Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Hoae and Seok Gyeong (1)

The evaluation process had concluded.

Out of 215 applicants, exactly twenty individuals were selected, while the remainder were dismissed.

The vast Training Ground was left with nothing but floating dust and absolute quiet.

The sun was dropping below the horizon, and the brilliant crimson light bleeding across the edges of the tiled roofs was rapidly dissolving into twilight.

Standing in the center of the deserted Training Ground, Dong Bongsu stared intently at the glowing Guild Quest window hovering in mid-air right in front of him.

• Solidify the Guild’s Foundation: Elevate the collective average martial rank of the guild members past a designated threshold.

  • Progress: 0%

  • Reward: Guild Member Limit +10, Guild EXP +100

• First Resonance of Martial Fame: Defuse an active crisis threatening the lands beyond the River Capital specifically under the banner of the Hero’s Sect.

  • Progress: 0%

  • Reward: Guild Member Limit +15, Fame +10, Guild EXP +200

Evaluating strictly by the potential gains, the second objective offered a far more lucrative return.

And yet.

‘To venture outside, to truly march into the wider world, I must first anchor my base of power.’

The twenty applicants chosen on this day.

Their selection was not born from their existing martial prowess.

They were chosen due to the depth of their conviction.

The ‘Faith Weight’ utilized during the trials today had confirmed this without a doubt.

They represented foundational assets who placed their complete trust in him, not a polished vanguard ready to be deployed into immediate warfare.

‘Not just yet.’

Furthermore, there was still zero intelligence regarding the conclusion of the Dongmun Mutoe.

For the Sect Leader to depart the River Capital while remaining completely blind to the verdict rendered by the Formation Tower would be an exercise in extreme recklessness.

Therefore, for now.

‘I will fortify our interior standing before making any moves outward.’

The moment his finger tapped the top objective, the familiar, crisp chime of the mechanical notification reverberated through his mind.

In an instant.

The second alternative disintegrated into thin air like burning parchment, while the first entry flipped around entirely, displaying updated parameters.

【Solidify the Guild’s Foundation】 ― Accepted

: Elevate the collective average martial rank of all guild members to ‘High-Beginner Rank’ or beyond.

• Current Average: Low-Beginner Rank

• Goal: High-Beginner Rank

• Progress: 12%

• Time Limit: 7 days

• Reward: Guild Member Limit +10, Guild EXP +100

12%.

This indicated that a specific portion of the criteria had already been registered by the system.

The individual metrics of Jeon Rahwa along with the ten youngsters had been factored into the calculation.

Ultimately, the final metric would be determined by averaging out the parameters of all thirty individuals.

Dong Bongsu rapidly calculated the precise numbers regarding Jeon Rahwa, the youths, and the newly inducted disciples in his mind.

He measured their current capabilities against the rigid standards governing this Murim.

Their fundamental proficiency and inherent gifts were of a nature that made transforming them into an elite unit in a mere seven days a sheer impossibility through conventional means.

Nevertheless, specific pathways existed to make it entirely achievable.

‘The baseline the System requires is merely a threshold for raw survival.’

A level of capability where they could reasonably look after themselves.

Crossing that exact line would suffice to meet the objective.

He could have easily minimized the interface at that moment, but Dong Bongsu paused, standing perfectly still in anticipation.

Sure enough.

Du-woong-.

The heavy, resonant notification he had been waiting for echoed within his consciousness once more.

[Urgent! The guild has currently exceeded its maximum member allocation. If the guild infrastructure is not expanded within one week, all active guild functions will be completely frozen!]

“……”

The edge of Dong Bongsu’s lips curved slightly upward.

‘Precisely as anticipated.’

He recalled this sequence clearly.

This identical restriction had manifested previously when the total headcount exceeded the limit by a singular individual.

At that time, he had bypassed the penalty through basic Facility Expansion.

— The System never permits an unchecked breach of headcount limits. However, it consistently offers a window of opportunity to rectify it.

This very element marked the fundamental divergence separating ‘Murim Online’ from the reality of ‘What is Hero’.

Having successfully verified whether this mechanical rule operated as an immutable law or an anomaly, he finally swiped away the Guild Quest window.

During this interval, the remaining twilight over the Training Ground had dissolved entirely into darkness.

The paper lanterns suspended across the facility grounds began catching fire, illuminating the space one after another.

Dong Bongsu gently closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the standard, composed expression had returned to his countenance.

He shifted his gaze.

He caught sight of her walking across the courtyard toward him, carrying a heavy ledger.

“You have exerted yourself today.”

“Indeed. And furthermore—”

Jeon Rahwa retrieved the ledger from her robes and presented it directly to him.

“While managing the details, I went ahead and formulated a structural blueprint for integrating the twenty new recruits.”

“An integration plan? What prompted that?”

“My goodness! You actually carried out this whole process without giving a single thought to such administrative matters?”

“It is not quite that. Since I have established a proper organization and conducted an official induction, it is only a matter of course that we now possess formal personnel.”

“Then did it not cross your mind to determine where they will be assigned, how their duties will be leveraged, or how they are going to be provisioned and fed?”

“No. I did not consider it.”

“…You chose not to? Or you simply lacked the capacity?”

“The first option.”

Kim Rae-won offered a perfectly casual, relaxed grin.

“After all, I have you by my side.”

“…And what exactly would you do if I suddenly ceased to be here?”

“Such a scenario is an impossibility.”

“Within this tumultuous Jianghu… who can truly guarantee tomorrow? Who can predict when or how one might—”

“No.”

Kim Rae-won cut her sentence short, using a tone that contained not a solitary trace of vacillation, uncertainty, or doubt.

“You serve as my definitive compass. No force can meddle with that reality, let alone shatter it.”

“……”

“You and I are one entity. So long as my breath remains.”

“……”

Hwiii-.

Jeon Rahwa kept her lips sealed until a sudden, crisp gust of evening wind swept across the quiet courtyard, breaking the heavy silence.

For reasons she could not fathom, her heartbeat had grown irregular, pulsing noticeably faster than its usual rhythm.

“…Do you not find such declarations utterly embarrassing?”

“For what reason?”

“Never mind. Forget I mentioned it. If you cannot see it yourself….”

Swiftly reclaiming her standard composure, Jeon Rahwa adopted a characteristically formal, businesslike demeanor.

“At any rate, I drafted this immediately following the conclusion of the selections, so please review it.”

Dong Bongsu accepted the document and began turning the sheets, leafing through page after page.

Squad divisions.

A preliminary assessment of their current baseline Martial Arts capabilities.

Quarters allocation arrangements.

She had indeed anticipated the entire operational flow, completing the groundwork ahead of time without needing a single explicit directive.

‘As reliable as always.’

“Excellently handled.”

“Is that the absolute extent of the appreciation I receive? Truly?”

“What further gesture would you have me make?”

“Well… Ah, let it go. Never mind.”

Jeon Rahwa gave her hair a brief, careless brush with her hand before extracting a specific sheet from the ledger.

It contained a summarized overview of the structural plan.

“Regardless, the genuine obstacle lies right here.”

“Elaborate.”

“The overwhelming majority of these individuals possess martial foundations that barely touch a third-rate standard. Ten of them fit that exact description. The remaining ones are only hovering at a second-rate tier.”

“I am aware.”

“The singular discipline I am qualified to impart is the Twin Snow Yin Cold Art. It is completely unsuited to their physical constitutions, and furthermore, it is not a technique I can just distribute indiscriminately to the masses.”

“I am aware of that as well.”

“Unbelievable! Look at you. You genuinely have zero strategy for this, don’t you?”

“Incorrect.”

“Then how do you intend to resolve this?”

“What is there to question?”

The path Kim Rae-won needed to execute was perfectly transparent.

The exact same held true for Dong Bongsu.

“I shall handle their instruction personally.”

Jeon Rahwa’s fingers, which had been idly turning the pages of the record, froze instantly.

“You? Personally?”

“Yes. By my own hand.”

“…Are you truly cognizant of the sheer weight behind the words ‘handling it personally’?”

“Is it such an arduous task? To begin with, I will ensure they possess the means to survive.”

“……”

“Cultivating true strength within them can occur after that baseline is established.”

Jeon Rahwa’s face contorted into an increasingly skeptical expression, yet Kim Rae-won paid her reaction no attention whatsoever.

“Fundamental Internal Energy circulation, elementary Footwork, basic Weapon Arts. I intend to instill the core mechanics of survival before anything else.”

“What length of time do you imagine it takes to convey all those disciplines?”

“7 days.”

“A mere 7 days… you claim?”

“Correct. The moment they have absorbed the fundamentals, they will immediately be introduced to actual combat.”

“…Listen, if such rapid development were actually feasible, why did you not simply recruit these individuals much earlier?”

Jeon Rahwa’s gaze narrowed as she scrutinized Kim Rae-won’s face.

It remained ambiguous whether she was attempting to decipher some hidden intent or merely verifying a conclusion she had already arrived at.

“Ah, I comprehend. You ought to have shared that twist with me beforehand.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. That was an exceptional jest. Truly amusing.”

“Predictably, you remain the sole individual who finds entertainment in my humor. The children invariably flee the moment I try.”

“…I intend to join them in fleeing. Starting next time.”

“……”

“In any case, since you maintain with such conviction that it can be done, I shall assume it is within the realm of possibility. Agreed?”

“Yes. It is entirely feasible.”

“Right, feasible. Of course, of course.”

Jeon Rahwa resumed flipping through the pages of the ledger, a slight curve appearing at the edge of her mouth.

It was the sort of expression that made it genuinely difficult to discern whether she was endeavoring to cloak an emotion or bring it to light.

“Then what role is designated for me?”

“You shall sustain the identical responsibilities you have managed thus far. Administrative organization, scheduling logistics, inventory management, and residential quarters. I am placing the entirety of our internal operations under your stewardship.”

“Those duties were already fully under my purview.”

“Which simply indicates you are executing them flawlessly.”

“Ah, naturally. I am deeply honored. So much so that I have been dropping into a dead sleep from pure exhaustion lately. Ha. Ha.”

A moment later, Jeon Rahwa faltered slightly, catching herself and suppressing the words that had risen to her tongue.

Her hand, which had started to drift upward toward the collar of her robes, hovered momentarily in the open air before dropping back down to her side.

It was the precise location where her vital jade pendant had traditionally rested.

Yet Dong Bongsu was already fully cognizant of the situation.

The internal rotation of her Twin Snow Yin Cold Art was already executing with far greater friction than in the past.

The overarching movement of her internal Qi was noticeably missing its characteristic fluidity.

The stark contrast between possessing that jade artifact and being deprived of it was already rendering a visible toll.

Even so, he permitted a brief, gentle chuckle to escape his lips before speaking.

“Rest easy. Even stripped of that aid, your capabilities already place you as a formidable master.”

“…A master? Someone of my limited standing?”

“Well. It would be wise to cease referring to yourself with such self-deprecation.”

“……”

“For the moment you truly step out into the wider expanses of the Jianghu, you will discover there are thousands, even tens of thousands of practitioners residing far beneath your level. You certainly would not group that entire multitude together and discard them as ‘people of that limited standing’, would you?”

Jeon Rahwa’s face perfectly captured an expression that demanded, ‘Is that truly the reality?’

Dong Bongsu offered a reassuring tap to her shoulder, a light smile crossing his features.

“Place some confidence in yourself. At any rate, I require one additional assistance from you.”

“Another one? Why not simply pile on a hundred additional duties while you are at it? A thousand would be even more magnificent.”

“That will suffice for the moment. For now, simply bring Hoae to me.”

“Pardon? You mean Hoae?”

“Correct. I have a specific matter to verify.”

Jeon Rahwa tilted her head in slight confusion, but she swiftly gave an understanding nod and turned her steps toward the residential quarters assigned to the youths.

● ● ●

“You requested my presence?”

Dong Bongsu looked directly at Hoae, opening the dialogue.

“You have been actively supervising the training routines of the other youths recently, have you not?”

“Yes. It is roughly something along those lines.”

Dong Bongsu was acutely aware that it was far from ‘roughly something along those lines’; it was almost exclusively her doing.

Each time he reviewed the specific profiles of the guild personnel through the system interface, the children’s advancement structures displayed a synchronized pattern.

This plainly indicated that a single mind was coordinating their development, and given that Jeon Rahwa had become entirely consumed by administrative duties, the coordinator could only be Hoae.

“When the ten of you are operating as a unified front, what measures do you deploy if the tactical formation fragments?”

An abrupt, unprompted query.

Hoae paused, reflecting deeply for a brief interval.

“Um… Rather than attempting to correct the alignment of the vanguard from a rear position, I sprint directly to the front.”

“State your rationale.”

“If I attempt to shout directives from behind, the children leading the line will instinctively turn around to look. That reaction decelerates their momentum even further. If I establish a firm halt at the absolute front, those following behind will naturally drop to a stop as well.”

“……”

An insight that a mere child had no business possessing—one completely absent from standard instructional texts, forged strictly from raw, practical experience.

“Then, consider a scenario where one of the ten sustains a debilitating wound?”

“…The response is dictated entirely by the location of the trauma.”

“Which specific anatomical region presents the gravest hazard?”

“The lower limbs.”

“State your rationale.”

“If a hand suffers damage, your offensive capabilities are compromised, but your capacity to flee remains intact. If a leg is compromised, you lose all mobility entirely.”

“Hypothesize that you have engaged in hostilities with adversaries, and one of your younger companions suffers a severe leg injury. What is your course of action?”

“It is a profoundly tragic outcome for the companion who was struck… but for the preservation of the remaining children, I must leave that companion behind.”

“State your rationale.”

“Because ensuring the survival of nine individuals is vastly superior to allowing the entire group to perish. Contingent upon the exact peril… for that companion’s own sake, I might even find it necessary to end their life myself before retreating….”

Absorbing her calculated response, Dong Bongsu let out a faint, grim smile.

There was not a single millimeter of hesitation in her delivery.

While harsh environmental conditions undoubtedly contributed to her worldview, she was undeniably cut from a different cloth.

This youth possessed an innate, natural instinct for survival.

Mirrored identically to his own.