Users from another continent have appeared.
If it were just one or two, it wouldn’t be a big deal. It would be tough, sure, but crossing continents isn’t impossible. Yet, Jo Seung-woo said “users” in the plural. I don’t know how many have crossed over, but the nuance somehow set my nerves on edge.
I stared at him, silently asking for more details. But Jo Seung-woo just shook his head.
“I’ve only heard rumors… I don’t know the details. Sorry.”
He bowed apologetically for causing unnecessary worry. I told him it was fine, but the questions swirling in my mind wouldn’t go away.
There’s a saying: smoke doesn’t rise from a chimney without fire. Rumors don’t spread without some reason—unless someone’s deliberately stirring the pot, which seems unlikely since there’s no gain in it. Not unless you’re some kind of attention seeker.
So, assuming the rumors are true, which continent’s users have actually appeared in the Northern Continent?
“…No idea.”
How could I? The information is so scarce. I just heard the rumors myself. Sure, I could speculate, but that would mean considering a wide range of possibilities. I’m done getting ahead of myself when nothing is certain.
“Anyway, Clan Lord. From now on…”
Jo Seung-woo’s voice drifted on the breeze as I slowly tilted my head back. When I looked up, the sky, which had been bright moments ago, suddenly turned red. Thinking I must have been mistaken, I quickly closed and reopened my eyes—and the sky was clear again.
“…Why do I feel so uneasy?”
“Budget…? Sorry?”
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.”
“Guess I was the only one rambling. Ha ha ha.”
Jo Seung-woo laughed easily. I smirked and, knowing he didn’t smoke, pulled out a cigarette and offered it anyway. He declined, glanced at me cautiously, then slipped quietly back into the room. Sharp as ever.
“Phew…”
I exhaled a thick plume of smoke that curled and stretched through the sunlight.
As I absentmindedly watched the smoke dance and scatter,
a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Things change. Things don’t change.”
After the Northern Continent’s people crossed over to Atlanta,
I kept busy as usual… though, to be honest, I was secretly playing with Mar, who had sneaked into my office.
Anyway, I received an unexpected visitor.
Well, maybe not so unexpected. Come to think of it, Ko Yeon-ju had hinted at it during a meeting a few days ago. I must have just forgotten.
“Wow… this castle is amazing.”
The woman who wandered in, looking dazed as she glanced around, was Lee Hyo-eul.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen it in person. How have you been, Mercenary Lord?”
She greeted me briefly, then passed by and pulled back the heavy curtains before collapsing onto the bed. Moments later, a faint snore escaped.
“…Is she crazy?”
Mar blinked in surprise at the bizarre behavior, then shook her head at me. I shook mine back. Honestly, I had no idea why Lee Hyo-eul was acting like this.
She probably wasn’t really asleep. Curious how far she’d take it, I quietly watched the bed. Not long after, she ruffled her hair and sat up, clicking her tongue as she walked over to my desk.
“Say something. Or at least throw me a line. This is embarrassing.”
She slumped into the soft sofa, grumbling.
“Just looked pretty tired, that’s all.”
I answered calmly.
No lie, Lee Hyo-eul really did look exhausted. Fatigue clung to every corner of her face, dark circles stretching down to her jaw. Honestly, she looked like she was on the brink of death.
“Damn… I really feel like I’m going to die. Just when I thought the campaign was over, the incidents keep coming nonstop…”
I was about to suggest external factors might be at play, but stopped myself. It was obvious, and if I started lecturing her about what the East had done, she’d probably go off on a rant. She definitely didn’t want to relive the Koran disbandment fiasco.
“Incidents, huh? You’re the one who looks like you’re about to die.”
“Damn it. Honestly, sometimes I just want to drop dead! At least then I could finally get some rest!”
Suddenly, Lee Hyo-eul ground her teeth. Mar flinched and curled up in my arms.
“What am I supposed to do? My head’s about to explode just managing my city development plan! And that’s not all—I still have to keep an eye on the Northern Continent!”
She shouted, not exactly angry at me but more like venting her frustration. It caught me off guard. Lee Hyo-eul was usually so composed; seeing her like this was… unexpected.
“I’m not the Northern Continent’s guardian anymore, right? Right? Yeah! I even went along with creating the Central Management Organization and took the lead! And yet, I haven’t even started on my plan to join the Hamill Clan and date your brother! I want to explore Atlanta like any other user!”
She rambled on, spitting out words as she vented. I held Mar close and nodded silently. Yeah, yeah. I get it—you’re struggling.
“But damn it, why the hell has Maeng Ah-ra suddenly gone silent? And why are those Western Continent bastards sneaking in? Seriously, fine, whatever. But why the hell do we have to rescue them?”
Lee Hyo-eul cursed loudly. I stared at her, feeling like I’d just been hit. Lost contact? Rescue?
Wait. Lost contact, okay. But rescue? And the Western Continent?
Suddenly, she’d jumped straight to the point, and my head spun.
“Phew…”
She exhaled deeply, looking somewhat relieved, then bowed her head and clasped her hands together, extending them toward me.
“Sorry.”
“…You must be under a lot of stress.”
“Yeah. If I didn’t do this, I felt like I’d explode.”
“Apology accepted. Now that you’ve vented, tell me—what’s this about the guardian and the Western Continent?”
Lee Hyo-eul sighed heavily again, folded her hands on her lap, and leaned back on the sofa. The old Lee Hyo-eul was back, though still visibly tired.
Finally, she shrugged and shook her head.
“Mercenary Lord, I’m really sorry, but I’ve said all I can.”
“Huh?”
“Exactly as I said. Up until three days ago, Maeng Ah-ra was called 1,127 times, but she never answered once. She disappeared from the Northern Continent, and then we received a divine message to rescue users from the Western Continent.”
“A divine message? Hey, Lee Hyo-eul, seriously… what kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
“Please don’t think that way. I’m not the Northern Continent’s guardian anymore. I’m just as frustrated as you are.”
“……”
Just as I was about to lose my temper, Lee Hyo-eul pleaded in a desperate tone. I swallowed the words rising in my throat. Seeing her like that, I doubted she was lying.
“Mar, why don’t you step outside for a bit?”
I pressed my forehead with my hand. Mar seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and left without a word.
An uncomfortable silence settled.
“So. What exactly do you want me to do?”
“First, we need to find out what happened to Maeng Ah-ra… You know how important the guardian’s role is, right? I’m looking into it now. But for now, we have to deal with the divine message to rescue the Western Continent users.”
“You don’t know anything else?”
“That information can’t be disclosed to user Lee Hyo-eul. That’s the answer I got.”
Lee Hyo-eul licked her lips and looked downcast. Seeing her like that, I felt a twinge of pity. When I first met her long ago, I told her she was just an angel’s lackey. I bet she’s feeling that more than ever now.
“What did they say exactly?”
I forced the words out. “They” obviously meant the angels.
“They mentioned you by name. Said it’s urgent and they want it resolved as quickly as possible. Promised a generous reward. But from what I can tell, they don’t want you to come to the summoning chamber over this. Sounds like they’re hiding something.”
Lee Hyo-eul said, almost tattling.
So that’s the situation.
I immediately opened the desk drawer, pressed the summoning button, and spoke.
“Guardian missing. Western Continent user rescue. Skip the details. Do you think these two incidents are connected?”
“Half and half. Honestly, I can’t find any link between the two. But since the timing is suspicious, I’m keeping it in mind.”
Just then—
Knock knock.
“Su-hyun, may I come in?”
As Lee Hyo-eul finished speaking, Ko Yeon-ju burst through the door. She’d come in response to my summons.
“Go Yeon-ju. Please bring her a cup of tea that helps restore energy, and prepare a room where she can rest.”
I gathered my sword and stood up, speaking as I did.
“That’s sudden… what’s this about?”
Go Yeon-ju asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. Then, catching sight of Lee Hyo-eul, she flinched in surprise.
“Y-yeah, that sounds right. But where are you headed?”
“I’m going to the temple for a bit.”
As I spoke, I glanced briefly at the sofa. Lee Hyo-eul’s expression twisted into something complex and subtle, clearly caught off guard by my unexpectedly kind words. She almost looked touched. Not too much, though—I didn’t want her to get too comfortable. If I did her this favor now, maybe it’d give me some leverage in the upcoming inner city competition.
“It’s urgent, so I think it’s best I go right away. You should take some time to clear your head. Don’t overdo it and wear yourself out.”
Of course, I couldn’t just say what I was really thinking, so I chose the most appropriate words for the situation.
After confirming that Lee Hyo-eul nodded reluctantly, I left the room without delay.
‘Rescue the user from the Western Continent.’
It sounded completely out of the blue, but taken at face value, it wasn’t entirely nonsensical.
The real problem was that the angel had directly ordered the rescue. Angels usually just act as helpers—they rarely interfere in the whole plane. Even during the chaos of the first cycle in the Northern Continent, they never took the front lines. By that logic, it would make sense to just leave the Western Continent user to their fate, whether they lived or died.
But suddenly, a divine revelation? That was what didn’t add up. It meant something serious was happening in the Western Continent.
‘The answer lies with the angels.’
Though the temple was completed, the transfer process hadn’t been properly set up yet, so I couldn’t use the summoning room in Atlanta. Still, since there was a warp gate, it wasn’t a big problem.
After moving to Monica, I immediately headed to the temple and expressed my intention to use the summoning room.
A moment later.
A portal shimmered into view before me, its blue light flowing gently—a sight I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“……”
I stared straight ahead for a long moment, then slowly stepped forward and stepped through the portal.