Chapter 26
When people become exhausted, they sometimes start to hallucinate and see things that are not there. I had experienced it before as well.
Right now, though, I wasn’t seeing things, I was hearing things.
“...Martial God?”
[That’s right, inheritor.]
Martial God.
God...
It wasn’t like I was completely clueless.
The upside-down triangle symbol Calzark had shown us.
The altar of a forgotten god somewhere within this cave.
No way...
Did the forgotten god awaken because of that battle?
[Are you surprised? However, inheritor, this Martial God does not repeat his words. This glorious offer is also not a false one. Now, approach my altar.]
So noisy. Maybe because I’d gone all-out for the first time in a while, even little things were starting to annoy me.
This Martial God, Marital God, or whatever, I just wished he would shut up for a second.
[Hm. It seems you do not find value in our connection. I see. Maybe you were not my inheritor...]
I don’t know. I’m just going to sleep for a second and—
[Then I must look for another follower. An excellent martial artist seems to be on their way here just in time.]
“...What?”
Hearing that, I forcibly opened my eyes, which had been on the verge of closing.
A martial artist was coming here?
He probably wasn’t talking about Calzark or Arzan. If my guess was correct, those two should still be completely frozen from the cold ki emitted by the Sapphire Snake.
[Someone is running here from the other side of the cave at quite an impressive speed. Hmm. I also feel the blessing of a god from them.]
The blessing of a god. Though, that being said, the person coming here probably wasn’t a member of one of the Great Houses.
As explained before, gods were beings who had ambiguous definitions of good and evil.
To them, “blessings” included not just the blessings bestowed by the 72 gods but also the curses of the gods of disaster.
Meaning the person approaching this place was most likely a servant of Hadenaihar, and if that person became the follower of this forgotten god...
In the worst-case scenario, it could mean the creation of an additional demon lord.
No way.
I grit my teeth and stood up.
“Where do you need me to go?”
***
The place I was headed to was the area where the gem beast’s eggs had been stored. The opening that had been revealed during the battle against the Sapphire Snake.
Step.
It smelled horrible.
I stepped over the old eggshells and moved forward.
As I walked through the darkness, crossroads continuously appeared...
[Right.]
[Left here.]
[Go straight forward.]
But the one who called himself the Martial God continued to guide me, so it wasn’t difficult at all.
After passing countless crossroads, an impressively big area suddenly appeared.
It was wide enough for many buildings to be built side by side, and the ceiling was high enough for the Sapphire Snake to have stood upright.
In this spacious area, there was one singular building.
“...”
An upside-down tower. A relic of a forgotten god who embodied defiance against the heavens.
It seemed the building hadn’t managed to escape the winds of time, as the tower itself looked very worn down and damaged.
However, the moment I saw it, I became overwhelmed by its pressure. Rather than looking unsightly, it looked vintage.
[Inheritor, this way.]
At the words of the Martial God, I again moved forward.
At the front of the tower was a simple altar.
“...This isn’t upside down.”
[Of course. If this were upside down as well, how would you place my offerings upon the altar?]
“Offerings...” I let out a sigh. “Martial God, I have no way of knowing much about a forgotten god. If I am to become your first follower, what specific benefits could you give me?”
[Hoh. How could you measure the worth of faith through gains? Just becoming this Martial God’s follower should be honor enough.]
“It’s difficult for humans to accept the standards of gods. I don’t believe worldly beings desiring worldly desires is truly a bad thing.”
[Hmm...]
A moment of silence followed.
[You are not wrong. Sure. There are differences between gods and humans.]
After contemplating for a moment longer, the Martial God spoke confidently.
[Understood. Then... if you become my follower, I will teach you the greatest martial arts technique I know!]
“I don’t really need something like that.”
* * * * *
* * * * *
The Martial God seemed flustered by my direct response.
[You don’t need it? How could that be?]
“I already have a martial arts I’m learning.”
[That is not a problem. You still seem quite young. There is no problem in you learning a new martial technique.]
“I have no intentions of learning a new martial art any time soon, though...”
[Why is that?]
“Because the martial art that I’m learning is the strongest.”
The Martial God seemed to be struck speechless for a second.
[Inheritor, it seems you don’t know because you are young in the ways of martial arts, but as one who walks the martial path, the word “strongest” isn’t one you should say so easily.]
“But you just said it as well.”
[I am the Martial God. A god of the martial way. If I cannot call my own martial art the strongest, then wouldn’t that be more strange?]
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
[How frustrating. You do not know how great of a boon this is for you.]
His reaction felt weirdly human for a god.
From his weird way of speaking and the energy he was conveying, I could tell he was a very mature and magnanimous being. Maybe he really was the Martial God.
The moment I had that thought, many other questions appeared in my mind about this Martial God.
“Martial God, the master that taught me said this: Under the heavens, all martial arts are equal. What’s most important is the capability of the one using the martial art, or the aptitude of the practitioner in relation to that art.”
[Those words are not wrong.]
“Do you agree with his words? Then how could you say that your martial art is the strongest?”
Although “you” might not be the right way to address him, I couldn’t think of anything better.
[Inheritor, you are much more mature than your age would suggest.]
The Martial God sounded like he was smiling.
[It also seems you have reached a hint of your own martial truth. Ignoring your accomplishments, it is a difficult result to produce at such an age...]
“...”
[I will give you an answer to that question. First, when a martial artist reaches a certain point, their opinion about the strongest will become different from everyone else's.] I blinked at that. It had been a while since I’d heard something I couldn’t understand.
[For some, strongest could just mean unbeatable, while others might say it is undefeated. For some, simply allowing one to survive could be the strongest there is. How they’ve lived their life will create a difference in their assessment.]
After hearing the Martial God’s explanation, I somewhat understood.
Unbeatable and undefeated might seem similar in meaning, but the difference was clear.
Being unrivaled and winning every single fight were different things, after all, and not caring about losing because surviving was itself a victory in the end... well, from my point of view, that was closer to a scuffle between animals rather than humans.
[The reason my martial art is the strongest is simple: no matter who you are, if—under identical circumstances—you put the same amount of time and effort into mastering it, it will give you the highest chance of becoming the strongest among all.]
“Has that been proven?”
[That’s right. A long time ago... in an age you people have forgotten, it was proven countless times.]
There was a sense of longing in his voice.
[...But I am curious. The one who taught you seems to have been quite the expert. What did your master say about his martial art?]
“He said that under the heavens, no other martial art that could defeat it exists in the past, present, or future.”
Of course, this was in reference to the Strongest Technique in History, not the White Sun Form... but since it was still my master’s martial art, it didn’t really matter.
[A peerless martial art, the strongest in history... How arrogant. However, it seems he has the right to say that.]
“...”
[From the impression you have given me of your master, I believe I can guess his thoughts.]
—Even if I were to half-learn a random sword technique, I would still be the strongest with it.
I instantly felt goosebumps on the back of my neck. There was no way he’d met Master before, but the Martial God seemed to have completely seen through Master’s personality.
[Interesting. I too know of such a person...]
“...”
[In any case, if those are his thoughts, it’s natural that the martial art or cultivation technique he created would be the strongest. Thus, when he told you “all martial arts are equal,” I believe he meant something like...]
—Under the heavens, all martial arts are equal, except mine.
“...Ehm.”
This was the first time I’d met someone who could instantly understand Master’s personality without even seeing him.
The Martial God had neither personally met nor seen Master; he had deduced this from just a few things I’d quoted from Master.
“I understand,” I replied politely.
Beyond whether his words were true or not, I realized he was someone worthy of respect.
Still, that didn’t mean all my curiosities had been answered.
“However, Martial God, if what you say is true, then the martial art that you are willing to teach me might not be the strongest but just one that you consider to be strongest.”
The Martial God laughed loudly.
[Hahaha.]
...Thankfully, he didn’t seem offended by my comment.
The Martial God thought for a moment.
[That is true. Then show me the martial art that you are practicing. I will tell you how you can improve it.]
“...”
[I have no intention of mocking your master, so ease your expression.]
My expression is fine.
I nearly touched my face on instinct, but that might have been offensive, so I held myself back.
[Hear my criticism and apply it if you feel it is useful. How about that?]
“Hmm...”
This was the first time I’d heard such an arrogant suggestion.
He was going to critique the martial art of the Strongest Under the Heavens, Baek Nogwang?
I wouldn’t have even scoffed at him if not for what had just happened.
However, now... I was a little curious.
In some sense, this Martial God could be the summit of the martial path that Master was getting close to.
“All right.”
I immediately took my stance.
***
As if holding a demonstration, I performed the White Sun Form from beginning to end.
Since there was no need to hurry, I showed everything slowly, enough so that this Martial God could observe and understand the core and truth of this martial art.
[...]
In the midst of this, I suddenly remembered Calzark’s suggestion. He had suggested that I become his disciple.
Calzark was a person worthy of respect.
He was strong, emotionally mature, and knew when to be stern in his teachings.
In addition to all that, he was also a man of perseverance.
His societal standing was high and he was proficient in teaching others as well.
It wasn’t idle chatter to say that if he had continued to remain in the main house, then my life before my return could’ve taken a drastic turn.
However, I’d still refused Calzark’s offer, not just once but multiple times.
Weirdly enough, I didn’t want to call him “teacher,” “master,” or “instructor.”
Honestly, this was true for everyone, not just Calzark.
Shwoo~
[...]
The martial art created with my master, White Sun Form. For me, White Sun Form was a memory. From the first technique to the tenth technique... the origin of each technique, the process of creating them, how they were born, it was all still fresh in my mind.
...I had learned a lot of things, and not just martial arts either.
Bad parts about myself as a person, things I needed to fix, how to live my life, what kind of life to live, what kind of life I wanted to live...
And things even a person like me was good at.
That was why, to me, Baek Nogwang was someone who couldn’t just be called my master.
“...”
I completed my demonstration of the White Sun Form.
I was panting slightly as I looked at the altar.
Maybe because my body was still trash, but even that demonstration had been enough to make my body feel hot.
Damn it...
I recalled the aftereffects of the White Flame, which would soon come, and I held back my groans.
I probably won’t be able to even move a finger after waking up tomorrow.
The Martial God, who had been quiet this entire time, finally spoke.
[Inheritor, what is the name of the martial art you performed?]
“It is the White Sun Form.”
[Hm.]
After a moment of silence, Martial God spoke with a stern voice.
[Inheritor, I won’t say much. Stop practicing the White Sun Form.]
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