Rescue of Han-gyeol. But…
Whoosh!
The sound of the wind slicing through the air was brief. After dispatching the undead that had charged at me from the front, I turned my gaze just in time to see Yu-jeong facing off against three of them.
I was about to rush to her aid when I paused. Despite being surrounded on all sides, she showed no sign of anxiety. In fact, her face was flushed with excitement as she danced around her opponents with dazzling footwork.
The undead attacked from all directions, aiming for her head, chest, and legs, but Yu-jeong swiftly sidestepped into a blind spot, spinning to her left. She flowed behind one of the undead, who was left defenseless, and drove her dagger diagonally into its neck. With a slight twist of her hand, the undead’s head was cleanly severed.
Thud!
A fountain of dark red blood erupted from the severed neck. Yu-jeong’s lips curled into a smile, but it was fleeting. A spear flew at her from the left, and she dodged it with a zigzag motion, leaving the spear to cut through empty air.
However, another undead was waiting behind the one who had thrown the spear. Annoyed by Yu-jeong’s nimble movements, it swung a heavy mace at her calf.
“Ha!”
But Yu-jeong was unfazed. Her eyes flashed as she let out a high-pitched shout, quickly tumbling to the ground to avoid the attack. As she spun halfway through the air, she kicked out with all her might, striking the undead in the chest.
Ugh!
Yu-jeong’s strength was formidable, with a power level of 83 points. Her full-force kick was nothing to scoff at. The undead staggered back, its chest caved in, and Yu-jeong used the momentum to spin in the opposite direction, landing gracefully. She then whirled around like a gust of wind, driving her elbow forward.
Thwack!
A blood-stained dagger embedded itself in the cheek of an undead that had been about to stab Yu-jeong from behind. The undead shuddered violently, dropping its spear as it crumpled to the ground. At that moment, Yu-jeong’s red hair, which had been tossed by the wind, settled back into place.
“Aaah!”
Suddenly, Yu-jeong let out a scream, her eyes squeezing shut in pain. The undead she had kicked away had crawled over and bitten her ankle.
I quickly threw my sword. The Ilwol Divine Sword spun through the air, severing the undead’s neck with precision before embedding itself deep in the dirt. Yet, even with its head severed, the undead continued to cling to Yu-jeong’s ankle.
Yu-jeong wobbled for a moment but quickly regained her balance. Her previously pretty face was now twisted with fury as she glared down. Sparks seemed to fly from her eyes as she lifted her right foot and stomped down hard on the undead’s head. I clicked my tongue. That temper of hers…
Crunch!
“Aaah!”
The sound of flesh tearing. Yu-jeong’s face contorted in pain as she collapsed to the ground. Hearing her sharp cry, Shin Jae-ryong rushed over to check on her condition.
I shook my head and surveyed the surroundings. The battle was nearly over.
“You bastard!”
“Yu-jeong, it’s not ladylike to use such foul language.”
“Ugh, damn it! This is so annoying!”
”…I’ll heal you now, so please bear with it for a moment.”
Shin Jae-ryong gently chided her before beginning to chant a healing spell for Yu-jeong’s ankle. I knelt beside him to examine her wound. The undead had bitten so hard that a chunk of flesh was missing. I spoke softly.
“Will she be okay?”
“Yes. My holy spells are more than sufficient to heal this. We also have plenty of potions, so as long as we treat it properly, it won’t affect her future activities.”
Relieved by Shin Jae-ryong’s assurance, Yu-jeong let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as she muttered.
“Ugh… it hurts…”
“Haha. Just a moment longer.”
“Hurry up and heal me! It hurts so much!”
“What? Why are you snapping at me?”
Instinctively raising my hand, Yu-jeong flinched, but Shin Jae-ryong laughed it off, saying it was fine, so I lowered my hand.
Yu-jeong gave a sheepish smile, avoiding my gaze, and then pulled the Ilwol Divine Sword from the ground, handing it to me. I took the sword, shaking my head as I stood up. An-sol was bustling around, already starting the post-battle reorganization.
“Shin Jae-ryong, how many are injured this time?”
“Two… oh, including Yu-jeong, that’s three. Han-na and Han-byeol are also hurt. But the injuries aren’t too serious.”
Shin Jae-ryong spoke casually while treating Yu-jeong, but I couldn’t take his words lightly.
”…Did the front line break?”
“Yes. No one got through the front where the Clan Lord was, but three came from the left and five from the right… Oops.”
Having finished the treatment, Shin Jae-ryong gently patted Yu-jeong’s ankle before standing up and looking over to where Han-na and Han-byeol were. They were already receiving treatment from An-sol.
“Jeong-min, who was the keeper, managed to hold off three of them, but the remaining two went for Han-na and Han-byeol. We managed to handle it, but they got a bit hurt in the process. Oh, and Han-byeol’s swordsmanship was surprisingly impressive. She summoned a glowing sword to fight the undead, and it was quite a sight.”
“Ahem! Ahem, ahem!”
“Hahaha. Of course, Yu-jeong also did a great job holding off the three that came from the left. Truly impressive.”
“I almost felt left out, Jae-ryong. Hehe.”
Yu-jeong giggled, and Shin Jae-ryong smiled warmly. I thought to myself that he was too indulgent with her as I pondered.
It was good that we finished the battle without any major injuries. However, the fact that our line had been breached was a bitter pill to swallow. We knew the problem, but there was nothing we could do about it at the moment.
In this battle, a total of 73 undead appeared. It was the fourth battle since entering the Dragon’s Sleeping Mountain Range.
The clan members were definitely growing with each battle. They were learning the attack patterns and responses of the undead, finding easier ways to deal with them.
But the mountain range was evolving too. The deeper we went, the more challenging it became, leading to an endless stalemate.
‘This is why we need Han-gyeol…’
The awakened secret class, “Shield of the Gods.” Han-gyeol’s defensive abilities were so exceptional that even An-sol, who had mastered the Angelus holy spells, would have to concede. If Han-gyeol were positioned at the rear, we wouldn’t have to worry about the line breaking.
Soon after, I received reports that the injured had been treated and the reorganization was complete. I pushed aside my regrets and moved to the front of the formation, waiting for Han-gyeol to reappear.
After a short wait, I spotted Han-gyeol trudging towards us from one side. I waited for him to pass us before quietly following behind.
The mist had thinned slightly, but night had fully descended, and the dense trees made it just as dark as before. However, with me leading, there was no fear of losing our way, so I continued to guide the clan members without pause.
We marched in silence for about 20 minutes when I sensed someone stealthily closing the distance. A quick glance revealed Vivian approaching with a determined look.
“What is it? That same theory again?”
Vivian had been insisting that we were trapped in a barrier, wandering in circles.
When I brought it up, Vivian hesitated for a moment but then nodded gravely, moving closer to my side.
“Yes… Su-hyeon. I’ve been observing our surroundings carefully, and I’m convinced I’m right. Think about it logically. Why else would Baek Han-gyeol keep circling around?”
“Hmm… I told you, it’s not that.”
“Ugh! Stop just saying ‘no, no’! I have evidence!”
“Evidence?”
Vivian raised her voice, looking frustrated. The clan members’ attention turned to us, and realizing her mistake, she quickly calmed down, though her lips still pouted.
After a moment of huffing, Vivian pointed dramatically to one side. Her finger was aimed at the left side of the dirt path.
“Watch this area closely.”
“Why?”
“Earlier, I found a broken branch on the left side of the path. As we walked, I found another identical broken branch, and then another. Given their positions and appearances, it’s clear that… oh, oh?! There, there!”
”?”
Vivian, who had been gesturing with each “another,” suddenly started jumping like a startled boar. I turned my head, knowing it couldn’t be true, but there it was—a branch the size of an adult’s arm lying on the ground about 30 meters ahead, just as Vivian had described.
However, when I quietly shook my head, Vivian huffed and dashed forward, likely intending to show me the branches herself. Since it was in the direction Han-gyeol was heading anyway, I calmly moved toward where the branches were.
There were two reasons I disagreed. First, my third eye hadn’t detected any barriers. Second, the branches Vivian mentioned… I’d seen them several times on our way here. If Vivian were right, we would have stopped marching long ago.
To be fair, I could understand Vivian’s frustration. I hadn’t explained anything, just kept saying no.
“The branches are in the same spot and look exactly the same as before! Now do you believe me?” Vivian exclaimed triumphantly, hands on her hips, after tossing a branch my way. I examined the cut end of the branch with my third eye and sighed.
“No.”
“What?!”
“Vivian, let me say it again. We’re not trapped in a barrier. We’re following Han-gyeol normally, and if he’s wandering around, there must be another reason.”
“Why! How! For what reason!”
“Not ‘for what reason,’ but ‘because.’ And because the branches you mentioned are ones I’ve seen on the way here.”
“What, what do you mean?”
I held up the branch for everyone to see. The clan members were now watching us with interest.
Pointing to the cut end of the branch, I continued, “You don’t even need to look at where they fell. Just the cut ends tell the story. The first branch was cut almost horizontally but slightly slanted. The second was cut sharply to the right, and the third was similar to the second but at a gentler angle. Understand what I’m saying?”
I finished my explanation quickly. Vivian blinked a few times before speaking in a trembling voice.
“W-what are you saying…?”
“In other words, the branches you saw were all different.”
Vivian isn’t stupid. In fact, she’s quite smart. She quickly understood my point and shook her head in disbelief.
“But… why? If that’s the case, it’s too strange to be a coincidence!”
“Well, it’s hard to call it a coincidence… There might be some intention behind it.”
“Intention? Then you’re saying there’s a culprit! That’s ridiculous!”
“Why not? It could be a spirit, or maybe the mountain range itself, or even a field effect. After all, we’re in uncharted territory, practically intruders.”
It was amusing to hear a non-resident say it was impossible, but given the uncharted nature of the area, it made sense.
Vivian still looked skeptical. But she cautiously took the branch and began examining the cut end with a keen eye. I decided to confirm my point once more.
“By the way, that branch wasn’t cut; it was broken. The surface is jagged and uneven…”
‘Oh.’
That’s when it hit me. The previous branches had been cleanly cut, but this one was broken. It meant it couldn’t bear someone’s weight or was forcibly snapped.
I snatched the branch back from Vivian and examined it closely.
The evidence was there.
‘Footprints.’
Faint, almost erased, but there in the center.
I instinctively looked for Han-gyeol. But he had already passed us and was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Han-gyeol?”
“Up ahead!”
At Han-byeol’s shout, I looked forward.
There he was, standing still a little ahead of us, looking around as if he couldn’t find his way—or himself.
And seeing him like that, I finally understood why Han-gyeol had been wandering the mountain range.
‘Of course… Han-gyeol lost consciousness at the end.’
The spirit that attacked Ahn-hyun and Han-gyeol was a cunning one. It realized Han-gyeol’s other half had escaped and set things up so he couldn’t find it again. That’s why Han-gyeol had been searching for himself in the same area.
Creak… Creak…
Suddenly, a creaking sound came from above. No, it wasn’t a creak. It was something faintly swaying, hanging from a tree.
The sound came from the tree closest to where the branch had fallen—the one where the broken branch was likely from.
I dropped the branch.
Slowly, I looked up at the tree above.
And at that moment…
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Cause You’re My Girl~♪
<Next Episode Preview.>
(Kim Soo-hyun’s appearance.)
The spirit tormenting Han-gyeol: (smiling) It was a good life after all!(?)
Haha. Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
I’m really late today. I’m so sorry. But… I might be late again today. ㅜ.ㅠ It’s my birthday, and I have several plans lined up. Especially in the afternoon and evening, so I’m not sure when I’ll finish writing. But I promise I won’t miss it, so don’t worry too much. Haha.
Oh, and I changed the cover yesterday. The new cover features An-sol, as promised from last year’s poll. The illustrator did a fantastic job, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. An-sol looks so refreshing. Hahaha. I’m sure you recognize the shelf and teacup in the background. Hehe.(?) :)
What do you think of An-sol’s new cover?
PS. I’ll be holding a new poll soon. I’m thinking of it as the second popularity poll, with preliminaries through the afterword. Hahaha.
PS2. If there’s a character whose user information you’re curious about, let me know in the comments. It doesn’t have to be a Mercenary Clan member. However, characters with potential spoilers or Kim Soo-hyun, who will be revealed anyway, are excluded.