Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 132

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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132
The kneeling orc looked up at Bae Na-young.
“Goddess, do you remember me? I am Halka. You saved me from the prisoner camp. I never properly thanked you, and I’m grateful to see you again like this. Thank you.”
“How fortunate.”
Bae Na-young grasped Halka’s arm and helped him to his feet.
“Brother, could you fix his leg?”
The calf muscle of the orc named Halka was severely atrophied, as if he had endured torture that sliced through his flesh.

“I’ll need to remove the damaged tissue first.”
“Halka, shall I heal your leg?”
“You… truly?”
“Yes, my brother is quite skilled. I’ll numb it so it won’t hurt.”
Bae Na-young placed her hand on Halka’s head, blocking his pain receptors.
Ji-seok infused the leg with vitality, but the already-hardened tissue refused to regenerate.
He drew a blade from the back of his hand and in one swift motion carved away a chunk of the calf muscle. Blood sprayed, but he didn’t stop—he continued excising the dead tissue.
“What in the—!”
“Halka?!”
The onlookers started to rise, but they froze upon seeing Halka’s serene expression.
“You’re not in pain? Are you?”
“Huh? What do you—Aaaah! What is this?!”
Halka’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his own leg being carved, blood pouring freely.
“This should be enough…”
Ji-seok poured his vitality into the wound.
Fresh flesh rapidly filled the gap, and more than that—those watching could see vitality coursing visibly through Halka’s entire body as he received Ji-seok’s life force.
“A… a miracle!”
“Goddess, who is this person? Are they your apostle?”
What Ji-seok had performed was merely the power of a Great Heal, but few possessed the ability to cast such magic. For those witnessing this healing for the first time, it was undoubtedly worthy of being called a miracle.
“An apostle? My brother?”
Bae Na-young laughed.
“Brother! Thank you so much!”
Halka grasped both my hands.
“No, I’m only a brother to Bae Na-young…”
“Brother, welcome to the Sleeping Fire Mountain Range.”
“Now, everyone, these are busy people. Please return to your work.”
Ji-seok tried to say something, but before he could, Marcelo demanded the crowd disperse. Yet the people didn’t scatter—they continued calling out to the Goddess and her brother.
“This won’t do. Please follow me.”
“No, I…”
“Brother, just come along. Hehehehe.”
Jae-in laughed and pushed Ji-seok forward.
Being called “brother” by men who clearly appeared older than him didn’t sit well with Ji-seok, but since there was no malice behind it, he simply resigned himself to his fate.

Following Marcelo’s guidance, we ventured deeper into the Cave. A few people had rushed ahead of our group to spread word, so people lined both walls with their hands clasped together, praying toward me.
“Bae Na-young, when did you start a religion?”
“I didn’t! I’ve never done anything like that! This is the first I’m hearing of it!”
“The people Bae Na-young saved and those who heard the legendary tales of her deeds began spreading her teachings, and thus the Goddess Religion was born.”
“Her teachings?”
“Yes. You saved people and spoke these words, did you not? First, extend your hand to those in need of help. Second, show no mercy to those who obstruct the path of justice. Third, darkness and light are two sides of the same coin, so do not fear darkness.”
Ji-seok and Jae-in turned their gazes toward me.
“Well, I may have said something like that, but it’s subtly different?!”
“We are all alive because the Goddess saved us. Even Halka would have died under torture at the hands of the Empire if not for the Goddess. But whenever he drinks, he speaks of how the Goddess slew every last one of those Empire dogs and rescued him.”
My face flushed red.
“But is it common to worship a living person as a religion?”
Jae-in asked Carlton, who walked beside her.
“On Earth, is it not uncommon? It is not rare for people to revere superhuman beings like Bae Na-young as gods. Especially when you are kind to people, beautiful, and possess great strength—it makes it all the more natural. For us, believing in something that actually exists is far more natural than believing in something that does not.”
“That’s… interesting? On Earth, if you believe in something that exists, they call it a cult—it’s completely the opposite.”
“Does the Goddess Religion cause conflict with other religions?”
I asked Marcelo with concern.
“The people of Telus believe in what they wish to believe. That is why there are tens of thousands of religions. Arguments and fistfights occur over religion, but it is rare for people to wage serious conflict over it with their lives on the line.”
It was different from Earth, where wars were fought over religion.
“Isn’t it more like a fan club than a religion?”
Jae-in whispered to Ji-seok.
“Probably.”
Marcelo began pointing out each Workshop, guiding us through them.
“Weapons used on the battlefield are crafted here. We divide the work by section, with each area specializing in different components. Everything from raw material procurement to finished product manufacturing happens in one place.”
The races working in the forges were diverse—humans, orcs, goblins, and more.
“Surprisingly, there are no dwarves?”
“Is it known on Earth that dwarves are skilled blacksmiths?”
“Yes. It’s common knowledge.”
“Hmm… However, most dwarves live on the Eastern Continent. The same is true for elves.”
“I see.”
“Master Parchem is a blacksmith no less skilled than any dwarf. He lacks nothing in technique and knowledge.”
“Even with his small stature?”
“Haha, goblin blacksmiths are certainly rare. Most goblins excel at delicate work but struggle with tasks requiring brute strength. However, Master Parchem spent decades researching and training, transcending the limits of his race to earn the title of Craft Master. He is a role model for many.”
Marcelo held deep respect for Parchem in his heart, and it showed plainly in his expression and tone.
With Marcelo’s guidance, we explored the entire depth of the Cave. Fresh air from outside flowed in, and ventilation shafts were in place to expel the smoke from the forges. Still, with so many furnaces, the heat was considerable.
Jae-in looked around with keen interest at every corner.
“Wow… So you can make things that way too.”
Jae-in jotted down techniques and material ideas she observed over people’s shoulders in her notebook. Ji-seok couldn’t tell what was so special about it, but as the saying goes, you see what you know—Jae-in recognized things Ji-seok could not.
After an hour of touring the Forge District, we made our way to Master Parchem’s Workshop.
As befitted a Master’s Workshop, it was enormous, with dozens of craftsmen working within it.
I passed through the workshop and entered Parchem’s private workspace and office.
“So why did you come?”
Parchem, who had already returned earlier, asked bluntly while picking at his ear.
“I wanted to learn the crafting technique for Dragon Hearts.”
“Ha! What good would knowing do? When you can’t even obtain one?”
“But we have one.”
Jae-in pulled a box from the bag on her back and opened it. Inside lay a Dragon Heart slightly larger than a human skull. The translucent, coldly luminous heart resembled a finely cut gemstone.
“…Huh?! What?!”
Parchem stared at it, his eyes bulging so wide they nearly popped from their sockets as he thrust his head toward the box.
“Hey! Close the door!”
Marcelo hurriedly shut the office door.
“You crazy bastards! You brought this in a bag like that?!”
“Why? It’s not dangerous.”
“Not dan…. Dangerous?! Kugh…. Hah….”
“Master, breathe. Breathe!”
Marcelo grabbed and shook Parchem.
“Why are they acting like that?”
Jae-in didn’t understand.
“You asked about Dragon Hearts, but you never said you would bring one.”
Carlton sighed.
“Was I not supposed to bring it?”
“The value of a Dragon Heart is, quite literally, infinite.”
“And?”
“Many seek it. It’s valuable enough that a deadly fight could break out on this very street without raising an eyebrow.”
“Ah, so that’s why you said it was dangerous.”
“Where…. Where did you get this?”
Parchem asked Jae-in.
“Oh, our chairman and the goddess caught a dragon and brought it back.”
“Jae-in! Don’t call her the goddess!”
“Were the two of them dragon slayers?”
“Since Tellus has masters, there’s no reason they couldn’t slay a dragon, right?”
Jae-in asked in response to Parchem’s words.
“Ability is one thing, but numbers are another. The last dragon was slain decades ago.”
“Then…. The crafting method…?”
“I don’t know.”
Jae-in’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.
“But there might be records in the archive.”
“Really?!”
“I’ll go down and search. It happened before I was even born. I’ll be back soon….. Keep that safe.”
Parchem hurried out.
“Marcelo, would it be alright if I went out to look around the workshop more?”
“What about the Heart?”
Carlton expressed concern at Jae-in’s words.
“With the chairman and the Goddess watching over it here, no one could steal it even if they tried, right?”
At Jae-in’s words, Bae Na-young shot her a glare, and Jae-in turned her head away.
With two Masters standing guard, staying here was actually safer than wandering around anywhere else.
“Then, allow me to show you around.”
Marcelo took the lead.
Though she had seen the outside earlier, this time Jae-in was able to enter deep into the workshop and observe the craftsmen at work.
“Wow!”
Jae-in grew excited as she identified unfamiliar materials and manufacturing techniques using her appraisal skill.
“Could I possibly buy some of that?”
Jae-in asked Marcelo carefully.
“I’ll ask the Master. It’s not a particularly rare mineral, so it should be possible.”
“By the way, there really are so many different races here.”
“The Western Continent has no persecution based on race. However, there aren’t many beastkin here.”
“Why is that?”
“Beastkin have a lot of body hair and high body temperature, so it’s difficult for them to work in a forge with so much heat.”
“True, the temperature inside the cave is quite high. But you’re doing fine, Marcelo?”
The outside was manageable, but the deeper they went, the temperature rose.
“Feline beastkin fare better than canine beastkin, but I’m still hot. Still, since blacksmithing is my dream, I have to endure this much.”
“It would be nice if we could cool it down.”
“We do circulate the cold air from outside, but with so many furnaces, it’s not sufficient. Cooling magic is quite expensive, after all.”
“Would you like me to install a system for you?”
“Cooling magic, you mean?”
“No. A cooling method created through science. It’s a technology my brother Carrier developed. The winds in the Mountain Range are strong, so there should be enough power.”
While directly circulating wind inside couldn’t control temperature or wind volume, an air conditioning system would allow cooling exactly where and when needed.
“Were you a disciple of the Archmage?!”
“Ah, he’s not an Archmage, and I’m not his disciple. But he is someone as remarkable as an Archmage. He’s the one who helped Koreans survive the extreme heat.”
“Then how can I best assist you?”
“I’ll provide you with blueprints, so would you be willing to construct it as specified? I could bring finished products, but if you learn the manufacturing method and principles, you’ll be able to mass-produce them even without me.”
At Jae-in’s casual offer to share the technology, Marcelo’s feline eyes widened in surprise.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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