(Take a moment to read today’s review. Please cast your precious vote, dear readers.)
A man was moving through a dark corridor. Or rather, calling him a man might not be quite right. With black tattoos etched across his skin and his figure blending seamlessly into the shadows, “monster” seemed a far more fitting description.
“Huff… huff…”
Ragged breaths escaped from the creature’s lips. His breathing was erratic, and as he moved forward, he kept gasping for air.
Suddenly, his legs tangled, and he staggered violently. His arm shot out reflexively, reaching for the wall, but he stopped himself mid-motion, refusing to lean on it.
That creature was none other than Joo Hyun-ho. He had feigned death in the square to assess the situation, then slipped away unnoticed amid the chaos of the fierce battle.
Finally steadying himself, cold sweat beaded on Joo Hyun-ho’s forehead, and drops of blood trickled from his nose. As the blood dripped down his philtrum, he grimaced and slowly parted his lips, letting the drops fall precisely into his mouth.
Though reborn anew, Joo Hyun-ho retained all memories from his past life as a user. He knew their habits well.
When he first confronted the users, he had been cocky and reckless—so they surely remembered him. If they realized he had escaped or failed to find his corpse, they would undoubtedly send a tracking party.
In this situation, Joo Hyun-ho’s only advantage was the labyrinthine structure of the pit he was in—and his intimate knowledge of it. To use this to his fullest advantage, he had to leave no trace behind. That was why he deliberately avoided touching the walls and even swallowed his own blood.
“…Damn it.”
After catching his breath and gathering himself, Joo Hyun-ho slowly turned his head to look back down the corridor he had come from. His eyes burned with a mix of inexplicable frustration and unmistakable fear. Echoing in his mind were the words he had heard earlier.
“You’re the monster.”
“…If I cut your head off, you’d still come back, right?”
The cold, indifferent gaze that had looked down on him—as if to say, “You’re no match for me”—sent chills down his spine. The memory made his whole body tremble. The icy blade sliding down his throat, the sensation of his insides being torn apart—it was all still vivid.
And that wasn’t all. The enemy’s spiritual resistance was so high that even the most potent spells fizzled out without effect. When Joo Hyun-ho tried to strengthen his body for close combat, the foe just smiled calmly and countered with ease.
Joo Hyun-ho wasn’t weak by any means. In fact, he was strong enough to take down a dozen ordinary users in a single blow.
Though a regular mage, he had reached the level of a Master and, as a mutant, his physical abilities had skyrocketed. He was close to the ideal of a War Mage—something every mage dreamed of becoming.
But no matter how strong he was, this opponent was his worst nightmare.
They were completely incompatible. He could never win against that creature.
That was Joo Hyun-ho’s grim conclusion. When he checked on Father—the last bastion he trusted—and saw his condition, he chose to flee immediately. Considering the other monsters would soon be dealt with, it was a wise decision. And now, having escaped safely, two options lay before him.
One: keep running far away, hiding from the users’ gaze. Or…
“Heh… heh heh… those bastards…”
A chilling laugh slipped from Joo Hyun-ho’s lips.
“I’ll kill them all… every last one of them…”
His lips twisted into a strange smile as he trembled.
With that cryptic declaration, he slid forward like a shadow and vanished into the darkness.
Everyone in the square was captivated by Kim Soo-hyun’s dazzling movements.
But the spell was brief. Han So-young quickly snapped back to reality. Within the confines of the square, a deadly game of cat and mouse was unfolding.
Kim Soo-hyun held a clear advantage, but the situation was razor-thin. One misstep, and the momentum could shift in an instant.
Han So-young thought to herself:
I can’t just stand here and watch. I have to find a way to help—without interfering with the Mercenary Lord’s fight. But how? I need to predict those incredible moves precisely… How?
“Hey, Commander-in-Chief… or is it the Istantel Low Lord? Is that right?”
Just then, as Han So-young was lost in thought, a quiet voice whispered in her ear. Glancing over, she saw two men approaching—Heo Jun-young and Ahn Hyun. Heo Jun-young stood tall and composed.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Han So-young’s mind.
She and Heo Jun-young weren’t strangers. Not close friends, but they had crossed paths before—just a few times.
Back when Lee Hyo-eul was the protector of the Northern Continent, Han So-young had received help and, during joint operations, had met Heo Jun-young. At that time, he was Lee Hyo-eul’s personal assistant, a user who helped with various tasks.
Han So-young had thought of him as a highly skilled agility-type user.
Heo Jun-young spoke.
“The situation looks urgent, so I’ll get straight to the point. One of them ran off.”
“One of them? Ran off?”
Han So-young asked, wanting more details. Heo Jun-young nodded calmly and pointed toward the spot where Joo Hyun-ho had collapsed earlier. It was now empty.
“Remember the guy who was cocky when we first arrived? The one Kim Soo-hyun took down?”
“I remember.”
“We thought he was dead, but suddenly he disappeared. No corpse anywhere. He definitely escaped. We want to track him down.”
“…”
As soon as Heo Jun-young finished, Han So-young scanned the square. There was no sign of a body anywhere. Fully grasping the situation, her mind raced to organize her thoughts.
That monster was no ordinary creature.
But it’s gone. It escaped.
It fled while its comrades were still fighting? Why?
Most likely, it gave up and ran. If so, tracking it later is fine.
But what if it’s planning something… and that’s why it ran?
Now that the battle with the monsters is over, some classes are unnecessary.
Though her thoughts lingered, Han So-young made a swift decision.
“I’ll mobilize thirty melee-class users. Track that escaped one as fast as possible. Kill it on the spot if necessary.”
“W-what? Thirty?”
Heo Jun-young’s voice was shocked. More than the casual “kill it if needed,” it was the sheer number—thirty—that surprised him.
“Yes. Thirty melee-class users. But exclude the Shadow Queen. User Ko Yeon-joo has other tasks with me.”
“Ah, understood… but thirty? That seems excessive. Ten, or even five, should be enough.”
“The pit’s structure is extremely complex. If traces get mixed up or hard to find, we might have to split the team.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Alright, then. Let’s do it. Since you’ve got permission…”
Heo Jun-young quickly grasped Han So-young’s plan. Just as he turned to leave with Ahn Hyun, Han So-young raised her hand to stop him.
“Before that, I have one question.”
“…?”
“Can you read the Mercenary Lord’s movements?”
“Kim Soo-hyun’s…?”
Heo Jun-young looked puzzled, then glanced at Kim Soo-hyun fighting nearby. He shrugged.
“I’m not sure why you’re asking, but… somewhat?”
“Somewhat?”
“I can’t say I can predict perfectly. But I learned that ability once. During training, Kim Soo-hyun showed me several moves. Based on those, I can make some educated guesses. For the Kim Soo-hyun I know… this much.”
“Good. Then you have a new task. I’ll leave the mobilization and tracking to the Artificers here. You remember what I said earlier, right?”
Though half-expecting no response, Han So-young was surprised by the positive reply. That fleeting connection from before had become a key—at least enough to raise the chances of her plan’s success. It was better than being completely in the dark.
Still, both Ahn Hyun and Heo Jun-young looked reluctant. Not because they didn’t understand the orders…
What Han So-young was implying was that she intended to entrust Ahn Hyun with a rather important mission. Although Ahn Hyun was certainly skilled, he was severely lacking in leadership experience. Strictly speaking, he might have shown some leadership potential during the initiation rites, but after spending time with Kim Soo-hyun, that talent seemed to have faded.
“I’ll take on that mission,” came a voice, rescuing Ahn Hyun from his panic. In an instant, everyone’s gaze shifted over Han So-young’s shoulder. The speaker was none other than Shin Jae-ryong. It was unclear how long he had been listening, but as soon as the conversation seemed to be wrapping up, he stepped in.
“No matter how you look at it, that guy definitely showed something extraordinary. Relying solely on close combat could be risky. Since I’m a priest anyway, I’ll take on the mission in place of Heo Jun-young.”
Shin Jae-ryong placed a steady hand on Ahn Hyun’s shoulder and spoke in a calm, firm voice. Only then did Heo Jun-young breathe a sigh of relief. Shin Jae-ryong was not only experienced but also one of the few clan members Kim Soo-hyun trusted implicitly.
Han So-young had no major objections either. She agreed with Shin Jae-ryong’s assessment, and he certainly looked more seasoned than a mere qi spear user. At the same time, though it didn’t quite fit the situation, Han So-young felt a twinge of envy toward Kim Soo-hyun.
The mercenary clan members read the situation ahead of others and acted with composure. Who, if they were in the position of a clan lord, wouldn’t covet such users?
Finally, Han So-young nodded slightly, her expression softening.
“Very well. And feel free to draft some close-combat fighters, archers, and priests as needed. But keep the number of mages to three or fewer. Sorry, but right now, every single one counts.”
“Understood. Then… Hyun-ah, let’s go.”
“Yes!”
“Ha ha. Don’t be too nervous. Just think of it as taking on another quest, like always. Anyway, I’ll gather the users. You, for now, find Helena…”
Buoyed by Shin Jae-ryong’s arrival, Ahn Hyun responded with renewed vigor. As the two exchanged plans and moved off, Han So-young turned her gaze back toward the road ahead.
Up front, Kim Soo-hyun was darting around like lightning, wreaking havoc on the Father. Perhaps worn down by accumulated damage, the Father was starting to slow, showing signs of fatigue compared to when it first appeared.
Han So-young’s throat tightened with a subtle, beautiful tension.
This is good news. The slower it moves, the higher the chance of success. Now that the mission was assigned, it was time to focus on her own tasks.
And above all, if it were another woman, she might understand. But if that monster were to take her away… somehow, it felt like her pride would be shattered.
Han So-young recalled the heightened senses she had felt earlier from the Father. Just then, Heo Jun-young approached slowly and spoke quietly.
“It’s gone. By the way, I heard there’s something I need to do. What exactly should I be doing?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Bug: 1 vote for Hwajeong.
Sa Jun-hwan: 2 votes for Hwajeong.
Yabes: 3 votes for Hwajeong.
Yuleca: 4 votes for Hwajeong.
MoonLightfantasia: 5 votes for Hwajeong.
SoulForest: 6 votes for Hwajeong.
Hohokoya1: 7 votes for Hwajeong.
FantasyViewer: 8 votes for Hwajeong.
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Muling: 19 votes for Hwajeong.
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Wait, readers. Hold on a second. When I first saw the comments, I was a bit confused. I checked the survey multiple times. But I couldn’t find the name Hwajeong anywhere. What?
Unfortunately, Hwajeong wasn’t in the second round of voting. I’m very serious about this. How serious? Well, have you all had your seriousness today?
…Sorry. I just wanted to try it once. Anyway, I’m writing this in Word using the Gungsuh font. (Actually, it’s the new Gulim font. ’- ^*)
Alright, everyone, please calm down. Sadly, Hwajeong isn’t in the current vote. Please look forward to the third round. (__)
『Second Character Poll Results (Total 2,035 votes)』
『Character (Name) / Votes (%) / Rank / Notes』
Han So-young / 897 votes (45%) / 1st place / Illustration confirmed!
Kim Yoo-hyun / 374 votes (19%) / 2nd place / Advanced to second round.
Vivian / 309 votes (16%) / 3rd place / Advanced to second round.
Kim Han-byul / 170 votes (9%) / 4th place / Advanced to second round.
Nam Da-eun / 78 votes (4%) / 5th place / Advanced to second round.
Cha So-rim / 77 votes (4%) / 6th place / Eliminated.
Im Han-na / 72 votes (4%) / 7th place / Eliminated.
Lee Yoo-jung / 58 votes (4%) / 8th place / Eliminated.
That’s the current status. Heh. :)
Cha So-rim, Im Han-na, and Lee Yoo-jung were a bit unlucky this time, but there’s always next time. Han So-young’s illustration is confirmed, and the other four—Kim Yoo-hyun, Vivian, Kim Han-byul, and Nam Da-eun—will compete anew.
So, please leave comments telling me which character you most want to see illustrated. I’ll tally them up and announce the results in the next chapter’s afterword. (Only comments from this chapter will be counted.)
P.S. And just to be clear, please only vote among Kim Yoo-hyun, Vivian, Kim Han-byul, and Nam Da-eun. Please, I beg you. Cherish your precious vote. Hwajeong, and like last time’s first round, any votes for (E)roXmina or (E)roYuX will absolutely, positively, definitely not be counted.