Rain (4)
The moment the trade restriction was lifted, the first thing I did was send out a modest bribe—no, a token of appreciation—to the Fixed Nicks.
A gift, of course, amounted to nothing more than skewers of grilled fish. Given the sheer size of the river monster I had caught, sharing a few skewers still left me with plenty of meat to gorge on.
Unsurprisingly, the Heavenly Demon showered it with praise. Honestly, she would have accepted anything I sent with an open heart, but hearing such warm words still put a smile on my face.
Sword Master also gave it rave reviews. A surge of quiet pride warmed my chest. All I had done was sprinkle salt over the flesh and roast it over open flames, but top-tier ingredients spoke for themselves.
The dwarf was, as always, utterly devoid of shame. Judging by how heavily slurred his messages were, he was already thoroughly plastered. Still, he didn't seem callous enough to squeeze blood from a stone, dropping the matter without pressing further.
Beyond them, I shared portions with Starlight Princess, Princess Chaeng-gu, Allfather, Praise the Sun, and several others. Every Fixed Nick who had lent me a helping hand received a share, and their glowing feedback filled me with satisfaction. Last of all, I sent a portion to the Juddak.
With that, the charity giveaway concluded.
Come to think of it, the Juddak really does seem to be a hardcore believer.
During our brief exchange, the moderator had asked if I had any interest in placing my faith in God. It had an uncomfortable tang of proselytization, but since there was no heavy-handed pushing, I kept my temper in check. The Juddak had merely seemed genuinely curious about why I despised God so virulently. I laid out my reasons plainly.
CRACK-BOOM!
And right on cue came the divine retribution for blaspheming the heavens. Peering outside, I let out a heavy sigh as thick torrents of rain battered the terrain. Exploring was completely out of the question now; the weather had worsened considerably compared to earlier.
With thunder and lightning shaking the canopy, it was practically nature's way of holding a sacrificial rite to command me to stay put.
This is madness.
The silver lining was that my food reserves were overflowing, and I had managed to dig the drainage trenches during the temporary lull in the rain. Had I neglected that task, water would have pooled relentlessly in the moat or spilled straight into the shelter. Trying to dig those trenches in this downpour would have been hellish.
I should probably secure the wooden barricades too, just in case.
Only this morning, a brazen raccoon had snuck inside the cave to escape the rain. Not content with merely warming its damp pelt by the fire pit, the little thief had dared to swipe an Inedia Pill. Fast Tree Sloth had swiftly brought down divine justice, turning the trespasser into Wonmo's afternoon snack, but it was a stark reminder to guard against unwanted guests.
It turned out fine because it was just a raccoon, but something far worse could slip in.
Even a raccoon was hardly trivial. Had it been rabid, a single bite could have been disastrous. By that measure, Fast Tree Sloth was practically a walking hazard himself, but considering how much the creature loathed bathing, there was nothing to be done about it.
I stared into the sheets of water obscuring the forest and shook my head. Watching an entire day evaporate into forced idleness left a sour taste in my mouth.
"Wonmo. Over here, buddy."
"Kyuu?"
The best remedy for gloom was burying my face in the chubby fluff of Wonmo. Hugging that round, feathery little butterball always grounded my nerves, and the cub leaned into my embrace without the slightest fuss.
When this little guy grows up, he'll be monstrously bigger than me, won't he?
I thought back to his mother, who had been carted off to the auction block. Saying she had been "sold off" felt somewhat grim, but a sale was a sale. That adult Owlbear had boasted the sheer mass of a dump truck. In time, Wonmo would inevitably match her bulk.
I just hope that day doesn't come while we're still stuck in this damn forest.
From what I understood, an Owlbear took at least three years to reach full maturity. Considering a standard earthly bear took nearly a decade to reach its prime, that growth rate was terrifying.
The trade-off is an appetite that devours everything in sight.
To fuel that explosive growth, Owlbears had evolved an insatiable, bottomless gluttony. Fortunately, the Forest of the Four Seasons teemed with forage, and my Gallery account was flush with funds.
FSSSSSHHHHHH!
The immediate hazard remained the downpour. If rain continued to pound the earth at this rate, survival itself would become precarious. Rivers would surge past their banks, and unexpected predators—much like that brazen raccoon—might come clawing at my doorstep.
Though I had fortified the perimeter with wooden barricades, the wilderness bred monstrosities capable of splintering timber like kindling.
Patter, patter, patter.
Case in point: the scaly lizard currently scrambling over the top of the fence. Even if a beast didn't break down the barricade, scale-crawlers attempting to bypass it warranted immediate execution.
"Wonmo. Want seconds?"
"Kyuu!"
The lizard tumbling over the palisade instantly found new purpose as Wonmo's appetizer. With the rain driving wildlife mad, every creature in the vicinity seemed determined to squeeze into my cave. Scouting was ruined, chores were exhausted, yet letting my guard down meant inviting an early grave.
Instead of sleeping... I might as well cycle my cultivation art.
When there was nothing left to do, internal cultivation was the ultimate time-killer. It flushed the fatigue from my bones better than any afternoon nap. Just as I crossed my legs to settle into a meditative lotus position, my gaze fell upon Fast Tree Sloth standing squarely before me.
The creature was staring straight into my eyes, wearing that trademark serene, unbothered grin.
I stared back at him for a long beat, an absurd idea blooming in my mind.
This sloth clearly understands human speech... Could I teach him internal cultivation?
Anyone hearing the idea would likely scoff and call me a lunatic. But lunacy had a way of yielding miracles in this place. Besides, it was an opportunity for Ppareumbo to grow even stronger. The beast was already an absolute terror in combat; if he learned to harness internal power on top of that, he would be unstoppable.
Before doing anything reckless, I figured I should run it by the Gallery.
(Attached photo of Fast Tree Sloth staring blankly with an empty smile)
I kinda want to pass on a mind cultivation method to this dummy. Is that even possible for animals?
He's already faster than me, but I figured having him bulk up on internal power wouldn't hurt.
That last remark sent a tiny chill down my spine. Tearing my gaze from the screen, I peered up at Fast Tree Sloth.
His face beamed with an expression that practically screamed, "I am the most harmless, innocent creature in the world." Yet beneath that dopey facade lay razor claws capable of cleaving apex predators into ribbons.
"Ppareumbo."
"..."
"Even if you get stronger, you're not going to kill me, right?"
Nod.
Miraculously catching my drift, the sloth gave a deliberate nod. His unbothered posture radiated a clear message: Why would I bother? Killing you would only be a net loss for me.
Even if their warnings carried a grain of truth, the reality was that Ppareumbo had pulled my life from the jaws of death more times than I could count. If worst came to worst, I would simply ply him with endless Inedia Pills to keep him fat, happy, and loyal.
Regardless, the decision was made: I would guide Fast Tree Sloth through internal cultivation—or rather, a simplified mana cultivation method. The gallery peanut gallery had unanimously branded it an idiotic endeavor, which only made it more entertaining to attempt.
I closed the interface and faced Fast Tree Sloth directly. The beast merely continued to regard me with his tranquil, placid gaze, motionless as a statue.
"Alright, Ppareumbo. Watch me and follow along."
"..."
As I folded my legs into a lotus position, Ppareumbo began shifting his posture with excruciating slowness. Given his stubby legs and ridiculously long forearms, I half-expected the stance to be anatomically impossible, but to my astonishment, he managed it. Slow as molasses though he was, he folded his limbs one over the other into a remarkably supple cross-legged pose. His body was far more flexible than expected, and the fact that he didn't immediately tip backward spoke volumes about his core strength.
Well, of course. The guy practically lives in tree canopies.
When I straightened my spine, he mirrored the posture, sitting upright with dignified calm. All that remained was the breathing. I relayed the fundamental guidance I had received from the Heavenly Demon, stripping it down to the barest essentials.
"Okay, now comes the breathing. Breathe deeply while anchoring your strength right below your navel, in your lower abdomen. Keep at it, and you'll eventually feel something stir inside."
"..."
"Watch closely. I'll demonstrate."
I closed my eyes and initiated a brief cycle of internal cultivation. It was only meant as a visual reference, so I kept the loop concise before opening my eyes. Ppareumbo was still staring intently at me.
"Your turn. The key points are steady breathing and the lower belly. Understand?"
"..."
"You know where your belly is, right?"
Just in case, I patiently pointed to his gut and walked him through the motion. Astonishingly, as if he had grasped every word, the sloth began to mimic my exact movements.
In my own case, sensing mana hadn't taken long. Wolfing down three Inedia Pills per meal combined with the saturating density of ambient mana in the Forest of the Four Seasons had drastically accelerated the process. If conditions were this ripe, wouldn't Fast Tree Sloth perceive mana just as swiftly?
Clinging to that faint, bizarre hope, I waited in silence.
"..."
"..."
"...Hoo."
"..."
Nearly three full minutes crawled by before the sloth finally finished drawing in a single breath. The agonizingly sluggish way his jaws parted was enough to test the patience of a saint, but I gritted my teeth and endured. He had finished the inhalation. Now all that remained was the exhale, bringing the cycle to a close...
"Hoooo..."
"Forget it. Just forget the whole damn thing."
My patience shattered into dust. Now I understood with crystal clarity why worldly biologists had thrown their hands in the air and abandoned behavioral studies on sloths. Living life in extreme slow motion was an agony that gnawed at the sanity of anyone watching.
Whatever. He's an apex monster even without my meddling.
Letting out a defeated sigh, I adjusted my posture into the lotus position once more. Rather than wasting hours watching paint dry, I was far better off cultivating my own internal energy.
As long as I keep him well-fed on Inedia Pills, everything will be fine.
Anchoring that comforting thought in my chest, I sank into deep meditation.
While Grylls closed his eyes and channeled his concentration into circulating his dantian's power...
"Hoo..."
Fast Tree Sloth, agonizingly slow though he was, continued his steady, deliberate "breathing."
"Hoo-oo..."
Even if the pace was sluggish enough to drive any mortal spectator to madness...
"Hoo..."
There was no denying the truth: millimeter by millimeter, breath by breath, the beast was advancing along a path no ordinary creature had ever walked.