episode_0100

“Now, I can handle the【Illusory Realm】so perfectly that it’s almost surprising. No, rather…. It’s even questionable whether this can be called【Illusory Realm】at this point. You could consider it another technique derived from【Illusory Realm】.”

It’s the third day since I learned the【Illusory Realm】technique from the White Tiger.

Now, I’ve reached a point where I can use it as naturally as breathing, beyond just being skilled, and the White Tiger looked at me with undisguised admiration.

More than 30 platforms, each with different sizes and shapes.

They were deployed around me.

These will be my platforms and at the same time shackles to block the enemy’s movements.

“This is quite strong. Why only use this as a platform?”

“Well, it’s inefficient to use this for defense. From the start, the amount of energy you put into the【Illusory Realm】is far too much. A normal person wouldn’t be able to afford to continuously expend this much energy. Rather, you’re able to continue fighting even after using this much energy?”

“Yeah. I have enough reserve mana?”

Thanks to the Black Tortoise’s help last time, I acquired a skill called【Yin-Yang Limitless Mind Art】, which drastically accelerates mana recovery, and now the recovery rate is even faster than this level of mana consumption.

Of course, if I use both【Strong Energy】and【Sacred Strong Energy】in conjunction with dual concentration, then the mana consumption rate becomes higher than the recovery rate, so it would be insufficient in battles where I have to give it my all…. However, thanks to another ability of【Yin-Yang Limitless Mind Art】that allows me to operate another mana pool of the same size, I can switch to the other mana pool when one is running low, and the depleted mana pool can be continuously recovered even during battle.

Considering that, it’s safe to say that I won’t run out of mana during battle and be unable to maintain the platforms or create strong energy.

“In any case, your【Illusory Realm】seems to be at a level where it can be used in battle.”

“I think so too. But the【Illusory Realm】can’t be generated far away from my body. Is there anything I can do about that?”

“That’s impossible.”

“I thought so.”

Due to the structure of the skill, creating the【Illusory Realm】from a distance would require drawing energy, stretching it out to the location I want to create it, and then generating it there.

Anyway, the training ends here.

I should pack up and go back.

At that moment, the White Tiger, who had been sitting demurely and looking at me, clapped his hands lightly as if something had occurred to him.

“Ah…, Baekryun said that Lady Seolrin has arrived. If you’ve finished training, how about going to meet her?”

“Seolrin? Is the Dang Family’s affairs already settled?”

At the White Tiger’s words, I got rid of all the platforms I had created around me and stood up from my seat.

Our first meeting wasn’t great, but we’ve been through a lot together since then, so I should go see her in person.

“Lord Leon!”

“?”

Just as I was about to go meet Seolrin, a soldier wearing the Yeom Family’s uniform rushed over.

“What’s going on?”

“The strategist is urgently looking for you.”

If it’s the strategist…. Is it Zhuge Hyun?

I know that he’s been losing his hair lately trying to confirm and block the underground cave of Mount Tian, but why is that person calling me?

‘Or is it because of Seolrin?’

The fact that she came here is the same as saying that the Dang Family is directly participating in the war.

Maybe they’re thinking of starting the Beast Union’s war again in earnest. Above all, the Dang Family’s poison will be quite effective in the narrow and closed underground cave.

‘…Speaking of the Dang Family’s poison, there’s something strange….’

The Beast Union has already been supplied with Imugi’s blood from the Dang Family.

As proof, Dang Seolryun was even confirmed to be using the ultimate poison using Imugi’s blood, namely, Deadly Poison.

But why aren’t they using Deadly Poison?

If they had used poison during the last large-scale attack, the damage on this side would have been greater.

No, beyond being great, there would have definitely been damage close to annihilation.

Nevertheless, why aren’t they using poison?

‘Is it that they couldn’t use it…? Or that they aren’t using it….’

If they couldn’t use it, it doesn’t matter.

Whether they don’t have the technology to use poison, or whether we blocked them in advance before they could develop Deadly Poison to the point where they could use it in actual combat, so they couldn’t use it because they didn’t get enough Deadly Poison….

But what if they aren’t using it?

If they aren’t using it, there must be a reason, and I don’t know what that reason might be, but it doesn’t seem like it will be good for us.

“…Well, no special measures will come out even if I think about it.”

“I, is something the matter?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Of course, since I was making a serious expression without saying anything, the soldier who came to call me also became nervous.

I waved my hand once as if to say I was okay.

Like Socrates’ words to know thyself, it’s meaningless to think deeply about it at my level.

Thinking is not what I should do, but what other smart people should do, so all I have to do is wield my sword and defeat the enemy.

“Let’s go. Guide me.”

“Yes, sir. Then I will guide you.”

* * *

Should I say as expected.

The place I arrived at while being guided by the soldier was the command headquarters camp that I had visited several times after arriving at Mount Tian.

And when I entered the command headquarters camp, I could see familiar faces that now felt friendly inside.

However, everyone’s face showed signs of considerable fatigue.

Zhuge Hyun’s expression, in particular, was quite a sight.

Of course, Zhuge Sohyun, who was standing behind him, seemed to have managed herself to some extent as a woman, but she also seemed tired.

“It seems like I’m the latest to arrive this time as well.”

“It’s okay. I’ve heard about you. I heard you were training to learn countermeasures against them. Did you achieve sufficient results?”

“Thanks to you, I think I’ve achieved some results.”

Zhuge Hyun nodded at my words.

In addition, as expected, Seolrin was here. After entering this place, I briefly made eye contact with Seolrin.

“(Smile)”

A slight smile appears on Seolrin’s lips.

She seems to be doing quite well considering she is burdened with the weight of the family head.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Ah, then, since everyone has gathered, let’s talk. As you can see here, the head of the Dang Family has come.”

“….”

At Zhuge Hyun’s words, Seolrin briefly got up from her seat and slightly bowed her head.

Seolrin, wearing clothes that exuded authority and dignity as a family head, rather than the slightly revealing clothes she usually wore, was visible.

“I am Dang Seolrin, the current head of the Dang Family. I am still young, but like you, I am burdened with everything from the aristocratic family and the martial sect, so please take care of me.”

“Hmm.”

Everyone nodded at Seolrin’s greeting.

Confirming that, Zhuge Hyun continued to speak.

“As you all know, the Dang Family is a prestigious family of poison and hidden weapons. Therefore, I asked the head of the Dang Family for one thing before coming here.”

“Request?”

“What kind of request is that?”

“None other than, preparing poison to attack them with poison.”

As expected, they asked the Dang Family to apply poison to the underground cave.

“If it’s a poison attack, do you plan to release poison into the underground cave?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

At those words, the family heads and sect leaders who were there seemed displeased.

Well, since they are martial artists anyway, this plan to simply release poison to kill the enemy may not be to their liking.

But Zhuge Hyun calmly explained the reason.

“According to the investigation so far, the underground cave of Mount Tian is quite complex and deep. I’m assuming that they’ve been connecting and connecting natural caves while staying in Mount Tian, making it complex. It’s practically impossible to perfectly investigate this entire underground cave.”

“Hmm….”

“Indeed….”

“It must have been a very long time since they settled here.”

So Zhuge Hyun’s plan is this.

Release poison into the underground cave where the Beast Union is expected to be to deal with them.

“But I don’t think this will completely eliminate them all. The important thing is to prevent them from using the underground cave.”

“Indeed, you will draw out the guys who have hidden in the underground cave to the ground and annihilate them at once while they are weakened by the poison?”

Zhuge Hyun nodded at Namgung Doryong’s words.

“That’s right. Especially since the existence of the Sword Demon, their greatest force, has been neutralized by Lord Leon’s activity on this side, their situation will be even worse.”

This side also thinks that I defeated the Sword Demon.

The snowballing is amazing.

Well, it’s not wrong since he was indeed incapacitated by my Strong Energy.

“Family Head Dang. How much time do you need to prepare for the poison attack to be completed?”

“I can do it right away.”

“Hmm. Good.”

Zhuge Hyun nodded satisfactorily at Seolrin’s confident words and looked at the others.

“What about you all?”

“Our Namgung can move immediately.”

“We’re the same.”

Namgung Family, Kunlun, Mount Hua, Jongnam, etc. Everyone nodded.

“Good. Then, one hour from now. We will proceed with the operation.”