Chapter 552 — Yoo Joonghyuk's Birthday

"Ahjussi, when is your birthday?"

He couldn't recall when he first heard that question.

Was it during the second turn? Or the third turn?

But regardless of the turn, he didn't bother to answer such questions, believing that the answer wouldn't benefit the person asking.

Yet, there was a time he had answered, just as he did now.

“August 3rd.”

“August 3rd? Are you sure?"

"I promised to make it that day."

The boy frowned.

“A promise? How can anyone choose their birthday that way?”

He pulled out the Heaven Shaking Sword and began cleaning it. The boy was right. Nobody could choose their own birthday. But did that matter?

"Who did you promise?"

"You don't need to know."

"Was it a woman?"

He frowned slightly at the boy.

He could see Kim Namwoon grinning in the distance, seemingly guessing the situation.

As the gears of time turn, many memories fade. Some got caught between the cogs and vanished, while others were intentionally discarded by Yoo Joonghyuk. Yet, there were memories that never faded.

For example, the memory of the first time he learned swordsmanship from the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.

“Again? What a stubborn brat.”

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint looked at Yoo Joonghyuk with annoyed eyes. Clenching a large pipe between her teeth, she glared at him and blew out a puff of smoke.

“We aren't recruiting right now. I won't accept you as a disciple.”

Without a word, Yoo Joonghyuk pointed to the paper pasted on the gate.

[Recruiting disciples at all times.]

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint frowned.

“It is true I recruit disciples, but I don't accept just anyone.”

"I'm not just anyone."

“So it seems. Well, your face is qualified at least. You can be my servant if you want.”

"Teach me martial arts."

Hearing his blunt, demanding tone, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint swept her gaze over him and muttered,

"Even if I teach you, it doesn't mean you can learn."

“Have you already decided before trying?”

“My martial arts are not meant for small brats like you.”

"I'm not small."

"And it is not a style suited for men."

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint said, tapping her pipe. It looked like an idle gesture, but Yoo Joonghyuk could sense a profound martial technique in the rising smoke.

"Even if you learn from me, you won't surpass me."

"How do you know if you haven't tried?"

“Why are you so stubborn about learning my martial arts?”

Yoo Joonghyuk raised his head, his eyes shining.

"Because it's the only true martial art left in Murim."

It wasn't that Yoo Joonghyuk hadn't tried to learn other styles.

He had visited the Namgung Clan, the birthplace of the Sword Emperor. He had also gone to the Zhongnan Sect to learn the sunset-splitting sword. But they were all superficial.

In this First Murim, true martial arts no longer existed.

The techniques once revered as martial arts had been standardized into [Skills], distributed as [Skill Books] that anyone could learn at their convenience.

But Yoo Joonghyuk knew that with such skills, it was impossible to pull down the constellations in the sky.

“I need the power to kill constellations.”

Humans can kill constellations.

The existences that the Star Stream called Transcendents.

Among them, the strongest was the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint standing before him.

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint let out a soft sigh.

“If you can beat him, I'll reconsider.”

Breaking the Sky Master stepped forward. It bared its teeth and growled in Yoo Joonghyuk's direction.

Looking back, that was the start of their tedious relationship.

After much struggle, Yoo Joonghyuk finally succeeded in snatching the food bowl of Breaking the Sky Master. The first task the Sword Saint gave him was:

"Thrust thirty thousand times."

"It's impossible to thrust thirty thousand times a day."

“Thirty thousand is nothing. In another world, someone thrust their sword ten billion times over forty years.”

"Stop lying."

"Learn how to use honorifics first."

As he suffered through his training, Yoo Joonghyuk wondered if it was really possible to get stronger this way.

Every day, he was struck for his poor form.

Just like that, weeks turned into a month.

"How many times have you thrust?"

“I have thrust ten thousand times... Master.”

"How about slashes?"

“I have slashed twenty thousand times... Master.”

“I told you to do twenty thousand of each.”

"Stop hitting me."

Yoo Joonghyuk was struck again.

Though the strikes were light, they stung as if he had been hit twenty thousand times.

One month, then two months passed.

In short, Yoo Joonghyuk still hadn't learned the [Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship].

Although the Sword Saint accepted him, all she did was lounge on the porch, admire his progress, teach him basic forms, and send him on trivial errands.

“When will you teach me swordsmanship?”

“Go to the Changcheon Peak in the Second Murim. Pick the Hundred Spirits Grass and bring it here.”

And so, Yoo Joonghyuk was chased by the Nine Great Sects. He had to exert all his strength to scale the peak of Mount Changcheon. After countless battles with the Taoists of the Kunlun and Wudang sects, slipping in the rain and tumbling down cliffs, he finally succeeded.

"I've picked it."

“Leave it there.”

“Why did I have to pick this?”

Looking at the stem of the Hundred Spirits Grass emitting a pleasant scent, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint smiled.

“This herb has an air-purifying effect.”

“Will you teach me swordsmanship now?”

“A treasure map has appeared in the Fourth Murim. It shows the 'Secret Realm of the Elixir.' Enter the realm and bring back the pill left by the ancient master.”

"What?"

Breaking the Sky Master barked beside her.

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint said,

“She has been feeling weak lately, so she needs an elixir to replenish her strength.”

So Yoo Joonghyuk once again set out to find spiritual medicine for the dog.

He thought the Fourth Murim would only have weaklings, but its masters were formidable. Especially the Ten Great Masters. At his level back then, he was no match for them.

Yet, facing them and returning alive was a valuable experience.

“Go to the Demon Realm in the Third Murim and bring back the Thousand-Year Glacies. It's so hot lately that I don't feel like teaching.”

He almost died in the Demon Realm. He encountered the Heavenly Demon who ruled it. Even if the Ten Great Masters of the Fourth Murim joined forces, they couldn't defeat him.

Yet, that Heavenly Demon was only the ruler of the Third Murim. According to the Sword Saint, the true Heavenly Demon of the Star Stream was far more powerful.

“Go to the Shaolin Temple and steal the Great Return Pill. Watch out for the monks.”

Yoo Joonghyuk had heard of Shaolin's reputation, but he thought of them as simple monks. Having fought the Heavenly Demon and the Ten Great Masters, he believed he could handle them.

Due to a moment of carelessness, Yoo Joonghyuk was captured by a monk. He was shaved bald and locked in the Repentance Cave for three months.

He barely escaped, stealing the Great Return Pill after surviving the Eighteen Arhats Formation.

“You took quite a while this time. What happened to your hair?”

Yoo Joonghyuk's bald head was the work of the Shaolin Abbot.

But fortunately, despite losing his hair, he had learned Shaolin's [Hundred Steps Godly Fist].

Just like that, a year passed, and his hair grew back.

Afterward, Yoo Joonghyuk repeatedly risked his life to complete the errands she assigned. The quests were so difficult that he often thought it would be easier to just regress and start over.

The Star Stream was vast, filled with countless masters.

How much stronger did he need to become to see the end of these scenarios?

Occasionally, he would swing his sword to attack the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint without warning.

And he would almost die.

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was someone whom even the Abbot, the Heavenly Demon, and the Ten Great Masters combined could not defeat.

Though his body was battered from training, Yoo Joonghyuk was satisfied. His master was stronger than the Heavenly Demon.

“Why did you decide to teach me, anyway?”

"Because you're handsome."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"There won’t be another opportunity to hit a disciple this handsome."

Another year passed.

During that time, Yoo Joonghyuk faced many masters, fought, and won.

As his fame spread throughout the First Murim, so did the reputation of the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.

“I was the one who defeated those masters, yet your reputation is the one that grows.”

“Because the world recognizes me as an excellent master.”

“A master is supposed to instruct.”

“Come to think of it, you've stopped asking me to teach you swordsmanship lately.”

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint smiled, sitting on the porch as usual.

The young ladies of prestigious families who had come to watch him practice eventually stopped coming, and the cool night breeze returned.

Two years had passed since Yoo Joonghyuk came to Murim.

Panting, Breaking the Sky Master climbed onto the porch, laying down by Yoo Joonghyuk's legs.

Breaking the Sky Master was stronger than him. She had entered the sect before him, making her his senior. Having consumed the ancient elixirs and the Great Return Pill, she had become the strongest beast in Murim.

*Woof.*

Yoo Joonghyuk sighed softly and stroked the dog's back. Breaking the Sky Master wagged her tail lazily.

The sound of a running stream echoed from a nearby mill. Grasshoppers chirped in the dark. The leaves of the Hundred Spirits Grass swayed, releasing their scent into the cool air. The heat of the day gradually dissipated.

The night sky of Murim was beautiful.

"Tell me your story."

Normally, if his master asked, he wouldn't speak a word of his past. He was always on high alert, rarely opening up. Perhaps he spoke tonight because he felt this turn was already doomed.

Or perhaps it was because the soft fur of Breaking the Sky Master was rubbing against his leg.

Or the smoke rings she puffed into the night. Or the chirping of the grasshoppers by the stream. The stars in the cold sky shone so brightly that he felt as if his story would simply drift away into the night.

Whatever the reason, Yoo Joonghyuk opened his mouth and began to speak.

He spoke of the first day he entered the scenario.

He spoke of how he began to regress, repeating his life.

Yoo Joonghyuk spoke to himself, sharing a story no one else could understand.

He didn't care if the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was listening. But it was rare for him to want to talk about himself, and she was there to listen.

Like an ancient tree that had weathered centuries, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint quietly listened to his tale.

Only her Mirror Eyes shone in the darkness, showing that she was listening intently.

Mirror Eyes—the eyes that could peer into the emotions of others.

Staring into those eyes that held neither judgment nor pity, Yoo Joonghyuk felt a strange sense of peace.

When he finally finished speaking, the night was late.

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint thought for a moment, then spoke,

“You sounded like a brat with no parents from the start.”

Yoo Joonghyuk paused, asking,

“Are you insulting me?”

“You're like a brat who fell from the sky.”

Yoo Joonghyuk silently gazed up at the sky.

Perhaps she was right. He didn't know his parents' faces.

"Do you know when you were born?"

"I don’t know."

"Did no one tell you?"

Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head.

Of course he had a resident registration number. But he knew it wasn't his real birthday.

“I only know that I was born in the summer.”

The sky in the Murim world was beautiful.

And beyond that glittering Star Stream, there must be someone who created all of these scenarios.

“Why do you want to become a Transcendent?”

Yoo Joonghyuk did not answer, simply looking up at the stars. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint gazed up as well.

Sometimes, emotions could be shared simply by looking at the same scene.

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint slowly stood up and drew her sword toward the sky. It was a magnificent stance—subtle yet powerful, elegant yet restrained.

Her sword swept toward the horizon, and as if she had cleaved the sky, starlight fell around them.

Yoo Joonghyuk watched the stars fall. Even though he knew it was an illusion, he couldn't look away.

How long had it been since he had seen such a beautiful sight? After a moment, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint returned, carrying a small bag.

"Eat it. It's my favorite."

Steam rose from the bag as she swung it.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned.

"I don't eat food made by others."

“I bought it for you. Eat.”

"No."

"Let's see. Today..."

Under the glittering starlight of the summer night, her sword carved the characters for 'August' and 'Third' into the dirt.

“Disciple. From now on, today is your birthday.”

If only that had been the end of his birthday memories.

But as always, the Star Stream did not tolerate happy endings.

Exactly one year after that summer night, it was a scorching, humid summer. On a stormy night...

The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was besieged by the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon.

Thousands of martial artists clashed. The Sword Saint stood alone to defend her world against the Returnees' Alliance.

Yoo Joonghyuk leaped through the air, carrying his wounded master on his back.

Both he and his master knew the wound was fatal.

“Master!”

Despite his cry, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint did not respond.

After bringing her to safety, Yoo Joonghyuk poured the elixirs he had gathered over the years into her mouth—the Hundred Spirits Grass, the Great Return Pill...

But her aura only grew weaker.

Her stories were crumbling away.

Yoo Joonghyuk cursed.

*Please.*

Her presence had been like a vast forest, but now only a broken stump remained. The storm had come, the thunder had struck, and the tree had fallen.

What if he went back in time?

If he regressed, he might be able to save her.

However, if he regressed, this specific version of his master would vanish forever.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her large hand cupped his cheek.

“My disciple.”

"I haven't even learned the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship yet."

"You have already learned it, haven't you?"

The Sword Saint knew his talent. Yoo Joonghyuk could learn anything he saw. He had already memorized the [Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship] just by watching her.

Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head.

“Didn't you say you would make me a Transcendent? You said you would make me strong enough to kill constellations and destroy the Star Stream...”

If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become strong.

I...

“Joonghyuk-ah.”

His master's eyes stared at him.

“You are already stronger than me.”

Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders shook. He wanted to deny it.

“You are simply refusing to surpass me.”

Yoo Joonghyuk's head dropped. His breathing grew heavy, his fingertips twitching.

The past year had been so peaceful that he had forgotten the weight of his fate.

And now, it was about to repeat.

“Master, I...”

"I know."

Her large hand rested on his head.

With a faint smile, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint whispered,

“My handsome disciple... I hope you won't learn the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship in your next life.”

Her words echoed in his head.

He shouldn't have sought her out. He shouldn't have tried to learn her swordsmanship. He shouldn't have come to Murim.

“I want you to live a peaceful life. To lounge on a porch and eat dumplings made by someone else.”

She knew what he planned to do.

She knew he wanted to destroy the sky with her swordsmanship.

That was why she had hesitated to teach him. She wanted him to give up.

“But you still went to pick the Hundred Spirits Grass. Even knowing why I asked, you still completed the task.”

That was why she had sent him on those arduous quests.

“Scaling the Changcheon Peak, entering the Secret Realm of the Elixir, stealing the Thousand-Year Glacies and the Shaolin pills... repeating it over and over, until you turn twenty-nine and reach the age of independence [1].”

Yoo Joonghyuk's hand trembled, but no sound came out.

“And I will ask you about your birthday again. Everyone will celebrate when you turn twenty-nine, without knowing what that day truly means to you...”

Her eyes slowly grew dim.

“Even so, don't hate people too much, my disciple.”

He was a Regressor.

A lone traveler carrying the weight of all timelines.

“They are simply glad that you were born.”

Her hand slipped from his grasp. Yoo Joonghyuk raised his head.

The Star Stream was still there.

Though only one star had faded, the sky looked different.

Yoo Joonghyuk slowly stood up.

Just as a tree grows with light and water, a story grows by feeding on tragedy.

In the scenarios, people only became stronger by losing what they loved.

The sky of Murim was no longer beautiful.

Yoo Joonghyuk gripped his sword.

At that moment, he was neither a constellation nor a nebula.

But to the stars watching from the far reaches of the universe, Yoo Joonghyuk shone brighter than any of them.

And so, Yoo Joonghyuk became a Transcendent.

The video ended with a flash of light.

Sitting on a park bench, [41] watched the recording and murmured,

“Do you have such memories?”

The Secretive Plotter slowly shook his head.

He often borrowed the memories of other Yoo Joonghyuks to reconstruct his past, but this was the first time he had seen this memory.

“Do you remember? You're the Yoo Joonghyuk who holds all memories.”

[41] was silent.

Out of all the regressions, the 41st turn was the only Yoo Joonghyuk who had forgotten most of his life. That was why even the Secretive Plotter didn't know everything about that turn.

The memories of Yoo Joonghyuk, who had lived through 1,863 regressions, were as vast as the universe.

Among them were moments that had occurred but were never recorded. It was simply how that universe was structured.

As if remembering something, the Secretive Plotter pulled a notebook from his coat.

[Kim Dokja's Comment Records]

[41] stared at it, eyes wide.

“What is that?”

“Why do you have that?”

The Secretive Plotter did not answer, turning the pages until he stopped at a specific entry.

The Secretive Plotter stared at the comment.

Had Kim Dokja left this before or after the Sword Saint named his birthday?

His phone vibrated with an incoming text.

[Captain. You're coming today at eight, right? Everyone is waiting.]

An attached photo showed everyone making dumplings together. Lee Jihye, her cheeks dusted with flour, held up a peace sign. Kim Namwoon stood beside her, scowling. Lee Hyunsung held a torn dumpling with a worried look, while Uriel was crafting a massive, sheep-shaped one. At the edge of the photo, he spotted the hand of a young boy.

The Secretive Plotter replied,

[I don't eat food made by others.]

A response came instantly.

[What about this?]

It was a photo of a dumpling the size of a human head. It was far too large for a human to consume, and certainly did not meet his standards.

Written on the massive dumpling in ketchup was:

[Dumplings made by others]

The Secretive Plotter stared at the screen before typing,

[If it's dumplings made by others, then I...]

He paused, then held the backspace key, erasing the line.

[41] smirked, his fading afterimage dissolving back into the Secretive Plotter.

The sun had set. His watch read seven in the evening. Normally, this would be when the paid service of the scenarios began. But no matter how long he waited, the scenario did not start.

Beside the time, the date read:

[August 3rd]

It was a day on the solar calendar that had nothing to do with him.

The sun was not his sponsor, so the solar calendar held no meaning for him. [2]

No one lived in the same time as he did.

But even so...

Those who remembered him said that today was his birthday.

He no longer found that fact sad.

[Side Story 4 - End]

[1] Age of independence (而立): Derived from the Confucius phrase "Thirty, and stood firm" (三十而立), referring to reaching age 30 and being independent.

[2] Why the Secretive Plotter feels August 3rd in the solar calendar has nothing to do with him:

In Murim, time follows the lunar calendar. The day the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint chose as Yoo Joonghyuk's birthday would have been August 3rd on the lunar calendar, which doesn't align with August 3rd on the solar calendar. Furthermore, as the Secretive Plotter, Yoo Joonghyuk exists outside of normal time. Thus, the calendar holds no significance for him. Let's keep this in mind.