Rescuing Ahn Hyun
The first thing I noticed was the eerie silence hanging in the air. As I cautiously lowered my gaze, I saw an open space about 30 meters below, forming a circular clearing.
Could this be the legendary place where mythical heroes met their end?
I quietly observed the clearing.
It was vast, large enough to accommodate thousands, like several high school sports fields combined.
Yet, something felt off. There was a rough, desolate aura about it, reminiscent of a barren desert.
Though it was called a clearing, it wasn’t entirely empty. In the center, a black, mud-like substance was scattered everywhere, resembling black paint splattered on a canvas of ochre. If the center had been sunken, one might have mistaken it for a swamp.
Floating above this mud were pale, round objects. As I focused my vision, I realized they were human faces. Bodies were submerged in the mud-like substance, with only faces or feet visible.
The woman beside me remained silent, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gazed at the clearing, a somber light in her eyes.
After watching her for a while, I gently tapped her shoulder. She flinched and turned to me cautiously. Her wide eyes and slightly pursed, rosy lips struck me as oddly endearing.
“I think I know where the missing people are. We need to pull them out of that mud. Are there any traps or magical barriers we should be aware of on the way down?”
She tilted her head, and I realized my mistake—she probably didn’t understand the word “mud.”
But she soon shook her head calmly, indicating she understood the gist of what I was saying.
I looked down again. The ground was about 30 meters away. I could land safely with my abilities.
Just as I was about to suggest going down first and having the others follow slowly, I felt myself lift off the ground. Not just me, but the other clan members were also slightly airborne.
The woman was the culprit. A glowing orb surrounded her delicate hand, suggesting she was using some kind of levitation magic.
“Ahhh! Kim Soo-hyun, I’m falling! I’m falling!”
“Oh, brother. There’s something I must tell you before I die.”
The woman’s laughter, a soft giggle, broke through the commotion caused by Vivian and Yoo-jung’s panic.
I covered my face with my hands, peeking through my fingers to see her stifling her laughter, her shoulders shaking slightly.
As we descended, her quiet laughter continued, and I had to work hard to cool my flushed face.
Despite the brief chaos, we landed safely on the ground, and the commotion quickly subsided. The woman, still chuckling, had her back turned to me, her head lowered.
With a sigh, I spoke calmly.
“As some of you may have noticed, it seems the users are asleep in that swamp-like area. Let’s focus on finding Ahn Hyun first. If you find any living users, pull them out immediately… Oh, except for the priests.”
Shin Jae-ryong and Ahn Sol, who were about to roll up their sleeves, nodded and stepped back.
I surveyed the surroundings. Even though it was just a part of the clearing, its sheer size meant there were easily hundreds of faces visible. We had to check them all eventually, but saving Ahn Hyun was the priority.
“Let’s head in.”
Activating my third eye, I stepped into the swamp-like area. The sensation was like stepping into a jelly-like substance, not quite liquid, that reached up to my ankles.
I felt a slight drain on my energy, but it was minimal. As long as I didn’t stay submerged for too long, it wouldn’t be a problem. I waded through the swamp, moving inward.
“User Kim Hyun (Deceased).”
“User Shin Ji-seok (Deceased).”
“User Baek Hye-yeon (Deceased).”
“User Han Yoon-sang (Deceased).”
As I scanned the area, names and statuses of various users floated in the air, most indicating death. They must have fallen asleep upon entering this place, their life force drained by the mysterious swamp.
Then, a familiar name caught my eye. I tilted my head and moved towards it.
Looking down, I saw an unrecognizable corpse.
It resembled a mummy. The face was so gaunt it was unrecognizable, dried to the point of desiccation. Rolling the body with my foot, I could tell from the chest and waist that it was a woman’s corpse.
“User Sung Yoo-bin (Deceased).”
Sung Yoo-bin, a former executive of the Golden Lion Clan.
Once a prominent user, she had fallen into ruin with the clan’s collapse. Though she was released from captivity after dealing with war prisoners, the rumors surrounding the Golden Lion were so unfavorable that her life afterward must have been difficult.
I didn’t know why Sung Yoo-bin was here. Perhaps she wandered from place to place, struggling, and entered the dragon’s resting mountain as a last-ditch effort. It was a bit pitiful, but inevitable.
The Hall Plain was always such a world.
A clan member came to mind. Turning my gaze, I saw Han Byul dragging a living user by the feet.
Should I say something or not?
I hesitated briefly but decided there was no need to mention it. I withdrew my foot and turned away.
After a moment, I changed my mind and headed towards the perimeter instead of further in. Ahn Hyun would have entered this place most recently. Unless the deceased were scattered randomly, he was likely closer to the edge than the center.
Following the perimeter, I checked the names of countless users floating around. About halfway around the clearing, I finally found the name I was looking for.
“User Ahn Hyun (Critical Condition).”
I shouted immediately.
“I found Ahn Hyun! User Ahn Sol! User Shin Jae-ryong! Over here!”
Rushing over, I confirmed it was Ahn Hyun, his face floating peacefully with his eyes closed. Before the clan members arrived, I gave his head a light smack. Then I pulled him out of the swamp and carried him to the edge.
Ahn Hyun wasn’t as mummified as Sung Yoo-bin. However, his once-healthy appearance was gone, his skin clinging to his bones.
Regretting the smack, I gently laid him on the ground. Placing a hand near his nose, I felt a faint breath. Only then did I feel relieved. My third eye confirmed he was alive.
As I straightened up, the clan members who had gone inside began to emerge. I raised my hand, gesturing towards the swamp. Ahn Hyun could wait; the priority was rescuing other users.
After a short wait, Shin Jae-ryong, Ahn Sol, and the woman’s spirit arrived in succession. Their reactions to Ahn Hyun varied. Shin Jae-ryong let out a pained groan, while Ahn Sol raised her eyebrows, her expression unreadable.
“Is he… alive?”
Shin Jae-ryong stammered, and the woman stepped forward, raising a hand. Just as she had done for me, she placed her hand on Ahn Hyun’s chest and chanted a spell to reverse time.
“Tempus Auxilium…”
Gradually, Ahn Hyun’s sunken cheeks began to fill out. His loose equipment tightened as his flesh and muscles returned.
So that’s the magic that restored my body.
I watched Ahn Hyun with interest.
It took longer than expected, but soon Ahn Hyun’s frail appearance was completely gone. His complexion was healthy, and his breathing steady. My third eye no longer registered him as critically injured but in good condition.
Though still asleep, he had regained his former healthy appearance.
The woman’s spirit, having finished the treatment, turned to me and nodded.
I bowed my head slightly in gratitude.
After rescuing Ahn Hyun, we resumed our search for other surviving users. Personally, it wouldn’t have mattered if we left them, but we had to find those who accompanied Ahn Hyun and Han Kyul.
The rescue operation didn’t take as long as expected. Though there were nearly hundreds of users submerged in the mysterious area, most were deceased.
In total, we found 17 living users—a mere fraction. Still, finding the clients was a relief, and I requested treatment for all surviving users. The woman’s spirit, showing no signs of fatigue, healed them all with her time-reversing magic.
According to Hwajeong, such magic typically requires the caster to pay an equivalent price, but since the woman was in a spiritual state, the burden wasn’t as heavy. In other words, it was just a stroke of luck.
As I quietly watched Ahn Hyun, I suddenly felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Turning my gaze calmly, I saw the woman tilting her head, looking at me with curiosity.
Though the effects of time reversal weren’t entirely absent, the woman’s spirit, now fully healed, appeared much fainter than before. Her form was still recognizable, but I couldn’t help but worry that she might vanish completely.
I spoke up immediately.
“You’ve been through a lot. I’m sure you wanted to return with your companions… I’m sorry for keeping you here for so long.”
The woman shook her head gently.
I slowly glanced around the clearing. The clan members, having completed the rescue operation, were gathered in one spot, watching the woman. Their gazes were a mix of sympathy and goodwill, likely wanting to witness her final moments.
“Thank you for your help. It seems we’ve rescued everyone alive, so you can return now. I hope you go to where you wish to be.”
And then it happened.
With a sudden burst of light, the woman’s spirit began to glow, and she smiled softly.
Her spirit didn’t ascend immediately. Instead, she took a few steps toward me, stopping right in front of me.
I was puzzled by her actions and lowered my gaze.
The woman was slightly shorter than average. But as if standing on tiptoe, her face tilted upward unexpectedly.
And then, I saw a gentle curve form on her reddish lips.
A cool sensation brushed against my lips, and I instinctively widened my eyes.
What… did she just kiss me?
“Ki, Kim Soo-hyun? Hey! Hey! Heyyy!”
“Wha, what…? Did she just…? No, I mean… what…?”
Judging by the shrieking Vivian and the bewildered look on An Sol’s face, it seemed that was indeed the case.
Sensing Yu-jeong’s presence as she urgently drew her dagger, the woman gave me a bashful smile, waved her hands playfully, and parted her blushing lips.
Her voice was as melodious as pearls rolling on a tray.
Before I could respond, the woman transformed into a beam of light and merged into An Sol’s waist.
Finally regaining my senses, I absentmindedly touched my lips.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
And with that, we’ve wrapped up the Ahn Hyun rescue arc. However, there’s still a bit of a complex story to unravel in the next part, so it’s too soon to say it’s over! Haha.
In the previous chapter, there was a scene where the man and the woman’s spirits were having a quiet conversation, right? The man whispered something, and the woman laughed and playfully nudged him. Yes, that’s right. The man had already figured it out. Hehe. I’m sure you readers have a good idea of what their conversation was about.
Ah, it turns out I was mistaken about Marie Antoinette’s quote. According to a reader who referenced Enha Wiki, it was a malicious rumor spread by those who disliked her.
Come to think of it, I remember a teacher from middle school saying she was a smart woman and wouldn’t have said such a thing. It seems that was true. :D
PS. Ahn Hyun-seok!
I received your message. I tried to reply, but it says you’re currently not accepting messages! The question you asked is addressed in the early part of episode 131. It’s just there for now, but it will be removed once the e-book revisions are complete. :)