CHAPTER 111: Settled with Fists
Although they had dealt with the Dragon Tooth Soldiers in immediate pursuit, the attacks didn't stop. Roots erupted from the ground, sweeping across the earth and flying like whips.
There was no time for a leisurely chat. First, they had to escape to a safe place.
“This way, this way!”
The spirit, whose name they hadn't even learned yet, pointed toward the sea of fire and began to run. Jinwoo followed her. To evade the roots surging from behind, it was the only path available.
The problem was that it was the very heart of the inferno. Slicing through the encroaching roots with his sword, Jinwoo asked, “You might be fine as a spirit, but what about us? I’m a human; I can’t survive in fire.”
“Leave it to me!”
The spirit gestured, and her power enveloped Jinwoo and Kalesian. It was a technique that made the fire flow naturally around them, preventing direct contact. Though called a technique, for her, a spirit, it was as natural as breathing.
Under its effect, the fire truly did part around them. It wasn't like being blocked by a barrier; it felt more like entering a completely different current.
The group plunged into the sea of fire. A moment later, the roots pursuing them crashed into the flames. Protected by a strange power, the roots didn't burn easily and thrashed about inside the inferno, searching for Jinwoo’s party.
However, they couldn't find them. Eventually, their power depleted, and they burned to ash and scattered. It seemed they could only operate for a short time, but couldn't endure for long.
After traveling deeper into the fire for some time, the group finally collapsed to the ground, sighing in relief.
“Phew.”
“...Sob We’re alive! We’re alive!”
Jinwoo caught his breath while the spirit shed tears of joy in a prayer-like posture.
Kalesian remained silent, hovering in the air slightly above Jinwoo, but his expression seemed unusually stern. Jinwoo whispered so the spirit couldn't hear.
“Are you trying to look imposing?”
“We have to get information out of the spirit, don’t we?”
It seemed he was deliberately putting on a threatening facade. Not just his expression, but the mana surrounding him was heavier and sharper than usual.
Knowing Kalesian’s true nature—especially remembering how he was sent flying by his own trap in his lair not long ago—Jinwoo could only let out a small smirk.
Anyway…
‘This feels like being submerged underwater.’
It wasn't exactly the same, but the feeling was similar. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but blazing fire. A terrible thought crossed his mind—what would happen if the spirit's power suddenly cut off and the flames engulfed them?—but Jinwoo’s own mana could hold out for a short while. There would be enough time to escape.
“So, what’s your name?”
After a moment to breathe, Jinwoo got to the point.
“Ah, yes! I’m Rachel! Thank you for saving me, Benefactor-nim!”
“I’m Jinwoo.”
“Yes, Jinwoo-nim! And that….”
“Kalesian.”
“K-Kalesian-nim!”
Rachel shuddered again upon looking at Kalesian. She looked like she wanted to run away at any moment but couldn't.
Instinctively pressing down her twitching bottom, Rachel moved a little closer to Jinwoo. Seeing this, Jinwoo asked bluntly, “Are you afraid of dragons?”
“Of cour—! Ah, no. How could I be afraid of someone who saved me? Haha…”
Anyone could see she was terrified, but she tried her best to deny it. It wasn't an act of bravado; she seemed afraid that admitting her fear would offend Kalesian.
Smirking, Jinwoo asked what he was curious about. First, it was about the monsters from before, the ones Kalesian had called Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
“He said those things were Dragon Tooth Soldiers.”
“Yes, that’s right. This forest is the domain ruled by the Water-Forest Dragon, Silbaern.”
“Silbaern?”
“Do you know the name?” Jinwoo asked, noticing Kalesian’s reaction.
However, Kalesian’s answer was anticlimactic.
“No. Never heard of her. At least, she wasn't a dragon on the 5th Floor during my time.”
“So she’s a dragon from a generation before yours who ascended to the 6th Floor.”
“That’s about right. I haven’t counted the years, but it means she’s at least ten thousand years old.”
Jinwoo clicked his tongue at the sheer scale of a dragon’s lifespan. An elf’s thousand-year lifespan was long enough to witness the rise and fall of a nation, but a dragon’s was long enough to observe the history of an entire species.
“Does ‘Water-Forest Dragon’ mean she controls forests?”
“Yes. She is called the Mother of All Forests.”
‘Mother of All Forests…’
It was just a title, but he felt a strange sense of opposition. No matter how great a dragon was, the World Tree existed, didn't it?
He waited to see how the glass bead would react to that thought, but there was no response from the God of the Moonlight Forest. It was unclear if she was ignoring him or simply couldn't hear him.
“Kalesian, you said Dragon Tooth Soldiers are lifeforms born from a dragon’s tooth?”
“That is correct. They are magical lifeforms created when all sorts of mana and materials coalesce, using a dragon’s tooth as a medium. It’s easier to think of them as a type of golem.”
Jinwoo recalled the appearance of the Dragon Tooth Soldiers. They certainly looked as if tree bark, branches, and leaves had been kneaded together and plastered onto their skin. The sensation of cutting them, however, felt like slicing through bone, which made it clear they were indeed made from teeth.
“Why is that dragon targeting this place?”
“That is…”
Rachel pressed her lips together and hesitated. After deep consideration, she opened her mouth.
“Could you please follow me for a moment?”

They followed Rachel deep into the fire. She said “a moment,” but the journey was quite long.
They walked quickly, sometimes running, for several hours. Only after a long time, enough for the sun to set, did Rachel finally stop.
There was a cave blazing like a blast furnace. Inside, all sorts of animals were huddled together, sharing each other’s warmth.
“I’m back.”
“Rachel! Rachel’s back!”
“You’re safe!”
From small animals like lizards and squirrels to a jaguar with fur like red silk. There was also a crow-like bird and even a cluster of floating lights that wasn't an animal at all.
They were all different kinds of creatures. The one thing they had in common was that they were all spirits.
“This place is…”
“Spirits produce greater power the more they gather. Given the difficult situation, it seems all the nearby spirits have assembled here.”
A single spirit doesn’t wield much power on its own. Even a high-ranking fire spirit couldn’t exert more power than a human mage by itself.
Their true value came from numbers. Two, three, or more. The more that gathered, the greater their influence on the world became. A power that was a mere candlelight alone could create a sea of fire like this when combined.
“A d-dragon!”
“It’s a dragon! A dragon!”
“EMERGEEEENCY!”
The sight of Kalesian peeking in threw the cave into chaos. All the animals fluttered and scrambled about, shrieking at the top of their lungs.
“Wait, just a moment, everyone! It’s okay, please listen to me!”
Rachel had to shout for a long time to calm them. When the commotion didn't die down, a small shadow sitting in the deepest part of the cave rose.
“…Enough. Everyone be quiet and let us listen to what Rachel and our guests have to say.”
It was the voice of a wise old man. The tone was gentle, but it held a power that calmed the chaos.
“Father…”
“Yes, Rachel. What is the matter?”
Jinwoo was surprised when he saw the owner of the voice. At first, he thought it was a small shadow, but it grew larger and larger as it approached.

Its true form, when finally revealed, was that of a giant snake, large enough to fill the wide cave. It was a snake with red scales, slightly different from Kalesian’s.
With great difficulty, Rachel was able to get enough time to explain.

“…And that’s what happened.”
After explaining everything, Rachel watched the snake’s expression. The snake seemed to ponder her story for a moment before lowering its head to meet her eyes directly.
“You were rash.”
“What?”
Rachel was taken aback by the sudden accusatory tone.
“I know you are the strongest of the children, but it was wrong to enter the Water-Forest Dragon’s woods alone. Your spirit is commendable, but it was an act bordering on recklessness.”
“But…”
“On top of that, to bring strangers into our family’s home, have you lost your mind?”
“B-But they saved me…”
“That is, of course, something to be thankful for. But revealing our home just because you are grateful is imprudent.”
Rachel’s face crumpled, and now real tears were streaming down her cheeks. Anyone would feel wronged if they were only scolded after surviving such a dangerous ordeal. It was even more so because the snake’s words were not wrong, but the plain truth.
“Hey. Don’t be so hard on the child.”
Unable to watch any longer, Kalesian chimed in. The snake, who had been scolding Rachel, slowly turned its gaze to Kalesian.
“What do you mean, ‘hard on her’?”
“It’s not something she could have hidden just because she tried. Do you think she could have concealed it from me with some paltry lie?”
“There are things that must not be said even if it means facing death, no, even at the very moment of death.”
“Do you think mere death is enough to evade my magic?”
Kalesian and the snake’s gazes clashed violently, as if trying to bore into each other’s eyes.
After a brief staring contest, it was the snake who looked away first. However, it wasn't because it was overwhelmed, but rather because it was returning to its original posture.
The snake’s head, now raised again, was high enough to nearly touch the cave ceiling. From that height, it looked down at Kalesian.
“A young dragon is still a dragon. That arrogance seems to be a trait of your species.”
“The only thing high here is your head.”
Though the staring contest was over, the war of nerves continued. Jinwoo shook his head and stepped out of the cave. It would be a headache if they started fighting. He didn't want to get involved.
“I’m sorry…”
Rachel, who seemed to have followed him out, said as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.
“That spirit seems to be the leader here. You called him Father?”
“That’s right. He’s the one who raised all of us and helped us shed our old forms to become what we are now.”
Originally, this place held only a handful of flames and a single snake, along with the lowest-ranking spirits who were nothing more than faint lights without ego or abilities. The snake was the one who had cultivated that flame into what it was now and taken in the spirits, helping them gain consciousness and power.
“That Silbaern creature must be trying to expand its forest to get that snake.”
“Probably…”
To be able to hold it off meant that despite its nasty personality, the snake was powerful. Even considering it had established its territory first, its opponent was still a dragon.
BOOM! KWA-BOOM!
At that moment, explosions erupted from the cave behind them, and the spirits came pouring out. Screaming, they scattered into the flames surrounding the cave.
A series of thunderous roars continued from inside the cave. The sounds were like a bombardment.
A moment later.
“Jinwoo, there you are. You can go in now.”
“Kalesian. Are you alright?”
“Hmph, this is nothing a little healing magic can’t fix.”
Kalesian was in a sorry state when he came out. Some of his scales were torn off, and the burns were gruesome. One of his wings was also damaged, as his flight was unsteady, unlike usual.
At his word that they could enter, Jinwoo and Rachel glanced at each other and went inside together.
Inside, the snake was coiled up with its head lowered, and it was not in good shape either. It had more injuries than Kalesian, but it was hard to tell if it was because it was bigger or because it had taken more damage.
“Hmph, what’s known is known. I will treat you as guests and welcome you.”
His voice was gruff and not at all welcoming. Still, once the words were spoken, they held power and responsibility, especially for a spirit who valued contracts.
Rachel clapped her hands, relieved that things had been resolved, while Jinwoo let out a sigh. It seemed they had reached an agreement through fisticuffs.