Several days later.
The sun hung high in the sky.
The Poison Demon Sect's training grounds bore an atmosphere utterly different from before.
"Huff, huff, huff......!"
The warriors running laps were drenched head to toe in sweat.
Roused before dawn, they had been on a forced march without a single break since.
'This is insane. When is he going to let us rest?'
'Forget everything else — please...... just one sip of water.'
'Mother, are you at peace in the afterlife? Your son...... will be joining you shortly.'
Their breath came in ragged gasps, every muscle screaming for mercy.
Naturally, their pace slowed.
Whereupon.
TWEET—! TWE-TWEET—!
Un-hyeok blew the whistle around his neck and bellowed.
"Did you eat boiled slugs for breakfast?! Move it, move it!"
The warriors shot him looks of sheer disbelief.
'How is his body even built?! How is he not tired?!'
Un-hyeok had been training since before dawn just like the warriors, yet at a markedly higher intensity.
Sandbags strapped to each wrist and ankle.
He was clearly pushing himself harder than anyone, yet showed not a flicker of fatigue.
Leading from the front, setting the pace — the warriors could only shake their heads in awe.
'That's no man — that's a monster!'
'Good lord, what a beast! How does he keep that up without even breaking color?!'
'Damn it, I can't even complain with the Young Sect Leader doing all that.'
'But still! A warrior has his pride! If the Young Sect Leader can do it, how can we give up?!'
'Grrr......! Back in my day, nobody outran me! I will not fall behind!'
The warriors began to kindle their fire.
Un-hyeok shouted to all of them.
"All right, first five to finish! The finish line is the training grounds platform. Only the first five get a rest period!"
The warriors' eyes flashed.
A warrior named Gwak Jeong gasped out a question.
"Huff, huff...... then what happens to those who don't make the top five?"
"What do you think?"
Un-hyeok grinned.
"They keep running."
In other words, this was their last chance to rest.
Fire blazed in the warriors' eyes. Seeing it, Un-hyeok smirked.
"Everyone ready......"
TWEEEEET—!
The whistle blast was followed by Un-hyeok's shout.
"GO!!"
"RAAAAAAH!"
The warriors broke into an all-out sprint, and a brawl erupted.
"Out of my way! I was here first!"
"AARGH! You bastard, you're pulling my hair! AARGH! Let go!"
"Look who's talking — you tripped me first! Who's calling who dirty?!"
Amid the chaos, one figure shot ahead of the pack.
None other than Un-hyeok.
"Phew......"
He reached the training grounds platform in a flash. Ja-pil approached.
"Young Sect Leader, here."
"Ah, Captain Neung. Thanks."
A towel and water, handed over by Ja-pil.
Un-hyeok mopped his sweat and took a long drink.
"Ahh, that's refreshing. Nothing like a good sweat to make water taste this good."
"Um...... Young Sect Leader."
"......?"
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but...... are you pushing yourself too hard?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Those sandbags."
"Oh, these?"
Un-hyeok smirked.
"Only a few months left before the Demon Cultivation Grotto. I've got to train as hard as I can."
Powerful martial arts demanded a powerful body to support them.
'Build the foundation first.'
He had not set lofty goals.
The Myriad Streams Return to Poison Divine Art and physical conditioning.
Un-hyeok had resolved to focus on exactly two things.
Meanwhile, the warrior who crossed the line second whooped with joy.
"I...... I'm second!!"
......Gwak Jeong?
He and the rest trickled in one by one.
Every last one of them collapsed spread-eagle on the ground, utterly spent.
They would get their rest as promised.
But the rest of them.
"What are the rest of you doing?! Dawdle any longer and you won't get a single second of rest. Pick up the pace!"
"AAAAGH—!"
Another round of first-to-finish competition began.
Ja-pil watched the spectacle and was quietly impressed.
'What a remarkable leader. If the Young Sect Leader keeps driving them like this, the Poison Demon Sect can become strong again.'
And so.
"Young Sect Leader, there is something that concerns me."
"......?"
"Everyone is giving their all right now. But once you leave for the Demon Cultivation Grotto...... I worry they'll slide right back to how things were."
The reason they pushed themselves so hard.
It was entirely because of Un-hyeok, and Ja-pil knew it.
"I know it's an unreasonable thought, but...... part of me wishes you could stay here forever."
"Don't waste your time worrying."
To Ja-pil it was a grave concern, but Un-hyeok treated it as if it were nothing.
"The Poison Demon Sect has you and Mu-won."
"......Pardon?"
"Do you still not understand why I called you here despite your condition?"
"Well......"
"Think simply. If you don't know how, learn. Even without me, the two of you can lead these warriors just fine."
"Do you truly believe that?"
Ja-pil looked unsure of himself.
"I did try, you know. But whether it's a lack of ability or what, I could never do it the way you do......"
SMACK—!
"Ow!"
Ja-pil took a hard slap across the back that brought tears to his eyes.
"Young Sect Leader, what was that fo—!"
"You're a man. Are you going to keep whining? Where's the Neung Ja-pil who was in my face talking back?"
"B-but......"
"Men have what? Say it. Confidence. Now repeat after me. Men have what?"
"Confi...... dence."
"I can't hear you. Men have what?!"
"C-confidence!!"
"That's right. Men have confidence."
Un-hyeok grinned.
"So even without me, you and Mu-won will lead them just fine."
"You...... truly believe that?"
"I do."
Because in reality, that was exactly what had happened.
The War Between Realms.
Dok Mu-won and his right hand, Neung Ja-pil, had been the very pillars that forged the Poison Demon Sect's warriors into a fearsome force.
"So watch how I do it, and train the warriors alongside Mu-won."
Ja-pil's face was heavy with doubt.
Then.
Un-hyeok threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Don't forget. The Poison Demon Sect can't be changed by me alone."
"......"
"It's something we all change together."
For a moment, Ja-pil's eyes widened.
'Change the Poison Demon Sect...... together.'
The words resonated deep within him.
Meanwhile, the competition had reached its final stretch.
Un-hyeok clapped Ja-pil on the shoulder.
"So I'm counting on you. Captain Neung."
"Yes, sir!"
Un-hyeok returned to the training grounds and shouted at the warriors.
"All right, everyone up! You've rested long enough. How long are you going to lie there like kings?!"
"Huff, huff...... Y-Young Sect Leader...... I just got here......"
"Should've gotten here sooner, then. If you don't like it, finish earlier and rest earlier next time."
"What?"
"I don't repeat myself. On your feet, everyone. Move it!!"
"M-moving!!"
Damn it — was being last always this miserable?
The warriors leapt up, vowing that next time, they would absolutely not lose.
But this too was part of the virtuous cycle Un-hyeok had engineered.
'Perfect.'
The morning endurance session was over.
"All right, next drill! Everyone grab your assigned log. Move it!"
"M-moving!!"
But sadly, the afternoon training could not proceed.
CREEEAK—!
The training grounds entrance suddenly swung open.
"......Hm?"
"Poison Young Master."
There stood So-ye, waving, accompanied by an old man.
"Yi So-ye?"
"Could you spare a moment? I've brought someone."
The old man cleared his throat.
So-ye smiled.
"The person you've been waiting for."
***
A short while later.
Un-hyeok took a quick bath, and the three of them made their way to the forge.
Gwang-mu looked around.
"Hmm. This place is on loan from the Golden Dragon Chamber too, I take it? What happened to the Poison Demon Sect's original forge?"
"Well......"
A flustered So-ye glanced at Un-hyeok.
If the old man dug deeper, the root cause was unmistakably Un-hyeok.
In a way, it meant laying bare a shameful truth.
Yet Un-hyeok spoke with perfect composure.
"We couldn't afford to pay the smiths."
"The old Poison Demon Sect was quite wealthy, as I recall."
"Some wastrel squandered the entire fortune."
Un-hyeok had no particular motive.
'It wasn't me who did it, after all.'
It was the truth, so he said it plainly.
But the Mad Forge Artisan seemed rather intrigued.
"So the rumors are true. The Poison Demon Sect's rogue has come to his senses. And can you actually afford to run a forge now?"
"As you can see."
Un-hyeok tilted his head toward So-ye.
"I found myself a reliable partner."
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG—!
The ring of hammers on steel came from every direction.
Sparks flew, and the smell of iron filings filled the air.
Un-hyeok continued his explanation.
"The smiths are still just warming up, but we'll be in full operation soon."
"Who's the chief smith?"
The chief smith — the one in charge of all the smiths.
"Haven't appointed one yet. Though I expect that will be settled today."
"Hmm......"
The atmosphere was decent.
In the Mad Forge Artisan's estimation, some of the smiths' hammer work was a bit rusty.
'I'd heard the Black Slaughter Sect's smiths were territorial. Must have kept the Poison Demon Sect lot from even touching a hammer.'
Which explained why they all looked so happy.
As if they could feel the joy of being alive through every stroke of the hammer.
'Hmm. He's assembled a fairly capable bunch.'
Their passion was practically tangible.
Among them, a brawny man spotted Un-hyeok and came bounding over.
"Young Sect Leader!"
"Ah, Smith Cheol."
Cheol-u, a white towel tied around his head, was drenched in sweat.
He had clearly been hammering away since morning without pause.
Yet his face was brighter than usual.
"What brings you here...... actually, never mind that. Perfect timing. We've finished a few pieces — shall I show you right n—"
The Mad Forge Artisan casually cut in.
"I've come to see the Black Spirit Stone Iron."
Not recognizing the old man.
Cheol-u gave Gwang-mu a surly once-over.
"And who might you be, old man?"
"Me?"
The Mad Forge Artisan smirked.
"A smith by the name of U Gwang-mu."
U Gwang-mu, U Gwang-mu......
He had definitely heard that name before.
Then it clicked.
Cheol-u's eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
"D-don't tell me......?! The Mad Forge Artisan?!"
"Heh heh heh. Indeed, I am known by that name as well."
Cheol-u was a smith of some renown himself, but the Mad Forge Artisan was on another level entirely.
The Three Great Smiths of the Realm.
Among the undisputed finest smiths in the world — U Gwang-mu was one of them.
"B-but how......?"
"Smith Cheol, just bring the Black Spirit Stone Iron as the elder asks."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Cheol-u dashed off and returned with an ornate chest.
"H-here it is."
"Good."
Gwang-mu snatched it up and popped the lid open.
A mineral glowing with luminous crimson nested within inky black.
It was unmistakably Black Spirit Stone Iron.
"Ohhh—!"
The Mad Forge Artisan's eyes transformed.
Was this what a man looked like when he fell in love at first sight?
The Black Spirit Stone Iron had captivated him completely.
"Yes, this is what I'm talking about. With this, I can create the masterpiece of my lifetime!"
The ambition of his entire life.
Just as the legendary Gu Ya-ja had once forged his famed blades.
To create a weapon that would be spoken of for generations to come.
"I've decided."
Gwang-mu closed the chest and fixed his gaze on Un-hyeok.
"I'll forge your weapon from this. In return, let me engrave one name on the blade I create for myself."
An opportunity to obtain a weapon forged by one of the Three Great Smiths of the Realm.
Most would have leapt at the chance.
"No."
"......What?"
"I said I cannot entrust the Black Spirit Stone Iron to you, Elder."
The Mad Forge Artisan was dumbfounded.
He circled a finger around his temple.
"Boy, are you out of your mind? You're kicking away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"
"......"
Gwang-mu, exasperated, thumped his own chest.
"Good grief, this is maddening. Chamber Master, explain to this idiot what an enormous chance he's throwing away......"
Un-hyeok, who had been silent until now, cut him off mid-sentence.
"However!"
"......?"
"If the elder agrees to one condition, I will hand over the Black Spirit Stone Iron."
This...... lunatic.
What was this now?
He should be falling to his knees in gratitude.
What?
He wanted to negotiate?
The urge to storm out was fierce — but the one with more to lose was Gwang-mu.
"Fine. Let's hear this condition of yours."
Un-hyeok's face split into a grin that said "Gotcha."
"It's nothing extravagant. Just take on a single title."
"A title?"
"Yes."
The reason he had left the chief smith position vacant until now.
The final piece to complete Un-hyeok's forge.
"Elder, please become the Poison Demon Sect's chief smith."