Deep night, a dark sky.
Maybe because it’s late, there’s hardly a sound of life around. Everyone’s probably tucked away in their sleeping bags or tents, fast asleep by now.
“How long have I been on guard duty, anyway?”
I’m not exactly sure, but judging roughly, it should be almost time to switch shifts. Usually, the relief comes about ten minutes early, so they’ll probably show up soon.
And when they do, they’ll be surprised to see me standing watch alone. They’ll ask where the others are. (In fact, except for rare cases, guard duty is supposed to be done in pairs.)
Of course, just a few hours ago I was on watch with Lee Yoo-jung, but she kept whining about being sleepy, so I just sent her back. If it were just a little fussing, I’d have let it slide, but it was seriously distracting my thoughts.
Besides, we’re not the only ones on guard right now, and since I always keep my magic detection active, I figured I could handle it alone.
“Hmm… looks like we’ll be clear of the mountains before noon today…”
I muttered to myself, leaning back and lying down. The night sky naturally came into view. The full moon hung bright, casting a silvery glow, while dozens of stars twinkled fiercely, as if competing for attention.
Lost in a daze, staring up at the night, a thought I’d heard before suddenly flashed through my mind.
“So that’s why Jo Sung-ho approached Han So-young…”
The theory Yeon Hye-rim told me about Jo Sung-ho’s interest in Han So-young.
Thinking logically, it’s not something to just brush off. Jo Sung-ho’s recent behavior has been unusual, especially since he’s almost succeeded in his conquest. To put it bluntly, his motives are clear.
“He’s aiming to double his influence by using the new continent as a foothold.”
It’s inevitable that the main stage of activity will shift from Barbara to Atlanta. The power structure there will depend on who claims the territory first, and if you’re among the first, it’s all about how quickly you stabilize the surroundings.
From that perspective, the eastern and southern regions are in a slightly better position than the northwest, which lost a lot of strength this time.
Of course, I don’t think Jo Sung-ho dreams of becoming a second Golden Lion. That would be a baseless, foolish fantasy, and from what I’ve seen of him, he’s not that naive. Plus, as long as the south remains strong, it’s impossible.
Still, there’s no denying that Jo Sung-ho has shown his true teeth. While he was just a minor player in the east on the northern continent, it’s clear he’s aiming higher in Atlanta.
Most tellingly, by approaching Han So-young, he’s probably thinking of dividing the south and the new continent between them. In other words, he won’t touch the south but plans to sacrifice the west and north.
The only small relief is that Jo Sung-ho probably doesn’t want the worst-case scenario of a civil war…
“The real problem is the rift that’s already formed between the expedition teams.”
I don’t think Jo Sung-ho has changed much.
No, it’s more accurate to say he’s finally revealed his true ambition. Now that the new continent has been discovered, any user would see this as an opportunity to grow beyond their current status. I’m no exception.
But the problem is that Jo Sung-ho’s methods for growth are pretty underhanded and dirty. Come to think of it, I don’t have any good memories of him, but I don’t have bad ones either.
Crunch, crunch…
That’s when it happened.
Lost in thought about Jo Sung-ho, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps crunching through the bushes behind me. Reflexively, I focused my senses and detected two presences approaching slowly.
“So here’s my guess… Su-hyun’s ideal type is probably…”
“…Really? Su-hyun oppa is really like that?”
Glancing over, I saw two women walking and chatting quietly—Ko Yeon-ju, with her striking figure, and Kim Han-byul, wrapped deeply in a blue robe.
Come to think of it, it must be almost time for the shift change. I decided to stop my wandering thoughts and clear my head. Overthinking isn’t a good habit.
First priority: get completely out of the Steel Mountains and safely into Atlanta.
As I stood up, I caught sight of Ko Yeon-ju clapping her hands with a giggle, while Kim Han-byul looked a bit reluctant.
“What are those two talking about?”
The sun rose, and morning dawned.
From breakfast onward, the entire expedition team was buzzing with excitement. According to my brother’s announcement, today was the day we’d finally leave the Steel Mountains behind. Because of that, he came to me during the meal, confessing his worries, but I just smiled and told him not to stress.
After breakfast, the march began, turning into something like a forced march.
In other words, the users’ expectations were driving them forward.
Since leaving the fortress, we hadn’t encountered a single obstacle and had been advancing smoothly.
Anyone paying attention would have noticed some changes compared to before. The once-dark foliage was gradually brightening, and the dense forest that had blocked the view was slowly thinning out. Each of these signs meant we were truly nearing the end of the Steel Mountains.
“At this pace, we’ll definitely arrive before noon.”
Looking around, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. From here on, I knew the path well, and since it was just a straight line ahead, there was no risk of getting lost.
Seeing the mountains finally behind us, my steps naturally quickened.
If I felt this way after just one experience, imagine how the others felt.
After three days of nonstop marching, boredom was inevitable.
But the relief of finally being free, the pride of what we’d accomplished, and the excitement about the new continent kept everyone’s spirits high. The clan members chatted nonstop, their faces bright and eager.
Especially for those of us who already knew something about the new land, the predictions and theories made the march enjoyable, helping me forget any weariness.
After some time passed, I kept moving straight ahead. Then, suddenly, I stopped, breath caught, as I spotted a vast plain stretching endlessly below the mountain path.
Hurrying down, the moment my feet touched the flat ground, I stopped again. Slowly looking around, I saw not the suffocating forest, but an open field with a refreshing breeze.
“…”
I couldn’t think of anything else and took a step forward without realizing it.
The endless green landscape stretched out before me. Having just left the mountains, it was only a small part of the whole, but with every step, the grassland grew wider, shining clearly under the midday sun.
This was land untouched by human hands for hundreds of years, now shyly revealing itself like a new bride.
It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight, beyond words.
“Ah…”
“Wow…”
Someone nearby let out a small gasp, as if sharing my thoughts. That sound snapped me back to reality, and I clenched my fist.
“We really made it out.”
Today marked exactly the fourth day since leaving the northwest fortress.
About fifty days had passed since we began the first area’s conquest.
And roughly ninety days since the Steel Mountains campaign was announced.
Yes. After nearly three months of a long journey…
Ding!
『An unprecedented achievement!』
『The users of the northern continent have successfully crossed the treacherous Steel Mountains and opened a passage to the once barren new continent!』
『The new continent is named Atlanta. It holds the history of past kingdoms that once vied for supremacy during their golden age, and is home to the cradle of the Victoria Kingdom, which came closest to unifying the entire whole plane. This discovery will be recorded in history.』
『All users who participated in the expedition will receive 100,000 Gold Points each!』
At last, we had left the Steel Mountains behind.
Atlanta was finally within reach.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------
Ssul 1.
Ah, Becken you~. You’re the one~. Ah, one you~. Chu-chak-chak chu-chu-chak! Chu-chak-chak chu-chu-chak!
Ah, Becken you~. You’re the knee~. Not you~. Chu-chak-chak chu-chu-chak! Chu-chak-chak chu-chu-chak!
Furururururu~!
We left the Steel Mountains! Hooray, hooray, hooray, hooray!
Ssul 2.
My brother went on a trip to Switzerland with his girlfriend. I danced with joy. His desk is better, after all.
So last night, giggling, I grabbed my ultrabook and went to his room. But after seeing the state of the room, I had no choice but to close the door and leave. At the same time, I couldn’t help but deeply ponder his intentions. The room was a mess. Could he have deliberately made it messy knowing I’d use it?
Not wanting to lose, I cleaned the room thoroughly. I wiped down the desk too. Then I sent him a message.
At 3 a.m. the next day, I got a reply.
‘Came to use the desk, found the room cleaned.’
‘Good.’
‘What’s good?’
‘Just as planned. Haha.’
Haha?
I’m going to mess things up again before I get back. Heh.