The Canyon of Illusions, The City Where Time Stands Still
After calming down An Sol, I took out five pills of Jeongshimdan and distributed them among the group. I considered taking one myself, but honestly, it seemed pointless. No matter how strong the field effect was, I doubted it could penetrate the blessings of my inner sight and the battlefield. So, I tucked the Jeongshimdan away for emergencies. Out of the original twenty pills, fourteen remained.
An Sol looked better than when she had collapsed, but her complexion was still far from ideal even after taking the pill. I encouraged her to gather herself, and only then could we finally cross the last remaining slope.
“Wow! Is this the Plateau of Delusions?”
“Whoa… it’s huge!”
An Hyun and Lee Yoo-jung exclaimed in unison as they took in the vast expanse before them. Even for me, who had rarely visited the Plateau of Delusions, the sight was refreshing.
“It seems endless.”
“The mountain itself is vast.”
Go Yeon-ju shielded her eyes with her hand, scanning the surroundings. After calmly surveying the area, I turned to look at the clan members behind me. Thanks to the high-quality Jeongshimdan, most of them showed no adverse effects yet.
“But we must remember, this is just the beginning.”
I glanced at An Sol, who was repeatedly wetting her dry lips, and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Is everyone feeling alright?”
“No problems here. Feels just like usual.”
“I’m good too!”
“The Jeongshimdan seems effective. It’s calming my mind and helping me focus.”
An Hyun, Lee Yoo-jung, and Kim Han-byeol responded in turn. I didn’t need to ask Go Yeon-ju, but I was concerned about Baek Han-gyeol and An Sol.
Baek Han-gyeol looked fine, nodding slightly to indicate he was okay when our eyes met. An Sol, however, still seemed shaken, her face darker than when we started. Sensing my gaze, she forced a smile and spoke.
“I’m okay, brother. It’s a bit tough, but I can manage. I’ll let you know if it gets too hard. I’m sorry.”
“Alright. An Hyun, keep an eye on An Sol. Let me know immediately if anything seems off.”
Though she said she was fine, it was clearly a forced smile. An Hyun nodded and quickly moved to her side, cradling her head. Watching them, I addressed the group.
“As you can see, the Plateau of Delusions is vast. But we don’t need to explore it all. We’ll focus on tracking signs, and distance-wise, we can reach the Canyon of Illusions in a day.”
The sun was already high in the sky. The reason many avoid the Plateau of Delusions is that camping here is impossible. No one would dare camp in a place with ongoing field effects, so a night march was inevitable.
Once we enter the Canyon of Illusions, we’ll stop taking Jeongshimdan and rely on Kim Han-byeol and Baek Han-gyeol’s abilities. It will be a burden, especially for Baek Han-gyeol, but he should have conserved some energy by not participating in battles so far. Once inside the canyon, finding the ruins should be quick, giving us a chance to rest.
After quickly calculating our next steps, I turned forward. The endless expanse of the plateau greeted us, the grass swaying gently in the breeze.
“Let’s move out.”
With that, we took our first steps on the journey across the Plateau of Delusions, heading toward our final destination. Just as we entered the plateau, a thought crossed my mind.
“The hunters haven’t shown up yet. If that’s the case…”
“Brother, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
We were in the middle of our march when An Hyun, who had come forward after An Sol assured us she was okay, spoke to me in a quiet tone. I answered without taking my eyes off the trail, and his words soon reached my ears.
“When we first set out, it felt like we were fighting a lot. But since entering the Mountain of Delirium, there haven’t been many battles.”
“That’s not unusual.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I told you to read the records before we left… You didn’t read them thoroughly, did you?”
I teased him lightly, and An Hyun laughed sheepishly.
Technically, there are monsters on the Plateau of Delusions. Only one type appears here, the ‘Black-headed Eagle’ I mentioned earlier.
These creatures primarily inhabit the Mountain of Delirium, so they might have some resistance, but generally, field effects don’t discriminate between humans and monsters. However, the effects don’t manifest immediately. They appear gradually, and the cunning ones sometimes exploit this delay.
After explaining this, An Hyun tilted his head, still puzzled.
“But we wouldn’t just fall for it, right? If they were to attack, they’d have to take us down quickly.”
“They don’t need to take us down. Remember what I told Han-byeol?”
”?”
“They attempt a dive. They set a target from the sky, swoop down at high speed, snatch their prey with their beak or talons, and then fly back up, escaping the field effect.”
Only after this detailed explanation did An Hyun nod in understanding. Watching him, I sighed inwardly. Sometimes he showed sharp insight, but other times he seemed clueless.
“Still, if nurtured well, he could become quite capable… Though he has much to learn.”
Whether he knew my thoughts or not, the kids were no longer just users. They were now ‘mercenary clan members,’ and they needed to develop a sense of identity as such. Improving their skills was urgent, but it wasn’t something that could be resolved quickly. Once this expedition was over, I resolved to establish the clan properly. Just as I was about to quicken our pace, a sudden sound caught my attention.
A piercing cry echoed, and I looked up to see a large bird gliding through the air. It was about two meters long, its black head and beak gleaming in the sun, with talons curved like hooks.
“Speak of the devil.”
As if understanding my words, Kim Han-byeol began chanting a spell. Her quick response was commendable, but I waved my left hand to stop her.
“Oppa?”
“Magic is good, but hold on for a moment.”
“But…”
“Ah, there’s only one of them, so it’s a good opportunity. An Hyun, Lee Yoo-jung, I’ll show you how to handle these creatures up close on the Plateau of Delusions. Watch carefully. Seeing is believing, after all.”
The prospect of me demonstrating seemed to excite them, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. I drew my sword, the Ilwol Shingeom, and stepped away from the group. These cunning creatures would likely target me if I stood alone, but there was a surefire way to draw their attention. I raised the gleaming sword, reflecting the sunlight.
The black-headed eagle, seeing the flash from its perspective, fixed its predatory eyes on me and began to circle in the sky. Its speed increased, and soon it flew beyond the plateau, disappearing from sight. Or so it seemed.
The black-headed eagle, which seemed to have flown away, suddenly turned in a U-shape and darted back toward us.
“It’s coming.”
I lowered the sword I had raised. Glancing to the side, I saw Go Yeon-ju readying her daggers, just in case. Though I had provoked it, these creatures typically attacked stealthily from a distance. Given their cunning nature, they could change direction at any moment.
The eagle descended in a smooth arc, aiming to snatch with its talons. I waited patiently, calculating the path it would take.
“Two steps to the left and a half.”
At least, my calculations should be better than a birdbrain’s. After moving to the predicted spot, I flexed my grip on the Ilwol Shingeom. The wings spread like a half-moon, the belly bulging in the center, and the talons extended below, all growing larger in my view.
As I closed the remaining distance, now less than a meter, I raised the Ilwol Divine Sword, which had been pointed at the ground, to a vertical position. With a firm step forward, I stomped the ground with my right foot, using it as a pivot. Everything was ready. Now, all I had to do was wait for it to come.
Slice! Thud, thud, thud!
The black-feathered eagle, charging with great momentum, had its talons severed cleanly. Unable to stop its acceleration, it crashed into my sword. The force was formidable, but it was no match for my abilities and power.
The impact wasn’t entirely absent. I shifted my weight onto my leading foot, leaning into the strike. I could feel the sensation of cutting through tough flesh with the horizontally raised blade of the Ilwol Divine Sword. Hot blood splattered across my face, trickling down to soak my coat of plates. As the sensation of cutting ceased, I heard the heavy thuds of the massive body hitting the ground behind me.
“What a hassle,” I muttered to myself.
After confirming the neatly bisected carcass of the black-feathered eagle on the ground, I turned and walked back to the others. Wiping my face with a cloth handed to me by Baek Han-gyeol, I spoke in a calm voice.
“That’s how it’s done.”
“Huh? What?”
“See? It’s not that hard, right?”
”…”
The kids didn’t respond.
The sun, which had been blazing high in the sky, gradually softened its intensity as time passed. It was setting. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the fields beneath the low sky were gently bathed in the hues of dusk.
I surveyed the plateau of delusion at sunset. We stood in the middle of the field. No matter where I looked, all I saw was grass. I had no idea how far we had walked, but it felt like being cast adrift in a vast ocean. The only guide we had were the traces left by previous expeditions.
The atmosphere among the clan members was quiet. Perhaps due to the relentless march, everyone seemed to be feeling the fatigue, especially since we hadn’t had a proper rest since entering the plateau of delusion. I briefly considered taking a break, but quickly shook my head. It was better to maintain tension, even if it meant pushing ourselves a bit. Resting would naturally lead to relaxation, and for those with weak mental fortitude, the field’s effects could exploit that gap.
If the mountain of delirium caused consciousness disorders due to fear, the plateau of delusion manifested pathological misjudgments or convictions. In a way, it was a broad concept, linking one’s delusions—abnormal thoughts—to the effects of delirium, bringing them to reality.
Simply put, if I didn’t have the three essentials—calmness pills, insight, and the blessing of the battlefield—and assuming the worst-case scenario, we might have encountered the abyss of hell here by now.
I checked the party’s condition in real-time. Most seemed fine at the entrance, but the deeper we went, the stronger the effects became. I wanted to use Baek Han-gyeol’s ability immediately, but the gems that matched his magical wavelength were rare, so we hadn’t brought many. For now, I planned to endure with the calmness pills as long as possible. With renewed determination, I took a strong step forward.
That’s when it happened.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“Hmm?”
Turning at Yu-jeong’s voice, I saw An-sol struggling to breathe beside her.
“Sol, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“Move aside.”
Seeing An-sol’s face, I sensed something was seriously wrong within her. I quickly approached and took out another calmness pill from my pocket. Gently, I opened her mouth and placed the pill inside.
Gradually, the pill dissolved on her pale pink tongue, and An-sol’s breathing returned to normal.
“Are you okay?”
“I… suddenly… from the front…”
I had no idea what she saw, but An-sol was gasping, her mouth opening and closing without finishing her sentence. I waited patiently for her to calm down, but she shook her head vigorously, refusing to speak.
Yet, seeing her reaction, I couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity. This sensation was like…
“Could it be… she saw something related to her trauma?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
Ugh, my head is spinning. I feel like my recovery is slower than expected. I woke up in the morning, went out for a lunch appointment, came back, and napped, and suddenly it’s afternoon. @[email protected] Sigh. My body isn’t what it used to be. Ever since returning from the military, I feel myself aging day by day. Growing older is truly a sad thing. Hmm.
I think we’ll enter the canyon and discover the ruins within the next couple of chapters. It might feel a bit rushed, but I ask for your understanding. According to the setting, there aren’t any major battles until we reach the plateau of delusion. I’m eager to get inside the ruins myself. :D And once we’re in… hehehe…
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya: The return of reader comments! Congratulations on being first! The revival of reader comments seems to go hand in hand with Miwolya’s first place. Haha! The exams are over! I’ll get back to writing as soon as I recover my strength!
Madangsoe: <No matter how twisted you try to be, you wouldn’t go as far as to introduce a large number of readers and then massacre them for revenge.> Hoho… such a method… Hoho… Ah, no. Haha. Hoho…
Tears River: You’re half right. But there’s still something hidden. Kukukuku.
Sizzflare + Dreamer: =ㅁ= Bang! Bang bang! Bang bang bang!
Pen: Yes. What’s coming is… (whisper) this is coming!
Dangjang + Bored Traveler: Oh, I see. That’s an interesting interpretation of majority rule. I’ll consider it carefully rather than making immediate changes. Thank you for the valuable advice! (Somehow, the phrase “tyranny of the majority” strikes a chord. ㅜ.ㅠ)
Gae-gi + Bored Traveler: Ah, I see. This is a contextual error, so I’ll fix it right after the reader comments! Thank you! (PS. It’s Go Yeon-ju, not Go Hyun-ju. Hahaha.)
Hebkinya: No, no. Su-hyun isn’t at fault. It’s just that I want to get into the ruins quickly. Ahem(?).
C Gratin: I’m just happy to receive comments about the story. Absolutely.
Dallidakum: Hmm. If you pat my head, I’ll consider it. Hehe.
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