I didn't exactly have a compelling motive, but up until now, my goal had been to reach the 8th Circle.
At first, since I'd gotten lucky enough to become a mage, I wanted to aim for the top. I was also envious of the social standing and reputation a Grand Mage commanded.
Of course, the title of Grand Mage wasn't exactly something you could find on every street corner, and if anyone else heard me, they'd laugh at my unrealistic goal.
But was forming relationships with women from other dimensions and having sex with them really any more realistic? I thought that was even more of a pipe dream.
There are three 8th Circle mages on Earth right now, and Iris is also an 8th Circle mage.
But I was certain that I was the only one, past and present, to possess this "Interdimensional Dating App."
Anyway, while I initially vaguely wanted to become a Grand Mage, it's a little different now.
Iris and Cheon Yeohwa have become my motivation. I wanted to become strong enough to protect them no matter what happened. Of course, Choi Hyena, too, but she's relatively safe compared to the other two.
It didn't matter if I didn't ultimately reach the 8th Circle.
For Iris's revenge and Cheon Yeohwa's safety, magic, swordsmanship, anything was fine. After all, both are just means to protect my women.
"Look at your swollen face."
"…Let go."
"Hold still, I'll wipe it for you."
Cheon Yeohwa, who had shed a torrent of tears, seemed embarrassed by her puffy face and kept trying to run away from me.
But no way. I grabbed her and trapped her in my arms, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.
"Want me to blow your nose?"
Before I could finish speaking, Cheon Yeohwa turned her head and glared at me, meaning 'Don't treat me like a child.'
For the record, Cheon Yeohwa is 20 years old, and I'm 21.
"Want to call me 'Oppa'?"
"…Hyunwoo."
I felt the pressure of the intangible energy emanating from Cheon Yeohwa. I didn't want to get hit with another palm strike like I did this morning, so I obediently let go of Cheon Yeohwa.
"…You'll regret not breaking up with me today. Blood-curdling hardships and insurmountable adversities will frustrate you."
Cheon Yeohwa's face revealed an undeniable joy as she said that.
I got out of bed, approached Cheon Yeohwa, and touched her chest. That's what's good about martial arts uniforms. It's easy to touch breasts without taking off clothes.
I freely fondled Cheon Yeohwa's huge breasts, which were hard to grasp with one hand. It was a softness that words couldn't describe. It felt like my fingers were being sucked in.
"From what I see, not being able to touch these breasts seems like the biggest hardship and adversity?"
"Think a little seriously… Hng…?! D-Don't pinch me…!"
I grabbed Cheon Yeohwa's chin and kissed her. That silenced the nagging.
I sucked and mixed my tongue, devouring her soft tongue. I grabbed her breasts with both hands, the martial arts uniform already half-undone.
"Hmph… smooch… slurp…♡"
I slowly admired Cheon Yeohwa's face, which was red with her eyes tightly closed.
Indeed, she was unbelievably pretty. I could occasionally meet fairly pretty women while walking the streets of Xi'an, but they were all unworthy of standing in Cheon Yeohwa's shadow.
Judging coolly, the only ones who could be compared to Cheon Yeohwa were Iris, Choi Hyena, and Noel.
'…Come to think of it, the Master of the Magic Tower was about that level too.'
Of course, I wasn't going to have that kind of relationship with the Master of the Magic Tower, so I moved on.
"Blegh!"
"Slurp, sorry."
As if she noticed that I was spacing out, Cheon Yeohwa bit my tongue. Of course, not enough to cause any injury.
It was a light tantrum.
To reciprocate, I clung to Cheon Yeohwa's back and rubbed my semi-hard penis against her.
"Hmph, hng…♡"
Pleased by the blatant contact, Cheon Yeohwa went on tiptoes and rubbed her butt against my penis. She was nothing short of a seductive fox.
Unable to endure any longer, I was about to strip off all of Cheon Yeohwa's martial arts uniform when…
Knock knock.
-Um… Hero?
Ah, damn it.
That tactless bellhop butted in.
"I don't need cleaning, and I'm not eating, so get lost."
It was a bit harsh, but it was justified this time.
There's a time and a place to interrupt.
By the way, he called me "Little Hero" before, but why is he calling me "Hero" now? I suddenly had a bad feeling.
-S-Sorry…!! I-It's just that there are people on the first floor looking for you, Hero…
I was angry at the tactless bellhop once again, and twice as angry at China, which hadn't changed at all now or then.
Even though it was ancient China, the attitude of treating guests' personal information so carelessly was somehow irritatingly familiar.
"Hyunwoo, it seems like the White Blossom Sect has come looking for you."
"White Blossom Sect?"
"Those wearing white martial arts uniforms that you roughed up during the day."
I sighed. I expected trouble, but I didn't imagine it would be right now. I wouldn't be this annoyed if they had come tomorrow.
"Who is it?"
-Th-They're from the White Blossom Sect…
I desperately hoped it wasn't the case, but I knew better than anyone that I wouldn't get that lucky.
"I'll be down soon, tell them to wait downstairs."
-Yes, sir! Thank you, Hero!
Reluctantly putting my disappointment aside, I roughly put on my martial arts uniform again and strapped Gilhenium to my waist. Cheon Yeohwa also seemed to regret me leaving and caressed her lips, which were glistening with saliva.
'By the way, should I change my weapon? It'll be too obvious if I use a Western sword in a martial arts world.'
It would be incredibly difficult to find a sword of Gilhenium's caliber, but I couldn't rule out the possibility that the swordsmanship I would learn in this world wouldn't suit Gilhenium. It might be better to change it sooner rather than later.
However, after examining the ironworks during the day, I realized that weapons in this world weren't worth buying with money.
The overall quality was significantly inferior to that of Earth, and the prices were ridiculously expensive.
"Hyunwoo, the White Blossom Sect has likely brought an elder-level figure. Of course, there's no guarantee that he's necessarily stronger than you, but this is, after all, the territory of the orthodox sects."
"I know."
I'm not a psycho who enjoys beating people up. If that guy named Lee Geon hadn't said anything to Cheon Yeohwa earlier, none of this would have happened.
"I'll just apologize and get some compensation."
"…What?"
"If someone's an elder, they have to take responsibility for raising their disciples that way."
Cheon Yeohwa stared at me with wide eyes, as if my answer had dumbfounded her. She probably thought I would end things on good terms.
Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.
In the first place, I had decided not to worry about the pursuit squad that the Demonic Cult would send anymore.
What did it matter if rumors about us spread in Xi'an?
If the pursuit squad was weaker than me or on par, I'd kill them. If they were stronger than me, I'd get stronger in another world, then come back and kill them.
"But turning an entire sect into an enemy…!"
"I told you last time, right?"
Click – I opened the door.
There was a madman on the first floor who was blatantly releasing his energy. It didn't seem like it would end on good terms from the start.
"Just trust your Oppa."
I wouldn't show any weakness so that Cheon Yeohwa wouldn't have to worry about anything.
***
The White Blossom Sect was a sect founded hundreds of years ago by a man named Jo Yoon, the Seven Blossom Swift Sword. It was also a subsidiary sect of the Mount Hua Sect.
Under the protection of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, its power grew day by day, and it eventually came to be called one of the best sects in Xi'an.
That's why the people of Xi'an respected the White Blossom Sect.
The White Blossom Sect sincerely believed that they, as members of the orthodox sects, were the reason why the rabble of the heterodox sects couldn't run wild in Xi'an.
"Unpleasant."
A few hours ago, Suyanggeon, an elder of the White Blossom Sect, had received news that he couldn't believe.
It was the shocking news that his beloved disciple, Lee Geon, had been beaten by some thug from a heterodox sect, resulting in a nosebleed and a broken nose. The unbelievable news didn't end there.
The youngest son of the sect leader, Jo Jaryang, had also returned with internal injuries inflicted by that thug.
Naturally, the White Blossom Sect was turned upside down.
Just what kind of madman had put our innocent and cute children in this state?!
The enraged sect leader and elders held an emergency meeting. As a result of the short but intense meeting, it was decided that he, the 3rd Elder, would personally punish the thug.
But the thug had already left the inn long ago.
How cowardly to attack disciples and run away, just like a thug from the heterodox sects. After making inquiries, they were able to hear that the thug had taken a room not far away.
He took a seat at the inn and called the thug.
"How dare you… You thug from the heterodox sects, how dare you put the disciples of the Great White Blossom Sect in this state…?!"
In fact, only two people were injured, and they had provoked it first, but that didn't matter in ancient China.
What mattered was that the name of the White Blossom Sect had been tarnished.
Suyanggeon, at the peak of his rage, released his energy without holding back.
So that the thug from the heterodox sects wouldn't even think of running away.
Until he calculated that the only option was to beg on his hands and knees.
Soon, he sensed a presence from the second floor.
'Is that the thug?'
Suyanggeon didn't hide his killing intent.
The three disciples who had followed him were excited by his majestic back as he confidently rose from his seat, his white martial arts uniform fluttering.
They had no doubt that the 3rd Elder, a master of the peak realm, would avenge them.
However.
"…"
"U-Um, Elder…?"
Lee Geon, who had been dragged along against his will, carefully called out to Suyanggeon, who looked somehow strange. He had seen it.
His appearance, sweating profusely and trembling slightly.
"Wow, you brought a lot of people."
At the voice coming down the stairs, Lee Geon and the three disciples shrank back without realizing it.
It was the voice of that cunning thug from the heterodox sects.
"Y-Your evil deeds end here!"
"How dare you spew nonsense, you filthy thug from the heterodox sects! Come here and kneel this instant!!"
"That's right, that's right!"
They were still in a group, but this time they had someone to protect them, so the three disciples were able to raise their voices and condemn Kang Hyunwoo.
But Suyanggeon was actually dying inside.
'T-That's a thug from the heterodox sects?!'
Suyanggeon instinctively realized that Kang Hyunwoo was a higher-level master than himself due to the intense wave of energy that seemed to be crushing the entire inn.
Moreover, since he was a martial artist who knew nothing about magic, he made a misunderstanding.
'Tr-Transcendent…?'
Seeing Kang Hyunwoo, whose total amount of energy overwhelmed even the average master of the peak realm, he mistook him for a master of the transcendent realm.
"Are you the Elder?"
The 3rd Elder couldn't easily open his mouth, even at the impolite question from the man who was much younger than him.
As the three disciples' murmuring gradually grew at his silence, Suyanggeon couldn't stay still any longer.
He was the 3rd Elder of the Great White Blossom Sect!
And behind him were his beloved disciples, endlessly looking up to him.
If he showed weakness against a master of the heterodox sects here, what would those budding seeds of the orthodox sects learn?!
Bang!
"That's right!"
Suyanggeon stood up from his seat with a confident air.
"Oh, so you're the one they call the Elder?"
However, he couldn't help but sit back down at the sight of Cheon Yeohwa's oppressive gaze as she glared at him.
He hadn't expected there to be two transcendents.
"Hey."
"…Yes."
"Give me everything you have."
"…Excuse me?"
Bang!
Kang Hyunwoo's front foot slammed down on the table. Naturally, the table shattered into pieces.
"You ruined all the fun."