Chapter 104: Levels and Realms

Shin Seong-gwak fell into human anguish.

“While it is true that you are the savior of my life, I also have a guild to which I have been indebted for a long time. I am grateful for the offer, but I cannot leave, even for the sake of the Myeongho Guild.”

[If you change your mind, come find me again later. The offer remains unchanged.]

Hae Eung Eung let him go without any lingering feelings.

It would be good to have a strong person like Shin Seong-gwak, but

It’s not like the Hainan Sect would collapse overnight without him.

Even that magnanimous attitude

Looked even better in Shin Seong-gwak’s eyes.

“So… those things I said earlier. Ahem. Are you really not…?”

[I told you no.]

“Ugh. This old body is just getting old and acting foolish. I’ve shown a terrible sight. Please think of everything that happened as a result of living through a harsh era.”

[I understand.]

“Really?”

In the Murim world, there were many worried old men, a common type of human.

[Those who have not experienced it do not know the era of hardship.]

“That sounds like… you have lived through such an era as well.”

[There have been many things.]

Hae Eung Eung answered, recalling her memories in the Murim world.

Shin Seong-gwak interpreted the meaning differently.

‘For that young person to have experienced that dark age… it means they have dirtied their hands under a different affiliation than the Association or the government. And at such a young age.’

He thought that she had been doing things that stained her hands with blood at an age when others were going to school,

And she looked quite different to him.

‘To have gone through such a terrible past and still have the courage to gather people and create her own guild, living in the light rather than the shadows.’

She was truly a pitiful and admirable child.

If it weren’t for the Myeongho Guild, he would have liked to stay by this young person’s side and watch over her future from behind.

Shin Seong-gwak forced down his wavering heart and returned to the guild.

“Gasp! The dead CEO has returned!”

“Undead, it must be undead!”

“Is the enemy a necromancer!”

“Be careful, if you get too close, the corpse might explode!”

“Sob, those vicious bastards. To defile even the rest of the dead. Are the villains demons without blood or tears!”

Waiting for him was

A few executives and a small number of guild members, who had dragged out all sorts of furniture from the guild building entrance and

Were venting their resentment and saying absurd things from behind a triple barricade.

“What are you guys doing, treating a perfectly fine person like a dead man? Did you all lose your minds or something?”

He would only learn after some time that they were the very few remaining members of the suicide squad who wanted to keep their loyalty to the Myeongho Guild, and that

The board members, executives, and other guild members

Had already taken a fortune and run away.

“Heh. I was pouring water into a bottomless pit.”

He had been trying so hard to fix the failing guild, even sacrificing his lifespan.

But with just one rumor, the guild was shattered overnight.

As things turned out this way,

Shin Seong-gwak’s loyalty to the guild also cooled down.

“The Myeongho Guild that I remembered has long been over. If the guild I raised with my own hands has declined so much, then I will close the guild with my own hands as well.”

Shin Seong-gwak said to the remaining suicide squad.

“It was announced that Guild Master Lee Myeong-ho had entered seclusion to cure his mana disease, but in reality, he is already dead in the dungeon.”

“Yes?! Is that really true!”

“Otherwise, how could he not show his face even once when this situation has occurred?”

Until now, he had kept silent for the sake of the guild’s stability and future, but

Now that he had even heard the news that the members of the guild

Were stealing the guild’s assets with their own hands and

Running away on their own feet,

There was no longer any reason to hide the secret in order to protect them from external threats.

“I will dissolve the guild before those who ran away come back. I will dispose of the remaining guild assets before those dirty things come back, watching for an opportunity.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

“They were the ones who appointed me as CEO. Those who abandoned their decision-making and ran away have no right to object. If they show up in front of me on their own feet…”

A murderous intent flashed in Shin Seong-gwak’s eyes.

“Then they will have to pay a harsh price first.”

On this day, Shin Seong-gwak’s one word determined the fate of the Myeongho Guild.

While Shin Seong-gwak was going through the dissolution process of the Myeongho Guild.

Hae Eung Eung was listening to So Gyeong-seok talk about the levels of Awakened Ones.

“Usually, a B-class Awakened One means someone between level 201 and level 250. This is because their abilities evolve every 50 levels, and their mana capacity increases dramatically.”

[Why was Shin Seong-gwak stuck at level 249? If he had just raised it by 2 more levels, he could have avoided the effects of the mana disease for a while.]

Hae Eung Eung’s question was reasonable.

However, the advancement of Awakened Ones was also

As difficult as that of Murim people.

“Leveling up every 50 levels comes with special conditions.”

[Special conditions?]

“For example, a condition like clearing a dungeon of challenge level 250. It’s a condition that you wouldn’t dare to try unless you gather Awakened Ones of the same level to challenge it.”

[Then you can just gather people in the same situation.]

“I don’t know about the underworld, but in the light, they don’t want to strengthen the power of other guilds. Even those who have already reached A-class only help for the sake of their own guild.”

Guild Master Lee Myeong-ho went into seclusion, and

Shin Seong-gwak became the strongest person in the guild.

Other guilds, who did not want him to become stronger,

Controlled the experts so that they could not help him, so

Shin Seong-gwak could only recruit party members to attack dungeons and gates within the range of his connections.

“Unfortunately, if you are as high a level as Shin Seong-gwak, it becomes increasingly difficult to find someone of the same skill level, and most of the time, your companions decrease due to old age, mana disease, or mission failure.”

Shin Seong-gwak, who had become alone in that way,

Realized that he could no longer attack dungeons in the gate and

Gave up on leveling up, which was just a year ago.

There was a reason why he was just waiting for the day he would die.

[That’s too bad.]

“Becoming stronger alone is a lonely thing. In that respect, I think Ji-woo and I are lucky. We can cooperate and help each other.”

No matter how shallow the relationship between the Association’s Awakened Ones may be,

This was the reason why they could not break that relationship in the end.

If even that shallow relationship were broken,

If they were to truly become alone someday,

An insurmountable wall would be waiting for them.

They were somehow continuing that bond.

It was an even sadder relationship when you knew the whole story.

“So, what is Hae Eung Eung’s level?”

Level and realm.

After listening to So Gyeong-seok’s story,

Hae Eung Eung also felt the desire to check herself after a long time.

‘I should check my current level and realm, and open the status window and martial arts window after a long time.’

Hae Eung Eung, who is basically wary of being swayed by numbers,

Made an exception for today and

Summoned the status window of the Murim Memoirs.

The status window, which had been degraded and unsightly after experiencing the body initialization,

Had made considerable progress due to the time spent in the real world.

【Status Window】

[Name] Hae Eung Eung (Female, 15 years old)

[Realm] Second-Rate (Lv190) (Cumulative Lv290)

[Occupation] Wandering Swordsman

[Title] Silent Swordsman

[Strength] 25 (+15P)

[Meridian] 17 (-2P)

[Skill] 12

[Intelligence] 35

[Perception] 89 (+5P)

[Charm] 100 (+2P)

[Inner Force] 14

Remaining Points: 290

Weakened Meridians: Your meridians are weakened by the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

Barren Land of Inner Force: You are residing in an area with very low natural energy. It is extremely difficult to increase your inner force.

Executioner: The executioner who was reduced to a gatekeeper of the Great Yokai. You have inherited his legacy.

Sky Breakthrough: The sight of breaking through the wall of wind. This moved many people.

Silent Swordsman: The transmission of the Silent Swordsman is accumulating in Banyogok.

Dangerous Woman: The number of people who have fallen for your dangerous charm is increasing.

Founder of the Hainan Sect: You are the founder who started a sect.

Sky Breakthrough: The sight of breaking through the wall of wind. This moved many people.

-Title Equipped Effect: Strength +3P

-Title Held Effect: Strength +1P

Silent Swordsman: The transmission of the Silent Swordsman is accumulating in Banyogok.

-Title Equipped Effect: Strength +10P, Perception +5P

-Title Held Effect: Strength +3P, Perception +1P

Dangerous Woman: The number of people who have fallen for your dangerous charm is increasing.

-Title Equipped Effect: Charm +3P

-Title Held Effect: Charm +1P

Founder of the Hainan Sect: You are the founder who started a sect.

-Title Equipped Effect: Charm +3P

-Title Held Effect: Charm +1P

【Stat Change】

[Strength] 25 (9) [Meridian] 17 (2) [Skill] 12 (2)

[Intelligence] 35 [Perception] 89 [Charm] 100

[Inner Force] 14 (9)

[Total] 289 (22)

The overall increase in stats is not very high.

However, thanks to breaking through the wall of strength 20

With pure effort, without relying solely on the title effect,

Hae Eung Eung’s strength stat achieved a high increase.

Also, without succumbing to the penalty of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, which continuously decreased,

As a result of diligently repeating training.

She achieved the result of increasing the value compared to the beginning.

Also, she absorbed the White Wood Ghost this time and achieved a high achievement.

Overall, it was a satisfactory growth trend.

‘The situation is not bad. The fact that you can replace the titles that you could only get by going to Murim in the game is a considerable advantage.’

You get stronger just by playing the game.

It was like confirming this with her own eyes.

【Martial Arts Window】

[Mind Arts]

[Three Talents Qi Art] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Clear Sea Mind Art] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Fist Arts]

[Six Harmonies Fist] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Grasping Arts]

[Golden Grasping Hand] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Finger Arts]

[Flickering Finger Skill] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Palm Arts]

[Sea Cloud Palm] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Leg Arts]

[Whirlwind Kick] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Sword Arts]

[Three Talents Sword Art] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Plum Blossom Twelve Swords] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Modified Five Tigers Broken Door Sword] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Hainan Sword Art] (3 Stars) (First-Rate)

[Footwork]

[Three Talents Steps] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Ten Thousand Gold Steps] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Submerging Shadow Steps] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Movement Arts]

[Riding the Wind and Breaking the Waves] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Precise Sleeping Dragon] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[White Tiger Skill] (10 Stars) (Second-Rate)

[Hidden Arts]

[Paired Swallow Flight] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Scattered Ghost Valley] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Hand Arts]

[Hidden Dragon One Scale] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Sound Arts]

[Lute Rapid Chaos] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Third-Rate)

[Bamboo Flute Penetrating Secret] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Third-Rate)

[Grappling]

[Soul Seizing Art] (10 Stars) (Great Accomplishment) (Second-Rate)

[Lip Reading] (4 Stars) (Miscellaneous)

The promotion of third-rate martial arts by grafting enlightenment.

The great accomplishment of new second-rate martial arts.

As a result, the martial arts window was full of second-rate martial arts.

One third-rate martial art.

Another first-rate martial art that suppressed the advancement of the realm to avoid promotion.

Except for these, there were as many as 19 great second-rate martial arts.

It boasted an enormous variety of martial arts.

【Realm Window】

[Realm] Second-Rate (Lv190)

[Promotion Conditions]

-Win against a Second-Rate enemy (100/100)

-Win against a First-Rate enemy (1/1)

-Achieve Realm Level 100 (190/100)

-Acquire First-Rate Martial Arts (1/1)

-You can promote at any time you want if you meet two or more of the above four conditions.

-However, if a martial art of First-Rate or higher reaches the 5-star realm, the realm will be forcibly promoted.

The promotion conditions to rise to First-Rate

Had long been met.

All that was left for her was

Reaching level 200 by achieving the great accomplishment of 20 second-rate martial arts that could be raised in the second-rate realm.

All that was left was to acquire one more second-rate martial art and

Achieve great accomplishment.

‘But it’s difficult.’

She couldn’t think of any more second-rate martial arts to learn.

The insights and martial arts that came to mind

Were all only martial arts of First-Rate or higher.

If she forcibly grafted enlightenment,

The realm of martial arts would rise to First-Rate at once, and

She would be forcibly promoted.

‘It’s difficult. To achieve the greatest achievement in the realm of a novice.’

It was easy to train one rising martial art, but

It was difficult to master the countless martial arts of all things.

The words that only third-rate thugs who had not obtained a precious martial art would say

Struck her deeply.

Perhaps among the wanderers,

There was a hidden expert who realized the law regarding realm levels and

Preached the importance of learning various martial arts.

‘Apart from the one remaining second-rate martial art, I also see some things after looking back like this.’