episode_0239

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‘It’s peaceful.’

Burmo sat on the rock, rested his chin, and looked at the sight of the mountain goats and yaks eating the grass.

The land of the plateau remains the same, but it is not only nomads who wander the plateau, so the places that can be called ‘good pastures’ are always changing.

Burmo succeeded in capturing good pasture.

There were no particularly dangerous animal droppings, and there were no traces of other nomads passing by nearby.

Someone usually gets a good place like this first, but I got lucky. Even if there had been a delay of just a day or two, others would have settled in.

Since everything was stable, Bourmo had nothing to do.

“Whoaam..”

I knew well from long experience that the current situation was ideal, but being boring was being boring.

We can’t guarantee that the conditions of the grassland will change from day to day, but if the conditions are this stable, there shouldn’t be any major problems for at least a few days. Isn’t the shepherd dog lying next to him and yawning profusely?

But suddenly the shepherd dog, which had been hanging down, jumped up.

Wow! Wow!

Burmo’s eyes also opened brightly. I looked around at the sound the dog was making, and before I knew it, two people were approaching. Bourmo’s hand, which was reflexively reaching for the cane, stopped.

“Wow, I guess I surprised you.”

“Oh, no.”

Burmo bowed his waist and placed his palms together. The other person also politely put his hands together. Burmo looked at the dog hiding close behind him for a moment. When you meet a stranger, the person who is supposed to stand up first hides behind you.

Originally, it would have been a matter of giving up my soul, but since the opponent was my opponent, I decided to overlook it at least this time.

‘It would not be surprising if the practitioners of Podalap Palace were scared of this guy.’

Burmo’s face was filled with curiosity.

To ordinary nomads, the ascetics of Podalap Palace were special beings.

In general, the residents of the plateau led a nomadic lifestyle, but it was not just a nomadic lifestyle. Nomads with large families wandered aimlessly, but those who lived in relatively small or small numbers, such as the Burmo, tended to wander around villages where they farmed as a starting point.

I met an attendant at Podalap Palace. That fact alone was enough to attract attention in the village, so it was no wonder that Bourmo’s expectations were soaring.

“Are you familiar with the terrain in this area?”

“Of course. If you walk north for about three days from here, there is a village called Kosal, which is my hometown.”

“Then, are there any caves or cracks around here? If there was anything suspicious happening in that cave, crevice, or nearby, I would also like to know about it.”

“Hmm…”

Bourmo’s face frowned slightly.

The life of a nomad is always exposed to risk.

When faced with the wrath of nature or the angry teeth of beasts, the only means the nomads could rely on were tents and walking sticks. Nomads were very sensitive to superstitions, as they had no choice but to be careful and careful to avoid such misfortune.

Burmo was like that too. Have you ever fallen asleep among mountain goats and yaks and woke up in horror when you heard the sobbing of a ghost or the howl of a monster? I tried to soothe my mind by saying that I could hear the cries of wild animals or the wind from afar, but I could not shake off the fear that there was nothing strange about one or two such strange beings in the vast land immersed in darkness.

Therefore, even if nomads experience such things, they keep them in their hearts and remain silent. Talking about such phenomena or strange beings and thinking about them only hurts my heart.

Bourmo thought for a moment.

If a stranger had asked, I would have said I didn’t know, but the person I was talking to was a practitioner. What if they are chasing an evil entity? And what if that being is really hiding somewhere that you know about?

The three people waited with their hands clasped together without urging Burmo, and Burmo made up his mind as he looked at the three people.

It occurred to me that practitioners with this level of consideration would not allow misfortune to befall them even if there was a real evil spirit there.

“There is a small hill that juts out unnaturally about a day away from here towards the other side of the mountain. Soft soil and grass grow all around there, but no grass grows there. There is a gap in that hill that one person can barely fit into.”

Burmo shivered, as if remembering the memory of that time, and then continued speaking.

“I thought I could sleep away from the cold wind if I did well…I tried to curl up, but I heard a strange sound from inside. Wow, it wasn’t just the sound that was heard. I felt a slight vibration, as if something huge was lurking inside…!”

“ Indeed, it is a strange phenomenon. We’ll look into it. Have you ever seen any other caves or cracks?”

“Oh my, my heart aches every time I pass by that area…! Thank you so much!”

After that, he told me various information, but in Bourmo’s own opinion, it was nothing special.

“Okay then, let’s go.”

When Burmo bowed deeply and raised his head, putting his hands together in joy, the three people were already moving away at a fast pace.

“Hiya… They say monks have magical powers, but you are faster than a mountain goat…”

People like that would definitely be able to exorcise the devil within that crack.

“Ugh..!”

Burmo let out a happy laugh. Although it is only for information purposes, it plays a part in exorcising the devil! It was truly the saga of a lifetime.

It was a question of not knowing whether there was a devil or not and whether the group of practitioners could exorcise it or not, but Burmo’s imagination was running wild in his head.

“I want to go back to the village quickly…!”

Burmo clenched his fists and looked around, but the pasture was still overgrown with grass, and the movements of the yaks and goats eating the grass were peaceful.

“…Ehyo.”

Burmo realized that he would have to stay here for a few more days and sat down on the rock again.

The meadow becomes quiet again after the visitor passes.

Only the shepherd dog, which was not able to do its job, was paying attention to its parents.

*** ***

“My feeling is not bad this time.”

“Whew, I hope so.”

Nurbuchi, Nimagalchen, and Sudalcha sighed as they launched a light attack. Practitioners from Podalapgung were mobilized to obtain ingredients to heal Sogungju.

Numerous practitioners scattered throughout Seojang to obtain materials.

These three people were looking for the ingredients requested by Ho Cheon-an according to the special order of the palace lord.

“I wanted to get out of Podalap Palace and see the world, but I didn’t want to go through all this trouble…”

Nimagalchen laughed at Nurbuchi’s complaints.

When they reach their peak and begin to communicate with the energy of heaven and earth, not only their internal energy but also their body’s natural recovery ability increases, allowing them to demonstrate endurance far superior to that of criminals. However, Ilryu had no way to recover if his internal energy and physical strength fell.

So, since Nurbuchi left Podalap Palace, every day has been a journey of asceticism. Since the safety of the Sogungju was at stake, I couldn’t be lazy, so I had to do my best to chase after the two people.

‘I’m really improving my habits this time.’

I’ve worked so hard for a month that I won’t even look outside for a while.

“It looks like that place.”

Nimagalchen, who was thinking about such things, raised his head when he heard Ottercha’s voice.

“It really feels like something is happening.”

The three people approached the crack, raising the tension a little. The three people who had been looking for suspicious caves and cracks in the chief for the past month naturally learned about the terrain where caves and cracks occur.

But the crack that was here now was definitely unnatural. Even though it was a very hard rock layer at first glance, why did a crack appear in this rock layer?

“I will enter first. Let them come in when you give the signal.”

“Yes.”

The otter car pushed itself into the hole. Ottercha, who took the night pearl from his arms and hung it on his belt, walked deep into the crack, leaning on his arms and legs.

‘Fortunately, it continues to expand.’

The deeper I went, the wider the gap became. The otter car, which was moving forward while stepping on the uneven rock, stopped.

This was because a round cylindrical passage with a diameter of about 1 sheet opened before my eyes.

A neatly compacted cylindrical passage.

The otter car’s gaze turned to the wall of the passage. There was a mark on the wall where something sharp had scratched the bedrock.

‘It’s a fairly hard rock layer, but they cut a path like this like digging into a radish…’

I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure there’s something there.

There was a dangerous smell in the air, but I couldn’t go back after coming this far.

This was because it was a cave that met the conditions mentioned by Ho Cheon-an.

Ottercha recalled the conversation with Ho Cheon-an. How absurd I was when Gongcheong Petroleum was first mentioned!

However, what Ho Cheon-an wanted was not Gongcheong Petroleum.

‘A vessel that preserves the power of Gongcheong Petroleum, which is said to fall as much as a drop of dew a year… Heukbancheonam (黑盤天巖).’

What Hocheonan really needed was the black semi-cheon rock, which constitutes an environment where Gongcheong oil can accumulate.

The otter car, which noticed that the proportion of black rocks in the passage gradually increased, moved forward cautiously.

Not all black rocks are black and white rocks, but if there was circumstantial evidence like this, it was necessary to check it even if it meant taking risks.

Clutter. Clutter.

The sound of something chewing began to be heard in the ears of the otter car that was slowly moving forward. The otter car continued to move forward, following the sound…

We reached the source of the sound.

‘….It’s huge.’

A huge cavity appeared, as if there would still be space even if an entire mountain cabin were to fit in, and there was something eating away at the wall of the cavity…

As soon as Ottercha saw the shape, he understood how the passage he had just walked through came into existence.

The passage was a sign that the monster had stuck its snout in and eaten.

How should I describe that monster?

‘Should I say earth dragon…?’

The shape was similar to an earthworm, but is it really correct to compare something like that to an earthworm? Its body is over ten feet long, and its snout is full of teeth that can dig up hard rock like radishes.

Is it just that?

An intimidating shape covered in black rock, as if absorbing rocks and making them their own. If it had just a head, it could be called a legendary weapon.

‘This cavity… has a lot more chunks of black rock.’

Although he was not sure if it was a grain, Ottercha, who checked the pebble-sized rock chunks stuck in the cavity, was confident that this black rock was heukbancheonite.

When the otter car was checking the wall of the cavity and the appearance of the monster.

Stand tall!

Suddenly, the monster that was eating away at the bedrock stopped moving.

The head immediately moved in the direction of the otter car.

‘I got caught….’

The otter car ran away as soon as it saw the monster’s several layers of saw-like teeth protruding into its mouth. Because it was at its peak, it wasn’t a monster big enough to be subdued by itself.

Quaddd!!

As the monster, whose weight seemed to easily exceed 1,000 pounds, began to rampage, the entire passage shook as if it would collapse. The vibrations made the otter car, which indirectly felt the majesty of the monster, move faster and faster.

The goal is the natural rock that connects the passage!

‘If you run inside there, this guy will have to chase after you while digging into the ground, so you can run away!’

The supreme warrior decided to launch a light attack and reached the crack connected to the passage in an instant. Instead of slowing down, Ottercha wrapped his entire body in self-defense gear and threw himself into the crack.

Crack! Quick!

The moment when the otter car, which crushed the sharp natural rocks with its body, was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Kwaaaa!!

The snout that appeared after breaking the bedrock came right in front of the otter car.

“Huh!”

The frightened otter car hurriedly pushed itself into the rock and succeeded in dodging the monster’s saw-like teeth by a narrow margin.

Quang! bang!!

The monster slammed its head into the rock with great force, but it was not enough for its large body to pass by.

The monster, realizing that it had lost its prey, hit its head on the rock a couple of times before giving up and starting to pull away.

“…after.”

Although the monster confirmed that its snout was moving away, the otter car did not slow down its limbs and reached the entrance of the crack. Ottercha came outside, holding the two hands held out from outside, and lay down on the spot.

As soon as I realized that I was alive, I suddenly lost all strength in my body.

“Death penalty! Are you okay?!”

“What in the world is going on? What was inside?”

Ottercha took his gaze away from the two people who seemed surprised and looked up at the sky.

“I guess I can finally go back.”

After confirming the whereabouts of the ingredients that Ho Cheon-an ordered, the trio began moving towards Podalap Palace.