Chapter 79: The Spiral of Life (1)
[Dream of the Black Bear Demon Beast]
It was an old mory.
The day he had brought down the White Wolf King of the great mountain and returned with his inner core.
‘With this inner core, my cubs could beco spirit beasts and walk the path of enlightennt together with .’
The life of a beast is short.
15 to 30 years at best.
To let his children enjoy the path of a divine beast stretching 100, 200 years in this very lifeti, they had to beco spirit beasts.
He tried to teach his cubs that path, but their awakening did not go as he wished.
Cubs who could not awaken their spiritual nature grew old and died, or fell ill and died.
Sending his cubs off to the heavens one by one, the Black Bear Demon Beast wept in sorrow.
‘If teaching will not work, then I'll force an awakening even against their will!’
The Black Bear Demon Beast returned to the cave, carefully keeping the White Wolf King's inner core in his mouth without swallowing it.
But what lay before his eyes were the brutally torn-apart corpses of his cubs.
Kwaaaaaah—!
He howled.
Driven mad, he forgot the path to becoming an immortal.
He road the mountain ranges and plains, sweeping away every beast in his path.
Then other enemies appeared.
Humans who, ignorant of their place, threw themselves at him.
They were weak creatures for ones said to ascend to immortality through martial arts.
But their numbers surpassed tens, then hundreds, and the cold blades embedded in his body only drove him further into madness.
Only agonizing instinct remained in him.
Everything before his eyes was trying to kill his cubs.
He had to protect them.
He tore apart and chewed every creature that appeared reeking of iron.
The pain grew ever greater.
As did the instinct to destroy all things that moved.
The instinct to die grew alongside it.
‘If I die and cross the River of Three Deaths, my cubs will be waiting for .’
No! What am I saying!
‘My cubs are alive. I must protect them.’
Madness clouded his five senses, and the beast's instinct for survival paralyzed his mind.
Ku—.
He followed the dense energy into a cave.
He searched for inner cores to give his cubs, and awaited a powerful enemy that could kill him.
The cave he had claid by slaying the spirit beast centipede—the Scarlet Scale Poison Centipede—suited him well enough.
He lay upon the Dark Spirit Sand and licked the Gold Sulfur Crystal rocks.
The pain subsided.
……And in his dreams, at least, he could et his cubs.
* * *
[Tower, 29th Floor]
After the battle had fully ended.
I took the elixir pills I had brought and rested.
Nothing was broken, and the gash across my chest was stitched up with Gold Sulfur Crystal applied over it.
I sat in a cross-legged position and perford breathing exercises.
Recovery was quick in a place brimming with energy.
After recovering sufficiently, I rose from my seat.
I entered the den where the Black Bear Demon Beast had been.
I had already received the Gold Sulfur Crystal, but I separately collected the Gold Sulfur Crystal and Dark Spirit Sand from inside the cave.
Then, as I looked around, there were unexpected gains.
"……Inner cores, aren't they?"
When I dug up the raised mound of Dark Spirit Sand, 2 fist-sized inner cores ca out.
White and red.
Both were dense with energy—they looked like inner cores from spirit beasts that had trained quite considerably.
"Sothing you'd barely ever see even in Gangho."
Getting 2 inner cores at once made want to leap for joy.
At this rate, if I stored them well and consud them later on the path to becoming a Poison Demon, reaching absolute mastery would be no tall order.
The red inner core in particular was in a league of its own.
"It's full of poison energy. Looks like an inner core from a Chung-type spirit beast……"
I decided to pick a day and consu this one soon.
It was plain to see it would be a great help to my Heavenly Poison Blood Divine Art.
The white inner core also held a remarkable energy within it—for so reason, its energy felt similar to White Night's.
"Should I feed it to White Night?"
I considered it briefly, then let it go.
The creature is already quite powerful as it is—if it becos a monster, it might be difficult to control.
"Hold off for now. Let's look around more."
I searched the cave thoroughly.
In doing so, I discovered sothing unusual.
"Bear bones. Are these the bones of the black bears?"
Bones neatly gathered on one side of the Dark Spirit Sand, as if properly buried.
It was strange.
There was no way the Black Bear Demon Beast would have laid bones to rest so gently.
Right beside the spot where the Black Bear Demon Beast slept, no less.
"……Are these his cubs?"
I bit my lip.
A picture of the Black Bear Demon Beast and his cubs ford in my mind.
I quietly covered the Dark Spirit Sand back over.
I searched elsewhere.
"This is it!"
It was the hide of the red centipede.
The original owner of the red inner core.
The Black Bear Demon Beast had stomped and split it in two, leaving no midsection—only the hide remained.
But being such an enormous creature, even the remaining portions were considerable.
"If I were to make carapace armor from this, there'd be more than enough to arm 20 people."
The centipede's legs and mandibles were excellent as well.
Given proper crafting, I figured they could be made into fine weapons.
"The problem is there's no one to make them."
If I put in the effort myself it might sohow be possible, but I had no such leisure.
I was about to ascend the 30th floor now, but it was hard to expect eting that craftsman from the 20th floor again.
"I heard there's a craftsman at the National Martial Affairs Headquarters who makes climbing gear for the Murim Tower—I should ask Chief Han."
I stood before the newly ford door.
【You may enter the 30th floor.】
"Preparations first."
I gathered the red centipede's hides and threaded them together with the Storm Pear Blossom Needles and Yama's Life-Chasing Threads.
"I'll shove them through the door first, then drag them along behind once I'm inside."
There were no more gains to add.
If I truly wanted it, there was the Black Bear Demon Beast's inner core.
For the sake of my martial arts, I should rightly split open the creature's belly, dismantle its innards, and extract the inner core.
But……Sohow, I didn't want to do that.
Was it because we had shared a battle of our lives?
It didn't feel like an enemy.
Moreover, I had seen what appeared to be the bones of its cubs as well.
I suddenly turned my gaze toward where the Black Bear Demon Beast lay, and—
"……Hm?"
The corpse of the massive creature was nowhere to be seen.
"What is this!"
I rushed to the spot, but there was not a single trace of the body.
Only faintly scattering silver dust drifted through the air.
"The silver dust is moving."
The silver dust fluttered gently, slowly drifting to a destination—the interior of the cave.
Before long, the silver dust ca to rest.
"That's where the cubs' bones were."
The silver dust settled onto the Dark Spirit Sand.
Swish—it disappeared, as if absorbed into it.
"……"
I set aside a strangely hollow feeling and stepped back outside.
And there I found sothing astonishing.
The Black Bear Demon Beast's inner core.
The very spot where the Black Bear Demon Beast had breathed its last.
A black inner core resting right there.
I picked it up.
The round elixir was black, but at its center, a faint green vein coiled and flowed like a tendril.
It was on an entirely different level from the white and red inner cores.
The dense energy within was enough to make my mind go faint.
"Black Bear……. Is this your gift?"
I held it in both hands.
……I shall receive it gratefully.
If I'd had the ti, I would have liked to sweep the entire Black Bear Demon Cave for spirit herbs and poison insects—but I had no such leisure.
Ku-gung! Ku-rrr-rng—!
From the fierce battle with the Black Bear Demon Beast, the cave was trembling as if it might collapse at any mont.
Earth and stone were crumbling away in every direction.
Preparations were complete.
Just as I grabbed the Yama's Life-Chasing Threads threaded through the red centipede and prepared to enter the 30th floor—
Ting!
【Kim Tae-yang wants to check on Park Seon-su. 1 Happiness】
‘I already know.’
Earlier, when the Black Bear Demon Beast had struck Park Seon-su down.
Kim Tae-yang's ssage saying Park Seon-su had died never appeared.
But……
"Let it go, Kim Tae-yang. He's already dead."
‘Even if he's alive, it's not truly living.’
【Kim Tae-yang says he must confirm it with his own eyes right now. 1 Happiness】
My head began to throb again.
"The cave is about to collapse."
【Kim Tae-yang says it'll only take a mont. 1 Happiness】
Can't be helped.
Left as it was, it was obvious Kim Tae-yang would tornt for a good while—so I set down the Yama's Life-Chasing Threads I had been holding.
I let out a sigh and sifted through the rubble where Park Seon-su had been.
Clatter. Clatter.
As I lifted the stones, Park Seon-su was inside the debris.
Hiss—.
The sound of air escaping could be heard.
He opened 1 blood-soaked eye and stared at .
"……"
Park Seon-su was in a state that made you question whether he still looked human—devastated beyond recognition.
Was it because he had stumbled and fallen a mont before the Black Bear Demon Beast's strike? Was it because he had retreated and cowered into a corner of the cave, preventing the attack from landing cleanly?
"You've got quite the stubborn thread of life yourself."
Park Seon-su glared at with his 1 remaining eye.
His lungs must have been destroyed—aside from the wheezing sound, he couldn't let out anything else.
"……"
‘A body that should have died long ago. What is it that still keeps him tethered to life?’
"Why are you still alive? Is it from hoping I had been killed by the Black Bear Demon Beast?"
Swish—.
Park Seon-su's blood-soaked eye moved laboriously to one side. I followed his gaze.
At the end of his line of sight.
The bodies of his fallen companions were there.
Gong-ju, Seong-chan, Ryu Hyeon-gyu, Hwang Jin-tae. And the Bear Boy.
"……"
He confird the bodies and let a streak of blood-mixed tears run down.
"Park Seon-su. You've beco……stronger as well."
Park Seon-su turned his eye to look at .
He stared at for a mont—
And with eyes still open, the light slowly faded from them.
【Kim Tae-yang shouts 'Stronger my ass!'】 5,000,000 Happiness】
Revenge was generally like that, but this ti, too, was not entirely sweet.
It wasn't regret, but a faint bitterness that lingered on the tip of the tongue.
Like……
Chocolate.
* * *
【Entering the Murim Tower (Republic of Korea) 30th Floor.】
【First entry.】
The mont I stepped onto the 30th floor, the cave ca crashing down behind .
"That was a close shave."
Clang.
I set down the heavy red centipede hides I had been hauling.
Woof—! Woof! Woof!
Deafeningly loud barking erupted from all sides.
It was a quiet evening with few people about.
The chill in the air told it was winter.
"Where is this place? Looks like deep in the mountains."
Light was visible from where the dogs were barking.
Not wanting to startle the people, I hid the red centipede hides and White Tiger Sword well in the underbrush.
I tucked only 1 dagger into my clothes.
I stripped off my shredded garnts and pulled a change of clothes from my pack.
It was the attire of Gangho people—prepared in advance, purchased from the National Martial Affairs Headquarters Item Exchange.
I took out another bamboo flask and washed the blood from my hair and face.
Even so, the sll of blood did not fade easily.
With only 1 pack on my back, I walked toward the light—and the barking grew louder.
"Must be raising around 100 of them."
The sound was excessively loud.
The dogs seed to be in a trendous state of agitation.
As I drew closer, hiss—.
Sothing leapt out from ahead.
"……A tiger?"
It was a tiger.
A fairly large one had a yellow dog clenched in its jaws.
Its belly was swollen and plump.
‘Was it pregnant?’
Shing—!
The mont I drew my dagger, the tiger turned and fled.
It bolted away at an arrow's speed and vanished from sight in an instant.
"Oh no!"
Several dogs then ca chasing after it.
They barked and howled. A human voice ca from inside the house.
"No! Don't go!"
Woof woof woof!
The dogs fretted and then returned to the house.
I followed along—inside, a man in his 40s sat leaning against the wooden porch, blood pouring down his face.
In front of him lay a snapped spear; in the courtyard, a half-chopped pile of firewood and an axe.
"Are you alright?!"
I rushed toward the man in alarm.
"Wh-who are you?"
The man was even more startled, and the dogs bared their teeth.
Honestly, I was at a loss.
Ordinarily, no matter how well-trained, dogs instinctively tucked their tails the mont they saw .
That was true in my past life, and true in this one as well.
The only ones that ever ca charging at were madn like the Black Wolf Squad and White Night Black Wolf.
Well, those weren't exactly dogs.
‘These must be highly trained hunting dogs.’
They bared their teeth at without fear, yet wouldn't charge until their owner gave the command.
I suddenly thought of my loyal hound who had died.
Golden Poison.
"I'm a passing traveler. I an no harm. I spotted a tiger ahead and ca in after hearing the noise."
I extended my hand to show I was no enemy.
"That……tiger—did you see it?"
The man asked , grimacing in pain.
"I did. It had a dog clamped in its jaws."
"What color was it?"
"Yellow."
"Damn……! Why that one of all of them."
His voice grew louder.
The dogs barked excitedly.
"Call the dogs off. I have dicine."
I took out the Gold Sulfur Crystal from my pack.
"I'll treat your wounds."
"There's no ti for that."
The man tried to rise from his spot but swayed dizzily.
"You need treatnt first. If it festers, you'll die."
He hesitated for a mont, then gestured the dogs to stand down.
The man urged impatiently.
"Please hurry."
I sat beside him and examined the wound.
It was a wound made by the tiger.
I cleaned the wound with fresh water and disinfected it.
"Fortunately your eye is unhard. You'll be fine with rest. There'll be scarring, though."
I applied the Gold Sulfur Crystal and bound the wound with a bandage.
He kept pressing .
"Are you not done yet? My heart is urgent."
"I said you need to rest."
"There's no ti for that."
"……Done. Chew this. It's an herb that dispels pain."
When I handed over the herb as well, the man looked at steadily, then asked.
"Are you a physician?"
"Picked it up from the sidelines."
"Thank you."
He chewed the herb and got to his feet.
He must have been tough-boned—he was clearly still in great pain but showed no sign of it.
"As you saw, tigers co out around here. The night has deepened, so stay the night. Go that way and you'll find sothing to eat."
He seed to have sothing urgent to attend to and was hurriedly making preparations.
I asked, just in case.
"……Don't tell you're thinking of going after the tiger?"
"Never mind that, physician."
"Are you out of your mind? No matter how trained your hunting dogs are, climbing the mountain in the dead of night to hunt a tiger is suicide."
The man didn't answer and quickly gathered his bow, arrows, and picked out 2 spears.
"Don't go after it. You don't even know where it is."
"When the tiger ca earlier, I stabbed its hind leg with the spear. It must have bled—I can track it."
"Good lord……"
"Damn it all! That creature needs to be alright."
The man seed worried about sothing, and moved toward the kennel.
He undid the locks of the kennel and gathered the dogs.
He seed firmly set on hunting the tiger.
When I kept following him around, he said sothing.
"As you can see, I'm a breeder. It sounds like bragging, but I take pride in raising the finest dogs in all of the Central Plains."
"That seems to be the case."
"About a year ago, soone with quite the air about them heard my reputation and ca to find . Said they wanted to buy a dog."
"Mm."
He buckled a short sword to his waist and continued.
"I told them to choose whichever one they liked, but they asked specifically for one bred with a proper bloodline. A pup that was exceptionally clever, protected its master like iron, and would absolutely never tuck its tail. Said it was for so great Family's young master? Looked like a wealthy household. Offered as much as 1,000 nyang for a single dog."
"……"
"So I bred the finest dog among my own with another. A female—her intelligence is sothing beyond words."
"Must be a remarkable dog."
"Indeed. I was careful in choosing the sire as well. A legend undefeated in dog fights throughout Sichuan Province and Zhejiang. I'm certain. I believe a masterpiece of my lifeti will be born."
Woof woof—!
The man selected 30 dogs.
Each one looked loyal and clever without exception.
I had a feeling about sothing and asked him.
"Could it be that the female you spoke of was the yellow dog the tiger just took?"
"That's right. She was about to give birth soon. Of all tis, a tiger cub went and took her."
"Your life matters more than money."
"Beyond money, these dogs are like my own children. What parent would stand idle when their child has been taken by a tiger?"
"……"
I steeled my resolve and rose from my spot.
I picked up 1 axe from the courtyard.
"I'll co with you."
"Are you a chivalrous hero or sothing? A physician ought to save their life rather than throw it away on sothing like—"
Hiss—! Thwack!
Instead of words, I hurled the axe.
A single tree as thick as an adult's torso split cleanly down the middle with a creak and toppled over.
"……The heavens have sent a divine warrior."
He clicked his tongue in admiration.
User Comments
0 comments from readers