Meanwhile, at the place where Kang Jun lost consciousness...
The people who had been fighting just moments ago were now standing in a state of shock. Many from both sides lay unconscious on the ground.Man Sunjo and Min Sun, the Lord of the Edjeon Forest, decided to stop the battle. Min Sun had lost many of his warriors, and most of the remaining had simply fainted.
Man Sunjo, seeing that Kang Jun and several of his subordinates had also lost consciousness, chose not to take any more risks. Many young men who had come to work with metal were also lying on the ground.Min Sun, being in the most disadvantageous position, gathered those still alive along with the unconscious and disappeared into the forest thickets.
Man Sunjo, not wanting to delay either, called out to Pak Nao — one of his trusted men.Man Sunjo checked Kang Jun's pulse. He was still alive, but his body temperature had risen. It seemed like a fever, but with so many people losing consciousness, something was clearly off.
"Take a few men and horses and escort the young master back to the clan at full speed. If anything happens to him, I doubt we'll live to see the next night," he said.Pak Nao called his comrades, loaded Kang Jun onto a horse, and they rushed back to the Kang clan.
Meanwhile, the entire planet was gradually becoming infected by a virus. This led to mass panic and uprisings, especially in both large and small cities populated by civilians.
As recorded in the manuscripts for future generations:"The Great Empire of Mao fell in just three days! Strange monsters were born from the bodies of those who had fallen asleep and began slaughtering everything in their path, creating rivers of blood and cursed lands. Even the emperor, who had ruled for decades, couldn't escape his fate and died in his chambers on the first night — killed by his own son, who had turned into a monster in an unknown form."
Kingdom of Karma
Kang Jun stood briefly in the line for food. At the street mess hall for "death row inmates" — as Kang Jun called them — there were only a few dishes: porridge with a couple of meat scraps and a glass of water.This food was designed purely for survival. A speech given not long ago had made it clear — only the cunning or the strong would survive among these half-dead people.
"And I'm one of them," Kang Jun thought.Compared to the food provided at the clan, this tasted like dirt. But due to the unbearable hunger of his current body, it felt like a meal fit for gods. He couldn't even remember the last time the previous owner of this body had eaten properly. Still, he was certain he'd restore the body to a normal state within a month.
Driven by intense hunger, Kang Jun devoured his portion in under five minutes and washed it down with water. He returned his wooden bowl and spoon to the field kitchen but kept the metal cup to fetch water from the barrel during his free time.
The heaviness in his stomach from eating too fast made it hard to move, but Kang Jun pulled himself together and walked toward the columns displaying the techniques.Rectangular stone pillars were placed throughout the camp. According to what he had heard, there were only two techniques carved into them.
At first, Kang Jun studied the sword technique. However, upon analyzing it, he realized it couldn't compare to the one he had learned back in his clan. So, he decided to ignore it and turned to the second technique.
He spent about five minutes reading and understanding the intent behind the technique.It turned out to be quite simple: a mantra meant to protect the mind from psychic attacks. This concept was completely new to Kang Jun — even in his previous world, no such attacks or techniques existed. But he understood that if this technique was given to them, such enemies definitely existed.
The technique read: "Unshakable spirit, unbreakable will. My essence is a rock amid the storm; my thoughts — a mirror without cracks. No foreign thought may penetrate, no weakness shall destroy. I am who I am, and only I rule my mind."
Kang Jun decided not to waste any time. He sat down on a free patch of ground. Thousands of people gathered around the pillars, silently studying the techniques.He spent five minutes memorizing the mantra and ten more fully immersing himself in it, concentrating on the words to feel their effect.
The technique's effect was quite unusual. He felt a cold sensation in his head, and his previously unsettled emotions calmed down. He became like a block of ice, unaffected even by insults toward his mother.
Kang Jun wasn't a fool — he immediately understood the value of this technique in battle. It prevented emotions from overtaking him during extreme situations.He opened his eyes, looked around, and saw thousands of people picking up weapons of their choice and practicing their skills.Kang Jun, however, chose to ignore that for now and stepped aside to free up space for someone else.
He had barely taken a few steps when an unknown old man sitting behind him called out:"Hey, boy! Don't lose faith in yourself! Better sit and study a bit more. I know these techniques are tough, but you need to survive! You're still young — everything lies ahead! Think about what I said and take a seat."
Kang Jun looked at the old man and replied, "I think I'll keep going."
And without listening to the old man's pleas, he walked away from the pillars.
Still, Kang Jun was glad to see that even in a place like this, there were people who hadn't forgotten kindness. Though most who ended up here clearly hadn't committed any "good deeds."And then a thought hit him:"Why am I here? I'm only sixteen."But just as quickly as the thoughts came, they vanished. Kang Jun had more important things to focus on than pondering the past life of this body.
He immediately understood: to survive in this new world, he needed power!His previous body was gone. His cultivation sphere had vanished. He had to start all over again — and it wouldn't be as easy as before. His old body was nearly invincible, perfect for battle, even if it wasn't like his siblings'.
Now, to fight monsters, he had to use a body without muscles or superhuman strength.For Kang Jun, there was only one way to survive and fight: to redevelop the cultivation technique of his clan — Universal Harmony.Originally, it was called Infernal Fire Harmony, but realizing its potential, his father had transformed it into a technique capable of manipulating multiple elements.
Kang Jun knew he wouldn't make much progress in Ki development in a short time, but reaching the first or even second level of cultivation was possible.He sat in a comfortable meditation pose, focused on his Dantian, and began gathering external energy.He felt energy enter his body from all around, filtering through each cell like threads weaving together in his Dantian to form a small sphere.
Meanwhile, nearly everyone who had clattered their spoons minutes earlier now sat studying the techniques carved into the columns.Those who had memorized them picked suitable weapons and began training.
But some didn't care about any of that and minded their own business — killers who ended up here for murder.They already knew how to wield weapons and perhaps a few techniques. They believed the pillar techniques weren't worth their time.
In a way, they were right. People who had practiced the same technique for years wouldn't change their habits in just a few days.But for those who had never wielded a weapon before, learning even the basics could mean surviving the first day.
However, the worst among them were the ones sitting in groups of ten in different parts of the prison castle.These bastards continued to kill even here. They engaged in smuggling and dark dealings in this godforsaken place and eliminated anyone who got in their way.Each of them had at least a hundred kills — from warriors and adventurers to newborns.To them, money and influence were everything.
Kang Jun, fully focused on reaching the first level, gathered energy as fast as he could. After about eight hours, he finally succeeded.The tightly woven threads of energy formed into a small energy sphere, releasing a powerful pulse that expelled impurities from his body.
Kang Jun stood up, feeling like he had new lungs. The pain from his wounds and bruises was gone.Every cell in his body had renewed itself, strengthening for the use and adaptation of new power.His body felt light, and pleasant tingling in his muscles made him feel like he was floating in bliss.
"Yes! Finally, the pain is gone! My strength now matches that of a trained adult — without even using Ki," he thought to himself, reminded of his intense training sessions with his father.
Kang Jun never imagined that advancing to a new level would feel like this. In his previous body, thanks to its high constitution, it had always felt as simple as breathing in and out.
Now, Kang Jun focused on his Dantian again and began drawing energy from it, spreading it in waves from his core to every part of his body.