Book 26 Chapter 17

The Training Process of Rakbio

—Training of the Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill

What is strength?

It is the power to coerce something. Therefore, the world operates by the logic of the strong. No matter how reasonable an argument may be, without strength, it is merely a vain echo. Even if it is law and rules.

Therefore, Rakbio pursued strength. He needed the strength to bring the ears of the world to him to make them listen to his words. So he sought a strong martial art.

What does it mean to be strong?

For him, being strong meant 'not falling.'

The strength he pursued was the strength that could not be brought down by any force, the strength to stand alone like a steel tower when everything else had fallen in the final moment. His master, who took him in after his sect was destroyed, could teach him that. However, the training process for that martial art was so arduous that most people gave up halfway. The process of hardening bones and flesh like steel to become a body impervious to blades and swords was so brutal that countless people died without fully mastering it. While the tempering method existed, there was no one capable of carrying it out, so his master had not found a successor until then. They were beings who needed each other. One needed a disciple to teach, and the other needed a master to temper him into steel. Thus, a master-disciple relationship was formed. And then followed days of frenzied practice and tempering. It could be called hell, but because of that hell, it became the world that supported his strength.

The fact that he had emerged from hell infused his spirit with power. Of course, his body, having gone through hell, had become a hard steel tower that could not be shattered or brought down by any external shock.

The martial art he learned was called the 'Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill.'

On the day he completed this martial art, his master said to him in a voice full of the unique pride that only an artisan who has completed something with their own hands can possess,

"You are steel forged in the flames of hell. Now, no force will be able to bring you down."

To the public, the Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill was thought to be a type of defensive energy, but no one knew its true value. And using this divine skill, he defeated the former captain of the Tenth Division and rose to the position of captain. It was the moment his strength was proven. However, even that captain did not grasp the essence of the power he possessed. Of course, that is why he lost.

'Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill' and 'Gang Sun Cheon Gap.'

With these two alone, he feared no opponent. And not a single person had yet understood the secret of these two martial arts. Therefore, everyone was bound to be defeated before him. Every bet he had made so far had always ended in his one-sided victory.

His defense was invincible.

No one could penetrate his defense.

He believed in his own strength.

'I am a being of strength.'

That was the cornerstone of his identity. And that cornerstone had never crumbled even once.

"My body is Diamond! My divine skill will never be broken!"

Rakbio had the right to exclaim so confidently. He had dedicated all his effort to honing this divine skill to that extent.

"Well, there is no absolute in this world, you see."

Bilyeon was not the type to be intimidated by such words.

"Thunderclap Strike!"

The blow that had just pierced the invincible Gang Sun Cheon Gap once again erupted from Bilyeon's fist. The moment he thought a lightning-like flash had pierced Rakbio's body, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Boom!

Starting from the area where Bilyeon's fist made contact, ripples like the sound of a drum spread throughout Rakbio's entire body. They were concentric ripples, like those created when a pebble is thrown into a lake. A triumphant smile spread across Rakbio's lips.

"No matter how sharp a needle, it cannot pierce diamond."

The ripples spreading towards his entire body changed direction and concentrated on his right fist. At that moment, his fist appeared to glow, and then,

Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill

Secret Technique

Deflecting Power

Shu-wak!

A streak of light shot out towards Bilyeon. Bilyeon quickly turned his head to avoid a direct hit. However, he could not avoid the graze on his shoulder. The Deflecting Power fired from Rakbio's hand passed Bilyeon and created a massive crack in the wall five paces behind him. If he had been a moment slower, his shoulder blade might have been shattered.

"Now, what do you say? Do you clearly know who should surrender now?"

Bilyeon paid no attention to the words and was absorbed in something else. It wasn't just that it was hard and a needle couldn't enter; there was something else. He had to find out what it was.

"Hmm, so it absorbed the impact and converted it into power to fire it back?"

He was engrossed in analyzing the technique Rakbio had just shown. It was clearly a different type of Qi Gong than the existing body-tempering techniques that hardened muscles and skin like steel. Furthermore, the method of using received impact for attack was remarkably unique and astonishing.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Of course, Bilyeon was not listening.

"Please be quiet. You're disturbing my thoughts. Just because you're built like a bear doesn't mean your awareness is also bear-like, tsk tsk tsk."

Bilyeon clicked his tongue as if pitying him. For Rakbio, it was maddening that he dared to speak such words when he hadn't contributed even a spoonful of rice to his size.

Of course, even though Bilyeon spoke like that, he was not letting his guard down. Fortunately, Rakbio did not attack first, perhaps focusing on countering. A standing target… It certainly piqued Bilyeon's interest. However, although it looked like a delicious meal, one could get into serious trouble by biting into it carelessly.

"But it's not perfect."

That Diamond Deflecting Divine Skill, like any other defensive Qi Gong, contained weaknesses. That is, it was strong against impact but weak against slashes. Of course, it had undergone a significant level of refinement, so ordinary sword cuts would be shrugged off like a puff of air. However, Bilyeon had not yet heard of a body-tempering technique that could block slashes imbued with sword Qi.

'Should I use it? Biraedo?'

Several finishing moves that could pierce through that unsightly bulging muscle armor flashed through his mind.

'No, I can't kill him… If I kill him…'

Finishing moves are not called finishing moves for nothing. Such techniques, as powerful as they were, were intended to annihilate the enemy. But if he did that, it would be impossible to clean up the mess.

The reactions of subordinates who have lost their leader are twofold. They either scatter or charge in unison with bloodshot eyes. If all those muscle-bound giants attacked at once, it would be quite troublesome. Then, blood would call blood. In that case, it would be difficult. He might win the immediate fight, but he would lose a larger battle. If he couldn't rescue Nayeon, winning against such a giant muscle mass would be meaningless. It was also best to avoid methods that pierced the limbs. He needed the cleanest and most overwhelming victory. He needed to defeat that giant with a blow, not a slash, his most confident attack. What Bilyeon needed now was an overwhelming victory.

"What to do… The armor of the body, the armor of the body…"

Bilyeon muttered quietly, confronting Rakbio.

'Should I try that?'

A thought flashed through his mind. To do so, he would need to create a 'gap in the mind.'

"Come to think of it, why do you dislike judges so much?"

Bilyeon asked subtly.

"The justice of the law cannot overcome the justice of strength. The law is powerless before strength!"

Rakbio's answer was very firm. And that firmness was a conviction backed by past experiences. There was definitely something.

"Oh, you said your father was a judge? As the son of a judge, shouldn't you adhere to laws and rules more than anyone else?"

He poked him as a taste.

"Shut up! It's none of your business!"

Rakbio erupted in anger. This meant he had hit a nerve.

"Oh my, you're so sensitive. Do you feel guilty about something? If your parents knew their son was in such a place doing such things, they would be very sad, wouldn't they?"

In fact, his father being a judge was, when divided into righteous and unrighteous, infinitely closer to righteousness. Then why was his son currently holding the position of captain at the top educational institution of the dark path?

There was definitely a story behind it.

"Shut up! Both of my parents are dead. They foolishly believed in the law and were subjected to the justice of strength!"

Rakbio shouted in a agitated voice. Bilyeon, who had thought the story was closely related to his psychological trauma, but not this intensely, felt a bit sorry and,

'Good, he's shaken.'

He rejoiced inwardly.