Chapter 78 - Power-Up! (1)

The reason I decided to hire Lee Munryong instead of killing him was simple.

He looked useful.

You know how, when you play a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game, you capture enemy generals with good stats and recruit them instead of killing them? It was like that. Like wanting to get some use out of Lü Bu before killing him, even though you know he'll betray you.

... Well, the Three Kingdoms comparison was a joke.

I needed information to figure out what was going on.

[The First Pentacle of Saturn]

I had magic that summoned the souls of the dead and made them answer questions, but it only worked on Saturdays. And since those conversations hadn't exactly gone smoothly, it wasn't enough to get a clear picture of the current situation.

This wasn't the first time a magician had attacked me...

But this attack was a little different from the incidents so far.

I hadn't intended any of those earlier encounters, either. I'd happened to visit a cannibal magician's workshop disguised as a ranch, or a campground overrun by a zombie magician, and ended up fighting them. Even Chairman Kim hadn't been targeting me. He'd only attacked because I was an obstacle standing beside Namgung Sua when he tried to take her away.

Alphonse, on the other hand, had specifically sought me out and attacked me.

Even if he'd used his magic to locate me, information about me might have been circulated somewhere. Information that would give a magician reason to target me. Namely, that I was the master of a grimoire.

That was why I intended to hire Lee Munryong, a mercenary in this line of work, and get information out of him in turn.

... And honestly, I'd been in real danger this time.

To put it bluntly, if there'd been just one more breathing-technique user on Lee Munryong's level, I'd have died.

That didn't mean I thought Grizzly was weak. Grizzly had performed exceptionally against my enemies so far. Lee Munryong was simply stronger than I'd ever imagined.

Grizzly would have won in the end if they'd kept fighting. Still, even if all he was doing was buying time, I hadn't expected a human to be able to face Grizzly alone rather than as part of a group.

With a calm gaze, I watched Lee Munryong sitting across from me in my little studio apartment, sipping tea.

"..."

SLURP

So, for the sake of my survival, I intended to keep Lee Munryong close, find out just how skilled he was compared to other breathing-technique users, and finally learn breathing techniques myself.

After all the running around and physical hardship I'd endured this time, they were an absolute necessity.

Lee Munryong set down his teacup and looked around the room.

"Clean, but cramped. Is this a hideout?"

"... Well, yes."

This was my actual home... But since Sua had already found out where it was, I was prepared to abandon it depending on how things went anyway. That was why I'd invited him here.

"Now that we're client and bodyguard, I have a few questions. Your answers won't count against you in our future employment relationship, so please be honest."

"Feels like a job interview. My heart's racing. All right."

Lee Munryong nodded with a resolute expression. Feeling a little nervous, I asked,

"... Old man, how good are you compared to other breathing-technique users?"

He seemed strong, but I hoped he was one of the very best rather than merely middling. If martial artists on his level were commonplace, my safety was in serious jeopardy.

Lee Munryong answered without hesitation.

"Greatest Under Heaven."

I blinked at his answer for a moment, then said incredulously,

"... Look, old man. It's nice to see that confidence, and I like it. But I need objective information to make plans for the future. Please give me a proper answer."

"Hmm... In that case... Fighting isn't something you can put into numbers, but..."

He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before answering.

"There are a few bastards stronger than me at the moment. But I wouldn't lose easily, either."

A few bastards... Well, it wasn't precise information, but he really did seem to be quite skilled. After all, he'd fought Grizzly and survived. It would be strange if he were ordinary.

Thinking about it wouldn't tell me anything more, so that would do.

Now for the main point.

"Apart from your bodyguard duties, could you teach me the breathing techniques you use?"

"Breathing techniques? You mean martial arts. Sure, gladly."

To my surprise, Lee Munryong readily agreed.

"I'm happy to hear it, but you're more willing to teach me than I expected."

"Martial arts are tools, in the end. What's so special about them? If you want to learn, there's no reason not to teach you."

His words were breezy, but his eyes were serious.

"Just don't expect any mystical enlightenment. I don't know anything about that myself."

He stood up.

"All I can teach you is how to breathe and how to hit people."

I chuckled and got up after him.

"That's exactly what I want to learn."

I was glad he wasn't wasting time with pointless talk.

Magic called martial arts that enhanced physical abilities.

My breathing-technique training was beginning.

... And a little while later.

Back in my little studio apartment, I lay sprawled against the bed, sweating.

I hadn't learned anything particularly amazing. We'd gone outside, and I'd run as Lee Munryong instructed, practiced straight punches of gratitude, and learned how to exhale.

"Hah... Hah..."

But I was so exhausted that all I could manage was ragged panting.

"... Isn't there any way to learn these breathing techniques faster?"

"Call them breathing techniques or whatever you like, but ultimately, it's about controlling and moving your body. You have to pay attention to every little thing, starting with how you breathe. Consistent practice is the answer."

Lee Munryong answered calmly.

"Your body has to be prepared to a certain extent before it can hold mystical power."

I looked at him with tired eyes.

... Well, that was only natural.

"So, now that you've tried teaching me, what do you think? Does it look like I'll pick these breathing techniques up quickly?"

"Hard to say. You've got a bit of stamina, but you're still at an ordinary person's level. You don't seem particularly talented at breathing techniques."

My eyes narrowed.

It wasn't as though hearing I lacked talent had shocked me into thinking, 'Me, a magical genius! A breathing-technique dunce?!'

Learning was learning. I'd never expected to be able to use them easily from the outset. Still, I'd held out a little hope.

Apparently, it really would take a fair amount of time before I could use breathing techniques.

"..."

For now, I'd practice breathing techniques whenever I could, together with physical conditioning...

As I sorted out my thoughts, the gnomes toddled over.

"Master! Gnomes learned martial arts too, gnome!"

"What?"

Lee Munryong shrugged.

"They were watching beside us, so I played with them a little."

A gnome pulled two sickles out of its white beard-pouch, gripped one in each hand, and waved them around.

"Gnome Fist! Humans who torment Master are already dead, gnome!"

It swung them wildly, swishing and slashing through the air.

I looked down at the gnome for a moment.

'This... reminds me of that dol hareubang stone statue with the kitchen knife...'

Anyway, I gave its head a few pats.

"Impressive."

"Gnooome."

Then I spoke to Lee Munryong again.

"I'll keep learning the breathing techniques, but I might end up in another hand-to-hand fight like this one. Teach me some little tricks, at least."

Lee Munryong rubbed his chin before speaking.

"Techniques, hmm... Those take time to master too. I'll teach you a dirty trick for fighting."

"A dirty trick?"

"You make an improvised weapon your enemy won't expect. First, put on leather gloves and dip your hands in a container of glue. Then break some glass and coat the glue-covered gloves with the shards. You tear your opponent's skin apart."

I blinked.

"I think I've seen that in a comic book."

Lee Munryong blinked too.

"Have you? I saw it in a comic book myself."

"You fucking bastard! Teach me properly!" I roared.

I'd said I'd speak politely to him as a business partner. I hadn't said I'd revere him. If he pissed me off, the politeness was gone.

I wasn't dismissing knowledge from comics, but pulling this after taking my gold coins made me angry.

At my shout, Grizzly rose from where it had been curled up quietly.

"Grrr... Gyaa!"

It sank its teeth into the trouser leg of the human who'd made fun of its master—Lee Munryong—and pulled him off his feet.

"Aaaaaaagh!"

He could only fight Grizzly if he had his spear and enough room to move, striking and retreating. Once it got its teeth into him like this, it was over.

Grizzly swung its head from side to side. Lee Munryong scraped across the floor, flailing helplessly as he shouted,

"I was wrong! Just spare me!"

... And just then.

DING-DONG

The doorbell rang by the entrance. Though, being a studio apartment, the entrance was right there.

'Who is it?'

I went to the front door and looked through the peephole, but couldn't see anyone. Something bothered me, so I carefully opened the door.

TAP

Something caught against it.

"This is..."

It was a box with [Please Take Me In] written on it. You know, the kind of box you'd expect to find an abandoned kitten in, in a comic.

But there wasn't a cat inside.

There was a book with a cover that looked like a martial arts manual.

<Baopuzi>

A grimoire.

I gently rubbed the back of my neck. My eyes narrowed.

'Is this because I'm already a magician? These bastards are just showing up openly now?'

Still, now that I thought about it, <The Lesser Key of Solomon> had also appeared by teleporting to the bazaar I'd visited.

I picked up the new grimoire. Its aura was different from <Mysteries of the Worm> and <The Lesser Key of Solomon>, yet similar.

It was a genuine grimoire.

<Baopuzi> looked up at Yohan and fluttered its pages lightly.

BAOP!

The magician who had called to it on that night beneath the stars!

The sudden downpour had delayed it by a day...

But it had found the right place!