Play, Kaaak──!
Kaak──!
A massive shadow lunged from the thick fog. Its target: Seorin's crown. A heavy blow plummeted straight down in an instant.
"Scatter!"
At Seorin's shout, the three figures split in all directions.
Boom──!
The rock where Seorin had stood moments ago shattered, shards flying everywhere.
Fast?!
Seorin rolled across the ground, dodging the debris.
"Ugh!"
Forcing her body to twist unnaturally, every joint screamed in protest. Her mind traced the perfect trajectory, but her fledgling flesh—meridians only just opened—couldn't keep up with the speed. The sensations from her past life at Hwagyeong were turning into a horrific poison.
"Damn it! My body's not keeping up!"
Chohee spat curses as she erased her presence and slipped behind the white ape at the front, jabbing the wooden sword's tip precisely into its ankle joint.
Thud!
It was a perfect strike to the joint, but the beast didn't even flinch. Instead, Chohee's wooden sword bounced off with a loud clang.
"What the hell is this body made of, solid iron!?"
Grrrroowl!
The beast roared ferociously, swinging its log-like arm wildly.
"Duck!"
Hwaran leaped forward, thrusting her sword at it. As the beast's gaze snapped toward the feint, Chohee flattened herself to the ground.
Whoosh!
A terrifying gust whistled over her head. Even just grazing her, it tore her uniform and blood seeped from Chohee's shoulder.
"No frontal assaults!" Seorin yelled, regripping her sword. "Shake its brain to knock it out! Hwaran, block its view! Chohee, collapse its lower body!"
Hwaran sprang up, scattering sword strikes at the beast's face. As its head jerked back, Chohee swept low along the ground, stabbing at its legs.
She thought she'd pierced its blind spot perfectly.
But the beast didn't even track her with its eyes. It sniffed the air with a sharp sniff, and a massive tail whipped from outside her vision.
"Gah──!"
The tail slammed into her side, sending Chohee's body flying pathetically.
Crash!
A dull impact echoed as she was flung against a boulder. Blood erupted from her mouth in a spray.
"Chohee!!"
In the instant Hwaran's focus wavered at Chohee's scream, the white ape seized the opening. Its massive hand gripped Hwaran's wooden sword and twisted viciously.
Crack──!
Shards of the broken sword scattered into the air.
"…It's not working."
Seorin gritted her teeth. She'd suspected as much, but she hadn't expected this level of dominance. Flaws meant nothing. Human tricks were mere scraps of paper against that freakish toughness and primal ferocity.
"Chohee!"
Seorin's urgent cry rang out.
"Ugh……."
Chohee groaned in agony from where she lay sprawled against the rock. Blood trickled down her chin from the gush in her mouth. Her fingers trembled clutching her side, but she ground her teeth and pushed off the boulder to stand.
"……I'm not dying."
She spat the words through clenched jaws and kicked off the ground savagely. Staggering as if her legs might give out any second, she charged straight at the beast, splattering blood droplets in her desperate assault.
At that mad momentum, Hwaran unhesitatingly tossed aside her shattered wooden sword. She didn't need a weapon. Charging the beast's flank, she thrust her palms toward the air.
Bang-!
Hwaran's palms exploded with sound right by the white ape's ears. Her inner energy was weak, so the power was negligible, but the close-range blast rattled its eardrums.
Kieeek?!
The white ape staggered, shaking its head. As it hesitated with ringing ears, Chohee ignored her throbbing side and threw herself at its feet. She mustered her remaining strength to kick up a cloud of dirt.
Grrruk──! Keeeek!!
Dirt sucked into its flaring nostrils triggered a sneeze, bending its massive body forward.
"Now!"
As the hulking frame lost balance and pitched ahead, Seorin leaped into the air. Channeling the last of her dantian's inner energy, she hurled her body at the beast's thick crown.
Her full weight behind the heavy sword strike battered its skull mercilessly.
Thwack──!
A dull thud that would shake the bones. Numb recoil shot up Seorin's entire arm.
"……Grrroowl."
The beast's enormous body went rigid as if struck by lightning. Its yellow eyes, unfocused and drifting, slowly closed, and with a thud—the mountain of flesh collapsed, kicking up dust in a heavy fall.
It was out cold.
And then.
Grrrr rumble-!
As if waiting for their leader to drop, the other lurking beasts surged forward.
Blood dripped from Seorin's burst palms, soaking her sword hilt. Blood endlessly pattered from Chohee's torn side. Weaponless and battered head to toe, yet not one screamed or collapsed.
Panting raggedly, the three silently regripped their blood-smeared swords.
"Hmm~ Hum hum~"
The kids should be back soon. In the corner of the courtyard, bone broth bubbled merrily in the cauldron.
Nothing beat a steaming bowl of soup for children who'd roamed the mountains all day.
They'll come back covered in dirt, no doubt.
The white apes of White Ape Valley were friendly to humans. They'd probably begged for fruit, clambered onto the girls' shoulders, and played pranks.
Imagining her weary disciples rolling around the wilds for once, laughing and chatting, eased his heart.
Playing in the mountains tears clothes and cakes you in dust. When they get back, no scolding—just a warm bath and a hearty meal.
He'd done the same as a kid: played till sunset, came home in tatters, and got whacked by his master.
Lost in nostalgia as he brewed tea, he sensed presences at the training ground entrance.
Scrape, scrape.
"Oh, you're back!"
Delighted, he flung open the sliding door and stepped onto the veranda. The sight of his disciples entering the courtyard made him cough involuntarily.
"Good grief……."
Their state was wretched. Blue uniforms in rags, bodies caked in mud and bruises. All three trembled on unsteady legs, gasping harshly.
But it wasn't just them that caught his eye.
Behind the disciples lumbered a house-sized white ape, three massive bamboo baskets slung over its arms and neck, shuffling timidly after them.
And upon spotting him, it yelped "Eek!", gingerly set the baskets down, and flattened itself to the ground, quivering.
Well, now.
Long ago, dodging the sect leader's nagging, he'd taken some errand boys to White Ape Valley for fun. He'd smacked this one for scaring them. It must've learned its lesson—it still tucked tail at his sight.
The absurd scene burst laughter from him.
"Hahaha! Oh, you rascals! How rough did you play to shred your clothes like this?!"
His laughter froze the three in place.
Dazed, Seorin barely croaked, "Pl… play……?"
"Yeah! Must've tumbled and romped with the apes till your clothes gave out. Covered head to toe in mud—you had a blast!"
He approached Seorin, plucking a leaf from her hair.
"I did the same at your age, racing through the mountains. A little dirt, some torn clothes—what's the harm? As long as you're not badly hurt. And besides……."
He went to the cowering ape and patted its head.
"Haha, you remember me, huh? Good. Lesson learned?"
As he tapped its head with a grin, it whimpered and covered its face with both hands. A disgrace to the name of spirit beast.
"Made a monkey friend to haul your stuff? Big fella. Should toss him a fruit."
The disciples said nothing. Chohee stared blankly into space; Hwaran hung her head low.
Exhausted from the day's romp, naturally.
Time for food.
Then Seorin reached into a basket the ape had set down.
"M-Master…… we brought…… what you asked for."
What she pulled out wasn't a pile of medicinal herbs. It was a fist-sized, dark-red lump, like crushed and compacted herbs.
Up close, a bitter, earthy scent wafted—oddly fishy, unlike standard herb pills.
Oh? What's this?
Seorin bowed her head cautiously. "W-We thought…… if we just picked them…… the essence might scatter…… so we extracted and condensed the juice right there ourselves. P-Please…… hope it pleases you……."
He took the lump gingerly, inspecting it.
I told them to gather medicinal herbs, and they juiced and pillaged them on-site for easy eating!
The fishy smell was off-putting, but fresh-picked mountain herbs refined in place would carry wild notes. That just showed their effort.
He pictured the girls, muddied from mountain play, diligently crushing herbs for their master.
"Such dutiful kids. What dedication!"
He nodded approvingly at his wary disciples, broke off a piece, and popped it in his mouth.
Crunch. Gulp.
Fishy, but the herbs' bitterness gave a strangely invigorating tang. Potent stuff—the heat rose fast in his body. He circulated a bit of qi to melt it smoothly.
"Haha! Amazing herbs you gathered. You worked hard!"
His satisfied smile made Seorin flop onto the veranda with a thud.
Chohee and Hwaran stood rigid, speechless.
Aw, poor things. Legs gave out after a full day of fun.
Smiling at his disciples, he headed to the cauldron.
"Here, drink a bowl of broth before washing up. It'll perk you right up."