The Strongest in Murim Through Gacha
3. The Manyonggak Secret Manual
‘He looks younger than in the video. But it’s definitely the same face. What is this? Wasn’t a fellow hero someone you summon through a hero draw?’
He didn’t quite know what was going on, but since the seat happened to be empty, he went and sat in the seat in front of Namgung Geon.
‘The people who appeared in the video were either heroes or demons. Namgung Geon was one of the heroes.’
Among the countless heroes obtainable through draws, only an extremely small number appeared in the intro video.
That meant there was a good chance they were either major figures related to the story or extremely powerful heroes that users would want to put on their wish list.
‘They wouldn’t have bothered putting a trash hero in the video. And his title itself feels pretty strong. Either way, it’s not a bad idea to get acquainted.’
“…Is there something on my face?”
Feeling the gaze boring into him, Namgung Geon turned to So Jongcheon with a puzzled expression and opened his mouth.
“Ah. You just look somewhat familiar for some reason. You’re Namgung Geon, right?”
“That is undoubtedly this lowly one’s name.”
“Changcheon Sword Saint?”
“…Are you mocking me? There are those who gave me a title beyond my station, but how could I dare use the name Sword Saint when I know my place?”
His eyebrows twitching, revealing his discomfort, Namgung Geon asked as if arguing.
“It seems this is our first meeting, yet you make such a jest. Just who are you?”
‘Right, a fifteen-year-old couldn’t possibly hold a title like Sword Saint. I nearly ruined the relationship by blurting that out thoughtlessly. But he already has some kind of title? Impressive.’
So Jongcheon blamed himself for wagging his tongue carelessly and spouted an excuse.
“I’m So Jongcheon. Sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to mock you. I know a little face-reading, and I sensed an air of greatness, so it slipped out. Who knows? You might actually be called a Sword Saint later.”
“…Ahem! What a peculiar fellow student. Do not go around spouting such absurdities. Sword Saint! Hmm, Changcheon Sword Saint…? Heh…”
It seemed he got away with it somehow.
Still, perhaps it wasn’t a word he disliked hearing, for Namgung Geon’s face flushed slightly as he repeated the word Sword Saint.
‘In the video, he looked like a middle-aged man in his forties. Is this the childhood of Changcheon Sword Saint? Then what happens if I draw Namgung Geon in a hero draw? The world setting is strange.’
It was a questionable situation in many ways, but there was no way to find out for now.
Since they had exchanged names at least, he didn’t force any more conversation and focused on his meal.
He seemed like someone worth getting close to, but this was enough for today.
‘I’ve memorized his face, so I just need to greet him whenever I see him. If I try too hard to get close, it might backfire.’
After finishing his meal, So Jongcheon headed to the second training ground according to the schedule he had been given at the entrance ceremony.
The path wasn’t familiar yet, but he didn’t get lost because he just had to follow the other students.
Everyone was moving in the same direction anyway, since all students had to attend the first day’s class.
Many people had gathered in the training ground, but it wasn’t noisy.
Because they didn’t know each other well yet, few were chatting.
Even though they were young, they were martial artists, so without anyone telling them to, they lined up in orderly rows and waited quietly.
“It seems everyone is mostly gathered.”
As the students stood blankly, gauging each other’s moods, a middle-aged man appeared and climbed onto the platform.
He was someone So Jongcheon remembered being introduced at the entrance ceremony.
Samjeol Fist Tiger, Chu Omyeong.
He had heard that just past the age of forty, Chu Omyeong was a fist master who had gained quite a reputation in the Anhwi area.
“Greetings. Though I saw you yesterday, let me introduce myself again. I am Chu Omyeong, who will be your homeroom instructor for the next year. I am your guidance instructor, but I am also the leader of the Hwangnyongdan. Likewise, from now on, you are both students of Jamnyong Academy and members of Hwangnyongdan, the armed force of the Righteous-Sect Alliance. You must distinguish well between these two.”
Chu Omyeong swept his gaze over the faces of the students and continued speaking.
“It is your freedom to decide whether to participate in my classes or receive guidance under the relationship of teacher and student. However, as members of Hwangnyongdan, when there are missions to carry out, you must thoroughly obey orders. Needless to say, insubordination during a mission can result in summary execution.”
By those words, he was someone who held these people’s lives depending on the situation.
As the grim talk came out, the atmosphere stiffened slightly.
“You were all assigned rooms of four, correct? That group is one squad. Hwangnyongdan is organized into four companies, and each company contains thirteen squads. I trust you all remember your room numbers.”
At Chu Omyeong’s words, So Jongcheon searched his memory.
‘So the four people living together are one team. Was our room definitely number 30?’
“Rooms 1 to 13 are the 1st Company. The rest likewise belong up to the 4th Company in the same manner.”
By that logic, So Jongcheon’s affiliation was the 3rd Company.
“From now on, I will select the company commanders. The called students, step forward. 1st Company Commander, Dang Jin!”
“Yes!”
“2nd Company Commander, Jin Yurin! 3rd Company Commander, Namgung Geon! 4th Company Commander, Moryong Seolho!”
Among those who stepped forward when their names were called, there was a familiar face mixed in.
‘Namgung Geon is the 3rd Company Commander? Since we’re in the same company, I’ll see him often.’
“The four above are your representatives. When you have suggestions regarding the unit, always go through the company commanders.”
“I have a question.”
Someone raised their hand and spoke up at Chu Omyeong’s words.
Naturally, gazes gathered there, and it was that girl from the same room whose name he hadn’t heard.
“Speak.”
“Aren’t company commanders chosen based on martial arts skill? I do not think I am weaker than them.”
Her face was full of dissatisfaction.
With a sharp expression, she glared at the four who had come forward with quite an unusual intensity.
“Hmm. Your name?”
“I am Han Sahye.”
He finally learned the name he hadn’t heard yesterday.
At Han Sahye’s answer, Chu Omyeong took out something like a bundle of documents from his bosom and began searching through it.
‘Is it like a student record?’
That was exactly it.
“Here it is. Han Sahye, from Jeoksa Sect, is it?”
“That is correct.”
Jeoksa Sect.
Just hearing the name gave a strong impression of a heretical faction group.
‘I don’t know much about Cho Yeongho, but Jang Jagun is from Jeomchang, one of the Nine Sects and One Alliance, so naturally of the righteous faction. Han Sahye came from a heretical faction called Jeoksa Sect.’
And So Jongcheon was born of an obscure, unknown household that belonged to neither side.
Seeing people of such different leanings gathered in one place, it certainly seemed to be a place that didn’t discriminate by background.
“Your grades in the entrance examination weren’t bad. Certainly, if we look purely at martial arts level, there is little difference between you and the four in front.”
“Then why?”
“You ask the obvious. Was the entrance examination merely a place to show off martial arts? Martial arts accounts for a large portion of the comprehensive evaluation score, but surely that wasn’t everything?”
“….”
“I selected the company commanders based on the overall score ranking, so do not raise further questions. If you are dissatisfied, achieve higher scores in the periodic evaluations held every half-year.”
“Tch… Understood.”
Since it was based on grades, there was nothing more to say.
Though she didn’t look convinced, Han Sahye closed her mouth and stepped back.
“Class schedules are all posted in the dormitory, so find the lecture halls on your own time. As for what must be done today… it is the opening of Manyonggak, I suppose. Everyone, look to your right.”
Instructor Chu Omyeong raised his finger and pointed to the large building to the students’ right.
“That is Manyonggak. Though not all the countless martial arts texts known to the martial world are there… well, quite a few things have been collected anyway.”
‘Manyonggak? Why does every name around here have a dragon in it?’
“Ordinary students basically cannot read books from Manyonggak outside the designated periods. However, since today is the first day, you are all permitted to browse.”
At Chu Omyeong’s words, several students nodded.
Though Jamnyong Academy’s history wasn’t very long, this wasn’t the first time they recruited new students, so the information was known to those worthy of being here.
Of course, to So Jongcheon, who had no decent backing and would have had difficulty entering if not for his father’s meritorious service benefits, this was the first time hearing it.
“There are many books, but each person may borrow only one, and taking them outside is prohibited. Once chosen, the book cannot be exchanged until the next permitted period, so choose well. There is a storage room inside the building, so register there and go read when needed. Gather again in two shichen. Go!”
When Instructor Chu Omyeong clapped his hands with a loud crack and shouted, the gathered students began moving en masse toward Manyonggak.
“…What are you doing not going?”
“Huh? Ah, I’m going.”
Having stood blankly and remained at the very back, So Jongcheon slowly moved his feet when Chu Omyeong spoke with a frown.
‘I only know martial arts through the remaining memories in this body. And even then, I have almost no information besides a few household martial arts, so how am I supposed to know what to choose?’
Most students entering Jamnyong Academy at fifteen had already established a basic foundation as martial artists through their family or master’s sect.
They already had their own frameworks in place and had received hints before entering, so they moved with prior decisions on what kind of martial arts texts to choose.
So Jongcheon was the only exception.
‘Two shichen. That was four hours. Not very long, but… well, let’s see what books there are for now.’
The instructor’s words that many books had been collected were not wrong.
Upon entering the center of Manyonggak, giant bookshelves stretched on in rows, and no matter where he turned his gaze, all he saw were books.
‘They said they only collected martial arts texts, yet this place alone is bigger than a library. Amazing.’
Two shichen was a very short time.
He felt time would run out before he could look through everything even just reading the titles.
“Martial arts, huh.”
So Jongcheon thought about the martial arts he knew.
Cheongmyeong Tonap Gong and Chuyeong Gwon.
Cheongmyeong Tonap Gong was the clan’s sole transmitted mental cultivation method, and Chuyeong Gwon was a foundational training martial art, a body technique combining fist techniques, movement techniques, and footwork.
‘Neither are particularly amazing martial arts.’
According to his memories, there were definitely other household martial arts.
The clan’s training method was to train the body with the foundational Chuyeong Gwon from around age five, begin learning the Ohaeng Yeonhwangeom at age ten, and after showing some achievement, master the Cheongun Jeolyeongeom.
‘The problem is that my father, who would have taught me, passed away too early.’
So Jongcheon’s father died the year he turned nine.
If the martial arts secret manuals had been stored safely, he might have learned them alone, but they had been lost in an accident, and he never even got to see them.
In the end, what So Jongcheon learned was only two things: Cheongmyeong Tonap Gong and Chuyeong Gwon.
‘The clan’s representative martial art is swordsmanship, yet I couldn’t even learn the sword. Damn… still, it seems he trained hard enough to enter a place like this with only foundational arts.’
Though it was a training art, Chuyeong Gwon was a fist technique containing superior principles compared to the third-rate martial arts sold by street medicine peddlers.
However, it was somewhat lacking to be called first-rate.
Cheongmyeong Tonap Gong was even more so.
It was a mental cultivation method presumed to have roots in the Daoist side, allowing one to build pure, stable internal energy, but honestly, it was an unremarkable method that was passed down in the family only because there was no other internal cultivation art to replace it.
‘This is a chance to learn other martial arts. Which one should I choose?’
“Aren’t you Mr. So’s friend? Have you chosen a book?”
While thinking about his martial art selection, someone spoke to him.
When he turned his head, he saw his roommates, Jang Jagun and Cho Yeongho.
“Huh? Not yet. It looks like you guys have already chosen.”
Both were holding books that appeared to be secret manuals.
“I can’t make something other than my sect’s martial arts my main focus now, but I picked up something that could be applied to movement techniques. The movement art I learned is fast but consumes a lot of internal energy, so it’s not efficient for normal travel when not in combat.”
Hearing Jang Jagun’s answer, So Jongcheon naturally shifted his gaze to Cho Yeongho.
It meant to ask what he had chosen, but Cho Yeongho avoided eye contact and turned his head, ignoring So Jongcheon.
“Hey, Yeongho! Didn’t you hear what the instructor said earlier? We’re not just roommates; we’re squad members who have to trust each other with our backs in emergencies. Don’t be so stiff, let’s get along.”
“Hmph.”
As the atmosphere was about to sour, Jang Jagun intervened, and Cho Yeongho opened his mouth in a voice filled with displeasure.
“I intend to study footwork a bit. I had looked into it beforehand, so I could find it right away.”
“I see. It seems everyone already knew what they were going to choose.”
“Jongcheon! You, ah! I can call you by name comfortably, right?”
“Of course.”
“Right. Didn’t you think about this in advance from outside?”
He hadn’t even known there was such a schedule, so of course not.
“I didn’t know. I’m going to think about it now.”
At So Jongcheon’s words, Cho Yeongho frowned.
“You didn’t know? Hah, where is your sect that you couldn’t even get that information?”
“I just learned household martial arts without formally studying under a sect anywhere.”
“Tch…”
“Haha, you really are a unique friend. We just finished registering, so we’ll spend time studying now. Jongcheon, make your choice quickly and come.”
“Yeah, I should. Go ahead.”
Unlike Cho Yeongho, whose reaction was not good, Jang Jagun smiled, patted So Jongcheon’s shoulder lightly, and moved off.
Cho Yeongho, who had been following him, paused as he passed So Jongcheon and opened his mouth.
“Don’t think I’ll take care of you one by one just because we’re in the same squad. Don’t hold us back.”
“…Huh?”
Judging by the way he spoke, it seemed he had quite underestimated him.