Rain (1)
I'd momentarily forgotten this was a forest. What is a forest? A lush expanse of trees and grass, teeming with animals—a treasure trove of ecosystems where flora and fauna live in balance. Rain falling in such a place is perfectly natural.
The problem arises when it pours more than expected.
Shooooaaaah!
The downpour raging outside the cave right now was a prime example. I'd spent the dawn hours in meditation, caught a short nap, and woken up to this. In that brief time, it was like a hole had opened in the sky, unleashing a torrent.
"...Wait, wait, wait!"
I was dazed by the rare sight of rain for only a moment before realizing the disaster unfolding. First, the smoked meats. Then the charcoal. And finally, the laundry I'd hung out to dry.
I couldn't lose all that hard-earned charcoal to a single rainstorm. The smoked stuff was the same deal—if the rain washed away the salt, it was game over.
"Whew."
I scrambled to retrieve the charcoal tubs, the smoked meats, and the laundry. The rain hadn't been falling long, so nothing was soaked through.
Guess breakfast is smoked fish today.
I could eat fish inside the cave, but cleanup was a hassle. Outdoor activities were impossible anyway. Even after the rain stopped, it'd be tough—the ground would turn to mud, and the river would swell.
The swelling river was the biggest issue. Might need to revise my plans.
Forced Seclusion Training Begins
YasaengGrill (Video of rain pouring outside the cave)
Woke up this morning to insane rain, so forced seclusion training it is.
Anyone know how to do seclusion training? I only heard the term somewhere, so I'm clueless.
└Cheonma Ah, seclusion training... A familiar phrase.
└YasaengGrill Any pro tips?
└Cheonma Cut off all contact—even the Gallery—and focus solely on martial arts.
└YasaengGrill Sounds tough. How long did you do it, Cheonma-nim?
└Cheonma A full month. Fell into qi deviation midway and nearly died, but your grace saved me.
└YasaengGrill Cutting off the Gallery might be tricky though;;
└Cheonma With focus, nothing is impossible.
└SwordTasteStar Seclusion training isn't bad, but cutting off the Gallery like Cheonma-nim says? That's the issue.
└YasaengGrill Have you done it, SwordTasteStar-nim?
└SwordTasteStar No? Aside from my Sword User days, I've never hit a wall. Just powered straight through.
└YasaengGrill ;;;
└Cheonma Amusing words. So what's your current realm?
└SwordTasteStar Pretty high, but I don't feel the need to push further.
└Cheonma Tsk tsk. Arrogant fool. You'll regret it.
└SwordTasteStar Doubt it. No one's stronger than me lol
└Cheonma You know not the height of the heavens or the terror of nature. Even this lady, standing at heaven's peak, reveres nature.
└SwordTasteStar Typical head mod nonsense, no idea what that means.
└Cheonma It means you'll die single forever.
└SwordTasteStar What the actual fuck?
└YasaengGrill Teachers;;
└Dropping facts like bombs ㄷㄷ
└Wisdom from age hitting hard;;
└So did Cheonma ever marry?
└Cheonma No mate for me. No plans either.
└SwordTasteStar How old are you?
└Cheonma Entered my twenties last year.
└What's "twenties"?
└Yakgwan is male 20, Bangnyeon is female 20.
└Bullshit lol That speech pattern at 20? lmao
└Just trolling SwordTasteStar lol
└Manifest Realm at that age? Hilarious. Even geniuses hit Fire Realm in mid-30s.
└Cheonma This lady was blessed with heaven's talent.
└SwordTasteStar Not impossible. I hit Sword Master in my early 20s too.
└Both of you, quit bullshitting;;
The comments exploded into chaos. SwordTasteStar fired back furiously too. Things were getting weird—I needed to step in quick.
└YasaengGrill Okay, that's enough. So short seclusion has no point, right?
└Cheonma At least two weeks for it to count. One last question.
└YasaengGrill Shoot.
└Cheonma Even in seclusion, are you confident you won't log into the Gallery?
That gave me pause. For like three seconds.
└YasaengGrill Nope.
└Cheonma Quick on the draw.
└lolololol
└Ofc lol Can't quit Gallery lol
└Not three visits, three seconds lol
└Guy doing Gallery during seclusion is the real beast lol
Why bother with seclusion sans Gallery? Might as well train normally. I was already missing human contact—cutting off the Gallery would be like yanking a terminal patient's oxygen.
Seclusion seemed for times with ample time and resources. No resources here, so skip it.
And who knows when this rain stops.
The rain poured relentlessly. Fat raindrops meant no quick end. Might waste the whole morning.
"Wonmo. Eat this today."
"Kyuu!"
Wonmo's meal was monster meat from auction. She devoured anything, the glutton.
I had smoked fish for breakfast. Ppareumbo's staple was Wall Valley Pills.
Staring blankly outside while eating felt surreal.
In the army, rainy days were the best.
Indoor roll calls, indoor tasks. Even training was usually videos. Sure, poncho drills happened sometimes, but they sucked—caught a cold once. Battalion commander was cool, gave me a day off. Felt like heaven.
Nice guy.
Wonder if armies here are similar.
Swords and magic, not guns and shells. Military power fluctuates with individual strength. But I was curious about daily life, not forces.
Gallery's gotta have soldiers.
Nothing to do till rain stopped. Finished internal power method, logged in.
Any soldiers here? What do soldiers do when it rains? Just indoor roll call and chill?
└Training indoors is standard. Tasks? Why would soldiers do chores?
└YasaengGrill No sweeping?
└Oh, trash from sky? Nah. Clear gutters maybe.
└Call civilians usually, military if bad.
└Why ask about soldiers?
└YasaengGrill Rain got me reminiscing army.
└??? You were military?
└SwordTasteStar Knew you were off. What unit?
└YasaengGrill Republic of Korea.
└SwordTasteStar First time hearing that. Remote knight order?
└YasaengGrill It's my country's name. Not knight, enlisted and discharged.
└SwordTasteStar Weird talk again. I'll believe you.
└YasaengGrill For real.
└Grill, tell your worst army story.
└YasaengGrill Emergency day before leave, got canceled.
└Facts.
└Lmaooo
└Anyone would rage lol
└SwordTasteStar Why enlist? War?
└YasaengGrill Nah, armistice. Divided country.
└SwordTasteStar ;; Forced draft?
└Wait no wtf. Weren't you an orphan? Why draft orphans?
└Weird. Why draft orphans...?
└War vet? Drafting orphans is bad.
They were misunderstanding everything. Army was nuts, but I enlisted voluntarily. Orphans usually exempt, but shortages meant they took anyone. I wasn't in school, wandering, so no regrets.
└YasaengGrill Just did active duty. Should've done alternative now.
└Don'tAbandonHero Um... Hang in there!
└YasaengGrill Sudden much?;;
└Head mod pitying? Must be tragic life.
└No parents. Army. Now Four Seasons Forest.
└Ultimate hard mode life lol
└Every event life-or-death?
Sudden pity party. No clue why, but whatever.
Guess human life is similar everywhere.
Armies suck universally. Chatted idly, checked outside. Rain lighter but still pouring.
Getting chilly.
Rain cooled the air to cold. Grabbed wood, lit a fire. Warmth spread, drowsiness hit.
Wonmo and Ppareumbo crept closer, basking.
Train till rain stops.
Idling bad. Stood, grabbed Cheonma's oiled sword and whatever-the-hell shield for easier use.
Dodododo—
Something small entered the cave. Thought mouse, but no—thick tail.
"Kkiwoong."
"..."
A raccoon dog. One waddled in on hind legs. Then warmed hands by fire.
So absurd, me, Wonmo, Ppareumbo all stared blankly.
"..."
"...Wonmo, no."
I quietly stopped her. She'd crept forward, eyes curious—hunting mode.
Other animals fine, but raccoon dogs? Rabies risk. Elixir might not cure disease. Better safe.
Ppareumbo'll stop her if needed.
Best ignore and train. Watch Wonmo, intervene if she pounces.
Why so bold entering our cave? Saw us, still chilling by fire.
How long's it staying?
Glanced, started training. Studied SwordTasteStar's posts.
Easy yet hard. Clear explanations, but text limits. No live teacher sucks.
Better than nothing.
Her stuff highly rated. Basics for sword-shield warrior me plenty.
Advanced? Nah, stick to basics.
Image training sword and shield, accelerated mana. Breathing labored.
Make breaths unconsciously absorb mana.
Breathe in mana. Goal: infinite mana while alive. Theory, but Four Seasons Forest mana makes it viable.
"Hooah."
Cave cold, yet sweat poured. Wiped with shirt, checked fire.
"Hm? Where'd it go?"
Not by fire. Looked around—hilarious scene.
"Kkihing."
"..."
Wall Valley Pill on Ppareumbo's claw. Raccoon snatched it, bolted giggling.
Right under our noses. For Ppareumbo.
Tadadot!
Raccoon fled fastest outside. Rain stopped—perfect escape.
Lose one pill? But...
Shashak!
Ppareumbo? Food = serious. Teleported behind, puuk! clawed back with my fresh trim.
"Kkueeek!"
"..."
Serves you right stealing. Should be grateful for fire, not thieve.
Chwajujujuk!
Ppareumbo pissed. Not just pierced—shredded to rags.
Funny: pill intact.
"Nomnomnom."
Wonmo ate remains raw. Shook head.
Self-inflicted karma.