Rescue of Han-gyeol. But…
Nam Da-eun and I quickly turned our heads.
As we kept a wary eye on the right, creatures with cracked skin and glowing crimson eyes burst forth.
“Again?”
Nam Da-eun, still beside me, muttered quietly. I squinted, quickly assessing the creatures approaching from both sides.
“Twelve in total.”
They were evenly split, six coming from the left and six from the right.
Then, something struck me as odd. The number of these creatures, coming from different directions, was precisely six each. They weren’t just charging like wild boars; they showed a hint of coordination, almost like trained soldiers.
I wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with their behavior. In the first encounter, I hadn’t thought much of it, but now, in the second, it felt strangely new.
Nam Da-eun spun her weapon, “Seol-ah,” and took a ready stance.
“Clan Lord, Jun-young and So-rim are handling the front. It’s our turn now.”
“Understood. User Nam Da-eun, take the left. I’ll handle the right.”
We exchanged a glance and dashed toward our designated directions. The creatures, noticing me alone, raised their weapons to greet me.
“Let’s test this out.”
Just before clashing with the lead creature, I adjusted my distance and swung my sword wide.
The creature raised its shield to block, and my sword glanced off it. As the blade descended, I pushed it further and struck upward with force.
Thwack! Crack!
It felt like slicing through a rotten log. Upon closer inspection, I saw faded metal shards embedded in their skin. It wasn’t just torn flesh; it seemed like armor had fused with their bodies.
Moments later, the creature split in two from groin to head, still holding its axe aloft. Without a moment to spare, I spun around. A spear thrust through the gap, narrowly missing my ear.
Whoosh!
I felt the spear’s tip graze my earlobe. Dodging was as simple as turning my head, but I chose to spin my body fully. Transferring my sword to my left hand, I lowered my stance and thrust toward the spear’s origin.
Thud!
The sword embedded deeply into something. Anywhere would do. Without hesitation, I unleashed a burst of magic, sending a spray of dark liquid everywhere.
Some splattered on me, but I paid it no mind and pulled my sword back. The creature’s head exploded, and its body crumpled. The liquid on my cheek felt cold.
Two down in an instant. Four left. But before I could catch my breath, four more weapons came flying at me. I calmly evaded, watching the frenzied creatures.
Something was definitely off. These creatures were supposed to be mindless, driven by instinct. Yet, their coordination was surprisingly decent, and one had even used advanced magic earlier.
After dodging a few more attacks, I charged back into their midst. Just as I was about to swing my sword in a wide arc, I felt a strong impact from both front and back. My vision darkened momentarily, and I sensed pressure on my sword.
“These guys…”
I focused, feeling something cold trickle down my neck. Glancing around, I saw two creatures had tackled me, while another clung to my sword. The last one raised an axe, ready to strike.
“Oppa!”
Annoyed by the shout, I focused on gathering my magic. Freeing my sword was the priority. I unleashed another burst of magic and quickly tripped the axe-wielding creature.
Gah?!
It staggered but quickly tried to regain its stance. However, the creature holding my sword had already been blown apart. Before the axe-wielder could fully recover, I swung my now-free sword down on its head.
Slice!
A guttural scream echoed as the creature’s head fell. I tilted my head in confusion. I had only struck one, yet two screams had erupted.
Come to think of it, the pressure from the creatures that had tackled me had lessened. The one in front even retreated slightly. Black smoke rose from their bodies, a sign of their demise.
Looking down, I saw a soft glow emanating from me, with shimmering particles dissolving in the light. This was the priest’s power, and the particles were from Han-byeol’s amplification magic. So…
Whoosh!
As the particles fully dissolved, the gentle light burst forth, enveloping the area.
The light consumed the remaining creatures, causing them to melt away. It seemed a priest and Han-byeol had combined their powers to support me.
Yet, one creature still clung to my neck. I stabbed backward, but only hit empty air.
Looking down, I saw the lower half of a severed creature. Hot liquid dripped onto my neck, likely from the creature that had been hit by the light while holding me. With a shake, it fell away lifelessly.
With that, all the creatures from the right were dealt with. But battles still raged on the front and left.
Wiping the liquid from my neck, I dashed forward without hesitation.
The battle was over. Perhaps it was the relief of surviving the first fight and claiming victory, but the clan members wore bright expressions as they regrouped.
It wasn’t a victory without injuries, though. Two were wounded: Cha So-rim, who fought at the front, and Nam Da-eun, who took the left.
Fortunately, their injuries weren’t severe. Cha So-rim’s wrist was strained from a shield bash, and Nam Da-eun had a long but shallow cut on her left arm. She called it a mistake, but given her low endurance, it was understandable.
Woo Jung-min, Sun Yu-un, and Heo Jun-young approached me cautiously after inspecting the creatures. Heo Jun-young leaned in to speak quietly.
“Judging by the strength of these creatures, their power level is over 80. Not an easy number.”
“Did Nam Da-eun tell you?”
“No, she didn’t give an exact number. Just a rough idea.”
”…I see.”
I chuckled at Heo Jun-young’s explanation. User information is usually top secret, but within the same clan, such exchanges happen occasionally. Knowing the enemy helps in preparing better defenses. Though, it didn’t mean much to me.
I spoke quietly.
“So, how did you find the opponents?”
“They weren’t too difficult. Given their reputation, I expected more, but it was easier than I thought.”
Heo Jun-young replied immediately. However, Woo Jung-min and Sun Yu-un seemed to disagree, shaking their heads.
“It was easier than expected. But we found ten bodies affected by An-sol’s power, including what seemed to be a mage. Without An-sol’s ability and the four of you holding the front, it would’ve been a tough fight.”
“I agree.”
Sun Yu-un nodded heavily at Woo Jung-min’s detailed explanation.
“I see…”
I trailed off, lost in thought.
These creatures were indeed stronger than typical monsters. Their individual strength was decent, but their coordinated attacks made them formidable.
Yet, if I were to honestly assess the battle, I’d agree with Woo Jung-min. It was easier than expected.
I glanced around at the Mercenary Clan members. The creatures were still strong, but we were stronger. Most of the members here were top-tier users. An-sol’s quick response and the excellent teamwork of Heo Jun-young and Cha So-rim were particularly impressive.
‘And… I’ve grown much stronger too.’
Having struggled so much during the first round, I had been overly cautious before entering the mountains. But this battle had completely changed my perspective.
I was now certain. The current level of the Mercenary Clan, including myself, surpassed that of the Istantel Low. Perhaps this time, we could fully conquer the dragon’s resting place in the mountains.
Emerging from my thoughts, I addressed the three men still watching me.
“In the next battle, if chaos breaks out, those in close combat should have their weapons blessed by the priest…”
I suddenly stopped mid-sentence. I felt a pair of eyes fixed on me. Turning my head calmly, I saw Yujeong crouched down, resting her face in her hands, staring intently. When our eyes met, she widened her eyes and nodded, as if urging me to continue.
I tilted my head, puzzled.
“Why?”
“No reason. It’s just nice to watch.”
“Nice to watch?”
“Handsome men gathered together, chatting away. Keep going. It’s a good sight.”
The woman who had been so curious about the blood of the fallen earlier was nowhere to be seen; Yujeong was smiling sweetly. Heo Junyoung had his eyes closed, showing no reaction, Woo Jungmin chuckled softly, and Sun Yuwon gave a shy smile.
Just as I was about to continue, someone rushed over and grabbed my arm urgently. Frowning, I saw Hanbyeol, looking very distressed.
“Oppa, there’s a problem.”
“A problem?”
“H-Hangyeol has been missing for a while now.”
“What? Oh, right! Baek Hangyeol!”
Yujeong jumped up, shouting. Everyone heard her, and a tense silence fell over us. It seemed we had all been so focused on the battle that we forgot about Hangyeol’s disappearance.
”…I completely forgot.”
“Shouldn’t we go look for him right away? He disappeared into the clearing earlier…”
“Wow, one problem after another.”
“What do we do? What do we do? Our Hangyeol!”
I signaled Yujeong to calm down as she clung to me in a panic. Then, I quietly pointed in one direction. All the clan members turned their heads to where I was pointing. It was the path we had walked earlier.
After about ten seconds, someone emerged from the mist. It was none other than Hangyeol, walking towards us with a dazed look. The clan members gasped in unison.
”…How did this happen? He definitely disappeared inside.”
“Yes, I saw it too. But how…”
As Heo Junyoung frowned, Sun Yuwon quickly confirmed his words. Meanwhile, Hangyeol continued to walk past us with his usual vacant expression.
“We should follow him for now. Let’s wrap up here. Everyone, prepare to move out.”
With that, I walked to the center and stood beside Hangyeol as he passed by. The clan members quickly got up and resumed their original formation. Once everyone was in place, I quietly signaled for us to move out.
As we started following Hangyeol again, Vivian sidled up to me and spoke.
“Kim Suhyun, I think we might have entered a barrier. We could be wandering the same part of the mountain range without realizing it.”
“Hmm, a barrier…”
It was a plausible theory, but I shrugged.
“Well, we’ll find out if we keep following him.”
When Hangyeol felt his eyes open, the world was a faint gray. Not quite night, but the gray just before dawn.
Where on earth was he?
Hangyeol blinked a couple of times and tried to lift his head. Or at least he tried to.
Suddenly, a flash of panic crossed his eyes. His head wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t just his head; his entire body was immobile, except for his eyelids. He tried to turn his head, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t move an inch.
Hangyeol swallowed hard. He rolled his eyes, the only part of him that could move, to survey his surroundings. But it was no use. He couldn’t glean any information. All he could see was a world tinged in ash, as if everything had stopped, and the fact that he was leaning against something.
Then it happened.
Sssssss…
Though everything seemed still, a sudden eerie breeze brushed past Hangyeol’s ear. At the same time, he began to hear a murmuring sound. He strained to listen, but the words were too fast and in a language he didn’t understand.
Swish, swish.
That wasn’t all. Now, he could faintly hear a scraping sound, like something dragging across the ground. Hangyeol felt an inexplicable fear rising within him. He couldn’t move, yet the sound was unmistakably getting closer.
Hangyeol struggled with all his might, trying to summon his magic, activate his abilities, or even bring up his user interface. But nothing worked. Nothing changed. It was just like before…
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
No, there was one thing that had changed. The sound from behind was now close enough to be heard clearly.
He wanted to tremble, but couldn’t. He wanted to scream, but his mouth wouldn’t open. All he could do was wait helplessly in this state.
Hangyeol prayed silently. Please let this be a dream. Let everything disappear when I open my eyes.
But.
As he prayed desperately, a chilling sensation crept up from below, tickling his legs.
Hangyeol instinctively opened his eyes. He thought he shouldn’t look, but his gaze was already following the sensation.
As his eyes slowly moved downward, it happened.
Thud!
Suddenly, something white shot in and slammed down beside Hangyeol. It was a hand. Not a normal human hand, but a long, tentacle-like, pale hand.
The nails of the hand began to scratch the ground frantically. Hangyeol’s eyes widened in terror. If he could, he would have screamed his lungs out.
How much time passed like that?
Just as he felt he couldn’t breathe, the hand that had been scratching the ground slowly, very slowly, began to rise. It seemed to wave at Hangyeol, as if reluctant to leave.
As the hand rose, a long, black object began to descend.
It was then.
Hangyeol suddenly felt something was off. He had sensed it coming from behind, but now it was rising?
Hangyeol slowly lifted his eyes. His head wouldn’t move, but he tried to look up as much as he could.
The first thing he saw was a mess of tangled hair swaying back and forth. Then, next…
Drip.
A drop of blood fell into Hangyeol’s eye.
Instinctively, Hangyeol stopped raising his gaze. He felt that if he looked any further, he would see something he shouldn’t, something that would end everything.
Just as he was about to lower his gaze again.
Thud!
The white hand suddenly came down and grabbed Hangyeol’s neck. It forced his chin up, making him look upwards.
And then, as he unknowingly looked at ‘it,’ Hangyeol’s mind went blank.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’m sorry for not updating yesterday.
After erasing everything I had written and thinking it over, I found the problem. Comparing the setting of the dragon’s resting mountain range with the user character settings, the answer became clear.
I wanted to present a significant challenge, given the mountain range’s reputation for difficulty. Of course, I had prepared a substantial reward as well. (This was also why I planned to update after conquering Kim Suhyun’s information.)
However, the disparity was too great with just Kim Suhyun, let alone with his formidable companions. It was bound to work out eventually, but I wanted to present a significant challenge, which was a mistake from the start. Trying to write something that didn’t make sense naturally led to a block in the battle scenes.
So, I changed the plan entirely. Hangyeol’s rescue will proceed as planned, but the subsequent strategy will be faster and more streamlined. I’ve either removed or altered the planned challenges, resulting in a shorter overall part leading up to the conquest. (For example, this part, initially planned for four episodes, has been reduced to two.)
I’ll be more diligent with updates from now on. Thank you. (__)
Oh, I’ve updated Ansol’s character illustration. :)
Illustrator SILVESTER has kindly provided the illustration. Following Seraph and Go Yeonju, they’ve also taken on Ansol. Thank you.
PS. I’ve posted it in the announcements, gallery, and work settings. You can view the large original in the work settings!
< Player Status >
Name: Kim Hanbyeol (3rd Year)
Class: Jewel Mage (Secret, Jewel Mage, Master)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: AA - Double A)
True Name & Nationality: One from the Stars, Master of Beautiful Light and Luster • South Korea
Sex: Female (25)
Height & Weight: 170.5cm • 47.3kg
Disposition: Rationality • Consideration
[Strength 71] [Endurance 67] [Agility 73] [Stamina 64] [Magic 95(+1)] [Luck 83]
< Achievements (0) >
< Unique Abilities (1/1) >
Gem Amplification (Rank: A+++)
Special Ability (1/1)
Potential Abilities (3/3)
Authority: Jewel
Recent Stat Comparison
Before Change: [Strength 51] [Endurance 59] [Agility 70] [Stamina 53] [Magic 88] [Luck 68]
After Change: [Strength 71] [Endurance 67] [Agility 73] [Stamina 64] [Magic 95 (+1)] [Luck 83]