CHAPTER 109: Fire and Forest

A blue sky stretched out before him. A clear sky without a single cloud. The weather was as warm as a spring day.
Jinwoo was quite surprised to see the sun and sky, despite being inside a cave.
"Is this your lair?"
"Welcome. Isn't it a fine home?"
"It feels less like a home and more like..."
It was like a well-manicured garden. It didn't have the feel of a building that one would typically associate with the word "home."
There were structures here and there, but they seemed more like facilities for spending time comfortably than a house.
While it was surprising to find such a place inside a cave, Jinwoo quickly calmed himself.
Having experienced various barriers in the Sky Temple, the 3rd Floor dominated by Rondar, and the Red Cliff, it was no longer so shocking.
"I'll withdraw the Erosion at the entrance."
Jinwoo turned and looked back at the path they had just walked.
The path connected to the cave entrance. It was now a place completely frozen, consumed by the energy of Erosion.
As he reached out his hand, the Erosion that had solidified the space was released, and the space itself loosened. The energy that flowed out sank to the floor like the deep sea.
It crept along the floor like flowing water and was absorbed through Jinwoo's feet. Seeing this, Kalesian spoke with a frown.
"Are you really okay? There's no way you can be fine after wielding that much power..."
"There's nothing wrong with my body."
It wasn't that Jinwoo wasn't worried, so he kept checking his condition, but there were no changes.
His body was fine, and his mind was sound. His soul remained a steady blue.
Kalesian gathered mana in his bright yellow eyes and stared Jinwoo up and down, but he couldn't sense anything wrong either.
Since neither the user himself nor the dragon could notice anything, they had no choice but to diagnose it as normal.
"Is this also a function of the divine artifacts...?"
"Who knows."
Jinwoo gave a vague answer and looked back at the now-clear entrance.
With the Erosion gone, the mana returned. The magic circles had probably returned as well. Did that mean all the traps were back to normal?
"How do we get back?"
"I'll fix them while you're choosing your treasure, so don't worry. More importantly, it's been a while, so the grass has grown quite a bit."
Kalesian flapped his wings to create a small breeze, trimming the overgrown patches of grass.
Not perfectly, but just enough so it wasn't too messy.
Like someone dusting off a house they hadn't visited in a long time, Kalesian tidied up the surroundings and then guided Jinwoo to one spot.
There stood a high cliff, and something was sticking out all over its face.
Taking a closer look, he saw that various weapons, such as swords and spears, were embedded in it.
"Choose whatever you like. Or is there a specific function you want? Tell me your order, and I'll bring you items with similar effects."
"Are all of those magic items?"
"Not all, but most of them are."
Jinwoo's eyes widened as he looked at the weapons stuck in the cliff. It was the first time he had seen so many magic items in person.
"But why are they stuck in there like that? It's hard to see."
"It's convenient for me. I find it more inconvenient to have to lower my head to inspect something stuck in the ground."
It seemed that for a flying dragon, having them displayed like that was easier to view.
The reason it was a cliff was probably just a matter of taste. He had created it like a display case that perfectly suited his own preferences.
The cliff was studded with weapons of all shapes and sizes, and there were even many pieces of armor like breastplates, helmets, and gauntlets.
There were too many to look at one by one. And most importantly, since Jinwoo couldn't fly, it was difficult for him to inspect all the embedded weapons.
Thinking about it, one necessary item naturally came to mind.
"I'd like an item for flying. Rather than just for flight, something that allows me to swing a sword stably in mid-air. Something for combat rather than transportation would be good."
"My, you have high standards."
"Is there nothing that can do all that?"
"Hold on a moment."
Kalesian flapped his wings, gained altitude, and scanned the cliff.
Then, as if he had found the perfect item, he quickly plucked it out and brought it over.
"This is a cloak made by modeling the mana structure engraved on a dragon's wings. It also contains dragon scales, so it can easily block most spears and blades."
"The mana structure engraved on the wings?"
"It doesn't matter for the body of a hatchling like me, but for an adult dragon to fly, a normal flap of the wings isn't enough."
Therefore, a unique mana structure, present from birth, existed in a dragon's wings.
It begins developing during the hatchling stage before becoming an adult, and he said that his own wings were already partially woven with it.
"Every movement you make in the air will be assisted by mana. You'll be able to fight just as you wish, without any trouble. But be prepared for it to drain a lot of your magic."
The cloak Kalesian handed him was a black cloak that seemed to absorb light.
Checking the lining, it felt as soft as silk, but with a slightly bumpy texture. It seemed the aforementioned scales were embedded between the outer fabric and the lining.
"Are the scales in here yours, Kalesian?"
"No? It's an item I picked up on the 5th Floor, so I don't know whose scales they are."
He felt a little uneasy, but he loved the item itself. It was even enchanted with a size-adjustment spell, so he could fit it perfectly to his body with a little mana. The color was also optimal for hiding himself at night.
"I'll bring a few other items so you can compare."
Kalesian flew off and brought back a few more flight tools.
He brought back five or six carefully selected items, but none of them caught Jinwoo's eye. None of the items were better than the first cloak.
"You can't take your eyes off the cloak. Go on, take it. Even in my opinion, it's the best item."
"If it's such a good item, don't you feel it's a waste to give it to me?"
"I promised to give you something, so it doesn't matter. Besides, it's thanks to you that I'll finally be able to set foot in the Spirit Realm."
Kalesian spoke in a tone full of anticipation. He sounded like a child excited for a picnic tomorrow.
"For the other one, then..."
"What will it be? A sword, perhaps?"
"Could I see a few?"
"Of course."
Just as he did with the cloak, Kalesian pulled out some swords and showed them to Jinwoo.
They were all excellent items, but he wasn't particularly taken with any of them. The reason was simple.
Rondar's sword is just too exceptional.
The divine artifact from Rondar he obtained on the 3rd Floor, the Nebula Sword, was such a magnificent item that no other sword could compare.
"Hmm... on second thought, I'm fine on swords. I'll take an elixir."
"An elixir? An elixir, you say..."
Kalesian took Jinwoo and flew somewhere else. Following a path between the cliffs, they crossed over a small, babbling brook and saw an old warehouse and a vegetable garden.
The small stream flowing next to the warehouse felt full of freshness, and the nameless flowers and tree berries blooming everywhere gave off an enchanting fragrance.
"It feels similar to the Spirit Realm."
For some reason, the space felt like it had the mist of the Spirit Realm. That mist, filled with pure and dense mana.
"Is this what the Spirit Realm feels like?"
"The mana is so full everywhere there that no matter how much you run or what you do, you don't get tired."
"Hoh."
With Kalesian showing even more anticipation, Jinwoo followed his guidance into the warehouse.
Compared to the scale of the cliff they had seen earlier, it was a perfectly normal size.
A moderately sized warehouse that one might find in any ordinary country house. It was even more than half empty, giving it a desolate feel.
However, considering that the items filling the less-than-half space were all precious elixirs, even this much was an unbelievable sight.
"Pick anything. They are all carefully selected."
"No recommendation this time?"
"Elixirs have a way of finding those with whom they share a bond. Since you're the one who will be consuming it, it's better that you find it yourself."
"Even if you pick it for me, Kalesian, it ultimately forms a bond with me, so wouldn't it be fine for you to choose?"
"..."

Kalesian was at a loss for words. The concept of destiny was arbitrary; Jinwoo's words weren't entirely wrong.
"Just pick one."
However, still unwilling to choose for him, Kalesian dodged the question and stepped back.
Jinwoo smirked and examined the items in the warehouse. It finds the one it has a bond with, huh...
Whether that was true or not, there was one thing that caught his eye. It was a black horn, with what looked like purple veins visible on it.
"The horn of a Black Dragon. It makes for an excellent elixir when brewed. A dragon's horn is its most important organ after the heart, and it's the core of its mana manipulation."
"Is this item also related to dragons?"
"There's no need to be surprised to find a dragon-related item in a dragon's lair, is there?"
That was also true. Still, to think that the two items he chose based on his gut feeling were both related to dragons.
...But on second thought, it was only natural.
Bulkar said there's nothing as outstanding as an item made with dragon materials.
He had heard from Bulkar back in the waterfall cave that dragon bones, scales, and teeth were the most powerful materials of all.
He'd said that even an ordinary iron sword could be transformed into a legendary masterpiece if dragon bone was mixed in.
Of course, the materials were so rare and few had experience working with them that craftsmen who could actually forge a masterpiece were scarce.
So, it wasn't strange that when he picked the most valuable items, they were all related to dragons.
"Give it here. I'll process it and brew it to make it easier for a human to consume."
"The service is excellent."
"I'm in a good mood, so I'm providing this service."
Kalesian hummed as he deftly prepared the tools for processing the horn and brewing the medicine.

He was falling endlessly.
Into a bottomless abyss. A dizzying sensation of a continuous fall.
The energy from the dragon's horn was vast, by no means small even when compared to the dragon's soul he had absorbed before.
And yet.
It's empty.
Even so, he didn't feel full.
It was a feeling of being tormented by an endless hunger, no matter how much he ate and ate.
He had never dreamed he would feel this terrible after consuming such a precious elixir.
Flash.
He opened his eyes.
For a moment, light flowed through his eyes, and he could feel the energy he had gained from the horn in its entirety.
The energy hadn't leaked anywhere and had been perfectly absorbed.
Considering that no matter how precious an elixir, and in fact, the more outstanding it is, the greater the loss of energy, it was a remarkable achievement.
A sense of accomplishment similar to what he had felt with the golden apple. But the feeling of emptiness was greater than before.
"How much time has passed?"
Jinwoo asked Kalesian, who was standing guard beside him.
How long did it take when he ate the golden apple before? Wasn't it a full half-day or more?
"What, it's only been 10 minutes and you're already done? You didn't just let all that precious energy leak out, did you?"
"10 minutes?"
That's all it took?
It wasn't as if Jinwoo had rushed the absorption and opened his eyes. He had carefully absorbed and stored the energy, not wanting to miss a single drop, and only opened his eyes when it was perfectly digested.
And it only took 10 minutes?
"Oh? It looks like you've absorbed it all properly? In fact, you've drawn in more than I thought."
Kalesian checked the flow of energy in Jinwoo and was slightly surprised.
He had woken up in 10 minutes, so he thought Jinwoo had just opened his eyes while leaking the energy everywhere, but that wasn't the case. Even to him, it felt as if Jinwoo had absorbed the horn's energy almost entirely.
He had never in his life seen someone absorb it so cleanly, without being overwhelmed.
"Is that so."
Jinwoo stood up and checked his body.
Since he had only been sitting for 10 minutes, his body wasn't stiff or anything.
Still, he stretched to refresh himself and then spoke.
"We should get going soon. What are we going to do about Mahiri back at the mansion?"
Mahiri was currently sleeping in her room. Since it was deep in the night, no one would think it strange.
But a trip to the Spirit Realm wouldn't be over in a day or two. Even if he told them, if she just slept in her room for weeks, it would arouse suspicion...
"I plan to hide her here. I can't take her with me, but I can't just leave her either. And I certainly can't break the contract."
A few hours later, in the early morning.
After informing the butler, who was the first to wake, of their long-term departure, Kalesian hid Mahiri in the lair.
Of course, this was after he had already fixed the traps at the entrance.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Jinwoo drew his sword. Two or more divine artifacts were needed. The Sky Sword's Scabbard and the Nebula Sword alone fulfilled the condition.
[Let's go.]
With the voice of the God of the Moonlight Forest, a rift opened. It was a familiar rift by now.
"This must be it. Hehe, I'm looking forward to this."
"Let's go in."

Having fulfilled their promise, Kalesian and Jinwoo jumped into the rift leading to the Spirit Realm at the same time.

[6th Floor: Spirit Realm]
[Find the blue portal. If you want to return.]
A smell that was nostalgic, though it had been a while. The mist and air that seeped into his skin.
The first thing Jinwoo looked for was Permu's tower. Finding a safe place upon entering a Gate was the top priority.
Hm?
But he couldn't see it. Not only that, but it was a place he had never seen before.
Since it's a Gate opened with the power of the God of the Moonlight Forest, I thought we would land in a place her power is drawn to...
The white tower was nowhere to be seen. Was it a little far away? Or a completely different place?

"Ooh, ooooh! So this is the Spirit Realm!"
Kalesian looked around with a voice full of awe.
Right after entering a Gate, one should quietly check for danger, but he seemed too excited to remember that.
But there was a sight that stunned even Kalesian, who was looking around with eyes full of joy. Jinwoo, too, was startled when he saw it.
"Jinwoo!"
"Let's get out of here for now!"
Jinwoo and Kalesian hurriedly flew into the sky. The place they had been was a forest, but a sea of fire was surging, about to overwhelm it.
It looked as if the inferno would spread at any moment, but for some reason, the flames did not spread any further. It was as if the forest and the fire were fighting.