Inner Core (2)
Cheonma Yuso Wol's days were so simple they bordered on monotonous. As the highest being in the Heavenly Demon Cult, she sat upon the jade throne reserved for the heavens alone. From there, she browsed the Gallery and organized her enlightenments. That was it. She didn't need sleep or baths. Her realm ensured she always maintained peak condition. So every day, she sat in her chair, scrolling the Gallery.
You might ask what kind of lifestyle is that, but reality is reality. Anyone seeing this might wonder: Does Cheonma have a job? If so, what does she do? Kinda curious.
└Some old fart who galleries all day—what job is that lol
└Even if she does, it's probably just her NEET concept, right?
└Judging by her speech, maybe some kind of torturer?
└Cheonma sits upon the jade throne.
└That's it?
└Cheonma: Does this not alone highlight this lady's dignity?
└She's just a NEET lol
└What's the difference from a basement-dwelling bum? lol
└Don't compare Cheonma to those fools who abandon their duties and go into seclusion. This lady is at least worshipped as the heavens.
└Lmao talking out her ass ㅋㅋ Thinks she's a god or something ㅋㅋ
└Isn't that blasphemy?
└Cheonma: Those who mock this lady have their heads personally crushed by my hand.
└Her concept is no joke;;
└Just let her be. That's how she's always been. Isn't the Demonic Cult a place that treats Cheonma as the heavens?
She's not just like a basement NEET—the problem is she's literally worshipped as the heavens. What are the heavens? The symbol of gods, existing since humanity's dawn, right? Few can face such a being and voice their pleas. Even then, they must go through the Demonic Cult's de facto ruler, the Ma-rae.
At a glance, she might seem like a figurehead, but nothing could be further from the truth. It's the opposite. No matter how powerful the Ma-rae, touching Cheonma's ire means certain doom. The moment you're out of favor with someone who's transcended the Fire Realm into the Manifest Realm, it's over.
But nick duplicates? Looking at active high-nics, a lot are surprisingly simple. Especially Cheonma—she's famous in Jungwon, right? No one's snagged that nick till now?
└Nick duplicates aren't allowed? Semi-nics are fine though
└Semi-nics can't if a high-nic has it first
└What's the difference? The yellow tag next to it?
└Yeah, but high-nics can register at auction house or private trade
└But head mod can track your location lol
└Previous-previous head mod did that, killed one guy and went to jail
└Whoa scary af
└So Cheonma high-nicked it first so no one else can?
└Yeah
└No one's ever high-nicked Cheonma till now?
└Probably some tried but all semi-nics. Who'd be crazy enough to high-nick Cheonma lol
└Current head mod's nice, but previous-previous one would've sold your address for cash lol
└But what if it turned out to be the real Cheonma?
└Demonic Cult ruined in a whole other way
└Cheonma: No need for worry. As long as this lady exists, the Demonic Cult shall not fall.
└That's exactly the problem, ma'am.
└If that weirdo's the real Cheonma, reality check incoming lol
Despite all the rumors and gossip, it was true that Yuso Wol was utterly addicted to the Gallery. Lately, she'd even met a benefactor worthy of the term "fated encounter." Worried he might come to harm, she haunted the Gallery constantly, ready to comment the moment he posted.
Ma-gyo affairs were mostly handled by the Ma-rae anyway, leaving her with nothing to do.
"Hm."
As always, it was time to browse the Gallery. Yuso Wol sat idly on her jade throne, staring intently at something. Delicate fingers like jade stems held a tiny bead. A red one, distinctive in color. The item traded by her fated benefactor, YasaengGrill, who asked her to verify if it was an inner core.
Having transcended Fire Realm into Manifest Realm, identifying it was easy.
It's an inner core.
The red bead from Grill was genuine. It looked like an ordinary orb, but the energy it held was extraordinary.
But it's lacking in many ways.
As an inner core, it fell short overall. The sheer volume of qi was insufficient. Normally, consuming one lets a peak expert enter Fire Realm. This held just enough for ascending from peak to super-peak. Likely from a spirit beast that lived hundreds, not thousands, of years.
Not bad.
For Yuso Wol in Manifest Realm, it was a fine tonic. But that was from her perspective— to others, it was beyond treasure. Consider how rare even super-peak experts are, let alone Fire Realm. If this hit the market—especially the Gallery auction house—chaos would ensue.
Too much for the benefactor to consume. A pity.
But Yuso Wol didn't dwell on it. Something more important mattered. Grill had just started the internal power method. He'd somehow opened his middle and upper dantians, but he was still green. Devouring an inner core could make his body explode in the worst case. Even if he survived, he'd writhe in fever for days. Not the survival-first way Grill preferred.
Still, she couldn't just let the inner core sit. Its energy would dissipate over time. Natural, since it originated inside a spirit beast's body.
What a wondrous forest. Catching a fish with an inner core so easily.
Shin Wol Young Grass, adult mandrake, and now inner core fish. Things that would shake the world individually littered the Four Seasons Forest. Yet entering it was suicide. Space twisted constantly, and Gallery access was impossible. Grill survived because he could access the Gallery unusually; an ordinary person wouldn't last two days.
Or so the Ma-rae explained.
Yuso Wol gazed at the inner core, then logged into the Gallery. With quality confirmed, she just needed to inform Grill. Couldn't return it immediately after the trade, but methods to preserve its energy existed, so no worry.
Benefactor, behold. As per your request, this lady has verified the inner core's authenticity. It is genuine.
└You sure you're not scamming?
└Trying to hype it up for a high sale lol
└Now inner cores too? lmao
└Cheonma: Believe or not, it matters not. This lady speaks no falsehood.
She ignored the useless comments. Only Grill mattered to Yuso Wol. Still, humoring them briefly wasn't bad. Unlike her constant Gallery lurking, Grill was busy.
As she bantered with users, Grill commented.
└YasaengGrill Oh. For real?
└Cheonma Indeed. What will you do now?
└YasaengGrill What if I eat it?
└Cheonma In the worst case, your body explodes. Even if fine, high fever for days likely.
└YasaengGrill Guess that means give it to someone else.
└Gimme if real. Stuck at first-rate cuz roads blocked
└No gimme. Stuck mid expert
└Gimme gimme gimme gimme
└Ma-rae Ma-rae Ma-rae!
└Cheonma Look at these clowns frothing.
Grill went silent, perhaps pondering long or handling something else. Cheonma waited patiently. She could predict the comments.
Obviously, he'll give it to this lady or someone else.
└YasaengGrill Then you or someone around you eat it, Cheonma.
└Cheonma: Any boon you desire from this lady?
└YasaengGrill Yeah. Got any more Wall Valley Pills?
As expected. Grill's proposal to trade inner core for Wall Valley Pills. Yuso Wol smiled unwittingly. A painting-worthy smile, but unseen. Only Cheonma sat alone in the audience chamber.
└Cheonma: The inner core is a precious spirit medicine. Lacking or not, an inner core is an inner core. Best for you to consume it in time.
└YasaengGrill No telling when that is. Can just catch another if needed.
└Cheonma: Hm? Another one?
└YasaengGrill Just caught it. Not sure if inner core, but looks identical so probably.
└Cheonma: Wondrous forest indeed.
└Caught another? For real?
└YasaengGrill Yeah, thinking of setting traps soon?
└Traps won't rip?
└YasaengGrill Then ask the dwarf duh.
└PassingDwarf Why me?
└YasaengGrill Made barriers?
└PassingDwarf Forgot lol
└YasaengGrill You bitch
└PassingDwarf What?
└YasaengGrill Kidding right?
└Shameless af lmaoooo
└Crazy bastard rofl
└lolololol
Wall Valley Pills, huh. Yuso Wol pondered. She'd given him a whole sack before, yet already short? No. Even eating three per meal, it should last. Probably emergency rations. Logical.
The sloth's share too, likely.
More mouths meant faster consumption. Grill was preparing.
└Cheonma: Wait. I'll ask my aide.
└YasaengGrill Thanks. If not possible, no biggie.
└Cheonma: For your request, this lady cannot refuse. If not, make it so.
└YasaengGrill Feels burdensome. Don't push if hard. Don't wanna be hated.
└Cheonma: If burdensome, what then?
└YasaengGrill Trade with someone else. Or auction it?
└Auction bomb incoming lol
└That really an inner core?
└99% considering adult mandrake.
└Maybe she kissed Cheonma.
└Then total scam lol
└From Grill's side, no reason to scam yeah
The Gallery buzzed with strange anticipation. Just two days ago, the adult mandrake incident. Naturally, inner core real too, want one myself—posts flooded.
Hype much.
Yuso Wol snorted. Expecting without promise. Seeing those comments only firmed her resolve: Swap the inner core for Wall Valley Pills somehow. Perfect timing—the Ma-rae hovered between peak and super-peak. Fair trade.
[Ma-rae. Do you hear?]
Yuso Wol sent a transmission. Better than summoning amid work.
[Come to this lady. You have duties.]
No reply. Audience chamber far from Ma-rae's location. Since Manifest Realm, her senses transcended human limits. Vision like overlooking from the sky.
Even this can't handle Four Seasons Forest. Nature's mysteries abound.
She realized nature's grandeur. The closer, the more distant—like her view of it.
Anyway...
Till Ma-rae arrived, she browsed Gallery. Manifest Realm didn't just heighten nature's awe.
Can I interfere with the Gallery?
Question of Gallery interference. No user but head mod could. She longed to, but it was like charging bare-handed.
Access is easy. Who created this marvel?
Continent United Gallery's origins unknown. Ancient or recent, tales varied.
She watched posts rise real-time, thinking.
To aid the benefactor...
Normally beneath notice. But after helping Grill, it changed. Interfere somehow to help him. Structure unknown, but not impossible.
Sub-mod... was it?
As she reached for forbidden territory.
[O Heavens. I answer your call.]
Ma-rae's polite greeting from outside. Yuso Wol closed Gallery, spoke calmly.
"Enter."
Not human Yuso Wol, but Cheonma Yuso Wol's command. The sealed audience chamber doors creaked open.
Entering: young man in Ma-gyo robes, the Ma-rae. Tense, stiff-faced, he slowly raised his head to meet Ma-gyo's heaven, Cheonma, high on her throne.
"I see the heaven of Ma-gyo."
"Enough."
Yuso Wol skipped formalities, tossed the inner core. Ma-rae, anticipating, caught it bowed.
Raising head slowly, puzzled.
"O Heavens. This is...?"
"An inner core. Lacking, but from a spirit beast of centuries."
"..."
Ma-rae looked flustered. Examining the red core, he spoke hesitantly.
"An inner core... confirmed. Where from?"
"Trade-gotten. Thus, I ask you."
"Command me."
"The Wall Valley Pills this lady took for cultivation. How many more can you make?"
Straight to point—no explanations needed. Ma-rae pondered, cautious.
"The Wall Valley Pills for the heavens... made with rare herbs."
"I know."
"If so, possible."
"How many days?"
"Gathering materials, large quantity... about a week."
"Good. Prepare swiftly. Inner core for you."
"Grateful for the grace, O Heavens."
Ma-rae bowed deeply in thanks. Good thing—else his twitching lips would've shown. He turned, exited. Yuso Wol alone again.
Sensing him gone, she logged into Gallery.
Ah. Shit, my body's burning up?
"Hm?"
First thing upon login: that post. By Grill. She rushed in.
Ah. Shit, my body's burning up?
YasaengGrill (Photo of fish, scales peeled and eaten)
Ate this and body's burning—why? Poison maybe?
Oh no.
Yuso Wol realized her mistake. Spirit beasts' energy isn't just in inner cores. The flesh itself nears an inner core. Every morsel brimming with potent qi.
Careless of me.
She commented urgently, fearing for Grill.