I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 37.
Training continued after the meal.
Though not as effective as hunting monsters, training was still a good way to raise stats.
“Huff, puff!”
Yoo Baek-jun actively used the exercise equipment in the training hall.
Among them, the power rack stood out.
‘I’ve never worked out like this in real life!’
The real ‘me’ was far from being a gym rat.
Just an ordinary college student with a bit of belly fat instead of abs.
But now, things are different.
‘My life’s on the line—what else can I do?’
If this kind of exercise could save his life, he’d do it all day.
With a changed mindset, his actions followed suit.
“Good! One more rep, sir!”
“Excellent, young master. Just one more!”
“Wonderful, sir! Now, for the last one…!”
“Are you kidding me?!”
Han Seong-ah and Choi Seung-min chimed in from the side.
While Han Seong-ah was sincerely cheering him on, Choi Seung-min was clearly teasing.
Baek-jun resisted the urge to throw the barbell at him.
“I’m not kidding, young master. This is how you grow your muscles—pushing your limits one step at a time.”
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, were you always like this?”
“Huh? Like what?”
“Never mind…”
Baek-jun exhaled deeply and resumed lifting.
Choi Seung-min smirked as he watched.
“Hey, Seung-min. That helicopter I told you to arrange for four days from now—did you do it or not?”
“The one for the deserted island? It’s done. A helicopter will be waiting for you at Seoraksan.”
The deserted island Song Hyung-seok had told him about.
A dungeon his father had discovered in the past but couldn’t clear, leaving it abandoned.
It was located on an uninhabited island in Korea.
There, he could obtain the Subspace artifact.
‘Since I’m handling everything, he can’t pick on me.’
Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
Bored from watching the workout, Seung-min poked Seol-yeong nearby.
“Seol-yeong, it’s dangerous there. Come here…”
—Grrrl?
Seung-min fearlessly lifted Seol-yeong.
The creature stared at him with cold eyes before—
—Meowr!
“Gahhk!”
It kicked him square in the face.
The impact was so strong it felt like his face had caved in—slight exaggeration, but close.
Seung-min staggered in pain.
—Grrrr…
“Hey, it’s dangerous while I’m lifting—wait, no. It’s not like it’ll get hurt even if the barbell hits it.”
Sometimes he forgot, but Seol-yeong was a spirit beast.
Even if a barbell struck it, it wouldn’t be seriously injured—it would probably dodge it anyway.
Baek-jun scoffed at Seung-min.
“You know it dislikes you, so why bother?”
“Ghk—I was just worried… Ow, this really hurts! I thought it’d be lured by meat!”
“Quiet, Seung-min. Young master, you’ve rested long enough. Let’s resume—”
“Nah, I’m done.”
Baek-jun stood up abruptly. He’d done enough strength training anyway.
“Let’s spar instead.”
“Spar? With whom?”
“Right here.”
Baek-jun looked at Han Seong-ah. She pointed at herself in surprise.
“Me?”
“Yeah, Instructor Han. You.”
Now that he had a spear, and most importantly, he still hadn’t cleared the sparring quest from before.
Completing it would give him 700P.
‘Once I get the subspace artifact, another achievement will unlock, bringing me to 1,000P.’
Then, he could learn an A-rank skill.
Just look at how useful Cold Aura and Elemental Manifestation had been.
An A-rank skill would be a game-changer.
‘Or, I could save up a bit more and learn an A-rank trait. That wouldn’t be bad either.’
Lost in thought about what to learn, Baek-jun headed to the mansion’s sparring hall.
“Y-young master, are you sure about this?”
Seong-ah stood opposite him in the sparring hall.
Perhaps because he’d only recently recovered, she seemed uneasy about the match.
“I’m fine. It’s just sparring—no one’s dying.”
“But you’ve just recovered…”
“Moving around helps you heal faster.”
“…You’re not still holding a grudge over me calling you weak, are you?”
“As if.”
What kind of person did she take him for?
Baek-jun drew his spear, Gungnir, the Thunder Spear.
“A spear? Ah, the artifact you obtained last time. You plan to use it?”
“Yeah, I gotta get used to it.”
He spun the spear dramatically.
“Need to test its performance.”
“Hmm…”
Seong-ah hesitated briefly.
Using a spear meant he’d learned spear techniques.
She was curious about his style.
“Very well. Let’s begin.”
Baek-jun and Seong-ah faced each other.
Disciples in the hall, noticing the impending duel, gradually gathered.
“A spar?”
“If it’s against Instructor Han, the young master doesn’t stand a chance…”
“You never know.”
Everyone knew Baek-jun had been the first to clear the latest gate.
Even those who’d once looked down on him couldn’t help but reconsider.
—The young master has definitely changed.
—To have talent recognized by Grandmaster Ja-yeon… Just how strong is he?
—Will the succession dynamics shift now?
Naturally, the spar piqued their interest.
Baek-jun drove the tip of his spear into the ground. Seong-ah drew her sword.
“Real blades. That’s fine, right?”
“Wooden swords would be too boring.”
Nothing like a real fight for practical experience. Baek-jun leveled his spear at her.
A brief silence fell between them.
“What spear techniques have you learnt, young master?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Then I won’t hold back.”
Seong-ah charged.
Her speed made her movements hard to track. Baek-jun followed her silhouette, thinking:
‘I can’t win in a straight fight. A prolonged battle would only put me at a disadvantage.’
His stats were still lacking.
But that didn’t mean victory was impossible.
‘End it quickly.’
Seong-ah closed the distance in an instant.
Literally appearing before him in a flash, her sword surged toward him.
Baek-jun activated a footwork technique.
Swish!
Seong-ah’s sword cleaved through him.
The onlookers gasped—but she frowned and immediately turned.
The ‘slashed’ Baek-jun vanished like an afterimage.
‘Ghost Phantom Step.’
He had already retreated far back, leaving an afterimage behind. Now, he pulled his spear far back.
‘A spear throw?’
Was the young master’s new technique a throwing style?
Seong-ah hesitated, deciding to observe rather than rush in.
Creak!
He pulled his arm back with such force that you could almost hear his muscles screaming.
Yoo Baek-jun took a deep breath.
“Huuup!”
He hurled the thunder spear with all his might.
The spear tore through the air, rushing forward like a tempest.
Han Seong-ah focused on its trajectory and prepared to dodge.
“Ugh…!”
Her eyes caught sight of Yoo Baek-jun.
The moment he threw the spear, he charged.
Han Seong-ah dodged the projectile, but he had already closed the distance.
Kwoong! The sound of his foot stomping the ground reverberated.
Puh-uhk!
“Kkhuhk!”
A brutal strike slammed into her abdomen.
Even though he was the one attacking, Yoo Baek-jun’s face twisted in displeasure.
The impact didn’t feel clean.
Han Seong-ah’s body was sent flying backward.
‘Too flashy. Did she intentionally let herself get thrown back?’
Yoo Baek-jun immediately pursued her.
Swift Step.
By the time Han Seong-ah regained her posture, his figure was already right in front of her.
Han Seong-ah quickly steadied herself.
‘No spear. His weapons are just his fists now.’
She thought that and prepared to counter.
But then, something unexpected happened.
“What?!”
The spear Han Seong-ah had dodged—
The spear that should have pierced through empty air and embedded itself into the wall suddenly changed trajectory and aimed for her again.
‘What the—?!’
Even seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it.
It felt as if the spear had a will of its own, altering its path mid-flight.
“Damn it…!”
It was too late to react.
Han Seong-ah barely managed to block the incoming spear.
Kkak-deuk!
The sound of grinding blades rang out.
And then, Yoo Baek-jun was right in front of her.
‘Too late!’
Yoo Baek-jun unleashed a flowing barrage of strikes.
Kwaa-ang!
His right fist slammed into Han Seong-ah’s chest.
“Keuhk!”
Her torso bent backward.
Her face lowered from the impact—just in time for Yoo Baek-jun’s knee to rocket upward toward her chin.
She hastily stepped back.
Swoosh!
Han Seong-ah’s figure retreated.
Yoo Baek-jun chased after her like a predator, leaping slightly into the air before delivering a whirlwind kick.
‘Still…! I can endure this much!’
She avoided a fatal blow.
If she could just regain her posture, she could look for an opening to counter.
Her fists lacked enough power, so she’d need to attempt a bigger attack.
‘If I can time it right…!’
But then, Yoo Baek-jun reached his hand behind him.
“This—!”
The thunder spear, lying discarded on the ground, flew into his grasp as if it had been waiting.
Han Seong-ah’s body stiffened in shock.
‘He could recall it?!’
That was the fatal mistake.
Yoo Baek-jun, who had been relentlessly closing the distance, suddenly widened the gap instead.
Then, he took a unique stance—
Shuuuuk!
—and thrust the spear forward.
A strike boasting extreme speed. Han Seong-ah saw the spear coming toward her.
And then, she saw the spear—
“Hup…!”
—split into nine dragon fangs.
Nine simultaneous thrusts, leaving no blind spot, rained down upon her.
She was stunned.
‘Nine Dragon Fang— A technique from the Heavenly Destruction Sword Technique! He can even use it with a spear?!’
Han Seong-ah hastily deployed a sword barrier.
But it was already too late. The nine dragon fangs shattered her hastily erected, flimsy defense and tore into her entire body.
Koo-woong!
Han Seong-ah’s body was sent flying from the massive impact.
By the time she tried to get up, the tip of Yoo Baek-jun’s thunder spear was already pointed at her neck.
“Seems like this settles it, doesn’t it?”
“…Yes, it seems so.”
Han Seong-ah smiled bitterly.
“I’ve lost.”
Yoo Baek-jun extended his hand to her.
Han Seong-ah took it and stood up.
“I thought about waiting to see what you’d do, but the fact that I even considered that was my mistake.”
“Knowing you, I figured you’d observe my moves before acting.”
“Didn’t expect you to read me so clearly.”
Han Seong-ah let out a deep sigh.
“Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen next time.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll be requesting another spar.”
“Uh, um…”
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
Though she pretended otherwise, she was clearly upset inside.
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘I might’ve just created unnecessary trouble for myself…’
This was just a spar where neither side went all out. If they had, it would’ve been a life-or-death duel.
Honestly speaking, as he was now, defeating Han Seong-ah wouldn’t be easy.
‘The difference in stats, and then unique abilities…’
Add to that traits and skill ranks—
There was still a considerable gap.
The only reason he won this time was because Instructor Han Seong-ah let her guard down—no, because she was too cautious.
‘Well, at least I cleared the quest. That’s what matters.’
Yoo Baek-jun accepted the towel handed to him by Choi Seung-min.
Choi Seung-min glanced at his phone before suddenly whispering in his ear.
“The young masters and young ladies have returned.”
The direct descendants of the family had come back.
As he wiped off his sweat, Yoo Baek-jun figured his father would summon him soon.
