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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: I Became the Son of One of the Three Great Clans in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
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"Grandpa, my favorite is Lü Bu."
"Lü Bu, huh? Why's that?"
"He seems the freest guy in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He can ride his horse anywhere he wants."
Grandfather wiped a tear from his eye with the hand stroking the head of seven-year-old Kim Gyu-hyeok, who sat in his wheelchair, saying nothing in response.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A horrific car accident on a family trip had robbed Gyu-hyeok of both legs—the ones meant to carry him freely through the world alongside his parents.
He endured heartbreaking rehab through floods of tears, but it wasn't enough to conquer everything.
A searing pain haunted him whether he was walking or just sitting still.
The constant fear that his knees might give out any second never left him.
Otherwise, he grew into a handsome young man with a tall, lean frame.
People didn't openly mock his disability, but the world was full of little humiliations that dragged him down.
Cruel pranks from kids, fierce competition with more vigorous peers, the subtle law of the jungle in the classroom.
He swallowed it all, but each moment carved small wounds into his heart.
Still, Gyu-hyeok never gave up.
If he couldn't have a strong body, he'd find strength another way. That was his resolve.
While hospitalized after the accident, Grandfather brought him The Romance of the Three Kingdoms to read.
Gyu-hyeok drew resolve from its heroes, especially brilliant strategists like Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia, and Zhou Yu.
If they could shape the world with wisdom and strategy instead of raw power, then he could be strong too. He believed it.
Those thoughts helped him push past his weaknesses.
Instead of despairing in his physical limits, he'd carve his path with brains and judgment.
It gave him courage and strength, a way to comfort himself in tough times.
By high school, Gyu-hyeok had grown tall and sleek.
He stayed at the top of his class academically and got along well with friends.
Years of enduring pain had taught him to walk naturally, so most people had no clue about his disability.
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Then came an ordinary lunchtime one day.
Gyu-hyeok was alone in the classroom, working through a workbook, when Mi-gyeong—his first crush—approached.
She stood out at school with her striking looks and bubbly personality, always catching his eye.
Now she came to him, the top student in school, workbook in hand.
"Gyu-hyeok, can you explain this one?"
Mi-gyeong asked sweetly.
He calmed his pounding heart and tried not to show his nerves.
Looking at the problem, he explained slowly.
"You solve it like this. Plug it into the formula here, and the answer comes right out."
"Wow! As expected from you, Gyu-hyeok! Thanks a ton!"
Mi-gyeong beamed and thanked him.
She handed him a lollipop.
Their fingers brushed, and his heart raced again.
"Whoa, Gyu-hyeok, your face is red. You okay?"
Mi-gyeong asked with worried eyes.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just a bit hot."
She giggled at his feigned nonchalance.
"Good to hear. Thanks! I'll ask you again if I get stuck."
"Anytime."
He answered coolly, hiding his flushed cheeks.
That's when Chang-gi, one of the classroom thugs in the back, started trash-talking.
"Man, lunchtime and it's still noisy as hell. Studying or flirting? Hard to tell."
Gyu-hyeok's face hardened at the sneer.
This guy he'd never even spoken to was picking a fight out of nowhere. Absurd.
Chang-gi and his crew glanced at Mi-gyeong, whispering and snickering.
"What'd you say?"
The words slipped out of Gyu-hyeok's mouth.
"Oh? This nerd's got balls now?"
Chang-gi glared and smirked.
He shrugged at his surrounding posse.
"What's your problem?!"
Mi-gyeong jumped in, shouting desperately.
Chang-gi eyed her up and down with a sleazy grin, smacking his lips.
"No big deal. Just got some business with him."
He drawled cockily.
Chang-gi shrugged off his school jacket, handing it to his crew.
Rumors said he boxed and did delivery gigs; his body was lean and muscled.
Ripped arms, shoulders, a chest that strained his tank top.
Gyu-hyeok felt instinctive fear.
Pathetic, facing him head-on with his useless legs.
But rage boiled up at Chang-gi's attitude and that look toward Mi-gyeong.
Seeing her distress ignited fury deep inside him.
The thug's swagger and mockery lit the fuse on his long-suppressed pride.
Fear for his legs flickered, but he couldn't back down like a coward in front of her.
Gyu-hyeok mustered his courage and stepped forward toward Chang-gi.
"Fine, cut the crap and just leave."
He spoke, hiding his trembling voice.
Chang-gi caught it and flashed a vile smile.
"What? You ordering me around?"
He stepped closer, grabbing Gyu-hyeok's collar.
As the thick arm and muscled body loomed, fear surged through Gyu-hyeok.
But he gritted his teeth, glancing at Mi-gyeong.
Folding here meant losing everything.
He shook off Chang-gi's hand with all his might.
"Get your hand off."
Gyu-hyeok said in a low, firm voice.
Chang-gi's face darkened; quiet laughs rose from his crew.
He glanced at them, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Ha! This loser's acting tough."
With that, a fist flew at Gyu-hyeok's face.
His vision flashed white.
He reflexively raised an arm to block, but it wasn't enough against Chang-gi's power.
The punch smashed his jaw; his legs buckled, and he staggered back.
He tried to counter, but his bad legs wouldn't obey.
'Damn...'
Soon, fists hammered his gut repeatedly.
Breath stolen, gasping in agony, he crumpled to his knees on the floor.
Dark red blood trickled from his nose.
He clutched it instinctively, but it seeped through his fingers, staining his white shirt.
Chang-gi's crew cackled at the sight.
The rest of the class just watched in silence, no one stepping in.
"You okay? Gyu-hyeok!"
Mi-gyeong rushed forward in shock, but Chang-gi blocked her with one hand.
"He's fine. Boys our age grow up fighting."
Chang-gi grinned sleazily at her.
Mi-gyeong stood frozen, fists clenched, at a loss.
Slumped on the floor, Gyu-hyeok felt utter misery.
More than the pain, the humiliation and shattered pride crushed him.
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Beating up the class topper got Chang-gi reamed by the teachers; he didn't bully Gyu-hyeok directly after.
But the sneers and disdainful looks in the halls continued.
Subtle mockery always lingered around him; back-row whispers and chuckles dogged his steps.
For Gyu-hyeok, their laughs hurt less than his own weakness.
Through school, he carried that misery, pretending it didn't faze him.
No matter his grades or smarts, that moment crumbling before fists replayed endlessly.
'Being smart isn't enough...'
Despite his brains and achievements, in the microcosm of school, power crushed his pride, leaving him wretched.
Those memories scarred deep, fueling rage and an unquenchable thirst to grow strong.
He poured everything into studies, earning admission to Korea University.
If no physical strength, then recognition through knowledge—that was his payoff.
Gyu-hyeok obsessed over sports science.
A desperate bid to understand his broken body and surpass its limits.
In the end, he became a professor in the Physical Education Department at Korea University.
Disabled yet unmatched in human anatomy and exercise physiology, his passionate lectures earned students' profound respect—a young, successful scholar.
But deep down burned an unquenchable thirst.
A primal longing to run free until his lungs burst.
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Another ordinary afternoon.
Gyu-hyeok gazed absently from his office window at students laughing and kicking a ball on the field.
Then—
Rumble...!
The building shook with a thunderous roar; emergency alarms blared wildly.
Part of the old structure collapsed for unknown reasons.
"Aaaah!"
"It's collapsing! Run!"
The hallway turned to pandemonium—screams and choking dust.
Amid surging terror, Gyu-hyeok instinctively shouted at the students.
"Stay calm! Central stairs are gone! Emergency exit's the other way! Follow me!"
Ignoring his bad legs, he led them to the safest path.
But panic-stricken students milled about screaming.
He spotted some in danger: dilated pupils, sweat-soaked pale faces, rapid shallow hyperventilation.
'Left like this, their blood CO2 drops fast—fainting, seizures. In this mess... death.'
No time to hesitate.
"Everyone, stop! Listen to me!"
His voice urgent but steady.
Some floundering students turned instinctively to that authoritative tone.
He tore his shirt sleeve, soaking it in the fire hydrant water.
"Copy me! Breathe deep through your nose, slow out your mouth! Good—again! In... out!"
He approached the nearest kid staggering from hyperventilation, pressing the wet cloth lightly over nose and mouth.
"Breathe through this! You'll feel better soon."
The damp fabric blocked dust and re-inhaled exhaled CO2, normalizing blood levels.
His calm expertise became their lifeline amid death's grip.
Under his lead, students calmed; order returned.
Dozens escaped safely via the emergency stairs.
"Professor! Get out too!"
The last group shouted desperately as Gyu-hyeok, following, suddenly collapsed.
His legs refused to obey anymore.
His overtaxed knee from guiding the students erupted in dam-bursting agony.
"Ngh..."
Some students turned back to save him.
That's when he saw massive concrete crashing from the ceiling above them.
"Stop!"
With his last strength, he bellowed at the charging students.
His desperate cry halted their feet on instinct.
Boom...!
A deafening crash—the exact spot they'd enter collapsed in a shower of debris.
Confirming their safety, Gyu-hyeok exhaled in brief relief.
But then, the same rumble echoed overhead.
He looked up; a massive shadow of rubble swallowed his vision.
Everything sank into darkness.
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