Chapter 32

Inner Core (3)

There was something I had realized over the course of my life.

The loneliest and most miserable moment in the world was when you were sick.

After my parents passed away, I once spent several days bedridden with illness.

I couldn't remember how much I had cried back then.

Had even one of them still been alive, they would have taken care of me.

Loneliness and fever were the perfect combination for wearing a person down.

That was exactly how I felt now.

I'd finally eaten my fill for the first time in ages, only to collapse with a fever immediately afterward.

"Kyuu."

At least I had the adorable Wonmo with me.

Without him, I think it would've hurt even more.

Perhaps the Speed Sloth could read the mood, because it climbed off my back the moment I began suffering.

"You should just leave."

But because of its natural expression, it wasn't comforting at all.

Its relaxed face was normally fine, but right now, it almost looked like it was mocking me.

Surely not.

I felt bad for taking my frustration out on an innocent Speed Sloth.

The sudden fever was clouding my judgment.

I panted from the heat burning throughout my entire body.

Every breath carried scorching air out of my mouth.

At this rate, I might start breathing fire like a dragon.

I don't understand why this is happening.

It was ridiculous that eating a single fish had given me a fever.

I wondered whether I'd been infected by a parasite, but that was unlikely.

I'd cooked it thoroughly just in case.

The first possibility that came to mind was poison.

Could it have contained toxins like a pufferfish?

I took the medicine immediately, but I don't know if it'll work.

Just in case, I had swallowed the pill Allfather gave me.

Normally, I should've immediately circulated it using the internal cultivation technique, but I was in no condition to do so.

I could probably do it after the fever subsided a little.

Before that, I should check the Gallery.

I'd made a post just before the fever began, so there should be comments by now.

Title: Ah, Fuck. Why Is My Body Heating Up?
Wild Grylls

(Photo of a fish eaten completely clean, with even the bones picked bare)

My body started heating up the moment I ate this. What's going on?

Don't tell me it was poisonous?

└ Is there even a poison that raises your body temperature?
└ There are some. I've heard of poisons that kill by causing a severe fever.
└ Allfather: Did you take the medicine I gave you?
└ Wild Grylls: I did, just in case.
└ Allfather: If it were poison, you should have recovered immediately. Strange. It probably isn't poison.

└ Heavenly Demon: You should regulate your internal energy immediately. Since you consumed a spirit beast, your body must now be filled with energy.
└ Wild Grylls: But I didn't eat the inner core.
　└ Heavenly Demon: A spirit beast is called a spirit beast for a reason. Even without the inner core, its flesh would still contain a considerable amount of energy.
└ SwordMaster: Nothing works better than a mana cultivation technique when you're sick. Taking a sip of elixir beforehand helps too.
└ Heavenly Demon: It is an internal cultivation technique, not a mana cultivation technique.
└ SwordMaster: Same thing, really. Hehe. Until you teach him the mnemonic formula, aren't they all basically identical?
　└ Heavenly Demon: I feel like tearing out that wicked tongue of yours.
└ SwordMaster: Go ahead and try. Kek.
└ Heavenly Demon: What an ugly sight, hiding in your room and doing nothing but running your mouth. I can practically see you wasting away with age and idleness.
└ SwordMaster: What did you just say?
　└ Heavenly Demon: Hmm. Perhaps I should begin becoming more active myself. I would hate to become as unsightly as you.
└ Why did the Heavenly Demon suddenly attack all of us too?
　└ That was some wide-area provocation. Fucking hell. Hahahaha
　└ Suddenly, I want to support SwordMaster.

Come to think of it, I had an elixir.

The sudden fever had made me completely forget about it.

Enduring the steadily rising heat, I crawled forward.

Eventually, I reached into the storage box and grabbed one of the elixirs.

A brilliantly glowing golden liquid filled the bottle.

Different grades had different colors, but I was in too much pain to care which one I picked.

I'll just take one sip first...

Even removing the cork was difficult.

Should I buy some fever medicine from the auction house?

I struggled to pull out the cork and drank a mouthful of the elixir.

A strangely bitter yet refreshing sensation flowed down my throat.

Now all that remained was the breathing technique.

Before beginning, I checked the comments again.

Just before closing the Gallery, I'd seen the Heavenly Demon and SwordMaster start arguing.

└ Heavenly Demon: Struggle all you wish. I am the one who will teach my benefactor his internal cultivation technique. Now begone.
└ SwordMaster: What if Grylls can't understand the mnemonic formula?
　└ Heavenly Demon: That will not happen. I shall explain every detail to him one by one.
└ SwordMaster: Sorry, but that's realistically difficult. You're not beside him. It's hard to learn the practical nuances of a mana cultivation technique through a mnemonic formula alone.
└ Heavenly Demon: Does the same not apply to you? If he can understand merely from written explanations, then my benefactor is already a genius.
└ SwordMaster: Have you even read my posts? Do you have any idea how good I am at explaining things?
└ Her explanations really are good. The continent's average combat strength rose because of her.
└ She covers everything from the basics to advanced applications, so both beginners and experienced fighters can use them.
└ The Heavenly Demon only posts garbage anyway. Hahaha

I should probably stop them here.

Perhaps thanks to the elixir, some of my dizziness had subsided.

└ Wild Grylls: SwordMaster, that's enough. It's true that your posts have helped me, but I don't want to break my promise to the Heavenly Demon.
└ SwordMaster: I'm sorry. I got carried away.
└ Heavenly Demon: Pay no heed to someone who seeks to break trust with her wicked tongue.
└ Wild Grylls: SwordMaster was only trying to help me too.

SwordMaster's posts really were useful.

Even someone like me, who knew absolutely nothing, had managed to grasp the basics because of them.

Perhaps that was why most people were more sympathetic toward SwordMaster than the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon only kept replying because she marched entirely to the beat of her own drum.

An ordinary person would've had their spirit crushed by now.

Thankfully, the argument seemed mostly settled.

Had I not intervened, my entire post might have been buried beneath their fight.

Besides, SwordMaster had started it this time.

Though the Heavenly Demon had certainly taken the bait.

I should sit down now...

Even the elixir hadn't completely brought the fever down.

Its pain-relieving effect had only reduced the suffering.

I forced my increasingly hot body upright and assumed the lotus position.

Before beginning the breathing exercise, I asked the Heavenly Demon for guidance.

└ Wild Grylls: I'm about to start cultivating. Could you teach me that mnemonic formula or whatever it's called?
　└ Heavenly Demon: I can, but as a precaution, I shall teach you only the first formula. A mistake could cause you to suffer qi deviation.
└ Wild Grylls: Understood. Please post it as a private comment.
└ Heavenly Demon: The heavens are the supreme existence revered by all creation. Reach out your hand and grasp them within it. If you look upward, then look downward. That is the nature of the heavens...

I had expected some ordinary piece of advice, only for a poem to suddenly appear.

It was archaic and, in a way, perfectly suited to a martial arts world.

Which meant I couldn't understand it at all.

There was a reason SwordMaster had criticized internal cultivation formulas as poetry rather than practical guidance.

How is this supposed to help me?

Besides, the mnemonic formula wasn't just a single line. It was fairly long.

The Heavenly Demon's comments continued appearing one after another.

After feeling bewildered for a moment, I memorized every line she had posted.

My head was spinning from the fever, but not so badly that I couldn't memorize it.

"Hoo..."

I began by controlling my breathing, imagining that I was gathering the heat inside my body.

I also repeated the Heavenly Demon's formula in my head.

I just had to picture it somehow.

This was closer to emotion and intuition than actual interpretation.

Still better than Gwandong Byeolgok.

It was far better than that dreadful poem.

Imagining the mnemonic formula the Heavenly Demon had taught me, I began circulating my internal energy.

The heat scattered throughout my body seemed to gather in my lower abdomen.

The heavens are the supreme existence revered by all creation...

And after continuing the internal cultivation technique while reciting the formula—

"Khrrr..."

I fell asleep without even realizing it.

"Ugh!"

The sensation of falling from a great height made me bolt upright.

It felt like suddenly jerking awake after dozing off in class.

Except this sensation was several times more intense.

I became fully alert in an instant.

"..."

I blinked.

What kind of dream had I just been having?

I remembered flying freely through the sky, but nothing after that.

It was difficult to explain.

It almost felt as though my soul and body had separated.

Still, it had been a pleasant dream.

For the first time in a long while, I had experienced genuine freedom.

"Kyuu..."

While I sat there in a daze, a sorrowful sound reached my ears.

I turned toward it and saw a fluffy ball of fur staring at me.

It was Wonmo, the baby owlbear.

Wonmo gazed at me with sorrowful eyes.

Grrrrumble—

At the same time, an alarm sounded from his stomach.

I'm hungry. Feed me because I'm hungry. I'm sad because I'm hungry.

That was roughly what his expression seemed to say.

Feeling awkward, I checked the time.

No.

There was no need to check.

Looking outside the cave was enough.

...It's already night?

The outside world was filled with complete darkness.

It had been around lunchtime when the fever struck after I ate the fish.

That meant I had slept for at least six hours.

No wonder Wonmo looked so miserable.

"Wonmo, I'm sorry. I'll feed you right away."

"Kyuu!"

"Wonmo aside, where did Speedy go...?"

The moment I turned my head, Speedy was right there.

The creature stared at me with its now-familiar expression.

Judging by the way its mouth was moving, it had eaten some fasting pills while I slept.

...It didn't eat too many, did it?

With a growing sense of unease, I counted the remaining pills.

Thankfully, the number hadn't decreased much.

In that case, feeding Wonmo came first.

I accessed the Gallery.

As always, it was noisy, but Wonmo's meal was more important right now.

"Here you go."

"Kyuoooo!"

The moment I bought him a chunk of meat, his eyes lit up with delight.

When I stroked his head because he was so adorable, he became even happier.

How could I possibly dislike him?

Just looking at him made me smile.

The fever seems to be gone, and nothing feels wrong with my body. I should be fine.

As expected, sleeping deeply was the best cure for a fever.

Still, my body felt damp from all the sweat.

That couldn't be helped.

Since it was already late, I thought I should at least wash myself quickly.

The iron barrel still contained the fish, so taking a proper bath would be difficult.

"Hm?"

Just as I removed my clothes and stepped outside the cave, I noticed something strange.

I could see far too clearly.

My night vision had always been fairly good, but this was on an entirely different level.

It wasn't as clear as daylight, but I could move around without any difficulty.

What's going on?

I wondered about it briefly, then finished removing my clothes so I could wash.

There was no need to light a campfire.

Why would I need one when I could see perfectly well?

I would still need it when sleeping, though.

I could still feel the cold.

Flake.

Before washing, I ran a hand over my body and heard a strange sound.

I looked down and found myself facing something unexpected.

A layer of skin had peeled away.

It was different from the peeling caused by sunburn.

The skin underneath was soft and even slightly glossy.

I frowned when I saw it.

There was only one possible explanation.

How did I accumulate this much grime?

I'd thought I was washing myself properly, but apparently not.

I would have to be more thorough from now on.

For today, I could wash quickly and take a proper bath tomorrow.

If I soaked in warm water, the grime would probably come off more easily.

I can cook the fish for breakfast while I'm at it.

Surely eating it wouldn't give me another fever.

Then the next morning came, and when I cleaned the second fish—

"This came out again."

Another inner core appeared among its organs.