Demon lord’s Martial arts ascension

A week had passed since the Gate Break incident. I had been raiding the gate every day without missing a single one.

‘I can’t afford to waste a day.’

My goal was simple: get stronger. Although it was a simple goal, it provided me with intense motivation. Becoming stronger was addictive. Every time I trained and hunted monsters, my physical strength improved and the amount of chaos energy I could wield increased. The ability I had, the “Power of Play,” also helped me by displaying my stats in objective numbers, further fueling my drive.

Swoosh!

The black sword in my hand quickly severed the neck of the boss monster, the “Twin Head Werewolf.”

– Experience increased by 2.3%.
– Level up. Please activate the status window to upgrade your stats.

Level 11.

I had spent the last week hunting non-stop.

‘It’s getting harder to level up now.’

Ordinary monsters gave me about 0.1% experience, while defeating boss monsters gave around 2%. The difficulty of gaining experience would naturally rise as my level increased.

‘This kind of penalty is to be expected.’

The Power of Play. It allowed me to increase my stats simply by hunting monsters, but it also came with limitations. It was a penalty that felt light considering the power I wielded.

“Please finish up,” I said to the support team, as I stepped back and let them handle the monster’s remains.

“Huff!”

I placed my hands on the ground and kicked my feet to flip my body around, landing in a handstand. While holding the position, I began to use the “Seongcheon Jeogyeong Gong” technique, bending my arms.

Creak…

My expanded arm muscles exerted strength. Even after hunting monsters, I didn’t take a break. The opponent wasn’t difficult, and I still had plenty of stamina and chaos energy left.

‘Now is the perfect time for some exercise.’

I felt my body loosen up, and my nerves were more sensitive, sharpening my senses. It was the best time to maximize the effects of my training.

While training my body, I continued to use the Seongcheon Jeogyeong Gong. The chaos energy created in my mental world spread throughout my body, seeping into my muscles.

The martial arts of the continent transformed the human body. The mana in the air would permeate the body, pushing human limits and transforming the practitioner into a transcendent being. Seongcheon Jeogyeong Gong was one of the most outstanding martial techniques on the continent. Naturally, the effects of my training were starting to show quickly.

Another thing I realized: the mana concentration inside the gate was far richer than on Earth.

[The effect of Seongcheon Jeogyeong Gong is enhancing your physical abilities.]
[Strength has increased by 1.]
[Endurance has increased by 0.4.]
[Agility has increased by 0.5.]

The rich mana had stimulated my body, making it absorb chaos energy more efficiently.

‘Training here is more than three times as effective as it would be on Earth.’

That’s why I focused on physical training whenever I had the time inside the gate.

While I was pushing my body to its limits, Jeong Young-hyun approached.

“Mincheol Hunter. This area is all cleared.”

“Good work.”

“Seriously, still training? You’re going to wear yourself out.”

“It’s the perfect time since I’m still not fully relaxed.”

“Ha, you’re something else.”

He laughed and relaxed his posture. It was time to head back to the original spot.

—

After finishing the gate raid, I came out to find Ellie waiting for me, as usual.

“You’re waiting again.”

“Supporting Mincheol Hunter is my main job.”

“You’re not that busy with the Interstellar Union, are you?”

“Hehe, let’s just say it’s because we care about Mincheol Hunter at our branch.”

Ellie smiled while covering her mouth.

“Hey, Ellie. Don’t you think we’re invisible?”

“Of course not. The support team is doing great as well.”

“That’s what you say…”

Jeong Young-hyun, though grumbling, had a small smile on his face. Compliments from a strikingly beautiful woman were never unwelcome.

“Mincheol Hunter, the branch manager wants to meet you tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Your requested equipment is ready.”

The gear I had commissioned from Martan. I had paid a 5 billion won contract, asking for some special equipment. They were returning 4 billion of it, but I had placed the order.

‘It’ll be tough to finish the gate raid and pick up the equipment at the same time.’

Raiding the gate, including the preparation and post-raid processes, took a lot of time. From scouting the gate to equipping the Hunter team and support team, it was a time-consuming process.

I was an exception, though. Most people didn’t enter the gate alone and clear everything without gathering any information.

‘The support team will need time to prepare.’

While the gate raid was important, I needed to focus on checking the equipment first. I was also curious to see the skills the branch manager was so proud of.

“I think I’ll take a break from raiding tomorrow,” I murmured with regret.

The response I received was unexpected.

“Mincheol Hunter, really?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Are you really taking a break from the raid tomorrow?”

Jeong Young-hyun asked, looking excited. Was it really such a big deal to take a day off? I replied in a somewhat reluctant tone.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Ugh, ugh! It’s been so long since we’ve had a holiday!”

“Ugh, finally, we can rest.”

“Thank you all for your hard work. How exhausting it’s been going into the gate every day.”

The support team eagerly welcomed my decision. They had been waiting for a break for a long time, and now that the day had arrived, they were overjoyed.

I was stunned by their passionate reaction.

“What’s with this response?”

“Hehe, don’t you know?”

“I don’t.”

“Even at work, weekend breaks are important. But for some reason, the workaholic team here doesn’t get a proper rest!”

The gate-breaking incident was a week ago.
I’ve been attacking gates without missing a single day.

‘I can’t afford to waste a day.’
My goal was simple.
To get stronger.
It’s a simple goal, but it gave me enough motivation.
Becoming stronger is addictive.
Each time I trained and hunted monsters, my body grew tougher, and my chaos energy increased.
The [Power of Play] granted to me allowed me to track my stats, which fueled my determination.

Swoosh!

The black blade of my sword swiftly severed the neck of the boss monster, [Twin-Headed Werewolf].

Experience increased by 2.3%.
Level up. Please activate the status window to increase your stats.
Level 11.
Thanks to hunting tirelessly for a week.
‘The levels are getting harder to increase.’

Normal monsters give an average of 0.1% experience, while boss monsters like this one provide about 2%.
The difficulty of gaining experience will sharply rise as my level increases.
‘There must be some penalty for this.’
The Power of Play allows me to increase my stats just by hunting monsters.
Honestly, the penalty felt light for such a power.
“Please take care of the monster carcasses.”

I handed the carcasses to the support team and backed off.
“Hmph!”
I placed both hands on the ground, kicked off with my feet, and flipped my body.
Handstand!
From that position, I activated my Seongcheonjoegong technique, bending my arms.
Crack!
The expanded arm muscles burst with power.
Even after hunting a monster, there was no rest.
The opponent hadn’t been difficult, and I still had plenty of stamina and chaos energy left.
‘This is the perfect time for training.’
My body felt relaxed.
The tension in my muscles heightened my senses, making my five senses sharper.
Now was the perfect time to maximize my training effects.
While doing physical training, I also operated my Seongcheonjoegong. The chaos energy generated in my mental world circulated through my body, merging into my muscles.
The martial arts of the continent change the human body.

Mana in the air permeated into my body, transcending the human limits and transforming me into a superior being.
Seongcheonjoegong was one of the best martial arts techniques on the continent.
Naturally, the effects of training were quickly evident.
Another fact I realized:
The concentration of mana in the gate was far greater than on Earth.
[Seongcheonjoegong’s effect increases physical abilities.]
[Strength +1.]
[Endurance +0.4.]
[Agility +0.5.]
The rich mana stimulated my body, allowing me to absorb chaos energy more efficiently.
‘Training here is at least three times more effective than on Earth.’
That’s why I trained my body whenever I had free time in the gate.
As I was pushing my body to the limit, Jeong Yeong-hyun approached.

“Mincheol Hunter. We’re done here.”
“Good work.”
“Really? You’re training again? After pushing your body so hard?”
“It’s perfect timing, now that I’m less tense.”
“Ha, look at you.”
He laughed and relaxed.
It was time to return to the original location.

***

The next day
When I came out of the gate, Elly was waiting for me as usual.
“You’re waiting again?”
“My main job is supporting Mincheol Hunter.”
“Even though your interstellar alliance work is far from idle?”
“Hehe, just think of it as us looking after you in our branch.”
Elly giggled, covering her mouth.

“Hey, Elly. Can we not be seen here?”
“Of course not. You all worked hard too.”
Jeong Yeong-hyun was grumbling, but his smile couldn’t be hidden.
It seems that compliments from beautiful women always made him feel good.
“Mincheol Hunter, the branch manager wants to see you tomorrow.”
“For what?”
“He said the equipment you requested is ready.”
The equipment I’d ordered from Martan.

Out of the 5 billion I paid as the down payment, 4 billion was for the items.
‘Picking up the items and heading back to the gate will probably be too much.’
Gate expeditions take a lot of time, including prep work like equipping the hunter and support teams.
I’m an exception.
It’s rare to enter a gate solo and just destroy everything without gathering information.
‘The support team needs preparation time, though.’

Gate expeditions were important, but checking the equipment was my priority.
I wanted to see firsthand what Martan’s craftsmanship was like.
“I’ll take a break from the gate expedition tomorrow.”
I muttered with some regret.
The response came in an unexpected direction.
“Mincheol Hunter. Really?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“About taking a break tomorrow.”
Yeong-hyun asked in surprise.

Apparently, taking a break was a big deal.
I responded with reluctance.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Ugh, ugh! It’s been so long since we’ve had a break!”
“Finally, we can rest.”
“Thank you for your hard work. It’s been tough going into the gate every day.”

The support team celebrated my decision enthusiastically.
It seemed like they had been holding in their frustrations.
I was a bit dumbfounded by their extreme reaction.
“What’s with all the excitement?”
“Hehe. You really don’t know?”
“Nope.”
“Even at work, weekends are important. But this awful boss kept making us work nonstop.”
“Are you saying that I am that awful boss?”
Instead of answering, Elly gave me a strange smile.
It was an attractive smile, but right now it was annoying as hell.
“Normal hunters usually go on gate expeditions every two or three days. You’ve worked two or three times more than that.”
“Sorry for not being normal.”
I just shrugged, and she smiled again.

Martan, the branch manager, was too busy to notice my behavior, but Elly, his direct subordinate, didn’t seem to mind.
I’m sure she knew I was the owner of “Code R,” though.
Martan and Elly…
They were an interesting combination.

Durability: 50/50

Agility +20%

[Vulcan’s Oath] x 2
Grade: Rare [R] / Type: Ring
Durability: 45/45

Strength +20%

“This… is amazing.”
I was at a loss for words, beyond just being impressed.
The 4 billion wasn’t a waste.

The performance of the armor more than made up for the shortcomings I’d felt in battle.
I could ignore weaker attacks, relying on my defense, and for stronger hits, I could use the Hard Armor built into [Tarlos’ Faith] to amplify my defense.
The earrings and rings also filled in the necessary elements.
It felt like the gear had been crafted perfectly to suit my fighting style, addressing all my deficiencies.

“Hehe. Do you like my work?”
“Perfect. Exceeded my expectations.”

“If I had a little more time and budget, I could’ve made the gear even better, but that’s a bit disappointing.”
“No, this is excellent. It’s made for me.”
“Of course. I reviewed the black box data from the support team and designed it to maximize your abilities.”
It wasn’t just the branch manager’s skill, but his talent as a meister was impressive as well.
I reassessed Martan’s value.
‘It’s no surprise he’s in charge of such an important branch.’

I equipped the items.
[Strength 28 → 39.2]
[Agility 27.5 → 40.4]
Shing!
The stat increase effects were applied immediately as soon as I wore them.
Unprecedented strength surged through my entire body.
‘4 billion wasn’t a waste.’
Until now, I had invested all my bonus stats into Chaos Energy.

My Chaos Energy was near 100, but my other stats had been stuck in the mid-20s.
Without the training effects from Seongcheonjoegong, there had been no way to increase my physical stats.
Wearing these items helped make up for the lack of basic abilities.
‘With this, I could handle a higher-level gate.’
I could easily manage a D-rank gate without items.
Now, with the support of these items, it felt like I had wings on my back.

I was ready to challenge higher levels.
“Branch Manager.”
“Yes, is there anything else you need?”
“Get me a B-rank gate.”

Martan’s expression turned blank.
A moment later, he shouted.
“Eh?!”

His voice echoed, shaking the office.