00785 Sometimes you catch a mouse while backing up like a bull.
“Sacred Coast.”
A blunt voice spoke. Geunwon was staring out at the sea with hollow eyes.
I crept up beside him, and he glanced at me sideways. For a brief moment, he gave me a sidelong look, blinked once, then returned his gaze to the ocean.
“A distant past… This area wasn’t always covered in glaciers—it used to be a coastline.”
He seemed to understand my unspoken request for more details and continued mechanically.
“A coastline, you say?”
Jegal Haesol’s interest piqued sharply. Geunwon nodded slightly.
“The ancient kingdom of Memnon. Though it was destroyed in the conquest wars by the Idalkan tribe, it was once a wealthy maritime kingdom centered around this very coast.”
“Memnon? Idalkan? I don’t know those names. But what does that have to do with this coast?”
“A tomb.”
“Huh?”
Jegal Haesol looked puzzled, as if asking what he meant.
“After conquering Memnon, the Idalkan tribe executed every man, woman, and child, drowning them all in this sea.”
Shhhhhh. Suddenly, a cold wind blew. It wasn’t just wind—it sounded like a mournful wail, a cry of injustice. Jegal Haesol stared at Geunwon with a stunned expression.
“The reason I remember this story,” Geunwon finally looked away from the sea and turned to us, “is because after some time passed, as the sea grew rapidly colder, the area around the Sacred Coast began to change.”
“You mean the change is that this coast turned into a snowy wasteland?”
“I understand your curiosity, but it’s just an abnormal phenomenon. I only mentioned the most likely cause; the exact reason remains unknown.”
“Ah, I shouldn’t have asked. Now I’m scared.”
Lee Yoo-jeong shrugged her shoulders and clung tightly to Ha Seung-yoon, who looked like he might faint but was clearly happy.
I found the tale about this sea fascinating, since I hadn’t heard it before. Come to think of it, the glacier-covered wasteland had already caught Atlanta’s attention during the first round. The mere presence of ruins was enough to spark interest, but on top of that, users exploring the sea reported sightings of phantoms. Some vanished into the mist, never to return; others claimed to have seen ghost ships. Strange rumors abounded, but nothing was confirmed. In fact, nearly 80% of the countless users who ventured into the sea returned safely. But that also means about 20% disappeared without a trace.
Still, even if phantoms truly exist, it’s none of our concern. What matters is finding the Sacred Song somewhere along this Sacred Coast. Since I remember the location, it’s best to pass through quickly without unnecessary distractions.
So the question now is: how do we cross this sea?
Clap clap.
I clapped my hands a couple of times, drawing everyone’s attention. Judging by their expressions, they had all heard Geunwon’s story—and none looked particularly pleased.
“Why the long faces? It’s not like this is our first time encountering phantoms. We’ve been through ruined labs, frozen forests, mountains where dragons sleep… We’ve all faced this before, haven’t we?”
Someone muttered, “It’s my first time.” It was Jegal Haesol. I glanced at him; he quickly turned his head back toward the sea, eyes distant. Quick to react.
“More importantly, we have a problem to solve right now.”
“A problem?”
In response to someone’s question, I smiled quietly and spoke.
“Yes. From now on, we need to create a path to cross that sea.”
My companions looked bewildered. Understandable. They naturally assumed we’d be transported across, but suddenly I was talking about making a path. If I didn’t know the situation, I wouldn’t understand either. But we had to conserve our transport ability at all costs.
I used every argument I could to persuade them. Though I skirted around the issue, the conclusion was simple: we don’t even know where the Sacred Song is, so transport must be a last resort. Mentioning the cooldown time on the transport ability was especially effective.
Maybe I put too much force into my voice, because after my long explanation, Jegal Haesol looked at me suspiciously.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Nothing. It’s just… strange.”
Jegal Haesol tilted his head.
“I get what you’re saying. It’s all quite reasonable… but—”
He trailed off, a strange smile creeping onto his lips. Suddenly, I felt uneasy.
“You’ve always treated me like a shuttle, so hearing you say that now feels a bit odd.”
His mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t. Though he spoke lightly, the meaning behind his words wasn’t. His gaze, full of deep curiosity, seemed to pierce my chest. Maybe he wasn’t joking—maybe he was deliberately teasing.
“Anyway, how exactly do you plan to explore this sea?”
Fortunately, Heo Jun-young shifted the topic in time. I broke eye contact with Jegal Haesol and slowly walked toward the sea. After a brief hesitation, I sensed the others following behind.
About five minutes later, we reached the water’s edge. Up close, the sea was more than just vast—it was an endless expanse. I pointed with my index finger toward the center.
“You’ll all see glaciers.”
Along with its immense size, the sea was dotted with countless icebergs. Some were so huge they formed mountain-like chains—a veritable forest of ice.
“We’re going to create a path from here to the nearest glacier.”
I tapped the snow-dampened ground with my foot, then looked back at my companions.
“We’ll freeze the sea itself.”
Of course, I wasn’t suggesting freezing the entire sea—that’s impossible.
But,
“Just enough to walk on. In other words…”
“You mean using ice magic to create a frozen path?”
Jegal Haesol was the first to respond. I liked people who understood me quickly, but oddly, Jegal Haesol wasn’t one of them. He was an unpredictable presence. To be honest, I felt a bit uneasy.
Cha So-rim asked,
“Freezing seawater to make a path… is that really possible?”
“It is. Last time, Ha-yeon used a similar spell.”
At Kim Han-byul’s words, several eyes lit up. They must have recalled the ‘Tomb of the Barbarian King’ expedition, when Jung Ha-yeon froze an entire surrounding plant army with a single spell.
“But…”
Kim Han-byul hesitated, trailing off awkwardly.
“That’s right. It’s possible. But the situation now is different. That’s what I wanted to say.”
Jegal Haesol stepped in again. Kim Han-byul narrowed her eyes but nodded silently.
“Freezing an enemy and freezing seawater to make a path—both involve ice, but their purposes are completely different. To be clear, the latter is much harder.”
“Exactly. It requires careful distribution of magical power and precise control.”
Ha Seung-woo added to the explanation.
“That’s true, but why do you keep slipping into informal speech?”
Jegal Haesol snapped back, then folded his hands gently and turned to look at me.
“Anyway, here’s the thing. Clan Lord’s idea is good, but I’ve thought of a better way.”
“…What way?”
“Wings, right?”
“…”
Jegal Haesol grinned.
“I saw you had wings last time…”
Damn it, I knew this was coming. Jegal Haesol was suggesting I use my draconic transformation. Yeah, I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it sooner.
“You’d fly over the sea, scouting for the place we think holds the Sacred Song. And of course, take me along. Once we find the spot… you know what comes next, right?”
“Oh, right. That sounds great. Once we find the place, everything else falls into place.”
Everyone nodded, clearly understanding. I forced myself to keep a neutral expression. Whether it was just a hunch or they really caught on, I knew one thing for sure:
Jegal Haesol was basically saying,
‘You’ve been using your powers recklessly all this time—why suddenly try to save them now?’
I thought it over carefully but couldn’t find a clear way out. For a moment, I even considered spilling the secret in frustration. But that was a choice I absolutely couldn’t make right now.
That thought made me smirk. The situation was ironic. We needed to arrive as soon as possible, yet here I was, hiding secrets and complicating things. Honestly, it was annoying.
In the end, I had no choice but to change the subject.
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“Sure, I have wings. But they’re not exactly reliable.”
“Limited, then?”
“Yes. They’re incomplete—an ability I acquired with inherent restrictions. There’s no way around it.”
“Hmm.”
Jegal Haesol crossed his arms and exhaled. On the surface, it looked like he accepted it, but it felt more like he was saying, ‘So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?’
“Is there really any guarantee we’ll find the Sacred Maiden’s Song within such limited conditions? I think it’s better to explore gradually and use our resources sparingly, just as I planned.”
“So, basically, you’re saying we should conserve our transport capacity no matter what?”
Jegal Haesol asked, as if seeking confirmation.
“If the exploration area were land instead of sea, I wouldn’t even be worrying about this,” I replied with what I thought was a reasonable explanation.
After a moment, Jegal Haesol shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, well, I guess there’s no helping it. Looks like us mages will just have to tough it out.”
Phew. Somehow, he seemed to accept it. Or maybe he just let it slide.
I silently breathed a sigh of relief and turned my gaze back to the sea.
“Alright. Whether it works or not, let’s give it a shot. If we manage to connect the first ice path to the nearest glacier, it should get easier from there. As you can see, the distance between the icebergs floating on the sea is…”
That was when it happened.
『User Jegal Haesol’s unique ability, “The Mind’s Eye That Gazes Upon the Sky,” has been activated!』
『User Kim Suhyun’s unique ability, “The Third Eye,” is responding!』
『Rank equivalence confirmed… Difference in class detected.』
『“The Third Eye” successfully penetrates “The Mind’s Eye That Gazes Upon the Sky”!』
“……”
I absentmindedly read the messages streaming through the air, and before I knew it, my vision had narrowed sharply. Unconsciously, I found myself glaring at Jegal Haesol.
The Mind’s Eye That Gazes Upon the Sky. I knew it wasn’t quite on the same level as the Third Eye, but depending on how it was used, it could have somewhat similar effects. So what exactly was Jegal Haesol trying to see?
…No way.
“Ugh. Still no luck.”
A moment later, Jegal Haesol stuck out his tongue like a mischievous kid caught in the act. Then he grinned and briskly headed toward the sea.
“Alright then. You said ice path, right? How about I give it a try first? Sounds like it could be fun.”
At that moment, I instinctively took a slow step forward.
“User Jegal Haesol.”
My voice was cold—so cold that even I was surprised by it.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m sorry. I made a pretty sloppy mistake.
While writing the last couple of chapters, I suddenly realized there was a setting conflict.
One involved the Sacred Coast, and the other concerned the journey to the Sacred Maiden’s Song… If I followed the first setting, it contradicted the second. It felt like one misaligned gear throwing the whole machine off. Thankfully, I caught the error early, but it really made me think.
“A key… the need to conserve transport capacity… plus cooldown times… but if I go this way, it clashes with the coastal setting.”
“Should I say they brought the Guardian’s Jewel? No, that won’t work because of the mana restrictions.”
“This way would work… but then it wouldn’t make sense for this character to just stand still. There’s a better method, something revealed in Atlanta or the Barbarian King’s Tomb.”
“Damn it, why did I have to set this character up as a genius… ㅜ.ㅠ”
After much agonizing, I finally found a solution. It was originally a plot point planned for later, but I pulled it forward into this part. Man, what a waste.
So, I managed to patch it up, but honestly, if I had carefully planned the plot from the start, this wouldn’t have happened. From now on, I’ll think things through more thoroughly before writing. I sincerely apologize for any confusion caused. (__)