Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

"…"

There was a heavy silence.

Since Kim ShiHoon and the other party members couldn't understand Chinese, they remained silent. And KangWoo, who understood what the Sword King had said, remained silent to figure out the situation.

Echidna pulled KangWoo's clothes.

"KangWoo, what's a martial god?"

"Hmm? Echidna, you understand Chinese?"

KangWoo looked surprised, but he soon realized he had forgotten something very basic…

'Now that I think about it… How can Echidna speak Korean?'

He had never thought about it.

She had naturally used Korean in their first meeting, so he had never thought about it too deeply.

He thought she'd naturally learned to speak his main language after becoming his summoned monster.

"No. I don't know Chinese. I can use magic and make it so we can talk with each other."

"Oh!"

It seemed like the effect was similar to his Authority of Translation.

"Can you use that magic on other people too?"

"Sure."

"Then use that magic on ShiHoon and the others as well."

"Okay."

Echidna raised her hand.

After a short chant, a magic surrounded Kim ShiHoon and the rest of the group.

"This…"

"Oh, can Dragon Sword also talk Chinese?"

"N-no. What happ—"

"It's magic."

Kim ShiHoon looked at Echidna in surprise.

To think that there was a magic that translated in such a perfect way…

He had never heard about a player having a magic like that.

"Hngh! It isn't a difficult magic. It's actually very normal on the Ernor Continent."

Echidna snorted at the thought that she'd been helpful to KangWoo.

"It seems like there was no need to bring an interpreter."

Cheon MooJin laughed.

The young man that was next to him shrugged.

"Don't worry. I'll still pay you properly."

"Th-thanks!"

"I like that the discussion is going to be faster. Dragon Sword, where did you learn the martial arts of the martial god?" Cheon MooJin asked.

Kim ShiHoon's eyes widened.

"H-how did you…"

"Wait, there’s something I’m curious about as well. How do you know Kim ShiHoon is using the martial god's martial art?"

"Haha. That's because our family descends from the martial god."

"Oh!"

KangWoo's eyes shone.

If what he said was true, martial god Cheon TaeHwang was someone who lived many years ago, and Cheon MooJin was a descendent of his.

"Then did you practice martial arts before becoming an Awakener?"

"Yes. Well… Although, before awakening, I wasn't able to reach the heights I can now."

KangWoo nodded.

'Well, they say that the Demon Cult existed before people awakened as players, after all.'

It was clear that there were people on Earth who could use magic, martial arts, and other arts before Awakeners had even appeared on Earth.

"I learned it when I awa—"

"Wait."

KangWoo grabbed Kim ShiHoon's shoulders and stopped him from talking.

"What are you thinking of doing with this information? Are you planning to kill him to protect the secret?"

"Hahaha! It seems like you've read too many martial arts novels."

'I don't want to hear that from someone who appears in martial art novels.'

Cheon MooJin kept talking after he finished laughing.

"I want to make a deal."

"Deal?"

"Yes. Our family's Vision Sword martial arts were modified and have deteriorated through the years, but Dragon Sword's Cloud Dragon Sword Style was exactly the same as the martial god's that was left in the records."

"So you want to restore your family’s damaged martial arts?"

"Yes."

KangWoo's eyes shone.

Now that he knew the other person's intention, the discussion would progress faster.

A deep smile appeared on his face.

"Well, I guess if it's a deal, you're going to offer something?"

"Before that, I want to hear the answer to my question. Where did he learn the martial arts of the martial god?"

"Well, it’s better if you hear it from his mouth."

KangWoo patted Kim ShiHoon's back as if saying he could talk.

With a confused expression, Kim ShiHoon explained why he had the martial art techniques of martial god Cheon Tae Hwang.

The more the explanation continued, the wider Cheon MooJin's mouth fell open.

"So the martial god's soul entered your body…?"

"It's not like I can talk with him or anything… And the knowledge of his martial arts just flowed into my head."

"Woah. So you perfected it in such a way without anyone teaching it to you?"

"Ah, that…"

"That's just because ShiHoon's talent is monstrous."

"How interesting."

* * *

Cheon MooJin looked at Kim YeongHoon's body with great interest. Upon closer observation, he was awestruck.

'He has a talent given by the heavens.'

He never thought he'd see someone capable of learning martial arts by looking at the techniques once like the figures that appeared in legends.

"Hahaha! The expression ‘monster-like’ suits him indeed."

"Anyway, now that we told you, tell us what you're going to offer," KangWoo said in a calm voice.

Nobody would ever guess that KangWoo was talking to someone as important as the Sword King from just his attitude.

Cheon MooJin looked at KangWoo.

Although the Dragon Sword's talent was impressive, he was also deeply impressed by the player Oh KangWoo.

'Has anyone this confident ever appeared in front of me?'

He had never seen someone like KangWoo after becoming a world ranker. No, even before that.

MooJin was born the successor of a huge force called Thousand Sword Gate. Everyone had bowed to him since he was a kid.

"Hahaha. I’ve heard of you… Amazing. Are you acting so confident in front of me while knowing who I am?"

"What? Should I bow down and lick your feet?"

"Hahaha! No, not at all. But a deal… Ah, how about this: if Dragon Sword helps us restore the Vision Sword martial arts, I'll personally teach him."

"You're going to teach him martial arts?"

"It seems like Dragon Sword learned the Sleeping Dragon Sword Style and the Cloud Dragon Sword Style. In the Thousand Sword Gate, we have higher versions of those, which are the Blue Dragon Sword Style and the Celestial Dragon Sword Style."

"Didn't you say that they were damaged?"

"They still probably have a power that can't be compared to the Cloud Dragon Sword Style."

"…"

KangWoo fell into his thoughts.

For one of the world rankers, the Sword King, to teach ShiHoon martial arts personally.

'It's going to be of great help.'

Maybe Kim ShiHoon could complete the Blue Dragon Sword Style with his help.

It wasn't a bad deal at all.

No, it was too good of a deal.

'But…'

KangWoo looked at Kim ShiHoon.

The deal wasn’t his to accept.

The one who was going to restore the damaged martial arts and receive the teachings of the Sword King was Kim ShiHoon.

"Hyeongnim…"

"It's your choice. What do you want to do?"

"…"

Kim ShiHoon thought for a short while.

"I want to learn."

Being taught by the Sword King… It would probably be hard to find a martial artist not interested in the offer.

'But most importantly…'

Kim ShiHoon looked at KangWoo.

He wasn't overwhelmed in front of the Sword King.

He wanted to become like KangWoo. He didn't want to keep only receiving help.

Kim ShiHoon put his hand on the pommel of his sword.

'I want to become stronger.'

He remembered the Isu Station incident.

People crying everywhere…

The roads that were destroyed and full of smoke…

If he had been stronger, he would've probably been able to save more people.

KangWoo nodded.

"Then the deal is closed. Oh, there's a condition."

"Condition?"

"Restoring the martial art and learning from you should take place in Korea."

He couldn't send Kim ShiHoon somewhere far away.

If they were far apart, if something happened, dealing with it could get harder.

'I can't fully trust Cheon MooJin, after all.'

He felt that he was someone trustworthy, but he couldn't completely trust someone based on his gut feeling.

"Hmm. Korea… SooYeon, what do you think?"

"I'm okay. After all, it's a country I've always wanted to visit."

Cheon SooYeon smiled brightly. The atmosphere seemed to grow strange with her smile alone.

KangWoo looked at her. She was looking at him with shining eyes.

"Then we're going to stay here for a month."

"Good."

KangWoo seemed satisfied.

He had thinking of creating a special training just for Kim ShiHoon, but now there wasn't a need for him to do that.

"First, let's get out of the gate. Oh, I heard you live near Seoul station. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll have to get a building close to there."

"Get… A building?"

"We need a training room to teach Dragon Sword and somewhere to stay for a month."

"…"

KangWoo couldn't believe Cheon MooJin said he would buy a building as if it were nothing.

Cheon MooJin approached Kim ShiHoon.

"Let's talk a bit while returning. There are many things I want to ask you."

"Ah, yes! It… it's an honor!"

Cheon MooJin and Kim ShiHoon walked to the front.

KangWoo followed them from behind.

At that moment, the seductive woman next to Cheon MooJin approached him.

"Hi."

"You…"

"My name is Cheon SooYeon."

Cheon SooYeon kept talking with a smile on her face.

"Your name is Mr. KangWoo. Right? Fufu. I've never seen someone so confident in front of my father."

She looked at KangWoo with great interest.

She'd watched Cheon MooJin since she was a little kid, but she'd never seen a man that was so confident in front of him.

'What kind of person is he?'

She became interested in him.

She couldn't imagine how strong and self-confident he was to be able to stand so confidently in front of the Sword King.

'I heard that he restrained the leader of the Third Squad in just a second.'

She became expectant. Her ideal man wasn’t just someone who was strong, but someone stronger than Cheon MooJin!

She subconsciously felt attracted to strong men.

But everyone she'd met until then was weaker than Cheon MooJin.

That's why, after seeing him standing so confidently, she became naturally interested in KangWoo.

"I have no reason to be intimidated."

"Hng. Do you think you could win in a fight against the Sword King?"

"I'm not sure."

KangWoo laughed.

Cheon SooYeon saw strong self-confidence hidden behind the short laugh.

Her eyes shone like those of an animal hunting for prey.

‘They sounds like words spoken without knowing how strong father is…'

But she couldn't deny that those words piqued her interest even further.

Cheon SooYeon licked her red lips while looking at KangWoo. She looked him over from head to toe.

'Hng?'

At that moment, she felt someone grabbing her clothes. She turned her head.

A girl who looked like a doll was looking at her.

The girl spoke in a low voice that only she could hear.

"KangWoo is mine. Don't lust over him."

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