Chapter 78: Rain (1)
o6KFor a moment, I had forgotten that this place was a forest.WOpsGF
BoM9And what is a forest?ZaISCe
KJ9hEBDA place full of lush trees, grass, and animals.Enq
SQkA true ecological treasure where countless plants and creatures live while maintaining a natural balance.KLe
sQTUAnd in a place like this, rain is something completely normal.Z1Dyk
PFrvPlThe problem is that sometimes it rains far more than expected.lXjd
ub9MShhhhhhhhhhh!!I6s
3FDsxBThe downpour falling outside the cave right now was exactly that kind.rb1
N5kkdgI had spent the entire dawn circulating mana, then slept a little, and had only just woken up.Ie4hg
Z7pAnd in that short time, it looked as if a hole had opened in the sky, because the rain was pouring down in sheets.Zqfp
5yNVmlb“……Wait, wait, wait, wait!”H9eBt
pWLdGHI stood there stunned for a few seconds after seeing rain again for the first time in so long, but I quickly realized this was serious.jvK3Yzp
HIIQQFirst were the smoked foods.RsWj
GhnThen the charcoal.RBK
1hwgjxuAnd finally, the clothes I had left out to dry.fSjJ
V56fL9I couldn’t lose all the charcoal I struggled so hard to gather because of a single rainstorm.DZ48
1t9ZAnd the same went for the smoked food. If the rain washed away the salt, it would be a disaster.wtck
ZZtIo“Ugh…”xfPcOP
EIOAs best I could, I retrieved the charcoal container, the smoked food, and the clothes.oJSmnkO
vOlFortunately, since the rain hadn’t been falling for very long, they weren’t that wet yet.CiAK
z38Ylu‘Guess I’ll have smoked food for breakfast.’YCdRcLE
XmWp3I could eat fish inside the cave.6vp
OhyBut cleaning up afterward would be troublesome.mcIWmpU
bWXIn any case, going outside was impossible.Kt6
FvEhDEven if the rain stopped, moving around would still be difficult.Gl5szOs
9gfThe ground would probably turn into a muddy mess, and the river level would rise.hRB8XEO
jBqY0yAnd that last part was exactly what worried me the most.1QCf
nhBbUmMaybe I would have to change my plans.vqv
UXtTitle) Forced isolated training beginsG3pa
GZZPHgWildGrillsou8
jmV(Video of the rain falling outside the cave)gAMq
T8JAs soon as I woke up this morning, this shitty rain started pouring down, so my forced isolated training has begun.TnhU9
MszDoes anyone know how that’s actually done? Honestly, I heard the term somewhere before, but I don’t even know what it really means.JrQ
LZygiㄴHeavenlyDemon) Isolated training… what a nostalgic term.KBzc
90P4xsnㄴWildGrills) Do you have any advice or something like that?5LtOta
PJEㄴHeavenlyDemon) You must cut off all forms of contact, even the gallery, and focus solely on martial arts.ArYWXz
BSXfㄴWildGrills) That honestly sounds difficult. How long did you do that for, HeavenlyDemon?WQfS
QI8I9DㄴHeavenlyDemon) One month. During the process I fell into demonic deviation and nearly died, but I survived thanks to your help.3HDY
sXfkAㄴWildGrills) Though cutting off the gallery really does seem a bit difficult;;76E
lxdljtㄴHeavenlyDemon) If you truly concentrate, nothing is impossible.nlZ
ipMㄴSwordmaster) Isolated training isn’t a bad idea. The problem is exactly that part about leaving the gallery.N2Dp1P
r8rㄴWildGrills) Have you ever done it before, Swordmaster?Qvm6C
jAHUㄴSwordmaster) Me? No. Aside from my time as a sword user, I never had level walls or anything like that. I simply broke through everything easily.qPwA
XmjㄴWildGrills) ;;;GRFWyz
xwQZofhㄴHeavenlyDemon) What curious words. Then what level are you at now?pMsqu
js8iㄴSwordmaster) Quite high, but honestly I don’t feel any need to advance further.Zvnkdv
QU8PㄴHeavenlyDemon) Tsk tsk. How arrogant. You’ll end up regretting it.mbLuX9
U5ZhWtㄴSwordmaster) I don’t think there’s anything for me to regret. There’s no one stronger than me hahaha.au2HN
YlJiO65ㄴHeavenlyDemon) You ignore how high the sky is and how terrifying nature can be. Even I, who stand at the summit, revere nature.j6AuDQ
MMteㄴSwordmaster) You really sound like an old murim lady. I didn’t understand a damn thing you just said.nEg
qn3bSㄴHeavenlyDemon) It means you’ll stay single your whole life.9gzx5
9YG1BㄴSwordmaster) What the hell did this lady just say to me?72I
CEQAKCㄴWildGrills) Hey;;0uIm7
ys6gfiㄴShe hit her with an absolutely brutal fact hahahadmRL
WZCjIㄴThat comes from years of experience;;UeQ
tnQPWt0ㄴThen HeavenlyDemon, are you married?yFi7
MREb5IㄴHeavenlyDemon) I never took a partner. And I have no intention of doing so.V7vZeE
82U7ㄴSwordmaster) Then how old are you?6nB
hU1ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Last year I reached the age of twenty.xG3n
W6otj12ㄴWhat does that mean?eOvNGSm
lzI4NNㄴFor men, twenty years old is called “yakgwan,” and for women it’s “bangnyeon.”OWkuIu
fiKEZㄴNo way hahaha. With the way she talks, there’s no way she’s 20 hahaha.9cJ1
UCWㄴShe’s just trolling Swordmaster lol.01eiQ
iY6ㄴAt that age already being in the Profound Realm? Don’t make me laugh. Even geniuses only enter the Flowery Realm after their thirties.oOiM
SVXfㄴHeavenlyDemon) Because I possess a talent granted by the heavens.xJ8
gAcCaM1ㄴSwordmaster) It’s not impossible. I also became a Swordmaster in my early twenties.9kskHqP
i0qㄴSeriously, both of you should stop talking nonsense;;VVZ
GrDfk0XThe comments started turning into chaos.QbWjy5
Ou2fjqfIt seemed Swordmaster also felt provoked, because she began replying furiously.tLLg
PFpIf this continued, the situation would spiral out of control.uSby
aqrGI needed to stop them quickly.Dsk
qYzB3LMㄴWildGrills) That’s enough already. So basically, short isolated training is useless?I9DWt
U6AOHㄴHeavenlyDemon) At minimum, two weeks must pass for it to have real meaning. But first, let me ask you something.S3C2e6f
R31HSIbㄴWildGrills) Go ahead.fSZW
p8isdSㄴHeavenlyDemon) Even if you entered isolated training, do you truly have enough confidence not to enter the gallery?u0hA
QmOThat part genuinely made me hesitate.Fy5ETu
lPWeFor about three seconds.RjlgseE
nsXj76ㄴWildGrills) No.MdNh0w
jGPyJvcㄴHeavenlyDemon) What a fast answer.ZwwfsX5
tFQIWOGㄴHahahahaha.sZ1sY
KXjEEfㄴOf course hahaha. You can’t quit the gallery.bm0
wHaRarㄴIt wasn’t “thinking three times,” it was “thinking for three seconds” hahaha.o9V5
ab7OFㄴAnyone doing isolated training while still using the gallery is seriously insane hahaha.lhVy3eT
ShmJpL5If I’m going to do isolated training while abandoning the gallery, I’d rather just train normally instead.8kVAnXp
XG5I was already starting to miss human contact, so abandoning even the gallery—smDv
e8uHOzIt would be like pulling the life support off a critical patient.nVk
JBXCN9From the way they talked about it, isolated training was something you only did when you had plenty of time and resources.h3A
9qE1And while I might have time, I definitely didn’t have resources.7YTz
YKDZjRSo it was better not to do it.fWXmSYc
y9B5W‘Besides, I don’t even know when this rain will stop.’ynkl4D
Ku2t3UkThe rain kept pouring endlessly.FFJj
F9NOXpAnd judging by how heavy it was, it didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon.YELRKl
jO0OXmMaybe I’d lose the entire morning.RU1
WGH7d“Wonmo. You’ll eat this today.”ByIzUei
Kplm“Kyuu!”lHNor
HbBRKWonmo’s food was monster meat bought from the auction house.0l6u
ZPLMSince he ate anything, he seemed to enjoy it quite a lot.unG7
DSbI also had smoked food for breakfast.xGj1l
dvQvCAnd the sloth’s main food was still the fasting pills.IwyDuf5
ie6While eating, I absentmindedly looked outside the cave.AGzqv
ysQ4cy8And that made me feel strange.VxB2iG
fpAIK‘Back in the military, I liked rainy days.’DQlNP
VF5GJIndoor inspections.6gYNv
vypSROnly indoor work.RP9w09s
6W8VEven when there was training, we usually just watched videos.poMus
2QYfWell, though sometimes we did have to train wearing rain ponchos.fhr
AqoCV8And that was absolute shit.lu1ujD
5k9WI even caught a cold because of it.FyA
EX05ZFortunately, the battalion commander was a good person and gave me a day off.nIKVy
X02MCQI remember how happy I was back then.1T6
JxxHe really was a good man.YsqLP7
3EEBK‘I wonder if the armies here are similar.’pQX
W0dSI7This was a world where people fought with swords and magic, not rifles and artillery.w7Mbb
YzR2qA system where military power depended directly on the individual strength of people.pRj
hQCtAnd more than each nation’s military power, what really interested me was how they lived.QI5GQC
2ZCM‘There are probably soldiers in the gallery too.’q6L3
5cJ7ZvI had nothing to do until the rain stopped.DQIBkU
vTIClKySo after finishing my breathing method practice, I entered the gallery.9UP
Ee5Title) There are soldiers here too, right?CwtVg
ZTaWildGrillsw5D521
lf3jCWhat do soldiers do when it rains? Do they just do indoor inspections and that’s it?uRH
PVJdtㄴNormally they train indoors. What the hell is this “work” thing? Why would a soldier do manual labor?7N3h45
xOvvpOㄴWildGrills) Then do they not shovel snow either?loisf
P20e5Z5ㄴAh. You mean cleaning up trash that falls from the sky? Yeah, they do that. Also clearing leaves from drains and things like that.kgL
lvz3ADCㄴNormally they call civilians, but if the situation gets bad, they send soldiers too.PV2
ST5lㄴBut why are you asking?uT485C
wlw4ㄴWildGrills) Because it’s raining and I can’t do anything, so I remembered the military.5Q7o
LkV1oㄴ??? You were military?SgO
tRjJㄴSwordmaster) No wonder I felt you weren’t an ordinary person. What organization did you belong to?0HBZNPx
s1TTmLㄴWildGrills) South Korea.DS1Nk
LlGYㄴSwordmaster) That’s the first time I’ve heard that name. Is it a knight order from some remote region?93HNyxV
ArjpYt4ㄴWildGrills) It’s the name of my country. And I wasn’t a knight, I enlisted and was later discharged.5pS7
0dzㄴSwordmaster) You’re saying strange things again. But I’ll believe you.qxtEbu
pIOrnlㄴWildGrills) It’s true.FLsk
bvdwMㄴGrills. Then tell us the shittiest experience you had in the military.uZJL8J
l1ZpㄴWildGrills) The day before I was supposed to go on leave, an emergency happened and they canceled everything.nY6Ob
PTEkA2ㄴI believe you.ZZJ1day
oUfYPAㄴEuk hahaha.kl538
X3c7ㄴThat really would ruin anyone’s mood hahaha.oLodlgf
K1t7QVQㄴSwordmaster) But then, why did you enlist? Was your country at war?sMdsK1
aoQnvqㄴWildGrills) No. We were in a truce. It was a divided country.SDmHQ
UWfaLㄴSwordmaster) That’s rough;; Then was it forced conscription?TtBP
WASㄴNo, wait a second. Didn’t you say you were an orphan? Then why did they recruit you?JSpSmc
YYgㄴThat’s weird too. Why would an army recruit orphans…?f1x
dzg1ㄴDid you come from a war or something? Because if they recruit orphans, that’s seriously bad.jG5De
YlOI don’t know what misunderstanding they were having.drnR
7CRThe military in my country was definitely pretty crazy, but I enlisted voluntarily.FZJK
xiXfNormally I would’ve been exempt, but at the time they were so short on people they sent anyone.MUnxx
BAlxjAnd since I wasn’t attending university either and was drifting aimlessly through life, I didn’t really have any complaints.lea
4gUcqvㄴWildGrills) I simply enlisted as an active-duty soldier. Looking back now, maybe I should’ve made it a career.m2C
hNAㄴHeroDontThrowAway) U-uh… stay strong!irDhO
qJQeㄴWildGrills) Suddenly? ;;Bm7H
aSzaiUㄴIf even the moderator says that, how miserable must his life have been?S1GtS
un8ㄴNo parents. Joined the military. And now ended up in the Forest of Four Seasons.oeYLtyG
5xujkKGㄴSeriously, that’s the complete hard mode life collection hahabSL1ZEF
GkATKㄴIf you think about it, isn’t he risking his life every single time he does anything?zV3hO
1yuymWSuddenly a lot of people started pitying me.7Iit6
ZmuQbgI don’t know what misunderstanding they had, but it didn’t really matter much.oOs
sRq4E7‘In the end, people live similarly everywhere.’bjaI
yCbPIt seems thinking the military is shit is something universal.xrA
le4IKi1While continuing to chat about random things, I looked outside the cave.DBCbT
QgpgThe rain seemed to have weakened just a little, though it was still falling.Poms
3Fc‘It’s starting to get cold.’bDB2b
JfYSMaybe because of the rain, the atmosphere was no longer simply cool, but freezing.dyBQq
MJhI grabbed some wood and lit a campfire.UqR9h
IdIJXPleasant warmth slowly began wrapping around me.4xcw
QV47AWonmo and the sloth also gradually approached the fire to enjoy the warmth.VPNdr7
YucK8O‘I’ll train until the rain stops.’18Ve
r2hJust sitting around like this wasn’t good.ldfc1ha
pdsCI stood up from the ground.U6v1
Gu2hqyIf I wanted to use the sword and shield better, training was mandatory.NTvjK1
xAkjJust as I picked up HeavenlyDemon’s sword and the adamantite shield I had oiled recently.Onrr
UFuScratch scratch—XYOfy8v
znPoVBSomething small entered my cave.yXdhfbN
Fr6g1At first I thought it was a rat.QAK34x
BonBut it wasn’t.fTt
v1GwnVIt had a thick tail.2u3yPf
siXs“Kkiuuung.”fQB
5H95ZwX“……”NuwOH4t
HoMXIt was a raccoon.Y9Uy
M9YAaOOAn ordinary raccoon had just walked in on two legs.3UU4Vve
tXvAnd the first thing it did was stretch its paws toward the campfire.po1
63yQzoMThe scene was so absurd that neither I, nor Wonmo, nor the sloth could do anything except stare.iVwe
1pkl“……”zmc0jq
iARMsjT“……Wonmo. No.”XLW2
sro3UgI silently stopped Wonmo.So2Zziy
upBZ1PBecause he had started slowly approaching it.2pcf1
AD2KMwOJudging from the curious expression on his face, he seemed ready to hunt it if the opportunity arose.FLu
LaM3KBut out of all animals, raccoons were exactly the kind you had to be careful with.QnHT
xfgTGOYIf I somehow caught rabies, I’d be finished.EkC2w65
H2R5OI didn’t know whether the elixir could cure diseases too, but just in case.YtfH
luV8Z3s‘And if something happens, the sloth will stop it.’VXAxhf
8ZR1I think it was best to keep training.Woo
Til2aFIf I saw signs of Wonmo trying to hunt it, then I’d stop him.CuqQk
sPjDXepThough more than that, I wondered where that raccoon got the courage to enter the cave.UHMp
dhZ3Even after seeing us, it calmly kept warming itself by the fire.BYV
xVF‘How long is it planning to stay?’tt8
4oLWKhI glanced at the raccoon before focusing on training again.7Cx7
gz0NfoCarefully reading the texts posted by Swordmaster while trying to learn.x6k
IN4Gj6It was something so easy and yet so difficult at the same time.7IS7
0PEY8RShe explained things very simply, but.FG5
DqoHow should I put it?EBb9UL
lyRThe limitations of text were far too obvious.E9QZsv2
xo7If I had a master beside me, it would be different, but that was impossible.FXe2hc
CJKrbAx‘Still, it’s better than nothing.’ZECWjXK
dgqAfter all, Swordmaster’s texts had excellent reviews.2R6B
9ZVjOJust following them should already be enough to produce great results.VO10
TySAnd above all, since my style was focused on sword and shield, it was enough to focus solely on the basics.SqLI
IZz86‘Not the advanced parts, I’ll just focus on the basics.’tjkV
fBDDoing mental training, I simultaneously practiced swordsmanship and shield handling.ujQ
cEhMeanwhile, I also accelerated the mana inside my body.bgeKO
upXI could feel my breathing starting to grow rough.jfVi
r4Z‘I want my breathing to absorb mana unconsciously.’pCd6lX
HIzBreathing while gaining mana.KDlPVT
B92That was the level I wanted to reach.s9B
zpo5NIf I managed that, I could use mana infinitely as long as I kept breathing.Cv4Fymh
aMJ8Of course, it was only theory.RMSK
IIjSBut the absurdly abundant mana of the Forest of Four Seasons might make it possible.J1M
NDMWpz0“Haa…”ykk
gZdclEven though the cave was colder than cool, sweat poured down my body.oJzY
zgYJbCI wiped the sweat with my clothes and looked toward the campfire.DCuFq
E8EuJcp“Hm? Where did it go?”C6gS
GPapSIt was no longer near the fire.kTLo
n5XIu6I turned my head, thinking maybe it had moved somewhere else.olE2rg
BO5X4And then I saw a rather funny scene.AuyeOlF
gd5nl“Kkihihing.”lDyhtc
PbEX“……”nHv6H
QWCThe fasting pill trapped between the sloth’s claws.JGw
QsvAnd the raccoon gently pulling it out and happily running away with it.WkPYL
wpIQ4It had literally stolen it right in front of his face.JBSuMH
VY5The sloth’s, of course.Omw8w
F4aODash dash!GZWf
FwoThe raccoon escaped outside at full speed.yYQygR
E4ZlAnd just now the rain had stopped falling, the perfect moment to flee.olu
bcbEfIf this kept up, we’d lose a fasting pill for nothing, but.NR6F
32M6KWhoosh!q12rVw
OUAEn0jAnd what was the sloth?PYgkEfo
AW03oA completely “serious” guy when it came to food.AaACIz
P2IgsXThe sloth appeared behind the raccoon as if he had teleported.2Wy
oUi15aGThud!YXI8
GaPya9And with the claws I personally maintained yesterday, he pierced straight through the raccoon’s back.Nbg
0DcDLG3“Kuueeeek!”R9Kl8kt
Jh8tq“……”j6nB
wE6jC9eWell, who told him to steal someone else’s food?mzac
Y1hQwAI laughed inwardly.aatGagh
jfR16zlHe should’ve been satisfied just warming himself by the fire.M61Vkn
Y1crZoQI never imagined he’d even try to steal.vyq
ZQCkRcFSlash slash slash!5mmN
Ymx0GsLooks like the sloth got pretty angry.RCb
deA2CLPiercing him with his claws wasn’t enough, he completely shredded him too.Orpt
NK73The result was a raccoon turned into something worse than torn rags.whi
MuHAnd the funniest part was that the fasting pill was still completely intact.e62
AF174o“Nomnomnom.”5KxY
4AYuNnWonmo happily ate the raccoon’s remaining corpse.wUZnk
Iq8LA completely savage scene.31L
hkeUmI slowly shook my head as I muttered.JLB
DJ02‘He brought it on himself.’KPiA9C
u0vu D2Fd
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