Chapter 273

Chapter 273

Talgak.

I thought this modifier was a title attached to those who reached something beyond the realm of Sipcheon-level experts, those who had reached the mythical realm. That’s because all the Sipcheon I’ve heard called Talgakja were absurdly powerful masters.

The strongest among Sipcheon, Geomseong and Taeak, are Talgakja, and Ilryun, the number one of the Demonic Cult, is also a Talgakja. Since each one is such a master, I thought Talgakja must pass through the mythical realm to reach Talgak. I actually heard it that way from the Sipcheon too.

—Talgak is a realm beyond the mythical realm? Heuhahaha! That’s an interesting perspective.

—…You’re saying it’s not?

The concept of Talgak I heard from Ilryun, who is actually a Talgakja, was completely different from what I knew.

—Talgak means exactly what it says. It’s being able to observe the world by escaping the realm or perspective you’ve established.

—That means…

—You can achieve Talgak even without reaching the mythical realm.

It was truly, terribly different.

—What are you trying to attempt?

Tails come charging.

Seeing Heukya looking directly at me as if she discovered something interesting while not stopping her attacks, I forcibly swallowed blood-mixed phlegm and let out a laugh. In the martial arts novels circulating in the market, they stop attacking during such moments of awakening, but Heukya showed no such signs.

‘Talgak is destroying yourself.’

That’s what Ilryun said. Talgak is no different from completely smashing with a giant hammer the foundation of martial arts you’ve built up until now.

There’s no need to reach the mythical realm. If you can just destroy all the martial arts you’ve established, even a third-rate warrior can reach Talgak. Achieving Talgak doesn’t change much either. Only the foundation you’ve built changes.

Certainly that must be true, so then why are Talgakja strong?

‘That’s because only those who felt the need to destroy the foundation they built become Talgakja.’

It breaks.

In the shock of my whole body creaking, I clash Yin Energy and Yang Energy to draw up Thunder Energy. The two energies fiercely collide within my blood vessels, extracting energy more destructive than anything else in the world. And the severe burden felt between them.

‘This is it.’

This is the limit of my martial art. The burden on my body from handling energy that has reached the extreme of domination. No matter how finely I adjust it, I cannot extract output beyond a certain level.

Kwareureureureureureurung—!!!

Thunder Energy bounces back Heukya’s tail with a thunderous sound. Simultaneously, the realization I feel.

‘It’s insufficient.’

Thunder Energy is destructive energy. You can tell how destructive it is just by seeing that I’m bouncing back Heukya’s attacks at my current level. But that’s it.

With the energy I currently hold, I can’t damage Heukya. Even if I use Thunder Force to bounce back attacks, those exchanges don’t lead to counterattacks. The reason is one.

Because the output needed to cut Heukya vastly exceeds the output I can withstand.

‘This is the limit point I can reach with this martial art.’

I ate Daehwandan and greatly increased the burden I can handle.

Even so, output sufficient to cut Heukya doesn’t come out. No matter how sensitively I refine my senses and adjust Thunder Energy, I’m still human in the end. I can’t calculate all those pathways.

It’s not a matter of talent. Just as even a master who splits mountains and cuts seas with a single strike can’t infinitely deflect endlessly pouring raindrops with a sword without using protective energy, it’s hitting the limit line that humans naturally have. However.

‘That doesn’t mean there’s no method.’

If this method doesn’t work, if the martial arts I’ve learned until now won’t work.

I just need to surpass that limit right here, right now.

In an extremely rational way.

“Uicheonmunju? What are you doing right—!”

A faint cry heard from far away. And Heukya’s attack filling my vision.

Heukya, who realized I’m continuously attempting something, pours out dozens of successive attacks in a short time to interfere with me. Each strike seems about to crush and burst my whole body. Extremely dangerous attacks.

Kkagagagagagang—!!!

I can still, block them.

Barely blocking the attacks while gripping the Uicheongeom’s handle firmly. Because the crisis was about to arrive.

‘The first condition for Talgak is complete Mora.’

Destroying the martial theories you’ve learned, destroying your martial arts. Achieving Talgak that way.

That’s the same as rejecting the life you’ve lived. Even changing how you hold chopsticks takes several days—humans are like that—yet this means you must abandon all the common sense and habits you’ve accumulated in life.

Originally, it would be impossible consciously. Destroying on your own what you’ve built up yourself. Everyone knows without needing to say how difficult that is. Everyone knows it’s not in the realm of calculation.

—Is that really so?

Really, is Mora something that can’t be drawn up through calculation?

‘Opportunities don’t suddenly come.’

You embody and learn in actual combat, growing that way.

Martial arts novels say that, but warriors haven’t actually grown that way. What raises their skills isn’t a moment’s enlightenment but the time of training that may amount to tens, hundreds, thousands of days, perhaps even tens of thousands of days.

What was built up step by step. Things you worried about while swinging a sword once accumulate to form the existence called a warrior. Enlightenment is not coincidence but inevitability. It means it’s nothing more than some trigger bursting what you’ve accumulated. The situation of Mora is also just one of those triggers.

Then what about this?

If you can observe one by one what you’ve built up yourself while clearly maintaining consciousness?

‘Let’s remember.’

The first sword path I extended. The first way I circulated internal power.

I recall all the familiar methods, things I feel I could do with my eyes closed. Beyond the martial arts I created to the martial arts of the Baek Ri Family, and the martial schools at their foundation.

‘The core martial school of my martial arts is one. Taking the human body as a microcosm and containing infinite power within that microcosm.’

The theory is grand. But the reality is impossible. Though we compare the human body to a microcosm, the human body isn’t actually a microcosm. It doesn’t truly contain a universe within.

Then what should be done? If I can’t contain lightning within the microcosm, if I can’t contain lightning beyond my limits?

‘Outside.’

Passing through the macrocosm, not the microcosm.

Therefore, imposing my will itself upon the world.

[Please be careful! Once you attempt Talgak, you cannot turn back…]

‘Be quiet.’

I ignore it.

I erased from my mind long ago the probability of succeeding in this gamble. How dangerous it is, how difficult it is—that’s not my concern. Because there’s already no way back.

‘The foundation is the same.’

From the collision of Yin and Yang, the most powerful energy in the world is generated.

The One Origin, also the Three Powers, also the Five Elements, also the Six Harmonies, also the Eight Trigrams.

All principles of the world are contained within. Among them, what I want is one. From the collision of Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang, what I want is the One Extreme.

Tuduk!

Sound cuts off.

Tududududuk!

All the blood vessels in my eyes burst. Vision stained red. Throbbing head.

My overloaded head hurts as if splitting. Even though I’ve passed beyond the realm of calculation into the realm of intuition, my mind is hazy as if covered in fog.

Hot and cold, painful and stinging, noisy and quiet, foul and fragrant. My five senses won’t listen. Literally at a point where I can’t properly recognize what I’ve done.

‘If I can’t do it inside, I just need to do it outside.’

I instinctively realize. This path is correct.

If I can just break through once, if I can just succeed once.

Feeling myself slowly reaching the destination, my hand trembled. What I was doing in the microcosm within me rides my will, forms celestial pillars, and reaches the macrocosm. And.

‘Ah.’

This is it. This is it.

The moment ‘what comes next’ begins to seem within reach of my outstretched hand.

“—Dodge!”

The sky turned black,

—I shouldn’t watch any longer.

Heukya’s tail pierced through my abdomen.

Puuuuuuk!

Baek Risan doesn’t usually call Baek Riyun ‘brother.’

That was like an unresolved lump. Though she realized during the two years living with Baek Riyun that he too had his circumstances, ultimately to Baek Risan, Baek Riyun was the heartless older brother who abandoned her and left home.

If it was originally love-hate, by now the hate has almost disappeared. But even so, they couldn’t return to their previous relationship.

In the newly established relationship, Baek Riyun was a mountain to overcome for Baek Risan, a pioneer who had walked the path she needed to walk first. That’s why Baek Risan had resolved one thing.

Someday, when she had escaped Baek Riyun’s protection and felt she had been completed as a warrior on her own, she would stand before Baek Riyun and call him brother again.

To tell him that whatever he imagines, his younger sister is never weak enough to need protection, that she too can walk beside him.

She was going to say that.

“Broth… er?”

The plan couldn’t be fulfilled.

Because the dead can’t hear stories.

“What are you doing…”

Tuk.

While standing guard, Baek Risan checked Baek Riyun’s body that had fallen in front and her voice trembled without realizing it. Baek Riyun’s appearance, having fallen without a single wound visible on the outside.

For being stabbed by a tail, he looks completely fine. Even the injured place doesn’t seem like a major wound. There are no serious injuries anywhere.

Even while judging that way, Baek Risan instinctively gripped Baek Riyun’s arm tightly.

Because from inside Baek Riyun’s body, she felt nothing.

“Open your… eyes…”

A heart that doesn’t beat. Unfocused pupils. Internal power that can’t be felt.

Like a corpse, everything that a living thing should have is slowly disappearing. Vitality that intermittently surges up then goes out like a light flickering before it dies.

“Open… your eyes…!”

Even pouring in internal power, it drains away.

Like a jar with a broken bottom, Baek Risan stared blankly at Baek Riyun, who shows no reaction no matter how much she pours in internal power. Because she couldn’t understand the situation.

“What is this…?”

“What the hell is this? What are you doing…!”

When suddenly caught up in the Grand Battlefield and teleported, when she met Nakcheon, when she protected herself from Oyeon’s attack, when she infiltrated the Blood Cult.

At none of those times had Baek Risan ever really trembled in fear. To Baek Risan, this situation felt far removed from herself. Even if people were dying, there was no harm to those around her.

It was the same when she confirmed Baek Riyun had come.

She was simply happy. Because it was Baek Riyun who had passed through adversity and hardship each time as if it were nothing. She thought that this time too, he would somehow overcome the adversity, using whatever means necessary.

But what is this situation right now?

“Get up…”

He doesn’t get up.

“Get up…!”

No matter how many times she calls, there’s no response. Just empty eyes looking at her, as if speaking to a doll.

Her heart grows cold. Baek Risan’s breathing, which she was forcibly maintaining, slowly stops. And in that moment, Baek Risan intuited.

“Ah, aah…”

Without any deception. Right now.

Baek Riyun has died.

“—Heuaaaa—!“