Gwisu Island, Part 2
The books the weasel had handed over were not just a single volume.
From primers explaining the script of the human race to maps of the continent and records detailing the cultures and customs of various nations, the variety was truly immense.
Dang Sobaek spent nearly a month cooped up in the temple, mastering the written language along with various other subjects.
However.
There is no mention of the Central Plains anywhere.
By this point, even a fool would have realized.
The place where Dang Sobaek now stood was a world entirely different in both time and space.
It does not seem to be the Upper Realm either.
Yet, daily life was not so different. In some ways, their cultures and customs shared many similarities.
However, there was one peculiar distinction.
Those who possessed a Spiritual Root and walked the path of cultivation were called cultivators—mysterious beings who sought immortality—
And ordinary humans without a Spiritual Root were clearly demarcated as mortals.
In the Central Plains, martial artists and ordinary citizens were also distinguished, but the atmosphere here was entirely different.
Hmm...
They treated mortals as if they were of an entirely different species. Sobaek could not quite comprehend it, but for now, he accepted it as a quirk of this world and moved on.
Dang Sobaek closed the book and stepped outside the temple. A breeze blew past, scattering fallen leaves. The weasel stood with his paws behind his back, staring up at the sky before turning his gaze. His expression was grim.
Sobaek knew why.
Jim-il and Jim-i had begun practicing a Beast Cultivation Method under the weasel's guidance.
Though there were a few issues—such as the ghost qi slumbering within Jim-il, and Jim-i's abysmal comprehension—it was still possible for them to learn.
But not for Dang Sobaek.
It was because he lacked a Spiritual Root.
In short, Sobaek was no different from a mortal.
"Useless brat. What is the point of having brilliant comprehension when you lack a Spiritual Root?" Soyo muttered.
"...I never expected such a thing anyway," Sobaek replied calmly.
Even in his past life, Sobaek's talent had never been particularly outstanding. He had never relied on innate genius to survive.
However, back then, it was the kind of obstacle that could be overcome through sheer effort and enduring trials...
This time, even that is impossible.
All he could do right now was refine his martial arts and poison techniques—the path he had walked his entire life.
"Hmph, you talk big. So, do you intend to practice your so-called martial arts again today?"
"..."
"I have heard of such things. Those who hone their martial arts to dream of becoming Martial Immortals, yes? But do you also know this? The path you wish to walk is a thorny one. I have heard that reaching a realm equivalent to the Qi Condensation stage is several times harder for martial artists than for ordinary cultivators. Of course, I also heard they are overwhelmingly stronger than cultivators of a similar realm."
"That does not mean I should simply sit idle."
"You certainly have a way with words. Just wait. It is not entirely impossible to awaken a Spiritual Root after birth. I shall look into a method."
The weasel's tone was always violently harsh, yet he had a strange tendency to look out for Sobaek. It was baffling to decipher what he was truly thinking.
"I do not understand. Why go to such lengths? Do you truly wish to be our master?"
"...Stop spouting nonsense and focus on nursing your cracked core."
"..."
While Dang Sobaek and the weasel were bickering, Jim-il and Jim-i flew in from the distance.
The weasel adopted a solemn air and asked,
"Did you complete the tasks I assigned?"
"Sorry!" Jim-i chirped.
Jim-i merely repeated the same word with a bright, innocent face.
"...Ugh... how long is this one going to be like this?"
"Sorry!!"
The weasel shook his head and turned to Jim-il. Jim-il whipped his head away, muttering under his breath.
"What are you staring at, you annoying pest?"
"Aaargh!!! Do I have to beat some sense into you? Is that it?!"
Neither Jim-il nor Jim-i seemed to have any intention of listening to the weasel. Sobaek felt he finally understood why the weasel was so fixated on him.
Even so,
"It will not hurt to listen," Sobaek intervened. "He is teaching you how to grow stronger, so pay attention."
At Sobaek's words, Jim-i nodded enthusiastically. Jim-il, on the other hand, looked thoroughly reluctant, but—
"Do not order me around. I was going to do it anyway."
He acquiesced regardless.
They were a difficult bunch to manage in many ways.
For a spiritual beast to walk the path of cultivation, they first had to undergo the process of transforming their inner core into a beast core.
In the cultivation world, this stage was known as the Core Refinement Stage.
Originally, an inner core contained a chaotic mix of the five elements.
Core refinement was the process of balancing and circulating these energies, optimizing the inner core to better absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.
For instance, Jim-i possessed the Heavenly Fire Root, meaning she had only a single attribute. Therefore, she simply needed to expel all other elemental energies and transform her inner core into a state that could solely absorb fire-attribute spiritual qi.
The more attributes one possessed, the more exponentially difficult the process became. Those with all five elements—known as Five Spiritual Roots—were deemed to have "trash roots" and were considered to possess the worst possible aptitude.
In that regard,
Jim-i could be said to have been born with a heaven-sent talent.
However, Jim-il's exact nature was still unclear. It was certain he possessed a Water Spiritual Root, but it was a root heavily intertwined with yin energy.
As Sobaek had only recently realized,
It was thanks to this unique constitution that Jim-il had been able to endure the corruption of ghost qi without losing his mind.
Whatever the case, Jim-il also had to purge his extraneous energies to enter the Core Refinement Stage.
Still, Dang Sobaek found it difficult to understand why the weasel was so intent on playing the master and teaching them.
"What are you planning?" Sobaek asked.
"About what?"
"I do not understand why you are going out of your way to invite such trouble."
A smirk played on the weasel's face.
"Why? Are you worried I am raising you all just to eat you later?"
To be frank, Sobaek had not ruled out the possibility.
Pure goodwill?
Dang Sobaek was not naive enough to believe in such things.
Especially not from a weasel who shared no blood relation and had no prior connection to them.
"It is not that. However..."
"Fix your face before you lie to me. As I said before, I will tell you when the time comes, so do not nag."
Dang Sobaek had no choice but to nod. He would have to keep a close eye on him and remain on guard.
"Very well. Ah, now that I think of it, there is another spiritual beast capable of speaking the Yo-language."
"Oh? And where is this one?"
Dang Sobaek explained about the monkey beast. The weasel showed far more interest than expected.
"Hmm, a monkey... If we bring him here and teach him, he might prove quite useful. Surely better than you birdbrains. And monkey wine, you say..."
"Sorry!"
Jim-i, who had been quietly listening, reacted as well. She seemed excited at the prospect of seeing her friend after so long.
Jim-il, on the other hand, muttered about how troublesome it would be, but his expression betrayed his words.
"I suppose getting some fresh air for once wouldn't hurt."
The decision was made in an instant.
With the weasel riding on Jim-i's back, they flew toward the highlands.
Since it was not very far, it did not take long to arrive.
In the distance, a pristine white snowfield came into view.
However, the weasel frowned and spoke.
"...The scent of blood is thick. And there is a stench of rot."
Had there been an attack by ghost-beasts?
Dang Sobaek extended his Divine Sense to investigate. Although he was not yet proficient in its use, it was far better than relying solely on basic energy perception.
It is filled with resentment.
To know for sure, they had to see it with their own eyes. Lowering their altitude slightly, they headed toward the hot springs.
There, they found—
A crimson snowfield, stained red with the blood of monkeys.
Tears welled up in Jim-i's eyes before finally spilling over. She tried to hold them back, but she could not control her grief.
"Hic... ugh..."
Jim-i wept beside the cold, lifeless body of the one-armed monkey, shaking him repeatedly.
But he would not wake.
His breath had long since ceased.
Dang Sobaek let out a soft sigh.
Unable to watch any longer, Jim-il stepped forward and covered the one-armed monkey with snow.
How gruesome.
Without exception, every single corpse had a gaping hole in its chest. Sobaek wondered what could have transpired here.
The weasel let out a low groan and asked Sobaek,
"Is the one you mentioned among the dead?"
"He does not seem to be here."
"I see."
With those words, the weasel formed a hand seal and swept his paw through the air. The corpses scattered across the snowfield—including the one-armed monkey Jim-il had just covered—were instantly gathered into a single pile.
Startled, Jim-i rushed forward to stop him, but—
"Wait!!"
The weasel's sharp, commanding shout froze her in her tracks.
"Judging by the flow of spiritual energy, something has laid eggs inside these corpses. If left alone, they will multiply beyond control. We must burn them completely. Jim-i, was it? You must do this."
It was a cruel demand.
Yet, it was necessary.
For Jim-i was the only one among them who could wield fire.
"If you truly care for them, send them off with your own hands. Do you wish for them to become food for parasites even in death?"
Just then, a scratching sound echoed from within the pile of monkey corpses.
Scritch... scratch...
There was no way Jim-i understood everything the weasel said. Nevertheless, she stepped forward with a solemn, resolute expression. She, too, had heard the ominous scratching.
"Sorry..."
With tears streaming down her face, she flapped her wings.
In an instant, a torrent of flames erupted, greedily devouring the monkey corpses. The surrounding snow melted rapidly, forming a small lake.
Whoosh!
And then—
Screeeeeech!
Accompanied by high-pitched shrieks, the sound of things bursting and popping echoed from the pyre.
A few managed to scurry out of the flames, but—
Slash!
They were instantly sliced in half by a Wind Blade conjured by the weasel, dying on the spot.
Though they were charred and melted beyond easy recognition, Sobaek muttered,
"Human-Faced Spiders?"
"You recognize them," the weasel remarked.
Judging by the weasel's reaction, Sobaek's guess was correct. Sobaek had thought they had burned them all to ashes back then, but it seemed some had survived.
"I saw them once before in the marshlands. Though it was a corpse with its core already harvested, those tiny spiders were devouring its flesh and spirit even then."
"And you just left it be?"
"The stench was so foul and unpleasant that I had Jim-i burn the entire thing to ashes. It burned quite well."
The weasel listened quietly to Sobaek's explanation before letting out a deep sigh.
"...You did well. That wretched spider bitch is causing trouble again."
"Again...?"
"Do you know how spiritual beasts manifest their innate abilities?"
Dang Sobaek did not answer immediately. The weasel had learned a cultivation method to cast spells.
In contrast, Jim-i had gained the ability to control fire by consuming the inner core of a bat beast.
His mind grew complicated.
At first, Sobaek had assumed it was a racial trait of the Jimjo species.
But that is not the case.
Even if Sobaek were to swallow the weasel's beast core right now, he doubted he would be able to cast spells.
It was likely because Jim-i possessed the Heavenly Fire Root that she could fully absorb the fire-attribute ability of the bat beast.
"Once a certain amount of qi is accumulated in the inner core, a natural transformation occurs. This is true even for those without a spiritual constitution. Of course, because they gather beast qi haphazardly, it is chaotic and impure, making it difficult to progress past a certain level."
"Then what about the Human-Faced Spider...?"
"Hard as it may be to believe, that bitch possesses a resurrection ability. First, she releases offspring split from her own body to gather the essence blood and resentment of beasts into a single vessel. Next, she lays her eggs inside the body of a suitable beast host. Well, though it is called resurrection, it is technically a completely different entity. The only thing that carries over is her ancient, festering grudge."
"..."
If that was true, they had no time to waste.
Even at a glance, this snowy highland was an environment ill-suited for spiders. The only reason they would come all this way was to find a host.
"Is the Human-Faced Spider targeting the monkey beasts?"
"Most likely. Spiritual beasts have become scarce on Gwisu Island lately."
With those words, the weasel unleashed his Divine Sense. A golden thread of light erupted from between his brows, spreading out in all directions.
It was on an entirely different level from Sobaek's.
Though the range of their Divine Sense might be similar, the difference in mastery was staggering.
It blanketed more than half of the highlands.
The weasel's expression shifted by the second. He did not look pleased.
"It seems things have gotten rather complicated."