EP.24
“Namgung Hyung. What is all this?”
Baekun appeared somewhat flustered.
“A scouting party to gather information on Shiman Mountain.”
“But in reality, it’s a special unit aimed at pursuing the spirit creatures within.”
Namgung Yeon had assembled more of them than expected.
“Isn’t it better to have as many people as possible?”
“Still, this… is excessive.”
“After all, there are too many spirit creatures to handle alone.”
Baekun reluctantly nodded.
If Namgung Yeon’s words were correct, there would be enough spirit creatures piled up to not worry about splitting them.
Baekun was simply astonished by Namgung Yeon’s resourcefulness.
Most were minor characters, but he spotted a few masters he had seen once before.
Among them, the most noticeable was the group sent from Sichuan.
“How did you persuade the Tang Family?”
“It wasn’t easy. But it will be a great help. Dalrofo Grand Master will.”
“…Namgung Hyung, is it really appropriate to call him Grand Master?”
Baekun cast a sidelong glance at a beast trapped within.
“GRROOOAAAR!”
The sudden roar of a massive beast startled the girl with the dumpling-shaped head, causing her to tremble.
“Yikes! I’m, I’m sorry. I’ll take off the muzzle soon…”
Baekun watched the scene with pity.
“Well, since it hasn’t fully matured yet, calling it a young hero seems right. I can’t just bring a fully grown specimen from the Tang Family Tao.”
“That’s not it… Ugh, fine. It will work out somehow.”
Baekun had a feeling it would take a long time to explain the discomfort he felt.
At the same time, another question arose.
Is it right to deploy a spirit creature when we are going to hunt spirit creatures?
What if the creature from Tang Family joins forces with other spirit creatures and comes at us?
Even if we subdue it, it would surely lead to a conflict with the Tang Family.
As Baekun pondered these concerns, Namgung Yeon spoke in a calm tone.
“Baekun, you know not to consume Inner Dan immediately after obtaining it, right?”
“Hah. Do you think I don’t know something so basic? We are all gathered here on that premise. Are you really worried that I, Baekun, would sneak away with the Inner Dan?”
Baekun did not hide his displeasure.
Namgung Yeon quickly waved his hand, adding urgently.
“That’s not it; I’m just concerned about the Heart Demon.”
“Heart Demon?”
“Yes. Just because you consume Inner Dan or elixirs doesn’t necessarily mean your internal power will increase. The more effective the elixirs are, the more likely the Heart Demon will follow.”
“Heart Demon, huh? I wouldn’t mind experiencing that at least once.”
“Hehe. This person.”
“If I can overcome the Heart Demon when it arrives, wouldn’t I be able to reach a higher realm?”
Is he simply naive due to his youth, or is it overflowing confidence, Namgung Yeon wondered as he maintained his expression while responding.
“It’s not easy. For the time being, you might feel as if you have the power to break anything. Most lose sight of their wits, intoxicated by the newfound power rather than thinking about achieving a higher realm.”
“Have you met someone who fell to the Heart Demon?”
“I’ve seen someone on the brink of losing to it from a distance. They had overwhelming strength, but their growth stopped right there. Actually, it’s not even growth. They soon fell into a Zen State and lost their lives. And even if they manage to survive, there’s no way to move on to the next realm.”
“Hmph. We’re stuck behind walls just like them.”
Baekun felt desperate.
In just a year since stepping into the martial realm, he had achieved a second-rate status, and after two years, he had reached the first-rate level.
As a candidate for the later stage of Jongnam’s talents and the most promising, every martial artist knew his story. Baekun believed their attention was well warranted.
With good looks and impressive skills, he firmly believed that he was the one to bring a new wind to the stagnant martial world.
But that was all there was to it.
It had been ten years since he reached the first-rate, yet he still had not reached his peak.
All that remained for him was the glory of the past.
The pressure to break through to the next realm tightened around Baekun’s neck.
“It’s coming soon. You won’t need to take risky gambles to reach your peak shortly.”
“Hmph…”
Just as their conversation was about to wrap up, the dumpling-headed girl cautiously approached.
“Um, um…”
Baekun rolled his eyes, looking at her.
She was clearly a member of the Tang Family, wasn’t she?
“Why is that?”
“The Dalrofo Grand Master seems to be in a bad mood… How much longer until we arrive at Shiman Mountain?”
The dumpling-headed girl spoke with an anxious expression.
As time passed, the rampage of that reptile was becoming more intense.
Baekun felt that something was off.
If they were sending out spirit creatures, the person managing them should correspondingly be a master, right?
She seemed timid and lacking in confidence.
Moreover, it seemed like she had no idea where Shiman Mountain was located.
With the way she was, she wouldn’t even qualify as a third-rate.
“Even if we go as fast as possible, it’ll still take around fifteen days.”
“Fifteen days…?”
Thud.
The girl from the Tang Family collapsed.
The thought of having to tame that grotesque spirit creature for fifteen days overwhelmed her.
“…Namgung Hyung, did we offend the Tang Family in some way?”
Baekun couldn’t understand why they had sent such a girl to this dangerous place.
The young hero of the Tang Family possesses the advantage of being a warm-blooded animal, but the Dimetrodon also has the ability to regulate its body temperature through the structures on its back.
Right.
Let’s go with the Dimetrodon.
It’s essential to evolve into the species with the greatest combat power.
My eyes are closing.
The fact that I, who cannot close my eyes, am closing them means that evolution is beginning.
I hope the Dimetrodon has eyelids.
I can feel my body slowly changing.
I will transform into a Dimetrodon.
I’ll live by the water, regulating my body temperature in the sunlight.
After defeating the Cayman, I will become the king of the swamp and feast upon fish.
Continuing until I become the strongest dinosaur, the Spinosaurus…
…Spinosaurus?
I see a swamp.
A dragon glides smoothly through the water.
That dragon, adorned with a large crest, roars.
It is an overwhelming presence that can be called the strongest among dinosaurs.
Spi…
…
A pounding headache suddenly hit me.
The Spinosaurus is the mightiest dinosaur.
Crack.
I vividly picture a huge mouth breaking the delicate neck of a T. rex.
Yes, Spinosaurus indeed deserves to be called the king of dinosaurs…
…
…
Spino.
A loser that only catches fish.
Spino.
A defeated individual that fled to the water.
Spino.
An inferior creature that loses in weight class to the T. rex.
Spino.
The failures of popular media.
Spino.
The main culprit that threw me into this world.
Spino is a loser from the age that fell to the T. rex.
Did I want to be Spino?
No, that can’t be the case.
Flash.
I opened my eyes wide.
A pure white egg envelops me.
Those hideous beings are trying to trap me.
If I stand still like this, I will evolve into a Dimetrodon.
The Dimetrodon is strong.
Perhaps even stronger than the Cayman.
But something hot in my chest is rejecting that.
I cannot allow it.
[“%! 자■□” activates.]
Crack!
The egg that surrounded me shattered.
What I did was indeed a matter of instinct.
If I halt in the middle of evolution, I don’t know what kind of side effects might occur.
However, images suddenly flashed through my mind.
Should I call it inspiration?
Because of those images, I decided.
This evolution is not right.
There’s no way I would choose the Dimetrodon so easily.
I would not tread the path of the massive pelican.
My breathing becomes relaxed.
The internal energy deep within my dantian slowly circulates through my body.
My previously cloudy thoughts instantly cleared.
[I have escaped from the Heart Demon.]
A splendidly radiant status window.
Heart Demon.
Yes, what I just experienced was nothing short of a Heart Demon.
I almost fell into the wrong path.
[New options are presented.]
Should I see this as a reward for overcoming the Heart Demon?
With eager anticipation, I looked at the options.
__________________________
【Green Basilisk】 can evolve into:
1. 【Green Iguana】
2. 【Marine Iguana】
3. 【Large Armored Lizard】
4. 【Water Dragon Lizard】 (Requires ‘Little Dragon Ascending Step’, consumed fragment of advanced inner pill)
5. 【King Crocodile Lizard】 (Requires ‘Dragon Claw Technique’, consumed fragment of advanced inner pill)
__________________________
Right. This is indeed the correct option.
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