The Nest, Part 1
In an instant, his sense of balance shattered, and he plunged toward the earth. It felt as though his very mind were scattering into pieces.
Dang Sobaek’s mind buzzed with a deafening ring. The hard ground rushed up to meet him. He tried to force his wings open, but they refused to obey his command.
Even in the face of imminent disaster, Dang Sobaek calmly analyzed the cause of his paralysis.
Surprisingly, he had experienced something similar in his past life. It had happened after his defeat at the hands of Namgung Danwu, back when he was wandering the Jianghu to hone his skills through endless duels.
‘This is similar to martial arts rooted in sonic waves.’
It was particularly reminiscent of the Ghost Wail Chaos employed by the bastards of the Blood Sect—a technique that used eerie, ghostly shrieks to induce severe mental derangement in its victims.
‘I must clear my mind through pain.’
Drawing upon his past experience, Dang Sobaek quickly refined a trace of his own poison and channeled it directly into his upper dantian.
“Urgh!”
An involuntary groan escaped his beak. However, as the searing pain flared through his mind, his paralyzed senses snapped back into focus.
It was a hair’s breadth away, but he managed to pull up just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal collision with the cavern floor.
Dang Sobaek soared toward the high ceiling of the cavern, his eyes scanning the darkness for the assailant.
It was not the Black-scaled Blood Python.
It was a monstrous bat, possessing four pairs of wings and eight glowing eyes.
This was no ordinary beast.
Its grotesque appearance alone was striking, but the overwhelming pressure it radiated marked it as a spiritual beast far superior to Dang Sobaek in rank.
“……”
Dang Sobaek instinctively realized that this was the greatest crisis he had faced since his reincarnation as a Jimjo.
If his opponent had been a weasel,
or even the Black-scaled Blood Python, things would have been different.
Fleeing would have been a viable option. No matter how formidable those beasts were, they were ultimately land-bound creatures.
Against a flying bat monster, however, escape was nearly impossible. Perhaps Jim-i with her superior speed could manage it, but Sobaek would be hunted down and slaughtered before he could even reach the cave’s exit.
Forcing down his rising panic, Dang Sobaek regained his composure and glared at the bat monster.
‘Its body is covered in battle scars. This creature has survived for decades, if not longer.’
He could sense a profound, battle-hardened experience radiating from the bat. It was a conclusion drawn from both his sharp observation and his seasoned intuition as a martial artist.
This creature had not been born a blessed spiritual beast like the Jimjo. It was a survivor that had clawed its way up, preying on other beasts to fuel its own evolution.
That was the true nature of this bat monster.
Of course, this was merely a deduction.
Yet, a martial artist’s intuition was rarely wrong in matters of life and death.
Suppressing his rising tension, Sobaek meticulously analyzed his opponent. He could find no openings.
His lifetimes of experience whispered a grim truth.
Certain defeat.
There was absolutely no chance of victory in a direct confrontation. In a situation like this, Sobaek had only one viable course of action.
He had to force an opening himself.
And to do that, he had to clash with the beast first.
The moment the thought solidified, Dang Sobaek unleashed a volley of his feathers.
The feathers fanned out, charting trajectories that embodied the profound principles of the Heavenly Net. It was an inescapable formation; dodging them all was a physical impossibility.
However—
Screeeech!
Dang Sobaek’s opening gambit failed to achieve its purpose.
Rather than dodging, the bat monster unleashed a concentrated blast of sonic waves to counter the incoming projectiles. The two opposing forces clashed violently in midair. Stripped of their momentum, Sobaek's feathers rained harmlessly onto the cavern floor.
Dang Sobaek’s expression hardened in disbelief.
He had realized this during his battle with the Black-scaled Blood Python, but these spiritual beasts were fundamentally different from ordinary wild animals. It wasn't merely because they could manipulate demonic energy.
They were born martial artists. No, it was more accurate to call them monsters born for battle.
‘I suppose it is only natural, given that they have spent their entire lives fighting for survival in this brutal wilderness.’
The moment that thought crossed Sobaek's mind,
the bat monster spewed fire. A torrent of dark crimson flames fanned out like dozens of blazing arrows, raining down upon him.
Knowing better than to face the attack head-on, Dang Sobaek spun his body midair, spiraling out of the blast radius.
It was an agile maneuver he had adapted from observing Jim-i’s flight patterns.
Yet, he could not evade the attack entirely. Despite shielding his body with a layer of demonic energy, several of his feathers were scorched black by the intense heat.
Sobaek exchanged several more rapid blows with the bat monster over the next few moments.
While Sobaek held the upper hand in terms of combat technique and the refined application of energy,
‘Our weight classes are simply too different.’
He could not seize the momentum to win.
However, the brief clash yielded valuable information.
First, there was a corner of the cave where a pile of bat carcasses lay.
The bat monster was deliberately avoiding that area, taking great care not to let any stray attacks damage the remains.
Second, the creature could not unleash its flames continuously.
Immediately after spewing fire, the bat monster’s body momentarily stiffened, freezing in place.
It was a window of less than a single second, but to a master,
‘That is more than enough time.’
Dang Sobaek now knew exactly how to exploit this weakness.
He formulated a plan in an instant.
He had never expected to defeat this beast in a straight fight. All Sobaek needed was a split-second opening.
He calmly bided his time, waiting for the bat monster to unleash its flames once more.
And then—
Fwoosh!
Targeting the exact millisecond the bat monster’s body stiffened after the blast, Dang Sobaek unleashed a massive volley of feathers.
At first glance, the attack seemed chaotic and disorganized.
In truth, however, each feather was fired with a precise delay, and every single one was aimed at a vital spot.
Sobaek fully expected the beast to defend itself. However, blocking or dodging such a calculated, multi-layered attack would inevitably buy him precious seconds.
Seizing that fleeting window, Sobaek turned and bolted out of the cavern. Fortunately, the bat made no attempt to pursue him.
‘How strange.’
The bat monster had initiated the attack.
For it to let him leave so easily without further resistance was highly unusual.
Furthermore, Sobaek had felt neither malice nor predatory desire from the beast during their clash. If anything, the creature had seemed deeply conflicted, as if weighed down by some profound contemplation.
Whatever the reason, it was a favorable outcome for him.
Dang Sobaek slipped through the crevice in the cliffside and flew back toward Jim-sam’s nest.
Several wild birds caught sight of him and scattered in panic, diving low to hide themselves among the ancient trees.
Dang Sobaek fell deep into thought as he glided through the air.
If the bat monster had fought with genuine lethal intent, escaping would have been an arduous task. Sobaek likely would not have died, but he certainly would have sustained severe injuries.
In truth, the beast had practically let him go.
That was the core of his confusion.
There was an absolute law that governed this world:
A spiritual beast grows stronger by hunting and devouring other spiritual beasts.
Even ordinary beasts followed this rule. It was a matter of primal instinct, a fundamental desire woven into the fabric of their existence.
Moreover, a bizarre, echoing voice constantly resonated across this island.
Whenever one listened closely to those words,
their emotions would swell to an unnatural degree, and their predatory instincts would be violently amplified.
It was difficult to deduce the true meaning behind those words.
It was a cryptic statement, open to countless interpretations.
It was deeply unsettling.
Sobaek did not know the true identity of the voice. Perhaps it was merely a collective hallucination, but...
It was far too clear and distinct to dismiss so optimistically. It felt as though it possessed a deliberate, guiding purpose.
It carried the weight of a Buddhist gatha chanted by an enlightened high priest.
Yet, the underlying intent felt far from benevolent.
The more primitive the beast, the more susceptible they were to this external influence. Fortunately, Sobaek’s siblings seemed to possess a decent amount of self-control, likely because they were born as high-ranking spiritual beasts.
“Grrrrr...”
Even so, the island was filled with beasts that would pounce the moment they sensed the slightest vulnerability.
How, then, had the bat monster resisted the temptation of that voice? Why had it spared Dang Sobaek instead of devouring him?
Was it simply because it was a spiritual beast?
No, that couldn't be it.
‘Hmm...’
Dang Sobaek glanced back, carefully retracing the events that had unfolded inside the cavern.
The cave floor had been littered with the carcasses of ordinary bats. Furthermore, on the very first day Sobaek had encountered the Black-scaled Blood Python, he had seen a bat’s wing dangling from the serpent's maw.
‘That cave must have been the bat monster’s original nest. The Black-scaled Blood Python likely invaded, slaughtered its offspring, and claimed the territory for itself. Is the bat seeking vengeance?’
The bat monster had been extremely careful not to let its flames touch the pile of bat carcasses and bones left behind by the python.
No matter how intelligent a spiritual beast was, and even if it possessed maternal instincts, it was ultimately still a beast.
To a beast, the dead were simply dead.
They might grieve momentarily, but that was the end of it. Harboring a deep, burning grudge that consumed its entire existence was not the behavior of a normal animal.
‘Perhaps...’
Perhaps the bat monster was in the process of awakening to complex emotions and reason. If possessing a higher intellect was the key to resisting the voice's maddening influence, then its behavior made perfect sense.
Indeed, Sobaek and his siblings, Jim-i and Jim-sam, could hear the voice, but they were never controlled by it.
Because they were born as divine spiritual beasts, they did not rely solely on primal instinct to guide their actions.
During their time together, Sobaek had clearly observed that his siblings possessed genuine emotions and reasoning capabilities.
“Cheep, cheeeep!”
Jim-i had even gone so far as to share her precious, energy-rich insects with him.
Dang Sobaek’s thoughts ran deeper.
Why had the bat monster positioned itself at the bottom of the cave to launch a surprise attack, and why had it ultimately spared him?
‘Hmm...’
Perhaps the creature had been quietly accumulating power for the sole purpose of slaying the Black-scaled Blood Python.
‘If so, it might have mistaken me for the python at first.’
Both he and the python possessed potent toxicity and formidable energy.
Without visual confirmation, their spiritual signatures would have felt remarkably similar to a sensing beast.
‘If I play my cards right, I might even be able to form an alliance with it.’
The thought crossed Dang Sobaek’s mind, but he quickly shook his head. It was an impossible notion. They had no way to communicate.
However, utilizing the beast was a different story. He could orchestrate a situation where he could reap the spoils of their conflict, or let them destroy each other.
The bat monster possessed a greater reserve of demonic energy than the Black-scaled Blood Python. Its sonic shrieks and crimson flames were not merely biological traits; they were infused with highly refined demonic power.
They could be considered a form of innate beast magic.
Yet, the fact that it had resorted to a stealthy ambush meant it knew it stood no chance in a direct, head-on confrontation with the serpent.
‘Is it a matter of elemental compatibility?’
The Black-scaled Blood Python’s armored scales were notoriously difficult to pierce.
Furthermore, given the massive disparity in their physical sizes, the bat monster would find it incredibly difficult to inflict a mortal wound on the giant serpent.
Yet, Sobaek felt that wasn't the whole story. There had to be something else the bat was hiding.
Landing softly in Jim-sam’s nest, Dang Sobaek began to ponder new ways to rapidly increase his own strength.
The bat monster had lived in the cavern within the cliffside crevice for a very long time.
It was its sanctuary, its home, and the cradle where it had birthed and raised countless generations of offspring.
Ever since it had awakened to intellect and emotion, the bat monster had yearned deeply for a companion—someone like itself.
Yet, unlike certain high-ranking spiritual beasts born with innate intelligence, its offspring were completely ordinary.
They were fragile, simple creatures that reacted and acted solely on primal instinct.
The bat monster desperately wanted its children to grow. It wanted them to evolve and become sentient beings like itself.
For years, the bat had pondered why it harbored such a deep, aching yearning.
It was not for the mere propagation of its species.
Nor was it for the sake of evolution.
It was none of those things.
It was because it had developed emotions. The bat monster had realized that it was utterly, profoundly alone.
It simply wished for another soul with whom it could share a connection.
The path to achieving this was simple.
It had to feed them the flesh of other spiritual beasts.
That was how the bat monster itself had evolved.
After the previous master of this cavern had died of old age, the bat had consumed its remains and ascended to become a spiritual beast.
Thus, the bat monster ventured out of the cave every single day. It hunted anything that possessed even a trace of demonic energy, feeding the prey to its young.
It was an arduous task.
Yet, after years of tireless effort, a few of its offspring finally began to exhibit changes.
They grew an extra pair of wings and began to harbor demonic energy within their bodies. However, they had yet to awaken to intellect. To do so, they needed to form a condensed core of energy within themselves, just as their mother had.
They required far more spiritual energy.
It hunted a pangolin clad in blood-red armor,
a two-headed praying mantis,
and even a monstrous queen ant with a thousand legs.
After several more years, a miracle occurred. Its eldest offspring successfully formed a round core of energy within its chest!
Filled with hope, the mother bat yearned for the rest of her children to awaken. But one day, while she was out hunting as usual—
Sssssss...
An uninvited guest invaded her home.
A massive serpent with pitch-black scales and blood-red eyes raided her sanctuary.
By the time the mother returned, her home was in ruins. Her countless children had been reduced to a single meal for the gluttonous serpent.
The bat monster wept in agonizing grief.
It was the shattering of her maternal love, and the brutal destruction of her only hope—the dream of raising a companion who could understand her lonely heart.
The mother bat waged a desperate war against the serpent for seven days and seven nights. She unleashed the crimson flames she had cultivated and shattered the air with her sonic shrieks.
But defeating the serpent—a born spiritual beast that possessed both immense physical power and high intelligence—was impossible.
Though the bat possessed a larger reserve of demonic energy, the disparity in their innate bloodlines was an insurmountable chasm.
The serpent's steel-like scales completely neutralized her flames, and her sonic attacks were shattered by a single sweep of its massive tail.
The bat’s power was simply insufficient to bridge the gap in their natural-born ranks.
It was then that the mother bat learned a new concept.
She learned that the crushing weight in her chest was called despair. And with it, she understood the concept of an enemy.
Though consumed by rage, she knew she had to retreat. She needed to amass far more power if she ever hoped to slay the beast.
The bat monster spent her days hunting and devouring every spiritual beast she could find, relentlessly accumulating power.
Finally, when she felt ready for their final confrontation,
she hid herself near the water source at the bottom of the cavern, waiting to spring her ambush.
Soon, she heard the sound of movement echoing from above.
Swoosh!
Without a moment's hesitation, the bat monster unleashed her sonic attack.
But she had miscalculated.
The creature that fell was not the serpent, but a bird.
She recognized its kind.
It was a Jimjo, the sovereign species that ruled this territory. However, judging by its faint spiritual signature, this was merely a young chick.
She hesitated.
If she slaughtered and devoured this chick, would she gain enough power to defeat the serpent? The chick's mother might seek vengeance against her, but she did not care. As long as she could kill the serpent, she was willing to forfeit her own life.
Nothing mattered but her revenge.
Yet, the chick was far more formidable than she had anticipated.
It fired its feathers in a bizarre, highly sophisticated manner, and it even used the carcasses of her children as shields to evade her attacks.
It was an incredibly cunning creature.
A conflict raged within the bat monster’s mind.
Was she wasting her precious strength on a useless battle? And if she devoured this innocent chick, how would she be any different from the monstrous serpent that had slaughtered her own children?
Wavering under the weight of her own conscience,
the bat monster ultimately allowed the Jimjo chick to escape.
She had gained nothing, having only squandered a portion of her carefully accumulated strength.
After the chick fled,
the bat monster flew toward the upper chambers of the cavern, drawn by an incredibly sweet, intoxicating scent.
Inside the mouth of her dead eldest child, a brilliant green gem was glowing with a radiant light. Her primal instincts screamed at her to swallow it immediately.
It released a fragrance far sweeter and more potent than any spiritual beast she had ever devoured.
However, drawing upon her long years of survival, the bat monster barely managed to suppress her instincts. She knew all too well that the most alluring things in the wild were often the most lethal.
After a long moment of hesitation, she turned away from the glowing gem.
A dark, calculating thought crossed her mind. Perhaps this glowing gem—or rather, the carcass of her eldest child containing it—could serve as a fatal poison for the serpent when it returned to the nest.
A few days later—
Sssssss...
Having finally finished its hunt, the giant serpent returned to the cavern.