Chapter: 504
Right after finishing my training, I looked up at the sky as if I was stretching my body.
It was still too early for the sun to set.
‘Hmm.’
Likewise, it was still quite early for my body to loosen up.
I had to put on the uniform I had taken off.
It was quite disappointing since I hadn’t even shed a bit of sweat, but there was nothing I could do.
‘Now is not the time to practice.’
I really wanted to shove myself into a cave and just curl up to take a nap.
The situation, however, was not favorable.
‘Still, I tried my best.’
I moved around so vigorously, trying to use every bit of my time productively.
I didn’t even shed a drop of sweat.
Even my body didn’t get tired.
‘Tsk.’
Is it because my level has improved, or is it because my body has changed? It’s something I should be pleased about, but somehow I feel uneasy.
Perhaps it is because I did not examine my body properly.
‘It’s my own body, but not knowing much about it feels incredibly frustrating.’
Because of the drastic changes I had undergone, I didn’t know much about this body, even after checking for several days.
How strong are the strengthened skin and muscles? How much movement is required before they tire?
As the bowl expands, what happens to the amount of energy?
How much compression and rotation can it withstand?
It was simply too insufficient to verify all of these.
In other words.
‘The limits of the body have increased accordingly.’
I became so strong that even after spending this much time, I can’t grasp everything about my body.
That much was certain.
‘At this level, how much of my skills was in my previous life?’
I thought it would be around that much, but now I think it might be closer to five.
Of course, this isn’t exact. Again, I simply didn’t have time to check this.
‘Especially when it comes to durability; that’s just a bother….’
The quickest way to know the strength of your muscles and the texture of your skin is…
It’s about tearing it apart yourself.
You might think, “What kind of crazy talk is that?”
But after all, the skin of an unmanned warrior tends to grow tougher the more it gets torn and regenerated.
In fact, there were some who managed to endure burns while practicing external martial arts.
I also did this back in my previous life, claiming that I would practice.
If you endure the pain, you will become stronger.
Nothing could be easier or faster than this.
[… So, are you saying you would tear your own flesh?]
‘If it’s needed later.’
To have a better combat experience, it was essential to understand the condition of the body.
How much can you endure? How many hits until you get hurt?
I had to know all this, including how close I was to death.
‘I thought I was getting used to it, and then—tsk.’
The body before my transformation was something that had been used and trained for a while and finally had found its form.
How could it have changed so much that I can’t keep track of it?
Kook.
I clenched my fists and frowned.
I needed time.
But I also knew that what I lacked most right now was time.
What should I do?
I wanted to delve a little deeper, but as I recalled what had happened before, I channeled my energy.
Dududuk—!
As the energy seeped into my body, a reaction occurred immediately.
It was the sensation of flesh moving and bones twisting.
The pain was laughable compared to the pain of the Tuapacheonmu.
At most, it’ll only break a few bones.
Compared to the Tuapacheonmu, which always gives you the feeling of being severed, it’s mere child’s play!
Whack!
The skeleton, which had been creaking for a while, finally stopped. It meant that the transformation of my body was complete.
I felt my vision drop and my body shrink.
After confirming that the gas transformation technique was performed correctly, I properly donned my uniform.
Just after that.
“You’re late.”
I said while looking at the woman who had arrived behind me.
It was Nahi.
As soon as she spotted me, she avoided eye contact, and I wondered why.
Maybe it was because she had witnessed my physical transformation firsthand.
“… Sorry.”
“Why are you late?”
I had called quite a while ago, yet Nahi arrived later than I expected.
I was curious about the reason, but it seems Nahi interpreted my words differently as she trembled and knelt down.
“… I’m… sorry.”
“… Hmm.”
Seeing that, I had to scratch my cheek slightly.
Did I overpower her too roughly? She looked like she was about to jump out of her skin.
“… No, what… Did someone say they were going to kill me?”
I wondered if that was indeed what happened.
“It’s fine… Just tell me why you’re late.”
I set aside my awkwardness and pressed for an explanation.
“That’s… because the elder had asked me to do something…”
When Nahi mentioned “the elder,” she was likely referring to that old man, either Dangmyeon or Dangbye.
“What was it?”
“… The order was to mix the paralyzing poison separately.”
“Paralyzing poison? Who are you feeding it to?”
“…”
“Given your condition, are you planning to feed that to me?”
There was no answer, but just by looking into Nahi’s eyes, it seemed she knew without me saying anything.
‘What a foolish old man.’
I was silently observing them, pondering whether something grand was brewing.
Paralyzing poison, huh?
‘Not intending to kill, but just paralyze?’
If he wasn’t aiming to concoct a deadly poison, but rather a paralyzing one.
It seemed like there was something else going on.
‘Hmm.’
After hearing that, I pondered what to do next.
Curiosity piqued, I thought to leave it alone for now.
Or maybe…
‘Should I just go and topple things over?’
Click.
I tilted my head, looking at Nahi.
Nahi, who met my gaze, trembled a little.
The reason I was so eager to ascertain my strength and limits was none other than to find out this:
‘At this level, can I turn everything upside down?’
That was to confirm it.
And.
‘I don’t think it will be that difficult.’
I felt the confidence bloom that it could be done.
Had it been in the past, overturning would have been impossible due to the characteristics of the Tang family.
But now, because I was part of the “party line,” it became a possibility.
Indeed.
‘Because I’m invulnerable to poison.’
A state of developing immunity to toxins. A very strong tolerance at that.
With this alone, it was not difficult to act out in the Tang Clan.
‘As I live, I encounter all sorts of circumstances.’
Mandokbulchim.
I’m unsure whether my body has truly reached the state of being invulnerable to poison, but what matters is that I’ve developed a strong resistance.
That much is sufficient.
‘More than enough to deal with the rotten old fool.’
If I had to point out a problem.
‘Could I manage to clean things up after this debacle?’
For that reason, I spoke to the Poison King, even giving him a justification in the process.
However, I didn’t truly trust the Poison King, as I barely knew him.
Thus.
‘I must keep all possibilities in mind.’
Nobody can be trusted.
As much as I had experienced in my past life, this was the most important lesson I carried into this new life.
[If you do that, what do you plan to do?]
Noya’s words caused me to reflect once more.
‘I originally planned to wrap this up within a few days, even if it takes longer.’
Right now, today, or maybe tomorrow.
I must observe the Poison King’s movements and end things at the right moment.
To this end, I seized Nahi and kept her around.
I even swallowed the poison on purpose to reveal my displeasure.
As I meticulously pieced together the situation, if anything stood in the way.
‘My father is the issue….’
The problem being my father who has come to Sacheon. I’m unsure if he actually received the letter.
Besides that, I worried about whether I could handle everything without my father finding out.
‘…Hmm.’
This is annoying. In many ways.
“Hey.”
“Yes, yes…!”
I called out to Nahi. I noticed her flinch at my call.
“Have you talked to your brother?”
“… Yes.”
“Glad to hear.”
When the subject of Dangdeok came up, Nahi’s expression darkened.
She probably realized that even Dangdeok had been corrupted by me.
‘Come to think of it, were these guys after something like this anyway?’
Nahi was working from the inside, and Dangdeok from the outside.
They seemed to intend to conduct something for their own purposes, but—
‘Both must have failed, though.’
Reflecting on my past life, Dangdeok was consumed by power.
He was a person tormented by an unfathomable desire for revenge against the Tang Clan.
After hearing that the Demonic Cult had seized control of Sacheon and that I had killed Dokbi, he went into a fit of rage.
‘Whatever plan he had, in the end, it all ended in failure.’
What Dangdeok was attempting outside might have flopped.
‘Or.’
My gaze turned to Nahi.
‘Mistakes could have been made from within as well.’
It might have unfolded that way.
As I rummaged through my memories from my past life.
I recognized that circumstances hadn’t been going well.
“This is an order.”
I infused my words with energy as I spoke.
Immediately, Nahi’s body stiffened.
“You simply need to answer honestly.”
I approached her, locking eyes with her.
“I’m planning to kill Elder Il from now on.”
“…!”
I noticed Nahi’s eyes sparkled upon hearing my words.
From that moment, I knew.
Nahi had apparently felt a flicker of excitement at my statement.
With that in mind, I smiled and questioned her.
“For that, how far can you go?”
How far can you go?
In practice, if I infused energy into my commands, I could even make her sacrifice her own life.
I asked this question, nonetheless.
It wasn’t about gaining loyalty or rousing their spirit.
I didn’t require any of that unnecessary fluff.
This was just a means of confirmation.
“You want that too, right?”
“… I… I…”
Nahi’s eyes wavered at my question.
It seemed as if an earthquake was trembling within them.
As I quietly stared into her eyes, the trembling Nahi finally spoke.
“I can… do anything… anything at all.”
“Anything?”
“Yes…”
Upon hearing her response, I nodded.
“Good. Then let me ask you just one thing.”
“…”
Once again, there was no sign of refusal.
This wasn’t even a particularly difficult request.
At most, it was merely a means to resolve the questions that had arisen from recalling the Tang gate in my past life.
The narrative I just recalled.
Considering that Dangdeok had been a monstrous figure in his previous life and had preserved his own life—
Not just me, but the possibility that those involved in this matter had met with failure had to be taken seriously.
This naturally leads to one hypothesis.
‘The rotten roots might already know who is trying to cut off their sprout from the outset.’
It could be that Nahi and others are aware of the actions they’re attempting to take.
Could they realize this later?
Or do they already know starting now?
If.
If they’re already aware of something starting from this point.
That would be a slightly concerning factor.
‘Was it called a paralyzing poison, perhaps?’
The paralyzing poison they claim they prepared.
Nahi stated she had prepped it for me, and the restrictions placed on her prevented her from uttering any lies.
But consider—
‘What if they had initially held onto a different truth?’
This could trigger complications. I’ve heard that’s how it goes.
If it turns out to be genuinely different, then that’s a total catastrophe.
‘…So, then.’
If such a situation truly arises.
‘To whom will they plan to use it, if not for me?’
I pondered this, and my eyes sparkled with curiosity.
There were guesses forming in my mind.
If it aligned with my expectations, that too would become an irksome complication.
‘But it should be fine.’
Despite the unease, my demeanor remained somewhat composed.
The reason behind that was quite elementary.
‘Because I’ve already prepared for it.’
Regardless of what may unfold, I’ve set it all up to handle it.
What I needed to do now was merely confirm it.
On the outskirts of the Tang Clan, near a large residence by the mountain.
This is the residence used by the Tang Clan’s bloodlines, and among them, it was where the Poison King’s cherished descendant resided.
You might wonder why the cherished bloodline of the head household would be staying in such a far-off place beside the mountains.
This was a request she had made personally to the head of household.
Grrrrr…
A large wolf was grumbling joyfully in the yard.
It was a gigantic mountain wolf with black fur.
A wolf that was originally born in Sacheon, one of the few remaining due to the onslaught of monstrous creatures.
This wolf was the beloved pet of the Tang Clan bloodline, Dokbong Dang So-yeol.
“Are you feeling good?”
Hearing the wolf’s growl, Dang So-yeol chuckled.
It seems it was enjoying the long-awaited grooming session.
“I’m sorry. I should have done this more often.”
Grrrrr…
“You understand? Thank you.”
At Dang So-yeol’s words, the wolf shifted its body, prancing about in delight.
It was delightfully amusing to see a giant wolf acting cute.
Well, at least from Dang So-yeol’s viewpoint.
She absentmindedly stroked the wolf’s belly, thinking,
‘If only the Confucius were to approach me like this.’
With a sigh of relief, she recalled the young man who resembled a ferocious wolf.
It was a breath laced with frustration.
The cause of her malaise was not him but rather herself.
‘…No. If he got closer, I wouldn’t be able to do anything anyway.’
It’s a sort of grumbling.
Since the last time Dang So-yeol found herself cradled in Gu Yangcheon’s arms, she had realized that things weren’t quite right.
When she had heard the sound of his great heart beating in his embrace.
She had thought she possessed a small frame, only to discover that his chest was much wider than she had imagined.
Since then, she hadn’t been in the right state of mind.
She could no longer face Gu Yangcheon directly, let alone hold a conversation.
‘…Why is it like this?’
Had she just come to understand her feelings? That was unlikely.
Her romantic emotions had been apparent long ago.
So what was the issue?
‘…This is not the time…!’
This moment wasn’t meant for her to freak out, yet Dang So-yeol was keenly feeling her own awkwardness.
Her fiancé Namgung Bi-ah stood relaxed yet firm, evidently aware of her place.
Although it appeared that Wi Seol-ah wasn’t doing anything, she exuded a presence right by Gu Yangcheon.
Also, though Mo Yong-hee had arrived the latest, her remarkable abilities allowed her to find her footing without any trouble.
‘…What about me?’
In this situation, Dang So-yeol had to recall how terribly isolated she felt.
‘What should I do…?’
She was not as gifted as Namgung Bi-ah or Wi Seol-ah. She recognized her own beauty, but she didn’t possess the outlandish charm of the two.
Furthermore, she didn’t have the knack for handling people that Mo Yong-hee did, nor was she exceptionally bright.
She had firmly grasped how inadequate she truly was recently.
The only support she could claim was her family.
Namgung Bi-ah was born of the Namgung family while Mo Yong-hee belonged to the Mo Yong clan.
Even Wi Seol-ah was supposedly the granddaughter of Geomjeon.
Even with a background that couldn’t cause envy, she felt an underlying sense of being overshadowed.
‘….’
There was no solution. Truly, there was no answer.
If it continued like this, being next to the old prince would gradually become more burdensome.
‘…What do I do? Really, what do I do?’
Could she simply remain by his side while lacking any capability?
Perhaps it wouldn’t matter to Gu Yangcheon, but that was not something Dang So-yeol wished for.
She couldn’t afford to be useless.
Gu Yangcheon was simply too remarkable. It was problematic that someone so inept as her stood beside such greatness.
To stay beside him, she had to cultivate at least some competence.
Dang So-yeol recalled the words Mo Yong-hee had repeated to her countless times.
-You must be someone who doesn’t feel ashamed standing next to him.
While Gu Yangcheon was away, Mo Yong-hee always busied herself with obscure, hefty tomes.
Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah trained with their swords daily.
So what was Dang So-yeol doing in the meanwhile?
Thud!
The brush combing the wolf came to a halt. And Dang So-yeol looked at her palms.
Her skin was rough and cracked, with plenty of calluses.
It served as proof that she was constantly making an effort.
‘But no results.’
Despite her diligence, the outcomes were lackluster.
Her martial arts hadn’t improved. The only thing growing was her hair.
She gently caressed the tresses she had painstakingly nurtured.
‘…’
It wasn’t lost on her that all the women near Gu Yangcheon had long hair, hence she, with her short locks, was also attempting to grow it out.
But within this endeavor surfaced an odd sense of inferiority that tormented Dang So-yeol.
‘If it continues like this… I’ll just be a copycat.’
Always striving to improve, yet—
Keeping pace with those soaring ahead remained a challenge.
Ha.
A sigh escaped her lips.
Having followed Gu Yangcheon all the way to Sacheon, yet making little advancement herself, Dang So-yeol found herself exhaling repeatedly.
Just as she contemplated how she ought to proceed…
“Holhol, are you there?”
A voice called from outside the residence. Upon lifting her head, Dang So-yeol caught a glimpse of the old man’s face.
She quickly stood up.
“Ah… Elder.”
“I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly.”
“It’s fine….”
The old man was an elder of the Tang family.
He was one of those who had treated her like a grandchild since her youth.
Tang So-yeol attempted to smile at him.
“What brings you here today?”
“It’s nothing significant… I simply wanted to see your face, so I popped by for a moment.”
“Oh, then I can have the servants bring tea….”
“Oh.”
At Dang So-yeol’s words, Elder Il flashed a unique expression.
Following this, he retrieved something from his robes.
“I wouldn’t feel right meeting you empty-handed, so I brought along a delightful tea as a gift. What luck!”
“Oh my… You really didn’t have to.”
“Haha, but how could I show up without bringing something?”
With a warm smile, Elder Il intended to hand over the tea he was holding to Dang So-yeol.
However, just as Dang So-yeol reached to accept the gift from Elder Il—
Clank!
Thud!
The object Elder Il held suddenly fell to the floor.
It happened because someone had seized the elder’s wrist.
“…!”
Elder Il’s eyes widened at the sudden contact.
It was a large hand with immense pressure.
“What…!”
Elder Il looked astonished and gazed at the figure blocking his path, bewildered.
The man who hindered him merely stared at Elder Il with cold eyes.
“You…! What do you think you’re doing right now?” Elder Il exclaimed in disbelief, but the man’s reaction remained unchanged.
At that moment.
“Unauthorized access is prohibited.”
The man, Dangdeok, fixed his gaze on Elder Il and spoke.
Upon hearing his words, Elder Il’s brow furrowed deeply.
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