Chapter 227 – The Logic of Balance (2)

-Goooaaahhh…

“Hey, I just need to get rid of that.”

Shu looked very happy as she said this, her height still about half a centimeter taller than before. Kwati was looking right at her.

[That’s the only one…]

“Yes, I’m sure. There will be no major raids for the time being once that one is cut off. Well, the seeds of Jormungand have already been scattered here and there.”

Shu stretched out her back. The sight of her stretching her joints and whistling did not match her appearance as a 10-year-old child.

“It was fun to play with my grandpa, but now I want to go to a different world. Let’s finish this quickly.”

[Quickly…]

“That, quickly…”

Kang Shin-hyuk had a similar expression as Kwati. As they looked blankly up into the sky, a giant snake was spinning around above them. Countless fire lizards were pouring down from the black gate that had opened up, but the most shocking thing was that giant snake.

“That’s not adragon…?”

[Maybe a fire-lizard… a root species? It looks the same.]

“Isn’t it a dragonagain?”

“It’s not a dragon; they aren’t so weak. It doesn’t feel like that.”

Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes narrowed at Shu’s remark, but she didn’t respond. Instead, the snake floating in the sky suddenly opened its mouth to emit a black fire that cascaded down in a straight line toward the volcanic basin. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively tried to grab the spear he had created earlier, but Shu was already moving before he could.

-Ahhhhhh?!

Shu’s fist appeared in the sky, lifting up the serpent’s jaw to close its mouth. At the same time, another fist appeared from above to crush his head between hands. The snake couldn’t resist the attack and let out a pained scream as it was slammed between the two fists.

“Crazy, what isthat…?”

[Anvil, now is not the time to watch with admiration. The black flames!]

Its mouth had been slammed shut, but a torrential downpour of black flames had already poured out. It even flowed over the other fire-lizards exiting the gate, causing them toseparate.

[It’s good you caught that snake, but…]

“Yahahahaha!”

Shu let out a laugh-filled with energy. A sparkling light formed around her fists, and they interlocked with a crunching sound. It was the sound of the snake’s head being crushed.

“That, like that… in one blow…”

[Ahhhh, more are pouringdown!]

The problem was that at the same time the snake’s head was crushed, more tar-like black flames began to pour out of it! Kang Shin-hyuk also began to yell out when he realized what was happening.

“Shu, inventory! You just killed it, so inventory!”

“Oh, grandpa… sorry. My inventory just filled up as the snake went in. No HP to expand inventory… huh.”

Shu sat down on the spot with a tired look.

“I’m going to take a break, so my grandpa can block that. Can you do it? It’s not too difficult, not toodifficult…”

“You did this last time, too… haaah!”

There was no time for him to complain. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed his spear and threw it into the sky with all his might.

‘I’m not sure it will work for that black flame…’

The spear began to rotate rapidly as it flew due to the spiral groove in the horn of the predator, which had been used as the material for it. However, it was thanks to the special ability of the spear that the wind sped up the rotation.

-Quiiiieeeeek!

-Kiiii?!

‘Ah, itworks.’

It was surprising enough that the whirlwind from the spear knocked away the fire lizards pouring down like rain, but what was even more shocking was that the wind was sucking up the black flame. The sky was darkened by the flames, but now the spear punched a hole through it that light was coming through.

[What isthat?!]

“I pushed the abilities of the fire lizards to the limit with the horns and blood of the predator. But I think it’s too much for it to take care of everything…”

[It’s no problem with this much! Even the Yeomin have the power to block the flames… Get ready for battle! Stop the fire lizards and the flames!]

[All bows… wait, there are rock wolves by the hillside!]

[These stubborn…!]

[Oh, the storm turtles are over there in the distance, they’re falling to the blackflames!]

Despite the situation becoming increasingly complex, Kang Shin-hyuk only watched the trajectory of the spear he threw. It was climbing higher into the sky, and the further it went, the more flames it absorbed. It had already gone to a considerable height, but it was accelerating against the laws of physics. The more black flames it absorbed, the faster it rotated. The tar-covered fire lizards struggled to avoid the lance, but they couldn’t move freely in the sky, and, eventually, those who entered its range were thrownaround.

‘It should be quite strong because the wind is mixed with poisonous blood, but fewer enemies are dying than expected.’

It was an overwhelming sight for the others, but Kang Shin-hyuk was dissatisfied with the results. Perhaps the black flames left behind by that snake were strengthening the fire lizards. Now they couldn’t take the time to leisurely fight, however, as the other races were showing up to attack them (although they were considerably slowed by the losses they had accrued before). He summoned his bike and hoppedon.

“If I knew it would be like this, I would’ve made more weapons like that…well, it can’t be helped. I’ll head out!”

[Hey, Anvil?!]

After putting the Shinfeng orb into the blue cow, he started the engine and soared straight into the sky. He held the Orb of Nephritis and the Great Heavenly Spirit in his arms, intending to protect himself from the flames by empowering the Orb of Nephritis.

-Vwooooom

But something happened that he had never considered. The blue cow suddenly started to resonate with the Orb of Nephritis in his arms. The Shinfeng orb radiated light in response to it.

“Is there a connection betweenthese?”

-A 80,000HP bonus from the administrator who admires your amazingideas!

“Are you kidding me?”

The light emitted by the Shinfeng orb seemed to be getting darker, but the speed of the blue cow was only growing faster and faster.

‘Wait a minute; it’s not an illusion. The Shinfeng orb… it seems to be recovering.’

-Vwooom

As if to say it wasn’t an illusion, the blue cow cried out. Now wasn’t the time to examine the Shinfeng orb, however. The fire lizards were right in front of him, and beyond them, that black flame was heading towards him.

“Whoo… hot!”

Kang Shin-hyuk took out his Soul Connectors, ten strands of thread stretching out from his hands to tear into the fire lizards falling all around him. He snagged onto the spear as it began to fall, the dyed metal black and shining gloomily now.

[Black Flame Spear of Predation]

[SSS+ Rank]

[Special Abilities: Fire Predation, Dark Flame, Burning Wind]

*Fire Predation: Devours all the heat to accumulate energy and strengthen itself. If pushed to the limit, it will leave behind an extremecold.

*Dark Flame: A long, sharp spear blade of dark flame. The length and power of the blade vary depending on the accumulatedenergy.

*Burning Wind: It absorbs all the heat around it to cause the spear to rotate, creating a sharp wind of coldair.

[A weapon made by a blacksmith who evolves and grows the materials he uses. It contains a lot of blood of the origin of the material, resulting in a permanentmutation.]

Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes sparkled. The spear had changed. At first, it was only an SSS-rank, and its special ability didn’t initially create a dark flame. Since completing the wall, he was able to give most of the armaments he made the ability to grow, but this was the only one to grow from its firstbattle.

‘Is it because it’s also made of parts of these fire lizards? Shu killed the boss, but I received the benefit.’

He diligently stretched out his threads to hunt down the fire lizards as he checked out the item’s information and suddenly came up with an idea. He grabbed the spear and tied up five of the threads around it. It was one of the Soul Connector’s special abilities, which could not only amplify all of his stats but could also strengthen objects by wrapping them with thread. The black flames that sprung forth from the spear were further strengthened by the thread. It would’ve been great if that could exceed the current limit, but he couldn’t hope for it to go that far, nor did it really matter rightnow.

“Then, again,…go!”

Kang Shin-hyuk threw the spear once more with all his might. The spear formed a whirlwind of cold air, and the threads around the spear stretched out and fluttered in the wind. What happened as a result could only be described as adisaster.

-Quaaaaaah!

-Kiiiiii!

Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he watched the fire lizards caught in the wind quickly torn apart by the threads. In an instant, he had expanded the range by more than ten times and ensured that those damn lizards couldn’t survive. What black flames remained in the sky were absorbed into the spear’s vortex, and Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfied laugh as he watched.

“Now, we’ve taken care of it.”

He cleared up the battlefield by picking off the stragglers with his Soul Connector. Looking down, the Yeomin who were on the wall, were easily driving away their enemies. Perhaps within a few days, they would be able to establish their dominion over this world firmly.

‘Let’s absorb all this and go back.’

He turned around with a laugh, but there was someone beyond that gate that was still open in the sky. The Godslayer sword that hung from his waist let out a cry.

“What, the Godslayer… what?!”

The Godslayer tried to resist, but finally could not overcome it and flew through the air. Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his threads to catch it, but the threads snapped as they couldn’t overcome the force pulling on the sword.

‘The threads were cut…? But that’s not possible unless they’re overpowered with the power of one’s soul.’

-Member, avoid it!

Leaving behind his thoughts, he hurried to the blue cow. A second after, something passed by where he was, and a part of the mountain collapsed.

“What…”

With the feeling that rocks were weighing down his stomach, he turned tolook.

He saw the face of a bewitching woman through the dark tunnel that soonclosed.

The Godslayer did not return to his hand.