Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 135

Haenampa Training Hall.
Training disciple dormitory.

"This is the VIP training disciple's exclusive dormitory. The guild leader... I mean, the Grand Master, was pleased with the generous donation, so you can expect good training here."

The VIP-only dormitory lounge was like a high-end hotel, equipped for the disciples who paid a large training fee.

‘Is this what the guild dorms have become?’

It felt like a scene of utter decadence.
After unpacking, when she came out of the dormitory, a woman in a swimsuit was lounging on a sunbed, enjoying a tanning session, and she waved her hand to greet her.

"Hi~ Are you the new person? You seem to be a bit older than the others this time."
“Quite a bold outfit. Is it really okay for you to be dressed like that?”
"Oh, come on. Why act like you're not aware? You’ve probably already figured it out. Here, as long as you show up on time for training, it's no problem. We have a hands-off, laissez-faire approach with the guild leader."

The woman pushed her sunglasses up with her finger and gave a playful wink.

"Where are you from?"
“It's a secret.”
“How lame~”
"And where are you from, miss?"
“Taeyang Hotel.”
“Taeyang Hotel? Isn’t that one of the top luxury hotels in the country? You came from quite an extravagant place.”
“I came through a friend’s introduction. They’re the head of a decent planning agency, the Royal Club. They’re not the type to easily throw money around, but apparently, they already burned through a couple hundred million.”

A couple hundred million.
In every industry, the unit of money varies.

“Did you mean two billion?”
“You're cute.”
“Two hundred billion?”
“Did you borrow money to come here?”
“Could it be two thousand billion?”

The woman nodded with a grin.
Baek So-cheon, whose expression he had tried to hide beneath his glasses, was momentarily taken aback.

‘Royal Club. Is this the businessman who was supposed to provide Hae Eung-eung with massive capital and connections?’

In December 2050, the liquidity assets of the top 100 companies in the country amounted to one trillion won.
Two hundred billion is an incredible sum, equivalent to one-fifth of that liquidity.
Without some serious confidence, there is no way anyone would easily invest that amount of money.

"Your friend seems to have high hopes for the guild leader."
“Because the only place in the world where an awakened one can get plastic surgery is here. You’ll be even more surprised when you go to the physical training room."

Following the luxurious corridor, the physical training room appeared as the woman had mentioned.

“Hey, trainer. This weight is too light. You can’t train an awakened one with this.”
“Apologies. I’ll contact the higher-ups today and place an order for exclusive training equipment for awakened ones.”

A man with a massive build who was larger than the equipment laughed loudly when he saw Baek So-cheon.

“Hey, Santa Claus cosplay? Why’s your beard so long?”
“Haha. Quite a strange hobby, right?”

While Baek So-cheon forced a smile, inwardly, he was boiling with frustration.
The fateful day when he first encountered the martial arts annals.
It just so happened that he had been reading The Three Kingdoms and was completely filled with the ambition of the Northern Expedition.

I want to be Zhuge Liang. If I were Zhuge Liang, I would have succeeded in the Northern Expedition.

From such foolish thoughts came the decision to customize his appearance, which ultimately led to him looking like a muscle-bound monster.
A late regret.
The stat distribution he had chosen, focusing on intelligence and charm like Three Kingdoms character stats, had become a lifelong regret.

The blessings and the Golden Bans were the finishing touches.
With the [Diplomacy of the Three Officials] and [Administration of the Nine Ministers] as his skills, and [Weapon Restriction - Fan], Baek So-cheon could only wield a fan and nothing else.
His [Beard Obsession] Golden Bans caused his abilities to drop whenever his beard shortened.
That was the reason he couldn’t give up his beard, even when people called him "uncle" or "Santa Claus."

“But... have we met before?”
“Sadly, this is our first meeting.”
“Is that so? Well, as fellow VIP training disciples, we should introduce ourselves. I’m Go Dong-jun, an active Awakened One. Have you heard of my name?”

Of course, she had. From the B-class Awakened Ones onward, the association kept a list, and everyone memorized it.
Freelance B-class Awakened Ones who weren’t part of the Ten Major Guilds were especially easy to recognize.

“Are you interested in plastic surgery too?”
“Huh? Not at all. What I’m interested in is the guild leader’s abilities. So, what’s your name?”
“Cheon So-baek. I’m also an Awakened One.”

A little later, it was time for the VIP training disciples’ session.
The faces reflected in the vast facility’s mirror didn’t even number ten when all gathered.

[VIP disciples will receive customized instruction. For individual skill assessment, I’ll arrange a one-on-one sparring session.]

Wealthy disciples were quite popular in the martial world too.
They were exempted from trivial chores and could become direct disciples of the guild's grandmasters, receiving martial arts in return.
Hae Eung-eung also had a direct disciple, Ju Ah-young, but she was focusing solely on awakening her inner strength.
Thanks to this, Hae Eung-eung now had time to teach others as well.

There was the wealthy disciple in his 50s who had turned his life around with cryptocurrency.
The property-owning disciple in his 40s with plenty of money and time.
And the martial artist who became interested in Haenampa martial arts.

VIP training disciples with a variety of backgrounds and ages.
After receiving a few blows, Hae Eung-eung decided on the martial arts they needed.

"Three-Trajectory Swordsmanship! That’s a technique even ordinary training hall disciples learn!"
[If you haven’t done basic exercises, any advanced martial arts will be harmful.]
“Did you think I came here to be treated like this?! I’ll request a refund. If you don’t want to get sued, give me my money back immediately!”

Hae Eung-eung didn’t stop the departing disciple.
There was no point in teaching someone who didn’t trust their master, no matter how much money they had.

Baek So-cheon, watching the person leave, sneered internally.

‘Foolish. In the martial world, even a fortune of ten million can’t buy an opportunity like this.’

Compared to the usual martial annals standard, the skills of the lesser-known martial artists might seem like second-rate, but they were still able to rival ordinary A-class Awakened Ones in power.
Unlike those whose powers were only awakened through luck, the martial arts of the martial annals could be passed on to others.

‘What a valuable opportunity that costs only 1 billion.’

An ultra-high-level master doesn’t take on disciples lightly.
Hae Eung-eung, too, had lowered her skill level and was currently expanding her influence, but once this period passed, she would never take in disciples again.

"Finally, it’s my turn."

The giant Go Dong-jun, full of excitement, lunged.
According to the association’s investigative data, Go Dong-jun’s current level was in the 230s. Given the ratio of Awakened and martial artist levels, his total level was between 460 and 480.
He was comparable to a well-established top-tier martial artist or a peak martial artist who had rapidly advanced.

<Plum Blossom Energy Art>
<Flame Crashing Straight>
<Great Wheel>

“Ack! Ugh!”
“Wow, that must hurt~”

Just as the woman in the swimsuit had said, Go Dong-jun, despite his powerful techniques, was taken down in real-time.

<Awakened Ability - Muscle Armor>
<Evolution Trait - Full Body Defense (E)>
<Evolution Trait - Duration Increase (D)>
<Evolution Trait - Enhanced Agility (C)>
<Evolution Trait - Iron Rod (B)>

A muscle-focused awakened ability.
With an efficiency increase of over 500% compared to normal physical training, combined with an Awakened’s unique physical efficiency boost, Go Dong-jun seemed unstoppable. Yet, his typical defense didn’t prevent him from being utterly overwhelmed by Hae Eung-eung's soul-crushing techniques.

[You have the ability to evenly spread your energy, but you lack the skill to concentrate your defense in one spot. Stop focusing on muscle training and start learning defense techniques.]

Despite enduring one of the harshest sparring sessions, Go Dong-jun was more satisfied than ever.

“Truly, the Silent Swordmaster of Reverse! To learn martial arts from a woman like this, I’m eagerly looking forward to it.”

Next was Hae Eung-eung’s acquaintance,
Jang Hwa-yeon, the owner of Taeyang Hotel.

“I want to learn martial arts for beauty purposes. Is that possible?”
[Martial arts are not always about killing. I don’t think it’s wrong if your goal is health or beauty.]

Jang Hwa-yeon, who had never learned any special martial arts, didn’t spar but lightly touched her arms and abdomen.
It looked a little inappropriate, but to Baek So-cheon’s discerning eye, it was clear.

‘Did she measure the quality of her bones and tendons in that short time?’

Unlike the typical NPCs who mechanically learn martial arts, those who truly understand the body and energy, like Hae Eung-eung, could naturally unlock hidden techniques.
After briefly advising and setting the direction of her training, it was Baek So-cheon’s turn.

[It’s the last one. Would you like to spar?]
“I won’t decline.”

His identity, concealed by the fan and the long beard, was no longer important. Baek So-cheon stepped forward, ready to challenge Hae Eung-eung's level.