Whoosh.
The air pressure from Ma Goo's fist stung Jin Ryeong's eyes. It was fast.
'I'm going to die.'
Jin Ryeong's mind went blank. His body, however, was screaming with the electric buzz of the System he had just awakened.
[System Override.] [Survival Instinct Detected.] [Activating Copied Skill: Iron Fist (Grade F).] [Warning: Host Body Insufficient. Structural Damage Imminent.]
Jin Ryeong's arms moved on their own. They crossed in an X-shape over his chest, his muscles twitching unnaturally as a tiny, pathetic stream of Qi—one he didn't know he had—forced itself through his blocked meridians.
CRACK.
The sound of bone fracturing echoed through the hall.
Jin Ryeong flew backward like a ragdoll, skidding across the wet floor until he slammed into the base of a weapon rack. A spear rattled and fell, clattering next to his head.
"Argh!" Jin Ryeong curled up, clutching his forearms. They were burning. The impact felt like being hit by a sledgehammer.
But he was alive.
Ma Goo stood there, his fist still extended. He looked at his own hand, then at the trembling servant on the floor. He blinked, confusion replacing his rage.
"You..." Ma Goo frowned. "You blocked that? A third-rate servant blocked my Iron Fist?"
Ma Goo clenched his fist again. He felt the residual vibration. A servant shouldn't have been able to react to that speed, let alone block it without dying instantly. And that green light earlier...
"Hey," Ma Goo walked over, his boots splashing in the water.
Jin Ryeong flinched, trying to crawl away. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't hit me!"
"Shut up," Ma Goo grunted, but he didn't raise his foot. He crouched down, grabbing Jin Ryeong by the collar and hoisting him up effortlessly. "What did you do to my wrist?"
"I... I just used the powder..." Jin Ryeong wheezed, his broken arms hanging limply.
"Liar," Ma Goo whispered, a greedy glint appearing in his eyes. "That wasn't just powder. My Qi blockage... it's gone. And my punch just now felt cleaner. Less resistance."
Ma Goo wasn't smart, but he was cunning. He knew that 'Secret Arts' existed in Murim. Sometimes, a trash servant would stumble upon a hidden manual or eat a spiritual herb by mistake.
If he killed the boy now, he might lose whatever this was. Ma Goo needed every advantage for the tournament.
"You," Ma Goo's grip tightened, choking Jin Ryeong slightly. "You are coming with me."
Jin Ryeong's eyes widened. "To... the discipline hall?"
"No, you idiot," Ma Goo grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "To my quarters. The tournament is in two days. You're going to fix my ankle. Then my back. Then you're going to massage my meridians until I feel like a Golden Immortal."
[Ding!] [New Quest: The Leech's Host.] [Objective: Become indispensable to Ma Goo.] [Reward: 50 XP per treatment.] [Failure Condition: Ma Goo loses interest and kills you.]
Jin Ryeong looked at the blue window floating next to Ma Goo's ugly face. The realization hit him colder than the bucket water.
The System didn't give him a sword. It didn't give him a fireball. It gave him a job. He wasn't the protagonist. He was a human potion.
"I..." Jin Ryeong swallowed the blood in his mouth. His mind raced. If he refused, he died. If he agreed, he would be tortured and forced to work.
But if he healed him... he got XP. And if he got XP... he could level up. And if he leveled up...
Jin Ryeong stopped trembling. He looked Ma Goo in the eye. He forced his broken lips into a subservient, terrified smile.
"Yes, Senior Brother Ma. I will... serve you."
Ma Goo laughed, a loud, booming sound. "Good dog! Now get up. If you bleed on my floor, I'll break your other arm."
As Jin Ryeong struggled to his feet, pain shooting through his body, a new window popped up, visible only to him.
[Status Window]
Name: Jin Ryeong
Level: 1 (100/200 XP)
Class: Wicked Healer (locked)
HP: 15/50 (Critical)
Stats:
- Strength: 3
- Agility: 4
- Constitution: 3 (Frail)
- Qi: 1
- Karma: -10
Jin Ryeong stared at the negative Karma stat. A dark, cynical thought crossed his mind.
'If helping a villain gives me negative Karma... does that mean I have to be a villain to survive?'
He limped after Ma Goo, clutching his broken arms.
'Fine. If the Heavens want a villain, I'll raise the biggest one this world has ever seen. And when he's fat enough... I'll eat him.'