It had already been five days since the Northern Expeditionary Force began their assault on the Third Region.
At first, the operation had started amid worry and uncertainty. But ever since Kim Yuhyun devised the “scarecrow effect,” placing the giant at the forefront, the expedition’s progress had been steadily smooth. Aside from a few sightings of monstrous birds circling overhead, the march on the fifth day was much the same as the day before.
So, was the strategy of using the giant as a scarecrow really working? Were the other monsters in the Third Region too afraid of the giant’s presence to attack recklessly? Could that really be the case?
It couldn’t be said that the strategy had no effect at all. But to credit it entirely for the expedition’s success would be an oversimplification.
The reason the Northern Expeditionary Force could advance so confidently had to be considered in relation to the area they were passing through.
Kim Yuhyun had predicted they’d reach the assault point in as soon as six days, or at the latest eight. The two-day margin accounted for possible delays caused by encounters with monsters.
Though they had stayed two days in the same area on the first day, since then they had marched steadily southward without interruption. By simple calculation, they could reach the assault point within two or three days at most.
The key was that the assault point was the very stronghold of the giants. In other words, the area they were currently traversing was under the influence not just of the scarecrow giant, but of all the giants ruling the Third Region.
This was the decisive reason their advance had gone so smoothly so far. No monster, except for the flying monstrous birds, would dare roam openly in a region dominated by giants.
With that in mind, it made sense that the closer the Northern Expeditionary Force got to the assault point, the smoother their progress would be.
However.
That was as far as the good news went.
No matter how you looked at it, hoping this streak of luck would last until the end of the assault was wishful thinking.
The users knew this well.
Once inside the Steel Mountain Range, once the monsters’ presence was confirmed, and once it was clear these creatures possessed intelligence—
They would have to face them sooner or later. Probably very soon. They might even be facing them at this very moment. The giants—the strongest warrior race ruling the Third Region.
So the users remained vigilant. Sure, the smooth march was encouraging, but they couldn’t afford to let their guard down. They understood perfectly well that this calm could end in an instant. For now, they simply appreciated the current situation and prepared steadily for when their luck ran out.
“Stop! Stop the march! We’re ending the advance here!”
“Everyone, prepare to camp! And…”
And so, the fifth day drew to a close.
At dusk, late afternoon.
(Hey, wait a moment! Just a moment!)
(What do you mean ‘wait’? Hurry up. We’re all ready.)
(Actually, I’m not quite prepared yet…)
(What could you possibly still need to prepare?)
Voices echoed repeatedly through the crystal orb at the center of the camp. Any user unfamiliar with the situation would be wide-eyed, wondering what on earth was going on. A man and a giant were bickering right where the voice came from.
Judging by their interaction, they seemed quite close by now, but their quarrel was comically absurd. The giant clung tightly to a pillar, shaking its head stubbornly, refusing to move. The man gripped the giant’s arm firmly, straining to pull it along. Of course, no amount of pulling would budge the giant.
But how had this happened? The giant was supposed to be bound to the pillar once the march ended. Why was it suddenly free of all restraints? And what was this about preparations?
(Huugh.)
Finally, Kim Yuhyun sighed deeply, apparently giving up on dragging the giant along. The giant, Kushan, glanced back slyly and blinked. Yuhyun stared quietly into Kushan’s clear, unreadable eyes.
(Is this because of what I told you earlier?)
(…)
No answer came. But silence often meant consent.
The reason these two were in this predicament was because of a favor. Kushan had agreed to grant Kim Yuhyun one request in exchange for news about his father. And Yuhyun’s request was simple: to spar lightly with the users.
Yuhyun had expected Kushan to accept without hesitation. After all, giants were a warrior race who enjoyed combat. While a light sparring match wasn’t the same as a real fight, it was close enough.
But Kushan had surprisingly hesitated.
(L-look, I told you. Even if it’s just light sparring… for me…)
Kushan trailed off, mumbling.
The reason lay in an ancient curse the gods had placed on the giants long ago.
“We shall grant you madness.”
“You will be true to your heart.”
When Kushan was first discovered, it was easy to understand. Back then, his eyes weren’t clear and gentle like now. Instead, they glowed red, and he bled as he savagely slaughtered monstrous birds.
(Can’t you control it to some extent?)
(Well, not all of us can. Those who’ve lived long can control it themselves, but for me… it’s a bit uncertain. I’m still lacking.)
(It’s not a life-or-death fight, just light sparring. No user here will be hostile toward you, so you won’t lose your mind.)
(Hey, it’s not that simple. Even if the opponent isn’t hostile, sometimes I just react on my own.)
A frustrated voice replied, as if asking if Yuhyun understood. But Yuhyun persisted.
(Don’t worry. Even if you lose control, we can handle it. The humans waiting are pretty strong, you know?)
(…I don’t think they’re very strong.)
(What?)
(I think they’re really weak…)
Kushan glanced sideways at Yuhyun.
Considering the users’ magic power stats, Kushan’s opinion wasn’t unreasonable. Giants were physically formidable but lacked innate magical blessings. Their blood granted them strong magic resistance, but they felt nothing from magic itself.
Yuhyun was no exception.
(This feels pretty insulting. Don’t underestimate me.)
(It’s not underestimating, it’s just that it won’t make a difference.)
(What? I admit your strength, but power isn’t everything in this world. You’d better not take us lightly.)
(Hmph…)
The giant opened his mouth slightly, seemingly indifferent, but still clung to the pillar. It looked like he really wasn’t going anywhere. Yuhyun decided to change tactics.
(You’re really going to be like this? We had a deal, a negotiation. If you were going to act like this, you should’ve said so earlier.)
(Hmm. But you said I didn’t have to agree if I didn’t want to.)
(So you’re going to be stubborn? Hmm… now that I think about it, I heard some other news about Kushan Thor…)
(What? What did you say?)
Kushan immediately reacted. Yuhyun smiled knowingly.
(I’ll tell you when the time comes.)
(Tch, that’s cheap!)
(Yeah, I’m cheap. But you’re cheap too.)
(That’s different!)
Kushan grumbled, speechless. Yuhyun shrugged, as if asking what he was going to do. Kushan’s cheeks puffed out in frustration.
But when the word “father” was mentioned, Kushan slowly released his grip and turned away, his every movement dripping with displeasure. Watching this, Yuhyun suddenly burst out laughing.
(Haha.)
(W-why are you laughing?)
(I don’t know, this whole situation just suddenly struck me as funny. What are we even doing right now? Hahaha.)
(I’m not laughing at all.)
Kushan grumbled, still sulking, and Yuhyun gradually stopped laughing, scratching his head apologetically.
(Sorry. But when I look at you, someone comes to mind.)
(Huh?)
(Yeah. Now that I think about it, your behavior is really similar to someone else.)
(…?)
His voice suddenly softened. Kushan, finally dropping his complaints, widened his eyes.
At that moment, a faint, wistful light flickered across Yuhyun’s face, as if recalling and longing for someone.
A brief silence followed.
(…Who is it?)
Unable to wait any longer, Kushan asked cautiously. Yuhyun suddenly blinked hard, shook his head, then smiled faintly at the curious giant.
(I’ll tell you that too, when the time comes.)
(Hmph!)
Outside the camp, in a wide clearing, about thirty users had gathered. Some were members of the Hamil Clan, others commanders in charge of various clan lords. They had been invited to the sparring session Kim Yuhyun was hosting under the pretext of “sample analysis.”
Yet despite the long-awaited sample analysis, the commanders’ expressions were far from cheerful. Instead, their faces were clouded with unease, and they whispered nervously among themselves. Was something wrong?
Anyway.
A faint ripple of unease stirred across the clearing, but as Kim Yuhyun and Kushan approached from a distance, the commotion quickly died down. Some users were startled to see the giant freed from his restraints, but no one overreacted. Despite Kim Yuhyun’s confident words sounding like mere bravado, Kushan’s past behavior had earned their trust, and just in case, users were stationed discreetly around the area—out of sight, but ready.
At last, Kim Yuhyun and Kushan arrived.
Since everything had been prearranged, the proceedings moved swiftly. Kushan took his place in the center of the clearing, and from the opposite side, a well-built man strode forward. Though smaller than the giant, he was a sturdy figure standing over 190 centimeters tall, chosen as Kushan’s first sparring partner. The other users watched quietly, their expressions calm.
“Now, this is not a battle. It’s strictly a sparring match. Please keep that in mind,” Kim Yuhyun explained briefly before the match began.
The man glanced back at Kim Yuhyun for a moment, swallowing hard. After locking eyes briefly, he took a deep breath and turned back to Kushan. At that moment, he drew the spear strapped to his back and leveled it at the giant, his demeanor shifting subtly but noticeably.
“Understood. You look pretty tough… but let’s take it easy, alright? Heh heh!”
Kim Yuhyun still had the crystal orb activated. The orb forcibly translated every word spoken aloud. That meant Kushan had heard the man’s words perfectly clear. The slight narrowing of Kushan’s eyes was proof enough.
“The opponent is said to be the youngest among the giant clan. Keep that in mind, and don’t go overboard.”
Even Kim Yuhyun added with a wry smile,
“Well then. Doesn’t that mean the match isn’t quite balanced? If you want to face me, you’d better bring the clan’s top warrior! Ha ha ha!”
“But don’t get too cocky.”
The man puffed himself up again and laughed loudly.
One by one, the words that grated on Kushan’s nerves were translated and echoed in the clearing. As a proud race that had ruled the third region of the Steel Mountains for thousands of years, it would be a lie to say those words didn’t come off as arrogant.
Kushan almost snapped in anger for a moment, but he calmly composed himself. When it came to ‘combat,’ giants didn’t talk—they showed their strength through action, not words.
“Then…”
A moment later.
“Begin.”
At Kim Yuhyun’s signal, the curtain rose on a performance disguised as a sparring match.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I was going to write a bit more, but I figured it might get too late, so I’m stopping here for now. Haha.
By the way, a little side note.
Dear readers, what do you think of giants? Of course, their full appearance is coming up next chapter, but how have you perceived Kushan so far? I’m really curious.
Kim Yuhyun once said that whether by nature or in battle, giants are the kind of beings you’d want as allies whenever possible.
I wonder if you all feel the same way. :)