Black Forest (5)
Demonic beasts. Creatures that live far beyond their natural lifespan, sustained by the energy of spirit veins, wielding power that defies the laws of nature. That's the rough definition most people go by.
'But the way to distinguish spirit beasts from demonic beasts is actually pretty simple.'
Ordinary folk who don't practice martial arts judge them by whether they harm humans or not. Even a tiger is a demonic beast if it devours people, a spirit beast if it repays kindness.
For martial artists, though, the line is drawn by what's inside them. If they harbor pointless poison cores or evil cores, they're demonic beasts. If they hold spirit cores, they're spirit beasts.
Why? Isn't that how the world works? Give something good, you're good. Give something bad, you're bad. Yeah, exactly.'
My team and I eyed the ironclad giant serpent with greedy stares. Its skin looked as tough as armor, its ox-sized head flicking a tongue in and out. And that body—impossibly long, stretching into the shadows.
Heh heh. If this wasn't a spirit beast, what was?
"That thing looks like it's packing a nice, hefty spirit core," I muttered.
Had it heard me? Yang Japyeong spoke up, his face oddly detached.
"It doesn't have a spirit core."
"Huh...? But no way a beast that size doesn't have one. That doesn't make sense."
"Most of this forest's bosses are about that size."
"......"
I drooped my head, and Yang Japyeong shook his. "Anyway, it's sensitive. Best to slip away quietly."
The moment he took a slow step forward—
Crack.
A twig underfoot snapped, and the dozing ironclad giant serpent whipped its head up.
...What the hell are you doing?
Yang Japyeong's face went pale as he lifted the broken branch. "...Wh-why is this here?"
Is that how you deny reality?
"M-my bad......"
Hisss— The serpent flicked its tongue, then lunged at Yang Japyeong in a flash.
It gaped its jaws, revealing a cavern that could swallow a whole ox in one gulp.
"Hup...!"
Yang Japyeong squeezed his eyes shut like a dead man walking.
Oh, come on. You gonna stay like that forever?
I kicked off the ground, leaping up to smash my fist into the serpent's head.
Bam!
I'd packed it full of internal energy, but it felt like punching an iron wall.
"Ho...!"
This guy—didn't even flinch.
But what're you gonna do about it?
I drew my Cheokgwanggeom and slashed down hard.
Kraaaang!
But—
"Huh...?"
Surprisingly, even sword qi couldn't pierce its skin.
As I gawked, Yang Japyeong—dodging for his life—called out, "The ironclad giant serpent's hide can't be cut by sword qi!"
Oh yeah? Sword beams on an imugi feel like a waste, but oh well.
"S-sword beam?"
Ignoring his shock, I coated my Cheokgwanggeom in sword beam and charged.
Slash!
I swung to cleave it in half, but it only took a wound—no decapitation.
Kyaaaaaaa!
The venomous serpent whipped its endless tail.
Crash! Boom!
Thick trees shattered, chaos erupting everywhere.
"Eek!"
"Hiiik!"
As the team dodged its thrashing, I unleashed Tae-eul Paeman Sinbo, spawning three afterimages.
The serpent gobbled them up in one bite.
Crunch.
It even crunched the rock where they'd appeared, then spat out the pebbles.
'...Getting chewed up would suck.'
Poison or not, getting swallowed meant no escape.
As I pondered that, I activated Wall Tiger Technique to scale a tree, gathering internal energy in my palm.
Rumble.
Lightning crackled in my grip, twitching like thunder about to strike.
I kicked off the tree, soaring above its head to slam down Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.
Kaboooom!
I'd minimized the area for focus, slightly reducing power, but enough to blow its head off...
'Nope.'
As the palm dispersed, the serpent twitched—still alive.
Kyaaaaaaa!
The difference? Its armored hide was mostly peeled off, blood pouring from the agony.
I ignited sword beam on my Cheokgwanggeom to finish it, but it sensed danger and fled.
'Damn it!'
Fleeing now?
"What're you waiting for? Catch it—don't let it escape!"
My shout snapped the team into action.
Yang Japyeong, who'd been relieved, yelped. "Eh? Why catch it?!"
I ignored his nonsense.
Why? Even with duds, you gotta crack 'em open.
I barked orders. "Jaehwa, Seollan—support from behind!"
"Yes!"
"Geum Pyo, block it."
"...Me? With this?"
Geum Pyo pointed at his shield and the serpent, dumbfounded. No spirit core for you, I thought, yelling, "Just hold it—don't let it hurt anyone else!"
"Ah, got it!"
As Geum Pyo blocked its path and flared killing intent, the others pulled theirs back.
Bam!
The serpent body-slammed him, shoving him back ten paces. Long gouges trailed his feet in the dirt.
As it veered to flee—
Hisss—thunk!
Jaehwa's arrow nailed its eye.
Kyaaaaaaa!
Arrow buried deep, it screamed horrifically, thrashing and echoing through the silent forest.
And I put the final period.
"Haaap!"
(Movement)
I plunged my rippling sword beam Cheokgwanggeom into its head.
Splurt!
Kyaaaaaaa!
In agony, it reared endlessly skyward—one zhang, two, three.
I clung to my sword, floating midair.
Its remaining eye swiveled back at me.
Then, like a felled ancient tree, its body toppled backward.
I yanked my Cheokgwanggeom free and dropped clear.
Thud!
It twitched briefly on the ground, then stilled.
Bonus treasure.
"Hah... Hunting an ironclad giant serpent."
Yang Japyeong stared in disbelief. "Th-this shouldn't be that easy..."
Nothing's absolute in this world. It's all relative.
I hummed faintly, slicing its belly.
Even that took sword beam.
But—
"......"
"None?"
I glared at Eunho; he shrugged. "Just calling it like I see it."
"You being snarky?"
"Never!"
We sliced the whole body—no spirit core, not even a poison core.
'Just a big dumb imugi?!'
I pouted, and Yang Japyeong consoled me. "Our sect doesn't hunt demonic beasts anyway. Rewards don't match the effort. So let's just head quietly to the Magyyeong..."
Right, Magyyeong!
I shot up. "More demonic beasts in the Magyeong, yeah?"
He stared, then sighed. "You haven't given up."
Of course not! Building poison resistance and boosting internal energy—that's my goal for this expedition.
Yang Japyeong hesitated, then spoke. "Actually... some do have spirit cores."
"Eh?"
He eyed the corpse. "Too dangerous, so I didn't mention... but your skills seem up to it..."
"Where! Where?!"
"W-wait, no need to charge—I was gonna tell you..."
"Let's go! Now!"
Yeah, no way this place lacks spirit cores.
The Mukrim expedition was just beginning.
Yang Japyeong's path differed from before. It took more time, was tougher going, and even midday felt like night with no sunlight piercing through. Less dense thicket, more swampy vibe.
The group soon encountered a massive serpent dotted with red spots.
Yang Japyeong muttered tensely. "Blood Phantom Poison Serpent—its venom is vicious..."
"What're you waiting for? Spirit medicine—grab it!"
Boom! Kraaang! Clang! Thud.
Before he finished, Jin Sowoon's team...
"Treasure! Jackpot!"
...had roasted the Blood Phantom Poison Serpent in a blink.
'...That thing swallows boars whole.'
Perfect combo, really. An archer specialist, a rare ice art user, even a Yang family lightness expert. Mukrim pros.
"F-found it!"
Jin Sowoon and his juniors hunted like possessed, gutting beasts for spirit medicine.
Jin Sowoon beamed, holding up a small bead in bloody hands. Yang Japyeong gaped.
'Th-that blood's venomous!'
From the forest edge, building poison resistance like maniacs... had it actually worked? This madman—no, Jin Sowoon gripped the poison core unfazed.
Yang Japyeong sighed deeply. "...That's not a spirit core. Poison core."
"Th-this?"
Jin Sowoon's eyes quivered.
Yang Japyeong fetched a thick branch, stirring the guts, then pointed to a rice-grain-sized speck. "That's the spirit core."
Jin Sowoon tilted his head skeptically. "...Nah, looks like undigested rice."
"...Blood Phantom Poison Serpents don't eat rice."
"No, I swear I feel majestic energy from..."
He held up the poison core confidently.
But—
Sizzle.
White smoke rose from his hand.
Of course—that venom's brutal.
"What the hell!!!"
He flung it down; it blackened nearby dry leaves.
"Sh-shit..."
His fingertips festered red, skin melted by poison.
"Told you. More loss than gain."
That's Mukrim's cruelty. Demonic beasts with spirit cores pour most energy into poison cores, leaving tiny spirits. Nature's law for surviving this hell. Why humans avoid it.
Still, hands-on was good, thought Yang Japyeong. Explanations pale against experience.
No more spirit medicine whining now...
"Plenty more like this in Mukrim, right?"
"Y...eah."
Jin Sowoon's eyes sparkled eagerly.
"Hear that? Hustle if we want our fill!"
Eh...? Not giving up?
Yang Japyeong stammered anxiously. "K-keep hunting? For that?"
Rice-grain spirit cores barely boost internal energy.
"Obviously! Dust to mountains, right?"
"......"
No time for that. Academy students get one month.
But seeing Jin Sowoon clench his festering, bloody fist, Yang Japyeong held his tongue.
'Got some fatal spirit core deficiency?'
Those eyes screamed unpersuadable zeal.
...Madness, they call it.
Yang Japyeong relented. They'd taken down the ironclad and the serpent easily—not Mukrim fodder.
Curious how strong they'd prove, too.
He brushed his knees, standing. "Fine. We'll move faster."
Guiding on, he never noticed the fallen poison core had vanished.