Chapter 2

A day in the life of a second year martial artist

A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist

[About the effects of the stars of fate Destiny.araboja]

(Screenshot of the Stars of Destiny selection screen.)

(Image of a star with a red tail drifting among the nebulae.)

A murderous star that harbors an unparalleled thirst for blood.

The bearer of the Heavenly Slaughter Star must be killed.

When the Heavenly Slaughter Star appears, kill every child born under the moon. Otherwise, the world will drown in blood.

The Star of Destiny descriptions are basically just vague, Dark Souls-style flavor text, and they don’t actually tell you what the effects are.

So the developer personally summarized the effects and posted them on the Steam community. Since you probably don’t know ching chong, I translated them for you.

Great Purple Star / North Star

Starts with a unique royal background.

Allows you to choose two Golden Martial Arts from the Martial Vault of the Imperial Palace.

The Endgame Crisis is fixed to the Struggle of the Yellow Dragon route, with the difficulty set to Difficult+++.

Celestial Dog Star / Sirius

Required points for learning Orthodox Martial Arts are reduced by 33%.

Required points for learning Unorthodox Martial Arts are increased by 33%.

Required points for learning Demonic Martial Arts are increased by 50%.

The more your tendency leans toward Orthodox, the stronger your martial arts become.

Blazing Chaotic Star / Mars

Required points for learning Unorthodox Martial Arts are reduced by 22%.

Required points for learning Foreign Martial Arts are reduced by 25%.

Required points for learning Demonic Martial Arts are increased by 50%.

The more your tendency leans toward Unorthodox, the stronger your martial arts become.

Domineering Morning Star / Venus

Required points for learning Demonic Martial Arts are reduced by 33%.

Required points for learning Orthodox Martial Arts are increased by 33%.

Required points for learning Unorthodox Martial Arts are increased by 50%.

The more your tendency leans toward ruling through force, the stronger your martial arts become.

Windswept Mystic Star / Arcturus (Trash)

Required points for learning the Left-Hand Path Branch are reduced by 75%.

Starts with the Purple Sorcery Manual: Way of Peace. (Trash)

Eternal Lone Star / Mimosa

Free Practice Point gain is increased by 5%.

The points required to learn all Martial Arts are reduced by 5%.

When traveling the Solitary Jianghu path, meaning no party play, these effects are multiplied by 5.

For every companion accompanying you, the power of your Martial Arts decreases by 5%.

Heavenly Slaughtering Star / Comet

Upon entering combat, you enter a Berserk state. While Berserk is active, the power of your Martial Arts increases, the Health Damage you receive also increases, and retreat becomes impossible.

The higher your kill count, the stronger your Martial Arts become.

This is exactly why I recommend the Heavenly Slaughtering Star.

Either way, once you reach the midgame, you’ll be relying on defensive Qi arts because you’re going to get beaten up regardless, meaning your internal energy will be depleted first.

Because of that, the increased Health Damage taken doesn’t really count as much of a penalty.

And while Berserk prevents you from running away, you can still escape once you’re on the verge of death, since the Berserk state ends when you’re basically half-dead.

The real downside is that you have to fight every little mob one by one, but if you’re trying to raise your kill count anyway, you should be doing a massacre run…

***

A-Qing smiled brightly for the first time in a long while.

It was a pure, innocent smile without the slightest shadow.

Anyone who saw it would have found themselves smiling back without realizing it, like a fond father touched by such pure, innocent joy.

Since A-Qing’s emotions always showed plainly on her face, that expression made it clear just how happy she was.

Now then, as for that sweet-and-sour chicken thing, whatever it was called?

Its appearance alone already surpassed A-Qing’s expectations.

The fried coating was a beautiful golden brown, pleasing to the eye, while the oil still crackled faintly. The rich aroma rising from it tickled her nose and seemed to sink straight into her heart.

After all, true gourmet cuisine was an art experienced through all five senses.

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting…But why was that only four?

She did not know what the last one was, but one thing was clear.
Now it was time to enjoy it with her tongue.

A-Qing grabbed a chicken leg and bit into it.

Unlike the crispy skin, the fully cooked, tender meat inside gushed with juices.

The chicken leg practically melted away from the bone.

It was truly exquisite!

One bite alone would have made even the King of Cooking pound the floor and rip off his sleeve in defeat, forced to admit he was trash instead of the superior being he believed himself to be.

Ah, this is exactly what I needed.

Life was harsh and exhausting, but good food had a way of comforting people and giving them the strength to keep going.

Just as A-Qing was consoling herself with that thought…

The ceiling came crashing down.

Something dropped from above and smashed the dining table apart.

Clang!

In the next instant, heat and chaos swept over her.

A hot, sticky liquid splattered across her face, and bright-red blood streamed down her forehead.

The thick scent of blood was so strong it stung her nose.

Is this really happening?

A-Qing could hardly believe what she was seeing.

The table, the food, and the floral wine she hadn’t even smelled were gone.

All that remained was the chicken drumstick she had been clutching tightly in her trembling hands.

A-Qing hurriedly checked whether the chicken leg was safe.

It was red.

Bright red blood dripped from it.

The dish had been cooked to a perfect light brown, so there was no way some odd phenomenon had suddenly occurred where chicken blood was dripping from undercooked meat.

With a troubled expression, A-Qing wiped her face.

A-Qing wiped her face with a grim expression.

She couldn’t bear to let go of the drumstick, so she used her left hand.

Maybe this was how singers felt when they had to perform in the rain.

Fresh red blood kept running down into her palm, dripping one drop at a time.

Of course, the blood wasn’t hers.

Its owner lay at A-Qing’s feet, mixed in with the wreckage of the broken table and the pitiful meal that had gone uneaten.

Each breath sent more blood bubbling from his mouth, producing a wet, gurgling sound like air leaking from punctured lungs. Then his body began to convulse.

Hm. Just another normal day in Murim.

The same rotten, fucked-up, garbage world as always.

Why can’t I get even one moment of happiness?

Why does it always have to be me?

A-Qing’s eyes moved across the inn.

Some people were frozen in fear.

Some kept eating as though nothing had happened.

Some shouted for a doctor in a panic.

Some screamed.

Some watched with open curiosity.

Their reactions varied wildly.

So did the numbers floating above their heads.

Those numbers represented each person’s karma.

Righteous actions raised the number, while evil acts lowered it. Because of that, A-Qing could judge a person with nothing but that number.

Of course, in all the Central Plains, she was the only one who could see karma.

Only A-Qing.

In the entire world.

Even the way she trained in martial arts was different.

A-Qing gained Cultivation Points by using martial arts, and once she met the required amount, she advanced to the next stage.

At the same time, she accumulated Free Cultivation Points, which could be invested freely to improve certain attainments without having to use the related martial arts.

It was a growth system completely unlike that of Murim’s martial artists, who advanced through endless training, study, and enlightenment.

And acquiring martial arts was just as strange.

The moment an intact manual touched her body, it was registered in advance inside her Martial Arts Window.

Any martial art registered that way could be learned later by spending Free Cultivation Points.

Could this really be called normal training?

It was more like the growth system of a game character.

Not that of a martial artist. No, not even that of a human being.

Then what am I?

Am I really human? Or am I a game character?

Are my actions and decisions truly based on my own judgment?

Could it be that I am being controlled from somewhere beyond a screen, through a keyboard and mouse, by electrical signals?

Then what exactly are these emotions I feel?

Where the hell is this place?

Is it a truly existing world?

Or is it nothing more than a game?

[Sudden Mission Triggered: Inn Turmoil]

[Chaos has erupted inside the inn.]

Actions available for additional Free Cultivation Points:

Righteous Karma: Assist the Virtuous Gale of Cheongha and eliminate the Ugly Devil of Jeungyeo.

Evil Karma: Assist the Ugly Devil of Jeungyeo and eliminate the Virtuous Gale of Cheongha

Evil Karma: Use the confusion to steal the inn’s silver and gold.

Heavenly Slaughtering Star: Kill everyone and burn the inn down.

“Ha…”

It was a horrible feeling.

So horrible that words could not properly describe it.

A-Qing gritted her teeth.

She felt completely alone in the world.

This damned status window.

The most hateful thing in existence.

Gurgle.

With a sound like a final death rattle, the middle-aged man at her feet finally stopped moving.

It was the moment a body that had been alive became nothing more than a corpse.

As the dead man’s body relaxed, a foul stench rose from his soiled trousers and stabbed at her nose.

At the same time, the text written on a translucent window in the corner of her vision flickered.

Righteous Karma: Help the Three Heroes of Cheongha defeat the Ugly Devil of Jeungyeo.

Ah.

So now they were the Three Heroes?

Because one of them died?

A-Qing let out a small laugh.

A-Qing let out a snort of laughter.

The blood smeared across her face slipped between her teeth.

Its fishy, salty, thick metallic stink brought her an almost dizzying pleasure, making her feel as if she were floating.

Fine, then. Let’s eliminate him.

After all, wasn’t she supposed to build up Righteous Karma?

Whether this place was ancient China, another world imitating Murim, or merely one corner of a game, she could not say. The only thing certain was that this world could hardly be more messed up.

Even so, there was one thing she liked about this world.

In this world, there was no need to swallow rising anger and let it rot inside.

Because this was an age of swords.

A world where one could deal with the resentment inside them in the most primitive way.

A-Qing picked up her sword, which had been leaning against the dining table and was now lying on the floor.

The chaos upstairs was still raging on with a series of crashes, booms, and clangs.

And she was about to add one more disaster to the mess.

With a smile as fierce and bloodthirsty as a beast’s, she walked toward the stairs, gripping the tassel tied to the end of her sword as the blade dragged behind her.

***

When explaining the realms of martial arts, the sword was often used as the standard measure.

This was rather unfair to those who used knives or fought with their fists.

However, since roughly half of all martial artists wielded swords, Murim generally accepted the sword as the most representative weapon.

And traditionally, the more people there were, the louder their voice became.

The technique of sending Qi into a sword to control its power was known as Qi Infusion.

Anyone capable of using Qi Infusion was regarded as a First-Rate martial artist.

Those who could use it as naturally as breathing were usually classified as Late-Stage First-Rate.

Once someone moved beyond Qi Infusion, they could project Qi outside their weapon and shape it into a visible form.

This was formally called Sword Qi Manifestation, but since that was 3 words long, people simply dropped the latter half and called it Sword Qi.

Those capable of wielding Sword Qi were recognized as Peak Realm Masters.

The gap between Late-Stage First-Rate and Early-Stage Peak Realm was only a single step on paper. However, up to the First-Rate level, one was still merely a martial artist. From the Peak Realm onward, they were called Masters.

There was a reason for that.

The Peak Realm was the first true wall every martial artist had to face.

That was why reaching the Peak Realm was often described as climbing over a wall.

However, unlike the past, when even seeing a Peak Realm Master was enough to leave people astonished, Murim had continued to advance over the years.

Because of that, Peak Realm Masters were more common than one might expect.

After the Greatest Martial Emperor , the greatest figure of the era before last, overturned the Imperial Palace, the authority of the government weakened. As a result, Murim entered a period of revival.

With fewer restrictions and less suppression from the authorities, Murim expanded, and martial arts developed further.

These days, it was commonly believed that if someone with talent earnestly studied proper martial arts, they could reach the Peak Realm before dying.

Perhaps because of that, people had gradually started looking down on Peak Realm Masters compared to the past.

This was especially true for Late-Stage First-Rate martial artists.

If several of them attacked together, surely they could deal with an Early-Stage Peak Realm Master, right?

If four of them launched a surprise attack on just one person, wouldn’t victory be easy?

However, underestimating the enemy has been considered taboo by every strategist since ancient times.

The Virtuous four of Cheongha paid the price for forgetting that lesson.

Thus, the Four became a Trio, and at this rate, it looked increasingly likely they would soon become a Duo, or even a Solo.

Jo Gaksan, the Virtuous Gale of Cheongha, swallowed hard in regret.

Damn it! Was the gap always this wide?! Or maybe… Could he have hidden the fact that he’s actually Mid-Stage Peak Realm?! What a cunning, despicable bastard!

If the Ugly Devil of Jeungyeo heard that, he would have felt deeply wronged. After all, he really was only at the Early Stage of the Peak Realm.

Then how had he dealt with one of them so quickly?

Simple.

He had sensed the ambush beforehand.

Demonic Path Followers lived every day with death hanging over their heads.

Since no one cared even if they died, getting stabbed to death on the roadside was treated almost like a natural death.

Because of that, Demonic Path Followers who managed to live long were naturally sensitive to danger.

And at that moment, the people at the table, who had been noisily calling each other brothers and sisters while talking about Murim’s peace and justice, had suddenly fallen silent.

Wouldn’t anyone find that suspicious?

From that point on, Ahn Seon-il had been on guard, and that caution paid off.

He knocked aside the incoming blade with his left hand, drew his sword, and cut one of their throats.

Then he stamped the floor with all his strength, using Qinggong to avoid the other three charging at him.

However, the weak floor collapsed, causing him to lose his balance. So he threw himself forward instead and used the move called Lazy Donkey Roll.

For reference, Lazy Donkey Roll means he rolled disgracefully across the floor.

Martial artists, who stake their lives on dignity, say they would never use it even if they died, but not a single one actually follows through on that. So roughly half of what martial artists say is nothing but boastful lies.

In any case, he saved his life instead of his dignity.

An Seong-il shouted furiously.

“Who dares aim for the back of this swordsman of Jeungyeo ?! Are you not afraid of the consequences from the Jeungyeo Martial Hall?”

In simpler terms, he was asking whether they could handle what would come afterward.

“Shut your mouth, villain! Who here doesn’t know that you are the hideous fiend known as the Ugly Devil of Jeungyeo?! Today, I will take your head and restore justice to the world!”

In simpler terms, he was refusing to reveal his name.

Just in case.

Since fighting was part of social life for martial artists, one needed to understand the hidden meaning accurately.

After that, there was no need for any more verbal sparring.

After all, why waste words when both sides had perfectly good weapons in their hands?

That was Murim.

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