The place where the twin-headed dragon was hunted down was an ordinary forest.
Even after being drenched in poison, the aftereffects remained, making it a dead forest where life was hard to find, but there were indeed some trees that had rooted into the ground.
In the center of the forest, a gigantic pit had formed.
This was a geological change caused by an attack that was presumed to have killed the twin-headed dragon.
There were barracks lined up around this pit.
A survey team dispatched by the association and a ballooning search party.
And there was a temporary base where Gop-hwa, Chang-hae, and military forces dispatched from Taesan were stationed.
Due to the poison residue still rampaging from the twin-headed dragon, nearby areas were busy with purification.
Around this pit, objects on the ground had conveniently disappeared, and the poison had nearly dissipated, making it an ideal location for a temporary base.
Among those gathered, there was also Hong Yeon-hwa.
‘…What blew up?’
Hong Yeon-hwa peeked down at the pit.
It was quite a significant depth and width, almost as if a meteor had struck.
Geographical change.
If she set her mind to it, Hong Yeon-hwa could provoke a similar reaction.
If she poured Gop-hwa into the forest, everything would burn away, and if she added blooming, she could create a pit of this size too.
‘This size… would be tough in one go.’
Hong Yeon-hwa squinted her eyes as she scanned the pit. Even after some contemplation, a geographical change of this scale seemed impossible.
Even with her expanding abilities, it would be difficult.
Using blooming power would also be challenging. Evolution enhances physical abilities, making it impossible, and the healing abilities of the still-unacquired holy power were also not suitable.
‘…Could Ha-yul have done this?’
The pit was large enough that even the upper-tier attack magic used after consciousness couldn’t create it alone.
In addition to the pit, the surrounding area of land had been affected on a much larger scale.
It was likely a single blow.
Even considering that he had become a spirit and was weakened due to several adverse conditions, it was hard to believe.
While she would never underestimate Lee Ha-yul, the scale of this incident was beyond what she knew as common sense.
Although Lee Ha-yul exhibited powers comparable to Hong Yeon-hwa, it still didn’t seem possible.
Ordinary Gop-hwa couldn’t create a pit this size. Even using blooming would be difficult, and Lee Ha-yul had not yet mastered his expanding abilities.
Even if he achieved blossoming in a moment of crisis, such traces would be impossible to leave behind.
Hong Yeon-hwa crouched down and reached out. Her gloved hand felt the surface of the pit.
It was smooth.
Though not shiny smooth, considering that some time had passed since the pit was formed, it had probably been smoother initially.
This was not a trace caused by Gop-hwa.
Yet, there was indeed a presence of Gop-hwa’s energy.
The aura of Gop-hwa was layered throughout the pit.
As time passed, the signs had faded, making them hard to detect, but they were definitely remnants of Gop-hwa.
‘…What exactly is this.’
Hong Yeon-hwa fell into thought.
After all, Lee Ha-yul was full of secrets.
The most recent puzzlement was regarding his eyes and voice.
How could a mere kiss have opened his eyes and released his voice that had been blocked?
At the time, she had been so surprised that she couldn’t react properly.
It was absurd enough to make one chuckle.
Was she some cursed princess from a fairytale?
…Although it seemed plausible in appearance, it was hard to accept in many ways.
She didn’t just ask recklessly.
The first time she had asked, Lee Ha-yul had shown an expression that suggested he was in a bind.
She could continue to pry. She already knew how to tackle him.
Perhaps if she hugged him all day long, his tightly closed mouth would gradually open. In fact, she had been close to that just before.
But Hong Yeon-hwa was someone who understood her own sense of propriety.
She wasn’t the shameless type that would desperately pull out details from someone whose burdens she loved to shoulder.
– “Miss Yeon-hwa! The young master has gone missing after the battle with the twin-headed dragon…”
– “Crrr…”
– “Ah, Miss?!”
…There had been temptations to become that shameless person. She was tested by temptation and impulse every passing moment.
In the past, Hong Yeon-hwa had been unable to endure the sweet and intense temptation.
She felt a sense of pride in being able to withstand it in real-time now.
What if she had not succeeded?
By now, Lee Ha-yul would be trapped in the bedroom, nestled in her arms, nursing at her breast…
Suddenly, such a sweet future crossed her mind.
The temptation and impulse erupted thickly.
‘…I have to endure…’
Hong Yeon-hwa’s body trembled.
As she counted her patience internally, she bit her lip.
The faint taste of blood lingered in her mouth, bringing back her clarity─
“Yeon-hwa, what are you doing?”
“Ugh…!”
“Eh?”
It was at that moment that a gentle voice came from behind. Hong Yeon-hwa let out a weird sound and jumped up.
The excessive reaction startled Baek Ahrin, who was approaching.
“What, what, what? Why the scream?”
“What do you mean, I was just lost in thought, so don’t tease me!”
“That’s just too harsh to scold about… Can’t you be gentle like how you speak to Ha-yul?”
“You crazy idiot…”
Hong Yeon-hwa grimaced as if she were disgusted. In response to her reaction, Baek Ahrin broke out of her sulk and burst into laughter.
“So? What were you really doing?”
“Nothing. Just observing.”
Hong Yeon-hwa replied.
Baek Ahrin pondered for a moment, then hurried over and crouched next to Hong Yeon-hwa to look down into the pit.
Baek Ahrin had seen the pit multiple times over the past few days.
It was right in front of their base, and its size made it hard to miss.
“Hmm…”
Baek Ahrin reached out her hand and, like Hong Yeon-hwa, gently brushed over the surface of the pit.
“Have you heard any news about Ji-yeon? I heard she was discharged yesterday.”
“Already? Ah, right, Taesan.”
Hong Yeon-hwa blinked as if she had forgotten.
The manifestations of Taesan typically come with extraordinary physical abilities.
Their overall physical capabilities grow, and their defense and durability exceed reason.
Once they reach the level of handling vitality, they become almost zombie-like.
“Speaking of which, why does it look so busy over there?”
Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly pointed to the opposite side.
There lay the temporary base of Taesan, bustling with activity for the past few days.
The first to set up a temporary base here had been the Taesan Clan, and even at the time the latecomers like Hong Yeon-hwa had just arrived, it had been like this.
Though they didn’t hear what was happening due to soundproofing magic, the busy and chaotic appearance was blatantly obvious.
“Since the heir got caught up in this, it’s only natural there’d be a ruckus. It almost led to the next clan leader almost dying outside, right?”
“Is that so? Still, Ji-yeon ended up being discharged unharmed, didn’t she? Oh, Ji-yeon left before I could visit her…”
Hong Yeon-hwa muttered with a strange expression.
There had been times when Ji-yeon had been hospitalized in the past, and every time Hong Yeon-hwa had prepared to visit, Ji-yeon would miraculously be discharged and wave awkwardly.
Those were memories of the past. They hadn’t met much lately.
The last time they met was… in the lounge…
“Ah, crap.”
An embarrassing memory surged back.
Hong Yeon-hwa bit her lip again to suppress her shame.
“Guess we’ll be on break soon, so maybe we can stop by Shio-ram and greet her then.”
The investigation was complete. Honestly, there wasn’t much to investigate around here.
The twin-headed dragon’s corpse had completely vanished, and all that was left was to trace the signs of combat around.
Hong Yeon-hwa wasn’t particularly skilled at the investigation either.
Baek Ahrin, being talented in various ways, could provide some assistance, but she planned to return to Shio-ram soon as the break ended.
“…Yeah, you’re right. Shio-ram. It’s about time to go.”
Hong Yeon-hwa would also return to Shio-ram.
And… she needed to meet the child who nearly caused trouble by dying on their own whims.
– Crumble
The handful of dirt gripped in Hong Yeon-hwa’s palm crumbled.
Hong Yeon-hwa sprang to her feet.
.
.
.
“Hmm…”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s back receded. Soon her figure would disappear into her own portion of the temporary base.
Baek Ahrin, who had been staring at her until the end, turned away.
The pit filled her vision.
It was quite massive. One might need to smash several high-level spells to even reach an equivalent size.
As Baek Ahrin blinked for a moment, she casually glanced at her hand.
‘…So, it seems it’s no longer a matter of hiding, huh?’
In her hand, she gripped a handful of dirt. The dirt scraped from the surface of the pit.
Her white gloves got dirty, but Baek Ahrin didn’t care at all as she began to rub the dirt.
‘No, when your life’s at stake, there’s no time to think about the aftermath.’
After all, the twin-headed dragon was hot on their heels, and they needed to prioritize survival.
‘Still, it looked like there was enough time to escape if one examined the traces…’
Baek Ahrin peered peculiarly at the faint dirt that contained the subtle energy of “Chang-hae”.
Even amongst the manifestors of Chang-hae, this was a signature so faint that even Baek Ahrin, with her excellent mana detection, found it hard to notice.
Concentrating her mind, she analyzed the energy of Chang-hae.
Due to the limited samples and uniformity, the information she gathered was very minimal.
“…Hehe.”
But she had learned something.
‘It was worth showing.’
Not only in output, but the operation of Chang-hae was incredibly intricate.
That was very good news.
Baek Ahrin smiled brightly.
.
.
.
At the border between Hwa-bei and Dong-bei.
The forces sent to the location where the twin-headed dragon was hunted belonged to the Taesan Clan.
The commander leading them, “Lee Seon,” was not a manifestor of Taesan.
He was a distant relative inheriting the blood of the founder, manifesting instead the ability to manipulate the earth.
Compared to Taesan’s powers, it was a lower tier.
However, he had solid talents and had risen to the rank of a high-level hero through his skills.
Additionally, due to his loyalty to the clan, proven over time, and his experience, Lee Seon achieved the position of commander of the forces under the clan.
In short, Lee Seon was very experienced.
He had been stationed on battlefields plenty of times and had faced practical situations extensively, allowing him to handle ordinary surprises adeptly.
“…I’m sorry. I’ve got a bit of a headache.”
Right now, it was difficult for him to cope adeptly.
From the command center of the temporary base, Lee Seon sat slumped against the desk, sighing heavily.
“I understand.”
Sitting opposite him, Lee Eun-hyeok, who had come for a report, nodded stoically.
Like Lee Seon, Lee Eun-hyeok was also a distant relative but of the Taesan manifestation.
Though he hadn’t manifested a prominent level of Taesan, he had acquired detection abilities through training, making him a valuable asset in search operations like this.
“Can I resume with the report?”
“Please do.”
In terms of unique abilities, Lee Eun-hyeok was superior, but due to his position conferred upon him by the main house, Lee Seon was presently treated as the superior.
Lee Seon forced a nod.
Seeing his disoriented appearance, Lee Eun-hyeok nodded internally as well.
It was chaotic for both of them.
Lee Eun-hyeok spoke up.
“Distinct but familiar traces of Taesan have been detected at the pit where the twin-headed dragon was slain.”
“…Is there a chance of error? Perhaps they were confused with Lady Ji-yeon’s Taesan?”
“We have performed precise monitoring for several days. While there are similarities, they can be distinguished as individual energies.”
After that confirmation, Lee Seon shut his eyes tightly.
“Whoa…”
He had been feeling less than stellar lately, and the worry of his condition worsening hung heavy in his mind…
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