Chapter 100

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 100

Chapter Title: Ember of Unparalleled Flame

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hawmun was the first to react to Kang Seol's words.

"May I take a look?"

"Of course."

Karen placed the Fire Serpent on a suitable spot, as it was somewhat heavy.

Hawmun marveled once at the Fire Serpent's unusual appearance, then again at the materials composing it.

"It's definitely a Fire Spirit Stone. The power seems condensed in a... remarkably unique way. This will be quite educational for me."

"Then..."

He said, stroking the Fire Serpent.

"I'll craft a weapon for you, Lady Karen."

"How long will it take?"

"Assuming my tools are in place, about a fortnight."

"A fortnight... Understood."

There were still over twenty days until the next adventure, so that was plenty of time.

With business concluded, Karen stepped out of Hawmun's forge and yawned.

"Yawn... So, that's roughly settled? What's next?"

"We need to decide our next destination."

In truth, Kang Seol had come to Nobira precisely for that reason.

To choose the next adventure.

'Chao... Is she still around?'

Chao had promised guidance in exchange for a sleeping potion within three months. Kang Seol had accepted and successfully completed the task.

But while he was en route to Nobira, the place had already been raided and left in ruins, throwing everything off course.

Chao might have been caught in the chaos.

'Chao was Gregory's disciple. Is that connection gone just like that?'

Gregory was one of the top three Shadow Summoners of his era. Infamous for his cruelty and eccentricity, but his skills were so supreme no one could challenge him.

Even most of his disciples were renowned experts.

'Chao's a name I've never heard before...'

No matter how well-informed Kang Seol was, he hadn't lived with Gregory, so he didn't know the exact number or prowess of his disciples.

Moreover, Chao had never been mentioned in Pandea, piquing his curiosity further.

'That presence was real... And whether she's Gregory's disciple or not isn't the point right now.'

Finding her or not—that was the only pressing issue.

"So that's why we're back here?"

"A familiar spot, Master."

"Huh? It's holding up better than expected?"

The place they arrived at was the mansion Kang Seol had frequented to meet Chao.

'Being on the outskirts must have spared it from the fires.'

The mansion stood silently, preserving its original form. It had once felt eerie compared to other buildings, but now, with everything else burned and crumbled, it almost looked pristine.

Kang Seol's group attempted to enter the mansion.

Clank—

Clank, clank—

Chao must have fixed the door in the meantime; it was properly back in place.

"Break it again..."

"No, Karen."

Karuna frowned and stopped her.

Karen pouted and trailed sulkily behind him.

The group hopped over the window carefree.

Swish...

The mansion's interior was unchanged.

The lobby felt even colder, with more dust accumulated than before.

They headed straight to what had been Chao's study.

Creeeak...

"Sigh..."

"Same as always?"

"Nothing here."

The anticlimactic turn left Kang Seol and his companions disappointed.

They had hoped for some message on the walls, but it was exactly as before.

'Time to give up.'

Meeting Chao again had been too much to hope for.

Having missed the deadline by so long, this was inevitable.

"Master."

"Yeah."

"Didn't that woman leave some instructions?"

"Right, she did..."

Chao's words to Kang Seol.

She had told him to tie a white cloth to the mansion's front gate pillar upon returning to Nobira.

"Should we... wait a bit longer?"

That day, Kang Seol tied a white cloth to the front gate pillar.

Midnight passed, but Chao didn't appear.

From then on, the group checked the mansion every midnight, hoping she might show.

"Maybe she was just messing with us, Master?"

As Karen said, with no changes, Kang Seol gradually lost hope.

Life in Nobira during the wait wasn't bad.

Though much had burned, even more had been rebuilt atop the ruins.

Pre-migrators occasionally appeared in the city.

"Hey, isn't it basically a ghost town now?"

"What is?"

"Ruins hunting. All the usual guys who hogged it are gone, so it's wide open, right? We jump in and take it all like they did?"

"Kid, first time in Nobira?"

"Yeah. Why?"

The man boasting his brilliant idea loud enough for Kang Seol to hear fell silent at the response.

"Ruins hunting isn't a solo gig. You need archaeologists, laborers, hunters—packed twenty deep just to scrape by. That's why pre-migrators followed hunters like ducklings when they first came."

"I'll cover ten shares, you do the other ten?"

"You can't even eat ten portions of rice."

"Hmm... So maybe it's better if the ruins hunters come back?"

"If any survived. Word is some parties fled to Kongori."

"Oh, heard Kibo survived?"

"Yeah. That's drawing some pre-migrators back."

"What's Kibo got to do with it? Why care?"

"If Kibo returns, the parties will too. Then snag adventures from the scraps?"

News of Kibo losing both legs hadn't spread yet.

Kang Seol left the restaurant after overhearing that much.

"Master! See that earlier?"

"What?"

"That bakery! It's open again!"

"...We'll grab some bread on the way back."

Karen nodded eagerly like a child.

A fortnight.

While staying in Nobira, Kang Seol inspected his gear and took two actions.

One: Planning alternative adventures in case Chao didn't appear.

The other: Waiting for her at the mansion.

Even after the fortnight, she didn't come.

"Let's call it quits. It's a shame we went all the way to Mist Village for her, but we solved a problem there anyway."

Karen patted Kang Seol's shoulder.

Today, they headed to Hawmun to check on the requested item.

Hawmun had notified Kang Seol it was complete, lifting his spirits amid disappointment over Chao.

"You've arrived."

"Hawmun."

"The sword is finished."

Behind Hawmun.

A single crimson sword rested on the display rack.

Even at a glance, Kang Seol sensed the extraordinary aura emanating from it.

This feeling.

He'd felt it recently.

When he first saw his current cloak, the Fire Monkey.

'No way?'

Karen approached the crimson sword slowly, as if entranced.

She lifted the sheathed blade.

"...Beautiful."

"It wasn't an ordinary spirit stone. I doubt it originated from this world."

Clank—!

Shing—

With a clear ring, the sword emerged.

Its slender blade and simplified hilt belied a fiercer intensity.

'Hot.'

Just looking at it toward Karen generated heat.

Despite the cool air chilling his body.

Karen seemed enamored, staring blankly for a long while before sheathing it.

Clank—

She handed it to Kang Seol.

Kang Seol examined Ember's unique abilities.

First unique: Force Breakthrough.

On block, deals 50% of original damage.

'Even on perfect defense, half damage goes through?'

Normal defenses reduced 90%+ damage. Now Karen pierced defenses.

Second unique: Single Point Breakthrough.

Consecutive follow-ups increase damage by 10%, stacking if unbroken. Max 10 stacks.

The other options were perfect for Karen too. Kang Seol looked at Hawmun in astonishment.

"A fine sword. Cherish it."

"...Thank you. The reward..."

"You already paid by coming to Yog'natun to save me."

Hawmun handed over the sword and retreated, staggering from an all-nighter.

Karen eyed the sword in Kang Seol's hand with sparkling eyes.

"Want me to hold that sword?"

Kang Seol chuckled and handed her the sword.

"Heehee... Thanks. I'll do great from now on. Tell me, who's bullying you? Him?"

"I get you're excited, but calm down a bit."

Karen, who had playfully menaced Jamad in the Shadow Space, grinned sheepishly.

She looked genuinely thrilled.

Thus, Kang Seol now had four Unparalleled items.

He hadn't expected to collect them so quickly and had overlooked it.

'One more Unparalleled and...'

Kang Seol remembered what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happened at five.

That night, Kang Seol made one final wait for Chao around midnight.

"She's not coming..."

"Give up."

"Yeah, this is it."

His fateful encounter with the enigmatic Chao ended here.

Kang Seol decided to let go.

'I've got backup adventure plans anyway.'

Finding a new enlightenment mentor irked him, but it was unavoidable.

Rarely did enlightenment hit right after level 10. Sometimes not until past 18.

'And I'm nearly at that 18 now.'

Kang Seol was level 15.

Delaying enlightenment further was risky.

But what could he do?

Things didn't always go as planned.

Soon, options appeared.

Chao's contingency for Kang Seol. He opted for the last resort.

"Karen, burn this place."

"Oh, that woman's words? You trust that?"

"Dunno, but it's the only option left."

"Alright, step out."

Whoosh—!

Roooar...

Flames engulfed the study as Karen thrust her hands forward.

Crackle...

Pop...

Regret and lingering hopes burned away.

Or so he thought.

Swish...

The walls instantly absorbed Karen's heat.

"Huh?"

"What..."

"Not burning?"

"Lemme try again!"

Roooar...

Swish...

"Argh! Pissing me off! More power."

Kwaaaaa...

Massive flames threatened to reduce the room to ash.

But they seeped into the walls again.

Swish...

This time, letters began engraving on the heat-soaked wall.

Kang Seol's eyes widened at the bizarre sight. He read the first line etched there.

"I... am still alive. Come... find me?"

At that moment, a notification appeared.