Evil spirits were undeniably real.
Their malevolent power was so terrifying it could blot out the sky and kill everything on earth.
Yet, they never intervened directly.
Perhaps they wanted to watch humanity slowly perish.
In other words, the miracles that began occurring everywhere after the woman from Shinnyeok Valley appeared—
maybe those were what provoked the wrath of the evil spirits.
The first time the evil spirit revealed itself was when the final extermination squad approached the source of the strange phenomena.
It seemed that whenever anything threatened the status quo, the evil spirit would show its face.
In other words, the spirit wasn’t idle.
If something interfered with the natural order, it would step in personally.
To eliminate that interference.
So it was only natural that the woman would become a target.
—From “The Legend of the Dancer,” Secret Library of the Southern City of Atlanta.
There was no need to wander around looking for the mercenary we were supposed to meet. As soon as I arrived at the East Gate of the Eastern City, I spotted him immediately. A huge man was crouched against the city wall—impossible to miss.
I thought to myself…
“Why is that guy just sitting there like that?”
“Yeah, he looks pretty pathetic.”
Someone voiced exactly what I was thinking.
Just then, Gong Chan-ho noticed me too. He ruffled himself up and strode over, stopping about five meters away. His sharp eyes narrowed in surprise.
“You… Kim Soo-hyun?”
“Have you already forgotten my face?”
I asked, a little dumbfounded. Gong Chan-ho frowned, then gave me a once-over before nodding twice.
“Hmm. You’ve come a long way since I last saw you.”
Why was everyone acting like this today? I’d only changed my armor.
“Well, I didn’t expect you to be here first. Have you been waiting long?”
“Not really. An hour or two.”
“An hour or two… huh?”
“Ugh.”
An hour or two? That didn’t sound like a lie. Maybe the message got mixed up?
“To Seong Ha-yan…”
“No, I got the message clearly. I just came out early.”
“Why…?”
“Ah, forget it. Let’s just go. Anywhere but this damn suffocating city. I’d smile even if it’s hell, as long as I can get out of here.”
Gong Chan-ho smacked his lips and shook his head. Hearing him vent like that, I could understand a bit. He must have been pretty bored all this time.
“You look like a kid going on a field trip.”
Just then, a slow, dragging sound came from behind us. Actually, it was a pretty accurate description. Gong Chan-ho must have heard it too because he glanced back, then turned around completely. He stopped right in front of Heo Jun-young, who was watching him with arms crossed.
“Say that again.”
Gong Chan-ho growled, standing face to face with Heo Jun-young. Though Heo wasn’t short, the difference in their builds was obvious. Still, Heo didn’t back down; instead, he cocked his head in a teasing way.
“What? Did I say something I shouldn’t?”
“I’m telling you…”
Gong Chan-ho snorted sharply.
“I really hate it when someone weaker than me talks back.”
“Oh, you’re friendlier than you look.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m saying it doesn’t apply to me. Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Gong Chan-ho smirked, then raised his massive hand and gave Heo Jun-young a light tap on the shoulder.
“You’d better watch your mouth from now on. The second thing I hate most is loudmouths, and the third is guys who look like parasite brothers. And you fit all three categories.”
“The second and third don’t bother me, but can you at least stop deluding yourself about the first? Or is your brain just all muscle?”
What a scene. Gong Chan-ho and Heo Jun-young. Their personalities were definitely clashing.
“Ha!”
Suddenly, someone burst out laughing.
“Pfft! Parasite brother… brain muscle… hahaha!”
Both Gong Chan-ho and Heo Jun-young turned their heads sharply. Jin Soo-hyun, who had been quietly stifling laughter, jumped and quickly looked away toward the distant mountains. Hearing the whistle that followed, I quietly spoke up.
“Enough, Gong Chan-ho. You’re sitting next to me.”
“…Hmph.”
He shot Heo Jun-young a glare that could have swallowed him whole but obediently turned back. After warning Heo with his eyes, I looked toward the city gate.
“Let’s go. We’re in a hurry.”
“That’s a welcome change of pace…”
Gong Chan-ho trailed off, glancing at me.
“You think you can satisfy me this time?”
“That sounds like a pretty big misunderstanding.”
“The guys from the Western Continent last time were a bit lacking.”
“Ah.”
I understood exactly what he meant and chuckled dryly. Without a word, I shrugged and headed toward the gate. I heard some grumbling behind me, but soon felt footsteps following.
First priority: get out of this wasteland.
Ssssshhhhh!
The biting wind sliced across my skin, sharp and cold, seeping into my bones.
Taking a shallow breath, I felt my insides freeze over. They say mountain air feels colder than the same temperature elsewhere. Whether that’s true or not, one thing’s certain: this mountain, blanketed in snow and ice, was brutally cold. My face tingled painfully, as if my skin was hardening and cracking into pieces. It was relentless.
Ssssshhhhh! Ssssshhhhh!
Another icy gust blew through. Damn it, how can this mountain not freeze solid with winds like this?
I instinctively hunched my neck and carefully picked my way along the slippery mountain path. I had no idea how far we’d climbed, but the peaks that had seemed distant and faint eight hours ago were now growing larger. We must be close to the summit. The clouds seemed closer too.
“Ahhh!”
Suddenly, a sharp scream came from behind. I spun around to see Kim Han-byul sprawled on the ground, with Woo Jung-min barely holding her up. It looked like she’d slipped on the icy path.
“S-sorry!”
Kim Han-byul apologized and quickly got back on her feet. I gave the usual warning about the slippery trail and we resumed marching.
Everyone I saw squinted against the wind, but exhaustion was clear on all their faces. The mages looked especially pale—so white they seemed on the verge of freezing to death.
“Brrr… bro…ther…”
A strange sound drifted to my ears. It took me a moment to realize they were saying “brother.” At first, I thought it was some eerie howl mixed with the wind.
“Ugh, ugh… can’t… go on…”
“Almost there.”
“Ugh, ugh… so cold…”
“……”
I had no idea what they were saying.
“Damn it. Can’t we just fly over this with some transport magic?”
“Who do you think wants to do that?”
“Then just do it.”
“How many times do I have to say it? This isn’t something you can use whenever you want!”
While lost in thought, I heard Heo Jun-young and Jegal Hae-sol grumbling. But in this situation, I didn’t feel like scolding them for arguing.
The path itself wasn’t terrible. We’d been climbing for a long time, but the slope was gentle, not steep.
The problem was twofold: the biting, skin-tearing wind and the ice-covered trail made marching difficult. These two harsh conditions were the real obstacles. Marching’s biggest enemy is boredom, but when combined with hardships beyond human control, frustration skyrockets.
Even I, wearing the Shirt of Hope, felt the brutal cold. The others must have been feeling it even worse.
So there was only one option left: get through this mountain as fast as possible. Once we were down, it would at least be better than this.
I quickened my pace toward the summit.
Time passed.
As the sun began to set earlier than usual, I kicked aside frozen, tangled bushes and struggled up the rugged, winding path. Suddenly, I felt a slight give beneath my feet, and my body relaxed. The faint backward pull disappeared.
I steadied myself and looked ahead, letting out a short gasp without realizing it.
“W-what is it? Have we arrived?”
The voice trembled so much I couldn’t tell who was speaking. Behind me, I heard groans of exhaustion, and I moved forward once again.
At least I know we’ve reached the mountain’s summit. But the place feels off. I was certain we had to cross this mountain to get to the site of the Shinnyeogok. Half of that was right. Beyond the mountain, I could clearly see the place I remembered—but there was no path leading down. A cliff? If you split the mountain exactly in half, maybe it would look like this. Glancing down, I saw a sheer, perfectly straight drop. Skiing down here would be a guaranteed death sentence.
“This place is…”
Before I could finish, Ansol quietly peeked over the edge, then hesitated and stepped back. She pressed her forehead hard enough to make a sound—looking down from the summit was making her dizzy. Ha Seung-woo, who had been calmly staring down beside me, shook his head and loosened his robe.
“I can barely see anything. It’s like looking at a snowy wasteland—or maybe the Arctic.”
“It can’t be worse than here,” Jeogal Haesol replied sharply, then looked at me.
“Clan Lord, you’re not thinking of going back down, are you?”
Suddenly, the wind picked up. I felt my cloak flutter and fixed my gaze eastward. Even with extra focus, I couldn’t make out any details. The weather was getting colder, and everyone was exhausted. It seemed best to camp here for the night.
“Of course. How much waiting time do we have?”
“We can use it by tomorrow morning.”
“Perfect timing. Since we have enough time, let’s camp here tonight.”
“Ah, I’m going to freeze to death tonight,” Jeogal Haesol groaned, collapsing onto the ground before suddenly jumping up in alarm. He’d forgotten the ground was ice. Next to his sulking face, Ha Seung-yoon rubbed his hands together and approached.
“Ah, it’s cold. So cold, it’s driving me crazy. Clan Lord! We’re ending the march here today, right?”
I nodded, and Ha Seung-yoon busied himself preparing the camp. But soon, we hit a snag. To camp, we needed a fire—but the most essential fuel was missing. We couldn’t use the frozen wood as firewood. The mages tried to cast spells in desperation, but the biting cold made their teeth chatter uncontrollably, breaking their concentration. Even their mana source faltered. (Watching them shiver with blank faces was almost terrifying.)
“What do we do now?” Gong Chan-ho asked, his face pale as he looked around.
I paused, then spotted a suitably sized ice tree nearby and spoke up.
“Gong Chan-ho, can you cut that down?”
“That? It’s frozen solid.”
“There’s a way to melt it.”
“Really?”
I half-expected him to ask how wet wood could be used as firewood, but instead, he took off running.
“Ah! I’ll help too!”
Cha So-rim grabbed her spear, ready to assist, but—
“Help, Riya!”
Thud!
Crack!
I watched, dumbfounded, as Gong Chan-ho smashed the tree with a body check. Then, carrying a bundle of ice wood chunks, he threw them all down onto the ground, as if urging us to start the fire.
‘Hwajeong, I’m counting on you.’
Silently, I reached out and summoned Hwajeong’s power into the ice—no, the wood chunks.
Flare!
A brilliant, fierce flame burst to life. Hwajeong’s power was incredible. It didn’t just melt the ice instantly; it burned off the moisture and soon the wood was roaring with fire. Our companions cheered and kept bringing more firewood, and before long, we had a bonfire rivaling any campfire. Ah, finally some warmth.
“Ah, crossing the plains was easier.”
“Who was whining about being bored back then?”
“Who could have guessed it’d be like this? I didn’t even know there was a place like this in the whole plain!”
“Same here. I’d rather deal with haunted mountain ranges or cursed forests than this—it’s the absolute worst.”
While Jin Su-hyun and Lee Yoo-jung exchanged complaints, the skilled Cha So-rim pulled out a large container and cup from the Chaos Mimic, and Woo Jeong-min cut ice from the ground to fill it.
After a moment, the sound of water bubbling over the fire began. There wasn’t much, so we had to share one cup each. Even though it was just plain water, we sipped it as if it were the elixir of life, savoring every drop.
That little warmth gave us some relief. It was still cold, but at least we could breathe easier.
“Clan Lord, do you know roughly where we are now? In relation to our destination?”
Nam Da-eun asked. I reflexively reached for my map, then stopped. This area was still officially uncharted. If I gave an exact distance, it might raise suspicion. Instead, I pulled out the records I’d brought and waved them.
“I think we’re almost there. If we can get down from here tomorrow, it shouldn’t take long.”
“Does the climate recorded there match this place?”
“The weather and many other things are quite similar.”
“I see.”
Nam Da-eun nodded quietly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Thank you all for your support.
I’ve read every comment carefully.
I’ve been thinking a lot, and for now, I’m going to avoid taking breaks unless absolutely necessary—maybe once every two or three weeks at most. Frequent breaks could stretch throughout the year.
I believe it’s best to keep writing steadily.
Since I’ve started a new part, I’ll focus on finishing this one first.
If my health doesn’t improve after this part, I plan to shift to side stories.
There are some deleted scenes I wanted to write but had to cut—like the revenge against the former Golden Lion clan member who tried to assault Jeong Ha-yeon, backstories for Baek Han-gyeol and Cha Yu-na, and stories involving Kim Soo-hyun with Go Yeon-ju and Nam Da-eun.
Looking back, they all seem to revolve around those kinds of themes. Huh.
Anyway, my priority is to finish the current episode.
Originally, I planned to show the journey to this place over about four chapters, but I scrapped that and had us arrive immediately.
Please forgive any confusion. (__)