anwhile, during the walk, the one-eyed man told the things I absolutely must not do here.
“I am the Black-Tortoise Officer of this Martial Star Hall. I’m responsible for the discipline here. The Black-Tortoise Officer’s word is heaven. If you disobey, rember this—punishnt can be expulsion, and in severe cases, even imdiate execution.”
“Yes.”
“All facilities here can be used freely by anyone, regardless of rank. However, lodging and als are discriminated by rank. Also, when your rank rises, you can receive spirit pills given by Heavenly Martial Castle. The higher you climb, the better spirit pills you can obtain, so keep that in mind.”
“Yes.”
“Here, we don’t fight with words. If you have complaints, solve them with your fists. But you must not kill the other party.”
I like that.
“Yes.”
“For anything else, read this.”
“Yes.”
The place I arrived at with the instructor was a long hall with many rooms packed tightly together.
“Starting today, this is where you’ll stay.”
Each room had a number written above it, and the room assigned to was Rank Seven, Room Three.
“This is the place you’ll be living from now on.”
“Yes.”
“Since today is your first day, read that book and take so ti to adapt to this place.”
“Yes.”
The Black-Tortoise Officer grinned as he looked at answering.
His expression was strangely aningful.
“Have a good first day.”
He left behind words I couldn’t make sense of, waved his hand, and went off.
I didn’t pay it much mind and opened the book.
Inside, the training you could do in Martial Star Hall and the thods of promotion were written out in detail.
I already knew the rough way this place worked, so I didn’t need to read it closely to understand.
What I was curious about was the Seven-Star Ascension Tower.
The urge to go challenge it right now bubbled up hard, but I held it down.
I didn’t co here to get promoted.
I ca to see whether Martial Star Hall had problems too.
Even without challenging the Seven-Star Ascension Tower, each of these things was a new experience, so it was fun.
I stepped outside and looked around, and the halls were clustered tightly together, and their condition didn’t look very good.
Rank Seven—the very bottom—was definitely treated poorly.
You’d probably grit your teeth and train, even if only because it felt unfair and humiliating.
Inside the room, a musty sweat stench filled everything, and the cleanliness was awful too.
Looks like they co in, don’t even wash, and sleep.
I hate that.
If I’m going to sleep here, I need to clean this room first.
I muttered while looking at the room.
“Dust swept away, filth severed; turbid transford into stillness.
Wash the qi, set the form right; clear and bright as at first.”
The mont the incantation ended, a white light flashed from my hand, and black miasma began pouring out of the room.
When the black miasma disappeared, a cool wind rose inside and dragged every speck of dust together, expelling it outside.
The musty sll and the blotched floor changed as if they were brand-new, and even the clothes beca clean, like they’d been washed.
I was satisfied with the cleaning when a loud commotion ca from outside, and a group of people walked toward where I was standing.
Then they spotted .
“Huh? Looks like a new guy ca in?”
At soone’s remark, the chatter died, and in an instant every gaze locked onto .
People swept their eyes over from head to toe.
Their stares were full of hostility.
Why are they looking at like that?
They looked like they might rush at any mont.
Only now did I understand why the instructor had smiled and told to have a good first night.
I let out a snort.
“You’re laughing?”
I slowly stood.
“That’s right. I should sort out the pecking order properly before anything else, huh?”
That way, there won’t be trouble.
I ca out so confidently that the Rank Seven trainees looked thrown off instead.
I crooked my finger.
“What are you doing? Hurry and start. Looks like it’s almost al ti.”
Everyone just watched each other and couldn’t bring themselves to jump in first.
I spoke.
“What, you looked like you were about to rush so bravely at first. Is Rank Seven just a bunch of cowards?”
At the word “cowards,” the trainees gathered there flushed red.
“You fucking bastard!”
“I’m going to kill that bastard and leave Martial Star Hall!”
The trainees all charged at at once.
My palm slamd into the face of the first trainee to reach .
SMACK—.
WHOOSH—.
THUD-THUD-THUD—.
That was the start.
SMACK— THUMP— CRUNCH—.
Every trainee who ca at couldn’t endure even a single blow and collapsed.
In an instant, three of them were knocked out, foaming at the mouth.
One left.
“Out of them, you’re the strongest?”
At my words, the one left nodded.
“What are you doing? Not coming?”
Originally, the plan was for the others to wear down, then for him to co out last and tornt .
But I’d cleaned up the trainees in an instant, and I was looking at him with an absurdly relaxed expression.
“Not coming? Then I’ll go.”
“W-wait!”
He raised his hand urgently, trying to stop , but I didn’t stop.
If I’m going to use my hands, I have to do it properly so there’s no trouble later.
THUD—.
“GUH—!”
A crackling pain surged up from my abdon and wrapped around my entire body.
It hurts this much—so why am I not passing out like the others?
SMACK—.
A blow like my face was about to fly off hit from the right.
SMACK—.
This ti, the other side.
He couldn’t even pass out. The leader was beaten one-sidedly until dust rose off him.
When his eyes and lips were swollen and his mind was starting to go hazy, I stopped hitting him and whispered into his ear.
“I’m not letting you pass out. «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» So don’t cling to pointless hope.”
What are you talking about?
If I get hit a little more, I feel like I’ll lose consciousness.
I wanted to scream at him to hit more.
But then I murmured sothing.
“Return the energy to the ridians, calm the soul and soothe the wounds.
Blood cut off, form restored; origin returned and life renewed.”
The mont the murmur ended, white light rose from my fingertips, and a comforting energy wrapped around my whole body like my heart was settling.
The pain vanished, and it felt like my entire body was being purified.
I was savoring that good feeling when my voice ca again.
“Alright. Let’s start again.”
Start what again?
When I ca to my senses, my body was already completely restored.
Is this a dream?
“It’s not a dream. I healed you. How is it? Nice, right?”
When I smiled, the leader saw a demon.
“Now, we start.”
“W-wait—”
Again, I didn’t stop.
*****
Even though it wasn’t yet the silent hour when everyone fell asleep, my room was quiet.
Inside, every trainee was kneeling in front of , heads bowed.
“Since it’s fate that we t like this, let’s at least exchange nas. You first.”
“I’m the second son of the White-Sun Sect. My na is Yeon Chowoo, and this is my second year here. I entered because I want to beco strong here and show my true worth to the family mbers who look down on .”
“I’m the eldest of the Radiant-Sun Sect, Gam Taeseong. My second sibling is more capable than , so my father sent here to make him the successor. He told to live as a warrior of Heavenly Martial Castle, not as a Radiant-Sun Sect mber.”
“I’m the second son of the Golden Escort Bureau, Hwang Gyeryun. The reason I ca here is because I want to beco strong.”
“I’m Bang Cheonho of the Spear-Dance Hall. I ca to experience it because they say Heavenly Martial Castle is the best under heaven.”
“I’m Woo Seokin of the Natural Mountain Lodge. I’m an illegitimate son, and after my mother—who was at least on my side—passed away, I had nowhere to stay, so I ca here.”
After each of them finished introducing themselves, every gaze turned to at once.
I considered lying, then smiled and spoke.
“I’m Jeok Wigang, the eldest of the True Martial Sect. Like you, Gam Taeseong, my second sibling was more capable and beca the successor, and I wandered the world at leisure. Then by chance I heard rumors about Martial Star Hall and ca here. The reason I was able to enter this place is because I received a recomndation from Master Smith Cheon of Heavenly Forge.”
“Y-you got a recomndation from Master Smith Cheon?”
“To get a recomndation from that strict man...”
“Is the True Martial Sect a sect famous for blacksmithing?”
They all spoke in shock, but only Woo Seokin stared at quietly, like he’d realized sothing.
I smiled at him and said—
“Why are you looking at like that?”
“Th-that... what is your relationship with the Lord of the Castle of Heavenly Martial Castle?”
At Woo Seokin’s question, the other trainees’ heads snapped around.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why is the Lord of the Castle coming up here?”
They asked with faces that said, What kind of crazy nonsense is that?
Then—
“He’s my grandfather.”
The heads that had turned toward Woo Seokin turned even faster toward .
They turned so fast a gust of wind blew through the room.
“Whaaat?”
All of them stared at with expressions like their eyes might pop out.
“What? Sounds like a lie?”
They nodded.
“It’s true. Well, I don’t live here. But you figured it out, huh?”
“I heard it before. They said the Lord of the Castle had a second son, but he was cast out and settled in the True Martial Sect. And when I saw you using the Jeok family na of the True Martial Sect, I asked just in case.”
“That’s right. My father got cast out by my grandfather.”
“Then... shouldn’t you not co here? He must have it out for you.”
“Have it out for ? I don’t think so. My grandfather probably wants to beco the Lord of the Castle.”
“Huh?”
“I’m pretty strong.”
I said it with a grin, and no one argued.
But that’s only strong by their standards. They still don’t know how strong I really am.
“Anyway. Do you want to move up?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“How much?”
“My goal is Rank Three.”
“My goal is Rank Six.”
“My goal is Rank Four.”
“Rank Four for too.”
“My goal is Rank Five.”
They were all different.
I let out a snort and said—
“Let’s unify it.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s see. The highest rank you can realistically reach is Rank Three? Fine. Let’s aim for Rank Three.”
“R-Rank Three?”
“Yeah. All of you, Rank Three.”
“That’s not sothing you can do as easily as you say. I’ve kept challenging, but Rank Six was the best.”
“What? You went up and ca back down?”
“That is... I got challenged, but the other guy was strong...”
I nodded.
Their level was low, but I felt good—it didn’t seem as rotten as I’d expected.
If the level is low, you can raise it.
If their skill hasn’t improved until now, it ans the training was wrong.
If you didn’t get stronger, you should consider whether the intensity of the training was too weak.
Looking at the people in this room, I made a vow.
I’ll make these bastards the elite of the elite of Heavenly Martial Castle.
“I’m the boss of this room. No complaints, right?”
There was no way anyone had complaints.
“I don’t have that much ti. Co here one by one.”
At my words, Gam Taeseong stepped forward first.
“Stay still.”
I placed my hand on Gam Taeseong’s head and murmured an incantation.
“Open the eyes, observe the soul; illuminate the qi, observe the ridians.
Hidden wisdom can be seen; deep nature can be made clear.”
The mont the incantation ended, faint threads of light extended from his body, and I could feel the energy flowing through Gam Taeseong.
At the sa ti, a cool, refreshing energy I could sense from his body.
The problem was that the flow of internal power wasn’t properly drawing out this energy’s true strength.
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