Poison Essence (2)
He repeated them again and again.
Just one form from each martial art.
His enlightenment was already sufficient.
What he lacked was bodily proficiency and inner power.
His soul was the world's greatest Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak, while his body was the frail shell of a Mana Rejector Kim Taeju.
He had to narrow that gap as much as possible.
Sweat poured down like rain.
Had he ever pushed his body this hard before?
It was the first time since being born a Mana Rejector.
Normally, intense movement would strain his heart due to his heavenly punishment.
…All healed?
In that instant!
“Kuhk!”
His heart felt like it was tearing apart.
It hadn’t changed.
Did that mean even poison arts couldn’t overcome his heavenly punishment?
Taeju finally collapsed to the ground, propping himself up with his hands.
“Ugh…”
Then, a change occurred.
The poison essence rooted in his dantian.
Poison qi flowed through his veins.
The Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong began circulating instinctively, an action engraved in his soul.
As the poison qi coursed through him, the pain gradually faded.
“Hoo.”
It wasn’t fully healed, but it was effective.
In the end, the answer was poison arts.
What if his poison arts matured fully?
He’d surely escape this accursed heavenly punishment.
Just keep training.
He wanted revenge, but…
The target was his stepmother.
His father might be involved.
…No. Father wouldn’t.
Even if abandoned, a father was a father.
Memories of being loved as a child were still vivid.
Tsk.
Revenge would have to wait.
Instead, he’d carve out his own place alone.
Cut ties with his father.
In a way, that was filial piety.
Stepping aside for his father’s new happy family.
And live as he pleased.
Without minding others’ eyes, at least.
For that, he needed power.
Taeju pulled the poison herbs he’d dug up earlier from his pocket and shoved them all into his mouth.
Having formed his poison essence with Seven-Point Death Flower poison, anything weaker was just a tonic—like elixirs everywhere.
Dig a few more and eat them?
That would strengthen his poison qi a bit.
Gain enough strength to escape Seoraksan Outpost.
He chewed and swallowed the poison grass, repeating linked forms over and over.
Time flew by unnoticed.
The gap between soul and body narrowed with each repetition.
Suddenly!
Rustle!
A presence from afar.
Hm?
Shh!
From that direction too.
Rustle!
And here.
Someone—or someones—closing in slowly on his position.
Surrounded.
Who else?
Sergeant Go Youngho and the platoon members.
Go was mana compatible; the platoon, mana adapters.
With his poison essence formed, dealing with them would be easier than paperwork in the admin office.
If it’s just them…
Lieutenant Jang Indong.
He might be with them.
A system awakener blessed by mana.
Evade, or confront?
The choice was already made.
Evade?
Ridiculous.
The Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak would stomp the earth in grief.
Would his parallel self call him a coward?
Martial arts grew by overcoming brushes with death.
Once you start evading, you’d choose it again next time.
Kill them here.
It would be his first murder.
A burden for a half-soldier who’d only handled paperwork?
No way.
He was Imperial Army Lieutenant Kim Taeju—and the Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak.
Who had killed the most in all of history’s strong realms?
Thousands, tens of thousands of murders.
The reason a righteous sect origin earned a “demon” title.
He did anything for his goals.
Heroics were never on the table.
Death by noble sword or vile poison—what difference?
Even allies scorned him.
Cruel, insidious, evil, cunning, shameless.
But Dang Gunak felt no qualms.
Poisoned food or tea to win.
Poisoned wells too.
Killed from hiding with hidden weapons, face unseen.
Numerous times, poisoned with tiny needle rings while feigning handshakes.
Thus, Taeju had no hesitation killing either.
Just pondered the best way.
A chance to test poison arts on mana-compatible system awakener Lieutenant Jang Indong.
Revenge on stepmother Honda Mitsui might be hard, but kill this one and go.
Taeju tucked the greatsword into his right sleeve and slipped three 500-won coins between his fingers.
Mana Compatible.
Even without awakening, healthier than normals, longer-lived, physically superior.
But system connection awakening was another matter.
Beyond acceptance, one needed mana’s blessing.
In that sense, Lieutenant Jang Indong was lucky.
Born compatible and awakened.
Yet insufficient.
Differences among awakeners.
System-defined stages.
Initial awakening: named User.
Meaning: store and use mana to temper the body.
Awakener’s unique trait emerges.
Trait type via facial tattoo.
Jang’s: Physical and Toughness.
Beyond User: next stage Beginner.
Skills usable.
More skills, free use: Regular.
For company-grade officers: User, Beginner, or Regular sufficient.
Field-grade requirement: Expert—adept.
Experts subdivided: Junior Expert, Middle Expert, Superior Expert.
Generals, stars required: Master.
Jang had no dreams of Master.
No talent or confidence.
Just reach Expert.
But no gift.
Limit: Beginner.
Of course, a way existed.
Consume elixirs.
Elixirs from elite monster energy crystals: restructure body, leap to Junior Expert.
Problem: unobtainable.
Not just price—extremely rare, rarely on market.
Then, a new officer commissioned.
Lieutenant Kim Taeju.
Mana Rejector trash.
But father: Major General Kim Ungbang, Paju Territory lord.
Curry favor, something might drop.
Learned later: unwanted child.
Still treated well outwardly.
No loss; might tattle if bullied.
Then proposal from above.
Remove one officer.
Elite elixir as reward if handled well.
No need to think.
Hated him awhile.
Rejector serving as officer thanks to parents.
Whole company risky for company commander’s ears.
Brought five capable subs including Sergeant Go Youngho.
Total six, himself included.
Assuming alive, searched cliff base.
Dug patches: roots from hunger? Idiot.
Most root plants here poisonous.
“Someone ahead.”
“I know.”
“Not orcs.”
Orcs fine anyway.
He could handle a few alone.
“Sergeant Go Youngho.”
“Yes!”
“Go rear, tighten encirclement. You lot, block retreat, approach carefully.”
Soon.
One figure standing blankly in forest clearing.
“Lieutenant Kim Taeju!”
Found at last.
No reply, just glaring silently.
“No name and rank?”
“What between us? Am I still your subordinate?”
Lieutenant Jang Indong was baffled.
What gave this trash confidence?
“Kekekeke… Well, I get it. No kind words in this spot.”
“Why me?”
“Pfft, reason to remove trash? Ugly and stinking—clean it up.”
Taeju smirked too.
Overconfident as expected.
Go Youngho and four platoon members encircling, laughing without even raising guns.
“One more question.”
“Dying man’s got questions.”
“What’d Honda Mitsui promise? Money? Elixir?”
“…Lowly scum dares!”
“Elixir, right? To fill your pathetic talent.”
Lieutenant Jang Indong’s eyes turned icy.
“Listen well, cripple trash. I’ll break your limbs first. Then drop you off the cliff again.”
“Try it. If you can.”
Honestly, Jang hesitated.
The calm eyes and demeanor.
Awakened maybe?
But no awakening trace.
No facial tattoo.
Unarmed…
Nothing at all?
End quick, rest.
Quick-witted Sergeant Go Youngho asked.
“Shall we handle it?”
“Nah, just watch.”
Whoosh!
Jang kicked off and charged.
“Die!”
But?
Shh!
Like magic, Kim Taeju vanished.
Jang startled.
“Huk!”
What?
Where’d he go?
Simultaneously, a pale white hand closing on his chest.
Thwack!
“Kuk!”
The impact pushed him back a step.
Price of carelessness.
One step back, Jang shocked.
Pushed by a Mana Rejector’s palm?
Absurd, yet the guy fully turned his back.
“How dare…”
What was he thinking?
One hit enough?
Exposing his nape without care.
Kill him!
Jang drew his longsword from waist.
Aimed to stab the back—
“...Huh?”
Stagger!
Tried advancing, but legs powerless.
Suddenly!
Gush!
Red blood fountaining from mouth, spinning vision, fading consciousness. Breathing ragged, collapsed inevitably.
Thud.
One solid hit.
Especially concentrated poison qi pushed in.
About 50% of total energy?
Poison qi depleted sharply as a result.
But Taeju didn’t see it as a fight.
Experiment: do poison arts work on awakeners?
One down.
Second: Sergeant Go Youngho.
The pusher off the cliff.
Not awakener, but mana compatible.
Their eyes met.
Sensing unease, he hurriedly drew mana gun from waist, but
“You trash bastard…”
Tszzt!
Military greatsword shot like lightning.
Silver afterimage pierced Go Youngho’s heart.
Stab!
“Guk!”
Ballistic vest useless.
Sergeant Go Youngho writhed and pitched forward.
“S-Sergeant Go.”
“Uwaaaah!”
Platoon members shocked by Taeju’s moves.
“Cr-Crazy!”
“Wh-What the hell is that guy?”
“Shoot him quick! Shoot! Fire—!”
Platoon panicked, at a loss.
Rifles aimed forward, but triggers frozen.
Then!
Tszzt!
Silver streak drawn long in air.
Splurt!
One coin burrowed into a platoon member’s head, scrambled brain, exited.
No scream.
Phantom Bewilderment Step into One Flash.
Body-etched linked motion.
Mana adapters, regular soldiers couldn’t handle Taeju.
Three coins in sequence.
Close range, no miss.
Tszzt! Tszzt! Tszzt!
One each to heads, friendly.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Guk!”
“Aak!”
“…”
About ten seconds?
All dead.
Left: gasping heap.
“Keurk! Y-You, what are you?”
Jang’s face turned deathly blue, fumbling at waist.
Reaching for pistol maybe.
Or antidote.
Couldn’t think straight probably.
Breathing labored.
Taeju’s dantian poison essence: variant Seven-Point Death Flower.
Worked even on awakeners.
“How’s it feel? To your liking?”
“…Y-You, awa-awakened.”
“Awakening? Please.”
Jang forced words looking at Taeju.
“S-Spare me.”
“Switch places—would you?”
“…I tr-treated you well all this time.”
“Not just ‘cause I’m a general’s son?”
“N-No, mis-under…”
Gurgle!
Red blood spewing from Jang’s mouth.
Sweet poison scent wafted too.
“If you came to kill, be prepared to die yourself.”
Taeju turned without regret.
“Pl-Please, ple… Keu… Kuuu…”
Jang couldn’t finish, breath cut.
Reasons for easy kill.
First: overconfidence. If skills from start, trouble.
Second: mere Beginner level.
Third: poison arts ultimately.
Taeju wasn’t unscathed either.
Pain starting again just before.
“Haa, fuck.”
Desperately circulating Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong even now.
“…No time to spare.”
Then.
“Kuoohhh!”
“Kaaahhh!”
Seoraksan shook by monster roars—orcs’ cries.
He knew what it meant.
Breeding season’s begun.
Taeju yanked the greatsword from Go Youngho’s chest.
Breeding orcs: peak feeding activity.
They’d devour all these corpses.
Leave bloodstains or bits maybe.
Thus, Taeju returned alone to Seoraksan Outpost.