SWNOVELXO Chapter 17
“Hoorok.”
Chairman Han Min-seong took a sip of his hot green tea, glancing at Lee Jun subtly.
‘He looks ordinary.’
He meticulously examined Lee Jun’s body, searching for hidden strength.
Curiosity burned as he wondered if Lee Jun truly cleared the Gate.
A subtle exploration was underway to uncover his true power.
‘Since it’s not Samjae Simbeop, he didn’t learn school martial arts… but did he obtain a new martial art somewhere?’
Chairman Han Min-seong tilted his head in confusion.
The chances of obtaining a martial arts manual were slim, especially for energy-based martial arts, which were extremely rare.
Out of thousands of martial arts manuals, only about a hundred had been acquired by first-generation awakeners who cleared Gates.
Given the sheer number of manuals available from F to S rank, this number was insignificant.
‘He couldn’t have stolen it, so maybe from the divine family… No, that doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t risk bringing disgrace to their name by giving Lee Jun something like the “Flower of Succession.”’
The Flower of Succession was a legendary artifact that could reset a martial art, allowing the practitioner to learn a new one.
Obtaining it was difficult.
It was only found in the highest-difficulty Black Zones, with its blooms unpredictable, making it worth at least one billion won.
‘There’s no need to provoke the family’s hatred by using the Flower of Succession on Lee Jun.’
The wife of the King of Power, Lee Geon-moo, is the younger sister of the head of the Pae-wang Do family.
Everyone knew the story of how Lee Jun was exiled from his family because of her.
Since Lee Jun was the child born outside the family, he was bound to be disliked.
‘It drives me crazy. I don’t know how he learned the martial arts of the King’s family or the school’s martial arts, but he’s nothing more than a D-class awakener.’
The brief aura Lee Jun displayed during the hearing was frightening, even intimidating an A-class awakener like himself.
Yet, that overwhelming presence wasn’t present in Lee Jun now.
Chairman Han Min-seong was troubled, while Lee Jun listened to the voice of his master, the Wugeukja.
[That fool is trying to figure out your energy.]
‘Like last time, he won’t notice it, right?’
[Keke. That fool will never sense your energy. Why do you think I had the world’s greatest artisan threaten to make this?]
‘How much of my energy is hidden?’
[At this level, even AA-class awakeners can’t detect your energy.]
Lee Jun glanced down at the sleek silver ring on his left ring finger—the Honyun Ring.
It looked stylish enough to be mistaken for a couple’s ring.
Yet its function was incredible.
The Wugeukja added with a chuckle,
[Heh heh. I had the greatest artisan in the world make it under threat.]
A bizarre and boastful master, indeed.
“Didn’t you say you had something to say?”
Chairman Han Min-seong set down his teacup and adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
“I called you because I was worried about Lee Gi-hong’s situation affecting you, Lee Jun. How is the King doing?”
“I’m the discarded child, so I don’t know much about my father’s well-being.”
Hearing that truth from his mouth left Han Min-seong momentarily stunned.
“I let something slip. I just wanted to check if you were feeling down because of Lee Gi-hong’s situation, but it seems you’re doing well, so you can go now.”
For Han Min-seong, it was a humiliating defeat.
He, who led the information network of the Shingi family, had never been unable to discern a student’s true identity until now.
“I’ll be going now. Goodbye.”
Lee Jun gave a polite bow and left the chairman’s office.
Shortly after, Han Min-seong’s secretary, Nam A-young, entered.
“How did it go?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I… couldn’t figure out Lee Jun’s true identity.”
“Are you serious?”
Nam A-young had served as Han Min-seong’s secretary since becoming an adult.
It was rare for him to be unable to uncover information, making this situation even more surprising.
“Yes. This is unprecedented; it’s quite bewildering.”
“Ah…”
Nam A-young had some understanding of why Lee Jun had easily brushed off his grasp.
“We need to investigate Lee Jun further.”
“I’ll pass the message through the secret line.”
“Let Nam A-young handle it directly.”
“Yes.”
“It seems we need to summon Ji-yoo quickly.”
Han Min-seong thought his niece, Han Ji-yoo, was the only one who could handle this situation effectively.
***
‘I need to be more cautious when entering Gates in the future.’
Honyun Shin-gong wasn’t aligned with any of the Five Elements—Earth, Water, Fire, or Metal.
If the 15 Clan Alliance discovered this fact, they would likely pursue the martial arts origins.
Such a troublesome situation must be avoided at all costs.
Of course, if the strength to handle it alone arose, there would be no need to conceal it.
‘CCTV might be avoidable, but the problem is with the secret line, controlled by the chairman.’
The secret line was the intelligence network of the Shingi family.
They monopolized operations such as Regen Gates and artifacts.
[Why worry? Your inner energy is hidden by the Honyun Ring, and as long as you avoid the secret line, you’ll be fine.]
‘It’s not that easy. I’ll be under surveillance 24/7 for now.’
[Heh, even they’re just people. They’ll rotate watching you. Wait for the right moment.]
Lee Jun had already considered that, but intentionally giving a hint to Mugeukja worked perfectly.
‘Exactly! It’s my master.’
[It’s nothing special. Hmph.]
Lee Jun could sense the slight smile in Mugeukja’s voice.
***
Returning to the dormitory, Lee Jun checked on Parang first.
The bowl of milk was already empty. How hungry must Parang be to keep licking the bowl?
Lee Jun poured more milk.
Parang eagerly devoured the milk, licking it clean again and again.
[He’s enjoying himself.]
“Right? This is why people say they like pets like dogs and cats.”
The cuteness of a puppy was unmatched, especially when they were still young.
Lee Jun squatted down, watching Parang finish the milk.
Suddenly, a notification chimed.
[Parang’s affection increased by +5.] [Parang feels full.] [Parang wants to sleep.]
“You’re full, so you want to sleep now. Alright.”
Lee Jun gently laid Parang down on the couch.
“Zzzzz…”
“Oh, what do I do with you?”
Lee Jun couldn’t take his eyes off Parang.
After a while, he gently swiped down to bring up Parang’s status window.
[Basic Info]
Name: Parang – Growth: 1%
Species: Cheongho(?)
Rarity: ??
Element: Fire
Affinity: 25
「Full. Yum…」
Region (1/2): Cheongho’s Nest (Green Zone)
[Attributes]
Attack: F Defense: F Speed: ???
Special Attack: F Special Defense: F
Passive Skills – None
Active Skills – None
“Seems like it just hatched, so the stats aren’t great.”
Honestly, he didn’t mind at all.
Cheongho would eventually grow into a Red-class monster.
Therefore, the concern about its initial weakness wasn’t necessary.
“The real issue is its size…”
For now, its small size was manageable, but once it grew, it would become a headache.
It wouldn’t be easy to raise something of that size within the dormitory.
That’s when a brilliant idea struck him.
“Exactly!”
[So, you’ve started thinking now.]
“Do you know what kind of thought I had?”
[Using the Nest Owner’s privilege, I presume.]
“Ugh, a ghost.”
[Hoho, you’re still in the palm of my hand.]
Before Lee Jun could respond, a white circle appeared next to him.
[Cheongho’s Nest Gate has been opened.] [Please designate the passageway.] [Remaining designation points: 2.]
“Done.”
Lee Jun cautiously peered inside.
The scene inside was exactly as he remembered—no lingering miasma, only a vast desert and an oasis in sight.
“It feels like a walking warehouse has been created. Hmm, where should I designate the point?”
A location away from secret line surveillance would be ideal.
Lee Jun brushed his chin thoughtfully and then suddenly exclaimed.
“There!”
He snuck out of the dormitory, heading towards the mountain behind it—a place he frequently visited during training.
Surrounded by dense trees, it was the perfect spot to evade surveillance.
“Point designation.”
[The passageway to Cheongho’s Nest Gate has been connected.] [Remaining designation points: 1.]
“Summon the gate.”
Lee Jun quickly summoned the gate.
Entering the portal and stepping out, he found himself back in his dorm room.
“It’s perfect, Master.”
Not only did he have his own space, but also a convenient travel route.
Only one designation point remained, and connecting it to a distant location away from prying eyes would completely evade secret line surveillance.
“Two problems solved at once?”
With worries fading away.
“Shall we head to a White Zone Gate for purification?”
[Why the sudden eagerness? You’re suggesting training first.]
“I can’t stop thinking about that untapped skill tree.”
[That’s just the early signs of addiction, my disciple.]
Now, the only thing left was to grow stronger.
Lee Jun used the connected passageway to travel to a nearby White Zone Gate.
***
Lee Jun sat in the back row, staring out the window.
The tech tree points flickered in front of his eyes.
Over the past few days, he had been sneaking off the o gates after school, but his stats weren’t improving, and no quests were being given.
‘Should I go to a Green Zone Gate?’
It was time to move on to the next stage.
He had a particular gate in mind—a Green Zone Gate known as the Cave of Flames, where a Fire Stone artifact was hidden.
This discovery had been made by a monster tamer named Oh Tae-jun.
By chance, Oh Tae-jun stumbled upon the Fire Stone and, enchanted, fed it to his monster.
An incredible transformation occurred.
A White-class monster immediately grew into a Blue-class monster.
Lee Jun had personally witnessed this in a previous life.
‘I need to feed the Fire Stone to Cheongho.’
Cheongho also needed to grow stronger.
As the creature grew, it would undoubtedly become a valuable asset to Lee Jun.
There was no reason not to train it. However, he didn’t feel sorry for Oh Tae-jun.
Oh Tae-jun, who had been an E-class Awakener, had swiftly risen to B-class.
But after gaining power, he became intoxicated with it.
His actions became increasingly malicious—throwing humans to monsters as food, assaulting women, and even killing them.
Eventually, the 15 Families Alliance intervened, bringing an end to him.
‘Knowing the future is such a wonderful thing.’
There were countless potent elixirs to feed Cheongho.
Even choosing the best three would turn him into a Red-class monster.
‘I hope class ends quickly.’
His mind was filled with thoughts of training Cheongho.
In the midst of this, an intriguing conversation caught his attention.
“I’ve got a fascinating piece of news. Want to hear it?”
“Is it something fun? Tell me.”
“Our class got a new student named Binghwa.”
“You must be joking. Why would she come here? Does that even make sense?”
“Ugh, clueless.”
The male students began playfully hitting the friend who brought up the topic.
Class 5 consisted solely of F and E-grade students.
There was no way the school’s top elite would be assigned there.
“I’m telling you, it’s true.”
“Bring a credible story, man. Seriously.”
“It’s real….”
Just as the male student’s face began to fall, the classroom buzzed with excitement.
“H, Han Ji-yoo? It’s Han Ji-yoo!”
“This guy is something! Cut it out.”
“Don’t believe it? Look over there.”
At his words, the male students turned their heads toward the back door of the classroom.
“T, that’s… her…”
“Indeed… wow, I… gulp.”
Seeing the reactions of his classmates, Lee Jun also turned his head towards the classroom’s back door.
A girl with long, flowing hair.
Her fair skin stood out, along with a cold, icy expression.
[Ho. Quite a beauty.]
‘Why is she here?’
Like the third year, Han Ji-yoo had not yet attended school.
A privilege given only to those ranked within the top 20.
She was granted exclusive training time to cultivate her skills.
Han Ji-yoo’s rank was 10th.
[Do you know her personally?]
‘I only know her by face and name.’
[Seems like you like her. Your face is turning red.]
Lee Jun touched his face.
The heat was rising; his face felt warm.
Shaking his head vigorously, he dismissed Mugeukja’s comment.
‘No.’
[Hoho. No need to be embarrassed. A true gentleman would speak honestly. Tell this master the truth.]
‘She’s scary… truly scary. I don’t want to get close to her.’
Han Ji-yoo is the first daughter of Jeokgalse’s martial arts lineage, succeeding the Shin Gija.
She holds the nickname “Binghwa” and is a B-grade Awakener.
There was no reason for her to come to Class 5, consisting solely of F and E-grade students, especially when she could easily receive special privileges to train privately.
As Lee Jun pondered, his classmates were making a commotion.
“Hey, go talk to her once.”
“If you want to, do it yourself. I’m too nervous to do it.”
“Ugh. You guys are so pathetic. Get out of the way. I’ll ask her.”
Among the gathered male students, a well-groomed boy walked up to Han Ji-yoo.
“Do you have something to do here?”
“…….”
Han Ji-yoo didn’t even glance at the boy who spoke to her.
Her gaze was fixed on the seat where Lee Jun was sitting.