Master of the Fang
The master of the fang. A desolate plain so barren that not a single tree or blade of grass could take root. There stood a single tower soaring endlessly into the sky. The whirlwind-shaped tower alone was so distinctive that anyone would instantly recognize this place as a world completely separate from Earth. Its tip came to a razor’s edge, as though its sole purpose was to pierce and kill the heavens themselves. When the gaze traveled to the top floor, a single figure could be seen moving busily about—an elderly man reduced to little more than skin stretched over bones, so frail he looked ready to collapse at any moment, every faint tremor of his remaining flesh laid bare for the world to see. Despite an exterior that made him appear far more decrepit than his actual age, his eyes shone clearer and more resolute than those of a youth just stepping into adulthood.
“What am I to do with my sin…”
He had no intention of dying comfortably. He believed he must not be allowed to die comfortably. Yet because he judged the work he was doing now to be absolutely necessary, there was not a shred of hesitation in his heart.
What pulled his mind from its heavy thoughts was a hard-won message from his beloved disciple. Linking one dimension to another to exchange conversation—this impossible feat had also been his creation.
“Oh… Yes, Denar…”
[Master… I’m sorry. The dimension has grown extremely unstable for reasons I cannot identify—]
“It’s all right. I already know… It seems your burdens will only grow heavier.”
[Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t speak like that?]
“Kekeke— That’s right. My mind has been flickering more often these days.”
[……]
The man on the other side of the dimension, called Denar, suppressed the bitter feelings rising in his chest and began reporting the prepared data one item at a time. As he listened, the man at the top of the tower simply nodded quietly, repeating only the words, “Yes, I see.”
“Hehe… The ‘Fang’ was lost so futilely… Though it was an unfinished product, I had confidence it would be a masterpiece in its own right…”
[Various variables keep appearing.]
“…More than that, the orcs were deployed sooner than expected. Was that also a response to those variables?”
[It is. Still, both the Fang and the orcs fulfilled their roles, so…]
“If you say so, then it must be true.”
[Do not worry, Master. Our plan has suffered no setbacks. On the contrary, the accelerated timing can be viewed as a positive.]
“Only when the roots are firmly planted can fruit be borne. Never forget that.”
[I will keep it in mind.]
“Denar… Your master, who still dares to call himself teacher, sets aside his shame to ask this of you. The future of this continent rests in your hands, so please exert every effort to achieve what we intend…”
[How could I fail to do so? I will make certain that Master’s lifelong sacrifices are not in vain…]
“Hehe, I have only you to believe in. That small child has grown enough for this old man to rely upon… And I have already sent everything I requested last time to your location. Use them well.”
[Thank you, Master. Please—]
Crackle—
“……”
The dimension had grown so unstable that even the courteous disciple could not finish his farewell. Had things gone according to the original plan, Denar would have been at the stage where he could establish a far more stable foundation.
“If only it had gone as planned… this world would not have turned out this way.”
He dragged his weary steps to the edge of the tower and gazed out at the world beyond with eyes full of regret.
“That dead landscape will soon overflow with life… When that time comes…”
He quietly clutched the nearly fleshless bones of his throat and stared outside for a long while.
“Damn it!!”
The man whose connection with his master had been severed so abruptly tore at the buttons of his shirt with violent fingers and roared in rage. Denar Panigial—the man known in this world as the Elder of the Blue Eye—had grown noticeably more anxious with each passing day.
He had never expected the great work to be completed overnight, but the variables were multiplying so rapidly that entire days vanished while he dealt with them. There were moments when the impulse to sweep this entire nation called Korea off the map nearly overwhelmed him.
Yet the other pillar who had planned all of this alongside his master had repeatedly insisted that events must unfold in this particular region. So Denar endured, swallowing his frustration and silently continuing his assigned tasks.
“If I could just eliminate those bastards…”
There was one wretched organization that had recently begun interfering with his plans. In truth, “interfering” was too mild a word. They possessed the power to ruin everything. Two bases had already been destroyed. He had no idea how they were locating the sites. One had only just been established and had not even begun operations before those cursed people stormed in, slaughtered every last follower, and vanished.
“Should I purge them once more…”
Unless they could see the future, there had to be a spy among them. In a way, it was only natural. No matter how many people were drawn in with mass-produced items like shadow cloaks, there was a limit to how deeply they could believe. From his perspective they were clearly evil trash, yet because he could not even identify their leader, the frustration in his heart only piled higher with each day.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, was it… Are you throwing down the gauntlet?”
Their goal was clearly to slow the orc invasion. The fact that they left expensive equipment and items untouched and only destroyed gate after gate proved it. If he stepped back now, the terrifying sense that everything he had built so far would turn to foam washed over him. An inexplicable déjà vu gripped him, as though he had been caught in this same pattern many times before.
“In any case, we have nowhere left to retreat. Are all of you prepared to throw everything away?”
Denar’s black eyes flashed with blue light, and then he burst into loud laughter. It was an old habit from the days when he had fallen to rock bottom—laughing even in the worst situations. His mother had always told him to do exactly that.
“I’ll wake it.”
So saying, he spread out a map of this world. Among the dozens of marked points, he pressed a finger to one and nodded. If he began preparations now, it would be possible before the year was out. He would summon something that even that unidentified organization could not stop and overturn everything in one stroke.
Having firmed his resolve, he gave a great shrug of his shoulders. This country would suffer heavy damage, but he believed his master would close his eyes to this much. After all, every step was necessary to complete the great work.
Uuuuung——
The moment a massive door materialized at the boss battle site, the hunters who had been waiting inside the abandoned school leaped to their feet in alarm. Assuming combat readiness was only natural.
“Whoa, whoa! It’s not what you think! Everyone! A skeleton-like creature is about to appear, but it’s not a bad monster!”
“We won’t harm anyone~ So please stay seated and rest comfortably! Yes, yes—”
“Um… It’s not a bad child… So, please don’t worry…”
With Baek A-rin and Bae Jua earnestly appealing to the crowd, and even Lee Yeonhee—face flushed red—mustering the courage to call out despite her obvious embarrassment, the hunters finally relaxed and returned to their seats. The fact that Yeonhee, who had recently become quite famous, had removed her hood and shown her face seemed to carry significant weight.
Clang—!
Right on cue, the enormous door radiating a mysterious blue glow swung open. From between its parted doors, Ilwol stepped forward one measured pace at a time.
He looked around. ‘Oh—they even reached the abandoned school?’
It was the expected development, yet he had also considered the possibility of being summoned directly from home, so he felt a flicker of approval. Still, the condition of his party members made him worry they might have skipped the boss fight entirely.
The heavy dark circles beneath their eyes and the sharply reduced mana levels told a worrying story.
‘If they just hold on a little longer, I can finish it myself.’
The Ghost’s Lethargy was a decent skill, but the greatest prize available in this dungeon was undoubtedly the Wraith’s ability. Considering future growth potential, it was a skill he absolutely had to secure, and he had hoped to obtain it today and be done.
‘If today really isn’t feasible, we’ll have to come back… Everyone looks awful. Just what happened while I was gone?’
There was no way their own members would have struggled this badly in the dungeon… Could it have been hunters from another party? Had someone dared to interfere with us? There were always scum who waited for parties engaged with monsters and then stabbed them in the back. Had they fallen victim to such people? Worried, he started toward Yeonhee.
“W-water!! Ilwol! I need water!!”
Bae Jua, eyes bloodshot, came sprinting toward him and suddenly began begging desperately for water. Behind her, Yeonhee’s eyes had narrowed into sharp triangles because she had been robbed of the joy of their reunion, but Jua—who normally noticed everything—seemed far too frantic to care.
“Haa… Ilwol. You worked hard. Could you take out the kettle first?”
“Clack clack!!”
Though they had only been apart for a few hours, Yeonhee’s somewhat haggard face somehow carried a fresh, unexpected charm.
‘Here.’
Bae Jua snatched the kettle he tossed with both hands, tilted it high overhead, and frantically gulped down the cascading water.
‘She looks completely exhausted. Just what on earth happened?’
He shifted his gaze from Jua to Yeonhee and gave a small shrug. She immediately began pouring out everything that had occurred in his absence.
The dungeon exploration had started smoothly enough, but at some point the pace suddenly accelerated. Roughly two hours in, the balance had collapsed beyond recovery.
‘Hmm… I was the one adjusting that tempo…’
Guiding a party required simultaneously calculating dozens of factors—each member’s mana and stamina, mental fatigue, the number and placement of nearby monsters, terrain, distance to other parties, and more. He had performed those calculations as naturally as breathing while acting as their guide, but being suddenly left without him must have been difficult for them to adapt to.
What came after the midpoint was even more shocking. No matter the reason the monster count had doubled, the moment they encountered the Wraith had been utterly terrifying just to hear about.
‘Insane…?! It was seriously dangerous? Yeonhee lost five whole levels? Looks like I’ll need some way to protect her when I’m not around. Should I learn golem techniques or something? Ha…’
Another task had been added to the list, but with so many things already demanding his attention, one more hardly made a difference.
In any case, the role of mid-battle coordinator that he had been handling should have fallen to Bae Jua, but because she was serving as the party’s primary damage dealer in this dungeon, everything had fallen into chaos. A four-person party became hell the instant even one member faltered. If necessary, they might have to consider expanding to five members. Slightly lower profits were far better than dying.
“Haa— Ah… Th-this is incredible…! Hng…”
After gulping from the kettle for a long while, Bae Jua finally collapsed to the floor, thighs pressed tightly together, cheeks burning crimson. It was the same ecstatic expression he often saw when he gave Yeonhee massages. She was clearly experiencing a pleasure she had rarely—if ever—encountered before. With her shattered mental strength, battered body, and depleted mana all being restored at once, it was easy to imagine just how overwhelming the stimulation must feel.