Soldier Eccentric made a dumbfounded expression, then let out a hollow laugh and said,
"The world? Ha-ha-ha. Are you some Confucian scholar? What kind of grass-eating nonsense are you spouting?"
There was no way Soldier Eccentric could understand.
Dong Bong-soo had analyzed the system and followed the path it created, occasionally exploiting loopholes in that system to become stronger and survive. But what was clear was that he had followed the path the system created.
So his master was definitely the system, this New Murim Online itself.
"I looked at the world and tried to understand it better, and used what I understood in different ways. As I did so, the world gradually became clearer."
Only then did Soldier Eccentric realize Dong Bong-soo's words weren't a joke and erased the smile from his lips.
"...Is that really all?"
Dong Bong-soo didn't stop walking and answered immediately.
"If I had to name another master, it would be humans."
"...What kind of bone-headed talk is that now?"
After grass, now bones. It was a natural reaction from Soldier Eccentric.
However, to Dong Bong-soo, that was also the truth.
Even before coming to this world, that is, when he was in that other world, there was no being he could call a master.
If he had such a thing, it was precisely humans, that essence itself.
"Just like the world, I studied humans and analyzed them to understand them, and tried to imitate them."
To hunt. There was no other reason whatsoever.
Though the meaning Soldier Eccentric heard, understood, and interpreted would be completely different.
"Is that truly all?"
Soldier Eccentric suddenly blocked Dong Bong-soo's path and brushed aside his hair. It was to see his eyes.
He read sincerity in Dong Bong-soo's eyes. However, he completely failed to understand what the foundation of that sincerity was.
Dong Bong-soo passed by Soldier Eccentric and moved his steps again.
"That's right."
"...I can't believe it."
"Don't believe it."
"Heh heh heh, heh-ha-ha-ha! As expected, a madman, you're a madman."
A madman.
Perhaps it might be correct.
However, to Dong Bong-soo, he himself was a more normal and honest person than anyone else in this world. At least by his own standards.
It would be so in the future as well. In some ways, he would change to become even more so. The more that happened, the more he would look like a madman to Soldier Eccentric, but it wasn't his concern.
Because that was who he was.
"Let's hurry. Let's go quickly and have a hearty drink together."
Soldier Eccentric said, slinging his arm over Dong Bong-soo's shoulder.
Dong Bong-soo didn't particularly like people touching his body, but right now he stayed still.
It was acting anyway.
Because Soldier Eccentric had to be his absolute ally and reliable support going forward. Perhaps it might go even further than that. Therefore, there was no need to waste energy with the trouble of removing Soldier Eccentric's arm from his shoulder.
Dong Bong-soo and Soldier Eccentric walked toward that small structure with their arms around each other's shoulders, their backs to Central Great Road which was still crowded. Though the Murim Alliance was large so the distance wasn't very short, it also wasn't very far.
After deflecting several of Soldier Eccentric's trivial questions, they had arrived in front of it before they knew it.
The structure seen up close was like a semi-basement monthly rental room or warehouse from that other world. The entrance was open and stairs leading directly downward were visible.
"Come in. Though it looks like this, it's incredibly spacious below."
Soldier Eccentric gestured noisily and descended the stairs first.
The cylindrically installed stairs were more numerous than expected, meaning it was quite deep despite appearances. Looking at it now, it wasn't a semi-basement but a real basement.
When Dong Bong-soo had descended about 6-7 meters by his perception, a large iron door appeared.
Clank.
Soldier Eccentric pushed the iron door open and entered inside first.
Dong Bong-soo immediately followed inside.
The interior was incredibly spacious as Soldier Eccentric had said. Whether it was originally a building used as a forge, various weapons and tools that blacksmiths would use were scattered everywhere, and peculiarly, a bed was even installed on one side for sleeping.
A place perfect to be used as Soldier Eccentric's quarters. That was the first impression of the place.
However,
"I've been waiting. Elder."
There was a prior guest.
Eul Ji-tae—it was precisely him.
Having come and waited first, when Soldier Eccentric entered, he bowed respectfully with cupped fists in greeting.
Soldier Eccentric glanced at him once with an irritated expression, then went inside the workshop.
"Eiii—. I was trying to have a tasty drink with Guang-chuan, but an unlucky fellow came to spoil the taste of alcohol beforehand. Damn."
"I apologize."
"If you're sorry, tell the old man to take it easy with the work. I'm old enough now that my bones ache when I run around panting."
From the moment Eul Ji-tae appeared, Soldier Eccentric knew well he had come bearing Hyeoncheon Jinin's orders. However, he couldn't reject the work assigned just because it was bothersome.
He was properly one of the Secret Service Lords belonging to the Murim Alliance.
Eul Ji-tae looked at Dong Bong-soo standing at the entrance and said,
"I want to talk just between us two."
Creeeak.
Dong Bong-soo glanced once at Eul Ji-tae and tried to push the not-yet-closed iron door to go back outside.
"That fellow can stay."
Soldier Eccentric said.
At that, Dong Bong-soo stopped the hand he was pushing. Needless to say, his feet also stopped. It was an action recognizing the important moment. With Eul Ji-tae's appearance, he felt that what he had intended might happen sooner than he had thought.
"However, Elder, this is an important matter. Though I understand your feelings of caring for that young man, this is Alliance business."
"For me, there's no business more important than that fellow right now. Breaking Heaven Hegemon Blade."
Soldier Eccentric's words lowered slightly. His eyes half-opened and lightning-like sharp light flowed out. It was an expression of will that he had no intention of yielding at all.
But Eul Ji-tae couldn't easily back down either.
"I said it was an important matter. Elder."
"No, so I'm telling you to speak here, aren't I? What you're saying is important now is the Extreme Yin Heaven..."
"Elder—!"
"Hey! You bastard. What will you do if someone loses a child because of you? You're shouting loud enough to deafen me. Over nothing important."
Eul Ji-tae was startled by Soldier Eccentric's words and urgently cut him off mid-sentence. It was a loud voice that the usual Eul Ji-tae would never emit.
"Even if you're an Elder, you can't so carelessly speak about that... thing."
"You bastard. Those who should know already all know. Even if it was hidden behind the New Star for several years, it was openly floating in the sky for several months, wasn't it? Do you think that's some tremendous secret?"
"However..."
"Ah, enough, what if that fellow is my disciple?"
"...!"
At Soldier Eccentric's bombshell-like unexpected statement, Eul Ji-tae's cold face stiffened even harder.
On the other hand, Dong Bong-soo.
'Done.'
He muttered inwardly. Though it was an unexpected development, the result was just as scheduled. Perhaps it might produce an even better result.
"Then that's fine, right?"
Soldier Eccentric said again.
Eul Ji-tae looked at Soldier Eccentric a bit longer, then turned his head to look at Dong Bong-soo.
Not only his eyes but half his face was covered by his hair, making it impossible to know what he was thinking. Judging from his lack of reaction, Soldier Eccentric's words about being his disciple might be true.
'However, Dong Guang-chuan's age...'
Eul Ji-tae already knew to some extent about Dong Bong-soo's extraordinariness.
Even so, taking someone that old as a disciple?
That was the part that didn't readily make sense. Though Dong Bong-soo didn't seem very old, he would at least be around twenty.
At that age, not only the muscles and bones but also the blood vessels would have stiffened considerably. The muscles and bones seemed excellent from steady wanderer life, but once blood vessels stiffened, they were very difficult to open again. In short, it meant it was already too late to learn proper Internal Energy Arts cultivation methods.
Yet that old monster took him as a disciple?
"Is it really true?"
Instead of answering Soldier Eccentric's words, Eul Ji-tae asked Dong Bong-soo. However, Dong Bong-soo said nothing.
"I'm asking if it's really true?"
Eul Ji-tae's voice rose slightly, but Dong Bong-soo remained silently unresponsive.
Because it was an important moment.
Depending on how he answered here, his future course might completely change.
What answer should he give? What words should he say to produce the best result? However, the answer was already decided. And he had already given that answer.
The best answer he chose was.
"..."
This.
To express it in words, silent waiting. That was it.
"See? That fellow is staying quiet too. So it's fine, right?"
Soldier Eccentric was satisfied with Dong Bong-soo's waiting.
Though it was words suddenly blurted out swept up in the atmosphere....
It was definitely sincere. Moreover, hadn't he said he had no master? No, precisely, he said the world or humans or whatever, but in the end, wasn't that the same thing?
Being somewhat older wasn't important. What was important was the fact that he liked Dong Bong-soo.
"..."
Even after that, Eul Ji-tae looked at Dong Bong-soo for a while longer, then turned his head back to Soldier Eccentric.
Immediately after, his lips moved rapidly. Yet his bleak voice didn't flow out at all.
"Breaking Heaven Hegemon Blade wasn't this kind of fellow. Being in a place like the Murim Alliance for a long time, he's only grown craftier."
It was Sound Transmission.
Doing so meant he didn't need to perfectly confirm whether Dong Bong-soo was Soldier Eccentric's disciple or not, and he judged it was fine for him to be present.
Though Soldier Eccentric found Eul Ji-tae's Sound Transmission quite displeasing, he didn't particularly reproach Eul Ji-tae. Since he was going to speak, there was no need to stop even that. Whatever the case, Eul Ji-tae was someone who came bearing the Murim Alliance Leader's message.
"Is that all?"
After Eul Ji-tae's Sound Transmission continued for quite a while and ended, Soldier Eccentric casually tossed out a word as if it were nothing.
"Yes, Elder."
With that, the secret conversation between the two ended.
However, that was only their delusion.
The Sound Transmission between them wasn't secret at all.
Dong Bong-soo had overheard all of Eul Ji-tae's words. Precisely, the expression 'overseen' might be more accurate.
His, Eul Ji-tae's lips... were all read.