My heart was racing like crazy.
Inner Core, it’s the Inner Core!
That thing that always shows up in martial arts novels!
The one that boosts my power and strengthens my martial arts skills is finally out!
“Even a rat hole can see a star-filled day!”
Say goodbye to pathetic Taekwondo and Six Combination Fist! One hit and it’s like autumn leaves falling! Three Calamity Sword Technique? Forget about it! With this, I’ll be a master in the Martial Arts World too!
“I’m losing my mind!”
I killed a powerful leader and snagged that Inner Core from the martial arts stories.
What a stroke of luck!
Such a sweet reward!
I can’t believe I actually got the Inner Core!
Surpassing joy filled me, and I couldn’t help but dance happily. I must be feeling what it’s like to win the lottery.
But then…
“Ah.”
I suddenly spotted the horrifically murdered body of Do Samcheol.
“…Do Samcheol.”
My mind snapped back to reality. I was insane. Dancing around because I got the Inner Core while my comrade lay dead.
“What a typical psychopath.”
I have two kinds of people I absolutely despise: psychopaths and sociopaths. What I just did was the action of a typical psychopath.
Seems like this martial arts world has driven me crazy.
My mental state is in shambles. I mean I didn’t just kill some weak demon; I’ve taken a life too. No wonder I’ve been having nightmares lately.
“Rest in peace, Do Samcheol.”
I laid Do Samcheol’s body flat and closed his eyes. Oh Geunshik and Jang Yeomin, you bastards. If you hadn’t run away, Do Samcheol would still be alive.
“Though we were comrades for only a day… you were a fine martial artist.”
I gave a eulogy for Do Samcheol. He died fighting, so his spirit must have gone to Valhalla. At least that’s how it should be.
Let’s handle the body down in the town.
Anyway.
“Inner Core.”
I pulled myself together and evaluated the Inner Core more calmly.
“I need to consume it.”
I must eat it.
Of course, there’s no way to eat it in a place like this. The Inner Core needs to be absorbed cautiously and in the safest location possible. But what should I do now? Doesn’t the Inner Core start to disperse the moment I take it out?
“Chew…!”
If that’s true, every second I’m just standing here is muscle loss, no, core loss. Let’s hurry back to the town.
Loot?
There’s nothing that great anyway.
The chief’s equipment is just junk. It might fetch some coins, but right now, I’m in a hurry.
Let it go.
The others ran off, and there’s nothing I can do alone.
“Haap!”
I chopped off the chief’s neck and took his bone accessories. This will serve as proof that I killed the chief.
Then I rummaged through Do Samcheol’s belongings, pulling out the badge and Haengdo Sect tokens, and finally took his sword before closing his eyes.
“I’ll take this sword in your name since I avenged you. You could say I’m carrying on your will.”
I plan to hand over the badge to the Haengdo Sect.
I shouldn’t take the deceased’s money after all.
With that, I headed down to the town.
*
Once I arrived in the town, I saw people bustling about nervously. Peering closer, I found Oh Geunshik and Jang Yeomin among them.
Those assholes…!
“U, um! You’re back!”
“You’re back!”
“What’s that in your hand?!”
“It’s the Goblin chief’s head!”
The villagers screamed, spotting me.
“You, Kim Geunhyeop! Are you okay!”
Oh Geunshik stepped forward to speak, but what is this punk doing? After running away and getting people killed, he approaches all casual?
Unbelievable.
“Oh Geunshik! Jang Yeomin!”
“Huuh!”
As I shouted with all my might, everyone fell silent.
An instant hush fell.
“Running away during battle! Thanks to you, Do Samcheol is dead! If you had stuck around, he wouldn’t have died!”
“T, that’s…!”
“I killed the Goblin chief!”
—Chop!
I held the chief’s gruesome head high for the villagers to see, accessories dangling too. The townspeople screamed.
“If you hadn’t run, we could have killed the Goblin chief more easily! Then Do Samcheol would still be alive, you bastards!”
“T, that’s…!”
“We didn’t do it on purpose!”
Oh Geunshik and Jang Yeomin shouted back, not realizing their place.
“Shut up! Do you want to die?!”
I threw the chief’s head at them, and they cowered, stepping back while keeping their heads low.
“Just like we agreed, you’ve got no share! This reward belongs to the fallen Do Samcheol and me!”
“Right!”
Just as Jang Yeomin shouted.
—BAM!
I kicked him right in the solar plexus.
“You fucking bastard!”
“Ugh!”
Jang Yeomin’s eyes rolled back as his body twisted, and Oh Geunshik gasped in shock.
“Wait!”
“Hey, Oh Geunshik! Are you going to spout nonsense too?!”
“No, I—!”
“Get lost with that bastard! If you don’t want to die!”
“Huuh!”
Oh Geunshik dragged a gasping Jang Yeomin off to the side.
You filthy punks…!
It feels like Do Samcheol’s corpse is haunting me!
“I see… roughly what happened. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the Goblin chief to show up… I really didn’t know.”
“…Chief.”
The village chief approached, wearing a solemn expression.
Did he actually know that chief was there? I momentarily thought about it but dismissed it. No one would expect to be able to handle the Goblin chief with a single coin.
This was an accident.
“The Goblin chief appeared, and those idiots ran away, resulting in a death. Therefore, I’ll take the entire bounty for myself. As for the remaining money, I’ll check with the Haengdo Sect about Do Samcheol’s family and give it to them.”
“Will that be enough?”
“Given the circumstances, please write a confirmation with your seal stating that I received the bounty exclusively due to your mistakes.”
With that, the Haengdo Sect shouldn’t have a problem.
“And for killing the chief, I want one more silver coin.”
“Uh, um.”
The mention of an extra silver coin made the chief gulp.
Nobody wants to part with money, no matter where you go.
“If we had all been wiped out, two coins wouldn’t have resolved the issue. You know that, right?”
“Uh… I will accept your terms. I’ll give you the two silver coins. The confirmation will be written shortly…”
With that, a smooth agreement was reached.
“Now, let’s recover Do Samcheol’s body.”
“Gather the villagers.”
The chief immediately instructed the people.
“Phew.”
Only then did I feel like the ordeal was finally ending.
“Since we eliminated the chief early, there won’t be any threats for a while. If we hang that head at the entrance, it should have a good effect.”
“…Thank you.”
“I’ll rest for a day. Please prepare a decent room and food for me, and I’ll pay.”
“Understood.”
The chief sent someone to guide me to my lodging. The lodging was just a house in the village. There weren’t even inns in this rural area.
“Ha.”
Once I entered my room and tried to relax, a villager brought me food. It was full of carbs and side dishes. I stuffed my face then lay down to rest.
In that state, I took out the Inner Core.
“…”
It was dazzling.
You could believe it was jade. Was it green because it belonged to the Goblin chief? It had been a little while since I pulled it out, but it didn’t seem to have changed.
This is entirely mine.
If I had fought alongside those guys, I’d have to distribute this Inner Core. We would have had to share if we struggled together. But I captured the chief alone. So, this is mine.
“Kick…!”
A laugh that resembled Jaemi Son’s slipped out.
My heart was pounding once more at the sight of the Inner Core. To keep my calm, I sat cross-legged and practiced deep breathing while taking a moment.
“Let’s eat.”
I’m going to consume the Inner Core.
I worried about complications or whatnot, but it originally belonged to the Goblin chief, who was weaker than me. Honestly, that punk was pathetic. So, I didn’t expect it to have some extraordinary effect. Naturally, any side effects should be minor.
I trust myself to consume it.
“…”
With the Inner Core, resembling a green grape candy, gripped tightly in my hand.
—Whoosh!
As soon as I put it in my mouth…
“Huh?!”
A strange sensation washed over me like sticking dry ice in my mouth.
“Huuh!”
To ensure the vapor didn’t dissipate, I focused on my breathing and absorbed the Inner Core into my body. I didn’t know much since it was my first time, but everyone has to start somewhere. I focused on consuming the Inner Core.
Then I began to perform the breathing technique I learned in the martial arts academy.
“Hehehe…!”
I could feel some kind of energy flowing down my throat. Once I finished absorbing this, wouldn’t I reach the second-rate level? If my inner strength increases, that means I become stronger.
Skipping the third-rate like this, my talent sends shivers down my spine.
Thinking along those lines, I concentrated on the energy of the Inner Core spreading throughout my body, visualizing it as I focused on regulating my breath.
My consciousness gradually sank.
*
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the surroundings grew dark. I was standing in what I couldn’t identify as a dark space.
A dreamlike sight.
Faint sensations of reality.
I realized instantly. After eating the Inner Core, I had slipped into some trance state, blurring the line between dreams and reality.
What should I do right now? Should I maintain my calm like getting pressed by a weight? At that moment, an anomaly began to appear. Something was materializing.
It was a ghost.
The murderer I killed and now Do Samcheol. Surrounding them were Goblins, Soseongui, and other miscellaneous demons, including the chief.
They were closing in on me.
“Spiritual…!”
Could this be the spirit pressure?!
I can’t move!
“No!”
I need to stay calm. If I’m not careful, I might fall into a trance. It seems my lack of skill caused this mess while absorbing the Inner Core.
“Gah!”
I must overcome this.
If my mind falters, it would twist my entire energy. I wouldn’t want to experience that. I won’t die! I will overcome! It would be such a waste to die after getting this fortuitous opportunity!
—Whoosh!
The ghosts were trying to invade my body. I focused and conjured the image of my aunt.
Aunt!
Long black hair. A blank expression. Her icy demeanor was so chilling that it froze and chased away the wandering spirits.
Truly my mom…!
My mental pillar who raised me!
Once all the ghosts disappeared, I felt a sense of serenity return to me. I gradually felt my spirit rising as I opened my eyes.
“Aah.”
I sensed a small amount of inner strength residing in my lower abdomen.
“I… worship you, Mr. Song.”
I instinctively worshiped Mr. Song.
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