After the shocking demonstration with Lee Mu-jin, the group had moved to the underground facility beneath the Research Club. The reality of Min-woo's situation had settled in like a heavy weight on everyone's shoulders. But now, standing in the vast underground library surrounded by hundreds of defective martial arts manuals, Lee Tae-jun's expression had changed to one of genuine anticipation.
"This," he said, gesturing to the walls lined with ancient texts, "is exactly what we need."
Kim Chul-su looked confused. "I don't understand. These are all defective techniques. How could they possibly help Min-woo compete against national champions?"
Lee Tae-jun smiled, and for the first time since they'd met him, it seemed genuinely warm rather than calculating. "Because, my young friend, you're thinking about this all wrong. Show me, Min-woo—demonstrate your analysis ability on one of these texts."
Min-woo picked up a random manual from a nearby shelf: "Shattering Mountain Fist Method." The moment his hands touched it, his system activated:
[Analysis Complete: Shattering Mountain Fist Method]
Classification: External Force Technique (Offensive)
Original Grade: Heaven-tier Low Grade
Current Condition: 23% functional
Primary Defect: Qi backflow in 4th stance causes meridian damage
Secondary Defect: Incomplete power transmission (-77% effectiveness)
Combination Compatibility: 94% with "Flowing River Internal Force"
Restoration Potential: 89% if properly reconstructed
"This technique," Min-woo began, reading from his system analysis, "was originally a Heaven-tier martial art. The defect is in the fourth stance where—"
"Stop." Lee Tae-jun held up his hand, his eyes now bright with excitement. "Heaven-tier. You just said Heaven-tier."
The Revelation
Lee Tae-jun turned to address the entire group. "Do any of you understand what you have here? This isn't just a collection of defective martial arts. This is a treasure vault of broken artifacts from the peak of martial civilization."
He moved to another shelf and pulled out several more manuals. "Let me explain something about the tournament favorites. The Ice Emperor? His 'Absolute Zero Domain' is impressive, but it's ultimately just one complete Earth-tier technique pushed to its absolute limit through years of perfection."
"The Flame Emperor's 'Inferno Annihilation'? Also Earth-tier, specialized for overwhelming offense."
"Even the Sword Emperor's famous technique is, at its core, a single perfected Earth-tier sword art."
Min-woo was beginning to understand. "But these defective arts..."
"Exactly." Lee Tae-jun nodded approvingly. "These are broken pieces of Heaven-tier and even God-tier techniques. If you can restore even a fraction of their original power through your combination system, you won't just be competitive—you'll be revolutionary."
System Awakening
As if responding to Lee Tae-jun's words, Min-woo's system suddenly activated with an urgency he'd never seen before:
[CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY DETECTED]
[Special Condition Met: Access to Massive Defective Arts Repository]
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]
[New System Function Unlocked: Mass Analysis Mode]
[WARNING: Following operation will consume significant mental energy]
[Initiating Comprehensive Repository Scan...]
Before Min-woo could react, his vision filled with cascading windows of information. Every martial arts manual in the underground facility was being analyzed simultaneously:
[REPOSITORY ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
Total Manuals Scanned: 847
Heaven-tier Fragments: 23
God-tier Fragments: 3
Unclassified Ancient Arts: 15
Perfect Combination Candidates: 156 possible configurations
Fusion Chain Possibilities: 8 revolutionary new techniques
[DISCOVERY: Eternal Cycle Scripture Fragments Detected]
Fragment #15: "Void Swallow Technique" (Absorption-type) Fragment #23: "Mirror Step Formation" (Illusion-type) Fragment #31: "Ten Thousand Beast Roar" (Area Control-type)
Min-woo staggered, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of information. Ji-eun caught his arm, steadying him.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"The system... it just analyzed everything at once," Min-woo said weakly. "There are fragments of the Eternal Cycle Scripture here. And Heaven-tier techniques, even God-tier..."
The New Training Plan
Lee Tae-jun's expression became deadly serious. "This changes everything. The training plan I outlined earlier was based on your current capabilities. But with access to these materials..." He paused, thinking rapidly. "We're not just aiming for competitive viability anymore. We're aiming for dominance."
He pulled out a different set of documents from his briefcase. "New training schedule. Phase One will now focus on mastering the most promising Heaven-tier fragments. Based on your system's analysis, which techniques showed the highest restoration potential?"
Min-woo consulted his system:
[TOP PRIORITY TECHNIQUES - PHASE ONE]
"Void Swallow Technique" (Eternal Cycle Fragment)
Restoration Potential: 95% Combination Base: Perfect foundation for defensive techniques Strategic Value: Could neutralize energy-based attacks
"Lightning God's Descent" (Heaven-tier Fragment)
Restoration Potential: 87% Combination Potential: Extreme compatibility with movement techniques Strategic Value: Speed-based overwhelming offense
"Infinite Barrier Method" (Heaven-tier Fragment)
Restoration Potential: 92% Combination Potential: Perfect defensive foundation Strategic Value: Could withstand S-Class attacks
"These three," Min-woo said, pointing to the manuals his system had highlighted. "The system says these have the highest restoration potential and the best strategic value."
The Team's Response
Kim Chul-su was staring at the manuals with wide eyes. "Are you seriously saying Min-woo is going to master Heaven-tier techniques in three months? That's... that's something that takes most people decades!"
"Under normal circumstances, yes," Lee Tae-jun replied. "But Min-woo doesn't have normal circumstances. He has a system that can analyze and optimize martial arts at a level that shouldn't be possible. And more importantly—" He looked directly at Min-woo. "He has the bloodline that originally created these techniques."
Yoon Sung-min looked up from the manual he'd been examining. "The difficulty scaling is going to be intense. Each level of technique requires exponentially more understanding and control."
"Which is why we need everyone," Ji-eun said, her analytical mind already working. "Min-woo can't do this alone. We need to create support systems for each technique."
Park So-ra nodded enthusiastically. "I can handle the theoretical framework and safety protocols. With techniques this powerful, one mistake could be catastrophic."
"I'll manage the training environment optimization," Kim Chul-su added. "We'll need perfect conditions for each practice session."
The First Challenge
Lee Tae-jun set down the "Void Swallow Technique" manual on the central table. "We start with this one. It's an Eternal Cycle Scripture fragment, which means it's specifically designed to work with the Infinite One's bloodline. If Min-woo can master this, it will serve as the foundation for everything else."
Min-woo picked up the manual, and immediately his system provided detailed analysis:
[Void Swallow Technique - Detailed Analysis]
Original Function: Absorbs and redirects enemy attacks Current Defects:
Absorption capacity limited to 5% of original Redirection accuracy reduced to 12% Qi circulation pattern incomplete (missing 3 crucial nodes)
Restoration Requirements:
Complete the missing circulation nodes Combine with compatible internal force method for stability Practice absorption with increasing power levels
Estimated Training Time: 18-25 days for basic mastery Required Support: Controlled environment, varied attack sources, healing assistance
"Eighteen to twenty-five days for basic mastery," Min-woo read aloud. "But this is just the foundation technique."
"Once you master the foundation," Lee Tae-jun explained, "the other techniques will build upon it exponentially faster. This is how martial arts masters achieve their power—not through learning hundreds of unrelated techniques, but by building a cohesive system where each element amplifies the others."
The Moment of Commitment
As the reality of what they were attempting settled in, the room fell quiet. This wasn't just intensive training—this was attempting to condense decades of martial arts development into three months using techniques that could easily kill if performed incorrectly.
"I need to ask one more time," Min-woo said, looking at each of his friends. "This is going to be more dangerous than anything we've faced before. Are you absolutely certain you want to be part of this?"
Ji-eun was the first to respond. "Min-woo, these techniques... they're not just about the tournament, are they? They're pieces of something much larger."
Min-woo nodded slowly. "The Eternal Cycle Scripture. If I can master enough fragments and combine them properly, I might be able to understand what the Infinite One was really trying to achieve."
"Then we're definitely in," Kim Chul-su said firmly. "This isn't just about martial arts anymore. This is about uncovering the truth of our world's history."
Lee Tae-jun smiled approvingly. "Excellent. Then let's begin with a simple test. Min-woo, attempt to perform the basic circulation pattern of the Void Swallow Technique. Just the first movement—don't try to actually absorb anything yet."
First Contact with True Power
Min-woo opened the manual and began reading the initial instructions. As he started the breathing pattern described, something extraordinary happened. His system didn't just provide analysis—it began actively guiding him:
[Bloodline Resonance Detected][Technique Recognition: 87% genetic compatibility][Auto-correction Mode: Activated][Warning: Partial memories may surface during practice]
As Min-woo performed the circulation pattern, he felt something far beyond normal qi movement. The energy flowing through his meridians felt ancient, vast, and somehow familiar. For just a moment, he could swear he heard a voice that wasn't his system, wasn't the Infinite One's consciousness—something older and deeper.
"So, the heir finally begins to understand..."
Min-woo's eyes snapped open, and he found everyone staring at him. But it wasn't concern in their faces—it was awe.
"Min-woo," Ji-eun whispered, "your qi... it changed. For a moment there, it felt like standing next to a mountain."
Lee Tae-jun's expression was one of profound satisfaction. "Yes. That's exactly what I hoped to see. You're not just learning these techniques, Min-woo. You're remembering them."
[First Stage Progress: Void Swallow Technique][Foundation Pattern: 34% integrated][Bloodline Awakening: +12%][System Synchronization: 71%]
[Time to Basic Mastery: Revised estimate: 12-15 days]
The path forward was becoming clearer, but also more profound than any of them had imagined. This wasn't just about winning a tournament—it was about rediscovering the lost pinnacle of martial arts.
And Min-woo was just getting started.