Chapter 215
Chapter 215
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: The Iron Blood Serpent of Namgok Mine
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On the mid-slope of Namgok Mountain stood a mine.
It had been worked for hundreds of years under the management of the Southern Iron Gate, yielding the finest iron ores. But now, with its reserves all but depleted, it was as good as dead.
Yang Unshik, dragged there by Hyeok Mulin's hand, took one look at the mine and glanced around before asking,
"Is this truly the Namgok Mine?"
"It is."
"But this sight..."
Yang Unshik scanned their surroundings with puzzled eyes, then murmured in a low voice,
"Doesn't it look like a mine that's still in operation?"
A mine without any iron ore left to extract was like a corpse with no breath left in it.
That's why he'd expected a grim atmosphere, with no one daring to approach. Yet the scene unfolding before their eyes was the complete opposite.
Countless miners were coming and going at the mine entrance.
And they weren't just milling about—they were discussing things systematically, heading out with evident enthusiasm.
"No. It's a stretch to call it a fully operational mine. Take a closer look."
At Hyeok Mulin's words, Yang Unshik examined the miners more closely.
Only then did he grasp the meaning behind Hyeok Mulin's statement.
They carried pickaxes, and their clothes were filthy—just like in normal operations. But something crucial was missing.
The ore they should have been hauling.
There wasn't a single glimpse of iron ore anywhere.
In truth, he could infer that the mine wasn't running normally at all.
As Yang Unshik realized this and stared at them in wonder,
"Hm?"
"Who are those guys?"
"Never seen them before."
"Outsiders coming in here?"
The miners chatting at the entrance spotted them.
They stared for a moment, whispering among themselves, before one of them strode toward them purposefully.
His face was caked in grime, blackened with dust. He was a middle-aged man with the typical burly build of a miner, his arm muscles massively developed.
He came right up to Hyeok Mulin, tilted his chin up, and stared him straight in the eye.
"Who might you be? What's your business here at the mine?"
Hyeok Mulin answered without hesitation.
"We're from the Southern Iron Gate."
"Ah, so you're from the main sect. Welcome. I'm the overseer of this mine, Seok Jang."
At Hyeok Mulin's words, the wariness in Seok Jang's eyes vanished in an instant.
'Even hearing we're from the Southern Iron Gate doesn't faze him or change his attitude much.'
The relationship between the sect and the miners.
They were inseparable, neither side holding superiority—an equal footing, it seemed.
"So what brings the main sect here? There's nothing worth seeing."
Seok Jang asked in a puzzled tone, and Hyeok Mulin turned the question back on him.
"That's what I'd like to know. What exactly are you all doing here?"
Miners still bustling in and out of a mine with no more iron ore to dig.
To outsiders, it was baffling behavior. But Seok Jang explained confidently.
"I've heard the main sect is struggling without iron ore. Sitting idle won't solve anything, right? We're probing the depths to check if there's even a little more ore buried."
Yang Unshik was impressed by their resolve upon hearing Seok Jang's explanation.
No one had ordered them to—they'd banded together on their own to explore the mine further.
It was a glimpse into just how close they'd grown with the Southern Iron Gate over the years.
"I see. Don't overdo it."
"We're being careful. We've carved out rest points along the way and are rotating shifts, so no need to worry."
Like a seasoned miner, Seok Jang had already taken safety precautions, replying with confidence.
Hyeok Mulin nodded and glanced at the entrance.
"We came to check the mine interior ourselves. Mind if we go in?"
"Of course. Feel free."
Seok Jang gave his ready permission, as if there were no reason to refuse. Hyeok Mulin headed straight for the mine.
He passed the miners waiting at the entrance without pause and stepped inside. Yang Unshik hurried after him.
He grabbed a torch from those placed at the entrance and lit the way at Hyeok Mulin's side.
Thud, thud.
Passing through the spacious tunnel interior illuminated here and there by faint light, Hyeok Mulin pressed deeper.
Gradually, the surrounding light faded, until only the torch illuminated their path ahead.
Fear began to creep over Yang Unshik bit by bit. He asked cautiously,
"Cult Leader, I understood this mine to be fully played out. Is there a reason you've come here...?"
"To confirm if it's truly exhausted."
Namgok Mine.
In his previous life, it was a mine Hyeok Mulin had heard stories about right up until his death.
But those stories hadn't mentioned it being abandoned.
'High chance they discovered more ore here later on.'
Hyeok Mulin suspected the mine's life wasn't over and that more ore lay buried within.
Whoosh.
At one point while walking, Hyeok Mulin stopped and looked at Yang Unshik.
As Yang Unshik flinched at the sudden gaze, Hyeok Mulin spoke.
"Do you sense nothing?"
"W-Well..."
"Focus."
At the Cult Leader's command, Yang Unshik swallowed and closed his eyes.
Abandoning his sight sharpened his other senses.
Finally sensing something, he slowly raised a hand.
"That way."
Pointing in one direction, he continued with conviction.
"I feel intense heat coming from that direction."
"Are you sure?"
Hyeok Mulin asked, and rightly so—the direction pointed to a solid rock wall.
But Yang Unshik nodded with firm certainty.
"Positive."
"Got it. Step back."
As Yang Unshik retreated, Hyeok Mulin moved his hand.
Several lines traced from his fingertips, neatly slicing the wall like an opening door, carving a path ahead.
Witnessing it up close, Yang Unshik was so stunned by Hyeok Mulin's precise control that he couldn't even speak.
Any martial artist of decent level could smash a wall with brute force.
But causing that much commotion here could collapse not just the tunnel but the entire mine.
'This is the most dangerous area.'
Yang Unshik had felt a twinge of worry when told to step back, but it proved unfounded soon enough.
It affected nothing else—just cleanly cut the rock to open a path.
As Yang Unshik stared blankly, Hyeok Mulin said to him,
"What are you doing? Keep guiding."
"Y-Yes! Right away!"
After that, Yang Unshik kept pointing directions, and Hyeok Mulin carved through effortlessly.
Deeper and deeper they went, until Yang Unshik suddenly frowned and halted.
"Right there. The intense heat means ore is definitely behind this wall."
Yang Unshik was already sweating profusely from the heat as he spoke. Hyeok Mulin looked where he pointed and moved his hand.
As before, the rock parted smoothly, and they stepped through slowly.
The path opened into a full chamber, and the moment they entered...
"Whoa!"
"..."
The two reacted oppositely.
A vast cavern lay before them, walls covered in ore—iron ore, the very thing they'd hoped for.
Unlike the impassive Hyeok Mulin, Yang Unshik recoiled in shock, but not because of the ore. There was another reason.
A massive venomous serpent coiled amid the ore, blanketing it all.
It was the size of dozens of grown men combined, its scales gleaming hard as iron.
The moment they saw it, they knew it was no ordinary beast.
"C-Cult Leader... what do we do...?"
Overwhelmed by its majestic presence, Yang Unshik trembled, his voice laced with fear.
For an ordinary man untrained in martial arts, just watching it sent chills down his spine, freezing his body under its immense pressure.
'...I remember now.'
Was it because of this?
Seeing the serpent, Hyeok Mulin recalled an incident from his previous life at a divine steel mine.
It was old and hazy, but a serpent discovered under a famous mine had killed dozens of miners.
'So this is that one.'
Its size and aura told him immediately.
Iron Blood Serpent.
Red eyes, triangular head, skin tough as iron—a venomous snake.
Hyeok Mulin stared at it before speaking.
"No reaction. It must be asleep."
Indeed, even as they entered the cavern, the Iron Blood Serpent's eyes remained shut, showing no movement.
Yang Unshik let out a relieved breath and looked to Hyeok Mulin with pleading eyes, awaiting his decision.
He wanted out of there as soon as possible.
But Hyeok Mulin ignored the gaze, pondering as he surveyed the interior.
'How to handle this.'
Finding the ore was good, but he'd never expected an Iron Blood Serpent nesting here.
Killing it wouldn't be hard.
'Need precise control.'
If he misjudged his power even slightly and overdid the attack, the mine could suffer.
Conversely, failing to kill it in one strike could make it thrash and bring the whole place down.
It called for the finest control yet.
Before acting, Hyeok Mulin meant to instruct Yang Unshik.
Just in case, have him evacuate the miners from the tunnels before dealing with the serpent.
But soon, Hyeok Mulin sensed something and froze.
"Too late."
"...Pardon?"
As Yang Unshik voiced confusion,
Flash!
The Iron Blood Serpent's eyes snapped open, its scarlet pupils glaring at them.
"Kuuoooooh!"
It bellowed thunderously, rearing up at once.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu!
Rock fell from above Yang Unshik's wide-eyed head.
Moments later,
The entire massive mine crumbled disastrously under the enraged Iron Blood Serpent's thrashing.