Seeing the Mad Magician meticulously organizing challenge tasks, Yuna interrupted with a question.

"Hey, are these challenge tasks... perhaps something you want to show to Envers?"

"Not really. It's just, you know, rewards should follow commitments, so I'm organizing them in advance. For easier tracking."

"Rewards?"

"Yes. I plan to give something for each achievement... for example."

[Pursuit of Power: Reach Peak Master (achieve Comprehension, Fullness, and Tuning)]

"When this is achieved, I'll give a +99 Legendary Grade Shining Wings."

"HAH!"

The Mad Magician received several playful hits from Yuna's Taichi.

===============================================================

The man standing there in blue martial attire, the one called "Elder Brother So" by Namgung Myeong.

Namgung So (Namgung Seop), the direct descendant and eldest son of the Namgung Family, known as the "Brilliant Sword of No Mind," was like a martial artist straight out of a painting.

His appearance was impeccable and his martial prowess exceptional. Having become a peak master just after turning twenty, he was considered a blessing to the martial world.

Moreover, compared to Namgung Myeong who had just turned seven, the age difference was vast, making him the likely successor to become the next Patriarch of the great Namgung Family.

With looks, skill, and bloodline, his excellence was like an awl in a pocket—impossible to hide. He was considered one of the most promising talents in the current martial world.

"I understand this is someone Myeong brought. I heard he's a Taoist master who has reached a high level in mystical arts."

"I merely possess some modest skills."

"Is that so?"

What further elevated his reputation was that he treated everyone with respect. Despite possessing so much, he remained humble before others—truly an extraordinary person.

Was the initial uneasiness Envers felt just an illusion?

Namgung So volunteered to guide Envers around the family compound. Though Myeong's guest, he worried his younger brother might make mistakes, so he offered to take responsibility instead.

Myeong happily replied, "If elder brother takes charge, I can rest easy!"

And so, Envers found himself walking alongside Namgung So down the corridor.

The silence was awkward. Envers felt a strange discomfort, while Namgung So walked leisurely with a faint smile on his face.

Envers wanted to ask where they were heading but felt hesitant, yet the silence was uncomfortable. As he continued walking uncertainly, the floorboard beneath his feet creaked loudly.

Squeak.

"...?"

"You made a sound."

Namgung So glanced down before taking two steps forward. When he walked across the floorboards, unlike Envers, not a single creak was heard. He continued:

"I deliberately left this corridor unrepaired, thinking it would provide an opportunity for one to reflect on their own footwork."

"I-I see."

"Past this corridor is the guest hall where our family's visitors gather. That's where you'll be staying, Taoist."

"Hmm..."

Squeak. Squeak.

One set of footsteps continuously made unpleasant sounds, while the other moved silently as if leaving no trace in snow. The creaking seemed to be judging him, and he thought:

When Luna shot down that ogre, I remember seeing her move silently. She said making noise would draw aggro.

Surely, the key was in the smooth distribution of one's center of gravity.

Squeak. Squeeeak—

As Envers gradually changed his stepping method and the creaking slightly diminished, Namgung So immediately spoke up.

"Taoist?"

"...Hmm?"

His concentration broke. He thought he was getting close to figuring it out.

"My father's birthday is approaching. We'll soon have a celebration, and we've invited another Taoist for the occasion. He's also staying in the guest hall."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Just as martial artists of similar caliber might spend all night discussing martial arts, I thought two practitioners of mystical arts might have much to talk about. That's why I arranged for you to have adjacent rooms."

"Hmm. Thank you for your kindness."

A magician from this world? That was intriguing. Though Envers was a fake magician and couldn't engage in deep discussions, he thought perhaps he could share conversation by showing off his artifacts.

As they reached the end of the open corridor, a small garden appeared. In the center stood a two-story building, which seemed to be the guest hall.

Namgung So stopped walking and turned to look at Envers.

"By the way... I heard there was an attack by demonic cult members on your way here. They say you overcame the crisis thanks to your mystical arts."

"I happened to have a scroll... a talisman. I was able to evade them with it."

"A talisman that overcomes crisis. That must be a truly efficacious talisman. Do you happen to have more of those?"

"......"

Silence.

Not too long, not too short.

As Envers was about to reply that such questions weren't appropriate, Namgung So bowed slightly and spoke first.

"I've been rude. I'm quite interested in mystical arts... and ended up asking an impolite question. I sincerely thank you for saving my brother. That's what I wanted to say."

"...You care deeply for your brother?"

"Of course. He's my only brother."

"......"

With a smiling face, he told Envers to use the room with the blue flag, then turned and walked silently back down the corridor.

Envers looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression, deep in thought. For some reason, standing before that man made him uncomfortable. It was like having a spider crawl on the back of his hand—unsettling.

"...Ah, it's probably just my imagination."

It's natural for men to feel irritated when seeing handsome gigolos. This must be one of those cases.

Envers scratched the back of his head vigorously as he stepped into the guest hall.

===============================================================

The interior of the guest hall consisted of a large living room with small private rooms attached closely together. Each room's door had a small flag of different colors, making them distinguishable without nameplates.

A door with a red flag was open, and a middle-aged man with a goatee sat at the dining table in the living room, drinking tea.

From the circumstances, this appeared to be the Taoist that Namgung So had mentioned.

Indeed, his appearance perfectly matched that of a Taoist. He wore a strange hat adorned with colorful feathers, a long robe, and had various talismans hanging from his waist. He looked like a walking advertisement proclaiming "I am a Taoist."

Finding this appearance curious, Envers tried to greet him amicably.

"Nice to meet you. I am—"

"Are you that fraud?!"

"...?"

Startled by the sudden accusation, Envers flinched. He was both perplexed and somewhat guilty—after all, he wasn't really a magician.

But how could this Taoist call him a fraud when they'd never met before?

"What are you saying to someone you're meeting for the first time?"

"A young man with peach fuzz still on his face claiming to be a Taoist? You must think the Namgung Family is a joke! Not a chance, not a chance! I see right through you, you fraud!"

"...Huh."

"How could someone like you bring down the clouds from heaven to earth?!"

The man was jumping around like a mouse with its tail on fire—an unpleasant sight. Envers finally understood why the Taoist was raising his voice. He was full of suspicion and jealousy.

His pride was too wounded to accept that a young person could be a renowned Taoist, so he immediately jumped to suspicion. He assumed Envers must have used trickery to deceive everyone.

Envers, who had hoped for a substantial conversation with a magician from this world, frowned and turned away sharply. The man wasn't worth his time.

"Hey! Are you running away?!"

"Enough. I don't sense any energy from the scrolls hanging at your waist, so you're either an insignificant Taoist or a fraud yourself."

"How dare you call me a fraud! Just you wait, you charlatan! When the banquet begins, I'll expose your deception in front of everyone!"

Envers entered the room with the blue flag and slammed the sliding door shut.

Ignoring the nagging voice from outside, he unpacked his belongings and lay down on the bed. Despite some minor trouble, everything was going quite well so far.

Hadn't he made connections and been invited as a guest?

After receiving life-saving grace, if there was anything he could do to help the Namgung Family, he would repay their kindness and receive compensation in return... then he could either leave or stay.

What kind of martial arts would he encounter? The thought made his heart race with excitement.

===============================================================

After resting briefly in the guest hall, Envers soon got up from bed, feeling restless.

He was told that meals would be brought by servants at the appropriate times, and someone would notify him if he was needed, but sitting still made him fidgety and felt like a waste of time.

Envers had always practiced martial arts when bored. Since coming to this world, his enthusiasm had only grown, never diminished. However, he didn't want to train right in the front yard for fear of damaging the garden, so he needed to find a training ground.

He thought about asking a servant, but they probably wouldn't come until evening. Going to search himself was difficult since he didn't know the layout of the mansion.

So Envers raised his voice outside the red-flagged room where the cranky Taoist was staying.

"I'd like to ask you something."

"You think I'd answer a fraud like you?!"

"I don't want to talk to you for long either! I need to go to the training ground to practice, so if you just tell me where it is, I won't bother you anymore."

"...Training ground?"

The Taoist seemed to think for a moment, then gave directions.

"Follow the creaking corridor all the way, then at the first corner, turn right. You'll find a wide open space. That's the Namgung Family's training ground."

"...You're being surprisingly helpful?"

Envers asked suspiciously, but the Taoist didn't answer. He wondered if he'd been given wrong directions deliberately, but if so, he could simply turn back.

Squeak, squeak.

He walked again through the creaking corridor (he tried not to make noise but it was impossible), following the Taoist's directions.

At the end of the corridor was a door. He grabbed the handle and turned it—it wasn't locked. When he pushed it open, a wide open space appeared, just as the Taoist had said.

And the training ground already had a visitor.

A woman with long flowing hair extended her sword. The blade cut through the air sharply and was withdrawn with subtle technique, combining disciplined and powerful swordsmanship with the fluid movements characteristic of a woman.

Martial arts indeed!

Envers watched the sword-dancing woman as if entranced. This felt completely different from the martial arts he had learned from the beggar.

What goal had shaped this swordsmanship? If Luna were here, she would have given a clear explanation as she did with the Dog-Beating Staff Art. What would this swordsmanship look like when fully mastered?

His body itched with excitement. As Envers tried to trace the sword's trajectory with his finger, the woman dancing with the sword turned her head sharply.

"...Who's there?!"

Swoosh!

A flying sword. The blade cut through the air.

Envers didn't move. He already knew the sword wasn't aimed at him but would embed itself in the door.

Thunk! Tremble tremble.

The long sword quivered, half-embedded in the door.

Envers stepped forward, clapping his hands in admiration.

"I was looking for a place to train and happened to see you. What magnificent swordsmanship!"

"...A foreigner? Then you must be the Taoist that Myeong mentioned."

"And who might you be?"

"I am Namgung Seung-a, the second daughter of the Namgung Family... but I don't think I should give my name to a villain trying to steal our family's martial arts!"

"...?"

He suddenly remembered that in the martial world, it was considered highly disrespectful to spy on someone else's practice. But he had been so captivated by the Namgung sword that he hadn't had time to think about it. Envers hastily waved his arms.

"That wasn't my intention!"

"Thieves always say that. Next, were you planning to excuse yourself by saying 'As a foreigner, I was ignorant of Central Plains culture'?"

A preemptive strike!

As Namgung Seung-a cleverly blocked his next potential excuse, Envers was greatly flustered and racked his brain. How could he overcome this situation?

In his confusion, he inadvertently spoke his true thoughts.

"It wasn't a sword worth stealing."

"......"

"Ah, I mean, the form itself was quite beautiful. But since the wielder couldn't execute it clearly, I didn't see any profound meaning embodied in the swordsmanship. So, if a treasure chest is empty inside, there's nothing to steal..."

"...If you're so confident, why don't you test it with your body-!"

Namgung Seung-a exploded after hearing what amounted to "your martial arts suck" right to her face.

===============================================================

Envers should have been grateful for the Namgung Family's excellent home education. Instead of running to her father and asking to "hang that barbarian's head on the wall," Namgung Seung-a formally challenged him to a duel.

She retrieved her sword embedded in the door and held it in a middle stance.

"If you can withstand ten of my moves, I'll forget this rudeness."

"Very well. And I didn't mean to attack you personally..."

"Let's see if a so-called Taoist's abilities match his wagging tongue!"

"Hmm..."

The match should be fair.

Envers rolled up his sleeves, revealing well-developed muscles that could only be built through years of training. A glint flashed in Namgung Seung-a's eyes.

"......"

"As you can see, I have learned martial arts, albeit crudely. I won't use scrolls... talismans. Talismans or arti... magical tools in this duel, just so you know."

"Here I come! Hap—!"

Swoosh-!

The sword flew at him. Its trajectory seemed to paint a line across the canvas of empty space. Though Namgung Seung-a was well-trained and her swordplay was considerable...

"Academy lower ranks, perhaps..."

"What are you muttering?!"

The Imperial Academy, where only the brightest talents were gathered for training—the gap was considerable for someone trying to catch up to Envers, who had trained hard there.

Swoosh, swoooosh—!

After easily evading three forms, a look of anxiety crossed Namgung Seung-a's face. Envers thought for a moment, then closed his eyes.

"...What are you doing?"

"I can dodge even like this."

"Hah...!!"

Slash, slashslash—!!

Four, five, six.

Consecutive strikes.

Against the consecutive strikes that made sounds like tearing silk, Envers activated his Insightful Gaze. With his eyes closed, he could sense things more clearly. She was honest.

Honest and pure.

Though she swung her sword, she wasn't aiming for vital points. Only skin that wouldn't be fatal if cut or could be quickly healed. Or perhaps clothing parts like hems or ties that would cause embarrassment if cut.

While she wanted to punish Envers for his rudeness, she didn't intend to take his life or cripple his martial abilities. She just wanted to teach him a strong lesson.

Now that they were exchanging martial arts, he could see her heart. Envers, who was somewhat lacking in social awareness, experienced a sudden surge in social intelligence during this moment of combat.

Envers smiled gently.

"Are you mocking me?!"

"No, I'm just... smiling because your heart is beautiful."

"A-are you trying to flirt with me?!"

"No, it's not that... This is enjoyable! You can swing more sharply if you like. I can handle it, so be more daring!"

Namgung Seung-a's expression subtly changed. This Taoist Cheong-hwi was enjoying the moment. She thought he might be enjoying mocking her, but looking closely, he seemed to genuinely enjoy exchanging martial arts.

A foreign Taoist interested in martial arts.

Just as Koreans feel pleased when foreigners enjoy kimchi stew, she found his enthusiasm not entirely unpleasant and became more spirited. Seung-a swung her sword more boldly as suggested.

Swish. Slashslashslash!

She stepped in with practiced footwork and aimed for vital points. But even before Namgung Seung-a could move her hand, he seemed to know where she was aiming and had already dodged.

Thinking his energy sense might be exceptional, allowing him to track energy and dodge, she suppressed her inner energy.

Swoosh-!

Swish.

He dodged lightly as if he had eyes all over his body.

While detecting attacks might be a matter of technique, ultimately dodging requires physical movement. Taoist Cheong-hwi's movements might be rough, but his physical strength was considerable. He was straightforwardly fast without needing technique.

"You weren't lying! This is the tenth move, so take this!"

Namgung Seung-a judged Taoist Cheong-hwi to be a master of high caliber. Since it would be disrespectful to hold back against a master, she thought it best to approach this as a learning opportunity.

Setting aside both arrogance and anger, Namgung Seung-a unleashed her ultimate technique with all her might.

"'Blue Qilin'!"

Envers opened his eyes.

Like a qilin soaring across the sky, the blade with faintly shimmering blue haze traced a parabolic trajectory. It was a technique that seemed to devour space as it extended.

This was an attack of area rather than line. If one simply tried to dodge the blade, they would be cut by the spreading haze.

There were two options: either create a large distance or block it before it spread.

Then I should aim for a preemptive counter!

"Explosive Shatter Bind!"

Thoom.

Envers's shot-out hand pressed down on the sword handle. The Blue Qilin was blocked before it could soar into the sky.

"......"

"......"

The two martial artists briefly met each other's eyes, then simultaneously withdrew their energy. Namgung Seung-a spoke with a prim expression, though she didn't seem particularly angry.

"...Since I made a promise, I'll consider your spying as if it never happened."

"Thank you. By the way, is this the only training ground here?"

"Of course not. This is the training ground for the direct Namgung Family members. There's a separate training ground prepared for visitors."

"......"

Envers quietly gritted his teeth. That damn Taoist had played a trick on him.

If things had gone differently, he could have been in serious trouble. Not only might he have been expelled from the Namgung compound, but there could have even been bloodshed. He silently vowed revenge.

===============================================================

"Taoist Cheong-hwi! If you have time, could you tell me the next story? I'm truly curious about how you defeated that swordsman Jae who used drawing techniques! In my opinion, someone wielding such a swift sword would need to be subdued with slowness. Of course, I'm only asking if you have time—"

"Taoist Cheong-hwi, this time will be different. You won't be able to dodge with your eyes closed, so let's spar once more!"

"......"

Envers, who usually drained others' energy, experienced for the first time what it felt like to have his own energy drained.