Ch.66Wolf Cult

“Um… Are you sure it’s safe to follow you?”

Envy asked worriedly as she followed behind Seorin. It was safe to follow. Having received memories through the sword, she was familiar with the internal structure of this temple. The temple had originally been built underground. Over time, a mine was simply constructed above it. The escape route that had been created still existed in the same place.

“Don’t worry. I found an escape route on the map we saw earlier.”

She had no way of knowing it was a lie. So Seorin decided to be brazen about it.

The escape route wasn’t on the upper level. Nor was it on the lower level. Since the temple was built underground, black earthen walls stretched out in every direction. Seorin led Envy toward the middle level of the temple.

“But don’t you think there might be treasures left here?”

Seorin turned to look at Envy. Despite having just experienced a dangerous situation, she was still coveting riches. Did she not think it had been dangerous? The girl shook her head.

“There won’t be any. This is a very ancient temple.”

Indeed, nothing remained that could be called treasures of the order. This was a building of a religious group whose very existence had been forgotten. Those who remained had filled their pockets when they left. Anything that could be called treasure had already been scattered across the world.

The reason the Moonlight Sword remained was because it had a stronger character as a ceremonial sword rather than a treasure. Since it wasn’t decorated with brilliant jewels, the faintly remaining religious devotion must have caused people to overlook the Moonlight Sword.

Seorin looked at the Moonlight Sword hanging at her waist.

It couldn’t replace the White Dragon Sword right away. However, the energy contained in the sword was mysterious. It held divinity, neither magic nor sorcery. If she could wield it properly, it would be worth keeping as a “secret weapon.”

“This is the place.”

The spot where Seorin and Envy stopped was a place with a large mural. It was impressive with moonlight shining down from the sky and numerous wolves sitting beneath it. Humans were gathered in front of a large altar, performing a ritual.

They placed a human with their heart removed on the altar and inserted the heart of a wolf bathed in moonlight into the empty space. It wasn’t a normal religion. That’s why they built the temple underground, away from people’s eyes.

Seorin moved skillfully, following her memories. She touched a brazier lying on the floor in the mural, and it stood upright. Then the massive mural rumbled and split open from side to side.

The mural was actually a door.

“Wow… How did you do that…?”

“It was written on the map.”

She opened an unfamiliar door as if it were nothing. Envy’s suspicion was natural. Seorin lied again. Her attitude was so nonchalant that Envy couldn’t even doubt her. She only blamed herself for not examining her surroundings more carefully.

“I see…”

‘They say if you lie too much, you’ll grow a tail…’

It was an old superstition from the White Frost tribe. Though no one in the tribe’s history had actually grown a tail, for some reason, her tailbone was tingling.

Seorin moved forward with Envy. Beyond the mural door was a large tunnel. Although part of the mine had collapsed with the explosion, the ground in this area was unusually sturdy and hadn’t caved in. Seorin stroked the iron pillars densely embedded at the end of the tunnel.

Seorin and Envy, who had been moving forward without hesitation, had to wander a bit. The tunnel had collapsed due to the explosion, blocking their path. They went around in circles to find another way.

The fortunate thing was that no monsters were in sight. Had they fled from the sound of the explosion, or was there some other factor? After walking for some time, they were in the midst of finding their way by the light of Envy’s illumination magic.

From not too far away, familiar voices were heard.

[Envy! Seorin!]

[Sir Knight! Answer if you can hear us!]

Suddenly, a faint breeze blew in, caressing Seorin’s hair. The air carried by the wind was fresh.

***

The two people who reunited with Black Light and Shave returned to Black Forge. An accident had occurred where the mine collapsed. They had no choice but to report it to the kingdom.

However, contrary to their expectation of punishment, Black Forge imposed no penalties on the four of them. This was because of the newly discovered temple in the collapsed mine. The dwarves were excited about the discovery of knowledge from a forgotten generation.

On the morning of the day the four returned, even before sunrise, numerous dwarves gathered for excavation work.

“So traces of a strange religious group have been discovered.”

“What’s the architectural style like? From which era are these ruins?”

“I hope some weapons remain…”

The dwarves chattered excitedly. Many seemed to have rushed out, not even properly dressed. Seorin moved away from the dwarves’ gaze, preciously clutching the newly acquired Moonlight Sword.

I won’t give it up.

Three days passed. The dwarves’ interest in the power engine waned. Had they witnessed it working, it might have been different, but it arrived in a broken state. This meant they couldn’t even guarantee if it could actually work.

With the discovery of new ruins in this state, it was natural for the dwarves’ interest to decline. The royal palace also stopped summoning craftsmen. They judged it better to let the craftsmen focus on their own work rather than spending time and devotion on an item that couldn’t be fixed.

The mages who had come to Black Forge with great confidence were now dejected. Envy, who had come to find Seorin, was no exception. She slumped like cheese melting in midsummer.

“Ugh… I think we’ll be going back soon…”

This was welcome news. If the magic tower returned, Seorin’s return would naturally be decided. The girl wanted to swing her sword at the reincarnator as soon as possible.

“Looks like things aren’t going well.”

“Yeah…”

That evening, Black Light came to find Seorin. Not expecting Black Light to visit her, Seorin had to greet him in her nightclothes.

“What brings you here?”

“I thought I should deliver this to you…”

What Black Light handed over was a sword wrapped in thick cloth. It was a familiar shape to Seorin.

‘The White Dragon Sword…’

Seorin lifted the sword and looked at Black Light. He was covered in dirt, as if he had rushed over while excavating. Seorin shifted her gaze to examine the sword.

Fine cracks were etched across the straight, pure white blade. Was it unable to withstand the impact of magic, or was it crushed under the collapsed mine debris?

Bwoong-!

As she lightly swung the White Dragon Sword, a subtle vibration spread like a scream. Its lifespan had ended. The White Dragon Sword could no longer serve as a weapon.

“…Thank you for bringing it.”

Her heart felt heavy, as if saying goodbye to an old friend. Her voice was also low and subdued. She had really liked how well it fit in her hand…

“…Are you disappointed?”

“Pardon?”

It was an unexpected question. Seorin raised her head to look at Black Light.

“I asked if you’re disappointed it turned out this way.”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not. After being together for so long, and now it’s like this…”

Black Light fell silent at Seorin’s words. He seemed to be pondering something deeply. The girl waited patiently for the dwarf’s words.

Wind rushed in through the wide-open window. As it passed through the cracks in the sword, the White Dragon Sword wailed sorrowfully.

“Would you entrust this sword to me?”

“You mean you’ll fix it?”

“I can’t promise, but I’ll do my best.”

Seorin turned her gaze to look out the window. The moon was bright. A large full moon illuminated the ground, brightening the surroundings. If she wanted to repair the sword, she could find another skilled craftsman. This country was full of more famous craftsmen than Black Light.

But why? Seorin wanted to entrust the sword to him. She felt again the strong bond of connection she had sensed from Black Light before. Silently, Seorin held out the sword.

***

Black Light groaned as he looked down at the short sword. The material of the sword, which he had thought was ordinary, was not common iron. It held a slight chill and had properties that resonated with mana.

It was good that he had taken it, promising to fix his benefactor’s sword. He certainly had the skills to repair it. However, this was a different matter.

‘If I overlay it with a different metal…’

That would be the wrong approach. If he covered the blade with a different metal, the spiritual nature of the sword would die. It would become a completely different sword. He needed to complete the repair while preserving the sword’s life.

After much contemplation, Black Light pulled out a red-glowing metal ingot. It had high mana conductivity and sturdy durability. But it was heavy—more than three times heavier than ordinary iron.

Red Bit.

It was half a gamble. The properties of Red Bit would have to match well with the properties of the sword.

‘There’s no other way…’

The sword’s weight would change, but there was no alternative. Black Light knew that when a swordsman’s familiar sword suddenly changes, it takes considerable time to get used to it.

Whoosh-!

The large forge spewed hot flames. Black Light’s hands moved busily. Sweat flowed along his expanded muscles, evaporating instantly. His copper-colored skin was scorched by the heat, even suffering slight burns, but he did not stop.

Three days passed. Day and night, the forge’s fire burned hot. He neither ate nor drank. Yet Black Light did not tire. He didn’t even feel the slightest fatigue.

The work progressed to its final stage.

“Finally…”

His voice was dry, but filled with ecstasy. Black Light looked down at the repaired white sword. The hot sword cooled, emitting white smoke. Along the pure white blade, blood-red lines raced like veins.