Cheon Ho Seong froze.
What the—?
His sword-qi didn’t bite.
If sword-qi wouldn’t bite...
VMMM—
He unfolded sword-gang and slashed again.
TTHUNG—
VMMM—
The blade hit, but the boar’s hide didn’t pierce—his strike bounced.
His sword shook hard from the rebound.
Unbelievable.
In all the world?
He wasn’t the only one startled.
The others looked just as shocked.
The boar, angered by the attack, swung its head and fixed on Cheon Ho Seong.
SKREEE—
Furious, it charged.
Cheon Ho Seong faltered.
A hide that ignored sword-gang?
The blade that had carved through every monster they’d t thus far had just been stopped cold by a re boar.
If a hide won’t yield to sword-gang, then strike through it—hit the inside.
He steadied, sprang up over the charging boar, and slamd a palm at its head.
“Heaven-Breaking Heart-Piercing Palm!”
CHUUM—
His palm-force landed and the boar’s body rippled.
SKREEE—
A death-scream.
THUD—
SKRRRK—
It collapsed, skidding across the earth and grinding to a halt.
Its outer hide was tough enough to blunt ordinary attacks—even sword-gang—but a direct internal strike worked.
Catching it wasn’t all that hard.
He’d just been rattled for a mont by a hide sword-gang couldn’t cut.
When their comrade fell, the rest of the herd bolted as one.
THUDTHUDTHUDTHUD—
Yeon Woo Jin walked to the downed boar after the herd vanished.
He examined it slowly.
VMMM—
He ford astral-qi at his fingertips and pressed it to the hide.
The astral-qi didn’t pierce; it only depressed the skin.
Fascinating.
A hide like this?
Was there a way to cut it?
Maybe not with qi. Maybe sothing else.
He was weighing options when Fla Wolf nosed in beside him.
Yeon Woo Jin chuckled. “What? You want a bite?”
Fla Wolf nodded.
Had he really understood?
“Eat.”
Yeon Woo Jin pointed at the boar. Fla Wolf hesitated, as if parsing the order, then padded forward.
He stopped at the carcass and looked back—seeking final confirmation.
Yeon Woo Jin smiled and nodded, and Fla Wolf, delighted, sank his teeth in.
CRUNCH—
His fangs punched through the boar’s tough hide.
Incredible.
The leather that sword-gang couldn’t pierce—bitten through like nothing.
So Yeon Woo Jin studied the way Fla Wolf tore the skin.
There was nothing special about it.
No trick. He just...bit it.
“...No way.”
On a hunch, Yeon Woo Jin stepped to the carcass.
Fla Wolf imdiately backed off what he’d been eating.
Adorable.
SZZAAK—
Yeon Woo Jin ripped off a leg and tossed it to the wolf.
Fla Wolf leapt, caught it clean, and trotted off to eat.
Watching him gnaw for a breath, Yeon Woo Jin began testing his theory.
He drew his Small Blade, breathed sword-qi into it, and stabbed the hide.
The skin reacted—hardening to the qi.
He ramped up to sword-gang—the hide grew even harder.
He let the gang dissipate—and the skin relaxed to normal.
Then he stabbed with the Small Blade without any energy.
SHLUP—
It slid in like butter.
He blinked.
What kind of hide is this?
A skin that reacts to energy.
Why would it evolve like that?
Judging by the field, the boars’ natural predators clearly knew how to hunt them.
Fla Wolf could use astral-qi—but he’d chosen not to. He just bit. Which ant he already knew how to hunt this thing.
SNIFF—
Sothing in the blood slled off.
Not the usual iron tang. A wine-aroma.
He dabbed a bit on his tongue.
“...Huh.”
Wine.
Astonishingly good wine.
“This is liquor,” Yeon Woo Jin said.
The three behind him cocked their heads.
Liquor? From nowhere?
“Try it.”
“The boar’s blood?”
“Yes.”
Why have us taste blood?
Squeamish as they were, when he said taste, they obeyed—dipping a fingertip and bringing it to their lips.
SLURP—
They stared, stunned.
“W—wait. This really is liquor.”
“Boar blood that’s liquor? In all the world...”
“A hide that ignores gang is one thing, but blood that’s wine—and it’s excellent.”
“Right? Clean as a vintage spirit. There’s even a hint of fruit.”
“Agreed. I haven’t had a drink this good in ages.”
“If the blood is wine, the at itself might not be very flavorful,” Jeok Seong ventured.
Ma Ryang countered. “What are you saying? Marinate at in wine and fry it—divine.”
That did spark curiosity about the taste.
Yeon Woo Jin carved off a piece and set it on his palm. His hand flushed red, and the at began to cook in an instant.
SSSS—
Steam rose as the flesh browned.
When it seed done, he popped it in his mouth.
CHEW—CHEW—
“Wow.”
He jolted.
“W-what is it?”
“Taste it. It’s incredible. The mont it hits your tongue it lts.”
“Truly?”
“Yes!”
On his word, they each sliced a piece, heat-seared it, and ate.
“Good heavens—!”
“This at—!”
“In all my life, I’ve never tasted at like this!”
It was so tender it broke apart with barely a chew and slid down their throats.
No seasoning at all, and yet the umami was exquisite.
They were moved.
“This one’s edible. Let’s build a fire and do this properly.”
“Understood!”
Thrilled by the prospect, they felled nearby trees and blasted out every drop of moisture with blazing yang-qi.
In monts, they had dry timber. They split it for kindling, gathered it, and were just about to set the at on the fire when—
Ma Ryang stopped them.
“Why?”
“Drain the blood.”
“Huh?”
“Letting the wine drain from the at would be a cri.”
“Ah!”
Right. The boar’s blood was liquor.
But how to catch it?
Jeok Seong spotted a leather pouch, dumped the water, and filled it with the boar’s blood.
He patted the swollen wineskin, smiling in satisfaction.
And so the four had their first al of Demon Realm ga.
****
“No more humans slipping in through the Forgotten Rift these days, right?”
“None.”
“So they’ve given up.”
“How could they not? They can’t even cross the Forest of Despair. How would they ever set foot here?”
“True. Still—tighten the watch. If anyone gets past the forest and starts a serious survey of this area, that’ll be trouble.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“When we pass through a rift, our strength drops. What about humans?”
“They don’t seem to lose much.”
“Unfair. We weaken crossing over and humans don’t.”
“What good does it do them? They all die anyway.”
“So make it back alive, don’t they?”
“A handful seem to have.”
“Hm. Have humans truly given up?”
“They haven’t shown in a while. Looks like they have.”
As they spoke, the door opened and a report ca in.
“News of humans entering through the rift.”
The demon smirked.
“So they haven’t given up after all.”
“They’ll die in the forest again. Leave them be for now—just watch.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“How many this ti?”
“Four.”
“Heh. Only four?”
“They’ve been dying off in droves. Looks like they cut the number on purpose.”
“Does it?”
A subordinate cut in, flustered. “N-not that, my lord. The beasts of the Forest of Despair have been mostly annihilated by those humans.”
“What?”
“The Golden-Armored Boars were eaten by them.”
“...Eaten? By humans?”
“Yes.”
“You’re telling they actually ate a Golden-Armored Boar?”
“Yes. There were clear signs it was butchered.”
“......Where are they now?”
“They’ve passed the Forest of Despair and are heading for the Lake of Chaos.”
“So they didn’t lower headcount because they were dying. The humans sent the elite of the elite. This one’s different.”
“If they pass the Lake of Chaos, they’ll reach here. We can’t let humans see this place.”
“Agreed. More than that—it seems they’ve found a way to crack this area.”
“What are your orders? Shall I go clean it up?”
“Go. Eliminate them—and seal the rift.”
“The rift? Is that wise?”
“It’s fine. This rift is a discard.”
“We might still need it later, might we not?”
“Even if we pass through this rift, the strongest humans are stationed right at the exit. They’ve set a powerful formation around it, too. Worse, we lose half our true power crossing over. We can’t sortie through this rift.”
“But the Heavenly Demon ordered us to guard it. How will you answer later?”
“The Heavenly Demon has forgotten this place.”
“...What?”
“Word is, another rift opened elsewhere—one that allows a nearly full-power passage into the human world. All of the Heavenly Demon’s attention will be there.”
“A—another rift?”
“Yes.”
“Then why have we heard nothing?”
“That’s what I an by forgotten. We, and this post, have been forgotten.”
At the Lord’s words, the demons fell silent, faces grim.
“Co to think of it, there’s nothing here but the sa routine every day. Let’s wrap this place up and go to the Heavenly Demon’s side.”
“And the order to guard the rift?”
“We’ll say it closed. With the passage sealed and no reason to guard it, we reported in. What complaint could there be?”
The Lord looked over his demons.
“Aren’t you tired of standing watch in the sa hole?”
“We are.”
“Then let’s all leave this place together. Well?”
The demons looked at one another, then nodded.
“Gyotan, go quietly and seal the rift so no one learns of it.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Leave no trace that it was forcibly closed.”
“Yes. I’ll make it clean.”
“Good. Ultan.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Find the humans and erase them. Leave no trace of their passing.”
“As you command.”
****
They finished the boar and kept the hide.
All of it was strapped to Fla Wolf’s back.
When Yeon Woo Jin first said he’d be bringing the wolf along, there had been a little grumbling, but now they were glad he had.
With all the bundles lashed to the wolf, their bodies felt light.
Without him, they would have had to carry every hide themselves.
No thanks.
And who knew what other curiosities would appear to spark Yeon Woo Jin’s collector’s itch?
This place overflowed with marvels.
They crossed to the far edge of the forest.
Yeon Woo Jin looked back over the trees—
Then swept his hand.
HWOOM—
A breath of wind seed to stir—
FLASH—
Light flared, and a road opened straight through the middle of the forest.
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