Crack!
A loud, sharp sound of ice splitting echoed through the space.
It was a vast, solemn chamber. The circular room, tracing a perfect arc, seemed to span over 100 meters in diameter, with a ceiling even higher. The walls and floor were made of transparent ice, yet strangely, a warm aura seemed to permeate the air.
The silence was so profound it felt lonely, even eerie at times, but the space was undeniably beautiful. Despite being completely sealed off, a fresh, almost sacred fragrance drifted inside. The ice occasionally shimmered with a faint glow, as if imbued with divine energy. Though nothing physically blocked the way, the place radiated an authority that forbade approach. It was as if one were gazing upon the dwelling of gods.
At the center stood six—or no, four—massive ice pillars, each about ten meters tall. Arranged in a circle with even spacing, they seemed to embrace someone. Yet, for some reason, the two pillars on the left lay shattered, broken into countless fragments.
Only four pillars remained. Their surfaces were roughly chiseled, as if the sculpting had been abandoned midway, and covered with intricate metaphysical symbols etched deeply into the ice. At the very center of these four stood a colossal ice pillar, stretching from floor to ceiling. What caught the eye was the figure trapped within its base.
There, embedded like roots gripping the earth, was a naked woman encased in ice. And not just any woman—an extraordinary beauty. At first glance, her slender, graceful form seemed delicate, but upon closer look, she radiated a quiet strength and brightness. Her silver hair cascaded neatly down to her waist, still shimmering with light. Her half-opened, silvery-white eyes held a dreamy haze, as if she had just awoken from a deep sleep, lending her an ethereal, almost hypnotic presence.
But.
There was one unsettling detail: her expression. It was subtle, almost impossible to decipher, but it seemed her delicate brows were furrowed, or perhaps she bore a faint look of discomfort. Could it be that she was not truly asleep?
Then—
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, a series of sharp cracking sounds rang out. At once, the four remaining pillars twisted and shifted, fracturing violently into shards. Only the central pillar remained intact. In that instant, the woman’s body twitched.
Bang!
With a short, explosive boom, the base of the central pillar shattered as well. Amid the scattering ice fragments, the woman’s upper body bent forward as if breaking free. Her trapped hair swayed and fell loose, and her tightly closed lips parted slightly.
The next moment—
“Ugh!”
A gagging sound escaped her throat, and something surged up from her mouth. It spilled out like a viscous black mass—part smoke, part thick jelly. As it slid onto the floor, it clumped together, slowly taking shape.
The woman’s face twisted in anguish.
“No… no, please…”
But it was a futile struggle.
No, resistance had never been an option.
Because—
“W-why is it coming out so fast…? Ugh, ugh!”
Another wave of gagging wracked her slender waist, which arched painfully as the dark, viscous substance continued to pour forth. The black mass solidified faster and faster, and with every moment, a shadow of despair deepened across her face.
“Ah… aaaaaaah!”
“Ugh. I knew this was going to happen.”
Lee Yoo-jung grumbled in a sour tone as she surveyed the coffin.
“I had a bad feeling from the start. What kind of ‘Divine Maiden’s Song’ is this? Just a fancy name…”
But she quickly trailed off, sensing a sharp glare from somewhere to her left. She didn’t bother to look; it was obvious who was giving her that look. So she simply kept her head down and continued the search quietly.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I prepared so much for this expedition, but it feels like we’ve just wasted our time,” An Sol chimed in, oblivious to the tension.
Feeling the intensity of the glare growing, Yoo-jung quickly changed the subject.
“Really? What kind of preparations did you make?”
“Hehe. Let’s just say I finally realized my true worth!”
An Sol placed her hands on her hips, puffing up with pride. Yoo-jung briefly entertained the urge to pinch her cheeks, but instead smiled and nodded.
“So, what is it? Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Well, it’s nothing much. Remember that box my brother brought before?”
“Oh, the one with the magic talisman inside…”
“Yeah, that one. The kind that spawns monsters as soon as you open it.”
“I know. Isn’t that from the User Shop?”
“I thought so too, but it’s not.”
“Not from the shop?”
“Nope. I tried to buy one myself, but it wasn’t listed anywhere. So I asked my brother quietly, and he said it’s from a secret shop…”
Just then, as the two whispered, a sudden tapping sound echoed. Everyone turned around to see someone running over shattered ice debris. The flushed, breathless figure was none other than Baek Han-gyeol.
“E-everyone, get out here!”
“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden shout, Yoo-jung narrowed her eyes. Realizing his mistake, Baek Han-gyeol shook his head and corrected himself.
“The Clan Lord wants everyone to come out!”
“Your brother?”
“Yes! He found the Divine Maiden’s Song!”
“What?”
The unexpected news left them momentarily stunned. They exchanged glances, murmuring anxiously. But as Baek Han-gyeol repeated the urgent call, everyone snapped back to attention and hurriedly exited through the passage.
A short while later, all thirteen users stood atop a ridge, gazing down at the sea below with uneasy expressions. Kim Soo-hyun had instructed them to move to the hilltop once their comrades emerged. Though the ridge was more of a small hill, the flight-capable Kim Soo-hyun had swiftly transported several of them, so the journey hadn’t taken long.
Their reluctance wasn’t because of the move or even Kim Soo-hyun’s drenched appearance.
“There’s… the Divine Maiden’s Song down there?”
Kim Han-byul muttered in disbelief. It was understandable. They had been dragged up here on the pretense of finding the Divine Maiden’s Song, only to be told they’d have to dive underwater. Yet the shadow reflected on the surface was undeniably strange. And since Kim Soo-hyun had personally confirmed it, there was little room for doubt.
“Uh… what about breathing underwater?”
An Sol’s voice trembled as she voiced her concern. Her face was pale, but Kim Soo-hyun spoke firmly.
“Don’t worry about that. I sensed a strong energy inside.”
“Energy?”
Je-gal Hae-sol asked, and Kim Soo-hyun nodded silently.
“I can’t say for certain, but there’s a strong energy barrier like a veil around the underwater cave and its surroundings. I believe there’s some kind of unknown space inside.”
It wasn’t a guarantee, but having experienced similar phenomena at the Barbarian King’s Tomb, Kim Soo-hyun’s words carried weight. Besides, there was a record on the coffin’s side. Despite their doubts, if they wanted to avoid another dead end, they had no choice.
“Sounds like you’re serious. Well, since you insist, let’s go in. We’re not going to die just by diving in, right?”
Ha Seung-woo smiled and loosened his robe. Several people shivered at the sight. An Sol was nervous, but Kim Han-byul tried to mask her anxiety, though it showed.
“Anyone here who can’t swim?”
Kim Soo-hyun asked suddenly, turning around. A few murmured, but no one raised their hand.
He turned back and said, “Alright,” then led the way, diving into the sea. With a swift plunge, a splash erupted. A faint scream sounded, but soon Ha Seung-woo followed without hesitation, and one by one, the others dove in. The sound of bodies hitting water echoed repeatedly.
A few hesitated. Though most had jumped, Kim Han-byul and An Sol lingered, unsure. But Lee Yoo-jung suddenly grabbed them both and pushed them in, forcing them to dive. A long scream pierced the air.
Thus, all fourteen successfully entered the water, though not without side effects. An Sol’s face turned ghostly pale, and Kim Han-byul and Yoo-jung could be heard grumbling.
But the commotion soon died down. Before diving, Kim Soo-hyun had given a few quick instructions: the distance was about 200 meters; he would lead, so follow closely; increase your stamina; and since it would be dark underwater, mages should use light magic.
After the briefings, the mages quietly began chanting light spells. Though the cold water made them shiver, the simple magic was cast without issue.
Not long after, Kim Soo-hyun scanned the group and spoke.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
With those words, Kim Su-hyun’s body slowly sank beneath the water.
The sea was definitely cold. A chill that seemed to pierce right through to the bone crept over my entire body. Of course, with Hwa-jeong by my side, it wasn’t a major problem, and thanks to Somang’s shirt, I could move freely. Even underwater, I felt no pressure weighing down on me.
But that was only true for me. There was no guarantee others felt the same, so the key was to reach the destination as quickly as possible. I set my course toward the spot I’d found earlier and kicked my legs, descending at an angle. Fortunately, the current had calmed to almost stillness, so I had little trouble going down and even used a bit of magic to speed my descent.
All around was eerily silent, to the point my ears felt blocked. Contrary to my worries, most of my companions were surprisingly good swimmers. Especially Jegal Haesol—she not only kept up with me but took the spot right beside me. It seemed she had mastered using magic underwater. She sliced through the water with such ease, it was like watching a mermaid.
How much time had passed?
The pale ice ahead grew closer, and about twenty meters below, a large hole came into view. I stopped swimming and looked back, then pointed toward the cave below. The others following me hesitated briefly but quickly caught on and kicked harder. Their breathing was starting to become labored.
I knew we weren’t ready to enter the cave yet. We still had some margin, and I was certain someone would fall behind. And sure enough, my suspicion proved correct.
Starting with Jegal Haesol, I sent more than ten people into the cave, but two were still missing. Looking up, I saw Kim Hanbyeol and An Sol descending at a noticeably slower pace. At first, they seemed to be keeping up, but the further down they went, the more exhausted they looked.
I decided to wait and watch, but soon the situation I feared unfolded. Their movements grew sluggish, and suddenly Kim Hanbyeol signaled for help with a pained expression. At the same time, An Sol expelled a burst of white bubbles and flipped over.
I had anticipated this. Without panicking, I spread my wings and swiftly ascended. Grabbing Kim Hanbyeol’s hand, I supported An Sol’s waist and surged toward the cave entrance at full speed. I could feel An Sol thrashing wildly, but I held her tightly, silently urging her to hold on as I accelerated.
The deeper we went, the darker it became, but inside the cave it was even darker. Thankfully, Kim Hanbyeol’s light barely illuminated the way ahead, revealing that the cave didn’t continue straight but veered upward at an angle. I immediately adjusted our course and headed upward.
What felt like five seconds stretched like five minutes, then suddenly a faint light appeared above us. For some reason, I instinctively knew we had to reach that light, so I poured all my strength into propelling us upward. I could feel An Sol’s struggling weaken.
Moments later, the light shone down on us like it was about to swallow us whole.
Splash!
“Hah! Hah!”
“Phew! Phew!”
The moment we broke the surface and fresh air hit us, rough gasps escaped our lips. Glancing up, I saw the others who had arrived earlier. They looked like drenched rats but quickly rushed over, startled, and helped us out of the water.
From here on, it was all new to me. I was curious about the surroundings, but standing still, it didn’t seem dangerous. Gathering my thoughts, I immediately checked on the two.
“Hah! Haaah!”
Kim Hanbyeol was breathing heavily, curled up and trembling, but seemed mostly okay.
An Sol’s condition, however, looked more serious. Lee Yoo-jung was patting her back vigorously, but An Sol was lying face down, retching repeatedly—she must have swallowed a lot of water near the end. I hurried over, placed my hand on her back, and summoned Hwa-jeong’s power. This time, Hwa-jeong lent her strength without complaint. An Sol’s entire body was instantly engulfed in a clear, fiery glow.
Ssshhh!
Hwa-jeong’s power was strong as ever. Moisture evaporated in an instant, color returned to her pale face, and her clothes began to dry. I thought that was enough, but I didn’t remove my hand. I kept pouring energy into her until she calmed down.
“Huuuh! Huh, haaah…”
Maybe the power was working well—An Sol’s trembling gradually subsided.
“You okay?”
Under countless worried gazes, An Sol nodded and then smiled at me.
“Yes, I’m okay, oppa. …I’m sorry, and thank you.”
She said that, then staggered to her feet.
Honestly, I was surprised. I’d expected her to break down crying and cling to me, but instead, she forced a smile and stood on her own. Was this really An Sol?
“I’m, I’m really okay.”
Her breathing was still unsteady, but sensing my gaze, she kept reassuring me. For some reason, I felt a little grateful.
“Clan Lord.”
Just as the situation settled, Ha Seung-woo approached.
“It seems the Clan Lord was right after all.”
He pointed straight ahead. Only then did I have the chance to look around.
Ahead stretched a corridor made of ice. At its end stood statues carved to resemble animals, also made of ice. Beyond that, a stunning building reminiscent of a temple came into view.
Seeing the modestly sized ice temple, my fist clenched instinctively.
We had finally found the true Shrine Song.
“Wow, this is seriously killing me. But what… what kind of place is this exactly?”
Jegal Haesol twisted her soaking wet robe, marveling.
—The Divine Realm.
The answer came from Hwa-jeong.
‘The Divine Realm?’
—Yes. Now I understand. This is exactly…
At that moment—
Aaaah, aaaah, aaaah!
Suddenly—
No, nooooooo!
A pitiful, desperate scream echoed all around.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
The next chapter contains some rather brutal scenes that may upset some readers. If you prefer to avoid such content, I recommend skipping those parts. Thank you for your understanding. (__)