Flames erupted from his right arm, swirling in all directions.
The floor and walls turned crimson, and the surroundings suddenly heated up.
The flames, eager to devour everything, flickered wildly.
With each flicker of the flames came a pulling sensation.
It was a clear Gop-hwa.
He immediately adjusted the flames.
Soothing and gathering the fire that spread everywhere, the once raging flames gradually converged.
It wasn’t difficult since it was part of magic manipulation.
But this wasn’t the end. Gop-hwa also needed to control emotions along with the flames.
He grabbed the excitement that threatened to soar. If he suppressed the emotional rise from Gop-hwa at the beginning, the rest would be relatively easy.
Once stirred up, emotions were tricky to handle.
Thus, one needed to control and suppress emotions in advance.
“There’s nothing to nitpick about the control, and the emotional tuning is good… There’s really nothing to teach here.”
The location was a certified underground facility. Sitting comfortably in the center, he adjusted Gop-hwa while sneaking glances around.
Not far away, Jeong Hwajoo, Hong Jin-hyuk, scratched his head, looking a bit uneasy as he observed me.
A few days had passed since the verification.
Although the purpose of the visit—to verify—was complete, there were still a few days left until the banquet schedule, so I decided to stay as a guest during this time.
In the past few days, I had done mainly three things.
Wandering around the clan grounds with Hong Yeon-hwa, getting introductions, and in the process, making acquaintances with a few people.
Watching Tan Hwajoo Hwa Byeok-un create armaments.
And getting an education on Gop-hwa from Jeong Hwajoo Hong Jin-hyuk…
Right now, I was having a training session on Gop-hwa with Hong Jin-hyuk.
During the verification, Choi Ji-yeon, who witnessed my Gop-hwa blossom, asked if I could take a few days to discuss it with a complex expression.
I nodded, saying there’s no rush, and she assured me that there would be many things to discuss.
The fact that an outsider had manifested the clan’s unique ability.
She must have heard about it from Shio-ram, but witnessing it in person had to complicate matters for her.
This was a pretty big issue.
It couldn’t be passed off lightly as merely some accidental manifestation.
After all, Gop-hwa was a unique ability that had only manifested in the bloodline of the clan’s founder.
The fact remained intact, as it served to solidify the clan around the bloodline.
Now, however, an outsider, who didn’t have the bloodline, had suddenly grasped Gop-hwa.
Of course, the truth was a mimicry through my unique ability, but that couldn’t be acknowledged publicly.
Regardless, from an external viewpoint, I was someone who manifested Gop-hwa without the bloodline.
There would now be a precedent that a non-blood relative can manifest Gop-hwa, which would put the Gop-hwa Clan in a very awkward position.
“In the third cycle…”
Third cycle, three clans.
Gop-hwa, Changhae, Taesan.
A cycle that awkwardly held the unique abilities of all three major clans.
The first to be publicly known as the unique ability was Taesan.
In the midst of external activities, I found myself in a dire situation and used Taesan to break through.
Coincidentally, it was witnessed by the heir to the Taesan clan, Choi Ji-yeon.
Just like I was visiting Hong Yeon-hwa and the Gop-hwa clan now, I had visited Choi Ji-yeon and the Taesan clan in the third cycle under some circumstances.
Again, I underwent verification procedures, and many words were exchanged.
The fact that an outsider manifested the clan’s unique ability was just as formidable for the Taesan clan in the third cycle.
As a result…
The third cycle was entered into the Taesan clan’s records.
In short, they manipulated the genealogy to include me as a blood relative.
Shallow gossip. They say you can’t see the truth through a blindfold… But what can we do?
While it’s a problem that an outsider manifested the clan’s unique ability, it’s no issue if the clan member manifests it.
Is it not true that I actually am a blood relative? Just make up a reason.
It could be said that descendants of a blood relative who disappeared due to severance had emerged and that they manifested the unique ability akin to generational inheritance—who would dare contest that?
What matters is the justification, “This person is a member of our bloodline.”
Thus, the third cycle found its name in the Taesan clan records.
Later, the exposures of Gop-hwa and Changhae turned relationships upside down, causing chaos… but anyway.
“Will it go the same way this time?”
Inserting a name into the genealogy isn’t such a tedious task. It’s the easiest method anyway.
“Hmm…”
The rustle from the front pulled me from my thoughts.
Straightening up, Hong Jin-hyuk, stroking his chin in contemplation, spoke up.
“Do you know that Gop-hwa lacks many skills passed down in the clan?”
[I’ve heard that.]
Unlike the three major clans where unique abilities or similar skills to cultivate are created, their own unique skills are formed.
This is an expansion of unique abilities, and while there are techniques that don’t reach that level, they are still adequately practical.
The quintessential examples are Baek Ahrin’s “Whirlpool Water Dance” and “Water Eye.”
Whirlpool Water Dance adapts Changhae’s water for combat, while Water Eye serves as a fundamental technique for fully utilizing Changhae’s abilities.
Both are great techniques, but they aren’t expansion abilities.
Thanks to this, they could use ‘Water’ itself instead of Changhae. Of course, using it as Changhae would yield much greater power.
Anyway, there are only a few such techniques when it comes to Gop-hwa.
“Gop-hwa is a thoroughly troublesome ability.”
Hong Jin-hyuk, one of the best at utilizing Gop-hwa in this generation, described it as troublesome.
“Detailed manipulation is tough, and transforming it into a refined technique is even tougher. Even if they create a technique, the knowledge required to pass it down and for future generations to learn it is rare.”
While there are techniques utilizing Gop-hwa, the difficulty of acquiring them is noticeably high compared to other clans.
In short, the barrier to entry is high, and not many can grasp it.
Considering that the Whirlpool Water Dance was designed to enhance the combat capabilities of their water-based clan with unsuitable techniques, despite Gop-hwa lacking such foundational skills, there are still immeasurable capabilities within Gop-hwa itself.
“However, Gop-hwa is simply powerful.”
Despite not having foundational techniques, it remains a very usable unique ability.
Thanks to the remarkable output of Gop-hwa, merely splashing it on an opponent is sufficient to create abundant lethality.
Since it is inherently combat-oriented, there’s no need to intertwine it with complex techniques.
Thus, what Hong Jin-hyuk taught me was not a complicated technique but rather the delicate manipulation of Gop-hwa itself.
“It’ll be quite difficult. So focus while listening and practice adjusting it well later.”
Of course, most people fail to execute that delicate manipulation.
That’s why Hong Jin-hyuk emphasized the difficulty beforehand, urging me to keep up.
“…Seriously.”
– Flame flicker…
Hong Jin-hyuk looked awkwardly at the flames.
The flames flickered at his fingertips, constantly changing shapes.
Circles, triangles, squares, pentagons…
Forms of swords, bows and arrows, spears, and axes.
As the thin flames surged skyward like waves, they swayed side to side before shrinking into small balls.
The flames continuously changed forms, shifting from basic manipulations to more nuanced operations.
Over the past few days, I absorbed a wealth of know-how on delicate manipulation, making my own adjustments.
There were also fundamental techniques taught to me by Hong Yeon-hwa and Hong Jin-hyuk, both of whom took their time with the lessons.
Naturally, mastery applicable in combat was another storyline. I’d definitely have to practice more for that.
“Unbelievable. I remember it took me months to get that right.”
‘……’
“And the lady too. I feel I’m becoming obsolete these days…”
For a moment, I contemplated how to respond to Hong Jin-hyuk’s grumbling but couldn’t find the words.
The necklace of confession chose silence.
.
.
.
Time passed and the day of the Gop-hwa Clan’s regular banquet dawned.
Surrounded by bustling activity for days prior, I had no choice but to be informed.
Even now, I could observe a line of vehicles constantly arriving in real-time.
Those aboard the vehicles had red-colored hair and eyes with varying shades, all possessing a fiery magic within them.
They seemed to be distant relatives of the Gop-hwa Clan or figures affiliated with their underlings.
The building presumed to be the banquet hall was also buzzing with activity.
I watched as the servants scurried about in preparation, and it finally struck me that the banquet was about to begin.
Just from glance, it seemed sizeable. After all, it was a banquet hosted by the Gop-hwa Clan. They would surely prepare grandly to match the occasion.
Though there was some pressure in participating in such a grand banquet… Running away wasn’t an option.
Ultimately, the only choice was to partake obediently.
– Knock knock
“Young master, it’s Ariel.”
[Yes]
[You may enter.]
Creaking, the door opened to reveal Ariel, now quite accustomed to her modern maid outfit.
[I’m sorry for the trouble.]
“Not at all. After all, it’s my job, and since you’re in the adjacent room, it’s no trouble at all.”
Ariel shook her head dismissively, holding a rectangular box in her hands.
I bowed my head in response, pointing to the box she was carrying.
[What’s that?]
“That’s the outfit you will be wearing, young master.”
At my question, Ariel opened the box wide on the table.
Inside the box was clothing.
I scrutinized the attire with my observation.
The colors were shades of red. Whether it was intentionally created by the Gop-hwa Clan, it resembled a vivid flame.
As for the design… what should I call it? A fluttering fabric… or a traditional robe?
The length was overall long, and the width was considerable. Moreover, the embellishments weren’t excessively pronounced. It seemed to emphasize elegance over flamboyance.
[It’s a beautiful outfit.]
“Yes, it’s the traditional attire of the Gop-hwa Clan… made especially for a precious guest.”
In response to my admiration, Ariel nodded with her characteristic stoic expression.
For some reason, she put emphasis on the word “precious.”
*
[Your unique ability, “Jack of All Trades,” is growing.]
[Your unique ability, “Mana Affinity,” is growing.]
[Your unique ability, “?,” is growing.]
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