Chapter 37
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 037
Chapter Title: Flame
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Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since he'd last ventured out. The wolves, bursting with excitement, relentlessly kicked off the ground and charged ahead without pause.
The sharp wind continuously whipped across his cheeks. After savoring that exhilarating rush for about three days, the destination of this outing finally came into view.
The 4th Pioneer City.
"Let's wrap things up quick and head back. Where's the expeditionary force stationed right now?"
When Woojin asked, Raymond promptly raised his hand and pointed out the direction. The memory was still fresh since he'd been there recently.
"There's an operations base in the forest to the left. It's a dangerous zone where we suspect the rift core is located."
"Let's go straight there."
They skipped the city altogether, heading directly to join the expeditionary force at the site. That seemed the best way to save time.
Smoke rose in several plumes from the operations base. It looked like they were preparing lunch. As they kept walking, soldiers gathered around campfires and tents came into sight in the distance.
"Jin, wait here for a bit. The soldiers will panic if they see the wolves. I'll go ahead, give them a heads-up, and come back."
"That sounds wise."
The followers of the Martial God Morian despised beasts. Even though the wolves wore collars like dogs, showing up unannounced with them would likely provoke a bad reaction from the expeditionary force.
Relaying such special details was the herald's role.
Raymond entered the camp alone. Woojin waited with the wolves, chewing on jerky.
And after a short wait...
Raymond returned with some unfamiliar faces. Three Holy Knights clad in full plate armor.
The man leading them particularly stood out.
A middle-aged man with blood-red hair, eyebrows, and eyes. A long sword resembling a rapier hung at his side.
'Red Wasp, Alber.'
The commander of the 4th Expeditionary Force.
His nickname came from his exceptional swordsmanship and stern temperament.
"Lord Alber, this is the beast hunter I mentioned earlier."
Raymond introduced Woojin with unusual caution.
Alber scanned Woojin's appearance with impassive eyes, then turned to glance at the wolves. They were lying flat on the ground, gnawing away at their jerky.
"They're too big and fierce to be mere hunting dogs. Can you really control beasts like these?"
Alber turned back and asked. Woojin nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. They won't attack humans."
"Can you prove it?"
"Not a problem."
Woojin beckoned Rex. The red wolf swallowed its jerky and trotted over. Woojin pried open its upper jaw, revealing the fangs packed tightly inside its maw.
He was doing this because he suddenly felt like recreating the crocodile circus act he'd seen on TV as a kid.
Smoothly,
Woojin thrust his head deep into the wolf's open mouth. A perilously dizzying stunt for any onlooker. But Rex stood rigid like a statue.
"...You've got some guts."
Alber nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing that reaction, Woojin pulled his head out and tossed another piece of jerky into Rex's mouth.
With the entry formalities cleared, it was time for the main topic.
"Where are the beasts?"
"Follow me."
Alber and the Holy Knights led the way. Woojin followed behind. Soon, a large cave and about a dozen spider corpses piled around it entered his view.
He first examined the spider bodies. Spiders as big as a man's torso. A drop of poison glistened like dew on their black fangs.
Woojin reached out, toyed with the poison, and brought it to his tongue like he was tasting it.
'Weak poison.'
It wouldn't harm skin on contact or if swallowed. It only became toxic when it seeped into wounds and mixed with blood. Relatively low risk.
The real issue was elsewhere...
Slitting one's belly with a dagger revealed it stuffed full of gray spider silk. The headache currently plaguing the Holy Knights.
"How'd you take these down?"
Woojin asked, and Alber pointed to long wooden sticks scattered near the corpses.
"We baited them with those sticks, shaking the webs. The spiders crawled out thinking food was caught. But after repeating it a few times, they caught on inside there."
Unable to enter the web-filled cave, the expeditionary force was trying to lure the spiders out.
Fishing with sticks was one method.
Spiders sense prey through web vibrations. Exploiting that, they'd hunted a few.
But at some point, the spiders wised up. Shaking the webs yielded no more appearances.
Raymond, who'd been listening, offered a suggestion.
"What about setting it ablaze to smoke them out? If we funnel smoke into the cave, they might crawl out."
"We tried that while you were gone. No real success."
It only worked on small burrowing animals like rabbits.
Smoke rises from low to high. Even blocking the cave and lighting a fire, it lingered near the entrance. It never reached the depths.
A real headache all around. Woojin stroked his chin, deep in thought.
'High learning ability, pack-living spider beasts. Rare case.'
Spiders usually lived solitarily.
They didn't shy from cannibalism. Even males approaching for mating were often ignored and eaten.
But such cases weren't nonexistent. Instances where beasts defied nature to form packs usually meant...
'...A very powerful leader specimen. But in a place like this?'
To confirm, he'd need to venture inside. Approaching the cave to gauge it, Woojin got closer.
The cave's inner walls were enveloped in tunnel-like spider webs. Funnel-web spiders typically built such nests.
'Been a while. Shall I?'
Suddenly, Woojin removed his shoes and socks. Raymond voiced his confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"Something I want to test."
With that vague reply, barefoot Woojin stepped a few paces into the cave. His feet touched the web-covered ground.
The Holy Knights expected him to get hopelessly tangled, but...
Oddly, his feet didn't snag on the webs. He strolled the interior like a leisurely park. The Holy Knights grew inwardly flustered.
"Hey! How are you doing that?"
Alber shouted. Woojin returned to the entrance to answer.
"There's a trick. Look closely at my feet."
He walked across the webs again. It looked utterly normal, leaving the Holy Knights puzzled once more, but...
"...He's lifting his heels ever so slightly."
Alber muttered suddenly. Woojin nodded.
"Exactly. Planting your whole foot snags it, so use just the toes. Less surface area means easy lift-off."
The claim that spiders avoid snagging by oiling their feet with mouth secretions was false.
No such glands found in dissections. They minimized contact like skilled ballerinas, using only their toes.
"And not all webs are sticky. Some spots are safe to step on."
Spider webs consist of non-sticky radial threads and sticky spiral ones. Radials won't cling if stepped on.
The Holy Knights checked the webs after his explanation. Now that he mentioned it, they could distinguish the types, but...
"...You can pick those out to step on?"
Raymond questioned.
The webs were densely packed. Differentiating and navigating seemed impossible. One step would crush radials and spirals alike.
Woojin repeated himself.
"That's why you use just the toes."
"Ah..."
"Want me to teach you?"
Raymond shook his head.
"Picking specific threads in this dark cave? Doesn't seem feasible... No matter how I think, this is something only you can do."
"It is tricky to master."
Woojin felt a pang of regret at the refusal.
After always being the student, this was his first chance to teach. He'd gotten a bit excited, but to the Holy Knights, it was too daunting to attempt.
The problem was, Woojin couldn't handle this alone.
"We need to purify the rift core inside. How do we manage that?"
Priests and Holy Knights had to enter to purify it.
Did he have to hunt every beast inside, then ferry people in a makeshift sedan chair?
Alber replied.
"...There's an easier way."
The followers of the Martial God Morian could infuse blessings into weapons. The silver arrows used by Rolland and the soldiers last time were one such creation.
The sun hung high at noon.
...The ritual began.
In a solemn atmosphere, the priests handed Alber the armament they'd consecrated for a long time. A spear shimmering with red light. Alber gripped it and thrust the tip forward.
Toward him, the Holy Knights slowly advanced.
Whoosh—
The lead Holy Knight drew his sword. Red divinity flickered like flames. Clutching it, he chanted verses like a song.
"There is a time to love, and a time to hate..."
The Holy Knight extended his sword.
Clang!
The sword clashed with Alber's spear. Instantly, the divinity on the blade transferred to the spear tip, which glowed an even brighter red.
The Holy Knight who passed the divinity stepped aside. The next drew his sword.
Whoosh—
"There is a time for peace, and a time to fight."
He continued the prior verse and thrust his sword.
Clang!
Divinity transferred again. Alber's spear tip burned even redder.
The Church of Strife viewed their divinity as the flames bestowed by the Martial God Morian.
Small embers gathered into a great blaze. By chanting sequential scripture verses and passing divinity, they amassed greater power.
With the Holy Knights' chants...
Metal clashed repeatedly in a strange rhythm. Like blacksmiths singing while hammering heated iron.
"He pointed to my hand and commanded me to take up the sword."
Clang!
"He pointed to my heart and said..."
Clang!
"Fear not, and stand against them."
Clang!
"Be strong and courageous."
Clang!
"Do so, and the flames shall be with you..."
Clang!
The final Holy Knight clashed his sword and stepped back.
The spear tip, having received divinity from many, glowed fiercely red. Alber alone raised it high toward the sky, as if aiming to pierce the sun with the heated point.
Alber bellowed the final verse.
"With faith, annihilate evil!"
⟨ Flame Rite ⟩
Roar!!
Was it an illusion that the sun's flames seemed to leap onto the spear tip for a moment?
Woojin stepped forward. The spear radiated a sunset-red, dazzling blaze. Alber extended it and murmured lowly.
"It sits ill with me to entrust our duty to you... Beast Hunter Jin. Can you purify the rift core with this spear?"
Woojin smiled and took the spear.
"Sure, why not. Let's give it a shot."