"Martial arts..."
I adjusted the borrowed robe from a vendor’s stall and thought to myself. As far as I remembered, there weren’t any NPCs in the martial arts session with awakened self-awareness.
In the previous level, thanks to Abraham, I was able to clearly understand the backstory and objectives of the floor. But if there are no NPCs here, I’ll have to figure it out on my own. It’s a tougher challenge, but not impossible.
The first hint was evident from the moment I arrived: Cheonma Chong.
With the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions all converging here, it was clear that Cheonma Chong was the core element of this floor. Those three evocative syllables carried memories of Yuna.
A conversation from the past flashed through my mind.
"Che-Cheonma Chong... you mean the Tomb of the Heavenly Demon, right?"
"Nope, it’s the grave of a Pegasus that fell from another world! Whoever solves the secret of Cheonma Chong gets the Heavenly Demon Machine Gun..."
"...!! Hey...!!"
At that moment, Yuna nearly beat me to death with her “Illusionary Stick.” Yuna can be a bit of a nostalgic geek, after all.
“Ah, I miss Yuna.”
Even as I murmured toward the sky, there was no answer.
Of course, just hoping doesn’t solve anything. Mountains are formed by piling up countless grains of dirt, and accomplishments come through effort.
Let’s move forward.
I decided to head to Cheonma Chong first. Once I reached the bustling hotspot, information would naturally start flowing.
The problem, however, was that I was still a novice mage who couldn’t properly use magic.
My frail physical stats hadn’t changed, either. I might be able to fend off ten bandits at most, but anything more than that, and I’d be at the mercy of crude blades, my head rolling as I became a wandering ghost.
The martial arts world isn’t a kind place for the weak.
So, I decided to hitch a ride with a merchant caravan. Of course, freeloaders are usually punished severely, but as I always say, as long as you can communicate, anything is possible.
“Chief Merchant, you’re as gallant as ever today! Hehe.”
“Hmph. Am I?”
By buzzing around like a pesky fly and showering him with flattery, I managed to melt the merchant’s heart!
Half a day later, as we passed through a narrow gorge barely wide enough for a single cart—
“This is Black Snake Company territory. Drop all your belongings and surrender.”
We encountered something resembling bandits.
Why “resembling”? While their intentions to rob us screamed “bandit,” their demeanor suggested something far more organized.
“This is food and weapons meant for the Orthodox faction heroes! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“For your information, the Black Snake Company is part of the Unorthodox Alliance. And since the Unorthodox and Orthodox factions are already at each other’s throats, consequences be damned. We’re here to plunder Orthodox resources. Got it?”
“...Oh.”
They weren’t mere bandits but a specialized Unorthodox Alliance unit. With their polished weapons and clear intent to raid, the caravan’s guards didn’t stand a chance.
I considered escaping but decided against it. One wrong move, and I’d end up with a blade in my back, another ghost wandering these hills. Instead, I walked up to a Black Snake soldier tying up the caravan guards and offered my hands.
“Be gentle when you tie me up.”
“...?”
And so, I found myself taken as a prisoner by the Unorthodox faction.
After confirming I had neither internal nor external martial arts training, the Black Snake soldiers locked me in a wooden prison reserved for non-combatants.
The cell was crowded with people like the merchant’s daughter and cooks who had come along to prepare meals. The mood was downright funereal.
Was this... a chance to defect?
Like a bat, I could switch sides and start sweet-talking the Unorthodox faction. My goal was simply to reach Cheonma Chong, after all. Methods didn’t matter.
Another option was to slaughter the Black Snake soldiers and make my escape.
You might wonder where I got that confidence, given I couldn’t even use magic. My unshakable belief came from one thing—my gun.
The pistol I obtained in Abraham’s level hadn’t disappeared.
The Black Snake soldiers had searched every martial artist, but they hadn’t bothered to frisk every non-combatant. As a result, the pistol remained safely tucked at my waist.
Still, there was a problem.
Which faction was the protagonist’s? Was the Orthodox faction good and the Unorthodox bad? Or was it the other way around? Shooting the wrong side could lead to serious regrets.
I couldn’t afford to waste time in ambiguity. Rotting in this prison for a week could have dire consequences outside the Tower of Illusions. I had to act.
Plucking a flower growing outside the cell, I started a game of petal-plucking fortune-telling.
“Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic. Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic...”
“Strange Hero! A Strange Hero has appeared!”
“Huh?”
I heard commotion outside. Gripping the wooden bars, I peered out to see the Black Snake soldiers in a panic, failing to stop a single woman.
“Release the commoners.”
“But, Lady Oh, they worked for the Orthodox faction! If we let them go, the Orthodox forces—”
“When did I say to release the martial artists? I said the commoners. They’re just people earning a living. They’re not loyal to the Orthodox faction.”
“But, Lady Oh, please reconsider! If you release them, the Black Snake leader will—”
“You wanna taste some magic?!”
Who was this? A woman wielding magic in a martial arts setting? It couldn’t be. Was it one of the Namgung family NPCs gaining self-awareness? No, her personality didn’t match.
Just as I was drowning in confusion, the woman appeared in front of me.
I recognized her immediately.
This “Strange Hero” with a sharp, slightly rebellious gaze had the audacity to look down on her creator—me.
“You’re late. The Tower opened ages ago. Why are you only here now?”
She even had the nerve to scold me.
“I’m doing my best! Do you think you’re more desperate than me? And why are you here?”
“I have my reasons.”
“No, seriously, you’re from a different world entirely... Oh Hye-in!”
Standing in front of me, draped in a black robe and commanding the Unorthodox faction soldiers, was Oh Hye-in, a magical girl protagonist from Pure Light.
Thanks to Oh Hye-in’s considerable influence within the Unorthodox faction, I was freed from the prison. Together, we began our journey toward Cheonma Chong.
“Are you sure it’s okay for you to just leave like this? You seem pretty entrenched in the Unorthodox faction.”
“To give myself some flexibility, I established my concept as soon as I landed here. I’m a carefree rogue... someone who doesn’t distinguish between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions!”
Yet, her moniker included the word "strange" (怪, gwae), which seemed to undermine her claim.
When I asked why a magical girl was showing up in a martial arts world, her response was simple.
“I don’t know.”
“...Seriously?”
Well, it made sense. She didn’t have the authority to determine her own appearance or placement in this scenario.
However, Yuna was the type to treasure martial arts stories. She’d probably throw a fit if someone tried to incorporate something outlandish like a magical girl into a martial arts setting. The fact that it happened here was significant.
Perhaps this was a crossover. To make up for the martial arts session’s relatively low value, elements from other sessions might have been added to enrich the experience.
“So, it’s a mishmash, huh?” Hye-in tilted her head.
“That’s my guess.”
No wonder my gun hadn’t disappeared. If modern resources from Hye-in’s session were layered on top of this world, it made sense for the pistol’s data to remain intact.
“I met Abraham on the last floor.”
“Oh, you met Grandpa? Did things work out well?”
“Very well, actually. Abraham, being treated as an NPC, knew the session’s backstory and clear conditions. Do you have anything like that?”
“Nope!”
Nope?
I stared at her in disbelief, but her eyes gleamed with a carefree light, as if her thoughts were preoccupied with street food instead. She genuinely didn’t seem to have received any guidance from this world.
Why the disparity? Was it because she was from another session and not a martial arts NPC? If so, to uncover the clear goal of this level, I’d need to find an NPC from the martial arts side.
For now, though, heading to Cheonma Chong remained the top priority.
"Shining light that saves everyone—Pure Light!"
With that, our journey began. Since my movement speed was painfully slow, it mostly involved Hye-in carrying me while in her transformed state. (She could transform and even use Pure Energy.)
Along the way, we encountered various Unorthodox warriors.
“Halt! This is the territory of our Ho-san Stronghold...! Oh, that shameless Western outfit! It’s the Strange Hero! My apologies for not recognizing you sooner!”
Recognizable from dozens of meters away thanks to her bright, glittering magical girl outfit, Hye-in’s presence ensured no one dared to stop us. The Unorthodox warriors were visibly afraid of her.
“What have you been doing to make people fear you like this?”
“The usual magical girl stuff. Vanquishing evil villains and rescuing good people. Isn’t that how it goes?”
Hye-in grinned with confidence, radiating an aura of satisfaction. Indeed, a magical girl should embody such principles. It was quite fitting.
Listening to her, I began to think that maybe magical girls and martial arts had more in common than I initially thought. After all, martial arts heroes also wield their skills for justice. Could martial arts be the magical girl genre by another name?
"..."
“Why are you looking at the sky like that, Boss?”
I was just worried that Yuna might sense my thoughts and drop lightning on me out of sheer spite.
We continued along the mountain paths and eventually arrived in a city near Cheonma Chong. Without hesitation, I picked a random inn and stepped inside. I was hungry, and inns were always great places to gather information about the genre.
“Welcome!”
The cheerful innkeeper greeted us. I immediately placed an order.
“Hey, bring me a carbonara.”
“...Excuse me?”
“And prepare kimchi nabe and cheese fondue, too.”
“...Pardon?”
Judging by the confused reaction, it seemed this world hadn’t incorporated such modern dishes.
Hye-in, clearing her throat, placed her own order in a more serious tone, pretending to be an adult.
“Hmm, I’ll have noodles, bamboo-leaf wine, dumplings, and five-spice pork.”
“Right away.”
“...Are you seriously ordering alcohol as a high schooler?”
“Boss, didn’t you tag all session characters as ‘over 20’ in age? Technically, that makes me an adult too.”
That’s not how it works.
I tapped my fingers on the table while waiting for the food. If this world wasn’t a full fusion of martial arts and modern elements, then where did the magical girl session elements come into play? Surely it wasn’t just for Hye-in’s appearance.
There had to be something else—my instincts told me so.
As I mulled over various theories, the innkeeper returned with several trays, placing our food on the table.
“Honored guests, your order is served!”
“Hye-in, I know there’s a lot to think about, but let’s eat first. Munggae always said, ‘No matter how urgent the task, make time for your meals.’”
“...”
Good advice. I picked up my chopsticks and was about to take a bite of a steaming dumpling when—
BAM!
The inn door burst open, and a group of people filed in. Their attire was diverse, but among them were those wearing the unmistakable garments of the Namgung clan, a design I had created.
One lackey stepped forward and announced loudly:
“Dear patrons of this establishment, I must ask you to vacate the premises. Your bills will be settled, but we need the first floor cleared. Today, this place will host a gathering of Orthodox faction heroes for an important discussion. We cannot risk anyone eavesdropping.”
“...?”
In other words, they were kicking us out under the guise of reserving the inn for themselves.
Their arrogance and lack of courtesy irked one of the more hot-headed patrons, who stood up to protest.
“What gives you the right to demand that we leave?!”
“The leader of the Orthodox Alliance will soon arrive. Do you still wish to argue?”
“Urgh...”
The lackey swept his gaze over the room, glaring at each table. When his eyes landed on ours, I couldn’t help but glare back.
As expected, inns are hotspots for trouble.
“What do we do? Flip the table?” Hye-in asked, casually.
“No, the faction leader is coming. We should lay low. Maybe sneak some dumplings into our pockets before we leave—wait, Hye-in, look over there. See that woman?”
“Hmm? Oh.”
In the midst of the Orthodox group stood a woman, elegantly holding a fan. She wore an expression of mild displeasure, as if she disapproved of the Orthodox faction’s rough treatment of others.
Hye-in recognized her immediately, covering her mouth in surprise.
It was someone we knew.
“Chaerin-unni?”
“...Hye-in?”
The woman was Woo Chaerin, the genius scientist from Stellar Explosion, known for building giant robots.
“...Lady Jegal, do you know those people?”
“Yes. They are trustworthy and discreet. May I join them at their table? If you insist on removing them, I will also leave and dine with them elsewhere.”
She had entered the scene as the daughter of the Jegal family.