WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

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◈ Xianxia Cultivation with a Dragon Heart ◈

Chapter 43: A Dragon Sighting

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The Great Rift was vast enough to justify its name. Though exploration was difficult due to the countless dangers lurking within, even after several decades, they still could not even estimate its total size.

And because it was so vast, it had multiple entrances rather than just one. Every known entrance was managed by China, Korea, and Japan, with each country taking responsibility for one or two. Naturally, several fortress outposts had been built at every entrance to support the exploration of the Great Rift's interior.

Since the outposts had not been built to fight humans, they resembled castles but differed in several ways.

Their core consisted of layered defenses centered around obstacles, including barbed-wire zones and moats filled with spike traps. Beneath them were narrow underground passages for the defending Hunters to retreat through, along with various means of sealing those passages in an emergency.

Korea managed two major entrances to the Great Rift. One was located in northeastern South Hwanghae Province, and the other in eastern North Hwanghae Province. The place currently endangered by a Wave was the Third Fortress Outpost inside the North Hwanghae Great Rift.

"Support over here!"

"Damn it, where's a healer?!"

"R-Retreat? Aren't we retreating?!"

All manner of superpowers streaked through the air amid flashes and explosions. The roars and screams of monsters blended together like background noise along the outpost's chaotic defensive line.

The broad barbed-wire zone had long since lost its function, buried beneath monster corpses or torn apart in countless places. The spike-filled moats scattered throughout it were no different.

The Hunters defending from atop the walls, taking advantage of the high ground, were rapidly losing morale under the increasingly fierce Wave.

Several kinds of monsters were charging in, but one species formed the core of the horde. They resembled wild dogs, but their four legs had numerous joints, allowing them to move with extraordinary versatility. They could also fire spikes from their tails.

Every one of their toes was well developed, and they possessed powerful claws, making them skilled at scaling cliffs and climbing trees. Naturally, from the defenders' perspective, an assault by creatures embedding their claws into the wall and climbing up was extremely threatening.

They had to block or evade the incoming spikes while knocking the climbing creatures off the walls. They also had to deal with the monsters surging in behind them, without ignoring the larger, stronger monsters that occasionally mixed into the advance.

Every Hunter was fighting desperately, but they could all feel the situation worsening by the second.

Where were the commander and deputy commander, the S-Ranks, at a time like this? Of course, both were likely doing their best wherever they were needed, but people were starting to desperately need help.

Or an order to retreat.

Then, just as the situation continued to worsen.

"Huh?"

One Hunter felt a peculiar Mana fluctuation and looked up at the sky.

Then they saw it.

Someone was floating in midair, wrapped in a faintly sparkling pale-green wind. Three small sparks fell from the outstretched hand.

The sparks rapidly swelled the moment they seemed to break away, growing large enough to engulf an ordinary truck. They descended upon the battlefield along three separate paths.

"Aaaah...!"

"Ghk!"

Cries of alarm burst from Hunters all around. It was not just the intense light emitted by the firebirds. Even from a considerable distance, the dreadful heat nearly burned them.

But while the Hunters suffered no more than that, the monsters faced a disaster.

Fwoooosh!

One firebird skimmed past the fortress wall, leaving only a small gap between itself and the structure.

Every monster that had been viciously climbing up with hooked claws embedded in the wall fell while screaming in agony.

Some caught fire. Most fell with the muscles and organs beneath their hides seared dry, steam rising from their bodies. The noise of the battlefield abruptly died down, replaced by the smell of cooking meat.

While one firebird handled the wall, the remaining two turned the creatures approaching the fortress into ash.

Flames swept behind them like a storm as they beat their wings fiercely, causing the air itself to boil. Most of the monsters below were not merely roasted but burned black and crumbled apart.

One of the firebirds suddenly flew toward a monster visible even from afar due to its enormous size. It looked like a cross between a gorilla and a bear.

When the creature saw the firebird coming for it, it panicked and immediately turned to flee. But it was quickly caught.

The moment the firebird collided with it, or rather, wrapped it in an embrace and seemed to pause for an instant.

Kwooooom!

A blinding flash erupted, seeming to darken the surroundings instead, followed by a terrifying explosion.

A cloud of flame rose roaring like a small giant. The earth shook, and the heat spread rapidly, making every nearby monster scream.

"Oh my God..."

One Hunter who had been fighting desperately on the wall until moments ago muttered without realizing it. Many others had forgotten the situation entirely, their mouths hanging open as they stared at the scene unfolding before them.

The monsters, which had charged in madly despite dying in droves, were fleeing in every direction. No one knew what had made them suddenly terrified when they had shown no fear until now.

Power on another level.

Violence from another dimension.

Every Hunter was stunned, unable to tell whether they felt fear or awe. The boundless relief that such overwhelming power was on their side filled them with an equally immense exhilaration.

Just moments ago, they had been locked in a desperate battle to the death with those creatures. Now the monsters were burning and dying in groups like ants. How could anyone not feel exhilarated?

The battle, which had clearly been a fierce siege between humans and monsters, changed in an instant. It was no longer merely a hunter pursuing prey. It had become like exterminating bothersome insects.

"Get yourselves together! Deal with the survivors and prepare for whatever comes next!"

While several combat unit commanders with exceptional mental strength shouted to snap the others out of it, Han Yujin remained in the air, using Spirit Vision Art to track each fleeing monster.

When he manipulated the formula sequence, the two remaining Fire Spirit Birds divided into eight or nine smaller ones and flew in different directions. Seconds later, explosions erupted throughout the area, each one tearing apart at least three or four monsters.

That level of control was easily possible with the intelligence of a Dharma Soul Stage cultivator.

But many still remained.

'My Karma...!'

He had pushed himself somewhat by unleashing more than half his strength all at once, but he still had about half his power left. He did not need to withdraw and rest immediately. Having reached the Dharma Soul Stage through Perfect Foundation Establishment, his recovery was especially good.

Estimating his remaining dharma power, he began a full-scale pursuit.

For the Dragon Heart. For the cavern-heaven treasure in the Five Elements Sect ruins. For the Five Elements True Spirit Boulder and the banner-type Heaven-Connecting Spirit Treasure. For every other opportunity for growth that would follow.

He could not simply give up those visible masses of Karma.

* * *

The spiritual energy density inside the Great Rift was around thirty percent of that in the primeval forest.

That was not something to dismiss as merely thirty percent. It was roughly three times the density on Earth, so it was by no means low. Thanks to that, Han Yujin recovered quickly from the fatigue caused by consuming dharma power and was able to continue pursuing and fighting for quite some time.

Only after burning more than several hundred monsters to death over half a day did Han Yujin return to the Third Fortress Outpost.

It was beginning to grow dark, as though day and night changed inside this Great Rift just as they did on Earth.

The Hunters who spotted him flying in the air all took up defensive positions, but no one mistakenly attacked him.

No one here was reckless enough to launch an attack before someone with an observation-type ability had identified him as an enemy. Han Yujin had not flown in especially threateningly, either.

When he landed atop the wall, the gazes of the Hunters around him flew toward him like arrows. Though no one openly displayed it, every look held tremendous respect.

No one had to tell him. He could tell on his own.

'Ah, this is it.'

Han Yujin felt extremely pleased, experiencing something entirely different from what he had felt at the outdoor superpower training grounds.

People had watched him then, too, but this situation was different in many ways.

"Do you know where Park Seryong is?"

He asked the nearest male Hunter.

He had separated from the Hunter guide long ago while rushing around to provide support. He had no choice but to ask, but his timing was perfect.

"Park Seryong is in the command room. I'll show you the way!"

With a response that somehow sounded military, the Hunter led Han Yujin away.

They arrived at the second floor of a central building. The interior was fairly spacious, with maps hanging in various places. Many people were seated inside, creating a busy atmosphere.

But the moment he arrived, everyone stopped what they were doing, bowed their heads toward him, and clearly acted as though greeting a superior.

Even while quietly enjoying the mood, Han Yujin was slightly taken aback.

"Junior, thanks to you, we got through the crisis with almost no casualties."

At Park Seryong's formal words, everyone looked mildly surprised as their gazes moved between the two of them.

"Please have a seat. You must be tired, but there is much you need to know urgently."

When Park Seryong stood and even offered him the seat of honor, the surprise on everyone's faces became obvious. Apparently, there were very few people Park Seryong treated this way.

Perhaps no one at all, aside from Choi Gangbaek, the older S-Rank Hunter.

'They probably aren't here, right?'

Considering the importance of an S-Rank, as well as the gravity of the situation, they were likely stationed elsewhere in case of an emergency.

As he thought this, Han Yujin listened to several urgent matters from Park Seryong. They mainly concerned how they had defended against the Wave and the current state of affairs.

"Wait a moment. I still don't know much about the organization or deployment of the expedition force here."

"Ah, that..."

At Han Yujin's words, Park Seryong began explaining.

The explanation was neither simple nor brief.

Around 2,300 personnel were divided into combat units, exploration units, mining units, support units, and special task units. Each unit was then further divided into combat squads, reconnaissance squads, support squads, intelligence squads, guard squads, logistics squads, construction squads, and more.

Depending on the type, there were between six and eighteen numbered units. They worked in two shifts during normal times, and since personnel had to be given leave during service periods lasting two or three months, the system could not possibly be simple.

'Ugh.'

Even with the intelligence of a Dharma Soul Stage cultivator, allowing him to remember it all at once, Han Yujin inwardly shook his head. Even Park Seryong, who was explaining it, did not seem to expect him to fully understand everything immediately.

If the explanation expanded into how every unit and squad carried out its duties, it was the kind of thing that would require setting aside days to attend lectures.

Even so, after hearing the explanation once and returning to the main point, he roughly grasped the situation.

"So we've put out the immediate fire for now, but starting tomorrow, we'll need to begin a full-scale sweep from here. Otherwise, there could be a second or third Wave."

"That is correct."

"Furthermore, the longer we take to secure this open-pit Level 7 mana stone mine, the more strongly China and Japan will assert ownership."

"Exactly."

Park Seryong repeatedly nodded as Han Yujin spoke, pointing to the map.

"Understood."

Han Yujin nodded once he understood everything. Then he noticed Park Seryong's gaze moving toward Muyong, whom he had been holding in his arms all this time.

"Is that... a pet?"

"Yes."

"...You've been carrying her while fighting all this time?"

"Yes."

Park Seryong had pointedly asked about something everyone else had been trying to ignore, but Han Yujin answered with complete confidence, as though there was no issue whatsoever.

Zzt!

Muyong's cry rang through the suddenly quiet command room.

Han Yujin almost laughed at the sight of Park Seryong, momentarily at a loss for words, before opening his mouth.

"Then I'd like to get some rest for tomorrow. Are there accommodations here?"

"Ah, I'll show you right away."

"I'd prefer a private room. And I don't want to be disturbed until tomorrow morning."

"That won't be a problem. You were a tremendous help today, so we won't disturb you no matter what happens. You should go to the First Fortress Outpost in the rear. It's much safer there."

Han Yujin naturally had no reason to refuse and nodded.

* * *

The center of the First Fortress Outpost at the North Hwanghae entrance of the Great Rift.

Han Yujin settled into a private, high-quality room in one of the fortress's underground areas. Thanks to his Storage Pouch and Purification Art, there was no need to make things unnecessarily complicated.

Still, no matter how high-quality the accommodations were for senior personnel, this was a fortress built for safety. It was neither spacious nor comfortable, and Muyong clearly did not like the atmosphere.

He soothed her with spirit liquid wine, then felt playful and teased her a little. Then he soothed her again. After wasting time for no reason because of that little good-for-nothing, he lay down on the bed.

Considering that a Dharma Soul Stage cultivator had no need for sleep, he was naturally planning to activate his awakening ability.

A little while later, he opened his eyes in the dark and empty Waiting Area.

After making all his preparations, he stood before the ever-changing Door and considered two options. Today, he decided to test the idea he had originally thought of.

'I want to see the form of the greatest and most powerful dragon I can encounter, one with the type of Dragon Heart I desire.'

Reviewing the other details based on that idea in his mind, he slowly reached out.

With a cold sensation, the Door's form successfully stabilized.

It was a door made primarily from pure white stone, decorated with glass gems and other ornaments. It gave off a splendid impression, while a faint light flowed through the patterns carved into its decorations.

Silver letters floated above it.

Valhaldrax Pangaea of the Reigning Dragons.

'Of the Reigning Dragons...?'

It sounded grand, and unmistakably fantasy-like at the same time. With his heart beginning to pound for no reason, he boldly opened the Door and stepped through.

The instant he set foot in the other world, he sensed that the surroundings were extremely chaotic.

He watched the Door he had passed through disappear behind him and surveyed the area. He was atop the wall of an enormous, pure white castle. The city within was so vast that he could not take it all in at a glance.

The pure white stone making up the wall looked as though it had been formed from a single solid piece, without any visible seams, and it seemed to contain a faint glow. Tall spires stood at regular intervals, radiating starlike light from their peaks.

People in robes who were clearly mages at a glance busily worked around those spires. There were also vast numbers of knights and soldiers wearing platinum-colored armor and carrying swords.

Han Yujin himself was dressed like one of those mages. The outer layer was white, while the lining was blue. Silver and gold thread had been embroidered throughout, making the attire both splendid and refined.

As he examined his clothes and realized how urgent the commotion around him was.

Suddenly.

With an incomprehensible sensation, his gaze was drawn toward the sky above the plains outside the castle wall. Han Yujin was not the only one. Countless people in the area did the same.

The next moment.

An indescribable roar thundered through the air, and one side of the sky began to fracture on its own.

Han Yujin's eyes widened as he watched.

'A Rift?!'

It felt exactly like the Rifts on Earth.

As that thought crossed his mind, a huge head suddenly emerged from within the rapidly forming Rift.

The first thing he saw was several pairs of majestic horns, dark as black holes yet surrounded by a radiance too bright to look at.

Next, he saw magnificent eyes with vertical pupils, as dazzling as though they held the nebulae and galaxies of the universe.

- You dare summon those disgusting Asterion bastards.

An enormous, overwhelming will, worthy of being called a True Word, resounded through his soul as though carved into it with a blade.

- Be torn to pieces and die, you insects.

The last thing he saw was that divine will, filled with fury, manifesting as a vast phenomenon that swept in rapidly, as though extinguishing every light in the world.

Without even sensing anything approaching, Han Yujin and the world he saw and felt were swallowed by the darkness of that phenomenon.

- You have died.

Soon, as silver letters mysteriously floated in the darkness, he could only stand there in a daze for a while.

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