The eyes of the man, who was bowing, trembled greatly at the words of sibling and father.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s not the time to be concerned.”
The man with closed eyes faced the distant sky.
He looked only at the sky for quite some time. There was no way he can something high up there, but the tips of the man’s closed eyelashes trembled.
“However… It is an unexpected sibling that has arrived.”
“Did you see it?”
Baek Cheol swallowed his saliva and asked.
His master is a man who can see and feel many things even with his eyes closed.
“He is a pitiful child. Of all things…”
“Then what about the test?”
“For the first hurdle, please do as Captain Baek wants. The second one… Let’s wait and see for a few days. I will make a decision later.”
Baek Cheol pondered about the confused appearance of the man he had seen after a long time, but he did not express it.
“I will follow anything, sir.”
Baek Cheol, who bowed, slowly retreated. The man who remained alone in his seat swept down his long hair and dropped his head with a deep expression.
“The Ninth, Choi Yu Seong…”
His much-talked, much-troubled young brother had grown up and came to this place.
Choi Wu Jae’s intention was clear, but his agony was bound to deepen.
‘Of all things, you are the first who came here.”
A sigh came out of the man’s mouth.
He felt his heart somewhat weakened, but he couldn’t change his decision.
In the future he saw, the harm that the wrong choice would cause was too great.
“How can fate be so cruel…”
The man who sighed continuously was the first child of Hyesung Group’s Choi family, once called Korea’s greatest New Star 10 years ago. His name was Choi Ji Ho.
***
Choi Yu Seong and his group did not climb the mountain in a hurry.
They climbed the mountain as carefully as possible, as there might be some crises or traps.
Because of that, Choi Ji Ho’s hanok mansion was found after climbing the mountain for an hour.
“So, there is a house in this place.”
Said Jin Do Yun with a surprised look.
“It’s a bit disappointing, but… First of all, we should see this as the destination that Chairman pointed to, right?”
Jin Yu Ri, who was talking while looking around, suddenly stretched her hand and pulled out a whip that was condensed with energy.
It was at the same time that a black figure suddenly appeared from the air in the front of the party.
Jin Yu Ri’s whip flew as if dancing and the fist of Jin Do Yun, who instinctively rushed forward, also hit the black figure.
No, it looked like it was hit.
Baek Cheol, the man who grabbed Jin Yu Ri’s whip with his left hand and Jin Do Yun’s wrist with his right hand, smiled.
“You have pretty good skills and senses.”
Naturally, Choi Yu Seong’s eyes narrowed.
‘He blocked Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri’s join attack effortlessly. Who is he?’
Although neither of them showed their full power, it was a surprise attack.
However, Baek Cheol seemed to have prevented the two’s attacks quite leisurely.
For this thing to be possible, a minimum condition is set.
“S-rank hunter.”
Baek Cheol nodded gently at Choi Yu Seong’s small self-talk then shook off both hands.
Jin Yu Ri’s whip bounced and flew into the air. Jin Do Yun was also pushed back greatly.
“Master did not specifically instruct, but to enter this house you have to prove your skills. It can be said that I am the gatekeeper. For your information, the two of you passed. But the other one…”
Baek Cheol’s gaze turned to Choi Yu Seong, who was standing still.
Choi Yu Seong, who was watching him silently, stepped forward with a faint smile.
“You two stay put.”
When Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri naturally tried to follow, Choi Yu Seong stopped them.
“Are you trying to show off your skills once?”
“If I may say so?”
Choi Yu Seong, who shed a laugh, slowly approached Baek Cheol.
“For reference, my standards are quite harsh. It means that it takes at least as the two people in the back.”
“…”
Choi Yu Seong stood near Baek Cheol, who was smiling, without saying anything.
‘One step.’
As if a line had been drawn, he was convinced that Baek Cheol’s attack would come in if he crossed a certain space.
He even thought he might die, to be exact.
The place Choi Yu Seong’s step stopped was right at the end of that area.
“Likewise, you also have a good sense. It hasn’t been long since you became a hunter, right?”
“Huh.”
“But you’re confident. I like your posture. Especially, if you avoid my attack just once, I will open the way.”
“Does that mean I, who is only an E-rank, had to avoid the fist of an S-rank hunter once?”
“If you are not confident, you can turn your back and go home now.”
“No way…”
Choi Yu Seong, who shed a smile, stepped in.
Line.
He put in his toes to cross the area that literally can only be described as that.
Goosebumps grew all over the body by a mere imagination of entering the space where intense pressure was felt, but Choi Yu Seong did not hesitate for long.
‘Going in.’
As soon as he stepped forward, something split the air with the sound of a shot exploding.
Choi Yu Seong thought it was probably Baek Cheol’s fist.
And actually, a big fist tore through the air as it grazed Choi Yu Seong’s ear.
His cochlea ached from the intense strange sound.
All of that happened in the nick of time.
Baek Cheol, who stopped his fist right next to Choi Yu Seong’s face, burst into laughter.
“You didn’t mean to avoid it from the beginning.”
“Likewise, you didn’t really mean to attack me from the beginning.”
“Hmm…”
“I can feel it. From the eyes and the momentum.”
His words were plausible, but in fact, Choi Yu Seong’s courage was a conclusion that he came up from his thoughts.
‘It’s too much of an exaggeration to have father’s gift in a place he can’t get in unless he’s recognized for fighting an S-rank hunter.’
It was not about that it was difficult for Choi Yu Seong to show the performance of Jin Yu Ri or Jin Do Yun, but an issue in the realm of impossibility.
Of course, going beyond that may be Choi Wu Jae’s test.
He is so eccentric and unique in personality, so it was not unlikely to happen.
But even so, he thought it did not matter.
‘After all, if it was Father, there’s no way he could kill me.’
It was a simple conclusion.
Therefore, he was able to move forward even though his heart was frightened by the death threat if he crossed the line.
“Even so, crossing the Death Line is not an easy task. It is not something that can be solved by strength and wisdom. Only this heart. It is something that only people with courage in their heart can do.”
It seemed that Baek Cheol called the line which Choi Yu Seong felt was dangerous as Death Line.
It was certainly a plausible name.
If Baek Cheol had really made up his mind, Choi Yu Seong would have died the moment he crossed that line.
‘Honestly. When the fist passed by, my legs were weak and I almost fell.’
Fortunately, he was able to withstand it by giving strength to his thighs with strong willpower.
“It is late to introduce myself. I am Baek Cheol who is currently managing this mansion. Please forgive me for daring to judge a descendant of a great family. It is hard to say thanks to that, but this Baek is very impressed.”
Seeing Choi Yu Seong who was like that, Baek Cheol deeply bowed.
Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun breathed a sigh of relief, but Choi Yu Seong was greatly shocked at this moment.
Baek Cheol is a person who is not yet known to the public.
He was originally one of the secret guards directly under Choi Wu Jae, with only about five people in the entire Hyesung Group who knew their existence.
However, Baek Cheol that Choi Yu Seong remembers was slightly different from that.
‘Baek Cheol? He is Lion King, Baek Cheol?’
The strongest of the physical strengthening type hunter who later became Kim Do Jin’s colleague and in charge of the party’s vanguard!
And Choi Yu Seong, who knew how Kim Do Jin became a colleague with Baek Cheol, turned his gaze to the tightly closed door of the hanok-style mansion.
“Then this is Ji Ho hyungnim‘s hiding place…?”
Baek Cheol, who bowed his head, could not hide his inner feelings of surprise at the very small self-talk.
‘Feeling? Or did he have any information from those related to me?’
He realized who the owner of the mansion was without revealing it directly.
It seemed like he did not know anything until Baek Cheol revealed his name.
He doesn’t know whether it is sixth sense or intelligence, but it is not an ability that can be ignored.
‘It is said that there is no dog under wealthy man1… He is indeed Master’s younger brother!’
Naturally, Baek Cheol’s lips were filled with smiles. And goosebumps came up with a shudder in his back.
***
Based on the original novel, The Master Who Return to Modern Times, Kim Do Jin who climbed an unnamed mountain on the outskirt of Seoul will meet Choi Ji Ho about three years from now.
Choi Ji Ho knew the truth that Kim Do Jin had killed Choi Wu Jae, but he doesn’t resent him much about that.
It was described in the novel as possible forgiveness because Choi Ji Ho, who stepped down from the front line anyway and went into hiding, deeply trained his mind like a hermit. But it was obviously an episode with many things that were hard to understand.
Of course, Choi Yu Seong had slightly different thoughts now.
‘There must have been some specific circumstances.’
Unlike the sloppy original novel, the characters of this world had quite a variety and rich side, as can be seen from Choi Wu Jae’s case.
But did Choi Ji Ho forgive Kim Do Jin without thinking?
‘Maybe Choi Ji Ho knew that Kim Do Jin was the warrior who will save this world.’
One of Choi Ji Ho’s abilities that highly talked about in the novel is Future Foresight.
Choi Yu Seong thought this was much more likely.
Anyway, what is important at this point is that Choi Ji Ho orders Baek Cheol to follow Kim Do Jin in that episode.
Baek Cheol is somewhat reluctant. But it is Choi Ji Ho’s order, so he follows, clears dungeons together, prevents disasters, and develops respect for Kim Do Jin along with his comradeship.
In the final battle of the first part, he blocks the crowds of the demon’s army and the commander alone. Then he bravely sacrifices himself by becoming one of the stairs that Kim Do Jin climbs to insert a sword into the heart of one of the seven demon kings.
Therefore, Baek Cheol was not lacking to be called the strongest physical strengthening type Awakener in terms of the contents that Choi Yu Seong read.
Such Baek Cheol voluntarily guided them to the inside of the mansion.
There were other people in black, who followed behind, but they were all told to back off.
The reason was that he wanted to personally serve the brilliant and courageous Choi Yu Seong.
“This Baek was really surprised. Not only courage but also wisdom. You only take a look around and with a few clues you realized that it is Master’s home…”
“It is more of a feeling, without any wisdom. It is just that he was famous for being so laid back when even when he was in Seoul. So, there is a thought that it wouldn’t be strange if he settled in a place like this.”
“Huhu… Let’s go with that.”
Choi Yu Seong tried to make excuses, but Baek Cheol only nodded with a meaningful expression.
‘I felt it when I read the original novel. But Baek Cheol, this man. He was the type who misunderstood so badly once he got stuck.’
Although his personality is quite different from his heavy-looking image, Choi Yu Seong decided not to point out such misunderstandings anymore.
‘Anyway, there’s no harm in getting a favorable score from Lion King Baek Cheol.’
And actually, Baek Cheol’s thoughts were getting bigger and bigger after Choi Yu Seong kept his mouth shut.
The eyes of the man, who was bowing, trembled greatly at the words of sibling and father.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s not the time to be concerned.”
The man with closed eyes faced the distant sky.
He looked only at the sky for quite some time. There was no way he can something high up there, but the tips of the man’s closed eyelashes trembled.
“However… It is an unexpected sibling that has arrived.”
“Did you see it?”
Baek Cheol swallowed his saliva and asked.
His master is a man who can see and feel many things even with his eyes closed.
“He is a pitiful child. Of all things…”
“Then what about the test?”
“For the first hurdle, please do as Captain Baek wants. The second one… Let’s wait and see for a few days. I will make a decision later.”
Baek Cheol pondered about the confused appearance of the man he had seen after a long time, but he did not express it.
“I will follow anything, sir.”
Baek Cheol, who bowed, slowly retreated. The man who remained alone in his seat swept down his long hair and dropped his head with a deep expression.
“The Ninth, Choi Yu Seong…”
His much-talked, much-troubled young brother had grown up and came to this place.
Choi Wu Jae’s intention was clear, but his agony was bound to deepen.
‘Of all things, you are the first who came here.”
A sigh came out of the man’s mouth.
He felt his heart somewhat weakened, but he couldn’t change his decision.
In the future he saw, the harm that the wrong choice would cause was too great.
“How can fate be so cruel…”
The man who sighed continuously was the first child of Hyesung Group’s Choi family, once called Korea’s greatest New Star 10 years ago. His name was Choi Ji Ho.
***
Choi Yu Seong and his group did not climb the mountain in a hurry.
They climbed the mountain as carefully as possible, as there might be some crises or traps.
Because of that, Choi Ji Ho’s hanok mansion was found after climbing the mountain for an hour.
“So, there is a house in this place.”
Said Jin Do Yun with a surprised look.
“It’s a bit disappointing, but… First of all, we should see this as the destination that Chairman pointed to, right?”
Jin Yu Ri, who was talking while looking around, suddenly stretched her hand and pulled out a whip that was condensed with energy.
It was at the same time that a black figure suddenly appeared from the air in the front of the party.
Jin Yu Ri’s whip flew as if dancing and the fist of Jin Do Yun, who instinctively rushed forward, also hit the black figure.
No, it looked like it was hit.
Baek Cheol, the man who grabbed Jin Yu Ri’s whip with his left hand and Jin Do Yun’s wrist with his right hand, smiled.
“You have pretty good skills and senses.”
Naturally, Choi Yu Seong’s eyes narrowed.
‘He blocked Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri’s join attack effortlessly. Who is he?’
Although neither of them showed their full power, it was a surprise attack.
However, Baek Cheol seemed to have prevented the two’s attacks quite leisurely.
For this thing to be possible, a minimum condition is set.
“S-rank hunter.”
Baek Cheol nodded gently at Choi Yu Seong’s small self-talk then shook off both hands.
Jin Yu Ri’s whip bounced and flew into the air. Jin Do Yun was also pushed back greatly.
“Master did not specifically instruct, but to enter this house you have to prove your skills. It can be said that I am the gatekeeper. For your information, the two of you passed. But the other one…”
Baek Cheol’s gaze turned to Choi Yu Seong, who was standing still.
Choi Yu Seong, who was watching him silently, stepped forward with a faint smile.
“You two stay put.”
When Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri naturally tried to follow, Choi Yu Seong stopped them.
“Are you trying to show off your skills once?”
“If I may say so?”
Choi Yu Seong, who shed a laugh, slowly approached Baek Cheol.
“For reference, my standards are quite harsh. It means that it takes at least as the two people in the back.”
“…”
Choi Yu Seong stood near Baek Cheol, who was smiling, without saying anything.
‘One step.’
As if a line had been drawn, he was convinced that Baek Cheol’s attack would come in if he crossed a certain space.
He even thought he might die, to be exact.
The place Choi Yu Seong’s step stopped was right at the end of that area.
“Likewise, you also have a good sense. It hasn’t been long since you became a hunter, right?”
“Huh.”
“But you’re confident. I like your posture. Especially, if you avoid my attack just once, I will open the way.”
“Does that mean I, who is only an E-rank, had to avoid the fist of an S-rank hunter once?”
“If you are not confident, you can turn your back and go home now.”
“No way…”
Choi Yu Seong, who shed a smile, stepped in.
Line.
He put in his toes to cross the area that literally can only be described as that.
Goosebumps grew all over the body by a mere imagination of entering the space where intense pressure was felt, but Choi Yu Seong did not hesitate for long.
‘Going in.’
As soon as he stepped forward, something split the air with the sound of a shot exploding.
Choi Yu Seong thought it was probably Baek Cheol’s fist.
And actually, a big fist tore through the air as it grazed Choi Yu Seong’s ear.
His cochlea ached from the intense strange sound.
All of that happened in the nick of time.
Baek Cheol, who stopped his fist right next to Choi Yu Seong’s face, burst into laughter.
“You didn’t mean to avoid it from the beginning.”
“Likewise, you didn’t really mean to attack me from the beginning.”
“Hmm…”
“I can feel it. From the eyes and the momentum.”
His words were plausible, but in fact, Choi Yu Seong’s courage was a conclusion that he came up from his thoughts.
‘It’s too much of an exaggeration to have father’s gift in a place he can’t get in unless he’s recognized for fighting an S-rank hunter.’
It was not about that it was difficult for Choi Yu Seong to show the performance of Jin Yu Ri or Jin Do Yun, but an issue in the realm of impossibility.
Of course, going beyond that may be Choi Wu Jae’s test.
He is so eccentric and unique in personality, so it was not unlikely to happen.
But even so, he thought it did not matter.
‘After all, if it was Father, there’s no way he could kill me.’
It was a simple conclusion.
Therefore, he was able to move forward even though his heart was frightened by the death threat if he crossed the line.
“Even so, crossing the Death Line is not an easy task. It is not something that can be solved by strength and wisdom. Only this heart. It is something that only people with courage in their heart can do.”
It seemed that Baek Cheol called the line which Choi Yu Seong felt was dangerous as Death Line.
It was certainly a plausible name.
If Baek Cheol had really made up his mind, Choi Yu Seong would have died the moment he crossed that line.
‘Honestly. When the fist passed by, my legs were weak and I almost fell.’
Fortunately, he was able to withstand it by giving strength to his thighs with strong willpower.
“It is late to introduce myself. I am Baek Cheol who is currently managing this mansion. Please forgive me for daring to judge a descendant of a great family. It is hard to say thanks to that, but this Baek is very impressed.”
Seeing Choi Yu Seong who was like that, Baek Cheol deeply bowed.
Jin Yu Ri and Jin Do Yun breathed a sigh of relief, but Choi Yu Seong was greatly shocked at this moment.
Baek Cheol is a person who is not yet known to the public.
He was originally one of the secret guards directly under Choi Wu Jae, with only about five people in the entire Hyesung Group who knew their existence.
However, Baek Cheol that Choi Yu Seong remembers was slightly different from that.
‘Baek Cheol? He is Lion King, Baek Cheol?’
The strongest of the physical strengthening type hunter who later became Kim Do Jin’s colleague and in charge of the party’s vanguard!
And Choi Yu Seong, who knew how Kim Do Jin became a colleague with Baek Cheol, turned his gaze to the tightly closed door of the hanok-style mansion.
“Then this is Ji Ho hyungnim‘s hiding place…?”
Baek Cheol, who bowed his head, could not hide his inner feelings of surprise at the very small self-talk.
‘Feeling? Or did he have any information from those related to me?’
He realized who the owner of the mansion was without revealing it directly.
It seemed like he did not know anything until Baek Cheol revealed his name.
He doesn’t know whether it is sixth sense or intelligence, but it is not an ability that can be ignored.
‘It is said that there is no dog under wealthy man1… He is indeed Master’s younger brother!’
Naturally, Baek Cheol’s lips were filled with smiles. And goosebumps came up with a shudder in his back.
***
Based on the original novel, The Master Who Return to Modern Times, Kim Do Jin who climbed an unnamed mountain on the outskirt of Seoul will meet Choi Ji Ho about three years from now.
Choi Ji Ho knew the truth that Kim Do Jin had killed Choi Wu Jae, but he doesn’t resent him much about that.
It was described in the novel as possible forgiveness because Choi Ji Ho, who stepped down from the front line anyway and went into hiding, deeply trained his mind like a hermit. But it was obviously an episode with many things that were hard to understand.
Of course, Choi Yu Seong had slightly different thoughts now.
‘There must have been some specific circumstances.’
Unlike the sloppy original novel, the characters of this world had quite a variety and rich side, as can be seen from Choi Wu Jae’s case.
But did Choi Ji Ho forgive Kim Do Jin without thinking?
‘Maybe Choi Ji Ho knew that Kim Do Jin was the warrior who will save this world.’
One of Choi Ji Ho’s abilities that highly talked about in the novel is Future Foresight.
Choi Yu Seong thought this was much more likely.
Anyway, what is important at this point is that Choi Ji Ho orders Baek Cheol to follow Kim Do Jin in that episode.
Baek Cheol is somewhat reluctant. But it is Choi Ji Ho’s order, so he follows, clears dungeons together, prevents disasters, and develops respect for Kim Do Jin along with his comradeship.
In the final battle of the first part, he blocks the crowds of the demon’s army and the commander alone. Then he bravely sacrifices himself by becoming one of the stairs that Kim Do Jin climbs to insert a sword into the heart of one of the seven demon kings.
Therefore, Baek Cheol was not lacking to be called the strongest physical strengthening type Awakener in terms of the contents that Choi Yu Seong read.
Such Baek Cheol voluntarily guided them to the inside of the mansion.
There were other people in black, who followed behind, but they were all told to back off.
The reason was that he wanted to personally serve the brilliant and courageous Choi Yu Seong.
“This Baek was really surprised. Not only courage but also wisdom. You only take a look around and with a few clues you realized that it is Master’s home…”
“It is more of a feeling, without any wisdom. It is just that he was famous for being so laid back when even when he was in Seoul. So, there is a thought that it wouldn’t be strange if he settled in a place like this.”
“Huhu… Let’s go with that.”
Choi Yu Seong tried to make excuses, but Baek Cheol only nodded with a meaningful expression.
‘I felt it when I read the original novel. But Baek Cheol, this man. He was the type who misunderstood so badly once he got stuck.’
Although his personality is quite different from his heavy-looking image, Choi Yu Seong decided not to point out such misunderstandings anymore.
‘Anyway, there’s no harm in getting a favorable score from Lion King Baek Cheol.’
And actually, Baek Cheol’s thoughts were getting bigger and bigger after Choi Yu Seong kept his mouth shut.
