Supplemental Income
“Should we stay put or make a move?”
Three wails echoed through the air. It meant someone had been killed somewhere in the Plains of Lamentation.
The wailing only started after an incident occurred. While it suggested we were safe for the moment, the real issue was pinpointing where the incident had happened. No one could tell if it was near our camp or far away.
“Ansol… Baek Hangyeol… Lee Yujeong… wake up, quickly…”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Ahn Hyun quietly roused the others without causing a commotion. I listened intently for any sounds around us, then turned my gaze to Go Yeonju. She seemed to find nothing amiss either. After scanning the area for a while, she shook her head with a somber expression.
“It doesn’t seem to be nearby.”
“Don’t let your guard down. If she shows up, distance won’t matter.”
“She?”
“The Wailing Girl.”
I replied briefly, my fingers brushing the hilt of the Ilwol Divine Sword. Hanbyeol, already prepared, had rings on her left fingers. She moved closer to me and spoke in a low voice.
“Oppa, who is the Wailing Girl? Can you explain the situation a bit?”
“You understand something’s happened, right?”
“Yes, you said someone died earlier…”
“Exactly. There are three possible scenarios for a murder. First, a user kills another user. Second, a user is killed by a monster. Third, which is somewhat similar to the second, a user is attacked by the Wailing Girl, a specter haunting the Plains of Lamentation. Do you get it?”
I spoke faster than usual, but thankfully, Hanbyeol nodded in understanding.
Time passed as we remained on alert, and the surroundings grew eerily quiet. Go Yeonju, still observing, slowly backed towards me and asked, “But isn’t it rare for the Wailing Girl to appear directly before people? Unless provoked, she doesn’t usually cause harm…”
“True. But if you anger her, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
“So, someone intentionally provoked the Wailing Girl? How?”
“It’s just one possibility. There are many ways it could happen.”
“Then…”
Before Go Yeonju could continue, we heard someone rushing towards us. It seemed to be Ahn Hyun, who had gone to wake the others.
“Hyung! There’s a problem!”
“What’s the problem? And keep your voice down.”
“Oh, right. It’s Ansol. She’s acting strange.”
“Sol? She hasn’t woken up yet?”
“No, she woke up, but she’s been talking nonsense since.”
I immediately turned my attention to where the others had been sleeping. Baek Hangyeol and Lee Yujeong were already up, cautiously retreating with their gear. But Ansol was still in her sleeping bag, sitting up with vacant eyes staring into space. I quickly approached her.
“Ansol?”
”…”
“Ansol, answer me.”
“It’s too late.”
Her words were abrupt and out of nowhere. Yet, as soon as she spoke, a chill ran down my spine, and a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.
‘This is…’
It reminded me of the feeling I had back at the academy when searching for Baek Hangyeol. Despite the complex emotions stirring inside, I quickly composed myself. Ansol’s ability to sense danger had been proven before. For now, addressing the immediate situation was the priority.
“What do you mean by ‘too late’?”
“Both.”
“Explain a bit more.”
“Waiting or moving. I don’t know what to do.”
Her words mirrored my own recent thoughts. Just as I was processing the surprise, a cold breeze swept through the camp.
And then it happened.
Rustle, rustle…
The sound of something moving through the grass broke the stillness of the night. It was faint, almost like the wind, but I had been on high alert, listening carefully. The source of the sound was some distance from the camp, but it was unmistakably getting closer.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
“Uh… Brother?”
The effect seemed to be wearing off, as Ansol looked up at me with drowsy eyes. I slipped my arm under hers and helped her up, moving towards where the rest of the clan was gathered. She stumbled along, looking confused.
“Suhyeon, something’s coming.”
“I heard it too. Everyone, form a defensive line. Prepare for battle.”
Though I spoke quietly, the clan members followed my orders diligently. The sound of weapons being drawn echoed in the air. Hanbyeol asked if she should prepare a light spell, but I told her to just be ready. And then…
Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle!
The distance between us and the sound closed rapidly, almost too quickly to comprehend. As the ambiguous noise drew nearer, the clan members’ expressions grew tense. I heard Kim Hanbyeol and Ansol quietly chanting spells, and after a few more moments…
“Oh my god.”
Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle!
There was still some distance, but now it was close enough to see. The source of the sound was finally revealing itself. It was a person.
But not just any person. They weren’t walking upright. Instead, they were sliding along the ground, as if being dragged.
“What… what is that? A person…? Ah!”
Yujeong stepped forward for a closer look, only to scream and retreat as the figure suddenly veered away from the camp. Its side twisted in a curve, and its chest and abdomen rippled like waves. I calmed the startled clan members and observed the movement closely.
‘It’s being pulled by something.’
Enhancing my vision, I noticed several oddities. The person’s body was in a terrible state, with severe injuries and dark blood oozing from their mouth. Their eyes were wide open, suggesting they were already dead.
Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle! Rustle, rustle!
The figure didn’t come straight at us. It circled the camp in an S-pattern, as if testing us. In the process, an arm dangled and tore off, and an ankle rolled away. It was a grotesque sight.
“Hey, hey! You’re a mage, right? Do something about that!”
“Huh, what?”
Startled by Ahn Hyun’s words, Kim Hanbyeol looked at me for permission. I spoke calmly.
“Can you hit it?”
“What?”
“Can you hit it with 100% accuracy? By the way, homing spells won’t work on that thing. With its speed, you’ll need precise calculations to land a hit.”
“Then…”
Kim Hanbyeol’s face clouded with doubt. I sighed lightly and stepped forward. The movement was too fast; even if Ha Yeon were here, she might not manage it.
As I moved forward, Go Yeonju’s voice came from behind, “Suhyeon, should I handle it?” But I shook my head. Adjusting my helmet, I extended my left hand to Ahn Hyun, who was nervously fidgeting.
“Give me the spear.”
“What?”
“Just lend me the spear for a moment.”
“Oh, okay.”
The figure was still moving, circling the camp. It would charge at the slightest opening. I took the spear from Ahn Hyun with my left hand and transferred it to my right, stepping forward with my left foot.
One thing I absolutely hate is when…
‘Something insignificant dares to act up in front of me.’
I slightly pulled back my right arm holding the spear, my body naturally curving to the right. As my left foot touched the ground, I swung the spear towards the pre-calculated point.
Whoosh!
My right arm extended in a straight line, and the dark spear sliced through the night air. I hadn’t put much force into it, focusing on accuracy, but my high strength stat made the sound of the air splitting quite noticeable.
As the figure paused momentarily to change direction at the predicted path…
Thud!
The dark spear pierced through the body without fail. The impact sent the remaining limbs flailing into the air, and the figure’s movement stopped as if frozen.
“Oh, a hit! Hyung, did you get it?”
“No, it’s still alive.”
“Then…”
“It took some damage, but now we need to draw it out.”
I had already activated my third eye and magic detection earlier. After instructing my clan members to stay put, I strode forward confidently.
The figure lying on the ground gradually came into clearer view. Drawing the Sun and Moon Divine Sword from my left hip, a refreshing sound accompanied the dazzling blade as it illuminated the surroundings. With the moonlight so abundant, there was no better weapon to face a creature tainted with malevolent energy.
Despite getting closer, the figure remained motionless. I pondered my next move briefly before a good idea struck me. I decided to scatter the moonlight reflected from my sword around the area where the body lay.
“Grrrr!”
The effect was immediate. As the moonlight from the Sun and Moon Divine Sword touched the figure, it couldn’t withstand it and reacted. A dark silhouette suddenly emerged from beneath the fallen body, and I extended my left foot in its direction.
Soon, I heard the frantic sound of hands clawing at the ground, and the creature lunged at my outstretched foot with its mouth wide open. Calmly, I pulled my foot back, luring it in. Just as it aimed for my ankle, I swiftly brought my sword down.
Thwack!
“Kararara!”
Though it wasn’t a clean cut, it felt like piercing through a rotten log. Looking down, I saw a long-haired girl writhing with the sword embedded in her neck.
What was peculiar was that her skin was so tattered that her bones were visible, and she had no lower body. This meant she had been moving at that speed using only her arms.
Lifting the sword as if scooping a fish from an aquarium, I observed her more closely as she writhed impaled on the blade.
“Ugh!”
“Horrible…”
The clan members must have seen it too, as their voices filled with dismay.
“So this is the Wailing Girl. It’s my first time seeing her in person.”
In the first timeline, I had only heard her name, never encountered her. But her appearance was as ghastly as her reputation. Her eyes were hollow, her nose was smashed beyond recognition, and her gums were exposed, blackened and surrounded by dark, sticky remnants of flesh.
Just as I was about to inspect the dangling tendrils below her missing waist, a warning came.
“Hyung, watch out!”
“Huh?”
At Ahn Hyun’s warning, I looked up to see the Wailing Girl sliding down the sword’s blade, teeth bared.
‘Oh boy.’
Despite being impaled, she was still quite lively, likely due to the accumulated malevolent energy or grudges. Unfazed, I calmly inserted my hand between her gaping jaws. The specter eagerly bit down.
Clack!
The sound of teeth meeting my glove. Her spirit was commendable, but she couldn’t penetrate the durability of my gear.
I applied a bit of pressure, crushing her teeth.
Crunch! Crack!
The sensation of teeth shattering transmitted through the glove. After thoroughly destroying her mouth, I shook my hand, letting the fragments fall. I didn’t stop there. Grabbing her flailing hands, I crushed them too.
‘That should do it.’
With her teeth and hands destroyed, even if she were still alive, she had lost her means of attack. Feeling more at ease, I twirled the sword’s hilt, checking for any other threats. Then, I grabbed the Wailing Girl’s hair with my left hand and lifted her.
Turning to my clan members, who were staring at me in shock, I proudly declared, “Got her.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Lately, I’ve been hearing some strange rumors. People are saying my name is Ro Yumi and that I’m a woman. Sigh… Dear readers, my real name is not Ro Yumi, and I am not a woman. I am very much a man. I hoped you wouldn’t be swayed by such aircraft carrier-sized rumors, but seeing the comments, I felt quite saddened.
Do I really need to prove it to you…?