The Great War, A Reenactment of That Day
Time had slipped by without us noticing.
“I really hope nothing comes out of this…”
Yujeong’s quiet words broke the silence that had followed us up the stairs. It might have sounded like a complaint, but I didn’t say anything. I shared a similar sentiment, though I secretly wished that only what we were looking for would appear.
But knowing that was unlikely, I kept my guard up, scanning our surroundings.
The thick fog obscured our view, but from what we’d seen so far, this fortress seemed to be structured like a city. Of course, its essence remained that of a fortress, a military defense installation. The five-story building to our left, barely visible through the mist, had a structure on the roof that looked like a watchtower.
The orderly streets and occasional cover suggested that the buildings were designed with flying dragons in mind.
“Truly impressive,” I thought, but a sudden worry crept in.
These structures were undoubtedly built to fend off intruders. Technically, we were intruders ourselves. The undead we’d encountered so far had shown a surprising level of tactical organization in battle. If they were to appear and use these structures…
Clatter, clatter!
Snap! Crackle!
Clatter, clatter!
Just then, as I was imagining the worst-case scenario, a sound interrupted the steady crunch of bones underfoot. It was faint, but distinct enough to catch my attention.
“Clan Lord, please hold on a moment.”
A calm voice requested a halt. It was Cha Sorim. I raised my hand to signal a stop and turned around slowly. Cha Sorim was standing still, gazing intently at the ground.
“What is it?”
“I think I kicked something… I found something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. There’s a small object emitting an eerie light between the bones… Please wait a moment.”
Cha Sorim nodded quietly and bent down gracefully. As I watched, a thought suddenly struck me.
I quickly bent down and reached out, managing to grab Cha Sorim’s hand just before she picked up the object. Her hand trembled slightly in surprise.
“Cl-Clan Lord? Here… all of a sudden…”
Confused, Cha Sorim blinked rapidly. I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but I shook my head calmly.
“Your Arcus necklace has anti-magic properties, doesn’t it?”
“Yes? Yes, it does.”
“That’s good, but just in case, don’t touch it with your hands. Just tell me where it is.”
“What? What do you mean… Ah!”
Cha Sorim tilted her head in confusion but quickly understood my caution. Items found in places like this often carried dangerous curses.
She lowered her gaze to where the eerie light was coming from, and I activated my third eye.
『Cursed Token of the Contract.』
“A token of the contract?”
I reached out slowly, and after rummaging through the bones, I grasped the token in my hand.
There was a moment of stunned silence, but as I channeled my purifying power, the ominous aura dissipated. I had high magical resistance and could cleanse curses with my abilities.
The small flame of purification spread to the token, and the eerie light vanished, revealing its original, clean appearance. It was round, with indecipherable symbols etched into its center. I examined it again with my third eye.
『Purified Token of the Contract.』
“Um… Clan Lord. Could you let go of my hand now?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry.”
Lost in thought over the token, I hadn’t realized I was still holding Cha Sorim’s hand. I apologized and released her hand, then tucked the token away. It was a significant find, but we were still in the heart of the fortress.
I spoke quietly.
“It’s nothing major. But if you find anything like this while we’re moving… No need to search desperately.”
I was about to say, “Just let me know,” but I had to correct myself when I saw Hanbyeol discreetly scanning the area and Yujeong eagerly kicking aside bones.
It was natural to be eager for results in a place like this, but our primary concern was survival. For some reason, Cha Sorim chuckled and stepped back a few paces.
After confirming Hanbyeol’s feigned innocence and Yujeong’s disappointed return, I moved to the front again.
“Let’s continue.”
As we resumed our journey, the sound of bones crunching underfoot seemed louder than before.
How much time had passed?
Our progress was slow as we checked everything, but gradually, the surroundings became clearer.
I thought my eyes had adjusted, but no. The fog, once so thick that we couldn’t see ten meters ahead, was thinning. At the same time, I noticed that my foot occasionally missed the ground, as if stepping into thin air.
I slowed down and quickly checked the ground. The uneven path had disappeared, replaced by a smooth marble floor.
Though covered in a layer of dust, I noticed something peculiar. There were no bones in this area, and the fog was much lighter.
Ahead, a structure unlike anything we’d seen in the Hall Plain caught my eye. It wasn’t a building, but more like a wall or a monument.
I wasn’t sure, but it stood tall, like the floor, made of white stone, surrounded by what appeared to be statues.
“This seems like a likely spot.”
”…I don’t sense anything unusual. Let’s go inside.”
Responding to Vivian’s comment, I walked into what seemed to be the center or plaza of the fortress.
The fog was indeed thinner here. The deeper we went, the more our vision returned to normal.
I stopped in front of the wall after passing the statues and looked around. My guess was right; from here, I could see the area clearly. The plaza, about 200 meters wide, was empty except for the central wall and statues.
“These statues… they seem to personify mythical residents.”
Seonyuwoon observed the statues with a keen eye.
He was right.
Though worn by time, the statues retained their basic form. Four statues, each holding a spear and shield, a staff, a praying pose, and a bow, were arranged around the wall. They likely represented famous mythical figures.
I turned my attention to the wall.
Its rounded top gave it the feel of a monument, but it was nearly two meters tall. It, too, had succumbed to time, so I carefully brushed my hand over it.
Then I stopped. There was a subtle texture where I had brushed.
Blowing away the dust, I saw that the wall was covered in densely engraved characters. I knew a fair amount of ancient language, so I began to decipher it.
’…….’
But I couldn’t understand it.
There were recognizable characters, but they were only conjunctions or sentence endings.
This meant the writing on the wall wasn’t in the ancient language I knew. Considering the evolution of language in the Hall Plain, it was likely from the mythic era.
Thinking Vivian might know, I turned to her.
The clan members were either looking at the wall with me or standing by the statues. After instructing them to remain vigilant, I called Vivian over.
“Vivian. Come here for a moment.”
“Hmm? What’s up?”
“Take a look at this wall.”
“Why? Is there something written on it?”
Vivian hurried over and examined the part I indicated. After a few seconds, her eyes widened.
“Oh, this is the language from the mythic era!”
“Can you read it?”
I asked, hopeful, but Vivian shook her head.
“No, it’s impossible. The language we use has evolved from ancient times, but each era has its own distinct language. This is from a time so ancient that even the ancients would call it old. Most of it is lost now, and hardly anyone ever learned it in the first place.”
“Is that so…”
“Well, hold on. Since a lot of this language developed alongside magical incantations, there might be something I can read.”
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you… Hey, what are you doing?”
I nodded reluctantly, but then froze in shock. Vivian had raised both hands and started rubbing the wall vigorously. I worried it might crumble, but thankfully, the wall held firm.
“Phew. Let’s give it a try. But don’t get your hopes up too much.”
Vivian dusted off her now darkened hands, her expression unfazed. Then, with a serious look, she raised her right hand and gently placed her index finger at the start of the ancient script on the wall.
Her finger began to trace the engraved letters, and Vivian’s interpretation commenced.
“Hmm… Hmmm…”
But it seemed she was struggling. Despite having moved down several lines, Vivian hadn’t uttered a single word.
Then, her initially slow-moving finger began to speed up. Even though Vivian had lived a hundred years ago, reading a script from the mythic era was proving to be a challenge.
Just as she seemed ready to give up, Vivian’s finger suddenly stopped. Her index finger had reached halfway down the wall, and she was bent over, concentrating.
Finally, she spoke.
“Could not be trusted… No, could not believe… No, past tense. Was not.”
“What?”
“Could it be… that event… that incident… would happen…?”
”…”
It seemed she couldn’t hear me. Vivian was deep in her translation trance.
She paused for a moment, staring at the section she could somewhat decipher. But soon, her finger resumed its descent, indicating another block in her understanding.
Her finger swiftly skimmed over the engraved letters.
Then, suddenly, her lips parted again.
“The curse of Magna Carta… it is… upon whom…”
Her words trailed off again. Yet, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe she was starting to understand more.
However.
Vivian’s finger continued its fluid motion, almost reaching the end of the wall. Watching her crouched there, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
I had hoped there might be a way to dispel this fog, but it seemed I was wrong.
With the central plaza offering no clues, it was time to search for a more peculiar building.
Just as I was about to place a hand on Vivian’s shoulder, her lips parted once more. Her finger had stopped near the end.
“I…”
Vivian frowned deeply, leaning in to scrutinize the text several times before tilting her head and continuing.
“No, we… despise the hero…?”
I repeated Vivian’s unexpected words to myself.
I, no, we despise the hero.
’…Oh.’
And then, a thought flashed through my mind.
Before we climbed the first step, Ansol had said something.
‘I despise the hero.’
There was a difference between ‘I’ and ‘we,’ but I quickly turned my head. When I found Ansol, I was startled.
Ansol had quietly moved beside us, watching the wall and Vivian with a tense expression.
“Sergé… Immersio…?”
As the translation continued, I instinctively looked down at the wall. Vivian’s finger was now slowly tracing the final part.
“In tenebras…”
And then it happened.
A faint surge of magical energy. It was brief, but I felt it. An ominous flow of magic was beginning to stir around us.
“No…”
There were no visible magical engravings or circles. Yet, the sudden surge of magic was unsettling, though it wasn’t the immediate concern.
‘We can’t let her finish!’
“Vivian!”
I reached out to stop her, but my hand froze mid-air. Someone had grabbed my arm. I turned to see Ansol, eyes shining intensely.
“Ansol? What are you doing…?”
“Let her finish, brother.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“If she doesn’t… we’ll all die!”
Ansol’s voice was filled with ominous certainty.
Before I could ask what she meant, Vivian’s translation, which I thought had ended, resumed.
”…Luctus. Mortuus, was it? Whew, that was tough… It’s over now. Hey, Kim Su-hyun! Did you call me?”
Ignoring Vivian’s question, I kept my eyes on Ansol. Though she had returned to her usual somber expression, there was a hint of relief in her demeanor.
Slowly, I turned my gaze back to the wall.
And then, it happened.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Round and round~. Clap! Round and round~. Clap!
Let’s type away on the keyboard~.
While smoking a cigarette~. Clap!
Humming a tune~. Clap!
Let’s write joyfully~.
Cut, cut, cut! Cut, cut, cut!
Cut, cut, cut! Cut, cut, cut!
Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to be playful with my readers for once. Haha. I’m really sorry. Oh, please put down those stones. I truly, sincerely apologize… Thud, thud, thud! ㅜ.ㅠ Ouch. @[email protected]
Haha. The next author’s note will be off the record. We’re entering the final part now. Look forward to the next chapter! And Su-hyun, listen to Ansol, will you? If she says let it happen, just let it happen, don’t mess with someone with Luck 102…(?)
< Player Information >
Name: Woo Jung-min (3rd Year)
Class: Assassin (Normal, Assassin, Expert)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: AA - Double A)
True Name • Nationality: Red Fang • South Korea
Gender: Male (29)
Height • Weight: 178.1cm • 71.8kg
Disposition: Loyalty • Sharp
[Strength 87] [Endurance 83] [Agility 93(+1)] [Stamina 76] [Magic 90] [Luck 67]
< Achievements (2) >
< Special Abilities (1/1) >
< Potential Abilities (4/4) >
One-Handed Dagger Technique (Rank: A Plus)
Stealth • Assassination (Rank: B Plus)
Between Incisors and Molars (Rank: A Plus Plus Plus)
Shadow Stepping (Rank: S Zero)
< Recent Ability Comparison >
(Before) [Strength 51] [Endurance 43] [Agility 59] [Stamina 48] [Magic 55] [Luck 36]
(After) [Strength 87] [Endurance 83] [Agility 93(+1)] [Stamina 76] [Magic 90] [Luck 67]