Kali — Part 3
I narrowed my eyes and fixed my gaze on Kali.
“While you’re navigating the obstacle course, I’m going to shoot you with this.”
Kali’s eyes wavered, trembling as if an earthquake had struck.
Baek Sorin sighed from beside her.
“Teacher, stop scaring her. You modified that gun, didn’t you? Even if it’s a real gun, the bullets aren’t actual bullets, right?”
“Sorin’s right. The bullets are real, but they’re not lethal. They’re rubber rounds designed for suppression.”
“Phew…”
Kali visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.
But she really shouldn’t let her guard down.
Bang!
I aimed at the log bridge ahead and pulled the trigger.
A sharp crack echoed as the rubber round struck the bridge, causing a puff of dust to rise from the surface.
Even though it was a rubber bullet, the impact was loud and forceful enough to draw attention.
Kali stiffened, her expression turning grim.
“W-Won’t it hurt if I get hit?”
“It will hurt. And this isn’t an ordinary gun either. Have you heard of the Dasan Gun?”
“Dasan Gun?”
“That’s a new one for me.”
“It’s an enchanted firearm. For you, I’ve loaded it with a Stun enchantment. If you get hit, the pain isn’t the only issue—your body will freeze up. And if that happens, you’ll have to start the course over from the beginning.”
This was why I built the facility myself.
There was a high likelihood of falling while navigating the course, so I made sure the entire area was as safe as possible. No matter where she fell, she wouldn’t get hurt.
“And the obstacle course is also littered with magical traps.”
“Magical traps…”
“Don’t worry, they’re not dangerous. They’re Slow magic traps. When you hit one, your body will slow down. As you experience this alongside being hit by my bullets, pay close attention to the sensations. They’re directly related to the trait you need to awaken.”
The Stun enchantment on the Dasan Gun and the Slow traps I had prepared were key.
The obstacle course itself was designed to replicate the Kali Temple, but these two elements were the real deal.
There are two ways to implement Stun and Slow: one is to affect the nervous system, and the other is to manipulate time itself.
Time.
The domain of the goddess Kali and the authority granted by the [Blood of the Goddess].
By learning time-related slowing techniques and evolving the three traits she’d already acquired into time-related abilities, Kali would become a fully realized SSR-grade character.
“Haaah…”
Kali let out several deep breaths, clearly trying to steel herself.
“Alright, I’ll do it. But, Teacher, I have a suggestion.”
“Go on.”
“Running this course indefinitely is too exhausting. Can I rest for ten minutes after each lap? Maybe even have some ice cream? Yesterday was so tough…”
She looked at me with a desperate expression.
I paused, considering her request.
Was it really that difficult?
Compared to what Baek Sorin and Janet had endured, it was nothing.
Baek Sorin and Janet chimed in from the sidelines.
“She’s right, Teacher. Running without rest is too harsh.”
“And it’s not just running, is it?”
“You’re shooting her and throwing magical traps into the mix.”
“Kali’s situation is different from ours, Teacher.”
Well, they weren’t wrong.
Baek Sorin had been utterly desperate to become a superhuman. Janet, on the other hand, carried a deep, vengeful resolve in her heart.
Kali, meanwhile, was more of a silver spoon type.
Not quite on Kim Mabeob’s level, but still a privileged young lady from a wealthy family.
Even after learning about her bloodline, she probably hadn’t fully grasped the reality of it yet.
“Alright. You can rest for ten minutes after each lap. If there’s anything you want to eat, just let me know. I can have it delivered by drone.”
“Yay! I’ll do my absolute best!”
“Good. Putting in your best effort is what matters.”
Kali moved to the starting point of the obstacle course.
The first challenge was the diagonal rope net climb.
I had installed magical safety fields below to ensure she wouldn’t get hurt even if she fell.
I’d spent quite a bit of money building this facility.
Might as well make the most of it later.
If I tweak it a little, I might even be able to unlock a few traits for myself.
“I’m starting now!”
Kali began climbing the rope net.
Her initial movements were clumsy, but she quickly adapted and started climbing smoothly.
She must have seen something similar on TV or the internet before.
“Huh? Huh?!”
Suddenly, her pace slowed.
One of the magical traps embedded in the net had activated.
Her speed dropped to less than half.
I calmly raised the sniper rifle in my hands.
Although the obstacles partially blocked my view and the angle wasn’t great, I had a clear shot through a small gap in the net.
Bang!
A sharp crack echoed.
“Ahh!”
Kali let out a scream as she fell.
“Kali!”
“Are you okay?!”
Baek Sorin and Janet rushed toward her in a panic.
I, on the other hand, remained calm.
With Insight Vision, I could see that her metabolic processes had slowed to an extreme due to the combined effects of Stun and Slow, but she hadn’t sustained any injuries.
Sure enough, Kali staggered to her feet a moment later.
“This… isn’t easy…”
“Are you hurt?”
“What about where the bullet hit?”
“Ugh, it’s bruised…”
Even though I had adjusted the bullets to minimize pain, a bullet was still a bullet.
Her right shoulder, where she’d been hit, was visibly bruised and swollen.
Baek Sorin shot me a glare filled with reproach.
I handed her a high-grade healing potion I had prepared in advance.
“Apply this to the wound. There’s no need for her to endure the pain while running the course.”
“Wow, Teacher. That’s surprisingly sweet of you. You never gave us anything like this.”
“Don’t you remember drinking Holy Water like it was water? Do you know how much each bottle cost?”
“Oh, right.”
“I didn’t get anything…”
“That’s because your trait awakening was different.”
Did she seriously think Vajra Body awakening and Slow-related awakening were the same thing?
Baek Sorin carefully dabbed a small amount of the healing potion onto Kali’s wound.
High-grade healing potions were worth their price.
The bruise vanished almost instantly, and Kali’s expression visibly brightened.
“Sorin, keep this with you and apply it whenever she gets hurt. She’s going to get hurt a lot.”
“Don’t you have a gentler method, Teacher?”
“If we take it slow, it’ll take too long. Normally, you’d start building a foundation from a young age, then awaken traits through intensive rituals during the goddess festival. Pain and hardship are unavoidable.”
“There’s no need to rush this much, though.”
“I don’t have time. And neither do you.”
“Me?”
“You’re about to reach Level 5.”
“Ah…”
Baek Sorin let out a surprised gasp, as if even she hadn’t realized it.
That’s the Heavenly Killing Star for you—always full of surprises. Thanks to the real combat she had during the Seoul Terror incident, her mana circuits were blooming.
She was right on the verge of Level 5.
Hearing my words, Janet began hopping up and down excitedly.
“Congratulations!”
“Thanks. But it hasn’t happened just yet.”
“It’s going to happen soon. Anyway, when you hit Level 5, I have to be there with you. Also, once you’re Level 5, you’ll start participating in the Superhuman Combat League at the Colosseum, so keep that in mind.”
“Superhuman Combat? Isn’t that too dangerous? You told us not to fight humans because it’s too risky.”
“I’ll be fighting alongside you.”
“Wowwww!”
Baek Sorin started stomping her feet in excitement.
She must’ve been bottling up some frustration after only fighting monsters, mutants, and magical beasts. Even though fighting terrorists had eased some of that tension, it probably wasn’t enough.
Now, the anticipation of achieving Level 5 and the prospect of superhuman combat lit her eyes up with excitement.
Kali, watching Baek Sorin, looked at her with envy.
“Do you think I can become a Level 5 like sister Sorin?”
“Of course. You and Sorin have similar talent. Actually, all three of you do. You were all born with gifts from the heavens. If you work hard, you’ll reach Level 8 in no time.”
“Level 8? I’d be happy just getting to Level 5.”
“Level 5 will happen soon enough. Alright, you’ve rested long enough. Let’s get back to it. When you approach the part of the course where the trap triggered earlier, prepare yourself. Same with when I shoot. You can resist it if you focus.”
“Resist? But I’m not even a superhuman yet…”
“You can. The [Blood of the Goddess] flows within you.”
Kali started running again.
The same scene repeated itself.
She climbed the net, slowed down, got shot, and fell.
This happened all morning.
Out of 18 obstacles, she couldn’t get past the first one.
Baek Sorin glanced at her watch and spoke up.
“Maybe we should break for lunch?”
“Yeah, let’s eat first.”
Even ghosts that die full look better, and even Mount Geumgang is best appreciated on a full stomach.
I made sure the meal was plentiful.
I grilled marinated beef ribs over charcoal, serving them with lettuce wraps and other vegetables, along with a pot of doenjang stew I had made myself.
Janet and Kali, both of whom had lived in Korea for a while, devoured the food with enthusiasm.
“This is so good!”
“Did you make this yourself?”
“I didn’t know you were such a good cook, Teacher.”
“It’s basic stuff. I even made the kimbap we ate yesterday.”
“That wasn’t delivered?”
“Nope.”
Living alone for so long, I’ve learned to cook just about anything.
But there was a specific reason I made this meal myself.
[Cooking]
That’s right—this trait.
During the Japanese Cuisine School incident, crafting-related traits had proven extremely valuable.
So, these days, I wasn’t just focusing on combat traits. I was also paying attention to lifestyle and crafting traits.
Even household chores reflect this.
Though I had bought an expensive cleaning drone, I still took the time to clean this massive mansion myself whenever I had spare time.
I often hand-washed laundry, too, even though I had a washing machine.
There’s a high-level trait you can combine from cleaning, laundry, and other lifestyle traits.
It’s surprisingly effective despite seeming unconventional.
“Do you really think I can do it? I can’t believe I couldn’t even clear the first obstacle all morning…”
“You can do it.”
“Don’t lose heart.”
Baek Sorin and Janet patted Kali on the shoulder to comfort her.
Instead of showering her with empty words, I gave her objective data.
“You’re making progress. At first, the moment a trap triggered, you slowed down immediately. But now, you’re resisting for 0.3 seconds before it takes effect.”
“0.3 seconds? Does that even matter?”
“In the world of superhumans, it does. You’ve also moved one step higher on the net before I hit you with the sniper rifle.”
“One step…”
“Your goal for the first obstacle is to resist for 0.5 seconds. Once you do that, you’ll move out of my sniper angle. Even if I shoot, the pillar will block the bullet.”
I had designed the angles meticulously.
Even without being a superhuman, someone with just slightly better-than-average resistance could clear the obstacle.
“0.2 seconds…”
Kali repeated those words to herself, her eyes lighting up.
That’s how people are.
When the goal is within sight and rewards are immediate, they find strength.
There’s a reason games are so fun.
Unlike real life, they give you clear short-term goals and quick rewards, making them addictive.
The effect of that 0.2 seconds was tremendous.
After lunch, Kali rushed back into the course and cleared the first obstacle in one go.
“Waaaaaah!”
Standing at the top of the net, Kali let out a triumphant roar like a lion.
The second and third obstacles were similar.
Though they required slightly longer resistance times, she failed only once or twice before overcoming them.
She also began resisting the Stun enchantment.
Instead of freezing immediately when hit, her movements became sluggish before she stopped entirely.
“Teacher, doesn’t it feel like she’s almost there?”
“Yeah. She’s close now.”
Inside Kali’s heart, a new seed was sprouting.
The other seeds within her were stirring in response.
Among them, one mana circuit hidden deep in her spine stood out.
[Blood of the Goddess]
The key now was awakening it.
Using the large speakers I had prepared earlier, I began playing a specific type of music.
[Boom! Boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom!]
The music was a composition of loud and small drumbeats.
It made your heart race naturally.
Blood surged violently through the body.
It felt as though the ferocity of the jungle and the chaos of a bloody battle were drawing near.
Even I, Baek Sorin, and Janet were flushed red.
The one reacting most intensely, of course, was Kali.
Her face turned bright red.
Bloodshot veins appeared in Kali’s eyes.
The mana circuit hidden deep in her spinal cord and the three seeds nestled within her heart flared up with an intense mana resonance.
‘I’m glad I paid close attention to the descriptions.’
As I’ve mentioned countless times, Arcane Seoul is a mobile game.
The Kali Temple is only described in detail within Kali’s personal quest.
I remembered Kali’s dialogue from the game and recreated the environment as closely as possible.
Music?
Even in this world, you can find everything online if you dig deep enough.
A YouTube-like app does the trick just fine.
“Eeeyahhhh!”
Kali let out a wild scream.
“Eeeeyaaaaahhh!”
Her movements changed.
She looked like a lioness on the hunt.
Ignoring the slowing traps entirely, she charged through the obstacles with unrelenting speed.
The Stun bullets from my enchanted gun? They were no different than mosquito bites to her now.
She sprinted across the log bridge.
Leapt up the tightrope like it was a springboard.
Scaled and descended the rock wall effortlessly.
Plunged ten meters down using a rope.
Bang! Bang-bang!
I fired continuously, this time with my twin pistols instead of the sniper rifle.
Without my traits like [Sharpshooter] and [Aim Assist], I wouldn’t have been able to hit her from such a distance.
The Stun bullets struck her body repeatedly, unrelenting in their assault.
Yet their effects only pushed her further.
The time-related properties of the Stun bullets resonated with Kali’s core, awakening the dormant power of the goddess within her.
“Ah!”
Kali abruptly stopped and stood tall, her body rigid.
The deep drumbeats echoing from the speakers and the mana saturating the garden were guiding her.
Guiding her toward the goddess.
Toward her distant mother.
Toward the goddess Kali, who had descended in ancient times to bear her child.
The seeds began to germinate.
Roots extended, sprouts emerged.
The stems intertwined with her spinal cord, merging into something entirely new.
Her traits were redefined into superior abilities.
[Stealth] evolved into [Shadow Step].
[Dance] evolved into [Blood Dance].
[Slow] evolved into [Time Manipulation].
Each was a top-tier ability: mobility, combat technique, and crowd control, all with enhanced effects.
With [Shadow Step], she could traverse the battlefield freely through shadows.
With [Blood Dance], a combination of martial arts and dance, she could deliver powerful attacks while evading fluidly.
With [Time Manipulation], she could accelerate her own movements and decelerate her enemies’.
‘But something’s still missing.’
[Blood Dance], while strong, is more akin to combat enhancement traits like [Swordsmanship Expert] or [Close-Combat Mastery] than full-fledged martial arts like the Tiger King Sword Technique.
It’s excellent for boosting normal attacks, critical hits, and evasion, but the last missing piece is Kalaratri.
The most lethal of the Three Great Sword Arts.
With Kalaratri, Kali would finally become the complete “top three warrior” character she was meant to be.
“Haaah…”
Kali exhaled deeply.
She took a step forward.
In that instant, her figure vanished, reappearing from within my shadow.
She playfully reached out to grab me, but there was no way I’d let her succeed.
I caught her wrist firmly.
Kali giggled as I restrained her.
“Hehe, guess it didn’t work.”
“Congratulations on your Level 3 awakening.”
“Eek?! Level 3 already?”
She must’ve unknowingly consumed a lot of elixirs growing up, courtesy of her silver spoon upbringing.
Disbelieving, Kali quickly patted herself down as if to confirm.
Even after hearing it from me, she struggled to process it.
Baek Sorin and Janet, however, beamed with joy.
“Congrats!”
“Wow, Level 3 right from the start! That’s amazing! You’ll hit Level 5 in no time!”
“Seriously, are you going to hit Level 8 before I do? You’re not allowed to!”
“Same here!”
“Uh, uh… thank you. Really, thank you.”
Kali, who had been stuttering like a broken machine, soon smiled brightly and expressed her gratitude.
To Baek Sorin and Janet for their congratulations.
To me for awakening her abilities.
Pop-pop-pop!
She dashed through the obstacle course as a test run.
Her speed was terrifying.
Fifteen seconds.
She cleared all 18 obstacles, not spending more than a single second on any of them.
That was the power of [Shadow Step] and [Time Manipulation].
Kali was fundamentally an assassin-warrior hybrid.
There was a reason why she was considered more lethal than even Janet, the most offensively powerful member of the group.
“Impressive.”
“Hehehe.”
Kali stuck out her tongue and grinned at the praise.
Unlike Baek Sorin and Janet, who had a much rougher journey, Kali’s awakening was comparatively smooth.
Or was it?
Without the Seoul Terror incident, Kali wouldn’t have become my disciple in the first place.
“Janet.”
“Yes?”
“Drink the elixir and hit Level 4. It’s the perfect time for you to do so.”
“T-Thank you so much!”
I handed her the elixir I had prepared in advance.
Unlike Kali, Janet’s awakening was straightforward and didn’t require expeditions or intricate setups.
But Janet’s level-up wasn’t the main course.
The real event was something else.
“And Sorin.”
“Yes.”
“You and I are going on a little trip.”
“I’ve been waiting for this.”
It was time for Baek Sorin’s personal quest.
Time to harvest the seeds I had planted long ago.
Time to claim the Mars Swordsmanship.
–TL Notes–
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