'Then, the reason I'm here is…?'
The cave, structured perfectly for concealment, had its entrance veiled by leaves.
From this, I could discern the previous owner of this body's intentions.
This person was hiding.
Of course, this alone wasn't enough of a clue.
The glimpse I'd caught of the outside closely resembled the descriptions I remembered, but it was just a cursory glance from one angle.
It was still too early to be certain.
…But why did I have a hunch that I was right?
'I don't know if it's the Sword Saint's Tomb, but it's definitely an enclosed space.
And the owner of this body was hiding.
Probably trying to avoid someone.
There was no mention of other traps within the Sword Saint's Tomb.'
Just trapped, waiting to die of thirst.
The Sword Saint's Tomb was structured so that its doors wouldn't open until someone obtained the 'Sword Saint's Legacy.'
Once someone entered, they remained trapped. Those who entered the tomb seeking fortuitous opportunities ended up turning on each other for survival.
'Wait, then I'm in danger too?'
Come to think of it, this was a dangerous situation.
'Even Muk Cheon-woo, who could emit sword qi at the time he entered the tomb, struggled. He was hunted by someone roaming the tomb and left half-dead.'
Although the space was vast, the amount of obtainable food was limited.
People fought over the fruits growing on trees and for control of the river where fish could be caught.
Bloodshed was a given.
Groups formed during this process, but even these groups would later turn on each other to claim the Sword Saint's legacy for themselves.
Human greed being what it is, it couldn't be helped…
Recalling the events that transpired, I couldn't help but grimace.
'People get hurt.'
Absurdly, even in this situation, I was thinking of the characters I cherished.
'You really haven't experienced hardship, have you?'
I came to my senses and let out a quiet sigh.
'Stop it.'
Looking after myself came first.
***
After composing myself somewhat, I took stock of my situation in more detail.
'First of all, I'm definitely not in my original body.'
It seemed that after possessing this body, a kind of disconnect had developed between it and my original self.
Despite becoming a complete stranger, a character in a novel (presumably), my mind was perfectly clear.
It felt like just another ordinary day.
Was I always this emotionally detached?
Feeling momentarily bewildered, I suddenly recalled a passage from the original work.
'They said the soul and spirit don't completely separate from the body.'
One of the candidates for the title of supreme expert in 'Absolute Sword Saint' said this while emphasizing the importance of external martial arts training, and it seemed somewhat accurate.
While my soul remained the same, the moment my body changed, I seemed to have partially assimilated with the original owner.
I couldn't recall any memories, but I felt like my personality had shifted.
Not a complete overhaul, but a subtle change.
'Still, I don't remember anything.'
I only knew that this body belonged to someone named Namgung.
'Was there a famous late-stage prodigy surnamed Namgung around this age in the Sword Saint's Tomb? I can't think of any…'
Then I truly had possessed the body of an extra.
After reviewing the general background and my circumstances, I fell into thought.
I needed to confirm whether this was indeed the world of the novel.
If it was, then in the long run, a way to escape this world… honestly, I didn't want to find one, but anyway, assuming it was.
I needed to find a way to survive the Sword Saint's Tomb.
'This is the most important thing.'
Here, the path forked in two directions.
First, follow the original story.
Second, screw the original story.
Honestly, the latter was more appealing.
If this was a wuxia novel, shouldn't I experience a fortuitous encounter?
Snatching a fortuitous opportunity was a cliché in possession stories.
Above all, the insights obtainable here were truly extraordinary.
The Great Self Divine Art.
'…Honestly, it's too good to pass up.'
If this was indeed 'Absolute Sword Saint'… there would be no martial art superior to the Great Self Divine Art in this world.
It was the ultimate divine art, permeating the thousand-chapter novel.
The Sword Saint 'Dancheonje,' undoubtedly a candidate for the greatest expert of all time, abandoned all his martial arts in his later years and created this new one.
Countless powerful figures appeared in that long novel, but none could defeat the protagonist, Muk Cheon-woo.
Seasoned martial artists couldn't defeat him, even though he had only trained for three years and even had his dantian shattered once.
That achievement was solely due to the power of his martial art.
The terrifying power of this divine art was depicted throughout the thousand chapters of 'Absolute Sword Saint', and Muk Cheon-woo ultimately ascended to the position of supreme expert using the Great Self Divine Art.
Naturally, to survive, I had to obtain this divine art.
Actually, the method wasn't difficult.
I possessed the knowledge gained from 'Absolute Sword Saint'.
I knew the layout of the Sword Saint's Tomb, how events would unfold, and where to obtain the Sword Saint's legacy.
I felt a little bad about stealing it from Muk Cheon-woo, but… I had to survive first, right?
From here on out, it was a matter of survival.
There was no room for sentiment.
At this point, Muk Cheon-woo didn't possess it yet, so I had no qualms.
To survive in this harsh wuxia world, power was necessary.
However, I hesitated for a long time.
'The Sword Saint's divine art, it's good. Very good. I even know how to obtain it…'
But to recklessly pursue it… weren't the side effects of the Great Self Divine Art too severe?
Muk Cheon-woo had repeatedly wanted to tear the Sword Saint, the creator of this martial art, to pieces in his mind.
He even stated that if he could return to the Sword Saint's Tomb after becoming the supreme expert, he wouldn't learn the martial art.
Even after experiencing its power.
The Great Self Divine Art affected a person's fundamental nature.
The Sword Saint, having reached a state of enlightenment about the principles of the universe, imbued his obsession into the completion of the Great Self Divine Art.
Thanks to this, those who mastered this martial art had their upper dantian opened immediately, allowing them to commune with nature, but the side effect was madness.
The dantian was divided into the upper dantian at the crown of the head, the middle dantian at the heart, and the lower dantian below the navel.
Ordinary people cultivated the lower dantian, while a few sects occasionally cultivated the middle dantian, and the upper dantian was rarely cultivated.
Opening the upper dantian granted immense power through direct communion with the principles of nature, but the human mind couldn't withstand such principles.
Those whose upper dantian opened unprepared almost always went insane.
Therefore, those who typically opened their upper dantian were either morally upright Taoist martial artists with unwavering minds or highly skilled experts who had trained for many years.
Muk Cheon-woo, being neither, naturally learned the martial art unprepared and had to suffer the side effect of occasionally being consumed by madness.
'He frequently lost his mind and went berserk. Sometimes causing massacres…'
This was… a truly difficult choice.
'To survive here, I need to learn martial arts. This body seems to be that of a martial artist, but I can't even remember the basic techniques. I'm not even a significant character in the novel.'
I really might die like this.
'But what if I learn the martial art? What if I suddenly become a time bomb, killing people at the flip of a switch?'
Would I kill others just to survive? I didn't want that…
'But even without me, Muk Cheon-woo will eventually obtain it.'
Amidst my wavering, the scales in my heart gradually tipped.
'Even without me, the Great Self Divine Art will fall into someone's hands.'
Muk Cheon-woo obtained it unknowingly and caused bloodshed.
But I was different.
I knew the efforts Muk Cheon-woo made to suppress the madness of the divine art.
I could probably manage it somehow.
Then?
'I'll take it!'
I had to obtain the Great Self Divine Art.
I needed it in my current situation, and ethically, it might be better in my hands.
I wasn't sure if this was an excuse for Muk Cheon-woo or self-deception, but…
'It can't be helped. To survive.'
I resolved to obtain the martial art that permeated this epic world and felt a slight twinge of fear. My mouth went dry.
Had I really made the right choice?
I didn't know. For now, I decided to put aside other thoughts and focus solely on survival.
Gripping the sword at my waist, I stood up and walked to the cave entrance.
I spent about three days there, observing the outside.
During that time, I kept the entrance concealed with leaves and tried to grasp the situation.
The cave's location was quite strategic.
A stream branched off from a nearby river, providing easy access to drinking water while remaining inconspicuous, making it ideal for observing others.
While I could manage hunger with my internal energy, I still needed water, so people would inevitably come this way often.
From people's appearances and conversations, I could roughly gauge the timeline.
It seemed that only a month had passed since entering the Sword Saint's Tomb.
Three months remained until Muk Cheon-woo obtained the Sword Saint's legacy.
'The timing isn't too late.'
****
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