Chapter 1. The Chuseok Matrix
[4D Spacetime, The House of the Extended Family]
Chuseok — the Korean harvest festival — had come again. And once more, Leo found himself stepping into the very house he had least wanted to enter: the residence of his sprawling extended family. The journey itself was arduous, taking over ten hours on the road to reach this place. As a child, Leo had suffered greatly from motion sickness during these holiday pilgrimages — memories of nausea and misery still lingered in the corners of his mind like scars that never fully healed.
Though he was now grown, and his body no longer so easily unraveled, the holiday itself still felt like a kind of punishment. This household clung tenaciously to its ancient traditions. The women, confined to the kitchen, labored tirelessly over mountains of food, while the men sat still and silent, their only exertion the raising of their cups. Year after year, the women of this family sighed in resignation as Chuseok approached, afflicted by a strange seasonal ailment known in Korea as "Holiday Syndrome."
Leo found himself questioning the very existence of such a holiday in this modern age. Chuseok had originally emerged from hardship — a day to break the famine and fill one's stomach, if only once a year. But now, in an age of abundance, when people could eat what they wanted whenever they pleased, this stubborn adherence to tradition was starting to look absurd.
A holiday that had once existed so that people might eat well just once…Had now become an event that left them sick and exhausted, merely to get through that single day.
As the descendants of the family gathered, the women continued their battle in the kitchen, scurrying to and fro like soldiers in a war zone, while the men sat before their feast, loudly debating the affairs of the world. At the center of it all sat the "male table," populated by uncles, elder cousins, and great-uncles — the old guard of the family. And Leo, too, was summoned to this seat of honor under the pretense of being treated as one of the men.
As always, the conversation eventually turned toward Leo himself. His great-uncles raised their glasses in praise.
"A student at Seoul Medical University? Incredible. Truly an honor to the family."
But one figure sat with an expression of clear disapproval: his uncle-in-law.His own son, a peer of Leo's, had taken a different path in life, one far removed from academic achievement.
Perhaps because of this, every time the uncle-in-law looked at Leo, he would always say the same thing — a line as predictable as the turning of the seasons:
"What's the use of being smart, if you don't know how to be human?"
Chapter 2. The Alcohol Matrix
[4D Spacetime, The Clan Gathering]
But this year was different.
Leo had already left Seoul Medical University. And this time, his uncle-in-law did not say his usual line. Instead, he approached Leo with a cup of soju in hand.
Leo lowered his head slightly, speaking with a trace of wry formality.
"Elder, I understand your custom... but alas, this humble one's body is ill-suited for such practices."
His uncle-in-law chuckled deeply.
"In the martial world, when an elder offers a drink, it is etiquette to accept."
Reluctantly, Leo received the cup. The alcohol spread warmth through his body, bringing with it a fleeting sense of lightheartedness. But he knew better.
This was merely borrowing pleasure from the future. The momentary high would inevitably be repaid with a hangover, a pounding headache, and exhaustion hours later. In the end, wasn't it all just a zero-sum game? Pleasure pulled forward, pain left behind.
Leo thought back to his days at Seol Medical University. There, alcohol was not just a preference — it was a ritual, a rite of passage, a cultural code.
Refusing to drink often meant exclusion. The bonds of the group were soaked in alcohol. If one abstained, one risked being left outside — cut off from information, from trust, from belonging.
And so Leo had drunk, not for pleasure, but for survival.
But now he was free. Outside the boundaries of Seoul Medical, outside the tribe, he could finally see the Alcohol Matrix for what it was — and he was determined to break free.
uncle-in-law : "Still turning red after just one glass, eh?"
Leo : "The ability to metabolize alcohol depends on the enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. Those deficient in this enzyme cannot process alcohol well. Even the strongest martial artist cannot go against their body's nature. In fact, 30 to 50 percent of Koreans lack sufficient levels of this enzyme. They should never have been pressured to drink in the first place. And yet, in this martial world, the custom of forcing alcohol remains."
uncle-in-law : Ha! But drinking builds tolerance.
Leo : The belief that tolerance increases is an illusion. Drinking frequently activates another enzyme called catalase to detoxify the body. But this process generates free radicals — toxic byproducts that damage the organs and shorten one's lifespan. Becoming accustomed to poison doesn't make you stronger. It just means your body is slowly decaying.
uncle-in-law : Bah, you're ruining the taste of my drink! You just don't understand. A shot of soju is sweet to the soul!
Leo : The true nature of soju is ethanol — alcohol toxin. If one tastes sweetness in poison, there are only two possibilities. One: hypoglycemia causes the brain to misinterpret the taste. Two: addiction has dulled the brain, and it mistakes intoxication for pleasure.
uncle-in-law : Are you calling me an alcoholic? You, who blush after a single drink? A true man of the martial world should be able to drink even a goblet of venom without flinching! You know nothing of the joys of this world!"
Leo : Blushing after a single drink is not weakness — it is evidence of superior risk detection. The body swiftly signals rejection of the toxin. To boast of being able to drink endlessly is not strength — it is proof that one's body has lost its warning systems."
uncle-in-law : Nonsense! You're just justifying your own weakness. With sheer willpower, one can overcome any drunkenness!"
Leo : To rely on alcohol and still boast of willpower — that is true foolishness. In reality, alcohol suppresses the prefrontal cortex, dulling judgment and weakening self-control. That is why reckless behavior follows intoxication. It is no different from a swordsman swinging his blade wildly with his energy flow disrupted. This kind of delusion is precisely what leads to drunk driving. Overconfidence fueled by alcohol leads to tragedy — not only endangering oneself but putting innocent lives at risk."
uncle-in-law : Hah! I never drove drunk! That was Jaemaei! And I am not some progressive fool — I am proudly conservative!
Leo : In the martial world, there is only the Way. Politics are irrelevant here. The path may split into orthodoxy and heterodoxy — but when it comes to right and wrong, there is only one truth.
As soon as politics entered the conversation, the family erupted into argument. Conservative vs. Progressive — the eternal battleground of relatives at a holiday feast.
Leo watched them from a distance, detached.
And he spoke, quietly:
"Since the time of animals, offspring have fought over their mother's milk. It is in our nature to push aside siblings to survive. Even as humans, nothing has truly changed. A mother's love, a father's approval, a family inheritance… All become fuel for conflict."
"Becoming an adult means walking one's own path. But here, against nature's flow, people are forced to gather simply because it is the holiday. Conflict is inevitable."
"Humans are not some superior species. All life on this planet has evolved differently — not necessarily better. Evolution has many directions, not a single summit."
"Of course, some families cherish harmony, and some find meaning in these gatherings. But why must an entire nation move in unison, like clockwork, simply because the calendar demands it? If family wants to gather, let them choose their own day — their own ritual — without the tyranny of uniform tradition."
Having said this, Leo stepped outside.
And soon... he would meet another master.