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Chapter 139

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A Fortunate One I

1

As mentioned in the previous episode, monopolizing a \'miracle\' is impossible in this world.

To be more precise, it can be done, but the consequences that might follow are unpredictable.

It\'s like eating a high-carb dessert that\'s bad for your health.

“Hmm.”

And just like someone on a diet contemplating a delicious cake in front of them, I hesitated.

On the table lay a monkey\'s paw.

‘Where exactly does luck end and misfortune begin?’

For instance... yes.

To quickly form a connection with Tang Seorin, I embark on a pilgrimage to Busan\'s famous restaurants.

A course of top-notch restaurants composed of her favorite dishes.

I gathered this information by running around and accumulating knowledge over several turns.

Does the "The Law of Total Luck" count even this regression knowledge as \'luck\'?

‘If it does, that\'s a bit unfair. It should even consider my regression ability as luck.’

I chuckled.

After some research, it seemed the "The Law of Total Luck" wasn\'t as strict as that.

I had sweat, spent time, and sometimes risked my life to obtain the knowledge of a regressor.

It wasn\'t a luck suddenly falling from the sky, but an achievement obtained through relentless effort.

Thus, even if I consumed something like the \'Heart of Ten Clans,\' there would be no side effects. Oh Dokseo was worried for nothing.

‘Hmm. Then what exactly is true luck?’

I couldn\'t help but get intrigued.

‘Should I test it?’

It was the 590th turn. Typically, I enjoyed a \'vacation episode\' every 5 or 10 episodes, so it was perfect timing.

I had already completed the regression and wrapped up various early-stage tasks (recruiting the Saintess, employing Noh Doha, etc.).

And this time, I headed straight to Jeju Island.

I had already completed the tutorial dungeon on Jeju Island. It had opened much earlier than Busan Station, so naturally, it was done.

I found the "Monkey\'s Paw" near the summit of Seongsan Ilchulbong, next to the now-hairy, sprawled-out Kuro, and made my wish.

“Monkey\'s Paw, Monkey\'s Paw. Grant my wish.”

-……

“First, give me endless luck.”

The Monkey\'s Paw twitched and trembled. It seemed that was the correct way to make a wish.

“I mean, let me enjoy a luck that I would normally never be able to have. A luck so incredible it seems nearly impossible.”

-……!

“Second, let the side effects of the luck come exactly 10 years from now.”

-……! ……!

“Third, even after making the wish, delay turning me into a hairy beast for 10 years. That’s a kind of misfortune too, isn\'t it?”

-…….

At that moment, a strange laughter echoed from all around.

-Ukikikikiki! Hee! Ukikiki! Hik!

The sound of a monkey laughing. No, it was a strangely mechanical sound, as if AI was imitating a monkey\'s laughter.

With that sound, the Monkey\'s Paw suddenly turned to powder and melted away.

“Oh.”

If I were to interpret it, it was probably something like, "Your wish has been granted."

The powder was entirely absorbed into my forearm, but at a glance, there was no change in my body.

‘So, this means the luck begins now.’

What kind of events await me?

I stood still at the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong for a while, but no incidents occurred.

“Hmm.”

Did the wish work?

I returned to the mainland, half in doubt.

For a while, I focused on stabilizing the National Road Management Corps and other tasks, but nothing happened that I could call overwhelming \'luck.\'

I was beginning to think that maybe the "The Law of Total Luck" wasn\'t powerful enough and my wish had failed—when.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door of my office. I was temporarily staying at the National Road Management Corps headquarters since I hadn\'t yet conquered the Inunaki Tunnel in this turn.

“Who is it?”

-I\'ve heard the greatest swordsman in Korea resides here, so I\'ve come to find him.

“Hmm?”

The voice of the person who knocked was someone I had never heard before.

This was quite an unusual occurrence. Again, this happened during the 590th turn. By this time, without exaggeration, I had met almost every person living in Busan at least once.

Just in case there might be a [Teleportation] ability user somewhere in the world, as Old Scho suggested, I usually made a point to form connections with people I didn’t know.

But a completely new voice?

And they said they came to find the greatest swordsman in Korea. That means they\'re quite a unique character, yet I don\'t know them?

“I don\'t know what brings you here, but please come in.”

-Then I\'ll come in.

The door opened.

How should I describe it?

An incredibly beautiful boy stood there.

“Uh...”

If you\'ve listened to my stories before, you\'d know that I don\'t casually make judgments about other people\'s appearances.

If I were to say someone was ‘beautiful’ or ‘pretty,’ it would be because their appearance had such an overwhelming charm that I couldn\'t help but praise it.

Just as one must call a mountain a mountain, when something is beautiful, it must be called beautiful.

I only describe a face with \'irresistible\' charm, a kind of miracle that nature bestows upon the human world.

Therefore, the boy before me had a radiance to his face more intense than any man I had ever seen.

Gray hair. Not the color of aging, but a vibrant hue. A sign that the visitor was an awakened one.

His fashion was unique. Was it traditional Korean clothing? No, it was more like a tattered hemp robe from the Joseon Dynasty.

Even with an outfit that should have caused a -30 debuff to his appearance, it couldn\'t suppress the visitor\'s aura at all.

I was amazed again.

That I hadn\'t encountered such a person in 590 turns?

Even if I hadn\'t seen him, his face should always be talked about on SGNet, right?

“Oh, I\'m sorry. I stared at your face too much. My apologies.”

“It’s no problem.”

His voice was also astonishingly clear.

I realized belatedly that the visitor\'s way of speaking was quite odd.

The voice was so outstanding that I hadn\'t even noticed the content of his words.

Though his hair color and appearance differed, if there were a male version of Koyori, wouldn\'t it be at this level?

‘That\'s strange. I\'ve heard this way of speaking somewhere before, but where was it...?’

I couldn’t quite recall.

A young boy with gray hair opened his mouth very politely.

"More importantly, are you the greatest swordsman of the Korean Peninsula, the one who simultaneously cut through the hearts of Ten Clans, Doctor Jang?"

"Uh, yes. Although I had the help of other Awakened ones, it is true that my alias is Doctor Jang."

"Hmm. I see I have come to the right person."

The young boy gently tapped his waist. Even the way he moved his fingers was elegant.

There was a sword hilt hanging from the hemp belt around his waist. It looked more like a practice sword rather than a real one.

"I, too, though lacking in skill, walk the path of a warrior. Hearing of your reputation, I dared to seek you out even at the risk of rudeness upon this first meeting. Would you not share a duel with me?"

"...Uh."

Wait a moment.

\'The title of \'I\'? A warrior? An aluminum practice sword?\'

A terrifying sense of foreboding suddenly overwhelmed my mind.

It was like standing at the edge of a swamp, unable to use light-footed techniques and being forced to wade in with sandals on—a strange feeling of dread suddenly overcame me.

But I, Doctor Jang, was known as a master of mental fortitude. I forced the unease down and spoke calmly.

"...Hmm. I\'m more than willing to engage in some martial practice, but may I ask for your name?"

"Oh dear, look at this. I completely forgot to introduce myself. As one ages, manners should come naturally, but it seems I’m still far from being a proper ascetic. Hahaha."

The young boy, who seemed barely 18, criticized his own age while taking a very formal bow, the kind you would only see in old Hong Kong movies.

"You may call me the Sword Maiden. I am a noble of the long-lost Kingdom of Sirand and the head of the Mount Hua Sect."

"..."

"Recently, by sheer luck, I attained a great enlightenment and reverted to my youthful form. However, I am not content with this level and intend to dedicate myself to further training, which is the duty of any true warrior! That is why I seek to learn a thing or two from you, Doctor Jang!"

"..."

This is insane.

2

The Sword Maiden, or at least the boy who claimed to be, was, in fact, extremely powerful.

"Hahaha! Truly, the world is vast, and the martial world is full of masters! To think that there is a swordsman of such a high level even in this remote region. I have learned much today!"

"Uh, yes..."

In our duel, I won. But for a regressor like me, who has lived through 590 turns, victory is nothing but a basic prerequisite.

The problem was the process leading to that victory.

The Sword Maiden exchanged 101 moves with me.

In truth, other than the sword spirits that appear in the great void of the dream within a dream, only a few could claim to be the best in the world, and he was at a level where he could fight on par with me.

He possessed the kind of strength that could be entrusted with holding a frontline against monsters. The gray-haired, insane martial arts enthusiast before me was that powerful.

This was a tremendous asset that had joined our side.

So, naturally, I should have been happy.

I should have been, but...

"Sir... you’re quite skilled..."

"Haha! Though I may be older, how can I accept praise from a junior who surpasses me in skill? Don’t make this old man feel ashamed."

"Yes..."

"Hmm! I plan to stay here in Dongnae for a while. I have realized that my current level is still insufficient to restore the glory of the Mount Hua Sect. Until I can at least fight on par with you, Doctor Jang, I intend to devote myself entirely to training."

"..."

Why does this feel so uncomfortable?

Is this crazy martial artist seriously claiming he looked like this in his prime? Did he actually wield a sword this well?

Am I really supposed to believe this, you wretched monster?

"Hmph."

"...?"

No, this was all just an illusion created by Koyori!

Damn. To think she’d cast such an intricate spell on me without my even noticing! Koyori, you terrifying child...!

I tried every possible method to inflict pain on my cheek. For some reason, I didn\'t wake up from the dream.

Damn it.

"Why are you doing that? A young man developing a habit of self-harm is not good."

I’m several thousand times older than you, you know.

No, that\'s not the point.

"So, sir, you mentioned experiencing something like a rejuvenation, right?"

"Indeed."

"As you know, the world has become quite dangerous these days. That rejuvenation could have been the work of some monster\'s trickery. Could I ask how exactly you experienced such a miraculous event...?"

"Ah, it’s no problem. The profound truths of enlightenment should be shared among like-minded friends!"

The Sword Maiden stroked his chin.

As if there were a long, non-existent beard there.

Honestly, at this level of madness, it could almost be considered performance art.

"It was when I was meditating on the beach of Yuldo Island."

So, you were just fishing on the beach of Ulleungdo, right? I get it.

"But then, though it wasn\'t even night yet, the sky over the horizon turned into the Milky Way."

"...?"

"That\'s right. I suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. I thought, the distinction between day and night is just a temporary human construct, and in the endless cycle of time, it’s merely a brief flicker of light followed by darkness, repeating endlessly. All things in the world follow this cycle. It is strange to see night unfold during the day or day during the night. The very fact that I found it odd revealed that I was still bound by my own prejudices. Thus, a warrior is one who, armed with a single sword, either pushes through with determination or hastens the arrival of the perfect truth that will eventually unfold. Day remains day, holding its own beauty, and night remains night, shining with the Milky Way. Even if only for a moment, witnessing that fleeting instant is the privilege of us individuals. Ah, then, if I wish to extend that privilege, it is not mere selfishness but a devotion to all living things that flicker briefly before passing away."

I apologize for subjecting you to this long-winded explanation, but the Sword Maiden genuinely said all of that.

I wanted to interrupt, but it was difficult to find the right moment. Sometimes I forgot that the old man (no longer, apparently) in front of me was the one who held the fate of the Korean Peninsula\'s food production in his hands.

I couldn’t afford to interrupt him and risk offending him.

"So... after attaining that enlightenment...?"

"When I woke up, I found myself rejuvenated. Hahaha."

What is this?

Is this just pure luck?

Oh.

Oh!

\'Pure luck!\'

Finally, I remembered the time a year ago when I made a wish to the monkey\'s paw on Jeju Island.

That’s right.

The Sword Maiden had \'luckily\' \'somehow\' gained enlightenment while meditating on the beach and had undergone rejuvenation.

It was, in short, a stroke of good luck—a kind of miraculous encounter that had never occurred once in all 590 loops!

I glanced at the Sword Maiden. The old man—or rather, the young boy—was laughing heartily.

And.

As would soon be revealed, the Sword Maiden\' rejuvenation was just the beginning of the \'good luck\' I would experience in the 590th turn.