“Aah, what a pain.”
I’m completely drained.
All I’ve done since I arrived in the Martial Arts World is fight a bit with my sword, and now I’m actually stuck in a defensive war? Is this for real? Am I actually going to experience a siege like it’s some movie?
And to top it off, instead of soldiers, I’m facing zombies. This is just too amazing of a Martial Arts World to believe.
“Ugh.”
Honestly, I feel like I’m dying.
Today, I spent the whole day running around, slicing through the hellish creatures trying to climb the walls. The task itself was simple, but with all this movement, my internal energy is just draining away.
At least I got a break.
“Unfortunately, it’s just a shift change.”
Since I can’t expend all my power at once, I’ve been designated to rest at the quarters for a while. So now, I stumbled back to the quarters alone, dragging my tired body.
“Where are my wives…!?”
The side of my body feels cold, making me shiver all over.
Normally, I’d wash up with them, play around to relieve the day’s fatigue, share stories on the bed, and cuddle to sleep. That was our routine.
But because we have to take our breaks in shifts, I can’t do that now.
It’s been a while since I spent the night alone like this.
—Creeeak!
Putting aside my disappointment, I fetched some water from the well to wash myself and lay down in the quarters. The Undead Legion is still trying to climb the walls. I need to recover my stamina and prepare to chop down those creepy things tomorrow.
Just as I was about to close my eyes and meditate…
—Swoosh.
Did the window open? Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
“Ah, it’s cold.”
But when I got up to check, the window was closed.
Closed, you say? In this cold?
“What the heck?”
The chill hadn’t gone away. It’s dark, and I can hardly see, but is something off about this room? The quarters I entered were just a plain inn room, right?
…
No.
Something has changed.
This isn’t an inn room off some random street. From the bed I’m lying on, to the floor’s appearance, the wallpaper color, the decorations, and the antique furniture—this is definitely not where I came in.
Suddenly, the space has shifted.
And all within just a few seconds of closing my eyes.
With my mind snapped awake, I sprang up like a spring, grabbing the Heavenly Thunder Sword that was propped up nearby.
“Where am I?”
The inn room I shared with my wives didn’t look this luxurious. This place clearly belongs to nobles… what is going on?
Could it be that I’ve been caught in some illusion? When did it happen? Or did I somehow get drugged and kidnapped? No, hold on—no one would kidnap a martial artist without tying them up in a high-quality room like this, letting me keep my Heavenly Thunder Sword by my side.
This situation is utterly incomprehensible.
Something has gone seriously wrong. The moment I realized this, my heart began to race, and a sticky sense of dread crept over me.
“…”
As cold sweat dripped down my face, I tensed my sword in every direction when suddenly—
—Creeeak.
The door in front of me creaked open, startling me to no end!
No way, I genuinely thought my heart was going to drop!
“Ah, fine! Let’s see!”
At this point, I didn’t care about the situation!
If something’s coming, I’ll just deal with it!
“Who are you?!”
I shouted brazenly, glaring at the door. Let’s see who this punk is. They definitely don’t seem like a run-of-the-mill type if they’re pulling this kind of stunt, but being scared won’t do me any good!
“Come out! What the hell are you thinking, interrupting my night, huh?”
—Swoosh.
Along with the coldness, a stunning woman with blue hair stepped in gracefully.
“Oh.”
The moment I saw her, I felt my brain stop functioning. And honestly, it was no wonder considering how ridiculously beautiful and captivating she was.
Her enchanting blue hair looked almost like that of a fairy. But her ominous red eyes below proved she was definitely no angel.
What lay beneath was… white skin and a body that could stir the desires of any man. Wearing a sheer fairy dress, it practically exposed all her delicate curves.
Long legs and a slender waist… She fit my ideal type perfectly, voluptuous in all the right places. How can her chest be that big? I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
The blue-haired lady looked at me and smiled captivatingly.
“Hello?”
In a melodic voice.
“W-who are you…?”
I had no clue who this woman was.
Given the circumstances, this must be the one who brought me here… wait a moment.
With her blue hair and fairy dress, ominous thoughts bloom in my mind. After all, the most notorious witch of this Martial Arts World fits this description perfectly!
No way…!
Could she really be the Four Fairies, Blue Beauty…?
“Oh my, don’t you recognize this girl?”
At that moment, I felt some kind of ethereal hand probing my face. A shiver ran down my spine, as primal fear welled up from my heart.
The intangible hand grabbed my jaw and forced me to speak.
“Four Fairies, Blue Beauty!!!”
“Correct.”
Is it really her?!
“Huff, huff!”
The moment I spoke her name, the ethereal hand vanished. Is that woman casting a spell to make me say it?!
What the hell…!
What’s she, the Four Fairies, doing here?!
I mean, it’s been speculated that she orchestrated this whole zombie affair. Everyone was treating it as fact. But I never could’ve imagined the mastermind would show up so openly right before my eyes.
Why would she come personally to someone like me?!
“Could you lower that sword, please? I’m worried that sharp thing might hurt the girl.”
Hell no…!
A major witch like her would be scared of a mere Kim Geunhyeop’s sword! Plus, is she really pretending to act weak, casually resting her palm on her cheek?
So I lowered my sword. I have no clue why the Four Fairies are here. But one thing’s clear: if I offend her feelings, I’m as good as dead.
Once I lowered the sword, she smiled in satisfaction.
—With grace, she approached, sitting on the bed like a fairy. She had such modest posture. Even though her see-through dress left little to the imagination, she looked at me as if she had no shame whatsoever.
Cold sweat streamed down my face.
Gathering my resolve, I cautiously spoke.
“…M’Lady Fairy, may I ask why you came to find me?”
“Well…?”
Well?
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“Um…”
“Ohhh, I’m sure you’re dying to know. Want to take a guess?”
—Clap.
The way she seemed to find this situation amusing, like she was enjoying teasing a pathetic martial artist, was as if she was presenting a quiz.
“…”
What on earth could the reason be?!
My brain felt like it was going to explode.
I was too scared to think of anything else.
“I, I have no idea, m’lady.”
“How disappointing! The lack of participation, considering there’s no prize to win… Hmm, what kind of prize should I set?”
A prize?
She seemed to genuinely contemplate this, playfully resting her finger on her lips as she looked at me.
“If you guess correctly, you might get to live a little while longer…?”
“Ugh!!”
“By the way, there’s a time limit, you know?”
“Aw man! Please! Just give me a chance! I’m so scared that I can’t think clearly! Just a bit more time, Lady Fairy!!!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I dropped to my knees, squeezing out every ounce of tears as I desperately begged like a fly!
“Oh my, how cute. It’s my first time seeing anyone beg like this… Mm, well, since you’ve shown such enthusiasm, I guess I can give you a little more time?”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Now, here’s the question: Why did this girl come looking for you?”
The Shade of Death’s quiz.
The answer is…!
What is it?!
I have no idea!
Did I maybe slay the Yuan cavalry? Or did I kill Gyeokhyeon and she turns out to be his mother…!
As I scrambled to think, the Blue Fairy stroked my back.
“Hiding something is no fun. Quickly, tell me the answer.”
“Yikes!”
Hiding something!
Could it be…!
“My power! That must be it, m’lady!”
“Correct.”
“Whoa!”
Yes!
I!
Survived!
“Ahhhhh!”
I’m alive, I’m alivee!
“Whoooo!”
I wriggled with the thrill of survival, clenching my fists tight!
“I made it! I made it!”
“Ahahaha, did you like the reward?”
“Absolutely! It’s perfect!”
“I’m glad to see you’re this pleased. It makes me happy as well. I feel proud as the one who posed the question.”
This crazy woman!
“But being happy about living seems… a bit premature, doesn’t it?”
“Uh?”
My heart, which had been soaring, suddenly froze.
No way, is she teasing me?!
“What’s your nickname?”
“I go by the name of Jeonggeu Nahchal… Also known as Kim Geunhyeop.”
“Oh wow, Jeonggeu Nahchal. What a cool nickname! I liked it, so I’ll add a point to your survival score.”
“Wow! Just one point?! Thank you so much! I’ll treasure it!”
But how many points do I need to actually survive?!
“This score is my heirloom…!”
“Fufu, an heirloom? Scoring has become quite the treat. Now, Nahchal? Shall we have a little chat?”
“I’ll answer anything with utmost sincerity!”
Although I feel like my heart might just burst from fear.
What I need to focus on right now is just one thing.
Winning the favor of this crazy lady.
“I’m really interested in… your power. Could you show me? If you do, I’ll give you another point.”
“I’ll show you right away! But I have to draw my sword first—will that be alright?”
“Of course.”
I immediately grabbed the Heavenly Thunder Sword.
For a moment, a thought crossed my mind: Should I just unleash a Spirit Strike and take out the Fairy?
But that thought had no foundation. The Fairy was someone so dangerous even the formidable Zhu Yuanzhang would be cautious around her.
History only records two names etched among the Martial Arts World’s greats.
One is the general of the Yuan Dynasty, Tian Ma Koke Temur, and the other is the Four Fairies, Blue Beauty herself.
There’s no way such a Fairy would perish by my sword.
—Goooah.
I gathered my internal energy and summoned the aura.
“Oh my.”
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