An Ill-Fitting Garment

"Huh?" The turtle's eyes went wide. He stared at Jekyeong, then at the Swim Grass, and then back to Jekyeong with a blank, bewildered expression.

"Pluck them carefully so you don't damage the stalks."

It couldn't be helped. Jekyeong wasn't trying to play a prank on the turtle or exploit him; his physical structure simply made it impossible to harvest Swim Grass. Sure, he could tear them out by force, but that would ruin the herbs. The turtle, on the other hand, had webbed claws, making him far better suited for the task.

Once he realized he hadn't misheard, the turtle had no choice but to start harvesting the Swim Grass, swinging his small, webbed claws like miniature sickles. Though small in stature and lacking in raw strength, he was still a Demon Beast, and his harvesting speed was remarkably fast.

Watching the turtle reap the Swim Grass like an experienced farmer, Jekyeong decided to toss him a storage bag as well.

"Put everything inside. Don't leave a single blade behind."

"Yes, sir!" Without a hint of reluctance, the turtle harvested the Swim Grass and stuffed it into the storage bag. He wasn't just pretending to be obedient; he genuinely had no complaints. He was simply puzzled.

What is the Dragon Lord planning to do with these weeds? Is he going to eat them?

Turtles ate meat, but they also enjoyed vegetation. As someone with a decent eye for edible greenery, he didn't think these creepily long weeds looked particularly appetizing.

But what if they are a delicacy? Driven by curiosity, the turtle nipped off a small, immature sprout and chewed.

Blegh! He instantly grimaced, deeply regretting his life choices.

Bul-mang-won. After the Mansi Assembly concluded, Jekyeong stayed behind to discuss the transaction for the Transformation Secret Art with U Do-baek.

"Senior, did you manage to acquire the item?"

"I have. Shall we make the trade right away? I must warn you beforehand, it is quite expensive. The owner is an acquaintance of mine, and he seems intent on making a fortune off this. He refused to budge on the price even a single bit."

"How much is it?"

"One mid-grade spirit stone and two hundred low-grade spirit stones. Or, one thousand two hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones. It is indeed steep."

If Jekyeong had heard this price before lining his pockets by selling the spiritual soil, he would have gasped in horror. But things were different now. To the current Jekyeong, the price was not a major obstacle. Thus, instead of reeling in shock, he asked a question.

"Senior, I recently heard from a representative of the Yeongbu Merchant Group that the effectiveness of a Transformation Secret Art can vary greatly depending on the practitioner."

He had phrased it politely, but his point was clear.

"Oh?" U Do-baek seemed slightly surprised ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to hear that Jekyeong had spoken with someone from the Yeongbu Merchant Group. "The merchant you met was correct. Most Transformation Secret Arts may or may not work depending on the individual practicing them."

"Then..."

"But you need not worry about that. I did say most secret arts, didn't I? That means, conversely, a select few do not suffer from such limitations."

"No limitations?" Jekyeong was half-skeptical. If anyone else had said this, he would have immediately dismissed it as a swindler's pitch. But because it was U Do-baek, Jekyeong patiently waited for him to elaborate.

"Of course, nothing in this world is perfect. While this secret art allows anyone to achieve human transformation through training, its requirements are quite demanding. You must burn three sticks of Mind-Calming Incense during every single session."

U Do-baek went on to explain the nature of Mind-Calming Incense. It was a type of spiritual incense that helped stabilize a cultivator's soul, making it highly beneficial for training that demanded extreme focus. However, due to the nature of spiritual incense, its effects did not last long, and once burned, it was gone. Unless a cultivator had exceptionally deep pockets, they rarely trained while burning such incense.

"How much does Mind-Calming Incense cost?"

"One low-grade spirit stone per stick. That is the standard market price."

One low-grade spirit stone per stick? That meant he would have to spend three low-grade spirit stones for every single training session.

"There is a famous saying that has long been passed down in the Human Territory: 'What cultivation requires is not talent, but wealth.'"

U Do-baek spoke with a chuckle. Jekyeong wanted to snap back and ask if he was bragging, but he held his tongue and began calculating in his head.

It is certainly expensive. It's practically burning money. But... it's not unmanageable.

This confidence did not stem from faith in his own comprehension, but rather from the sheer weight of his newly enriched pockets. Three low-grade spirit stones per session? He currently possessed six mid-grade spirit stones and over fifty low-grade spirit stones. Even after subtracting the cost of the secret art, he would have more than enough to sustain his training until completion.

"As long as the training conditions are met, is the effect guaranteed?"

"Absolutely. Every member of the Beast Race who has fully mastered this secret art succeeded in their human transformation. If you wish, you may even request an appraisal from the Yeongbu Merchant Group."

"Very well. I will pay in spirit stones."

"In spirit stones?"

For a brief moment, U Do-baek's spiritual body flickered slightly. When Jekyeong had mentioned meeting someone from the Yeongbu Merchant Group, U Do-baek had merely found it unexpected, but now he seemed genuinely astonished.

"You must have come across a great opportunity. Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

Jekyeong did not deny it, and U Do-baek did not pry. They subsequently agreed to conduct the transaction through the Yeongbu Merchant Group. It was a mutually satisfying deal.

Jekyeong did not care in the slightest whether the price had actually been set by U Do-baek's acquaintance, or if the technique even belonged to such a person in the first place. All that mattered to him was whether the secret art was as effective as U Do-baek claimed—and since the Yeongbu Merchant Group would verify that part, he had no reason to worry.

Now, all that's left is to wait. Returning from Bul-mang-won, Jekyeong closed his eyes peacefully in his nest.

"..." In front of Jekyeong lay an elegant, antique jade slip and a bundle of Mind-Calming Incense.

The jade slip containing the Transformation Secret Art had already passed the Yeongbu Merchant Group's verification, and the Mind-Calming Incense was a premium-grade product that Gwak Jeong-sin had supposedly selected himself.

Well then. Having prepared himself mentally, Jekyeong allowed the information within the jade slip to engrave itself into his mind.

So this is why it's called a secret art. Jekyeong immediately grasped the core concept of the technique—and why he had to burn three sticks of Mind-Calming Incense during each session.

Shall we begin? He lit three sticks of Mind-Calming Incense. Without hesitation, Jekyeong stimulated his spiritual pulses exactly as recorded in the jade slip, and then began to engrave the human form upon his mind.

The entire process was incredibly smooth. It was so easy that it felt almost absurd.

Did I do this right? The entire training session had concluded before the incense had even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burned halfway down. Feeling a sudden wave of unease, Jekyeong carefully retraced his steps, but he couldn't find a single error.

How is this possible? Jekyeong fell deep into thought once more. This time, he didn't just review his steps; he went back to the fundamental concepts of the Pulse-Plucking Transformation Technique.

How much time had passed? How many times had he retraced his thoughts? Finally, Jekyeong realized why his training had been so abnormally smooth.

My spiritual nature is something I forged myself. Because of that, I have a perfect understanding of it, making the stimulation of my pulses as easy as flipping my hand.

One of the two core concepts of the Pulse-Plucking Transformation Technique was as natural as breathing to him. And the other concept—engraving a human form upon the soul—was even easier than plucking his pulses.

This was because Jekyeong had been a human in his past life, and he remembered his human appearance with absolute clarity. Since this memory was already deeply etched into his mind and soul, the process of engraving a human form upon his spirit was practically redundant.

I've already mastered the secret art. Even after reaching this conclusion, it felt hard to believe. Driven by impulse, Jekyeong decided to attempt the actual human transformation. If his conclusion was correct, he would be able to complete the transformation before the remaining incense burned out.

"..." Amidst the hazy, drifting smoke of the Mind-Calming Incense, Jekyeong calmed his mind.

Pulse-Plucking. In a single breath, the monster power of his spiritual nature split into eight distinct streams.

Engraving. There was no need for any tedious procedures. Simply recalling his past self was more than enough.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Thump! Something resonated deep within him. Jekyeong couldn't tell if it was his heartbeat or the pulsing of his spiritual nature.

Transformation. The memories and identity of his past life, which had lain abandoned under layers of dust, suddenly surged back with vivid clarity.

Thud! His mind shook, and his body trembled. The moment the massive serpent and the small human drew close and merged into one, Jekyeong snapped his eyes open.

I succeeded. He knew it even before opening his eyes, and opening them only confirmed it.

A small, pale hand with five fingers—something a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠serpent could never possess. It was the very hand that had existed only in his ancient memories. Though it seemed slightly paler and more slender than he remembered... overall, it was the same.

Fascinating. Jekyeong flexed his fingers a few times, reacquainting himself with the sensation of using hands. Next, he took slow, deliberate steps, attempting to get used to standing and walking on two legs. Perhaps because the muscle memory of being human still lingered, adapting was much easier than expected.

Soon, able to move his body naturally, Jekyeong walked toward the pool of water behind him. It was his usual resting spot, which he had always wished was just a bit larger, but now it looked so massive he couldn't tell if it was a mere puddle or a small lake.

"..." Jekyeong carefully examined his face reflected in the water. A man with a cold demeanor, who looked strikingly similar to his past self yet subtly different, stared back at him from the surface.

Yet, the moment he locked eyes with his reflection, an inexplicable sense of suffocating constriction seized him. It felt as though his entire body had been violently squeezed into an impossibly tight, suffocating full-body suit.

No, that's not it. Feeling more closely, he realized the constriction wasn't physical, but mental. His mind, which had fully settled into the body of the Beast Race, was screaming at him to tear off this suffocating, cumbersome garment immediately.

Calm down. Just calm down. Jekyeong tried to soothe his mind, which was now churning like boiling water. If it was a mental issue, then with the cultivation he had steadily built up, surely he could... somehow...

"Ugh!" Had it even been ten seconds since he closed his eyes to meditate? Jekyeong could no longer endure it and reverted to his original form.

"Roar!"