I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 56.
“Young Master, let me carry that for you.”
“It’s fine, it’s not even that heavy.”
“But for you to personally handle such a scoundrel…”
Yoo Baek-jun walked across the snowfield with Shin Woo-hyun slung over his shoulder.
Han Seong-ah seemed displeased by this.
“It might be dangerous, Young Master.”
“No, I bound him tightly with magic—what’s dangerous about that?”
“Mmm…”
Han Seong-ah had been diligently studying the Dark magic book she received as a gift and had now reached a level where she could use it in actual combat.
Shin Woo-hyun’s body was tightly bound with dark ropes—a binding spell from the Dark magic lineage.
—Grrr, sniff, growl!
Thud, thud, thud!
“Ugh, ack, kgh!”
On top of that, Seol-yeong was perched.
The creature gave Shin Woo-hyun a disapproving look before relentlessly battering him with its cotton-like paws.
Though they looked soft, the sound was terrifying.
“Stop hitting him. You’ll crack his skull.”
—Grrrr. Ptui!
“Hey, are you hitting me now? Hey! Put your paw down! Do you want to go home hungry?!”
—Grrrooowl…
“Young Master…”
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
They were walking through the snowy field, but their destination wasn’t the Sword Saint’s family—it was somewhere else.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, it’s the location Ho-yeon mentioned.”
A slightly remote area of Seoraksan Mountain.
Far from the family estate, there stood a lone cabin. And in front of it stood Ho-yeon.
“You’ve arrived, Youngest Master.”
Yoo Baek-jun handed the unconscious Shin Woo-hyun to Ho-yeon and stepped inside the cabin.
The interior was exactly what one would expect—a dilapidated, abandoned house.
“Please, proceed straight to the basement.”
When Ho-yeon pressed a hidden button, a staircase leading underground appeared.
Descending, they found a prison.
A prison that bore the weight of countless years.
“What is this place?”
“An old prison from long ago. It was used for… a special purpose. Only those who manage the underground interrogation chambers know of its existence.”
“Hah, feels like I’ve learned something I shouldn’t have.”
“It might’ve been significant in the past, but now it’s just abandoned… It doesn’t matter.”
Ho-yeon tossed Shin Woo-hyun into the prison.
“Still, it’s equipped enough that escape is nearly impossible for anyone locked inside. Perfect for interrogations.”
“That’s a relief.”
Shin Woo-hyun groaned, still unconscious.
Watching him, Yoo Baek-jun was suddenly reminded of the first time he arrived in this world—amid a blizzard in a snowfield.
“The tables have turned quite a bit.”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing. We must extract every bit of information from him, even if we have to skin him alive. Ho-yeon, you understand?”
“Of course. I’ll make him talk, even if he doesn’t want to.”
Ho-yeon bowed slightly.
What they needed to uncover:
Who ordered Shin Woo-hyun to kill Yoo Baek-jun?
Who else was he ordered to assassinate, and did he succeed?
And did he know anything about Yoo Jong-min’s past?
‘Well, I already know most of it.’
But knowing alone wasn’t enough. They needed evidence to back it up.
Shin Woo-hyun was the first step.
“It’ll take some time. The Sword Saint’s family trains its members to resist interrogations.”
“Take your time. It’s not urgent.”
“Understood.”
Yoo Baek-jun left Shin Woo-hyun in Ho-yeon’s care and stepped outside. The musty air of the basement was replaced by crisp, refreshing air.
“Ho-yeon seemed unusually motivated. Did he have a grudge against Shin Woo-hyun?”
“Something like that.”
“Ah, speaking of Shin Woo-hyun, Park Chan-kyung and Cheon Min-ju said they wanted to serve you. What should we do?”
“Those two?”
Yoo Baek-jun blinked in surprise.
It was unexpected. He had considered recruiting them, but they’d had little contact since clearing the gate together.
“Hmm… Well, good for them.”
He glanced back at the cabin.
“Instructor Han Seong-ah.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Have those two take turns surveilling this cabin. They must not be caught.”
“Hmm… Is this a test?”
“Something like that.”
Han Seong-ah tilted her head.
“Without Ho-yeon noticing, either?”
“Yes.”
“But why…?”
“Just preparing for contingencies. Tell them they’ll get a reward if they succeed.”
“Understood.”
Contingencies.
Someone might approach the cabin, or Ho-yeon might change his mind.
They had to be wary of both.
“Now, it’s time to head to Japan…”
But first, there was something else to do.
“Let’s go meet a dwarf.”
Yoo Baek-jun headed straight for Busan.
* * *
Busan, the port city.
Haeundae, its most famous summer destination. Yoo Baek-jun went there.
“Brrr! It’s freezing!”
He dipped his feet into the ocean.
It had been so long since he’d seen the sea that he’d even taken off his black robe—now he felt like he’d freeze to death.
—Growl, sniff, splash!
Beside him, Seol-yeong played in the water.
Dipping its paws in and shaking them off, over and over.
At one point, it licked the seawater and immediately grimaced, sticking out its tongue.
“What, too salty?”
—Grrr. Kyah!
Seol-yeong stood upright, arms outstretched as if asking to be carried.
“No thanks.”
—Kyowwwl!
“Ow, that’s hot!”
Teasing it had backfired—Seol-yeong bit his ankle. Yoo Baek-jun yelped and lifted the creature.
“Hey, you. Did your manners get worse while I wasn’t looking?”
—Aang?
“Playing dumb now?”
“Why are you fighting with a child, Young Master?”
Choi Seung-min approached from behind.
This time, Instructor Han Seong-ah was busy, so Choi Seung-min had come instead.
“I think it’s sulking because you left it behind. You should pay more attention to it.”
“Seriously, I even explained why.”
“Do you think a child would understand that?”
“Is this just a child? It’s a spirit beast.”
Though young, it was clever.
Yoo Baek-jun tucked it into his black robe—its usual spot.
It curled up and seemed ready to sleep.
“Leave it be, it’ll nap. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Young Master. But where are we going?”
“Huh? Oh, see that building over there?”
He pointed to the tallest building in Haeundae.
An apartment complex above, commercial spaces below—a towering structure.
“Tall and flashy. Must be the most expensive around here, right?”
“Yeah, exactly. We’re going there.”
“Hmm, what business do we have there…?”
Choi Seung-min still looked puzzled. Wondering who they’d meet in such a place.
Then Yoo Baek-jun suddenly asked,
“Seung-min.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“What’s your image of a dwarf?”
“Of a dwarf?”
Choi Seung-min thought for a moment.
“Uh… Living underground, mining, loving rare minerals, overflowing with craftsmanship?”
“And?”
“Hmm… I’ve heard they don’t care much for money. Supposedly, they really don’t.”
“Right.”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked as they reached the skyscraper.
“But the dwarf we’re meeting today is the complete opposite of that image.”
“The complete opposite?”
“A real funny guy. Let’s go meet him.”
They entered the building, passed security, and took a private elevator—one that went only to the top floor.
Soon, they arrived.
“He’s waiting inside.”
Bodyguards bowed deeply. Beyond them lay the penthouse.
“Hmm.”
“Ugh…”
The penthouse was gaudy—everything was gold, like a nouveau riche’s home.
And there stood a dwarf.
“Ah, welcome! It’s been a while since I’ve had guests.”
He looked like any other dwarf—short, sturdy, with a thick beard. But the difference was…
‘FLEX…’
He was covered in jewels.
Rings on every finger, a dazzling necklace, even gold-plated teeth.
From head to toe, he was pure flex.
“Pleasure to meet you, Bigtums.”
“Haha, indeed! You must be the heir of the sword-wielding family, right? Or not?”
“Correct. I requested this meeting.”
“Right, right! I was planning to take this year off, but I owe your family a debt—couldn’t refuse.”
The dwarf, Bigtums, laughed heartily.
“Enjoying life by the sea?”
“Absolutely! Compared to being stuck underground in Halpeon—hehe!”
He glanced out the window.
An ocean view overlooking Haeundae’s beach.
“Ah! I’m sick of mines. Hate mountains! This open seaside is the best.”
Bigtums was a dwarf who had crossed over from the Halpeon continent through a gate. Like most dwarves, he was a blacksmith—and a skilled one at that.
He was also an excellent businessman.
‘He leveraged his dwarf heritage to amass an absurd fortune.’
Over a century of wealth accumulation—the numbers were unimaginable.
Perhaps because of that…
Lately, he’d declared that earning more money was meaningless. After working nonstop, he was now taking a sabbatical.
“So, Young Heir. You wouldn’t be here unless you had something for me to work on, right?”
“I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”
“Hehe, bold—I like that. Then you must also know I’m on sabbatical and not taking any jobs.”
“I’m aware.”
Yoo Baek-jun smiled faintly.
A man on sabbatical wouldn’t take work willingly.
‘Can’t tempt him with money, either.’
What use was more wealth to someone already drowning in it?
That made Bigtums a tough nut to crack. Even in the game, getting him to take jobs was notoriously difficult.
But…
‘There’s one way.’
Yoo Baek-jun opened a Subspace.
Bigtums’ eyes widened.
“Oh-ho, an artifact.”
“Yes. You said you’re not taking any more jobs?”
“That’s right. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.”
Yoo Baek-jun reached into the dimension and pulled out Gungnir. He placed it on the table.
“Would you make an exception for something like this?”
“Hmm, confident…”
Bigtums smirked as he examined the spear. Then his smirk vanished.
Replaced by sheer astonishment.
“T-This is…!”
His hands trembled as he touched Gungnir. As a dwarf who’d crafted and handled countless items, he recognized its value instantly.
“By the gods! This is the Thunder God’s spear! Why is the madman of Halpeon’s weapon here?!”
Gungnir was a spear bestowed upon a hero from another world by a god—the Thunder God.
A deity of Halpeon, infamous for his capricious temper.
“Hmm, oh-ho. Wow, this construction… Magic engravings, rune magic? You can combine them like this…?”
The dwarf’s instincts kicked in as he marveled at the spear.
After a while, he looked up abruptly.
“Where in the world did you get this?!”
“Interested now?”
“Of course! In all my years, I’ve never seen that lunatic’s weapon before!”
Hook, line, and sinker.
A sly smile spread across Yoo Baek-jun’s face.
“It belonged to my ancestor, the Martial God. I found it left behind for his descendants, but it’s been neglected and damaged.”
“The Martial God! Hehe, figures he’d have something like this.”
Though Bigtums hadn’t lived in the same era, he knew of the Martial God’s legend.
Someone of his stature owning such an artifact wasn’t surprising.
“So, Bigtums, about the job…”
“Ah, enough! Even if you said no, I’d beg to take this! I’d pay you to let me work on it!”
Perfectly baited.
Yoo Baek-jun grinned and entrusted Gungnir’s repair to Bigtums.
Of course, the price was free.
