World's Strongest Survivor-Chapter 98

Learning Taoist Magic

After the mental storm passed, leaving him like a disaster victim in shock, Seowoon sat dazed. Ki-chan gently tapped his shoulder.

"Let’s think about Lilingwi later. For now, focus on what we need to do."

Seowoon snapped out of it at Ki-chan’s words.

"Ah, right."

[Ding! You have sent a friend request to Namsagwang.]

[Ding! Namsagwang has accepted your friend request.]

— Namsagwang has invited you to a chat room.

Seowoon accepted the invitation.

— Took you a while. Judging by your rank, looks like you just finished a game.

— Yeah. That’s how it turned out. I already discussed it with the team.

— Since you’re contacting me like this, it must be good news?

Namsagwang had already guessed the outcome the moment he received the message.

— Just as you predicted. It went well.

— Then why haven’t I been invited to the fixed guild? Are you planning to propose something again?

He was not an easy opponent to deal with. Like a cranky old man, he saw through Seowoon’s intentions, which made Seowoon’s face twitch slightly.

Despite his discomfort, Seowoon spoke calmly.

— It’s easier talking to someone who understands. One of the new updates includes something called a Guild War.

— I know. Guilds or fixed squads can wager conditions and compete. The conditions are enforced with absolute power. Who’s the enemy?

As expected, Namsagwang quickly grasped the situation from just one detail.

— A guild from my world. We’re betting access to the game as the condition.

— ...If it’s your world, it probably won’t be much. I’ll join.

— You sure?

— I don’t mean to sound dismissive, but aside from you, Earthlings aren’t much of a threat.

With that, Seowoon immediately invited Namsagwang to his fixed squad.

— When’s the match?

— One week. No game participation until then. If you want to play casually, I won’t stop you.

— I just finished a game myself, so I’ll rest for a while.

Looking at the composed Namsagwang, Seowoon finally brought up the real reason for the chat.

— I have one last proposal.

— What is it?

— I want to learn Kang Gi Gong.

— ...You’re misunderstanding something. That’s not a proposal — you’re asking to be taught.

Seowoon’s lips twisted slightly. The line "an offer you can’t refuse" from a movie flashed through his mind.

— Ever heard of Gwangma? Seems like one of the past Heavenly Demons.

— Heard of it, sure. But what’s that got to do with you begging for martial arts?

— I have Gwangma’s spiritual insight. Both the Middle and Upper Danjeons are included.

— If it’s an obvious lie, best not to say it.

He spoke calmly, but Seowoon could tell Namsagwang was rattled.

— The insight says if you force open the Middle Danjeon recklessly, the Lower Danjeon expands exponentially, causing regression. Basically, poor training leads to reverse aging.

— ...So you’re saying in exchange for that insight, you want me to teach you Kang Gi Gong?

— Not just me. Help our whole martial team develop in martial arts.

— That’s...

Even Seowoon knew that martial artists were extremely reluctant to share their techniques with non-warriors.

— Still, it’s a good deal, right? This insight isn’t something you can just buy with coins.

Namsagwang couldn’t refuse.

It wasn’t just any insight — it dealt with the very dilemma he’d struggled with: the Middle and Upper Danjeons, and possibly reaching the Natural Realm.

Honestly, if he could obtain it, he would’ve given up everything except his life.

— Fine. Let’s do it.

— Great. Then see you at the Guild War.

Having successfully recruited Namsagwang, Seowoon began pulling out items.

Ki-chan was already studying the items Seowoon had brought.

[Would you like to learn Taoist Art of Fox Immortals?]

The moment he pressed the O button, a flood of information poured into Seowoon’s mind.

— Ding! Special stat "Seon Energy" has been added.

— Ding! The Middle Danjeon has been activated as a passive of the Taoist Art.

— Ding! The disguise skill you previously learned has reacted to the Taoist Art and evolved into a transformation skill.

— Ding! You can now accumulate Seon Energy.

The flood of notifications made it hard for Seowoon to focus.

As his Middle Danjeon forcibly opened in his chest, unbearable pain overwhelmed him.

"Hyung!"

Startled, Ki-chan ran over to Seowoon, who was clutching his chest and writhing on the floor.

Ki-chan’s face turned pale as he watched Seowoon groaning and rolling.

"Hyung! What’s happening...?"

Ki-chan hastily pulled out a glass bottle with purple liquid from his inventory and moved to press it to Seowoon’s lips.

But then, Seowoon suddenly bolted upright, screaming.

— KRAAAAAAAHH!

"H-Hyung...?"

Ki-chan, stunned, fell back as he stared blankly at Seowoon. Seowoon, finally freed from the pain, gasped for breath.

"Hah... Damn, I thought I was going to die."

He had clutched his chest so hard that his shirt was stretched and crumpled into an unsightly mess.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. The Middle Danjeon just opened. It’s over now."

"Middle... Danjeon?"

After Seowoon explained about the Taoist Art, Ki-chan nodded and sealed the bottle, returning it to his inventory.

"What was that, anyway?"

"Oh. Just something I carry in emergencies. Boosts recovery and numbs pain... But more importantly — does this mean you can now clone yourself, shapeshift, and ride clouds?"

"Not exactly. I can create clones using Seon Energy and shapeshift freely... but it’s a bit vague."

"Huh? Why?"

It was a 350-point item. The word "vague" felt out of place.

"The ability to gather Seon Energy is great, but... it’s not a strong combat asset yet."

"Ah."

Ki-chan immediately understood.

Even with shapeshifting and cloning, Seowoon himself didn’t become stronger.

The skills had major gameplay potential, but surviving in fights against guys like Namsagwang — who blasted out raw energy — wouldn’t be possible with Taoist arts alone.

"For 350 points... Still, this item will be insane in the long run."

"True. And hey, getting my Middle Danjeon opened was a nice bonus."

As he spoke, Seowoon began pulling out more items.

"Ooh, packed pretty carefully, huh? Sea’s Enhancement Stone, Mithril Armor and Helmet... You’ll still have 1.5 billion left after stripping what you don’t need."

At the mention of 1.5 billion, Seowoon’s lips twitched.

No matter how rough the game got, nothing beat the satisfaction of cashing out loot.

Next, Seowoon pulled out the Ring of Protection and slipped it on.

[Ding! The Ring of Protection’s barrier now safeguards the user.]

"Huh? You got the Ring of Protection too?"

"Yeah. It was the only notable accessory from the last loot run."

"I heard knights use it a lot. It covers both magical and physical attacks with a barrier."

Finally, Seowoon took out a skill book called Breath of the Forest. Ki-chan looked at it with curiosity.

"What skill is that?"

As the skill book crumbled to dust, Seowoon explained.

"In the forest, your recovery rate increases by 1000%."

That might sound minor, but considering it came from a dead elf, it was a very practical skill.

1000% meant a tenfold recovery rate. Even with the forest limitation, it would be incredibly useful during training or in the absence of potions — especially when paired with energy cultivation techniques.

That’s why Seowoon had bought it.

"You brought quite a few 7th-circle spells yourself, didn’t you?"

"Yes. But unfortunately, they’re not offensive spells. Most of them focus on status effects."

Seowoon could tell that this was a strategic choice for the upcoming guild war.

"Does it bother you?"

Understanding what Seowoon meant, Kichan smiled.

"I’m the head of the household, remember? I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. But I’m not planning to lose."

Seowoon smiled back, then glanced around before pulling out a wooden box from his subspace.

"What’s that?"

"Spirit Elixir."

"Ah!"

Kichan let out a gasp of recognition as he saw the Spirit Elixir from the last game.

Seowoon’s smile deepened at Kichan’s reaction, and he opened his status window.

***

[Name: Jin Seowoon

Race: Human

Trait: Magic Affinity (Mage)

Strength: 95

Stamina: 62

Agility: 156

Endurance: 89

Magic Resistance: 194

Special Stat – Inner Power (Naegong): 1029

Special Stat – Mana: 60

Special Stat – Immortal Energy (Seonki): 0

***

Thanks to the unique traits of the Upper Realm map, Seowoon saw significant stat growth, which filled him with satisfaction.

He had absorbed quite a bit of vital energy in the last battle.

’Almost at 1095.’

The limit of energy that could be stored in his lower dantian was now just a few dozen points away.

Now that his middle dantian had opened too, he thought this wasn’t a bad place to be.

No—actually, it was more than just "not bad." Among Cloyd Survival players, few had shown growth at this speed.

Seowoon sat cross-legged and placed the Spirit Elixir in his mouth.

Immediately, the wind began to stir, swirling around him.

Eyes wide, Kichan watched as Seowoon slowly levitated into the air.

The wind tousled Seowoon’s hair as it lifted him skyward, and a warm energy began to radiate from his body—like the soft sunlight of a spring afternoon. Kichan’s tension naturally eased in its presence.

After a while, Seowoon’s body gently returned to the ground.

"How is it?!"

Rushing up to Seowoon as he opened his eyes, Kichan asked eagerly.

***

[Special Stat – Seonki: 150]

***

"I only gained about 150 Seonki."

Compared to his inner power, it was a small number. But since Seowoon had never used Seonki before, he couldn’t say how valuable that really was.

"That’s about half of your inner power, relatively speaking."

"Right."

Just as Kichan was about to ask Seowoon to demonstrate his transformation and clone techniques, his phone rang loudly.

With a slightly disappointed look, Kichan answered.

"Hello—"

Both Kichan’s and Seowoon’s expressions hardened at the same time.

Just as Kichan ended the call and looked at Seowoon, Seowoon spoke first.

"Let’s go, now!"

They dashed down the mountain and jumped onto Kichan’s motorcycle, gunning the engine.

-Vrooooooom!

They had just received word that Kichan’s little sister was in the hospital after a traffic accident—and their hearts were racing.

Both of them mentally ran through every healing-related item they had.

They burst into the emergency room of a general hospital in Namdong-gu, Incheon, and ran to one side.

They spotted a girl in a school uniform nervously standing beside a hospital bed.

"Seyeon! Where’s Gahui?!"

At that moment, the curtain around the bed was pulled back, revealing a girl hooked up to an IV drip.

"Oppa? How did you know—?"

"Are you okay?! How bad is it?!"

"Huh? It’s just a scrape. But how did you—?"

Seeing the friend next to her, eyes sparkling curiously, Gahui realized what had happened.

Her older brother had, at some point, become quite the face around local schools.

It was only natural her friends had a big interest in him.

Seyeon, now under Gahui’s sharp gaze, fumbled to explain herself.

"I-I mean, there was a car accident! Of course I had to call! And I didn’t lie—I only said she was in the ER because of a car accident."

Of course, she conveniently left out the part about it being just a minor injury.

"Whew. I’m glad it’s nothing serious. How did it happen? You’ve got to be more careful."

"It wasn’t her fault. We were just walking by when the car reversed and hit her."

"What did the doctor say?"

"It’s just light abrasions, but they want to do a head CT just in case."

"Alright. Then stay overnight and get tested."

"Okay."

As if to prove she was Kichan’s sister, Gahui then turned her attention to Seowoon standing behind him.

"And who’s that?"

"Oh! That’s the hyung I’ve been working with lately. I told you about him, remember?"

"Oh, so that hyung is this hyung. Hello!"

"Oh, uh... get well soon."

"Thank you!"

It had been a while since Seowoon had been called "hyung" by someone, especially since leaving the military—and he found himself smiling.

"Hyung, I think I’ll be staying here tonight because of this rascal."

"Sure. Take care of your sister, and I’ll see you next time."

"Got it. You get some good rest too, hyung."

After parting ways with Kichan, Seowoon headed home.

Even though it hadn’t been long in real-world time, it felt like ages since he’d been home.

Just as he parked his bike in the villa’s garage and stepped off, his expression sharpened.

"...Who are they?"

His low voice carried a chill.

It wasn’t the black suits or sunglasses that bothered him.

There were plenty of people who dressed like that.

But the fact that they showed signs of martial arts training—that was another story.

He didn’t have the best history with powerful people in the real world, so his instincts flared up defensively.

"Excuse us—are you Jin Seowoon? We’ve come from China to meet with you."

They bowed politely, and Seowoon’s hostile energy cooled slightly.

"So you’re the ones I’ve heard about. The people from China who want to bring me in."

"Yes. Would you mind sparing us a bit of your time?"

Among the three—a woman and two men—the man speaking Korean stepped forward. His Korean was fluent and natural.

Seowoon briefly looked them over and then nodded.

"There’s a quiet café nearby. Let’s go there."

"Yes."

Once seated, the woman removed her sunglasses and immediately cast a Silence spell.

"Please, have a seat."

Only after offering Seowoon a seat and waiting for him to sit did the man take a seat himself.

From his respectful demeanor, Seowoon could tell he was quite different from the representatives sent from Japan.

"We heard a bit late that you were contacted by people from Japan first."

"Then you must also know that a fight with them is coming soon..."

"Of course. If Mr. Jin Seowoon wishes, we are prepared to offer our support in that fight."

Seowoon took a sip of the ade on the table, twisting his lips slightly.

"In exchange for becoming your dog, right?"

At that, the polite man quickly raised his hands and shook his head.

"Not at all. We merely wish to establish a friendly relationship with you, Mr. Jin Seowoon. Of course, if you were to work with us, we’d ask for nothing more. But we wouldn’t ask you to make such a major decision on our first meeting."

"It hasn’t been long, but I’ve seen enough of the world to know that nothing comes for free."

The man removed his sunglasses, revealing his eyes as he smiled.

"Winning the favor of Earth’s top player doesn’t come easily. A positive relationship with you, Mr. Jin Seowoon, is immensely valuable."

The treatment was so overly polite that Seowoon found himself unsettled.

It was a stark contrast from the oppression, attempted abduction, and targeting he’d experienced during low-level hunts.

Seeing Seowoon lost in thought with a calm gaze, the man continued.

"You may or may not be aware, but the reason the Japanese side is pushing for a guild war with you is because they’re confident. Japan’s government has one of the only three rankers currently on Earth—Subaru Jin."

"Subaru Jin?" Seowoon repeated the name, unfamiliar. He had never paid much attention to other rankers.

"He’s a player who’s received immense support from the Japanese government since the early days of Cloyde. On our end, we call him the ’Ultimate Gear.’"

"Ultimate Gear?"

"Yes. A player who’s been equipped with an astronomical investment. He’s essentially Japan’s secret weapon. Rumor has it the government poured over 2 trillion won into his gear alone."

"Cough!!"

At the mention of 2 trillion, Seowoon choked on his drink.

"A-Are you alright?"

"I’m fine. Did you say 2 trillion?"

"It’s a rumor, of course. But it speaks to how much money they’ve thrown at him. It’s certain that Subaru Jin will participate in the upcoming guild war."

The man then handed over intelligence about other possible Japanese players who might appear in the guild war.

"This is information on potential participants. It’s all up-to-date."

Seowoon narrowed his eyes at the thick envelope.

"We understand that you’ve had no choice but to remain wary in your environment. But other countries are very different from Korea. Most, from our neighboring nations to even Europe, see players as pioneers of a new world—

Not as terrorists to be suppressed and controlled."

Crunch!

Seowoon bit down on the ice and nodded.

Being treated like a latent terrorist was unpleasant no matter who you were.

"With the recent incident in Korea, the existence of players and Cloyd has now been exposed to the world. It was expected, just a bit earlier than predicted. The world will now change rapidly. Every nation sees new potential in supernatural abilities—especially magic and alchemy."

At those words, curiosity appeared on Seowoon’s face.

Seeing it, the man began speaking more excitedly.

"As you know, magic draws from mana—an energy previously unknown to Earth. The discovery of mana is being seen as the next possible alternative energy. And alchemy, which can turn mana into usable power, is something every country wants to research and dominate."

"So, players who can easily bring back magic and alchemy are indispensable."

"Exactly! Players are essentially Earth’s only hope of gaining access to the endless knowledge found in Cloyd. Calling them terrorists is absurd. China may be a step behind Japan in player development, but we support our players fully and without hesitation. Unlike Korea’s shortsighted policies of suppression and control..."

The man trailed off as he caught Seowoon’s expression.

"You’re not wrong, so go ahead and say it."

"Ahem. Korea’s approach has clearly failed, as this recent incident has shown. According to our intelligence, the one behind it all was a Korean NIS agent named Kim Chilsang. We believe he is currently in contact with the Japanese."

Crunch!

At the mention of Kim Chilsang, Seowoon bit down angrily on another piece of ice.

"Japan wants to take the lead in Asia when it comes to Cloyd. They were indeed the first to begin supporting players. They’ve aggressively competed with nearby nations. But China is different. Rather than monopolization, we believe in cooperation and mutual growth. Even if you don’t join us directly, we believe there’s still a way we can help each other."

Seowoon’s hardened expression eased a little.

"Those island bastards have always had a thirst for domination."

The man nodded in agreement.

"Though it’s in the past, we remember the atrocities they committed. We will fully support you in your fight against them, Mr. Jin Seowoon."

Receiving help from a foreign nation when even his own country wouldn’t lift a finger left Seowoon feeling conflicted.

He held up the envelope the man had offered and replied:

"This is enough help. I wouldn’t exactly call it payment, but that Japanese ranker... I’ll make sure he never returns to Cloyd."

"If that happens, the Japanese government will suffer a massive blow. They’ve built their entire system around Subaru and poured a fortune into him."

"Sounds fun. So they really sunk that much into him, huh?"

Seowoon’s smile deepened.

"One thing—can the conditions of the guild war be modified?"

The question sparked curiosity on the man’s face.

"Yes, as long as both sides agree, any additional conditions can be added."

"A true winner-takes-all match means everything should be on the line."

As Seowoon muttered something cryptic and sipped his drink, the man felt a sudden, inexplicable chill.

[T/L: Read extra Chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]