Chapter 18

He had become a public enemy, but Pyo Wol didn’t care.

He had been treated the same way even before Sang Il-shin’s declaration. He was already used to being hated. Being hated any more than this wouldn’t change anything, so he paid it no mind.

‘So it was Gu Poison after all.’

Gu Shin-haeng had definitely mentioned Gu Poison.

Just as Pyo Wol had guessed, they were using Gu Poison to place a Restriction on the children.

Unless the Hell Flute was destroyed or the Gu Poison in their bodies was removed, there was no way to escape their grasp.

The fortunate thing was that their Hell Flute didn’t work on Pyo Wol.

‘It seems the snake venom suppressed the Gu Poison.’

Pyo Wol thought it was a relief.

He hadn’t gotten bitten by the snake in anticipation of a moment like this, but as a result, he had become free from their Restriction.

With this, he had gained one more weapon to escape from them.

Im Sayeol told the children that, as promised, he would give them a rest until they were deployed on a mission. Although the children had failed to capture Pyo Wol, who had learned the nameless Sword Art, he judged that continuing the training any further would not be very effective.

At the words that they could finally rest with peace of mind, the children let out sighs of relief.

For the past six years, they had not slept peacefully for even a single day.

Their hatred for Pyo Wol remained, but for now, they wanted to rest without a care in the world.

As Im Sayeol had said, the children were given a sweet rest.

The children stopped all Training and enjoyed the time given to them.

Pyo Wol also enjoyed his rest in his residence, Sector One. However, his rest was different from that of the other children.

Pyo Wol reviewed everything he had learned and mastered.

The Thunderclap Mind Method, the nameless Sword Art, and countless Killing Methods flickered in his mind.

Arts that were so disparate, it seemed they could never become one. But he had a feeling that if he did it right, he could merge them into one.

Pyo Wol did not know how incredible the task he was attempting was. If another Martial Artist had known his inner thoughts, they would have packed rice balls and followed him around, trying to stop him.

It was that dangerous of an attempt.

It was something that shouldn’t even be attempted unless one’s Martial Arts had reached at least the Pinnacle Realm, to the point where they could analyze themselves with a cool head.

Pyo Wol was about to attempt such a dangerous feat, trusting only his intuition. But for Pyo Wol, it was nothing new.

He had always been like this until now.

No one here had taught him proper Martial Arts. The instructors only taught killing techniques, not profound Martial Arts or insights.

What they wanted were killers who only followed orders—in other words, Assassins.

Therefore, they only taught the necessary level of Killing Method, and nothing more could be expected.

If one wanted to achieve a higher level of accomplishment, they had to earn it through their own efforts. And Pyo Wol had a stronger desire for strength than anyone else and was accustomed to the act of striving.

A level of concentration that others would have marveled at as amazing was a daily routine for him.

Pyo Wol unfolded the Thunderclap Mind Method and then performed the nameless Sword Art and the Killing Method in succession.

Shishishik!

A sharp, air-slicing sound echoed in the darkness.

The faster Pyo Wol moved, the sharper the sound became.

His movements had already far surpassed the level of the children.

Heart Speed.

He could now think fast enough to split a falling lightning bolt.

Situational judgment and decisions were made in an instant.

This acceleration of thought had a great impact on his physical abilities as well.

Although his Technique Forms were crude, his speed had become abnormally fast.

All of this was the effect of the Thunderclap Mind Method.

Pyo Wol delved into the Thunderclap Mind Method with something close to obsession.

His Thunderclap Mind Method was developing in a more bizarre direction than the Martial Artist who created it had intended.

If he had a proper master, they would have surely scolded Pyo Wol severely and made him practice within a safe framework. But if that had happened, Pyo Wol’s Thunderclap Mind Method would never have developed beyond that of its creator.

It was a paradoxical situation where he was achieving greater accomplishments precisely because he had no master.

The acceleration of thought brought about an expansion of imagination.

One of the most important things in Martial Arts was imagination.

Those who, based on an extraordinary imagination, realized one by one the things that others said were impossible, were bound to achieve great accomplishments. Of course, the reality was that few tried because the risk was just as great.

When there was a proven, safe path, there was no need to walk an unknown path full of danger.

The Martial Arts of the renowned Orthodox Factions were mostly like that.

Having been steadily developed over a long period, they were that much more stable, and achievement was certainly guaranteed. That was why most people wished to become a Disciple of a renowned Orthodox Faction.

Pyo Wol did not know such facts.

He didn’t know what the common sense of the Jianghu was, or why people learned stable Mind Methods. That was why he could undertake such an adventure without a second thought.

To others, it was a space of only deep darkness, but to Pyo Wol, this place was no different from a blank canvas.

Here, he would bring the pictures in his head to reality, imagining things close to infinity.

Pyo Wol imagined connecting the Thunderclap Mind Method, the nameless Sword Art, and the Killing Method into one.

It wasn’t easy at first.

No matter how outstanding his imagination was, creating something from nothing was a feat only a great master could achieve.

Pyo Wol did not possess that much capability. Instead, he had a mysterious intuition.

The detailed senses he had honed in the darkness were instinctively showing him the right path.

Pyo Wol trusted his intuition completely.

It was thanks to it that he had been able to survive until now.

Sssshhht!

Every time Pyo Wol moved, the air shimmered frighteningly.

‘No, this isn’t it. I have to move more stealthily.’

Moving quickly was good, but if the sound spread so sharply like this, he couldn’t even dream of approaching an enemy stealthily.

He had to be swift, yet stealthy.

Pyo Wol thought of a ghost.

He practiced moving as ethereally as a ghost, striving to become like one.

Sweat flowed ceaselessly from his entire body, and his breath came up to his chin, but it could not hinder his movements.

Pyo Wol poured all his remaining time, except when sleeping or resting, into training himself.

He didn’t even go near the underground cavern.

Because of that, he didn’t see the children’s faces.

He didn’t feel particularly lonely even though he couldn’t get along with them and was separated. But it seemed the children were different.

While he was deep in Training, he felt a presence crossing from Sector Two to Sector One.

Pyo Wol stopped his movements and listened intently.

“He’s in here, right?”

“He’s something else. To be all alone in a place like this.”

“Truly an incomprehensible person. To reject everyone and choose a damp, dark place like this.”

The children’s voices carried through the darkness.

A normal person would have heard only a faint, buzzing noise, but Pyo Wol’s senses had already surpassed human limits, so he could distinguish the children’s voices accurately.

‘So Yeowol, Lee Min, So Gyeoksan.’

The three children cautiously entered Sector One.

In their hands, they held torches.

So Gyeoksan illuminated the Four Rooms with a torch and muttered.

“Where the hell is this bastard hiding?”

“Why are you looking for me?”

Pyo Wol’s voice came from right behind So Gyeoksan.

Startled, So Gyeoksan looked back. Behind him, Pyo Wol stood like a ghost.

“Wh-When?”

A cold sweat ran down So Gyeoksan’s spine. It was because he thought that if Pyo Wol had attempted an ambush, he would have died without being able to resist even once.

“What is it?”

“We want to talk.”

Instead of the surprised and speechless So Gyeoksan, So Yeowol spoke up.

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned to her.

“Talk about what?”

“The Restriction.”

“……”

“The Restriction placed on us. You know, don’t you? What kind of Restriction was placed.”

So Yeowol approached Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol looked at her without a word.

“We all felt excruciating pain and collapsed at the same time.”

“I collapsed too.”

“That’s the problem.”

“Problem?”

“We couldn’t find you until the end. You weren’t there. But when we came to our senses, you were collapsed with us. That means you must have approached us after the Restriction was activated. Which means you are either not affected by the Restriction, or less affected.”

“……”

So Yeowol was certainly smart.

Her mind was deep enough to grasp a point that the other children hadn’t even thought of. It was probably her idea to come here.

“I feel like you would know what kind of Restriction it is. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right! I definitely know what kind of Restriction was placed on us.”

“Tell me.”

“Why should I?”

“What?”

“Isn’t that right? Why should I bother telling you about the Restriction? What’s in it for me? If I tell you about the Restriction, you all should pay a fair price as well.”

At Pyo Wol’s words, So Yeowol closed her lips, as if at a loss for words for a moment.

Instead, it was So Gyeoksan who shouted.

“You bastard, is that something you say to a comrade?”

“You all might be comrades among yourselves, but I’m not. If you thought of me as a comrade, you wouldn’t have pursued me so relentlessly. Or am I wrong?”

“Keuk!”

So Gyeoksan’s face crumpled.

He had no suitable reply. In reality, they had never once thought of Pyo Wol as a comrade.

Pyo Wol was an alien being to them as well.

Everyone was reluctant to be around Pyo Wol.

Only the more daring girls like So Yeowol or Lee Min had ever talked to Pyo Wol; the rest of the children had just treated him like a cow looking at a chicken. So now, using the word comrade, even So Gyeoksan felt utterly ashamed. But So Gyeoksan was no ordinary person either.

“Fine! Then we can become comrades from now on. I swear it. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you and will think of you as a friend.”

“Trying to get away with just a few words like that. You’ve got some thick skin.”

“Kil, kil! You need thick skin to learn face-ripping, you know. It won’t be bad for you to have a friend like me either. I may not look like it, but I’m quite capable. If you ever find freedom, come find me at the Gonghua Performing Troupe. I’ll help you out a bit for old times’ sake.”

“That won’t happen.”

Pyo Wol let out a smirk.

Seeing his slightly relaxed demeanor, So Yeowol and Lee Min did not miss the opportunity and stepped forward.

“I will also think of you as a friend. At the very least, the children who follow me will not be hostile to you.”

“I’ll think of you specially, too. I will never betray you.”

Lee Min lowered her eyes slightly with a shy expression. Illuminated by the torch, she looked even more alluring.

Pyo Wol looked at the three of them for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Fine! I’ll tell you.”

“Really?”

At the unexpected words, So Yeowol’s face brightened.

Pyo Wol nodded and said.

“We’ve all been poisoned by Gu Poison.”

“Gu Poison?”

“Yes! The very Gu Poison you know. It’s Hiding in Wait inside our bodies and reacts to the sound waves of the Hell Flute, releasing its poison. The poison then circulates through our blood vessels and attacks our organs.”

“How did you endure the Gu Poison’s toxin for so long?”

“I’ve always been resistant to poison. That’s why I was able to move even after you all lost consciousness. Well, even so, all I could do was endure for another hour or two.”

“So that’s…”

“Now that I’ve told you the truth, you figure out how to drive out the Gu Poison.”

Pyo Wol told them the truth.

It wasn’t because of the children’s proposal, but because he judged that it would be more advantageous for him.

The more variables, the better.

If even one or two of the children could break free from the Gu Poison, numerous variables would be created.

Pyo Wol would be satisfied with just that.

So Yeowol looked at Pyo Wol silently for a moment.

The more she looked, the more mysterious he was.

He was clearly around the same age as them, but his thoughts and actions were beyond their imagination.

‘Just where did a being like this pop out from?’

So Yeowol shook her head slightly.

That was how much she couldn’t understand the person named Pyo Wol.

In any group, there are bound to be those who reject the ordinary, but Pyo Wol was extreme. Maybe that was why the other children found Pyo Wol even more unsettling.

Now that she had achieved her goal, it was time to go back.

“Thank you! I will definitely repay this favor. If you need anything later, come find me. I’ll do my best to help.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be going now.”

So Yeowol turned and headed outside. So Gyeoksan also waved his hand and followed her.

Lee Min, who had remained until the end, suddenly opened her mouth.

“Lee Seol-min.”

“Huh?”

“That’s my real name.”

“……”

“I hope you’ll remember it.”

Lee Min gave a gentle smile.

Bathed in the light, her lips shone with a particular redness.