Urban Vagabond: Reload

After Kim Muhyuk stepped outside.

An awkward silence briefly fell over the High School Division / 3rd Year waiting room, which had been loud with curses and raised voices.

The boys who’d been glaring at the door started grumbling one by one.

“General Division, seriously?”

“...He’s gonna be a background prop, obviously.”

“Go get completely humiliated and come back.”

Even as they badmouthed Kim Muhyuk, their expressions looked oddly complicated.

A guy their age going after a goal they wouldn’t have even dared to imagine.

No matter how it turned out, there was no way boys who dreamed of becoming martial artists could feel nothing watching what he did.

“Was Kim Muhyuk always that reckless?”

“He’s always been a stubborn freak, though.”

“His eyes got scary as hell... Did something awaken in him after his constitution test went to shit or what?”

“Either way, he’s got no chance.”

The level of the High School Division and the General Division were, literally, worlds apart.

The General Division competition was where active martial artists took part.

The idea of a high schooler who hadn’t even properly entered an inner cultivation method winning a prize in the General Division was something that only happened in novels, so no one thought Kim Muhyuk would place.

“Still...”

“If he somehow wins anything, it’d be badass as hell.”

“He’d basically be sweeping the High School Division by default.”

Some of the participants felt jealous of Kim Muhyuk for choosing a challenge that was close to impossible, some felt anger at the gap between themselves and him, and some felt outright admiration.

But one person alone was different.

“Ha! He’s even more of a crazy bastard than I heard.”

Only Shin Kangheon was snickering.

Because he’d started martial arts later than the other participants, this was actually the first time he’d seen Kim Muhyuk in person.

Unlike Shin Kangheon, who had been entering martial arts competitions since his first year of high school, Kim Muhyuk had hardly shown up in competitions since then.

“From the rumors I heard, I thought he was just a boring guy who only knew martial arts...”

But seeing him in person, Kim Muhyuk felt so alien it was hard to believe they were the same age.

Most people probably hadn’t noticed, but Shin Kangheon, born with sharper senses than others, could feel it.

Kim Muhyuk had been quietly leaking a killing intent that was being held under extreme restraint.

And with that killing intent, he’d unconsciously taken control of the entire room.

If not for that, there’s no way kids who say they want to be martial artists would have been shaking like that and begging over a few words.

Shin Kangheon’s gaze slid over to the ponytailed kid and his gang who had started badmouthing Kim Muhyuk in the first place.

Their faces were still white; it didn’t look like they’d be able to show their real skills in the competition.

“Well, it’s not just those guys, either.”

Even Shin Kangheon, who had never once shrunk back from anyone in his life, had ended up just quietly watching Kim Muhyuk for a while.

Even though a fair bit of time had passed since Kim Muhyuk left, the goosebumps on his forearms showed no sign of going down.

“...Heh. It’s been a while since I felt fired up.”

Having met a strong opponent, fighting spirit boiled up in Shin Kangheon’s eyes.

Thud!

Slamming his practice sword into the floor, Shin Kangheon raised his voice so everyone could hear.

“Just watch! I’m taking the gold today, and at the winter competition I’m entering the General Division too!”

“...How many times do I have to tell you to stop being so loud?”

A sharp, irritable voice cut across Shin Kangheon’s bold shout.

It was Pi Seunghwa, one of the strongest candidates for the gold at this competition where Kim Muhyuk wasn’t participating.

Shin Kangheon smirked and needled him.

“You be happy with silver, punk.”

“If you run your mouth like that and don’t place, that’s gonna be fun to watch.”

“You talking about yourself?”

Shin Kangheon glared at Pi Seunghwa like he was going to eat him alive, then suddenly snorted a laugh.

“Anyway, where’d Lee Hyunseung go? He’s pretty good too.”

“You mean Kim Hyunseung?”

“Oh, right. Kim Muhyuk called him Lee Hyunseung and now I’m confused too. So where’d he go?”

Pi Seunghwa just shrugged like, how would I know.

“No idea. Maybe he went to the bathroom or something.”

After that brief exchange, the two boys glared at each other for a moment, then turned away to go back to their own spots and throw themselves into their final practice.

In the end, it seemed Kim Muhyuk’s provocation had cranked their concentration up to the max.

Just watch. The gold is mine.

I have to win the gold, if only for my pride.

And at that same time, another strong candidate for a prize at the competition, Kim Hyunseung, was alone in the bathroom attached to the waiting room.

“Hoo... Hoooo...”

Kim Hyunseung was trying to steady his ragged breathing.

It wasn’t just nerves. He was shaking like a leaf, to the point anyone would’ve thought something was wrong.

“...I have to get the gold. This time I absolutely have to.”

Muttering to himself, Kim Hyunseung took something out of his pocket.

It was a yellowed talisman paper, about palm-sized, covered in dozens of dark-red characters for “demon” written in Chinese. Just looking at it, it reeked of ominous energy.

—Show us a good result this time. Only then can we decide whether to use you as someone important or not, right?

Recalling the conversation he’d had before entering the competition, Kim Hyunseung slowly raised the talisman paper in his hand to his mouth.

—If you use this talisman, you’ll be able to get past the doping test. It’s your choice... but don’t disappoint us anymore.

He put the talisman paper in his mouth and chewed. The tough paper scraping down his throat felt disgusting as it went down, but he forced himself to swallow.

Thump!

“Kh—ugh...!”

Kim Hyunseung grabbed the sink to steady his staggering body.

For an instant, the character for “demon” appeared in black on his forehead in the mirror. The whites of his eyes flushed a bloody red.

“Hey! How long are you gonna be in there? I gotta take a dump too!”

Bang, bang, bang!

Someone was pounding on the bathroom door from outside. Kim Hyunseung snapped around and yelled.

“Shut up! Before I kill you—!”

The voice outside went silent, and a moment later...

The bloodshot in Kim Hyunseung’s eyes slowly receded, and the character carved on his forehead melted away like snow.

“......”

The boy who came out of the bathroom started practicing for the competition as if nothing had happened.

*****

I left the High School Division / 3rd Year waiting room and headed straight for the General Division waiting room.

The air’s completely different from the High School Division.

Not a single voice could be heard in the quiet room.

Everyone was either loosening up with light stretches or sitting cross-legged in meditation; overall, the atmosphere was calm.

I was half-worried they’d look down on me for being a kid or try to throw their weight around...

But it felt like they were each focused entirely on themselves, paying little attention to the other participants.

I quietly observed the others.

Most of them had the emblems of their sects or organizations sewn onto their sleeves or shoulders.

In other words, they were real martial artists who had entered inner cultivation.

They were at a level where they could imbue qi into their limbs or weapons and release it.

If the High School Division was the stage where you honed your body and made the vessel, the General Division was made up of people who had already stepped into the realm people called superhuman.

So from here on is where the real martial artists start.

I didn’t see any disciples from the big-name, high-and-mighty sects, but I did spot a few from some fairly famous mid-tier sects.

Those were probably the most likely candidates to take home the prizes.

“Competition begins in ten minutes. Contestants number one through five, please move backstage now and stand by!”

“Yes.”

At the staffer’s words, five people stood up at once, not making even the smallest sound.

As I watched their backs disappear out of the waiting room, a man with a gentle look on his face walked up to me and spoke.

“Haven’t seen you before. Is this your first time at this competition?”

I didn’t sense any particular ulterior motive, so I nodded and answered honestly.

“It’s my first time in the General Division.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, which sect are you from?”

“I’m still in high school.”

“...High school?”

At the word “high school,” several of the participants turned their heads to look at me. A few of them came over with curious expressions.

“No way! A high schooler entered the General Division?”

“Wow, genius much.”

“Hold up. Kim Muhyuk? I think I’ve seen that name on the boards. Aren’t you that teen prospect?”

Suddenly I was swarmed with attention.

Their eyes were full of curiosity and interest as they looked at me.

This isn’t them being wary of me...

The General Division under-twenty-five “big brothers”—well, that’s what they were relative to my current age—welcomed me like I was their kid brother or nephew.

“Haha! A high school kid, that’s cute.”

“Has a high schooler ever placed in the General Division before?”

“That was like, twenty years ago, right? Before Richard Han naturalized, he swept the General Division competition all the way up to under thirty, I think?”

“Wow! Then maybe we’ll see that legend repeat today!”

If the elementary, middle, and high school student competitions were brutal survival battles to squeeze through a narrow gate and become martial artists, the General Division felt more like a stage where young warriors who simply wanted to show off their abilities came to compete in good faith.

This vibe is completely different.

In my last life, I’d fought fierce battles against other High School Division brats for the dream of becoming martial artists, and after becoming a vagabond, all I’d known were brutal scrambles in the underworld just to stay alive.

Being welcomed like this was so unfamiliar it made my skin itch.

On the other hand, it made me think I’d done the right thing turning down the Blood Tiger Gang’s offer back at The Dark Den.

“So this is... the righteous path...”

This was probably what martial artists who lived openly in the light, without any twists in them, looked like.

Maybe he heard me mutter, because the participant who’d first spoken to me, Oh Jungmin, laughed out loud.

“You’re a funny one. When you first walked in, your eyes looked like you were gonna jump somebody, and now you’re over here getting all moved by yourself?”

“...Did I?”

“I thought you were here hunting an enemy or something. We all pretend we’re not looking, but everyone’s conscious of everyone else, you know what I mean?”

“......”

I quietly nodded at Oh Jungmin’s advice.

I probably still had the habits from my vagabond days; whenever I met other warriors, wariness kicked in.

I should be careful.

Fortunately, once they found out I was a high schooler, everyone just chalked my vibe up to nerves and let it go.

Then Oh Jungmin looked at me with a slightly worried expression and spoke.

“Just treat today as a good experience. The General Division competition is... a bit different from what you’re probably imagining.”

He was choosing his words carefully so he wouldn’t hurt my pride, but I understood perfectly.

He’s telling me not to be too disappointed when I can’t even compete on the same level.

Every General Division participant here was a martial artist who’d already begun an inner cultivation method.

Using inner power during the competition was banned, but just becoming skilled at handling qi naturally improved how well you could control your body.

If I exaggerated a little, it was like the difference between someone who’d driven a sports car and someone who’d just gotten their license.

“So don’t get too hung up on the results.”

My situation was a bit different, of course, but he was saying it out of concern, so I simply nodded.

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t overestimating my abilities.

Even with twenty years of living by the sword as a vagabond in the underworld under my belt, I knew that didn’t guarantee I’d win anything here.

The people competing in the General Division were all talented, and they were martial artists who’d trained for years in proper sects.

But...

Acting like I’m not even a competitor at all rubs me the wrong way a bit.

I didn’t overestimate my skills, but I didn’t underestimate them either.

If I’d decided I couldn’t even compete here, I wouldn’t have entered in the first place.

“Contestants number forty through forty-five! Please move to the waiting room!”

While we were talking, the earlier contestants had finished and my turn was drawing near.

“You got this, kid!”

“Hey, everyone hold back a little, yeah? Let our kid take home some prize money, okay?”

“Hahaha! Win some prize money and be good to your parents!”

With those cheers at my back from people who clearly didn’t see me as a real rival, I headed backstage.

I let out a small snort.

“Guess I’ll have to make everyone nervous.”

I wasn’t exactly offended.

If anything, it had been a while since I’d felt this kind of competitive spirit boiling up.

“Contestant Kim Muhyuk. Your turn is coming up, so please wait here for a moment.”

“Okay.”

Backstage, I watched the sword dances of the contestants before me.

They each chose one of several tracks selected by the organizers and performed the routines they’d prepared, showcasing their own styles and strengths.

But that was all.

None of them had made my heart pound yet.

“Next, contestant forty-two. Please come up!”

At the staffer’s call, I climbed the steps and took my place on stage.

The lights shining down were brighter than I’d expected, and I could see the judges’ indifferent faces.

Screeeech—

The eerie intro of the sword-dance track I’d chosen, , began to play.

In time with it, I drew my sword from the scabbard at my hip.

Ssshing.

Ssshing.

The moment my fingers curled around the hilt, I realized something huge.

Today... feels insanely good.

The feel of the grip wrapping into my palm was almost too perfect.

It felt like I could ride the blade and fly straight into the sky.

By any measure, it was the best condition I’d ever been in.