Chapter 173. Queen (4)
“In Moorim’s martial arts, Qigong is broadly classified into three categories. First of all, the Lower Qigong.”
It was located below the navel and was a place to stock up on the Inner Qi, which was the basis of general martial arts. However, there was no need for a long talk about that. Then, Cheon-ma pointed her thumb over her chest.
“The next one is here, the Middle Qigong. When ancient Moorim was divided, it was the first concept created by the savages of the East.”
“Savages of the East?”
“Yeah, to talk about this, I must first explain the history of Moorim for a moment.”
“Please.”
“All martial arts began with the Longevity Technique.”
“I heard that.”
“Hoh? You know this story? Who did you hear it from?”
Nangong Hu explained that it was derived from the Earth, then gradually developed. Cheon-ma clicked her tongue.
“I guess the old man heard it from somewhere… but he didn’t know for sure.”
“I’ll listen carefully.”
“Just as civilization started after learning to harness fire, it is true that the present martial arts were created by realizing the Qi through the Longevity Technique. But before that, there was a time when the direction split in two.”
The time when martial arts were just born. One side pulled it into their own body by forcibly accumulating it through regulating Qi flow with breathing techniques. The other side adopted a way of harmonizing the natural energy that flowed through the body.
“Anyone can learn the Lower Qigong, but not the Middle one. It is a power that only those who achieved spiritual enlightenment after hard training could barely handle.”
So Moorim was divided into two. One formed in a group, and the others lived like savages in remote areas. Then one day-
“An epidemic spread, and all the savages perished. They lived far from the world, so even that wasn’t known for a long time. In that way, most of the martial arts using the Middle Qigong were lost in Moorim.”
“Then, is there no one who uses the Middle Qigong in Moorim now?”
“I heard that some clans still inherit it, but very few.”
It was a long story, but it was an interesting history. After all, they had a relationship with Earth, and Yoon-seok himself was now also a warrior who pursued martial skills. However, it was time to reach the point.
“Then, how did they come up with the concept of the Upper Qigong?”
Cheon-ma tapped her forehead.
“The Upper Qigong began with the Middle one. To be precise, it was discovered by the gurus who read the records of the Middle Qigong.”
“Gurus…?”
Yoon-seok was stunned by the unexpected title, but Cheon-ma continued to explain.
“Gurus are those who seek immortality. They believe in the potential of human beings and that if they can become one with nature, they can acquire eternal life. And in fact, humans who achieve that goal are referred to as Divine Hermits.”
For reference, it was said that their spirits were connected to heaven, and they could use techniques that surpassed common sense. Yoon-seok cocked his head.
“Secret technique? What is it?”
“It is a martial arts different from ordinary forms, such as making the sky rain.”
Yoon-seok didn’t quite understand. It felt closer to divine power, not a martial art.
“Then is the Celestial Buddha also a Divine Hermit?”
Cheon-ma smiled and shook her head.
“It’s not like that.”
“But at that time, didn’t he say that he was dealing with the Heavenly Energy of the Upper Qigong?”
“Divine Hermits are those who have completely opened their minds to become one with heaven. However, he hasn’t reached that level yet. The same goes for me.”
In a word, they still weren’t enough. It was a concept still a bit beyond him, but one thing was certain. There were the Lower, Middle, and Upper Qigong.
“Then the two of you must have already opened Upper Qigong in some form.”
“I don’t know about that damn monk, but that’s not the case for me.”
“…Pardon?”
Then, what was it? How did Cheon-ma cut through the darkness? Wasn’t it possible because she used Upper Qigong? If not, why did she say that before he died? As his doubts deepened, Cheon-ma explained.
“All of these are concepts from before I became a challenger. Have you ever looked closely at the walls of the waiting room?”
“No, I haven’t.”
Yoon-seok shook his head. He broke it the other day, but he had never examined them in detail.
“They aren’t made of simple stones. It looks ordinary at first glance, but they are full of Heavenly Energy. So, normally, you could never make a scratch…”
“…!”
“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden? You look like you were struck by lightning.”
Cheon-ma tilted her head. However, Yoon-seok’s mind was racing too fast to answer.
‘It must be a difference in the way we call it.’
Yoon-seok named the wall-like setting in the waiting room the system. However, Cheon-ma knew the identity of the energy contained within. Now he knew why she told him to ask about the Upper Qigong on his return.
“…It’s nothing. Sorry, could you please continue explaining?”
“Don’t mention it.”
As she continued, the tangled thread began to unravel. Heavenly or Heaven Energy was, in other words, the system.
“Just like you, I don’t have Upper Qigong. But, I can deal with that energy and fight against things using it.”
In other words, she could use the system to fight the system. However, there was a crucial difference between Yoon-seok and Cheon-ma.
“I was supposed to see the invisible and cut down the uncuttable.”
They were different in type. Yoon-seok couldn’t see anything, so he was helpless, but she could see what was invisible. Therefore, she could cut it.
“What was yours?”
“To kill those who cannot be killed and to destroy the indestructible.”
“It’s an ability that suits you well.”
Yoon-seok didn’t know how to respond to that, but his questions had been resolved. Once again, his shoulders grew heavy. If it was the kind of thing he could learn, he had an infinite amount of time to do so, but he didn’t think that was possible.
‘Is this a dead-end again…?’
Seeing Cheon-ma go against the Queen, he thought he was finally on the right track, but now a new wall formed ahead of him. How many more times did he have to die to find a new way? Suddenly, his heart tightened.
‘No, wait a minute…’
Lightning struck him. Killing those who cannot be killed and destroying the indestructible. Come to think of it-
{Death God}
Rank A – See death and deal with death.
Yoon-seok had one more thing he could use.
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* * *
Death. To simplify, the disappearance of life. But he could see this with his own eyes and handle it? Yoon-seok couldn’t figure out how.
‘But let’s try it first.’
Yoon-seok remembered his duel with the King of Steel. It was a long time ago, even before he obtained most of what he had now. At that time, Yoon-seok fought a desperate battle against him, and he was defeated in the end. That was the first death Yoon-seok experienced.
Smack-!
The King of Steel smacked Yoon-seok’s head and trampled upon him. Of course, that couldn’t be called real death. Immediately after that, he was revived by consuming coins. Nevertheless, Yoon-seok was frightened of death. His legs were so weak that it was hard to stand up when he returned to the waiting room.
It was because of the darkness and nothingness he saw for a moment covering him.
‘Was that death?’
Yoon-seok pondered over it. That day, the darkness he saw wasn’t much different. So how did he deal with this?
Slip.
Yoon-seok stretched out his hands. He tried to move the darkness in front of him, recalling the sense of using the power of spatial domination and his other abilities. Of course, nothing happened.
“Queen, you crazy bitch.”
—Kyaahahaha, Kyahahahahahahaha!
After calling the Queen to test it further, he stretched out his hands toward the shimmering darkness, but it was the same. Yoon-seok couldn’t see anything other than the dark or handle anything.
[You died.]
[The Old Pocket Watch (Rank S+) returns its owner to 5 minutes ago.]
Again, as time flowed back, Yoon-seok continued to look into the darkness. He repeated it dozens of times, but no change. Maybe he was completely ignorant, and this ability to see and deal with death had nothing to do with the Queen.
However, Yoon-seok continued without hesitation.
‘Damn it.’
If it didn’t work out dozens of times, he would try hundreds. If not hundreds, then thousands. That was his secret to growing stronger thus far. And, most of all… now there was nothing else left to hang onto other than this.
Crack-crack-!
The moment the Queen appeared, he exerted the power of spatial domination to the limit, destroying the space around him
—It’s indiscriminate bombing…!”
He summoned Lynn, who was guarding Earth and had her fire nonstop.
[The Light of End absorbs all damage inflicted on you.]
He also tried the Light of End.
—Kyahahahahaha!
He used the {Dark Knight} to open the gates of the Underworld and summon an army. Every other option he had, he attempted to no avail. He tried to synthesize all sorts of skills in every form possible, but none helped.
‘This is the right way.’
He died, and died, and died, going back in time a countless amount of times. Yet, in the end, Yoon-seok clung to b Death God}. As a result, he learned something new.
“Rosaline”
“…How many times is it?”
“Ten thousand.”
“Isn’t this enough?” Please, stop it…”
“Shut up and do it. I still have a long way to go.”
After the death count reached 10,000, he could only reset by fighting with Dracar. Up to 9,999 was fine; he complied obediently. After that, Yoon-seok didn’t count anymore. So, he didn’t know how many more he died. However, at some point-
“…Are you okay?”
Even after giving him the Pocket Watch, Dracar didn’t ask how many times it was anymore.
“9,999 times.”
Even if Yoon-seok forced himself to say the number, Dracar did not laugh, saying he would fill it up to 10,000 times. He just clenched his fists and asked.
“What happened…?”
“9,999 times.”
“No, look at your eyes now! You may be able to do more, but I can’t. I can’t!”
“9,999 times.”
Dracar snatched the Pocket Watch. He still did the reset and left him alone because he thought Yoon-seok would change his mind, but he didn’t.
“If you can’t quit, I’ll do it for you! If I break this, it’s all over…!”
Yoon-seok hurriedly opened his mouth to stop Dracar before he could smash the watch. However, the voice that came out was very dry.
“Just once.”
“What?”
“…If you fill it one more time, isn’t it ten thousand times?”
Dracar’s jaw dropped. He felt it, too. How many times had Yoon-seok repeated this lie?
“You fucking crazy bastard… 9,999 times? That’s funny. How many deaths? You crazy bastard!”
“…”
“Just die! It’s over when you die, so why are you doing this?!”
Dracar screamed, telling him to stop dying. It must be a curse to say he would no longer exist, but it sounded like salvation. All of a sudden, he thought that the efforts he had made so far might have been in vain. Would he even be able to know what death was if he kept this up? Was it even worth it?
Yoon-seok knew it too, the fact that real death wasn’t like that.
“Just once…”
Yoon-seok struggled to speak. He must have said the same thing before, but it was different. It was no longer empty. Fear, sorrow, anticipation, joy. They mingled in his low voice.
“Before I die, can’t you help me just one more time?”
“If you ask me to reset it, I will never…”
Despite being confused by the sudden change, Dracar firmly refused. Yoon-seok smiled bitterly as if he understood.
“It’s not like that.”
Then, he calmly asked for a favor. Dracar screamed as soon as he heard it, but Yoon-seok’s desperate gaze eventually made him promise that he would do so.
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[Due to the Lady’s Commandment, all healing and regeneration effects in the area are halted.」
Yoon-seok wrapped a black curtain around his body. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and smiled.
“…”
He would be able to see it soon. Only once.
That was why it was scarier and more welcome than anything else.