About ten users lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain, while priests clustered around them, chanting healing spells. It seemed they hadn’t fully repelled the initial surprise attack.
But that wasn’t all.
“What happened? How did we get ambushed? Where were the archers and mages?”
“Damn it! We didn’t sense any movement! We were on alert, but what else could we do?”
“How did the vanguard respond? And who set off the fire trap? Are you crazy? You almost burned us all alive!”
“The vanguard is handling it! For now, stop fighting and calm the area!”
Harsh curses and angry voices echoed from all directions.
Yeah. It was a complete mess.
I stopped myself from retreating to the rear and quietly scanned the area.
Then, after a brief murmur, the group of users split in two, clearing a path. Through the gap, a woman stepped forward slowly.
It was Han So-young.
Even amid the chaos, Han So-young remained composed. She took the lead, quickly calming the surroundings, then turned to me with her usual expressionless face.
“Mercenary Lord.”
“Istantel Low Lord.”
As I approached, Han So-young rubbed her arm calmly and nodded. She tried to hide it, but she looked a little tired.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. The rear was more scattered than expected, but we’re doing our best to stabilize it. How’s the vanguard’s damage?”
“None.”
“…Impressive.”
Han So-young lowered her gaze slightly as she answered. For some reason, I felt a sharp pang in my chest.
“How about the center and rear? Is the damage severe?”
“In the center, two missing and eleven injured. The rear has five missing and fourteen wounded.”
Missing? So they were dragged away?
It wasn’t catastrophic, but it was the heaviest damage since the operation began.
“Thanks to the vanguard’s quick response… the damage didn’t get worse.”
Han So-young finally spoke as she watched the flames slowly die down. The rear was under the Korahn Alliance’s control. Whoever set the fire trap, it was clearly Park Hwan-hee’s oversight.
A low sigh escaped her lips. I could tell she was just as frustrated. Honestly, I’d wondered moments ago if we should even be leading these guys on this mission.
I decided to turn back. Though she appeared calm, Han So-young must be boiling inside. I had no desire to add to that.
“Understood. I’ll return to the front. Let me know when things settle.”
“Will do.”
We both turned away.
About ten minutes later, the commotion died down, and after another ten minutes, the order to move out was given. I led the expedition forward at a steady pace, soon reaching the summit.
As we descended the mountain range, the forest grew denser.
Thankfully, the downhill path allowed us to march faster, and the southern expedition finally crossed the targeted peak.
Time passed quickly.
The southern expedition crossed the mountain range planned for the day, then two more before halting. We hurriedly set up camp and finished eating just as the sunset faded, and dusk began to settle.
Since the morning ambush, the monsters had struck again—another surprise attack as we descended the second mountain range.
But having faced it once before, we responded appropriately this time, and the monsters inflicted only minor damage before retreating.
Of course, that was no cause for celebration. Even minor damage meant we were still taking hits, and the monsters fled without revealing their true nature.
To be blunt, the southern expedition had been on the receiving end nonstop.
Given that, it was no surprise the users’ nerves were frayed by the ongoing guerrilla attacks.
Late at night, nearly all the clan lords gathered inside a large tent at the center of the camp. The commanders’ meeting had become almost an annual ritual—no, more like a routine event.
The atmosphere inside was colder than before. It had to be. Many had clashed faces since the morning’s first ambush.
“I think we took the wrong path from the start.”
Amid the heavy silence, someone spoke in a deliberately grave tone. It was the Warrior Lord.
Go Oh-hwan crossed his arms, looking stern as he spoke.
“It’s been nearly two days since we encountered the monsters. But what’s our current situation? We haven’t identified the monsters, and the damage keeps piling up. This is clearly because we chose the wrong route. …As a member of the vanguard, I apologize for that.”
“No, what are you talking about? What does the path have to do with it?”
Just as I was wondering where to laugh, a sharp voice cut in. I turned to see a man with neatly combed hair. I’d seen him before—the Light Lord, wasn’t it?
Go Oh-hwan cleared his throat.
“Look, what I mean is—”
“Enough talk. Once you enter the Steel Mountains, monster appearances are inevitable.”
“No…”
“Look at the real issue. We’re here to come up with a plan, not to fight each other. And as someone in the vanguard, who gave you the right to apologize? Which unit has suffered the least damage?”
Go Oh-hwan fell silent immediately, but his face darkened—he was clearly furious.
It felt good to see him vent, but this wasn’t going anywhere. So I decided to step in and mediate, rising calmly.
“Alright, everyone, let’s stop. I know everyone’s stressed, but this bickering is just a waste of energy.”
“But Mercenary Lord, you heard what Warrior Lord said. He keeps butting in—”
“He’s frustrated, of course. We keep taking hits, yet we still know nothing about the enemy. I don’t think Warrior Lord means any harm. In fact, I know he’s genuinely committed to this operation.”
“Ahem. Yes, that’s right.”
Go Oh-hwan quickly agreed, though he looked a bit awkward with me defending him.
Anyway.
“First, I want to say something to all of you in this meeting.”
I glanced at Han So-young, who was deep in thought. She silently nodded. Then, looking around at the expectant clan lords, I gathered my thoughts.
Honestly, since the monsters appeared, I’d only been on the defensive, barely making a mark. I hadn’t spoken much during the strategy meetings.
Because I had a goal.
“Let me briefly summarize the current situation. The southern expedition has begun its operation, and new monsters have appeared.”
It would be easier for me to just lay everything out from the start: these monsters have these traits, here’s how to deal with them, and this path will get us through faster.
But that wouldn’t do. It might be easier now, but once the operation ended, I’d surely face suspicion.
The Mercenary faction was already under scrutiny in the northern continent. So I wanted to use this opportunity to show how we discovered and tackled the ruins.
“And these new monsters are very cunning. We’ve been attacked three times so far, but they haven’t revealed themselves. Instead, they keep waging guerrilla warfare from the shadows.”
But that wasn’t all.
The main reason was that I wanted to change the overall mood of the southern expedition.
From my perspective, leading the vanguard had been frustrating in more ways than one.
Just look at the first battle. It was so different from the Mercenaries. When I give orders, they need to be executed promptly, but here, hesitation led to repeated losses.
Of course, the individual users were skilled enough. And though Lee Hyo-eul’s detailed command structure was in place, the strong personalities of each member made coordination difficult.
On top of that, having passed through the initial area with minimal damage, the southern expedition had grown lax.
To make matters worse, the monsters were behaving in ways that defied all logic, creating a perfect storm of problems.
So.
To conquer this region, we had to abandon our preconceived notions about the monsters. More importantly, we had to change how we respond.
“The way to overcome this crisis is simple. First, we need accurate information about the monsters. That means securing samples is our top priority.”
But changing habits overnight isn’t easy. That’s why I spent a couple of days observing silently.
There’s a saying: seeing is believing.
To shift this mindset, it’s better to experience a serious blow once than to hear a hundred warnings. Putting the threat of death right in front of the users will accelerate their change.
In other words, I needed to awaken their survival instincts.
If I made one mistake here, it was not expecting a counterattack.
I never imagined there’d be such a reckless player out there.
…Anyway, the damage that followed was unavoidable, but it wasn’t really my concern.
“And secondly, we just need to launch a swift strike on the monsters’ base and wipe them out.”
When I finished speaking and glanced around, I caught a few blank stares. Their looks seemed to say, “Who doesn’t know that?” I chuckled quietly to myself.
After a moment, Han So-young spoke up.
“You’re right. Gather intel on the monsters, identify their weaknesses, then hit their base hard and eliminate them. But first, securing monster samples has to be our top priority.”
“Exactly.”
“So, Mercenary Lord, how do you plan to make that happen?”
“Hmm. Well…”
I hesitated briefly, then looked out beyond the tent and said, “I think we’ll be able to get those samples soon. Maybe as early as tonight.”
“Tonight?”
Han So-young asked, puzzled. She wasn’t the only one—soon, a restless murmur filled the tent.
“Wait, wait. Mercenary Lord, did you say tonight? Are you saying they’re planning a night raid?”
Someone asked urgently, and I nodded in confirmation.
“If you want my personal opinion, I’d say it’s almost certain.”
The meeting, which had dragged on for quite a while, finally wrapped up in the early hours. There were many discussions back and forth, but everyone agreed that securing monster samples was the immediate priority.
I wasn’t pushing for anything extravagant. No one here was an amateur. Presenting solid evidence would make the rest of our plans much easier.
After leaving the tent and taking about ten steps, I had to pause. I felt someone’s gaze fixed on me. Calmly turning my head, I spotted a player standing in the darkness—none other than Seon Yoo-woon, quietly watching me.
“Well, well. Were you eavesdropping on the commanders’ meeting?”
“…I was just curious about what was being discussed.”
Yoo-woon admitted honestly. Not exactly commendable behavior, but I didn’t mind. I shrugged and headed back toward the tent. He hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but then quietly followed.
A brief silence fell.
“Clan Lord, I have a question.”
Just as we neared the tent, Yoo-woon broke the silence with a low voice. I stopped immediately.
“Yes?”
“Why do you keep covering for that guy?”
“That guy?”
“From the meeting earlier.”
I tilted my head, then realized who he meant.
“Oh, Musa Lord? Who else? Ha ha ha.”
“That’s no laughing matter. He keeps trying to overstep your authority as Clan Lord.”
“I know what you mean, and it’s fine. Don’t be so down about it.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. How grateful should we be? He’s risking his life, stepping up on his own. Every expedition needs players like that.”
“…I see.”
Yoo-woon fell silent for a moment, then, as if understanding the meaning behind my words, gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“So… you were eavesdropping and waiting because of that?”
“No.”
I smiled back quietly, and after shaking his head once more, Yoo-woon spoke again.
“Then?”
“Well, actually, during the discussion earlier…”
That was when—
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hello, this is Royujin.
I posted two chapters today. A double update.
It’s not like I’m only doing this because the encouraging comments yesterday really gave me a boost or anything. I just took a good rest, cleared my head, and somehow ended up writing two chapters.
I’m not the type to stockpile chapters anyway. So, I just posted them. Heh, heh.