Chapter 100
Seong-Hwi and his teammates went to their respective rooms once they discussed their positions and formation.
An S-rank dungeon, huh? Seong-Hwi thought as he reached his room.
He did not know what type of dungeon it would be, but he had only experienced an S-rank dungeon twice in his past life, barely surviving from both.
Even if we’re not there to clear it, no one knows what might happen in a dungeon.
One could only survive after thorough preparation.
I suppose I can’t delay... borrowing a five-card destiny any longer.
He could borrow a five-card destiny since his Magic and Destiny Force stats were A-rank and of intermediate caliber, but he had been putting it off for as long as possible for one reason.
The psyche corruption becomes much more severe from five-card destinies and up because the borrowing process changes from third-person to first-person.
Seong-Hwi took a deep breath and opened his eyes, steeled with resolve.
It had to be done sooner or later. Since I have to save the ayahuasca for emergencies, I have to borrow a destiny in the three days we were given.
***
Snowflakes fluttered in the cold winds blowing around the place Seong-Hwi had grown tired of waiting in. He stood before the door of the Calasanz Home for Children and pulled out five cards from the Tarot Deck of Destiny.
The first card was No.0 The Fool, showing a young man wearing a laurel wreath for a hat and standing on the edge of a cliff with a smile.
The second card was No.8 Strength, showing a woman in white wearing a rose wreath on her head, petting a terrifying black lion like a dog.
The third card was the Knight of Wands, showing a knight on horseback, wearing armor with flame-shaped feathers.
The fourth card was the Two of Swords, showing a blindfolded woman crossing two swords in an X.
The fifth card was the Five of Swords, showing two men who lost a battle fleeing as they abandoned their swords, and the triumphant victor collecting them.
[Activating Unique Skill: Borrowing Destiny.]
[Five-card Destiny.]
[Spread cards: No.0 The Fool, No.8 Strength, Knight of Wands, Two of Swords, Five of Swords.]
[Destiny reading: An impatient, hesitant, and disgracefully stupid strength.]
This destiny will protect me in the dungeon, Seong-Hwi thought as he watched the cards seeping into the door of the children’s home.
He had no idea what unexpected variables awaited him in the dungeon, but he knew one thing: strong power was the only thing that would protect him.
The door opened, revealing a blinding golden light.
[Chok Chun-Gyong the Unfortunate Martial God]
***
Chok Chun-Gyong was born in the mid-1070s of the Goryeo period as the son of Chok Wi-Gong, a poor local functionary. Seong-Hwi saw a man of an incorruptible impression. His point of view was linked to that of Chun-Gyong.
I’m seeing through Chok Chun-Gyong’s eyes, Seong-Hwi said inwardly.
It was completely different from the destinies he had borrowed until now. Before, he was but a reader who met the figures from the books he had read to converse with them. However, five-card destinies and up were first-person point of view, becoming the figures themselves and witnessing their lives.
The middle-aged man said, “Chun-Gyong, I told you not to associate with delinquents.”
“They are not delinquents, Father. They are my brothers with whom I hone martial arts.”
The middle-aged man was Chok Wi-Gong, Chun-Gyong’s father and a local functionary who had never been ashamed of anything he had done in life. He couldn’t stand his son getting along with those unworthy of his time.
“Honing martial arts?! You call that martial arts?! All you do is swing that sword on your waist around the marketplace!”
“Father!”
“I don’t want to hear it! What use is a martial artist in this day and age with no study for it?! A man must devote himself to academics to achieve fame and prestige!”
Chun-Gyong’s face reddened with rage. He retorted, “Are you telling me to rot in the middle of nowhere like this as a poor local functionary, like you?”
“What did you just say?”
“It’s true! You and your goddamn academics! I’m sick of it! A brush can’t change the world. This sword will bring me fame and prestige!”
“Y-you—”
Chun-Gyong stood up and stormed out of the room. All he could see were clear skies and a vast land, and all he had was a cheap iron sword. However, he had a blazing heart.
“Chok Chun-Gyong, a man amongst men, may wander like a drifter, but I will achieve what I set out to do!”
With that, Chun-Gyong left his hometown.
Seong-Hwi, seeing through Chun-Gyong’s eyes, thought, I suppose even Chok Chun-Gyong, the greatest martial god of Goryeo, struggled between idealism and reality.
Years passed as a drifter until Chun-Gyong was taken in as a subordinate of Duke Gyerim.
***
In February of 1104, the Jurchens invaded Jeongju Fortress. The Goryeo army, led by Im Kan, retreated to Seondeokgwan and was on the verge of total defeat.
Just then, Chun-Gyong, a low-ranking soldier, came to Im Kan and shouted, “Supreme commander! Please grant me an armored horse and a good sword. I will stop the Jurchen pursuit!”
Im Kan, impressed by Chun-Gyong’s bravery, granted his request. “Very well! If you confuse the enemies, we will advance and take back Jeongju Fortress!”
Chun-Gyong got what he desired, but Seong-Hwi could see he had been too hasty. He could see what Chun-Gyong couldn’t. The commanders under Im Kan were staring at Chun-Gyong with dissatisfaction. It was beyond disrespectful for a nameless, low-ranking soldier to demand a horse and a weapon from the supreme commander.
“Hah! Haaah!”
After receiving a horse and a weapon, Chun-Gyong raced to the rear and soon encountered the Jurchen cavalry numbering over a hundred.
I will unleash the martial arts I’ve honed my whole life, and die with honor!
He rode toward the enemies alone, knowing it would end with his death.
“Ahaha! Look, a Goryeo soldier, riding a horse!” a Jurchen commander said, laughing mockingly.
It was a natural response since the Goryeo army was mainly infantrymen. However, the Jurchen commander couldn’t stay laughing for long. Chun-Gyong, a fire in his eyes, instantly beheaded the Jurchen cavalry commander with one slash.
“Commander!”
“Kill him!”
The Jurchen cavalry chased Chun-Gyong, who fled to the forest.
I freely traversed the forests of Koksan in my youth! I know the forests like the back of my hand!
Chun-Gyong lured the Jurchen cavalry into the forest and killed them one by one, all with a single slash.
“Kurgh!”
“Show yourself?!”
“Come out of the forest and fight like a man!”
Chun-Gyong had killed over fifty Jurchen cavalrymen in half a day. The rest thought he was a ghost, not a person, and ran with their tails between their legs.
However, Im Kan had not kept his word; he retreated instead of heading to Jeongju Fortress, choosing to live while throwing Chun-Gyong as bait. No one had expected him to succeed.
Chun-Gyong returned to the Goryeo army camp, covered in the blood of his enemies like a god of war.
“M-my word!”
“Is he even human?”
His accomplishment prevented the Goryeo army’s total defeat, but the hero who returned alive was not welcomed. Rather, the commanders under Im Kan conspired against Chun-Gyong, resulting in his imprisonment.
***
What did I do wrong? Chun-Gyong lamented in his jail cell.
He had honed his martial arts and rendered distinguished service, but instead of being rewarded, he was pushed into a cold jail cell. He was confused about his predicament, wondering if it was because he lacked education. He felt like his mind would clear if his unrelenting father came to nag him.
At that moment, a benevolent middle-aged man spoke to him from across his cell. “I’ve heard about you, Chok Chun-Gyong. You stopped a Jurchen cavalry alone, correct? My name is Yun Kwan. I want to use your abilities in our second Jurchen conquest.”
A true man was always willing to die for someone who saw them for what they were truly worth.
“I will become your sword! Please use me well!” Chun-Gyong pledged.
He could no longer work for a commander who rewarded his bravery and loyalty with imprisonment. He decided to stop thinking. He was but a sword, one who cut down enemies for an owner who saw their true worth. Yun Kwan had become his first master.
***
Yun Kwan swung the treasured sword, Chun-Gyong, at the Jurchens. He led his special army unit, Byeolmuban, numbering 170,000, but faced stiff resistance against the Jurchens who stayed inside a fortress near Hamhung.
Chun-Gyong stood before Yun Kwan with a sword in hand and said, “I will repay the favor of you releasing me from prison, even if it means losing my life.”
He climbed the fortress wall alone and killed four Jurchen chiefs. This raised the Goryeo army’s morale, boosting their momentum, and they took the fortress. Chun-Gyong killed hundreds of Jurchens on that day alone. Rumors spread among the Jurchens that there was a martial god among the Goryeo soldiers.
***
As the war continued, the Goryeo army grew at a disadvantage. They suffered defeat after defeat, destroying the soldiers’ morale, and lacked military strength and provisions. Yun Kwan and his commanders were about to hold a siege, but Chun-Gyong thought otherwise.
“How can we hold a siege when we’re running out of food with no expectations of reinforcements?! I will lead a suicide squad to destroy the enemies!”
Chun-Gyong charged at the Jurchen forces numbering twenty thousand, with a suicide squad numbering one hundred, and beheaded nineteen chiefs in a short time. The enemies fell into chaos, and the unstoppable Chun-Gyong used their confusion to destroy their forces.
Chun-Gyong accomplished an unbelievable feat with his triumphant return and became a symbol of victory in the Goryeo army. He also distinguished himself during the battles of Gongheomjin and Unhju Fortress, spreading his name as the greatest warrior in all of Goryeo.
The war ended, and Seong-Hwi could easily predict what was to come as he saw the world from Chun-Gyong’s eyes.
He’s served his purpose, so he’ll be eliminated, he thought.
Chun-Gyong, who only knew of battle, could never handle the plots and schemes of the members of the Royal Court. Misfortune on top of misfortunes, Yun Kwan, whom Chun-Gyong pledged loyalty to, died of natural causes. However, once Chun-Gyong’s demise was clear to see, a snake-like man visited him.
“Commander Chok. I have always admired your feats. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Yi Cha-Gyom.”
Yi Cha-Gyom was a member of the Inju Yi clan, the royal in-laws, who desired as much power as imaginable. He was the second master of the sword Chok Chun-Gyong.
***
Yi Cha-Gyom, the maternal grandfather of King Injong, was not an honest man like Yun Kwan. He placed members of his clan in key positions, sold government posts, announced himself as a state official and accepted any bribes given to him, leaving heaps of meat in his storage rotting due to disuse.
On top of that, he seized others’ land, assassinated political opponents, and was powerful enough to even summon King Injong, albeit his grandson. Cha-Gyom’s reputation hit rock bottom. With his help, Chun-Gyong rose to become a high-ranking public official, which he could never have dreamed of before.
With the greatest warrior of Goryeo by his side, Cha-Gyom held both security and authority. It was a win-win for both.
One day, Chun-Gyong’s father, now an old man, visited Chun-Gyong.
Chun-Gyong dashed to greet, “Father!”
“You are no son of mine.”
“What?” Chun-Gyong asked, dumbfounded by his father’s cold remark.
He had thought his father would be proud of his accomplishments. He was the greatest warrior of Goryeo, a high-ranking public official, and had a luxurious house and clothes. He should have been a son any father would be beyond proud of.
“What are you saying?” he asked.
“I may be poor, but I have never once done anything I am embarrassed about. Can you say the same?”
Chun Gyong examined his father, Chok Wi-Gong. His father wore clothes as shabby as the day he left home. In contrast, he was wearing clothes made from luxurious silk and a sword with golden ornaments.
“You’re proud to be poor? I am not embarrassed about anything I have done! Do you know how many Jurchens I’ve killed and how many Goryeo soldiers I’ve saved?”
“Then why are you working for that treacherous court official Yi Cha-Gyom?! Are you telling me you have no idea what kind of man he is?!”
Chun-Gyong’s eyes blazed with rage as he shouted, “A true man dies for those who see him for what he’s truly worth! He sees me for what I am worth!”
“STUPID BOY!” Wi-Gong yelled furiously. “You swore to earn fame and prestige with your sword, so why have you become one?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“A person must act on their judgments alone! A man who simply does as he is told is a tool, not a person!”
Chun-Gyong couldn’t refute his father. He touched the hilt of his sword—a cold, emotionless sword with no will, that moved only as it was swung.
I am... a sword? Chun-Gyong said inwardly.
He remembered being sent to jail for accomplishing his first feat. Back then, he willingly pledged to become a sword because he believed it was the natural attitude for a soldier. He was the sword in Yun Kwan’s hand that saved the country from the Jurchens.
But what about now? Is Yi Cha-Gyom the kind of man who would swing me righteously? Chun-Gyong wondered.
Wi-Gong stared at his son pitifully and said, “Chun-Gyong, I told you not to associate with delinquents.”
They were the same words he had said to Chun-Gyong as a boy, but Chun-Gyong couldn’t reply in the same way. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to betray Cha-Gyom.
What an indecisive man, Seong-Hwi thought as he read Chun-Gyong’s mind.
Chun-Gyong may have been a flawless martial god on the battlefield, but he was lacking in many ways as a person. He could only watch his father as he turned his back on him and left.
***
Chun-Gyong’s indecisiveness killed his brother and his son. While he struggled to cut ties with Cha-Gyom, King Injong resolved to remove Cha-Gyom from power. Injong, now an adult, decided he could no longer let his maternal grandfather be, and devised a plan to eliminate him.
To do that, Chok Chun-Gyong, Cha-Gyom’s trusted sword, needed to be eliminated first. Injong and his advisors conspired and killed Chun-Gyong’s brother and his son, but they paid dearly for judging his strength only based on rumors and never seeing Chun-Gyong on the battlefield.
“Bastards! They will pay with their blood!” Chun-Gyong screamed.
He lost all restraint, furious from the death of his relatives. He attacked the royal palace and burned it to the ground, and killed Injong’s advisors who fled from the fire. He also captured Injong, who was then imprisoned in Cha-Gyom’s home.
“Ahahahaha! General Chok! I would’ve been in huge trouble if not for you! You are truly the greatest warrior in all of Goryeo!” Cha-Gyom complimented once Chun-Gyong thwarted Injong’s plan.
However, Chun-Gyong, who regained his sanity after going on a killing spree, did not feel happy.
The greatest warrior... in all of Goryeo? He was ashamed of the title that was once his pride and joy. Am I only a sword? A tool that can’t even make a simple decision?
Cha-Gyom gained power comparable to that of the king. He controlled the entire country and even blatantly attempted to murder Injong. Seeing that firsthand, Chun-Gyong finally came to a decision.
I am Chok Chun-Gyong, a warrior of Goryeo. I can no longer live as a tool of Yi Cha-Gyom, who continues to ail Goryeo and its people.
Chun-Gyong decided to assist Injong, which cemented Cha-Gyom’s defeat. In the first place, Cha-Gyom’s rebellion only succeeded thanks to Chun-Gyong’s martial prowess. Cha-Gyom and his faction were exiled to Yeonggwang, and Chun-Gyong gained unparalleled authority for a time.
I never knew authority was this useless... I was but an idiot with a sword. I forgot how to make decisions for myself.
He could have easily taken Cha-Gyom’s place as the absolute authority, but did not. He also did not retaliate as the members of the Royal Court tore him apart, demanding he pay for the sin of burning down the royal palace. With that, the greatest warrior of Goryeo was dishonorably labeled as an arsonist and exiled.
Until he died of disease in his place of exile, Chun-Gyong thought of one thing daily.
“In my next life, I would like to live not as a tool, but as the human Chok Chun-Gyong.”
***
“Kurgh!” Seong-Hwi grunted as he clenched his head.
The world spun after he escaped Chun-Gyong’s field of view, emotions, regrets, hopes, and such—all of which were real to Seong-Hwi.
As his psyche was in flux, someone asked, “Did you see it?”
Seong-Hwi looked forward and saw Chun-Gyong staring at him.
Chun-Gyong asked, “What do you think about my life?”
“I think... It’s pitiable.”
Chun-Gyong laughed heartily, “Ahahaha! I suppose you would.”
Seong-Hwi replied, “If I were in your shoes, I would have become a faithful official or climbed the ranks using any means necessary.”
“I’m envious of your decisiveness.” Chun-Gyong unsheathed his sword from his waist and continued rhetorically, “I was but a sword. Swords exist to cut. But what about Chok Chun-Gyong, the human? Why do I exist?”
No one could answer the question for him.
“I want to find what Chok Chun-Gyong, the human, wants,” Chun-Gyong added.
“Is that your condition for letting me borrow your destiny?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Yes. Allow me to borrow your body for just one day to do what I want. Just once is all I need.”
Chun-Gyong’s quest appeared.
[Life of Chok Chun-Gyong the Human (Quest)
Rank: —
Description: Relinquish control over your body for one day to Chok Chun-Gyong, the martial god of Goryeo, in exchange for borrowing his destiny.
Reward: Borrowing Chok Chun-Gyong’s destiny.
Penalty: Severe corruption of psyche at the moments when Chok Chun-Gyong possesses your body.]
Although it wasn’t a black quest like the one Richard Ramirez gave, it was just as dangerous.
“Don’t worry. I’m... sick and tired of associating with or becoming a delinquent,” Chun-Gyong added, his gaze seemingly detached, once he noticed Seong-Hwi’s silence.
He had started from nothing—only his bare hands—to the Superintendent of the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Executive of Secretariat-Chancellery. It seemed like he could do anything, but he never found what he truly wanted.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“Ahaha! Better safe than sorry, eh? Do I have your consent, then?”
“It’s a small price to pay for borrowing the destiny of the greatest warrior of Goryeo.”
And I’m curious about what you want, Seong-Hwi said inwardly.
He had something in common with Chun-Gyong. He wanted to grasp his destiny to shine brightly, but he had no idea where his life was heading. Most humans just went with the flow, not knowing where life would take them. It was like going on a journey without a destination. Despite that, it did not change the fact that the journey would be filled with surprises.
***
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
Louis Carroll
***
Seong-Hwi opened his eyes to the knocking on his door.
“Sir Cheon Seong-Hwi? It’s Kwan Hoi-San. It’s time to head to the dungeon.”
Three days had passed before he had realized it.