Chapter 30

Genius

Ghost Blade Dok Bejun .

Like Baek Sogo, he was a martial artist who spread his name across Eria . First with the great magician Scarlet and now Dok Bejun?

‘Why are there so many magnates…?’

No, maybe at this point, they weren’t strong enough to be called that . The main point was that they really started to spread their name was after leaving the mountain .

Therefore, Dok Bejun, Baek Sogo, and Scarlet all became huge figures after training in this mountain .

“Who are you?”

Bejun looked at Sungmin and asked . He wasn’t able to see because of his penalty . Sungmin looked at Sogo . She wrote down on the ground with her branch .

[Just introduce yourself . There’s no need to be scared . He looks scary, but he’s not a bad person . ]

“ . . . I’m called Lee Sungmin . ”

Sungmin bowed down in an awkward position . Bejun looked in the direction of Sungmin and held his hand out .

Surprised, Sungmin couldn’t move before Bejun took hold of Sungmin’s shoulder . He rubbed Sungmin’s shoulder and arms with his hands .

“You don’t seem to use a blade . ”

“Yes?”

“Looking at your muscles, a spear . Spear… is a good weapon . How old are you? Your voice and everything, you seem young . ”

“ . . . I’m 15 . ”

Sungmin answered . Bejun nodded and tapped the blade on his waist .

“Would you like to duel?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, don’t worry . We can’t hurt each other . I don’t have any intention of hurting you . Even if I can’t see right now . ”

To that, Sungmin hesitated and looked at Sogo . She didn’t really care . She didn’t seem to want to intervene .

“ . . . My skills aren’t good enough yet . ”

“Ah? That’s a shame . ”

He looked actually pretty sad about that . He was a martial artist called Ghost Blade . No, was he not called that now?

‘Thinking about it…’

He died . Like Sogo . He went into the same dungeon as Wijihoyun and wouldn’t come out . It was strange seeing a person who would die 8 years later .

[Let’s go back . ]

Sogo wrote down . To that, Sungmin tilted his head .

“Didn’t you say 4 people?”

There were 4 people that were in the mountain for half a year . Sogo, Scarlet, Bejun . He had only met 3 people .

“Don’t try to meet Plam . ”

Bejun who was listening said .

“He isn’t going to meet you, but still don’t go . It’s not good for you .

[Say that you get it . ]

“Ah… I get it . ”

Sogo lifted Sungmin again . They left the cliff and came back to Sungmin’s resting place . His resting place was basically just a small house .

[Plam doesn’t know how to be social . ]

Sogo wrote down .

“What does it mean that it’s not good for me?”

[Plam…]

Sogo smiled bitterly and wrote down .

[He’s amazing . He lived here for a year and he’s strong . I never really fought him, but if I do, I’m going to lose . Easily . ]

It was a surprising . Sogo who was already over the apex limit was saying that she would lose easily against Plam .

[Not just me . If that Bejun fought him, he would lose as well . ]

“What is that guy?”

He couldn’t help but be horrified . He didn’t know how strong Bejun was, but he felt like a great master from his aura . His Ghost blade nickname was a proof of his strength .

[What should I say . A genius that comes out once every hundred years . ]

Sogo laughed . She didn’t laugh loudly, of course .

[Or just a genius out of a million . I’ll tell you something . I showed Plam a speed technique . He followed it immediately . ]

It was as if he got hit with a hammer . Sungmin looked at Sogo’s techniques once or twice, but it was hard to look with his eyes . But Plam copied it as soon as he saw it once .

[Not just me . He copies Bejun’s sword techniques, Scarlet’s magic . What is that if he’s not a genius . ]

Martial arts might be not that bad . It was only just a way to move the body . But to copy magic, that was just impossible .

[I’m telling you . Don’t meet him . ]

“ . . . Because he might steal something from me?”

[That too . Your spear technique is a great one . It’ll be a shame if you got it stolen . But that's not the reason . ]

“Then why?”

[You’ll fall into despair . ]

Sogo wrote down and didn’t write anything else . He didn’t miss the emotion that briefly showed up in her face .

[If you meet a real genius, most people fall into despair . ]

That was true .

Sungmin knew the people that fit into the real genius category . Small Pegasus Wijihoyun . She was a genius that he had ever met before .

[So don’t meet him . If you don’t want to feel hopeless . ]

“ . . . I will . ”

[I like your style . ]

Sogo wrote down .

[I think it’s great for a person to try to achieve something . Especially if the journey involved pain and suffering, other people would want to cheer along . I think so too . I want you to get what you want . ]

“Isn’t that the same for you?”

Sungmin asked . Sungmin wasn’t that special . Like him, Sogo also got 2 penalties starting off . And now, she got another one recently .

[I’m trained . ]

Sogo answered .

[But you’re not . Still, you’re holding up . There’s only Plam who stayed here for a year . Do you know why?]

“ . . . I don’t . ”

[The pain and suffering only get worse as time goes on . More penalties adds on . It’s harder to survive . If you can’t, you die . ]

Sogo laughed .

[I don’t know how long you will last, but I hope you last without despair . I cheer you on . ]

“ . . . Thank you . ”

He had gotten a lot of help from Sogo for a month . He was feeling kindness towards her .

To the point that he hoped that she wouldn’t die

*

Suffering grows as time goes on . That seemed strange to Sungmin . He wasn’t used to the taste that came into his mouth and the weight on him as well .

But he wasn’t staying in place either .

‘I’m growing quickly . ’

It’s been 4 months since he arrived . His Amethyst Cloud came up to the 3rd level . Even with his fast growth rates, grace techniques like Amethyst Cloud grew really slowly . But in only 3 months, it grew from level 2 to level 3 .

‘This mountain . . . there’s something about it . Even if it’s hard, there is a reward for it . ’

This could be the reward that Mush was giving . It wasn’t just the Amethyst Cloud as well .

His spear skills moved very quickly trying to withstand the weight of his body . It was fast even with this weight, how much faster would it be without the? Sungmin felt his heart beat everytime he thought about it .

I’m getting stronger .

I’m getting closer to Wijihoyun .

It could be just a thought . Wijihoyun wasn’t probably doing nothing as he was training hard . Wijihoyun could have already gone to a stronger place by now .

But he didn’t want to think that .

He made her his goal . It gave him a goal . It made his open his eyes every day . It made him lift his heavy body everyday and swing his spear . Starting from the basics to the High Heavens, then going to his room and using the Amethyst Cloud .

It was repetitive, but it was a good day . He never… practiced this hard in such a harsh environment .

His inner strength was growing as well . The Potion and the strength from Wijihoyun was spreading through his blood, with the nature of this mountain and the Amethyst Cloud, power was flowing towards his energy supply .

The food still tasted terrible . He didn’t want to eat . He retched every time he tried to eat . He actually had to swallow the vomit that was coming out .

HIs body was still heavy . He had to use his inner strength just to move . His muscles were breaking, and bones were shaking every time he swung his spera .

But he had to do it .

He had to .

He wanted to .

To get closer to her . To get closer to his goal .

Maybe—

Even to surpass .

“Hello . ”

Sungmin stopped his spear moves .

When he looked, a boy was looking at him that looked the same age as Sungmin . When he saw the boy’s eyes .

He felt pressured . There were stars in his eyes . The stars exploded as he looked . It was the first time he had met such strange eyes .

“I’m Plam . Who are you?”

Plam .

Truthfully, Sungmin never met a person called Plam in his past life .

Ghost Blade Bejun .

Baek Sogo .

Scarlet .

He had heard of those names before . But he had never heard of a name called Plam before .

He heard that Plam could easily win against Bejun and Sogo .

He could copy magic and techniques in just the first time seeing them .

A genius that brought despair just by meeting him . Sogo said that, but Sungmin never heard of such a genius like him . So he didn’t really care .

“ . . . Sungmin . ”

Sungmin put down his spear and answered .

He didn’t think that Plam would come and meet him first .