A garden refers to a grove where flowers are planted.
'Efnell's Garden' lived up to its name, with various flowers blooming all around.
However, as the saying goes, beautiful flowers have thorns, and some of the flowers in this garden contain poison. No, to be precise, every living creature here carries poison.
From small, cute animal-like monsters to pretty flowers and creepy insects.
Every creature in this dungeon is poisonous.
That's why some interpret this dungeon not as a "flower garden" but as a "source of fire."
And I was explaining this fact to a foolish student.
"The plants that grow here will definitely cause problems if eaten raw. They only become medicine after being processed or having their toxicity removed."
"B-But this is an expensive medicinal herb..."
"Idiot, of course, it needs to be processed. If you eat it raw, you'll die without a sound."
"Y-Yes! Assistant, so when will you return my flower...?"
Lee Ji looked at the flower in my hand.
This flower is the Moon Tear Flower. I don't know where Lee Ji got it, but it's an extremely dangerous flower.
The clear and serene blue flower, resembling tears under the moonlight, instinctively draws people in. If you try to pick or consume it with bare hands, it has the property of parasitizing inside your body.
However, if properly processed, it becomes a potent elixir filled with yin energy imbued with moonlight.
It's not a supreme elixir, but it should be enough to elevate Lee Ji's magical power by one level.
"You wanted to increase your magical power with this, right?"
"...Yes, that's why I searched for the Moon Tear Flower."
"You don't seem to know much. To properly consume this, you need to dilute its potency by ten times. If consumed correctly, it becomes medicine, but if not, it becomes poison. That's the trial of this dungeon."
"How could that be...?"
Thud!
Lee Ji slumped to the ground.
It seemed he had come searching for this flower due to a lack of magical power, but hearing that it needed processing left him devastated.
Well, it's understandable.
Processing and creating elixirs isn't easy.
It's something only skilled alchemists can do, and since there are few skilled alchemists worldwide, the price isn't cheap.
If my memory serves me right, it's not an amount a student could afford.
Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy.
I don't need elixirs since I have enough magical power, but this boy does.
Maybe I should help him a little.
"I'll take this."
"...Huh? No! That's my flower."
"I'm not saying I'll take the flower, just give me one. You don't have the money to process it anyway."
Mentioning money struck a nerve, and Lee Ji reluctantly handed over one flower. The moment I received it, a cool, refreshing sensation spread through my hand.
The yin energy composing the Moon Tear Flower was stimulating my hand.
Eat me, consume me, and become intoxicated by me.
It was tempting me.
Quite a wicked flower.
How dare a mere plant tempt me and try to parasitize me? It's utterly unpleasant.
[Pyrokinesis.]
Whoosh!
A fierce flame took root in the Moon Tear Flower. The blue flower, holding the cold tears of the moonlight, couldn't withstand the heat and turned red, then black as it burned.
Even though it had turned black, the Moon Tear Flower wasn't completely burned.
It maintained its form, slowly charring from the outside.
"What are you doing?!"
"Huh?"
Unable to bear seeing the burning Moon Tear Flower, Lee Ji snatched it from my hand. He didn't even mind getting burned, brushing off the flames with his hand.
As he tapped it, the flower's outer layer peeled away.
Something glimmered through the cracks of the charred surface.
When the outer layer was completely removed, Lee Ji looked stunned.
Inside the Moon Tear Flower, something like a bead shimmered, fully containing the flower's yin energy.
"A bud...?"
"Eat it as it is."
"Huh? Do you even know what this is?! It came from a half-burned flower!"
"Do you want the elixir or not? You won't even eat it when I give it to you."
"Huh...? Is this really an elixir?!"
Lee Ji stared intently at the elixir in his hand.
He seemed unable to believe that an elixir could be made this way. Well, even I was surprised that I succeeded on the first try.
'Who would have thought I'd succeed on the first try?'
This was unexpected even for me.
An elixir in the form of an unopened green bud.
It fully preserved the Moon Tear Flower's yin energy. I had tested a manufacturing method that was briefly mentioned in a novel, and it was a great success.
The Moon Tear Flower is a mass of yin energy.
Therefore, during the processing, the opposing energy, yang energy, must be used to neutralize its danger.
This isn't something easily done.
Normally, it requires an expert and specialized equipment.
It's a delicate process.
And I had just done it barehanded.
'I felt it before, but the double helix works better than I thought.'
During the processing of the Moon Tear Flower, I used the [Double Helix].
I judged that ordinary flames would be insufficient for processing, so I used it to increase efficiency. I thought I might fail, but...
The result was the opposite.
It seems there's a special dynamic between the elongated tail and the effectiveness of the [Double Helix].
I can't wait any longer.
I need to clear the dungeon quickly and gather documents related to the tail from my family.
Now that I've found Lee Ji too.
I was about to tell him to follow me as payment for processing the Moon Tear Flower, but...
What's with him?
"What are you doing...?"
"I'm sorry for doubting you, even if only for a moment!"
"No, why are you bowing your head to the ground?"
Cutting me off, Lee Ji pressed his head to the ground.
The ground was wet due to the grass and flowers.
Lee Ji's head was soaked with mud and water.
When I told him to get up, he cautiously rose.
Why is he being so polite all of a sudden?
It's unsettling.
"Listen, I have something to say..."
"Assistant! Can I follow you?!"
"...Sure."
Although Lee Ji had just said what I wanted to hear.
I wasn't in a good mood.
How many times are you going to interrupt me?
"...Follow me."
"Yay!"
Lee Ji jumped for joy at my acceptance.
His unpredictable energy made me shake my head.
Well, do as you please.
***
As we wandered through the fields and forests, I realized one thing.
"There are really a lot of valuable medicinal herbs here."
Most of them are plants that are hard to obtain due to their toxicity or potent effects.
They're not only hard to obtain, but the process of collecting them is even more complicated. Strangely, Lee Ji easily collected such plants.
"Waaah! This flower bit me!"
"Cut it off quickly before the poison spreads to your hand."
"P-Poison?! Aaaah! Die! Just die!"
Of course, he showed his shortcomings in unexpected areas.
He knows how to collect them but doesn't know which plants are poisonous.
Quite an unbalanced knowledge.
Even I, who have memorized numerous papers, don't know some of these plants, while he's ignorant in common sense. It's like he only knows the parts that make money.
'Well, there's no need to dig deeper.'
The safety and lives of students are my concern, but their personal affairs are not.
Judging that there was no need to know more, I observed Lee Ji's posture.
He cuts the stems or roots of plants with a hand axe that fits perfectly in his grip.
His movements are very delicate at that time, but when dealing with passing monsters, his movements are rough. His handling is quite poor.
It's not a technical movement, nor does it seem like he has experience.
Only a beginner holding an axe for the first time would have such a posture.
How did someone with such skills get into the academy?
Does he have some other remarkable talent or ability?
Just in case, I checked, but he doesn't seem to have any extraordinary abilities.
Even Yura, who seems weak, has the ability to read others' emotions and senses, but Lee Ji seems even weaker.
It's almost pitiful.
"...Should I teach you a bit about axe handling?"
This question wasn't directed at Lee Ji.
It was a question I asked myself.
Though it was just a murmur, Lee Ji, who didn't miss the sound, raised his hand.
"Assistant, are you perhaps well-versed in axe handling?!"
"...If I had to say, I once learned a few simple techniques from an old master."
I had learned about axes before, but compared to other weapon techniques, my study of axes was relatively shallow.
Compared to spear or sword techniques, axe handling is closer to beginner level.
Of course, even considering that, I know more about axes than Lee Ji.
"Want to see?"
I took the hand axe from Lee Ji's hand.
A modest size that fits perfectly in the hand.
But it's quite heavy. It's not a weapon forged from ordinary metal.
I took a stance for the first time in a while.
Stiffening my back, putting strength into my lower body, and focusing power into my hand.
[Strength Enhancement]
The weight felt just right in my grip, giving me some leeway.
It felt a bit lighter.
However, a single body enhancement wasn't enough to throw the hand axe comfortably. But what I'm about to demonstrate doesn't rely on strength.
What's important is the snap of the wrist.
The wrist's strength only needs to be at a minimal level.
Just as water flows quietly.
As there is movement within stillness, flexibly──
─Throw.
Whoosh!
As I threw the hand axe far, it cut through the brambles and flew upward. Watching the axe fly up in a clean curve, I reached out my hand.
Snap!
It landed in my grip.
This is the most basic principle of axe handling.
Of course, I didn't use any magical power.
"...So, can you do it?"
"Th-That's a simple technique?!"
"Of course. This is the basics of the basics."
Axe handling is relatively monotonous compared to other weapon techniques.
Unlike sword techniques, which are proficient in defense, or spear techniques, which can be used in various ways, the axe is simply a weapon for chopping things down.
"Is there anything else besides this?"
"I can teach you techniques like using the axe blade to hook onto shields, armour, or flesh and pull, or using the broad side to deflect attacks."
"..."
Lee Ji fell silent with a serious expression.
It might be a difficult technique for a beginner to learn, but once mastered, it's surprisingly not that hard. After all, the axe itself isn't a complex weapon, so how hard can it be?
Moreover, Lee Ji is a student at Chilseong Academy.
His magical power may be lacking, but he must have some compensating talent.
"...Assistant."
"Why are you speaking with such a serious expression?"
"Can I learn that technique you just showed?"
Well, I can't give a definitive answer.
Even if it's a simple technique, it could take a while if one lacks talent.
But that's not the answer Lee Ji is looking for.
A definitive answer from the assistant.
He's seeking acknowledgement now.
I don't know why an elite academy student is making such eyes, but I can't say something I don't mean.
Instead, I can offer to teach.
"Give it a try. I'll guide you from the side."
"...!!"
"But if you go around the academy telling everyone I taught you, you're dead."
I don't want to deal with unnecessary favouritism controversies.
Lee Ji and I paused for a moment.
Pointing at the hand axe in Lee Ji's hand, I explained some basic knowledge.
"Do you know what the essence of throwing is?"
"It's... just throwing, right?"
"That's not wrong, but it's not the answer I'm looking for."
Throwing is a subtle principle.
It's divided into two principles: throw and hurl.
It's not just about throwing with all your might.
The subtle principle is formed by mixing various truths, and when throwing an axe, there is movement within stillness, how can it not be subtle?
"Fine. I'll make you understand it through your body."
"Through my body?"
"If you can't understand it with your head, just learn it with your body."
Besides the two principles of throwing, there are also the principles of swing and movement within stillness.
But these concepts are better learned through the body than through words.
"Close your eyes and focus your mind."
"Yes!"
"Don't answer."
"..."
Following my words, Lee Ji closed his eyes and shut his mouth.
But his eyelids and mouth twitched.
That won't do.
"Clear your mind and regulate your breathing."
He exhaled deeply and inhaled.
It seems he's trying to maintain a calm state.
But I can see he's not focusing.
Thud!
I hit the back of Lee Ji's neck.
"Ah! What are you doing?!"
"I told you to close your eyes and not speak."
"...Tch!"
Lee Ji jumped, but that's not my concern.
Mastering the subtle principle in a short time is impossible.
What I'm trying to teach him is a kind of shortcut.
To properly learn this shortcut, it's important to calm the mind.
Reacting to every external stimulus like this won't do.
Thud, thud!
I continued to hit the back of his neck.
Varying the force, angle, and area, I kept giving different stimuli.
At first, Lee Ji couldn't adapt and turned red.
But as time passed, he reached a point where he ignored the stimuli, even letting them slide.
'Oh, so Seven Stars Academy students are different after all.'
His learning speed was faster than I expected.
Even as an extra, an elite who got into Seven Stars Academy is different.
It's not the level I wanted, but with this growth rate, we can move to the next step.
"Alright, get up now."
"...Is it over already?"
"No. Now we need to practice axe handling."
Lee Ji gripped the hand axe.
A combat axe would have been better.
Well, this hand axe is fine for practice.
I stood next to Lee Ji and pointed at a log in front of us.
The fallen log had narrow growth rings.
"Aim for the center of those rings."
"Huh?"
"After hitting it once with the axe blade, you know it has to return to your hand, right?"
"Huh?!"
Lee Ji grumbled at the sudden increase in difficulty.
From sitting still to suddenly throwing an axe, it must feel absurd.
"Is this really the right way?"
"Why does it feel off?"
"Of course! It's common sense! Meditating and then suddenly doing this trick. Are you really teaching me correctly?!"
"Of course."
I stood behind Lee Ji.
His small, thin frame, hard to believe he's a high school student, came into view.
Grabbing his thin wrist, I corrected his posture.
"I'll keep correcting your posture as you throw. Don't worry and just throw."
"Is this really teaching? Isn't this too brute force?!"
"I know martial arts much better than you. Just shut up and throw."
I made Lee Ji shut his mouth and kept him throwing the axe.
At first, his posture was awkward. But as I fixed it each time he threw, I could see gradual improvement.
After all, there's no shortcut like learning through the body.
A subtle principle that would normally require considerable training and study to master.
We skipped that by directly correcting his posture.
A technique that would normally be impossible.
Since everyone's muscle shape, density, and joints are different.
Directly correcting someone's posture without precise machinery could even teach the wrong posture and be harmful.
But I could do it.
Because I'm used to teaching techniques to others.
It's not much different from teaching rituals.
After teaching for a solid two hours.
Whoosh!
The hand axe drew a line and stuck into the monster's forehead.
The monster hit by the hand axe fell instantly. It was a one-hit kill.
"I did it again!"
"Yeah, you're getting good."
"Then let me try one more time."
"Once, twice. Keep going."
Seemingly having fun throwing and retrieving the hand axe.
Lee Ji took on all the monsters along the path.
Thanks to that, I didn't have to do anything.
"This is convenient."
Every time Lee Ji moved, monsters around us died.
It felt like I had gotten a good excavator.
***
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