The Taste of a Soul-Eating Pill
To fully obtain the divine powers of the person who became the ingredients for the Soul-Eating Dao-Achieving Pill, one had to consume all six pills.
However, if the goal was simply to raise cultivation progress or recover from injuries, taking only a portion would suffice. This was precisely the method he intended to use this time.
Of course.
Since there was a chance that an incredible divine power might be embedded within, he decided to try one pill first. That way, he could gauge what kind of ability he would gain once he consumed them all.
‘It’s something I need to do anyway.’
Though split into six separate pills, a considerable amount of the original memories would still be shared among them.
‘When the time comes to speak with Commander Brenar about this, I can’t afford to know nothing about the memories I gain from the Soul-Eating Dao-Achieving Pill.’
If that situation arose, the story that he had recovered from his injuries and learned the cultivation methods of the Repair Realm by consuming this pill would lose all credibility.
And so.
He reviewed his thoughts several more times and confirmed the stability of the medicinal pill.
It was a demonic pill made from a human being, so naturally he felt reluctance. But it had already been created. It wasn’t as if there were any fatal side effects; discarding it simply because it made him uncomfortable would be far too great a waste.
In the end, one Soul-Eating Dao-Achieving Pill entered his mouth. It was a rather ordinary pill that carried an emotional resonance closest to that of human desire.
The effect appeared almost instantly.
Yet Han Yujin deliberately suppressed it and began his analysis first.
Only after confirming that any side effects were well within the range he could resolve did he begin to properly absorb its power. Instead of digesting it immediately, he first buried the medicinal strength as latent energy throughout his body.
‘If I try to digest it right now, there’s no telling how many days it might take.’
To save time, a little leakage of the effect was acceptable. After all, raising his cultivation progress had never been the primary goal.
Roughly three or four hours later.
When he opened his eyes, he had to spend another thirty minutes organizing the unfamiliar memories and emotions of another person that rose like intrusive thoughts and tangled together.
‘It’s a good thing I’m proficient in mental techniques…’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it this quickly.
In any case.
He learned about the person who had become the ingredients for the Soul-Eating Dao-Achieving Pill—information that had not been properly recorded in the pill refinement log.
The man had been an early investigator of the Origin Realm, the head of a clan that held considerable influence in a certain region despite not belonging to any specific sect. His name was Gun Yugyeom.
Unfortunately, after hearing rumors about a treasure in a hidden realm, he had moved recklessly and met this miserable end.
‘A divine power that can partially absorb the lifespan of blood relatives…’
As the eldest of his clan, Gun Yugyeom had shown extreme interest in the prosperity of his descendants—all because of this very ability.
‘Right before his death, he suspected that the rumor about the hidden realm had been a trap aimed at him from the beginning.’
If word of such a divine power had leaked even indirectly, it was only natural that demonic investigators and the like would target him. There were no eternal secrets in this world.
Whether it had truly been a trap or not was something that would never be known. And to Han Yujin, it was not an important question at all.
‘With my Dao-heart, this is a divine power I could never use even if I obtained it.’
Stealing the lifespan of one’s own blood relatives to extend one’s life—only a true psychopath could do such a thing.
Thanks to that, any hesitation vanished. Looking at Commander Brenar, who still lay unconscious and in critical condition, he picked up another Soul-Eating Dao-Achieving Pill.
This one carried an emotional resonance closest to heavenly joy. Wouldn’t waking up in a pleasant mood make her feel even greater gratitude?
Besides, the other pills all emitted negative emotional waves, making them unsuitable for someone with severe injuries. Since they had not been properly matured, the malevolent energy was likely concentrated within them.
‘Oh, right.’
He had nearly overlooked something important while focusing on other matters.
He adjusted his clothes and deliberately created bloodstains, disguising himself as someone who had been gravely wounded and then recovered.
Only after taking care of every minor detail did he feed the pill to Commander Brenar.
Various memories and emotions swirled like a dream. Suddenly sensing that they belonged to a stranger, she became aware of herself.
‘I… didn’t die…’
Her head felt as heavy as if a rock had been placed on it, and her thoughts moved sluggishly. Yet the final scene of collapsing while sensing her own death came back to her with vivid clarity.
But it seemed she had not died.
As time passed, she rapidly regained sensation in her body and clarity of mind.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar soldier looking down at her with worry.
‘Yujin.’
Her head was still severely foggy. However, as an 11th-level spiritualist, her cognitive abilities had always been exceptional, so she was not completely unable to grasp the situation.
“Are you all right, Captain?”
“…It doesn’t seem I’m about to die immediately.”
Her voice came out slightly hoarse. But the mere fact that she could speak was astonishing.
She remained still and examined her own condition. Using her spiritual power seemed extremely difficult, but at least her physical injuries had recovered considerably and were no longer worsening.
With a surge of surprise, she sat up and asked,
“What happened? I was clearly in a state that would have been difficult to recover from.”
“I fed you a medicinal pill made by a Repair Realm cultivator. I survived after taking one myself, so I thought it would work on you as well, Captain, given how critical your condition was.”
“…”
When she fell silent for a moment, Yujin began to explain in greater detail.
From the moment they had been thrown from the landing craft until now, his concise yet comprehensive account covered all the important points.
“You were lucky. And your decisiveness was excellent as well.”
“It was all thanks to you, Captain. If not for the medical kit you gave me as a reward during the selection test, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
“That emergency treatment kit?”
“Yes.”
So that’s what saved me too.
As she thought this, Brenar—uncharacteristically—found herself sinking into complicated emotions. It was clear that the unfamiliar memories and feelings swirling through her since she woke up were having a significant influence.
Fortunately, they carried a rather positive tone.
“There’s one more left. Would you like it?”
At that moment, Yujin spoke and held out a small box made of jade. Inside the open jade container lay a pill swirling with blood-red and golden hues.
It was unmistakably something made by a Repair Realm cultivator. And at a glance, it was clearly an extraordinary object.
‘…I survived because I ate this?’
Yet for some reason, it gave off an extremely ominous feeling. Even though she could not properly wield her spiritual power, she shook her head.
“It’s fine. More importantly, you’re offering this to me even though you know it’s a precious item?”
“Because you need to regain your strength for me to be safe as well, Captain.”
“That’s true. You’re quite sharp.”
“Also, although I had no choice but to test it on myself to survive, I don’t think I could ever eat it a second time.”
As he spoke, he grimaced deeply, as if the mere thought was painful.
“Because the medicinal power was too strong?”
“Unfamiliar and eerie… those kinds of memories kept surging up uncontrollably. I barely endured it.”
His experience sounded quite different from what she was currently feeling. Brenar thought for a moment before nodding.
“It seems this wasn’t originally made as a healing pill. We were both lucky. Put it away for now and submit it later. I’ll make sure you receive proper compensation, so don’t worry.”
“Understood.”
Yujin’s obedient attitude—neither frustrated nor anxious despite the circumstances—pleased her greatly.
Suddenly.
She found herself thinking that this nomadic soldier was remarkably handsome.
It wasn’t just his appearance. His rare combination of intelligence and composure at such a young age made him even more attractive.
When she recalled how he had looked during the selection test as well…
‘…What on earth am I thinking right now?’
It was surely because of the unfamiliar emotions that still lingered thickly and swirled within her.
Unlike Yujin’s eerie memories, these were almost the complete opposite, which seemed to be why such side effects were appearing.
She tried to shake off the distracting thoughts, but because her condition was still abnormal, it wasn’t easy.
‘Actually, once someone reaches 4th level as a spiritualist, age differences become far less significant. From 7th level onward, it’s even more so. So…’
‘No, wait a moment.’
She suddenly realized that Yujin was radiating the aura of a 4th-level spiritualist.
“Don’t tell me you broke through after taking that pill?”
“Yes. It definitely doesn’t seem like an ordinary medicine.”
“…I can’t tell if you lack ambition or if you’re simply clever.”
She knew it was an unnecessary remark in their current situation, yet because her condition was still off, the words slipped out on their own.
Though much had been left unsaid, Yujin seemed to understand immediately. He simply looked as if he were pondering how to respond.
“I don’t think I lack ambition.”
“I see…”
Too little ambition could also be unattractive. Such idle thoughts still floated up from a corner of her mind.
At the same time, she nodded and added,
“Let me say it again: I will make sure you receive proper compensation, so don’t worry. Saving my life alone is already a considerable achievement.”
“I already believed that. Um, how should we go about returning?”
“Ha.”
Only then did she recall one problem and let out a sigh.
“If we’re lucky, a week. In the worst case, it could take up to half a month.”
“…Did something happen to the cruiser, by any chance?”
“I ordered a retreat. As long as our life signals don’t disappear, they will come looking for us again. But since they activated the warp engine, it will take at least that long to return.”
It had been a battle where victory could not be guaranteed, so it was an unavoidable measure to prevent total annihilation.
The problem was that she herself could not use her spiritual power right now.
More precisely, although she could use it, doing so would be like violently tearing open a wound that had only received emergency treatment.
‘If it really becomes unavoidable, I suppose I’ll have to take that pill even if it feels ominous.’
As she thought this, Yujin spoke.
“In that case… we should leave this place first and find a hiding spot. I happen to have the Obscura Dome you gave me as a reward, Captain.”
“Ah, right. That thing.”
It was a small smart tent, but it would be more than enough for the two of them. The fact that they were a man and a woman was not even worth considering in this emergency.
“Can you stand?”
“Fortunately.”
She stood up as she answered and felt a slight dizziness, but it soon subsided to a tolerable level.
“I’ll take the lead.”
“Where to?”
“There’s a memorable location I discovered on the way here. I’ll need to check again whether it’s truly suitable as a hiding place, but…”
“Let’s go there.”
Yujin, who had begun moving ahead, gave off a reassuring presence. He was clearly too talented to remain a mere soldier.
‘I think it might be worth giving him proper support.’
She had supported him somewhat until now, but that had only been the standard level of assistance a commander should give a promising soldier.
This new thought included personal support from both herself and the Ebenrak Family.
‘Come to think of it, his talent was Grade 2. Since he’s from a nomadic background, he probably didn’t receive proper education from a young age and wasted much of his potential. But that can be recovered by pouring elixirs into him.’
Of course, nothing could be decided right now. The situation didn’t allow for it.
Yet.
Once again, a thought rose from a corner of her mind: if Yujin became a 7th-level spiritualist or higher, there would be no problem at all with her dating him officially.
Since she had no other family, if they married she could bring him in as a son-in-law, allowing for even more active support.
These were thoughts she had almost never entertained in her entire life.