Absolute Regression

Episode 189: I’ve been to that island too.

Gwonma’s body was perfect.

His face was like a devil, but his body was a work of art.

The muscles of the horse that looked like they were about to explode were big and thick, but they didn’t look dull. Just looking at his diamond-like body, created through arduous training and dangerous battles, made people feel intimidated.

There were no more wounds on his body than I thought, but a long sword wound across his chest caught my eye. In fact, it made his body look more handsome.

His body seemed to be saying this.

This is the body of a martial artist who has reached the ultimate state.

Will that body be able to withstand the pressure of the onslaught? Can it withstand the destructive power of that big fist? Will my sword be able to protect me from that body?

I was truly impressed. A look of pleasure flashed across the horse’s face when he saw my reaction.

He’s probably heard countless times that he’s cool, and he probably knows it himself. I asked something else.

“How do I build a body like this?”

“If I make my body like this, won’t it interfere with my swordsmanship?”

There is a clear difference between the body of a swordsman and the body of a boxer.

“As I grow my body like this, I need to train to become stronger in swordsmanship as well.”

“Then you should play with your body rather than your mouth.”

Gwonma started training in martial arts.

Actually, I thought he would not practice even if he came to the meeting. Because the purpose of coming in was not training.

But he started training properly. He began to unfold the black fist fighting technique as if for me to look and reference.

He took off his clothes and I couldn’t stay still. I also took off my upper clothes, stood side by side with the horse, and began to unfold the grass.

I thoroughly inspected the horse’s body using Shinanjutsu. I compared his muscles with my muscles when performing the same movements.

How are they different and why are they different?

Understanding the difference will be the biggest learning for me.

Ian and Cheon So-hee watched me and Gwonma perform herbivorous movements with the same movements.

Although she may not know it, Sohee Cheon probably feels like she wants to take off her clothes and jump in together. Because she too had a fire burning in her heart.

Ian and Cheon Sohee also began training.

Late night training meeting. Just hearing the name might make you think it was a friendly gathering of nerds, but the four people gathered were people on fire. Because of that, the training progressed more passionately than any other training.

The sound of the wind generated by the horse’s fist was different from the sound of my own wind. Of course, it was better to hear the sound of the horse. How do you make a light sound even though it is so heavy? When I listened to the sound of the horse’s fist, my mind calmed down and my mood improved.

I was purely immersed in martial arts. From the moment I heard that they wanted to bring down the cliff, I did not look at the horse with any other intention or purpose. I just want to learn martial arts from him.

Maybe Gwonma is with me at this moment today because I felt that way.

After the training, I told Kwon Ma some news.

“Tomorrow we will meet at Magachon.”

“In Magachon?”

“Tomorrow we will have a welcoming party for Madam Kwon. “It’s a welcoming party for new employees.”

Gwonma was surprised. Soon, I received even harsher looks than when I said I had to teach German martial arts in order to join the group.

Are you having a welcome party for me? Also, newbie? Are you really crazy?

It’s probably something you’ve never experienced in your life.

“We are gathering in front of Pungryu Bar at the same time. “Disband!”

I persevered with the look in my eyes that said, ‘If you don’t like it, you can leave’ to Gwonma, who was glaring at me.

Gwonma snorted and left.

When I turned around to look at his back, I was startled.

Ian and Cheon Sohee were standing side by side, glaring at me menacingly. It seems that Kwon Ma is not the only one who dislikes the welcome party tomorrow.

Ian raised his voice.

“Is this really going to happen? “I wonder if they’ll drink alcohol on the spot!”

“It might be surprisingly fun.”

Suddenly, Sohee Cheon touched her forehead and said.

“ah! I think I have a fever. “I guess I’ll probably have to miss tomorrow.”

Ian said in unison.

“ah! right. I have an appointment tomorrow. “I forgot.”

He said smiling while looking at the two women.

“Will it work? Now then, see you tomorrow at the Pungryu Bar!”

That was the end of the first day of the late-night training meeting with Gwonma.

* * *

The next night.

Cho Chun-bae, the owner of Pungryu Bar, yawned so loudly.

There were no customers today, so I was dozing off next to the cash register, wondering if I should close early or not.

He was startled when he woke up to someone pretending to be there.

“Ahh!”

He screamed and fell backwards.

A terrifying evil spirit stood before my eyes. He must have seen something in his sleep. He got up from the floor and froze.

It was not a demon, but a person. This was my first time seeing someone so scary. His forearms were thicker than his thighs.

The familiar voice I heard at that time.

“It’s been a while, master.”

A sword dance appeared behind the man.

“Sir!”

I really felt like I had died and came back to life.

“You are the teacher of this school. “Say hello.”

Cho Chun-bae’s eyes widened when he heard the word “gold horse.” I’ve heard many rumors about Gwonma, but today was the first time I saw it in person.

“I was rude in my sleep, not knowing that a precious person was coming. Please forgive me!”

Jo Chun-bae’s waist was folded in half.

As of this time, the record has been broken. Of all the Mazons who came as guests, the scariest person is from now on Gwonmada.

Ian came in after him and greeted me warmly.

“hello.”

Cho Chun-bae’s expression brightened. Seeing Ian always greeting me brightly made me feel better. As she stood next to the horse, it felt like polar opposites were standing together.

I went up first to the seats on this floor, where three people, excluding Geomgeuk, always sit.

“Is business doing well these days?”

“Thanks to you, things are going well. “I heard that Master Gakju is training in martial arts these days. It looks like the rumors are true.”

“I guess the owner knows too.”

“If you don’t know that these days, it’s a waste of time. No, Sejak must have found out first and reported it to the Murim Alliance.”

Geommugeuk laughed together at Cho Chun-bae’s joke.

Compared to the happy atmosphere downstairs, the atmosphere on this floor was solemn.

Ian and Cheon So-hee were watching Gwon Ma’s thoughts. In particular, Sohee Cheon was frozen. Instead of leaving the group, I was even caught saying that I was secretly buying the death penalty.

‘The next champion has really passed the water!’

To break the awkward atmosphere, Ian asked Gwonma.

“Have you been here?”

Then Gwonma looked at Ian.

‘Is that question something that would make you look at me so scared?’

If Gwon Ma had known Ian’s true feelings, he would have been very upset. I just saw it and thought it looked scary.

“Ask me to bring a drink.”

“yes! “I’ll get it!”

At Gwon Ma’s words, Cheon So-hee quickly got up and ran down to the first floor.

Now only Gwonma and Ian are left on this floor.

“It was really unexpected. “I never thought Madam Kwon would join our group.”

Actually, Ian wanted to ask this question.

Did you really come in because you wanted to fight the master?

Instead of answering, Gwonma asked her.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“It’s scary.”

“I don’t think you’re scared at all?”

“If you feel that way, it’s probably because of you, Master.”

“Why Lee Gongja?”

“If Master Kwon is really dangerous to me, you won’t let me be alone with Master Kwon. “You wouldn’t have been able to come to the meeting in the first place.”

Gwonma’s gaze was directed at Geommugeuk standing in front of the checkout counter on the first floor.

“The greater the faith, the greater the wound.”

If Ian had just closed his eyes and listened to those words, he would not have thought that they were spoken by a horseman. Both the content and the gentle tone. Ian suddenly thought that there might be something he misunderstood about boxing.

“I think men don’t know much about women. All women know. “The only choice is to pretend not to know or to run away.”

“so? Are you the one who pretends not to know and gets treated?”

“A person like me is usually weaker than he looks, so he tends to run away in advance. However, your case will be the only exception.”

“Wrong beliefs bring misfortune.”

“That’s too bad. “Because I can’t experience that.”

Ian’s faith in sword dance was absolute.

At that time, Geomugeuk and Cheon So-hee came up to this floor carrying drinks.

“sorry. “The drinks were delayed because I was holding the owner for a while.”

Geommugeuk poured drinks for Gwonma first. The drinking glass in Gwon Ma’s large hand looked so small and cute.

Geommugeuk said as he poured drinks for Ian and Cheon Sohee.

“People with rosacea, don’t forget who we’re drinking with!”

Ian received a joke about the sword dance.

“As someone who has rosacea, this is a position where I have to risk my life.”

Then he looked at Cheon So-hee.

“Do you have any injections?”

“I don’t have any injections.”

“You didn’t drink until the end of the injection, did you?”

Cheon So-hee was confident that she would never use an injection. You’re drinking with a horse and you’re injecting alcohol? That won’t happen.

“Well, welcome Madam Kwon. Cheers!”

Geommugeuk raised his glass and everyone toasted together.

Geommugeuk tried to create a fun and exciting atmosphere for the long-awaited drinking party. Even for Gwonma, who said she would never come but arrived just in time.

With the sword dance and Ian taking the lead, we did all the talking. We talked about martial arts, we talked about women, and we also talked about men. We talked about the Murim Alliance and the Apostolic Alliance, as well as other Mazons.

Gwonma also seemed not to dislike this position. He drank well and answered the occasional question well.

However, I felt sword dance throughout the conversation. That Gwonma is lonely. Seeing Gwonma laughing and talking like this made me know more clearly.

The four of them were drinking together, but Kwon Ma was alone in the distance.

That remote island was also a place where sword dance performances were performed.

The sword dance was also similar to the fighting horse. Even though I was around people, I wasn’t always able to fully enjoy that life. He only had the intention to find materials for the Great Law of Return, but he had no life of his own.

Perhaps Gwonma lives with the sole intention of collapsing the cliff and has already lost the pleasure of reality?

As I was drinking with those thoughts in mind, Ian was looking at me. Her eyes, which look even more beautiful today, ask. What are you thinking like that? Just this and that.

At that time, Sohee Cheon, who was slightly intoxicated, spoke out what she had been planning to say.

“I thought about the question Madam Kwon asked yesterday all night long. “The question is, what will you do when you become stronger?”

She was really thinking about it.

“I honestly don’t remember what I was thinking before entering Dongkwon Gate. All I wanted to do was win again someday and become a champion. But even then, I just thought about this. I will be happy when I become a horseman. You will be happy. “If you win the prize, all your efforts will be rewarded.”

Her voice trembled.

“When I become stronger… I want to be happy.”

As if he was embarrassed after saying this, he quickly added.

“It wouldn’t work if what a person who dreams of becoming a boxer wants to do is not to do great work for the school but to just be happy.”

It was the sword dance that accepted her words.

“I think it’s okay.”

Geommugeuk looked at Gwonma and asked.

“What do you think, Madam Kwon?”

“Pathetic, but not bad.”

“If it’s pathetic, it’s pathetic. If it’s not bad, it’s not bad. Please choose just one of the two. “If you speak so casually, we won’t be able to sleep even a wink because we’ll be worrying all night.”

“Not bad.”

Geommugeuk smiled and nodded at Cheon Sohee.

Actually, Sohee Cheon wanted to say this.

I want to be like this warrior.

Ian looked happier than anyone else. In addition, there are people who trust and like them as much as their own lives.

‘I envy you.’

We all drank together.

Gwonma put down his drink and asked Geomugeuk.

“You said you wanted to learn martial arts because you wanted to become stronger, right?”

“yes.”

“What are you going to do when you get stronger?”

It was the same question I asked Cheon So-hee.

“I will live freely. If you want to go, go. If you want to come, come. If I want to be alone after playing with the Mazon people, I stay in Cheonmajeon for days on end. Then, if I feel frustrated, I will move out to the midfield. When I meet a good person, I stay in that village for a few days. Drinking with herbalists in a scenic mountain. At least I won’t have to live a frustrating life trapped in the Battle of Heavenly Horses like my father. You go out and have some fun. Why does everyone look like that? “Why are you doing this so scary…isn’t it?”

Geommugeuk looked back, imitating what Cheon So-hee said yesterday.

A person who made the surrounding air feel different just by entering. A person who made Gwonma, who was always relaxed, stiff. A person who made everyone nervous with just his presence. The Heavenly Demon, Geom Woo-jin, was standing behind him.