Chapter 8
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes.”
“If it gets too difficult, feel free to stop at any time. Just say the word.”
“Got it.”
Ornica spoke in an anxious tone, repeatedly warning me.
I sat cross-legged and began to regulate my breathing.
“Uuugh… I’m more nervous than when I got my Danjun opened….”
Erina exaggeratedly shivered.
“If it really gets bad, shout as loud as you can. We’ll pull you out.”
“Here, take this. It’s a talisman said to bring good luck in our tribe. Keep it close.”
“Haha, thank you.”
I placed the rabbit-shaped wooden charm Galli handed me close to my chest.
Once everything was prepared—
“…Then.”
Ornica placed her hand on the centre of my chest.
“I’ll begin.”
***
When a mage uses a skill, it consumes mana.
However, when a swordsman uses a skill, they use Qi.
Qi is naturally accumulated through breathing and stored in the Danjun, which is divided into three parts:
‘The Lower Danjun below the navel.’
‘The Middle Danjun at the solar plexus.’
‘The Upper Danjun at the head.’
The more Danjun levels you open, the more Qi you can store.
Moreover, once a Danjun is opened, your abilities increase dramatically, allowing for more expansive growth.
‘Of course, the true mark of a strong swordsman starts from opening the Upper Danjun.’
Beyond the Upper Danjun, a new concept of ‘realms’ emerges, but that’s a story for another day.
From the moment you open the Lower Danjun and can control Qi, you begin to truly establish your swordsman build.
“Hoo….”
Ornica tightly shut her eyes, and I felt the flow of her Qi gathering within her.
Opening the Danjun is the responsibility of swordsmen who have unlocked their Upper Danjun.
I’m lucky to have met Ornica and get my Danjun opened for free.
Normally, you’d have to pay a lot of money or have a close relationship with a high-ranking swordsman to even consider such a favour.
Squeeze.
As strength filled her grip, a warm sensation began spreading below my navel.
Crack!
“Ugh…!”
What should I call this?
It felt as if nerves that I hadn’t noticed before were slowly being awakened throughout my body.
Crack, crack!
The warmth gradually turned into heat.
It felt like something sharp was repeatedly stabbing my lower abdomen.
“Close your eyes and focus. Soon, the captain’s Qi will pierce through your Danjun.”
Ah.
So, the thing that’s been stabbing my navel was Ornica’s Qi all along.
“The principle is to inject powerful Qi into your dormant Danjun to forcefully activate it. It’s no different from poking a hole in your internal organs, but there’s no more effective method.”
Listening to Corinne’s explanation, I finally understood why my HP dropped so drastically after the Danjun-opening event in the game.
‘It’s kinda scary.’
Is it going to hurt?
Yeah, it’s definitely going to hurt.
But since we’ve already started, I have to see it through….
CRACK—!
“Hngh?!”
It felt like a red-hot iron skewer pierced through my stomach, a burning pain scorching through my brain.
My entire body convulsed as if being squeezed by an invisible hand.
Every muscle in my body screamed in agony, as if I were being roasted alive.
“Gah…! Urgh….”
It’s true what they say: when it hurts this much, you can’t even scream properly.
My throat closed up, blocking any sound.
‘F-F-Fuck!!! It’s so hot!!! It’s burning like hell!!!’
The internal heat doubled in intensity.
If swallowing a stone thrown into a furnace felt like this, then that’s exactly what it was like.
If I opened my mouth right now, I felt like flames would spew out from my throat.
“Haah… ugh…?!”
“Y-You have to hold on!”
“Alben, hang in there! You can do it!”
I think they were cheering me on, but their voices barely reached my ears.
I just gritted my teeth, hoping this pain would end soon.
Poke! Poke!
Crack, crack!
Ornica’s Qi churned through my belly, tearing through everything in its path.
But with each pierce, I could feel something solidifying within me.
[The Danjun is opening!]
[Lower Danjun is being unlocked.]
[The maximum amount of Qi you can use has increased.]
[Blessing of Growth bonus applied.]
[Your maximum Qi capacity has increased further.]
A hopeful message flashed before my darkened vision.
‘Finally!’
I could see the end of this wretched pain.
‘But it’s not over yet.’
If my prediction is correct, the system still has something left to give me.
[The Guide of the Danjun shows immense favor toward you!]
[『Hidden Piece #4』 has been discovered.]
[A special reward is being given.]
There it is.
Hidden Piece #4.
The special reward that appears when the one opening your Danjun holds ‘affection’ for you.
[You have obtained 「Soul Bond: Ornica Feron」.]
‘Got it.’
I successfully acquired it.
Ornica’s 「Soul Bond」!
‘Amazing.’
To think I’d obtain a soul bond with none other than Ornica.
This is definitely going to be useful.
“Heh… Heheh… Hah… Aaah…”
Crack… Tap…
The heat that had been tormenting my body gradually began to subside.
The senses that were dulled by pain slowly returned.
“Alben! You did it! You successfully opened your Danjun!”
“Captain, you did great too!”
“Alben! Congratulations!”
I guess I managed to open the Danjun safely.
Huh. It wasn’t as bad as I thought.
Maybe I got scared for no reason.
… But why do I see multiple people?
“Uuuh…? When did you all learn how to multiply…?”
“Ah, Alben…? Why are you talking like that?”
“Captain! Alben’s condition is strange! His eyes are unfocused!”
My thoughts froze for a moment, and then I saw Ornica in front of me.
She was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, or at least it felt like she was.
‘Alben! Get a hold of yourself! Everyone, move Alben inside the tent! Erina, bring every medical supply you can find!’
‘His fever is really high…! Someone get water from the stream…!’
‘I’ll go get it!’
Come to think of it, the world feels like it’s turning upside down.
‘Ah.’
I must have collapsed.
Well, it makes sense, considering I pushed myself to forcibly open my Danjun with a weak body that hadn’t been trained at all.
Even as I felt my strength fading, I could sense a strange energy coiling around my lower abdomen with every breath I took.
‘So, this is Qi.’
It doesn’t seem all that special.
I thought it would fill me with some overpowering energy, like a tiger’s strength coursing through my entire body.
Cough!
As I subconsciously coughed, a metallic taste filled my mouth.
‘What the…’
‘Ah… Ahhh! He coughed up blood! Captain, what should we do?!’
Erina’s face turned pale as she panicked.
As for Ornica…
‘Tears…?’
Wow… This is the first time I’ve ever seen Ornica cry.
‘Please… Please don’t let it end like this….’
As a veteran of this game…
Seeing a scene I’ve never witnessed before is the rarest of experiences.
The moment I opened my eyes wide to capture Ornica’s tears in my memory—
the world went dark.
***
[What’s going on? Did I die?]
[No, you just fainted for a moment. You can’t die that easily.]
[So, this guy was watching us through this screen all along?]
[I get it. Honestly, it’s super entertaining.]
[Agreed. I can’t wait to see what happens next.]
[Tsk, tsk… Fainting just from opening a Danjun? If he were my disciple, I’d have smacked his butt a hundred times.]
[There he goes again. Grandpa, please go take your medicine.]
[…Something feels off, don’t you think?]
[Why, Chichi?]
[I told you not to call me Chichi…. Anyway, something feels strange. It’s like the flow is different from usual….]
Wait a minute.
You… Can you hear us?
***
“He’s fine.”
After a quick examination, Corinne informed everyone else.
“Phew… Thank goodness… I really thought something terrible had happened….”
Erina sighed in relief and slumped onto the ground.
Alben was lying there, still unconscious.
Ornica, who had been staring at him with a tearful gaze for a long time, turned to Corinne and asked,
“…What about the blood? What happened?”
“That’s…”
When Corinne trailed off, shadows of worry clouded everyone’s faces.
Could it be that he’s developed a terminal illness?
The looks in their eyes were filled with such concern.
“Actually, it’s kind of strange.”
“What’s strange? Speak clearly!”
Galli stomped his foot anxiously.
Unable to stall any longer, Corinne confessed straightforwardly.
“That blood… The blood Alben vomited just before fainting was filled with thick Taqi.”
“Taqi? Wait… That means…”
“Yes, Captain. It’s Hwangol Daltai.”
*T/n: Hwangol Daltai (환골탈태) is a Korean term that literally translates to Complete Reformation” or “Transformation.*
“Hwa… Hwangol…!”
“To be precise, it’s only a part of the Hwangol Daltai phenomenon. His body hasn’t completely changed, so it’s not true Hwangol Daltai.”
Hwangol Daltai is a state achieved by experts who have opened their Upper Danjun. It’s a phenomenon where the body transforms to better utilize Qi and sword techniques.
Vomit filled with tainted blood is also one of the symptoms of Hwangol Daltai.
“But this is weird, right? Alben just barely opened his Lower Danjun, and you’re telling me he’s going through Hwangol Daltai?!”
“…I don’t know what’s happening either, so shut up for now. Anyway, Alben’s fine. After some rest, he’ll be healthier than ever.”
Since he expelled all the Bad Qi, his body’s growth and recovery speed will accelerate.
‘This can only mean he’s a chosen swordsman.’
Corinne took a deep breath and let out a faint smile.
“Captain, are you okay?”
“As long as Alben is safe, I’m fine.”
“Fine, my foot. You cried so sorrowfully when he collapsed.”
“-!”
Ornica’s hair stood on end.
“Wow~ This is the first time I’ve learned that our Captain can cry too.”
“Did the Captain really cry? Is that true?”
“Hmm. Our Captain turned out to be a lone wolf after all. Guess you don’t have the right to hit me on the head anymore— Ugh!”
“Sh-shut up! Alben’s still sleeping!”
“Geez… You’re the loudest one here….”
Erina rubbed her throbbing head.
Ornica fanned her flushed face, replaying the situation from earlier in her mind.
The moment she opened Alben’s Lower Danjun and examined his insides…
The boundless emptiness she had felt.
The foreign power so vast that even her skill couldn’t fully grasp it.
Although Alben had just opened his Lower Danjun, his potential had already far surpassed her own.
‘Alben. Just who are you…?’
The more she learned, the more curious she became.
He was a man who intrigued her, made her crave for more.
“Koooo….”
The tiny snores of a beast softly filled the tent.
‘So cute….’
‘He’s adorable.’
‘My grandson will probably look just like him, huh? Yep, he’ll sleep just like that. So cute.’
‘Adorable… I just want to pinch those chubby cheeks….’
For some reason, a warm smile appeared on all four faces.
—
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