Chapter 241: Chapter 241
The Library Painting work was carried out on the second floor of the Cheongdam Safe House.
[You are entering Martin Park’s painting.]
With the system notification, Su-ho stepped into the world within Martin Park’s artwork.
The moment he entered, he saw a sight rare in Korea—a full moon, glowing in the sky.
Martin Park didn’t usually mass-produce artwork like a factory, but this time, he had made a special exception to replicate similar paintings.
A temporary step back to advance two steps forward, as they say.
Standing beneath the full moon, Su-ho immediately took out the Library Painting.
[Moonlight is at its peak.]
[The Library Painting’s gate has opened.]
[Would you like to enter the Martial Arts Library?]
The answer was obvious: Yes.
As soon as Su-ho accepted, his body was sucked into the Library Painting, and the scenery around him transformed in an instant.
[You have entered the Martial Arts Library.]
The process remained unchanged.
No gate symbol appeared, and nothing seemed different this time either.
A stone pagoda towered before him, and after a brief look, Su-ho summoned Guiyeong Spear.
He hurled it with all his might toward the top of the stone pagoda.
Though he couldn't reach the very top, he got close enough to activate Shadow Step.
Using the same method as before, Su-ho quickly made his way to the library terrace.
And then—an arrow flew at him.
“This damn pattern never changes.”
Su-ho activated Mana Sense immediately.
It was far more refined than before, allowing him to detect the hidden mechanisms beneath the library terrace. He quickly forged a hammer using Blood Weapon and began smashing the floor.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Destruction over evasion.
It was the right choice.
Once he smashed all the mechanisms beneath the terrace, the trap system ceased functioning.
A steel pillar shot up before him.
Limbs emerged from it—The Guardian of the Library had appeared.
[A boss monster has appeared.]
—Guardian of the Library Lv.???
Still no level shown.
But as Su-ho had grown stronger, so had the guardian.
Still, did that really matter?
[The Guardian of the Library activates Battlefield of Conviction.]
[While Battlefield of Conviction is active, the Guardian’s stats will mirror those of the challenger.]
[While Battlefield of Conviction is active, all combatants can only use the weapon designated by the Guardian.]
A weapon icon began spinning above the guardian’s head.
[The Guardian of the Library has admitted defeat.]
[Gate has been cleared.]
[MVP of the gate clearance is: An Su-ho.]
[Bonus experience granted for MVP.]
[Bonus stat point granted for MVP.]
[You have earned 1 bonus stat point.]
The guardian had grown stronger, but it was only in terms of data.
One key difference this time:
[You have reached Level 170.]
[The system wishes for you to become even stronger.]
[The system grants you greater power.]
Su-ho had finally reached Level 170.
He invested the two bonus stat points into Sense, then checked his newly acquired Crusader skill.
As expected from Crusader—far more useful than a cleric or paladin.
After closing the skill window, he saw the next notification.
[Welcome to the Martial Arts Library.]
[Having defeated the Guardian, you may now inherit one volume of martial knowledge.]
[Please select the knowledge you wish to inherit.]
The choices remained the same.
Once again, Su-ho chose General Techniques.
[You have selected General Techniques.]
[You have learned ‘Poison Resistance Body (B)’.]
[You have selected General Techniques.]
[You have learned ‘Flame Resistance Body (B)’.]
[You have selected General Techniques.]
[You have learned ‘Ice Resistance Body (B)’.]
Poison Body, Flame Body, Ice Body.
Exactly as the names suggested, these skills granted resistance to poison, heat, and cold respectively.
Of course, they didn’t provide extreme resistance—just about 10%, since they were B-grade.
But if they reach S-rank, that’s a different story.
All of these were techniques once obtained by Gu Taek-soo in his past life.
And Gu Taek-soo, worthy of the title Martial King, had brought every one of those techniques to their pinnacle.
If three body-resistance types are showing up in a row, then the time has finally come.
According to Gu Taek-soo, the Martial Arts Library had a finite selection of knowledge.
Like a loot box with a bottom.
[You have selected General Techniques.]
[You have learned ‘Light Steps (B)’.]
Su-ho’s eyes widened.
Finally—one of the techniques he had most desperately wanted.
He immediately pulled up the info:
—A martial lightness skill.
—Movement speed +20%.
—Leaves no trace when stepping on grass or snow.
It was exactly the Light Steps he knew.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Now that Light Steps has appeared, the full set is practically here.
Su-ho exited and re-entered the Library Painting.
As soon as he destroyed the mechanism again—
More than one pillar.
Seeing them shoot up one after another, Su-ho couldn’t help but smile.
It was exactly as Gu Taek-soo had described.
He welcomed the guardians joyfully, realizing that the time had come.
From the first pillar, limbs emerged.
But this time, the guardian came out already holding a sword.
[The Guardian of the Library activates Battlefield of Conviction.]
As always, the battlefield rules applied.
Su-ho formed a blood sword from Blood Weapon and charged the guardian.
He’d defeated so many of them by now that equal stats didn’t matter anymore.
As soon as the first fell, limbs sprouted from the second pillar.
This one held a spear.
“So this is how it’s going to be.”
Su-ho immediately swapped to a blood spear and engaged.
Each guardian wielded a different weapon.
But none were difficult.
He had faced them all before.
Taking them down again was nothing new.
And finally, the last guardian fell.
Its headless body collapsed forward.
In the past, Su-ho had only destroyed their weapons and waited for them to yield.
But this one held its weapon too tightly—so Su-ho cleaved both the weapon and the head in one go.
And when the final guardian fell:
[Gate has been cleared.]
[MVP of the gate clearance is: An Su-ho.]
[Bonus experience granted for MVP.]
[Bonus stat point granted for MVP.]
[Hidden Gate has been cleared.]
[A great achievement has been recorded. The system grants you 10 bonus stat points.]
[You have earned 1 bonus stat point.]
System messages flooded in.
But these were unlike anything he had seen before.
No notice about the guardian admitting defeat.
Instead—Hidden Gate, Great Achievement.
So the Library Terrace was a Hidden Gate all along.
And after clearing it more than a dozen times, the system had recognized his achievement.
Su-ho opened his status window and distributed his bonus stat points to Strength and Mana.
Then, he approached the final book in the Martial Arts Library.
[Welcome to the Martial Arts Library.]
[Having defeated the Guardian, you may now inherit one volume of martial knowledge.]
[Please select the knowledge you wish to inherit.]
The interface was the same.
But the guardians had changed—that was a clue.
He had met the condition.
And so, once again, Su-ho chose General Techniques.
[You have selected General Techniques.]
[You have learned all General Techniques.]
[You have glimpsed the Essence of General Techniques.]
[The Martial Arts Library applauds your choice.]
[In recognition, the Library grants you a special teaching.]
[You have learned ‘Everything Returns to One (S)’.]
[A great achievement has been recorded. The system grants you 10 bonus stat points.]
[Having acquired ‘Everything Returns to One’, the Martial Arts Library will no longer open.]
[We hope your studies were rewarding.]
Everything Returns to One.
Upon reading those four characters, Su-ho smiled radiantly.
The Martial King’s ultimate secret technique—Everything Returns to One—was now his.
He immediately checked its info:
[Everything Returns to One]
—All streams, countless waves, and every flow eventually return to the sea.
—Granted only to those with profound martial understanding.
—Removes learning restrictions on all martial arts skills.
—Removes usage restrictions on all weapons.
—Increases all martial skill effects by 50%.
—Additional effects may unlock upon meeting special conditions.
It was exactly the Everything Returns to One he knew.
Now I can finally learn those techniques I’d always wanted.
In his past life, he’d longed for many of those—especially techniques.
But as a swordsman class, the system had restricted his ability to learn them.
Now, with this skill in hand, all those restrictions were gone.
With these, I can get even closer to ending the Gates once and for all.
He distributed the 10 bonus stat points evenly and refreshed his status screen.
—Traits: ＜New Blood＞ ＜Candidate of Heracles＞
—Bonus Stat Points: 0
A result beyond expectations.
With everything he had wanted now in his grasp, Su-ho exited the gate in high spirits.
Outside, Martin Park was waiting.
Martin Park asked, “Going back in again?”
“Yes. It’s truly all done. Thank you for your hard work.”
At that, Martin Park smiled.
“Congratulations. But don’t forget—we had a deal.”
“Of course. How could I possibly pretend to forget that?”
Now, it was time to return to North Korea.
With Everything Returns to One in hand, Su-ho’s body felt lighter than ever.