Two hours passed.
One by one, they arrived — all ten of them.
The once-feared Thunderborn of Murim… now standing awkwardly in casual Earth clothes, their energies faint, their postures relaxed.
Baek Soojin, the Stone Whisperer.
Nam Daeho, the Blade Drunkard.
Seo Rina, the Shadowfoot.
Han Minki, the Silent Fist.
…and six more with different legacies.
They were all here. Ten disciples — whole again.
Kang Woo sat in front of them, legs crossed, arms folded.
> "So. You all made it."
Everyone bowed instinctively.
> "Master!"
> "You're alive!"
> "We thought you—"
Kang Woo raised a hand. "I know."
Then he explained everything:
The war.
The gate.
The truth about Earth.
His return.
The room grew warm with nostalgia and disbelief. Smiles bloomed. Rina cried. Daeho looked away, hiding red eyes.
But then…
---
The Smile Fades
Crack
Crack
Kang Woo rolled his neck. His knuckles cracked like thunder.
His warm smile dropped.
> "So, my little disciples…"
> "Why the hell is your cultivation level dropped from 5th stage… to mid 8th?"
Silence.
A heavy aura pressed down like a mountain. They couldn't meet his eyes.
> "You were once called the Blade That Split Lightning," Kang Woo pointed at Daeho.
> "And now I can't even sense a spark from you."
> "Soojin… your Qi thread is so loose, it could unravel if you sneeze."
> "Rina… don't even get me started on your shadow techniques. You're basically a flashlight now."
They all flinched.
---
The Excuses Begin
Nam Daeho scratched his head nervously.
> "Master… we tried… but the world here is different."
> "No Qi paths. No spiritual roots. It's hard to maintain it."
Han Minki chimed in:
> "Yeah, and we didn't even know if we'd ever see you again."
Seo Rina pouted.
> "You try cultivating in a one-room apartment with neighbors yelling at you to shut up every time your aura leaks!"
Soojin sighed.
> "We… didn't want to forget. But life caught up."
---
The Wrath Awakens
Kang Woo's aura exploded.
Just enough to make the entire room fall on their knees.
Even Hajin, watching from the hallway, let out a "Sheeesh."
> "You think I trained you to be normal?"
> "To let your power rot just because Earth has bad Wi-Fi?"
> "You were monsters once. Now you're just toddlers with good posture."
They all dropped their heads.
Then Kang Woo took a deep breath… and smirked.
> "Don't worry."
> "Starting tomorrow…"
> "Hell Camp begins."
The moment Kang Woo declared Hell Camp Begins, his disciples froze like squirrels caught in headlights.
Baek Soojin raised a hand sheepishly.
> "Ah… Master, wait—"
> "We're all S-Rank Hunters here. You know, Earth standard. So, like… is it really necessary?"
Nam Daeho followed up:
> "Yeah, we kinda already dominate the Hunter scene. I mean, who needs Qi when we've got guns and laser swords now?"
The other disciples nodded desperately, trying to bargain their way out of fate.
Kang Woo narrowed his eyes.
Silence fell.
Then—
> "Huh? Wait!!" Ji Hoon blurted out, panic flashing in his eyes.
> "Dad, we're not included in this right? Right?!"
Ara jumped in beside him.
> "Y-Yeah! We didn't sign up for this kind of trauma!"
Kang Woo sighed.
> "Yunhee."
Yunhee, arms crossed in the kitchen doorway, gave him a calm nod.
> "Yes, dear?"
> "I'm taking these 12 brats into my spiritual mind world."
> "It'll only be two days here…"
> "…but for them, it'll be one full year inside."
The living room exploded into chaos.
> "A YEAR!?"
> "MASTER PLEASE—!!"
> "MY BACK STILL HURTS FROM 400 YEARS AGO!"
> "I HAVE PLANS ON SUNDAY!"
Kang Woo was unmoved.
---
No One Escapes the Demon
Ji Hoon fell to his knees and looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
> "Mom. Please. Save me."
Yunhee gently patted his head.
> "Sorry, son."
> "This time… I can't do anything."
Ara grabbed the couch and screamed:
> "MOM DON'T SACRIFICE US!"
Yunhee smiled.
> "You'll thank him when you're strong enough to erase planets with your breath."
Kang Woo clapped his hands once.
> "Oh! Right."
> "Ji Hoon. Ara. Meet your senior brothers and sisters."
Ji Hoon blinked.
> "Huh? Senior?"
Ara frowned.
> "We're… older than them, aren't we?"
Kang Woo casually stretched his arms.
> "Nope. Not even close."
> "They're all between 60 and 150 years old."
Ji Hoon and Ara's jaws dropped.
> "HUH!?"
Nam Daeho coughed.
> "I'm 79, thank you very much."
Seo Rina flipped her ponytail.
> "Don't worry kids, I still use TikTok."
---
Attempted Escape
The twins made a break for it.
Quietly, slowly… inching toward the hallway.
One step…
Two steps…
Just a bit more…
> "And where do you two think you're going?" Kang Woo said without even turning around.
Both froze.
Sweat dripping. Souls leaving bodies.
> "T-To the bathroom?"
> "W-We forgot our toothbrush?"
> "It's spiritual training! Why would you need a toothbrush?" Hajin called out from the side.
Kang Woo smiled.
> "Nice try."
> "Now—"
With a snap of his fingers, the room lit up with divine light, and in an instant, all twelve disciples — old and new — vanished into the Spiritual Mind World.