Victoria’s alluring eyes contained an expression that would seduce any man. However, Yeon-woo was preoccupied by something more important. ‘Wait, there’s ramen in this world too?’ It had been almost impossible to find Korean food in Africa, and he’d craved ramen the most when he was there.

『Ow, it hurts. Hey, Cain, that gran—』

『Tsk!』

『That lady’s words can’t be trusted. She says she wants to spend a steamy night with you, but she’ll just tie you down to become her servant.』 Kahn’s face had grown even dirtier as he climbed back up the mountain, glaring at Victoria the entire time.

Victoria smiled voluptuously. 『We did spend a steamy night together.』

『I almost died!』 Kahn shook his head as he earnestly told Yeon-woo not to fall for her looks.

Yeon-woo smirked. 『Seems like you’re the one who fell for them.』

『Ahem! That’s not important.』 Kahn coughed and looked at Victoria. 『Anyway, don’t bother this kid. He’s my savior.』

Victoria’s eyes widened, and her seductive gaze disappeared, replaced by curiosity. 『Mm? Is this the oppa—?』

『Yeah, exactly. He’s the person—』

At that moment, Kindred, who had been observing the three of them quietly, suddenly jumped down from the tree and flew at Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo instinctively propelled himself back. ‘What’s going on? Have I already pissed someone off?’

It was thanks to his opened Extrasensory Perception that his body could react so quickly. His sealed Magic Circuit activated, and the 360 Cores spun around, releasing magic power. It drew a circle around him, covering the mountain like a storm. His Extrasensory Perception dug deep into the territory.

As his magic power and Extrasensory Perception combined, it grew more concentrated and dangerous. Within the territory of the fifth mountain, Yeon-woo could see more clearly than he’d ever before. He sensed so many details that he could even feel the mana stream on his skin and track every single movement.

Kahn was shocked as Yeon-woo’s senses felt heavier. The heat that mixed in with his magic power seemed to boil the air. Victoria used Blink to move far away from them. The magic power storm seemed to have taken her by surprise, or maybe she was expecting something more dangerous to happen, and she set up five layers of defenses around them.

Kindred, who was now right in front of Yeon-woo, was a little surprised, and he bared his teeth in a smile as though he found the situation amusing. He’d only planned to test Yeon-woo a little, but seeing this made him want to probe Yeon-woo’s skills more.

The air split and a sharp wind rushed between the five layers to blow Yeon-woo away. However, he could read the actions and thoughts behind the movements and see where they were heading. He was automatically predicting what would happen. Yeon-woo realized that this was the best effect of the Extrasensory Perception. He could finally read his opponent and environment to predict what would happen. ‘This means I’m a step ahead.’

He’d wanted to learn sixth sense to read focal points, but it seemed that Extrasensory Perception was even more precise. If he already felt its power now, he could only imagine what it would feel like when all of his senses were freed. ‘There’s no murderous intent. He’s only trying to test me. In that case…’

His prediction was complete, along with his calculation of his next moves, from the quick decision-making of his Combat Will to an extravagant attack using his Magic Circuit. A red heat wave turned blue around Yeon-woo and wrapped around him in the shape of Fire Wings. At the same time, he swung Carshina’s Dagger, and Holy Fire exploded.

Boom! Kindred’s attack scattered, but as though he were still entertained, he didn’t stop and brought his right hand down on Yeon-woo’s head. Yeon-woo twisted his body to the side and swung Carshina’s Dagger. With the proficiency of the Eight Extreme Fists past fifty percent now, he could do more, and his dagger crashed into Kindred’s hand with an explosion. Boom!

The Holy Fire made Kahn step back even farther, and Victoria added another layer of defense.

Crash! Kindred pushed it away with an uppercut, forcing Yeon-woo to slide back. Yeon-woo clenched his teeth. His right hand was already cut, and blood dripped down his arm. Carshina’s Dagger was so bent that it had almost broken in half from the chaos of Kindred’s attack. The ground vibrated, and Yeon-woo found it hard to control his body.

If not for Extrasensory Perception and Combat Will, he would’ve collapsed by now. This was the furthest he could go. Any more and he would have to reveal everything, and even with that, he might not win against Kindred.

However, Kindred was smiling as though they were just playing. He looked very cute, but Yeon-woo shivered, thinking that he looked like a demon licking its lips in anticipation. His opponent was too strong.

「Even Hanryeong wouldn’t have been able to defeat him on his best day. Was Kindred always this strong?」 Shanon quietly murmured from the shadows.

Kindred suddenly spoke. 『So, you managed to block my attack and even counterattack. Hoho, impressive.』 The test was over, but Yeon-woo couldn’t relax. He felt like Kindred would eat him up alive if he showed even the slightest weakness. As expected, Kindred didn’t pull back his aura and only narrowed his eyes. 『However, what’s your relationship to the Sword God?』

It was an unexpected question, and Yeon-woo tried to remember whether the diary had ever mentioned Kindred and the Sword God meeting, but there wasn’t anything about it at all. 『What do you mean?』

『You can’t deny it. Your sword skills may be slightly different, but I can still tell they’re like the Sword God’s.』

Yeon-woo realized what Kindred meant. 『You’re mistaken.』

『What—?』

『My seseung-nim is the Martial King.』

This time, Kindred’s eyes widened. Shock also appeared on Kahn’s and Victoria’s faces, and they seemed even more stunned than when he’d revealed his skills.

『The Martial King? Of the One-horned tribe?』

『Yes.』

『Hm, that does make sense. The Sword God was his disciple too. However, the Martial King said he wouldn’t take another disciple after that guy took a disciple...』

Yeon-woo understood that Kindred was talking about the second disciple of the Martial King. He seemed to know a lot about the Martial King. What was their relationship? Were they acquaintances? Enemies? He couldn’t read anything from Kindred’s attitude.

Kindred was lost in thought for a moment. Then, he pulled his aura back and began to walk away. However, the aftershocks continued to float in the atmosphere, and ordinary players would have been trembling in fear of them.

『I wasn’t expecting much since you’ve only just realized your consciousness, but it seems like you’ve got the basics down. I understand why the youngest one praised you so much.』 Kindred had attacked Yeon-woo the moment Kahn identified him. What had Kahn been saying about him?

『Are you planning on training in the Five Mountains of Penance, as well?』 Kindred seemed to be a leader in the fifth mountain.

Yeon-woo answered politely, not wanting to antagonize Kindred. Perhaps he might even learn something from him. 『Yes, that’s right.』

『Fine, you pass.』 Kindred walked off.

Yeon-woo finally received the permission to stay, but he thought his stay wouldn’t be that easy after experiencing Victoria’s and Kindred’s power.

***

『He wouldn’t have allowed you to stay here if you were useless. He chases out anyone he doesn’t approve of.』 Kahn took Yeon-woo to a place where he could stay. Before they left, Victoria told him to contact her if he ever changed his mind, saying that she had an unforgettable night planned. Yeon-woo didn’t reply.

『Are the Sadhu all like that? It doesn’t seem to fit with what I know about them.』

Kahn realized what Yeon-woo meant and chuckled. 『No, you’ve probably got the right impression. They’re selfish, greedy, and rude. They don’t want to talk to outsiders, and they don’t like getting involved in others’ businesses. They just focus on their training. Wasn’t it obvious when the other two didn’t appear?』

『What about Kindred and Victoria?』

『They’re the same. They usually don’t stick their noses in others’ businesses, and they don’t like people poking around in theirs. However, they’ve been here for so long that they take interest whenever they see someone who seems to have potential.』

『I see.』

『Kindred despises weak people. He thinks being around them makes him weak, and he kicks a lot of people out all the time.』 “And that’s why I have to take the role of the runt here,” Kahn muttered to himself.

‘He doesn’t want to be bothered by nobodies,’ Yeon-woo thought.

『But they’re not bad people, so don’t worry. As long as you don’t get in their way, you can stay close. After some time, they’ll even offer advice and help a lot. I got strong this quickly thanks to them.』

Yeon-woo felt like he finally understood how Kahn had gotten stronger so quickly. It was impossible not to improve around people like the Sadhu.

『How long has it been since you’ve entered the Tower?』

『Hmm…not that long. Maybe two months? When I got here, I heard that you entered Red Dragon and were swimming around like a fish in water.』

Quite some time had passed since Yeon-woo had entered the Tower. While he had been focused on the war, he hadn’t noticed that a new Tutorial had opened.

『Hey, you know, all the records you set are unbelievable. The person without a name in the Hall of Fame is you, right?』

Yeon-woo nodded silently. Kahn shook his head.

『I couldn’t even think about trying to break a single record you set. I just focused on climbing, and I thought maybe I’d come visit you, but…I was worried I’d be a bother. I figured we’d run into each other someday anyway.』 And as he’d hoped, they did end up meeting. 『Have you been well?』

『So-so. You?』

『I’ve been the same. Actually, after I retired from the Tutorial, I thought a lot about how I could become stronger and find my path.』

When Yeon-woo saved him and Doyle in Section F, Kahn had been greatly shocked. He realized how small his world was, and he wanted to break free from it. He’d climbed the Tower as though there was no tomorrow and pushed himself, thinking of Yeon-woo in Section F. When he’d ended up at the fifth mountain, he could finally put back the pieces of the world that Yeon-woo had shaken.

『What about Doyle?』 When Yeon-woo asked the question he wanted to avoid, Kahn smiled bitterly. It made sense that Yeon-woo would be curious since he and Doyle had stuck together like real brothers.

『He’s not here.』 However, Kahn didn’t reveal his frustration. Although Yeon-woo could read his feelings with Extrasensory Perception, Kahn tried to hide them as much as possible. 『It’s been a while since we’ve split up.』