Eight years ago, there was a woman in the Hall Plain.
She had an endlessly kind face, a gentle smile that seemed to wrap you in warmth—like an angel. Though she was summoned suddenly, just like any other user, she never lost that smile.
She was also strong.
In a world like Hall Plain, where the law was “survival of the strongest,” she alone defied that rule. Her personality was as beautiful as her appearance—always wanting to help others. Her love was deep and compassionate, like a mother pouring out unconditional affection, or an older sister who warmly embraces and cares for you.
She was a user who truly understood the responsibilities of strength and respected the weak.
Because of that, many users liked her. Even though users had to pledge allegiance to a clan, the love she gave didn’t discriminate between friend or foe. She even extended kindness to the residents of the users’ world.
As a result, even users from hostile clans recognized and respected her.
Then, one day—
To be exact, three years ago—
She gathered the users she cared for and spoke.
“I’m going to join the assault on the Steel Mountain Range.”
Her followers tried to dissuade her. The Steel Mountain Range was notorious then, as it is now.
But she smiled gently and shook her head calmly.
“I’m sorry. I understand what you mean, but this is something I have to do.”
“Don’t worry too much. I promise I’ll come back.”
Despite their protests, she joined the assault.
Less than a week later, news of the expedition’s defeat spread across the Northern Continent. Over 5,000 had participated, but only 500 returned. Her name was not on the list of survivors.
Those who knew her, the residents, waited for her return. They believed she would appear with that familiar, gentle smile, just like always.
But—
Days passed, then months, yet she never came back.
They held onto hope, trusting her promise to return, but no matter how long they waited, she never appeared.
Time went on, and slowly, she began to fade from memory.
The first thing that caught my eye was a charred, withered tree.
But as I stepped closer, something felt off.
Two branches, blackened and hardened by fire. Two roots of similar length. And the trunk connecting them.
Finally, when I noticed the round shape sprouting from the trunk, I slowly knelt and gently touched it. Rough and gritty—like touching a coal briquette.
…It wasn’t a tree.
“Is this a corpse?”
“…More precisely, a burnt corpse.”
I quietly stood and looked at Jo Seong-ho, whose face was troubled.
“I heard there were no casualties in the Eastern Expedition. No deaths, not even an ambush, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Then what is this corpse?”
“…Could you step outside for a moment?”
Jo Seong-ho spoke softly, then turned and walked to the table. With a few clicks, a faint light appeared in the dark tent—a light stone had been lit.
As I stepped outside the tent, I paused.
When did he get here? A man stood at the entrance, watching me.
“You are…”
He said nothing, just bowed his head. His face was deeply somber, yet strangely familiar.
“Sorry. I thought you’d need to hear this, so I called you. User Ju-ho.”
Only then did I recall who he was—the user who proposed the plan to assault the Fire Realm during the Barbara summons. That a user from the Central Management Organization was here likely meant he was acting as a liaison.
After a moment, the three of us silently gathered around the table, following Jo Seong-ho’s lead.
The surroundings remained dim. Only the dull glow from the light stone faintly illuminated the area.
Soon, a heavy silence settled.
“Well, where should I begin…”
“Lord Goryeo, I—I’ll speak.”
As Jo Seong-ho struggled to start, Ju-ho interrupted with a grave voice. Jo Seong-ho wiped his forehead with both hands and nodded slowly. Ju-ho’s eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept for days, and he stared at me intently.
“Mercenary Lord, first of all, thank you for coming.”
“No, I’m here because I know Lord Goryeo, nothing more.”
“I see.”
“To be honest, I don’t yet know what you expect from me. I’m still unaware of the situation. But I intend to listen and judge based on what I hear.”
“……”
“If you can’t accept that, I’ll leave now. I don’t want to hear that I ran off after listening.”
Even I thought my words were cold, but they were necessary. I had no idea what they wanted from me, but I was currently part of the Southern Expedition. Considering Han So-young’s full trust in me, I couldn’t afford distractions.
A brief silence followed.
Ju-ho exchanged glances with Jo Seong-ho, then lowered his head slightly.
“Yes. That’s reasonable.”
He bit his lip tightly, as if preparing to get to the point. I decided to listen.
“Mercenary Lord, do you know a user named Go Eun-sol?”
“Go Eun-sol?”
“Yes. A user from the former Golden Lion Clan, one of the top ten.”
“The former Golden Lion Clan… top ten, huh.”
I tried to recall. It was vague. Most of the former top ten had died after the Steel Mountain Range incident, so I had no particular memories. Still, the name seemed familiar, as if I’d heard it before.
Suddenly, a phrase from Go Yeon-ju flashed through my mind.
“Three of the Golden Lion’s top ten joined the Steel Mountain Range assault. One survived—the Golden Lion Lord himself. One confirmed dead, and the other missing.”
Ah. So that’s who they meant.
Go Eun-sol… I think I’d heard the name linked with the Golden Lion Lord.
“I think I’ve heard of user Go Eun-sol.”
“Oh! I thought so. If the Mercenary Lord knows him, then he must be…”
Ju-ho trembled, his voice breaking with emotion. He even shivered slightly, as if moved by the mere fact I remembered the name.
I shrugged, not understanding the fuss, and glanced back at the tent.
“Is the burnt corpse over there that user Go Eun-sol?”
“No!”
The reply came immediately. Ju-ho, who had looked weak and near death, suddenly stood up. When I looked at him, he seemed regretful, as if he’d made a mistake.
“No, I mean… I don’t think that’s possible…”
“Mercenary Lord, as you saw, the corpse is severely damaged by fire. We can’t identify who it is yet.”
As Ju-ho stammered, Jo Seong-ho quickly cut in, shooting Ju-ho a sharp look—probably signaling him to be quiet. Jo Seong-ho was the better conversational partner, so I welcomed the interruption.
Ju-ho sat back down, and Jo Seong-ho took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple moving as if he was struggling with something.
But then—
“Mercenary Lord, I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Yes, please.”
Jo Seong-ho spoke cautiously.
“If I told you there are survivors in the Steel Mountain Range, would you believe me?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I mean, if users who entered the Steel Mountain Range three years ago are still alive, would you believe it?”
I couldn’t help but laugh—a bitter, wind-touched laugh. The situation was serious, and I was trying to stay composed, but his sudden question caught me off guard. Was he expecting me to laugh?
“Ha, ha. Sorry. I wasn’t expecting that.”
I laughed again.
No, what kind of nonsense is that? Survivors? Surviving in the Steel Mountain Range for over three years?
That’s truly, absolutely impossible.
At the same time, I realized what misunderstanding Jo Seong-ho and Ju-ho had. They must have seen the burnt corpse and jumped to conclusions. I could understand that.
But I didn’t think that way. I knew what kind of monsters lurked in the Steel Mountain Range, and I understood why such a corpse might appear.
Come to think of it, it’s already the ninth day of the Steel Mountain Range expedition. Maybe it’s a bit early, but those creatures could start showing up soon.
After a moment, Jo Seong-ho, with a vacant look, spoke calmly.
“You think it’s a lie.”
“It’s not that I think it’s a lie—I just can’t believe it. Survivors in the Steel Mountain Range? No way.”
“Mercenary Lord—”
“Lord Goryeo? Wait. I think you’re basing that on the corpse. Let’s try to think about this differently.”
In the end, I decided to end the meeting. It wasn’t as fruitful as I’d hoped. If that’s the case, I just needed to shift their perspective a little.
“I believe this way: that corpse isn’t the user’s, but the monster’s. Since this is an unexplored area, isn’t it possible that a creature similar to ours could appear? To me, that explanation seems more convincing.”
“That’s not the case.”
“Even if it is the user’s corpse, the chances of survival are slim. It’s more likely that a user sneaked in during this operation and got caught in the firestorm. If that’s true, then it’s their own fault.”
“…I don’t think so.”
Despite that, Jo Seong-ho didn’t budge. In fact, he shook his head vigorously and spoke with emphasis.
I looked at him with a sour expression. I thought he might at least consider the possibility, but his stubbornness felt strange.
Sensing my gaze, Jo Seong-ho cleared his throat once or twice. Then, suddenly, he reached into his coat and pulled something out, sliding it toward me. It was a document—a record.
“Take a look at this first. The story about Mercenary Road will probably come after this.”
I tilted my head in confusion but soon lowered my eyes to read. Since he insisted so much, I figured I might as well give it a chance.
[Contract]
User Go Eun-sol and resident Julien Pete Kuran enter into a mutual contract under the following terms.
User Go Eun-sol shall protect resident Julien Pete Kuran and assist him wholeheartedly to the best of her ability.
Resident Julien Pete Kuran shall trust and follow user Go Eun-sol as if she were his biological mother or older sister, and shall not speak lightly of dying.
This contract shall remain valid for four years, after which it will be terminated when resident Julien Pete Kuran reaches adulthood. However, termination requires the consent of user Go Eun-sol as the protector.
A contract between a user and a resident. The content was quite interesting—almost the exact opposite of the contract Vivian and I had made.
But what was I supposed to do with this? And why did Jo Seong-ho suddenly bring this contract out?
“As I said earlier, Go Eun-sol is one of the users who participated in the Steel Mountain Range three years ago. Mercenary Road. What do you think?”
What do I think?
Jo Seong-ho spoke calmly, as if urging me to think carefully, his eyes fixed on me with certainty.
Then it hit me.
“Ah.”
I took a short, sharp breath.
User. Resident. Contract.
The moment I recalled these three elements, one automatically executing contract came to mind.
I’d experienced it before. When the vagrants attacked Mule, the clan members were certain I’d survive—thanks to Vivian.
So then—
“Four months ago, when the Steel Mountain Range operation was gaining momentum, a resident came to the central management agency. To be precise, he came to me.”
Suddenly, Juho’s voice, which had been silent since earlier, reached my ears. I snapped my head up.
“I’ll get straight to the point. That resident, who came of age this year, brought the contract and went to the temple. And at the temple, he received a very surprising answer.”
A chill ran down my spine. If what he said next matched my expectations, then the impossible was becoming reality.
“They said the conditions were not met… Mercenary Road. Please look again at the fourth condition.”
The fourth condition: Termination requires the consent of user Go Eun-sol as protector.
“No way…”
Juho nodded silently.
Then, in a low voice, he said,
“Yes. User Go Eun-sol’s survival has been confirmed. Therefore, the contract cannot be terminated yet… That was the temple’s answer.”
Suddenly, I felt as if something heavy had settled deep inside me.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
You can consider this the beginning of the first incident. Personally, I struggled a lot while planning this part—not just with the plausibility of survival, but also with the contract settings, clan relationships, the expedition team, and many other factors. Haha.
Ah, everyone, I’m sorry, but there’s a high chance tomorrow’s update will be late again. I have to get up at 6 a.m. and go out, returning late in the afternoon. It looks like I’ll be busy until next Monday.
Still, I’ll do my best not to miss daily updates. Once the busy days pass, I’ll try to get back to midnight releases. Thank you all. (__)
P.S. I’ll reply to all messages over the weekend.