"Mmm-mmm."

Starting from the first breeze of the morning breeze, Seo Jun-Ho had been warming his body up. As a result of drinking about 200ml of elixirs, the muscles that had been torn to shreds had recovered.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Contractor."

"I am." Seo Jun-Ho smiled. With what happened this time around, he realized what a blessing it was to be able to move his body freely. "My magic circuit is still a mess, but my body has become better, at the very least.."

In fact, his body hadn’t fully recovered just yet. The torn muscles were stuck back together, so he could move his body to a certain extent. However, going into battle was still a pipe dream.

'But it's enough…’

This level of physical condition should be enough to receive treatment from the Thunder God. As he waited for the Thunder God, he warmed his body up.

"Oho."

When the Thunder God entered the room and saw the scene, he smirked. "Ya look alive."

"It is thanks to you. It is late, but thank you."

When Seo Jun-Ho bent down like a folding phone, the Thunder God shrugged and beckoned.

"Yer makin meh skin crawl. Lah down."

"Yes…?"

“Can't yeh understand meh? Lah down I sayed."

"Oh, lie down."[1]

When Seo Jun-Ho hurriedly laid down, the Thunder God felt his pulse.

“Hmm."

It was definitely much better. Regardless of how much elixir was used, this was only possible because the patient's natural regeneration rate was high.

"Ya want to try openin’ the veins today too?”

"…First, I would like to ask you a question," asked Seo Jun-Ho cautiously. "What exactly do you mean by veins?"

"Hmm."

People would often panic when others suddenly asked them to explain something they knew very well. However, the Thunder God stroked his beard once, and words poured out like a waterfall as he spoke like an instructor.

"Ya have a magic circuit, right?"

"Of course. There are no Players… without it, right?”

"Then, ya remember when that magic circuit was created?"

"…When was it created?”

Seo Jun-Ho frowned and fell into a dilemma.

‘Created...? No, a magic circuit isn't something that gets created all of a sudden.’

Since Gates appeared, people who had received skills were able to use magic. Naturally, they began to study how to use magic effectively.

‘The concept that came up at that time was the magic circuit.’

It was a concept made while studying how to use the same amount of magic more efficiently. Cars meant to drive on highways were faster than off-road vehicles.

"I understand it was created after Players researched it. So… It’s about thirty-one years ago."

"Right. Ya know exactly. Then, what do ya think the magic circuit is?"

"Uh... It's a road in the body. A highway that helps magic move more quickly."

"How smart. But ya know what?" The Thunder God suddenly stopped talking and began to slowly touch from his head to his navel. "One Hundred Meetings, Wind Palace, Mutism Gate, Great Vertebra, Body Pillar, Muscle Spasm, Central Pivot..."[2]

They were unfamiliar words that Seo Jun-Ho had never heard in his life. When he stared blankly, the Thunder God smiled.

"First time hearing it?”

"Yes…"

"It's the names of the Governing and Conception Vessels that exist in the human body. They’re called channels of human energy since ancient times."[3]

"Ah! If it is the Conception Governing Vessel… I think I have heard of it a few times in martial art novels."

Seo Jun-Ho pretended to know, and the Thunder God was delighted.

"Oh, ya know? Well, that’ll make it easier. The Conception Governing Vessel[4] is definitely a road that magic travels on. It was also discovered and developed hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. But thirty-one years ago, who would have thought and organized this idea of the past? They were busy catchin’ monsters and protectin’ people. So, they only managed to roughly carve out a single magic channel and called it the magic circuit. That's the origin of the magic circuit that has been passed on since then."

“…”

Seo Jun-Ho looked awkward. He had no idea about these even though he was someone from thirty-one years ago.

"But this magic circuit has one fatal weakness."

"Weakness…?"

The Thunder God nodded. "Upper body, lower body, arms and legs, and head. Only these are connected."

“…?”

"Ya have an expression that says, ‘I don’t know anything~’” The Thunder God grinned and suddenly pointed near his armpit. "Now, can ya precisely strengthen this part with magic?"

"Armpit? Of course. You just have to focus your magic on that part."

"But do ya use the magic circuit in the process?"

“…”

It was then that Seo Jun-Ho's expression turned serious.

‘The magic circuit starts from the head, penetrates the upper and lower bodies, and extends to the arms and legs as the Thunder God said.’

In other words, the magic circuit didn’t extend to the armpit. It wasn’t connected to most of the smaller parts of the body, let alone the armpit.

"Ya get it? This little difference is what makes a masterpiece."

"Then the idea of opening the veins...”

"Ya can think of it as installin’ additional magic circuits in yer body."

"Additional... installation?”

Seo Jun-Ho's eyes trembled. If that were possible, he would have done it decades ago.

"Tsk. Yer eyes are telling me, ‘If that were possible, I would have done it immediately. Wake up, Grandpa.’”

"Oh, no…"

Startled, Seo Jun-Ho turned his head slightly.

"Of course, not everyone can do it. Ya said ya read martial art novels. Don't you know about openin’ the Conception Governing Vessels?”

"I know. Those masters put their hands on the main character's back... Ah!"

The corners of the Thunder God’s mouth rose.

"Like ya said, I’m a master and y’er the main character.”

"I did not mean it like that…”

"I'm kidding. Ya understand the concept, right?"

Seo Jun-Ho nodded. The opening of veins the Thunder God had been referring to was the opening of the Conception Governing Vessel, which would help the circulation of magic by installing new magic circuits in the body.

"It's gonna hurt like hell."

"I can take it."

"Don’t scream even if it hurts. You’ll lose energy. And not only ya, but I can get hurt, too."

Seo Jun-Ho gulped down his saliva. The countryman in front of him was the first of the Nine Heavens among Players. As such, he was known to be the strongest Player. So, there was no way he was lying.

‘It'll probably hurt a lot.’

Seo Jun-Ho made up his mind. He was determined not to scream.

"I am… ready."

"Take off your top, turn around, and sit down."

When Seo Jun-Ho lightly took off his top and turned around, a hand was placed on his back.

"I'll start."

Buzz.

Thunder energy flowed into his back through the hand. At the same time, heavy inhaling could be heard in the room.

‘Wha, what is this feeling...!’

It felt like tens of thousands of bugs were crawling around inside his body. No, it didn’t feel like the bugs were just crawling around. It felt as if they were eating into his body.

‘This is the treatment?’

Seo Jun-Ho clenched his teeth. He bit so hard that blood came out of his mouth. It was painful to the point that he suspected that the Thunder God was from the Fiend Association.

"There, there. Good boy. Hang in there.”

The Thunder God spoke in a soft voice, like a dentist soothing a child. At the same time, the thunder energy that entered Seo Jun-Ho's body began to extend into thousands of branches.

'Ugh...!'

It was an unfamiliar experience. The thunder energy went around in every corner of his body, which magic usually couldn’t reach. It was shocking even to Seo Jun-Ho, who had always worked hard to maintain his magic circuit. He had discovered for the first time that so many parts of his body weren’t working.

"Tsk. It's plugged up tight."

Lightly clicking his tongue, the Thunder God put more strength in his hand on Seo Jun-Ho’s back.

"It’s going to hurt a little from now on. Hang in there."

‘From now on? Even now, it’s already...!’

Seo Jun-Ho's body shook greatly as he bit his teeth tightly, like someone who had just received an electrical shock to the heart. Moreover, it was being done over and over again.

‘Ughhhh…’

Tears welled up in Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes as he couldn’t scream while his body trembled. It was so painful that he wanted to scream, but the Thunder God stopped him every time.

"Hold it in! If ya scream now, it'll all be for nothin’. The thunder energy will scatter away."

“…!”

As such, Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to put up with it. He closed his eyes, grit his teeth tightly, and held it in forcefully.

Boom! Boom!

A boom rang in his ear. It sounded like a tightly blocked dam was being forcefully banged on.

"Ha, such stubbornness…”

Clicking his tongue, the Thunder God sent a larger amount of thunder energy into Seo Jun-Ho's body. There was no other way. If they gave up now, the backlash would injure Seo Jun-Ho.

Boooom! Boooom!

The bigger clump of thunder energy began to hit the walls with force. Debris would fall in each collision. The debris was the turbid energy and waste accumulated in Seo Jun-Ho's body.

At the same time, the Thunder God’s eyes shone.

‘His body is purer than that brat’s…’

The process of opening the Conception Governing Vessel took a full week for his one and only disciple. This was because so much waste had accumulated in his disciple’s body. However, Seo Jun-Ho's body was different. The parts where the magic circuits were located were pure. The Thunder God could see how thorough Seo Jun-Ho’s upkeep of himself and how meticulously the magic circuit was sharpened.

‘With a body like this, I think it might even be possible in a day…’

The Thunder God contemplated. Originally, he was planning on opening up Seo Jun-Ho's whole body over three days at the least.

'That's not the best way to do it, though.’

The fundamentals of the vein strengthening technique were to penetrate through a blocked vein using thunder energy. Since it would forcibly melt and blow up a blocked wall in the veins, it couldn't be good for the body. As such, the longer the treatment, the worse it was for the body.

‘But with this body...’

It was possible to open up all veins in just one day, which was today. Such a pure body was something even the Thunder God had never seen in his life.

‘Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun's bodies weren't this pure either.’

Anyone would be envious of this body. The Thunder God hurriedly changed his plans and increased the output of his thunder energy. He had made a decision. He was going to break through all of Seo Jun-Ho's blocked veins today.

"It's going to hurt even more from now on. Bear with it. Endure no matter what. Please."

The Thunder God’s voice had become more serious. Even he hadn’t expected that he would become so serious even though he had come here in a lighthearted manner.

Bzzzzt!

“…!”

A silent roar swept through the room. It was the sound of Seo Jun-Ho's soul.

"Contractor..."

The Frost Queen watched the treatment process, and she shed tears as she could feel the pain in his soul. However, Seo Jun-Ho endured it.

‘…!’

Unfortunately or fortunately, his mind wasn’t in a state to continue thinking, ‘it hurts.’ There was only one command in his mind.

‘You… can’t… scream…’

The pain was suppressed to fulfill only that one order. No, that was a lie. In fact, he couldn't suppress it. No matter how much he suppressed it, the pain poked through and tormented him.

‘Uggghh...’

The saliva and blood from Seo Jun-Ho's mouth dripped on the floor. His body felt numb and tingly, and it felt like it wasn’t even his own body anymore. In the midst of that, the pain was still there, and it was very clear.

"Almost there. Just a little bit… Just a little more...”

Gently appeasing Seo Jun-Ho, the Thunder God also sped up. He noticed that Seo Jun-Ho had reached his limit.

‘Just a little bit… If I hang in there just a little bit...!’

Sweat was pouring from the Thunder God’s forehead like it was raining. He couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he had used so much energy in such a delicate way.

‘Last one!’

The crouching thunder energy leapt like a thunderbolt and crashed into a tightly closed door.

Booooooom!

A thunderous boom rang in Seo Jun-Ho's ear. The pain constantly eroding his mind vanished like a lie.

“...”

Is this how a colorful butterfly felt after a complete metamorphosis? Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. He was busy accepting and savoring the new senses he could feel with his new body.

"A-are ya a monster?"

The Thunder God muttered. He had fallen to the floor. Usually, the patient would be the one on the floor, but today, it was the opposite. The patient was busy exploring the power he had just acquired. It was like seeing an immature child who had just received an excellent toy as a gift.

‘But still...’

The Thunder God grinned.

Now that the basics were complete, the Thunder God began to look forward to whether he would enjoy teaching this genius more than that disciple of his whom he had taken as his disciple in his later years.

1. Thunder God has a rural dialect/accent, so it’s sometimes hard to understand him. ☜

2. Names of acupuncture points. ☜

3. Names of extraordinary meridians in acupuncture. ☜

4. Vessel located between Conception and Governing Vessels that need to be opened to be able to circulate energy (Ki) throughout the body. ☜