Human-Faced Spider (2)

Sky-Piercing Mountain.

It would take forever to get there on foot. Minwoo hired a carriage, and they climbed aboard.

[A special mission field within the gate has been unlocked!]

[You can now travel to Sky-Piercing Mountain!]

The messages appeared.

'It worked.'

The area accessible within a gate wasn't unlimited. Beyond the designated boundary, the entire landscape turned into a zone of grayish-white mist.

'Step inside, and it's over.'

He had ventured in about three times out of curiosity. It was an endless passage with no exit.

He had eventually starved to death.

In any case, there was a limit to how far one could travel, and that range expanded as the gate's rank increased.

'Sky-Piercing Mountain was probably inaccessible originally.'

Even by carriage, the journey took a week. It was also in the exact opposite direction from the venue for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

That was why he had assumed it would be blocked off. A gate would have to be at least A+ rank to have all that territory accessible.

But what if you discovered a special mechanic, such as accepting a mission like this one?

Sometimes, it opened a path through the mist.

As they traveled toward Sky-Piercing Mountain, they stopped every six hours to get out of the carriage and take a break. During one such stop, Seo Yerim looked at Kim Minwoo.

"About that skeleton of yours. Could I spar with it?"

"You mean Cedric?"

"Yes. That one."

"Go ahead."

He summoned Cedric. As Yerim and Cedric began sparring, Minwoo turned to Jang Sam, who was crouched off to one side reading the martial arts manual.

"Jang Sam. Have you memorized it?"

"W-well, some of it?"

"Recite the formula."

Jang Sam mumbled a few lines, his voice gradually dwindling to a whisper.

"This won't do. You need a beating."

"... Pardon?"

"If your brain can't learn it, your body will have to."

Minwoo threw a punch.

THWACK!

Just as expected, his fist sank into Jang Sam's face. Blood streamed from the servant's nose as he gave Minwoo an aggrieved look.

"But if you hit me out of nowhere like that...!"

"You could've dodged that with Ghost-Slaying Steps."

"... Young Master? It's only been six hours since you gave me the book, you know?"

"I know. If you could learn martial arts that fast, you'd be living comfortably somewhere respectable."

"Then why..."

"We're short on time. We need a shortcut. Catch."

He pulled a suitable sword from his inventory and tossed it over.

"Th-this is..."

"Yours. Take it and try to stab me."

"What? Stab you, Young Master?"

"Yes. You won't land a hit anyway, so don't worry."

Soon, squeals like those of a pig being slaughtered rang out. It was Jang Sam, getting beaten like a dog—and hard enough to kick his survival instincts into gear.

'He'll learn if I beat him enough.'

That was how martial arts worked. They had been created to make people better at fighting in the first place. Naturally, real combat was the quickest way to learn. At least, up to a certain level.

Minwoo tossed a potion to Jang Sam, who had collapsed in a limp heap.

"What's this..."

"Drink it down."

GULP!

Jang Sam's body recovered in an instant.

"Feeling fresh?"

"Yes! I thought I was dying just a moment ago, but now I'm perfectly fine! Thank you, Young Master!"

"Don't mention it. Time for another beating, then."

"...?"

"Aaaaargh!"

* * *

Nearly a week passed.

Teaching through the body really did work. On the first day, Jang Sam had simply taken the blows and crumpled. Now, he was actually managing to fight back in his own way.

'At least he's not completely hopeless.'

Minwoo had thought all he could do was grin foolishly, but he had some fighting spirit. He was fairly tenacious, too.

As for his overall talent...

'Somewhere above average?'

He was getting a late start, but if he worked hard at learning advanced martial arts from now on, he might still make something of himself.

"You're finally getting useful."

"Hehe. I used to get into plenty of fights as a kid. I was the neighborhood boss, you might say."

"Right. At this level, you won't just drop dead on the road. So leave the mountain."

"... Pardon?"

"I said, leave."

"What do you mean... leave?"

Jang Sam's eyes trembled.

"You'll die if you go to Heavenly Peak Mountain with your skills."

"... Then couldn't I wait here?"

"You'll die at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, too."

"I-I can wait for you. If I stay at the Unorthodox Alliance..."

"You'll die there, too."

"..."

"Sam."

"... Yes, Young Master."

"You saw the warning on the mission notice. The one saying anyone who interferes with us will have three generations of their family exterminated."

"I did."

"Then the bastards looking to pull something probably haven't started following us yet. This is your only chance to get away in one piece."

"... B-but..."

"At most, there'll be an elder watching nearby. Don't worry. They'll let you leave alive."

Slaying the Human-Faced Spider was tremendously important to the Alliance Leader. Naturally, he would have sent someone to tail them in case anything went wrong. Probably someone of at least elder rank.

Would that elder kill Minwoo's loyal servant just because he had learned a B-rank martial art?

Anyone with an eye to the future would simply let him go. It wasn't an S-rank martial art whose disclosure was strictly forbidden, or even an A-rank one. They wouldn't risk antagonizing a future rising star just to kill a single servant.

"Go as far away as you can. Don't show off your martial arts too much, and live quietly. Keep training, and you should at least be able to become a local notable."

"... It would be terribly shameless of me to ask you to protect me, wouldn't it?"

"Glad you understand. I don't have a power base. I can't stay by your side twenty-four hours a day just to keep you safe, either."

They had only met inside the gate, but Jang Sam had done his best to loyally serve the Fifth Young Master, a man with no connections. Thanks to him, Minwoo had obtained information easily.

That was why he could do this much for him.

But anything beyond this?

It would hinder the clear.

'I've got my hands full staying alive myself.'

If he had to look after Jang Sam too, never mind clearing the gate—he would be lucky not to die before reaching the midway zone.

He tossed Jang Sam a pouch.

"There are preserved rations and a few gems in there. Now go. I mean it."

"... Thank you for everything, Young Master."

"Yes. You did well looking after me."

Minwoo waved him away.

Now, while Jang Sam knew nothing about the plan, was also the moment when Minwoo could let him leave without worry.

If he stayed with them and learned of the plan to run off with the clue to Ascension, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to. Death would become his only way out.

They could part on good terms without it coming to that. It was the best possible outcome. Jang Sam's figure slowly receded into the distance.

Minwoo turned to Yerim.

For the past week, she had sparred with Cedric throughout their journey. As he recalled, she had endured quite a few harsh words.

"Would you mind if I summoned Cedric?"

"Why are you asking me? Just summon him."

"I thought it might bother you."

"Hah! It doesn't bother me in the slightest."

"Then I'll summon him?"

"Go ahead."

Minwoo called Cedric forth. The skeleton immediately looked at Yerim.

"Another spar today? As I told you, your swordsmanship has no more room to grow. Unfortunately, that is a matter of talent. The thing that separates the genuine from the counterfeit."

She flinched, then shot Minwoo a piercing glare.

"... What do you take me for, some kind of fighting cock? He didn't summon you for me, you know."

"Right. We're going to hunt the Human-Faced Spider. That's why I called you."

"Is that so? Good. I was just thinking what a shame it would be to waste more time."

"..."

Yerim hung her head.

"Hey. You could at least put it more kindly..."

"At times like this, it is better to be direct. Otherwise, that woman will keep wasting her life."

"Shut up."

Minwoo smacked him on the skull. Even so, Cedric wouldn't stop talking.

"Her ambitions far exceed her talent. I've seen many such whelps. Every last one of them crumbled in the end, devoured by an overinflated ego."

The lights in Cedric's eye sockets blazed, as though he had a great deal of pent-up frustration. Then he stared straight at Minwoo.

"Master. Surely you aren't thinking of offering her some empty consolation. That would only be deception. Someone of your caliber should know that."

Oh, this bastard.

He really knew how to put someone on the spot.

Did he think Minwoo didn't know that? He had already openly called her a scrub himself.

The problem was that things were very different now. Back then, they had barely known each other, and she had been the first to go on about how he would die without clearing the gate. He had merely delivered a pointed retort.

Now, hadn't she risked her life to come help him?

'What am I supposed to do about this atmosphere?'

He considered unsummoning Cedric, but being left alone with her worried him even more.

A chilly silence settled over them.

Soon, Cedric fixed his gaze on Yerim.

"Let me give you a piece of advice. If you intend to wield a sword, don't aim any higher. Impatience has taken root in your body. One day, it will consume your mind as well."

"That's enough. The Sword Immortal will know about it too."

"The Sword Immortal? Ah, you mean the human who brought you my skull."

"Yes. Her grandfather."

"Then he must have told her this much. Hasn't he?"

"..."

She hung her head.

"I understand. Now that you've already become a swordsman, there is no clear solution. Even so, there is nothing to be done. As I see it, that is the only way."

"I get it, so leave it there."

"Very well."

Cedric nodded, looking relieved, as though he had said everything he wanted to say.

Which left Minwoo alone to deal with the shit.

'Fuck.'

Could they even go hunt the Human-Faced Spider like this?

The mood had gone utterly sour. But he couldn't offer some clumsy words of consolation, either. There was no easy answer to this problem.

'What am I supposed to do when her class is already fixed?'

Of the five playable characters, two could choose their classes: Park Siwoo and Han Sia.

A "Recommended Class" appeared on their starting screens. Since their classes were undecided, players could choose whatever they liked. Naturally, swordsman and mage were the obvious choices for a swordsmanship genius and a magic genius.

Starting at three stars, however, things were different. Their classes were already fixed from the outset. As a matter of course, those classes didn't suit their talents. That was one of the main reasons the difficulty spiked.

Five-star Kim Minwoo was a little unusual. He had no talent whatsoever, which made playing him hell.

Yerim, on the other hand, did have talent.

'Her talent is... '

An archery genius. A master of the bow.

And yet her class was swordsman.

The saving grace was that, unlike Kim Minwoo, she wasn't completely untalented with a sword. In fact, her talent was considerable. At the very least, she ranked near the top of the "counterfeits" Cedric had mentioned.

'The problem is that she's aiming higher than that.'

To reach those heights, she would have to abandon the sword and take up a bow.

Except she was already a swordsman.

Of course, being a swordsman didn't mean she couldn't use a bow, but there were plenty of restrictions. For starters, all the skills she had acquired so far, including her achievement skills, would become useless.

And that wasn't all. Every bound skill book she obtained from then on would be another source of bitter regret, since those were determined by her level and class. She couldn't learn archer skills, either.

Then why would she need to pick up a bow to reach greater heights?

Because there was a way.

True geniuses could create skills even without skill books.

Han Sia, who could learn magic in a flash just by reading textbooks at the academy, was one example. The same held true for Yerim. Even if she could no longer draw on the power of skill books, her talent would allow her to create skills.

She could study an archery martial arts manual and practice a little, and it would become a skill. Or she might simply loose an arrow, and a skill would appear.

That was why, in the long run, she needed a bow to reach greater heights.

Of course, there were plenty of reasons he couldn't simply tell her that. This Yerim wasn't being controlled by a player. She had a personality and a will of her own.

Would someone who adored her grandfather so much take kindly to being told out of nowhere to throw away her sword and pick up a bow?

He had kept quiet because there was no need to stir up trouble just yet.

'I was going to tell her eventually... '

It was a subject he would have to bring up at least once, if only for the achievement points. If Yerim picked up a bow instead of a sword, the points might come pouring in.

But he hadn't wanted to say it in an atmosphere like this.

"Listen."

"... I don't need comforting. I... I know, too."

"No, that's not it. Why don't you just take up a bow?"

"...?"

"They're right that you're no good with a sword. So stop getting hurt over it and pick up a bow instead."

Cedric was right. Empty consolation was nothing but deception.

So he had no choice but to take this opportunity to give it to her straight.