The Rift's True Face

The Great Rift earned its name for a reason—its interior was vast beyond comprehension. Though every corner teemed with lethal dangers that made exploration nearly impossible, even after decades of effort, humanity still could not grasp its full scale.

Its sheer size meant multiple entrances rather than one, and every visible gateway had been claimed and managed by the three nations of Korea, China, and Japan. Naturally, each entrance was ringed with several forward-base fortresses built for pioneering the Rift’s depths.

These fortresses were not designed to fight other humans, so while they resembled castles, their form served a very different purpose.

The core of their defense lay in layered obstacles—barbed wire fields, spike-filled moats, and similar traps. Beneath them ran narrow underground tunnels for the defending hunters to retreat through, along with multiple mechanisms to seal those passages in an emergency.

Korea was responsible for two major entrances into the Great Rift: one in the northeast of South Hwanghae Province and another in the east of North Hwanghae Province. The one currently under threat from an active wave was the Third Forward-Base Fortress inside the North Hwanghae Rift.

“Support here!”

“Damn it, where’s the healer?!”

“Retreat? Are we retreating or not?!”

The defensive line of the forward-base fortress was utter chaos. All manner of supernatural abilities streaked through the air amid flashes and explosions, while the roars and screams of monsters formed a constant, hellish backdrop.

The wide barbed-wire zones had long since been buried under monster corpses or torn apart, rendering them useless. The spike-filled moats between them fared no better.

The hunters fighting from the high walls, taking advantage of their elevated position, saw their morale plummeting under the ever-intensifying wave.

The monsters pouring in came in many varieties, but one species dominated the assault. They resembled wild dogs, yet their four legs had far too many joints, allowing them to move with unnatural, ever-changing agility. Their tails could fire spines, and every toe was fully developed with powerful claws that let them scale cliffs or climb trees with ease. From a defender’s perspective, the sight of these creatures driving their claws into the walls and swarming upward was incredibly threatening.

The hunters had to block or dodge the incoming spines while simultaneously knocking the climbers off the walls. On top of that, they still needed to deal with the main horde surging behind them—and occasionally the even larger, more powerful monsters mixed into the fray.

Every hunter was fighting desperately, yet they could all feel the situation growing worse by the second.

Where were the S-rank leader and vice-leader at a time like this? Of course both were surely doing their best in their respective roles, but the defenders were starting to crave their direct intervention. Or at least a retreat order.

Just as the tide seemed ready to break—

“Huh?”

One hunter sensed a strange mana ripple and looked up at the sky.

And there he saw it.

A figure hovered in midair, wrapped in a faint, pale-green shimmering wind. From his outstretched hand, three tiny sparks of flame drifted downward.

The moment those sparks left his palm, they swelled at terrifying speed—growing large enough to swallow entire trucks—then streaked across the battlefield along separate trajectories.

“Uwaaaah—!”

“Huk—!”

Shocked cries erupted from hunters everywhere. It wasn’t just the blinding light radiating from the flaming birds. Even from a considerable distance, the horrifying heat nearly scorched their skin.

What amounted to little more than discomfort for the hunters became absolute catastrophe for the monsters.

WHOOOSH—!!

One flaming bird swept past the fortress wall at a slight distance. Every monster that had been viciously climbing with hooked claws let out tearing screams and fell away.

Some burned openly; most had their muscles and organs cooked through, steam rising in thick plumes as they plummeted. For a brief moment the battlefield fell strangely quiet, replaced by the unmistakable smell of roasting meat.

While one flaming bird handled the wall, the remaining two incinerated the monsters still surging toward the fortress, turning them into piles of ash.

Wings flapping violently, they left behind storms of flame that boiled the very air. Most of the monsters beneath them were not merely burned—they were charred black and crumbled into soot.

One of the flaming birds suddenly veered toward a particularly massive monster that looked like a gorilla and bear fused together. The beast panicked at the sight of the incoming firebird and immediately tried to flee, but it was overtaken in an instant.

The moment the flaming bird collided with—and seemed to embrace—the monster, it paused.

BOOOOOOM—!!!

A blinding flash that seemed to darken the world erupted, followed by a terrifying explosion. A fiery cloud rose like a roaring giant, shaking the earth. The heat spread rapidly, forcing every nearby monster to scream in agony.

“Oh my God…”

A hunter who had been fighting fiercely on the wall muttered without thinking. Many others forgot the battle entirely, standing slack-jawed at the spectacle.

The monsters that had been charging like rabid beasts were now fleeing in every direction. No one could understand what had suddenly filled them with such terror.

A power on a completely different level.

Violence from another dimension.

Every hunter was frozen in shock—whether from fear or awe, they could not tell. At the same time, an overwhelming sense of relief flooded them knowing that immense power was on their side. The corresponding joy rose in equal measure.

How could anyone not feel ecstasy watching the creatures they had been fighting to the death moments ago burn like ants and die in droves?

The desperate siege between humans and monsters had flipped in an instant. It was no longer a hunter chasing prey—it was an exterminator casually swatting away annoying insects.

“Snap out of it! Finish off the rest and prepare for the next wave!”

A few battle commanders with strong wills shouted, rousing the others.

Meanwhile, Han Yujin remained floating in the air, using his spiritual eyes to track every fleeing monster one by one.

He adjusted the spell formula. The two remaining flame spirits split into eight or nine smaller ones and flew off in different directions. Seconds later, explosions bloomed across the battlefield, each one tearing apart at least three or four monsters.

Such precise control was well within the capabilities of a Dharma Soul stage practitioner.

But there were still many left.

‘My karma…’

He had expended a bit more than half his power in one go and felt slightly strained, yet roughly half his strength remained. It was nowhere near enough to force him to withdraw and rest. Having reached Dharma Soul through Perfect Foundation Establishment, his recovery rate was especially excellent.

Measuring his remaining ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dharma power, he began a proper pursuit.

For the Dragon Heart.

For the heavenly treasures within the Ohaeng Sect ruins.

For the Ohaeng Spirit Stone and the Banner of Heavenly Command.

And for every other form of growth that would follow.

He could not possibly abandon those tempting clumps of karma visible to his eyes.

The spiritual energy density inside the Great Rift was about thirty percent of the Primordial Forest.

Calling it “only” thirty percent would be misleading. Since Earth’s baseline was already low, thirty percent of the Primordial Forest’s concentration was still quite rich. Thanks to that, Han Yujin recovered from dharma power exhaustion quickly and was able to continue the chase and battle for a very long time.

Only after burning and killing several hundred monsters over more than half a day did he finally return to the Third Forward-Base Fortress.

Day and night seemed to cycle inside this Rift much like on Earth; the sky was already beginning to darken.

When the hunters spotted him flying in, many instinctively raised their guard, but no mistaken attacks were launched.

No one here was reckless enough to open fire without an observation-type ability user confirming he was hostile. Besides, Han Yujin had not approached in a particularly threatening manner.

The moment he landed on the wall, the surrounding hunters’ gazes pierced him like arrows. Though none were overt, every look carried profound respect.

Without anyone needing to say it, he understood.

‘Ah. So this is it.’

Han Yujin felt an entirely different impression from the one he had received at the outdoor ability training ground, and he was deeply satisfied.

People had paid attention to him there too, but the atmosphere now was completely different in every way.

“Do you know where Park Seryong is?”

He asked the male hunter standing closest to him.

He had parted ways with his guide earlier while rushing around to provide support, so he had no choice but to ask. The timing turned out to be perfect.

“He’s in the command center over there. I’ll escort you!”

The man answered with a crisp, almost military tone and led Han Yujin away.

They arrived at the second floor of the central building. The interior was quite spacious, maps hung on the walls, and many people were bustling about.

But the instant he entered—

Everyone froze mid-action, turned toward him, and bowed with the clear attitude of greeting a superior. Even though he had secretly been enjoying the atmosphere, the reaction still caught him slightly off guard.

“Hubae-nim, thanks to you we overcame the crisis with almost no casualties.”

When Park Seryong spoke with such formal respect, everyone glanced back and forth between them in open surprise.

“Please, sit. You must be tired, but there’s a lot you need to know right away.”

Park Seryong even offered his own seat at the head of the table. The shock on the others’ faces became unmistakable. It seemed he rarely—if ever—showed such deference.

Perhaps the only exception was the older S-rank hunter Choi Kangbaek.

‘He’s probably not here, is he?’

Considering the importance of S-ranks and the gravity of the situation, he was likely stationed elsewhere, preparing for any contingency.

With that thought, Han Yujin listened as Park Seryong quickly briefed him on how they had defended against this wave and what the current situation was.

“Hold on. I still don’t know much about the composition or deployment of the pioneering team here.”

“Ah, that’s…”

Park Seryong began explaining at Han Yujin’s interruption.

The explanation was anything but simple—it was extremely complex.

Roughly 2,300 personnel were divided into combat, exploration, mining, support, and special duty squads. Each squad was further split into combat teams, reconnaissance teams, support teams, intelligence teams, escort teams, logistics teams, construction teams, and so on.

Each category had anywhere from six to eighteen numbered units, and because they operated on two rotating shifts with two-to-three-month duty cycles that also included leave rotations, the system could not possibly be straightforward.

‘Wow.’

Even with the intelligence of a Dharma Soul stage practitioner allowing him to memorize it all at once, Han Yujin inwardly shook his head. Park Seryong himself did not seem to expect anyone to fully grasp it in one sitting.

If he started explaining how each unit and team carried out their missions, it would require several days of lectures.

Nevertheless.

After hearing it once and returning to the main topic, Han Yujin roughly understood the situation.

“So we’ve put out the immediate fire, but starting tomorrow we’ll need to begin a full-scale purge from here. Otherwise a second or third wave might occur.”

“Exactly.”

“Furthermore, the longer our cleanup of the Level 7 mana stone open-pit mine is delayed, the more strongly China and Japan will assert ownership claims.”

“Precisely.”

Park Seryong kept nodding as Han Yujin pointed at the map.

“Understood.”

Han Yujin nodded, having grasped everything. Then he suddenly felt Park Seryong’s gaze shift toward Mu-yong, whom he had been carrying in his arms the entire time.

“That… is it a pet?”

“Yes.”

“…And you’ve been fighting while carrying it like that?”

“Yes.”

Park Seryong had pointed out what everyone else had been politely ignoring. Han Yujin answered confidently, as if there were no issue at all.

Jjik—!

Mu-yong’s squeak rang through the suddenly quiet command center.

Seeing Park Seryong momentarily at a loss for words, Han Yujin nearly laughed. He spoke again.

“Then, since we need to prepare for tomorrow, I’d like to rest. Is there lodging available?”

“Ah, I’ll guide you right away.”

“A single room would be best. And I’d prefer not to be disturbed until tomorrow morning.”

“No problem. You provided tremendous help today, so we will ensure you are not disturbed under any circumstances. In fact, why don’t you head to the rear First Forward-Base? It’s much safer there.”

Having no reason to refuse, Han Yujin simply nodded.

First Forward-Base, North Hwanghae entrance of the Great Rift.

In a high-class single-person room located in an underground section of the fortress, Han Yujin settled in simply. Thanks to the sunset glow and purification techniques, there was no unnecessary clutter.

However, no matter how luxurious the room was meant to be for high-ranking personnel, it was still a fortress built for safety; it was neither particularly spacious nor comfortable. Mu-yong clearly disliked the atmosphere.

He soothed her with spiritual wine, then—feeling playful—teased her a little, soothed her again, and wasted more time than necessary on the useless little creature before finally lying down on the bed.

Considering that a Dharma Soul stage practitioner had no need for sleep, he was naturally about to activate his awakening ability.

A short while later.

He opened his eyes in a dark, empty space.

After completing all preparations, he stood before the ever-changing door and pondered two choices. In the end, he decided to test the idea he had been considering.

‘I want to see the appearance of the greatest and most powerful dragon that possesses the type of Dragon Heart I desire, and that I am capable of encountering.’

Recalling the various detailed elements based on that thought, he slowly reached out.

With a cold sensation, the door’s shape successfully stabilized.

It was a door made primarily of pure white ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stone, adorned with glass jewels and other decorations. It gave off a very ornate impression, and the patterns engraved on it glowed with a soft light.

The silver characters floating above it read: Valhalladraks Pangaea of the Dragons Who Rule.

‘Dragons Who Rule…’

It sounded quite grandiose and unmistakably fantastical. Heart beating with unexpected excitement, he boldly opened the door and stepped forward.

The moment his foot touched the other world, he sensed extreme commotion all around him.

He confirmed that the door he had come through had vanished behind him, then looked around. He stood atop the white, massive walls of an enormous castle. The city inside was so vast he could not take it all in at once.

The white rock forming the walls appeared to be carved from single pieces; no seams were visible, and they seemed to emit a faint glow. At regular intervals, tall spires rose, their tops radiating light like stars.

People clearly dressed as mages in robes were busily working around those spires. There were also countless knights and soldiers wearing platinum armor and carrying swords.

Han Yujin’s own attire was that of a mage among them—white on the outside, blue lining within, embroidered with silver and gold thread in a luxurious yet refined design.

As he examined his clothes and realized the surrounding commotion was extremely urgent—

Suddenly.

An incomprehensible sensation pulled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his gaze beyond the wall, toward the sky above the plains. It was not only Han Yujin; countless people across the area did the exact same thing.

The next instant.

An indescribable roar thundered across the sky as one section of the heavens began to shatter on its own.

Han Yujin’s eyes widened at the sight.

‘A rift…?!’

It felt exactly like the rifts on Earth.

While that thought crossed his mind, a massive head abruptly emerged from the rapidly forming rift.

The first thing he saw were several pairs of majestic horns, dark as black holes yet surrounded by a halo of light too brilliant to look at directly.

Next were vertical pupils that seemed to contain the nebulae and galaxies of the universe—dazzling beyond description.

Finally, he witnessed the enraged divine will transform into a vast phenomenon that seemed to snuff out all the light in the world, surging wildly.

There was no sense of anything approaching. Caught in the darkness of that phenomenon, the world Han Yujin saw and felt plunged into complete blackness.

Soon, within the darkness, mysterious silver characters floated up. He stood there in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a daze for a long time, staring at them.