Feel the Pain Yourself
< You Try It Too. >
Burmese Master-rank awakener Zhao Tum was one of Military Supreme Commander Min Tanu's closest aides, leading an elite government unit tasked with crushing rebel forces.
His mission: wipe out the Burma National Liberation Front hiding in the Renya Forest and deliver their leader Ma Ungshan's head to Min Tanu.
Finding the rebels' base and Ma Ungshan's whereabouts had been the hardest part.
But once he found them? Piece of cake.
Chopping off heads was child's play.
And he'd finally tracked them down.
"The entire unit is ready, sir."
"Send in the tanks first."
All 1,500 troops under Zhao Tum's command were awakeners.
Even the tank drivers.
The outcome was already decided.
The rebels were as good as dead.
'No place to run.'
There was one, actually.
The Renya monster-infested zone.
But they wouldn't flee there.
Anyone who entered knew they'd die.
'Even if they do escape...'
He'd bring back Ma Ungshan's head no matter what.
Boom, boooom!
Five tanks rumbled forward slowly.
Zhao Tum followed at a measured pace behind them.
Five tanks' firepower could shred even an elite monster.
Of course, using heavy weapons in a monster zone risked triggering a wave, but as long as they didn't go too deep, it was fine.
The tanks pressed on relentlessly.
They crested a sloped hill, crossed a babbling stream, and pushed through thick fog without stopping.
Then.
Boom, grrrrrr.
The tanks halted abruptly.
All five of them.
"What the hell? What's wrong?"
"...S-Suddenly stopped, sir."
"Figure out what's happening."
At Zhao Tum's order, an awakener officer climbed onto a tank, banging on the armor to communicate with the driver inside.
"Hey! Can you hear me? Why'd you stop? Engine failure? Or...?"
The government awakener officer couldn't finish his sentence.
"Ugh, uuuugh..."
He staggered, unable to steady himself,
"Kuh!"
Then collapsed, tumbling off the tank.
Zhao Tum jumped in alarm.
"What the...?!"
But that was just the beginning.
Thud, thud, thud, thud...
"W-What the hell?!"
Government elite awakener troops were dropping helplessly everywhere.
What was causing it?
It started the moment they entered the fog... Wait.
'The fog?'
If that was the case—
"Poison! Gas masks on! Get out of the fog!!!"
Too late.
Some collapsed while fumbling for masks: thud.
Some fell trying to escape the fog: thud.
Others panicked and flailed about: thud.
They toppled like dominoes.
Anyone watching might think it was a prank.
Even Zhao Tum couldn't escape.
"Urgh!"
His body went limp, refusing to obey.
He couldn't even balance.
Zhao Tum summoned every ounce of mana he had.
But—
"M-My mana..."
Gone.
The mana that had filled his body was nowhere to be found.
In the end, thud—he collapsed too.
No pain.
Mind still sharp.
Just utterly powerless.
Too weak to stand.
Nothing he could do.
Only wait for the poison to dissipate.
Ma Ungshan had been honestly worried.
He knew the man beside him was Kim Taeju of Taehong Bio.
He looked like a normal person without an awakening tattoo, but was far stronger than any average Master.
But the enemy wasn't just a few awakeners.
It was a government elite unit armed with tanks, personal firearms, and cutting-edge weapons.
All of them awakeners.
And this guy planned to take them on alone?
Sure, he had that mysterious cat(?) that bit an elite twin-headed black jaguar to death...
"You took all the antidotes I gave you, right?"
"Yes, every last one."
"Then don't worry. You'll be fine."
No sooner had he spoken than a pale mist billowed up thickly ahead.
Mist?
To obscure vision?
Then an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Thud, thud, thud, thud...
Government awakener troops collapsing limply.
'What in the world...?'
It was a spectacle.
Over a thousand awakener soldiers dropping like flies, powerless.
It didn't feel real.
'Poison.'
He hadn't even noticed when it was deployed.
All he could infer was that the widespread fog was the poison itself.
'...Is this even possible with human power?'
They all fell within seconds of contact.
Even Masters succumbed.
"A-Are they dead?"
"No, they're alive. They'll probably wake up soon."
"Th-Then should we go tie them up?"
"No need."
"...Pardon?"
Taeju explained kindly.
"You know the symptoms mana rejectors show, right?"
"Y-Yes."
"Severe cases are bedridden, but moderate ones?"
"They can move, but their vitality is so low their athletic ability is worse than a ten-year-old child's."
"These soldiers will soon be like moderate mana rejection patients. Without the antidote, they won't even match a ten-year-old."
"Ah!"
Cold sweat trickled down Ma Ungshan's back.
'He artificially turned them into severe mana rejectors.'
Now he understood.
The reason he was here.
'Punishment for reselling.'
Stealing mana rejection treatments—MRC—so now feel it yourself.
Dictator Min Tanu, blinded by greed, had shot himself in the foot.
Taeju recalled the poison permeating the air.
He could've left it, really.
It had no effect on normals.
But just in case...
While refining this batch of mana rejection cure, he'd achieved a bonus effect.
Mana-dissolving poison, plus muscle-contracting toxin—perfect combo.
Dispersed via his perfected Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong.
The Renya Forest fog was toxic miasma from the emission.
1,500 government troops trapped in it.
No one could escape.
The Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong's toxins, once inside, never vanished.
Taeju addressed Ma Ungshan, still gaping in shock.
"I'm heading to Naypyidaw."
The capital of the Republic of Burma.
"P-Pardon?"
"Are there resistance forces in the capital who share your goals?"
"Y-Yes."
"Contact them. Tell them everyone on this list will be dealt with by tomorrow."
"..."
"We need to normalize the country, don't we?"
"Y-Yes, you're right."
Ma Ungshan nodded.
If Chairman Kim Taeju had decided, it would happen.
Republic of Burma, Naypyidaw.
The true seat of power wasn't the government offices.
It was the Naypyidaw Capital Defense Command.
Layer upon layer of walls.
Awakener guards posted so densely not even a mouse could slip through.
At the center: a lavish marble mansion.
Min Tanu's residence.
All of Burma's core forces were here.
No one entered without his permission.
Min Tanu rose early, bathed in warm water, then sat alone at a long, ornate table laden with food in simple attire.
A steaming steak, still rising in savory wisps.
Expensive imported sporotoxin camel antelope meat.
"Mmm."
After a bite, he quenched his throat with top-shelf European imperial wine.
How delightful.
Money meant for worthless mana rejectors bought this delicious antelope steak and fine wine.
"Kim Taeju of Taehong Bio... The more I think about it, the more grateful I am."
All thanks to that guy developing the mana rejection cure.
"I wonder if he knows how thankful I am."
Right then!
"What exactly are you so grateful to me for?"
"For selling me the cure—I resell it at ten times the profit... Hrk!"
Min Tanu jolted in shock.
This room was his private sanctum.
No one else should be here.
So who was that man sitting across from him?
How—and when—did he get in?
"You..."
"Feels good, huh? Devouring antelope paid for with people's lives."
"W-What...? Ah!"
No way.
"K-Kim Taeju?"
"That's me."
"...How?"
It really was Kim Taeju.
He remembered the face from intelligence reports.
Gray coat, no awakening tattoo, East Asian features.
But how did he speak Burmese so fluently?
Min Tanu composed himself coolly.
His hand subtly gripped the knife hilt at his waist.
"How rude."
"Me?"
"Famous or not, barging into a national leader's home? I'll lodge a formal protest with the Samhan Empire."
"What're you on about, you moron?"
"...Hah."
Taeju continued in a icy tone.
"Leader, my ass. You're just a reselling scammer. Think MRC is some limited-edition sneakers?"
"Ha! You'll pay for those words."
"Fine, I'll take responsibility. Then what about the lives lost because of you?"
Min Tanu smirked venomously.
"They were gonna die anyway. The country ran fine without them before, and it does now."
Rotten to the core, as expected.
"Sigh, fine, my bad."
"An apology?"
"Nah. Anyway, how's it feel? Being like the mana rejectors you despised so much?"
Min Tanu tilted his head, as if hearing nonsense.
"You just called me a mana rejector?"
"Haven't felt it yet?"
"...Felt what?"
Then it hit.
His hands began to tremble: shiver, shiver.
'Huh?'
Suddenly.
Clang.
He dropped the knife.
'What?'
Too shocked to stand—
Wobble!
His knees buckled involuntarily.
"Y-You, p-Poison?!"
"Congrats. Get ready for your new life."
"Y-You bastard!!!"
Min Tanu pitched forward.
Thud.
Body unresponsive.
Couldn't even lift his head.
"Feel what severe mana rejectors go through. Antidote? Won't work. I made sure of that."
"Guhk!"
His once-brimming mana core shriveled dry.
Muscles limp.
Like a muscular dystrophy patient.
"That's the pain severe mana rejectors endure. You'll live like that till you die."
Everything became hard.
Lifting a finger, speaking, even breathing.
"Th-This isn't right. Y-You can't do this to me..."
"Why not?"
"If-If I'm gone, the r-republic might c-collapse..."
"It's fine. Others will govern. Anyone but you would do better."
Min Tanu writhed like a maggot.
"J-Just kill me!"
"Wait. Someone else might show you mercy."
Mercy called death.
Anyway, Min Tanu was handled.
Time to wrap up the rest.
The Celestial Realm.
Dang Gunak and the immortals faced two tasks.
One: somehow secure Heavenly Peaches and deliver them to Taeju.
Two: build an amusement park in the Celestial Realm for the celestials to frolic happily.
Securing peaches required caution.
A treasure tied to the entire Upper Realms.
Plus, after the previous theft, security was ironclad.
Needed a careful approach.
A botched attempt meant no second chance.
For now, focus on Celestial World construction.
Thus, Dang Gunak visited Hwangcheon's Euphwagung Palace to meet Yeomra.
"Oh! You must be the Poison Immortal. Finally meeting the man of the hour."
"Rumors? What about?"
"The new wind in the Upper Realms, leader of Celestial immortals, master of spells bridging other worlds..."
"..."
What rumors...
"Sit. I'm on your side. Was wary of sudden change at first, but now..."
"I heard you sent an envoy for negotiations."
"Right. I want in on your plan. Heh, plus sample other worlds' culture."
The latter seemed bigger.
"Heard you're up to something big... Need help?"
"One thing."
Dang Gunak unrolled Celestial World blueprints before Yeomra.
Earth designs adapted for the Celestial Realm.
"Hm? What's this?"
"Allow me to explain..."
Dang Gunak detailed where, why, and how to build the park. Yeomra lit up.
"Kehahaha! Brilliant! Can't refuse a fine immortal like you. Might even do it for free."
Dang Gunak had heard the rumors.
Hwangcheon folk adored celestials.
Who could blame them?
Who ended up in Hwangcheon's hells?
The worst of the wicked, unfit even for reincarnation.
Not all killers were evil.
Otherwise, Dang Gunak would've been damned too.
It was motive that mattered.
Why commit the act?
If one common trait for villains: extreme selfishness. Sociopaths seizing lives, property, rights without hesitation—for themselves alone.
Celestials? The polar opposite: paragons of selflessness.
Suckers, even.
"Anyway, on behalf of the immortals, I propose to Hwangcheon."
"Speak."
"Take on Celestial World subcontracting."
"Subcontracting? What do we get?"
"Say... sturdy labor?"
"Aha!"
Yeomra nodded in understanding.
"Need sinners who owe hard labor? Got just the ones."
Yeomra waved at the air.
A holographic image appeared.
"Digging earth."
"Yes. Black Bottom Hell. Look up."
"...Coming down?"
"Yep. Slack off even a bit, ceiling crushes them. Squish—like roaches underfoot. Resets after time, repeats eternally."
No death, but unimaginable agony of compression.
"Floor's no dirt either. Lined with Black Iron—no normal strength scratches it."
Horrific.
Descending ceiling above.
Impenetrable Black Iron below.
"Still digging well."
"After centuries or millennia of it? Of course."
Proven workforce.
"Controllable?"
"Piece of cake. No matter their past lives, sinners can't rebel against us."
"Good. We commission the subcontract."
"Accepted."
"And..."
Dang Gunak made one more request.
"There's a guy called Heavenly Demon in Avici Hell. Include him in the labor too?"
"Who'd refuse such a request?"
"Then it's a deal."
Agreement reached.
"Labor after celestials leave—no contact between sinners and celestials."
"Obviously. I was gonna ask anyway."
Thus, Celestial World megaproject gained momentum.
After celestials returned home, black-clad messengers and grim reapers appeared in the Celestial Realm.
"Alright! Open the gates!!!"
Vrrr!
Hell gate opened.
"Move it!"
"Out, now!"
"Picnic time, assholes?"
Sinners crawled out sluggishly.
Too slow.
Doubted they'd get work done.
Geomseon stepped up.
Time to establish discipline.
Pointed at one sinner casually.
"Hey! You, come here."
"What?"
"...Oh? Got some fire in those eyes. What's your name?"
"Blood Demon."
"Blood Demon? Looks like Tongue Demon to me. Not title—real name."
"Fuck, I said Blood Demon!"
"Hahaha, 'fuck'? Been ages since I heard cursing—feels fresh."
Then a nearby Kangrim flipped through the ledger.
"Blood Demon's real name is Wang Chunsam."
Example time.
Perfect target right there.
Geomseon roared lion-like.
"Chunsam! Headbutt the ground!!!"
< You Try It Too. > End