『Faith Judgment Lv.1』
[Advanced Magic] [Area of Effect] [Holy Attribute]
― When hearts that believe in the hero gather, that faith descends as heaven's judgment. The more believers there are, the heavier the judgment becomes. It pours down a sacred light condensed from the faith in the hero from the sky, inflicting Holy Attribute damage to all enemies within range. The damage increases in proportion to the number of people who believe in the caster. The faith of one person is but a single ray of light, but the faith of a hundred becomes the sun.
Mana Cost: 150 MP
Casting Time: 3 seconds
Cooldown: 300 seconds
Effect Range: 50m radius around the caster
Base Damage: 100 (+ Faith Bonus): Damage bonus based on Trust +10~50% (Stacks): Additional Damage to Unorthodox Path · Demonic type enemies × 200%: Casting interrupted upon taking damage
『Hero's Blessing Lv.1』
[Advanced Magic] [Area of Effect] [Healing] [Holy Attribute]
― The hero's touch must reach the wounded. Bestow a warm light upon all you wish to protect. Converts the hero's faith into light to heal all allies within range. The healing amount increases in proportion to the number of people who believe in the caster, and it simultaneously purifies status effects (poison, bleeding, energy drain, etc.). It is a miracle unique to a hero, granting the strength to not fall even in the heart of battle.
Mana Cost: 120 MP
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Cooldown: 180 seconds
Effect Range: 30m radius around the caster
Base Healing: 150 HP (+ Faith Bonus): Healing bonus based on Trust × 1.3 (Stacks): Purifies 1 status effect (Poison, Bleeding, Energy Drain, Internal Injury, etc.): Cannot move while casting, casting interrupted upon taking damage
The choice was not difficult.: Damage bonus based on Trust +10~50% (Stacks)
A Trust relationship, meaning just considering him an object of 'faith', would grant a 10% damage increase.
Ten people would mean double, twenty people would mean quadruple.
If that deepened to the level of 'adoration', he could gain 50% damage per person.
With just two such people, the damage would double.
Even if the base damage was low....
What if the members of the Hero's Sect increased to 50?
What if it became 100, or 1000?
After a careful examination, he couldn't see a 'ceiling' either.
'Headcount is firepower.'
The second skill, an area-of-effect healing skill.
Honestly, it wasn't bad.
A technique to raise the health of allies all at once.
It might be more stable for maintaining presence on the battlefield or in a large-scale war.
However.
From Dong Bongsu's perspective, it wasn't even worth considering.
Because this was the Murim.
Even thinking back to the battle with the guy he fought recently, numbers didn't matter.
The fox monster he saw when he first fell, the 'certain place' in the sky he saw as he was falling, and the words of the guy who was 'disguised' as a Dark Rakshasa Way member.
― Kekekekekek! I finally caught you, you insignificant low-level bastard!
What all of this converged on and pointed to was all too clear.
'The Upper Realm.'
The higher region that Kim Rae-won had aimed for from the beginning.
He had no idea how powerful or how dangerous it was.
However, if the guy from before misunderstood him and called him an 'insignificant low-level,' then he definitely needed to prepare before going.
In that sense.
The only headcount that mattered to him now was the number of 'believers'.
Killing is faster.
Killing is more certain.
Becoming stronger and indiscriminately cutting down enemies is vastly more efficient than saving weak allies.
It was only natural.
Here, rather than saving the entire Central Plains.
'Enough to kill the entire Central Plains, the entire world…'
Becoming that strong was overwhelmingly important.
That was the way of this body, and it was also closer to human nature.
The weak, he would make them believe in him, trust him, follow him, and revere him.
That was enough.
Moreover: Cannot move while casting
Perhaps because it was a healing-type skill, if he couldn't even use it while moving, [Hero's Blessing] was nearly useless in this Murim.
And so, he simply chose [Faith Judgment].
After that.
The written letter he had pushed to the end of the table caught his eye.
'He said it was from Bae Dal-pae.'
About the state and movements of the Jianghu.
― Large numbers of personnel from Dark Rakshasa, Vast Heaven, and the Formation Tower are simultaneously moving toward the River Capital.
It was less a report on the movements and more a one-line warning.
He had to assume that various consecutive incidents and the many parts connected to them had been twisted and distorted to produce this result.
"Interesting."
An emotion he had never properly felt in his entire life, he was feeling it too often since coming here.
Of course, it was good for him, but in Murim terms, it was an emotion that would surely bring about unfavorable results.
Dong Bongsu folded the letter.
Then, he shifted his gaze out the window.
The sun had already set quite a bit, and the evening glow lay long over the roof of the Hero's Sect.
Just then.
He heard footsteps.
They were neither fast nor running, but each step carried a sense of cheerfulness.
It had been a while, but he could easily tell whose footsteps these belonged to.
Soon, the door opened.
"Yo-."
Dust-covered clothes, a face that showed he had run for days without rest, were revealed.
"Long time no see."
Dongmun Mutoe stood there, baring his teeth and giving a slight wave.
He was exhausted, but his eyes were certainly vivid.
"Yeah, it's been a while."
Dong Bongsu read Dongmun Mutoe's eyes.
What was inside them was not just fatigue.
A significant part of the reason the Formation Tower was on the move, as mentioned in Bae Dal-pae's letter, was likely orchestrated by Dongmun Mutoe.
"Hoh-."
Dongmun Mutoe's gaze went past Dong Bongsu and swept around the room.
The pile of letters on the table.
The ink-dried brush.
The new pillars to the west and the tents lined up in rows visible through the window.
"Ooh-."
The corners of his mouth went up first.
"What's all this? The sect has completely changed in just the few days I was gone?"
His head turned toward the window.
Twelve pillars.
Strong men raising the crossbeams.
Beyond them, the sound of people's footsteps moving between the lined-up tents.
Shouts could be heard from the training ground, and the faint sound of a whetstone seeped out from beyond the stone wall to the west.
"Looks like the number of people has grown a lot, too? Just how many more are there? Is this really that Hero's Sect?"
Instead of answering, Dong Bongsu took out a teacup.
He then immediately poured tea and pushed it toward him.
"Sit."
Dongmun Mutoe plopped down.
Dust rose faintly from his robes and settled.
Because of that, the scent of a man who had run for days without rest spread over the tea.
He lifted the cup and took a sip.
Putting it down, as if remembering something, his fingers tapped the table.
Tap, tap.
"Oh, right."
"What?"
"Quite a few days have passed while I was gone, right?"
Dong Bongsu drank his tea.
"The questions I've saved up, I can ask them for all the days I missed, right?"
"Retroactive application is prohibited."
"Wow."
Dongmun Mutoe's face crumpled.
"That's harsh, Sect Leader, you son of a…"
Dong Bongsu's eyes rose.
He had no expression.
"…Your Majesty, Sect Leader. This humble servant is content with one a day, you ba…"
His eyes didn't waver.
"…stard."
And then.
"I jest. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Pfft.
The corner of Dong Bongsu's mouth went up once and came back down.
Dongmun Mutoe swallowed a dry cough and picked up his cup again.
He took another sip and relaxed his shoulders.
"The Yin-Yang Guard said he would like to meet you."
'As expected.'
Dong Bongsu's hand stopped over his cup.
"In what way?"
"He said he wants to meet, not that he wants to join hands. For now, it'll be a period of observation."
Dongmun Mutoe's fingers walked across the tabletop.
Tap, tap.
"The Yin-Yang Guard originally doesn't decide anything directly. He's the type to set the stage and watch."
"So he's setting the stage?"
"It would be more accurate to say he's started setting it."
Dong Bongsu tilted his head.
"But what about Trigram Master Myo and Trigram Master Yan? Did you hear anything from them?"
"Those people?"
Dongmun Mutoe grinned.
"Are they still here?"
"Just freeloading."
"Ha."
A laugh burst out.
It was a laugh of someone who didn't know whether to be surprised or amused that two Trigram Masters of the Formation Tower were staying in a new sect and freeloading.
"If those two came on their own and decided to stay, it's not something the Yin-Yang Guard would summon them for. The Formation Tower is originally like that. Even if they are Trigram Masters, each one is basically an independent Formation Master."
"…"
"The Yin-Yang Guard only gets directly involved when the entire Formation Tower moves."
Dong Bongsu just listened quietly.
But no matter how much they were considered individuals, counting Dongmun Mutoe, there were three of them in this Hero's Sect.
That had to have value in some sense.
The negotiating power would also be overwhelmingly superior on his side.'
Not bad.'
"And."
Dongmun Mutoe's eyes narrowed.
"The Yin-Yang Guard definitely hasn't taken a side. Not Dark Rakshasa, not Vast Heaven. The Formation Tower was never a place like that."
Dong Bongsu waited.
"However."
Dongmun Mutoe's fingers stopped.
"He seemed to want to take on a request from… the winning side."
He drank his tea without a word.
"Who do you think will win?"
Dong Bongsu put down his cup.
"Me."
"...What?"
"I will win."
Dongmun Mutoe's mouth fell shut.
He stared blankly at one spot, as if the world had stopped.
On Dong Bongsu's face was neither Kim Rae-won's sly smile nor the coldness of a Predator.
Only a man who had stated a fact sat there.
Heh-.
"You're a pain in the ass, but."
Something like a snort escaped.
"You're right."
It soon became quiet.
No one spoke.
The sunset was descending below the windowsill, and the ray of light that had cast itself into the room narrowed and then disappeared.
Dongmun Mutoe moved on to rumors.
Rumors of large and small clashes erupting in the area on the border between Vast Heaven and Dark Rakshasa.
Talk that Dark Rakshasa's reconnaissance range had widened.
Fragmentary pieces of information that several Vast Heaven branch sects had begun to redeploy their forces.
Dong Bongsu only listened while drinking his tea.
It felt like puzzle pieces were being placed on the table one by one, but he showed no sign of it.
The letter from Bae Dal-pae and the rumors from Dongmun Mutoe.
The pieces flying in from two directions were painting the same picture.
All the powers in this vicinity were on the move.
If a mass of this size were moving and clashing, there was a high possibility that other regions of the Central Plains were also in great turmoil right now.
Chaos.
It was a direction he extremely disliked in that it was unpredictable, but if it was in the Jianghu of Murim?
He would have to welcome it with open arms.
For now, slowly, only on the inside.
Soon, Dongmun Mutoe's voice stopped.
It seemed that bringing this guy to his side was a good choice.
Thanks to him, he had acquired a lot of information while sitting in one place.
The room had grown dark.
Even after the light disappeared, no one lit a candle.
Only the outlines of the two men remained in the darkness.
Dongmun Mutoe's hand came down to the table.
"Oh, oh, oh, one more thing."
The tone of his voice changed.
It was not the tone of someone who had just been reciting rumors as if whispering.
"I sensed something on my way here…"
Dong Bongsu turned his head and stared precisely at Dongmun Mutoe.
"There was a presence near the River Capital?"
Dong Bongsu's hand stopped.
"Judging by the feel of the Qi alone, it was almost identical to Dark Rakshasa's."
Silence.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not certain."
Dongmun Mutoe continued.
He had only sensed it, not confirmed it head-on.
It was certain that the quality of the presence was not typical of the Murim.
It reeked of Evil Qi, but he didn't know the scale or its identity.
So he had avoided it and came here.
"I figured it was better to let you guys know first rather than trying to confirm it rashly."
Dong Bongsu's eyes and his pupils had changed.
Whether they had sharpened or were smiling softly.
Whether it was easier to see in the darkness or if he just felt that way because of the darkness.
It was the same face as the man who had been smirking and drinking tea just a moment ago, but it was not the same person.
"Roughly how many?"
"I don't know. I only caught the presence."
"Direction?"
"About a hundred li to the east?"
A hundred li.
That was a distance from which they could rush into the River Capital at any moment if they so chose.
Just then.
"...But you know."
Dongmun Mutoe scratched his neck.
"I don't think it was just Dark Rakshasa. There was one more thing, but it was too fast, so I couldn't catch it."
With those words, Dongmun Mutoe rose from his seat and dusted himself off.
"I should go see Trigram Master Myo and Trigram Master Yan for now. I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but…"
Kek.
"Anyway, this is going to be fun, isn't it?"
As he turned to leave, in the darkening sky outside the window.
A small dot was rising above it.
A signal flare.
It had been launched from behind the main hall.
It was a kind of message sent by Jin Hagyeong.
The thing he had given permission for earlier, he had been pondering it until now, and had finally shot it into the sky.
Toward the Vast Heaven branch.
Dongmun Mutoe also followed it with his eyes.
"...What's that?"
"Ah, a lot of things happened."
"Is that a Vast Heaven Infinite Sword Sect person?"
"Yeah. It turned out that way."
"Ah, that must have been a lot of fun. You guys were having all the fun here. While I was just made to use my lightness skills and my mouth!"
The small dot was sucked out of Dongmun Mutoe's grumbling sight and vanished.
● ● ●
The footsteps of the woman walking the mountain path were steady.
Swish, swish-.
Although she walked as if on a stroll, the surrounding scenery blurred into lines; she was that fast.
The night wind shook the hem of her clothes, but something as trivial as the wind could not affect her steps.
Yeop Bihwa.
A sword born of the Vast Heaven Infinite Sword Sect, but one that did not remain within Vast Heaven's framework.
The Iron-Faced Lady, with a title unrelated to the beauty that once shook the world.
Swish-.
Even while moving so quickly, she kept one name drawn in her mind.
Kim Rae-won.
― Do you have a place to go back to?
She had not answered.
― I do. I just haven't been able to go back.
That man, as always, had been smiling.
― But if I keep walking, I'll eventually reach somewhere.
And then he had disappeared.
Whether he found his way back.
Or whether he never reached it.
However.
That name was heard again in the River Capital.
'Kim Rae-won.'
At that moment, as she once again carved that name into her mind.
A light rose in the sky.
In the direction of the River Capital.
The streak of light rose and then split once at the end, as if a sword had been drawn.
It was a unique trajectory signal flare that only the light of a flame carrying Vast Heaven's internal energy could leave.
"As I thought…"
There were Vast Heaven people in the River Capital.
Swish-pat, swish-pat-.
Yeop Bihwa's stride widened, now having more to confirm.
Swish-pat, swish-pat-