Those Who Walk Upon the Ash (3)
The helicopter cut through the pitch-black volcanic ash, pressing onward toward Kargas Volcano. —Thududududu
"......"
"......"
Only the roar of the rotors filled the cabin. None of the six spoke. They sat in silence, arms crossed, eyes closed, or fingers drumming restlessly against their seats. Ryan murmured what sounded like a prayer under his breath. The same emotions lingered on every face—tension, resolve, and a tangled knot of feelings too complex to name. They all understood what was at stake. If this operation failed, there would be no second chance. The fate of the Pyros Autonomy rested on their shoulders, and even veterans like them felt the crushing weight of it.
That was why the atmosphere inside remained so oppressively quiet.
"...Tsk."
One man swept his gaze over the others and clicked his tongue. Beowulf.
"Damn it! Why the hell is everyone so gloomy? This isn't like you lot at all. We're just doing what we always do—hunt a magical beast, bag it fast, hop through the portal, and head home. That's all there is to it!"
Beowulf shattered the silence with his booming voice.
"So cheer the hell up already. Even cattle on their way to the slaughterhouse look more cheerful than you people."
His rough, good-natured shout stirred the heavy air. Surprisingly, the first to respond was Ricardo. He let out a short laugh.
"Beowulf has a point. It seems being treated as heroes of the Pyros Autonomy has gone to everyone's heads."
"Heroes, my foot. This monk is merely walking the path of salvation for all living beings."
Ju Won replied with his hands clasped together. Ryan, seated beside him, grumbled under his breath.
"That's all well and good, but I haven't been able to unleash the Goddess's grace for a while now. My body's starting to itch. I hope there's something worth bombing soon."
"This crazy priest would probably call a volcanic eruption 'firepower' and go wild."
"How did you know?"
Beowulf's scolding and Ryan's reply drew a ripple of quiet laughter through the cabin. The tension eased noticeably. Even Han Seongjin, who had been leaning against the wall listening in silence, allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"Come to think of it, Brother Ricardo. You're in a different squad, so you won't pretend you don't know us once this is over, right?"
At Ryan's mischievous question, Ricardo shook his head.
"Of course not. In fact, if we have time afterward, I'd like to formally invite everyone to Nova Polis A City. It's not as hot as here, and there are plenty of decent restaurants. Especially a certain gukbap place I know—it's excellent."
"Oh, that's hard to refuse."
Beowulf chuckled. Han Seongjin grinned.
"You sure know your stuff for someone who looks like he'd just cleave a steak in half."
"Naturally. The cuisine of the Lumia Alliance has its own unique charm."
Now that I think about it, the Lumia Alliance was positioned as the Eastern faction.
Han Seongjin dredged up some long-forgotten background knowledge. Beowulf turned toward Chiron, who sat alone in the corner.
"Hey! Fish boy. You're coming too, right?"
"...I'm not going."
"What? You said you would."
"I said I'm not... Haa, forget it."
Chiron, his face bare since there was no need to hide, let out a long sigh. The corner of Ricardo's mouth twitched upward.
"Then it's settled—Chiron is coming as well. What about the rest of you?"
"Of course. The thought of eating hometown food after so long is rather appealing."
"It would be rude to refuse an invitation. I shall attend."
"I'm obviously going too."
"Let's bring Alice along. It'd be a shame to leave her out."
"Then it's decided—everyone's going. I'm looking forward to it."
Just like that, the entire Z-Group's trip to Nova Polis A City was confirmed in one smooth stroke. Moments later, Beowulf glanced at the black smoke outside the window and muttered,
"Whew, once this job's done, I'm retiring for real. I'll wrap this up clean and then take a proper vacation somewhere nice."
"Wait, Beowulf. What did you just say?"
"Retiring? After this job? Why is everyone acting like this? I'm getting old, you know."
Ryan waved both hands in horror.
"No, Brother! You can't say things like that! 'Once this job's done, I'm getting married,' or 'I'm retiring to live quietly'—those are classic death flags! Don't you know that?"
"Death... what? Flag?"
"It's a signal from the Goddess saying, 'Ah, that one's about to die.' Please take it back!"
Ju Won, who had been listening, chimed in.
"This monk does not believe in superstitions, yet Beowulf's words just now carry an aura of death. It would be wise to retract them for your own sake."
"What the hell is wrong with you people? I just said I want to live comfortably!"
Beowulf protested indignantly, but the team's reactions remained cold. Even Ricardo shook his head, muttering that it was a dangerous thing to say. Watching the commotion, Han Seongjin added a single dry remark.
"If you want to retire alive, don't take the lead. Just smoke in the back."
"Hey, Professor Han! Even you?"
Beowulf's grumbling was drowned out by Ryan's continued nagging. The noisy chatter filled the cabin, and the oppressive weight that had hung over them vanished. In its place settled a strange sense of camaraderie—and the absurd yet concrete goal of surviving to eat gukbap together.
—Thududududu!
Suddenly, the helicopter lurched violently. A signal came from the cockpit.
The volcanic ash is too thick. We can't proceed any farther! Everyone, prepare to disembark!
The playful conversation cut off instantly. Han Seongjin rose, adjusting the mask on his protective suit. He sharpened his senses to a razor's edge.
"All right. Chit-chat ends here."
At his words, everyone checked their gear and stood. Beowulf slung the massive bag from the corner over his shoulder. Inside were the holy stakes they had used to purify the area—originally meant to be driven into Kargas Volcano like crosses. They looked like luggage, but they were clearly artifacts. They might prove useful.
Once preparations were complete, the subjugation team moved to the rear. Han Seongjin gripped the hatch handle.
"Let's go."
The earlier lighthearted mood gone, everyone nodded with resolute expressions. The hatch opened with a metallic clack.
—Whoosh!
The moment it opened, a fierce wind blasted into the cabin. Black volcanic ash swirled like a blizzard, obscuring vision. Without hesitation, they threw themselves downward. The ground looked impossibly far below, yet none of them were the sort to fear such heights.
—Fwoosh!
Parachutes deployed, and they pierced through the ash-filled sky before landing on solid ground.
[Kieeeek—!]
[Guuaaak!]
The instant their feet touched down, ominous cries rang out. Magical beasts. Black silhouettes charged through the ash, their forms twisted and grotesque.
"They're coming!"
At Beowulf's shout, the creatures surged from every direction. Han Seongjin regarded them. Normally he would have enjoyed the hunt, but—
"Get lost. I don't have time for you."
This wasn't the moment. His body shot forward.
***
The battle ended quickly. The team caught their breath and checked one another's condition. Fortunately, no one was injured.
They're even stronger than I thought.
Looking at the mangled corpses of the magical beasts scattered around, Han Seongjin felt the full power of the Yeonhwa Pill. His body felt incredibly light. Strength surged through every limb, and his reflexes had sharpened dramatically—almost on par with a Demon Body level-up. When he threw a punch, the air split with a sharp whistle. Even a light push from his legs threatened to launch him skyward, forcing him to carefully control his strength. The destructive force was something else entirely. He had slain countless beasts before, but seeing a fairly large one burst like tofu from a single punch was a novel sight.
If I add the Light Blossom on top of this, just how strong will I become?
A quiet anticipation welled up in his mind. It was a shame the elixir's effect was only temporary.
"Professor Han, you're even more energetic than usual today."
Beowulf wiped the blood from his greatsword, admiration in his voice. He had cleaved through the beasts cleanly enough, but the spots Han Seongjin passed through left nothing but unrecognizable meat paste.
"The elixir's working well. My body feels so light I could fly."
"It seems to have absorbed properly. That's fortunate."
Leaving Ju Won's words behind, they pressed forward. Time was short. Soon a gas zone appeared ahead. They advanced while conserving oxygen as much as possible.
—Beep, beep.
On the terminal in Han Seongjin's hand, the red dot of the tracker pulsed at the heart of the volcano. It was still functioning. That meant the high-level beast was there. The team cut down any magical beasts that blocked their path and kept moving. They were climbing the volcano, pushing through the gas zone, when—
"Hm? The gas..."
"Huh. So it was circling the volcano like a fence?"
The gas had vanished. The toxic fumes that had blanketed the area around Kargas Volcano disappeared without a trace once they reached the center.
"Whew, I don't know why it suddenly cleared, but it's a relief."
"Finally, moving around is a bit easier."
Setting aside the toxicity, the sticky gas that had clung to their bodies was gone, and it felt as though heavy sandbags had been lifted from their limbs. The team stretched, savoring the lightness. Ricardo spoke up.
"Since the gas is gone, let's pick up the pace. We'll run."
"Agreed. Let's move immediately."
With the gas cleared, there was no longer any need to conserve oxygen. The entire team removed their masks and began running toward the volcano.
Time passed. Roughly nine hours remained until the eruption. Han Seongjin checked the terminal. The red dot had stopped moving. The beast was waiting.
"We're almost there. Just beyond that hill."
He pointed to a rocky mountain several dozen meters ahead. The high-level beast lay beyond it. Han Seongjin looked forward.
—Rumble rumble rumble
Even without focusing his senses, he could feel the intense energy radiating from ahead. They advanced toward it, stepping over flowing lava and jagged rocks. Hot air filled their lungs. At last, they crested the hill and looked down.
"......Good heavens."
A low exclamation escaped Ryan's lips.
It was a vast basin-shaped terrain. Rivers of lava flowed through it, and towering pillars of volcanic rock rose like prison bars. Black boulders lay scattered everywhere. And at the center—
—Beep. Beep.
Where the tracker's signal had stopped, it lay.
"......Found it."
The high-level beast. It was half-submerged in lava, lying prone. It almost looked as though it were sleeping. But they quickly dismissed the thought. A creature that existed only for slaughter would never sleep.
—Screech.
Shoes scraped against the ground as they descended. They set foot on the plain encircled by the hills and kept moving. The distance to the beast at the center steadily closed. Finally, its full form came into view.
"......!"
Everyone held their breath.
It was several meters tall. Its entire body was covered in purple slime. Its back swelled grotesquely beneath the violet mucus. The slime completely enveloped its neck and the top of its head. Rocky, stone-like tissue protruded in places across its form.
"......"
Holding their breath, they took one careful step closer. The moment their feet touched the ground—
[......]
The beast opened its eyes. It lifted its eyelids and regarded the group.
[Grrrrr...]
When it parted its jaws, a growl like boiling flames echoed out. Slowly, it began to rise. The ground cracked beneath its feet. The source of the magical beasts. The calamity that had stolen the Pyros Autonomy's hope. And the final destination of everything.
Han Seongjin extended his tentacles. In an instant, they were encased in carapace, transforming into vicious blade-tentacles.
"Took us long enough."
His eyes glowed red as he spoke. The beast rose fully and stared at the subjugation team.
[KRRRRAAAAAAAAA—!!!!]
It roared. The sound was like cannon fire, tearing and shattering the air. The sheer pressure alone could kill an ordinary person. Everyone assumed combat stances, facing the high-level beast head-on and meeting its monstrous aura without flinching.
At the heart of Kargas Volcano, the final hunt had begun.