episode_0120

‘Oops.’

The moment I stole space, I let out a dizzying sigh inwardly.

I quickly glanced around.

All I could see were Vulcan and Erme.

Diago and the Crown Prince had gone somewhere, while the others had stepped outside to prepare camp.

Fortunately, only two among our group had seen it.

Erme and Vulcan.

‘If it’s those two…’

They wouldn’t speak of what they just witnessed. Neither was the type to yield to external pressure.

Even if they did say something, they’d tell me first.

—That was reckless of you. Uncharacteristic.

‘……Sorry.’

—Well, not entirely bad. It was amusing to see someone usually so cold-looking flustered like that.

What a nasty personality.

Though, he seemed oddly pleased about it.

After being scolded by the Holy Sword, I turned my attention to Erme and Vulcan, who were staring at me in shock.

—

“……What was that just now?”

“I just saw the Crown Prince expanding space and got an idea.”

“You ‘got an idea’ and could just do that?”

“You know my specialty is stealing, right?”

“Right… You’re a swordsman with talent that might appear once in a millennium, yet you’re even more gifted at thievery. That’s why I gave up calling you a candidate for Sword Hero.”

“Exactly. I can frontline and backline, but even with all that, adding +1 to my level still wouldn’t be enough. Finding someone like me is rare.”

“Don’t praise him too much. It’ll go to his head.”

“Isn’t that even cuter?”

“This is why women are…”

“Is that a sexist remark? Not afraid of the Guild Master, are you?”

When Erme brought up the Guild Master, Vulcan coughed awkwardly and turned back to me.

“Ahem. Anyway, how did you do it?”

“I saw space expansion and suddenly thought of it. Expanding space means stretching it, right?”

“Yes.”

“Right.”

“So then it occurred to me…”

“Wait, don’t tell me… you stole space?”

Vulcan’s eyes widened as he stared at me.

Erme, who had been nodding along, suddenly mirrored Vulcan’s expression.

“Ah, no, hold on. That shouldn’t be possible…”

“If not, then how else do you explain what just happened?”

“To be precise, it felt like I stole the distance between Erme and me.”

“……So it really happened.”

“…….”

A brief silence fell.

Erme’s mind raced, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Vulcan watched me with a mix of concern and fascination.

“Hmph. That’s the level I’d expect from my disciple.”

“Oh my, is this the same person who was overjoyed when you used the Plum Blossom Sword Style to take down that Racter or whatever?”

“I didn’t laugh like an idiot.”

“Uh, I never said you did.”

“…….”

So Vulcan did laugh like an idiot when I won.

Good to know.

“But how do you plan to use it?”

“……Hmm.”

I pondered.

I could use this in battle.

By stealing the distance between me and my opponent, I could always strike first.

Mage, assassin, warrior—it didn’t matter.

I could land the first hit no matter what.

And with my instincts, I’d force it to work.

But.

‘……Can I even use this properly?’

The thought crossed my mind.

Because after using it just once, the throbbing in my head wouldn’t stop.

My body is absurdly durable now. My skin would blunt a blade, and my bones boast ludicrous hardness.

Yet, stealing space once left my head pounding unbearably. In a real fight, the pain would be too distracting.

‘……Guess I’ll have to save it for emergencies.’

Still, having the option was better than nothing.

I’d need to experiment carefully to figure out how to use it effectively.

After organizing my thoughts, I explained it to Vulcan and Erme.

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Something’s holding you back, I take it?”

“The risk outweighs the return.”

“Hmm… So your ‘something’ is putting the brakes on it.”

“Well, it’s specialized for ambushes. Anyone seeing it for the first time would be dead on the spot.”

“You could probably assassinate up to Level 7 with it.”

“Or use it once to mess with your opponent’s head.”

Before I could even respond, Vulcan and Erme were already strategizing how to counter my ability.

Then, as if realizing something, Erme glanced at me and smiled sweetly.

“Ah, sorry. Occupational hazard.”

“No, it’s fine. I’d do the same.”

“That’s why you’re Yu Sung. So broad-minded.”

She grinned and folded her arms. This girl was something else.

—The enemy of women. The idol of men, huh?

‘……Don’t say it.’

At least our clan members didn’t bare their fangs at Erme…

Just as I thought that—

“Quit slacking and get ready.”

Veronica’s sharp voice cut in.

Not baring their fangs, huh?

—

“Phew… This is the stuff.”

Veronica’s face was flushed, her lips slack, her cheeks red. If you wanted a textbook example of someone looking blissful, this was it.

[……Cheating. I protest. The gap is too wide.]

Cheongju grumbled at me.

What could I do?

Even with the buff from a thief’s ultimate skill, the difference was staggering. And now that the ultimate had ascended to divine-tier…

The gap had only widened.

The proof? Erme, who usually ate three bowls of Cheongju’s cooking, had devoured an entire pot by herself, her eyes rolling back.

“…….”

Now she sat there, gloomy.

“What do I do… my image…”

So that’s what she was worried about.

Well, it made sense. She led the clan in my stead as the figurehead.

But…

‘Does she really need to worry?’

I wasn’t like this, but some clan members turned pale or trembled at the sight of her.

Even Lucia, who usually acted all high and mighty, had been subtly shaking in her seat earlier.

‘What did she even do to earn that?’

But I supposed some things were inevitable.

As someone utterly lacking in leadership skills, I had no choice but to rely entirely on Erme.

—And what if that girl devours you whole one day?

‘That wouldn’t be so bad.’

Honestly, that’s what I wanted.

Being a figurehead clan leader was exhausting. I’d rather just be a regular member and follow orders.

But she insisted I stay as the clan’s leader while she handled all the grunt work.

So I had no choice.

—Well, with your talent, it’s only natural.

The Holy Sword’s embarrassing praise made me turn away, staring into the campfire.

‘Huh.’

I felt oddly… good.

As I zoned out at the flames, I realized I hadn’t properly rested in a while.

Lately, one incident after another kept piling up.

I kind of wanted to just laze in bed all day.

‘I miss my phone.’

While I was spacing out, Vulcan strode over.

“You ate well.”

“I suppose.”

“As your master, since you cooked, I’ll help you train.”

“…….”

Now that I thought about it…

Vulcan had worked me to the bone.

I hadn’t updated them recently, but my arms and legs were still weighed down by 50kg iron balls each.

They disrupted mana flow, so I had to lighten myself indoors to avoid breaking furniture. It helped with training, but…

‘Helping with training just means it’s hellishly hard.’

Lately, though, I didn’t even feel it.

I hesitated.

Should I just relax and enjoy the fire?

Or struggle a little more?

‘Obviously the former… is what I’d like to say, but—’

I couldn’t.

The beasts the Holy Sword had mentioned…

Knowing they existed made the world feel anything but safe.

With an inward sigh, I looked at Vulcan and spoke.

“Lately, I feel like I’ve hit a wall…”

“You did?”

Vulcan’s eyebrow twitched as he stared at me.

“Don’t say that anywhere else.”

“Why?”

“You hit Level 5 in less than a year. The fastest before you took at least two.”

“I am exceptional, but by that logic, my clan members are freaks too.”

“Well, if you consider mana saturation, it’s not entirely inexplicable.”

“Mana saturation?”

“Sometimes… the mana in dungeons becomes oversaturated, leading to frequent appearances of talents like you. The so-called ‘Golden Generation.’”

“And even in a Golden Generation, it took two years?”

“Even among Golden Generations, true prodigies are rare. But your group is a perfect storm—talents aligning and mana saturation.”

Still, with dungeons existing for millennia, you’d think this would’ve happened before.

‘……Well, there was that 200-year gap.’

A lot must’ve happened.

So it wasn’t that strange.

“Then let’s spar to warm up.”

Vulcan grinned, hefting a sword as tall as himself.

“……Spar?”

“Yeah, come at me with everything you’ve got. I’ll beat the… ahem, train you properly for that meal.”

This old man…

He just wants to beat me up.

With a sigh, I stashed the iron balls in my hidden space, drew the Holy Sword, and charged.

—

Vulcan watched Han Yu Sung with solemn eyes.

Every time he saw him, the boy had grown leaps and bounds, to the point where even he couldn’t gauge his limits anymore.

‘Show me.’

He had inherited his legacy.

So Han Yu Sung had to prove himself different from before. Vulcan owed him much, but…

Back in Murim, the name he once bore—Unhyeon—had made countless enemies.

From the day he vowed to burn himself alive and slaughter them all…

He had become a vengeful spirit, killing without mercy.

It was karma.

An inevitable, irreversible past.

Mountains of corpses, rivers of blood.

He had taken too many lives.

As meager atonement, he now devoted himself to nurturing adventurers.

‘I killed those who deserved death and spared those who didn’t, but…’

His hands would never be clean.

And so, his enemies were legion.

Which was why he couldn’t leave Han Yu Sung—who had inherited the legacy of the Volcano Sect—unprepared.

‘Show me.’

Han Yu Sung’s violet eyes locked onto him.

Then, he retreated.

“Ranged attacks? Those won’t work on me.”

Simple logic.

Mana weakens the farther it travels from its user. That’s why long-range sniping is difficult.

It’s why master archers are rare, and why the Holy Bow—a weapon capable of transforming into others—exists.

If the bow were perfect as-is, there’d be no need for versatility.

But then Vulcan narrowed his eyes.

‘Blurred.’

Han Yu Sung’s form flickered.

Yet Vulcan could still track his movements.

Creak—

The sound of a drawn bowstring.

Then, Han Yu Sung’s lips moved silently.

‘Phantom Mirage: Pierce, Explode, Split.’

The arrow nocked on the string darkened.

Twang.

A soft sound.

But the arrow split into hundreds.

‘Huh?’

And the night sky rained down.