The Primordial Rift
"So, we just walk in?"
"Yeah. You've been living under a rock."
Backho had hesitated once in front of the rift.
"...I don't get it. Am I not allowed in the Demon Realm because I was a male virgin?"
"It's the opposite. Because you've been a virgin until now, I was able to take your cherry without a second thought, and because of that..."
"Wha—?!"
Every time she heard that kind of talk, Baeksoyoung reacted the same way—flustered.
Because of that childish side of hers, sometimes he slipped into informal speech when talking to her.
-WOOOONG.
"Let's go, Soyoung!"
"Tch... wait!"
Harin grabbed Baeksoyoung's wrist and headed toward the rift.
"We're going too."
"Yes, Master."
I and Yeoryeong also stepped one by one through the rift.
The moment my vision cleared, a scorching heat slammed into my lungs. There was no other way to describe it—a colossal blast furnace interior.
Every direction was a wall of pitch-black steel, and across the floor, rivers of molten lava flowed, spewing ominous light. The air vibrated with the acrid stench of burning iron and sulfur.
-KUUUUUUNG...!!
-KAAANG!!
Along with a deep, muffled vibration like a giant's heartbeat, something massive was hammering metal in the distance at regular intervals.
The heat made even my vision shimmer like a mirage.
"...Hah. I can't believe we just walked through that."
Baeksoyoung said hollowly. She didn't even wipe the sweat on her forehead as she looked around in disbelief.
"Hehe, I told you so. Once you've been inside Hwanhyeon-nim, nothing can push you back, right?"
Even in this murderous heat, Harin was chatting with Baeksoyoung in her usual playful tone.
"You... you always talk like that...! Aren't you embarrassed?"
The two of them kept up their idle chatter even after entering the Demon Realm.
"There are mooks this time, unlike last time."
"They're B-rank... Master, want to take care of them yourself?"
"Sure, why not."
B-rank was definitely worth trying. Training alone was steadily boosting his growth, and it was pure profit.
-KUNG. KUHONG. KUNG.
Something the size of a large SUV, heavy-bodied, walked toward us.
I drew my sword from the scabbard in my hand.
-SSAAAH!!
"Oh... the feel is completely different."
"Hmph. How much do you actually know about swords?"
"No, why do you always have to say things like that?"
Baeksoyoung interrupted with a stiff expression.
"I respect you as a leader, and in your absence I will show you proper reverence. But I cannot yield on matters of the sword."
"...Do whatever you want."
-TAK TAK TAK TAK!!
I moved my feet. The golems had shining jewels in their nostrils that said 'Hit me,' so I decided to aim for those first.
-WOOOONG.
I moved the energy inside my body and flowed it through the sword.
Previously, there had been a slight energy loss when transferring from hand to blade, but now it flowed through seamlessly, as if the sword and I were one body.
-GGGURU!!!
It was a fine sword, so I could've just sliced through it, but you can't just randomly hack at a lump of stone like that.
-SEEEEAAAH!!
So I wrapped several times more energy around the sword than usual and hurled it at the golem swarm.
I hadn't realized it until then.
No matter how B-rank the Hwanguk Sword Method was, the destructive power varied wildly depending on the sword.
-KRAKAKAKAKA!!!
"...Huh?"
The instant the tip of my sword hit the lead golem's head, a massive vortex of energy surged in the direction I'd swung.
-?!
The lead golem didn't even scream.
Starting from the head that took the direct hit of Wall Thunder, the heavy steel body was crushed flat and disassembled.
But the attack didn't end there.
Following the trajectory of my sword, the vortex of destruction moved in a straight line, sweeping up the entire B-rank golem swarm behind it.
-KWADDDDDD!! KWAAAANG!!
B-rank.
Something I wouldn't have been able to face half a year ago couldn't even resist.
The tough golems that wouldn't melt from the furnace heat were crumpled and exploded like matchsticks.
-KWAAAAAAAANG!!
Finally, after the storm consumed everything in its path and even carved into the steel walls on the other side, I took in the scene.
The wall collapsed inward, and rivers of molten metal poured down like a waterfall.
"..."
The clang of the forge that had been echoing "KAAANG!" since earlier fell silent, and a heavy stillness settled in.
In front of me... there was nothing left.
Where the golems had been, only melted iron, scorch marks, and a massive wound carved into the floor remained.
"...What the hell was that."
I stared blankly down at the sword, which was still humming "WOOO-" in my hand.
B-rank Wall Thunder with an S-rank artifact sword—was this the insane destructive power that came out of that?
"You've improved a lot."
"Ah... um..."
Only then did I turn my gaze to the three people who'd been watching from behind me.
"Leader?"
"What?"
"How about me?"
I decided to puff up my chest a little in front of Baeksoyoung.
"Looking at it this way, the problem is obvious. In the process of condensing your energy, carelessness is more prominent than brutality, and in the release process, unnecessary waste is far greater than it should be..."
"No, I was just asking for a compliment! You're insane—my womb was trembling watching that... I mean, there are expressions like that, right?"
"Disgusting! Don't make me get used to such obscene talk!"
"Tch. Lose the cutesy act. Anyway, staying a virgin until that age..."
""...""
Even though the words were directed at Baeksoyoung, the gazes from either side of her were too intense.
"...Cancel that."
"Hwanhyeon-nim. Please don't bring up age."
"I didn't say anything about age."
"Then it must be that."
Let's not think about age.
I still want to live peacefully.
-PING...!
Suddenly dizziness swept over me. It seemed like the feedback about energy waste earlier was because I'd been burning spiritual energy so uselessly.
"Harin, can you replenish my spiritual energy..."
"...Yes."
-DOFYYUUUT!!!
In an instant, Harin's nipples swelled and milk burst out from the tips.
"Hauup!!"
-CHYURIRURIRU!!
I drank it right away.
"Heh... Age is just a simple number. You understand, right?"
-NOD NOD!!
Yeah, that's right.
The feeling that I'd definitely touched something I absolutely shouldn't have was hitting me hard.
"...Harin, are you pregnant?"
"No? Milk comes out naturally for me."
"Did it?"
-CHUUP CHUUP!
"That's right. Eat all that up, and your dick grows nice and thick. You get it, right?"
"Puuh! Ku-llak! Ku-llak!!"
Harin-ah, what the hell kind of sounds are those.
I didn't want to think about age anyway.
When I'd almost fully recovered my spiritual energy from all that sucking...
-KUUUUUUUUUUNG...!!
A massive vibration, incomparable to before, started shaking the entire floor we were standing on.
"...!"
-KUNG...!! KUNG...!! KUNG...!!
"Looks like we've grabbed its attention."
In the distance, beyond the river of lava, a silhouette larger than the heat haze slowly turned its head toward us.
=SIBAAL!!! Which son of a bitch broke my forge!!!=
-PFUH!
I'd been burying my face in Harin's chest, and the ear-splitting roar made my hair stand on end, so I jerked my head up.
"Wuuup... Ku-llak! Your voice is way too deep."
-KUNG! KUNG! KUNG!
In the distance, in the heat haze that had been shimmering, a massive silhouette finally revealed itself.
A steel giant at least fifty meters tall.
Its entire body was layered with pitch-black pig iron, and at its chest center, a colossal blast furnace far larger than the B-rank golems was spewing red light.
-SHUUU... PFUUU...!
From its shoulders and back, massive pipes exhaled scorching hot gusts of wind with each rough breath.
"That's the real body... an S-rank entity. Completely different from those trash earlier."
Baeksoyoung gripped her sword.
"Master, be careful. That heat alone deals considerable damage just from approaching."
As Yeoryeong-nim said, the sword in my hand was already burning hot.
The creature raised its massive pincers and pointed them at us.
=Is it you brats!! The ones who turned my precious golems into scrap!!=
"Precious? Those tin cans from earlier?"
When I asked incredulously, the blast furnace in its chest flared violently.
=You dare!! I'll stomp you into ore!!=
-KAAAAAANG!!!
With its roar, the giant lifted a massive hammer over its shoulder. Instantly, coils wrapped around the hammer head began to glow white-hot.
"It's coming!"
-BUWOOOONG!!!
Before the hammer could slam down, we retreated immediately.
-KWAAAAAANG!!
"...!"
Where the hammer landed, the lava exploded outward, and a powerful shockwave spread in all directions.
We avoided the direct hit, but the shock of the trembling ground made me sway for a moment.
=Don't run!! Stand still and take it like a good boy!!=
The creature laughed at us as it reset its stance.
The sound of air being violently sucked into its shoulder intake ports echoed.
-SHUUUU...!!
"This time it's—!"
=UHHAHAHAHA!!! Come, feast on iron dust!!=
From the shoulder gantry nozzle, silvery-gray powder was sprayed in a fan shape toward us.
"Harin!"
"Yes!"
-PAAAAT!
Harin immediately stepped forward, unfurling a curtain of black cold energy. It was Xuanwu's energy.
=Burn them!!=
-HURRRURRRU!!!
The creature ignited a massive flame at the powder outlet.
The silvery-gray powder exploded into flames, becoming a colossal thermal storm that crashed down on us.
-CHIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!
Harin's cold energy curtain clashed with the creature's thermal storm, producing an enormous amount of steam. The mist billowed up and obscured our vision, but it seemed we'd taken no damage.
"Haah... I blocked it."
"Thanks, Harin."
Since we'd deflected the creature's attack, it was now our turn.
"They say it's S-rank, but it's nothing special. I'll just finish it."
"...?"
Baeksoyoung was already flying toward it alone.