CHAPTER 41

"This is it, right?"

"…More or less."

"Why do you look so surprised? Hoho.

I'm quite insightful, even among our kind. My job is a shaman, after all. If anything, it's more surprising that you came looking for me. I had a strange feeling I should come to the shop today."

Hearing that she was a shaman, Soohyeok could somewhat understand her insight.

He didn't know much about the Myoin, who called themselves Terranions, but he had encountered similar abilities back on the continent of Fantasia.

Shamans were mysterious, ambiguous, unique, and hard to understand.

If someone wasn't hostile, trying to understand them wasn't wise.

It only led to headaches and bothersome situations.

They could even be hypersensitive; digging too deeply could easily turn them into enemies.

"So, what's the price?"

"300 million."

"That's expensive!"

Soohyeok blurted out without thinking.

He had come to Yongsan expecting to buy a mana potion for under 100 million won, only to be hit with a price three times higher.

"It's a special product I made myself.

I guarantee its effectiveness. Honestly, it's a hassle to make them, so I usually don't bother — and this just happens to be the last one. You're really lucky. Or maybe… this is fate."

"Ugh…"

Her words didn't seem to be lies.

Thanks to her mystical aura as a Myoin and a shaman, it actually made him curious and a little excited.

If he had heard this anywhere else, he would've thought it was a scam and walked away without a word. But now he stood there, genuinely considering it.

"It's up to you whether you buy it or not."

"Can't your insight tell you that much?"

"No point in trying. That kind of thing would mean tracing through tens of millions of possible outcomes and the tangled flow of cause and effect. It's exhausting."

"You sure use complicated words."

"I don't think you completely misunderstand. Somehow, your spirit — your presence — exists on a far higher level than what you appear to be."

"Hmm…"

Soohyeok let out a groan, thinking that maybe she could even see through to his past self from the Fantasia continent.

If that were true, she was a remarkable shaman. As far as Soohyeok knew, only someone like Heuksanja — who had mastered dimensional travel — could do that.

'Though technically, that guy's more of a magician than a shaman.'

In any case, the conversation with the first Myoin he had met wasn't uncomfortable.

They spoke casually, naturally, and it didn't feel awkward — as if their fates had been entwined from the beginning.

It felt… right.

That feeling alone was enough for Soohyeok to make his decision.

"Alright, 300 million. I'll trust you and take it."

"Pfft, you're kind of cute, you know. Your voice is shaking."

"…Of course it is."

He had just spent more than half his remaining fortune in one go.

He came expecting to spend around 100 million, so the actual expense stung — and it was only natural to be tense.

Still, Soohyeok's keen instincts — usually quite accurate — weren't sending any danger signals. It didn't feel like a loss.

"You won't regret it."

"Ah, um, one more thing… can I ask you a weird favor?"

Soohyeok caught the potion bottle she tossed at him mid-air and continued.

"Hm?"

She sat naturally on one of the scattered boxes, crossing her legs as she asked.

It was a seductive pose.

But to Soohyeok, her appearance evoked a different emotion.

Soft-looking fur, adorably twitching ears, a gently swaying tail — he could say it with certainty.

The first Myoin he had ever seen was far more adorable and mysterious than he had imagined.

He felt an uncontrollable urge rising inside him.

So, he mustered the courage to speak.

"This might sound perverted but, um… could I… maybe… touch your fur? Just once?"

"Pervert."

She shot him a cold glare, her eyes narrowing.

Soohyeok, embarrassed, quickly cleared his throat.

"Ahem, ahem. Sorry. I didn't mean anything weird by it. It just… looked really fascinating."

"Shouldn't you at least introduce yourself before making a request like that?"

"Huh?"

"My name is Nei."

"Ah, I'm Yang Soohyeok."

"Human names here are always so unique. But I'll remember it.

Soohyeok. Yang Soohyeok."

Nei softly repeated his name a few times under her breath, then nodded.

"Alright, Soohyeok. I'm assuming you weren't aiming for any weird spots…"

"Absolutely not!"

"Kekeke, I know, I know. How about a handshake instead?"

With that, Nei extended her hand — covered in soft fur, claws retracted — from her seated position.

Her hand resembled a cat's paw, yet it had the freedom of movement like a human's.

"Let this be the moment we get to know each other.

The day Nei and Yang Soohyeok become friends."

"So we're becoming friends just like that, huh?"

"It's an honor, right? I don't just become friends with anyone."

And honestly, Soohyeok agreed with that sentiment.

Smiling, he reached out and took Nei's extended hand.

The sensation of her soft paw pad followed by silky fur wrapping around his fingers was unmistakable.

"Whoa…"

Soohyeok couldn't help but let out a sound of awe.

"…You really look like a pervert right now. This isn't dangerous, is it?"

"I told you, it's not like that. I just… I like cute and soft things, that's all."

Most humans were like that.

At least, that's what Soohyeok told himself, making a slightly indignant face.

Of course, even if he said that, there was no denying how pervy it probably looked.

"Myoin are incredible."

Meeting Nei had been a refreshing experience.

Elves like Shahar had sharp ears, but beyond that, they were practically indistinguishable from human women.

Nei, on the other hand, gave off the unmistakable sense of being from a completely different species.

Her full-body fur, unique features, and the soft touch of her coat — it was all deeply vivid.

"Myoin are amazing!"

Soohyeok shouted to himself repeatedly in the room — a line Nei would no doubt scold him for if she heard — and found himself making a small resolution.

'Once I settle down and live on my own, I'm definitely getting a cat.'

It was something he had vaguely considered even back in Fantasia.

Strange as it was for someone known as the "Emperor Without a Crown," he had a surprising weakness for cute animals.

"A cat. I'm going to raise a cat."

With that short-lived burst of desire concluded, Soohyeok finally came to his senses and pulled out the mana potion he'd bought from Nei.

A 300 million won bottle.

Originally, mana potions were meant for emergencies — to restore energy for mages or other superpowered individuals when they were drained.

They weren't for regular use, they were single-use, and their price was high. On top of that, the more you used them, the less effective they became, which made them rather unpopular.

Still, most awakened individuals in the supernatural classes kept at least one for emergencies.

But Soohyeok had bought one not for emergencies — but to gulp down in one go to boost his internal energy.

'Hopefully this works… but if it fails…'

He did believe there was something to the potion. He could feel a distinct, flowing energy from it.

That's why he bought it — but no amount of logic could fully suppress last-minute anxiety.

Before those doubts could take over, Soohyeok quickly popped the cork on the transparent potion bottle.

Pop!

A cool, refreshing sound escaped, and a crisp scent, like mint, hit his nose.

It felt like opening a box that contained a divine elixir.

Soohyeok no longer hesitated.

Instead, with growing excitement, he downed the potion in one swift motion.

The sensation that flowed down his throat could only be described as clear and refreshing energy — concentrated and alive.

Swallowing the entire 300 million won potion in one gulp, Soohyeok crossed his legs and began circulating his Geongon Hapil Divine Art.

As his three opened dantians (energy centers) absorbed the potion's energy, he initiated the small heavenly cycle, drawing and binding that energy into himself.

In that brief moment, Soohyeok knew for certain.

'This is the real thing.'

Not a fake or a substandard formula — this potion was packed with pure natural energy on par with the elixirs of the Fantasia continent.

Not quite the "Great Elixir Pill" of Shaolin legend, but definitely at the level of a Lesser Elixir Pill — just one step below.

'I can't let any of this go to waste.'

If he could absorb it all, he'd gain at least half a 60-year cycle of internal energy — equivalent to 30 years' worth.

Soohyeok already had over 20 years' worth of energy, so this would bring him to nearly a full cycle — 60 years.

And since Geongon Hapil Divine Art accelerated energy growth the more he had, this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

'Thank you, Nei. Myoin are the best.'

His instincts had been right.

With a quiet word of thanks in his heart, Soohyeok focused everything on drawing out the potion's full potential.

He pushed the energy through the greater heavenly cycle — and as he did, a blue aura began to flow and form around his entire body.

It eventually resembled a serpent, slithering across his limbs and into his nose and mouth.

'I won't let a single drop escape.'

He gripped the dispersing energy tightly, forcing it back down through his head, heart, and lower abdomen.

As he repeated this process over and over, Soohyeok's body began to hover off the ground slightly, a dense blue mist swirling around him.

All other thoughts vanished from his mind.

Only one obsession remained — a gluttonous predator's greed to absorb it all.

Geongon Hapil Divine Art supported him completely.

Even the blue mist around him spiraled inward and fed into his body.

Then—his eyes snapped open.

Blue lightning flickered briefly in his gaze.

A shiver ran down Soohyeok's spine.

From an unexpected place, he had gained more than he'd ever hoped.

'More than half a cycle…'

He had gained the equivalent of 35 years' worth of internal energy.

Counting the boost from his earlier elixir plan, he now had a total of 56 years' worth — nearly the full 60-year cycle.

This wasn't just about gaining strength to reach a higher level.

The sudden increase in energy caused Geongon Hapil Divine Art itself to grow.

Ding—!

Geongon Hapil Divine Art has evolved from S-rank to SS-rank!

Congratulations!

This martial art can evolve even further.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5 Stars)!

He had skipped right past the sluggish early phases — Star 1 to 3 — and broken through to Star 5 in one leap.

From now on, the rate at which Geongon Hapil Divine Art absorbed energy would be vastly faster than before.

The more energy accumulated, the more quickly and efficiently it would continue to grow.

This — this was the true power of Geongon Hapil Divine Art.

And the notifications weren't done yet:

[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]