The One Who Defies Fate: The Law of the Strong (Transcendental Murim)

A Giant Emerges – The Ogre with Two Heads

The atmosphere in the forest shifted.Leaves rustled.Trees cracked underfoot.Heavy footsteps echoed like drums.

Ian whispered tensely:

"...Isn't that thing a bit too big?"

From the depths of the woods, a monstrous figure emerged—an ogre with two heads.

It was far larger than a typical ogre.But size wasn't the only concern.

One of its heads locked eyes with them—and spoke.

"They're here."

The other head exhaled deeply—and roared.

"Crush them!"

Damian narrowed his eyes.

"…It talks?"

Leanne's eyes glinted with realization.

"Normal ogres are just mindless brutes.But that second head… it's intelligent."

The Hunter's First Strike – But It Doesn't Work

The hunter crouched low, bowstring drawn.

"Two heads means two weak spots, right?"

Thwip!

An arrow whistled through the air,striking the first head directly in the eye.

But—

The ogre didn't even flinch.

It just kept advancing—arrow still lodged in its face.

The hunter's face stiffened.

"…That hit."

The second head chuckled darkly.

"Arrows… pathetic."

It raised a hand—and a magic circle formed at its fingertips.

"Flame, rise."

A fireball flickered into being.

Ian's eyes widened.

"Wait— it's casting magic?!"

Intelligence and Strategy – Beyond Expectation

The fireball shot forward.The hunter narrowly evaded it—but his expression betrayed his shock.

Leanne gritted her teeth.

"Ogres aren't supposed to be smart!But that second head… it's coordinating the fight."

Damian quickly processed the situation.

"So the first head charges with brute force—while the second strategizes and casts spells."

Ian muttered, frustration in her voice.

"This is way worse than we thought."

The hunter retreated into the trees and muttered:

"Then we just take out one head first."

He nocked another arrow.

The Battle Begins – Cooperation Required

Ian dashed forward, her rogue agility on full display, trying to draw the ogre's attention.

But the ogre's massive club swung toward her—forcing her to backpedal under pressure.

Leanne tried to cast a fire spell—but the second head raised its hand first.

"Winds, shift your course."

Leanne's spell twisted midair,veering off harmlessly.

She winced.

"It's not just attack magic.It can manipulate and defend too."

At that moment—

Damian drew his sword.And stepped onto the battlefield.

The hunter looked down from the trees.

"You're going in yourself?"

Damian replied calmly:

"This enemy requires both strength… and technique."

He raised his blade.

"So I'll respond in kind."

***

Chapter – Overwhelming Speed

A Deadly Duo – The Hunter and the Rogue

The ogre's massive club sliced through the air—a single hit would shatter bones.

But—

Whoosh!

Ian ducked nimbly, dodging the blow.She retaliated instantly.

Slash!

Her dagger sliced across the ogre's arm—but the wound was shallow.

At that moment, the hunter moved from the treetops.

Twang! Twang!

Arrows flew in rapid succession, aiming for the ogre's neck and shoulders.

The first head howled in pain,but the second head responded swiftly.

"Deploy a barrier."

A faint magic circle shimmered at its fingertips—the second arrow deflected mid-air.

The hunter gritted his teeth.

"Not just a brute… that head's casting magic."

Ian realized the pattern.

"One head's brute force, the other's battlefield control… That's the problem."

But Damian was already in motion.

Leanne's High-Level Spell – But It Needs Time

At the rear, Leanne quickly began preparing a spell.A large magic circle formed in the air, humming with energy.The atmosphere changed—charged with raw mana.

"Fireball? Thunderbolt?" Ian asked quickly.

"Something stronger," Leanne replied curtly.

Ian sighed.

"So it'll take a while."

The stronger the spell, the longer the cast time.That meant they had to buy time.

The hunter seemed to grasp this.

"Then we'll create that chance."

And the two moved again.

Damian's Overwhelming Speed

The ogre swung again—this time, straight at Damian.

But—

Thud!

Damian was gone.

He was already sprinting toward the ogre's legs.

Slash!

His blade tore into the creature's thigh.

The ogre roared.The first head reached out, trying to grab him.

But Damian had already climbed onto its back.

Slice!

A clean cut across the back.

The second head reeled.

"That speed...!"

Damian didn't hesitate.He slipped back and lowered his body—dodging the next swing.

Then—he slid between the ogre's legs.

Swish!

And slashed—

right through its Achilles tendon.

The massive body faltered.The first head screamed, trying to regain balance.

But it was already too late.

The Final Blow – Leanne's Spell Unleashed

Leanne's magic circle flared to completion.

She shouted:

"Now!"

Damian leapt back.

At that moment—

Leanne extended her hand.A spear of lightning surged forth, pulsing with blue energy.

"Lightning Spear!"

The crackling bolt pierced the ogre's chest.

The second head muttered its final words:

"…A variable."

And then—

the body collapsed.

Chapter 36 – The Ogre's End, and a New Omen

The two-headed ogre's massive body fell to the ground.

The surviving head twitched grotesquely,as if trying to speak—

But at that instant—a slash of pure sword energy severed its throat.

Damian calmly sheathed his blade,gazing down at the ogre's corpse.

This was no ordinary monster.It was a mutated being—a creature engineered by a stronger will.

Leanne flicked residual mana from her fingers and murmured:

"That wasn't the ogre I saw in my vision."

Ian snorted.

"So... your 'destined future' was wrong?"

Leanne nodded slowly.

"Which means… a variable changed it."

Their gazes naturally shifted to Damian.

But he showed no emotion.He simply said:

"The battle's over. Forget it. Let's go collect our reward."

Ian clicked her tongue.

"You're so goddamn unphased, it's boring."

But she knew.

From now on,wherever Damian went,something strange would follow.

Back at the Guild – A Reputation Begins

Returning to the guild,they received their reward.

The hunter submitted a short report and took his own payment.

But the eyes of the other adventurers had changed.

"They killed that ogre?""Two-headed ogres are intelligent enough to threaten entire villages…""And they took it down just like that?"

Damian didn't seem to care,but their names were quietly spreading.

Ian, meanwhile, had other priorities.She was already negotiating for a bigger reward.

"A mutated monster like this?That's not a standard hunt.If we hadn't stopped it, the guild would've suffered huge losses."

Thanks to her usual cunning,she managed to squeeze out an extra reward.

Walking out of the guild, she smirked.

"Alright, time to eat something delicious."

Damian asked dryly:

"You scouted a place again?"

Ian beamed.

"Of course. I found the best place in town for food and drinks."

Leanne sighed.But somewhere inside, she hoped—

that this ordinary peace might last… even for a little while.

An Occult Organization – New Watchers in the Shadows

Far away, someone walked slowly down a dim corridor.

Flickering candlelight lit up his silhouette.

He picked up a document from the desk.Inside—a full report of Damian's battle.

He murmured:

"…He's begun to disturb the balance."

Shadows stirred around him—not mere researchers of monsters,but a secret occult order studying the unseen fabric of the world.

Some among them sought to open the gate to another world.Others wished to erase all variables.

And now—their eyes turned to Damian.

**

Chapter – A Message in the Glass, and a Word Etched in the Square

A Night in the City – Stories Floating in a Glass of Liquor

A rare moment of rest.This time, they decided to actually take a break.

Ian raised her hand first.

"Let's take it easy tonight."

She picked out a tavern—not a flashy one,but popular among local adventurers and merchants alike.

Damian followed quietly.Leanne seemed lost in thought.The hunter, indifferent at first, eventually joined them as well.

The Clinking of Glasses

The tavern buzzed with chatter—stories of exploits, quests, and near-death escapes.

Ian spread her arms as she walked toward their table.

"Now this is what I call a real break."

She flagged down a server.

"Your strongest drink. And just bring whatever snacks you recommend."

Damian sat with a soft sigh.Leanne's mind seemed elsewhere.

The hunter spoke quietly.

"Drink too much and you'll regret it tomorrow."

Ian raised her glass with a grin.

"Relax. I'm a seasoned rogue. That goes for alcohol too."

She took a sip, then Damian silently picked up his own glass.The warm liquor slid down his throat.

At that moment, an odd conversation from the next table caught their ears.

A Whisper in the Tavern

"You hear about that weird writing in the square?"

"Yeah. It only shows up in reflections. Like in mirrors.And they say the letters mean something."

"Some say it's a message… from the future."

Leanne slowly set down her glass and looked up.The words reminded her of something she'd seen the night before.

A palindromic structure…

Ian flinched and turned toward her.

"You heard about it too?"

Leanne nodded.

"…I saw it myself. Last night."

Damian tilted his head with mild interest.

"What did it say?"

Leanne reached out and traced a symbol with her finger on the table.

A word that looked the same in a mirror.One that could be interpreted differently depending on the direction you read it.

Ian twirled her glass, mumbling with intrigue.

"This isn't some tavern joke, is it…"

Leanne said nothing.She didn't think this was mere coincidence.

And then—

The hunter stared silently into his drink.He hadn't spoken, but he knew.This wasn't a drunken rumor.

Wherever Damian is, things like this begin to happen…

Still, he kept quiet.Now was the time to observe.

To the Square – Where the Word Was Carved

As the night deepened, Ian tapped the table.

"Hey, so—shouldn't we go check it out?"

Damian narrowed his eyes.

"Check what out?"

Ian grinned playfully.

"The square. The one with the mysterious writing."

Leanne spoke quietly.

"…I've got a bad feeling. We should confirm it ourselves."

The hunter set down his glass.

"Looks like it's going to be an interesting night."

They finished their drinks,and headed for the square.

A Trace of Simulation?

At the center of the square—a dim, shadowed area untouched by the streetlights—

a single massive word was etched into the ground:

NOON

Ian squinted.

"…What is this?"

Damian looked down and murmured:

"…A word that reads the same forwards and backwards."

Leanne knelt, tracing the letters with her fingers.

Her voice was quiet,but brimming with conviction.

"This isn't graffiti."

Something flickered in her mind.

A palindromic structure—a word that doesn't change no matter the direction.

And then—a whisper of an idea.

Could this be a hintthat this world… had repeated itself before?

Damian's Realization

Damian stared at the word.His mind wandered to what he'd learned in the Murim,and what he'd seen in this world.

A world ruled by the laws of strength.But what if that strength—wasn't determined by fate,but by variables within a loop of repeated data?

"…This is a message."

The hunter spoke quietly.His expression still unreadable—but his instincts were screaming.

This was no random word.

This was a trace left behind—by someone,or by something.