Training

The old man before me was certainly a perplexing figure, yet what truly bewildered me was the sudden vanishing presence of the bird-headed creature.

Moments ago, it had been lunging at me, intent on my demise, but now it was fleeing into the distance, as if its tail were on fire.

“Are those eyes truly your own?”

I had been staring in bewilderment at the bird-headed creature as it vanished, but the old man’s words compelled me to shift my attention back to him.

He wore the same clothes as before, a single sword belted at his waist.

But ‘originally my eyes’? I couldn’t discern if he was referring to my actual eyes or a skill I possessed.

I was at a loss for how to respond.

“What exactly are you trying to say, I’m not quite…

The old man scrutinized me from head to toe, then nodded slowly.

“Come closer.”

Turning his back, the old man strode off in some direction, and I followed in his wake.

He had, after all, saved my life once. Though, whether he was truly human remained uncertain.

Nevertheless, following the old man was all I could do.

“Reflect your image here.”

The old man led me to what appeared to be an ordinary pond. While the surrounding plants were unusually large, it otherwise seemed no different from any other.

As he instructed, I cautiously leaned forward to gaze at my reflection.

‘…Huh? What is this?’

Thinking I must have seen it wrong, I brought my face closer to the water.

I hadn’t seen it wrong at all.

“What’s wrong with my eye!”

My right eye was a chilling sky-blue, and upon closer inspection, the area around it shimmered with a haze, much like flickering flames.

I turned back to the old man, asking frantically, “Why is it like this?”

“Why do you ask me what I should be asking you? Hehehe. That eye bears a striking resemblance to the Witch’s eye. It seems that’s also why you were able to come here.”

“Where… is here?”

The old man slowly stroked his beard, then spoke.

“Well now… What should this place be called? Everyone here has strong opinions, so they call it whatever they please. A Dimensional Rift, the Immortal Realm, the Celestial Plane, the Otherworld, and so on.”

‘The Otherworld? A Dimensional Rift?’ My head already began to throb.

“Why am I in a place like this…?”

“That right eye of yours is the Witch’s eye. And not just any witch, but the Witch of Bitter Cold’s eye. Could you be the hidden child of that inscrutable witch? Hehehe.”

After saying this, the old man mumbled to himself, ‘That can’t be right.’

“So, this eye and my presence here are related?”

“The Witch of Bitter Cold is a powerful Transcendent, one who challenges the authority of the gods. Your eye is a part of such a Transcendent’s body. And this place is both a paradise for Transcendents and an inescapable prison. It constantly pulls in Transcendents to prevent them from leaving. It seems you were drawn here for that very reason.”

“Such…”

It was an unbelievable tale, yet one I couldn’t simply dismiss. A place teeming with Transcendents like the Witch of Bitter Cold? This was a disaster of epic proportions.

Come to think of it, I had seen something like a status window for that bird-headed creature earlier. Was that a power of the Witch’s eye?

That status window had clearly shown ‘Transcendence – ★’. Did that mean even that bird-headed creature was a Transcendent?

“Um… is there any way to go back?”

“Well, I’m not sure… However, since everything about you, save for your eye, is still human, I imagine you’ll be expelled from here sooner or later.”

“Is that so…?”

So there was no telling when I might return? I’d miss my lectures, but I could always catch up later. I hoped I wouldn’t be stuck here for years.

And would I return to the exact spot I left? I had no idea. Every question led to another, with no discernible answers.

My mind was suddenly overwhelmed with myriad thoughts, yet I couldn’t afford the luxury of processing them calmly.

“Have your curiosities been mostly satisfied?”

Just moments ago, the old man’s gaze had been as gentle as a grandfather’s looking at his grandchild.

“Then tell me now, what is the relationship between you, that eye, and the Witch?”

Now, his eyes bore into me, threatening to slice through my neck at any moment, pressing down with an intense scrutiny.

****

Even as my heart pounded, my mind remained clear and sharp, thanks to my ‘Rationality’ trait.

I considered telling him everything exactly as it happened, but decided to mix a touch of falsehood with the truth. I omitted only the fact that I had touched the Witch to copy her ability, relating everything else accurately.

I insisted that the Witch had only wanted to take me with her because I was skilled at massage, and feigned ignorance about how I had acquired her eye. It was an audacious move, but given the kindness the old man had shown me so far, I doubted he would kill me as brutally as the Witch might.

“Is that so?”

My guess, for the most part, proved correct.

“Follow me for now. Let us go to my home.”

His imposing demeanor dissolved instantly, as if it had never existed, and he reverted to the kind old man once more.

‘Why is he being so good to me?’

This, too, was a question without an answer.

The old man’s house appeared out of nowhere. A grand estate stood in the middle of a vast field.

Four trees, each seemingly one and a half times larger than the ones I had seen earlier, were planted at regular intervals, as if guarding the house.

“Come in.”

Passing through the spacious gate, a wide courtyard was revealed. The ground was made entirely of hard, smooth stone, giving it the feel of a training ground rather than a typical yard.

“This entire area is my domain, so those ruffians from before will not come here.”

‘That bird-headed creature was a ruffian,’ he said… Wasn’t it a Transcendent in its own right?

The old man was already seated on the veranda, gazing at the distant sky. Yet, his posture remained perfectly composed, without a single trace of disorder.

“Um… what should I call you?”

The old man’s dark eyes fixed on me.

“A title, you say… It has been a very long time since I’ve been asked such a question. Hehehe. My name is… simply call me Cheongeom (Heavenly Sword).”

“Yes, Grandpa Cheongeom.”

“Grandpa? Hehehehe.”

The benevolent laugh eased some of my tension, and I sat beside Grandpa Cheongeom.

“When do you think I’ll be able to return?”

“Well, I’m not sure, this is the first time I’ve encountered such a case. Still, it shouldn’t take too long. The problem is…”

Grandpa Cheongeom turned his gaze back to the distance and spoke bluntly.

“You might suddenly be pulled back to this place again.”

“What? I’ll be pulled back after I leave?”

“Indeed. This space itself has no learning capacity. It will expel you, and then, at some point, it will pull in all the Transcendents that have slipped out. You will be pulled back here then. The greater problem is that when you are pulled back, there’s no telling where you might end up.”

Grandpa Cheongeom’s words implied that when I was pulled back, I might not land here, but somewhere far away.

“Couldn’t I… just find my way back here?”

“While my domain is quite extensive, it is nothing compared to the vastness of this entire realm. And Transcendents will feel a strong interest in you, a human who has come to this place. All sorts of dangers will lie in wait.”

I had thought I’d overcome one hurdle, but it turned out that what I’d overcome wasn’t even a hurdle at all. Why had my life turned out this way?

When it came down to it, this was all the Witch’s fault. Seeing my crestfallen expression, Grandpa Cheongeom smiled benevolently.

“It seems you haven’t properly learned anything yet. If you’re truly anxious, shall I teach you the sword?”

“Oh… really?”

My gaze drifted to the sword resting beside Grandpa Cheongeom. That single sword had allowed him to contend with the formidable Witch.

“Hehe… don’t expect too much. Your time here won’t be long, so I’ll only cover the basics. Stand up.”

I sprang to my feet with vigor and stood before Grandpa Cheongeom. At the same instant, he extended his right hand straight to the side; a few clattering sounds echoed from inside the house, and a sword, still sheathed, flew into his hand.

“Hold onto this for now.”

A black scabbard, a black hilt. It was nothing particularly special, yet to my eyes, it appeared more magnificent than anything.

[Name – Dragonbone Sword]

[Rank – B]

[A sword forged from the bones and hide of a black imugi. Possesses self-durability recovery.]

[Skill ‘Dragon’s Roar’ available]

[Self-durability Recovery]

“Wow… you’re really giving me something like this?”

“Hehehe… It was just gathering dust in the house anyway. If it can be used, it will surely be pleased. Draw the sword.”

As I drew the sword, a pale gray blade was revealed. Gripping the hilt, it felt perfectly comfortable in my hand, as if it had always belonged there.

“I shall first teach you the five primary gripping methods for the sword: Manpa (Full Grip), Rupa (Hollow Grip), Gyeompa (Pincer Grip), Jopa (Hook Grip), and Appa (Press Grip). These gripping methods are used interchangeably in all techniques, making them the absolute foundation.”

I listened intently, not missing a single word from Grandpa Cheongeom. However, something kept distracting my gaze, making it difficult to concentrate.

“First, Manpa. Hold the sword diagonally upwards and extend your arm straight. At this time, your wrist should not be overly bent.”

[Trait ‘Endless Talent’ is activated.]

“You’re doing well. Next is Rupa.”

“Next is Gyeompa.”

“Next is…”

Perhaps because they were the absolute basics, they weren’t particularly difficult. Grandpa Cheongeom nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Your posture is quite natural. You have talent. So, next…”

Grandpa Cheongeom seemed about to continue the lesson, so I quickly interjected. I felt I needed to satisfy this intense urge first. Otherwise, it would bother me, and I wouldn’t be able to properly concentrate on this precious lesson.

“Grandpa Cheongeom, thank you so much.”

I bowed deeply.

“I truly wanted to say this. Not only did you save me from the Witch before and again today, but you’re also giving me these teachings… I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness…”

Grandpa Cheongeom stroked his beard, a network of wrinkles crinkling around his eyes as he smiled.

“Hehehe. Don’t worry about it. It was no great trouble for me.”

“Um… about that, then…”

“Hmm?”

I made my decisive move.

“Shall I give you a massage?”

The skill ‘Stronger with Each Touch!’, which I had activated earlier on a whim, was still active. A sparkling hand icon continuously glowed on Grandpa Cheongeom’s right shoulder, relentlessly drawing my attention. Having already experienced its proper effect when touching the Witch, I found it difficult to suppress the surging urge.

‘Ah! I want to touch him!’

What abilities would Grandpa Cheongeom, who was equal to, or perhaps even greater than, the Witch, bestow upon me?

“A massage?”

“Yes! A massage. I may not know much else, but I’m incredibly good at massages. You saw how the Witch wanted to take me with her just for my massage, didn’t you?”

“Hmm… a massage, you say… Indeed, if that Witch was obsessed with it, it must have been quite remarkable. But it’s fine. I don’t think such a thing would be particularly helpful to me.”

It was a polite refusal. Nevertheless, I refused to give up.

“Oh, Grandpa, don’t be like that, just try it once. Even if I look like this, I was quite famous in the massage industry, you know. I just want to repay even a little of your kindness. Please? Just try it once.”

“Hmm… then, perhaps just a little?”

“Yes! Thank you! I’ll do my best!”

Fearing he might change his mind, I put down the sword and quickly approached him.

“Oh, and I have my own routine that I do before a massage, so you don’t need to worry too much about it.”

“Alright, alright. Do as you please.”

“Alright, then…”

With a serious expression, I stretched out both hands and shouted loudly,

“Let’s touch everything!”

[Skill ‘Stronger with Each Touch!’ is activated.]

Simultaneously, Grandpa Cheongeom’s expression crumpled.