Episode 129: Bulgaram (5)
It had already been ten days since we began overcoming Bulgaram’s trial.
Walking through the flames now felt much smoother.
Sure enough, the heat that had been unbearable when I was alone no longer bothered me much.
“Here!”
“Yeah.”
Even with just a few words, we understood exactly what the other meant.
We could tell just by looking into each other’s eyes.
It felt like we didn’t even need a compass anymore.
If we were together, it truly felt like we could make it to the very end—an inexplicable certainty.
At that very moment, the flames parted, revealing a massive door in front of us.
Our vision cleared.
There were no longer any raw, unrefined flames.
Only pure, perfect fire burned once again, blazing hot.
The iron floor beneath us trembled, and a massive furnace bubbled intensely.
At its center was the entrance to a dark and deep forge.
I-or rather, we—stopped in our tracks.
Bursting through the flames with a massive hammer in hand, Bulgaram laughed heartily.
“Was the trial fun?”
“Not at all.”
“Yes!”
While I gave a vague reply, Yoon Chaeha responded passionately.
“But that kid of yours seems to have enjoyed it.”
Bulgaram’s deep voice echoed through the forge.
“…But why exactly is she my kid?”
Yoon Chaeha hesitated for a moment, then glanced at me.
A faint blush crept up her cheeks.
“…You don’t like that?”
“It’s not that I dislike it…”
It just felt odd to be called a “kid” in that way.
I mean, I’m an unmarried guy—why a kid, of all things?
“You sure nitpick the weirdest things. If you raise her with care, she’s your kid. Not mine.”
“Ah, I see.”
I didn’t really want to argue.
I just had a problem with the choice of words.
Bulgaram stepped further into the forge and waved his arm grandly.
“Well, it seems both of you have properly understood the meaning of solidarity…”
—KWAGWAGWANG!!
A pillar of lava erupted from the center, piercing the crimson sky.
“Come in. Into my Forge.”
Each time he took a step, the massive hammer struck the ground with a thud, thud, shaking the earth.
The vibrations traveled beyond the floor, resonating deep into our bones.
From the ceiling, great waves of molten metal swelled as if ready to pour down.
The entire forge vibrated like a massive volcano.
Lava erupted from all directions, creating land and sky, while the heat and divine energy filling the space pierced into our skin.
The sight before our eyes was too vast and awe-inspiring to fully take in.
This place… was no longer a realm for mere humans.
Bulgaram—
Born as a human.
Challenged the gods of iron and fire.
This was the Forge of a great master craftsman.
The gates slowly opened.
And in that moment, we stepped into Bulgaram’s Forge.
“Wow…”
“Whoa…”
Yoon Chaeha and I stood there blankly for a while, gazing at the vast interior.
All the myths and legends of the world were now dazzling artifacts, displayed across walls and shelves.
I opened and closed my hand a few times.
This place was the Forge of Bulgaram, a blacksmith who had reached the realm of the gods—in short, a holy sanctuary.
Even the sanctums prepared by Arcadia within the Church felt like mere toys in comparison.
“There is only one choice.”
Bulgaram’s voice rang out across the entire forge.
Though it might seem regretful that we could only choose one, it couldn’t be helped.
This place belonged to the dead, and the artifacts here were crafted by divine beings themselves.
Humans were too weak to handle more than one.
The suppression force would prevent it.
“…One is enough.”
However, that alone was enough.
Bulgaram laughed heartily and gestured toward us.
“Choose whatever you want—just one each.”
Yoon Chaeha and I carefully stepped toward the display cases.
Countless artifacts lined the walls, packed densely.
Some burned like the sun, while others shimmered with the soft glow of the moon.
[Heracles’s Club]
[Perseus’s Shield]
[Hermes’s Sandals]
Just seeing the names of these legendary artifacts made my heart pound.
“W-What should I pick?”
Yoon Chaeha asked me cautiously.
In truth, I had long since decided what I was going to choose.
But for Yoon Chaeha, it was different.
She hadn’t even imagined she would ever come to a place like this.
So, it seemed better to help her decide together.
“Want me to look with you?”
“Yeah.”
She gave a short nod.
As we walked past the displays one by one, a certain thought suddenly struck me.
Come to think of it, as the “Seeker of Hunger”, Yoon Chaeha could absorb the essence of artifacts.
What if she could extract just the core from one of these artifacts?
Just imagining it sent a chill down my spine.
I subtly glanced at Bulgaram, then led Yoon Chaeha toward a blind spot in the Forge.
But—
“If you’re asking whether it’s possible or not—it’s not.”
He spoke in a low voice without even looking our way.
“…Tch.”
Looks like we got caught.
If the master of this place says it’s impossible, then it really is.
I nodded meekly and refocused myself, strolling slowly among the artifacts.
Yoon Chaeha wandered between the displays, picking up a strange-looking item and showing it to me.
“How about this?”
[Artemis’s Underwear]
“…Are you serious?”
Yoon Chaeha tilted her head curiously.
Artemis is the goddess of the hunt—an excellent archer. That would suit Sion more.
It really didn’t suit Yoon Chaeha at all.
After some more wandering, one particular artifact stood out sharply in my vision.
[Helios’s Crown]
[A crown that will never melt, even near the sun.]
[Special Effect]
[Inferno]
[The flames of destruction that will consume all.]
Inferno.
Originally, this was meant to be the third Authority that Yoon Chaeha would have awakened instead of the Seeker of Hunger.
Currently, it’s impossible for her to awaken any additional Authorities.
However, this crown was an exception.
Just equipping it would allow her to use Inferno.
More importantly, unlike normal users who must wear it to activate it, Yoon Chaeha could absorb it instead.
She stopped in front of the crown and stared at it for a long time, seemingly drawn to it.
Flames danced atop the crown as if they were alive.
I smiled slightly and said,
“How is it? Think you can eat it?”
Admittedly, a strange question.
Yoon Chaeha’s eyes sparkled as she slowly nodded.
“Yeah. I think I can.”
Only then did Bulgaram, as if recognizing the decision had been made, carefully take the crown out of the display case.
“Chew thoroughly when you eat it.”
A surprisingly kind word.
He was actually quite gentle.
Yoon Chaeha accepted the crown, but flinched when the flame touched her fingers.
“Ah… hot.”
It was a bit too big to eat in one bite.
But still, she didn’t hesitate for long.
Yoon Chaeha began nibbling at the edge of the crown like a little hamster.
Crunch, crunch.
The sight of mythological flames disappearing into someone’s mouth—
If Helios saw it, he might faint.
But to me, it looked rather cute.
After chewing on it for a few minutes, the crown she was holding had completely vanished without a trace.
Yoon Chaeha rubbed her lower belly gently, as if feeling full.
“…Tasty.”
She mumbled softly, then suddenly collapsed forward.
“Yoon Chaeha?!”
Startled, I caught her in my arms.
But she seemed to have simply fallen into a deep sleep, her breathing calm and peaceful.
“There is no need to worry.”
Bulgaram’s deep voice echoed through the Forge.
“That is a divine treasure—one that holds the very essence of flame. It’s only natural that someone who absorbs such a thing would undergo a significant transformation. She just needs time to adapt.”
I cautiously placed my hand on Yoon Chaeha’s forehead.
Hot.
I nervously asked Bulgaram, wondering if it had harmed her body.
“There’s… no problem, right?”
Bulgaram gave a casual nod.
“If her vessel had been unworthy, she would have burned away on the spot, leaving not even a trace behind. The fact that she’s merely passed out proves that she was more than qualified.”
He added one more comment.
“Just be patient and wait. She’ll open her eyes soon… assuming the conversation goes well.”
I let out a slow breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
That gave me a bit of relief.
I sank to the ground beside her.
If I’d known she’d collapse like this, I wouldn’t have encouraged her.
“You said she wasn’t your child, yet you seem quite worried.”
Bulgaram muttered in a strangely amused tone.
I let out a small laugh.
But I didn’t answer.
I just hoped she would get through this safely.
***
Yoon Chaeha opened her eyes.
The space before her was luxurious—and oddly dark.
Soft lighting ran along the walls, and the floor was covered in glowing marble.
Antiques and thick tomes lay scattered around, the air heavy to the point of being suffocating.
The Mage Tower.
The highest floor—the reception room she had visited once before.
She had been personally invited here by the Tower Master as a candidate for future admission.
And now, someone was sitting on the other side of the shining marble table.
But it wasn’t the Tower Master.
Orange—no, nearly tangerine-colored hair brushed softly against the person’s shoulder.
Elegant and gently shining eyes, filled with a hint of boredom—yet also a strange, deep affection—were gazing at Yoon Chaeha.
“…Huh?”
Yoon Chaeha instinctively felt it.
A face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. The skin, the eyes—everything looked a little more mature.
But without a doubt, it was a face she knew.
The moment her eyes met the orange-hued ones across from her, her heart fluttered as if she were staring into a mirror.
“…Me?”
It was Yoon Chaeha. Herself.
An unbelievable reality.
The woman seated at the table—no, the other Yoon Chaeha—opened her mouth.
“Hi. Want to take a seat?”
The younger Yoon Chaeha—so to speak—sat down.
As she did, the older Yoon Chaeha reached out and gently stroked her cheek.
A subtly warm touch. Strangely, it didn’t feel bad.
If anything, it felt comforting—almost like being consoled.
“Shall we have a little chat?”
She wanted that, too.
The younger Yoon Chaeha nodded, as if drawn in by her voice.
“…Yes.”
“Good. Just like me—smart. Hmm… then I’ll get straight to the point.”
The older Yoon Chaeha leaned in close and whispered:
“——Do you love Silent Ghost?”
A completely unexpected question.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Meanwhile, the older Yoon Chaeha’s eyes shimmered with a deeper, redder glow than before.
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