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3.
A beneficial being that arises where the energies of the earth and the sky gather.
A medicinal herb that extends the lifespan of ordinary people when consumed, and grants power beyond common sense when consumed by warriors.
Since life is the most precious thing to everyone and power is something everyone desires, the elixir holds value far greater than that of a treasure.
In particular, warriors who stop at nothing to become stronger sometimes even risk their most precious lives to obtain this elixir.
To Yang Ja-pyeong, it is such a foolish thought. ‘The problem is that he cannot imagine that he would actually have to exchange his own life for it.’ The Black Forest is a Forbidden Zone designated by the Murim Alliance
There is no other reason why it became that.
Too many unwitting people are carelessly stepping on it.
Too many warriors die easily.
Most of the animals, plants, and insects inhabiting the Mukrim harbor potent toxins, and due to their unruly environment, they are prone to growing into monsters even if they are chosen by the spirit veins.
The arrogance of a warrior who believes that even if he gets lost, he can overcome it by becoming a master through a miraculous elixir, is completely shattered the moment he first sets foot in the forest.
Poisonous insects swarming everywhere.
Natural dung that confuses directions.
Even the poisons that attack day and night.
The existence of a warrior is one that falls prey to the Mookrim before even finding the elixir.
That is why Yang Ja-pyeong’s Nam Kwon-mun receives tens of thousands of taels in support funds from the Murim Alliance every year as the entity managing Mukrim.
Wasn’t that the case just now as well?
Just as Samgalsa, who never appears at the entrance of Mukrim, suddenly popped out and sent chills down Yangjapyeong’s spine.
“……
There is no record that the elixir came from Samgalsa.
I don’t know how he saw Samgalsa, but seeing him holding Samgalsa and talking about elixirs, it seemed that even the academy representative didn’t know how terrifying this forest was.
Then what about the Dokdan? Given its size, it looks like it’s been around for quite a while.
The beings of the Mukrim have a fundamentally different standard of size compared to the Central Plains. This is because they do not hibernate and grow year-round.
The student center representative with a gloomy expression… … .
What was his name again? I think it was something like Jin.
Then what about poison? Is there no poison?
I definitely heard he was a disciple of the Taoist sect. He doesn’t even use poison, so why is he interested in it?
no way…….
You don’t think arbitrariness is a panacea, do you?
I don’t know why such ridiculous stories spread.
A preposterous story that if you eat poison and overcome it, you can gain more internal energy.
When looking around the Mukrim, eight out of ten people are found dead, their bodies melting away from poison. ‘If they had possessed enough internal energy to dissolve poison in the first place, they wouldn’t have needed to enter this place.’ Even if one were to digest poison, all one would gain is meager internal energy and resistance to poison.
And the risks are too high compared to the gains.
“Absolutely do not even think about that. Far from gaining internal energy by melting away their stubbornness, you are more likely to die. To begin with, Samgalsa’s poison only causes temporary paralysis. They swallow their prey whole.”
At Yang Ja-pyeong’s words, Jin So-un, who had been wearing a sullen expression until now, puts a smile on his lips.
Why is that? The person looks like they are smiling, but why do I feel so uneasy…?
“To the point of paralysis…”
As the thread holding its mouth in place is released, the venomous Samgalsa opens its maw wide.
“Hey, wait a minute, what are you doing?!”
What was that bastard’s name again?
Since he was naturally bad at remembering men’s names, he couldn’t for the life of him remember the name.
Even a man should have memorized this idiot.
A blockhead named Jin something-or-other was trying to put Samgalsa’s mouth against his arm.
“J-Young Master Jin! What are you doing!”
Seong Moran screamed angrily.
Saryeon shouts with a serious expression.
“Jin So-un! Put that down! Right now!”
Right! That idiot’s name is Jin So-un.
“Jinso……!”
Yang Ja-pyeong, who was trying to stop him by calling out the name of the idiot, saw.
“I don’t want to.”
The sight of Jin So-un biting the three-branched thread on my arm with a very innocent smile.
Bang! #ParalyzingPoison.
People often perceive paralyzing toxins as the safest among poisons.
Paralyzing toxins are also commonly used to relieve pain during medical procedures.
However, the fact that a poison possesses paralyzing toxins should be accepted as meaning that it was easy to survive in nature even if the toxicity was not that strong.
Just like now.
Shhhhh.
Although Samgalsa’s paralyzing venom isn’t that strong, that is by Mukrim’s standards.
Compared to a severe poison that causes the body to melt just by spreading, a poison that renders you immobile for about half a day might seem like nothing.
The Samgalsa, having shot paralyzing venom at its prey, began to wrap around it starting from the legs.
ridge, ridge, ridge.
As soon as Samgalsa, who could easily break the bones of an average person, wrapped himself around Jin So-un’s body, he opened his mouth wide.
Poison drips from the mouth of the samgalsa, which is opened as wide as a human head.
“Damn it!”
Block it!
Jin So-un’s party tried to rush at Samgalsa all at once, but they were no match for the speed of Samgalsa, who was moving on instinct.
Turn up!
Seongmoran fainted at the sight of Samgalsa swallowing the head in one gulp.
Yang Ja-pyeong quickly shouted to those around him.
“Ugh, don’t move!”
Informal speech that slipped out without one realizing it.
However, now was not the time to be polite.
“Do not move. If you provoke him now, he will instantly try to rip out that crazy… no, Representative Jin’s head.”
This is the terror of Mukrim.
Snakes in the Central Plains often die when attacked while swallowing prey, unable to do anything about it.
However, the moment that cunning Samgalsa is attacked, it tears apart its prey with its terrifying bite force and continues its next hunt.
“Th-then what should we do?”
“…….”
How do you do it?
It was too heavy a question for Yang Ja-pyeong, who had never once been in a situation where he had to rescue someone from Samgalsa.
“First, I need a strong iron bar… capable of holding the mouth still.”
Ordinary wood won’t work. After all, it shatters into pieces all too easily.
However, even if there is a pull-up bar, the next step is the problem.
Who will open the maw of Samgalsa?
I had no choice but to watch him die. In the end, the only option placed before me was a cruel binary choice: to watch him die slowly or to watch him die quickly.
I only told the story of the horizontal bar because I couldn’t tell the despairing truth.
How on earth am I supposed to get a pull-up bar in the middle of a dense forest…
Is this enough?
A horizontal bar slid right in front of his nose.
It looks incredibly sturdy at first glance.
Why is this coming out here?
“Ah, my bow is an iron bow, and this is what it looks like when the string is untied.”
No, this shouldn’t be coming out of here…
“What should I do next?”
Then, the person holding the iron shield stepped forward.
Yang Ja-pyeong stammered as he opened his mouth.
Once you open your mouth and secure the pull-up bar… … .”
However, the words wouldn’t come out easily.
Saving a human devoured by Samgalsa is a task where even the rescuer must risk their life.
Because Samgalsa becomes more ferocious than ever when his hunt is interrupted.
“If you fix it……, if you fix it…….”
Did he sense Yang Ja-pyeong’s feelings?
The person who introduced himself as the second of three brothers stepped forward with a sigh.
We have to clean up the mess Senior Brother made.
You’re saying you’ll step forward yourself?
Just as I was about to stop him, thinking it was recklessness born of ignorance of the fear of Samgalsa.
“Brother and Senior Sister, please hold one side of the mouth in place. Then Dong-ryong and I will hold it in place with the pull-up bar. And if anything happens, please have the others step in.”
He conducted as if he were used to it, then approached Samgalsa.
“Wait! Samgalsa is beyond imagination…….”
“Yes. I understand what you mean. It’s clear enough just by seeing how Lord Yang reacted.”
But even so, we can’t just leave it alone.
He shakes his head, looking disrespectfully at Jin So-un, whose neck and lower body are barely visible.
He’s a damn bastard, but he’s the Senior Brother.
Just because you’re paralyzed doesn’t mean you go deaf…
Just as the four people were about to rush toward Samgalsa, sighing heavily.
The sound of a leather strap snapping began to be heard.
At first, Samgalsa tightened his grip on Jin So-un even more, making him think his bones were broken.
But on the contrary, wasn’t Samgalsa’s body, which had been constricting Jin So-un, slowly loosening up? ‘The paralyzing poison has already worn off???’ The disciples of Taeeulmun who were approaching Samgalsa also stopped abruptly.
And he stared blankly at Samgalsa.
Through the gap in Samgalsa’s body as it opens.
Whoosh.… …
Both hands reach out and tightly grip both sides of the snake’s mouth that has swallowed its head.
How dare…
To my senior brother, who is like the heavens to me… … Calling me a damn bastard?!!!”
Crunch, crunch.
Then, it begins to open the gaping maw of Samgalsa even wider.
Samgalsa, who had initially gripped Jin So-un even tighter, loosened his grip and now struggled to somehow slip out of Jin So-un’s hand.
However, the more that happened, the more Jin So-un, far from letting go of Samgalsa’s jaws, began to tear them apart even more.
Flap, flap.
With the sound of bones breaking, the massive body of Samgalsa is swung in all directions like a whip.
The members of the lead group, including Yang Ja-pyeong, had to twist their bodies wildly to avoid being hit by Samgalsa’s tail.
And a short while later.
chin.
The tattered thread of the mouth hung limply on the floor.
And Jin So-un, having voluntarily entered and exited the maw of Samgalsa, glared sharply at the one who had been in command.
“Lee Eun-ho! That is definitely your voice!”
Then, Lee Eun-ho casually changed his voice.
“I have no idea what on earth you mean. I didn’t say a word.”
Come here, you brat!
The Taeeulmun disciples returned to their daily lives as if nothing had happened.
Those around also let out a deep sigh, but no one’s face showed any aftereffects of having experienced death.
“What on earth are these people?” Although they had lived such rough lives that they appeared like barbarians to the people of the Central Plains, the Taeeulmun disciples seemed like people who had lost their minds even to them. #“What……
Did you say that?
I see this expression often these days.
I turned my head slightly away from Saryeon and said.
“Because this is something you can’t do in the midfield…….”
What did you say?
“So, in the midfield….”
“what.
la.
go.
yo. this?”
It’s not that I didn’t hear it.
Judging by the fact that they keep asking back, it probably means they have no intention of just letting it slide.
In that case, I will change my strategy as well.
“In what kind of danger do you think warriors die the most?”
“Suddenly… why are you changing the subject?”
“It’s poison and memorization. You know that well, don’t you?”
Even so.
I quickly interrupted Saryeon.
“I must survive longer than anyone else. The revival and protection of the Taeeul Sect are more important to me than anything else. To do so, I must never die easily.”
“Even if we can somehow block the secret weapon, poison cannot be easily stopped. Moreover, given our circumstances, it is not as if we can consume the Baekdokdan sold by the Dang family!”
Baekdokdan is a poison-resistant pill sold by Dangga.
It is a special poison that builds resistance to the hundred types of poisons that warriors most frequently die from, but since it builds resistance to poison relatively safely, the price is unbelievably high.
Saryeon must also be well aware of the situation, which is why she cannot open her mouth.
I shouted as if I were screaming on purpose.
“I am more desperate than anything. I may not be able to be immune to all poisons, but I must at least be immune to a thousand to protect my fellow disciples and the people of Taeeulmun!”
Saryeon’s fierce gaze turns sad.
Seeing him gently bite his tightly closed lips, he appeared to have nothing else to say.
As expected, ‘understanding’ is easier than ‘persuasion’.
“Haa… I’d rather just buy the White Poison Squad. This… is too dangerous.”
What on earth is he talking about?
“How much is the Baekdokdan!!! Isn’t it free here!”
Saryeon, listening to the story, messes up her hair wildly as if she is annoyed.
“Aargh! I don’t know!! Do whatever you want! Die soaked in poison or whatever!!”
Actually, there is a need to change the method a bit.
I deliberately got bitten thinking the venom of the living ones would be fresher, but you never know, an unexpected situation like the one just happened.
Moreover, the experience of entering Samgalsa’s mouth…
Because it wasn’t particularly good.
at that time.
“J-CEO Jin…… Did you really get bitten on purpose to build up your resistance to the venom?”
Yang Ja-pyeong asked, his shoulders slumped for some reason.
What’s wrong with this person?
He seemed quite proud of his big body.
I shrugged my shoulders lightly.
“Well, that’s part of it. We need to test how dangerous it is before the priests train.”
Even the priests???
Yang Ja-pyeong, a man of large build, somehow turns pale.
I pulled out one of Samgalsa’s molars.
Crunch.
A long venom sac comes out along with the teeth.
I looked at the gold, silver, and bronze brothers.
I don’t think Saryeon will be able to do it given the current atmosphere.
Of course, Geumpyo and Eunho are shaking their heads as if they don’t want to.
I looked at them and gave them a refreshing smile.
“Should I go? Do you guys want to come?”
Just then, Dong-ryong, who had been staring blankly from the side, bravely approached.
“D-Big Brother, I’ll go first.”
As expected, Dong-ryong is the smartest of the three.
Since you’re going to do it anyway, it’s better to do it before you get hit, right?
The moment Samgalsa was about to thrust his fangs into Dongryong’s outstretched forearm.
Dongryong was surprised.
“H-Big Brother!”
I haven’t stabbed him yet.
“That’s not it, behind, behind…….”
“huh?”
When I turned my head, Saren was glaring at me with a devilish expression.
“It’s not like you’re doing this alone…… Now you’re even dragging priests into it?!”
I hurriedly tried to get out of the way, but…
“Where are you going!”
It was already too late to escape the grasp of Sa-ryeon, whose martial arts skills had matured recently.
match.
I felt a pain on my back as if it had been branded with a hot iron. The main force arrived a day after the lead group arrived.
Then, our lead group left the main force behind and went back into the forest.
The destination is the garrison located in the center of Mukrim.
Since it was merely a matter of clearing out the encampment previously used by the previous standard-bearers, the vanguard did not have a hard time.
According to Yang Ja-pyeong, who somehow started putting his clothes back on without taking off his shirt after the first day, he said that ever since Mukrim was first opened to the academy students, they have been training in the same place every time?
“After all, moving around carelessly in Mukrim is… dangerous.”
“okay.”
“By the way, do you intend to continue with that work?”
Yang Ja-pyeong swallowed hard and asked as he looked at the purple poisonous mushroom in my hand.
I haven’t even started yet.
The number of poisons I have eaten so far is only a little over ten.
We couldn’t find the poison properly because we had to secure a base.
Since consuming Samgalsa’s paralyzing poison, I have not yet seen a poison more deadly than that.
I laughed while shaking a poisonous mushroom.
Still, that is a relief. It doesn’t seem as dangerous as I thought.
That’s right…
Is it?
“Still, they wouldn’t allow us to roam around freely, would they?”
This is the most regrettable part.
Unlike Hwamak or Binghae, Mukrim had to move only in strictly designated areas.
I suppose so.
Yang Ja-pyeong’s somewhat lukewarm reaction.
For some reason, it seems that opportunities to talk to this person have gradually decreased since then.
Well, it’s probably just my imagination.
The encampment, which we arrived at after a week, was situated in a much larger area than what we had seen at the entrance.
It seemed they put some effort into making this place, as the ground was covered with gravel, so no large trees grew.
Having nothing particular to do, we waited for the main force to arrive, and exactly one day later, the main force arrived at the base.
While the students set up their respective barracks in designated areas and prepared to spend the remaining three weeks.
The leaders of each group gathered at the instructor’s barracks.
As soon as he confirmed that all the team leaders had gathered, No Jin-ha began to tell an interesting story.
“I’m saying that the long journey thus far was not without its flaws, but merely a formality. Well, that was a complaint that always came up back in our time as well.”
After laying the groundwork like this.
“In the last graduating class, Yong So-ah also subdued the Takan tribe.”
It fuels competitiveness and evokes emotions.
A subtle voice follows.
“So, I’m telling you… you guys are in no way inferior to the previous cohort, so you can’t just sit around, can you?”
Finally, I got to the main point.
“Why don’t we take this opportunity to create a map of Mukrim? We could explore it and hunt monsters at the same time.”
Apart from the fact that the squad leaders’ faces had all stiffened, ‘He came up with such a brilliant idea?’ Wow, this guy… no, this instructor, I thought he always just said things that got him beaten up, but sometimes he actually says something right?
I felt like I had been asked to play a treasure hunt.
