Chapter 4

Jang Sam is a bandit.

In his lifetime, he's never left Mount Odae1 and from the age of 20, he started targeting mountain passengers to pay tolls.

Maybe it was because of his diligent work, but at one point people began to know him as 'Heavenly Power' Jang Sam.

Today was the same. At the crack of dawn, with his five henchman, he left to go work… but stopped when they saw something strange.

They walked from Mount Odae and when they stopped for a break, they saw a carriage approaching from afar.

'How did they come this far?'

Were they possessed by ghosts? Although Jang Sam looked bewildered, at the moment he saw the expensive carriage, he shook himself out of it.

'We need to take that for sure.'

Jang Sam and his five henchman blocked the road and the driver pulled the carriage to a stop.

The horse whinnied and shook his mane, stopping. Just looking at the carriage at a glance, they could tell that they could get a lot of money.

They had good luck today. Jang Sam laughed, pleased and gripped his axe. Okay, let me tighten my muscles. One, two, three.

"Give us your money!"

—

What's with his voice, is he a singer?2

But at this level I wasn't even surprised. After all, I was a hunter who had been through all kinds of hardships for the past seven years.

… But it was still a little scary.

"A total of six. And it doesn't look like there are any lying in ambush."

The driver explained the situation calmly, like a secret agent.

Is this ahjussi3 trustworthy. Why is he so relaxed.

He stared curiously and scratched his head.

"It happens from time to time. Although it's the first time in this vicinity."

"How come?"

"How come? Because messing with someone from Murim is basically suicide. To steal right in front of the Jin family's territory, why I'm curious who these people are."

'Who? Of course, they're the Tutorial's NPCs.'

But they must be close if they're right in front of the Jin family's territory.

'Should I stall for time?'

Right now I'm second-rate.

Even though I can feel I'm higher than a F rank hunter, I'm not sure what level I'm at in the Murim world.

Six versus one. If I include the driver, six versus two.

'Will it work?'

There's a reason why there's an idiom 'there's no fighting against such odds'. If I make a mistake, my life could be at stake.4

"How long until we get to our destination?"

"We're almost there. It'll take about half shi-jin5."

If it's half shi-jin… then here's one hour left?

Even though I guessed, the driver and I had different standards when it came to 'almost there'.

'Yeah right we're almost there.'

Maybe it was the background but the scale was different. The scale.

Anyways, I should assume there are no reinforcements coming. However, thankfully I wasn't alone.

Judging by how relaxed the driver was, I felt he smelled like a master. Like right now.

"Should I take care of them?"

I imagined him saying, while gripping the horse whip and destroying all the bandits.

'He's a master!'

That's the way it should be. I have a reputation coming from a noble family, and am a special customer of the brothel. There's no way they would send along a normal driver to send me off.

'Wol Hwa must have paid special attention to me. Not only is she pretty but her personality is pretty too.'

My worries disappeared and I smiled, pleased. The driver took my smile as a confirmation and as he turned around, the bandit shouted for a second time.

"Bastards! Are you not listening to this Heavenly Power!"

Opening the carriage window, I saw a huge hairy man carrying a double-edged axe. He had an impressive upper body and his arms and legs were as thick as pillars.

However, the driver muttered under his breath how ridiculous the sight was.

"He's like a one day puppy6. How dare he."

Kyaa, I'm getting drunk off his force.

And the driver sternly started to denounce the bandits.

"How dare a bandit that steals food provisions and raise blood pressure block our paths! We'll lock you up and take you away to prison!"

Even though he seemed like Justice Bao7 making a sweeping speech, Jang Sam8 and his henchman didn't seem to be moved at all.

"Yeah, so we blocked your paths. What are you going to do about it?"

"You bastards who have committed countless evil deeds, we'll dig out your eyeballs and grind your limbs with a mortar and then spread your ashes all over the Nine Provinces! And we'll exterminate your whole family for nine generations…"

… His punishments aren't a joke. He's basically a criminal, a criminal.

As if he read my mind, Jang Sam opened his mouth.

"Is someone from the imperial family in there? My muscles are going numb just listening to you. Let us see that precious face of his."

"If you knew who he was, you're the idiots who are going to be the ones to regret it!"

"Okay. We got it, so tell him to come out."

"These young bastards…!"9

I turned my head once I heard the driver hold his tongue. My heart thumped at the thought that I might finally see a Murim master's performance.

"Master-nim. I think you'll need to come out."

"Huh?"

Me? Why me?

"These bastards will only spill tears if they see a coffin. How dare they block master-nim's path. Teach them what kind of master they're messing with."

As he said that, with a cold expression, he opened the carriage door.

"I've heard of the prestigious Jin's Heavenly Sword. At the age of 20, the genius swordmaster who reached his peak! You don't know how much my heart shook every time I heard of your tales."

… Jin's Heavenly Sword? Genius swordmaster?

'What is he saying.'

My head felt all messed up. What is Jin's Heavenly Sword, who is the genius swordmaster and what kind of fucker is this driver?

You said you were going to take care of it. You weren't a master?

"Idiots! Don't you know who this is!"

He's wrong. But like a 8-ton truck whose steering wheel broke, he kept going.

Stop, don't say anymore. Stop!

The driver gripped his hand into a fist and whipped around to look at me.

He smiled like he knew everything. A gaze full of confidence.

"Ho-hold on. I'm Jin…"

But without giving me a chance to speak, he roared.

"Taiyuan's of the Jin family, the second master of Shan Xi providence. This is Jin Mukyung-nim!"

"But I'm Jin… Taekyung."

For a second, a cold breeze blew by.

"What?"

"Like I was saying I'm not Jin Mukyung I'm Jin Taekyung. I'm not the second master, I'm the third master…"

"… third master? You mean that third master?

That's right, you yangban10.

The driver's eyes shook. It was like a 8.0 earthquake.

"Then, then Jin Mukyung…"

"I have no idea."

If it's at this time, wouldn't he be asleep?

The driver looked at me like he lost his country and as he stared at me, he fell to the ground like a puppet without its strings. As if he dozed off.

'Fuck. What master.'

I let go of the driver's wrist.11

His wrist was like a chicken's fragile bones. I felt like life would get harder if I grabbed it. Who knew he would be all talk.

"Hah, hahaha!"

The bandits shrieked with laughter. Me? I broke out in a cold sweat and felt as if my back was wet.

'This, I'm really unlucky.'

I couldn't even bring out the word death and gulped instead.

I looked at the bandits with nervous eyes.

Fuck. I'd rather fight with 6 goblins. How am I supposed to win against people who look like that… oh?

"Huh?"

What, maybe it's my feeling? But no matter how much I look, I don't think it's just a feeling.

An impressive upper body, thick arms and legs. And… he's short.

The five guys next to him didn't look that special either.

At least Jang Sam has an impressive body, no matter how I look at them, they look like they're light years away from 'healthy'.

Physically, they looked like that.

"They look just like goblins?"

Oh goblins?

As I was staring blankly, caught off guard by the unexpected situation, I came to when I saw the axe flying towards me.

"Hey, hey! Hold on, time!"

As I said that, the axe stopped 10 meters away from me. No actually, it fell crooked onto the floor. The bandit who threw the axe, scratched his head embarrassed.

"Should I have thrown it a little bit higher?"

… This perhaps.

"I can probably live?"

During the 7 years I was a hunter, if I had to choose one monster I faced against the most it would be goblins.

But because of that I came to know all about them. That was also why when I was doing my apprenticeship as a hunter I chose the spear as my main weapon. When it came to attacking them, the range of the spear became an advantage.

And it just so happened that the bandits were physically same as the goblins. I didn't see six bandits, instead I saw six goblins. And the Chief Goblin was Jang Sam?

'And the remaining five bandits could even be weaker than goblins.'

At least goblins can shoot poison darts. I could feel it based off of how the bandit threw his axe. I could feel it.

I licked my dry lips and raised my two hands.

A few bandits panicked and looked as if they were going to surrender, while Jang Sam smiled pridefully, as if he were looking at his son who just discharged.

"Aren't you a commendable fellow?"

'Right, laugh a lot while you can.'

One step, two steps. I slowly walked 30 meters forward, shortening the distance between us.

I walked forward steadily. One foot forward, one breath. As I breathed, my breath fogged.

Even though I was simply walking, I could feel it.

'It's different!'

I realized once again.

In this game, compared to the me in reality, is much stronger.

My heart raced. At the same time, I raised my head.

I needed to concentrate until the very last second.

"I've heard of the son they've given up on. A third-rate martial artist, first-rate when it comes to chasing after women. Looking at you, I can see it's true."

Jang Sam said, loosely stretching the arm that held the axe.

I could plainly see how I looked in their eyes.

Hopeless when it came to martial arts, a playboy whose only good thing going for him was his family. My empty two hands.

Jang Sam let his guard down.

'And of course, letting your guard down is death.'

I sent all my pay to my family and even though I lived in a small goshiwon, I was still a hunter.

Even F rank hunters risked their lives to fight monsters in the gate. No, F rank hunters literally bet their lives to fight.

As someone, who for the past 7 years, fought without rest, I bet my name as a hunter against Murim.

That's why I knew.

I knew the difference between life and death. Carelessness and inattention meant death.

I shortened the distance between us by half. My steps became faster.

Jang Sam gestured towards me.

"Uh huh12. Come slowly, slowly. What if you fall as you're walking here."

20 meters.

"Boss. Don't you think the way he's walking towards us looks like a puppy?"

15 meters.

"A puppy? Hahah! That's what I wanted to say!"

10 meters.

At the moment I took another step forward, my stomach felt hot.

It was the first time I felt this way. But oddly, what was this familiar feeling?

'Qi?'

The heat was flowing to my abdomen.

My goal was just one thing. A little faster, lighter, and stronger!

Huk. I breathed in deeply. My body's muscles tightened like a bowstring. And finally, one last step.

Kwang–!

I shot towards the front. The bandit fell to the ground with a large thump. As if time stopped, Jang Sam stood there with his mouth open.

"Impossible–"

Jang Sam and the bandits looked at me as if they couldn't believe it.

They saw me for the first time. And I could feel it.

Stiff and greasy hair, cracked lips like a rice paddy during a drought season, and a foul breath.

All of it.

Without me realizing it, my lips lifted into a smile.

'Inventory open. Equip [Sharp Spear].'

I gripped the spear that appeared mid-air.

He raised his axe at the same time I lifted my spear. He blocked it and even though he managed to block the spear with his axe, the spear crashed into the axe, breaking it. And with it, penetrated Jang Sam.

At the same time.

Fatal blow! [Bleeding] activated caused from hitting target!"Kuh huk."

The blood spilled out. And the light in Jang Sam's eyes, as he lay there shaking, faded.

You have killed [Lv. 10 Jang Sam].

Level up!

You have been granted 10 stat points.

You have been granted 10 skill points.

[Jin Family Cultivation Technique] has been unlocked.Huu.

I blew out my breath. Although the system alarm went off, all I could hear was the sound of my thumping heart.

I took a breath. All of this happened within seconds. I ripped out my spear from Jang Sam's chest.

'Something like this is possible too.'

Through points, my character stats go up and through Experience13 my skills are linked. This is the strength of the system.

A strength F rank Jin Taekyung wouldn't even be able to think about.

'I can do it. Definitely.'

The way to return started to look brighter.

I gripped my spear and turned around.

"So…"

Five pairs of eyes stared at me like their lives were in jeopardy.

"Who wants to go next?"

The fucker who threw the axe first come out.

"…"

Flop. Flop. Clang.

The five bandits fell to the ground face down.

"Please forgive us!!"

The bandits who have lost their leader have surrendered.

[Eradicate Bandits] has been completed.

All injuries and fatigue have been healed.

The bandits have been punished.

Fame is now 10.[Tutorial – Round 3] has been completed. Preparing rewards.Starting [Tutorial – Round 4].