TGGCH 05

Chapter – 05

5 Hours

[You have won the spar.]

[Additional rewards have been granted for fulfilling the conditions!]

[You have obtained 8 Exp.]

[You have obtained a 「Low-grade Random Box」.]

I postponed claiming the rewards for later.

I poured an appropriate potion into the mouth of the collapsed Kim Sang-ho.

It was a complimentary potion that came with the bulk purchase of top-grade potions.

“Cough. Coughhhk.”

This much should leave no permanent damage.

‘Lan’s performance is better than I expected.’

Above all, I liked that it was a counterattack skill that struck at the opponent’s openings.

Getting hit without knowing is more painful.

It returns the attack without giving time to defend, dealing damage while simultaneously creating various attack routes.

Attack, defense, and counterattack.

Lan-Na-Zha was a well-balanced skill overall.

However, it wasn’t without flaws.

‘It lacks a decisive finishing blow.’

The attacking skill Zha felt slightly lacking in power compared to the other two.

It might be quite lethal if I accurately target the opponent’s weak points, but—

‘Can I always target the opponent’s weakness in real combat?’

Absolutely not.

I had prepared a way to make up for that attack power gap in this upcoming Gate, but future battles might not be solved by such luck.

Therefore—

‘…I have to complete it in this life.’

The incomplete martial art I had created in my previous life.

Ghost Spear Limitless

***

Lee Si-hyun rubbed his eyes several times.

The scene before him was that unreal.

“Brother… won?”

And with an overwhelming difference in skill, no less.

Kim Sang-ho’s fists hadn’t even grazed Lee Tae-hyun.

On the other hand, every thrust of Tae-hyun’s spear had mercilessly chipped away at Kim Sang-ho’s stamina.

“How’s that? Is this enough for you to believe me?”

Lee Tae-hyun, who had set down his spear, grinned.

“…What exactly did you do?”

It was unbelievable.

He would rather believe in a whale flying across the sky.

“Did you take some illegal elixir?”

He had heard of them.

Illegal elixirs that instantly multiplied physical abilities several times over.

Such things were apparently traded secretly in the underworld.

“Just what kind of person are you…! Now you’re even touching those kinds of drugs!”

“……”

He doesn’t seem willing to believe me at all.

“Haah.”

Lee Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh and picked up the spear again.

“Watch carefully, Si-hyun.”

“…Yes?”

“Strength isn’t determined by power alone. Sometimes, softness can be the most powerful weapon.”

This was something he had heard from his master in his first life.

‘Tae-hyun. Honestly, your spear is terrible. You have no skill or talent. But that doesn’t mean you should let go of the spear.’

Lee Tae-hyun began to perform a spear dance.

‘When you clash head-on, you will break. So flow with it. Flowing is the privilege of the weak.’

The spear dance he had performed hundreds, thousands of times to realize the hidden principles within.

Ten Thousand Streams Under the Moonlit River Dance.

The spear flowed gently.

“W… wow……”

The hard, rough wooden spear now looked as smooth as silk.

With a spear like that, it felt like it could softly redirect anything in this world.

“So… that’s how it works……”

Like a small stream changing the flow of a great river.

He had gently deflected Kim Sang-ho’s attacks and returned them.

If that was the case, it explained why the fight ended so quickly despite the difference in strength.

‘Just where did he learn such spear arts…!’

Lee Si-hyun continued to feel astonishment inwardly.

On the other hand, Lee Tae-hyun thought:

‘I swung a spear for years. It’d be embarrassing if I couldn’t even do this.’

He smiled bitterly and scratched his cheek.

‘By the way, this didn’t register as a skill.’

Does that mean his proficiency with Ten Thousand Streams Under the Moonlit River Dance is still too low?

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t expecting it, but honestly, even he could see many shortcomings.

‘If I raise my proficiency a bit more, it might register as a skill.’

The version his master had performed was closer to a miracle than silk — a true marvel.

If he could reach that level, he might be able to display a spear art that could truly deflect all things.

“Just when did you learn such spear arts?”

“I had a master. I learned it from them.”

“To raise a hopeless dullard, wastrel, trash like you to this level! They must be an incredible educator!”

“……”

This little brat.

“Anyway. Do you believe me now?”

“…Yes. A promise is a promise.”

Lee Si-hyun said calmly.

“I won’t stop you from entering the Gate anymore. However, I still don’t fully trust you. Keep that in mind.”

“Wait, where are you going?”

“…Yes?”

Tae-hyun stopped Si-hyun, who was about to leave.

Then he put on a thoroughly capitalist smile.

“If you lost the bet, you should pay up.”

“We didn’t bet anything like that!”

“Tsk tsk, my little brother. Were you always this stingy?”

Stingy?

The actual next successor of the great Cheonseong Group, whose personally managed businesses easily exceeded trillions of won, was being called stingy?

Lee Si-hyun’s face turned red.

“Fine! Tell me what you want!”

“Oh~ Really?”

Lee Tae-hyun smiled slyly.

“Then……”

***

“What a shameless person…!”

Lee Si-hyun walked out of the gym, breathing heavily with irritation.

He never imagined Tae-hyun would ask for something like that.

It wasn’t just a money issue — it was something that required a lot of effort and connections.

He would have to start moving immediately to prepare it in time for the raid.

“……”

He suddenly stopped and looked back into the gym.

Swish! Hook!

Swish! Hwaak! Thud!

Even right after the spar, Lee Tae-hyun was continuing his training without rest.

It was a completely different image from the incarnation of laziness he used to be.

“…I don’t believe it.”

Even if that was the reason to send trust toward his brother, it wasn’t enough.

What he had done until now wasn’t a snowball that would melt under a single ray of sunlight.

It was more like eternal permafrost — endlessly cold and harsh.

‘Still, I have to do what was requested of me.’

Lee Si-hyun took out his phone and dialed a number.

“Yes, Father. It’s me. I did as you instructed.”

• How did it go?

The deep, heavy voice on the other end belonged to Chairman Lee Jin-seong.

Lee Si-hyun spoke through gritted teeth.

“Brother… won against Mr. Sang-ho. Yes, overwhelmingly. There were no abnormal signs.”

Chairman Lee Jin-seong replied shortly.

• I see.

The call ended there.

Silence fell after the call disconnected.

“…Hoo.”

What kind of expression is Father making right now?

Lee Si-hyun was incredibly curious.

***

Preparations for the Gate raid were proceeding steadily.

Thanks to his lovely little brother’s cooperation, the clearing process would be much smoother.

[8th Achievement, ‘Effort, and More Effort.’ Cleared!]

[You have obtained 4 Exp!]

Over the past few days, I had gone through the achievement list and cleared all the exercise-related achievements one after another.

[Status Window Level: 2 (35/100) Exp]

I had already accumulated 35 EXP.

The 8 EXP from the sparring quest was quite significant.

‘Oh, right.’

The sparring didn’t only give me EXP.

「Low-grade Random Box」

A white cube appeared in my hand.

“Random Box, huh.”

Seeing is believing.

[Would you like to open the 「Low-grade Random Box」?]

“Open it.”

As soon as I nodded, the cube unwrapped like packaging and disappeared.

The white light inside faded, leaving behind a single piece of paper in my hand.

[Skill Grade Upgrade Ticket (D)]

▷ A ticket that raises a skill’s grade by one level. Can be activated by tearing it.

“Oh.”

Something more useful than I expected came out.

Not all skills are the same grade.

A good example is the basic skill of magic-type Awakened, [Fireball].

An E-rank Fireball is, to exaggerate a little, only as good as a decent lighter. But an S-rank Fireball has the power to burn an entire small forest.

Rip!

Without hesitation, I tore the ticket in half.

[List of Upgradable Skills]

▷ Reinforcement €

“As expected.”

I had secretly hoped I could upgrade ‘Lan-Na-Zha’ or ‘Limit Break Program’.

“Since it’s a D-rank ticket, it means it can upgrade up to D-rank at most?”

If I could get an S-rank or EX-rank ticket…!

“Ahem, ahem.”

I calmed my excited heart and selected ‘Reinforcement’ from the list.

[Skill grade has increased!]

[Reinforcement (D)]

▷ Increases all performance of the targeted object by 15%.

“It really went up.”

The original 10% had increased to 15%.

The Reinforcement skill needed to be upgraded steadily.

‘The real value of this skill lies elsewhere.’

In my previous life, I had despaired when I saw this skill by itself.

It was only E-rank with a plain description and seemingly weak performance.

When used on a sword, it made it slightly sharper. When used on a bow, the arrow flew a bit farther.

“But.”

This Reinforcement skill shone in unexpected places.

I picked up one of the top-grade potions I had stocked in large boxes nearby.

[Reinforcement (D) has been used.]

[‘Top-grade Potion’ has been strengthened into ‘Top-grade Potion+’!]

[Recovery rate has increased by 15%.]

A faint golden hue mixed into the originally green liquid.

I drank it in one gulp. The fatigue that had clung to me melted away smoothly.

In its place, a vitality I had never felt before filled my body.

“Khuh.”

My body trembled involuntarily.

[Name: Lee Tae-hyun] 

[Potential: D] 

[Owned Skills] (3) 

▷ Reinforcement (D) 

▷ Limit Break Program (EX) 

▷ Lan-Na-Zha (A)

[Status] 

▷ Mind  : 10 

▷ Technique  : 10 

▷ Body  : 21

[Status Window Level: 2 (35/100) Exp]

My Body stat had already entered the 20s.

At this point, I could win even if three Kim Sang-hos attacked me at once.

“Time to start scattering some bait.”

I took out my phone and dialed a number.

There was only one thing left to prepare.

“Hello, is this Reporter Choi Jin-ah?”

• Yes, it is… May I ask who’s calling?

It was time to enlarge the stage.

“I have a tip for you.”

***

[(Breaking News) Lee Tae-hyun’s Next Move: C-rank Gate Raid?]

[(Breaking News) Lee Tae-hyun to Challenge the Gate in Daegu.]

[This Time Alone. Lee Tae-hyun Declares Solo C-rank Gate Clear.]

[PhD in Psychology Analyzes Lee Tae-hyun’s Mental State… ‘High Risk of Extreme Choice.’]

South Korea was once again turned upside down.

Not only did Lee Tae-hyun, who had gone into hiding after the B-rank Gate incident, reappear in public, but—

• Solo C-rank Gate?

• Damn, he’s finally lost it lololololol

• Isn’t this just him going to die?

• ㅇㅇ An F-rank soloing a C-rank Gate? Even the Sword Emperor’s grandfather couldn’t do that.

• Is he trying to atone with death?

• Give me one ice cream before you die!

• I read the article and they say Lee Tae-hyun isn’t in his right mind right now.

• Then is an F-rank going into a C-rank Gate alone a sane thing to do lol

He declared he would solo-clear a C-rank Gate.

“What do you think about Lee Tae-hyun’s declaration to raid the C-rank Gate?”

The reactions were naturally icy.

“What nonsense! Lee Tae-hyun’s current actions are clearly insulting the Hunters who are actually fighting on the front lines!”

So Young-hoon, Guild Master of the Resonance Guild.

“Shouldn’t he apologize for the previous incident before putting on this kind of show? Or is it because he’s a chaebol young master that his way of thinking is different from ours?”

Ji Yeon-ha, Branch Head of the Korea Branch of the Magic Tower.

“Not even worth mentioning. Just trash.”

Kim Nam-hyun, Korea’s 3rd ranked Hunter.

Everyone unanimously criticized Lee Tae-hyun.

An incomprehensible move. The recklessness of a wastrel who hadn’t come to his senses. A chaebol heir’s showy performance.

Various speculations ran wild and intertwined.

And just as public interest reached its peak—

The morning of the raid day arrived.

“It’s Lee Tae-hyun!”

“He really came?”

In front of the C-rank Gate in Daegu’s Seongnae-dong, a massive crowd of reporters and onlookers had gathered.

As the car door opened, a man with a rugged appearance stepped out.

Click! Click! Click!

Loud shutter sounds rang out as camera flashes exploded from all directions.

“Ugh.”

Lee Tae-hyun frowned.

His eyes were just too bright, but in the photos, it looked like he was annoyed.

‘The first person who tipped this off was someone from inside Cheonseong, right?’

Tae-hyun walked through the path created by his bodyguards.

He smiled lightly at the reporters who were shouting questions.

‘What? He looks more normal than I thought.’

One reporter tilted their head.

Until now, there had been endless talk that Lee Tae-hyun had gone crazy, that he was going there to die, or that Cheonseong was forcing him to go.

But right now, Lee Tae-hyun looked extremely calm.

No, he looked beyond calm — he looked relaxed.

He soon stopped in front of the Gate emitting a soft blue magical light and turned around.

“There are a lot of people here.”

These were people who had come from all over the country to bite into and taste this huge issue.

Then, as the chef who prepared this dish—

I have to show the best flavor possible.

‘The average clearing time for a C-rank Gate is about 48 hours.’

And that was when an ideal raid party was formed.

The fewer the party members or the lower their levels, the exponentially longer the clearing time became.

And the expected clearing time Lee Tae-hyun had calculated for this Gate was—

“Five hours.”

The corners of Lee Tae-hyun’s mouth drew a smooth arc.

He slowly raised his right hand and spread five fingers toward them.

“I will clear this Gate within the next five hours.”

“W-what?”

“What did that guy just say…?”

After his bombshell declaration, a storm of questions poured in from the reporters.

But Lee Tae-hyun had already stepped into the Gate.