Gwang, Gwang.
His heart struck his chest like it was about to shatter.
Maybe, just maybe, a bone or two really would break.
It was just around the moment that thought crossed his mind.
The energy of sacred earth, which had been lingering in the lower abdomen, below the navel, suddenly surged upward.
"Good. It's begun."
The true effect of this training—
It manifests when you're pushed past your limits: technique of sacred earth enters the Grand Heavenly Circuit and begins circulating through all eight extraordinary meridians of the body.
In internal energy cultivation, the circulation of qi through the body is fundamental—but it usually only reaches the Minor Heavenly Circuit.
Once the Grand Heavenly Circuit is complete, the quality and quantity of one's internal energy drastically improve. Even masters of the Hwan Continent achieve this only after long years of rigorous training.
But Soohyeok's method was different.
Grueling and painful, yes—but if you overcame it, you could enter the Grand Heavenly Circuit very quickly.
The energy now in motion surged from his waist with terrifying force, like a dragon ascending into the heavens.
Gwang—!
The energy seeped between his exhausted cells. The sluggish flow of qi began to burst open with booming force.
The pathways through his body opened. The Governing and Conception vessels were unlocked.
All the acupoints required for qi circulation rapidly adapted.
[Notice]
Your relentless ambition and greedy pursuit of growth is admirable.
The martial art of sacred earth has reached 3 stars.
Your body, which had stiffened from disuse, has completely recovered.
You've acquired a new attribute: Will!
Roughly 30% of the impurities in your body have been expelled. Internal energy efficiency has increased accordingly!
Your Governing and Conception vessels have opened! Internal energy recovery and usage efficiency doubled!
Your bones have hardened and taken on a more flexible yet intimidating form.
You have obtained: Martial Bones !
Outstanding!
A truly remarkable evolution!
For the first time, the voice ringing in his head felt pleasant.
Soohyeok stopped running, dropped to the ground, and exhaled ragged breaths.
It was brutal.
Utterly, maddeningly exhausting.
And yet, at this very moment, it felt like he owned the whole world.
"Aaaaargh—!"
A fierce shout burst from his lips, curled in a broad grin.
It was a roar of victory—
A triumph in the battle against himself
***
The day he pushed beyond his limits.
Soohyeok returned home and fell asleep the moment he finished his shower, as if he were dead.
Only when the morning sun rose the next day did he finally open his eyes—and the first thing he checked was the Force System.
***
[Force Status]
Name: Yang SoohyeokAge: 27 (System check complete. Confirmed as physical age.)Gender: MaleLevel: 2Class: Martial Artist (武人)Alignment: Chaotic NeutralKarma: Past (過)Strength: 16Agility: 20Endurance: 23Wisdom: 18Will: 38
Special Note: Your karma rating is extremely high compared to your age and race.
Body Purification: 30%. Techniques using internal energy have increased efficiency.Governing and Conception vessels are open. Internal energy recovery rate and usage efficiency are doubled compared to base values.
****
His level had increased, and the previously unstable age value was now accurate.
But most noticeable of all was the explosive increase in his stats.
It was incomparable to when he'd just woken up in the hospital.
And now there was a new stat: Will.
"How are Wisdom and Will even measured?"
Unlike Strength, Agility, or Endurance, their effects weren't immediately obvious.
They felt… abstract.
But he set that thought aside for now and moved on.
"Body purification…?"
It seemed to indicate how much waste had been expelled from his body through training in technique of sacred earth .
If 100% is the full amount, then 30% would be about three-tenths.
"They said the system would adapt to my consciousness, but this feels like a halfway job."
Not that it mattered. In fact, for a modern person like Soohyeok, a percentage system was easier to understand than terms like "one-tenth" or "two-tenths."
Thinking about it, this halfway transformation made sense—Soohyeok was only half from the Hwan Continent, after all.
That thought brought a small smile to his face.
"And I got Martial Bones… but…"
He expected it to appear under Special Notes, but it wasn't there.
Just as he was wondering where it had gone, a new window popped up before him.
***
[Force Skill Interface]
Active Skills
A-rank – technique of sacred earth (3-star)
A superb foundational technique based on the energy of the Earth.
Passive Skills
NEW: Martial Bones – When using body-based abilities, gain an additional 20% boost.
***
A grin formed on Soohyeok's lips as he looked at the new window.
"Man, this really is just like a game."
Technique of sacred earth was an A-rank skill.
Martial Bones was a kind of passive.
It was all very easy to understand.
Soohyeok stood up right away.
Leveling up, acquiring skills—
All of it was possible through action.
For someone like Soohyeok, that was a highly favorable system.
He now had a few things he wanted to prepare.
When he stepped into the kitchen with those thoughts in mind, the house was empty.
Yang Seungbon and Han Junghui were probably out for work.
But what surprised Soohyeok was that even his younger sister wasn't home.
"Did Sooah go out too?"
Mumbling to himself, he walked toward the kitchen. Near the sink, he spotted a phone and a note left behind in an empty space.
[Starting today, I'm back to my part-time job. I was going to wake you, but you were sleeping so soundly I just left a note instead.
By the way, the phone—Mom got it activated and brought it home.
The data plan isn't generous, so you'll need to use it sparingly.
PS. Make sure to pick up your calls! I saved Mom, Dad, and my number in it.
PS2. If anything happens, call right away!]
It was a note that explained the situation clearly.
Sooah, who had been by Soohyeok's side for the past few days, had now gone back to work as well.
Given the household's financial state, it couldn't be helped. Even if the shop where she worked sympathized with her, they couldn't let her take an indefinite leave.
"Looks like I better get moving too."
In a way, this situation was a bit of a relief.
Even though Soohyeok had awakened, his family might have tried to stop him if they knew. Because they'd worry, and think it was too dangerous.
They wouldn't be thrilled to see someone who had just woken up after five years diving into that world.
So it was better to quietly establish a foundation first.
A foundation solid enough to reassure his family.
To do that, he'd have to keep pushing himself relentlessly.
In this era where awakeners appeared and the world beyond the portals had opened—
To be recognized, he had to stand out.
***
It looked like it was going to be a busy day.
With that thought, Soohyeok went to a quiet park where few people passed by and began to control his breathing.
Activating technique of sacred earth , his internal energy started to flow.
He couldn't yet materialize his qi, but he could heighten his physical senses and lightly reinforce his body.
In that state, he lightly stepped forward in front of a thick tree.
Then he immediately thrust his fist forward.
A sharp thud rang out as his fist collided with the tree.
In the blink of an eye, he delivered two or three striking punches.
His movements resembled a professional boxer, though he didn't rely solely on his fists.
In the next moment, the edge of his hand struck the side of the tree, and he even used the back and palm of his hand.
He continued striking the tree for about 30 minutes.
Then, a pleasant sound echoed in his head:
Ding–!
You have acquired an A-Rank skill: Ironbreaking Palm .
Soohyeok immediately stopped his motion and smiled.
"So that's what A-Rank means. About the level of a first-rate martial art. And the condition to learn it is to fully and consciously perform the full technique from start to finish."
If the body is che (체), internal energy is sim (심), then technique is gi (기).
As mentioned before, the balance of sim-gi-che is crucial.
Even if you have the engine and a body to support it, you still need the technical skill to use them effectively. What good is a powerful engine and sturdy frame if you don't have a proper steering system?
In the end, even the awkward stances that others might find laughable had their place.
That's why, even as passersby gave him strange looks during his martial drills, Soohyeok didn't care.
"Ugh, this is embarrassing. I should've worn a mask."
Truthfully, saying he didn't care was just self-consolation.
But the deed was done—no use crying over spilled milk. He couldn't waste any more time.
Now that he'd mastered the palm technique, the next was a kicking technique.
Ding–!
You have acquired an A-Rank skill: Wind-Reversing Kick .
Next: staff technique!
Soohyeok roughly broke off a thick tree branch and shaped it into a makeshift staff. He began swinging it like a madman.
If more people had seen him at that moment, they might have reported him to the police—he looked like a raving lunatic.
Ding–!
You have acquired an A-Rank skill: Rampaging Ghost Staff .
With the palm, kick, and staff techniques all learned, about two hours had passed by the time Soohyeok was reasonably satisfied with his results.
He was drenched in sweat.
"Guess that's it for now."
He had learned all the techniques that were realistically possible for him at his current level.
He could probably imitate even high-level martial arts if he put his mind to it, but pulling them off to the end would be nearly impossible.
It came down to insufficient internal energy and physical limits.
Soohyeok cleanly let go of that idea.
Instead, he returned home, took a shower, and headed to the Awakener Association.
"Been a while since I've been to Eungam Station."
After about a 20-minute walk from home, he got on the subway and arrived at Yeouido Station, where the association was located. He then headed straight to the Awakener evaluation center.
The assessment process wasn't very complicated.
You simply placed your hand on a crystal ball—a tool said to have been created by a great wizard from the UK.
When the orb emitted a blue light, the examiner nodded and said:
"Yes, you're awakened. Blue light means you also have a decent magic aptitude."
Soohyeok nodded, unsurprised by the result.
"So can I start working as a hunter right away?"
The examiner gave Soohyeok a strange look.
"You want to become a hunter?"
"Yes."
"You must need money badly. Otherwise, there's no reason to become a hunter—
especially not these days. Either way, you can't just start immediately."
"There are additional steps?"
Soohyeok frowned. What the examiner was saying didn't match what he had found in his research.
Online sources and rumors had suggested that once certified by the association, you could begin hunter activities immediately.
"Yes. Just because you're talented and awakened doesn't mean you can jump straight into fighting monsters. Even Korea can't afford to waste its talents."
The examiner, clearly used to seeing people like Soohyeok, responded dryly, then tapped a date circled in red on the calendar.
August 31.