The location where the Two-Headed Venom Dragon was defeated was an ordinary forest.
While it remained a dead forest, stripped of vitality due to the lingering effects of poison, it was still a forest where trees managed to take root and grow.
At the center of the forest, a massive crater had formed.
This was the result of the attack believed to have brought down the Two-Headed Venom Dragon, an attack that dramatically altered the terrain.
Around the crater, temporary camps had been constructed in a circular formation.
These camps served as an interim base for the investigative team dispatched by the association, the disbanded search party, and the forces sent by Guhwa, Changhae, and Taesan.
With the poisonous miasma left by the dragon spreading and making purification efforts in the surrounding area challenging, this crater site, where the surface obstacles were conveniently cleared, and the miasma had almost entirely dissipated, was chosen as the base of operations.
Among the people gathered here was Hong Yeonhwa.
‘...What in the world happened here?’
Hong Yeonhwa leaned forward slightly, peering down into the crater.
It was a deep and vast hole, the kind that made you wonder if a meteor had crashed there.
A drastic alteration of the terrain.
Hong Yeonhwa could cause something similar if she put her mind to it.
If she blanketed the forest in Guhwa flames, everything would burn to ash. Adding in Gaehwa (Flourishing Bloom) could likely create a crater of similar size.
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‘But this scale... not in one go.’
Her sharp eyes narrowed as she scanned the crater. Even after calculating and considering her abilities, a terrain change of this magnitude was beyond her capabilities.
Even using an Expansion ability would be a stretch.
The output of Gaehwa couldn’t manage it, either. Jinhwa (Evolution) only enhanced physical capabilities and wasn’t applicable here, and the Seonghwa (Sacred Bloom), which she hadn’t yet mastered, was focused on self-healing rather than destruction.
‘...Hayul did this?’
The enormous crater, seemingly caused by an advanced offensive spell cast from above, was the result of Lee Hayul’s efforts.
Not only that, but the Two-Headed Venom Dragon had been obliterated without leaving even a single remnant.
Furthermore, the area surrounding the crater, covering a range much wider than the crater itself, showed signs of upheaval.
Likely all from a single strike.
Even considering that the dragon had been weakened by its transformation into a deathly specter and other adverse conditions, it was hard to believe.
It wasn’t that Hong Yeonhwa underestimated Lee Hayul. But according to the standards she knew, this feat should have been impossible.
Lee Hayul had manifested Guhwa flames on a scale comparable to her own, but even that didn’t make this possible.
Normal Guhwa flames couldn’t produce a crater of this size. Even with Gaehwa, it would still be impossible, and Hayul hadn’t yet mastered Expansion abilities.
Even if he had achieved Gaehwa in a desperate moment, it wouldn’t leave behind traces like this.
Crouching down, Hong Yeonhwa reached out a gloved hand and touched the surface of the crater.
Smooth.
It wasn’t polished to the point of gleaming, but considering how much time had passed since the crater formed, it must have been even smoother initially.
This wasn’t the result of Guhwa flames.
And yet, traces of Guhwa energy lingered faintly across the crater.
Though time had worn away the evidence, making it difficult to detect, the traces were unmistakably there.
‘...What is this?’
Hong Yeonhwa fell deep into thought.
She realized yet again just how many secrets Lee Hayul kept.
Most recently, there were the mysteries surrounding his eyes and voice.
How could a simple kiss restore both his vision and speech?
At the time, she had been too stunned to react properly.
It was so absurd that she had to laugh in disbelief.
What was he, some cursed princess from a fairy tale?
...Well, he certainly looked the part.
But even so, it was impossible to make sense of it all.
She hadn’t pressed him for answers.
The first time she asked, Lee Hayul had looked visibly troubled, as if he didn’t know how to respond.
She could have pushed further. By now, she knew how to coax answers out of him.
If she hugged him close and comforted him for a full day, his tightly sealed lips would inevitably loosen. She had even gotten close to that point before.
But Hong Yeonhwa prided herself on her principles.
She wasn’t the type of person to cruelly pry out the secrets of someone she loved, especially when it was clear that revealing those secrets caused them discomfort.
—Miss Yeonhwa! The Young Master disappeared after fighting the Two-Headed Venom Dragon...!
—Grrk...
—M-Miss?!
...Not that the temptation to become that kind of shameless person didn’t exist. She felt tested every moment by the sweet and fiery pull of that temptation.
The old Hong Yeonhwa wouldn’t have been able to resist.
The fact that she was now resisting in real-time was a point of pride for her.
If she had failed to endure?
By now, Lee Hayul would probably be locked in her bedroom, spending every moment cradled in her arms, nursing at her breast...
A sweet fantasy of such a future flickered in her mind.
The temptation and impulses burned hotter.
‘...Calm down. Patience... endurance...’
Hong Yeonhwa’s body trembled as she clenched her fists, reciting mantras of self-control while biting her lips.
The faint taste of blood in her mouth grounded her thoughts, snapping her back to reality─
“Yeonhwa, Yeonhwa, what are you doing?”
“Ah!”
“Huh?”
A light and carefree voice called out from behind, startling Hong Yeonhwa so much that she yelped and jumped.
The exaggerated reaction made Baek Arin, who had been approaching her, blink in surprise.
“W-what do you want?!”
“What were you doing to get so startled? Were you up to something weird?”
“I was just lost in thought, and you startled me! Don’t start picking fights, dammit!”
“Geez, no need to curse... Can’t you talk to me as sweetly as you do to Hayul?”
“Crazy woman...”
Hong Yeonhwa grimaced in disgust, but Baek Arin simply chuckled, her earlier pout vanishing.
“So, what were you actually doing?”
“Nothing much. Just observing.”
Hong Yeonhwa replied curtly.
After a moment of deliberation, Baek Arin tottered over and crouched next to Hong Yeonhwa, peering into the crater.
Baek Arin, too, had seen enough of the crater over the past few days.
It was right in front of their base, and its size made it impossible to ignore.
“Hmmm...”
Baek Arin extended her hand and ran it across the crater’s surface, mimicking Hong Yeonhwa. Then she spoke.
“Did you hear about Jiyeon? She got discharged yesterday.”
“Already? Oh right, Taesan.”
Hong Yeonhwa blinked, realizing she’d forgotten.
The bearers of Taesan powers had extraordinary physical attributes.
Their bodies grew stronger, their defenses and durability became absurdly high, and their vitality reached a level where calling them zombies wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
“By the way, what’s with all the commotion over there?”
Hong Yeonhwa pointed toward the opposite side of the crater.
That area housed Taesan’s temporary base, and it had been noisy ever since Hong Yeonhwa’s group arrived.
It seemed like chaos and confusion constantly reigned over there, though the noise was muffled by soundproofing spells.
“Well, the heir almost died in battle outside the family’s domain. Of course, it’s a mess.”
“Is that so? But I heard Jiyeon was discharged in perfect condition. Ah, she always leaves the hospital before I can visit her...”
Hong Yeonhwa murmured with a slightly perplexed expression.
It wasn’t the first time Jiyeon had been hospitalized.
Each time, Hong Yeonhwa had prepared to visit her, only to find her already discharged, waving sheepishly.
Memories from the past. They hadn’t crossed paths much lately.
The last time they’d met... was in the break room...
‘Ah, dammit.’
Embarrassing memories flooded her mind.
Hong Yeonhwa bit her lip again, trying to suppress the shame.
“Guess I’ll just say hello at Siyoram once the break’s over.”
Their investigation was nearing its end. There wasn’t much left to examine in the area.
The Two-Headed Venom Dragon’s corpse had been completely obliterated, leaving only traces of the battle to study.
Not that Hong Yeonhwa had much skill in that regard.
Baek Arin, being more versatile, could help, but she would soon return to Siyoram as the break ended.
“...Yeah, Siyoram. Time to head back.”
Hong Yeonhwa would also return to Siyoram.
And... she would have to meet the reckless fool who nearly got himself killed and left her a potential widow.
—Crunch.
The dirt in Hong Yeonhwa’s clenched fist crumbled.
She stood abruptly.
"Hmm..."
Hong Yeonhwa’s figure disappeared into the distance as she headed toward her assigned temporary base. Her presence vanished from view completely after entering the structure.
Baek Arin, who had been watching her until the end, turned her gaze back to the crater before her.
It filled her entire field of vision.
It was massive. At least, it seemed like it would take several casts of advanced, deliberate magic to produce something of comparable scale.
After blinking for a moment, Baek Arin glanced down at her hand.
‘...So, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore?’
In her hand was a clump of soil, scraped from the surface of the crater.
Her pristine white gloves were stained with dirt, but Baek Arin didn’t seem to care in the slightest. She rubbed the soil between her fingers thoughtfully.
‘No, maybe there wasn’t even time to consider hiding it. It was a matter of life and death.’
After all, with the Two-Headed Venom Dragon breathing down their neck, survival would have been the first priority.
‘But judging by the traces... it seems like there was enough leeway to avoid just fleeing.’
Baek Arin’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as she kneaded the soil, which faintly carried the energy of Changhae (Blue Sea).
The traces of Changhae were so faint that even someone with Baek Arin’s extraordinary magical sensitivity found it difficult to detect.
She focused her mind, analyzing the remnants of Changhae energy.
The samples were minimal and uniform, providing only sparse information.
"...Hehe."
But there was something she had discerned.
‘It was worth showing off, after all.’
The precision of the Changhae energy manipulation impressed her just as much as its output.
It was genuinely good news.
A satisfied smile spread across Baek Arin’s face.
.
.
.
Border of Huabei-Dongbei
At the site where the Two-Headed Venom Dragon had been defeated, forces from the Taesan family had been dispatched.
The leader of these forces, Commander Lee Seon, was not a bearer of Taesan abilities.
Though he carried the blood of the founder, he manifested abilities tied to the element of Earth rather than Taesan.
Compared to Taesan, these abilities were considered, as some would say, "a tier below."
Still, Lee Seon had enough talent to become a high-ranking hero.
Additionally, his proven loyalty to the family and his extensive experience earned him the position of commanding the Taesan family’s forces.
In short, Lee Seon was seasoned.
He had been deployed on the Demon Realm frontlines for years and was skilled at handling most unexpected situations.
"...I apologize. My head’s been throbbing a bit lately," he admitted.
This time, however, handling things skillfully was proving difficult.
At the temporary base’s command post, Lee Seon sat behind a desk, holding his aching head and letting out a weary sigh.
"I understand," came the stoic response from Lee Eunhyuk, who had come to the command post to deliver a report.
Like Lee Seon, Lee Eunhyuk was a branch family member, but unlike the commander, he was a bearer of Taesan.
Though not exceptionally powerful, his acquired detection abilities made him an invaluable asset for operations like the current search mission.
"Shall I continue the report?"
"Please do," Lee Seon replied with a nod.
In terms of innate abilities, Lee Eunhyuk surpassed Lee Seon. However, because of the rank assigned to him by the main family, Lee Seon was currently his superior.
Lee Seon managed to nod despite his disoriented state, and Lee Eunhyuk acknowledged his superior’s unsteady condition with a mental nod of his own.
After all, he shared the same sense of confusion.
Lee Eunhyuk began to speak.
"In the crater where the Two-Headed Venom Dragon was defeated, we detected traces of Taesan energy—distinct yet unmistakable."
"...Could there be a chance of error? Perhaps it was confused with the Taesan energy of Miss Jiyeon?"
"We’ve conducted days of precise analysis. While there are similarities, the energy signatures are distinct and identifiable."
Lee Seon shut his eyes tightly at the definitive answer.
"Haaah..."
Already plagued by his throbbing head, he worried that his condition would only worsen further.