Urban Vagabond: Reload

On the road to AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, driving alone.

Kim Muhyuk was thinking about what they needed for the Giant Tree Ghost hunt.

They probably had enough combat power ten years ago too. The reason they failed must have been because they lacked information.

The documents Sunwoo Jeha had given him to read were packed densely with information gathered about the Giant Tree Ghost.

Materials the Transcendent Extremity Gate had undoubtedly prepared while grinding its teeth for the past ten years.

But Kim Muhyuk judged that even that was still not enough.

“......If the hunt had succeeded perfectly, the Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader wouldn’t have gone into seclusion for that long.”

Kim Muhyuk had never heard of the Great Anomaly called the Giant Tree Ghost.

But he had information and memories from the next twenty years.

In the future Kim Muhyuk knew, around this time, Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader Sunwoo Jeha went into seclusion for more than ten years.

Since she at least didn’t die, that means she somehow succeeded in hunting the Giant Tree Ghost......

But had she gone into seclusion for such a long time because she suffered a serious injury?

It was only conjecture, but Kim Muhyuk thought it was probably true.

The Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader who fought Richard Han was missing one arm.

Sunwoo Jeha was the strongest martial artist Kim Muhyuk had ever met in person.

In other words, even after she went in fully prepared, the Giant Tree Ghost was powerful enough that she came back missing one arm.

But Kim Muhyuk was confident that this time would be different.

And that confidence had a reason.

—Brother. Great Anomalies, see, what you see isn’t everything. Some bastard that looks like fire has water inside it, and some bastard that looks like one thing is actually two, you know? Want me to tell you about even crazier ones? This one happened in South America......

—Stop repeating the same story and just drink your damn liquor.

Because among his connections from his previous life, there had been one chatterbox anomaly hunter who was sincere enough to dedicate his life to Great Anomalies.

—Do you know the best way to understand anomalies? You love them. When you love something, you want to know more about it, and then you start observing it in detail. If you spend all day doing that, at some point, you realize the other party’s essence......

—You perverted bastard. So you love anomalies so you can kill them?

—At first I did, but these days I think it might be the opposite. More like I kill them so I can love them......

—Go to a hospital.

—Hahahaha! I’m perfectly fine. Among the guys who lost family to Great Anomalies and became hunters, I’m pretty normal.

—Don’t bullshit me and drink your damn liquor.

A chatterbox who had spent so much time digging into anomalies that his actual skill was only third-rate, yet kept laying out all kinds of information while insisting he would someday catch a Great Anomaly no matter what.

A smile brushed across Kim Muhyuk’s lips as he remembered that face.

“We won’t be meeting as drinking buddies in this life.”

Because Kim Muhyuk would quietly deal with the Great Anomaly that would appear in Korea a few years later and kill that man’s family.

In any case, thanks to the chatterbox anomaly hunter who had been his drinking buddy for years, Kim Muhyuk had been able to build up more knowledge about anomalies than most people.

I need cases or patterns involving the Giant Tree Ghost, or at least something similar. If I can get an expert’s advice on top of that......

As he thought through one thing after another, he arrived at AZURE SKY SWORD GATE before he knew it.

After confirming his identity and entering, Bu Yeonha, who had been contacted in advance, personally greeted Kim Muhyuk in the lobby.

“I said goodbye like we wouldn’t see each other for a long time, but seeing you again after two days is a little embarrassing.”

When Bu Yeonha joked with an awkward expression, Kim Muhyuk shrugged.

“That’s what you get for leaving by yourself first, senior. That evening, we had something delicious together.”

“D-don’t tell me the Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader joined you too?!”

As a martial artist, Bu Yeonha saw the Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader as her role model and idol.

She had tried not to show it too much during the training camp, but she could not even describe how happy and nervous that time had made her.

And yet the three of them had eaten without her......!

At the look filled with jealousy and envy from Bu Yeonha, Kim Muhyuk tilted his head in confusion and shook it.

“No? Shin Kangheon did ask if we could have a group dinner together and got beaten up for it, though.”

“......Of course. The Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader isn’t someone who gives her heart that easily.”

Bu Yeonha nodded with an oddly relieved expression and asked Kim Muhyuk again.

“So, what brings you to the main sect? I doubt you came here to talk about that.”

“The sect leader is inside, right?”

When Kim Muhyuk naturally asked for the Azure Sky Sword Elder, Bu Yeonha narrowed her eyes suspiciously and pressed him.

“What is it this time? I’m getting nervous every time you visit now.”

At that, Kim Muhyuk brought forward the health supplements he had hidden behind his back and smiled shamelessly.

“It’s nothing special. I just came to pay my respects. I was also curious whether the injuries he suffered last time had gotten any better.”

“You really do talk well...... Fine. I’ll let myself be fooled one more time. Follow me.”

It was obvious he had some other purpose, but Bu Yeonha ultimately smiled, accepted the health supplements Kim Muhyuk handed her, and led the way.

A short while later.

Kim Muhyuk entered the AZURE SKY SWORD GATE sect leader’s office and gave a disciplined fist-and-palm salute.

“I greet the sect leader. Have you been well since we last met?”

“What a welcome guest has come! I was already thinking of inviting you soon so we could have a meal together.”

Na Ilcheon sprang to his feet and smiled with satisfaction as he welcomed Kim Muhyuk, who seemed more imposing by the day.

“You’ve been well too, Muhyuk? Come sit. Yeonha, you sit beside him too.”

Na Ilcheon’s smile deepened a little as he looked at the two of them sitting side by side.

Before bringing up the main subject, Kim Muhyuk lightened the mood with small talk.

“Your complexion seems much better than when I last saw you. Have your injuries improved?”

“Heul-heul. They’re bearable enough now.”

Na Ilcheon was still undergoing treatment for the injuries he had suffered in his last fight with the Black Heaven Society’s society leader.

At least from the outside, there seemed to be nothing seriously wrong, but his internal injuries were deeper than his external wounds, so recently he had apparently been recuperating within the sect while handling only simple work.

Viiiiing—!

The Namcheon Sword hanging at Na Ilcheon’s waist also rang with a clear sword cry, as if happy to see Kim Muhyuk.

Na Ilcheon did not notice Kim Muhyuk’s subtle gaze toward his beloved weapon and gave him warm words with a smile.

“Every time I see you, you’ve advanced by leaps and bounds. Last time too...... Did you perhaps gain some kind of insight?”

“I learned a great deal while training for a few days at the Transcendent Extremity Gate.”

Na Ilcheon nodded as if he had expected as much.

He too had been surprised after seeing that the atmosphere around his granddaughter had changed after returning from the training camp.

But Kim Muhyuk......

Even when Na Ilcheon thought there was nothing left to be surprised about, the boy had a talent for surprising people every time.

“I heard a rough account from Yeonha about what happened at the camp. It seems something happened inside the Transcendent Extremity Gate?”

Na Ilcheon probed lightly, but Kim Muhyuk did not get drawn in and quietly shook his head.

“I do not believe that is something I should speak about carelessly.”

His answer drew such a firm line that it would have embarrassed the person asking.

But Na Ilcheon instead burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha! A man ought to keep his mouth as heavy as yours, Muhyuk!”

In truth, Na Ilcheon probably would have been pleased with anything Kim Muhyuk did.

Because in his heart, he had marked Kim Muhyuk as a candidate for his granddaughter’s husband.

At that age, with such exceptional martial arts, a fine appearance, and even a character worthy of an orthodox martial artist—what is there not to like? I would like to visit his parents at once and arrange a match, but......

The greatest problem was that the two seemed to feel nothing more than a martial artist’s goodwill toward each other.

Na Ilcheon had given up on bringing Kim Muhyuk into AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, but he could not give up the desire of a grandfather who wanted to find a good spouse for his granddaughter.

They truly make such a well-matched pair......

Just then, Kim Muhyuk carefully brought up the main subject.

“May I make one difficult request of you, sect leader?”

At that instant, life returned to the Azure Sky Sword Elder’s eyes.

A difficult request?

There was no better way to make someone owe him a debt of gratitude!

As the thought reached that point, the Azure Sky Sword Elder immediately thundered,

“Now, now! How could there be a difficult request between us when we are no strangers?”

......If they were not strangers, then what were they?

Sensing that question in both of their eyes, Na Ilcheon hurriedly added,

“Ahem. I mean, what could I possibly refuse my life’s savior? Even if you asked for my one and only granddaughter, I would have to give her to you.”

“What? Grandfather?”

When Na Ilcheon saw Bu Yeonha’s dumbfounded expression, he tactfully corrected himself.

“It was a joke, a joke. It’s just a manner of speaking. How could I carelessly give away my precious granddaughter? Ahem. In any case, I will hear out anything, so speak.”

Na Ilcheon was inwardly laughing with a sinister sort of satisfaction, thinking that he would grant Kim Muhyuk’s request and use it as an excuse to call him to AZURE SKY SWORD GATE more often.

Now that he had the owner’s permission, Kim Muhyuk confidently held out his hand and made his request.

“Then please lend me the Namcheon Sword for ten days.”

“......What did you say?”

“What are you asking to borrow?”

Na Ilcheon’s laughing expression twisted awkwardly, and Bu Yeonha, who was sitting with him, took on a look that said, What kind of lunatic is this?

“That...... is a little difficult......”

It was embarrassing to refuse after saying he would grant anything, but Na Ilcheon could not help it either.

The Namcheon Sword was AZURE SKY SWORD GATE’s sacred object and symbol.

It was not an item he could decide to lend out or not purely at his own discretion.

“But just now you said you would grant anything...... and that I was your life’s savior...... and that we were no strangers......”

At each word Kim Muhyuk spoke, Na Ilcheon flinched as if struck in a vital point.

In the end, he let out a deep sigh and asked,

“Let me at least hear the reason. Why exactly do you need the Namcheon Sword?”

“Because of a Great Anomaly.”

“......You surprise this old man again.”

Kim Muhyuk began explaining why he needed the Namcheon Sword.

Before leaving for AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, he had contacted Sunwoo Jeha in advance and received permission to tell the sect leader and Bu Yeonha, and only them, about the Giant Tree Ghost.

When his story ended, Na Ilcheon’s expression had also turned serious.

“The Giant Tree Ghost...... So the next generation intends to finish what happened ten years ago.”

Since he too was one of the people who knew about the incident involving the previous Transcendent Extremity Gate sect leader, there was no need for much explanation.

“I understand your intent, but there is no precedent for lending the Namcheon Sword to an outsider.”

During the fight with the Black Heaven Society’s society leader, the situation had been urgent, and there had been no watching eyes nearby, so it was fine. But now the circumstances were different.

“We would need approval from the elders’ council, and more than anything......”

Na Ilcheon was discussing the complex procedures and obstacles.

Woooooong—!

At his waist, the Namcheon Sword vibrated, and a faint white radiance began to flow from it.

It was the sacred weapon’s distinctive demon-subduing power.

Na Ilcheon stared blankly at it for a moment, then asked the Namcheon Sword in a low voice,

“Do you wish to fight a Great Anomaly?”

Woooooong!

The Namcheon Sword was a sacred weapon that had cut down countless evil anomalies alongside its masters over hundreds of years.

The moment it heard that it was needed to face a Great Anomaly, the Namcheon Sword’s spirituality reacted violently.

To cut down evil anomalies and save those who suffer is my ancient mission.

Na Ilcheon was not the only one who heard that voice.

Kim Muhyuk, of course, and Bu Yeonha as well looked at the sword in shock.

“That voice......”

A powerful will dwelling within the sacred weapon.

It was a voice containing the will of Namcheon, the founding ancestor of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE.

Before that will, the current sect leader resolved to forcibly skip every procedure and process.

“......Your descendants will also follow that will.”

Na Ilcheon gazed at the Namcheon Sword for a moment, then unfastened it from his waist and handed it to Kim Muhyuk. His expression was as sharp and solemn as a blade.

“By the authority of the sect leader of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, I entrust you with this sacred object of the main sect. Return only after you cut down the Great Anomaly!”

Kim Muhyuk reverently accepted the Namcheon Sword with both hands.