The image of that female swordswoman lingers in my mind.
She’s a beauty with a style similar to my aunt.
But my aunt doesn’t wear that seductive smile. I’ve never even seen her smile. And she didn’t have such a large chest, either.
Yet, the appearance of that Jade Flower Sword swordswoman is more than enough to stir my nostalgia… I miss my aunt. I yearn for her embrace. Up until middle school, I used to sleep in her arms.
“Jade Flower Sword Namgoong Serin… I think I saw her on my way here.”
“Hehe. Anyway, you’re curious why the Jade Flower Sword is here, right?”
You don’t even believe that I saw her.
“I told you I saw her!”
“Show me then…”
“What’s there to show, you brat. Hehe. Anyway, I’m quite curious why the Jade Flower Sword is here. What’s the reason?”
Jaemi Son stuffed a dumpling into his mouth and mumbled.
“I heard that some sort of labyrinth was discovered… Maybe she’s here to gather warriors to deal with that.”
“What? A labyrinth?”
What the heck is that?
A labyrinth, huh?
“A labyrinth has been discovered? What kind of labyrinth? Don’t tell me they found the tomb of Qin Shi Huang?”
“No way… You’re definitely the swordsman I recognize. I can’t believe you didn’t know about this.”
“Ah, come on! Hurry! Tell me!”
“Hmph… I want to eat some dumplings.”
Ugh, you bastard!
“Server! One dumpling here!”
“Yes!”
As soon as I ordered the dumpling, Jaemi Son grinned and said.
“A labyrinth is… a space transformed by the demonic gate.”
“What, a demonic gate?”
Come to think of it, I’ve heard that term before. Curious, I glanced at Jaemi Son, who looked at me as if I was foolish.
“What do you even know, Kim Geunhyeop…?”
“Stuff about myself.”
“Clearly, you’re not thinking straight… Hehe. A demonic gate is the gateway to hell. It’s a passage for the evil spirits of hell to come through.”
What in the world.
“If a space is exposed to the energy of hell, it can cause unusual phenomena… It’s only natural that the realm would be distorted by the powers of hell, which is its own realm.”
“No way!”
But honestly, this is getting interesting.
“Why is Jaemi Son so smart! Your words are too intellectual! Were you always this brainy?!”
“Hehe…”
With a sinister grin, Jaemi Son took a sip of alcohol and ate a dumpling.
The more I see him, the smarter he seems. Maybe he’s been in the Martial Arts World for a long time? He seems to know all kinds of information.
He wanders around with strange weapons, and while he’s not as impressive as Mr. Song, he certainly has his merits.
But hell and demonic gates, huh? So when they say the Demon King came from hell, it means that literally.
It looks like when hell and the mortal realm are connected, weird phenomena occur, like labyrinths showing up.
“Anyway, if such a labyrinth does appear, it must be dealt with quickly. The power of hell will erode the surroundings.”
“Then all sorts of evil deeds will occur.”
“That’s how the Yuan Dynasty fell…”
“Koke Temur?”
“You know that…”
“That is the celestial horse of the Yuan Dynasty. I heard he held off the attack of the Demon King.”
“But in the end, he was defeated…”
As we shared these stories, I drank with Jaemi Son. It was enjoyable, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful, wishing Mr. Song were here too.
I imagined hugging Jaemi Son and Mr. Song while singing happily.
It was such a pleasant sight that it made me habitually revere Mr. Song.
I worship you, Mr. Song.
*
The next day.
I met up with Jaemi Son early in the morning and headed toward Haengdo Sect.
If it’s true that the Jade Flower Sword is gathering warriors to conquer the labyrinth, she will definitely be at Haengdo Sect. I plan to participate in this labyrinth conquest with Jaemi Son.
“A labyrinth conquest.”
It seems like a dangerous task, but I can’t refuse this opportunity.
“Hehe, you’re not scared, are you?”
“No way. I will definitely do it.”
I’ll definitely do it.
“I heard that not only the Jade Flower Sword but also the Namgoong Clan’s combat unit has arrived, which means we’ll be fighting alongside them, right? In that case, I might get to see their martial arts abilities. That leads to my growth. I must do this.”
I keep thinking that to survive in this Martial Arts World, I must keep growing.
I’ve gained experience by exterminating minor spirits and killed the Goblin tribe leader to obtain Inner Core. That alone has drastically changed my life in the Martial Arts World. I no longer have to grind in Dahoebang.
Becoming stronger means I can earn more money and eat tastier food.
If I don’t, I’ll just end up being eliminated by bandits. The labyrinth conquest will help me enhance my skills. If there’s danger, I’ll overcome it and test my limits.
“Hehe… As expected of the swordsman I acknowledge. You seem a bit strange, but you’re definitely worth hanging around.”
“That’s something I should say to you, brat. Hehe.”
“Hehe.”
“Who’s weirder than you? Hey, we’re here.”
As we chatted on the way, we arrived at Haengdo Sect. Upon arrival, I could feel the buzz in the air; something must be happening.
I immediately went inside.
“Warriors wishing to participate in the labyrinth conquest, come this way! We need many warriors! Those with labyrinth conquest experience will be prioritized!”
Warriors clad in black uniforms were shouting.
“…Wow.”
They looked strong right off the bat. Plus, they all had matching outfits, with the same insignia embroidered on their chests and backs.
Those must be the combat unit of the Namgoong Clan.
And at the center of them stood the beauty I saw yesterday.
“That swordswoman is the Jade Flower Sword…!”
“Unbelievable.”
“Such beauty…”
“She’s celestial.”
“Indeed, Martial Arts History!”
All kinds of warriors pretended to listen to the explanations of the clan’s warriors while stealing glances at the Jade Flower Sword. She’s that captivating a beauty.
Even Jaemi Son couldn’t help but stare at the Jade Flower Sword, and as I caught a glimpse of her, our eyes met.
“…!”
I quickly turned my head away!
“The labyrinth has appeared! If you’re a warrior who understands righteousness and cooperation, come this way! We will pay a basic hiring fee, along with special bonuses based on performance!”
I focused more on what the clan’s warriors were saying than on the Jade Flower Sword.
It seemed the Jade Flower Sword intended to gather not just the clan’s combat unit but a large number of warriors for the labyrinth conquest. That alone makes it a force bigger than a small squad.
With so many people, it means that the labyrinth conquest must be dangerous.
But the rewards must be equally enticing.
I immediately raised my hand.
“I have a question about the special bonuses! How much will it be?”
“If you kill a demon of the rank of 108, you’ll receive two silver tokens! If you lend your strength, it will be paid after careful consideration!”
They say two silver tokens for killing a demon that’s a bit stronger than the Goblin tribe leader. If I can take down one demon alone, that’s not bad, right?
Based on my previous experience of slaying the tribe leader alone, if Jaemi Son and I work together to ambush one, it seems totally doable.
“Got it! Then, how much for taking down a Mid-Level Wicked Demon?”
“Huh? Mid-Level Wicked Demon?”
At that, the warriors spoke among themselves.
But suddenly, the Jade Flower Sword stepped forward.
“Jade Flower Sword!”
“Jade Flower Sword!”
“Jade Flower Sword!”
The warriors cheered when they saw the Jade Flower Sword stepping forward.
“To mention a Mid-Level Wicked Demon, how brave of you.”
Her voice was devoid of emotion.
“Well, you came right out with that.”
But why does her voice sound so beautiful?
“This labyrinth is presumed to have formed not long ago, so I don’t think such strong demons would be present. However, if such beings do appear and you contribute to their defeat, I will bestow precious rewards in my name, the Jade Flower Sword. Is there any other question?”
“No. None.”
As I shook my head, the Jade Flower Sword stared at me and offered a faint smile.
Gulp…!
Her beauty is too powerful!
“Jaemi Son, but isn’t this something the government should handle? It seems like a big deal, so why is the clan dealing with it?”
“Hehe, as if the government has the luxury for that.”
“They don’t have the luxury?”
“Most matters are outsourced to sects or clans… The government is too busy fighting evil spirits… That’s why sects and clans essentially take control of the area and rule it…”
So that’s how it is.
Thinking back, it did seem a bit strange.
Why would the emperor, who possesses the world’s absolute masters, let such armed nobles roam free? They were essentially giving tacit acknowledgment in exchange for good taxes.
In truth, there’s no way a pre-modern administrative power could cover a land the size of the Chinese mainland. And with demons running wild, it would be even harder.
That’s why the sects and clans are long and growing.
I’ve gained knowledge.
“Then, interested parties should line up!”
The first-class pay for labyrinth conquest participants was stated to be 100 coins a day. This is the basic salary that would be paid continuously throughout the employment period, with extra bonuses during battles, and rewards for achievements after evaluation.
“Jaemi Son. There’s no reason to hesitate. We should participate in this. Our experience in conquering the labyrinth will enhance our skills.”
“Hehe… As expected of the swordsman I acknowledge. I agree. And if we’re lucky, we might also find treasures.”
“Treasures? Let’s hear about that later.”
Jaemi Son and I stood in line together. When it was our turn, we showed the papers and signed the contract with the Namgoong Clan.
We received word to prepare adequately, as we would be heading to the labyrinth the following day. They also advised us to pack enough supplies for a few days.
After signing the contract and wandering Haengdo Sect to gather more information, I suddenly heard.
“I didn’t expect to see you again.”
The Jade Flower Sword spoke to me!
“Oh, Jade Flower Sword!”
Up close, she stands about 10 cm shorter than me.
But her prominently large chest feels like it’s weighing heavily on me.
“You can still call me a fairy as you usually do.”
“No way! I only saw you for a brief moment yesterday, and now you’re treating it as if we know each other very well!”
What is this!
The Jade Flower Sword is talking to me…!
I’m extremely tense!
“Heh, there’s no need to be so nervous. Just as there’s no crime in beauty, there’s no crime in being captivating.”
The Jade Flower Sword echoed my words from yesterday with a slight smile.
“Ah… That’s true. Being captivated is not a crime, so I’ll allow myself to be more captivated. Anyway. What brings you here, Jade Flower Sword?”
“Just… I’ve taken an interest, so I came to see.”
Interest?!
“That’s incredible! I don’t know how to respond, Fairy!”
I’m starting to take an interest too!
“My interest must surely be a glory to my clan. Hahaha.”
But she seems to have a bit of a princess complex.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“I must say, you have quite decent martial arts for a vagabond.”
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