Chapter 65 : Chapter 65

Chapter 65 - Martial Arts Alliance (2)

So, as a result of blackmailing the Martial Arts Alliance like that.

I was thrown in jail.

“...”

You bastards.

To treat a person like this when all he said was the truth.

“Why did you have to say such things?”

Even this person was treating me like this.

Beyond the iron bars, Ms. Meirin was resting her chin on her hands with a dissatisfied expression.

She had just kicked out all the guards, saying she wanted to speak with me alone.

“What about it.”

“If you speak to my grandfather like that, it's only natural that this would happen.”

“It’s not a lie. I really came to take you.”

“What value do I have to you?”

Value, huh. Well.

It's a bit of an apology to someone who wants to live an ordinary life, but.

This person was fated to be swept up in a huge event whether she liked it or not.

In the second trial, without this person's help, the difficulty would become hellish, even by veteran standards.

Of course, she wouldn't understand no matter how I explained it to her now, so I had no choice but to explain it without any context.

“I need you.”

“...Pardon?”

“I can't do without you. In many ways.”

Yes.

No matter how many water-attribute related skills I slapped on, this skill tree was fundamentally designed with the premise of this person's help.

If this person was missing, it would be a huge problem on the level of red bean paste missing from a red bean bun.

“Are you doing this on purpose? Really?”

“Pardon?”

“No, you’re too aggressive... but then again it doesn't seem like that's what you mean...”

Ms. Meirin muttered as she tore at her hair.

What's this person doing now.

I just stated the facts as they were.

As I stared at Ms. Meirin, blinking, she let out a deep sigh and handed me something.

It was my phone, which had been confiscated when I was imprisoned.

“...Here. You asked for it, right?”

“...”

I took it with a smirk.

Right, well.

I did leave a message for this person before I was locked up here.

I did say that if she had any intention of ‘cooperating’ with me, she should bring this from my belongings.

And seeing her bring it without any hesitation, it seemed I didn't even need to ask about her intention to join my side.

“Thank you.”

And as soon as I received it, I made a call. The destination was Renegade's lodgings.

[...Hello?]

From the other side of the call, Seo Ah-in's voice, filled with suspicion, came through.

It was clear she was thinking something along the lines of, this is the first I've known there's a phone in the lodgings, and what kind of person is calling here.

“It's me.”

[Identify yourself, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik. What's with that, it's not a voice phishing scam, is it?]

What are you talking about when you already know.

[By the way, this is the first time you've contacted me like this. What's up?]

“I'm in jail right now.”

[...Pardon?]

“I'm currently imprisoned.”

[...]

Silence struck my ears.

The voice that erupted afterward was practically at the level of a volcanic eruption, though.

[-This crazy man, really! I knew you'd cause trouble one day! Where are you exactly? I'm coming right now, so tell me quickly!]

“Who asked you to come?”

Such a busybody.

There was only one reason I called here.

“Get ready to move.”

[...Move? What are you talking about all of a sudden?]

“One more person is joining, and we can't live in that dump of a building anymore. So get ready to move.”

Even if I just relayed it like this, Mr. Lee Seong-jin and Lee Si-yeong would understand on their own.

Because there were things I had hinted at before I came here.

I had simply expressed it as moving just now, but... the place where the guild building was being moved was a bit special.

It was a matter that I had discussed with Lee Si-yeong before, and if I took Ms. Meirin there, an event would probably be generated where I could get something pretty good.

[...Honestly, really. A man not worth the worry I give him...]

A dying voice mumbled from the other side of the phone.

Seeing that, Ms. Meirin tilted her head and left a comment.

“She sounds like a housewife cleaning up the mess her husband made...”

“...”

What a horrifying thing to say.

[Oh, wait a minute. That voice sounds familiar?]

“Right. Ms. Chang Meirin. You've met her before, right?”

[...Don't tell me the person you're bringing is?]

“That's right.”

[...How, no, since it's you, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik, it's meaningless to ask how. What's her opinion?]

“She's on board too.”

Suddenly, Seo Ah-in became quiet.

She seemed to be pondering something on her own.

[Could you please pass the phone to her?]

“...? Why?”

[Just do it.]

It's not like I couldn't.

I shrugged my shoulders and passed the phone to Meirin.

Meirin, who was briefly flustered, soon cautiously took the call.

“Yes...?”

[Ms. Meirin. I won't talk long.]

“Yeees...?”

[Run while you still can. I've warned you.]

“...”

Ms. Meirin's expression was completely bewildered.

[Mr. Kim Gyu-sik. He's capable, he has his cool moments, and I understand why you got hooked, you know? But once you're hooked, it's the end! You can never escape! I'm telling you this from a senior's perspective, so please take it to hear...!]

“...Give that to me.”

I took the phone back and hung up.

***

In fact, although I was imprisoned in jail, there was one thing I was sure of.

They would never be able to inflict physical harm on me.

In the first place, I was currently monopolizing the knowledge that they were bowing their heads and begging for.

To be precise, Ahab from the Heukryongdang side was using a similar system, so it wasn't a monopoly, but since I had intimidated him pretty well, there was little fear of it leaking out anyway.

But.

‘...Martial Arts Alliance in name only.’

If it was the petty Martial Arts Alliance I knew, there was a high probability they would have tremendous complaints about it.

We are the home country of martial arts, and the most legitimate successors!

You're telling me to bow my head to some young punk who came out of nowhere! That's not the wuxia spirit!

It would be something like that.

The very situation I was in now proved that clearly.

“After internal discussions, we have decided to give you a chance.”

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader stroked his beard and put on airs.

I really want to pluck all of that out.

Of course, in a situation where there were several truckloads of guys with fierce expressions and drawn weapons, it would be better to restrain myself a little.

No matter how these guys were not such high-grade Climbers, the human wave tactic was something that could never be ignored.

‘Well...’

And in the first place, I was blindfolded and dragged into a very deep place. I don't know the way out, so I don't want to start a fight.

So what on earth was here that they had hidden it so carefully, you ask.

“Do you see the stone monument before you.”

I see it very well.

In fact, it would be harder not to see a large stone chunk that rose to the height of a small building.

“It is a monument that has shared its history with the birth of the Martial Arts Alliance. It is the first time it has been shown to an outsider, so consider it an honor.”

“I don't remember asking for a lecture.”

“...You. You will one day find your life cut short by your tongue.”

That could be true.

But not today.

Anyway, I knew very well what that monument was.

Suction Stone吸石. In the game's setting, it was an item that all the masters who belonged to the Martial Arts Alliance throughout history had used at least once.

Its features were complex, but the explanation could be simple. If you hit it with all your might, it analyzes the user's capabilities.

How strong the blow was, what the level of the technique was, what kind of energy was used, and so on.

It would be easy to understand if you think of it as a punching machine with an awesome analysis function.

Moreover, that data was saved as is and could even be viewed.

It could be said to be a living witness that remembers the history of the Martial Arts Alliance. It wasn't for nothing that it was kept in such a deep and heavily guarded place.

“If you can really use martial arts, and can handle Qi. Then unleash the strongest blow you can towards that monument. Then we will look at your capabilities and review your request.”

“Is there a reason it has to be that monument?”

“Because it's the sturdiest.”

And the words of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, who had conveniently left out that explanation, followed.

‘Bullshit.’

It was such a display of worldliness that I couldn't help but laugh.

No, well.

It was sturdy, but.

If he was demanding it like that, leaving out the explanation of its actual function, his intentions were obvious.

If I used Qi to hit that, it meant they would chew, tear, taste, and enjoy the analysis results that the Suction Stone spat out to their liking.

And after they had extracted only the information they needed, their plan was to say something like, ‘After reviewing, your capabilities are far from the dignity of the Martial Arts Alliance. You are a fraud!’

“...”

But you know.

Do they even know?

That the reason I charged headfirst into the Martial Arts Alliance was to see that Suction Stone just once.

Because.

[ Observation ]

The fact that the data of successful fighters had been accumulated for a long time.

It meant that for a crazy cheat skill holder who could suck up all the information just by glancing at it, it was a treasure no different from a gold mine.

“...Fuck.”

A vast amount of information, enough to make me want to curse, instantly rushed into my brain.

The number of people who had passed through this Suction Stone was at least in the hundreds, and each and every one of them was a master who was sufficient to make a name for themselves in their era.

And the essence that made the biggest contribution to building that fame all flowed in at once.

It would be strange if an overload didn't occur.

“...”

But.

Even amidst the sensation of my brain about to be fried, I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face.

This, this, I tell you.

[ Category: Martial Arts will be added to the skill section. ]

‘This is a jackpot.’

Even in the game, Martial Arts was a domain that I could only watch with my finger in my mouth as Chang Meirin or Chinese-affiliated Climbers imitated it.

Even for me, with all skills unlocked, all sorts of prerequisites would have been necessary to use it.

But, I just came here and stared at a stone chunk for a bit and opened all the skills belonging to ‘Martial Arts’.

Without even investing a single point.

I couldn't even grasp the extent of the gain.

“Have you lost your mind? What are you doing by yourself?”

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader, who saw me grinning, frowned and asked, but I wasn't offended at all.

“No, well. You told me to hit that because it's the sturdiest?”

“...So I said.”

Is that so.

I continued to smirk as I checked my status.

The knowledge of martial arts was still steadily accumulating in my head.

Since it used Qi instead of mana, and was sensitively affected by physical abilities, with my current specs, I probably couldn't bring out even a quarter of the original power.

“Right.”

At least, it was more than enough to show the guys who were squaring up to me in this place properly.

So what if the power was a little lacking.

I was in a state where I could ‘combine’ anything I wanted.

The optimal breathing, the optimal form, the optimal circulation.

Jin-gak.The most basic stage of the blow I was about to show.

As I took one step forward, the floor crumbled as if it were tofu being crushed, and my foot sank in.

“...What!”

“Jin-gak? But such a powerful Qi is...!”

Reactions of astonishment at that sight came from all over the place.

Probably because I had just recreated a sight that could only be found in ‘masters’ who were only passed down in literature.

By this point, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, who realized that something was going wrong, looked at me with a slightly pale expression.

It was a look that clearly showed that although he didn't know exactly what would happen, a sense of anxiety was creeping up on him.

But.

It was already a little too late.

“You guys told me to hit it. I'm not taking responsibility, okay?”

Right.

You said it was ‘sturdy’.

Let's see just how sturdy it is.

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