the languages of the world.’

It was a pointless delusion. Yohan held the letter and the black string in both hands. And tied it to the carrier pigeon’s right ankle.

“I’m counting on you.”

As Yohan lightly patted the carrier pigeon’s rear, it lifted its body with graceful wing movements.

Flap-!

The black pigeon flew out through the window that had been opened in advance.

Thud, Yohan, who had been watching the pigeon’s tail for a while, closed the window and came outside.

“Two months, huh…”

I need to devote myself more to training. Eventually, the moment to show off the spell will come, but until then, I want to mainly use martial arts.

Yohan’s eyes flashed sharply.

“There will definitely be players too.”

And maybe…

“I hope I can meet Ms. Sara.”

Perhaps, I might be able to reunite with a precious relationship.

Sssssssss…

Blue particles gather around Yohan, who is sitting cross-legged.

The light clusters crawled on Yohan’s body and poked him.

It was as if he was looking at a curious child. Yohan had patience. After some time passed, the activity of the light clusters began to subside.

Now’s the time. Yohan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Then the light clusters began to flow into Yohan’s entire body.

Whoo-oong…

The particles that entered the body circulated in accordance with a certain flow.

Small Celestial Circulation.

He operated the magic power based on the mental cultivation method taught by his master. At first glance, it was similar to [Stillness of the Waterfall].

“Hoo-oo…”

Not long after, Yohan took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

He scattered blue light and looked around.

A follower who was standing guard next to him carefully said.

“Religious Leader. Would you like a glass of water?”

“Good.”

“Yes.”

The follower bowed and handed over a teacup. Yohan drank it in one gulp. Ah, I feel alive now.

“Let’s go out now.”

“Yes.”

Leaving the room where he had been training, he was finally able to guess the current time. Because it’s a secret room with all the windows blocked, I lose my sense of time.

Before he knew it, it was getting dark.

Swish, swish-

In the meantime, he heard a sound cutting through the air from somewhere.

It seems regular, but suddenly speeds up at some point. Yes, this is the sound of a sword.

Yohan felt that the source of the sound and his location were getting closer to each other.

“I’ll go alone from here. Go and rest.”

“Yes.”

Training grounds. The source of this strange sound was definitely there. Yohan slowly moved his steps.

He saw a wall that seemed to have been recently constructed. If I just turn this corner, I can find out who the owner of the sound is.

Yohan peeked out his head.

Swoosh-!

“……”

There was a man dancing a sword dance under the dim moonlight.

A crescent moon was shyly revealing its face in the sky. The amount of light is significantly less.

Perhaps that’s why, the man’s sword occasionally disappeared into the darkness.

‘He’s still the same.’

His identity was his master. Yohan stood blankly and watched his master’s training.

From the day after being defeated miserably in a sparring match with Yohan, his master began to devote himself to training as if he were possessed.

He was so extreme that he didn’t even eat, so Chief Marim said something. But he didn’t listen.

Rather, he just swung his sword even harder, desperately.

Swoosh-!

Yohan, who had been watching him for a while, turned his body. And without realizing it, he thought about the gap between his master and himself.

‘It hasn’t changed much.’

For about two months, his master hadn’t improved much. It’s a natural thing.

There’s no way that the development speed of a beginner like Yohan and the development speed of a master who has survived in the martial arts world for a long time would be the same.

The gap is widening endlessly.

Perhaps his master knows that fact too.

But-

‘He definitely improved. Even if it’s just a little.’

That’s enough. Yohan went into the inner quarters. It was almost time to sleep.

Step- Step-

Even though Yohan had left, his master’s training continued.

Swish, swish-!

Then suddenly, his sword stopped moving.

“……”

Untidy hair covers his eyes in a disheveled manner.

His rough beard makes him look like a gambler, not a martial artist.

His skinny body, which he can’t afford to feed, resembles a beggar.

The man standing in front of his master said.

“I don’t know if this is the head of the group, a master, or a beggar. Hey, what are you doing not sleeping at this late hour?”

“……”

His master just remained silent. And turned his body and swung his sword again. He was going to ignore him.

Swoosh- Clang!

“……!”

Someone’s sword came into contact with his master’s sword, making a clear sound.

The man, Chief Marim, said in a sarcastic tone.

“How long are you going to be sulking because you lost to a young punk? I don’t know who the brat is─”

Clang!

Chief Marim was startled and pulled his sword away. He hurriedly took a step back after barely blocking his master’s attack.

Clang! Clang!

His master followed Chief Marim, who was stepping back, and persistently swung his sword.

Chief Marim was gradually cornered. This won’t do.

“Haaaap!”

Chief Marim let out a shout and swung his sword horizontally.

Clang!

With an ear-splitting roar, the two men’s figures were pushed back.

Chief Marim smiled fiercely.

“Heh, good. It reminds me of the old days after a long time. Come on! Brother Dokgo!”

He kicked off the ground while calling out his former name.

The two men danced a sword dance in the darkness, using the moonlight as lighting.

Perhaps because a long relationship bound them together, the two men’s swordsmanship was very similar.

“Your skills have improved quite a bit!”

“……”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Unlike the chief, who was panting, his master looked relatively calm.

There was always a gap, but his achievements had increased quite a bit as he trained with Yohan.

The chief was no longer his opponent.

Thwack!

“Cough!”

Chief Marim’s figure flew far away with a long back kick.

His master, who had followed him in the meantime, pointed his sword at his neck.

Clang, the chief threw his sword away haphazardly and raised both hands.

“I surrender, I surrender. Let’s stop. I lost.”

“……”

His master willingly sheathed his sword. Of course, he had no intention of killing him.

The chief, who got up, dusting off his knees, pointed his finger at his master’s sword.

“You’re already strong enough. What’s the rush? Brother Dokgo needs to control his mind a little more.”

At the chief’s words of advice, his master, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“I want to.”

It wasn’t easy to hear. The chief asked again.

“What?”

“I want to too. Do you think I don’t know?”

The chief frowned.

“Looks like you don’t know?”

Whew, his master sighed.

“That Religious Leader hasn’t even held a sword for a year. I can tell just by looking at the calluses on his hands and his habits.”

He sheathed his sword and added.

“I suddenly wondered. Do I have the skills to call myself the Religious Leader’s master? Rather, shouldn’t the Religious Leader be more suitable for the role of master? ”

His master – no, the person who no longer thought of himself as a master – looked at the chief.

“You tell me. Can I really be called a master?”

“……”

As the chief remained silent, he gave a self-deprecating smile. Yeah, you can’t answer either─

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“…… What?”

Chief Marim had a bad expression and stood with his legs apart.

Even if you just looked at him, he had a vulgar attitude. He was indeed a man who suited the black path.

“I’m speechless after listening. Who taught the Religious Leader swordsmanship? Who taught him the mental cultivation method? Who taught him the footwork? Who taught him the fighting method?”

Tap, Chief Marim pointed his finger at his master’s face.

“Didn’t Brother Dokgo teach him everything? Then who would be the master?”

He spoke before his master could answer.

“The Religious Leader’s martial arts all originated from Brother Dokgo. Don’t you even know the saying that the student surpasses the master? As expected, you’re ignorant because you’re an orphan, tsk.”

“……”

“To put it bluntly, there aren’t just one or two cases in the world where the master is weaker than the disciple, are there? Isn’t that very common!”

Step, the chief’s face suddenly came closer.

“Stop talking like a fool and go eat and sleep!”

“……”

His master had a blank expression.

The chief spat thickly on the training grounds and turned around.

“I’ll be on my way. I warn you, I won’t stand still if you show any more disgraceful behavior!”

He said that and really left the training grounds.

“…… Huh.”

His master, who had been standing there as if nailed, suddenly shrugged his shoulders.

“Kahahahahahaha!!!”

He continued to burst into laughter, then stopped for a moment. Because he was out of breath.

And he continued again.

“Kahahahahahahahahaha!!!!”