Poison Forest (1)

“Huk!”

I jolted upright, drenched in cold sweat.

Because I had been dreaming a nightmare.

Looking around, it was still the dark of night.

Beside me, Bi Sayoung and Bae Jonggwan were still fast asleep, and Captain Seol Pung was nowhere to be seen—probably off training again.

Only after confirming that I had not lost anything yet could I let out a sigh of relief.

My nightmare had been a memory of my past life.

Memories of when everyone around me had vanished.

And perhaps… memories of what might repeat again.

At the very least, I believed I was doing my best in this life.

I had saved Bae Jonggwan, a friend I lost in my past life, and I was training with all my might to regain my former martial accomplishments, even pushing toward the peak realm I considered the bare minimum to act on my own will.

After all, until I reached that level, there was little I could truly accomplish.

But was that really enough?

Was it truly sufficient?

The dangers of the frontline would only continue to grow as time passed.

Soon, the Iron Ghost would appear, and later, the Venomous Serpent Ghost would emerge.

In my past life, we had endured by losing comrades one by one, but in the end, merely enduring had been meaningless.

All the demons were nothing more than steps toward the Blood Demon Cult’s ultimate creation: the Blood Demon Human.

Five years from now, the Blood Demon Humans would appear.

Peak-level masters with demonized bodies.

And two years after their appearance, the frontline completely collapsed.

The Blood Demon Cult spread its gathered strength across Yunnan, then into Sichuan, Guizhou, and Guangxi.

As if to mock the non-aggression pact with the Martial Alliance….

I had died in that process.

So I did not know what happened afterward.

Whether the martial world united to stop the Blood Demon Cult or if their dominion was truly realized.

Of course, despite such a future, all I could do now was cultivate myself.

So I focused on training, step by step, with that conviction.

But sometimes, when tormented by nightmares like this, I questioned myself again.

Was this truly enough?

……

Of course not.

With only two days left until the duel between Ju Taekyeong, the Sword Viper of the Diancang Sect, and Seonu Jin, today was the night for the Seventh Unit’s patrol.

Since training paused during patrol hours, today’s evening sparring session was skipped.

Vice-captain Na Seoyu felt a pang of regret at that.

Evening sparring was her favorite time of day.

Recently, she felt like she had broken through stagnation, and moreover, it was the happiest time of her day—getting to spar one-on-one with him.

As she thought about it, Na Seoyu chuckled at herself for such musings in the middle of the frontline.

When her assignment here had first been decided, she had thought she would die the moment she arrived.

“You can’t send your younger brothers, the heirs of the clan. For the sake of our Na Family, you will make this sacrifice.”

Those were the cold, unapologetic words of her stepmother.

After Na Seoyu’s birth mother passed when she was seven, the stepmother seized control of the Na household.

She openly discriminated between her own son, three years younger, and Na Seoyu, hiding it thoroughly from their father.

It was painful and bitter, but Na Seoyu endured, believing her sacrifice was for her father and the clan.

So when the stepmother demanded yet another sacrifice, she had simply answered:

“Yes, Mother. I understand.”

She knew she was walking to her death, but she had no idea how to resist or rebel.

She had lived too long that way.

“And indeed, I almost died on my very first patrol.”

She had been abducted by a demonic master of the Blood Demon Cult while tracking a Spider Ghost that fed on human vital essence.

Pinned by sealed meridians, unable to move, she had been stared at with greedy eyes by that man’s horrific face.

The memory sometimes still haunted her.

She might never have overcome it.

In fact, she might never have survived.

If not for the one who saved her.

Like a meteor, he had kicked the demonic master away, chasing faster than blood itself could spray, and pummeling the foe mercilessly.

Then he had returned to her, with the naive face of a mountain village boy, asking awkwardly if she was all right.

That ridiculous expression had made her forget her fear and burst into a laugh.

Later, when he became the newly appointed captain of the Seventh Unit, she followed him there. Life had been hard, but Na Seoyu could still say confidently:

These were the happiest days of her life.

Even if she were to die tomorrow.

Watching his back at the front of the group, Na Seoyu glanced at the squad.

If his duty was to defeat enemies and protect them, hers was to tend to the members.

The one thing she could do best, and what could fill his shortcomings.

“Lord Bi, you’ve gotten more handsome lately. You were manly before, but now it’s even more obvious.”

“Hmph! Vice-captain’s compliments are too common, I can’t believe them.”

“Oh, but I mean it!”

She said this to Bi Sayoung, who had been grumbling that his body had grown bulkier from external training, reducing his agility.

Even as he pretended not to believe her words, the twitch at his lips and the way he stopped complaining made Na Seoyu smile.

Then she whispered telepathically to Bae Jonggwan.

‘– Lord Bae, women don’t like it if you’re too obvious. They find it attractive when you look out for them in subtle ways. You understand what I mean, right?’

She said this to Bae Jonggwan, who once again couldn’t take his eyes off Cheon Jueun.

He looked back gratefully and began forcing himself to act vigilant instead of staring.

Cheon Jueun had been feeling slightly uncomfortable under his persistent gaze lately.

She was still thankful for his kindness and interest, but if the discomfort continued, it could sour things for both of them.

Here at the frontline, love was more free than anywhere else in the martial world—no one knew who might die tomorrow.

But sometimes awkward relationships caused friction within squads, even forcing one member to transfer to another unit.

Na Seoyu wanted to prevent that.

And she hoped good people could have good feelings for one another, at least while they still lived.

After settling such small matters, her eyes turned toward someone she didn’t know how to handle.

Cheong-yeon.

She was watching one person with an unreadable gaze.

Seonu Jin.

The young master who had appeared like a comet and transformed the Seventh Unit’s atmosphere was now in a darker state.

He didn’t show it when dealing with others, but when he was lost in thought alone, it became clear.

Everyone thought it was because of his upcoming duel with Ju Taekyeong, so they pretended not to notice.

But his mood inevitably affected the squad.

Already, Seonu Jin had become someone who could sway the entire Seventh Unit’s morale.

And Cheong-yeon.

When they first saw her true face, its overwhelming beauty had shocked even Na Seoyu and Cheon Jueun.

One afternoon, as the three women were training together, she had made a shocking confession.

It was after they had heard that Seonu Jin liked Tang Yeo-eun.

Na Seoyu had joked,

“Honestly, when Seonu Jin first came with Yeon, I thought they were lovers. Or at least that Yeon admired him. I even thought Yeon followed him to the Seventh Unit because she liked him.”

Cheon Jueun had laughed too.

“Hahaha! You too, sister? Same here. But after I saw Yeon’s face later, I felt bad for thinking that.”

“Haha, me too.”

The two of them giggled, but Cheong-yeon, expressionless, interrupted.

“That’s correct.”

“Huh? What do you mean correct?”

“I like Lord Seonu. That’s correct.”

“…What?”

“…Seriously?”

The two were baffled.

Why would Cheong-yeon like him?

And why confess it so calmly, as if declaring revenge rather than affection?

Na Seoyu recovered enough to ask.

“Why? And if that’s true, why aren’t you upset that he likes Lady Dang?”

Cheong-yeon replied matter-of-factly.

“Because it’s not true. He may be interested, but it doesn’t seem like romantic interest. Rather, he….”

She trailed off, glancing at Na Seoyu, then changed the subject.

“And I liked him when he was still fat. I’ve always liked round things. But even when he lost weight, my feelings remained. I think it’s because I came to see what lay inside beyond appearances.”

Spoken like an objective observation, her words left Na Seoyu and Cheon Jueun speechless.

Later, Cheon Jueun managed to ask, “Then why don’t you do something?”

“Do what?”

“Like… get closer, or reveal your real face to him!”

Cheong-yeon smiled faintly, a rare thing, and asked,

“Why must I? I’m happy enough just observing him from the side.”

Once again, the two realized Cheong-yeon was incomprehensible.

Since then, Na Seoyu no longer dared involve herself in their affairs.

So she said nothing as they began patrol tonight.

Halfway through the route, with the western sky painted red, Captain Seol Pung raised his hand.

A signal to halt—danger ahead.

As the squad stopped in unison and scanned the surroundings, Seol Pung shot into the forest like a flash of light.

Shuaak!

Then a scream rang out.

“Ahhh! Spare me!”

At such an unexpected cry, the Seventh Unit froze in shock.

Spare me?

A plea like an ordinary human’s?

Here, at the frontline?

Seol Pung reappeared, dragging a lean, dark-skinned Miao youth he had just subdued.

And that youth begged desperately, in clumsy Han speech, bowing repeatedly.

“I am not one who became a demon. I only live deeper in the forest as a Miao tribesman.”

The squad was stunned.

Every Miao they had seen on the frontline had been turned into demons by the Blood Demon Cult.

Never had they met one still sane.

But this youth pleaded with them.

“My name is Putak. Please save us. Our benefactor Tokno is coughing blood and near death.”