Awakening Half A Year Later

"It can't be!"

Familiar voices echoed in the room as a group of men stalked in and gawked at Roh Ki who still lay in bed distressed over his imminent fate.

"Roh Ki! You're really awake!"

The voice of his senior cultivation brother, and sect leader Heo Kwan-Ah sounded warm and genuine. Because of his disposition, he was cold and unwelcoming to everyone, including his sect leader, however, that was going to change. No matter how callous he was towards Heo Kwan-Ah, he would always treat him with care and high esteem. Truly, he had been acting like trash throughout this life time. And now, he would change all that.

"Sect leader Heo Kwan-Ah,"

He started, returning his gentle smile filled with earnestness, he continued with a small bow after struggling to sit up,

"Yes, I'm awake. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."

Heo Kwan-Ah rushed to his side, and sat beside him, pushing him to lay back down and rest.

"You don't need to force yourself to sit up. Please rest, you've just woken up from a coma,"

He remembered how he had even gotten himself stuck in that coma. He had been gravely wounded in a battle between a demonic sect practicing demonic cultivation. Their sect was victorious, however not without a few deaths and injuries. He, who had fought the most prolifically, ended up exhausting too much of his Qi and sustained an wound to the chest.

According to the novel he read, «Techniques of a Broken god», the only injury Roh Ki was supposed to sustain was the scar on his chest, he wasn't supposed to exhaust his Qi completely and fall into a coma.

"You have been in a coma for five months senior sect brother, are you well?"

One of the great elders present in the room, Beom Hajoon asked, gazing at Roh Ki.

"Yes, I am very well,"

He insisted, shooting a smile to the other elders in the room as well.

This made them increasingly suspicious, and concerned for him. He was smiling, and acting warmer than he usually did.

"Are you sure there isn't something wrong with him?" They whispered amongst themselves.

Heo Kwan-Ah interrupted the chatter by smiling and patting his head, then saying, "It is good that you're well. I'm glad. We will leave you alone and send the doctor here later. Please have a good rest."

"Thank you for your concern and care senior brother Kwan-Ah."

He had unintentionally spoken to him in a familiar tone like they usually did when they were speaking alone, but instead of getting offended in front of the other elders, Heo Kwan-Ah just smiled in relief and said good bye in a familiarly tone as well.

After they had all left, Roh Ki breathed a out a heavy sigh. Even though he had said he'd be nicer to everyone around him for his own sake, it was still gravely against his nature. Now that he remembered the suffering of his past life on top of the suffering of his childhood, he was even less inclined to offer anyone any kindness. But he was determined to try. He needed to if he was going to survive.

*

After a few days of laying in bed and resting, after repeatedly having the sect lead medical practitioner visit him often, Heo Kwan-Ah finally allowed him step out of his room to perform his duties as peak leader of Salanghe-ai peak.

He was only asleep for five months, which meant that Yong Kyubok, the main protagonist of the story was not yet holding any feelings of deep resentment towards him. And since he was in a coma, those feelings would have halted for a bit. He only needed to start fixing up the wrong doings against Yong Kyubok, and his future would be assured.

He only had one problem. When he was initially reading the book «Techniques of a Broken god» in his past life, he held deep feelings of admiration towards the hero, and also felt satisfied at the death of his character Roh Ki. But the feelings he had, were more than just admiration though. In his past life, as Rim In Ho, Roh Ki held feelings of passion and love towards Yong Kyubok. In other words, he was gay.

He only wondered, 'If I see Yong Kyubok now, don't tell me those weird feelings will surface again? After all, If Rim In Ho is me, and Roh Ki is also me, then doesn't that mean that, I am also...'

He didn't have the stomach to finish his thoughts. In all his years as Roh Ki, true he never really chased after women, and considered himself an herbivore, until he started practicing the ways of abstinence, and meditation, but he never once thought that he was more attracted to members of the same sex.

He stopped his thoughts from progressing further as he heard footsteps approaching his chambers.

"Master,"

It was the voice of one of his core disciples, Ryu Man-Shik. A proud boy, and son of the leader of Manrai peak. In their Tian-Zhi Ai mountain sect, children of peak leaders were not allowed to train under their parents guidance to avoid cases of favoritism and nepotism, and instead trained under other peak leaders. Tian-Zhi Ai mountain sect held a total of four peaks. Three peak leaders, and the peak belonging to the sect leader.

"May I come in?"

Roh Ki gathered his composure before responding with a "You may come in."

Ryu Man-Shik was one of the instrumental factors in turning the hero/protagonist of the story against the entire sect. Ryu Man-Shik frequently delighted himself by bullying, and beating up Yong Kyubok behind his master's back, and sometimes in front of him. His skills were a little above average at best, and could not make up to the amount of talent Yong Kyubok held in one cell of his body, however, because he was extremely proud of his lineage, he took every opportunity to downgrade Yong Kyubok he could.

This was the perfect time to set my life goal into motion. Complete, and utter survival.

Ryu Man-Shik sauntered into the room, and gave a respectful bow. "Master, I came to great you now that you are awake and in good health,"

"Mm, has all been well?"

"Yes master. Everyone has been well and eagerly anticipating your return,"

"I see," Roh Ki started, hesitating a bit, before finally asking what he really wanted to ask. "Mn... Where is Yong Kyubok right now?"

"Hm? Master...?" Ryu Man-Shik stuttered, gazing at his usually aloof master in confusion. He usually never asked about any disciples in particular, especially not nobodies like Yong Kyubok. "Ah, he's in the shed under punishment right now master. It will be over by sunset master."

'Are you kidding me?! Aren't I just begging to be killed like this?'

After clearing his throat, he asked further, "Who put him there? What did he do?"

"Eh? Master is curious about a peasant like Yong Kyubok?"

With that question, Roh Ki could not help but shoot Ryu Man-Shik a cold glare, basically saying 'one should know his place' silently.

This made Ryu Man-Shik tremble a bit as he spouted, "Ah, forgive this presumptuous disciple master! It was senior disciple Pyeong Dong that ordered that Yong Kyubok to be whipped and stay in the shed until dawn because he offended him master."

"Offended him? What exactly did he do?"

Ryu Man-Shik paused in hesitation for a bit, before opening his mouth to respond, "He... I am not fully aware of the details, however, it was said that he pushed senior Pyeong Dong, and refused to move out of his way."

'Ah I see. So you guys ran into him on purpose then ordered him to move out of your way while pinning him down so you could create a stupid excuse as to why he deserved to be punished. Haven't you done this before? At this rate, you may be killed by the hero earlier than expected before the story even reaches it's climax, and the hero changes his personality.'

'Geez, we might as well just feed ourselves to thunder cats if you think this will slide with our dear protagonist.' He thought to himself as he gazed at the cowering disciple before him with contempt.

[Chance Scenario!...]

[Release the suffering protagonist.]

[This may have an effect in changing the story's course and ending.]

'Ah! Even this is a chance scenario for survival huh? Well it is my starting point, so of course I'll take it.'

"Let's go," Roh Ki said, leading the way out of his chambers, and into the hall.

"M-master? Where...?"

He didn't finish asking his question, and Roh Ki didn't bother answering, he picked up the pace, and stalked in the direction towards the shed.

Surprisingly, at this point, even though the protagonist Yong Kyubok was technically his disciple put under his tutelage, he had only spoken to him once or twice, and never more, until a time in the future when he became visibly hostile towards the young hero. But now that he was enlightened, that time would not come.

As he grew closer to the shed, he saw several disciples lingering around the entrance, all gathered around another of his core disciples, Pyeong Dong. The third son of another peak leader, Pyeong Dayoon, the third great elder. Roh Ki was the only one among the three smaller peak leaders that practiced the 'way of abstinence' and had no heir, though their sect leader, Heo Kwan-Ah also did not have any heir or wife.

They were snickering as they looked back and forth from Pyeong Dong to the shed.

'Ah, enjoy yourselves now. In five to six years, all your heads would be lopped off,' Roh Ki thought depressingly.

It was sort of a surprise to himself as well that he had let this happen for this long. He was bullied and abused as a child, and in his past life as well, yet he did not lift a finger to help the protagonist during his time of immense suffering, and even later joined in being a direct cause to his suffering. This was something Rim In Ho thought was a major character flaw with Roh Ki in his past life, at the time of reading the «Techniques of a Broken god» novel.

"Ah, Ah! Master!"

The disciples gathered and exclaimed, all bowing respectfully as he approached the shed.

"It is good to see master awake and in good health!"

They all said uniformly. Roh Ki gave a simple nod as he walked past them, making them clear a way to the shed door for him.

"Ah, uh, what is it that master seeks from this lowly place? This disciple will get it for you," Pyeong Dong muttered, joining his hands together as he bowed, and spoke in a respectful tone.

"Open it," Roh Ki said in his usual aloof tone, not another sentence uttered.

"Uh... Master?"

Pyeong Dong stuttered, all the other disciples joining him to gaze at their cold master in shock and confusion.

"I don't like repeating myself," Roh Ki stated with a sigh, and then turned to glare at Pyeong Dong, the mastermind behind this whole thing, and another key reason Yong Kyubok became hell bent on chopping the heads of every Tian-Zhi Ai mountain sect member in the future. "Open it."

"Ah, yes master!"

The disciples answered without another word and did as instructed.

Yong Kyubok who was hanging on chains from the roof of the shed, and bleeding from the wounds on his back, and coughing slightly as the blood ran down his leg and dripped on the floor, gazed up at the light that was now pouring into the shed as the doors opened, causing him to squint his eyes at the exposure.

'Aiya! What a sight! Truly, what a sight! Did I really... Ignore this until now? This is more than the level of regular punishment, and he hasn't even done anything wrong! If I was in his position, I would want to decapitate everyone on Salanghe-ai peak as well!'

A cold shudder ran through Roh Ki's body when Yong Kyubok's eyes fell on him, and they made eye contact. Those fiery orange orbs that would turn red with rage one day. Somehow, it was as if his entire being was getting lost in that gaze. 'Is he looking at me or Is he looking at my soul?' Roh Ki asked himself, as he became mesmerized by his fierce gaze. He wasn't filled with hatred yet, but his intense gaze could cut through a boulder. 'Honestly, what is this? Isn't this the kind of feeling where... no, haven't I already fallen into a trap?'

"Release him," Roh Ki said coldly, finally breaking off their contact.

"Eh?!"

The disciples exclaimed, gasping in confusion but not daring to question their master's orders.

One of the disciples trudged towards his hanging body and release the pull for the chains, letting Yong Kyubok fall down with a 'thump!'

'Aiya! We're really going to die! No, you really deserve to die! Just what is this? Jeez.'

His severely whipped and injured body became frail as he continued to bleed out from the wounds on his back from the whip that was used on him.

As nobody bothered to help him off the ground, he struggled with great difficulty to lift himself off the dirty floor, ignoring all the scowls and glares that were thrown his way.

"I don't know why master has suddenly decided to show you mercy, but you won't get away so easily next time," Pyeong Dong whispered to Yong Kyubok before leading the rest of the disciples out of the shed.

[You have completed the sudden scenario]

[Protagonist's favorability towards you has increased by +10]

[Current favorability rating... 5.3%]

[Story progression... 16%]

This was a big step, Roh Ki thought. The previous favorability rating Yong Kyubok held for Roh Ki was most probably dwindling in the negative digits.

'Now what to do,' Roh Ki sighed to himself, as he watched Yong Kyubok's struggling efforts to steady his body from falling over again.

"I..." Yong Kyubok started with a pant, after finally getting himself a few steps towards Roh Ki, and the door. "This lowly disciple i-is glad t-to see his master awake and in good health."

Roh Ki's eyes widened as he stared at the trembling Yong Kyubok who didn't even groan in pain. The hairs on his body stood on end just from watching him gasp and pant from his severe injuries, and now, he forced himself, despite all the pain he was feeling, to greet him.

'I should just drop dead,' Roh Ki thought for just a split second, as he felt he now owed Yong Kyubok his life. He saw in him, what he could never see in himself. Not in the past, and not even now. He felt in that moment, that Yong Kyubok was truly a strong person. Stronger than he would ever be. And this feeling of admiration, is more than he had ever felt as a mere reader. He was seeing the protagonist in the flesh, and his heart was racing with different emotions.

But for now, he was going to set this right.

"Come," Roh Ki said, as he placed a floatation enchantment on Yong Kyubok, allowing him to hover slightly above the ground. He couldn't bare to see him struggling to stand, much less struggle to walk. "I'll make you one of my core disciple."