“I’m going crazy! How dare you eat Yodan without a care…!”
“Is it really a big deal?”
“Even seasoned experts can fall into a deep stupor after eating Yodan!”
“Huh!”
“Really?”
“Is it true?!”
“You’ve got to be kidding! How can you be so pathetic? You’re truly foolish! This is absurd!”
The Jade Flower Sword slammed her chest in frustration, venting her anger. Well, according to her, Yodan is poisonous, and eating it would mean disaster.
But I felt fine, right?
In fact, I even gained a bit of inner strength.
“Fairy, please calm down. But I felt perfectly fine. My power even increased,” I said.
“…Oh, now that you mention it.”
The Jade Flower Sword, who had been hitting her chest, looked at me.
Then she leaned in, inspected me closely, and circled around, bending down to check different parts of my body.
“How strange. Did you really eat Yodan?”
“Yes.”
“And you gained inner strength?”
“To clarify, here’s what happened.”
Now that it’s confirmed Yodan is poisonous, the information from the Jade Flower Sword, who is stronger than me, is very important.
I explained how I went to eliminate the Goblin and ended up absorbing the Chieftain’s Inner Core.
“I see. That’s why you had inner strength for a vagabond.”
“It was a kind of fortuitous encounter. I thought I had grasped luck itself when I saw that Inner Core.”
“Such reckless bravado from ignorance… Sigh. How can a man be so pathetic?”
The Jade Flower Sword sighed.
“I understand. Since it seems there are no immediate problems, I can conclude that you, Geunhyeop, might have a unique body constitution.”
“Unique body constitution!”
I have a unique body constitution!
“Don’t tell me it’s the Heavenly Ignorant Body!”
“What is that… Sigh. Whatever. Even so, having a unique body constitution is not yet confirmed. Unexpected side effects could occur. Yodan is poisonous, you know? You must be prepared for any unexpected reactions.”
“What should I do then?”
“Follow me.”
“Yes?”
“Since Gumyung Ji-eun is around, I will give you corresponding compensation. We’ll go to my home, and I’ll get you checked by a skilled doctor. This way, we can determine if there are any issues, and if so, we’ll focus on treatment.”
“Ooh! Thank you!”
What a relief!
Honestly, as soon as I heard Yodan was poison, I nearly panicked and collapsed. After all, I had just eaten poison without knowing. It felt like I had become a primitive person who ate a pufferfish.
But knowing I’d get a proper checkup and treatment really moved me.
“It seems there are no issues for now, so we have no immediate course of action. I will personally check on you shortly.”
“I would appreciate that!”
“Then let’s wrap up.”
“Yes!”
I went back to check on the fallen warriors’ conditions.
Most were fainted with internal injuries, but soon some were regaining consciousness.
They were all healing themselves by circulating their energy. Great Hero was the same. If they all recover, we can finish things up.
“Hey! Jaemi Son! You really did well! That last strike you threw was spot on!”
“Heh, I really didn’t expect to succeed. You are utterly ridiculous.”
“A man should do something if he’s risking his life.”
“I can’t help but acknowledge that…”
Jaemi Son grinned.
“By the way, you ate Yodan?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Heh… how foolish. Eating Yodan requires good luck to avoid falling into a stupor.”
“But I’m perfectly fine!”
“That’s quite an unusual matter… to eat Yodan and be fine. I’ve never heard of it. You really are the crazy person I acknowledged.”
Could it be that I truly have a unique body constitution?
I took a light break with Jaemi Son. When I mentioned that I would go to the Namgoong Clan to receive my reward, he turned quite jealous.
“This can’t be!”
Just then, the Jade Flower Sword shouted.
“Fairy!”
Wondering what was going on, I rushed over to find her inspecting the corpse of the sorcerer we killed earlier.
What did she find?
“What’s the matter! Fairy!”
“This sorcerer. He was not a living person but a zombie.”
“What? A zombie?!”
I inspected the sorcerer’s corpse.
He was wearing what looked like some Taoist robes and carrying a skeletal staff. But a human? A zombie?!
“I don’t fully understand, but isn’t a zombie just a demon? You know, one that hops around.”
“That’s the low-level zombies. This sorcerer was a Huanhun Jiangshi, capable of much more sophisticated movements. And he actually opened a barrier? From our fight, he was also skilled in magic.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“This is really nonsensical. Just a mere zombie managing to open the barrier and summon Madunachal? Impossible.”
But it happened.
“So, this means this is an extraordinary zombie? Or the one who created it is someone amazing? Something like that?”
“Precisely.”
The Jade Flower Sword looked at me with a serious expression.
“If that’s the case, creating such zombies would be possible.”
“That being?”
“The Four Fairies, Cheongmiin.”
“The Four Fairies, Cheongmiin?!”
Who is the Four Fairies, Cheongmiin?!
“She’s a notorious witch with a reputation for her transcendent evil throughout the Central Plains. Known for her wickedness and cruelty, she has been designated a public enemy.”
“Public enemy of the Central Plains?!”
Not just a public enemy of the Martial Arts World, but a public enemy of the entire Central Plains?!
“The Four Fairies have caused countless bloodshed, creating numerous zombies along the way. If it’s her magic, crafting a zombie like this wouldn’t be a stretch. But that staff…”
The Jade Flower Sword pointed to the skeletal staff.
“Given that strong bloodlust I felt from that staff, it’s undoubtedly a treasure from Blood Cult.”
“Blood Cult?!”
A treasure from the Blood Cult!
“But this is strange. The Four Fairies were definitely supposed to be a foe of the Blood Cult. Could it be that they’ve teamed up? If so, that’s a huge problem.”
As far as I could tell, it seems quite serious.
The gorgeous face of the Jade Flower Sword looked troubled.
The Blood Cult are just downright evil bastards. A crazy cult that wants to paint the world red with blood. And the witch known as the Four Fairies is said to be a transcendent evil being.
If those two joined forces?
It undoubtedly seems like a catastrophic event is on the horizon. A tremendous disaster!
“This truly seems like a big deal.”
I came to close one labyrinth, and now what is this?
Not only did I fight Madunachal, but now I’m entangled with the Blood Cult and the Four Fairies.
I have a bad feeling about this.
While having a connection with the Namgoong Clan is a great thing, I can’t shake the feeling that this incident won’t end in a conventional manner. I might have gotten caught up in some kind of conspiracy.
“Ugh…! Young lady! Are you okay?!”
One of the River Group warriors, now conscious, asked.
“I’m fine. Quickly, continue circulating your energy. I will guard you.”
“Thank you!”
“It’s the least I could do.”
And so we all took a break until every warrior regained consciousness.
* * *
After that, we gathered the corpses and collected trophies like Madunachal’s large weapon and the sorcerer’s skeletal staff as we headed out of the labyrinth.
The River Group warrior’s body would be escorted back to the clan. The rest of the fallen vagabonds were buried nearby.
The survivors received monetary compensation.
I heard the deceased would be investigated by the Namgoong Clan in connection with Haengdo Sect before being distributed to their families.
Even though they were vagabonds, seeing them uphold contracts made me trust the Jade Flower Sword even more.
Namgoong Serin truly was a fairy.
“Then, Jaemi Son. Take care. I’ll see you next time.”
Jaemi Son also received a hefty reward for his last contribution. But since I was the one who played the pivotal role, I was the only one going for the rewards.
“Heh, make sure to tell me what happens when you return.”
“Sure.”
After parting ways with Jaemi Son, I went to the Jade Flower Sword.
“I’m ready to depart.”
“Alright, please hop onto the carriage.”
“Huh?”
Get on the carriage?
“How could I leave a weary benefactor behind? We need to check your health, so get on.”
“Um, um…”
“Are you really thinking of avoiding the honor of riding in the same carriage as me, the Jade Flower Sword?”
“N-No!”
I briefly scanned the area, but no one was casting strange glances my way. So, I followed her instructions and climbed onto the Jade Flower Sword’s carriage.
“Uh.”
Inside, there was one attendant who was completely lifeless and wooden, practically a puppet.
Should I greet him? But he stayed quiet, so I remained silent too.
Soon, the Jade Flower Sword climbed in, and the carriage started moving.
“…”
But, well.
Just thinking about being in a small carriage with the Jade Flower Sword… makes me feel a huge sense of tension.
Tension that was quite intense.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bit tired.”
“Of course. Anyone would be tired after such a fierce battle.”
“Yes. By the way, I’m covered in blood; is that okay?”
“I’m covered in blood too, so it’s not a problem.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“By the way, that Yodan. Are you really considering eating it?”
“Um.”
I took the Yodan from Madunachal. But I didn’t feel like consuming it just yet, even if I felt fine. After all, it was poison.
“I think I’ll be more careful about consuming it.”
“So you are planning to consume it.”
“Yes.”
How could I give this up?
Even though I know it’s poison, I felt the rise in my power after consuming the chieftain’s Inner Core. So for me, Yodan is an extremely precious treasure.
And the fact that it’s from Madunachal’s Inner Core makes me wonder just how much my power would rise if I consumed it.
I even saw purple sparks igniting from my sword when I struck Madunachal earlier. I know that came from my inner strength.
The desire for more strength.
This is something I can’t resist.
“There are hardly any cases of humans absorbing Yodan… but it’s exceedingly rare. So I do not recommend it. Even if it went well before, there’s no telling what might happen this time.”
The Jade Flower Sword spoke genuinely, sounding worried.
While I appreciated her concern, I just couldn’t let go of this Yodan.
“Oh my. Geunhyeop. Your eyes…”
“Yes?”
“Well, even a warrior who has tasted Inner Core once can never truly escape it. Even I, who have consumed many elixirs, still yearn for more.”
“Hehe, looks like we share some common ground.”
What warrior could give this up?
“It makes sense to want to consume it even when risking danger. But would it not be safer to wait until you know more about your constitution before you consume?”
“I plan to do just that. I’ll get checked first, and if it seems safe, I’ll try eating it then.”
“Hehe, wise choice.”
The corners of the Jade Flower Sword’s eyes curved with a smile.
In that moment, I almost swallowed my breath.
Seriously, is she humanly too pretty?
Moreover, being so close in this cramped space accentuates how stunning her figure is even more.
Remembering how that horned Madunachal harassed her earlier about her body, I now see just how enticing her figure truly is.
Her assets were so prominent even beneath her uniform.
And from her exuded aura, a pure and soothing fragrance began wafting, making my feelings increasingly strange.
“Phew, it’s hot.”
Then the Jade Flower Sword slightly tugged at the front of her outfit. For a second, I hoped to see a glimpse of skin, but thankfully, her attire wasn’t that flimsy.
“By the way, Geunhyeop.”
“Yes?”
“Just how long do you plan to gaze at my body? Are you truly a lecher? It’s becoming quite uncomfortable.”
“N-No! I’m not! This is a misunderstanding!”
“Hehe, I was joking.”
What kind of malicious joke is that?!
“Anyway, don’t you have any stories to share to help alleviate this heat?”
“I’ll tell you right away!”
I need to say something before I’m misunderstood as a pervert!
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