The Martial God with Psychic Powers

Jang Un’s words made Seon Woo Baek tilt his head, his tone uncertain.
“Well… The Martial God Sect is filled with monstrous beings.”
“Well, yeah. We've never actually seen the true masters in action. There's no way to compare.”

“One thing is certain—I’ll be the strongest in the Martial God Sect in the near future.”
“I agree with that. So, does that mean we’re friends with the future strongest in the world? What an honor.”
“I’m jealous.”

“Of what?”
“Of being the friend of the future strongest.”
“What the hell, you lunatic. You talk as if you’re not included.”

“Me? Do you really think Woo Jin considers me a friend? No way.”
“If he didn’t think of you as a friend, would he be training you with such dedication? Do you think that even makes sense?”
“Huh?”

“Woo Jin sees you as a friend. That’s for sure. So, stop being so timid.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and besides, you’re my friend too.”

At Jang Un’s words, Seon Woo Baek’s pupils trembled before tears welled up in his eyes.
“T-thank you.”
“A grown man crying, seriously.”

“Thank you… really…”
It was clear just how much emotional turmoil he had gone through.
At that moment, Yeon Woo Jin’s voice rang out.
“What’s this? Why are you crying? Un, did you make him cry? Are you bullying him? Is this some kind of revenge for the past?”

“Huh? Ah, no! It’s nothing like that!”
Jang Un frantically waved his hands in denial, then caught sight of Yeon Woo Jin’s face.
A playful expression.

“You bastard! You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
Yeon Woo Jin turned his gaze to Seon Woo Baek.
“Un has forgiven you, so I’ll forgive you too.”

“Thank you…”
“Just don’t ever pull something like that again.”
“I never will… ever.”

As Seon Woo Baek repeatedly vowed to himself, Yeon Woo Jin smirked.
“Jang Un is right. I see you as a friend.”
“R-really?”

“Yeah. But… you know I won’t tolerate losing to anyone, right? If you lose, you know what happens?”
“…Yeah.”
Seon Woo Baek couldn't tell if this was a good thing or not.

But one thing was certain.
He had finally found true friends.
Not people who befriended him for a purpose, but real friends.

And that made him happy.
 
The next day.

Seon Woo Baek was summoned by Gwak Pyeong, the top martial artist of Baegyeong High School.
When he arrived, the top-ranked students of each class had already gathered.
As Seon Woo Baek stepped in, Gwak Pyeong spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.

“Haha! Look who it is! The strongest of the lower class. True to your status, you arrive last.”
“I apologize for being late.”
At Seon Woo Baek’s apology, Gwak Pyeong scrutinized him closely.

There wasn’t a single unscathed spot on his body.
Though the Vitality Restoration Array enhanced recovery, it didn’t completely heal bruises or wounds.
For perfect healing, he would need Yeon Woo Jin’s touch.

Right now, Seon Woo Baek looked like someone who had just finished a brutal battle.
“Did you already get into a fight before coming here? You look like a mess.”
“Ah, no. I just trained a bit too hard yesterday.”

Hearing that, Gwak Pyeong burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! I like this year’s lower-class champion. Even after claiming the title, he still pushes himself in training. Hahaha!”
“No, it’s nothing.”

“And he’s humble, too.”
Gwak Pyeong found Seon Woo Baek to his liking.
It made sense that he had become the champion.

The other top students, however, hung their heads in shame.
Had they trained after losing?
No.

They had drowned themselves in drinks and lamented their defeat.
They had rejected reality.
And yet, Seon Woo Baek, who had won, had never stopped training.

“Alright, take your seats.”
“Then, excuse me.”
Gwak Pyeong’s eyes showed surprise at Seon Woo Baek’s actions.

“Hm… Looks like my information was incorrect.”
“Sir?”
“Never mind. Alright, let’s have some tea.”

“Thank you.”
As Seon Woo Baek sipped his tea, Gwak Pyeong observed him with satisfaction.
‘They said he was arrogant and had a bad personality… but it looks like I was mistaken. He’s humble and well-mannered. He’s completely fine. More than fine.’

Feeling even more pleased with Seon Woo Baek, Gwak Pyeong spoke.
“I called you all here today because I have an offer for you.”
Everyone put their teacups down and focused.

“What kind of offer?”
“Don’t you all think it’s unfair for a single loss to determine the strongest?”
All except Seon Woo Baek nodded.

They were clearly frustrated by it.
“You don’t seem to agree, do you?”
“Oh! No, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Oh? Confidence? You think you can defend that position anytime?”
“It’s not that I think I can. I will. Even if I have to stake my life on it.”
Because if he didn’t, he couldn’t begin to imagine what Yeon Woo Jin would do to him.

And now that he finally had a real friend, he didn’t want to disappoint him.
That was out of the question.
He would become a man Yeon Woo Jin could acknowledge.

As Seon Woo Baek’s eyes gleamed with determination, Gwak Pyeong was impressed.
‘He’s even better than I thought.’
He was the perfect successor.

With a smile, Gwak Pyeong revealed the reason for gathering them.
“I called you all here for one reason: to give you an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”

“I will personally train you.”
“Gasp!”
“W-wait, seriously?”

“Yes. Train hard. This will be your last chance. When the winner is decided, that person will be my successor.”
The three other students’ eyes sparkled.
Except for Seon Woo Baek.

Noticing his unchanged expression, Gwak Pyeong tilted his head.
“You don’t seem interested in my offer.”
“It’s an excellent offer, but I must decline.”

Everyone was shocked.
“Can I… ask why?”
Gwak Pyeong’s expression stiffened slightly.

“I’m already receiving training.”
“I see… So you already have a teacher.”
“I apologize.”

“No need. In fact, that’s even better. The rest of you accept, correct?”
“Yes!”
“Good. From now on, your goal is singular—defeat Seon Woo Baek. Be prepared. I will put you through hell to make it happen.”

“Yes, sir!”
As Gwak Pyeong listened to their enthusiastic responses, his gaze shifted back to Seon Woo Baek.
There were two reasons he had said those words in front of him.

One, to give the students who accepted his training a clear goal.
And two, to ensure Seon Woo Baek didn’t grow complacent.
Either way, it was a win for Gwak Pyeong.

Seon Woo Baek would serve as a powerful motivator for the others.
“You will never defeat me!”
Seon Woo Baek declared.

The three students’ eyes burned with determination.
Gwak Pyeong smiled.
He’s provoking them all on his own.

Good. Very good.
He liked Seon Woo Baek—liked him a lot.
In Gwak Pyeong’s mind, the decision had already been made. Seon Woo Baek was the one. His successor.

Now, the role of the other three was no longer to defeat him.
Instead, they would become stepping stones, pushing him to grow even stronger.
And in the future, they would become his steadfast supporters, standing by his side.

Things won’t be boring for a while.
 
****

Seon Woo Baek told Yeon Woo Jin about his meeting with Gwak Pyeong.
“Oh? Sounds fun.”
Yeon Woo Jin smirked.

The moment Seon Woo Baek saw that smile, he knew he had messed up.
Should he have kept his mouth shut?
No.

Even if he hadn’t said anything, Yeon Woo Jin would have found out anyway.
Somehow, no matter what Seon Woo Baek did, Yeon Woo Jin always knew. It was as if he had a sixth sense for these things.
“You can’t afford to lose now, can you?”

The strange smile on Yeon Woo Jin’s face sent a shiver down Seon Woo Baek’s spine.
“Let’s see… You can’t keep training the way you have been.”
Yeon Woo Jin stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Seon Woo Baek panicked.
“Huh? N-no, I think my training is already enough!”
Yeon Woo Jin looked at him and spoke flatly.

“The top martial artist of the academy is training those guys. That means this isn’t just a fight between you and them—it’s a fight between me and the top martial artist of the academy. Winning is a given. How you win is what matters.”
“H-how do I need to win?”
“Are you seriously asking me that? You have to win overwhelmingly! If you so much as get hit by one of those weaklings, you’d better be prepared for what’s coming.”

Seon Woo Baek’s face twisted in despair.
He already felt like he was on the verge of dying from training—what more did Yeon Woo Jin plan to put him through?
Jang Un, watching from the side, gave him a pitying look.

“You’re joining too.”
Jang Un, who had been watching from a safe distance, thinking this had nothing to do with him, suddenly found himself caught in the crossfire.
“What? M-me too?”

“Why? You don’t want to get stronger?”
“N-no… I just don’t think I need to get stronger that quickly…”
“The faster you get stronger, the better. Stop whining and come along.”

“…Fine.”
Seon Woo Baek, who had been about to cry, suddenly looked a little relieved.
At least he wouldn’t suffer alone.

 
****
Thud.

Yeon Woo Jin handed Seon Woo Baek a book.
It was none other than his clan’s secret martial art—Jincheon Taeil Fist.
But… it was brand new.

Where did he even get this?
Seon Woo Baek stared at it in confusion, then looked at Yeon Woo Jin.
Yeon Woo Jin simply said, “The biggest problem is that your martial art is weak.”

If anyone else had said that, Seon Woo Baek would have been furious.
But this was Yeon Woo Jin.
“What’s with that face? You know it’s true. If your martial art was any good, your sect wouldn’t be ranked seventieth.”

It stung.
But it was the truth.
“So I made some improvements.”

“…Huh?”
“Look through it and decide for yourself. If you want to stick to tradition, I’ll respect that.”
Seon Woo Baek hesitated for a moment, then opened the book.

He read.
And read.
And then—his eyes widened in shock.

“T-this… You really rewrote this yourself?”
Yeon Woo Jin grinned.
“Looks like you like it.”

More than just like it—this was incredible.
The biggest flaw in Jincheon Taeil Fist was its overly complicated inner energy flow.
Executing it properly was difficult because the energy paths were inefficient.

But the version in his hands now?
That flaw had been completely eliminated.
Every technique had been refined.

There were no wasted movements—just pure, practical martial arts.
It was perfect.
But how did Yeon Woo Jin even make this?

“Where did you get this Jincheon Taeil Fist?”
“Get it? You showed it to me.”
“…What?”

What was he talking about?
“W-wait. You mean… you rewrote this based on what I used during our sparring match?”
“Of course.”

Seon Woo Baek had used Jincheon Taeil Fist when they fought.
He had to impress Yeon Woo Jin somehow.
But he had only used his finishing move once.

Yet it was now written down in complete detail in this new version.
Which meant…
“W-wait. You can copy techniques just by seeing them once?”

Yeon Woo Jin didn’t answer.
He just smiled.
That was his answer.

Seon Woo Baek’s mind went blank.
He had always known Yeon Woo Jin was a monster.
But this?

This was beyond monstrous.
Not only could he instantly copy a technique—he could improve it.
Seon Woo Baek had no idea.

No idea just how terrifying Yeon Woo Jin’s mind really was.
No idea that his intelligence was far beyond human comprehension.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have been so surprised.

Right now, to Seon Woo Baek, Yeon Woo Jin didn’t seem human.
He seemed like a god.
That someone like him was merely the grandson of a bookkeeper…

“You… You really have no intention of ruling the Martial God Sect?”
“Nope. Not interested.”
“Then what about ruling the world?”

“Why bother? Too much work.”
“…What the hell.”
Seon Woo Baek couldn’t understand.

With that kind of talent, how could he not want power?
If it were him, he’d have already taken over the Martial God Sect and spread his name across the land.
“Less talking, more training. Memorize that book—I’ll test you in a few days.”

Snapping back to reality, Seon Woo Baek let out a sigh.
“…Yeah, yeah…”