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Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Human-faced Spider (2)

Sky Mountain.

Walking there would take ages, so they secured a carriage for transportation.

As the carriage started moving, a system message appeared:

[Special mission field within the Gate has been unlocked!]

[You can now travel to Sky Mountain!]

‘It works.’

The range of movement within the Gate wasn’t unlimited.

If one moved beyond a certain point, the region would turn into a gray misty area, signaling the boundary of the Gate’s limits.

Entering that zone meant being trapped in an endless corridor with no exits.

It was a bleak experience—one he had learned the hard way by dying of starvation.

But for special missions, exceptions could be made.

This time, the Gate opened a path to Sky Mountain.

Under normal circumstances, reaching this location would take a week by carriage and was in the opposite direction from the Dragon Phoenix Gathering’s location.

However, special mission-related conditions sometimes allowed these inaccessible areas to become accessible.

As the carriage traveled toward Sky Mountain, they had to dismount every six hours to rest and perform maintenance checks.

During one of these breaks, Seo Yerim approached Kim Minwoo.

“Can I spar with your skeleton?”

“Do you mean Cedric?”

“Yes, that one.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Kim Minwoo summoned Cedric, his skeletal summon, and Seo Yerim began sparring with him.

Meanwhile, Kim Minwoo glanced toward Jang Sam, who was crouched in a corner, reading the martial arts manual.

“Jang Sam, have you memorized it?”

“Well, I’ve got some of it down.”

“Recite the mnemonics for me.”

Jang Sam began reciting but quickly trailed off, his voice becoming smaller and smaller until it was barely audible.

“Looks like you need some incentive.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Jang Sam replied, not quite understanding.

Kim Minwoo threw a punch.

Smack!

Jang Sam’s face dented from the impact, and his nose started bleeding.

He looked up at Kim Minwoo with a mixture of shock and resentment.

“Why’d you hit me like that?”

“If you’d used Ghost-Slaying Steps, you’d have dodged it”.

“But I just got the manual! It’s only been six hours!”

“I know. If you’d learned martial arts in six hours, you’d be doing well in some prestigious sect somewhere.”

“But still, that’s too fast.”

“We don’t have time. You need to take the fast route. Here”

Kim Minwoo said, tossing a suitable sword from his inventory to Jang Sam.

With a new sword in hand and a bleeding nose, Jang Sam quickly understood the urgency.

No time for slow learning or hesitation.

The mission ahead required immediate readiness, and he’d have to adapt quickly to survive.

“This is… for me?”

Jang Sam asked, looking at the sword Kim Minwoo handed him.

“Yeah, it’s yours. Now use it to stab me.”

“Stab you?”

“Don’t worry; you won’t hit me anyway.”

What followed was the sound of a pig being slaughtered—the brutal noise of Jang Sam getting beaten like a dog.

It was strong enough to trigger his survival instincts.

‘Getting hit is part of the learning process.’

After all, martial arts were designed for fighting, and the best way to learn was through real combat.

For Jang Sam, who lacked practical experience, this was the quickest way to get him up to speed.

Jang Sam collapsed, unable to endure the beating.

Minwoo tossed a potion at him.

“What’s this?”

“Drink it.”

Gulp.

In an instant, Jang Sam’s wounds healed, and his strength returned.

“Feel better?” .

“Yes! I thought I was dying, but I’m totally fine now. Thanks, master!”

“Good. Now let’s do it again,”

“Huh?”

Kwaaah!

* * *

The cycle of beatings and healing continued for nearly a week.

By the end of it, Jang Sam had improved enough to offer some semblance of resistance.

He no longer crumbled under Minwoo’s attacks, showing a bit of grit and determination.

“You’re getting better.”

“Hehe, I used to be the street boss when I was a kid, I was pretty good at fighting.”

“Good. At least you won’t die on the streets anymore. Now, go back down the mountain.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Jang Sam’s eyes twitched in confusion.

“Go back down. If you go to Sky Mountain, you’ll die.”

“Can I just stay here and wait?”

“If you go to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, you’ll die. If you stay here in the Sado Alliance, you’ll also die.”

“Master… isn’t there any other way?”

“Look, Jang Sam, remember the notice on the wall? It said anyone who interferes with our mission will have their entire family executed.”

“I remember.”

“That means anyone plotting against us hasn’t made a move yet. You have a narrow window to leave safely.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry. The elders might be watching, but they’re not going to kill you for learning a B-rank martial art. Just leave quietly. No one will bother you.”

The Sky Mountain mission was crucial for the leader, and it was expected that they would assign someone to monitor the progress.

Likely, an elder-level individual was overseeing the operation.

However, killing Jang Sam, who had only learned a B-rank martial art, would not benefit them in any way.

“Go as far away as you can. Keep a low profile, and don’t flaunt your skills. If you train quietly, you can become a local lord in time.”

“Could I ask you to protect me?”

“You know I don’t have a clan. I can’t protect you 24/7.”

Despite their brief encounter in the Gate, Jang Sam had shown loyalty and had been helpful with information.

This was the least Minwoo could do for him.

But beyond this?

It would be a distraction from his mission.

‘I’m barely surviving as it is.’

Taking care of Jang Sam while also managing the mission could lead to failure, or worse, death before they even reached the mid-tier levels.

Minwoo tossed a pouch to Jang Sam.

“I packed some preserved food and a few gems. It’s time for you to go.”

“…Thank you for everything, sir,”

Jang Sam replied with a bow.

“Thanks for your service.”

Minwoo waved his hand to dismiss him.

Now was the perfect moment to send Jang Sam away while he still knew nothing about Minwoo’s plans.

If he stayed any longer and learned about the scheme involving the ‘ascension,’ he wouldn’t be able to leave, even if he wanted to.

It was best to part on good terms now.

Jang Sam’s figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

Minwoo turned to Seo Yerim.

Over the past week, she had been sparring with Cedric during their journey.

He remembered her receiving quite a bit of criticism.

“Is it okay to summon Cedric again?”

“Why are you asking? Just do it.”

“I just didn’t want to bother you.”

“Pfft! It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Alright, then,”

The skeletion appeared, casting a glance at Seo Yerim.

—Is it time for more sparring? I’ve told you, your swordsmanship has reached its limit. It’s a matter of talent, distinguishing the real from the fake.

Seo Yerim visibly flinched at the harsh words, then shot a glare at Minwoo.

“Who does he think I am? Some kind of fighting chicken? Tell him you didn’t summon him for that!”

“Yeah, She’s not sparring. We’re going after the monster. That’s why I called you.”

—Ah, that makes sense. It would have been a waste of time otherwise.

Seo Yerim bowed her head, annoyed by the summon’s rudeness.

“Could you be a bit more polite?”

—It’s better to be straightforward. Otherwise, you’ll just waste time. I don’t want you to fall into that trap.

“Ugh, shut up,”

Minwoo said, smacking Cedric on the head.

But Cedric wasn’t one to back down.

—You overestimate your talent while lacking real ambition. I’ve seen many like you crumble under their own inflated egos.

Cedric said, his eyes burning with criticism.

The tension in the air was palpable.

Minwoo rubbed his temples, wondering how to defuse the situation.

—Boss, you’re not going to throw out some cheesy platitudes, are you? That would be dishonest, and you’re not the type to do that.

Ah this bastard.

The summon was pushing his limits, forcing Minwoo to make a decision.

He knew Cedric’s bluntness had a purpose, but it was clear this was not the right time for it.

‘What am I supposed to do with this guy?’

The atmosphere was icy.

Sending Cedric back might make things even more awkward since they’d be left alone with the uncomfortable silence.

He needed to find a way to change the mood without worsening the situation.

Cedric fixed his gaze on Seo Yerim, his eyes unyielding.

—Let me give you some advice. If you’re going to wield a sword, don’t aim too high. There’s impatience in your movements, and it will eventually consume you.

“That’s enough, the Sword Saint must’ve mentioned something like that.”

“Sword Saint? You mean the one who brought my head?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

—Then he should’ve already warned you about these things. Or did he not?

“….”

Seo Yerim’s shoulders slumped as she lowered her head.

-–I understand your situation, once you’ve chosen the path of a swordsman, you’re bound to feel a sense of urgency. But it leads to a dead end. There’s only one way for you.

“That’s enough, Cedric.”

Cedric nodded as if he had said all he needed to, leaving Minwoo in an uncomfortable position.

‘Damn it, is this really the right time to go after the Human-faced Spider? The mood is completely ruined.’

He couldn’t offer any platitudes or comforting words.

The problem Seo Yerim faced had no easy solution.

Once your career path is set, there isn’t much that could be done.

The game had five characters, with only two offering flexible career choices—Park Siwoo and Han Siah.

Their starting screens suggested recommended jobs, allowing players to choose freely based on their skills.

Naturally, Park Siwoo’s talent led him to be a sword genius, while Han Siah was a mage prodigy, making them perfect for swordsman and mage roles.

However, the other three characters were different.

From three stars onward, their career paths were predetermined.

This discrepancy in alignment often explained the steep difficulty increase.

Minwoo, a five-star character, was an odd case.

He had no talent whatsoever, making him the hardest to work with.

Seo Yerim was different; she had talent.

She was a prodigy in archery—an artisan with a bow—but her career path was set as a swordsman.

Fortunately, her swordsmanship was not entirely without talent, unlike Minwoo.

In fact, she ranked among the top among Cedric’s “fake” swordsmen.

‘The problem is her ambition to aim higher than she should, to achieve that, she’d have to abandon the sword and pick up a bow. But she’s already on the swordsman’s path. It’s not like she can just switch without consequences.’

Changing her career would mean losing all the progress she’d made with swords.

Her achievements, skills, and future skill books would become worthless since they were tied to her current career.

And she’d be restricted from learning archery skills due to her current class.

So why would switching to archery be the better choice for advancement?

There was a way.

True geniuses could create their skills without skill books.

They could create something new from scratch, just like Han Siah, who learned magic by simply reading books at the academy.

Seo Yerim had similar potential.

Though she couldn’t rely on skill books, her talent could enable her to create archery skills from scratch.

She could learn new techniques and eventually reach new heights with a bow.

The only catch was that it would require abandoning everything she’d built as a swordsman.

And that wasn’t a choice one could make lightly.

Minwoo hesitated before he spoke, knowing that Seo Yerim wasn’t just a game character controlled by a player—she had her own personality and autonomy.

Telling someone who idolized their sword-wielding mentor to suddenly drop their sword and pick up a bow could lead to resentment or rejection.

He didn’t want to bring this up, but the recent interaction with Cedric had opened an opportunity.

There was a lot riding on Seo Yerim’s eventual career shift.

If she could let go of the sword and embrace her talent with the bow, it could unlock a wealth of achievement points.

“Hey.”

“Forget it, I know what you’re going to say. You don’t need to sugarcoat it.”

“No, that’s not it. I just think… maybe you should pick up a bow instead of a sword.”

[PR/N: Why is this trope so popular, making a swordswoman drop the sword to pick up the bow?]

“Excuse me?”

She turned to face him, her eyes showing confusion.

“Look, you’re trying hard, but it’s clear the sword isn’t your strong suit. Why keep hurting yourself when you could be amazing with a bow?”

Cedric was right.

Shallow consolation is nothing more than deception.

So, he had no choice but to throw a straight fastball now.