Chapter 54

1 “Calling All Hwarang,” Kim Yu-Sin’s stigma, was the skill for summoning the elite hwarang warriors who died throughout history. It was like the army version of Jihye Lee’s “Ghost Fleet.” Strictly speaking, it wasn’t nearly as powerful as Chungmugong’s stigma, but it was one of the top among the historical-grade constellations’ army summoning abilities. “Attack!” Bodies of the long-dead hwarang rose up and brandished their weapons against the Baekje Army. One hwarang was missing an eye, and some were missing an arm or a leg. It was a cruel thing. They would arise again and again as long as Kim Yu-Sin was here. Even after their souls had eroded away, their resentment forgotten and their minds long gone. The soldiers who had fought to stop the fall of their country were now fighting for a country that had already fallen. “Breaking your dead soldiers’ backs now? You’re as cowardly as ever, Kim Yu-Sin!” “……” “Come at me! If you’re a general, too, fight me fair and square!” I didn’t react to Gyebaek’s provocation because that was what Kim Yu-Sin wanted. Gyebaek was cutting a swathe through the risen hwarang warriors with overwhelming strength. The trails of magical power emanating from his enormous sword crisscrossed the air around him. “Kim Yu-Sin—!” Even the mindless bodies of the dead hwarang froze in place at the sound of his loud, echoing voice. That was the power of the last great general, Gyebaek. In terms of physical strength, constellation Gyebaek overpowered Kim Yu-Sin. Actually, Gyebaek never fought one-on-one against Kim Yu-Sin in the Battle of Hwangsanbeol. To be precise, Kim Yu-Sin avoided it. [Character Wangin Chu has activated “Never Retreat” Lv.2.] According to history, Gyebaek’s detachment fought against Kim Yu-Sin’s army, which was ten times bigger and won several clashes on battlefields where the odds were against him. Although the last man standing was Kim Yu-Sin, Gyebaek had never lost a battle against Kim Yu-Sin’s army, other than the Battle of Hwangsanbeol. Gyebaek was a born warrior with a fierce loyalty to his country. If the situation had been different, I could have called upon Gyebaek instead. The incarnation of Gwanchang couldn’t stand by and watch any longer. “General!” “Do not move.” Without changing his expression, Kim Yu-Sin spoke through my mouth as he watched elite hwarang die. I could sense Kim Yu-Sin’s profound calmness. “You’re still a coward even after becoming a constellation!” Gyebaek yelled. He was right. Kim Yu-Sin might have been a coward, but he was strong because he was afraid of losing. He didn’t make any hasty moves and wasn’t swayed by emotions. He only fought battles he could win and won them using only the surest tactics. In the end, that was why he was able to win at Hwangsanbeol after losing four times. “Raaah!” Gyebaek, who was fighting against hundreds of the elite hwarang warriors, looked pitiable. His incarnation had already suffered enough injuries to have killed a normal man. His whole body was covered in blood. His thigh, both arms, and side were gushing blood from gaping wounds. And yet, he still managed to cut his way through the hwarang warriors and approached me, step by step. “Kim…Yu…Sin!” [Stigma “Requesting Reinforcements” has been activated!] Ghost soldiers appeared like shadows behind Kim Yu-Sin, and hurled spears at Gyebaek. Based on their clothing, they didn’t appear to be Silla soldiers. Perhaps they were from the Tang Dynasty army, which had allied with Silla to destroy Goguryeo. This was very much a Kim Yu-Sin move. Victory at all costs. It didn’t matter if he had to call in a foreign army. The sound of numerous spears piercing a man’s chest. Crippled by pain, Gyebaek dropped to his knees. “…How infuriating. Even on this fake stage, I still can’t reach you? I wanted to cross blades with you, if only just once.” I had conflicted thoughts as I looked at Gyebaek’s red eyes. Gwanchang survived, and history was changed. But it seemed some histories weren’t allowed to change. “Gyebaek, why did you do this?” Kim Yu-Sin asked. “……” “If you die like this, it will be a while before you can choose an incarnation. Why did you suddenly give up the scenario?” Gyebaek didn’t answer. Instead, he put on a strange grin, even as his eyes continued to glare up at his old rival. Kim Yu-Sin waited for a moment before drawing his sword. I hurried to take back control of my voice. “I shouldn’t kill him with my own hands.” [Why not?] “…There is a restriction.” King of No Killing meant no killing anyone directly. I’d lose the title if I killed even one human. Kim Yu-Sin nodded as if he understood. [Is that so? I can guess what it is. Do not worry. I declare upon the honor of the stars that I, Kim Yu-Sin, am the one cutting down Gyebaek, not you.] “But…” […Very well. If you insist…] He waved his hand, and an elite hwarang rose from the ground. “Gyebaek, we’ll meet again among the stars.” The incarnation of Gyebaek quietly looked at us. He appeared to want to tell us something, but nothing came out of his mouth. He looked more like a background actor who had played his part. The incarnation’s head quietly flew through the air. [The Dramatization has ended.] [You have experienced the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.] [You have received 1,000 coins as a reward.] I looked around and realized the entire Baekje Army had been decimated. [You have slain your enemy indirectly. You will not lose the privilege of King of No Killing.] I was glad. I would only lose the King of No Killing title by killing someone with my own hands. Anyone killed by the elite hwarang didn’t count as my direct kills. “Sir! Are you okay?” I heard Seongguk’s voice through the clouds of dust. Sangah breathed a sigh of relief, but Gilyeong looked disappointed that he didn’t get to do much. And Jiwon looked… “What was that…?” …completely overwhelmed. I shrugged. “If you want to become the king, you need to study history first.” Although I called up Kim Yu-Sin, I was not on the side of Silla nor Baekje. I only summoned him because he was the right opponent to deal with Gyebaek. Not only did I get the result I wanted, I was able to check out Ganpyeongui’s abilities and collect the coins and items of the Baekje Army. [You have acquired 5,400 coins.] [Coins Owned: 74,950C] Now I’m not afraid to face the last phase of the fourth scenario. “We don’t have much time, so we should head north right away.” [3 minutes remain until the blessing expires.] Kim Yu-Sin’s blessing still remained. Since I used Ganpyeongui, I needed to use its ability until the end. I can only use it seven times, so I might as well squeeze out as much as I can out it, right? “Arise, elite hwarang!” I pointed my sword to the north. “March!” I had used a lot of magic power, so I didn’t have much time to control the elite hwarang. The risen warriors began wiping out small- to medium-sized groups as they marched north. We might be able to defeat the other kings’ groups near the National Palace Museum of Korea. People fighting on the streets cried out. “What are these skeletons??? Ack!” The incarnations coming after me were crushed by the hwarang warriors. I didn’t get any penalties, since I wasn’t killing them directly with my own hands. Yeah, this is more like it. I heard Kim Yu-Sin’s true voice in my head. [You’re an odd one. Your mind is still intact after hearing my true voice.] “I’m mentally strong.” I made an excuse, but I was quite surprised, too. There was a reason indirect messages were used to deliver what constellations wanted to say. Even though Kim Yu-Sin was a low-level historical-grade constellation, I was a human facing early scenarios. Merely hearing his true voice should’ve made me lose consciousness, or worse. To be honest, I’d been worried about that, too… [Remember, you owe me. I had to take on an unnecessary deficit of plausibility to aid you.] I didn’t like where this was going. I quickly thanked him. “I really appreciate it. I’ll pass on my gratitude to my children and their children.” [What a hasty young man. You’re missing a few steps before you can even have children.] “…I’m sure I’ll have one someday. And when I have a child, I’ll tell them about what you did today.” [Never mind that. It seems you don’t have a sponsoring constellation.] My hunch was right. That sly old fox…! So this was what he was building up to. [I’ve taken a liking to you. If you are okay with it, I would like to become your sponsoring constellation to travel this world with you.] He sounded sophisticated, but he was basically telling me that he wanted to use me as his slave in this world. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” [Why not? You’ve already witnessed my power. With my stigma, you can be the strongest incarnation of this era.] It’s true that “Calling All Hwarang” was a good stigma, but there was a reason why historians often referred to Kim Yu-Sin as “a fox.” Strongest of this era? As if! At least become a fable-grade before saying that, old man! If Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal heard this, he would’ve pulled out all of the general’s hair. “This isn’t the Three Kingdoms era, sir. Why don’t you take a nice long rest? Think of your age.” [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband snickers at Great King Heungmu.] [He has donated 300 coins.] Kim Yu-Sin was quiet for a while, as if I had hurt his pride. I was thinking it would be great if he’d back off here. But I suddenly had a sharp pain in my head. [You haven’t forgotten that you are still under my blessing, have you?] I was currently connected to Kim Yu-Sin through Ganpyeongui. The muscles in my whole body were cramping, and I sensed something had gone wrong. I can’t believe a revered Korean historical figure is doing this… [I think you should reconsider my offer.] Sangah was looking at me with concern. “Dokja?” “Sangah, get away from me! Quick!” My shaky right hand drew Unbreakable Faith against my will and began pointing it at Sangah. Kim Yu-Sin took control of my body. [You have a restriction about killing, right? I’m curious what it is. Would you mind if I find out by killing that woman?] “That will be on you, Kim Yu-Sin. It won’t affect my karma.” [Fu-fu. You never know. What if I release my blessing at the moment your sword stabs her? Don’t you think that’ll be counted as killing? And it looks like that woman is quite important to you.] “…Stop it.” [Give me your word that you will select me, Kim Yu-Sin, as your sponsoring constellation at the next opportunity.] His intention was clear. After the fourth scenario, there would be another round of sponsor selection. I bet he wanted me to promise to choose him then. If I hadn’t read TWSA, it would’ve been a bad choice. Kim Yu-Sin was a good constellation, and “Calling All Hwarang” would’ve been enough for clearing early scenarios. But if I was going to pick a sponsor, I would’ve chosen the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal from the start! “I told you, no.” Besides, I couldn’t choose a sponsoring constellation due to the contract with Bihyeong. Kim Yu-Sin’s voice turned icy cold. [You are a brave young man. But you made the wrong choice. Let’s see how long you can last.] My hand holding the sword began moving toward Sangah. “Sangah, quickly…!” I didn’t know why, but Sangah wasn’t moving at all. I had to make a decision while watching my right arm move against my will. Damn it. I tried to be polite, since you’re a revered historical figure, but you old snake… I tried to control my breathing. This is my body. I don’t care if you’re a constellation, I won’t let you have it. [Exclusive skill “the Fourth Wall” has been activated!] Pages of TWSA flipped through my mind. There was a sound like thunder, and words made of light formed in my head. They were words from TWSA. [What…?] Kim Yu-Sin noticed something and cried out in alarm. And at the same time, his presence quick faded away. As they say, an old fox is quick to sense danger. [The constellation’s blessing granted through “Echo of the Stars” has ended.] At the last moment, Kim Yu-Sin’s true voice came out. [You are…?] Then his presence completely disappeared. To be honest, it surprised me, too. I guessed that “The Fourth Wall” could do this, but I didn’t expect it to cut off the constellation connecting to me through Ganpyeongui. What had happened in the Cinema Dungeon gave me an idea. The dungeon master that tried to read my mind had been extinguished when he faced “The Fourth Wall.” I expected I might be able to get rid of the constellation in the same way, but unfortunately, quick-witted Kim Yu-Sin escaped first. [Constellation Great King Heungmu is suspicious of your identity.] [Constellation Great King Heungmu will watch you closely from now on.] The general has a petty side, I see. “…Are you okay now?” “Yes, I’m fine. But…” What is this? When I came back to my senses, my body was wrapped in mana threads. I resembled a cocoon. Sangah blushed. “Oh, that… I couldn’t just run off and leave you, but if I stuck around, I thought you might attack me. So…” I realized what she had done. But I couldn’t believe she thought of using her thread skill on me so quickly. I thought she had been frozen in shock, but she was using her skill the whole time. “Good thinking, Sangah.” “…I’m sorry.” “That was a compliment. If I do something like this again, please use that skill on me.” “I’ll untie you right away!” Sangah looked embarrassed, but I was being sincere. I looked back and saw Jiwon Min, the King of Beauty, glancing back and forth between me and Sangah with a weird glint in her eyes. “…I am going to leave now. We came to help you, but ended up owing you even more.” I nodded. “When next we meet, I’ll be your enemy.” “Aren’t we allies now? In dramas, former rivals become fast friends after this kind of event…” “That only happens on TV.” “Friendship blossoms from trust! That’s one of the hwarang’s commandments.” With that, Jiwon left wearing a smile, but it was hard to tell if it was real or fake. The King of Beauty… I wonder if she can become a good ruler in this loop. I don’t know the answer to that. Likely, the King of Beauty wouldn’t know, either. “We should get going, too. Seongguk! You can come out now.” Seongguk hesitantly appeared from behind a building, clinging to Gilyeong. He had confidently told me that he would hold off Gyebaek, but when did he go into hiding? I started moving north with my companions. The place where Kim Yu-Sin had used “Calling All Hwarang” was in ruins. The dead bodies of the kings of small- to medium-sized groups were strewn all over the streets with their heads crushed. This was the power of a proper constellation. Kim Yu-Sin was a coward, but a formidable constellation. One by one, I picked up the flags lying on the ground and accumulated points. [Your brown flag has absorbed the other brown flag’s accumulated points.] [Your brown flag has evolved to the purple flag.] [You may use the purple flag’s special abilities.] It was ideal to accumulate points without fighting. When I looked around, most of the flags had been picked up. It was hard to earn points from the purple flag onward. In other words, defeating lesser kings was pointless from here on. “Minseob, are you there?” Within a moment, Minseob appeared out of thin air. He had been using the Hermit’s Cloak I gave him earlier. I had also put him in charge of reconnaissance of the National Palace Museum of Korea. “How many people went inside so far?” “A total of nine kings, including the Tyrant King and the First Disciple.” Nine. That should be enough. “What color were the flags?” “Seven purple and two brown flags. Two of the purple flags were much darker.” “I see. Those must’ve belonged to the Tyrant King and the First Disciple.” “That’s correct.” Minseob Jung… He’s more useful than I thought. I was satisfied with his report. “Only Sangah and Gilyeong are going inside with me. You two, please wait here. You can use the cloak to hide.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah, the three of us should be enough.” “Call on us, and we’ll go with you anytime.” I appreciated the thought, but Minseob and Seongguk would only get in the way here. If I’m right, the National Palace Museum of Korea has become a dungeon. [A new hidden scenario has arrived.] <Hidden Scenario – Relic of Trials> Category: Hidden Difficulty: F – A+ Mission: Clear the relic dungeon of your choice. Time Limit: None Reward: 500 – 5,000 coins Penalty for failure: Death The first thing we saw upon entering the museum was the white marbled lobby. There was not one living presence there. Sangah nervously turned to me. “This is scary, and it’s ruining my appreciation of cultural experiences. How did a museum turn into this…?” “Dokja, are we here to look for the legendary sword?” “No, not now.” Of course we could find the Four Tigers Evil Slayer here. I was the one who spread that fact. [Choose the dungeon you wish to enter.] *One-Man Dungeon - The Stage of the Conch *Three-Man Dungeon - The Stage of the Acupuncture Dolls *Five-Man Dungeon - The Stage of Principles and Practices of Eastern Medicine *Seven-Man Dungeon - The Stage of the Dragon Jar However, we couldn’t just march into the dungeon with the Four Tigers Evil Slayer. We had to first collect the tokens from clearing the other dungeons. It was a hidden dungeon within a hidden dungeon. “I choose the three-man dungeon—The Stage of the Acupuncture Dolls.” [You have entered the three-man dungeon.] Gilyeong seemed disappointed. It looked like he was expecting some kind of legendary treasure. “Gilyeong, don’t judge a relic by its cover.” “…Sorry?” “A lot of cool-looking relics can turn out to be useless.” The Four Tigers Evil Slayer was one of them. Actually, the truly valuable rewards here could be gotten from the minor dungeons. A good example was the skill we could get from The Stage of the Acupuncture Dolls, which we were about to enter. Sangah looked surprised. “…Sounds like we’re not the only ones who have been here,” she said as soon as we entered the dungeon. Screams were coming from throughout the dungeon. “Aaack! Get away!” The dungeon was populated by black copper dolls. Human-looking monsters, matte black in color. Level-7 Replica Acupuncture Dolls. These monsters would self-propagate after a certain time. The skin of acupuncture dolls was strong, and they had no vital organs. They couldn’t feel pain because they had no nerves. At this point, it was unknown how to defeat them. “Help!” Incarnations awkwardly stabbed acupuncture dolls with their swords in vain. The dolls didn’t sustain much damage, and only bled a little bit of mercury. A few dolls surrounded a man and began to pull on his limbs. He was a well-built man with physical stats around fifty, but the acupuncture dolls tore him apart like he was wet paper. “…How do we fight these dolls, Dokja? My strike did nothing!” Sangah and Gilyeong used their weapons and skills to little effect. Some acupuncture dolls were damaged by Gilyeong’s strikes, but he had no idea how that happened. “Look closely at their bodies.” Every monster appearing in the scenario Relic of Trials was created based on the relics in the National Palace Museum of Korea. For example, the conch from the one-man dungeon, as its name indicated, was an instrument made from a conch. The Principles and Practices of Eastern Medicine in the five-man dungeon was based on the famous text of traditional Korean medicine, Donguibogam. The same was true for the acupuncture dolls from the three-man dungeon. Sangah, who was staring at a doll for a while, spoke up. “There are inscriptions carved on their bodies.” “That’s right.” Originally, an acupuncture doll was created to mark the 361 pressure points on the human body. In other words, this relic was like an acupuncture textbook from the Joseon Dynasty. [Blade of Faith has been activated!] I stabbed one of the points on an acupuncture doll. The doll twitched in pain before it turned to dust that floated away. Considering the target was a level-7 monster, this was an almost comically easy way to defeat it. [You have defeated the first acupuncture doll.] “If you look carefully, each pressure point has a slightly different color. They’re categorized as sahyeol, mahyeol, and ahhyeol… Stabbing those points should have different effects.” “Ah…” The important thing was to find these pressure points to stop or block the flow of energy. I showed Sangah and Gilyeong how to do it a few times, and they picked it up quickly. Gilyeong used “Interspecies Communication” to command insects to burrow into the pressure points. Sangah stabbed at the pressure points with her magic thread. I was amazed as I watched the acupuncture dolls shudder, then fall. Both Sangah and Gilyeong showed great improvement. [Your party is the first one to defeat 100 acupuncture dolls.] [You have cleared the three-man dungeon.] [Each member has received 4 ancient tokens as a reward.] [You have acquired an exclusive skill, “Pressure Point,” as a special reward.] I got the skill that I wanted. “Pressure Point.” The skill subdued an enemy without killing them by touching a specific pressure point. It was an exclusive skill for martial arts experts. It was a godsend for me since I needed to keep King of No Killing for a while. Sangah looked at the ancient tokens with interest. “Can we buy something with these?” “You can exchange the tokens for coins and use them as admission tickets.” “Then…” “Of course we’re going to use them as admission tickets. Each of you, give me three of the tokens. I’ll use four of mine, so we’ll have ten in total.” “Ten? Wait, Dokja. Are you going to…” “We are entering the hidden dungeon where we can get the Four Tigers Evil Slayer.” Sangah was surprised. “But didn’t you say you don’t need it?” she asked. “We’re not going there for the sword.” Our goal was to hunt down the kings gathered there.