Chapter 455
Chapter 455
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 455
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kuuuuh...
Kang Seol's group followed Rajin's guidance to the deepest part of the crater.
They quickly reached the place where the Bisin had been sealed.
Just in case, the other spirits tried to follow along, but Rajin turned them all away. Just as Karen had taken Rajin's test without a shred of doubt, Rajin harbored no hostility toward Kang Seol's group.
Kugugugugu...
The site that had imprisoned the Bisin was now fully opened.
"Ugh... it reeks of rot."
"This is pretty bad..."
"There are corpses everywhere..."
Sindio and Gian shrank back as they looked around.
The area was piled high with the decayed corpses of the council grunts that Karen had seen before.
- .....
Fwoooosh...
Rajin's flames incinerated the poisonous fumes wafting from the corpses, the foul energy, and in the end, even the remaining bodies without leaving a trace.
Fwoosh!
Flames that left no smoke or ash behind.
The Guardian Spirit's power was extraordinary.
The scene, which had looked like a cursed wasteland, was instantly cleansed.
- We need to go a little further down.
Once the corpses were pushed aside, a spiral staircase leading to an even hotter place came into view.
"Isn't it hot?"
"If it's hotter than this, we'll cook..."
Seeing Gian and Sindio's worried reactions, Kang Seol asked,
"Is it safe?"
- It should be fine.
Nod...
Only then did the group start moving.
Karen, looking weary, followed Rajin and asked,
"Rajin."
- Yes.
"That Bisin guy looked dangerous... Is it really okay for Inggeol Flame to absorb it again?"
- The spirit called Bisin may be dangerous, but the power of corruption isn't. Dissolution is also a power tied to the origin of flame.
"Heh... I see."
They soon arrived at the crater's source, where sulfur flames flickered. Strangely, the heat hadn't intensified from before.
'No, more precisely, Rajin is blocking it.'
Kang Seol had prepared himself, but he could feel Rajin protecting them from the heat.
Here, Sindio's magic to block heat would shatter in an instant. The immense heat was palpable just beyond Rajin's protection.
- Karen, the broken sword Hongryeon...
"Yeah, here."
The hilt and the snapped blade that couldn't cut anything were handed to Rajin.
Rajin gathered Hongryeon with the black flames, the red flames, and the flickering Inggeol Flame.
Sizzle...
"Huh? Huh...?"
Hongryeon and Inggeol Flame slowly sank into the crater.
- Envision the form you want for the sword, Karen.
"The sword is just a sword..."
- Then envision the form you desire.
"The form I desire..."
Karen stared into space for a moment before replying.
"Yeah, got it."
Sizzzzz...
Inggeol Flame and Hongryeon were completely sucked into the crater, hilt and all.
"Is this... okay?"
- Spuno Volcano is on the verge of eruption. Twisting that heat and magma with the principle of creation makes it fine.
"I don't get what that means, but... if you say it's okay, I'll trust you."
- The sword will need time to be completed.
"Time? How much?"
- About half a month. Then Hongryeon can fully absorb Spuno Volcano's heat.
An unexpected situation.
The group all looked at Gian.
Flick...
Flick...
"W-What? Why are you looking at me?"
"Won't this mess up our schedule?"
"You're the one who knows best! We're all counting on you..."
Gian scratched his beard and replied.
"Yeah... probably, no, definitely fine. After all... we got what we wanted faster than expected."
With that, he politely extended both hands.
"We had a deal, right? First Spirit!"
- ...Indeed.
Sizzle...
From Rajin's flames emerged a fragment of an unusual shape.
Plop...
The fragment landed in Gian's hand.
Fwoom...
The pattern on the fragment glowed.
"It says 'Shard of Valor'?"
"You didn't even know the name?"
"The name was the only clear revelation. The rest was trivial info."
"And yet we found it so easily with this slipshod setup..."
"Right?"
With this, they had obtained the second fragment of the item Gian said was crucial to thwarting the council's plans.
Rajin looked at Kang Seol and said,
- In half a month, come to me. I have something to tell you.
Kang Seol pondered what it might be but pushed the needless thoughts aside and nodded.
He'd find out in half a month anyway.
* * *
"Those who bear Rajin's flames! Rest easy!"
"Entertain them grandly!"
Sindio waved his hands.
"Ah, no need for that much..."
Poke...
Gian poked Sindio in the side and said,
"When they insist like this, just say yes and take it."
"We didn't do anything!"
"We shared the burden of worry!"
"...Did we?"
Sindio was gradually coming around to Gian's way of thinking.
The Keshii tribe's chieftain introduced himself as Nahen.
"I am Nahen. I lead Keshii under Rajin's benevolence."
"Thank you for the welcome."
"Hahaha! I heard our scouts clashed with you sometimes... It couldn't be helped. No one could be trusted at the time."
"...We heard roughly."
The reason Keshii had been on high alert.
Kang Seol had initially thought it was due to the corruption spreading from the north. But after talking with some Keshii and Dekki tribe members, he noticed a slight discrepancy.
'They're overly suspicious of each other.'
There was no trust whatsoever between the three tribes.
"It ties into these unexplained raids too. Our scouts and small outposts have been attacked lately. The traces left behind point to one of the other two tribes for sure."
"...The Dekki said something similar."
"Those guys? Hm... I'll keep that in mind."
Surprisingly, both sides were in similar straits.
'Then... the Baldu?'
If not each other, the prime suspects for the raids were the Baldu who commanded wyverns. Kang Seol resolved to investigate later as he wrapped up his talk with Chieftain Nahen.
"Well then..."
"Ah, stay in the village as you wish. We'll provide some empty houses. Feel free to roam, but stick to the designated paths if leaving the village."
"Why is that?"
"The gekkos, practically lords of Spuno, are in breeding season. They swarm in packs, so it'd be hard to fight them off if attacked. Luckily, the paths are scented with something they hate, so you're safe."
"...I see. Thank you for the advice."
Spuno was home to gekko-like creatures resembling dinosaurs. They weren't monsters. Though they looked the part, they didn't approach humans unless provoked, and their droppings enriched Spuno's ecosystem.
The Keshii hunted them moderately for meat and training.
Anyway, three days after Kang Seol's group settled in the Keshii village per the chieftain's hospitality.
Gian uncovered part of the fragments' secret.
"This fragment, look here! Doesn't this part look suspicious?"
"What are you talking about?"
"See, if I put them together like this..."
Fwooo...
The patterns glowed, and the two fragments snapped together.
Crack...
The combined fragment changed shape.
"Oh! It worked! But the shape is weird?"
A fragment shaped like a U, like a horseshoe.
Maybe collecting the other two would make a circle.
"So this space is a hole? But why is there a hole?"
"I don't know either. I know the item's purpose, but not how to use it."
"Sigh... What was I expecting?"
"If I don't know, most council guys don't either. They're just puppets listening to the top dog's orders. But..."
Gian suddenly leaned in close to Sindio.
"Were you counting on me?"
Sindio blushed and shoved Gian away.
"G-Get that dirty face away!"
Overreacting, she drew a grumble from Gian.
"Dirty? My face is dirty? This face used to get me plenty of attention..."
"Anyway!"
Kang Seol, listening to their banter, said to Sindio,
"Sindio."
"Y-Yes?"
"Where's the expedition camped?"
"Word is, at the base of Spuno Volcano."
"Did you pass on the precautions?"
"Yes, of course. But isn't it about time for resupply...?"
"That's why—how about asking the Keshii for cooperation?"
"Ah! That'll work! Great idea!"
Since they'd been invited by Rajin, the Keshii would cooperate with supplies if fairly compensated.
"Heh... You act all annoyed, but you're steadily looking after the expedition."
"Me?"
"Among the adults I know, this guy's the kindest. He just pretends to be cold."
Kang Seol frowned at Gian and said,
"Everyone came to this wasteland because of you."
"Eek! Afraid I'll run? Hey, Sindio. Tell the Silver Lion Society I'm not going anywhere, so they should pull the expedition back."
"Will you say that after the rope marks on your neck heal?"
"Heh heh... Still there?"
"Seriously... By the way, what was that Keshii kid saying earlier? Something about 'meteor human'?"
Earlier that day, a Keshii child had pointed at Kang Seol and called him a meteor human. When asked what that meant, the parents hurriedly scooped up the child and fled.
Similar incidents had happened sporadically over the three days.
"No idea. Might have to ask Rajin."
And so, half a month passed without incident.
What trouble could brew inside the village? Kang Seol had let his guard down and was enjoying the rare rest when the problem erupted from outside.
Piuuuuung-!
In the dead of night, the sudden fireworks startled the Keshii and Kang Seol's group into leaping out.
"W-What's that?"
"Those flames..."
"It's a distress signal!"
"Distress signal?"
"We gave it to the expedition for emergencies..."
"We have to save them? Those guys?"
"No, we told them to use it only in emergencies... Something must've gone wrong!"
Kang Seol pondered briefly.
Help or not?
The dilemma didn't last long.
'Should be fine.'
As long as it didn't interfere with their expedition's goal, extending a hand made sense. They might need small favors from them later.
Especially now, with nothing but waiting in the village.
'Time to loosen up anyway.'
Kang Seol nodded and said,
"I'll go."
"W-What? Alone?"
"Alone is fastest."
Kang Seol ran faster than a horse.
Especially in rugged mountains like these.
"If it's an attack, shouldn't we all go...?"
"If they had time to fire fireworks, I can handle it solo."
"...Ah!"
Karen was recovering from her fight with Bisin, and Karuna had to stay with the group for any contingencies, so Kang Seol headed down alone.
Fwoooosh-!
The volcanic terrain offered clear sightlines, revealing the situation.
Kang Seol raced down like an arrow and could guess why the expedition had fired the signal.
Kiiiiik-!
'...Gekkos.'
Over a dozen gekkos, far larger than elephants, were heading toward the expedition.
And already a dozen more fallen gekkos.
'The expedition held out this long?'
They'd already taken down that many? Was the expedition not to be underestimated?
'No, no.'
Kang Seol eyed the woman at the expedition's front line.
Bang-!
Baaaang-!
She smashed a gekko's head with her palm, sending it crashing down, eyes unfocused.
'...She's strong.'
The expedition shouted,
"Front line, hold formation!"
"Don't break! Provide support!"
No bodies from the expedition amid the fierce battle. Kang Seol instantly saw she was leading brilliantly.
Fwooooosh-!
Kang Seol didn't just watch—he joined in.
"Reinforcements! We're here!"
"It's the investigator!"
The expeditioners, thinking Kang Seol still held investigator status, shouted.
Pew-!
Peeeew-!
Kang Seol severed the gekkos' neck arteries with flying needles in an instant.
Kiiiik...
Thud!
With him there, the situation wrapped up quickly.
"Huff... huff..."
"Haaa..."
The expedition had splendidly escaped danger.
After getting the rundown from the expedition leader, Kang Seol learned what happened.
A gale last night had snapped the scent pouches meant to repel gekkos, causing the mess.
The Keshii would fix it quickly once informed.
'Alright then...'
One mystery solved—now for the next.
"...Who is she?"
"Ah! Well... we don't know either."
"What?"
"We don't know. She just showed up and joined... We thought she was with you, Investigator."
Kang Seol eyed the woman suspiciously.
She approached with a bright smile.
Up close, her beauty was almost radiant.
"Hi!"
"...Who are you?"
"A wanderer traveling with the wind and clouds, training along the way... something like that."
Kang Seol and the expeditioners' faces twisted.
Her speech and personality clashed wildly with her looks.
The expedition leader bowed deeply.
"Thank you for the rescue."
"No, no... It's all good! We help each other, right?"
"Y-Yeah, but..."
Kang Seol didn't sense any aggression or danger from her.
Just one thing: he couldn't gauge her strength, putting him on guard.
"...Kang Seol."
He gave his name to learn hers.
Her expression turned subtle upon hearing it.
She rolled the name "Kang Seol" in her mouth, savoring each syllable, then extended her hand.
"Call me... Konji?"
Kang Seol shook it while deliberately activating Insight.
[Attempting Advanced Insight on the opponent.]
[No reaction.]