Chapter 72: Heaven Lake

Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang jumped into Heaven Lake, heading toward the abyss within the water with no bottom or end in sight.

“Where…?”

When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a cave. However, it wasn’t dark and damp like the cave from before.

Flicker.

Rather, it was a space filled with fluttering flames. A scorching heat enveloped the party. It was a world starkly contrasting with the outside, which was a frozen wasteland. It was a cave full of heated stones, as if—

[You have entered the instant gate, Seal.]

He had just been thinking that it was a gate, but Jeong In-Chang was still confused. He asked, “A gate within a gate…?”

He had been told that North Korea and Mainland China had been turned into a gate all the way up to the front lines. Then, that would mean that this was another gate that had formed inside the gate they were in. This type of gate was called an instant gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong was already familiar with the term as it had been widely spread later in the future, but Jeong In-Chang was not. The man with the greatsword stood, seemingly confused by the notification he had heard.

“What is it now? What about an instant gate…?” he mumbled.

However, more so than the confusion about the term, he seemed even more confused by the sudden change in temperature.

“Whew… What sort of back and forth is this, hot, then cold… it’s not like I’m something that is supposed to be quenched.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around and said to Jeong In-Chang. “Let’s consider it as quenching, then. Doesn’t tempering make something stronger?”

Jeong In-Chang heard another notification right after Lee Jun-Kyeong’s remark, as if the other man had incited something.

[ sponsors you 'Heat Resistance.']

Jeong In-Chang had obtained a new skill.

‘I can’t even…’

Lee Jun-Kyeong thought.

Jeong In-Chang really had a wealthy Sponsor. Being rich in of itself was not the whole story. After all, Jeong In-Chang was technically . As the Hero who inherited the name of the Ogre Prince Siegfried, there was no way his Sponsor would spare any support.

“You might as well have given it to me earlier… well, aren’t you going to give me ‘Cold Resistance’ too?” Jeong In-Chang muttered toward the sky.

“Gooongje!”

However, the only voice that came in response was from the princess, who seemed to be communicating on behalf of .

"Now, what do we do?" Jeong In-Chang said, immediately opening his mouth to change the topic as if he was embarrassed by the spectacle.

Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged. “Well, it’s always the same whenever we enter a gate.”

“...”

Having heard Lee Jun-Kyeong’s response, Jeong In-Chang could feel it now.

“

Geugah…

”

They couldn’t forget where they were. Even if it were a gate within a gate, there were bound to be monsters.

***

The monsters that appeared within Heaven Lake and the Seal were different from those on the outside. Instead, they were mainly monsters that specialized in flames and radiated heat. Especially prominent were the fire trolls that wielded burning clubs or other similar monsters such as flamedogs, which looked like dogs set aflame.

“

Greugh…

”

Furthermore, these monsters were powerful enough to fluster Jeong In-Chang.

“

Ugh…

these things are also unusually strong…”

In fact, they were much stronger than the monsters they had faced outside. Of course, Jeong In-Chang had obtained the power of a Hero, so he was able to sweep them away with a greatsword. However, the difference that lay here was that these monsters were strong enough that it defied common sense. It was to the point where it was more than capable to fluster him.

Pierce.

Lee Jun-Kyeong moved faster and quicker than the flustered Jeong In-Chang and was making quick work of numerous monsters. Muspel’s Spear stabbed, pierced, and thrust yet again through the monsters like the teeth of a ruthless predator.

[Muspel's Spear has consumed some flames.]

This place was like heaven for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although it was difficult to hunt many monsters at once using Reign of Fire, his weapon, on the other hand, was consuming flames even if he just stood still.

[Your mastery of Reign of Fire has increased slightly.]

Moreover, his mastery of Reign of Fire was improving just by his breathing. Jeong In-Chang swung his greatsword faster as if he didn’t want to fall behind, but it was difficult for him to catch up with Lee Jun-Kyeong, who moved determinedly.

Suddenly, they found themselves surrounded by monster corpses.

"Whew."

“Looks like it’s over,” Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked.

There were no other creatures around them. Considering that they were still only at the beginning, this was for the best.

Even if he were only able to level up a level or two, it would be a win, as he hadn’t even gotten a title yet. was still so stingy with his sponsorship, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was still looking for a way to grow stronger himself.

“By the way… that village chief? What’s the hell with the little brat’s identity?” Jeong In-Chang said as he sheathed his greatsword.

It was strange, no matter how he thought about it. At first, they had just thought she was an ordinary little girl. But, out of the blue, not only did it come out that she was the village chief of Heaven Lake Village, but she also wasn’t shy with Sangun either.

“By chance… this Seal thing. Do you think that woman made it?” he asked.

Looking at the way she was able to open and close the seal, it seemed as though she was the one who had sealed the intruder who was said to have inflicted mortal wounds on Sangun. Jeong In-Chang had wanted to ask about it countless times, but the girl had always been with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Now, it was the time to ask. But, as always, Lee Jun-Kyeong always had an answer.

"Yes. That girl made the Seal. However, rather than making the seal itself, it’s more that she formed the seal using an existing seal itself.”

Jeong In-Chang frowned slightly. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Lee Jun-Kyeong explained, “The place where we stand right now is the center of Mt. Baekdu, and it is the place where all of its power is gathered. The power of Sangun that you saw before stems from this place.”

He could feel it too. As he made an effort to feel the mana around him, he confirmed that the mana in this space was similar to the vast presence that Sangun exuded. It was a hot yet majestic mana, and it was that very mana that warmed the entirety of Heaven Lake.

“So that girl, Ungnyeo, is able to use the energy of Mt. Baekdu. Also, Ungnyeo was the one who gave Sangun that much power as well.”

“Pardon…?”

Jeong In-Chang made a blank expression as if his brain had frozen for a moment. He finally said,, “Simply put, it's not that Sangun is the strongest, but it's actually the village chief… So you're saying that the girl named Ungnyeo is the strongest?”

“Well, you can see it that way, sure,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

“If that’s true…”

It was easy to tell what Jeong In-Chang’s following words would be without even hearing them. If even Sangun and the girl had to join forces to seal it, then he most likely wanted to ask about the identity of the boss of this instant gate.

“Then it’s even stronger than them.”

Although there were a lot of things to consider, he knew at least that much to be true. The boss of this instant gate was the same monster who had inflicted mortal wounds on Sangun and had been sealed by the two of them. Thus, it could be said that it would be stronger than any boss monster they had ever faced.

"So…"

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jeong In-Chang and continued, "Before you meet the boss, you’ll have to grow as much as possible here."

"…"

"Oh, also..."

At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang as if he had remembered something, “Can you butcher some of the trolls and flamedogs? Later, once we leave Mt. Baekdu, it’ll be cold again. Their hides retain and radiate heat on their own, so it would be good for us to combat the cold.”

“I told you to get Hyeon-Mu to do it…” Jeong In-Chang whined.

Eventually, Jeong In-Chang was left to butcher monsters again with his greatsword. He slaughtered them while grumbling to himself before finally looking over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“But her name is Ungnyeo? How unique.”

The more unusual the name, the more unique it seemed, however, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded nonchalantly, “Oh, that’s not it. I don’t actually know her name. Ungnyeo is her title.”

Jeong In-Chang stuttered, “I… if it’s a title…”

“It means that she’s a hero,” Lee Jun-Kyeong confirmed.

Jeong In-Chang started butchering again with tears in his eyes. He had just become a hero too…

'The world really is vast…’

He felt an odd feeling of depression overcome him.

***

Their hunting began in earnest. The gate really was vast. Even with the best use of his mana stream, it was impossible for him to estimate this space. At the very least, it seemed bigger than Mt. Baekdu.

Common sense dictated that there was no way that the space created under Heaven Lake was bigger than the outside, but, seeing as where they were, common sense had already gone out the window.

Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang continuously hunted without overlooking a single monster. There were three main reasons why Lee Jun-Kyeong had come to Mt. Baekdu while heading to China.

Firstly, he wanted to reach Heaven Lake Village, meet Sangun and Ungnyeo there, and slay the intruder that had injured them after.

Secondly, he wanted to reach this place.

It was where they stood, right there, right where Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing and traveling, the Seal of Heaven Lake Village. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been unable to raid a gate after conquering the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

Even if he had entered one, Hyeon-Mu had been the one to raid it. Thus, he hadn’t been able to level up even once after the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

[Heaven Lake Village was an excellent place to grow.]

Those were the words of the Demon King.

For someone like the Demon King and Lee Jun-Kyeong, who both had the Reign of Fire, this place was the best.

[Your mastery of Reign of Fire has increased slightly.]

Just by breathing and hunting monsters, Reign of Fire was rising rapidly in proficiency. Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong also had something the Demon King didn’t: Muspel’s Spear. The efficiency was the best.

‘It’ll be hard to find a hunting ground like this for a while.’

This place had the best conditions for him to prepare for events that would occur in China and for him to get stronger for the cataclysm to come.

Finally, the third reason was the boss of this gate.

It was an intruder that had been sealed by Ungnyeo after having inflicted fatal wounds on Sangun. His sudden existence was also one of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s goals. Step by step, his plan was proceeding smoothly.

“The regeneration rate doesn’t seem to be going up too well,” Jeong In-Chang said as they had finished clearing out the monsters.

He was referring to the regeneration rate of the Dragon’s Bloodstone.

“...”

“It was definitely at around 15% the last time I checked. However, it’s still standing at 15%.”

The Dragon’s Bloodstone required the hunting of monsters and used their blood as a source of regeneration. Jeong In-Chang was complaining that its rate was too slow, especially as he knew that he would be able to make use of the Dragon’s Bloodstone once he had received a title.

Now that he had received a title, his heart was in a hurry.

“How is it for you, Mr. Lee?” Jeong In-Chang said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong’s spear. Like his greatsword, Muspel’s Spear had also been set with a Dragon’s Bloodstone. However, the regeneration rate of the Dragon’s Bloodstone that had been rising smoothly had fallen even further and he said as much.

“Pardon?” Jeong In-Chang asked.

“It’s been a while since the regeneration rate dropped to zero and had to start regenerating again.”

Jeong In-Chang didn’t seem to understand, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t bother to explain it to him. The reversal of the Dragon’s Bloodstone had occurred due to the clash with the red ore. Basically, all of the regenerated dragon’s blood and consumed monster blood had reversed and flowed into Lee Jun-Kyeong’s body, forming the black beads.

‘Ugh.’

Therefore, the regeneration rate of the Dragon’s Bloodstone had returned to its original value and was now being regenerated again gradually.

‘Jeong In-Chang’s regeneration rate is lower than expected.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch as to what was going on. Most likely, it was because of when he had been dealing with the ogre mage, now what was called princess. He had been using the blue flame unconsciously, which was one of the basic principles of the mana stream.

In principle, that was supposed to be impossible.

'It must be the effect of the Dragon’s Bloodstone.'

It meant that the Dragon’s Bloodstone had begun to affect Jeong In-Chang in a very subtle way. That was why the regeneration rate had slowed.

He said cryptically, “You’ll most likely be getting better results later on.”

"…?"

Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that once the Dragon’s Bloodstone had completely regenerated in the future, things would be different. After all, when Jeong In-Chang used it again, his body would perfectly accept the Dragon’s Bloodstone’s power as it had already become accustomed to its power. Consequently, he would become stronger than the Siegfried from the future.

Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke strange words again, but Jeong In-Chang had gotten used to such things.

“Well, if you say so, then that must be right, I guess.”

He shook his head, showing blind trust.

"Gooongje!"

At that moment, the princess jumped out of Jeong In-Chang's arms and shouted.

"What?"

"Gooongje!"

"You want to hunt too?"

"Gooongje! Gongju!"

“How do the two of you communicate…?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. Jeong In-Chang and the princess were having a nonsensical conversation. He wondered to himself if that sort of conversation was possible, why did King Sejong go to such lengths to create an alternative language system?

“We just understand each other, though?” Jeong In-Chang scratched his head.

Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed out, “It seems as though because it’s your Familiar.”

“But… the princess says it wants to hunt too. Is that okay?”

“Well.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong considered it for a moment, but he didn’t take long to think it through.

“For now, we can try it out.”

They still hadn’t figured out exactly what the princess's abilities were. As one of Jeong In-Chang’s familiars, they would have to be together for quite some time. It was necessary to not only understand its powers, but also to gauge its growth potential.

Lee Jun-Kyeong decided then if that was the case, then he might as well wake up his familiar as well.

“Hyeon-Mu.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong called Hyeon-Mu, who had been sleeping on the bracelet.

“Move with the princess and try to match accordingly.”

As soon as it woke up, it heard Lee Jun-Kyeong’s command.

–Yes…?

Hyeon-Mu looked flustered. The floating skull was looking at the little transformed princess.

"Gooongje…"

For some reason, the princess had furrowed its red eyes whenever it looked over at Hyeon-Mu. Hyeon-Mu seemed to sense an ominous feeling and felt fear.

“We’ll most likely be hunting together more often in the future, so you’ll have to learn to match each other’s pace. The goal isn’t just to grow stronger right now.”

"Gooongje!"

The princess also expressed a positive response after hearing that explanation.

–M…master…

Before long, he saw Hyeon-Mu being dragged towards the monsters by the princess’ hand.

1. The author is layering the Korean foundation myth with a few other ones. Ungnyeo(??) directly translates to Bear Woman and is the mother of the founding god-king of Korea, Dangun (as referenced in the previous chapter). See the translator note for how this connects to Sangun.

2. King Sejong was Korea's most famous and greatest king. He was the one who created the written Korean language after getting tired of illiterate Korean farmers getting exploited by the Chinese tax collectors. His written language is said to have been the single greatest contribution a person has ever made to Korea.