3
2
2.
I said as I looked at the thin ceremonial robes Seongmo-ran was wearing.
Such thin cloth is pierced quickly by the fangs of venomous insects.
“…….”
Seong Moran’s trembling hand soon picked up the stiff, thick martial arts uniform next to it.
Since it did not contain cotton, it would not be very useful in cold weather, but it would be effective in blocking the teeth of insects or poisonous creatures.
“Th-those will make ten… no, please give me twenty.”
I frowned.
Are you ordering group uniforms?
“No… but I still have to last a whole month. One a day…”
“From the start, when entering the forest, a single simple bundle is the limit. This is training for that purpose.”
Seong Moran’s gaze, which looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment, turns fierce.
“But are you really sure about that?! Are you absolutely certain that we are going to Mukrim!”
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
I pointed at the students in the fabric shop.
Centered around the disciples of the Nine Great Sects, most of those selecting items were choosing clothes made of thick cloth that Seong Moran had picked up.
“……
iced coffee.”
Seongmoran staggered for a moment as if dizzy.
“That makes no sense…… Why…… Why…….”
You try to escape the harsh reality right before your eyes, but what is set in stone does not change.
“Is there absolutely… no possibility of it changing?”
I hold onto a glimmer of hope, but it is all the same in terms of being unlikely. ‘Even if I had planned to go somewhere else, I probably would have chosen Mukrim in the end.’ Unlike Hwamak or Binghae, where you just have to endure for a month, Mukrim allows you to earn extra points.
Over the past semester, the instructors struggled and made a fuss, but in the end, only the middle ranks changed, and the top and bottom ranks did not change much.
For example, I am like that. I, who originally maintained the top score, ended up in second place overall in the first semester evaluation by a narrow margin.
The work that became my replacement.
“Master Jin, would you like shoes this thick as well?”… …
That dirty bald guy.
“Why are you asking me that? Go ask the instructors who favor Monk Ilgak.”
“Ji, Master Jin. Didn’t I tell you that was entirely not my intention?”
Given the situation, there is no better place than Mukrim for the grand journey to be the only one capable of turning the evaluation around at the last minute.
Besides, it’s perfect for the instructors to secretly help the academy students.’ ‘But it’s strange, considering they even replaced the instructors, they weren’t that blatant.’ They put all their effort into the training and replaced all the instructors and school leaders.
But considering that, should I say the discrimination wasn’t that severe?
Of course, I did threaten them, but isn’t it strange, no matter how you look at it, that the Nine Great Sects of the world would bow their heads over something like that?
Of course, I wouldn’t have stayed silent either. I was even prepared to make an example of them if they acted too blatantly.
Looking at them as a whole, it wouldn’t be a big threat even if I took action, though.
At the very least, there will be fewer instances of individual instructors stepping forward to take on me and the Taeeulmun.
Anyway, thanks to that, the delegation members’ scores didn’t drop that much.
The same goes for the disciples of Taeeulmun.
The special training probably had an effect as well.
“The kids’ condition is definitely changing day by day. But what on earth is that Eunho kid doing?” If I had to pick the biggest changes since last semester, it would be that Dongryong has grown taller and Eunho has become a total homebody.
To be precise, I hardly ever leave the dormitory.
I show up promptly for school classes and the special training sessions I set, but otherwise, I stay holed up in the dormitory and rarely come out.
I hear that he borrows a ton of books from the library every time and reads them all day long…
I don’t know why they are suddenly acting like that when they aren’t even taking the Hwesi or Hyangsi exams.
“I would understand if he had been like this since he was young, but that isn’t the case, hmm…” ‘How great would it have been if that damn bastard had been like this from the beginning? Then he would have been the one helping with the affairs of the Outer Hall.’ In any case, if things continued like this, no matter how the scores were reversed during the final grand expedition, the disciples of Taeeulmun would not fall to the level of a branch.
Is that all? On the contrary, there are many advantages.
First of all, if you go to the Mukrim, you can increase your resistance to natural poisons. ‘It is practically a natural poison storehouse.’ Poison and hidden weapons are the two things you must be most careful of while living in the Jianghu.
While defenses against memorization can be trained, there is no specific way to train against poison.
Unless you carry every antidote with you, you have no choice but to build resistance; to do this, it is best to practice slowly neutralizing weaker poisons first.
Isn’t that the kind of practice that sounds like it would cost a lot of money just by hearing about it?
Therefore, this is something possible only in the Sichuan Tang Clan or the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, and it is not a practice that an ordinary martial artist can access.
however.
If you go to Mukrim, this is free.
A giggle involuntarily escapes my lips. ‘Well, my life is at stake, but… it is at least within a manageable level.’ Seong Moran looked at me strangely from the side, so I quickly composed myself.
Secondly, there is a possibility of obtaining a spiritual level.
Due to the year-round hot energy and the flow of massive spiritual veins, there is a high possibility that even ordinary creatures in the Dark Forest will become spiritual beings.
This is also the reason why the instructors selected this place for a last-minute turnaround.
Unlike Hwamak or Binghae, where you just have to hold out, you can get extra points for catching monsters or spirits in Mukrim.
Compared to these various advantages, the disadvantages of a hot and humid climate or the countless number of insects are not very important.
Just then, I approached Jang Woo-jae as he was choosing shoes with a serious expression on his face.
The one on the right would be a bit better. It’s a bit stiff, but if you break it in beforehand, it provides perfect ankle protection.
“Huh? CEO.”
“And there is one thing I want to ask you…”
“Yes, please speak.”
I took a wind chime out of my pocket, showed it to Jang Woo-jae, and asked.
This keeps bugs away, right?
It doesn’t protect everything, but it tends to block small things.
“Really? That’s great!”
As I patted Jang Woo-jae’s shoulder, he couldn’t take his eyes off my neck with somehow sad eyes.
A week later, the Academic Affairs Department revealed the location of the grand event.
Mukrim (Ink Forest)
As expected, there were no major changes.
“Aaaargh! This can’t be true!!!!”
Seong Moran was so frustrated that she even shed tears. #Mukrim
A massive jungle located at the edge of Yunnan Province that is inaccessible to humans.
In the jungle formed in a massive basin twenty times the size of an average city, countless insects and animals beyond human imagination inhabit the area, and there are just as many venomous insects and poisons that pose a threat to humans.
Thanks to the year-round hot weather, the creatures living in the Mukrim are freed from the deadly threat of the cold and live lives far exceeding their average lifespan; in the process, they are influenced by the ley lines and sometimes transform into spiritual beings.
When it comes to spiritual beings, they are warriors who would even roast and eat cow dung, but Mukrim is a place one cannot enter carelessly.
First of all, massive veins affect not only the life forms of the jungle but also the terrain, geographical features, and even people.
All tools capable of measuring direction are rendered ineffective, and geographical features create natural barriers, causing those who enter to keep circling the same place.
Moreover, since there is a fixed exit from the basin, the chances of those who lose their way returning alive are extremely low.
Although spiritual creatures are said to appear frequently, there are far more that have grown up in unruly environments and turned into monsters, so it is rare for actual spiritual elixirs to be discovered.
There are countless cases where even seasoned mountaineers or herbalists recklessly enter and never return.
It was so common for martial artists who entered to become stronger to sever ties with the secular world that the Murim Alliance declared this place a forbidden zone.
Selected it and separated it from the world.
“Haa… I feel like I’m going to die from the heat already.”
The students who arrived in Jinghong via Kunming in Yunnan Province were all having difficulty adapting to the changing temperatures.
In addition to the scorching sunlight that felt like it would burn the skin, the suffocatingly humid air was affecting my breathing.
“Miss Seong, I think you should lower your rolled-up clothes again. There are many venomous insects in this area as well.”
Seong Moran frowned at the words of the shirtless giant.
“That’s not really something you should be saying, Great Hero Yang?”
The one who bursts into hearty laughter at Seong Moran’s words is Yang Ja-pyeong of Namgwonmun.
“We at Namgwonmun regularly practice external martial arts as well. After all, to traverse the jungle, internal energy alone is not enough, no matter how immense it may be.”
“Heh, do the people of Namgwonmun often come and go to Mukrim?”
When Seong Moran asked with curiosity, Yang Ja-pyeong nodded.
“If we don’t keep a regular watch, we never know when a monster might pop out of the Mukrim.”
Namgwonmun is a sect that was granted the authority to manage Mukrim by the Murim Alliance.
A sect that forms one of the pillars of the Hundred and Eight Peaks and possesses power ranking among the top five in Yunnan Province.
Nam Kwon-mun took charge of guiding this grand expedition.
Still, please don’t worry too much. In fact, the scenery is so rare that visitors say their wish is to come back again.
“Ugh… no matter how cool it is, I don’t think I’d want to come back.”
“Haha, trust me. After all, most of those who wanted to come back were young female heroes.”
is it so?”
Seongmo-ran, whose ears perk up at the mention of being popular with women.
Yang Ja-pyeong took his eyes off Seong Mo-ran and looked around at the members of our group with a look of wonder.
“Still, it is rare to see student cadets leading the charge like this. It seems you are very favored by the instructors.”
At Yang Ja-pyeong’s words, we gave a silent, bitter smile.
Actually, this happened because they were in the opposite positions.
The heat will subside a little once you climb the mountain. Please hang in there just a little longer.
Do I have to climb the mountain?
“Although it is not well known because Mukrim is so massive, it undeniably takes the form of a basin. The people of Mandokmun say that this has become a giant framework of Gudok created by nature.”
As the topic of insects and poison came up, Seongmoran’s face turned pale again.
That did not mean my footsteps stopped.
Our unmanned procession climbed the mountain at a speed that ordinary people could not imagine.
As I reached the summit and started descending a little, I was able to get a sense of what Yang Ja-pyeong had said.
“Wow… what a view…”
I can see clouds floating above the huge jungle stretching endlessly.
The light shining through the clouds illuminated the dark forest, making the scenery look like a painting.
Yang Ja-pyeong shrugged his shoulders.
This is nothing. The true beauty lies down there.
As the lead group, we were the first to come down the mountain and enter the forest.
For now, our mission is to find a suitable place to sleep until the main force arrives, clear the surroundings, and ensure there is no danger.
“There must be a place that the standard bearers of the academy used in the past. If you clear away some weeds and trees, it shouldn’t be difficult to stay overnight.”
Just as Yang Ja-pyeong said, upon reaching the entrance of Mukrim, a somewhat leveled area appeared.
Did you use this place?
An area with a significantly lower density of vegetation compared to other jungles.
Since I was in the class two years ago, it must have been about twelve years.
The tree has grown too big for that.
As Seongmo-ran said, the thickness of the sparsely grown trees did look unusual.
“Considering the nature of Mukrim, it is not unreasonable. After all, there is no winter here, and it remains untouched by human hands.”
Yang Ja-pyeong added with a serious expression.
It is a beautiful place, but it is certainly just as dangerous. You must absolutely not act according to the common sense that prevailed in the martial arts world.
“Is… is that so?”
At Yang Ja-pyeong’s words, Seong Mo-ran’s face turned pale again.
Most snakes are venomous. Moreover, they are very skilled at hiding, so you must always keep a close watch on your surroundings.
As Seong Moran nodded vigorously several times, Yang Ja-pyeong smiled with satisfaction.
at that time.
Something slithering on the tree that Seureuk Yangjapyeong was leaning on came down and tried to bite Yangjapyeong’s neck like lightning.
Whoosh.
I shot out a flying dragon.
“Gasp!”
“Aaaargh!”
Seong Moran and Yang Ja-pyeong collapsed to the floor in terror.
Yang Ja-pyeong hurriedly checked his neck, but felt a small sense of relief at the fact that the snake had not bitten him.
I looked at the snake tied to the Flying Dragon Bird and subdued at my feet, and asked Yang Ja-pyeong a question.
Is this poisonous?
“……!”
Yang Ja-pyeong turned his head, saw the snake caught at my feet, and asked back with a blank look in his eyes.
“D-did you just catch that?”
What’s wrong with his expression?
“yes.”
“How on earth did you distinguish them?”
How did you tell the difference?
It was just visible to me.
So, is this poisonous?
I looked at the snake, smacked my lips, and asked Yang Ja-pyeong again.
“Do you happen to have any elixirs?”
Geez, this is so frustrating. I told you to answer quickly.
Why did I so willingly accept the lead group?
