『Reminiscence.』
“…What’s really interesting here is their personality.”
Kim Su-hyun, who had been explaining about the giants, suddenly shifted the topic to their character.
“Personality?”
Kim Yu-hyun, busily scribbling with his quill, glanced up in surprise.
“Yeah. Personality.”
After nodding once, Kim Su-hyun habitually reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Instantly, Kim Yu-hyun’s eyes narrowed sharply, his gaze stern. But as Kim Su-hyun sulkily put the cigarette away, a gentle, spring-like smile returned to his face.
“So, what are they like?”
Kim Su-hyun cleared his throat.
“Hmm. I’d say they’re stubborn but simple-hearted.”
“Stubborn but simple-hearted?”
“Yeah. They can be foolish and rigid, but at the same time, they’re pure—no lies, no pretense. They have their own sense of loyalty and a strong sense of camaraderie. Honestly, I’d want to have them as comrades.”
“Oh? Comrades, huh?”
Kim Yu-hyun’s eyes sparkled with interest as he listened intently.
“Have you ever had such a case? I mean, of course, in the first run.”
“No. Unfortunately, no.”
Kim Su-hyun shook his head firmly at the hopeful question. Kim Yu-hyun muttered, “Yeah, I thought so,” then gestured for him to continue. Kim Su-hyun went on.
“As I said earlier, giants are quite intelligent. They’ve established a tribal society in the notoriously tough third region of the Steel Mountain Range. Of course, that was only possible because of their immense strength and innate skills. They’re probably the most perfect warrior race in this world, purely as fighters.”
“Hmm. The most perfect warrior race…”
Kim Yu-hyun paused his note-taking and lowered his gaze. On the small table lay a neat stack of densely written pages—records he had been reviewing. He flipped through them until he found the section on the giants’ physical traits and studied it carefully.
“Giants are naturally a race that worships the very concept of battle. They practically enjoy fighting. Their bodies are at least five meters tall, with incredible strength, strong magical resistance flowing through their blood, sharp senses, and agility that belies their size… Yeah, they really are a warrior race.”
Kim Yu-hyun read aloud, then shook his head in disbelief. Kim Su-hyun chuckled lightly.
“Heh. Anyway, don’t you find something strange?”
“Huh? Strange?”
“Think about it. They weren’t blessed with magic, but in return, they have near-perfect physical attributes. They worship battle and enjoy fighting. That’s why users call them a warrior race.”
“And yet?”
“And yet, their personality is simple and stubborn… Don’t you see the contradiction between those two descriptions?”
“…I don’t know. Maybe if they’re hostile to other races, it could make sense.”
Kim Yu-hyun shrugged, genuinely unsure. It was a reasonable assumption.
But Kim Su-hyun clicked his tongue and shook his finger as if to say, “No, that’s not it.”
“Of course, you could think that way. But no.”
“No?”
“It’s not entirely wrong, but there’s a more definite reason.”
“You mean, evidence that bridges the gap between those two descriptions?”
“Exactly. Listen carefully. This was revealed after the Steel Mountain Range campaign, when someone discovered a secret library inside Atlanta.”
“Oh? A secret library?”
Kim Yu-hyun’s face lit up, clearly pleased to be helping his older brother.
“There, we found some very interesting records about the origins of the giants.”
Kim Su-hyun was genuinely excited, a rare sight. His face was flushed with enthusiasm, his voice lively. He had never shown this side even to Han So-young or the clan members.
Did his brother sense his younger sibling’s joy?
Kim Yu-hyun propped his chin on both hands and smiled warmly at Kim Su-hyun’s eager expression.
“I’m curious. Tell me.”
Hundreds of monstrous birds took off simultaneously, soaring high into the sky. A particularly large one led the way, followed by dozens of others about one or two meters smaller, flying in close formation.
The sky darkened as their shadows spread below. The users could only stare up in stunned silence at the breathtaking spectacle.
Suddenly, the lead bird opened its beak wide.
A roar tore through the air, shaking everything around.
It was very different from the cries heard yesterday. Kim Yu-hyun immediately recognized this bird as the leader of the flock.
It was no ordinary creature. Not just its size, but the majestic spiritual energy in its roar was beyond any normal beast. Unlike the other birds’ pale gray feathers, this one shimmered with a faint blue glow—likely a spirit that had lived for centuries, endowed with some strange power.
If that was true, maybe, just maybe, communication was possible.
Thinking this, Kim Yu-hyun activated his voice amplification magic and shouted at the top of his lungs.
His voice, filled with magical energy, echoed far into the sky.
Did the birds hear it?
The roaring suddenly stopped.
After a moment, the leader began a graceful descent toward the ground, tracing a smooth arc. The others followed almost simultaneously.
Their target was the campsite, directly across from Kim Yu-hyun.
The sight of hundreds of giant birds descending en masse was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Without slowing down, they crashed to the ground with terrifying force.
BOOM! BOOM!
As they landed, massive dust clouds and shockwaves swept through the area.
“Ughhh!”
“Ahhh!”
The earth trembled violently, and a gale-like wind swept over the users. Some were knocked off their feet by the impact.
Moments later.
Flap, flap!
Gooooo… Gooooo…
As the dust settled, the giant bird legion revealed their imposing presence.
Kirrrrrk…
Kirrrrrk…
Low growls, sharp teeth reflecting light, claws digging deep into the earth, and fierce, hostile eyes…
The birds folded their wings neatly and radiated clear hostility toward the users. The leader, at least five meters tall, showed the most intense murderous intent.
“Ugh…”
A barely conscious archer realized his hands were trembling. His legs were numb, but swallowing hard, he forced strength into his bowstring. Kim Yu-hyun’s order had not yet come.
‘We can’t back down.’
The Steel Mountain Range was originally a monster’s domain. Though the campaign was underway, once inside, the users had to accept the established system of the range.
In other words, survival of the fittest. If they showed any weakness, these giant birds would soon see them as prey.
With that in mind, Kim Yu-hyun slowly drew on his magical power.
Crackle, crackle!
His eyes instantly glowed golden, sparks of yellow energy crackling wildly over his body. A terrifying aura spread like lightning, countering the hostility directed at the users.
At last, a subtle change rippled through the birds. Their blind aggression softened, and some hesitated, stepping back. Just as the users were startled by the leader, the birds were equally shocked by Kim Yu-hyun’s presence.
After a brief exchange, the two groups locked eyes, neither making a sound except for their breathing.
The tense standoff stretched on, silence thickening—until suddenly,
An unexpectedly cute cry broke the tension.
All eyes—users and birds alike—turned toward the sound. A baby giant bird was waddling over, flapping its tiny wings. It had clearly recognized its kin.
“Oh, no!”
“Just let it go!”
Someone hurried to grab the baby bird, but Kim Yu-hyun quickly stopped them. The thunderous energy he had summoned was meant to show they were not prey. Taking the baby hostage would be tantamount to declaring open war.
The leader bird scanned the users, then stepped forward to meet the approaching chick.
The baby bird burst into pitiful cries as soon as it reached the leader, chattering nonstop and flapping its wings as if tattling on someone.
But who could find this baby bird cute in such a situation? If anything, it was more nerve-wracking than anything, like Baek Jin-ha anxiously trembling.
Some time passed.
As the baby monstrous bird’s cries, which had lasted longer than expected, gradually subsided, the leader—who had been nodding intermittently—cast a sharp glance at Kim Yuhyun. Then, turning his gaze toward the mangled corpses of their fallen kin and the dinosaur monster, he let out a low, guttural growl. A sudden thought flashed through Kim Yuhyun’s mind.
“Everyone, fall back ten paces.”
The users had some sense of the situation. Having roughly grasped what was going on, they retreated without protest. Only Kim Yuhyun remained standing still.
As the users quietly stepped back, the monstrous birds finally began to move. The leader and three or four others stepped forward swiftly to tend to the bodies.
Of course, they only collected the bodies of their own kind.
Bang!
A violent tremor echoed in the users’ ears. While the other birds carried off the corpses, the leader had already stomped roughly on the dead dinosaur’s body.
Slowly, the monstrous bird lifted its massive foot. Peeking up, the users saw the dinosaur’s corpse, flattened beyond recognition, crushed into a pulp.
Having disposed of the two bodies in an instant, the leader then turned toward the giant bound tightly to a pillar. The murderous intent radiating from its eyes was far more intense than before—like the gaze of a sworn enemy.
At that moment, Kim Yuhyun, who had been silently observing the situation until now, finally took a step forward.
The leader’s heavy footsteps abruptly halted, the murderous aura dissipating slightly. Kim Yuhyun paid no mind and calmly stepped between the monstrous bird and the giant, shaking his head slowly. The message was clear: the baby bird and the two corpses could be passed over, but the giant could not.
The monstrous bird’s narrowed eyes fixed intently on Kim Yuhyun.
Kim Yuhyun met the stare without flinching.
For a moment, the tension that had seemed to ease snapped taut again, tightening like a noose around the users’ throats as the two leaders faced off.
Then, suddenly—
After staring at Kim Yuhyun for a long while, the monstrous bird quietly parted its beak.
That was when it spoke.
Kim Yuhyun was startled, caught completely off guard.
There had been no warning. Just an unexpectedly deep, resonant voice echoing in his mind. Though accompanied by vibrations, the words weren’t entirely clear, but one thing was certain—the monstrous bird had clearly communicated its ‘intent.’
Of course, Kim Yuhyun knew about the existence of spiritual beings, but there was a vast difference between knowing of them and facing one directly.
Thanks to his prior knowledge, Kim Yuhyun managed to regain his composure faster than expected.
Kim Yuhyun felt the weight of his words. Kim Soohyun had warned him repeatedly: don’t make unnecessary enemies. Focus solely on the giant.
So he answered carefully.
“No.”
As the bird questioned mentally, a slight commotion stirred among the users. It was inevitable—while the monstrous bird communicated telepathically, Kim Yuhyun was speaking aloud.
He continued.
“We do not seek to conquer this forest. We only came to carve a path to another continent.”
“Yes. We were marching southward.”
The monstrous bird slowly turned its head to look in the direction Kim Yuhyun indicated, narrowing its eyes.
“…Cursed? The rulers of the mountain range?”
“‘That one’…?”
Seeing Kim Yuhyun’s puzzled expression, the bird pointed its beak toward the pillar. A sudden realization dawned on Kim Yuhyun.
“I don’t know. We only confirmed its existence yesterday, and we just think of it as a giant.”
“And just so you know—”
Before the bird finished, it transmitted this message.
Kim Yuhyun, still tense, spoke carefully.
“Yes. But beyond that, we need that giant.”
“I understand your desire for revenge… but if that giant blocks the path we intend to take, we must gather information from it.”
In truth, this was more a pretext to avoid conflict with the monstrous bird legion.
A whistle-like hiss escaped the slightly parted beak. Its piercing eyes scanned Kim Yuhyun’s entire figure, sparks of golden light flickering.
Once again, a long silence stretched between them.
Breaking the silence, the monstrous bird’s message was clear: consent.
“Then…!”
“Hm?”
“……”
“We do not trust humans.”
With that, the monstrous bird turned its back without hesitation and let out a loud, guttural call. Like before, the entire legion spread their wings and took to the sky with powerful beats.
Kim Yuhyun watched the hundreds of monstrous birds ascending into the sky with a somewhat dazed expression.
A moment later—
“Clan Lord…”
Baek Jinha staggered over and touched Kim Yuhyun’s shoulder. His face was pale, clearly worn from the ordeal.
“Phew… It’s over now. Everything’s fine.”
Without delay, Kim Yuhyun released his magic and sighed deeply, patting Baek Jinha’s back.
But Baek Jinha shook his head.
Kim Yuhyun’s eyes widened.
“It’s not that…”
“Hm?”
“I think it’s starting to awaken.”
“Starting to awaken?”
At the whispered words, Kim Yuhyun looked at him, puzzled.
Baek Jinha glanced sideways, then slowly raised his hand to point toward the pillar.
“The giant.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The revision took longer than I expected. Sorry about that. (__)
Today, I arranged a meeting with the artist who will illustrate Han So-young. As for Vivian’s illustration, I’m currently in contact with an illustrator. There’s an unexpected issue, though—the previous artist is apparently in Japan now, which complicates contract arrangements. I’ll have to find a way to resolve this.
P.S. The next chapter will return, at least in part, to Kim Soohyun’s perspective.