I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 4.
The tomb of the Martial God is like a labyrinth.
Illusions upon hallucinations, monsters placed throughout, traps, and paths twisted like a literal maze.
Moreover, these are no ordinary paths.
One wrong step, and you’ll be lost forever in this demonic realm.
In fact, it was only natural.
This place wasn’t meant to be conquered so early in the game.
“So, what now?”
But none of it mattered to Yoo Baek-jun.
Illusions and hallucinations?
He had already gathered herbs from the forest in preparation.
Properly combined and consumed, they could resist multiple status effects.
‘Monsters?’
They were meaningless too.
He knew exactly when and where the monsters would appear, as well as the locations of the traps.
He even used the traps to his advantage, taking out monsters that tried to ambush him.
‘The maze?’
Memorization was the key.
Was that even possible?
It was the kind of idea that would make Heroes Road players scream in disbelief.
But it was possible.
He had attempted so many runs that he had memorized everything.
—I’ve played hundreds, thousands, hundreds of millions of games. That’s why I understand everything about this game…
Suddenly, the words of a certain pro gamer came to mind.
Well, maybe he hadn’t hit the millions, but Yoo Baek-jun figured he’d definitely played hundreds, maybe even thousands.
Anyway,
“Sweet loot.”
Yoo Baek-jun looked down at the chest before him.
His hands were already full of treasures he had collected while navigating the maze.
He looked less like a challenger braving a treacherous labyrinth and more like a traveling merchant.
“Thanks for the meal, Ancestor!”
He opened the chest and claimed his reward.
Inside the large chest was a small pouch.
It looked ordinary, but…
‘This is an item too.’
A pouch that could hold up to ten items as long as they were under a certain weight.
It was called the ‘Treasure Keeper’s Pouch.’
And what was inside it…
“Haah, the smell of herbs.”
It was a thousand-year-old Snow Ginseng.
A ginseng that grew in the extreme, uninhabitable regions where snow fell—places where no other plants could survive.
This miracle of nature greatly enhanced magical power and had other effects as well.
“Haaah. I’m drooling.”
He wanted to eat it right away but resisted the urge.
This was no ordinary elixir.
Consuming it without preparation would mean certain death.
Unfortunately, he would have to return to his family and take special measures before consuming it.
Yoo Baek-jun placed the Snow Ginseng back into the pouch.
Then…
—You have retrieved all the treasures of the labyrinth!
—Quest completed. You have been rewarded with 500P and the item: Black Ghost.
The long-awaited messages appeared before him.
A pitch-black training uniform fell from the air, which Yoo Baek-jun caught and stored.
The fact that this had appeared meant that soon…
—The tomb of the Martial God has fulfilled its purpose and will now close. Returning to the surface.
He was being sent back to the surface.
To that place of extreme cold.
“It’s not cold anymore.”
Yoo Baek-jun grinned confidently.
His figure was enveloped in a golden light, and moments later…..
He vanished from the labyrinth.
* * *
Whoooosh!
The moment he stepped outside, a blizzard welcomed him.
Normally, he would have been shivering from the cold. But Yoo Baek-jun was completely at ease.
‘This is the power of good gear.’
It was all thanks to the robe he was wearing.
[Black Ghost (A)]
A robe imbued with immense power. Crafted from rare materials by a master artisan.
Unbelievably durable.
—Options: Ghost’s Veil, Adaptability.
*Ghost’s Veil: Greatly enhances the robe’s defensive capabilities and allows damaged parts to self-repair.
*Adaptability: Adapts to any environment, ensuring the wearer’s comfort.
True to its ominous name, the robe’s surface was embroidered with patterns resembling ghostly figures.
Though the black garment appeared thin, its options made it incredibly warm.
‘This must be the entrance to the Labyrinth Forest. Nothing’s changed.’
Yoo Baek-jun scanned the forest.
By now, Shin Woo-hyun and the other pursuers were probably wandering the forest like madmen.
Some might even be dead.
“Once you take the wrong path, you’ll be lost forever… Shin Woo-hyun might return after a while, but the others won’t make it back.”
Good.
Only a handful knew that Shin Woo-hyun had secretly brought Yoo Baek-jun here to kill him.
The ‘eldest brother’ who gave the order, Shin Woo-hyun, and his underlings—that was it.
‘It’s safe to return to the family for now.’
Seoraksan Mountain was too harsh for Yoo Baek-jun’s current level of training. He planned to return to the family, lay low, and build his strength.
‘Though the people around me probably won’t let me.’
Yoo Baek-jun had too many enemies.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had too many people who looked down on him.
He sighed as he trudged through the blizzard.
His lightness techniques were a great help.
‘The exit from the Labyrinth Forest hasn’t changed. Then the way back should be the same.’
Yoo Baek-jun walked briskly.
This was the high-altitude region of Seoraksan Mountain.
Fortunately, he had memorized the geography perfectly.
‘From here… I should go this way. There’s probably a watchtower down there.’
One of the reasons the Yoo Baek-jun route was so difficult was the navigation.
The extreme environment was bad enough, but finding the way back to the family was another challenge.
―You damn developers, you expect me to return to the family with F-rank stats and no cold-weather gear?
― I barely escaped the forest, and now you hit me with this?
― Did you actually design this to be cleared?
― Did you even think before making this game?
Even the players agreed it was unfair.
“Haah, I used to curse the developers too back then.”
He suddenly felt nostalgic for those days.
Yoo Baek-jun pushed through the blizzard, avoiding incoming monsters as he descended Seoraksan Mountain
“I need to get back quickly.”
To the family.
Before his stamina ran out.
* * *
“Hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm.”
A small outpost at a certain point on Seoraksan Mountain
Amid the sound of the glass window rattling violently from the wind, a man’s humming could be heard.
“Brr, so cold, so cold. Instant noodles taste like heaven on a day like this. Ah, this reminds me of my military days.”
A man with a sturdy build and short-cropped hair. He was one of the trainees of the Sword Saint family.
As one ascended higher up Seoraksan Mountain, the number of monsters increased, and his role was to monitor them in case they exhibited any unusual behavior.
“My shift ends tomorrow, so I just have to tough it out today.”
The man smiled and lifted the lid of the pot to soothe his hunger.
And right at that moment…
Clang!
“Eeek!”
A sound rang out.
The glass window of the outpost. It sounded like someone had punched it.
The man immediately gripped his sword.
“A monster? Who the hell dares…!”
He quickly signaled the other surveillance outposts and stood in front of the door.
There was movement outside.
Probably a monster. If he struck first, he could gain the upper hand.
Crash!
“You son of a biiitch…!”
“Guh—urk!”
Suddenly, the door swung open.
The man was sent flying as the door slammed directly into his face.
“Eek! You can’t go past this point—!”
He hurriedly grabbed his sword, intending to attack the intruder who had entered the outpost.
But before he could, he had no choice but to lower his hand.
“Huh? Yoo Baek-jun?”
Because the one who had entered was someone he knew.
A blood relative of the family, Yoo Baek-jun.
He was gaunt and pale, yet his fierce gaze bore into the man.
“Call… Choi Seung-min…”
“Eh? What?”
“I said call Choi Seung-min, you bastard…”
The man tried to say something, but Yoo Baek-jun collapsed to the floor before he could.
The man touched Yoo Baek-jun’s forehead.
“A fever… Damn it. Even if it’s Yoo Baek-jun, I can’t just let him die like this.”
Clicking his tongue, the man picked up the radio.
* * *
He had a dream.
A dream where he became a character in a game, struggling desperately to survive.
Even though it was a dream, it felt incredibly real.
“…Will he ever wake up? He’s been sleeping for four days straight.”
“Geez, you’re so damn impatient. Just wait a little longer. This isn’t because of an injury.”
“If it’s not because of an injury, then what…?”
Someone was talking.
The noise above his head was so loud that irritation surged through him.
‘I’ll just ignore it and sleep.’
Yoo Baek-jun thought that as he hugged the familiar blanket.
‘Familiar…’
No, it wasn’t familiar at all.
This absurdly cozy feeling, this wasn’t the worn-out blanket from his one-room apartment.
Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes snapped open.
“His body needs time to adjust to the changes. I have no idea what happened, but his body has undergone a major change…”
He saw the people by his bedside.
His attendant, Choi Seung-min, and an unfamiliar yet familiar old man.
An old man he had seen often while playing the game.
The old man and Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes met.
“Ohh, you’re awake.”
“Young master!!”
Yoo Baek-jun blinked.
Then, as Choi Seung-min startled and rushed toward him, he shoved him away.
“Old man? What the hell? Am I logged into Heroes Road right now?”
“Old man? Heroes Road?”
The old man’s eyes widened.
Yoo Baek-jun stared blankly at his face.
The old man let out a hearty laugh.
“My, the medicine must have left you groggy. Young master, pull yourself together.”
“Young master? What kind of young master am I supposed to….”
Yoo Baek-jun stopped mid-sentence.
“J- Joo Jung-won, sir. Are you sure our young master is really okay? Could he have hit his head or something?”
“No, there’s nothing unusual.”
Ignoring Joo Jung-won and Choi Seung-min’s conversation, Yoo Baek-jun looked around.
“Hmm.”
What he saw was a wooden room.
The ceiling, walls, and floor—everything was made of wood. It seemed like a room in a traditional Korean house.
Even the furniture was wooden, polished to a glossy sheen, giving off a luxurious vibe despite being made of wood.
“Where is this…?”
The hanji-covered window was wide open, letting in sunlight and the chirping of birds.
Yoo Baek-jun looked outside.
“……”
A vast estate stretched before him.
Dozens of traditional Korean houses stood across the wide space, their aged traces exuding an antique charm.
“Hah! Haah!”
“Quickly, concisely! Watch my movements and follow it!“
In one area, disciples were sweating through their drills.
“Where are we heading this time?”
“A B-class gate. It appeared in the west. We need to deal with it before it leaves the mountain”.
Elsewhere, hunters were preparing to depart and block the gate.
Yoo Baek-jun stared blankly at the scene.
“The Sword Saint family’s estate, your residence.”
Joo Jung-won spoke in a gentle voice.
He chuckled as he examined Yoo Baek-jun’s wounds once more and nodded.
The Sword Saint family.
Hearing that name, the fog in his mind began to lift slightly.
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head vigorously.
“The wounds are fine. Hmm, but you seem quite confused. Are you alright?”
“No, my head… hurts a little.”
“Is that so? I’ll need to prepare a different medicine. I’ll be back shortly.”
Joo Jung-won stood up.
“Choi Seung-min, you come with me. The young master must be hungry, so we should prepare something to eat.”
“Ah, right. Young master, I’ll be back soon.”
“Wait a second.”
Yoo Baek-jun grabbed Joo Jung-won before he could leave.
“What’s the date today?”
“Ohh, hmm. It’s January 15th.”
“And the year?”
“2035. Well then, wait a moment.”
Joo Jung-won left with Choi Seung-min.
As Yoo Baek-jun watched their retreating figures, a message window suddenly appeared before his eyes.
—You have cleared the [Catch Me If You Can] quest and received 100P as a reward.
Yoo Baek-jun stared blankly at the message.
“Yeah, no fucking way this is a dream.”
He let out a hollow laugh.
