The morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on Ansol’s face. Her eyes, surprisingly clear for someone who had just woken up, fixed intently on me. There was something unsettling about her gaze—her usual carefree demeanor was nowhere to be found. Instead, her eyes were deep and unreadable, as if she were peering into my very soul.
Slowly, her lips parted, and she spoke in a measured tone.
“Brother, I must have dozed off and missed what you were saying. I’m sorry.”
“Huh? Oh, it’s fine.”
“Could you tell me again which cities you’re planning to visit?”
“The first stop is the eastern city of Princia. After that, I’ll head north to the small town of Mule, and then return to Monica.”
Ansol likely knew the general locations of these places, but her unusual tone and demeanor prompted me to provide more detail than usual. Her words brought back memories of the warp gate and the user academy in Barbara.
“Could it be happening again?” I wondered.
Go Yeonju, who was aware of the situation, watched with interest, while most of the clan members stared at Ansol in bewilderment. Her behavior was a stark contrast to her usual self.
As I watched Ansol furrow her brow slightly, I activated my third eye.
Name: Ansol (0 years)
Class: Normal Priest (Runner)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Rank: D Plus)
True Name · Nationality: Guide of Light · South Korea
Sex: Female (20)
Height · Weight: 160.1cm · 46.7kg
Alignment: Lawful · Good
[Strength 25] [Endurance 28] [Agility 27] [Stamina 35] [Magic 88(+1)] [Luck 101]
(Available stat points: 3 free points, 2 magic-specific points, total 5 points.)
“Guide of Light…”
Her true name carried a weighty significance that I couldn’t quite grasp. I speculated it might be linked to the secret class ‘Priest of Radiance,’ but nothing concrete came to mind.
“Brother, please take me with you on this mission.”
“Alright, you can come.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected me to agree. Her luck, though unpredictable, was an extraordinary 101. I knew firsthand the power of such a high luck stat, and since I was the one who had helped her achieve it, ignoring her request felt like denying my own actions.
I ignored the hopeful glances from others who wanted to join and raised my voice to make it clear there would be no more additions.
“Then, we’ll add Ansol to the team with Go Yeonju and Kim Hanbyul. That’s all.”
“Clan Lord, shall we start preparing?”
“Yes, let’s wrap up the meeting. Thank you all for your hard work this morning. Go Yeonju, Kim Hanbyul, Ansol, please get ready to leave immediately.”
“Sure thing. Hey, Sol, come with me.”
Go Yeonju gestured for them to follow her. Kim Hanbyul rose quietly, and Ansol stood up with a bright smile, her expression back to its usual self.
As I watched her, I turned to Jeong Hayeon.
“User Jeong Hayeon, we’ll be back in three days at most. Please take care of the clan until then.”
“Don’t worry. Take care, Clan Lord.”
Her clear voice was reassuring, and I felt a sense of relief.
After the meeting, the clan members quickly prepared for the journey. Since it was more of a task than an expedition, it didn’t take long. Despite the sudden departure, we were ready to leave before noon.
We considered leaving immediately, but Ansol’s rumbling stomach led us to have a quick meal before setting off. As I ate the bland food prepared by the hired help, I struggled to calm my racing heart.
I was finally going to meet my brother and his companions. To them, I was a sinner. A single wrong decision had cost them their lives, and ironically, I was the only one who survived.
I hadn’t met my brother until now because I didn’t want to disrupt his path. But now, I realized that was just an excuse. The guilt buried in my heart had made me avoid them.
They died because of me. I was the problem.
If only I hadn’t been there. If only I hadn’t acted that way.
I closed my eyes and recalled ‘that time.’
“Hey, Suhyun! Did you wait for your sister? Just a little longer, okay? I’ll save you soon.”
“What are you going to do, you fool? Why did you let things get this bad? You should have just liked me instead!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll hold them off here, so run away quickly!”
“You idiot. Just wait a bit. I’ll take care of the ones in front and come for you. So run as fast and as far as you can.”
I had regretted it countless times in the first round and was tormented by guilt. But even after all this time, the guilt that tore at my heart hadn’t faded. The words of the Hamil clan members who came to save me lingered in my memory.
I still couldn’t understand. They must have followed my brother’s orders, but even as they died, they showed no resentment. Could a human, or a user, really do that?
Lost in thought, I put down my spoon.
The thought of meeting my brother and the companions from the first round made it impossible to swallow another bite.
The sky had been clear in the morning, but as we were about to leave, rain began to pour down in torrents. It was a sudden downpour with no warning, but I didn’t delay our departure. We hadn’t prepared waterproof robes due to the recent clear weather, but we could buy them at a shop on the way to the warp gate, so there was no need to waste time.
“Brother, why are those people acting like that?”
Ansol, her hood pulled low over her face, lifted it slightly to speak.
The three of us had arrived at Monica’s warp gate, and as Ansol noted, users were gathered around, voicing their complaints about the gate.
“Please wait if you’re not heading to the eastern city! The western and northern cities have restricted access since yesterday!”
“Damn it! Why can’t I go to Pamela? I need to get there fast!”
“Who swore? Shut your mouth! It’s not our fault they cut off access!”
“Ugh, the weather’s awful, and now the northwest is acting up too! How long do we have to wait?”
“The west and north are blocked? This is getting interesting…”
I tilted my head in curiosity, but it seemed there was no issue with traveling to the eastern city. Holding Ansol’s hand, I began to weave through the crowd. As we reached the front, a female user, sweating profusely, was explaining the situation. Her chest bore the emblem of the Istantel Low clan.
She turned to us, breathing heavily.
“Can we go to Mule now?”
“Central, western, and northern routes are completely restricted. We’re keeping ours open, so you can use it once Mule opens up again. Just wait until then.”
“What about Princia?”
“That’s possible. Just pay here and wait a moment. I’ll switch it for you right away.”
The female user pointed to a container for gold coins and hurried to the warp magic circle, her busy movements a testament to her workload.
After depositing the fare for four, I glanced at Ansol. I had brought her to see her reaction, but with Mule inaccessible, our choice was clear.
Ansol’s face was serene, even smiling occasionally, perhaps because I was holding her hand. Just as I wondered if she had simply wanted to join me, the woman’s voice rang out clearly.
“Princia, right? Step in!”
Though slightly muffled by the rain, her voice was loud enough to hear. Looking ahead, I saw the warp gate glowing with a blue light.
“Suhyun? Aren’t you going in?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
I stood there, watching quietly instead of going straight in. Just as Go Yeon-ju was about to step forward, she turned to look at me. I began counting silently in my head.
“One, two…”
And on the count of three, I threw myself towards the warp gate.
A lone user was sprinting across the land. Judging by his incredible speed, his specialized stat must have been agility. He soon reached a towering building, pushed the door open with force, and dashed up the stairs.
First floor, second floor, third floor—he reached the fourth floor, where a cold, wide corridor stretched out before him. With a face full of urgency, he glanced around and then took off running down the right side of the hallway.
“Pant, pant!”
The man, racing down the corridor without hesitation, came to a halt in front of a slightly ajar door. After taking a couple of deep breaths to steady himself, he flung the door open and shouted loudly.
“Kim Yoo-hyun! Kim Yoo-hyun!”
Bang!
The door slammed shut with a loud noise as soon as he entered the room.
Inside, several users were gathered around a bed, their faces etched with worry. They turned slowly towards the door, their expressions souring at the commotion the man had caused.
But their expressions quickly changed at the man’s next words.
“They’re here! Someone who can cure the Banshee’s Curse has arrived!”
“What did you say?”
Kim Yoo-hyun, who had maintained a cold demeanor, widened his eyes in surprise. The man walked over to the bed, looking down at the woman lying there. She appeared to be in critical condition, as if she could die at any moment, but she was still breathing faintly. He let out a sigh of relief and placed a reassuring hand on Kim Yoo-hyun’s shoulder, who was still staring at him, demanding answers.
“They came from the south. They don’t have an elixir, but they can cure the Banshee’s Curse.”
“Without an elixir? What’s the user’s name?”
“I didn’t catch the name. Oh! They said they’re from the Mercenary Clan. You know, that clan that’s been making waves in Monica lately!”
“The Mercenary Clan… I’ve heard of them once or twice. Did we get any contact from Istantel Row?”
All the users in the room shook their heads at Kim Yoo-hyun’s question. The man, clearly frustrated, pounded his chest and spoke again.
“What does it matter? They said they can cure her!”
“He’s right. Where is this user now? We need to…”
“They didn’t come alone. The clan lord and a few members came with them. Anyway, I ran here to tell you, and Hyerin is guiding them…”
“Excuse me.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and it swung open.
Outside, users wearing robes dripping with rainwater appeared. Despite being indoors, they had their hoods pulled up over their heads.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Ah, I sincerely apologize. I had a lunch appointment today, so I got home a bit late. Just as I was about to start writing, my aunt visited. She had just bought a new smartphone (she ended up getting the Galaxy 4 LTE-A) and didn’t know how to use it, so I spent nearly three hours teaching her. She’s over 50 and had been using an 018 feature phone for almost seven years, so I had to explain everything in detail. Haha. But seeing her satisfied made it all worthwhile. I tried my best to post this as soon as possible, so I hope you can kindly understand. (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
Kanesada: Congratulations on being first! Haha. I think this is the second time I’ve seen you in the comments. :) Enjoy this chapter!
Flute: Ah, Flute, I’m curious about something. What exactly did you mean by ‘behind’? I’d love to know the precise, detailed meaning! (Kekeke!)
Shin Yujin: Ah, I’m sorry. When I write, I usually connect paragraphs with ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’ at the start, but I was in a rush and forgot to delete them. ㅜ.ㅠ
Iteration: Oh, you’re quite sharp. I plan to explain that part in detail when we meet Seraph next time. :)
Dark Knight: I just had a sudden thought and decided to parody it. Haha. :)
Yuriken: Of course, pregnancy is possible. However, there are magical or potion-based methods of contraception. In fact, it’s more reliable than modern methods. Childbirth is also possible, but most users tend to avoid it. :) Of course, there are exceptions.
Note: After this chapter, I’m considering naming the next chapter “The Rise of the Western Continent.” Look forward to it!
Trickster: That’s an apt metaphor I hadn’t considered. Spot on. :)
Busan Boss: Thank you for the coupon! (__) The pace of e-book editing is gradually picking up. Haha.
Red Rain: No, there wasn’t. The future is already quite twisted. Normally, the rise of the Western Continent should have happened by now, but the timeline has been delayed due to changes. Many things will change in the future. The subtitle of this chapter, “Butterfly Effect,” is a nod to the catalyst for these changes. :)
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great source of strength.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Pre-orders, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.