The Rhythm of the Hunt
Previously, Cheongo had made all the decisions. The bird would soar high, scouting for prey, and once it spotted a suitable target, Jekyeong would move in that direction without a word of complaint.
Now, however, Jekyeong was the one setting the course. Cheongo would then fly in the direction Jekyeong pointed, searching for prey. It was a unilateral change, but Cheongo followed along without a single complaint.
The reason was simple: this method was far better than the old one. It wasn't that finding prey had become easier, but whenever they did catch something, it was far superior to their previous hunts. Cheongo had no way of putting this "superiority" into words, but the bird could feel it instinctively.
'Creatures living in areas rich in spiritual energy are generally much more nutritious.'
This was a minor piece of information Jekyeong had gleaned from several days of hunting. He wasn't sure if "nutritious" was the right word, but he decided to think of it that way. Even when consuming similar amounts, the sense of fulfillment he felt was entirely different. He couldn't think of any other word to describe it.
'So far, this is definitely working.'
Jekyeong steered them toward where the spiritual energy was densest. Whether by coincidence or not, that direction roughly aligned with the path they had been traveling all along. In other words, it was the opposite side of the river where Cheongo had spotted the humans.
'It's probably not a coincidence. The further we get from human territory, the richer the spiritual energy becomes.'
This reminded him of the relationship between nature and humanity in his past life. Was it truly just a coincidence?
"Let's call it a day," Jekyeong said.
"Okay! Good job, good job!" Cheongo chirped.
Though they hunted every day, they always returned to the pond afterward. Jekyeong planned to use the pond as their base of operations until its spiritual energy began to fade.
Having to search for prey, hunt, and then make the trek back to the pond made their daily schedule much tighter than before. Fortunately, they didn't have to venture too far to find prey yet, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.
When a predator appeared, the prey was bound to flee. Sooner or later, hunting would inevitably become more difficult. When that time came, he would have to make a choice: abandon the pond to seek out better hunting grounds, or scrape by on whatever scraps he could find to stay near the pond until its spiritual energy ran dry.
'I'll probably have to find a middle ground.'
That aside, he had been staying at the pond for over five days now, yet he still hadn't figured out what effect the dense spiritual energy was having on him. He seemed to sleep better, and he felt more refreshed upon waking... but he couldn't tell if it was just his imagination. Since Yu Jeonggyeom had recommended it, there had to be some excellent benefit, but...
'Am I being too impatient?'
It had already been five days, but perhaps it was only five days. Had the "hurry-hurry" spirit of his past life as a Korean somehow seeped into his second life? While he shouldn't be lazy, being too hasty wasn't good either.
'But spiritual energy aside, I really do love being in the water.'
Safety was one thing, but the sheer coziness was something he could never experience on land. Jekyeong hoped that even if he had to leave this pond someday, his next home would also be a river or a pond.
'Hmm. Yes, a moderately sized pond is definitely better than a wide-open river.'
A pond like this was ideal. Rivers were nice and spacious, but because they flowed continuously upstream and downstream, there was always the risk of some dangerous beast barging in. A pond, on the other hand, carried no such worries. For Jekyeong, who spent his time resting or sleeping underwater, it was the perfect sanctuary.
'Once I find another suitable pond, I'll just have to clear out whatever's living inside.'
Just like he did here. The previous inhabitants of this place had vanished entirely along with that giant frog. Thanks to that, the pond was now incredibly serene. No one disturbed his peace.
With a relaxed mind and a comfortably stretched body, Jekyeong attempted once more to resonate his physical form with the spiritual energy.
Yu Jeonggyeom had shared general knowledge about the path to transcendence—in other words, cultivation. Of course, since he wasn't well-versed in the cultivation of the Beast Race, most of his knowledge pertained to human cultivation. While Jekyeong couldn't replicate it even if he understood it right now, it still served as a useful reference.
The first stage of human cultivation was the Qi Refining stage. It was the phase where one absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to refine the vital essence within their body. Compared to the cultivation stages of the Beast Race—specifically, Yo-beasts—this corresponded to the lowest tier, where the vast majority of beasts either lacked intelligence entirely or possessed minds no better than ordinary wild beasts.
Yo-beasts had no need to refine their vital essence like humans did. Even without arduous training, their vital energy would naturally flourish as they ate and grew. However, no matter how powerful they became, vital energy was still just physical life force. They needed a process to convert it into a higher form of power. This was precisely what Spiritual Energy Resonance was.
Most Yo-beasts underwent this process as naturally as they accumulated vital energy. To be more precise, any beast that failed to do so could never become a Yo-beast.
Jekyeong wasn't entirely sure of his own potential. Perhaps he would naturally transition into a Yo-beast. But then again, he might end up like his parents—nothing more than a wild beast with an exceptionally robust physical life force.
Of course, since he had already awakened his Spiritual Awareness, that possibility was slim. Still, just as he deliberately sought out prey in areas rich in spiritual energy, there was no reason not to take a faster path if one existed. That was why he was forcing himself to attempt Spiritual Energy Resonance now.
He didn't know how to make his physical body resonate with spiritual energy. Thus, he was simply groping in the dark. While this reckless trial-and-error might turn out to be a waste of time, there was always a chance it could help, even if only a little.
Though he still hadn't grasped the knack of it, his efforts weren't entirely fruitless. His ability to perceive spiritual energy had noticeably improved. If his senses continued to develop at this rate, he might even unlock Divine Sense.
Of course, this was an overly optimistic outlook, bordering on delusion. Yu Jeonggyeom had told him that Divine Sense was the exclusive domain of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, the realm immediately following Qi Refining.
Foundation Establishment. For Yo-beasts, this corresponded to the Great Yo-beast stage. It was a rather lazy naming convention, but apparently, that was because humans had coined it. The Beast Race as a whole, especially those born as wild beasts, were said to be far removed from things like formality or refinement.
Yu Jeonggyeom had mentioned that Yo-beasts were the most wild and unrestrained faction within the Beast Race. Yet, precisely because of that, they were the easiest to deal with—provided one knew how to cater to their whims.
'It didn't really sound like a compliment, though.'
In any case, the point was that it was absurd for someone like him, who hadn't even officially become a Yo-beast yet, to covet Divine Sense. But so what? Dreaming didn't cost a thing.
As his mind grew weary, Jekyeong let his consciousness drift. A pleasant wave washed over his mind, and the breathing of the massive serpent coiled at the bottom of the pond grew slow and steady.
Jekyeong had tried to enter Bul-mang-won whenever he had a spare moment, but he failed every time. Though his Spiritual Awareness could sense the gate of Bul-mang-won floating in the heavens, he couldn't make contact with it. In a way, it was similar to his attempts at Spiritual Energy Resonance—like reaching out toward something in plain sight, only for his hand to pass right through.
He was barred from Bul-mang-won for the time being, but he didn't feel too disappointed. Yu Jeonggyeom had told him that he would need to extend his Divine Sense to the gate. This meant that reaching a level where he could manipulate Divine Sense—the Foundation Establishment stage—was the minimum requirement to enter Bul-mang-won.
Of course, the guide had also suggested trying with his Spiritual Awareness, but that had been said with little expectation, more like a "might as well give it a shot" gesture. He had harbored a sliver of hope, but at this rate, it seemed it would take a very long time before he could set foot in Bul-mang-won again. Perhaps he truly wouldn't return until he became a Great Yo-beast and acquired Divine Sense.
Confirming that today yielded no results either, Jekyeong smacked his lips and closed his eyes. In the manga and web novels of his past life, protagonists often possessed cheat abilities that allowed them to perform far beyond their level, but that clearly didn't apply to him.
Well, he wasn't too upset. He might not be like those main characters soaring across their respective stages, but he did have his own unique trait: maintaining a perfectly stable state as a Yo-beast with a human soul. He didn't understand why that was such a big deal, but judging by Yu Jeonggyeom's reaction, it seemed to be an incredibly rare phenomenon.
Jekyeong suspected that Yu Jeonggyeom's kindness wasn't just born out of his duty as a Guide, but was largely influenced by his own unique nature.
'He mentioned that it's hard for human cultivators to find stable contacts within the Beast Race. What Yu Jeonggyeom wants from me is probably related to that. But with his level of power, would he really need an associate like me?'
Unlike his past world, where the concept of equality was universal, the Changram Realm drew sharp, undeniable distinctions between individuals. That gap could be as thin as a sheet of paper, or as vast as the distance between heaven and earth. Jekyeong had no idea what Yu Jeonggyeom's cultivation level was, but it was certainly incomparably higher than his own. Would such a figure truly keep his eye on a lowly serpent?
'Not right now, at least. Maybe he's just casting a wide net without thinking too much of it.'
Jekyeong might be overanalyzing a single encounter, while Yu Jeonggyeom thought nothing of it. As a Guide, he must have met plenty of other reincarnators and extended the same kinship to them, hoping that somewhere down the line, a good connection might blossom with one or two of them.
'Ah, I think too much.'
It was all because his life had become too comfortable. Ever since he started sleeping in the pond, his physical condition had improved boundlessly. Just when he thought it couldn't possibly get any better, the next day would mock his assumptions with an even greater surge of vitality.
By now, he felt as if his body weight had been reduced to a tenth of what it used to be. To exaggerate slightly, he felt light enough to fly.
This peak physical state naturally carried over to his hunts. Over the past few days, hunting had become significantly easier. It wasn't that his raw strength or speed had increased dramatically, but his motor control had improved leaps and bounds. Because he could utilize the same amount of force far more efficiently, beasts that relied solely on instinct were no match for him.
"Gwooooooh!"
A sheep-like monster charged forward, leading with its long horns. Though it resembled a sheep, it possessed nine tails, four ears, and a bizarre pair of eyes nestled along its spine.
Its momentum was incredibly fierce, so Jekyeong had no intention of clashing with it head-on. He didn't think he would lose in a contest of pure strength, but why take the hard road when an easier path lay open?
"Shhh—!"
The moment the monster's horns closed in, Jekyeong twisted his long body to evade them, simultaneously snapping his jaws shut around the beast's throat. His massive, elongated form coiled around the monster's neck and torso like a lasso thrown by an expert cowboy. And that was it.
Crack! He constricted the monster's windpipe to drain its strength, and the moment its rock-hard muscles went slack, he delivered a sudden, crushing squeeze that shattered its bones. Even with its bones broken, the beast stumbled forward a few paces before finally collapsing with a wheezing sigh.
Jekyeong expertly tightened his grip to snap its neck completely, and for good measure, tore into it several times with his fangs.
"You're too brutal! Brutal!" Cheongo chirped, swooping down the moment the hunt ended.
The bird stared at Jekyeong's blood-spattered face, offering words that were half-admiration, half-scolding.
"I'm just being thorough," Jekyeong replied.
"I guess, but... isn't that thing still alive?"
"Huh?"
Perched on a tree branch, Cheongo pointed a wing toward the monster's back.
"Those eyes! They're still blinking! Blinking!"
"What?"
Jekyeong whipped around in surprise. Just as Cheongo had said, the two bloodshot eyes on the monster's spine were slowly blinking.
"What in the world is this?"