A Moment of Hesitation

Reflexively, Han Yujin drew his Ohaeng Sword while his other hand unleashed the Fish-Drawing Art, yanking the rabbit weasel toward him. But the enemy’s ambush was one step faster than the spell could reach.

It looked like a lizard. At a glance, he could even see gills and webbed claws. Its tail was unmistakably that of an aquatic creature, complete with fins.

In the split second it took for that reflexive assessment of its appearance, the rabbit weasel—usually so nimble—had already been crunched between the creature’s jaws and swallowed down its throat with a wet gulp.

The Ohaeng Sword’s restrictive formation flashed, unleashing a golden surge of energy. But the aquatic lizard monster swung its tail as if it had been waiting for exactly that. The pale aura clinging to its tail collided with the sword’s offensive spell, producing a sharp, piercing screech.

From the tail—the source of the noise—a faint spray of the creature’s blood scattered into the water. Yet considering the golden energy had previously sliced a wolf beast apart without resistance, this result was pathetically weak.

“—Kiiiaaak…!”

The creature seemed startled by its own injury. It fled into the lake far faster than it had emerged. That was no speed a normal living being could produce.

Naturally, Han Yujin kept manipulating the Ohaeng Sword, firing golden blasts to kill it. Only one additional shot landed, leaving a minor wound. The other two barely grazed the ground as the creature’s agile movements carried it just out of reach.

Honestly, part of those misses came from Han Yujin’s own shock. Everything had happened so quickly that he was still dazed.

After about two seconds had passed like that.

He, who had been sitting motionless on the rock, suddenly stood up. Only then did the situation truly sink in.

‘The rabbit weasel… it got hunted.’

It had lived with him, feasting on all kinds of spirit-infused food. Its once plain yellowish-brown fur had begun to shimmer with a faint golden hue, and the creature itself now carried a considerable amount of spiritual energy.

To other predators, it must have looked incredibly appetizing.

He felt no boiling surge of emotion.

Even though he had found the little thing cute and kept it by his side, all he could think was, So it died just like that.

And yet, without realizing it, he was already leaping into the lake.

He drew out the Ohaeng Sword’s internal defensive formation, wrapping his body in a protective golden bell-shaped barrier. He didn’t know any spells that would let him move freely underwater, but he clung to the single memory that he had learned to swim a little back in elementary school.

Was it a sense of duty—because he had brought the weasel here, he had to at least avenge it even if he couldn’t protect it?

Or was it rage toward the monster that had dared to devour his pet right before its owner’s eyes?

Or perhaps it was the absurd hope that if he split the monster’s belly open, he might still pull the weasel out before it was fully dead and heal it?

Even Han Yujin himself couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for his actions.

Yet on the other hand, there was an instinctive certainty that he had to act this way right now. A compulsive urge he simply ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠couldn’t reject.

If he didn’t move now, he would regret it for a long time.

If things like this piled up one after another, they could become the infamous Heart Demon. Once it took root, it would be a constant obstacle on the path of cultivation.

‘No matter how much stronger I am, being underwater is dangerous.’

He had already reached that conclusion before moving. But once he had jumped into the water, the judgment became utterly useless.

In the water, which felt darker than expected, he focused on his Spirit Eye Art and scanned every direction. Unlike on land, he also had to watch beneath his feet. The addition of just one more blind spot made him feel far more vulnerable than before.

The Wind-Rain Art couldn’t exert its full power underwater. Still, it was better than swimming with his bare body, so Han Yujin simply swam in the direction his instincts pointed.

Farther from shore. Deeper into the lake.

How long had he been swimming?

Just as his extraordinary cultivator’s body began to feel that he had used more than half his breath, a dark shadow shot past beneath his feet. The instant he whipped his head around to follow it—

An attack he hadn’t even seen coming slammed into his barrier.

The protective shield that had remained unscathed even under the frenzied assault of the monkey monsters dented slightly from that single blow.

—!!

Even underwater, the impact was so massive it hurt his ears.

He had sensed it was no ordinary creature ever since it blocked the Ohaeng Sword’s attack, but its offensive power was truly astonishing. Han Yujin used the Clear Mind Art to force himself to stay calm and continued scanning his surroundings.

Simply catching the lizard monster in his vision was difficult. It had been fast on land, but underwater it was several times quicker. It was as if the water itself moved in accordance with the creature’s will to aid its movements.

It was undoubtedly a phenomenon created by using spiritual energy. This, then, was his first real battle against a monster that could properly wield it.

‘Now!’

He fired a golden blast at the creature the moment it entered his sight. The attack that passed through the barrier unfortunately only grazed the upper part of its back. It wasn’t that Han Yujin had aimed poorly—the monster had actively dodged.

And the instant it seemed to brush past the barrier, the familiar impact struck again. A thunderous boom erupted as the shield dented once more.

Frustratingly, the same thing repeated two more times.

The Ohaeng Sword began vibrating unsteadily. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It looked like two or three more hits would not only destroy the barrier but also damage the durability of the dharma energy itself.

‘This won’t work.’

Having made that judgment, he waited for the creature to approach and prepared to detonate the barrier. If he used the same technique that had wiped out the monkey monsters in one go, he could surely kill it in return.

But at that very moment, an absurd thought surfaced: the rabbit weasel that had been swallowed might still be alive. If he injured the lizard monster too severely, the little creature inside its stomach might really die.

‘It’s probably already dead.’

It took him several seconds to reach that common-sense conclusion.

In that time, the lizard monster swam toward him at high speed and unleashed its strongest attack yet. Its tail, shrouded in pale energy and accompanied by a violent current, slammed into the most heavily dented part of the barrier.

—!!!

The sound that erupted was so enormous it left his head ringing.

The barrier, which he thought could withstand two or three more blows, weakened without fully collapsing. The monster noticed the signs of impending destruction and immediately twisted its body for another charge.

This time, Han Yujin did not hesitate. He detonated the barrier.

The golden bell’s fragments scattered a fraction faster than the creature’s attack. They transformed into a storm of razor-sharp blades that swept through the water in every direction, including straight ahead.

Kiiiiooooong—!!

Along with the monster’s sharp, mournful scream, a massive cloud of blood exploded into the water.

Han Yujin’s remaining breath was growing dangerously low. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠He wrapped his body in the Jade Skin Art and hurried forward, intending to drag the lizard monster out of the lake.

At that exact moment.

Something shot through the curtain of blood—which had been obscuring his Spirit Eye Art because it contained spiritual energy—and struck him. No, the instant he registered it flying toward him, his torso had already been smashed and sent flying.

It hurt.

That was the only thought that came to mind.

Precious air escaped from his mouth in a rush of bubbles. He couldn’t even tell whether he was being thrown downward or upward.

Thanks to the Jade Skin Art he had cast earlier, he had barely survived, but the situation was far from good. And it didn’t look like it would improve anytime soon.

He instinctively tried to control the Ohaeng Sword in response to the looming threat, but failed. Realizing he had completely lost hold of it, he stretched both hands toward the blurry shape rapidly closing in through his fading vision.

The only offensive spell he knew was the Fire Bullet Art. He could easily imagine what would happen if he used it underwater, but he had no other choice.

‘You son of a bitch. How dare you.’

Certain that death was coming, he spat a short curse in his mind. Then, with the sensation of squeezing out every last drop of his spiritual energy and detonating it, he activated the Fire Bullet Art.

A brilliant flash lit up the dark lake.

Immediately afterward, countless bubbles surged upward. They transformed into an indescribable explosion that completely obliterated his vision and every other sense.

In that brief instant before absolute darkness swallowed everything, he thought he heard the scream of a different lizard monster—not the one he had been fighting.

A moment later, the familiar mystical silver characters floated up within the darkness.

* * *

In the waiting space within the dark void, Han Yujin stood motionless, staring at the harvest items spread out before him.

There were quite a lot of them.

That was because the wolf beast’s bones and other materials he hadn’t had time to make full use of before dying were included in decent quantities. There were also items he had stored in his safe house, which was unquestionably his own territory.

Most importantly, just as he had instinctively known before visiting the Primordial Forest world, he could select his cultivation progress as a harvest. Its form looked like a small human figure sculpted from light.

The brighter rays of light moving intricately inside clearly traced the trajectories of the Hoe-won Gong. He could even see what looked like a portion of his soul that had already been sublimated into a Dharma Soul.

And unfortunately, the small, cute rabbit weasel that had been completely useless in combat was nowhere to be seen—not even its shadow.

‘We didn’t even spend that much time together. What was that damn animal to me, anyway?’

Without realizing it, Han Yujin closed his eyes and simply stood there for a long time.

‘I didn’t even give it a name on purpose.’

He hadn’t been sure whether it could be chosen as a harvest, so he had planned to give it plenty of gifts when he left after training to his satisfaction. He hadn’t thought any deeper than that.

His mind was a complete mess. It had been a very long time since he felt this confused even though he knew how he should act.

But soon.

He slowly regained his composure.

In any case, he had done his best to avenge it. He wasn’t sure if he had killed the monster for certain, but he had at least dealt it a serious blow. Since there was no way that lake lacked other predators, the creature was already as good as dead.

Just like the little rabbit weasel it had so brazenly hunted and devoured, it too would end up as someone else’s meal.

“Huu…”

After a deep sigh, he was about to select his cultivation progress so far when—

Suddenly, an absurd yet somehow plausible idea occurred to him.

His awakening ability fixed gates according to his wishes. The gate to the Primordial Forest world he had trained in this time had also been fixed according to a clear desire.

Then what if—

What if he could fix the gate to the Primordial Forest world back to the exact moment he had first visited?

“……”

After thinking in silence for a long while, he shook his head. Then he stepped in front of the small human-shaped figure of light that represented his cultivation progress.

The Karma required for the selection was about half of what he currently had left. It was neither too much nor too little, but to Han Yujin, it felt extremely cheap.

This was the result of achieving a full 27% Dharma Soul sublimation through training. The fact that selecting something of this value consumed less Karma than when he had restored his dharma tools before felt like an absolute bargain.

‘Is it because I built this progress with my own effort?’

The dharma tools had simply been picked up without much effort, so they might have been expensive. Or perhaps they had been so valuable to him at the time that the price matched their worth.

The value of the same item could vary wildly depending on the situation and the person receiving it. It seemed the harvest selection here consumed Karma according to that very principle.

In any case.

Thanks to that, Han Yujin selected his cultivation progress without any burden and soon safely woke up on his bed in reality.

He quietly blinked, examining the state of his body. The cultivation realm he had felt in the Primordial Forest had indeed transferred over safely.

‘Transferred… or manifested? I’m not sure which is more accurate.’

While idly pondering such trivial wording, he instantly began forming plans for the future.

He wanted to test right ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠away whether he could return to that exact moment in the Primordial Forest, but there was a better place to visit first.

The Yeongwon Continent after the Dharma-Ending Age, and the ruined Ohaeng Sect relic there.

‘I need a spell that secures mobility underwater.’

Or at least a dharma tool with that purpose.

While he was at it, it would be very nice to obtain knowledge of the Fish-Taming Art that could be used to tame and raise beasts. Whether he would actually be able to meet the little one again was still unknown, but the feeling told him it might be possible.

He lay there quietly for a long time, organizing his thoughts.

Then, without taking any rest in reality this time, he closed his eyes once more.