How to Live as a Mage in the Murim World

Chapter 36 – Episode 8: Martial Principles (3)

The principles of martial arts etched themselves onto his being.

As if guided by unseen hands, Zhuge Hyeonmong’s body moved according to the martial principles carved within his body.

He corrected his stumbling right foot, lowered his body, and effortlessly dodged the pebble as if he had calculated it beforehand.

It was incredibly graceful and natural movements.

“Not bad!”

Tang Hwa-ryeong was taken aback for a moment before grinning and readying for her next wave of attack.

Even before she launched her attack, Zhuge Hyeonmong could already see countless potential trajectories of pebbles that might spring from her hands.

He calculated that each potential trajectories were designed to intercept any movements he made.

Pure footwork alone wouldn’t save him.

‘In that case, I just need to use something else.’

With the peculiar sense of omnipotence he’d felt when first learning magic, Zhuge Hyeonmong constructed a spell formula.

He left the processing of that formula to his enlightenment, and that enlightenment instantly reinterpreted his spell formula, allowing him to reshape his spell.

Zhuge Hyeonmong pulled out the magic wand tucked at his waist.

Like a fisherman casting out a line, he drew the constructed formula and absorbed it into his body.

(TL Note: Magia Erebea!)

And so was born a technique from the combination of the Heaven’s Secret Steps and the Bewildering Maze Formation.

“!”

For the first time, ripples of shock appeared in Tang Hwa-ryeong’s eyes.

Zhuge Hyeonmong’s form blurred as he executed the Heaven’s Secret Steps. It’s as if he were enveloped by an ever-changing mist.

‘What is this?

A chill ran down her spine.

Not because there was any hostility in Zhuge Hyeonmong’s movements. Rather, it stemmed from a martial artist’s instinctual alarm at having allowed her opponent to close the distance, and the unsettling fact that even now, within her range, his presence remained elusive, as if shrouded in an ethereal mist.

And one more step.

Zhuge Hyeonmong had somehow entered within the one-zhang distance that Tang Hwa-ryeong had promised.

“…….”

Tang Hwa-ryeong fell silent.

Zhuge Jun also fell silent.

And Zhuge Hyeonmong fell silent as well.

All three were silent, each for their own reasons.

But that didn’t last long.

“Guh—!”

Zhuge Hyeonmong foamed at the mouth and collapsed face-first into the dirt.

***

It was a strange sensation.

A state of selflessness, a trance-like oblivion.

And when he regained consciousness, Zhuge Hyeonmong found himself in Allen’s world.

In his dream, Allen was practicing a lightness skill.

It was the very same Heaven’s Secret Steps that Zhuge Hyeonmong had just learned.

“…….”

In truth, this was something he had suspected to some extent.

Zhuge Hyeonmong was not exceptional in martial talent.

Despite his strategic mind, he wasn’t particularly skilled at combat.

He possessed neither exceptional reflexes nor agility.

Yet, at crucial moments, his body would move with an inexplicable natural grace that seemed beyond his own capabilities.

This time was no different.

‘So this is what Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream is about.’

Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly.

Dreaming so deeply, he couldn’t tell whether he had become a butterfly or the butterfly had become him.

The two were influencing each other.

Allen’s experiences affecting Zhuge Hyeonmong, and Zhuge Hyeonmong’s experiences affecting Allen.

Zhuge Hyeonmong could now somewhat understand why the intervals between dreams were irregular.

‘The more novel experiences I have, the more frequent the dreams become.’

Whenever he underwent unique experiences outside his norm, the period before he dreamed of Allen shortened.

Undoubtedly, the experiences he had were somehow stimulating Allen as well.

‘He executes the Heaven’s Secret Steps flawlessly.’

Though the footwork had imprinted itself on Zhuge Hyeonmong’s body, Allen wielded it with an ease that bordered on instinct.

The same applied to Peng Ak’s body conditioning techniques.

Zhuge Hyeonmong wasn’t merely observing either. By watching how Allen used his body, he could learn to some extent how to do it himself.

Of course, absorbing the spells Allen had learned at the Magic Tower remained the most important thing.

As if reflecting the significant experiences Zhuge Hyeonmong had recently undergone, Allen not only practiced the martial arts gleaned from Zhuge Hyeonmong’s world but also absorbed various teachings from the Magic Tower.

This wasn’t limited to just casting offensive or defensive spells.

Thanks to a certain eccentric professor of the Magic Tower, Allen would end up learning how to harvest mandrake. He learned to knock them unconscious before they could scream.

He also learned how to communicate with violent beasts that tried to claw anyone who approached them by using the Heaven’s Secret Steps to avoid their claws.

Time flowed rapidly. What felt like half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

It’s been a long time since Allen last conversed with his master.

“It’s been a while, Master. Are you alright?”

“Hmm, thank you for your concern.”

Laurent answered with a kind smile, but it’s clear how weary he is from his face.

Zhuge Hyeonmong knew the reason why.

Laurent was a mage with a high standing, not just in the Magic Tower, but also across the entire continent.

Mages of his caliber rarely spent their time in the Magic Tower.

Lately, Laurent spent his time travelling across the continent and fighting the beings known as demons (魔)

“Well, let’s set that aside for now. You’ve certainly changed much in the time I haven’t seen you.”

As Laurent said, Allen had changed considerably.

He was gradually losing his boyish features and becoming a proper young man.

“I heard you’re still causing a lot of trouble at the Magic Tower?”

“I’m sorry. Due to this disciple’s foolishness, I’ve tarnished your reputation…”

“Nonsense. It’s natural to make mistakes in one’s youth. It’s far more troublesome to do so when you are already old. Besides, one learns from such experiences.”

Laurent nodded.

“I believe you’re ready.”

“Ready for what?”

The next words from Laurent’s mouth made Zhuge Hyeonmong’s heart tremble.

“You’re ready to form your second Ring.”

***

Zhuge Hyeonmong opened his eyes.

“Are you alright, Brother?”

“…….”

Zhuge Hyeonmong was speechless. Of all moments to wake up, it had to be right after hearing Laurent suggesting that Allen try creating a second Ring.

The ceiling above was familiar.

Zhuge Hyeonmong sighed and tried to get up from his bed, only to wince as muscle aches spread throughout his body.

It wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t move, but the dull, persistent pain wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Your muscles are protesting after a period of inactivity. Although I’ve alleviated some of the strain, it would still be best not to push yourself too hard.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Zhuge Hyeonmong recall what he’d done just before he lost consciousness.

In that moment of clarity, he had somehow fused the martial principles of the Heaven’s Secret Steps with the Bewildering Maze Formation, merging two distinct concepts into one.

As Zhuge Hyeonmong’s thoughts reached this point, he felt a burning gaze upon him.

“What is it?”

“That footwork you showed us at the end. It was the Heaven’s Secret Steps, yet not quite. What was it?”

“I was… rather desperate at the time. I believe I combined the Heaven’s Secret Steps with the Bewildering Maze Formation’s formula.”

“You combined the Heaven’s Secret Steps and Bewildering Maze Formation, so it’s Heaven’s Secret Mirage Steps (天機迷理步)?”

Heaven’s Secret Mirage Steps.

Zhuge Hyeonmong nodded at the name that fit surprisingly well.

“Perhaps they were always meant to be one.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong thought to himself.

Allen was almost an idiot when it came to magic. Despite possessing immense mana affinity, he lacked the innate ability to properly construct spells.

But his martial talent surpassed anyone else’s.

This was evident during his mastery of the Heaven’s Secret Steps.

What Zhuge Hyeonmong struggled to internalize and embody despite grasping the principles of the martial arts, Allen had carved the martial principles into his body as if it were the most natural thing.

Allen had effortlessly reached a level of mastery that Zhuge Hyeonmong might not achieve even with ten years of practice.

Zhuge Hyeonmong was the opposite. While his martial talent might be lacking, he had some talent for magic.

‘Even so.’

Merging two completely disparate theories so seamlessly into one wasn’t something that could possibly be achieved on the spot.

“That really might be the case.”

“Is this not passed down in the Zhuge Family?”

“I’ve heard it was originally a footwork technique of the Arcane Faction. However, I also heard that various changes occurred after the Arcane Faction was expelled from the family.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Not just anyone could become a member of the Arcane Faction. I heard they utilized the Upper dantian instead of the usual lower one.”

“Upper dantian?”

“They say that once you open the Upper Dantian, it becomes extremely difficult to open the Lower Dantian. There are innate factors involved, so even in the past, the number of Arcane Faction wasn’t very large.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong roughly guessed what the Upper Dantian might be.

The single Ring existing above his head. That must be it.

Zhuge Hyeonmong recalled the knowledge he had seen through Allen in his dreams.

In ancient times, over a thousand years ago, the rings didn’t exist, and people only crudely utilized mana.

While mana was utilized in rudimentary forms, the current system of forming Rings for containing, controlling, and manipulating mana developed gradually with magical advancements..

The Zhuge Family’s Arcane Faction likely followed a similar path.

“I see.”

“Congratulations on your achievement. That should be sufficient to protect yourself.”

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Hyeonmong nodded.

While the Heaven’s Secret Steps were pure martial arts, the Heaven’s Secret Mirage Steps incorporated sorcery, making it easier for him to wield.

“So, does this mean I no longer need martial arts training?”

“Not for today.”

“What do you mean by ‘not for today’?”

“Now that you’ve taken your first step, shouldn’t you continue training?”

Zhuge Hyeonmong mustered a strained smile, which was met by Zhuge Jun’s equally bright smile.

As expected of someone sharing his surname, he was a formidable opponent.

But their confrontation didn’t last long.

“Damn it, Zhuge Hyeonmong! Are you in there? This blasted formation, no matter how many times I look at it…!”

Im Jun-gyu’s voice boomed from outside.

When the door was blasted open, there stood Im Jun-gyu, uncharacteristically dripping with cold sweat.

“What’s going on? What’s with the fuss? Did the Inspector from the Murim Alliance arrive?”

“Yes.”

“That’s sooner than expected. But since we anticipated this, why are you so flustered?”

“The Demonic Scripture has disappeared.”

“The Demonic Scripture?”

Now cold sweat began to trickle down Zhuge Hyeonmong’s spine as well.