6.

Shin Seong-gwak fell into human anguish.

“You are indeed the savior of my life, but I have a guild that I have been indebted to for many years. I appreciate your offer, but for the sake of Myeongho Guild, it’s hard for me to leave.”
[If you change your mind, come back later. The offer still stands.]

Hae Eung-eung let him go without hesitation.
A powerful individual like Shin Seong-gwak would have been a great asset,
but even without him, Haenampa wouldn’t collapse overnight.
She admired this boldness in him,
and Shin Seong-gwak saw it as an even more admirable trait.

“So... those things I mentioned earlier... hmm, were they really not true?”
[I said it wasn’t.]
“Hm. This old body has grown foolish with age. I’ve caused quite a scene. Please understand that everything was a result of the harsh times we lived through.”
[I understand.]
“Really?”

Even in the martial world, there were many old men troubled by life.

[Those who have not experienced hardship cannot understand the suffering of those who lived through it.]
“That sounds like… you’ve lived through those times too.”
[There have been many things.]

Hae Eung-eung answered while recalling her memories from the martial world.
Shin Seong-gwak interpreted it differently.

‘That young person went through that dark era... Does this mean she’s been involved in something other than the Association or the government? And at a very young age too.’

Thinking of her having blood on her hands while others her age went to school,
she appeared in a completely different light.

‘To have endured such a brutal past and now gather people to form her own guild... to live in the open rather than the shadows. How courageous.’

Truly, she was a pitiful yet admirable young woman.
If it weren’t for Myeongho Guild, he would have wanted to stay by her side, watching her grow.
Shin Seong-gwak forcibly calmed his fluctuating emotions and returned to the guild.

7.

While Shin Seong-gwak was going through the process of dismantling the Myeongho Guild,
Hae Eung-eung was speaking with So Gyeong-seok, learning more about the levels of Awakeners.

“A typical B-rank Awakener is between levels 201 and 250. Their abilities evolve in 50-level increments, and their magical energy greatly increases.”
[Why did Shin Seong-gwak stagnate at level 249? If he had just leveled up 2 more times, he would have reached a new realm and avoided the effects of his magical illness for a while.]

Hae Eung-eung’s question was a reasonable one.
However, the process of awakening also had its own complicated sides.

“Leveling up in increments of 50 requires special conditions.”
[Special conditions?]
“For example, clearing a dungeon at the 250-level difficulty. Without gathering fellow Awakeners of the same level, it’s impossible to complete it.”
[Then why not just gather others in the same situation?]
“Well, in the shadows, that might work, but in the open, no guild wants to strengthen the power of another. Even those who have already reached A-rank only help their own guilds.”

Shin Seong-gwak, who had become the strongest in the guild after Guild Leader Lee Myeong-ho entered seclusion,
found it impossible to find anyone willing to help him.
He could only recruit members for dungeons and gates within his own network.

“Unfortunately, with a level as high as Shin Seong-gwak’s, it’s hard to find equals. Most of his companions have left due to old age, illness, or failed missions.”

Realizing he had become isolated, Shin Seong-gwak had given up on progressing his level a year ago.
This was the reason he had resigned himself to waiting for death.

[That’s unfortunate.]
“Being strong alone is a lonely task. In that regard, I think Jiwoo and I are lucky. We can work together and help each other.”

Even though the relationship between the Association’s Awakeners was shallow,
it was for this very reason they couldn’t truly sever ties.
If they ever did, they would face a wall they couldn’t overcome alone.
No matter what, they clung to these fleeting connections.
Looking at it all in hindsight, it was a sad relationship.

“So, Hae Eung-eung, what level are you at?”

Level and Realm.
After hearing So Gyeong-seok’s words,
Hae Eung-eung had a sudden desire to check her own progress.

‘Let me check my current level and realm. It’s been a while since I last looked at my status window and martial arts tab.’

Although she usually avoided being overly fixated on numbers,
today she decided to make an exception and opened her status window.
Her body had undergone significant changes,
and her time spent in the real world had contributed greatly to her development.

[Status Window]
[Name] Hae Eung-eung (Female, 15 years old)
[Realm] Iryu (Lv190) (Accumulated Lv290)
[Occupation] Ronin Swordsman
[Title] Silent Swordsman
[Strength] 25 (+15P)
[Flexibility] 17 (-2P)
[Talent] 12
[Intelligence] 35
[Wisdom] 89 (+5P)
[Charm] 100 (+2P)
[Internal Energy] 14
▷ Remaining Points: 290
Weakening Tendons: Due to Goo Eum Jeol Maek, the tendons are weakening.
Desolate Territory: Living in an area with very low natural energy. Internal energy enhancement is extremely difficult.
Executioner: Fallen to the role of the gatekeeper of the great monsters. Inherited their will.
Sky Piercing Breakthrough: A display of breaking through the wall of wind. This moved many people.
Silent Swordsman: The legacy of the Silent Swordsman is accumulating in Ban Yo Gok.
Dangerous Woman: More people are falling under the dangerous charm of yours.
Founder of Haenampa: You are the founder of a school.

Sky Piercing Breakthrough: A display of breaking through the wall of wind. This moved many people.

Title Equipped Effect: Strength +3P
Title Held Effect: Strength +1P
Silent Swordsman: The legacy of the Silent Swordsman is accumulating in Ban Yo Gok.

Title Equipped Effect: Strength +10P, Wisdom +5P
Title Held Effect: Strength +3P, Wisdom +1P
Dangerous Woman: More people are falling under the dangerous charm of yours.

Title Equipped Effect: Charm +3P
Title Held Effect: Charm +1P
Founder of Haenampa: You are the founder of a school.

Title Equipped Effect: Charm +3P
Title Held Effect: Charm +1P
[Stat Changes]
[Strength] 25 (△9) [Flexibility] 17 (△2) [Talent] 12 (△2)
[Intelligence] 35 [Wisdom] 89 [Charm] 100
[Internal Energy] 14 (△9)
[Total] 289 (△22)

The overall increase in stats wasn’t very high.
However, thanks to breaking the 20-strength wall through pure effort,
her strength increased significantly.
Flexibility also saw a rise, despite the penalty from Goo Eum Jeol Maek’s effects.
Internal energy also saw great improvement after absorbing the White Eyed Ghost,
which resulted in satisfying growth overall.

‘The situation is not bad. The fact that I can gain titles in the game that I would have had to achieve in the martial world is a huge advantage.’

By playing the game, one can grow stronger.
She had confirmed this with her own eyes.

[Martial Arts Tab]
[Mind Techniques]
[Samsaek Ki Gong] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Cheonghae Simbeop] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)

[Martial Arts]
[Yu Geum Kwon] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Jo Beop]
[Geum Na Su] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Ji Beop]
[Tan Ji Gong] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)

[Blow Techniques]
[Ha Un Jang] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)

[Attack Techniques]
[Seon Pung Gak] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Samsaek Gyeom Beop] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Pei Yao Ho Dan Mun Gyeom] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Haenampa Gyeom Beop] (3 stars) (First Class)

[Miscellaneous Techniques]
[Seo Hon Sul] (10 stars) (Great Achievement) (Iryu)
[Do Sul] (4 stars) (Miscellaneous)

Enormous achievements in the martial arts.
With a solid path of growth,
she had reached many great milestones.

[Realm Tab]
[Realm] Iryu (Lv190)
[Level Up Conditions]

Defeat an enemy of the same level (100/100)
Defeat an enemy of a higher rank (1/1)
Reach level 100 in the realm (190/100)
Acquire a martial art of a higher rank (1/1)
Having long surpassed the level conditions for reaching Iryu,
Hae Eung-eung now focused on perfecting 20 martial arts techniques to reach the 200-level mark.
Her next task was to master one more Iryu martial art for completion.

‘But it’s tricky.’

There was no martial art she could learn at this stage.
Most of the techniques and insights coming to her mind were for the higher ranks.
If she forced herself to learn,
her realm would instantly rise to the next level, causing an automatic promotion.

‘It’s difficult. Even the greatest achievements at the lower ranks are hard to come by.’

It was clear that mastering all the martial arts was challenging,
and not every wanderer had discovered the importance of learning various techniques.

‘One remaining Iryu technique, but looking back, I think I understand now.’

She grasped the difference between her own martial arts system and the Awakener system.
It wasn’t an easy comparison,
and it revealed the unique depth in both paths.

‘The Awakener system focuses on the accumulation of internal energy,
while the martial world values the mastery of techniques.’

Comparing them was nearly impossible.

The difference in growth rates between the two systems is striking.
Awakeners progress rapidly by accumulating internal energy,
while martial artists focus on mastering techniques, which is slower but more profound.

‘For an Awakener, one level would be like two levels for a martial artist.’
The speed at which Awakeners grow is faster because they focus on accumulating energy,
while martial artists’ growth stagnates as they focus on perfecting their techniques.

‘If we apply this to Shin Seong-gwak’s 249th level, it would be equivalent to a martial artist’s 498th level.’

For someone to progress from Third-Class to Second-Class requires a minimum of 50 levels,
and from Second-Class to First-Class requires at least 100 levels.
To reach the peak of the First-Class requires 150 levels,
and to achieve the peak of mastery from there requires 200 more levels.
Altogether, it takes at least 500 levels to reach the highest level in martial arts.

Shin Seong-gwak is a peak expert standing just below the threshold of transcendent mastery.
His internal strength is empty, and his depth of martial arts is lacking,
but his breakthrough to the peak with only his enlightenment puts him among the rare and typical experts of the martial world.

‘On the other hand, if we consider the realm levels as a maximum, the realm would be much lower.’

The maximum levels from Third-Class to Second-Class are 100 levels,
from Second-Class to First-Class are 200 levels,
and from First-Class to the peak are 300 levels.
In total, that would mean reaching the pinnacle level in martial arts with a 600-level standard,
which would still only place someone in the upper ranks of Second-Class mastery.

‘This is why rogue martial artists always fall short when facing orthodox sect leaders who are true masters.’

Of course, Awakeners who absorb monster energy and grow unnaturally
follow this rogue style of growth.

The final assessment of Shin Seong-gwak’s achievements was that
he was a rogue transcendent martial artist who could face true First-Class masters but would fall short of them,
blocked by the walls of transcendent mastery.

Thanks to comparing the status window and realm levels,
Hae Eung-eung had a fairly accurate grasp of Shin Seong-gwak’s level.