A Moment, Barbara
The climate of Hall Plain is quite similar to that of South Korea. Even in this world, natural phenomena like snow and rain occur. Although the cycles of spring and autumn are a bit shorter, the climate doesn’t pose any significant challenges to living here.
If we were to compare it to Earth’s calendar, it would be around June. The weather was akin to early summer. It was a pleasant day. The sun was setting, painting the sky with beautiful hues, offering a sense of peace to the users for whom survival had become routine. However…
“Those who’ve been transported, hurry up and get out!”
“What are the major clans in the southern city doing? They’re the closest to the Iron Mountains!”
“I’ve contacted the Blue Wolf clan in the general city of Khan! But they seem to be in a panic too!”
“Damn it! Panic or not, if there’s a rescue request, they should send a team immediately! Are the small towns of Koran and Monica just sitting on their hands?”
“Well… as you know, Koran is managed jointly by several clans. Currently, the Soo clan represents Koran, but they seem to be dragging their feet. Istantel Low said they’d consult with the Blue Wolf clan first…”
“What? Dragging their feet? Consulting? Are they kidding? People’s lives are at stake here!”
As soon as we stepped out of the warp gate, a cacophony of voices greeted us. Users with a golden lion emblem on their right chest were bustling about, occasionally shouting angrily. The weather was undeniably good. Yet, seeing their desperation amidst this peaceful weather created a strange, unsettling contrast.
“These bastards! Is this how they’re going to play it? Grrr!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at a member of the Golden Lion clan grinding his teeth nearby. They seemed to have forgotten their own actions. In their heyday, they had enough power to control the northern continent. However, it wasn’t a single force that controlled it. The Golden Lion clan had allied clans that followed their rule, influencing other city clans that resented their control. In other words, the balance of power was somewhat tilted in their favor before the expedition.
But now, the scales had tipped completely the other way. The users who participated in this expedition were elite members from each clan. The survival rate of the first expedition was barely 10%. They exhausted their strength in the initial plan to eradicate vagrants and lost all their reserves in the Iron Mountain expedition.
It was a classic case of reaping what you sow. They were 100% confident of the expedition’s success, so they composed the main force with themselves and their allied clans. Had they succeeded, they could have tilted the scales further in their favor, but they failed miserably, suffering enormous losses.
Watching the user shouting repeatedly, I wanted to say, “Who told you to form the expedition like that?” but I kept my mouth shut and left the warp gate with my clan members.
Once outside the warp gate, the scenery was entirely different from what we had seen before. Well, having gone through the User Academy, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.
“Wow.”
“Whoa~.”
Outside the warp gate, the vast scale of the metropolis Barbara and the users filling its streets came into view. Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoo-jung widened their eyes in awe. To them, it must have been a stark contrast to the small town of Mule where they had been staying.
”…”
At that moment, I noticed a familiar voice missing and turned my head to see an empty spot.
“Where’s An Sol?”
“Huh, where did she go? She was with us when we left the warp gate.”
At my question, Ahn Hyun looked around with a startled expression. When he couldn’t find her, he started to panic. Fortunately, Ko Yeon-ju, with her keen eyes, pointed in a direction with her delicate finger.
“There she is.”
“Where? Oh, phew. Sol-ah!”
Having located An Sol, Ahn Hyun let out a big sigh of relief. Then, waving his arms, he shouted at the top of his lungs. I also turned my gaze in the direction Ko Yeon-ju indicated and saw An Sol staring blankly at the warp gate. Hearing Ahn Hyun’s call, she turned her head and began to toddle towards us.
“What were you doing, daydreaming? You could get lost!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Really. Keep your wits about you. Or Su-hyun hyung will scold you.”
“Yes. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”
Beside me, I heard Yoo-jung mutter, “Shouldn’t it be ‘this girl’ instead of ‘this guy’?” I looked at An Sol with a steady gaze. When our eyes met, she bowed her head. Her usual reaction would have been to pout or look sullen, but her expression was different this time. She seemed worried, preoccupied.
But I quickly dismissed it, thinking it was nothing. It was probably because of the recent clash with the Beech Clan. It wasn’t a vagrant or a monster, but fellow users who had been beheaded. Given her personality, expecting her to laugh it off like Ko Yeon-ju was unrealistic. So, I decided to focus on our destination.
Just then, someone tugged at my sleeve and hopped in front of me, speaking with curiosity.
“Oppa, oppa. I have a question.”
“What are you curious about? Where we’re going?”
“No, you’ll handle that. I mean the warp gate.”
“The warp gate?”
When I asked Yoo-jung, she nodded enthusiastically.
“We learned at the User Academy that each city is connected by warp gates, and you pay a fee based on the distance. But why do we have to pay? We used it for free when we entered Hall Plain.”
Yoo-jung blinked her eyes, looking up at me with curiosity. I gently patted her head, lost in thought. (She smiled brightly, enjoying the attention.)
To break it down, the warp gates connecting cities are different from the portals in the Inn of Beginnings or temples. The passage ritual is managed by angels, but the city warp gates are not.
In simple terms, the city warp gates are ancient relics of Hall Plain. The responsibility of activating and maintaining them falls entirely on the users, specifically the representative clans managing each city. Ancient magic is known for its efficiency, so maintaining it doesn’t cost much. It just requires a constant supply of mana.
Of course, city warp gates aren’t all-powerful. They have a clear limitation: they lack compulsion. For instance, the warp gate in the metropolis Barbara consists of 12 magic circles. The key point is that these circles are bidirectional, not unidirectional.
Explaining all this would be too complex, so I summarized the important parts for Yoo-jung. She pouted and pursed her lips thoughtfully.
“Oh, I see. So they’re just lining their pockets?”
“For users without money, the fees can be burdensome. While maintaining it does incur costs, it’s not as much as you’d think. The revenue from usage far exceeds the maintenance costs. Warp gates are a reliable source of income for cities. Fortunately, the fees are fixed by distance now; otherwise, they would have skyrocketed.”
Warp gates are convenient. They allow instant travel between distant cities, eliminating the risk of ambushes during travel.
In any case, the fact that users manage the warp gates means they can restrict access. The method is simple: the gates in each city must react to each other, but if one side cuts off the mana to the connecting magic circle, the warp gate can’t be used without compulsion. And currently, users can’t enforce compulsion. So if the gate is severed, the only option is to travel by land.
The day when warp gates become unusable isn’t far off. Once the vagrants descend and civil war breaks out, the gates in each city will be closed. This is to prevent the enemy from warping en masse into the city, causing significant damage.
These are events that will happen later, with over a month to go. So we needed to move to a city where we could settle before then.
As we walked and talked about these things, we eventually arrived at a large pub. It was a luxurious-looking establishment. As we started to climb the stairs, I noticed some shabby-looking users passing by, casting envious glances our way. I felt a bit sorry for Ko Yeon-ju, but the size alone was incomparable to a modest lady.
“Mountain Breeze. I’ve heard this place is quite expensive. It certainly looks nice.”
“Hehehe.”
As Hayeon spoke in her clear voice, Goyeonju let out a soft chuckle. I led the clan members into the gentle breeze of the pub. For some reason, Goyeonju’s laughter didn’t sound all that pleasant to me.
Just then, I heard a muttered “Ugh, damn it” from beside me. Turning my head, I saw Vivian with a deep frown on her face. Despite her expression, her lips were moving incessantly, as if she were deep in thought about some alchemical concoction. It was the kind of focus you’d expect from an alchemist.
The reason for her outburst was likely the sudden influx of users in Barbara, a stark contrast to the quiet and sparse Mule. It seemed to be disrupting her concentration. Biting her lip in frustration, she finally let out a loud complaint.
“Ugh! Why are there so many people here? It’s so annoying. I liked it when there were hardly any people around.”
“Ho. Ho. Ho.”
Goyeonju chuckled again. Vivian, so oblivious.
I was worried there might not be any seats, but fortunately, there were a few empty tables scattered around the first floor. It wasn’t completely empty, nor was it packed—just comfortably filled. Despite the high prices, we chose this place because a pub, especially a high-end one, is perfect for gathering information.
Anyone who could afford to be here likely had some wealth, and thus, a good chance of being well-established. It’s far more beneficial to listen to the words of skilled and affluent users than to the baseless rumors of drifters in a cheap tavern.
“Welcome! How many in your party?”
“Eight.”
“Hmm~.”
As we entered, a user with a cute face and neatly tied hair greeted us. She was probably a waitress here. Her eyes were smiling, but her gaze quickly scanned us from head to toe. She was sizing us up.
Once her assessment was complete, she beamed at us and spoke in an even more welcoming tone than before.
“Welcome! I’ll show you to your table right away!”
The waitress led us to a table with a great view. As we settled into the plush, fur-covered chairs, several staff members rushed over to set the table. Once everything was ready, the waitress who had greeted us said, “Take your time, and call me when you’re ready to order,” with a wink. Watching the others scratch their heads awkwardly as she walked away, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I usually don’t care for such treatment, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“Shall we order something to eat?”
“Hey! That waitress just now, is she a user?”
As I picked up the menu, Ahn Hyun quickly interjected.
“Of course she’s a user. Does she look like a resident to you?”
“Then why is she working here?”
“Huh? To earn money, obviously. Haven’t you heard of part-time jobs?”
“What? Why would a user work part-time here? This is a whole plane!”
“Well, even users need to make a living. You need money to survive.”
I snorted and sighed. Judging by their reactions, not only Ahn Hyun but also Lee Yoo-jung and Ahn Sol seemed puzzled. Yeah, you guys wouldn’t understand. Have you ever gone hungry or saved up for equipment since the initiation?
I keep saying it, but users who aren’t exceptionally skilled live like this every day. They worry about their next meal, scrimping and saving to buy gear, living fiercely. The kids might think they’ve had their share of hardships, but…
Come to think of it, they’ve been asking a lot more questions since we arrived in Barbara. It was proof of how sheltered and pampered I’d kept them until now. As I smiled wryly, Goyeonju clicked her tongue and sighed.
“Such a sheltered upbringing~.”
“Wow. I see. They do that here too. Well, since it’s a big, nice pub, they can hire staff. I guess they can use users as staff too.”
”…….”
Ahn Hyun seemed unfazed by her comment, focused solely on satisfying his curiosity. Meanwhile, Goyeonju no longer laughed. She simply wore a deep smile, though I could almost imagine a vein throbbing on her forehead.
I handed the menu to Hayeon, telling her to pick something she wanted, and slowly surveyed the surroundings. Sure enough, there were a few users who looked like they had “I’m a skilled user” written on their foreheads. The common trait among them was their intensely serious expressions.
I took a sip of water and quietly activated my third eye.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Oh dear. I wrote a long postscript, and it got deleted. Oh no, oh no. T0T I’ll update the postscript and the replies separately. (Darn internet! Why! Why! Why!) Phew. Calm down. Yes, as of today, my exams are over. I came home late because I was having a celebratory dinner with pork belly and spicy stir-fried pork. Still, I worked hard, so please forgive the 11-minute delay as a cute little quirk. :D Oh, and I did well on the exams! Thanks to your support, I was able to complete everything without leaving any blanks or guessing. I even filled out all the subjective questions. Hehehe. Anyway, I’m really happy now that the exams are over. :)
I’ll take my leave for today. Finally, I can sleep to my heart’s content! Hooray!
『 Reader Replies (Episode 187) 』
Congratulations on being first. I’m getting more familiar with the names of those who are first these days. Of course, you’re one of them, Hwi-eul. Oh, no. I wrote 600, but I added a ~ afterward. So it’s set up to be more than that. :)
GradeRown: Of course. I’m considering all those aspects. The focus will be on recruitment or elimination, but depending on the situation, there might be introductions to allied clans. :)
Aja!: Both are possible. If we’re limited to the events in Mule. We don’t know what variables might exist in the whole plane. However, the latter is slightly more likely because Rangers have tracking skills. :)
Opitour19: The power of a swordsmanship expert is “can cut anything.” There’s no specific name for it. :)
Devil’s Temple: Why do you skip the first part! Haha. You don’t need to worry about Yoo Hyun. Oh, I really want to tell you, but it would spoil the fun. ㅜ.ㅠ Boohoo.
『 Reader Replies (Episode 188) 』
Daisuke: Congratulations on being first. Don’t cry. ㅜ.ㅠ I’ll make it up to you with a continuous update next time.
Jjini~: I did well on the exam! Don’t curse me! I did well, so please pat my head! Hehehe.
saksin: Do you happen to have any carrots? Why do you only prepare scary things….
Toranoanal: Wow. You’re commenting again these days. ㅜ.ㅠ I was a bit sad when I didn’t see your comments for a while. ^0^ I did well on the exam! Please keep commenting a lot~. :D
Wanderer in the Dark: Thank you for the coupon. (__) Hehe. I couldn’t update, but I’m so grateful for the coupons from the readers. If I get the chance, I’ll repay you with a surprise continuous update. :)
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t be too disappointed if you’re not in the replies.
If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll reply!
I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Subscriptions, recommendations, comments, ratings, critiques, and questions are always welcome.