“I was going to take a break, but I got called.” Imugi mumbled.
A dusty, dark, and dirty face.
These were the traces of his training for two months.
Today, he wanted to rest for a while, but a man came and suddenly called for him urgently.
“Ugh. Look, may I ask what is going on?”
Imugi spoke to the man who was leading the way.
But when the man continued to walk without answering, he just followed him.
After a while, they arrived at their destination.
It was a path in a fairly shaded forest. This was a place Imugi had never visited before. As they continued on the path, Imugi saw a shabby building.
“There.”
The man who was guiding him stopped and said.
Imugi was about to say something else, but the man left before he could hear it.
“Man…”
Imugi licked his dry lips, and walked up to the shabby house.
And not long after, he saw a familiar face at the doorstep.
“Did you come just now?”
Slanted eyes and a large physique.
It was Yorim.
He stood there, as Imugi scratched his head and said.
“Well, I was called urgently…”
“Come in quickly.”
Yorim turned, not even listening to the reply, leaving Imugi dumbfounded.
He gave out a nearly inaudible grunt of annoyance.
“There is no such thing as consideration here.”
Along with Yorim, all of the others had already arrived.
Imugi, who came last, looked around with an awkward expression.
And then he saw the person who was talking to them.
“How have you been?”
It was Seol-Hwi.
After seeing him, Imugi’s face brightened.
“Training, what else?”
“You look stronger than before.”
“Maybe because I am naturally gifted!”
“…”
“…”
There was a moment of silence.
…It was a joke, so how did the atmosphere turn awkward again?
“Well, everyone must have their own talents.”
Imugi faltered at the gaze of his captain. He moved to the side uncertainly.
Seol-Hwi looked at Imugi again and smiled softly.
This is a bit…
Although his subordinates didn’t know it, various emotions were clashing in Seol-Hwi’s heart.
The memories of Sichuan.
It may not be remembered by his team, but Seol-Hwi could recall it all. Those who risked their lives to save him.
In particular, the loyalty of those who worried more about his safety than their own. He felt heartbroken at it.
This current mission would also put their lives on the line.
There is no guarantee that everyone would return safely either.
No, this time, I will not let my subordinates die.
He worked hard to get stronger.
Just to make that happen.
Now is the moment to show how he was more powerful than before.
“You might have guessed already, but we were given a new mission.”
At Seol-Hwi’s words, they all looked at him.
And there were those who immediately asked,
“What is this mission for us to be called so urgently?”
Yong Jin.
He seemed confident in his abilities that had improved over the past two months.
“Two months back, one of the members of our sect went missing in a certain area, and it is difficult to ascertain if he is alive or dead. It is our job to find out if he is dead, or taken as a prisoner.”
“Two months? Then most likely he’s dead.”
That was what Seo Ryeong had to say.
It was a valid statement.
If he hadn’t been found or traced for two months, he had to be dead. But there was another meaning to this mission.
Life or death. Which of the two should they act upon for Ma Taryong?
“They gave us such a trivial task?”
“This was ordered from the top.”
Yorim responded to Yong Jin’s question.
Still, a mission just to search for someone. Isn’t it what lower leveled trackers should do?
A protest came from the members.
“No, you all should look forward to the mission this time.”
When Seol-Hwi said this, Yorim asked.
“How can a missing persons search be interesting? We won’t have…”
“Mount Hua Sect.”
“…!”
“…!”
Instantly, the faces of Seol-Hwi’s subordinates drastically changed.
Imugi, who had a bored expression, stiffened.
The Mount Hua Sect.
The words alone carried a heavy weight to them.
“Very well. It seems like we’ve been entrusted with all the tasks which were pushed back.”
Jeok Song, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth.
“I think they were holding back until now.”
“I was waiting for such a thing too.”
Yong Jin and Yorim expressed their excitement.
Sure enough, to be entrusted with a difficult mission, it means that they were being recognized.
“…It’s not necessary to fight, right?”
On the other hand, Imugi was serious.
Unlike them, he didn’t have a preference for such dangerous missions.
“But, Captain, what is that?”
Imugi pointed to the strangely patterned object on the table.
He had been curious about it since he first arrived.
“Ah, I didn’t tell you? That’s bone crushing powder.”
“What?!”
Imugi was frozen in shock. He knew what this meant.
“Then this mission is…”
“Right. We must not leave traces. If a dangerous situation happens, we hide our existence with this.”
“…”
There was a heavy silence at Seol-Hwi’s revelation. A mission that could erase their lives.
Yet, weren’t they going to encounter disciples of Mount Hua? It was no different than saying that they might even meet elders of Mount Hua there.
Even if we fail to erase traces of ourselves, someone will kill us…
Seol-Hwi didn’t tell them what he was thinking.
“Then, are we leaving now?”
Seo Ryeong asked.
“Not yet.”
Seol-Hwi shook his head.
“Soon, someone will come to take us to our destination.”
At those words, the members were silent again.
The selection window isn’t appearing.
Seol-Hwi felt that this situation was different from before. Normally, in this case, a selection window or a choice box would have come.
When a schedule was created, that’s what happened, but now, nothing of that sort appeared.
If it was going to intervene, it would have happened when I met the Earth Demon.
Even after several hours, it didn’t appear.
Combat Method <Free>
Since his fighting style had changed, the stats of his subordinates weren’t visible either, and this made him frustrated.
Of course, Seol-Hwi could see them when he wants, if he changed his combat to turn-based.
But, in that case, he can’t effectively deal with variables that might come up.
Now, with the exception of Free, there is a certain time limit on combat methods.
This Story… is it referring to a time where there will be no intervening from the status window?
When Seol-Hwi was thinking deeply about his situation…
The door was opened by a masked man.
A strong master!
Seol-Hwi felt it right away, the pressure he was feeling.
This guy had to be a very skilled warrior.
Maybe that’s Cheol Gun-song…?
“Who are you?”
Yong Jin was the first to show hostility to this unknown man. But the man looked around like he didn’t care about him.
“Yah, I am asking who you are!”
“You brat!”
His subordinates posed like they were ready to rush at the man, but Seol-Hwi stopped them.
Meanwhile, the stranger came close to him, and asked,
“Are you Seol-Hwi?”
“I am.”
“Are you prepared?”
“As you can see, yes.”
“Okay.”
The large man looked around again. And this time, he examined Seol-Hwi’s subordinates.
“Tch. What are you going to do at this level…?”
He clicked his tongue and sighed.
His subordinates frowned at the man, but because Seol-Hwi had warned them, they said nothing.
The masked man pulled a parchment paper out from his sleeves.
There was a portrait on it, along with information that Ma Taryong communicated before his disappearance. The place he was in and people he was monitoring.
“Follow me.”
With that, the masked man went out the door.
“From here on, you will be on your own.”
When they crossed the border of the sect, the masked man left those words, and went back the way he came.
But Seol-Hwi knew that he didn’t actually leave, and would be watching them from unseen places.
Seol-Hwi took the lead, as he knew the most about Mount Hwanga.
How could he not know? He was killed there twice.
Night fell, and they set up camp. He stood there as Seo Ryeong made a fire, Yong Jin and Yorim set up the tents, and Jeok Song searched around.
As expected from a tracking team, they were fast and efficient at what they did.
It takes about half a day to reach their destination.
If they spent just one night more, they could reach the destination by tomorrow morning.
Since they were stronger than before, their movements were different too.
The fire was lit, and they all sat together. But as they were on a mission, they didn’t talk to each other.
However, one man tried to change this atmosphere.
“What? How can a person’s hand turn as small as a baby’s?”
“It can happen.”
“Try it. If you can do that, I will give you my money.”
“I just told you, didn’t you hear me?”
Imugi was shouting. He got up and held out his hand. While everyone was paying attention to him, he began to mumble something.
“I’ve known this for a while, but… he seriously is stupid.”
“Well, didn’t I say that too?”
While Imugi was occupied with what he was doing, Yorim and Yong Jin made fun of him.
And it was then!
Something happened to Imugi’s hand.
As he said, it really turned smaller and smaller, until it was the size of a baby’s hand.
“Ohhhh!”
“That! For real?!”
Everyone was shocked.
Among them, Yong Jin was the most shocked.
“Right? Now give me all your money.”
“No, what…Well…”
“You…”
Yong Jin and Yorim looked at each other at the same time.
“You were the one who said it! Why should I give him my money?”
“Idiots…”
Seo Ryeong mumbled.
However, the voices of Imugi, Yong Jin, and Yorim didn’t die down at all.
“Everyone seems excited because it’s their first mission.”
The members were startled by the sudden appearance of Seol-Hwi and stood up.
“Ah. Captain.”
“You’re here.”
“Right.”
Seol-Hwi smiled.
“It’s fine. Unwind and relax.”
Seol-Hwi looked at Imugi. He was scratching the back of his head.
“But. I would like to ask a favor from you all…”
“What?”
When Jeok Song asked, Seol-Hwi replied.
“Show me your skills.”
“…?”
Curious eyes stared at him.
Seol-Hwi spoke with a serious expression.
“Fight me.”
Seol-Hwi had been thinking about it on the way here.
How to get stronger in a short time?
In the end, he had to get it through practical experience.
“I’m not going to leave anyone alone who doesn’t manage to scratch me.”
The closer you are to death, the more your combat power will rise.
