Chapter 67

067. Skill Acquisition (2)

Wulin (武林).

These two short characters refer to a place where people who think everything is directly related to martial arts (武) live and thrive.

Is it that they persuade others and prove their value through martial arts (武), each with their own set of values?

If there is something they want to prove and a doctrine they want to propagate, they convey their will to the other party through sheer martial power.

The Wulin, which operates on this simple survival of the fittest system, is a world where martial artists focus solely on enhancing their martial prowess and pay no attention to anything else.

However, isn't it said that there are always those in power, no matter where you go?

Even in the Wulin, where everyone is focused on enhancing their martial prowess, there are quite a few forces that rule as authorities.

The Wulin Alliance, the Black Society, and the Heavenly Demon Sect are the main organizations representing the righteous, evil, and demonic factions, respectively.

Among them, the Wulin Alliance, which belongs to the righteous faction, is not only vast in its influence but also comprises a significant number of organizations.

In particular, the Wulin Alliance is supported by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, making it prouder of its stability than any other force.

Even the elderly martial artists from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families hold positions as elders in the Elder Council, so it is rare for the pillars to have any grievances with the Wulin Alliance.

However...

The pillars that have maintained the Wulin Alliance's stability so far have begun to crack.

This is because the Grand Elder of the Wulin Alliance's Elder Council has disappeared.

Since the man who disappeared held a high position in the Wulin Alliance, the news quickly spread to the main organizations of the Wulin Alliance.

This was also the case for the Nan Gong Family, one of the Five Great Families.

"The whereabouts of Grand Elder Bai Xianxue have become mysterious."

In a room that seemed to have been transplanted directly from a scene of life in medieval China, a man in a blue martial robe reported this.

And then,

"Are you talking about Bai Xianxue of the Island Sect?"

The young master of the Nan Gong Family, Nan Gong He, asked with interest.

"Yes."

"I heard he was attempting to infiltrate a lower level recently."

"But he hasn't returned even though he should have."

"Then, has he been completely removed from the tower's rankings?"

"Yes, Grand Elder Bai Xianxue's ranking has completely disappeared."

Upon hearing this report, Nan Gong He narrowed his eyes slightly and began tapping the armrest of his chair with his fingers.

"Hmm."

The man in the blue martial robe, realizing that this was a habit of Nan Gong He's when he was deeply thinking, continued,

"Although it's hard to believe, there are rumors in the Elder Council that he might be dead."

"That makes sense. Being removed from the rankings and having his whereabouts become mysterious can only mean that."

"But it's hard to believe. Where could he have infiltrated to end up like this?"

"Considering Grand Elder Bai Xianxue's cautious nature, he wouldn't have infiltrated a lower level in the Wulin, where political turmoil could arise."

"That's true. He must have infiltrated another world."

"Even so, it's a mystery which world he infiltrated, but it's surprising that Grand Elder Bai Xianxue, who was at a high level, could be killed in a lower level."

Nan Gong He, having finished speaking, stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again.

"Hmm... Well, it's not bad news that Grand Elder Bai Xianxue is dead. After all, with the representative martial artist of the Island Sect dead, the sect's influence will weaken, and with a new Grand Elder to be recommended, our family might have a chance to recommend a new one."

"That's true."

"But I'm a bit curious."

"..."

"Bai Xianxue, though known for his narrow-mindedness, was a man who secured the position of Grand Elder in the Wulin Alliance purely through his own strength before entering the tower. Isn't it interesting that such a man lost his power and was killed by a challenger in a lower level?"

"I see. The Tower of Trials grants all challengers techniques akin to magic, so that could be a factor."

"He might have been killed due to overconfidence. That's not entirely wrong, but..."

Nan Gong He trailed off and then smiled slightly.

"I'm curious about who killed Bai Xianxue."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I want you to find out, without regard for means, in which world and by whom Bai Xianxue was killed."

"Understood."

The man in the blue martial robe bowed his head and showed respect upon hearing this.

At the same time, he felt a bit of sympathy for the person who had caught Nan Gong He's interest.

'Whoever it is, to catch the attention of Master...'

Originally, Nan Gong He was a man who derived pleasure from crushing strong opponents.

Since a challenger from another world killed Bai Xianxue, it was inevitable that he would be interested.

In the Wulin, Nan Gong He cannot move easily due to the Nan Gong Family's position and the potential for political turmoil...

'But if it's the Tower of Trials, and especially a challenger from another world, things are different.'

The challenger who had made Nan Gong He's blood boil for the first time in a long time would soon be identified and become a victim of level infiltration.

The man in the blue martial robe muttered to himself as he left the room.

"It's been quite a while since a bloodbath occurred in the Tower of Trials."

Cang Tian Jian Long (苍天剑龙) Nan Gong He (南宫爀).

The sword dragon of the Nan Gong Family began to move towards the tower for the first time in five years.

***

After raising the power as a victory reward, it was a continuous series of duels.

The challengers in the arena, seeing the power of the Clear Mirror Insight I had put up, applied for duels one by one, hoping for a chance.

As a result, I acquired many skills and was able to gather quite a few to use for skill synthesis.

Of course...

'Now that my name is quite well-known and they realize I'm fishing for powers, most of the decent challengers don't even apply for duels anymore.'

After a few rounds of power fishing, the duel applications from challengers soon stopped.

By this point, they had realized that I was at a level where I wouldn't give them the power they wanted.

"What a pity."

Since I had even revealed my real name, it was especially disappointing.

Of course, I had already recouped my initial investment by acquiring quite a few skills...

'But it's tough not being able to milk it for more.'

I wasn't the only one who thought this.

"Administrator 'Iron-Blooded Overlord' regrets not being able to use the arena anymore."

Iron-Blooded Overlord also regretted not being able to use the arena.

It was understandable.

The number of skills I had acquired from the arena was comparable to the number I had absorbed while climbing the tower.

I soon decided that there was nothing more to gain from the arena and moved to the outside.

And then...

"This is quite refreshing."

Stepping outside, I marveled at the dark sky.

I hadn't realized that there was a night in the public area.

The sky, which I had always thought was always daytime, was now dark, and the stars were shining brightly in the darkness.

'Well, this is better than it being daytime all the time.'

Looking at this scene, I smiled slightly and continued walking.

Since I had done most of what I could in the arena, I intended to explore the public area to see what else was there.

Auction houses, gambling halls, trading floors, and more...

I had heard that the public area had many systems, but I didn't have the energy to explore them all.

It was natural.

'My body is exhausted from fighting in the arena, so I don't really want to explore everything.'

After engaging in dozens of intense battles, my body was at the point of refusing to move any further.

Exploring all the auction houses and gambling halls and searching for useful items would be a tedious task.

'I'll just take a casual look around.'

With this in mind, I strolled through the public area without any specific purpose.

There was nothing else I had planned, so I slowly wandered around the square.

It was easy to see challengers interacting and socializing in the public area.

After all, the public area was designed for challengers to interact, not just for the arena and auction houses.

'Actually, it's more unusual to be like me, spending all my time in the arena fighting.'

As I slowly walked through the dimly lit streets, I had a sudden thought.

"Now that my real name is known, I'll have some trouble when I return to reality."

The 'Hunter,' who was often in the top ranks of the settlement list, was known for being cautious and not talking much...

'Now that will change.'

Thinking that the community might talk about who I am for a while, I felt a bit annoyed.

Of course...

'But they can't really affect me negatively.'

Just knowing who I am doesn't mean they can threaten me.

I wasn't weak enough to fear such things and had become even stronger than I had initially planned.

Driven by the desire to climb the tower, I had grown rapidly, and now I felt I could stand up to anyone.

"..."

Reflecting on it, it seemed like I had experienced a lot in a short time.

I had experienced killing for the first time and understood what it meant to become stronger.

The time that had been stagnant for seven years seemed to flow again, and I grew rapidly in the tower.

Thanks to this, I now knew clearly what I should do and why I needed to become stronger.

'I need to become strong enough to never lose to anyone.'

I no longer wanted to be despised and ignored by others.

I finally realized how miserable and powerless it was to be unable to do anything.

In the tower and in reality, the weak are trampled by the strong.

Just as I was despised for being weak and not acting like a player, in the tower, weakness leads to death.

So, what does that mean?

'Ultimately, I need to become strong to avoid death.'

Now, climbing the tower is not just about becoming stronger.

If I previously climbed the tower without a clear goal, now I understand why I need to climb it.

'To avoid being trampled, I need to have the strength.'

I needed an absolute power that no one could touch.

I was powerless during the dungeon break seven years ago because I couldn't do anything.

If I had been as strong as I am now, my parents would still be alive.

But back then, I was weak and lost everything.

After living through those years, I couldn't bear to lose anything else or be despised.

'To avoid becoming like I was before, I need to become even stronger.'

And...

"Administrator 'Iron-Blooded Overlord' tilts his head at the contractor's silent walk."

"Administrator 'White Crane Sword Immortal' says he likes the contractor's thoughtful and silent walk."

"Administrator 'Black Demon' yawns, finding the contractor's unnecessary thoughts boring."

To achieve this, I needed to understand what these 'administrators' were thinking.

'The administrators who allow me to acquire all kinds of powers are essential for growth.'

If I could win the favor of more administrators and prove my value to them, I would become even stronger.

So,

'I need to return to the waiting room.'

It was time to leave the public area and prepare to become stronger.

The time had come to synthesize all the skills I had acquired in the arena.