Chapter 129: Bulgaram (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Bulgaram (5)
Ten days had passed since we began Bulgaram’s Trial.
Walking through the flames now felt much smoother.
The heat that had been unbearable when I was alone was no longer a major concern.
“Here!”
“Got it.”
We understood each other’s intentions perfectly with just single words.
A mere glance was enough.
It felt like we didn’t even need the compass anymore.
A vague certainty washed over me—if we went together, we could truly make it to the end.
Just as I had that thought, the flames parted, and a colossal gate materialized before us.
My vision cleared, opening up.
There were no more untamed flames.
Only pure, perfect flames now burned fiercely once more.
A steel floor, a massive furnace bubbling and boiling.
The entrance to a dark, deep smithy stood there.
I—no, we—stopped in our tracks.
Bulgaram, who had emerged from the flames holding a giant hammer, let out a hearty laugh.
“Did you enjoy the trial?”
“Not at all.”
“Yes!”
I gave a vague response, but Yoon Chae-ha, beside me, reacted with enthusiasm.
“Your child seems to have enjoyed it.”
Bulgaram’s deep, resonant voice echoed through the smithy.
“But why on earth is she my child?”
Yoon Chae-ha hesitated for a moment, then glanced my way.
A strange blush crept onto her cheeks.
“…You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Calling her a ‘child’ just felt a bit strange.
What did an unmarried bachelor like me have to do with a child?
“You worry about the strangest things. If you raise her with care, she’s your child. Is she mine?”
“Ah, right.”
I didn’t particularly want to argue.
I was just questioning his choice of words.
Bulgaram gestured grandly as he stepped into the smithy.
“Well now, it seems you’ve both properly grasped the meaning of solidarity…”
RUMBLE—!
A pillar of lava erupted from the center, soaring through the red sky.
“Enter. Into my workshop.”
With each step he took, his massive hammer struck the floor with a heavy thud, thud.
The vibrations traveled through the ground and deep into my bones.
From the ceiling, huge masses of molten metal sloshed as if about to pour down.
The entire smithy vibrated like a colossal volcano.
Lava erupted from all directions, forming the earth and sky, while the heat and divine power filling the space pierced my skin.
The scene unfolding before my eyes was so vast and wondrous it couldn't be taken in all at once.
This was no longer a human space.
Bulgaram.
Born in a human body.
This was the workshop of the great artisan who had challenged the god of iron and fire.
The gate slowly opened.
This was the moment we stepped into Bulgaram’s (不伽藍) Workshop (工房).
“Whoa…”
“Wow…”
Yoon Chae-ha and I stared blankly at the vast interior for a long while.
Every myth and legend in the world had become an artifact, displayed dazzlingly on every wall and every shelf.
I clenched and unclenched my fists a few times.
This was the workshop of Bulgaram, the blacksmith who had reached the realm of the gods. In other words, a Holy Land.
Even the Holy Lands that Arcadia had established within the Cult felt like mere toys compared to this place.
“You each get one choice,” Bulgaram’s voice boomed throughout the smithy.
It was a shame we could only pick one, but it couldn’t be helped.
This was the space of one who was already dead, and these armaments were artifacts crafted by a divine being himself.
A human was too weak to handle more than one.
The World’s Suppression Force would prevent it.
“That’s enough.”
But one was more than enough.
Bulgaram laughed heartily and gestured toward us.
“Choose whatever you desire. One each.”
Yoon Chae-ha and I cautiously approached the display cases.
Countless artifacts packed the walls.
Some burned like the sun, while others cast a gentle glow like the moon.
[Heracles' Club]
[Perseus' Shield]
[Hermes' Sandals]
Legendary artifacts whose names alone made my heart pound cluttered my vision.
“What… what should I pick?” Yoon Chae-ha asked me quietly from my side.
In truth, I had decided on my choice long ago.
But Yoon Chae-ha was different.
She had never even imagined she would come here.
Therefore, it seemed best to think it over and choose her item together.
“Want me to help you look?”
“Yeah.”
Yoon Chae-ha gave a short nod.
As we walked, examining the display cases one by one, a possibility suddenly crossed my mind.
Come to think of it, as the Seeker of Hunger, Yoon Chae-ha could absorb the essence of artifacts.
What if she could just suck out the core of the artifacts here?
The mere thought sent a chill down my spine.
I snuck a glance at Bulgaram and led Yoon Chae-ha toward a blind spot in the workshop.
However.
“If you’re asking whether it’s possible, it’s not.”
He spoke in a low voice without even looking in our direction.
“Tsk.”
It seemed he’d found us out.
If the master of this place said it was impossible, then it truly was.
I nodded meekly.
Steeling my resolve, I began to slowly walk among the artifacts.
Yoon Chae-ha darted around the displays, eventually bringing a strange artifact over and thrusting it at me.
“How about this one?”
[Artemis's Underwear]
“…Are you serious?”
Yoon Chae-ha tilted her head.
Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, a master archer. It would probably suit Sion better.
It didn’t suit Yoon Chae-ha at all.
After wandering for a while longer, one particularly powerful artifact caught my eye.
[Helios' Crown]
[Helios' crown, which will never melt, even near the sun.]
[Special Effect]
[Inferno]
[The flame of ruin that will devour all.]
Inferno.
It was the third Authority Yoon Chae-ha was originally supposed to have awakened instead of Seeker of Hunger.
Currently, it was impossible for her to have any additional awakenings.
This crown, however, was an exception.
She could use Inferno just by equipping it.
More importantly, unlike items that had to be equipped to be used, Yoon Chae-ha could absorb this one.
Yoon Chae-ha stopped in front of the crown. She seemed to like it, as she stared silently at the red coronet for a long time.
Flames flickered atop it as if they were alive.
I smiled faintly and said, “What do you think? Can you eat it?”
The question was a bit strange.
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes sparkled as she slowly nodded.
“Yeah. I think I can eat it.”
As if our choice was finally made, Bulgaram carefully took the crown from the display case.
“Chew it well.”
He even added a warm word of advice.
He was surprisingly kind.
Yoon Chae-ha accepted the crown, then flinched as the flames touched her fingertips.
“Ouch… hot.”
It was a bit too big to fit in her mouth in one go.
But her hesitation was brief.
Yoon Chae-ha began to nibble on the edge of the crown like a little hamster.
Crunch, crunch.
The sight of a mythical flame disappearing into her mouth.
It was a scene that would make Helios faint.
But to me, it was quite cute.
After a few minutes of chewing, the crown in her hands vanished without a trace.
Yoon Chae-ha gently rubbed her stomach as if she were full.
“Delicious…”
She murmured that one word, then her body slumped forward.
“Yoon Chae-ha?!”
Startled, I caught her in my arms.
But Yoon Chae-ha seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, her breathing soft and even.
“There is nothing to worry about.”
Bulgaram’s deep voice echoed through the workshop.
“This is the power of a divine treasure, one that touches the very origin of flame. If your child has absorbed it, it is only natural for a great change to follow. She simply needs time to adapt.”
I carefully placed a hand on Yoon Chae-ha’s forehead.
She’s burning up.
Worried that it might be taking a toll on her body, I asked Bulgaram cautiously, “There’s… no problem, right?”
Bulgaram nodded nonchalantly.
“If her vessel had been insufficient, she would have already burned to ashes on this very spot. The fact that she is like this now is proof that she is more than qualified.”
He then added, “Have patience and wait. She will open her eyes soon. That is… if the conversation goes well.”
I slowly let out the breath I had been holding in tension.
I felt a little relieved.
I slumped down beside her.
I wouldn’t have suggested it if I’d known she would collapse like this.
“You said she wasn’t your child, but you seem worried,” Bulgaram muttered, his voice tinged with amusement.
I gave a small smile.
I didn’t bother to reply.
I just hoped she would overcome this without any trouble.
*
Yoon Chae-ha opened her eyes.
The space before her was a luxurious, somewhat dark room.
Soft light trickled down the walls, and the floor was paved with gleaming marble.
Antiques and heavy, ancient tomes were placed here and there, and the air was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
The Magic Tower.
This was the reception room on the highest floor, a place she had visited once before.
The place where the master of the Magic Tower had personally invited her as a candidate to join its ranks.
And someone was sitting across the gleaming marble table.
The problem was, it wasn’t the master of the Magic Tower.
Orange—no, closer to tangerine-colored hair—brushed against her shoulders.
Elegant, softly shining eyes looked at Yoon Chae-ha with a gaze that seemed bored, yet held a deep affection.
“…Huh?”
Yoon Chae-ha knew instinctively.
The face was familiar yet strange. The skin, the eyes, everything seemed a little more mature.
But it was unmistakably a face she knew.
The moment her eyes met the orange ones, a part of her chest trembled as if she were looking in a mirror.
“Me…?”
It was Yoon Chae-ha. Herself.
An unbelievable reality.
The woman—no, the other Yoon Chae-ha—sitting at the desk opened her mouth.
“Hello. Would you like to sit?”
Yoon Chae-ha, the little Yoon Chae-ha, took a seat.
As soon as she sat down, the big Yoon Chae-ha reached out and gently stroked her cheek.
The touch was subtly warm. Strangely, she didn’t dislike it.
If anything, it felt somewhat comforting.
“Shall we talk for a bit?”
She wanted to talk, too.
As if drawn by the voice, little Yoon Chae-ha nodded.
“…Yes.”
“Good. Smart, just like me. Hmm… then I’ll get straight to the point.”
Big Yoon Chae-ha moved closer to little Yoon Chae-ha.
She leaned in close and asked in a whisper.
“——Do you love Mr. Mukgui?”
An unexpected question.
A part of her heart began to pound fiercely.
In that moment, Big Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes took on a slightly deeper shade of red than before.
