Chapter 1

### The Reincarnated Top Ranker of the Martial World

#### Chapter 1

1. Gang Tae-ha.

A man who, despite possessing the universally acknowledged worst ability, 'Necromancy,' became one of only five SSS-class hunters in the world, a man of legendary status.

However, because he had always been a thorough corporate hunting dog, he received harsh criticism from the public.

His nickname was 'The Undying King.'

Even if he was pulled out of the gate in a coma with fatal injuries.

Even if all his comrades were wiped out.

He stubbornly survived, earning him this fearsome reputation.

Rumors circulated that he had made a pact with death or sacrificed his comrades, but no matter what, he never died.

...But.

This time, everyone expected that even he could not escape the clutches of death.

It was understandable.

After all, the guild he belonged to, the world-renowned and undisputed strongest guild, 'Griffin,' had issued a bounty for his assassination.

2.

A high-rise building, towering as if reaching the sky, was engulfed in flames.

It was not a simple fire.

The symbol of world peace was burning.

It was fitting to call it that.

The building, known as an impregnable fortress, was none other than the headquarters of the world's strongest guild, Griffin.

Kwaaah!

"Please, save me!"

The cries of people and the howls of non-human entities filled the air.

In the sky, the ultimate summon, the True Dragon, spread its wings.

On the ground, an undead army numbering in the thousands wielded their weapons.

A war was being waged in the heart of the city.

"Cough."

At that moment, a coughing fit caused a stream of dark red blood to pour from Gang Tae-ha's mouth.

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he forced a bitter smile.

The aftereffects of squeezing his mana to the limit.

'I can't hold on much longer.'

Despite controlling a dragon, a being known as a non-human entity, he could not guarantee his victory.

The reason was simple.

"Almost all the skeletons are dealt with!"

"Now, focus on the dragon!"

His opponent was the world's strongest guild, Griffin.

They were too powerful, fully equipped with grand necromancy gear to take him down.

The only guild worthy of the title, possessing power on par with a nation.

'Damn, if I had known this would happen...'

Regrets flooded his mind.

Choosing to retire and then foolishly opting for a pre-report instead of a pre-ambush.

Obtaining the item the Griffin guild president had been searching for his entire life during his final mission before retirement.

And finally.

Crushing those who tried to extort him over the item.

Swoosh.

At that moment, Gang Tae-ha pulled something from his pocket.

A small, luminous pearl, no larger than a fingernail, appeared in his palm.

'What's so great about this little rock?'

The so-called 'Nameless Stone' in his hand was a bizarre object, its properties, effects, and grade all shrouded in mystery.

When he obtained it as a reward from the gate for his final mission, the Griffin members openly threatened him.

Naturally, he crushed them all and escaped alone.

The next day.

He became a top criminal, and wanted posters with a huge bounty were distributed nationwide.

His own country turned its back on him, and people who had greeted him warmly just the day before now hunted him for his head.

Each day was a living hell.

Thus, he began a war against the massive guild alone.

All the media described it the same way.

A battle between an ant and an elephant.

No one cared about a mere ant.

But Gang Tae-ha stubbornly held on for six months.

And finally, he attacked the headquarters for his final revenge.

Kiee!

At that moment, the True Dragon, having lost one of its wings, fell to the ground, weakened.

The undead soldiers were now fewer than fifty.

Chuk.

At the same time, the high-ranking hunters of Griffin surrounded him in a circular formation.

'Is this the end?'

Just as Gang Tae-ha sensed his final moments.

"Would you consider giving up now?"

A sinister and experienced voice echoed.

The hunters parted like the sea, revealing an old man with a staff.

He was none other than the president of Griffin Guild, Yeo Jo-gyu.

Despite being cornered, Gang Tae-ha stood firm and spoke without fear.

"Old man, have you ever seen me give up?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then why are you spouting nonsense?"

Gang Tae-ha's words made Yeo Jo-gyu smile bitterly and continue.

"I want everything to go as I predict. But you have always defied my expectations. You survived in the face of death, surpassing the limits I set for you. And..."

His eyes, filled with an insidious gleam, focused on the 'Nameless Stone' in Gang Tae-ha's hand.

"...you finally defied my expectations and obtained it."

His eyes were brimming with insatiable greed.

"Do you understand? This alone is enough reason for you to die."

"Shut up."

"Hand over the item quietly, and I'll send you off painlessly, considering your efforts."

As Yeo Jo-gyu finished speaking, the hunters surrounding him raised their weapons, exuding murderous intent.

The escape route was already blocked.

He was like a rat in a trap.

But then.

Chuk!

Gang Tae-ha smiled meaningfully and raised the 'Nameless Stone' above his shoulder.

"You want this, right?"

The 'Nameless Stone' in his palm emitted a brilliant light.

Despite trying to hide it, Yeo Jo-gyu's eyes trembled violently.

"Hand it over quickly."

Seeing his opponent, who was like a dog desperate for a large meal, Gang Tae-ha couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure, I'll give it to you!"

"Ugh!"

Gang Tae-ha pretended to throw the pearl, then suddenly...

"What? Did I throw it?"

"..."

Gulp.

He swallowed it whole.

'I'll make you eat shit until the end.'

"Kill me and take it."

"Ugh! You bastard! What are you doing! Cut him open and get it out!"

Seeing this, Yeo Jo-gyu lost his composure and went berserk.

Pababat!

All the hunters surrounding him rushed at him at once.

'I'll take as many of you with me as I can!'

Woo!

With a desperate resolve, Gang Tae-ha converted all his life force into dark mana.

Keeeee!

Tat!

The corpses lying at the feet of the enemies suddenly rose to their feet.

That hellish night passed.

In the end, the Undying King, Gang Tae-ha, closed his eyes after burning half of Griffin's total forces.

...But.

At the moment one life lost its light and faded away.

"Master, he's opened his eyes! Master, he's alive!"

Elsewhere.

Another life regained its light.

### The Reincarnated Top Ranker of the Martial World

#### Chapter 1

1.

As the heat began to wane and the chill of Shuangjiang (Frost Descent) set in, a rumor turned Zhejiang Province upside down.

The story was that Liu Xinyun, the prodigal son of Baiyun Escort Agency, who had been buried the night before, had miraculously risen.

Occasionally, if a mortician mishandled a body, the deceased might move after death.

But this was different.

Not only did the deceased rise, but his breathing, which had stopped, also resumed.

Naturally, the funeral parlor erupted in chaos.

Baiyun Escort Agency quickly moved the awakened Liu Xinyun to a doctor's office and sent all the mourners home.

Despite their efforts to keep the news under wraps, it was impossible to cover up such an unprecedented event.

If Baiyun Escort Agency still held sway in Zhejiang Province, everyone would have kept quiet, but as everyone knew, the current state of Baiyun Escort Agency was far from its former glory.

Soon, everyone in Zhejiang Province was talking about Liu Xinyun.

Rumors spread that the mortician was actually a Taoist priest.

That he didn't come back to life but turned into a zombie.

That he had taken so many drugs that he fell into a death-like sleep.

All sorts of sinister rumors circulated in the inns and marketplaces.

But at that moment.

The subject of these rumors was completely oblivious to them.

2.

"Huh, what a pig of a country."

He looked at the capital with a sad expression.

In the mirror, a face that looked more like a pig than a human, puffy and bloated, stared back at him.

The same sad eyes met his, but this was his new face.

Gang Tae-ha, or now the heir of Baiyun Escort Agency, 'Liu Xinyun,' sighed deeply.

His body was in a similar state.

The silk clothes covering his body seemed ready to burst from the excess fat.

'But, isn't this a bit much?'

Feeling his belly fat ripple like waves, he felt uneasy.

He had been a necromancer who handled summons, maintaining a muscular physique through rigorous daily training.

'So, this guy spent his whole life eating?'

At that moment, bits of information about the original owner, which he had learned in a short time, began to surface in his mind.

The prodigal son of Baiyun Escort Agency in Zhejiang Province.

A degenerate obsessed with alcohol, women, and food.

A thunderbolt who repeatedly disgraced Baiyun Escort Agency with his reckless actions.

And finally, a fool who became addicted to drugs and fell into a coma for over a month before dying.

'Really, what a hopeless guy.'

Shaking his head, he looked around the room.

The luxurious and ancient interior reminded him of ancient China.

'No idea what era this is.'

But he couldn't pinpoint the exact time.

He had spent his life fighting monsters and knew nothing about Chinese history.

At that moment, his eyes turned cold.

'...Reincarnated in someone else's body in a strange world.'

He succinctly summarized his situation.

Although the concepts of 'reincarnation' and 'possession' were unbelievable, he began to calmly assess his reality.

The excellent judgment and response skills that earned him the nickname 'The Undying King' might have played a role.

'This must be the cause of what happened.'

The gem he swallowed just before death came to mind.

'The Nameless Stone.'

The bizarre gem must have had some unprecedented effect.

'So, that's why they were so desperate to find it.'

Only then did Gang Tae-ha understand why the Griffin guild president coveted the item so much and why he showed such unprecedented anger at its theft.

Losing the chance to rejuvenate must have been a severe blow.

The corner of his mouth curled up.

'Swallowing it in a fit of anger might have been the best decision.'

His chest felt a bit lighter.

"Master, are you alright?"

At that moment, someone spoke to him, who had been lost in thought.

Gang Tae-ha looked up to see a boy with a flat, prominent nose, exuding a simple and honest demeanor, looking at him with concern.

'...Was his name Wang San?'

Wang San, Liu Xinyun's personal servant, was the first person he saw when he opened his eyes.

- "Master! Master, thank goodness! Thank goodness!"

Wang San, who had been in a coma for over a month, or rather, buried, was now awake, and he was overjoyed, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Since the doctor diagnosed Liu Xinyun with memory loss, Wang San had been by his side the entire time.

He seemed quite reliable.

'But I can't trust anyone yet.'

Gang Tae-ha didn't easily let his guard down.

From past experience, it was better to doubt others first to increase his chances of survival.

"Why? Is something wrong? Should I call the doctor?"

Seeing Gang Tae-ha's silence, Wang San seemed ready to rush out the door.

"No, I'm fine. You can go now. And don't let anyone in until I say otherwise."

He was surprised by his own words.

He was now quite comfortable speaking in a period drama style.

To avoid raising suspicion, he paid attention to his tone.

"Really? But..."

Wang San tried to dissuade him, but Gang Tae-ha waved him off.

Reluctantly, Wang San bowed and left the room.

Once the door was fully closed.

'He's gone. Then...'

Gang Tae-ha's lips moved slightly.

He had sent Wang San away for one reason.

"Status window."

To check his stats and skills.

'I need to assess my abilities first.'

But contrary to his hopes, the situation took an unexpected turn.

Instead of a status window appearing on his retina, a series of system messages appeared.

Ding! Ding!

'What is this?'

Unexpected system messages began to appear one after another.

[Player is attempting to log into the interface system.]

[Error! Player's information differs from the previous one.]

[Player's information is being updated.]

[Warning! The discrepancy between the player's soul and body is severe.]

[Player's stats are being forcibly adjusted.]

[Player's level has dropped to 1.]

[Player's stats have drastically decreased.]

[Some of the player's traits and skills have been sealed.]

[New trait, 'Boneless Human Body,' has been inherited.]

'What the...?'

The shocking content of the system messages left him speechless.

His level and stats had dropped.

What kind of ridiculous nonsense was this?

But the surprises didn't end there.

When he finally saw the status window.

"..."

He was at a loss for words.

[Player: Gang Tae-ha / Liu Xinyun]

Level: 1

Traits: Necromancy (E), Boneless 'Human Body' (E)

Strength: 7 Agility: 5 Vitality: 6 Mana: 3

Skills: Aura Extraction (F), Servant Summoning (F/Current Servants: 0), Poison Resistance (D)

- Sealed skills and traits are not displayed.

- Sealed skills will be automatically unsealed when conditions are met.

It was a painful change.

His stats had all dropped to single digits, and his SSS-grade Necromancy trait had been reduced to E.

Moreover, out of his over 100 skills, only three remained unsealed.

But the worst part was.

'The number of servants is 0...'

All his loyal undead soldiers had vanished without a trace.

The system had mercilessly taken everything away.

He felt a sense of helplessness, as if his legs had turned to jelly.

It was understandable.

The power he had spent his life building had vanished like dust.

After a long silence, Gang Tae-ha sighed deeply and muttered.

"Ah, fine. Take it all, take it all."

He tried to calm himself.

Getting angry wouldn't make the system return his power.

He needed to stay as calm as possible.

'Well, at least the essential skills are still there, so I can regain my strength gradually.'

If this was the price for overcoming death, it might have been a bargain.

'But... '

As his mind settled, his attention turned elsewhere.

'Boneless... '

The new trait he had acquired was this.

[Boneless 'Human Body' (E)]

A trait that grants the minimum qualifications to learn martial arts.

It was a trait he had never seen before.

Martial arts were a power that didn't exist in his world.

'Most martial arts are specialized for close combat, right?'

It was an unexpected gain.

In his previous life, due to the severe limitations of his Necromancy trait, he couldn't acquire any skills or traits related to close combat.

He felt a surge of interest.

But he quickly suppressed his curiosity.

'That's not the urgent matter.'

He needed to finish assessing his current situation first.

He sighed deeply and spoke quietly.

"...Ah, there's no going back, I guess."

He concluded that there was no possibility of returning to his original world.

There were many reasons for this.

First, he didn't know if the effects of the Nameless Stone were still present in his body.

To confirm this, he would have to attempt suicide, which was not an option.

The only other way was to find a new Nameless Stone, but there were no gates in this world, making it impossible.

Therefore, he had to live as Liu Xinyun in this world.

Living in a world without any modern technology for the rest of his life.

A wave of helplessness and worry washed over him.

'Wait, hold on!'

Then, he suddenly remembered a unique advantage of this world.

'At least there are no monsters here.'

That's right. The absence of gates meant no monsters.

For someone who had grown up in a world with gates and dungeons, this was a new experience.

The thought of being free from the endless battles with monsters was somewhat exhilarating.

There was just one thing that bothered him: revenge on those who had killed him.

But without a way to return, revenge was impossible.

'But I won't forget.'

After a moment of contemplation, he scanned his new, trash-like body from head to toe.

'Well, I can lose weight.'

He smacked his lips and thought.

Thus, he firmly decided to settle in this world.

And in the next moment.

"I am now Liu Xinyun."

Closing his eyes, he muttered softly.

He wasn't denying his identity as Gang Tae-ha.

It was more of a pledge to adapt to the new world and new life and to survive.

'Hmm, but what exactly is this escort agency?'

Opening his eyes, he recalled the escort agencies he had read about in martial arts novels.

His memory was hazy, having read only a couple of books.

But he struggled to remember.

Finally, he recalled that an escort agency was a place that accepted commissions from clients to transport goods and received fees.

In other words, it was like a delivery company in the martial world.

'But this place seems to be quite large. Maybe I can live a life of luxury I never imagined.'

Just as Liu Xinyun was indulging in happy thoughts.

"Can't you open the door?!"

"No, I can't."

'What?'

Suddenly, the outside became noisy.

"I'm sorry, but Master instructed us not to let anyone in."

Wang San's trembling voice echoed.

Liu Xinyun was about to call Wang San to find out what was happening.

Kuung.

"Ugh!"

A dull thud and Wang San's groan followed.

"Open the door."

Then, the door was forcefully opened, and a nervous voice spoke.

And.

"Ho, you look quite healthy, brother."

The uninvited guest revealed himself with a sinister smile.