Yeongcheon Style [5]

"Noona, you said you'd support me, right? How exactly are you going to support me?"

I hoped she meant with that incredible body of hers, but I bit my tongue.

"Just wait a minute."

Contrary to my hopes, Jin Se-young left the training room and returned about a minute later.

She was carrying a long box with both hands and approached me.

"There are five ways I'll support you. First, I'll waive the membership fee. Second, you'll have access to a private training room. Third, personal training – I'll personally guide you and promise to teach you sincerely. Fourth, I'll support you in real combat. And fifth, I'll provide weapon support. I'll give you the sword I'm holding. How does that sound?"

From my perspective, it was an incredible offer.

I wasn't planning to join a guild anytime soon, so that wasn't an issue. My goal was to become stronger, not to join a guild and work like a dog.

"Great. But what's this sword you're giving me?"

My eyes were fixed on the long box she was holding. The sword must be inside.

Jin Se-young carefully placed the box on the floor, took out a key, and unlocked the padlock.

Inside the box was a sword wrapped in fine cloth, emitting a red hue.

The blade was single-edged, with no guard, and the hilt, contrasting with the red blade, was an elegant black.

There was a black scabbard next to the sword, but my eyes were glued to the red blade.

I stared at it, mesmerized. I wasn't an expert on weapons, but the aura it gave off told me this sword was extraordinary.

Compared to this sword, my iron sword was trash.

"The sword's name is Hwaryeonbido. It's a type of Changpogeom."

"Changpogeom? But it's a sword."

[T/N: The name Hwaryeonbido in Korean terms means "Sword of the Flowing Lotus".

And Changpogeom is a kind of sword which is fluid and resilient and also can exert power and strength. In literally terms it means "Blue Iris Sword".]

"In Yeongcheon style, there's no distinction between swords and knives. In our style, 'geom' refers to any long blade. We don't bother with the distinction. Due to the nature of Yeongcheon style, we prefer light swords or daggers. Yeongcheon style's practical techniques favor swift kills over prolonged battles. In that sense, the Changpogeom is ideal."

"Ah!"

Come to think of it, the basic techniques of Yeongcheon style were all based on single-handed sword movements. There were even techniques involving reverse grip. It's not a style meant for face-to-face sword dueling.

For the free and versatile wielding of the sword as per Yeongcheon style, it's better not to have a guard.

Yeongcheon style, focused on speed and stealth, favours light weapons. Heavy swords would be a hindrance.

"If you don't like this, I can prepare something else."

"No, no, no! This is perfect!"

"Really? I'm glad."

I reached out and ran my fingers along the blade. I thought it might be hot due to its red colour, but it was surprisingly cool.

"The Hwaryeonbido was made by a master smith in Gangwon Province."

A master smith!

Even I had heard of that famous forge. Their skill was renowned throughout Korea and even overseas.

"The blade is made from black steel and the scales of a Fire Dragon, and the hilt is crafted from its bones."

"A Fire Dragon!"

An SS-class monster that wreaked havoc in Korea ten years ago. SS-class monsters are classified as immeasurable threats.

Fortunately, before it could emerge from its dungeon, all ten major guilds teamed up to hunt the Fire Dragon.

"Don't be too surprised. This is actually a failed piece. That's why it's called Bido, the 'Sorrowful Blade'. It was originally intended to have the power to manipulate flames, but that didn't work out. Apart from its exceptional durability and its edge never dulling without maintenance, it's a regular sword."

"Just that alone is incredible! How much would this sell for?"

"Not much. About 300 million won? Even 100 million won would be expensive for its performance, but the price goes up because of the Fire Dragon scales."

"You're really… giving this to me?"

Jin Se-young nodded without hesitation.

"Eugene, that's if you meet the conditions I set."

I met her eyes seriously and said,

"Noona, bring the contract. I'm in a hurry."

I was completely captivated by the Hwaryeonbi-do.

***

Real Battle…

This is the biggest concern for novice hunters.

Hunters enter dungeons to hunt monsters. The problem is that dungeons are isolated spaces, cut off from Earth except at the entrance. This makes them frequent sites for crime.

This is why hastily formed parties through the Association avoid high-level dungeons, and why guilds were created, primarily to combat hunter crimes.

Untrustworthy companions. Backstabbing teammates. Allies are turning into robbers.

Novice hunters without connections or backing have no choice but to join these hastily formed parties, which makes them hesitant to engage in real battles.

I had the same concern. But now, things are different. I have Jin Se-young, a trustworthy companion and bodyguard, by my side.

Jin Se-young is a B-rank hunter, and the dungeon we're in now is the F-rank "Ratman's Lair." Even if hunters nearby turned into robbers and attacked us, Jin Se-young would handle it within three minutes.

"Don't worry, even though it's your first real battle. You can handle Ratmen with your skills," Jin Se-young said, dressed in light leather armour for easy movement.

"If you say so, then it must be true," I replied, gripping the hilt of my sword, Hwaryeonbido, tightly.

I was also wearing leather armour, with added protection on the shoulders and chest. Initially, I wanted to protect myself with heavy armour, but due to the nature of Youngchun-ryu, which relies on agility, I had to opt for lighter armour.

The armour wasn't mine; I borrowed it from Jin Se-young.

"Ugh… I'm really nervous."

It wasn't my first time in a dungeon. I had entered one for practice before, fighting a goblin one-on-one.

But this time was different. Back then, I was surrounded by many people, and goblins are the weakest monsters, ones even ordinary people can fight off with weapons.

I called that practice "real combat," but it was just practice. My first true battle is happening right now.

"Calm down and take a deep breath."

"Whew… Ha... Whew… Ha..."

Taking deep breaths, I touched my smartphone instead of the sword hilt. It calmed me more than holding the sword.

Feeling a bit more relaxed, I put my hand back on Hwaryeonbido at my waist.

"This brings back memories. I was very nervous my first time too."

"How did you calm your nerves?"

"After my first fight, I relaxed a bit. You'll feel the same. After a few battles, you'll realize hunting isn't a big deal."

The F-rank dungeon "Ratman's Lair" is a swampy area. The ground is muddy, and there are trees and marshes everywhere.

Ratmen are the monsters that roam this swamp freely. They are bipedal rats, about 150 cm tall, attacking with claws and teeth. Each claw sells for about 10,000 won, and their magic stones are worth about 80,000 won.

We walked deeper into the dungeon, chatting.

We avoided other hunters when we saw them. Since it's an open dungeon that any hunter can enter, we had to be mindful of others' locations.

"Eugene, look over there. It's a Ratman."

I turned my head in the direction Jin Se-young pointed. About 30 meters away was a Ratman with black fur.

Even from a distance, I could tell it was much bigger than a goblin. The saying that three goblins can't defeat one Ratman seemed true.

"I'll show you how it's done first."

Jin Se-young walked toward the Ratman. The Ratman bristled its fur and extended its claws, ready to fight. Most monsters attack humans on sight, rarely running away no matter the difference in power.

"Kyaaa!"

Even as the Ratman charged, Jin Se-young didn't stop. She sidestepped and swung her sword. The Ratman's head flew through the air, landing on the ground with a spray of blood.

It looked like the Ratman just ran up and died.

"That's Yeongcheon-ryu's real combat technique, Byeok-gye. I'm nowhere near that level. Her mastery of real combat techniques is incredible." I muttered to myself after seeing the real use of Yeongcheon style.

[T/N: Byeok-gye literally means "Jade Flow".

Tell me in the comments should I use the Korean words or should I also translate them.]

From afar, it looked like she just swung her sword as she passed by, but from the Ratman's perspective, she must have seemed distant.

The real combat technique Byeok-gye uses unique footwork to blur the opponent's sense of distance.

"Most magic stones are near the monster's heart. If not there, then in the head."

Jin Se-young carefully collected the magic stone and claws and put it in her belt pouch.

From one Ratman, you get a magic stone and six claws, totalling about 140,000 won.

In simple terms, catching ten Ratmen earns you 1.4 million won, but you have to pay 30% in taxes. After considering equipment maintenance and dungeon entry fees, you're left with about 500,000 won to spend freely.

"Hunters naturally resent the Hunter Association and the government for taking those taxes."

Most hunters form parties, usually with five members. Catching thirty Ratmen in a day means earning about 300,000 won.

"That's still good money. In ten days, that's 3 million won. And as your skills improve and you hunt higher-rank monsters, earning 1 million won a day is nothing."

It's no wonder hunters are admired by ordinary people. But for me, with my [Play Life] app, such amounts are laughable.

If I fully utilized my [Play Life] app to make money, earning 100 million won would be a piece of cake.

"Eugene, there's another Ratman. This time, you take it down."

"…Got it."

I drew my sword and approached the Ratman. My body trembled slightly with nervousness. Despite killing people in the Play World, this was real life.

"Kyaa!"

The Ratman saw me, screeched, and charged. Remembering Jin Se-young's movements from ten minutes ago, I used Byeok-gye.

As I executed the unique footwork, the Ratman's eyes wavered, looking behind me. It worked. The Ratman's sense of distance was blurred, making it think I was several meters away.

"Not as smooth as Jin Se-young, but it worked."

I passed the Ratman and swung my sword. I severed its neck cleanly. Although my strength is less than that of other hunters, the sword's sharpness compensates.

"Not a big deal."

I muttered, looking at the ratman's corpse. It wasn't bravado, but the truth. My trembling voice was from the excitement of successfully using Yeongcheon-ryu's real combat technique in a real battle.

"See? It's not that hard, right?"

"Yeah. I think I can handle Ratmen easily now. How far can I go with my skills?"

"You should be able to hunt lower E-rank monsters. But beyond that, it'll be tough. Your Yeongcheon-ryu skills are solid, but your physical stats are lacking."

Physical stats.

Strength, stamina, and agility are lower compared to other hunters.

Knowing this, I nodded. Her words implied that, with adequate physical stats, I could easily hunt E-rank monsters.

While collecting the magic stone and claws from the Ratman's corpse, I spoke to her.

"Alright. Let's keep hunting. I've got the hang of it."

"Sure. We should at least cover our costs since we're here."

I approached and killed Ratmen as soon as I saw them. I didn't need to use Yeongcheon-ryu's real combat techniques; basic skills were enough.

Five hours.

That's how long it took me to kill 24 Ratmen.

We killed about five per hour, but finding them took longer than the actual combat.

"Only 24…"

"It can't be helped. In open dungeons, competition is fierce. The main thing to remember in open dungeons is not to steal monsters. About 80% of disputes in dungeons are over monster ownership."

"I've heard that. Still, closed dungeons are a bit risky… Huh? Why did you stop?"

"Shh! Someone's lying in wait ahead."

We were on our way back, having finished hunting and carrying valuable loot.

"…Bandits?"

Hunter bandits.

As the name suggests, they are scum who rob other hunters. I peeked and saw three of them leaning against a large tree, chatting.

"Probably. We could just avoid them… but that would let them prey on others. We need to deal with them."

Jin Se-young moved forward, and I followed.

I wasn't too worried.

This is an F-rank dungeon, and she is a B-rank hunter. The level of the bandits here was obvious.