Chapter 292
Ding.
- A sudden quest, [I'll Only Take Half of the Energy You Digested] has been generated.
- Would you like to accept?
Y/N
Damn it. Why is this happening now?
The urge to glance at the quest window is overwhelming.
But I'm in the middle of Pure Qi Guidance. If I were practicing Qi circulation alone, it may not be a problem, but losing control here could result in serious internal injuries.
- If you do not respond within 5 seconds, the quest will be automatically declined.
- Five, four, three...
Do I accept this thing? Or not?
Even the quest title seems to be nudging me to touch Mr. Choi's dantian energy storage. At a glance, it's an enormous amount of energy, way more than a gapja. [Note: a "gapja" is a traditional Korean unit of measurement used to quantify the strength of someone's energy. Usually, this does not have a set amount associated with it and is just a way to say "a great amount". However, gapja is phonetically similar to "jiazi", which refers to a 60 year cycle in the tradiational Chinese calendar. Given that the MC says (later in this chapter) that his own energy is barely more than a gapja, I think that the author means for a gapja to be equivalent to 60 years.]
- Two, one...
Screw it, I can't know for sure. I'm not going to die, am I?
'Accept!'
Ding.
That was a close call. As the notification of the quest acceptance popped up, I realized what I had to do.
- Dormant energy stirs while its master is powerless to command it. Your intervention is required!
It's a familiar scenario.
A fragmented memory from my time in Murim.
'One Hundred Year Ginseng.'
Since the moment I first opened my eyes in the martial world, my dantian was cradling the energy of the One Hundred Year Ginseng.
It was the energy that the third-rate scoundrel Jin Tae-Kyung hadn't managed to assimilate.
I learned then that if you don't have the capacity to contain the extra Qi, even after consuming an elixir, you can't make it your own.
'Just like Mr. Choi now.'
Compared to a third-rate scoundrel, he's a talented individual, but Mr. Choi, who doesn't know the Mana Cultivation Technique, lacks the ability to control the colossal energy equivalent to a gapja.
The quest has tasked me with acting as a digestive aid.
'But how does Mr. Choi possess such an enormous amount of energy?'
The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off.
I have toiled in the martial world's underbelly, barely amassing slightly more than a gapja, while this man sits upon a mountain of unearned power within his dantian.
'Ah, his maternal grandfather was Cheon Tae-Min.'
Is this what privilege looks like in the realm of heroes?
I dismiss the thought; such musings can wait. My focus must lie solely on mastering this enormous energy.
This time, my confidence was unshakable.
'Let's go.'
With a mental command, my Scorching Yang energy erupted, piercing through the dense Qi like a lance. The formidable energies clashed tumultuously.
Boom boom boom. Their battle within his dantian sent Mr. Choi's frame into convulsions.
* * *
The hospital room turned into an impenetrable fortress, sealed from the outside world.
Butler Kim, Mr. Rough Guy, and Song Song were looking at the two young men with keen interest.
"Hmmph.”
"Hup."
"Ugh."
"Kkut."
Each pulse of Jin Tae-Kyung's forearms sent ripples through Mr. Choi's body.
His waist bent, contorting as a pained moan escaped his gritted teeth.
"Huuk!"
Song Song voiced her observation softly.
"His spine... it's bending like a bow..."
Lying on the bed, Mr. Rough Guy asked.
"What did you just say, Miss Song?"
"It's nothing. It's just dirty and fascinating."
"Ah, you mean the black sweat?"
"...Yes."
Song Song had a lot she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue and simply nodded.
The black sweat flowing from Mr. Choi's entire body was indeed both dirty and fascinating.
"My god, what in the world is that..."
As a hunter, you end up seeing all sorts of things. But this was the first time he had seen someone sweating black.
It was pitch black and sticky. Though low in quantity, it emitted an overwhelming foul odor.
"Ugh, the smell."
"The stench is truly vile."
As they pressed their hands to their noses, Butler Kim interjected.
"That is the expulsion of waste accumulated inside the body through sweat. It's one of the effects of the Mana Cultivation Technique."
"Waste?"
"Mr. Kim, is that really such a big deal?"
"Of course. Even healing magic doesn't have the power to eliminate waste from within the body."
Song Song pondered briefly before replying.
"It's possible. If you're a really top-tier healer, that is. But if what you've said is true... it's amazing. Even potions used for healing leave behind a trace of toxins, but to be able to cleanse even that..."
"That's precisely one of the remarkable aspects of the Mana Cultivation Technique."
"Who exactly created this Mana Cultivation Technique, and how?"
Both Song Song, with her substantial experience as a hunter, and Mr. Rough Guy, with two decades under his belt, were unfamiliar with "Mana Cultivation Technique."
"That's what I'm saying. All this time as a hunter, I've never heard of such martial arts? Sorcery? Anything like that."
"It was during the Great Cataclysm that the Elder first created the Mana Cultivation Technique. It's treated with such secrecy that it's no wonder you haven't heard of it."
"The Elder...?"
"You're thinking of the right person."
Cheon Tae-Min. The legendary savior of humanity and the most esteemed hunter.
Butler Kim spoke with measured solemnity.
"The Mana Cultivation Technique is not merely a method; it's a formidable arsenal. It has been central to numerous conflicts, many of which have been erased from the annals of history. That era was one of radical change."
The mystery of how Cheon Tae-Min’s Mana Cultivation Technique fell into the ambitious hands of a man named Lee Jeong-Ryong, rather than his own progeny, lingered in the air.
Song Song and Mr. Rough Guy held further queries, but the conversation ceased there.
Their silence wasn't solely due to the grimace etched on Butler Kim's face. It was also because, as his narrative concluded, a jarring transformation unfolded.
"Kuh!"
"Hup!"
Jin Tae-Kyung and Mr. Choi grunted in unison.
Veins protruded starkly on their skin, and their foreheads creased with tension.
Particularly, Mr. Choi's responses grew alarmingly intense. His frame trembled as though seized by seismic waves.
"Mr. Choi!"
"Isn't this something serious?"
Song Song and Mr. Rough Guy, moved by concern, advanced, only to be halted by Butler Kim's outstretched hand.
"No, you mustn't. During the process of mana cultivation, any contact is forbidden."
"But..."
"Hunter Jin Tae-Kyung is not someone who would put the young master in danger."
Butler Kim's gaze held a tumultuous blend of concern and faith.
The convulsions intensified, underscored by pained moans.
His trust was soon justified.
"Haah..."
Abruptly, Mr. Choi's lips parted, exhaling a steady breath.
This marked the completion of the inaugural Qi circulation cycle, signifying his emergence as a martial artist versed in the Jin Family's Cultivation Technique.
"Young Master?"
Prompted by Butler Kim's call, the previously sealed eyelids fluttered open, revealing a gleam of astonishment and elation.
"This is...!"
Mr. Choi, Choi Min-Woo, grasped his fists firmly.
The torrential energy that had emerged from his dantian now coursed through him with precision.
Whereas once the mana within him was erratic, he could now channel it deliberately.
Moreover, the volume of mana had nearly doubled.
'This is the Mana Cultivation Technique.'
Choi Min-Woo, silently assessing his new state, corrected himself.
No, this surpassed the Mana Cultivation Technique; it was the essence of the Jin Family's Cultivation Technique, realized through the skill of a singular individual.
"Mr. Jin Tae-Kyung."
He turned slowly towards Jin Tae-Kyung, who remained in meditative stillness, his breaths measured and deep.
The atmosphere around him vibrated like a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.
'So powerful. Incredibly so.'
Was it always this formidable?
Now adept in mana manipulation, Choi Min-Woo glimpsed the formidable power Jin Tae-Kyung wielded.
With each of Jin's exhales, the fiery Qi released infused the hospital room with warmth.
Outside, the significance of the week-old first snow dissipated as parched throats longed for moisture and heat-induced mirages danced above the ground.
It was at this juncture that Choi Min-Woo's eyes began to widen in awe.
'What is that... exactly?'
Were they mere illusions, birthed from the sweltering air? Or tangible reality?
The distinction was blurred. Suddenly, not just Choi Min-Woo, but all present in the room were transfixed, their mouths agape, beholding the spectacle that unfolded before them.
Swoosh.
Jin Tae-Kyung, ensconced in a meditative posture, began to ascend. Gradually, steadily, he levitated inch by inch.
Hovering above him, azure flames flickered, taking the shape of blooming flowers.
One flower bloomed, then another. As the third flower began to materialize, Jin Tae-Kyung’s eyes burst open.
Whoosh! Thump!
Like a bird struck by an arrow, he fell powerlessly, his buttocks hitting the ground. A gut-wrenching cry tore through the silence.
"Argh, damn it! My coccyx!"
The atmosphere in the hospital room congealed into a palpable stillness.
* * *
My scream reverberated through the room.
"Aaaaah!"
Pain seared through my tailbone, the impact against the hard floor was excruciating, but the agony of lost potential was exponentially greater.
"It was almost done! It was all but complete!"
Damn it. The transcendent realm of martial arts mastery had slipped away when I was just one step away from reaching it.
Was it my martial inadequacy, or something else at play?
It might well be both. But what's important is that I don't know when such an opportunity will come again.
"Damn it!"
I could have attained the pinnacle of martial arts mastery with the 'Three Flowers Convergenge' in one go! [Note: the direct translation of Three Flowers Convergence is "three flowers gather at the top", which is a concept from Taoism. The three flowers are the mind, body, and spirit. The idea is that these three elements are cultivated and harmonized, converging in the upper energy center of the body. It is seen as a process of spiritual refinement and elevation on the path to enlightenment. It's just my speculation, but I think that the next step after this is the Five Qi Harmonization (Five Qi Return to the Origin), which is something that the Fire King was doing in manhwa chapter 157. Based on the article that I read, if one can achieve the second stage, then he enters the state of "Returning to the Origin", which is something that sounds like what the Sword Saint recently went through.]
As I mourned, fists pummeling the earth, a cascade of system alerts assailed my senses.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
- [Transcendental State of No-Self] has been released! [Note: the direct translation of this status effect is "Trance" or "No-Mind", which skips over a lot of the implications of the original Korean phrase. The original Korean phrase implies a state in which one has no thoughts or feelings towards themselves and is sort of "becoming one with the universe", so to speak.]
- [Qi] has increased to 100 years!
- You have achieved a great feat! You have obtained the title, [I am a Master]!
- You have successfully completed the sudden quest, [I'll Only Take Half of the Energy You Digested]!
- You have successfully completed the repeat quest, [Show Me Your Back! Let's See Your Back!]!
- You have gained a massive amount of experience points!
- Level Up!
・
・
・
"Leave me alone!" [Note: I think my boy is cursing at the System, and not any of the members of the Peace Guild surrounding him.]
Perfection was within my grasp. I had absorbed half of the solidified energy from Mr. Choi's dantian, and my consciousness had surrendered to the ephemeral bliss of the 'Transcendental State of No-Self'.
But...
"Why! Why can't I be happy!"
Gaining Qi equivalent to half a gapja? Great!
Getting a title, completing quests, leveling up — all good. But why!
"Why can't I reach the transcendent realm!"
My lamentation dissolved into the ether, only to be interrupted by hushed murmurs around me.
"Is there a problem with Mr. Jin Tae-Kyung?"
"I'm not sure, but I've heard of people becoming invalids while practicing the Mana Cultivation Technique..."
"No, but did you all not see the blooming flowers just now? Am I the only one who saw them? Why isn't anyone saying anything?"
"Miss Song, you saw them too? I thought I was at the Goyang City Flower Expo."
The voices, tinged with worry and awe, jolted me from my self-pity.
Right. It's not over yet. Those three people could potentially advance to the ultimate level if they achieve even half of what Team Leader Choi did.
'I still have three test subjects.'
I spoke with the determination of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin before the Battle of Myeongnyang. [Note: Admiral Yi Sun-sin was a renowned Korean naval commander. The Battle of Myeongnyang was fought in 1597 during the Japanese invasions of Korea.]
"Everyone, pay attention."
"......?"
"......?"
"Remove your tops. Now!" [Note: Title IX lawsuit incoming...]
Ding.
A repeat quest, [Show Me Your Back! Let's See Your Back!] has been generated!
"Show me your back! Let's see your back!"
They began to retreat, faces painted with alarm and hesitation.
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Tags:
Murim Login (Novel)