1150 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Three days passed. The day for the mountain journey had been set, and the time to depart had finally arrived. Rumble. “Whew...” At a spot midway up the mountain, prepared slightly away from the main area. I stood there, barely catching my breath. It was a place where the ground lay in shambles. It was the same place where Pae Jon had dragged me previously to demonstrate his power. While standing there, I was trying to calm my heavy breathing by circulating my energy repeatedly. “...So damn exhausting.” I managed to stabilize my breathing just enough to speak. It was truly, annoyingly difficult. Crack. As I released the remaining energy from my body onto the ground, a deep dent formed, evidence of the immense pressure I had contained. My muscles, alarmed by the swollen pathways of blood, continued to throb painfully. “Click click.” The sound of someone clicking their tongue came from behind me. I turned around to see Pae Jon, in his old age, gazing at me with a dissatisfied expression. “No matter how I think about it, it's strange.” “...What is?” When I asked, filled with curiosity about what he found strange, Pae Jon replied decisively. “Why did I take someone like you as my disciple?” “...” His tone was as if it truly baffled him. “Was there really no other option?” “What’s wrong with me?” “What’s wrong? You're unbelievably slow.” “...” “Your physical abilities are astonishing, and your skill in handling energy seems unmatched, yet... you are quite dull when it comes to martial arts. Compared to what you possess, it’s quite remarkably dull.” I couldn't tell if it was praise or criticism. “And in the midst of that, you do have persistence, enduring the fundamental aspects of martial arts through sheer grit. It's admirable. But still, despite your shortcomings in martial arts, I took you as my disciple…” “I’ve heard that hundreds of times, you don’t need to repeat it.” “Is that so? Well, it's not like I wouldn't have mentioned it.” “...” It was true. I had heard it countless times from Pae Jon. Talent for handling energy is rare even across the continent. But in terms of martial arts, I'm relatively clumsy. That was a harsh reality I was well aware of. However. “You always said to make the impossible possible.” I repeated the words Pae Jon often used as a form of belief. “Hmm?” “It was something you said to me almost as a creed.” “...Hmm.” Pae Jon nodded in acknowledgment after hearing this. Then he let out a little chuckle. “You’re right. Alright then. I was just curious, so don't take it to heart. There must be a reason.” “As if I could not take it to heart. You've already said enough to hurt.” “So what? If it irritates you, come and fight me anytime. I welcome any challenge from my disciple.” “...” Curse it. In a different time and place, I would've won easily. But not against Pae Jon as he is now. ‘What lousy luck.’ Whenever I attempt to push through, luck just isn’t on my side. It couldn’t be a more frustrating life. “...Forget it.” What more could I do with all my strength spent? “So, what are the problems? How did I do this time? Was it any better?” I spoke while brushing the dust off my hands. I was in the middle of receiving training from Pae Jon. Regarding the Six Forms of Tuapachunmu. A simple one-punch strike that created an immense spectacle. Pae Jon had evaluated it as near-perfect. I rolled and tumbled every night trying to learn it. “Failure.” Yet Pae Jon's response was always decisive. I hadn't yet managed anything close. However. “You were too slow. Too heavy.” The points for improvement he mentioned made me nearly burst with frustration every time. “...How was I too slow and too heavy?” Was that an answer? It was always something like this. Step too fast. Breathing too strong. Joints too light. Repetitive, abstract, and complex responses each time. This. “Why are you like this, acting so uncharacteristically?” Pae Jon’s way of teaching hadn’t always been this abstract. Although he did tend to speak in abstract terms. ‘But all within a limit.’ He would tell me to figure it out for myself, only offering prompts to make me think. The training itself was originally based on detailed explanations. ‘Especially when I was practicing the First Form.’ How the energy in martial arts moves, the reason it goes from the danjeon to the pathways. Moreover, as energy flows, how to form the density in joints and muscles. He'd make sure everything was learned through precise calculations and thorough preparation. Pae Jon hadn’t tolerated any imperfections or errors. “So can’t you explain it properly now?” How could he be so abstract when it came to teaching the Sixth Form? Perhaps... ‘Was he like this then?’ I wondered if this was how he taught before reaching his rebirth, as it changed after that. “The Sixth Form has a correct answer.” Pae Jon finally replied. “However, there is no correct answer in reaching that answer.” “...What are you saying?” “With all possibilities, it changes in an instant.” As he spoke, Pae Jon gestured with his finger at the ground where I stood. “The subtle tilt of the earth. The flow of the wind. The amount of energy discharged in an instant. Your body’s condition changes from day to day. These things can’t be the same, can they?” “Right.” “Despite those changes, you must reach the result perfectly. Does a correct answer really exist in that?” “So basically...” In summary. “Everything is different depending on the situation, but instinctively calculate all of that to achieve the perfect result?” “Oh. Your brains are somewhat sharp, aren't they?” “It's utterly insane. You realize that, don’t you?” It was maddening. Even he admitted that the conditions were all different, yet insisted the result had to be the same. ‘...Does it mean using the same amount of energy in the same motion won’t suffice?’ Even achieving precise movements without error had been challenging. Now I needed to create perfection beyond that. By. ‘Instinct.’ While I was sighing in disbelief, Pae Jon spoke again. “That’s why it’s surprising.” "My talent in martial arts wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and yet you still took me in as your disciple." "..." Reaching a perfect result despite all those varying conditions truly belongs in the realm of talent. It's something I certainly didn't possess. "You know I told you that you were ready to learn the Sixth Form, right?" "Yes." I did hear that. I was told that I was ready to learn the Sixth Form. However, I couldn't learn it before coming here. ‘I never particularly regretted it before.’ Now that we’re here, it feels a bit disappointing. If I had focused more on mastering the Tuapachunmu, many things could have gone better. "Hmm." Pae Jon tilted his head slightly in contemplation. "Then you must have seen something." "...Are you sure?" "Yes, you definitely would have seen something. I'm not the type to make considerate commitments just because of my feeling towards a disciple." "That's true. You certainly only think about yourself." "...What?" "Just kidding." It wasn’t a joke, and Pae Jon knew it as well; he frowned momentarily. "...Alright. There will be an answer after all. Let's head back if you're done. We might be late at this rate." "Yes." Having no time to waste, he turned away first and leaped out of sight. As I watched him leave, I too was about to leap, when— "......" I suddenly looked back. It was the space where I practiced the Sixth Form. The ground was deeply gouged in several places. It looked as if a storm had swept through, leaving the area brutally ravaged. ‘...That’s the result of a failure.’ That's what Pae Jon decisively deemed as a failure. Watching this, I recall what Pae Jon had shown me. Calamity. Or despair. No matter how many elaborate phrases I attach, it’s a strike that’s beyond my imagination. ‘...I must master it.’ I must. Because it’s something that needs mastering. Knowing this, somehow... ‘Hmm.’ Heat continued to rise in my body. I truly was a madman, practicing martial arts when I had other priorities. But the arrival of a new challenge strangely excited me. ‘...Have I caught it too?’ I couldn’t help but think that I might have caught something from Pae Jon. With that thought, I chuckled to myself. ‘Let's go for now.’ There wasn't time left. * * * I returned to the Martial Alliance. By the time it was morning past dawn, the time for departure was drawing near, and it was a busy period. “All the luggage is loaded.” Someone nodded at Dae Won’s words. It was Father. “Get ready for departure. I’ll go and meet the Grandmaster, so make the preparations.” He turned his back. It was around then that I arrived too. Upon my return, the other members didn’t seem pleased to see me. And they had reasons. ‘I caused a scene a few days ago.’ Whether it was when I subdued our fellow member, Wi Seok, or when I roughed up Namgoong Jin, there were issues. Since then, I could tell the members were wary of me. ‘Which works out for me.’ They should know better than to mess with a mad dog. Why do they keep challenging me? Satisfied with the less bothersome atmosphere, I climbed onto the carriage. There was already someone inside. “Oh, you’re already here?” “Yeah, they told me to get in.” It was Do Yun. He seemed to be part of this mission too. ‘...I expected as much.’ I figured they’d include Do Yun. Not only is he a person of interest, but also... ‘He’s from the same region.’ He shared the same birthplace as Father, so it made sense to include him. Giving a nod and settling down in the carriage— Creak. The carriage door opened again. “Man, it’s cramped.” Someone followed in. It was Gu Ryun. “...Are we all riding in this?” Pae Jon entered. Why were these old fellows suddenly showing up? As I watched them with curiosity— “Oh, everyone is here already?” “...?” Hyun So Yeon suddenly entered the carriage after the old timers and took a seat. “...What’s going on?” I asked, eyeing her. The old men I could understand, but what about her? Trying to convey my puzzled meaning, but— “Why? What’s wrong?” Hyun So Yeon replied as if nothing was the matter. “I’m coming along, so of course I’m riding too.” “...?” There was nothing “of course” about it.