Chapter 14 of 100
Chapter 14
9 min read2,205 words
Chapter 13. The Three Lives Kwonma Offers (3)
“Gulp...”
It hurts.
Dizziness made my body stagger for a moment, and the stinging pain made it impossible to maintain my composure.
I could see blood flowing from where the blade had passed.
Fortunately, I had avoided a fatal wound, but it was not a minor injury.
The only fortunate thing was that there was no abnormality in my ability to move.
Health 103(↓102)/205
As I straightened my posture, the health value caught my eye.
If that value drops to zero, I'll probably die...
“Let’s not waste time. Executioner.”
The man, whose protruding gums were visible when he curled his lips, spoke with a mocking tone, as if he was certain of his victory.
He must be thinking that with this level of injury, he will surely win.
“I have the same intention.”
Seohui clenched his teeth as he drew his sword.
At the moment, he had no idea how strong his opponent was.
The only thing he could confirm was:
Seohui [Low-Rank Squad Leader]
Health 103(↓102)/205
Internal Energy 1,220(↓1,030)/2,250
?? [??]
Health 685/685
Internal Energy 470/550
The opponent's internal energy was significantly lower than his own.
This meant that the opponent was not a fearsome figure.
‘I’ll use the Soheemagong.’
Seohui stared at his opponent, waiting for an opportunity.
He had a unique ability that no one knew about.
This was a chance to test how useful it was.
“What are you thinking so hard about...”
Snap.
Before the opponent could finish his sentence, Seohui immediately activated the Soheemagong.
He moved quickly toward the opponent, just like the shadow had done before.
Clang!
“Eek!”
Seohui's expression brightened when he saw the man barely block the attack.
‘I can win!’
The ‘So’ in Soheemagong means cold.
The reason frost forms around his mouth when he breathes is because of this.
Even now, the more the man countered, the more the freezing cold slowed his movements.
This was why the man soon shifted to a defensive stance.
“Ugh!”
The man groaned loudly as their swords clashed again.
Seohui smiled.
“Ugh, what’s this!”
He pressed forward relentlessly, swinging his sword.
Swish!
This time, the opponent couldn’t react.
His entire body had stiffened, leaving him unable to do anything but watch as Seohui’s sword sliced his neck.
“Phew...”
Thud.
The man, who had appeared out of nowhere, fell like an old tree.
Seohui caught his breath and looked at the status window in front of him.
Health 101(↓2)/205
Internal Energy 1,200(↓20)/2,250
His health had slightly decreased.
His internal energy had also decreased a bit, probably due to using the Soheemagong.
Even though he was still at the imitation level, he was much faster and stronger than before.
“Is this good or bad?”
Seohui thought as he looked at the status window.
Being able to see his status at a glance was not bad, but it also made the threat of death feel more vivid.
“Damn, I need to treat my wounds first...”
Seohui searched the body of the unknown man.
As expected, he found a bamboo tablet marked with the character ‘身’ (body).
Seohui quickly retrieved it and began to remove the man’s upper garment.
“...Huh?”
He found a small vial about the size of a fist in the man’s pocket. As soon as he picked it up, a status window appeared.
[You have obtained 1 Golden Wound Healing Pill.]
“Lucky find.”
A special medicine to heal wounds was in his possession.
* * *
It was widely known that passing through the Wu Guan Dao would make one a peak expert.
So, he believed that if he could pass through here, he would become stronger.
But Seohui thought he understood the reason after just one experience.
First, it was true that passing through the Wu Guan Dao would make one a peak expert.
However, this place was not for training experts but for proving them.
It was not a place to become an expert through training but to select those who were already experts.
“Not a good start.”
Seohui was hiding in an unknown room.
The wound on his back was not easy to treat, and he couldn’t even reach it.
Fortunately, he had managed to stop the bleeding using the dead man’s shirt.
“If I keep this up, I’ll surely die.”
He had only two lives.
Even if he failed this life, he would be given one more chance, but it didn’t mean much now.
How much could he really change with just two lives?
His internal energy wasn’t increasing rapidly.
‘My health is gradually decreasing.’
The value that particularly caught his eye.
Health 96(↓5)/205
Internal Energy 1,220/2,250
The reason seemed to be that his wound had not fully healed.
The burning pain was temporary, but now he was in a lot of pain, making it difficult to move.
‘Should I use this...’
Seohui hesitated as he looked at the Golden Wound Healing Pill in his tool box.
He wanted to use it because of the wound, but he needed to be cautious.
If he met a stronger opponent, the pill might be useless.
- If the tree were to interrogate, wouldn’t it make me uncomfortable? I don’t know what to do in front of the Ocheonjagju.
- Hahaha. Is that the fault of the Taehwangjagju? It’s the fault of the arrogant subordinate.
‘I need to kill those guys and leave this world...’
Their conversation still echoed in his mind.
The expressions and voices of the Taehwangjagju and Ocheonjagju, who had mocked him as a cripple.
If he couldn’t do anything in this life, he needed to gain something for the next.
Even if all his abilities returned to their previous state, the items in his tool box would remain.
[Do you want to open your tool box?]
Seohui checked his tool box again.
[Tool Box]
Herb + 1
Yeonyanggang + 1
Byeonjeo (Map) + 1
Danbyeong Sword + 1
Golden Wound Healing Pill + 1 (new)
“I’ll put the important things in first.”
He briefly considered using the Danbyeong Sword but decided against it.
The three clues Geun had offered.
The Danbyeong Sword could only be obtained by choosing ‘Do you have something to say to me?’
He wanted to try a different clue in his next life.
“Is it okay to use this now?”
Seohui looked at the herb and nodded.
It didn’t seem to be a crucial tool in this life, so using it once wouldn’t be bad.
[Do you want to use the herb? Accept/Decline]
Seohui accepted.
[Used.]
“Ah...”
As soon as he used the herb, Seohui was surprised by the changes in his body.
He realized that the effect could be applied directly without having to take it out and use it.
A slight smoke rose from his body, and his values changed.
Health 98(↑2)/205
[Effect: No more bleeding damage.]
His health slightly increased, and the pain subsided.
Even though it only increased by 2, it was enough.
The burning sensation on his back had disappeared.
“...?”
He was about to step out after confirming his improved condition when he heard a sound.
Not from the door, but from the floor below.
The building he was hiding in was the second floor of a yellow-roofed building.
‘I’ll go check it out.’
Seohui looked at the window to estimate the time by the sun and then moved.
* * *
Swish!
“Hah!”
Crash!
Yellow-roofed building.
A fierce battle was taking place near the entrance on the first floor.
“Despicable bastard...”
A young man in green martial robes supported his staggering body with his sword.
It was unfortunate that he had received a major wound from the opponent’s first move.
“You’re from the Yaxuedang, but you’re nothing special.”
A man in his thirties, wearing black martial robes, shouted triumphantly.
“I didn’t hear the rumor that a notorious person from the Taehwangjagju would come to the Wu Guan Dao. What a regret.”
“You’re the one who’s foolish. Sometimes, you have to betray to survive.”
“You’re talking nonsense after stabbing your ally in the chest.”
“Ally, my ass.”
They had met by chance and agreed to help each other through the first test.
But the man had changed his mind and launched an ambush while they were resting.
“Cough.”
The young man trembled and spat out blood.
It wasn’t from the opponent’s sword but from the severe internal injury caused by the sudden burst of force during their conversation.
“Don’t be too happy. Before I met you, I got something. I’ll take you with me to the afterlife.”
“Just boasting.”
The man laughed and charged forward.
The young man quickly raised his sword, but it was too late. The man’s sword had already pierced his chest.
“...Huh?”
But the man’s sword, which should have pierced his chest, suddenly deflected.
Or rather, it slipped.
Because of the scale-like armor the young man was wearing.
“Do you understand now?”
This time, the young man’s sword pierced the man’s chest.
A counterattack he believed would hit without a doubt.
Thud!
The man’s sword pierced his chest.
However, it narrowly missed his heart.
“You bastard!”
Crack!
That was the end.
The man hit the young man’s head with his fist, not his sword.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Damn...”
The man had won, but he hadn’t really won.
He had received a serious injury, narrowly missing his heart.
“Ugh.”
He staggered, barely supporting his body.
‘Could this be... Cheokho?’
The Taehwangjagju had a total of seven squads.
The squads named after the elements—Earth, Sun, Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, and Metal—all had ‘Black’ (黑) prefixed to their names.
Cheokho was the leader of the Black Fire Squad.
Since his nemesis, Jegmyeong, was the leader of the Black Moon Squad, this guy was not an ordinary opponent.
Heard that Earth was the weakest and Metal was the strongest, so he would be stronger than Jegmyeong.
‘This is my chance. I can kill him!’
Seohui had witnessed the entire fight from the corridor outside the door.
He knew this was the perfect opportunity to kill him.
‘His skills are far superior to mine. I have to kill him in one move.’
Cheokho was searching the dead young man’s body.
He was probably trying to retrieve the bamboo tablet.
But it seemed he was looking for something else.
“What a good thing you were wearing alone...”
The dead young man was wearing something that looked like overlapping scales.
It seemed to be some kind of armor.
‘Can I use that ability?’
A good idea came to Seohui as he waited for the right moment.
The gap window that stopped time.
The text that appeared when he found a weakness in his opponent, just like when he dealt with Jegmyeong.
‘But I don’t know how to activate it.’
That was the problem.
It always appeared at the perfect moment, but he couldn’t predict when that moment would be.
If the text appeared, he could definitely eliminate the enemy.
‘Maybe it will appear now. Anyone can see that the enemy is relaxed...’
Thinking about it, this method seemed the most plausible.
When he killed Jegmyeong, and when he entered the Wu Guan Dao, the status window appeared when he found a complete weakness or when it was exposed.
‘But why isn’t it appearing now?’
Even as the opponent was distracted, searching the young man’s body, the status window didn’t appear.
Does it mean I need a more certain opportunity?
‘Ah! He’s starting to put on the armor.’
He was taking off the young man’s armor and fumbling with it.
Seeing the thin, scale-like object, he muttered as if he understood something.
“So that’s why the sword couldn’t penetrate your body.”
Seohui’s conflict grew deeper as he watched.
He knew better than anyone that hesitation would mean losing this opportunity.
‘I can’t wait any longer. If he puts on that armor, even in his injured state, I won’t be able to win...’
That’s when it happened.
[Perfect Opportunity! You have found a weakness in the Black Fire Squad Leader, Cheokho. How will you respond?]
‘...!’
The status window he had been eagerly waiting for appeared.
Moreover, it was the first time he saw a status window that stopped time.
▷ Attack.
▶ Use a martial art.
▷ Use a tool.
9...8...
Use a martial art?
What’s the difference?
Seohui immediately understood ‘Attack’ but didn’t know what ‘Use a martial art’ meant.
Especially.
▷ Attack.
▷ Use a martial art.
▶ Use a tool.
Using a tool was even more mysterious.
He knew a favorable option had appeared, but he couldn’t understand why it was needed in this situation.
▶ Attack.
▷ Use a martial art.
▷ Use a tool.
‘I’ll choose Attack.’
Seohui decided to think about the second and third options later.
He thought it was best to go with the safest and most certain choice, ‘Attack.’
<You have chosen ‘Attack.’ Time will be rewound 3 seconds. Move immediately.>
‘3 seconds?’
Swoosh.
Before he could wonder, time had already started to flow.
And he heard a familiar voice.
“So that’s why the sword couldn’t penetrate your body.”
At that moment.
Snap!
Seohui charged without looking back.
He had instantly understood what it meant to rewind time by 3 seconds.