I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple Episode 98

Episode 98

Episode 98

I had never seen the full extent of Spirit Mountain, but I knew its general shape: a precariously thin, elongated ridge of rock. Naturally, the descent was nothing short of a sheer cliff.

I let out a sigh. As of today, seven days, a full week, had passed.

What had I accomplished in that ti?

FAD inford , "Current progress: 1.44%."

"I feel like I’ve ssed up," I grumbled.

At this rate, I wouldn’t reach the ground even if I ran nonstop. I needed a new approach. The question was how.

"Hmm."

There was one thing I wanted to try. I stepped to the edge of the cliff and peered down. Through the fog, I could just make out a path below. If Spirit Mountain’s trail spiraled up its surface like a whirlwind, then jumping would be far quicker than walking.

"Is it possible without internal energy?"

The drop was deeper than the Badnikers’ main house roof. No matter how well-trained my body was, the height was dangerous.

When had I ever let caution stop , though? As such, I leapt without hesitation.

The wind resistance made it hard to keep my eyes open, but I forced myself to look down. Of course, the landing spot mattered more than the jump itself—a narrow, unstable ledge. If I made a mistake, it wouldn't end with just, "Oh gods! I made a mistake!"

Thankfully, I stuck the landing. Pain shot from my soles to my skull, but I only sighed.

FAD inford , "Current progress: 1.51%."

Then, it comnted, "A cowardly shortcut! You are really good at scheming!"

"Shut up."

I let FAD’s voice drift in one ear and out the other.

***

The thod was crude, but it worked.

FAD inford , "Current progress: 9.84%."

In an instant, I was one-tenth of the way through—just five days after adopting this reckless approach, twelve since the descent began.

I feel like my legs are getting stronger.

FAD called it a shortcut, but wasn’t it just the obvious strategy?

I realized my mistake the next morning.

FAD inford , "Current progress: 10%."

It was a morable 10% milestone until a crushing pressure slamd face-first into the ground like a flattened frog.

"Ugh! Again?! What the heck?!"

It wasn’t that I was in bad condition. My body simply felt ten tis heavier, and every movent was a struggle. It was hard to even take a step, let alone run.

"Ha, haha..." I couldn't help laughing and cursing, "Shiiit! Spirit Mountain, you’ve changed a lot since the last ti I was here!"

I forced myself forward, lumbering like a giant.

The physical burden was no joke. One thing was certain: I could no longer use the shortcut of leaping off the cliff. In my current state, I’d either be crushed on impact or lose my footing and plumt.

So what now? Was I dood to crawl along the cliff path like this? With this heavy, sluggish body?

I gave it a try.

"Ughhh!"

Saliva dripped from my mouth as my body twisted in unnatural ways, struggling to move. Despite the improvents in my physical strength from the Jewel Mountains and the training camp, my fifteen-year-old body remained weak. After just twenty steps, I collapsed flat on my back, gasping.

Sweat drenched as if I’d sprinted twenty kiloters. My legs, especially my thighs, burned with exertion. "Damn..."

I snapped my head to the side and looked down the cliff. Still, there was nothing but fog. I couldn’t even imagine seeing the ground yet. If I had to go through this every twenty steps, even 1,000 days wouldn’t be enough, let alone 100.

One hundred days... No, eighty-seven. Will I really reach the ground in ti? Impossible.

As the word crossed my mind, FAD asked, "Do you want to call RAN-4700 Type-A? Y/N?"

I snapped my gaze up, montarily dazed by the screen FAD projected in front of .

"Hey, FAD."

"Yes."

"You said I could call Fourth Senior Brother, didn't you?"

"That's correct."

"Then, by any chance, is Fourth Senior Brother watching right now?" FAD fell silent for the first ti before answering, "That’s correct."

A jolt of clarity hit like ice water. I slapped my cheeks, cutting off any further doubt, and took a sharp breath. I couldn’t let Senior Brother Arang—or anyone—see like this.

To , Senior Brother Arang was both family and rival. All four of my seniors stood leagues ahead, trees I couldn’t yet climb. But soday, I’d surpass them. That resolve had burned in even before Eldest Senior Brother strayed, though I’d never voiced it.

FAD asked again, "Do you want to call RAN-4700 Type-A? Y/N?"

What if this prompt wasn’t from FAD but Senior Brother Arang’s judgnt? Had he predicted I’d fail here? Was this another one of his damn simulations?

The more I thought about it, the angrier I grew.

I had a twisted personality. Nothing drove more than being underestimated. My defiant spirit was one of my defining traits.

I lay down on the cliff. My body felt like lead, but sprawling out made the weight a little more bearable.

Let's cool down my mind first.

I began listing the disadvantages: a 50-day limit, an endless-seeming destination, and unrecoverable internal energy. On the upside, I didn’t need food or sleep, and my physical recovery was unnaturally fast.

A flicker of realization struck .

I tried to stand... but couldn’t. So I hauled myself up like a slug and sat cross-legged. It was easier than standing, but still a struggle.

My spine is rigid.

I ignored the stabbing pain and started the internal energy circulation of the First Fire Technique.

Ignoring the stabbing pain, I initiated the First Fire Technique’s energy circulation. As I’d noted before, its greatest secondary effect was recovery. If the effect coincided with the effect of Spirit Mountain—

"Ah!"

Just as I’d expected. My shredded muscles were healing at an alarming rate.

"What is this, a troll’s physique?"

The recovery was disturbing. At this rate, even if I lost a few fingers, they would likely grow back instantly. Not that I had any intention of testing it.

Regardless, I forced myself up and took another step. Fatigue clawed at with every movent, my body screaming in protest.

Not yet...

I kept walking until my legs nearly gave out, then collapsed and resud internal energy circulation.

I repeated the process for an entire day.

By the next day, my steps had steadied. Although I still moved like a man with a sprained spine, it was a far cry from yesterday’s stumbling.

“It’s leg strength,” I muttered and pounded my tense thighs with a fist.

It was annoyingly hard, but I could see the direction for now.

***

One would call it unexpected. Even in Spirit Mountain, where night and day blurred together, I could still mark the passage of ti.

Once a day, a strange cry echoed from beyond the fog.

A crow? An eagle? I couldn’t tell. I assud it was so kind of monster I’d never seen before.

Still, I was grateful for its presence. FAD let track ti, but that cry felt like the true start of the day. It was Spirit Mountain’s rooster.

I rose from where I sat.

Thirty days had passed—exactly one month.

What changes had occurred during this ti?

For one, my body had beco much more disciplined. I could now sprint for ten minutes straight. Of course, I would collapse afterward and have to circulate internal energy in a rush, but repeating this cycle had taught sothing.

Running was important, but the true focus lay in the internal energy circulation. Perhaps because the 100-day limit lood over , I’d recently been searching for ways to accelerate this process.

FAD inford , "Current progress: 17.6%."

The progress hadn’t even reached 20%, but it felt like I was sparking a fire. I was getting faster, yet ti pressed down on .

What unexpected trials await below? What if I suddenly gained weight?

"Internal energy circulation."

The primary goal of circulating internal energy was to enhance one’s energy reserves. Naturally, the core structure of the technique was designed for that purpose. As a result, the excellent physical resilience and recovery afforded by the First Fire Technique could be considered secondary benefits.

However, that felt misaligned now. I needed maximum resilience rather than improving my internal energy.

I hesitated one last ti before starting my run. This had been on my mind all day, lingering even as I sprinted, circulated my energy, and took breaks.

Yet there was no alternative.

"I have to tweak it a bit."

I put it lightly, but in reality, I was risking my life. I knew how dangerous altering the thod's structure could be.

Internal energy flowed through the human body, repeatedly passing through vital points. If the revised thod failed to account for that—or if sothing went wrong in an unexpected area—it could be fatal.

This martial art wasn't a flawed mind thod. The art, which I called the First Fire Technique for convenience, was originally known as the Supre Art of All Ti. It was based on the Fire attribute.

Unlike the White Sun Eclipse, which had been modified over ti, the First Fire Technique was entirely created by my master. I knew how reckless and arrogant it was for soone like to modify it, but I did it anyway.

At my level, shouldn't I be able to make a few small adjustnts? No chance.

The mont I circulated my internal energy using my makeshift modifications, my body twisted in agony, and I coughed up blood from the backlash.

Normally, such an injury would have left bedridden for weeks. Yet, my damaged veins quickly regenerated, and the internal organ damage healed just as fast. It was as if any wound could be healed here, as long as I didn't die. This place allowed for reckless experintation.

"I wonder if any other martial art in the world has been altered so ignorantly."

I wasn’t so mad alchemist conducting experints on myself, but the changes I made, though intuitive, were undeniably reckless. I quickly corrected any errors and adjusted my approach.

As I continued running, I pondered, Why is the First Fire Technique so effective in promoting physical recovery? The internal energy produced by this thod embodies the essence of fire.

Fire symbolized warmth, life, and rebirth, yet it was also called plundering fire for its indiscriminate destruction. To , that made it the most contradictory of the five elents.

Undoubtedly, my master’s First Fire Technique was formidable. Its greatest strength lay in amplifying my techniques' power, which was why the White Sun Eclipse—inextricably linked to it—was so devastating.

But why did it have to be that way? If the First Fire Technique was rooted in fire, why not focus on its gentler side? This wouldn't stray too far from its essence.

Wait!

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.

The White Sun Eclipse's second half had always been a point of frustration for . The Martial God had advised that the techniques in the second half should surpass those in the first. Was it necessary for it to be this way, though?

In a fight, the most freeing aspect was the seamless transition between offense and defense.

What if I focused the second half on defense or evasion rather than pure attack? If the transition was faster and more fluid than ever, wouldn’t that create the perfect form of the White Sun Eclipse?

I burst into laughter. They said inspiration struck when one least expected it, and that was exactly what had just happened.