Memory

It was still vivid for Roger, but for some reason, he couldn't remember anything further prior to it.

When Roger realized the different environment he was in, in a different world, he knew that there was no way to return to his family. And so, he embraced the fact that in this dangerous world, he must challenge himself.

However, just when he tried to leave the forest of bamboo he was in, he was fated with danger. After only seeing a glimmer of hope, a colossal wolf appeared before him, destroying it. Knowing he was powerless, he surrendered all hopes of survival.

But he wasn't fated to die, as before the monster was about to pounce on him, a person appeared, obliterating the wolf's head, disconnecting it from its body.

And as it was removed by slicing using a sword, blood had splattered that eventually reached his face.

Roger shouted in fear as what happened sank into his mind. He hysterically moved backward, seeing a person in front of him. He had strange clothing from his perspective, but when Roger tried to calm down, he soon realized that the person before him was wearing an eastern type of garment.

He pondered, looking at the person with a clueless expression.

"T-Thank you." Words came out of his mouth in a stuttered form.

The person looked intently at Roger, and as he was just a silhouette in Roger's eyes, Roger couldn't discern what he looked like.

The person offered him a hand, and Roger accepted it. When he finally stood up, he was mesmerized by the person in front of him.

He had long eyelashes, deep eyes, and fair skin. Also, his face was slim and showed his handsomeness. Even though Roger was straight, he still couldn't get over the handsomeness of the person that helped him.

"Are you okay?" the person asked.

Roger nodded and didn't know what to do next.

"Why are you here? It's a dangerous place for a kid."

Roger widened his eyes in shock and immediately denied it to him.

"What do you mean, kid? I am 16 years old, you know!" Roger couldn't help but react aggressively, but then when he realized his mistake, he immediately shut his mouth out.

The person snickered at how he reacted and shook his head.

"You are still a kid. You even said that you were 16 years old, right? How come you can't feel that you are in front of someone older than you?"

Roger couldn't answer it as he was confused about what the person meant by it. He observed the person and felt that he seemed to be just the same age as him. However, Roger felt different from the person; it was maturity.

"Anyway, why are you here? It's dangerous here, so why are you risking your life? Were you looking for any herb?" the person asked.

Roger raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. I suddenly stumbled upon this place after waking up," he reasoned out. "But I am not looking for an herb, and I don't even know why you asked about it."

The person nodded after his answer and then floated away. When Roger saw it, he was immediately stunned and amazed at the play the person had made. And as that person noticed it, he smirked.

"Want to come along? I feel like you need some help," he said.

Roger smiled. "Yes, I do really need help."

Roger wanted to follow the person but didn't know how. However, when he was about to be sad about it, his body started floating on its own. He was surprised by it, of course, but he was suspicious of it enough that he eventually looked at the person.

"Was this your doing?" he asked.

The person smiled and nodded. "Why do you ask? It's not your doing, is it?"

Roger snickered, then his shoulder went down. "I know, don't mention it again. But may I ask a question? Who are you? Why did you help me?"

The person smiled once again.

"You seem to be interested, so I will answer it. I am Junwoo Kim, a murim practitioner. Why did I help you? Well, you look pitiful."

Roger's face became blank as he heard the blunt words from Junwoo. He just smiled, awkward at what had just happened. He shook his head and then looked up at him as if he was willing to stake his life on him.

"I would be dead if you hadn't helped me. So you can do whatever you want."

Junwoo smiled at how Roger acted in front of him. He then swayed his hands and rested them on Roger's shoulder.

"I don't have a disciple. Are you willing to become one?"

Roger's eyes flickered with excitement as well as confusion. Even though he was oblivious to what he was about to enter, he accepted his fate, as just earlier, he was about to die. He was hopeless, but his attitude was playing a great role.

Roger possessed a strong will. However, in front of those who bully him, he acted timidly and was always scared of them. Because in that case, he didn't need to worry about being beaten too badly. He just let them go and waited for his time.

Years later, Roger became a true disciple of Junwoo Kim. Eventually, he learned what murim and Qi mediation were, mostly known as cultivation. Roger rose to prominence in the murim world as the concept of gathering inner or internal energy for the dantian became his foundation.

Roger became powerful. Not just internal energy, but also the external energy where he trained his body endlessly. Junwoo was also a strict master. He honed Roger to his own preference of a disciple.

But there was a question that lingered in Roger's mind: why him? Why did Junwoo offer him to become his disciple when, even at the age of 16, he was still powerless?

He didn't know. Junwoo had a reason for it, apparently. But since Junwoo kept himself mysterious, he never said it to anyone.

'That kid has a mysterious talent within himself. And even though I already took him under me, I still wonder what it was.' Was what Junwoo always thought.

Apparently, Roger had a unique body constitution that made him adapt to anything. However, he was unaware of it and only Junwoo noticed it.

Because of Junwoo's talent for discerning matters, he ended up taking Roger, who became a master of the sect he joined for his final training. And after that, Roger learned the etiquettes of masters and how to fight like a master.

After 60 years of living, Roger became content. His lover, even though she died, became his only love, so he was willing not to have another partner. And so, from being transported to another world, Roger's second life gave prominent improvement to his soul, which is the most important matter in the cosmos.