A Single Decisive Battle
In the northern part of the continent, in a small town called Mule.
“They’re swarming in like a flock of ducks.”
Standing atop the city wall, Kim Gapsu surveyed the scene. As he watched the masses surge forward like a tidal wave, he couldn’t help but offer a brief commentary.
“Don’t you think so?”
Turning his head as if seeking agreement, a man clad in leather armor beside him responded.
“A flock of ducks, huh… That’s an interesting way to put it.”
“Isn’t it? But why the long face? If it’s amusing, you should laugh.”
“Well, it’s hard to find humor in it. If we stay here too long… we might end up being picked apart by those ducks.”
Despite the man’s calm tone, his words carried a weight that made Kim Gapsu chuckle softly.
Though he likened them to ducks, the man’s words accurately captured the dire situation. They were vastly outnumbered. The town had fewer than 200 defenders, while the approaching “ducks” numbered in the thousands.
“Heh… So, how’s the evacuation going?”
“The move to Barbara is nearly complete… Ah, they say it’s in the final stages now. If we head down, we should make it just in time.”
“Is that so… Then we should hurry. As you said, we can’t just sit here and get picked apart.”
“A wise choice. The gates are securely shut, so as long as we don’t dawdle, there should be enough time to use the warp gate.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s head down now. You’re quite the nag, aren’t you?”
As Kim Gapsu waved his hand dismissively, the man seemed to feel a bit sheepish and refrained from urging him further. Soon, the group began to descend the wall at a leisurely pace, even as the sounds of the approaching horde grew louder.
“Thinking about how they’ll be left empty-handed is quite satisfying… Oh! By the way, what about her?”
“Her? Who do you mean?”
“You know, the one who bit me.”
“Oh, the brown-haired cow, you mean?”
Kim Gapsu chuckled again at the man’s amusing description.
“Heh heh. Yes, did you take good care of that cow?”
“Yes, she’s safely on her way to Barbara, so you needn’t worry.”
“Make sure she doesn’t catch Lee Kangsan’s eye. She’s just his type, and if he spots her, he’ll snatch her away.”
“I’ll be as careful as I can, but… there’s only so much I can do. And to be honest, it’s already…”
Boom!
Just then, as Kim Gapsu and his group reached the bottom of the wall, a deafening crash echoed through the air, causing the tightly shut gate to shudder violently. The noise was so loud that the man speaking had to cover his ears, his face contorted in pain from the sound.
“Jeez, that scared the hell out of me!”
“So soon? I thought they were still a ways off…”
Could they have used magic? The man, who had been talking about the “cow,” turned to the gate with a puzzled expression.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Then, a sharp tearing sound ripped through the air, followed by the clanging of metal reverberating from the gate.
“Is it going to break? Are you sure the gate was reinforced?”
“Yes, it was reinforced as per your orders… But this isn’t the time to discuss that! We need to evacuate immediately!”
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
But now, the ground itself began to tremble with each thud, and the man’s face turned as pale as a condemned criminal. The ominous noises seemed to punctuate his every word, as if forbidding him from speaking further.
As the ragtag group snapped out of their daze, the tremors subsided.
But it was only the beginning.
Creak! Creak!
Suddenly, the center of the gate began to warp. Despite the reinforcements, the thick steel gate twisted and bent as if it were made of paper.
“The gate… it’s bending?”
Someone muttered in disbelief, unable to trust their own eyes. Meanwhile, the gate continued to groan and twist, becoming a crumpled heap of metal.
Crash! Crash!
Finally, with a sound of tearing metal, a large hole appeared in the gate. A massive, red-blue arm thrust through the opening.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
A hot, purple wind rushed through the gap, filled with a palpable magical energy that quickly enveloped the area around the gate.
And in that fleeting moment…
“Ahhh!”
“A monster! Run!”
Without exception, the group of vagrants screamed and fled in panic.
Central City of the Northern Continent: Barbara
The warp gate in Barbara was bustling with activity. The light that had been flickering non-stop finally dimmed, but the number of people emerging from the gate was well over a hundred. Watching the scene, a woman turned to the man beside her.
“See? Those are the wanderers from Mule.”
“Hmm! I see.”
“Hmm? Do you have anything to add?”
“Well, it’s quite a predicament.”
Watching the influx of wanderers, Simon wore a genuinely perplexed expression.
“Haha. They said they only had a hint of trouble on our continent. If we go back like this, it’ll be quite the mess, don’t you think? Yurina?”
“I think it’s more of a mess right now, Simon Grimes.”
Yurina, as she was called, responded in a clear, measured tone to Simon’s lighthearted banter. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and let out a thin sigh.
“Ah… Indeed, it’s quite the predicament.”
”…”
“Even if we set Mule aside… I never expected them to attempt simultaneous assaults on Beth, Dorothy, and Halo. I thought they brought too few people, but it seems they had a trick up their sleeve. Haha! I didn’t hear a peep from the wanderers, though. Suddenly, all movement information just…”
“Even so, blaming them comes later. Right now, we need to activate the magic suppression field and support Halo.”
Yurina’s suggestion was to move to the city closest to the western continent and plan an escape from there. It seemed like a reasonable plan. Although other cities had fallen, Halo still had some defenders and was fiercely resisting the northern continent’s reclamation efforts.
But Simon, with a carefree smile, shook his head.
“Oh, come on. That’s nonsense. We’d get ourselves killed.”
“What do you mean? Why would moving to Halo be a death sentence?”
“Yurina, your plan assumes that while over ten thousand people move, the monsters outside the city will just sit and watch. We’d have to politely ask them to enjoy the show while we move one by one.”
“We have the magic suppression field…”
“Yurina, how long do you think that will hold against those monsters?”
Simon cut her off, and Yurina bit her lip, struggling for a response. Frustrated by Simon’s seemingly carefree demeanor, she narrowed her eyes and shot him a sharp look.
“Simon, then what do you propose? Sit here and wait for them to tighten the noose?”
“Haha. Don’t get so worked up. Everyone’s enjoying the northern continent’s success… Why are you the only one so upset?”
“What? You find this situation amusing?”
“Well… It’s not so much amusing as it is expected.”
At Simon’s sudden declaration, Yurina was left speechless.
“Ah. Not everything was expected, of course. The return of the dragon’s breath was certainly a surprise. I thought it was a golden opportunity…”
“Si…”
Yurina seemed about to say something but stopped herself, biting her lip again. Simon, still smiling, looked as relaxed as ever, like a carefree young man out for a stroll.
However.
Having followed Simon for a relatively long time, Yurina could sense it instinctively. This was Simon’s unique character. No matter the situation, he never showed panic. Even when facing “Jackie,” the closest rival to conquering the western continent, he overcame countless crises without losing his composure. Instead, he always found unexpected, ingenious ways to turn the tables. Simon was that kind of man.
Simon had assured her that this was all part of the plan. If that were true, it meant he had some kind of strategy up his sleeve for the current predicament. Knowing Simon never spoke lightly, Yurina decided to hear him out.
“Alright, I think I’m starting to calm down a bit. Haha. Ah, the movement of Halo you mentioned, Yurina, is quite simple. It’s like setting up a divide-and-conquer scenario. It’s a reckless move that should be avoided at all costs if you want to survive.”
”…”
“I was considering letting them think they had the upper hand for a bit. It just turned into actually letting them have it. Ultimately, nothing’s changed. Accept the situation as it is if you want to live. And if you want to return to the continent, you need to create your own breathing room.”
“Are you saying there’s a way?”
Simon nodded immediately, confirming that he had indeed anticipated this.
“Yes. First, we need to activate the magic suppression field. It would be a waste not to use it after all the effort we put into setting it up.”
”…And then?”
“Hmm… Given the circumstances, we’ll have to leave some things to chance. It would have been great if someone from the Northern Continent could interpret the field for us… Halo needs to hold out as well… Anyway, even if we leave it to luck, we can increase our chances, right? Let’s send a few support personnel to Halo right away. Of course, we’ll send the least useful ones.”
Yurina looked puzzled at Simon’s words. He seemed to have a plan, giving out instructions one by one, but she couldn’t quite grasp his logic. Her eyebrows twitched, but Simon wasn’t finished yet.
“Oh, and what else do we need… Right, Yurina? We’re going to use the magic bullets. Prepare all of them.”
“What? All of them?”
“Yes! It’s a bit of a waste, but after doing the math, it seems we won’t make it out alive without using them all. And let’s see… Ah, the weather’s nice. Lastly, could you call the spirit summoner? Then we’ll be all set.”
Simon turned his head slightly and began to wag his finger, but when he caught Yurina’s expression, he chuckled.
“Why the face?”
”…I haven’t understood a word you’ve said since earlier.”
“If you don’t understand, just follow my lead. Timing and speed are everything here. Hahaha!”
With that, Simon suddenly looked up at the cloudy sky, spreading his arms wide and speaking in a bright voice.
“See? Even the weather’s on our side!”
The sky was overcast, casting a shadow over the plains. Amidst the thick fog rolling in, I was waiting for a user. The one I was waiting for was none other than Shin Sang-yong.
We had agreed to meet at my tent this morning after packing up, but he hadn’t shown up yet. It wasn’t quite past morning, but given his usual punctuality, it was odd that he hadn’t appeared with the sun already up.
‘Why isn’t he here yet?’
I wondered if I had been too harsh with my words earlier this morning. I had intended to discuss something with him regarding the selection process, but I held back. I had no intention of belittling him; it was out of concern. But in hindsight, my words could have easily been misunderstood.
‘Anyway… I’ll have to talk to him when he arrives.’
Taking advantage of the brief lull, I lay down on the cot in the tent.
The sudden awakening of the fire spirit, news from the north and south, Shin Sang-yong, the card.
My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts. As I lay there, lost in contemplation, my hand instinctively reached into my pocket. I pulled out a card, and as I held it up, I saw the image of an angel with a tear-streaked face.
‘Seraph…’
Why did the angel on the card always remind me of Seraph?
Ding ding ding ding ding!
Just as I was about to lose myself in thoughts of Seraph, an alarm rang through the camp. I snapped out of my reverie and leapt to my feet, rushing out of the tent.
Murmurs spread around me.
I wasn’t the only one who reacted to the signal; soon, others emerged from their tents, looking just as bewildered. It seemed no one had grasped the situation yet. I quickly made my way to the front of the camp.
I reached the front line in no time, but the dense fog obscured my view. The city was barely visible. I focused my magic to enhance my vision, and the blurry landscape gradually came into focus.
The city walls were blackened with soot, a result of my earlier fire magic. But that wasn’t the issue now. The real anomaly lay on the ground surrounding Barbara. The ‘protective magic suppression field’ drawn around the city was glowing a clear blue.
This was a sign that the magic field was about to activate.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’ve laid all the groundwork for the second part. Thank you to all the readers who have endured the countless hints and foreshadowing. Now, there’s no more teasing, just the final battle to wrap up the first part. Fortunately, it looks like the first part won’t stretch to 400 chapters. Haha. :)
I’ll do my best to bring this to a satisfying conclusion. Thank you. (__)
PS. I’ll reply to messages over the weekend.
『 Reader Comments (Chapter 361) 』
Devaran: Congrats on being first. Haha. I’m getting nervous with exams coming up. Please make the questions easy! :D
hohokoya1: As I’ve said before, Shin Sang-yong is not a traitor. Haha.
LatiDoll: Hmm, manly, you say. That really touched my heart. Thank you so much. :)
Jabet: Jabet, you’re a fool. Everyone, shout that Jabet is a fool! EE!(?!)
Cheonnyangboeun: I’m sorry. Sob. ㅜ.ㅠ I’ve become a terrible writer! Please scold me!
『 Reader Comments (Chapter 362) 』
Devaran: Wow, first again. It’s been a while since I’ve seen two comments from you in one chapter. Congrats again!
SmokedSnail: Haha. Imagination is the reader’s freedom. I just hope what I’ve planned will entertain you all.
OurAngel: I’m sorry. I’ll try to bring you more straightforward content instead of cliffhangers.
UncleNom: Thank you for always reading. (__)
CheongeopHyeolSinCheonMuJon: CheongeopHyeolSinCheonMuJon, I have just one thing to say. Please spare me. ㅜ.ㅠ
Thank you for always reading. I hope you enjoy the story with a relaxed mind.