What level is the Northern Continent at right now?
If we consider the continent as a whole, it’s safe to say that most of the potential gains from the old Northern Continent have already been realized. The major city of Barbara, as well as the general cities—Prinsica, Halo, Monica, and Pamela—have all achieved a remarkably high degree of stabilization. The small northern town of Mule is lagging behind somewhat, but that’s understandable since it borders an unexplored region.
The situation in the new Northern Continent, Atlanta, is much the same. After conquering the Steel Mountains and breaking through the Warp Gate, not only the vanguard but also the majority of combat users from the old Northern Continent have moved over. Building on their experience from the Northern Continent and the Steel Mountains campaign, exploration activities are more active than ever. It’s still too early to call it fully stabilized, but the speed at which they’re approaching that point is undeniably accelerating.
What about the “fortresses”? Using the central administrative body that manages the central city as a reference, the eastern city is controlled by the Istanbul Low Clan, the western city by the (old) Northern Alliance, the southern city by the Mercenary Clan, and the northern city by the Hamill Clan.
The deep-seated animosity and rivalry between clans is a thing of the past. Since the rise of the Mercenary Clan and the establishment of the central administrative body, relations between the cities have improved beyond comparison with the past. Unless the world turns upside down, Hamill and Mercenary won’t turn their backs on each other. Istanbul Low has maintained a consistently friendly relationship with the Mercenary Clan since its inception, and the old Northern Alliance hasn’t taken any particularly exclusionary actions.
And the “internal situation”? Development is going quite well. Not only the four outer cities but also the inner city have completed their development. The once dilapidated and shabby exterior from the first discovery has vanished, replaced by a neatly organized new city. The more solid the basic infrastructure, the easier it is for users to carry out other activities.
Putting all this together, it’s fair to say that the Northern Continent currently has the capacity to stabilize Atlanta—and is growing stronger by the day.
But.
“If you look on the bright side, that’s as far as it goes.”
Bang. A light knock on the desk echoed. Fingers tapped intermittently on the surface, like a piano melody. It seemed meaningless at first glance, but it was a habit—a quirk of Kim Yoo-hyun’s when deep in thought.
“If it were just about living comfortably, things aren’t bad right now. But…”
That’s right. If the plan was to live forever on the Hole Plain, the current situation couldn’t be better. But if the ultimate goal is to return to Earth, the story changes. Hearing about past circumstances, Kim Yoo-hyun couldn’t help but feel doubts about the future ahead.
To be blunt, it doesn’t look promising. If it were just a matter of conquest, why hasn’t Kim Soo-hyun brought up the expedition until now? Even if it’s a stretch, once they have the Zero Code, everything would be over. The only conclusion is that they’re simply not ready yet.
And that’s not all. Thinking about the “demons” makes the future even darker. When Kim Soo-hyun mentioned demons, he spoke as if it made his blood run cold. They’re probably no pushovers. Considering all these obstacles, the current situation, and the users from the first cycle, it’s impossible not to worry.
They say a cornered rat will bite the cat. But demons aren’t rats. That’s what makes them terrifying. You can’t even guess what kind of madness they might unleash—and they have the power to make it happen. So when the demons start moving in earnest and clash with us, will the Northern Continent be able to show the strength it had in the first cycle?
The answer is no. If demons appear and become active, it’s likely to be a war, not just an expedition. There’s a huge difference between those two words. The Northern Continent has very little experience acting as a unified group. The campaigns for Barbara, Atlanta, and the war with the allied forces three years ago are too few to count as sufficient experience. Especially after the Steel Mountains campaign, the problems became painfully clear.
“This can’t go on.”
That’s why Kim Yoo-hyun felt an urgent need for change. It was unsettling to just let things drift as they were, and he felt sorry leaving everything to his younger brother, Kim Soo-hyun. At the very least, he—who knew the situation—had to help.
Of course, that didn’t mean he planned to recreate a Warring States period. That would be downright foolish. Since they couldn’t deliberately provoke war, they had to find other ways to maximize combat experience. So when the decision was made to release two-thirds of the records in the secret library, he was secretly pleased. He had worried that Soo-hyun might monopolize the information.
But that alone wasn’t nearly enough. What the Northern Continent needed most right now was a leader—whether a user or a clan—who could take the lead. Someone like the Golden Lion clan lord who led the Barbara campaign years ago. In other words, they needed a focal point.
Plans for this were already somewhat in place. Although Kim Soo-hyun had simply ordered the records in the secret library to be made public without conditions, Kim Yoo-hyun had no intention of doing so so easily. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Moreover, with the Northern Continent’s guardian position vacant, now was the perfect moment.
“I feel a bit sorry for Soo-hyun… but I just can’t think of anyone else.”
Kim Yoo-hyun let out a long sigh. Maybe by offering help, he was just adding more burden. But no matter how much he thought about it, no other user came to mind. Kim Soo-hyun, who had experienced the first cycle firsthand and reached the top, was the best candidate.
The first step toward returning was already ready.
But before that…
“I have to at least set things in motion.”
Maybe the “Glacial Snowfield” had already been conquered in the past. Perhaps they found the records inside the coffin, quietly awakened the woman, and handled what came after. Then, upon returning, they might have deliberately altered the exploration records to prevent the ancient evil god’s resurrection due to someone’s mistake. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain the gap between the records I read and the actual experience.
In any case, the ancient evil god was destroyed, so there’s no need to worry about that. What really matters is how the ancient evil god was resurrected. At first, I thought it was just a mistake by me and Ansol that woke it up. But later, when I checked the achievement reward message, the name “Proserpina” appeared. Of course, I know that name very well. She’s one of the 14 demon lords under Lucifer. How could I not know? They probably used Proserpina as a sacrifice to bring about the ancient evil god’s resurrection.
That’s why my head aches. Using one of the 14 demon lords as a sacrifice means they’re pushed to the brink. But that doesn’t mean we can just relax.
“One thing to always remember: the future never unfolds as you expect.”
“Not to mention the ancient evil god, even I couldn’t avoid their grasp and ended up moving according to their will.”
“Can anyone guarantee that something similar won’t happen again, somewhere, sometime?”
“But at least, we can prepare.”
A hundred percent true. Maybe thanks to Ansol’s luck, if we hadn’t opened the box, we wouldn’t have dreamed of this. As Gehenna said, next time they might act somewhere beyond my control. That’s probably what she meant by saying the future can’t be twisted—and why she warned us to prepare.
Still, when I try to prepare, I can’t shake this overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Just look at the comprehensive sparring match from a few days ago. I gave out the Awakening Secret Class to improve skills, but they actually got worse. If we face demons like this? No, even the highest-ranked demons would be tough. Maybe we could barely handle mid- or high-level demons.
“Huuuuu…”
Honestly, it’s not just my clan’s problem. Objectively speaking, even ‘Peerless’ Gong Chan-ho, ‘Iron-Blooded Queen’ Han So-young, and ‘Thunder God’ Hyung wouldn’t be the same as before. Gains come with losses. We may have gained time, but I regret skipping the Warring States period.
Anyway, whether it’s equipment, elixirs, or classes, all are good, but what we need most is real combat experience—desperately. I wish hundreds of demons or at least similar monsters would just fall from the sky. Then we could gain valuable battle experience.
“That’s not going to happen.”
I chuckled and slowly got up. Glancing outside, the sun was already starting to set. No point in worrying any longer. Though it was a bit early, I headed out the door toward the underground aerial bathhouse. I’d been moving a lot during sparring lately, and sweating it out in hot water always clears my cluttered mind.
But then.
“……”
Just as I undressed and stepped into the bathhouse, I froze. Someone was already there. In the steam-filled, misty water, Jeong Ha-yeon was staring at me with wide eyes. I hadn’t expected anyone to be here at this hour. Come to think of it, I’d heard she often used the bathhouse to improve her affinity with water.
“Soo-hyun…?”
Her voice brought me back to my senses.
“How…?”
“Sorry. I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
“Oh, no, it’s my fault. I’ve been using it exclusively lately…”
“It’s fine. It’s part of my training. Anyway, sorry to disturb you.”
Just as she said that and was about to turn away with a hint of regret,
“Ah. Well, you can just come in…”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Really?”
I strode forward and plunged straight into the same bath. Judging by the bewildered look in Jeong Ha-yeon’s eyes, I figured she was just humoring me out of politeness. Still, since we’d seen everything there was to see by now, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Uh, uh-huh…”
…Apparently, it was a problem after all. A long silence stretched between us as Ha-yeon sank deeper into the water, occasionally covering her chest with her hands, clearly unsure of what to do. The bath’s warmth had flushed her cheeks a soft pink. It was a perfectly natural reaction, but seeing her shy and unable to meet my gaze felt strangely refreshing. At least she seemed far more normal than Seonyul, Lee Yoo-jung, or Jegal Haesol.
Was it because I was looking at Ha-yeon? Or maybe the hot water was melting away my tension, calming my restless mind. Without realizing it, I spoke up.
“By the way, how’s your progress with summoning spirits?”
“Huh? Oh, spirits?”
“Yes. I heard from Sarah that you managed to summon a lower-tier spirit ahead of schedule. She seemed pretty frustrated about it.”
“Oh… you’ve already heard? It’s really nothing special.”
Ha-yeon smiled gently but answered modestly.
“If you’re curious, would you like me to show you?”
Maybe she was glad I was interested. The awkward atmosphere that had lingered between us eased a bit. Ha-yeon’s demeanor shifted slightly. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with anticipation as she asked. I smiled back and nodded, and she quietly began chanting a spell.
Vwoooosh!
Moments later, the bathwater rippled and rose, forming a shape. About the size of an adult man’s forearm, it gradually took the form of a mermaid—upper body a woman’s, lower body a fish’s tail. A shimmering blue mermaid, soft and jelly-like in texture but undeniably beautiful. Judging by its size, it seemed to be an intermediate-level spirit. I’d seen plenty of water spirits before, but summoning an intermediate one, not just a lower-tier, genuinely impressed me.
“That’s amazing. It doesn’t look like a low-tier spirit at all.”
“Hehe. Actually, it’s an intermediate spirit. Please keep that a secret from Sarah.”
Ha-yeon winked as she gently stroked the spirit, which stared blankly back at her. Then, suddenly, it threw itself into her arms, nuzzling her face affectionately. They looked very close.
I clicked my tongue in amazement. Truly astonishing. Sarah, who was well-versed in fire magic and had help from Gehenna and me, still struggled with summoning. Yet Ha-yeon had succeeded alone in summoning an intermediate spirit. I knew she was familiar with water magic, but how much effort had she poured into this? I couldn’t even guess.
“Ha-yeon, you really are a genius at hard work.”
“I can’t agree with the genius part, but working hard is just natural.”
“Hm?”
“You’re Suhyun, the one who trusted me from the start. How could I just settle for less? That would be a betrayal.”
“A betrayal?”
“Ah… maybe that sounded a bit harsh.”
Just then—
“Suhyun, you know…”
She hesitated, then took a deep breath.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a genius. That term suits someone like Haesol better.”
Hmm. Jegal Haesol was indeed an exceptional mage. I leaned back and asked,
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know when it started… but at some point, I realized I’d hit a wall. My knowledge of ancient magic was severely lacking. Without books to study from, I felt completely lost.”
“Why is that…”
“But Haesol… well, he’s a zero-year user who’s creating magic on his own. Watching that amazed me.”
“Hmm.”
“To be honest, while I was wandering aimlessly, I started feeling a bit hopeless. I thought maybe the Blue Moon’s mage should have been someone like him, not me.”
The conversation suddenly deepened. I didn’t change the subject but simply nodded along. Ha-yeon’s calm voice felt like a confession, as if she was unburdening herself.
“So that’s why you asked for the water crystal?”
“Yes. I wanted to find a breakthrough with spirits. But honestly, it was greedy. A secret dual class? I probably didn’t get much support.”
“…”
“But you trusted me and allowed it. Even if I didn’t show it outwardly, inside…”
Ha-yeon trailed off. To lighten the mood, I joked,
“That must have felt good. It’s always exciting when a user inherits a new class. Haha.”
“No, more than that, it was terrifying. That’s why I threw myself into it with everything I had. If I failed again, I thought I didn’t deserve to stand by your side.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the chest. Why did my breath catch so suddenly?
“Ha-yeon, don’t say things like that…”
“Hehe. I just mean that’s how desperate I was.”
She brushed it off lightly, her voice returning to its clear tone. Then, suddenly, she lifted the spirit high. The spirit wagged its tail happily.
“I’ve gone on and on, but really… I just wanted to repay you somehow, Suhyun. That’s what mattered most.”
Repay… huh.
“I originally planned to summon a top-tier spirit to show you…”
I lowered my gaze slightly, and her wise, confident eyes met mine again. She’d regained her old sharpness. Beautiful.
A brief silence passed.
But soon enough,
“Still, seeing you pleased makes me happy too.”
Ha-yeon smiled with a clarity I hadn’t seen in nearly a year.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Yes, starting from the next chapter, we’ll enter a new episode. It will likely be the final story arc of the Northern Continent before the tale of the Southern Continent and the demons begins. :)
P.S. Below is the player information for Jin Suhyun, as requested by Seokyangs.
Name: Jin Suhyun (3rd Year)
Class: Spell Sniper (Secret, Spell Sniper, Master)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: S Zero)
True Name & Nationality: Like the wind that slips through the net • Republic of Korea
Gender: Male (27)
Height & Weight: 181.2 cm • 78.6 kg
Personality: Hot-blooded • Fool
[Strength 92 (+2)] [Endurance 87] [Agility 96] [Stamina 89 (+4)] [Magic Power 93 (+2)] [Luck 88]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
<Achievements (4)>
<Unique Ability (1/1)>
<Special Ability (1/1)>
<Potential Abilities (3/3)>
Close Combat (Rank: A Plus Plus Plus)
Sword That Sings of Victory (Rank: C Plus)
Sword That Shadows the Flight of Magic (Rank: C Plus)
Before: [Strength 91 (+2)] [Endurance 85] [Agility 96] [Stamina 86 (+4)] [Magic Power 92 (+2)] [Luck 87] (Total: 537)
After: [Strength 92 (+2)] [Endurance 87] [Agility 96] [Stamina 89 (+4)] [Magic Power 93 (+2)] [Luck 88] (Total: 545)
<Divine Power (1)>
(An anti-demon ability that automatically activates against magical attacks.
It guarantees 100% defense against magic cast with magic power 75 or below.
It reduces magic damage by 80% if magic power is 85 or below.
It reduces magic damage by 50% if magic power is 90 or below.)