Chapter 35
Although an unfortunate incident had occurred at the end, the hunt had still been a success.
‘Wow… this really works?’
After emerging from the ruins, Woojin looked around in awe. The fungi of the Demonic Realm and the black trees were turning ashen gray.
It was as if an invisible fire were spreading, reducing mountains and plains to ashes. With the Rift Core purified, the vegetation of the Demonic Realm was losing its strength.
“So it really is possible to erase the Demonic Realm.”
When he had only heard about it, he’d been skeptical.
Woojin had shattered Rift Cores before, but nothing like this had happened then. He had wondered what the point of destroying them was—but the method made all the difference.
Simply smashing a Rift Core with brute force was like tearing off weeds at the leaves. The roots remained, and the core would eventually regenerate.
Purification through holy water and prayer, on the other hand, was like poisoning the well itself. Not only did it prevent the Rift Core from regenerating, it also purified the surrounding land within its sphere of influence.
A reversal of the Rift Core’s corrosive power—
The Order’s alliance called it Reverse Erosion.
‘If we repeat this a few more times, we could reclaim the land around the frontier city quickly…’
Of course, it wasn’t so simple.
Finding the Rift Core’s location was difficult enough. It required vast amounts of expensive holy water and multiple priests with exceptional holy power.
And the fact that the key priests had been struck by the curse could not be overlooked.
The mural had been smashed quickly, limiting the damage, but members of the choir were still suffering aftereffects. Judging by their condition, they would need at least two weeks of rest.
‘The expedition will pause for a while.’
Roland, Bow, and the holy knights had endured the curse well, with little loss of combat strength…
But the absence of priests would affect morale. Thus, the expedition would rest and reorganize for the time being.
“Move out!”
At Roland’s command, the soldiers advanced toward the frontier city.
With each step, dead fungi clung thickly to the soles of their boots—like trudging through fresh snow.
The wolves walked awkwardly, unaccustomed to the strange texture beneath their paws. It looked almost like puppies forced to wear shoes for the first time.
Woojin smirked.
‘Watching those fools is oddly entertaining.’
Even if the expedition paused, he wouldn’t be bored. He could rest moderately, then go hunting with them whenever he felt restless.
With that thought, he walked alongside the wolves.
Ten days passed.
Woojin spent them comfortably.
He ate good food and occasionally gambled with the soldiers for amusement. Building camaraderie within the expedition wasn’t a bad idea.
The soldiers’ primary task was logging.
They felled the black trees of the Demonic Realm to prevent the reclaimed land from being swallowed again.
Woojin’s task was to protect them.
“Let’s head out.”
He entered the forest with the wolves.
They patrolled the perimeter so the soldiers could work safely, eliminating any demon beasts they encountered. It was a pleasant enough way to pass the time.
As they walked leisurely—
Rex suddenly sniffed the air. The wolves turned toward Woojin, as if asking permission.
Woojin nodded. Instantly, they shot into the depths of the forest.
“…Pweeeek!!”
A shrill cry rang out. Curious, Woojin followed after them.
Four wolves were charging toward a group of rabbits—the same demon-beast pack that had attacked them before. Recognizing one another, the rabbits shrieked angrily and bared their teeth.
Creeeak—
Their fangs lengthened grotesquely. More savage than most predators. A single bite could tear away flesh.
Woojin counted them. Around thirty… no, the number kept rising. At least fifty.
‘The pack’s grown since last time.’
No wonder they seemed confident. Only four wolves stood before them. The prey that had escaped last time had returned on its own.
Woojin wasn’t worried. He pulled out dried jerky instead of popcorn.
‘Might as well watch.’
Numbers didn’t matter.
While the rabbits had grown in number, the wolves had undergone unreasonable growth. After devouring countless kobold inner cores, they were more than twice as strong as before.
Crunch! Snap!
The brown wolf, Sean—his head blurred for a split second, and he nearly simultaneously tore out the throats of two rabbits lunging from either side.
No special ability had been learned.
It was simply that his physical prowess had skyrocketed to absurd levels.
With a howl, Sean plunged into the rabbit horde.
The rabbit leader faltered. It was hard to believe this was the same wolf from before. And the others were just as strong.
As if venting past frustrations, Sean and Yan tore through the rabbits at the front like paper. The disparity was overwhelming—there wasn’t even time to stall.
They had to flee. The rabbit leader screeched urgently.
“Piiiek!”
The rabbits scattered.
Thud—thwack!
Two vine-like tendrils shot out, skewering fleeing rabbits. Rex had already blocked their retreat, stabbing down the escapees mercilessly.
Caught between front and back, the rabbits were slaughtered.
To survive, they needed to break free somehow. The leader attempted to throw subordinates as bait and escape—
Thud!
Misha leapt gracefully. Using Rex’s back as a springboard, the black she-wolf soared through the air. Her gleaming fangs descended upon the leader.
‘It’s over.’
Woojin tossed the last bit of jerky into his mouth and walked over.
The four wolves stood proudly atop a mound of rabbit corpses like a small hill.
He almost commented—
…Someone might think they’d slain a dragon.
Why strike such poses over a few rabbits? His lips twitched, but he held back. No need to dampen their spirits.
According to Bow, Rex and the others were still quite young—practically adolescents. If they wanted to act dramatic now and then, he could indulge them.
“Good work today.”
He patted each wolf’s head in turn, then slit open the rabbits’ bellies with his dagger, extracting the inner cores one by one.
The wolves began digging through carcasses as well, pulling out more cores. Soon a small pile had formed. Woojin fed them to the wolves in rotation.
Then—
“Ghk—keh!”
Sean suddenly choked while swallowing a core.
His body trembled violently.
Creak—
Suddenly, the wolf’s two fangs elongated. He now resembled a saber-toothed tiger.
Startled, Sean’s eyes widened. His fangs had grown so long that he didn’t know what to do with them.
Woojin offered advice.
“Relax your upper jaw. Don’t try to chew with force.”
After seating him down and calming him, the length of the fangs gradually shortened back to normal. Woojin nodded.
“Congratulations. You’ve gained your first ability.”
An ability that extended the fangs.
Useful in battle or when tearing tough meat. Minor, but practical in many situations.
The other wolves looked on with envy. Woojin calmly counted the remaining inner cores. Sixteen.
‘Sean doesn’t need more since he’s inherited the ability… If we’re lucky, the others might gain it too.’
The probability wasn’t high.
Inner cores from weak demon beasts like rabbits were usually ineffective. Sean inheriting an ability had been a stroke of luck.
Woojin picked up a core and held it out to Rex.
Rex shook his head and proudly extended the tendrils on his back, as if to say he didn’t need longer fangs when he already had those. It seemed he intended to leave the remaining cores for the others.
‘Good lad.’
After patting Rex’s head, Woojin fed the cores to Yan and Misha in turn. The result was half a success.
Creak—
Yan gained the extended-fang ability.
But Misha, even after consuming all the remaining cores, failed to inherit anything. She drooped visibly.
“There’ll be another chance.”
Woojin reassured her, and together they returned to the Third Frontier City.
He stopped by a grocery shop and purchased a generous amount of expensive smoked pork—
a celebratory feast for Sean and Yan, and consolation for Misha.
The wolves devoured the meat in moments, yawned loudly, and soon curled up together in the corner of the room.
They rested their heads against one another like pillows. The sight was surprisingly affectionate.
‘…I’ve got some time to spare.’
Perhaps he should take a stroll through the city. Just as Woojin was thinking that—
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock sounded at the door.
‘Is that Bow?’
He rose and opened it.
Instead of Bow, a man with a pleasant smile stood there—a stranger.
“Excuse me. Are you Mr. Jin?”
“…That’s me. And you are?”
“I’m a courier. I have a letter to deliver to you.”
The man rummaged through the bag at his side and produced a letter. Woojin accepted it.
The envelope was sealed with red wax—but bore no sender’s name.
“Who sent it?”
“It was delivered anonymously. If you prefer not to receive it, I can return it.”
Returning it would quell curiosity—but the contents intrigued him.
Woojin took the letter. The courier Bowed politely and left.
Without hesitation, Woojin broke the wax seal and unfolded the letter.
The contents were simple and without flourish.
The sender wished to speak with him and requested that he visit the location written in the letter at his convenience.
Woojin felt a small spark of curiosity.
‘Who could this be?’
The handwriting was elegant—so neat it seemed machine-printed. He had nothing pressing to do. Meeting the author of these words wouldn’t hurt.
He stepped outside and followed the directions.
Soon, he arrived.
‘…Quite the mansion.’
It wasn’t enormous, but it was built with lavish, expensive stone. Even the vines climbing the walls seemed decorative.
He approached the gate and knocked.
Clack—
A small panel slid open near the top—a viewing slot.
A young man peered through.
“What business do you have?”
“I received an invitation.”
Woojin held up the letter. The man nodded.
“Please wait.”
Sounds of bolts and locks being undone echoed from within.
Soon, the gate opened. Woojin stepped inside. The man promptly locked it again—
the locks were bizarre and intricate beyond easy understanding.
From that alone, Woojin could infer the owner’s character.
Wealthy enough to own a mansion in the frontier city—and cautious, perhaps even reclusive.
‘Why would someone like that send me a letter?’
He would find out soon enough.
“Follow me.”
The man led him inside.
They stopped before an office door. The attendant knocked respectfully.
“Madam Guildmaster. The guest has arrived.”
“Send him in.”
A woman’s voice answered from inside.
For some reason, the tone felt familiar
‘Who is it?’
Before he could think further, the door opened.
A young woman sat behind a desk.
She appeared even younger than expected—no more than her mid to late teens.
Tousled blonde hair. Green eyes.
He had never met her before.
Yet he knew her name and identity.
“Cindy.”
The youngest daughter of the Golden Maggot.