CHAPTER 50: Golden Blessing
Jinwoo's sword was deflected by the golden energy.

He tried again, concentrating harder, but the result was the same. The golden energy protecting the interior remained completely unscathed by Jinwoo's sword.

His sword, which had cut down even a dragon, albeit only its soul, was completely ineffective against the barrier deployed by the golden apple.

'It feels like… an egg or a shell.'

The golden energy enveloping the room was like a shell, blocking all external threats.

The only difference from a real egg was that it was also preventing the Erosion inside from escaping.

If he could just break this shell, he could cut the Black Flame.

'But that's a fact only I know.'

If the fairy inside knew he could cut the Black Flame, she might open a path for him.

However, this side and that side were completely isolated by the golden energy, and no sound could pass through.

Besides, the fairy was on the verge of death. Her eyes had already lost focus, and her breathing was shallow. Even if he found a way to convey his intentions, it was uncertain if she could receive them.

'In the end, do I have no choice but to break through?'

There were two options: give up and return as Ipril suggested, or force his way through.

Naturally, Jinwoo chose the latter.

He ran his hand over the golden energy, then drew the Dragon Sword.

Kugugugugu—

The ground shook, and the sky trembled. All things in the universe are made of mana, so nothing could be free from the gravitational pull of a dragon.

The golden energy was no exception. No matter how hard or high-grade it was, its foundation was mana. Before the Dragon Sword, any mana was bound to tremble.

'Still, it's tough.'

It wasn't easy. Its structure was incomparably sturdier than Johann's spells.

Did she say it was a divine elixir specialized in protection? The concepts and legends accumulated over long years had permeated it, forming a solid foundation that wouldn't waver for any trivial matter.

However, it wasn't as if no opening had formed.

'I can see the timing, bit by bit.'

A faint misalignment. A mere scratch, an insignificant trace. But it was definitely there, appearing and disappearing.

Finding that gap, Jinwoo raised his sword.

And then, he struck.

Before it was a fruit, it was once a flower.

Before it was a flower, it was a bud, and before that, it was nothing more than a tiny sprout.

The fairy had been there since then.

With her many friends, in a beautiful field where flowers bloomed in profusion.

A fantastical garden where flowers sang and fairies played.

She was unaware of the passage of time. When it was time to play, she played joyfully, and when it was time to sleep, it was night. When it was time to play again, she would wake up, and it would be day.

It happened in an instant that a single stain began to spread across that beautiful flowerbed.

The flowers screamed, and the fairies fled. All those who had played with her trembled in fear of the horrific stain.

'I have to protect them.'

She knew instinctively. She was the strongest among her friends. Therefore, she was the only one who could protect the flowerbed from this terrible stain.

The bud blossomed, and a fruit was borne. The small fruit glowed with a noble and beautiful golden light, and with that power, she blocked the stain.

With each passing day, the fruit ripened lusciously, and the golden energy grew. But not to be outdone, the stain also grew in size, pounding harder against the golden energy.

Open up. Open this place. Open it and be at ease.

'No!'

Still, she held it back. No matter how painful it was, she did not release the energy. She did not yield to the temptation to be at ease.

There was no resentment, no questioning why she alone had to suffer like this. Rather, she was glad it was her and not her other friends. She didn't want her friends to bear such a painful burden.

There was just one thing she wished for.

'When… until when…?'

How long did she have to stay like this?

When could she return to those beautiful days?

At some point, she began to count the days. She became aware of the flow of time, something she had never noticed when she was happy, and was crushed by the weight of the years.

She was tired now.

And then.

— THUD!

At a certain moment, the golden energy began to shake.

Through countless years of struggling against the stain, the golden energy had become incredibly hard. But no matter how hard something is, it is bound to break someday.

Could it be that the time was now? That's what she thought.

'Oh…'

The man who entered after opening the golden energy was a man she had never seen before.

Her eyes could no longer see flesh and spirit; all she could see was the soul.

A soul I had never seen before. And yet, it felt familiar.
"This must be it."
The man swung his sword.
The sword strike was astonishing. The stain that had tormented her for so long vanished in a single moment.
As if washed away by a torrential flood, or swept away by a mighty wind.
The stain could not withstand the man's blade, and just like that, everything that had tormented her was gone. The man before her had cleared it all away.
‘Ah.’
Her eyes once again beheld a beautiful, multicolored flower field. The flowers began to sing again, and she could see the faces of friends she had been separated from for so long.
It was all an illusion. A fleeting vision seen in the throes of death.
But she was content.
How fortunate she was that her final moments could be painted with the scene she had longed for more than anything.
There was no reason to count the days anymore.
'Thank you.'
A nameless, yet familiar soul.
May a golden blessing light the path of the one who saved me.

The rotten apple, once tainted by Erosion, emitted a brilliant light before vanishing completely. Along with it, the fairy's form disappeared as well.
Having absorbed the Black Flame, Jinwoo let out a long sigh. But at that moment…
Kooooo-googoogoogoong—!
A massive tremor shook the ruins. The golden energy remaining in the room, having lost its master, was unleashed.
The powerful mana that had held back the Erosion for ages swirled into a violent gale. It tore through the ruins and escaped into the world.
"Master! The elixir's mana is being released! You must enter a meditative state immediately! Breathe in as much as you can before it all disappears!"
Ipril shouted, her voice muffled. He looked over to see her covering her nose and mouth, a clear sign of her will to not absorb any of the golden energy herself.
She was an honest woman, even at a moment like this. Surely, she must have felt some desire to take even a little of the elixir's power that had been released against her will.
Jinwoo gave a wry smile and drew his Dragon Sword once more. There was no need to absorb it through his nose and mouth. Not when he had this sword.
Kwooo-ooooooh—!
The golden mana, which had been escaping like a gale, gradually changed its course and began to pour into Jinwoo.
‘This is…’
But the real prize wasn't the mana itself. Of course, the sheer volume of mana was incredible, but what was more important was the will imbued within it.
A powerful will of protection began to settle into Jinwoo's body.

On the island in the sky, inside the temple built upon it, Lin Shenlin was flustered.
[The God of the Sky is enraged.]
The god he served was suddenly spewing an inexplicable rage.
Though caught off guard for a moment, he quickly guessed the reason for the anger.
‘Is it because of that housefly?’
A presence, cloaked in invisibility magic, was circling the island.
‘A dragon hatchling. Mahiri of New Delhi, was it…? What on earth is she thinking, circling around like that?’
He clicked his tongue and slashed his sword at the sky. His blade, saturated with mana, cut through the air, aiming for the hatchling and Mahiri.
But the creature dodged with uncanny speed and shot a breath attack back at him.
KWAGAGAGANG!
"Tsk!"
Dodging it wasn't difficult, but the fact that he had to dodge was annoying.
Even if it was just a hatchling, a dragon was still a dragon. If he were hit by that fiery breath, his body could melt away, even if it was protected by a Protective Aura.
‘Does it want to fight me?’
The thought crossed his mind, but Mahiri merely circled as if scouting, firing a blast of flame whenever he was about to forget her. She didn't seem to have any intention of engaging in a full-blown battle.
What is her goal?
‘The fact that she even used invisibility magic makes it clear her intentions are dishonorable.’
Just try to get a little closer to the island. I’ll shoot you down and beat the truth out of you.
But Mahiri was also wary of him and didn't approach beyond a certain distance. She only continued to fire breath attacks and magic from afar.
‘How irritating.’
The sight was just like a housefly, and Lin Shenlin was getting extremely stressed.
And in the middle of it all…
[The God of the Sky is enraged.]
Even the being called a god was throwing a tantrum and nagging him, which only made him more tired.
‘I want to chase it off quickly and rest.’
Lin Shenlin stood at the temple entrance, stroking his sword as he expanded his senses.
His senses, covering the entire area, caught the fly-like presence circling the island. The hatchling and its tamer, scouting and watching for an opening.
‘If you have no intention of leaving, then just die.’
Lin Shenlin began to launch attacks filled not with warning, but with killing intent.
But his opponent was also an S-class Hunter and proved difficult to catch.
Yet, she didn't land on the island to attack him head-on, so the tense war of nerves continued.
[Follow the god's wrath!]
‘I’m trying!’
Lin Shenlin scowled at the god’s nagging even as he fought, swinging his sword. But the hatchling expertly dodged and weaved, maintaining its altitude.
[You must kill him now! Before he rises higher!]
‘…What? What are you talking about?’
Only then did Lin Shenlin notice a strong sense of dissonance.
It seemed the God of the Sky wasn't talking about the dragon hatchling before him.
The emotion he felt from the god was not anger, but something closer to anxiety.

The will of protection settled within him. That will considered various ways to protect Jinwoo.
Jinwoo realized that he had been given choices.
The first was to protect a space.
Just as the Golden Apple and the fairy had done, he could defend a fixed area. A spherical aura of golden energy would block all enemy attacks.
‘Could be useful.’
It reminded him of mages who specialized in defensive magic. They were welcomed in any party, reliable allies who protected their comrades.
There were a few such people in Tokyo's Shirata Guild, and Jinwoo knew they were highly sought-after.
The second was to protect the body.
It was a similar feeling to the Protective Aura that accomplished hunters from Hong Kong used, covering their skin with a hard, dense layer of mana to protect themselves.
Having felt the golden energy directly, Jinwoo was certain. This aura would be superior to any hunter's Protective Aura.
‘Not bad.’
This was also an excellent choice.
As a swordsman, Jinwoo's body was often exposed to enemy attacks. If he could protect his own body, he would be much safer, and his combat variations would increase.
Whichever he chose, there was no downside, only gain. Could there be a happier dilemma?
The last, the third choice, was to protect the heart.
This didn't simply mean protecting an important internal organ.
The heart was the center of the body, and at the same time, the center of mana—the core that supported the spirit. This was especially important for Jinwoo, who had gained the power of a dragon through the Dragon Sword.
It was the core organ that encompassed both body and spirit.
Jinwoo's heart yearned to absorb vast amounts of mana so that his body and spirit could reach the level of his soul. It was a phenomenon similar to what Kalesian called a dragon's molting.
Only when the trinity of body, spirit, and soul were equally elevated could a truly complete life form be achieved.
‘It’s not like actual scales will fall off, right?’
Without a moment's hesitation, Jinwoo chose the last option.