I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 100

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 100.

After Yoo Baek-jun left, Yoo Tae-rang returned to his room. He called someone on the phone, then gazed out the window, lost in thought.  

“…….”  

What came to mind was the conversation he had with Yoo Baek-jun. The fact that the bastard had asked Grandmaster Ja-yeon, for training—and that she had allowed it.  

“Why?”  

Ja-yeon had never taught any successors before. The closest she had come was Yoo Tae-rang.  

But it would be a stretch to call that the training he had wanted. He hadn’t even mastered a fraction of the martial arts she possessed.  

—I want to learn martial arts other than swordsmanship.  

Those were the words Yoo Tae-rang had said to Ja-yeon when he was still young. That was what he had truly desired.  

To learn the knowledge of martial arts—other than swordsmanship—that Ja-yeon possessed and become stronger.  

But,  

—Tch…  

Even now, he could still remember it.  

The expression Ja-yeon had made when she taught him.  

—Young Master, I can teach you swordsmanship, but I’m afraid I have nothing else to offer in terms of other martial arts.  

That troubled look on her face.  

Yoo Tae-rang had stubbornly insisted and forced his request for training, but the result was disastrous.  

His talent was solely directed toward the sword.  

“Is that bastard different?”  

Ja-yeom had praised his talent extravagantly.  

If it had merely been talent with the sword, she wouldn’t have gone that far.  

The fact that she praised him so highly meant his talent wasn’t just for the sword—it extended to all martial arts.  

“…….”  

Yoo Tae-rang clenched his coffee cup.  

He had been about to take a sip, but—crack—the moment he gripped it, the cup shattered with a loud noise.  

Creak.  

“B-Brother.”  

Yoo Kang-ho opened the door and entered.  

Whether it was because of the mistake he had made or because he expected to be punished, his face was filled with fear and hesitation.  

“…You’re here.”  

Yoo Tae-rang brushed the fragments off his hand.  

“Sit.”  

“Y-Yes.”  

Yoo Tae-rang called a servant to clean the room and ordered another coffee.  

Until then, silence hung heavily in the air.  

Yoo Kang-ho didn’t dare speak, and Yoo Tae-rang sat with his eyes closed, lost in thought.  

“I’ve heard everything that happened while I was gone. What you’ve been doing all this time.”  

Yoo Tae-rang slowly rose from his seat.  

“And how much of a trashy life you’ve been living.”  

“Ghk!”  

Slap! 

Yoo Tae-rang’s hand struck Yoo Kang-ho’s cheek. 

His head snapped to the side with enough force to nearly break his neck.  

“You idiot, what did I tell you? Didn’t I say not to cause trouble while I was gone and to stay quiet?”  

“Kuh… Y-Yes, Brother…”  

“But you didn’t do that. Instead—!”  

Yoo Kang-ho’s head snapped to the side again. Blood sprayed from his mouth.  

“You foolishly fell for an obvious provocation. Let yourself be used by Yoo Baek-jun.”  

Yoo Kang-ho’s body swayed. 

Yoo Tae-rang clicked his tongue in displeasure at the sight—  

Then drove his fist into that face.  

Yoo Kang-ho crashed to the floor.  

“Useless bastard.”  

“Kuh… Ghhk!”  

Yoo Kang-ho vomited blood.  

His mouth was a mess, teeth knocked out. The pain was so overwhelming he couldn’t even scream.  

“B-Brother… I-I’m sorr—”  

“If you hadn’t been messing around, would Yoo Baek-jun be in the position he’s in now? You gave him that opportunity.”  

“Y-Yes… Th-That’s right.”  

Yoo Tae-rang forcibly lifted Yoo Kang-ho’s head. His face was a wreck.  

The brutality was hard to believe it was directed at his own younger brother.  

“You’ll take responsibility for your mistakes.”  

“I-I will! If I can! Ugh… I-I’ll take responsibility! Brother! Just one more chance… Please give me one more chance!”  

“…Fine. If you say so.”  

Yoo Kang-ho bowed his head desperately, pleading as if begging for his life.  

Watching this, a faint smile crept onto Yoo Tae-rang’s lips, and he flicked his fingers.  

“You called?”  

Ha Yeon-jeong entered.  

“Bring what we got from those bastards.”  

“Oh my, are you testing it now?”  

“Yes.”  

Ha Yeon-jeong smirked ominously at Yoo Kang-ho before quickly retrieving something.  

It was a small box.  

“Our dear Young Master Kang-ho, your handsome face is ruined. The Young master is too harsh.”  

Slowly, the box opened.  

Inside was a pitch-black gem.  

“If you eat this, everything will be solved.”  

“Wh-What is this…?”  

“Your lifeline.”  

“Huh…?”  

Yoo Kang-ho stared blankly at Yoo Tae-rang.  

“If you don’t eat it, you die. But if you do, you’ll gain immense power.”  

“Power…? Brother, this is…”  

Yoo Tae-rang’s expression didn’t change.  

Yoo Kang-ho trembled violently before finally resigning himself and taking the black gem.  

The moment he put it in his mouth—  

“This… this energy…!”  

A crimson energy erupted from Yoo Kang-ho, enveloping his entire body and began to alter his insides.  

“Ugh… Aaaagh!”  

Yoo Kang-ho screamed in agony. Yoo Tae-rang and Ha Yeon-jeong watched him with cold eyes.  

“Good. A test subject came to us.”  

“Yes. If this succeeds, we’ll be able to accumulate a significant amount of demonic energy in a short time.”  

Yoo Tae-rang turned away.  

“Teach him Demon Techniques. We’ll use him to test for any side effects.”  

“Yes, Young Master.”  

Ha Yeon-jeong bowed her head.  

‘I have no intention of learning Demon Techniques myself.’  

Yoo Tae-rang recalled the secret manual he had obtained not long ago while raiding a gate.  

A manual containing demonic arts.  

‘But… as he said, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.’  

Yoo Tae-rang looked down at his own shadow.  

Kuhuhu… A laugh echoed from somewhere.  

* * *  

To reach the Magic Tower, certain procedures had to be followed.  

They had to use the transportation method operated by the tower to approach, and even after arrival, they had to undergo inspections by the local mages.  

“The Young Lady informed us in advance of your arrival. But these procedures are mandatory… We’ll keep it as brief as possible.”  

“How dare you make the Young Master—!”  

“Calm down, Han Seong-ah.”  

Han Seong-ah, displeased, growled like an angry hound.  

“Can’t we just ignore this?”  

“If we do, we’ll be shot down by magical weapons the moment we get close to the tower. I’d rather not.”  

“Grrr…”  

“We’re done now. If you wait outside the gate, other mages will come to escort you.”  

Thanks to Jin Seo-yeon’s prior notice, the inspection process ended quickly.  

Once past the checkpoint, the Magic Tower and the World Tree finally came into view.  

“Whoa.”  

“This is…”  

The first thing visible was the World Tree.  

A colossal tree towering high enough to pierce the sky—its sheer size was overwhelming just to behold.  

It stretched above the clouds, looking as though it was holding up the heavens.  

“Damn, that’s huge.”  

And beside it stood the Magic Tower.  

The World Tree had crossed over into this world alongside the gate, bringing a portion of the land with it.  

As a result, the World Tree and its surrounding land were larger than most islands. 

The Magic Tower stood tall beside the tree.  

Rumor had it the tower had been built using the blueprints of an ancient magic tower that had slumbered in Halpeon.  

“It’s… incredibly magnificent, Young Master.”  

“Right?”  

Han Seong-ah, standing beside him, gasped in awe.  

Built with all manner of rare materials, the Magic Tower was extravagantly beautiful.  

Moreover, the World Tree’s vines entwined around the tower, adding a mystical aura.  

“The air’s different here. Completely different.”  

“Yes.”  

Upon entering the island protected by the barrier, the change in the air was palpable.  

An indescribable clarity and freshness—it felt like his lungs had been cleared.  

“Yoo Baek-jun, Jin Seo-yeon sent us to guide you to the Magic Tower.”  

While they were still taking in the scenery, robed mages approached.  

Their robes bore an emblem—a symbol of the World Tree, marking them as members of the Magic Tower.  

“No sightseeing, I suppose?”  

“Apologies. While the Young Lady is present…”  

The World Tree possessed immense magical power, and parts of its trunk served as potent materials.  

Naturally, many coveted it.  

The strict security was only to be expected.  

‘I wanted to look around a bit more.’  

The entire island was breathtakingly beautiful, rivaling any tourist destination.  

Since most facilities were inside the tower, the island itself remained largely untouched by development.  

“Let’s go.”  

“Mm.”  

Yoo Baek-jun followed the mages.  

After passing through more procedures, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Magic Tower.  

‘This is incredible.’  

A grandeur different from that of the Sword Saint’s Family.  

Despite being on Earth, it felt like another world—like Halpeon.  

The mages opened the door.  

“Welcome to the Magic Tower.”  

Beyond the door lay a vast hall and a ceiling so high its end was invisible.  

“Wow…”  

And books—countless books, filling the space from floor to ceiling. An overwhelming number of shelves and tomes.  

“What are all these books, Young Master?”  

“The accumulated knowledge of the Magic Tower over the years. Magic, alchemy, spirit arts, enchantments, history, trivial anecdotes… All sorts.”  

“I-I see…”  

Even beyond books, magical artifacts and decorations filled the hall, creating an air of mystique.  

Several passageways branched out, leading to various rooms within the tower.  

Mages moved about inside.  

“…It feels like we’re at a school.”  

“Similar. They run something like a school here.”  

These were students training in magic within the tower. Like a university, they could choose their desired classes.  

Students were ranked, and higher ranks allowed access to higher floors for more advanced lessons.  

‘Jin Seo-yeon’s route does have a school-like vibe.’  

The early parts of her route had such an atmosphere, which was why many players liked it.  

’It was fun attending various classes as Jin Seo-yeon. Though that didn’t last long.’  

“Hey, what’s got you so deep in thought?”  

While lost in admiration of the tower’s interior, a voice spoke beside him.  

A figure entirely covered in a robe stood there—but the voice was unmistakably Jin Seo-yeon’s. 

“Were you waiting? If so, you could’ve come out to meet us.”  

“I was busy with research.”  

Jin Seo-yeon pulled back her hood, revealing her usual face.  

“Can’t you see? My face looks rough.”  

“Looks fine to me.”  

“That can’t be.”  

She prodded at her face while muttering, but he couldn’t relate at all.  

Yoo Baek-jun pushed her forward.  

“Just take me to Jin Baek-cheon already. I should pay my respects since I’m here.”  

“Mm…”  

Jin Seo-yeon tilted her head repeatedly before leading Yoo Baek-jun onto a magic circle.  

As she channeled magic, the surroundings distorted, and in an instant, they arrived at the upper levels.  

“He’s over there.”  

A spacious hall came into view. At its end stood a massive door inscribed with intricate patterns.  

Yoo Baek-jun stepped forward.  

“Should I deal with the annoying stuff now…?”  

Creak—

The door opened.