“This is… Atlanta…?”
As soon as we stepped inside Atlanta, I heard a faint, weary voice near my neck, quietly scanning the surroundings. The voice was weak, but there was a hint of disappointment underlying it.
No wonder. After passing through the entrance, the city’s nightscape revealed itself as a bleak, desolate scene. Everywhere, crumbling ruins lined the streets, and some buildings looked so dilapidated they could collapse at any moment.
“Ugh… Oppa, is it always like this when you first discover a city?”
Kim Hanbyul whispered, swallowing a deep sigh.
“I guess it can’t be helped. This place hasn’t seen human hands in a long time.”
I answered simply.
Part of me understood how she felt. Honestly, the current Atlanta looked almost like a ruined wasteland.
It must be utterly disheartening. I thought the same when I first arrived—wondering if all the hardship was worth it for a city like this. At first, the towering city walls had made me tremble with awe, but inside, it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as I’d imagined.
Even I remembered the Atlanta from the first run-through as a grand metropolis, so impressive that even Barbara, the great northern city, was considered smaller in comparison. But now, it was just a city with potential.
In a way, this was the reality—and the current state of Atlanta.
‘So… what do we do now?’
Suddenly, hunger pangs hit me, and I glanced around. Then a wave of frustration washed over me.
Had we come back at the worst possible time? All I could see was a grimy street bathed in faint moonlight. No sign of any users anywhere. Hoping to find a restaurant or tavern here was wishful thinking.
Of course, the best option was to find the mercenary clan members. But how could we possibly locate them in this vast city? It wouldn’t be like finding a needle in a haystack, but it wouldn’t be easy either. In the end, we’d just have to pick a direction and start walking.
With that in mind, I adjusted Kim Hanbyul on my back and spoke.
“Let’s go, Hangbyul.”
“Yes, Oppa. But… are you sure about this?”
“Hm? Why?”
“Ah, nothing.”
She stammered, as if unsure why she asked. I chuckled quietly and hurried across the street.
After about thirty steps—
“…!”
“…?”
Suddenly, I heard someone speaking in a slightly raised voice nearby. Instinctively, I sharpened my hearing and realized a couple of people were talking.
The voices came from straight ahead, slowly approaching us.
‘Well, at least I’m not completely out of luck.’
I exhaled in relief and quickened my pace. If this were the northern continent, maybe it’d be different, but finding users wandering around at this hour in a newly discovered city was almost a stroke of luck.
“…Ah. So where exactly are you now…?”
“Why do you care, Oppa?!”
Just as I expected, two figures who looked like users were walking toward us. Judging by their voices, they weren’t having a friendly chat but rather an argument. One sounded like a man, the other a woman.
“Stop butting in! Who do you think you are, Oppa?!”
Had they noticed us? The woman on the right suddenly snapped, glancing at me with a scowl. She was tall and slender for a woman, but her sharp, irritated expression made her look rough. Her slightly narrow eyes were furrowed, giving her a rebellious air. Still, there was an undeniable elegance to her features—she was definitely pretty.
“Seung-yoon, don’t get so angry. Come on, listen to Oppa…”
The man on the left was trying to calm her down. He looked completely ordinary in build and appearance, but his calm, steady voice and gentle eyes gave off an air of composed dignity.
At first glance, he seemed kind-hearted—different from Ansol’s dazed demeanor, this man carried an inexplicable confidence.
Anyway, it looked like a tough moment to approach them, but I had no choice.
The mercenary clan was well-known. They’d have some idea where their members were based. If I was lucky, maybe I could even get some food.
Clearing my throat lightly, I stepped toward the two users.
“Um… excuse me.”
“No chance we’re giving you a penny. Beat it.”
Before I could say more, the woman who had been glancing at me cut me off sharply, her tone dripping with irritation.
Hearing that, I felt less angry and more incredulous. Did she not recognize me? Well, it was night, so maybe I wasn’t very visible.
“Ha Seung-yoon!”
The man on the left shouted angrily. Seung-yoon—that was a nice name. I’d remember it.
“What?!”
“What kind of attitude is that?!”
“Oppa, can’t you tell? She’s asking for money…”
“Again? Seriously, watch your mouth!”
“…”
“You idiot. Everyone in this city is…”
The man’s voice trailed off as he glanced at me, then bowed his head apologetically and stepped forward.
“I’m really sorry. If I offended you, I sincerely apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to ask you something.”
I shook my head slowly. His face brightened, and he nodded with a smile.
“It’s nothing much, but do you know where the mercenary clan is located?”
“The mercenary clan? Of course we know them. How could we not…”
“Then could you tell me where they’re based in this city?”
“Wait a minute. Why do you want to know that?”
The woman, not the man, answered this time.
She looked displeased, arms crossed arrogantly as she looked me up and down. Was her name Seung-yoon?
“I’m affiliated with the mercenary clan.”
I gave the most straightforward answer I could in this situation.
I considered revealing my identity outright, but I didn’t think it was wise to be the first to speak. Even if I got found out, I had to consider the circumstances. I had no idea what had happened while I was gone, so it was better to keep my identity under wraps for now.
“…Affiliated?”
Seung-yoon tilted her head.
“Seung-yoon, I’ll handle this.”
The man stepped forward quickly, but Seung-yoon didn’t back down. Instead, she pushed him aside and stared at me suspiciously.
“That’s ridiculous. You say you’re with the mercenary clan but don’t know where your own clan is based?”
…Well, at least she wasn’t completely stupid.
“Seung-yoon, what’s your problem? Why do you care?”
“Oppa, just stay quiet. I don’t trust these people. Wandering around at this hour, and what’s with the kid on his back?”
“We’re wandering too. And being affiliated doesn’t necessarily mean they’re clan members. Maybe they’re rookies like us…”
“No way. They’re not rookies. The mercenary clan didn’t let outsiders join this time, remember?”
“That’s…”
“Maybe they snuck in. Or they’re just drifters.”
Seung-yoon’s logic left the man speechless, his expression troubled.
“We’re on our way to see someone.”
Both of them looked at me.
“See someone? At this hour?”
“Yes. I told you, I’m affiliated.”
I smiled confidently, and Seung-yoon looked a bit taken aback. But then her glare sharpened—she’d realized I was teasing her.
“You…!”
“Alright, alright! I’ll tell you. The mercenary clan isn’t in this city. You have to go through the western tunnel to reach the new city where they are.”
“Oppa! Are you crazy? Do you even know who they are?!”
“Quiet. They have their reasons.”
I was curious about those reasons, but more than that, I wanted to get away before they recognized me.
“The western tunnel? Can you tell me exactly where?”
“It’s simple. Just follow the road through the tunnel, and you’ll reach a place that looks like a central plaza. Around there, find the best-looking building.”
The man gave me a vague but somewhat detailed explanation. I didn’t want to press for more, but at least I got the information I needed.
“I see. Thank you for telling me.”
Just as I was about to turn away—
Rumble!
Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly. The silence around us made it impossible to miss. Both the man and woman shot me a sour look. The culprit was Kim Hanbyul, who had quietly buried her head into my back.
Half-turned, I looked at the man and gave a wry smile.
“Sorry to bother you, but do you happen to have any food?”
“W-what?”
He blinked in surprise.
“Anything small to eat would be fine.”
“Oppa…”
Kim Hanbyul called out to me in a pitiful voice, clearly embarrassed. The man glanced over my shoulder, then opened the bag he was carrying.
Seung-yoon sighed heavily, clearly exasperated.
“Ugh. I don’t care anymore. Whatever happens, it’s all your fault, Oppa! …Tch.”
With a loud click of his tongue, he spun on his heel and started walking away.
The man glanced briefly at Ha Seung-yoon before hastily pulling a piece of bread from his bag and offering it.
“I-I’m sorry. This is all I have.”
“Thank you.”
For a moment, a flicker of regret crossed the man’s face, as if he felt sorry for having to give up his daily sustenance. But I set down my bundle and quickly took the bread. Survival came first.
“W-well then!”
The man bowed his head and ran off in the direction Ha Seung-yoon had gone.
Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, I lifted the bread toward my shoulder.
“Hanbyeol, here. Eat this.”
“…”
“It doesn’t look very tasty, but you should eat it. If you don’t, it’ll only get harder.”
“…”
Only then did Kim Hanbyeol slowly take the bread. At the same time, I felt a faint tremor from his back. No sound came, but somehow I imagined him biting down hard on his lip.
“Chew it well. Don’t rush just because you’re hungry.”
I picked up the bundle I had set down earlier and started walking in the direction the man had indicated.
‘Come to think of it, I never even asked his name.’
How much time had passed?
Since parting ways with the two strangers, Kim Hanbyeol hadn’t said a word. I didn’t know why. Even after we found the tunnel the man had mentioned and passed through it into what looked like a new city, Hanbyeol remained silent. If this had been before, he would have asked what was going on by now. Something must have shifted inside him.
Having spent some time in Atlanta myself, I understood exactly what the man meant by “tunnel.” If I had asked, “What tunnel?” I probably would have raised even more suspicion.
Anyway.
I swallowed carefully after chewing a piece of bread exactly fifty times.
“Feels like this is the place, doesn’t it, Hanbyeol?”
I asked again, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he silently handed me another small torn piece of bread. I shrugged and quietly ate it.
In front of us stood a building that looked like an inn. Inside, there was nothing but silence—no sign of life. Given the hour, everyone was probably asleep.
Looking at the quiet inn, I realized I needed to revise my thoughts about what the man had said. Because it was exactly as he described.
After passing through the tunnel and following the path, we arrived at a square with only one building that could be called “somewhat decent.” That was this inn.
‘Looks like it’s been fixed up a bit… but this is the place, then?’
Just to be sure, I scanned the surroundings again.
‘Yeah. Definitely.’
Confirming that the rest of the buildings were nearly collapsing, I turned my gaze back to the inn. Feeling satisfied, I stepped toward the door. Being in a relatively decent building in the city center meant that, at least on the surface, I hadn’t been completely pushed out while I was gone.
“Hanbyeol, let’s go inside now.”
I spoke gently, as if coaxing a child.
“…”
As expected, Kim Hanbyeol didn’t say a word. But this time, instead of bread, he nodded slightly in response. It made me feel like he really was just a kid.
‘Well, this isn’t so bad.’
We’d handled things well from the start. That’s why we arrived before hunger became unbearable. Thinking back to the first time I stood around clueless, this was a huge improvement.
Pleased with myself, I carefully pushed the door open. It was surprisingly loose and swung open without resistance.
A moment later.
I stepped slowly inside through the open door.
And the instant I peeked in—
“…Huh?”
“…What?”
I couldn’t help but stop dead in my tracks.