Ch.100Mountain Range of the Ice Dragon

Upon arriving at headquarters, Se-erin immediately devoted herself to creating a new martial art. Using rest as an excuse to skip all training routines, she shut herself in her room and recalled everything she knew about martial arts.

‘It doesn’t need to be perfect from the start. First, I just need to establish the basic framework.’

But it wasn’t an easy task. Martial arts techniques typically take years, sometimes centuries, to perfect. If one couldn’t complete it in their lifetime, it was customary to pass the responsibility to the next generation. Noble families renowned for swordsmanship and major sects established in the Central Plains had such histories.

Those who created martial arts were called Grand Masters or Pioneers—titles reserved for those born with overwhelming talent. Se-erin knew herself well.

‘I don’t have that kind of talent.’

Knowing her limitations, she avoided recklessness. Her goal was to maximize what she already possessed.

Se-erin rose from her seat and drew her sword. As the White Dragon Sword emerged with a chilling gleam, red lines raced across its surface. The forms of the Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword technique were completely broken down, overlaid with the martial arts of the White Frost Tribe.

‘I don’t need to separate the striking techniques. I just need to adapt all weapon movements to the sword…’

Forms are methods of moving the body to use weapons. To imbue these movements with sufficient power, appropriate incantations were necessary. One needed to move mana to predetermined positions at every moment to optimize the body’s strength.

This was the problem. The White Frost Tribe’s martial arts used traditional folk songs as incantations. The rhythm—the flow—of songs they’d known all their lives guided their movements. The mana generated strengthened their bodies, and the power of spirits naturally followed.

But the Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword was different. It required stillness. There was no need for the joyful flow of singing. It needed steady, calm mental imagery.

These martial arts had completely different natures. They wouldn’t mix, like oil and water. It was like trying to write different texts with the right and left hands simultaneously.

“Wolf, protect us, we pray for the tribe’s safety…”

She vocalized the words while mentally reciting the Taebaek Snow Dragon Sword’s incantations. This effort seemed to yield decent results. A cold wind formed at the tip of her lightly thrust sword.

But this method was impractical in actual combat. The mental division was too great. In the midst of battle, she would surely abandon one and use only the other.

***

Two weeks passed. Se-erin made little progress in creating her new martial art. While taking a solitary walk to ease her frustration, Karnok approached her.

“Vice Commander…”

“It’s been a while, Se-erin.”

As Se-erin stared blankly at Karnok’s smiling face, he came closer and pulled out a neatly folded piece of leather from inside his clothes.

With a slight breeze came a familiar scent—musty yet carrying a cold chill, the smell of life. How could she forget? Se-erin detected the scent of her homeland from the leather Karnok handed her.

“What’s this…?”

“What you asked for. You wanted us to recover the remains of your tribe members and make proper graves, remember?”

“Ah…”

Se-erin nodded absently. Being so focused on creating her new martial art recently, she had forgotten about this request. A belated sense of relief washed over her.

Se-erin unfolded the leather. Inside was a drawing of a snow-white wolf. It appeared to have been taken from a flag marking the White Frost Tribe’s territory.

“Were the deceased resting peacefully?”

“Well… they’re resting peacefully now.”

As expected. Se-erin nodded. A reincarnator had taken residence in her body. Since a body that should have been buried under cold snow was moving around, it was highly likely that the graves of her other tribesmen had been disturbed as well.

“So you came to tell me this. Thank you.”

Se-erin carefully tucked the leather inside her clothes and bowed her head. Afterward, the two engaged in light conversation about recent events, missions, and everyday matters.

Suddenly, Se-erin thought of Clara, the nun. A reincarnator who had been taken to the imperial palace. Someone who, like herself, had two souls sharing one body.

Karnok might know something about Clara. Se-erin asked:

“During a recent mission, we brought back a reincarnator named Clara… Do you know about her?”

“Clara? Yes, of course I know.”

“The last I saw, she was being taken to the imperial palace. Do you know anything about what happened after that?”

“Sorry, but I haven’t heard anything since then either.”

“I see…”

“Are you concerned about her?”

“Somewhat. Since it’s not a typical case…”

“That’s true… Two souls coexisting in one body… and one being a reincarnator’s soul and the other an ordinary person’s. Come to think of it, I’m curious too. Next time I visit the palace, shall I look into it?”

“Yes, please. I’d appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing…”

The conversation ended there. Both of them gazed absently at the flowing wind. The wind that had been flowing to the right changed direction.

Swoosh—

“Se-erin.”

“Yes.”

“That reincarnator’s body you sent. You remember, right?”

Se-erin silently nodded. Though the mission had failed, she had defeated a new reincarnator in the process. Before returning to headquarters, she had sent Hakam’s body ahead, so it should have arrived by now.

“That body wasn’t a reincarnator. It was simply a corpse made to move like a puppet through some special process. Of course, the one controlling that body was likely a reincarnator. Necromancy isn’t a technique of this world.”

Karnok said this while carefully observing Se-erin’s reaction. The investigation had revealed that the body belonged to someone from Se-erin’s tribe. That’s why he had to be careful bringing it up.

Se-erin closed her eyes at Karnok’s words. If what he said was true, another of her tribesmen’s bodies might be being controlled and walking this world. Just like her own body.

“How many remains did you recover, Vice Commander?”

“Hmm… about 100, I think.”

That was roughly the number of tribe members. Perhaps specific conditions were needed for corpses to be used in necromancy. Fortunately, there weren’t as many as she feared.

While Se-erin was lost in thought, Karnok asked:

“Se-erin. How long have you been resting?”

“About two weeks.”

That seemed about right. Soon she would need to rejoin the training routine. Se-erin counted the days on her fingers.

One, two, three…

“You’ve rested enough. Your condition is good, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then get ready. A large-scale mission has come down from above.”

“A large-scale mission…?”

It was somewhat unexpected. Despite talk of a large-scale mission, the atmosphere at Cheong-ik headquarters seemed normal. Perhaps it was a secret operation? If an official mission had been issued, a stack of documents would have been delivered to her.

At that moment, Karnok lightly tapped his foot. Blue mana spread from his foot, instantly covering the area. It was a mana barrier. Karnok often used it to prevent sounds from leaking out.

“They say a Dragon Heart has been discovered.”

“Dragon Heart…?”

Se-erin searched her old memories. It was a term she had read in books during her studies with Flora.

Dragon Heart.

The supreme treasure left behind when the strongest known species dies. It was written that whoever obtained a Dragon Heart would gain eternal life and immense power.

“Is our mission to retrieve it?”

“No, there’s no way a real Dragon Heart exists. It’s just a rumor.”

“Then…?”

“What’s the purpose of Cheong-ik’s existence? To deal with reincarnators. This mission’s objective is to eliminate the reincarnators flocking to that rumor.”

There was no reason to refuse such a mission. Se-erin nodded.

***

Sturdy military boots tread upon the snow-covered mountain. Small footprints stretched across the pristine white snow.

A girl in Cheong-ik uniform looked around. A biting cold wind swept across the vast natural landscape. The environment was similar to her homeland. She felt invigorated.

White cold air puffed from Se-erin’s mouth.

“Wow… there’s nothing but snow here!”

“This mountain… does it have a peak? I can’t see the end.”

“It’ll be hard to breathe if we go any higher.”

“Ugh, it’s so cold…”

Se-erin turned her head at the familiar voices behind her. There stood Cheong-ik members dressed identically to her. They chatted amicably regardless of rank. Their disorderly appearance seemed to reflect Cheong-ik’s character.

Step—

“Hmm…”

Karnok, brushing snow off his cloak, stepped forward. Snow powder swirled gently beneath his feet. His gaze swept lightly across the massive mountain range.

‘The Kashpa Mountain Range’

They had just arrived in the region where an ice dragon was said to have lived in the past. The secretly spread rumor had made this frigid region bustling. Karnok’s gaze caught a group of people.

Bronze skin showed through layers of clothing worn to ward off the cold. They weren’t locals. These people had come from a distant desert region.

They weren’t the only ones. Not far away, various presences moved chaotically. All had come to obtain the Dragon Heart.

Karnok frowned. The number of visitors was larger than he expected. Could the rumor actually be true?

‘That’s impossible.’

Karnok shook his head and moved forward. The Cheong-ik members followed lightly behind him.