Chapter 259

Literature (2)

If you are reading this, abandon all hope.

It was a truly literary opening.

However, Gu Chil, who was reading it firsthand, couldn’t help but be bewildered.

He had expected a secret martial arts manual, yet it was filled with despair from the very first line.

’No. I can’t judge it yet. They said the Blood Demon frequently kept journals.’

The beginning was already making his head spin, but it was still too early to draw any conclusions.

Using his one relatively uninjured arm, Gu Chil laboriously unrolled the scroll.

[This Esteemed One’s name is Wi Hochang, the sole "Demon" of the Blood Cult and the man who conquered the martial world.]

[I shall correct that. The man who nearly conquered it.]

The next passage was equally extraordinary.

Had the man revered as the Blood Demon suffered a pang of conscience?

Since this was carved into wood rather than written in a book, there was no way to make corrections. That made the narrative rather strange.

It felt as though the Blood Demon’s dignity was being chipped away in real time.

Gu Chil let out a hollow laugh.

Come to think of it, although Wi Hochang had been branded a Public Enemy of the Martial World, he was said to have been a simple man in his private life.

Nevertheless, it was also true that he had committed countless crimes.

The Blood Cult hadn’t become the enemy of the entire martial world for nothing.

[This forest suppressed this Esteemed One’s internal energy, but this Esteemed One overcame it.]

At last, something important had appeared.

Gu Chil focused his gaze.

Upon entering the Forest of Four Seasons, all the martial arts he had learned had become useless.

But if he could regain the use of his internal energy, everything would change.

[Discard all the internal energy you have accumulated until now. Then accept the energy of this forest. If you do so, you will be able to use internal energy once more.]

Gu Chil’s mouth fell open at the instruction to discard all the internal energy he had accumulated.

What did that mean?

It was practically the same as telling him to destroy his dantian.

Even during Rebirth, one generally retained one’s internal energy. This was far too dangerous.

If anything went wrong, he might not only lose the ability to use internal energy for the rest of his life but also become permanently disabled.

Was regaining his internal energy truly worth such a reckless gamble?

[I was fortunate. The destruction of my dantian during my bloody battle with those Orthodox Faction bastards ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise.]

Wi Hochang had barely escaped into the Forest of Four Seasons with his dantian already destroyed.

Afterward, he had fought a bloody battle against the gorilla troop—specifically, its former leader—and taken over as their new leader.

The gorillas had turned out to be far more intelligent than expected, so he had even taught them how to speak.

And so on.

Rather than a secret martial arts manual, the record was closer to an autobiography.

There wasn’t a single passage related to martial arts.

[After accepting the energy of this forest, this Esteemed One attained enlightenment and entered the Profound Realm.]

At the end, after stating that he had reached the Profound Realm, Wi Hochang had added:

[Even then, I could not escape this forest.]

[This forest is teeming with monsters that even this Esteemed One would find difficult to handle.]

[Moreover, space itself changes from moment to moment, making it impossible to determine one’s location.]

[Therefore, abandon all hope of escape the moment you read this.]

[P.S. Avoid treating the Great Apes carelessly whenever possible.]

The hopeless record finally came to an end.

Emptiness settled into Gu Chil’s heart.

First, it told him to destroy his dantian.

Then it testified that his chances of escaping were practically zero.

With those two facts combined, everything suddenly felt meaningless.

’...Why did I join the Blood Cult?’

The situation was so hopeless that it made him question his entire life.

He had risked his life to come here, only for his efforts to become meaningless.

Still, it was too early to give up.

The gorilla had said something earlier.

This scroll was merely the first volume.

The remaining volumes were what truly mattered.

Gu Chil carefully rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the gorilla leader, who had continued watching him.

"You said there were more records besides this one, correct?"

"There are."

"What must I do to see them?"

"Prove your usefulness."

Prove your usefulness.

It was an outrageously arrogant demand.

Gu Chil’s eye twitched, but the usefulness the gorilla leader meant was somewhat different from what he had assumed.

"What are you good at?"

"What am I good at?"

"Hunting, capturing prey, or perhaps gathering medicinal herbs?"

Gu Chil couldn’t answer a single one of the gorilla leader’s questions.

As a member of the Blood Cult, the only thing he excelled at was killing.

But even that would be difficult with his limbs shattered.

"I can hunt, at least. But with my limbs in this condition, it will be difficult for a while."

"You will be completely healed after the morning sun rises three times."

Gu Chil stared at him as though he had just heard something insane.

Even for a martial artist, broken bones would take at least a month to heal.

However, the gorilla leader apparently had evidence to support his claim.

"My master healed that quickly. So did the other one."

"The other one?"

"A man similar to you lives near here."

Gu Chil’s eyes gleamed.

He instinctively knew whom the gorilla leader meant.

The cause—or rather, the one who had guided the Blood Cult into the Forest of Four Seasons—Wild Grylls.

Come to think of it, hadn’t they said that the gorilla troop had approached him first?

"He recovered that quickly as well?"

"This Esteemed One broke his arm. Yet it healed before long."

Could an ordinary person possess such incredible regenerative abilities?

Of course not.

Before entering the Forest of Four Seasons, Gu Chil had thoroughly investigated Grylls.

Some of the investigation had been conducted by the Blood Cult itself, while Gu Chil had naturally learned other details through his regular use of the Gallery.

His investigation had revealed that Grylls had received assistance from numerous fixed-nickname users.

Elixirs—Golden Pills—were one such example.

He had undoubtedly used one to heal himself.

’There is a high probability that he still possesses more. I must obtain one.’

The problem was that Grylls could use internal energy.

Furthermore, he lived alongside an absurdly powerful sloth and a guardian of the Holy Nation.

If Gu Chil made an enemy of him, he might only place himself in greater danger.

’There is no reason to antagonize him. Escaping this place takes priority.’

This was the Forest of Four Seasons, a place so hopeless that even the Blood Demon had left behind a warning telling others to give up.

Of course, Gu Chil had no intention of surrendering to despair.

If they joined forces, they should be able to find some way out.

In other words, they could form a temporary alliance.

’And if possible, I could take that white Great Ape with me as well.’

For now, he had no choice but to remain quiet and wait for an opportunity.

Moreover, Grylls must have gathered a great deal of information about this place.

’It is still too early to meet him. I must read every record the Blood Demon left behind first.’

He had gone to great lengths to find the Blood Demon’s legacy.

There was no telling what else had been written in it.

Although the records seemed closer to an autobiography, they were certain to contain plenty of useful information.

If he was fortunate, he might even discover clues about martial arts.

After organizing his thoughts, Gu Chil addressed the gorilla leader.

"These injuries will not heal so easily. I am different from the Blood Demon and the man you mentioned."

"You are weak. How do you expect to survive when you are this frail?"

"It’s not as though I wanted to be injured."

He had been unlucky.

Extremely unlucky.

He had begun on a stretch of land surrounded in every direction by an endless sea, only to be devoured by a monster.

The mere fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

Meanwhile, the gorilla leader stroked his chin after hearing that Gu Chil would require a long time to recover.

Then he spoke.

"Then leave."

"...What?"

"You are an outsider. And you are useless. Leave."

"W-W-Wait!"

Gu Chil was deeply flustered.

He had assumed they would let him stay here for a while, yet now they were telling him to leave?

Their complete lack of compassion left him dumbfounded.

"You’re telling me to leave when I’m in this condition?"

"That is correct. A fully grown male who is useless merely consumes food. Leave and find a way to make yourself useful."

"You damned... No, wait. Don’t you apes have any compassion? Isn’t this far too heartless?!"

It was ridiculous for a member of the Blood Cult to complain about a lack of compassion.

Of course, there was no one here who cared about that contradiction.

This was the wilderness, and the gorilla leader was a wild beast.

Even if fate had led him to learn human language and martial arts, it was only natural that he would still follow the laws of the wild.

"We protect our own kind. But you are not one of us."

"I served the Blood Demon! Is that still not enough?"

"Even if you were my master’s son, it would make no difference. If you cannot prove your usefulness, you are nothing but a burden."

Someone once said that the origin of civilization was a broken bone that had healed.

Civilization had begun when people started caring for one another.

The gorilla leader faithfully followed that principle as well, protecting severely injured members of his troop.

However, that protection only extended to those recognized as "one of their own."

Gu Chil had yet to enter that circle.

He was merely an outsider whom the gorilla leader’s subordinates had brought back out of curiosity.

His connection to Wi Hochang was somewhat surprising, but the gorilla leader had already shown all the goodwill it warranted by allowing him to read part of his master’s legacy.

"Hah..."

Only then did Gu Chil fully accept that this was the wilderness.

Trying to apply the standards of civilization here was absurd from the outset.

The gorilla leader’s fluency in the language of the Central Plains had made him forget that for a moment.

But Gu Chil couldn’t allow himself to be driven out in his current state.

He spoke in a voice that sounded almost resigned.

"...Please show me mercy. Even the Blood Cult observes the proper courtesy toward guests."

"We are not the Blood Cult. We are Great Apes."

"..."

"My master said that when you enter a place governed by different rules, you must follow the rules of that place."

Gu Chil was furious.

The problem was that there was absolutely nothing he could do with that anger.

Moreover, the gorilla leader’s martial prowess was unlikely to be anything to scoff at.

According to the posts Grylls had uploaded, the gorilla was an expert capable of using the Heavy-Handed Softness Technique.

Gu Chil couldn’t guarantee victory against him even outside the forest.

Within the Forest of Four Seasons, there was no need to explain how one-sided the outcome would be.

"Still, I will give you time. Prove your usefulness before the morning sun rises five times. If you do, I will accept you as one of our own."

"And if I fail to prove my usefulness? Will you exile me?"

"That is correct."

Recovering within five days was impossible.

Gu Chil sank into thought.

To study the records left behind by the Blood Demon, he had to prove his usefulness.

Yet not only was his body in terrible condition, but he was also in danger of being driven out.

"May I return afterward?"

"Ordinarily, no. However, you are one of my master’s kind. If you prove your usefulness, I will accept you."

Fortunately amid all this misfortune, the gorilla leader was at least willing to take him in later.

If even that had been refused, Gu Chil would have had to consider other methods.

"That is a relief. Then where is the man you mentioned?"

"Follow the river downstream, and you will find a fishing net. He lives nearby."

Grylls wasn’t very far away.

Gu Chil’s mind raced.

He could appeal to Grylls’s sympathy or negotiate some kind of transaction with him.

Of course, Grylls wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t readily trust a complete stranger.

Especially not when that stranger was a remnant of the Blood Cult.

Gu Chil knew perfectly well how the Blood Cult was regarded.

’At least he should be better than this ape.’

Five days.

Once those five days passed, he absolutely had to find Grylls.

Having made up his mind, Gu Chil looked at the gorilla leader.

There was one more thing he wanted to ask before resting.

"Come to think of it, you said you were the Blood Demon’s disciple?"

"That is correct. My younger brother, Wibaek, and I are his disciples."

"Then did the Blood Demon leave behind any final words?"

The Blood Demon, Wi Hochang, was no longer here.

According to the gorilla leader, he had ascended to the heavens.

In other words, he had attained profound enlightenment and achieved Immortal Ascension.

The gorilla must have witnessed it, which meant he would also know the Blood Demon’s final words.

"He did."

"Could you tell me what they were?"

"They were not particularly important."

"Tell me anyway."

Perhaps they were unimportant to the gorillas, but a person’s final words could contain vital clues.

The gorilla leader blinked several times as though recalling them, then opened his mouth.

"Ha ha ha! Fuck!"

"...?"

A vulgar curse emerged right from the beginning.

Gu Chil stared at him in stunned disbelief.

"Have fun suffering, you bastards! I’m ascending to immortality!"

They were astonishingly frivolous final words.

At the same time, they left Gu Chil feeling empty.

Just how delighted had the Blood Demon been to escape that he had left behind such a ridiculous farewell?

"My master often flew into the sky. I stopped him every time."

"...Why didn’t you stop him the last time?"

"He flew away before I had the chance."

Gu Chil’s hopes gradually began to crumble.

The final words were certainly characteristic of Wi Hochang, but they were of no help whatsoever.

The gorilla leader eventually left, and Gu Chil obediently began recuperating.

Because of the peculiar pressure exerted by the Forest of Four Seasons, he could circulate only a small amount of internal energy.

Furthermore, he had converted most of his internal energy into external power, leaving him with far too little.

’Still, I have no choice if I want to recover.’

It was better than doing nothing.

Gu Chil quietly closed his eyes.

Sting!

"Gah!"

A sharp pain suddenly pierced the back of his hand.

It hurt enough to completely shatter his concentration, so Gu Chil hurriedly checked the spot.

An insect the size of a millet grain was biting the back of his hand.

"Damn it."

Gu Chil hurriedly shook his hand to dislodge it.

If his arm had been healthy, he could have swatted it away, but shaking it was all he could manage now.

’What a wretched world.’

He quietly closed his eyes and resumed recuperating.

Some time passed.

"Cough! Cough! Guh... Cough...!"

Gu Chil fell gravely ill and began hovering at death’s door.

As if the pain weren’t bad enough, his entire body was burning hot.

He felt as though he were melting.

"M-Medicine...!"

"We have none. Endure it."

"You damned... Cough! Ape...!"

"Endure it through sheer grit. This is the forest you chose."

Gu Chil’s turbulent ordeal was far from over.

***

"Kyuooo! Kyuu!"

"Come on, Wonmo. You have to wash even if you don’t want to. Otherwise, we’ll all get sick."

I barely managed to calm Wonmo, who was throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want a bath.

Now that summer had arrived and the temperature had risen, we absolutely had to wash twice a day.

It would become troublesome if any of us were bitten by a tick.

Even elixirs couldn’t cure every disease completely.

"Hey, hurry up and wash too."

"The others won’t like you if you don’t."

At my words, Namu ppareumbo slowly climbed into the bathtub.

Namu ppareumbo had been listening to me well lately, which was nice.

’Come to think of it, the gorillas seem to be visiting rather often these days.’

I had pretended not to notice until now, but gorillas occasionally came to scout the area.

Since they were only conducting reconnaissance, I had left them alone.

If they had actually intruded, I would have responded immediately.

’Is the hammering too loud?’

I decided it was probably nothing worth worrying about and let the matter go.