Its over.

The pair thought as they looked up at the slope.

It was obvious what would happen next.

He would fall, be crushed, and be trampled to death.

And then what? What would happen to Seol Jihu once he revived at the starting point?

Just as their thoughts reached this point, the pair set out in opposite directions. Black Seol Jihu headed for the peak, while Baek Haeju ran towards the starting point at the bottom of the slope.

However.

Seol Jihus face remained calm throughout. With his eyes half-closed, he seemed surprisingly serene for a bomb that was about to explode.

It was because he was used to this.

It didnt hurt. He still felt pain, but the pain was so familiar that he didnt feel the need to squirm.

Death didnt scare him. He had already died many times, and there was no reason this one would be any different.

His head was empty, devoid of any thought, as though everything had been scooped out.

Nonetheless, Seol Jihu knew no, he sensed that the boulder had just hit his temple, that his palms had slipped, and that he was in the process of falling.

Right, this time wasnt any different. He would die just like hed done thousands of times before.

But even if he inevitably died, there was something he wanted to do.

Lets go. Lets go.

Lets just take one more step.

Lets advance further even if its only by a single step.

From his body that was devoid of all else, only his will remained, screaming at the top of its lungs.

He wasnt seeing. He wasnt thinking. Now, he wasnt even perceiving.

And the moment he let himself go to the last bit of consciousness that remained in his body, Seol Jihu forgot about himself.

He had fallen into a trance.

And so, the will to climb led Seol Jihu to move forward.

It wasnt anything difficult. After all, he had repeated this motion hundreds of thousands or even millions of times.

Going beyond the level of instinct and habit, he was guided by movements that were instilled into his body through machine-like repet.i.tions.

!

Black Seol Jihu, who was rus.h.i.+ng up the slope like a storm, widened his eyes.

Seol Jihus head, which was tilted back, leaned forward again. His half-raised feet stomped down on the slope again. His helplessly bending knees stopped. His legs and waist trembled, and his tottering legs slowly began to straighten.

Black Seol Jihu subconsciously stopped rus.h.i.+ng forward. He stared in front of him fixedly.

He thought that this would be the end, but Seol Jihu stopped mid-collapse and was bouncing back up like a roly-poly toy.

He had succeeded in standing back up in the last of the last moment.

Seol Jihu had clearly lost all senses. His body had lost balance and was shaking like a reed.

Even so, his arms were creaking up like a broken machine.

Dont tell me.

Black Seol Jihu took a deep breath.

Due to his heightened focus, he could see every minute movement that Seol Jihu was making, but it didnt take long for the situation to take a turn.

Three seconds? Four seconds?

It must be.

Perfect Harmony the state of ones will and actions becoming whole without the slightest difference.

Dont think!

Black Seol Jihu burst out.

Thats it! Accept that state and let your body do as it wants!

He knew that Seol Jihu couldnt hear him with his shattered eardrums.

He just couldnt help it.

Then, as if to respond, Seol Jihus upper body leaned forward, and his arms stretched out.

In that instant, Black Seol Jihu could very clearly see.

Kw.a.n.g!

Sparks flaring up from the bomb at least, that was what it seemed like to Black Seol Jihu.

There was one thing he could be sure of.

And it was that Seol Jihu was standing firm, holding up the boulder.

Going beyond just standing, he was raising his leg.

Right, just one more time!

Eventually, as other boulders rolled down from the crossroads, Seol Jihu pushed the boulder in his hands and took a step forward.

Black Seol Jihu clenched his fists.

At the same time

Kw.a.n.g, kw.a.n.g, kw.a.n.g, kw.a.n.g, kw.a.n.g!!

The bomb finally exploded.

It was an intense, radiant firework even in Black Seol Jihus eyes.

*

Seol Jihu raised his index and middle finger the moment he revived at the starting point.

However, he paused before he stabbed his eyes like a machine.

Huh?

Messages had popped up before he noticed. Not just one, but several.

[Temperament, Tenacity, evolves to Superhuman.]

[Temperament, Short-tempered, is expunged.]

[Apt.i.tude, Heart and Soul as One, is created.]

[Cla.s.s Ability, Perfect Harmony, is created.]

[Miscellaneous Ability, Intuition (High), evolves to Intuition (Pinnacle).]

[Please check your Status Window.]

Seol Jihu blinked rapidly.

His arm slowly fell.

[Your Status Window]

[2. Traits]

1. Temperament

Self-command (Suppresses emotions, greed, and impulses with the rational will)

Compet.i.tive (A desire to win)

Superhuman (Unbelievably exceptional in enduring pain and hards.h.i.+p when compared to an average human being)

2. Apt.i.tude

Effort (Endeavors with both body and mind to achieve a goal)

Heart and Soul as One (Unfaltering and unwavering when concentrating on one thing)

Average (Normal in every way; possess no particular talent)

[4. Abilities]

2. Cla.s.s Abilities (6)

Perfect Harmony (Lowest)

3. Other Abilities (3)

Intuition (Pinnacle)

Seol Jihus pupils livened up as he stared at his status window.

I

To be honest, he wasnt sure what he was doing a moment ago.

He could only vaguely recall one thing. Thinking over and over again Climb up.

Ah, d.a.m.n it.

He felt like he sensed something. Even now, the sensation from when he stretched out his arms seemed to be lingering around his body. He just didnt know what to call this sensation.

Seol Jihu plopped down on the ground and sat cross-legged. Feeling the need to recall and a.n.a.lyze the sensation he just felt, he calmly meditated on his previous state.

How much time went by?

Seol Jihu opened his eyes by the time his heated body cooled down to a degree.

This is driving me nuts.

As he was tilting his head, he suddenly caught sight of someone.

Black Seol Jihu was leaning on the boulder, looking at him.

When their eyes met, Black Seol Jihu grinned.

When are you vomiting blood?

Huh?

You know, it happens. A cross-legged martial artist meditating on an insight he just gained, spurting out blood reeking with a foul stench, and then becoming enlightened.

Seol Jihu laughed blandly. He didnt feel like what just happened was worth being called enlightenment.

My temperament and apt.i.tude changed.

Its about ti What? Your apt.i.tude changed too?

Black Seol Jihus eyes widened.

Your talent apt.i.tude? Its not Average anymore?

No, my talent is still the same. I got something called Heart and Soul as One.

Ah

When Seol Jihu shook his head, Black Seol Jihu looked a little regretful.

I guess my apt.i.tude only changed when I got Seamless Sublimity. But Heart and Soul as One isnt bad either. It has wide-ranging applications, including battles, training, and intercourse.

Oh, thats good to h Huh? In what?

Intercourse. Im talking about s.e.x, you dolt.

What does Heart and Soul as One have to do with s.e.x?

Youll know once you try. Girls will love it too.

Seol Jihu was taken aback.

Black Seol Jihu asked again, simpering.

Anyways, and?

Intuition ranked up to Pinnacle.

Chak! Black Seol Jihu clapped. He murmured, Nice.

He then gestured with his chin, telling Seol Jihu to go on.

I got a Cla.s.s Ability called Perfect Harmony

Seol Jihu smacked his lips.

But I dont know. Im not sure what state I was just in. Do you know what this is?

Isnt it obvious? Thats what you call a realm.

?

A domain where your will and actions become one without the slightest difference. It looks like its the stage before reaching the balance of mind, technique, and body. Trinity Harmony, if you will Well, you probably wont understand if I explain it like this, so just think of it as something thats slightly better than One With the Spear.

Realms also have ranks?

Why wouldnt they? With my Seamless Sublimity realm, I beat the h.e.l.l out of Sung s.h.i.+hyun, who was boasting about his One With Nature realm.

Seol Jihu scratched his head.

He thought he would finally grasp what realms really were, but they were vaguer than he thought.

Its like that at first. To someone whos lived as an ordinary person for over twenty years, it makes sense that it would seem strange. Youll slowly get used to it.

Black Seol Jihu took his back off of the boulder and approached Seol Jihu. He stopped right in front of him and then spoke with a gentle expression.

And also

It was then.

Seol Jihu, who was curiously waiting for Black Seol Jihus following words, sharply widened his eyes and instantly turned away.

A middle and index finger brushed past his eyes by a hairs breadth.

.

When Seol Jihu glanced to the side, he saw a grinning Black Seol Jihu.

Your reaction speed really has improved. Compared to three years ago, that is.

?

Back then, you only winced and werent able to dodge.

Seol Jihu finally did a double-take. Though he had not seen Black Seol Jihus movement, he had felt it instinctively and moved accordingly.

It seemed to be the result of Intuition and Perfect Harmony working in unison.

Because of this, he felt like he now had a better understanding of his new realm.

If you want to learn from experience

Black Seol Jihu stretched out his arm.

The Spear of Purity drew an arc in the air and flew into his hand, which he then handed over to Seol Jihu.

Reinforced sword qi might be a bit difficult, so try using sword qi.

Sword qi?

Go to the first peak and try moving your mana.

Black Seol Jihu raised his spear.

Woong, woong! And for some reason, the Spear of Purity was buzzing as well.

Grabbing the Spear of Purity, Seol Jihu ran to the first peak. After confirming the message of the restriction on the use of mana being lifted, he collected his breath and moved his internal energy. In that instant

Ah.

Finally. He finally felt the change.

The flow of mana had slightly changed.

In the past, he would have to think about using a skill before guiding his energy and materializing it. But now, his mana was moving fluidly along with his will.

Though the difference was small, to him, it felt completely different.

It was as if he became one with his energy, so much so that he thought his mana was somehow reading his mind.

It was like he was in a whole new world.

Do you finally understand why I said High Rankers sword qi is only an imitation?

Black Seol Jihus voice rang out from the back.

Seol Jihu nodded his head unwittingly. He really did understand what Black Seol Jihu meant by that.

Seol Jihu tightened his grip on the Spear of Purity. He no longer had to go through the process of connecting his internal circuit and carefully sending his energy through it.

Because he was one with mana.

And it was the same with the Spear of Purity.

In an instant, energy that carried his will seized the Spear of Purity.

Wooooong!

The moment he felt a sense of unity with the entirety of the spear, the Spear of Purity let out a silvery ringing and sharply shot out the energy it carried.

Not only was the speed of materialization incomparable to before, its cutting power and destructive power seemed to have doubled at the very least.

But that was only the beginning. The sword qi continued to grow bigger, shooting up above his head before settling back down. It shortened and elongated at will, kind of like Sun Wukongs magical staff.

That wasnt all. When Seol Jihu swung the spear in a wide motion, sword qi shot out from the spear blade and flew far into the distance. It could be shot out in a spear-shape or a crescent-shape.

So this is what it was!

Seol Jihu recalled the time Baek Haeju attacked Black Seol Jihu by forming a net from her sword qi.

He was impressed when he saw her destroying the rolling boulders by firing dozens of sword qi simultaneously, but now he thought he could do the same with a little bit of practice.

And this hunch soon became a reality.

Ding!

[Cla.s.s Ability, Sword Qi (Intermediate), evolves to Secret Art: Sword Qi Wave (Lowest).]

A pleasant alarm rang out.

Seol Jihu was struck speechless.

He had instantly learned a Secret Art, which could not be learned even with contribution points and was regarded as the highest-ranked Level 7 skill. Meaning, learning skills that were below Level 7 would not be so difficult either.

As always, the bitterness of hards.h.i.+p and the sweetness of success were comparable.

The fruit of his labor was just too sweet. It was more than enough to quench the thirst that was burning his throat.

How is it?

Black Seol Jihu asked while Seol Jihu excitedly sent one flying sword qi after the other.

Doesnt the second trial seem like a childs play now?

Seol Jihu turned around in a hurry and nodded with a cheerful smile.

All he had done was enter a so-called realm, but the world looked different in his eyes.

Huuuuu.

Black Seol Jihu suddenly let out a deep sigh. He crouched down and then smiled bitterly.

Aigoo, its been a long time since my heart pounded this badly. You succeeded just when I was about to give up Whatever, its good that you succeeded. Pinnacle-rank Intuition and Perfect Harmony are enough. All thats left to do is leap up.

Jang Maldong had called Intuition a stepping stone. Since he had reinforced his stepping stone and attached a powerful spring below it called Perfect Harmony, all he needed to do now was use it to soar to the sky.

I want to start right away, but why dont we get rid of that first? It will be a nice change of pace.

Turning to the place where Black Seol Jihu was pointing, Seol Jihus eyes widened. He saw three or four shopping bags with bento boxes spilling out. He even saw a thermos.

What are they?

I dont know. Haeju brought it. I even specifically told her she didnt need to

Seol Jihu looked around reflexively. However, Baek Haeju was nowhere to be seen.

I dont see her

She either left or shes hiding somewhere watching. Anyway, lets eat.

Black Seol Jihu picked up a bento box and opened it. Seol Jihu also joined in.

Oooh

Seol Jihu exclaimed each time he opened a bento box. White rice, radish namul, vegetable pancakes, marsh snails there was soybean soup as well. They were all Seol Jihus favorite food.

Though he didnt know why she was treating him so well, he inwardly gave his sincerest thanks.

Soon, the two men began to eat while sitting across from each other.

Putting marsh snails into the soybean soup as a garnish and then taking a spoonful, a wonderful flavor burst inside Seol Jihus mouth. As he tasted the chewy texture of the marsh snails and the delicate warmth of soybean soup, a smile bloomed on his face.

It was so delicious that he wanted to lie down and just loaf around.

Good, isnt it?

Black Seol Jihu sn.i.g.g.e.red, seeing Seol Jihu with bulged cheeks.

They say hunger is the best sauce, but it really cant beat the circ.u.mstances. Eat to your hearts content. Even if you eat the same food next time, it will be difficult to taste the same flavor.

Seol Jihu immediately understood what he meant.

While the food was good, it wasnt to the point of dropping everything and loafing around. The reason the food tasted so good must be because he was drunk on a sense of accomplishment.

He wanted to taste this flavor again.

Alright, once were done with this, lets start with Thousand-Ton-Pus.h.i.+ng Strength.

Black Seol Jihu spoke as he mixed white rice, sesame oil, and radish namul.

Thousand-Ton-Pus.h.i.+ng Strength? Isnt that the martial arts technique where you use the strength of a finger to move a thousand ton?

Good, so you know. Simply put, its just a skill that uses little strength to wield great strength.

Seol Jihu frowned while stuffing his mouth with rice. It sounded like an amazing skill, but he couldnt help but think of the boulder.

You should have taught that to me earlier then

You think I didnt want to?

Black Seol Jihu snorted. He licked the spoon that was ridden with sesame oil and then asked.

72 times 24 divided by 12. Give me the answer.

One hundred and forty-four.

Seol Jihu answered right away, though he wasnt sure what for.

Black Seol Jihu, who asked apathetically, flinched and furrowed his brows.

Oh yeah, I was good at mental math back then. Alright, then try 81,922,757 times 22,233,847, then divide that by 421,242.

.

Try answering that.

Im not a calculator, you know.

You cant, right?

Black Seol Jihu snorted again.

It might be difficult to do it mentally, but if you had a pen and a piece of paper, would you be able to calculate the answer?

I guess so It would take a while though.

Thats it.

Black Seol Jihu chewed on the radish namul bibimbap.

You only now learned how to divide and multiply. How was I supposed to teach someone who only knew how to add and subtract?

I kind of get what youre saying

Good, because Im dumbing it down for you. Perfect Harmony is at the post-grad level. You know, something youd learn while working on your PhD.

Seol Jihu nodded. Then, he grabbed a vegetable pancake with his hand and chomped down on it.

It was just so, d.a.m.n delicious.

*

On the other hand.

But why are we starting with Thousand-Ton-Pus.h.i.+ng Strength?

Because its the most important skill. You already learned Floral Subst.i.tution. Though, it seems you dont know how to use it properly because you picked it up in the confusion of the moment while fighting that dragon b.i.t.c.h.

Yes.

You can combine that skill with Thousand-Ton-Pus.h.i.+ng Strength. If you can bring both of them up to High-rank, theyll evolve to Grand Cosmic s.h.i.+ft. Thats the skill I used at the second peak.

Oho!

If nothing else, you need to learn Grand Cosmic s.h.i.+ft. You need it if youre going to fight the Parasite Queen.

Just as Black Seol Jihu expected, Baek Haeju was watching the two Seol Jihus talk from a far off distance.

Grabbing the sky and the earth and s.h.i.+fting them in a big motion Ah.

One was white.

Yep. You remember how she flipped the sky and the earth over in Tigol Fortress, right? If you had this skill, you would have been able to stand still, and the outcome might have been different.

One was black.

The way the two Seol Jihus were sitting face to face, nibbling on vegetable pancakes

So cute.

It was like seeing twin rabbits merrily munching on gra.s.s.

1. One With Nature means the harmony between oneself and an external object, objectivity and subjectivity, or mental realm and material realm.

2. The Monkey Kings staff. More info can be found on Wikipedia.

3. A type of salad.

4. The actual technique uses old Korean unit of weight; the literal meaning is using four nyang to wield the strength of a thousand kun.