Yeon Hon Principle

Walking through the corridor, Jihan couldn't help but rub his stomach where Seyoung's punch had landed moments ago. "That was harsh, you know!" he exclaimed, shooting her a playful glare.

Seyoung smirked, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Hey! We're not gangsters," she retorted, before delivering another playful punch to Jihan's midsection.

"Oof!" Jihan winced, his HP dropping slightly from the friendly jab. "Okay, okay, I get it," he chuckled, rubbing his now-sore stomach.

Before Jihan could respond, a playful glint danced in Seyoung's eyes as she swiftly landed another light punch on his arm. "Stop!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red.

Jihan shot her a puzzled look, but Seyoung quickly regained her composure, casually draping her arm around his shoulder. "Jihan, why don't we go on a date?" she asked, her voice taking on a teasing tone.

Taken aback, Jihan felt his heart rate quicken.

"N-no, thanks," he stammered, his mind racing to come up with an excuse. "I have a lot of homework to do..."

Seyoung's disappointment was evident in her expression. "Oh, come on, Jihan," she teased, poking his cheek with a playful grin. "Are you saying no to this pretty face?"

"Anyway, what's going on with you?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I already told Seonil everything," Jihan replied, grateful for the change in topic. "Didn't he say anything to you?"

"No, he didn't," Seyoung admitted, her brows furrowing in concern.

"It's a long story," Jihan began, preparing himself to explain once again. "He said I became an Innate Fighter."

"Innate Fighter?" Seyoung's surprise was evident in her voice. "You? How?"

Jihan shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. It just happened," he admitted, feeling a sense of frustration at his own lack of answers.

Seyoung's curiosity was piqued. "So what's your power?" she asked, her interest evident.

"Gaming power," Jihan replied, though the words felt inadequate to describe the strange abilities he had recently acquired.

There was a brief moment of silence between them before Seyoung broke it with a curious question. "...so, you see levels or something?" she inquired, her eyebrows raised in intrigue.

Jihan nodded in response. "Yep," he confirmed simply.

Seyoung's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are there EXP points?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

Jihan nodded again. "Yep," he repeated.

Seyoung couldn't help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all. "HA! Gaming Power? That's amazing!" she exclaimed between giggles, struggling to contain her amusement.

Jihan flushed with embarrassment at Seyoung's reaction. "Excuse me. Don't make fun of me," he protested weakly, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Sorry, sorry," Seyoung managed to say between fits of laughter, her amusement still evident in her voice.

After a moment, Seyoung composed herself and continued, her tone more serious now. "Listen, there aren't many Innate Fighters," she explained. "And most of them are very strong."

"Really? Why is that?" Jihan asked, genuinely curious.

Seyoung nodded in affirmation. "You know about Acquired Fighters, right?" she asked, to which Jihan nodded. "Well, Acquired Fighters become strong through training alone. But Innate Fighters combine their innate powers with acquired skills through training. So naturally, they're stronger."

Jihan's eyes lit up with understanding. "Ah, it's like optimizing your character's stats in a game," he mused aloud. "You want to have good stats, so you have to..."

Seyoung interrupted him with a playful grin. "Do you always compare everything to games?" she teased.

Jihan chuckled sheepishly. "Well, that's why I got powers like a game," he admitted with a shrug.

Seyoung then motioned towards a nearby door. "Anyway, take a look at him first. He's here," she instructed.

"What about you?" Jihan asked, concern flashing in his eyes.

Seyoung smiled reassuringly. "I'll be here," she replied, her gaze warm. "Now go on."

As Jihan stepped into the room, a series of beeps filled the air, signaling the activation of an instant dungeon. Pop-up screens materialized in front of him, each displaying crucial information.

Beep. "You entered Instant Dungeon."

Beep. "You entered 'Cheon Bu Guild Recover Dungeon'."

Beep. "HP recovery rate increased by 100%."

Beep. "Strength Recovery rate increased by 100%."

Beep. "Mana Recovery rate increased by 100%."

"Wow, it's amazing!" Jihan marveled at the display before him, his eyes widening in awe. His thoughts raced with the possibilities this newfound discovery presented. Could he one day create such a sanctuary for himself?

Before he could ponder further, a voice broke through his reverie, drawing his attention to the figure lying on the bed before him.

"Hello?" Seonil called out tentatively.

There lay Seonil, his body adorned with bandages and a saline drip hanging beside him. Despite his injuries, Seonil managed a weak but welcoming smile.

Jihan was momentarily speechless, his eyes taking in the sight of his injured friend. "What... What the... You bastard. How can you say 'Hello'? Have you looked at yourself?" Jihan's voice trembled with a mixture of concern and anger as he gripped onto the railing attached to the bed.

Seonil's calm demeanor offered reassurance. "Don't worry," he reassured Jihan. "It's not that serious. I don't think killing me was part of Seongon's plan."

The word "kill" hung heavily in the air, sending a shiver down Jihan's spine. His mind raced back to Seonil's earlier warnings about the dangers of the Abyss, where life and death hung in the balance with every encounter.

"You jerk..." Jihan muttered under his breath, struggling to process the gravity of the situation.

Seonil's tone turned somber as he continued, "I told you before. What happens in the Abyss is beyond your imagination. Fighters kill or get killed every day, and it's all too real."

Jihan's heart sank as he realized the weight of Seonil's words. The dangers of the Abyss were far greater than he had ever imagined.

"Seonil," Jihan began, his voice laced with guilt as he tightened his grip on the railing, "You risked your life for me. I... I put my best friend in danger. Isn't that true?"

The gravity of his actions weighed heavily on Jihan as he awaited Seonil's response, his heart heavy with regret.

"No, It's not," replied Seonil, his voice tinged with solemnity. "You know my family is—"

"Shut up," Jihan interjected sharply, cutting off Seonil's words before they could fully form. His frustration and guilt simmered beneath the surface, his inner turmoil threatening to boil over.

"I'm mad at myself," Jihan thought bitterly. "I know I'm a coward. I don't know what the Abyss is. But this isn't right. My best friend almost died because of me, but I should ignore that? And stay out of it? I don't think so!"

"I don't care what the Abyss is," Jihan declared with unwavering determination, his tone serious and resolute. "I'm sorry, but I'm already in."

Seonil attempted to interject, but Jihan pressed on, pointing to himself confidently as he asserted his decision. However, Seonil's unexpected burst of laughter caught Jihan off guard, his friend's amusement cutting through the tension like a knife.

"You're so funny," Seonil chuckled between fits of laughter, his amusement infectious. "You look so serious when you say 'level up'... HAHAHA."

Jihan's frustration mounted as he struggled to comprehend Seonil's reaction. "Stop it!" he snapped, his irritation palpable. "Of course, I'm serious. What's wrong with you? What's so funny..."

After regaining his composure, Seonil explained, "Okay, you get your level up. But stay back. My family is already taking action."

Jihan nodded in agreement, his determination unwavering. "That's right. Anyway, I will train hard and get my level up. Then, how long will it take you to recover?"

"About a month," Seonil replied.

"That's too long for a bad cold," Jihan remarked, his concern evident. "You should've said you were in a car accident." He nodded to himself, his eyes wandering to a book lying beside Seonil's bed.

"What's this book?" Jihan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"That? That's my..." Seonil began to respond before a series of beeps interrupted, signaling the arrival of pop-up notifications in front of Jihan.

Beep. "This is a SKILL Book [YEON HON PRINCIPLE]."

Beep. "Do you want to learn this SKILL?"

Jihan's eyes widened in surprise, his mind racing with possibilities.

"What is it?" asked Seonil, his curiosity piqued as he observed Jihan's focused expression.

Jihan turned towards Seonil, his gaze lingering on the book beside the bed. "Is this book important?"

"Yes, you could say that," Seonil replied. "That's from the Yeon Hon Guild. We've exchanged martial arts skills before."

Jihan was baffled by the revelation of skill exchange. "Do you share skills? What about your philosophies?"

"We don't share our philosophies," Seonil clarified. "But understanding each other's principles can help each other."

"Hmm, I see," Jihan murmured, pondering over Seonil's words. "Hey, can I learn this?" he asked, gesturing towards the book.

"Huh?" Seonil was taken aback. "You can't. You need to learn Yeon Hon's basic skill first. It's one of their skills to control energy. We received the book to help us understand their principles."

"So, you mean..." Jihan trailed off, his expression reflecting his confusion.

"Have you heard about energy controlling?" Seonil began to explain. "There is something called 'Chi' in this world, and you can save it inside your body through honing your energy controlling skill. In Europe, Chi is called Mana, and in East Asia, it's called Chakras. In a town called 'Tower of God,' I heard it's called Shinsu. Each school uses this energy in a different way, and the Yeon Hon Guild uses Chi through its energy controlling skill."

"Oh, I think I know that," Jihan remarked. "There are different kinds of energy controlling, and you can't learn more than two different skills, right?"

"Yeah, it's similar," Seonil confirmed. "By the way, did you learn that from games?"

Jihan nodded. "Yes, martial arts games."

Seonil sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Anyways, you can learn it if you want, but I think you can't," he added with a hint of skepticism.

"Do you mind if this book disappears?" Jihan inquired.

"Yeah, it's a copy. But you can't take it outside," Seonil replied firmly. "I can't take a risk on losing the principles of the Yeon Hon Guild. Why do you keep asking me weird questions? You think it'll help increase your level if you learn it?"

Jihan's attention was completely absorbed by the screen in front of him as he pressed the ACCEPT button without hesitation.

Jihan's heart raced with anticipation as he focused on the skill book in front of him. "Skill Book. Right. I am a game character," he thought, a sense of realization dawning upon him. "I'm able to learn skills from skill books! I should've known already. Let's see..."

As he delved into the contents of the book, a series of beeps sounded, each notification revealing the requirements needed to learn the skill.

Beep. "You can't learn this SKILL."

Beep. "It requires INTELLIGENCE 15."

Beep. "It requires STRENGTH 15."

Jihan felt a surge of excitement and determination. "Status Limitation. Great. It's getting more like a game," he mused. "Now my level is 7 and I have 15 extra points that I can use."

"What is it?" asked Seonil, curiosity evident in his tone.

"Just watch," Jihan replied confidently.

With a focused expression, Jihan navigated to his status screen, his fingers moving quickly to allocate points to increase his intelligence and strength.

"Thirteen points for INTELLIGENCE and STRENGTH!" Jihan exclaimed internally as he clicked the increase arrow buttons frantically. "PERFECT."

With a deep breath, Jihan pressed the Accept button once again, his body beginning to flash with an ethereal glow.

Beep. "You learned [YEON HON PRINCIPLE] SKILL."

Beep

{~ [YEON HON PRINCIPLE (Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.0% MP: 50]

'Yeon' means burning and 'Hon' means Spirit.

This skill is for Recovery.

Shamanism has Flourished in Asia,

and some people can possess spirits

inside their body and use the power

from spirits directly. With this skill,

you can heal yourself or others.

With Spirit Stone: 50 HP and 50 MP Recovered.

Abnormal condition and disease Recovered.

Without Spirit Stone: 50 HP Recovered.

Abnormal condition and Disease Recovered. ~}

The book started to disappear in thin air, leaving behind a sense of accomplishment and newfound power for Jihan.

"I can actually feel myself learning," Jihan thought to himself, a sense of exhilaration coursing through him. "So, this is the Yeon Hon Principle! I think I can use it right away!"

"What did you do?!" Seonil's voice broke through Jihan's thoughts, filled with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Haha, admire me!" Jihan chuckled, brimming with excitement. "You know I am a game character! Let me explain since you don't know how it works in games. In games, you need to learn skills before you can use them. There are many systems, and one of them is the Skill Book System. With Skill Books, you can learn the skill right away. And by doing so, the book disappears."

"So you mean..." Seonil's voice trailed off, trying to grasp the concept.

"Right. I learned the Yeon Hon Principle!" Jihan declared proudly, his grin widening. "And that's why the book has disappeared."

Seonil's expression shifted, a mix of disbelief and curiosity evident on his face.

"So now..." Jihan continued, determination gleaming in his eyes, "I can do this!"

With a swift movement, Jihan grabbed Seonil's arm, his excitement palpable.

"What are you doing?" Seonil asked, a hint of apprehension in his voice as Jihan's grin grew wider.

"YEON HON PRINCIPLE!" Jihan exclaimed, channeling the newfound skill.

Seonil's body began to flash with a faint ethereal light, his expression transforming from confusion to astonishment.

"No way..." Seonil murmured, disbelief coloring his tone.

"Call me a noble now," Jihan proclaimed proudly, his confidence soaring. "Do you even know that a Healer is a Noble?"

Seonil's skepticism melted away as he felt the healing energy coursing through him, a sense of relief washing over him.

"I'm cured right away..." Seonil trailed off, his voice filled with wonder as he flexed his fingers, testing his newfound vitality.

"In games, you get instant results," Jihan explained with a grin. "Any wound can be healed with recovery items."

"You... Humbug..." Seonil muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Haha, come on," Jihan chuckled, his enthusiasm contagious. "Let me heal you completely first."

"YEON HON PRINCIPLE!"

With the skill invoked once again, Seonil's injuries were swiftly healed, leaving him rejuvenated and grateful.