The Canyon of Illusions, The City Where Time Stands Still
I was dying to ask what was really going on, but it wasn’t the right time to press someone who clearly didn’t want to talk. Besides, we were in the middle of an expedition, and there was no room for unnecessary distractions. So, I simply patted Ansol on the back a couple of times, who was hanging his head low, and signaled for us to continue our march.
The sun was slowly setting, casting long shadows as the day gradually gave way to night.
By the time the twilight had fully enveloped the plateau, the landscape had taken on a distinctly different atmosphere from when we first arrived.
Every time the wind swept across the plateau, the rustling of leaves and grass seemed unusually loud, echoing around us. Occasionally, strange cries pierced the air, and the darkness that was visible even to the naked eye heightened the eerie mood.
As we marched, I could feel the occasional glances from behind, eyes silently pleading for a break or a chance to set up camp. But I ignored those looks and stubbornly pressed on. The best way to cross the Plateau of Delusions was to keep walking without overthinking it.
Of course, the field effect had a way of drawing out one’s inner thoughts, so it was rare for anyone to actually manage that. My current strategy was to use the march to suppress any lingering anxiety. Sure, it was physically taxing, but the more exhausted we became, the more we would focus on each step.
“Huff, huff.”
“Pant, pant.”
How much time had passed? It felt like hours since I declared the night march. By modern time, it was probably between 3 and 4 a.m. Everyone except Goyeonju and me was breathing heavily. Some seemed to be doing it deliberately, as if to make sure I heard. I suppressed a smile and slightly slowed our pace.
“Hey, oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Can’t we take a little break?”
”…Hmm. Rest is important, but I think it’s better to keep moving right now.”
I shared my thoughts and glanced over to see Anhyun and Lee Yujeong drenched in sweat. If the close-combat types were struggling, the long-range users must have been in even worse shape. Still, I didn’t stop. I turned my gaze forward again, following the trail, and spoke in a low voice.
“Some of you might have thought the Plateau of Delusions would be easy. Like Anhyun said earlier, we haven’t encountered many monsters since the Mountain of Delirium. It’s been nothing but marching, so it might feel a bit dull.”
“Ah, no… I didn’t really think that…”
“No, hyung.”
“I wasn’t trying to scold you. You’re not entirely wrong.”
When I acknowledged their point, they fell silent, as if on cue.
I didn’t speak immediately. I lifted my head to gaze at the brilliant moon, then at the countless stars twinkling around it. It was a beautiful sight I hadn’t seen in a while, and I wanted to linger on it, but I couldn’t afford to lose track of the trail.
Finally, I returned my gaze to its original position and broke the silence.
“This might seem out of the blue, but let me tell you an interesting story. There’s a training exercise called the tightrope walk that the South Korean Marines do.”
”…”
“Before they walk the tightrope, they make each person do a ton of push-ups until their arms are shaking. Then they have to cross the rope relying only on their hands. Why do you think they do that right before the exercise?”
“Uh… to keep them from getting complacent and to stay focused?”
That was the right answer. I nodded, and Yujeong let out a sheepish laugh. I exhaled lightly, amused by how pleased she was over something so simple.
“Exactly. It keeps them from looking anywhere else. All their attention is focused on holding onto the rope. And they say that kind of training actually reduces accidents. I think marching across the Plateau of Delusions is similar.”
”…”
“I’ve said it many times before, but rest is good, and taking breaks is important. But the Plateau of Delusions is an exception. If we rest here, someone will inevitably let their guard down, and the field effect will exploit that opening. If we’re lucky, it might just be a minor threat. But if something we can’t handle shows up…”
“Ah, I see.”
No one knows what challenges the kids will face in the future on the Hall Plain. But I can be sure of one thing: as they gain experience and continue exploring, they’ll eventually face situations even tougher than this.
What if we were dealing with frequent monster attacks on top of the fatigue from marching? Honestly, we’ve managed so far because it’s been mostly marching since the Mountain of Delirium, but if things were different, some of them would have been knocked out by now.
When those situations arise, the greatest help will come from the skills honed through personal experience. Even if it feels tough now, each of these experiences will serve as a valuable guide when similar situations arise in the future. For instance… when I’m not around…
“Endure. Somehow, hold on and push through to the end.”
In the end, that’s all I could say to them. I hoped they would understand my intentions someday, and with that thought, I returned our pace to normal. For now, the best course of action was to reach the Canyon of Illusions as quickly as possible.
The grass was damp with morning dew, and I could feel a slight wetness on my legs. Time had flown by, and the eastern sky was beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. A thick mist hung around us, but the rising sun pierced through, enveloping the plateau in a warm embrace.
The light of dawn seeped into the fields, chasing away the lingering darkness. As I took in the brilliant morning of the plateau, I drew a deep breath. The crisp morning air mixed with the scent of water, tingling my nose.
Savoring the scent, I paused for a moment. Just as I was about to raise my hand to signal a stop, I heard a faint cry.
“Ah!”
“Oh my!”
I turned to see a few of the kids clutching their faces, unsure of what to do. It seemed they had dozed off while walking and bumped into each other. Watching them, Goyeonju clicked her tongue a few times and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.
“Get it together, everyone. We’re almost there.”
“Yes…”
The clan members’ voices lacked energy. It wasn’t just the march taking its toll. Even I could feel the field effect weighing down on me, albeit faintly. If I was feeling it, the burden on the others must have been several times greater. I had given another dose of the elixir to those struggling to endure the night, but there was still a lingering sense of unease.
“Suhyeon, do you hear water? The air feels damp, too.”
“I can hear it and smell it. I think we’re close to the Canyon of Illusions.”
When I chimed in to support Goyeonju’s words, the kids’ previously dull eyes began to show signs of life. Anhyun sniffed the air around him, tilting his head in confusion.
“That’s strange. I don’t hear any water. I just smell something fishy.”
“Isn’t it normal for water to smell a bit fishy?”
Yujeong replied reflexively, but Anhyun shook his head. He sniffed around Yujeong with a serious expression. Yujeong glared at him, clearly annoyed, but didn’t say anything. Ignoring her displeasure, Anhyun grimaced.
“No, it’s not water. It smells more like blood. Hey, are you on your period or something? Seriously, you should control yourself at times like this…”
“What? You crazy idiot!”
Yujeong kicked Anhyun’s leg hard. Watching him jump around, claiming he was dying, I couldn’t help but think how pathetic he was. It seemed I wasn’t the only one, as the female users all glared at Anhyun as if he were some kind of beast.
Thanks to Anhyun’s unintended sacrifice, we managed to lighten the mood for a moment before resuming our march, following the trail once more.
We hadn’t gone far, maybe not even twenty minutes, before I had to signal another stop.
As I halted, the clan members began to gather around, looking ahead. Morning had arrived, but the mist still lingered. While it was gradually dissipating elsewhere, it remained thick in front of us.
As the mist from ahead wrapped around our feet, the sound of water and the scent in the air became more pronounced.
“Everyone, back up.”
“Suhyeon?”
Goyeonju questioned me, but I simply shook my head and drew the Ilwolshingeom. The blade shimmered in the sunlight, a reddish aura beginning to emanate from it.
With my sword hanging loosely at my side, I took three more steps forward. I didn’t bother with any grand stance. In fact, this was my default posture. After all, I wasn’t holding the sword to fight anyone right now. I lifted the blade to rest on my left shoulder, then swung it down with force.
Whoosh!
The air split with a fierce sound, and the wave I unleashed tore through the fog, driving it downward. Then—
Thud! Crash! Splash! Boom!
“What… what was that?”
“Did the wave just disappear?”
Sounds of impact, shattering, and falling echoed in succession. The force of the wave was strong enough to clear a significant portion of the fog that had been obscuring our view. As light streamed through the newly opened gap, the breathtaking scenery hidden within was finally revealed to us.
Before us lay a deep gorge, its walls steep and sharply cut. As I focused my vision, I could see the dizzying depth of the canyon below. Moving closer, I peered down to see a faintly visible, clear river flowing gently along the canyon floor. The gorge was filled with a mystical aura, with various natural formations blending together in a stunning display.
Turning my gaze forward again, I saw the massive hole and the cracked walls where my wave had struck. Some of the fallen rocks must have landed on the ground, while others likely plunged into the river below.
My fellow clan members and I stood in silence, taking in the view. Eventually, I snapped back to reality and addressed Kim Hanbyul, who was cautiously peeking over the edge, seemingly afraid of heights.
“Kim Hanbyul, how many gems did you bring?”
“Eek! Yes, yes? Oh, just a moment.”
With an unexpectedly cute squeal, she hurriedly rummaged through her bag. Soon, she pulled out a handful of glowing gems and showed them to me.
“There aren’t as many as I thought. Their efficiency isn’t great either. Last time, the smallest gem lasted about two hours.”
“Two hours? If that’s without any effects, then here…”
“It might not even last an hour.”
“So it’s a race against time. The others seem to be reaching their limits too.”
Despite my words, I calmly counted the gems in Kim Hanbyul’s hand. I felt a glimmer of hope.
‘That should be enough. We might even have some left over.’
I had a hunch that Yeoulgan had come with solid information. If we could descend into the canyon from where we stood, it wouldn’t take long to reach the ruins. They must have had enough confidence to attempt navigating the Illusion Gorge.
Stretching my arms wide, I glanced between Kim Hanbyul and Baek Hangyeol. The previously dampened mood was somewhat revived by the discovery of the Illusion Gorge. Some of the clan members I had been worried about were holding up well. Ansol had a few close calls, but thankfully, she managed to persevere. Now, all that remained was to enter the ruins.
“Alright, Kim Hanbyul, Baek Hangyeol—”
“Su-hyeon. Hold on a second. Come over here.”
Just as I was about to call them, Go Yeonju interrupted. I turned to her with a questioning look, and she silently pointed downward. She was indicating a few large rocks that had fallen, likely due to the wave I had unleashed.
“What’s up with those?”
“Why don’t you enhance your vision and take a look? Hehe.”
There was something odd in Go Yeonju’s laughter. I immediately heightened my senses, enhancing my sight, hearing, and smell. My vision expanded, and the scene below the canyon came into sharp focus.
And then, as I closely examined the area around the fallen rocks, my eyes widened in surprise.
“Meep…”
‘Is something trapped under there?’
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Today’s chat.
Me: “Hey, bro.”
Me: “What’s your Wi-Fi password?”
Bro: ”********”
Me: “Got it.”
Bro: “Enjoying the novel, I see.”
Me: ”???”
???
『 Reader Comments 』
OneShotMode: Congrats on being first! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a new first comment. Hehe.
LifeOfPeople: Is that what you say after a long time without commenting? Bang! Bang bang!
Kkoya + HotIdeal: Thanks for the coupon. (__) You’re subscribed to the novel too! Just like me. (…….)
Dorong: No! Awakening is still far off! I’ll keep tormenting you! Hahaha! (Thud thud!)
PotatoChip: If the Demon Lord could use 100% of their power, they’d definitely have the upper hand. But that’s not happening anytime soon. Any more would be a spoiler. Haha.
AdieuMar: That part is about the presence or absence of ‘records.’ For example, after an expedition or exploration, reports are made to the temple, right? Those become records available to users. And Su-hyeon gives the impression of frequenting the library to read them.
Raynesis: No, absolutely not. Don’t be fooled by the aircraft carrier-level deception.
hohokoya1: Sorry, hohokoya1. T0T I’ve been feeling strangely sluggish lately. Boohoo. It’s not because I’m being teased as Royumi and not doing continuous updates. T0T
QuistA.Gw*(): You’re having fun! Got it. Here’s some fun for you. Fun, say hello! Fun: “Hi there!” It’s fun here! Hahaha! (Thud thud thud thud! Thump thump thump thump!) Sorry, I just wanted to try that. I sincerely apologize. (__)
rose-mary: Kekekeke! Ansol is best when tormented. Once we enter the ruins, I’ll make her cry… Ahem. Oh, nothing.
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