Yoo Baekjun was training under Ja Yeon.
Though he had managed to mimic the fist techniques she showed him in one go, he needed proper training to turn it into a skill.
"Heaven Destroyer, Reversal Strike. The secret manual that listed these techniques had the title Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique."
"Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique. Sounds similar to the Heaven-Surging Sword Technique."
"And yet, it's different."
The martial arts Yoo Baekjun would learn was called the Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique. Ja Yeon decided to teach it to him.
"To handle the Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique more efficiently, you'll need a footwork technique to complement it."
Ja Yeon taught him two skills, along with one footwork technique worth using.
"The technique I'll teach you, Young Master, is a footwork called Ghostly Shadow Steps."
Heaven Destroyer had immense destructive power but also a few drawbacks.
First, the mana consumption was insane. Second, the preparation time was quite long.
In real combat, if you stood around gathering energy after planting your stance, you'd be an easy target for enemies.
"This footwork will cover for Heaven Destroyer's flaws."
Saying that, Ja Yeon told Yoo Baekjun to try attacking her.
Yoo Baekjun closed the distance and threw a punch. At that moment, Ja Yeon's foot moved.
"Hm?"
Her foot moved, but her body didn't. Yoo Baekjun's punch struck Ja Yeon directly.
Then her body vanished like a ghost fading into thin air.
"This way."
Ja Yeon's voice came from behind.
Yoo Baekjun turned his head. There she stood, hands behind her back.
"What I hit just now was an afterimage, huh?"
"Yes, that's right. Ghostly Shadow Steps. You leave behind an afterimage to confuse your enemy's vision, while you either widen the gap or get behind them."
Ja Yeon smiled faintly.
"From watching our last spar, I could tell—Young Master prefers unorthodox attack styles. I thought this would help."
"Thank you. I think it'll help a lot."
Yoo Baekjun bowed his head honestly.
When completing the quest
And you'd also receive a skill as a bonus—but that skill would be given randomly.
'To be precise, it's based on the sparring match. Ja Yeon chooses a skill she thinks fits based on that.'
So even a veteran like Yoo Baekjun couldn't predict which skill he'd be given.
But Ghostly Shadow Steps? That was more than ideal.
"Then let's train by linking those three skills in combat. I'll attack—you use the skills as needed."
Ja Yeon's training style wasn't about teaching with words, but by grinding through the body.
She'd demonstrate the skill once, and then expect Yoo Baekjun to figure the rest out on his own.
'She's a rather unfriendly teacher, but well…'
Since Yoo Baekjun had shown something during the training for Heaven Destroyer and Reversal Strike, it made sense that Ja Yeon was being like this.
She must have thought it unnecessary to keep explaining or demonstrating the skills.
"Well, I better live up to her expectations."
Yoo Baekjun trained for a full week. Ja Yeon drilled him relentlessly like a fish in water.
Boom!
They trained so intensely that not a single day passed without a thunderous boom echoing in her dojo.
And on the exact seventh day—
Utterly exhausted, Yoo Baekjun sprawled across the yard and looked up at the sky.
"Now that the elixir is wearing off, this is getting rough…"
He hadn't slept for nearly two weeks, entirely focused on training, so it was no wonder he was drained.
A cup entered his field of vision as he stared at the sky.
"Young Master, Pharmacist Joo Joongwon prepared this tonic for your health."
"Mm…"
"Please use this to wipe your sweat."
Han Seonga followed him like a secretary, tending to his needs. Joo Joongwon, worried about his relentless training, had prepared several herbal tonics.
"That's surprising. I didn't expect Master Han Seonga to become the personal master of the family's successor."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Back then, you told me you'd stay neutral instead of getting tangled up in the troublesome heir conflict by supporting someone."
Ja Yeon's eyes widened slightly.
She and Han Seonga had a close relationship. Han Seonga was originally one of Ja Yeon's disciples.
Looking awkward, Han Seonga turned her head.
"…As I lived, my thoughts changed."
"Hmph. If that's your thinking, then so be it. If it's you, I'm sure you thought it through carefully."
Ja Yeon nodded and glanced at the mana training dummies behind her.
"They're all broken."
"Ahem."
All those mana training dummies had been destroyed. By none other than Yoo Baekjun.
While training Reversal Strike and Heaven Destroyer, they had been completely smashed.
"…I'll repair them with my own money."
"No need. They're consumables anyway. If they contributed to Young Master's growth, then it's a worthy expense."
"Should I feel honored?"
"Feel however you'd like."
Ja Yeon smiled gently.
Even though she had no children, her smile resembled that of a mother with a son.
"Lord Yoo Taerang is scheduled to return in about one month and a week."
"Yes, I've made a mental note of it."
"The youngest Young Master also wants to inherit the Sword Saint Clan, correct?"
Ja Yeon asked quietly.
Yoo Baekjun nodded without hesitation.
"It's far too late to turn back now. Since I've bared my fangs, neither my elder brothers nor sisters will let me be."
"There's still the option of joining another successor's faction like Yoo Kangho did."
"Do I look like someone who'd do that?"
Yoo Baekjun let out a dry chuckle.
Yoo Kangho gave up his claim and submitted under Yoo Taerang, preserving his life that way.
"If Yoo Jongmin and Yoo Rian were still alive, the successor dynamics would've been far more complicated."
"…My brother and sister, you mean."
"Yes. Especially Lord Yoo Jongmin—Lady Yoo Jungyeon cherished him dearly. I still remember how heartbroken she was when he passed."
They were also Yoo Baekjun's siblings.
Of course, they were no longer alive. Yoo Jongmin died in a gate, and Yoo Rian died in an accident.
Or so it was made to appear.
"Young Master, from now on, the other successors won't leave you alone."
Ja Yeon approached.
"Be wary of Lord Yoo Taerang and Lady Yoo Jungyeon. Both have strong ambitions to become the successor. They won't hesitate to use any means."
"Yes, I'm well aware."
Yoo Baekjun muttered bitterly.
"More than anyone, I know it all too well."
***
Yoo Baekjun left Ja Yeon's dojo with Han Seonga. He wanted to learn more, but he had too much to do to delay any longer.
"You're here, Young Master."
"Oh, did you look into what I asked?"
"You mean the Somnium Bar? Yes, I've investigated it."
Choi Seungmin greeted him the moment he arrived.
"The auction is scheduled for tomorrow, and apparently items from the Otherworld will be up for bid. But there's one particularly interesting item."
"What is it?"
"A corpse of a rare spiritual beast."
"A corpse?"
Han Seonga looked puzzled, while Yoo Baekjun's eyes gleamed. This was what he had been waiting for.
The auction event.
"What about the invitation?"
"I've already secured one. Here."
Choi Seungmin handed him the invitation.
The word Somnium was written in elegant cursive. The auction would begin tomorrow at 9 PM.
"It's 2 o'clock now… I'll pack and head straight to Seoul."
"You're going to Seoul after just finishing your training? You're attending the auction?"
"Yeah. Master Han Seonga, you're coming with me."
"…Me?"
Han Seonga's eyes widened in surprise. She clearly hadn't expected to be called upon.
"No one's likely to recognize me, but still—I'm a successor to the Sword Saint Clan. I'll need someone to guard me outside."
"Ah, yes. That's true. It's an honor."
Han Seonga nodded.
It had been a while since she'd gone outside the clan. A rare outing didn't sound so bad.
"Get ready quickly. I'll see you in a bit."
"Young Master! Aren't you going to eat?"
"Sandwich."
Yoo Baekjun went up to his room. While packing, he happened to glance in the mirror.
"My face's gotten better."
Two weeks of training had added both fat and muscle. From his scrawny figure, he had now developed a lean but toned body.
"..."
Staring at his reflection, he remembered what Ja Yeon had said earlier.
'Yoo Jongmin, Yoo Rian.'
His already-dead siblings. One died in a gate, the other in an accident. But was that really true?
No, it wasn't. Both had openly expressed ambitions to become successors.
'Yoo Taerang saw them as threats and made it look like accidents to get rid of them.'
Yoo Baekjun had already bared his fangs.
Once Yoo Taerang returned and learned the truth, he'd try to eliminate him too.
Which meant he had to grow stronger.
"If that man who calls himself my father had been even a little decent, I wouldn't have to worry about any of this."
Yoo Baekjun recalled the face of Yoo Moohak.
Always expressionless, impossible to read. He never gave affection to any of his children.
'None of Yoo Moohak's kids ever really saw him as a father.'
With no proper affection during their upbringing, how could they?
Moreover, Yoo Moohak had three wives. The first died, the second was estranged, the third divorced.
"This really is one messed-up family."
It was a train wreck of a household.
The first wife gave birth to Yoo Taerang, Yoo Rian, and Yoo Baekjun. The second had Yoo Jungyeon and Yoo Jongmin. The third had Yoo Kangho and Yoo Min.
Now, all of them had left the clan.
"One month and a week left, huh."
To survive in this chaotic household, he needed strength, no matter what.
Yoo Baekjun opened his status window to review the results of the past week.
[Yoo Baekjun]
Strength: B (51/100)
Agility: B (48/100)
Stamina: B (62/100)
Mana: B (33/100)
[Innate Ability: Martial God's Book (EX, 2★)]
[Traits: Heavenly Martial Physique (S), Energizer (C)]
[Skills: Oriental Medicine Formulation (B), Mobility Technique (C, 1★), Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique (B, 1★), Heaven-Surging Mind Technique (B, 2★), Strike (C, 1★), Attribute Manifestation (A, 1★), Ground Kick (C, 1★), Joint Strike (C, 1★), Gale Steps (C, 1★), Ghostly Shadow Steps (B, 1★)]
His skill list had become ridiculously messy.
Even though he hid unused skills like the Tri-Fist Technique and Tri-Mind Technique, it was still overwhelmingly long.
'I'll have to organize it later.'
Yoo Baekjun checked the descriptions of the newly learned Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique and Ghostly Shadow Steps.
[Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique (B, 1★)]
– A partial martial art once used by the Martial God, refined by a highly talented master. Grants access to a fist technique of destructive power.
Heaven Destroyer: Accelerates the body through stance activation, then charges in a flash to unleash a powerful strike.
Reversal Strike: Spirals a mana-coated palm to absorb mana-based attacks and reflect them back.
[Ghostly Shadow Steps (B, 1★)]
– A footwork technique that moves fast enough to leave behind deceptive afterimages.
The grade of the Heaven-Splitting Fist Technique was lower than expected.
But that made sense. It wasn't the complete manual—he was only using part of it.
It had been downgraded accordingly.
'What's disappointing are the stats… but in a month, I should be able to bring them up to a decent level.'
Yoo Baekjun let out a long breath.
"I'm still not strong enough."
And he still wanted to become stronger.
If he could clear the upcoming auction event
"Guess it's time to take a little trip to Seoul."
Yoo Baekjun changed his clothes.