Chapter 37

Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since he’d gone out like this. The wolves, brimming with excitement, kicked off the ground relentlessly as they sprinted forward.

The sharp wind lashed against his cheeks without pause. After fully savoring the sense of speed, their destination finally came into view.

The Fourth Pioneer City.

“Let’s finish this quickly and head back. Where is the expedition force currently stationed?”

At Woojin’s question, Raymond immediately raised a hand and pointed out the direction. He had been there recently, so the memory was still fresh.

“Over to the left.”

Rather than passing through the city, it seemed wiser to head straight to the site and join the expedition force. It would save time.

Several plumes of smoke rose from the direction of the operation site—likely preparations for lunch. As they continued forward, soldiers gathered around campfires and rows of tents gradually came into sight.

“Jin, wait here for a moment. The soldiers might panic if they see the wolves. I’ll go ahead, give them a heads-up, and come back.”

“That would be wise.”

The followers of Morian, the War God, detested demonic beasts. Though the wolves wore collars, bringing them in without warning would not sit well with the expedition force.

Conveying such details was the messenger’s role. Raymond walked toward the encampment, while Woojin chewed on jerky alongside the wolves, waiting for his return.

After a short while…

Raymond came back with unfamiliar men—three paladins clad in full armor.

Among them, the man at the front stood out distinctly.

A middle-aged man with blood-red hair, eyebrows, and even eyes. At his waist hung a slender longsword shaped like a fencing blade—a rapier.

‘The Red Wasp, Albert.’

Commander of the Fourth Expeditionary Force.

His nickname came from his exceptional swordsmanship and strict temperament.

“Sir Albert, this is the demonic beast hunter I mentioned earlier.”

Perhaps because of that, Raymond introduced Woojin with noticeable caution.

Albert examined Woojin’s appearance with an indifferent gaze, then turned his head to look over the wolves. They lay flat on their bellies, calmly chewing jerky.

“They’re far too large and strong for hunting dogs. Can you truly control beasts like that?”

Albert asked, turning his eyes back to Woojin. Woojin nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. They do not attack people.”
“Can you prove that?”
“That won’t be difficult.”

Woojin gestured toward Rex. After swallowing the jerky it had been chewing, the red wolf approached. Woojin grasped its upper jaw and pried it open, revealing rows of tightly packed fangs.

Why this sudden act?

He intended to recreate something he had once seen on television as a child—a crocodile circus trick.

Without hesitation, Woojin pushed his head deep into the wolf’s open maw. It was a reckless display that made onlookers dizzy just watching.

But Rex remained perfectly still, like a statue.

“…You’ve got nerve.”

Albert nodded as if acknowledging him. Seeing the reaction, Woojin withdrew his head and tossed another strip of jerky into Rex’s mouth.

The entrance procedure was complete. It was time to move on to the main issue.

“Where are the demonic beasts?”
“Follow me.”

Albert and the paladins took the lead. Woojin followed. Before long, a large cave came into view, along with over a dozen spider carcasses piled nearby.

He first examined the corpses. The spiders were as large as a human torso. A droplet of venom clung like dew to their black fangs.

Woojin reached out, touched the venom, then brought it to the tip of his tongue as if tasting it.

‘The poison is weak.’

It wouldn’t matter much if it touched the skin or was ingested. It likely required entering a wound and mixing with blood to cause poisoning. Compared to others, this venom was relatively low-risk.

The real problem lay elsewhere.

When he slit open a spider’s abdomen with a dagger, thick white webbing spilled out, densely packed. That was the nuisance currently hindering the paladins.

“How did you deal with these ones?”

At Woojin’s question, Albert pointed to long wooden poles lying nearby.

“We used those to shake the webs and lure them out. The spiders mistook it for prey caught in their threads and crawled outside. But after repeating it several times, they seemed to catch on.”

Since they couldn’t enter the cave filled with webbing, the expedition force had been trying to draw the spiders out.

The pole trick was one such method.

Spiders detect prey through vibrations in their webs. Taking advantage of that trait, they had managed to lure and kill several.

But at some point, the spiders had grown wary. No matter how much the webs were shaken, they no longer emerged.

Raymond, who had been listening, offered a suggestion.

“What about setting a fire to drive them out? If we send smoke into the cave, they might crawl out.”

“We tried that while you were away. It wasn’t very effective.”

That method worked only on small burrowing animals like rabbits.

Smoke rises from low places to high. Even if they blocked the entrance and lit a fire, the smoke lingered near the cave mouth and failed to descend deep underground.

All in all, it was a troublesome situation. Woojin stroked his chin in thought.

‘Highly intelligent, and forming a group… That’s rare for spider-type demonic beasts.’

Most spiders preferred solitary lives.

They didn’t hesitate to cannibalize their own kind. Even when a male approached for mating, it was common for the female to ignore the courtship and devour him.

Still, such cases weren’t entirely unheard of. Instances where they formed groups, contrary to their nature. In those cases, there was usually—

‘…a very powerful leader at the center. But could a demonic beast that dangerous really be here?’

To confirm that, he would have to go down into the cave. To assess the situation properly, Woojin stepped closer to the entrance.

The entire inner wall was covered in webbing shaped like a tunnel—similar to the nests built by funnel-web spiders.

‘It’s been a while. Shall I try it again?’

Suddenly, Woojin removed his shoes and socks.

Seeing this, Raymond looked at him in confusion.

“What are you trying to do?”
“There’s something I’d like to test.”

Giving that vague reply, Woojin stepped barefoot into the cave. His feet touched the webbing that covered the ground.

The paladins expected him to become entangled and immobilized at any moment—

But strangely, his feet did not get caught in the webbing. Woojin walked about inside the cave as if taking a casual stroll. The sight left the paladins inwardly startled.

“Hey! How did you do that?”

Albert called out. Woojin returned to the cave entrance to answer.

“There’s a trick to it. Look closely at my feet.”

He walked again over the webbing. At first glance, he appeared to be moving normally, leaving the paladins puzzled once more.

“…Your heels are slightly raised.”

Albert murmured.

“That’s correct. If you place your whole foot down, you’ll get stuck. So you move using only the front of your foot. That way, the contact area is smaller, and you can lift it easily.”

There is a claim that spiders don’t get caught in their webs because they coat their legs with oil using their mouths—

But that’s actually incorrect.

Even if you dissect a spider, there’s no organ that produces oil. The reason they don’t get stuck is because they minimize surface contact, stepping lightly on the tips of their legs—like a trained ballerina.

“And not all of the webbing is sticky. There are parts that are safe to step on.”

A spider web consists of two types of threads: radial lines and spiral lines. The radial threads are non-sticky, so stepping on them won’t cause adhesion.

The paladins examined the webbing more closely. Now that it was mentioned, they could vaguely distinguish different strands—

“…You’re saying you can selectively step on just those?”

Raymond asked skeptically.

The webbing was densely packed. It seemed impossible to differentiate and move accordingly. Once you stepped down, you’d inevitably tread on both types.

“So that’s why you use only the tips of your feet.”

“Ah…”

“Would you like to learn?”

Raymond shook his head.

“In a cave this dark, selectively stepping on certain threads doesn’t seem feasible… No matter how I think about it, that’s something only you can do.”
“It is difficult to master.”

Woojin felt a twinge of disappointment.

He had spent his life being taught by others. This was the first time he’d had the opportunity to teach something himself, and he’d been slightly excited—but from the paladins’ perspective, it wasn’t even a technique they dared attempt.

The real issue was that this wasn’t something Woojin could solve alone.

“To purify the Rift Core inside, priests and paladins will have to enter. How are we supposed to manage that?”

After Woojin hunted down the demonic beasts inside, would he have to fetch a cart and personally carry them in?

Albert answered.

“…There is an easier way.”

***

The followers of Morian, the War God, could imbue weapons with blessings. The silver arrows Roland and the soldiers used before were crafted that way.

At high noon—

The ritual began.

In solemn silence, the priests handed Albert a weapon they had consecrated over many hours. A spear shimmering with a crimson glow.

Albert gripped it and extended the spearhead forward.

Toward him, the paladins began to walk slowly.

Flare—

The first paladin drew his sword. A red sacred light flickered along its blade like flame. Holding it, he recited a passage as if singing:

“There is a time to love, and a time to hate…”

He thrust his blade forward.

Clang!

The sword struck Albert’s spear. Instantly, the sacred energy transferred to the spearhead, deepening its crimson glow.

The first paladin stepped aside. The next drew his sword.

Flare—

“There is a time for peace, and a time to fight.”

Continuing the verse, he too thrust his blade.

Clang!

Again, sacred energy flowed into the spear, intensifying its radiance.

The Order of Strife believed their sacred power to be flames granted by Morian, the War God.

Small sparks gathered into a greater blaze. By chanting scripture in succession and passing along their sacred power, they forged something stronger.

With each recitation—

In a strange rhythm, metal struck metal again and again. It sounded like the song of blacksmiths hammering heated iron.

“He pointed to my hand and commanded me to grasp the sword.”

Clang!

“He pointed to my heart and said—”

Clang!

“Do not fear. Stand and fight.”

Clang!

“Be strong, and be bold.”

Clang!

“And if you do, the flames shall be with you—”

Clang!

After the final paladin struck and stepped back, the spearhead—now infused with the sacred power of many—burned an even deeper red.

Albert, the last remaining, raised the spear high into the sky. It was as though he were trying to pierce the sun itself with its blazing tip.

He shouted the final verse:

“With faith, eradicate evil!”

Whoosh!!

For a fleeting instant, it felt as though the sun’s own flames had descended upon the spearhead.

Woojin stepped forward.

The spear shimmered with a brilliance like a crimson sunset. Albert extended it toward him and spoke quietly.

“It troubles me to place our duty upon you… Demonic Beast Hunter Jin. With this spear, can you purify the Rift Core?”

Woojin smiled as he accepted the weapon.

“Well then—let’s give it a try.”