When an expedition ends successfully, it’s only natural for the return journey to feel light and easy.
But this time, it was anything but.
Ever since we escaped the Abyss of Annihilation, I felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails the entire way back to Atlanta. Even when I pretended to have just woken from unconsciousness, the four women only worried about my health and never said a word about anything else. On the surface, nothing seemed different. Yet, every now and then, the back of my head prickled with a strange, subtle sting. Why?
Of course, I knew the reason. Honestly, if I put myself in their shoes, I’d probably be angry too.
On the other hand, when I opened my eyes and glanced at the clan members, I couldn’t help but be surprised. Their clothes were torn to shreds, and from head to toe, they were covered in dust and bodily fluids. It was obvious just how much they’d suffered.
That made me feel even more ashamed. Especially when I stood watch with them, and they said nothing, just stared silently. That quiet gaze was more terrifying than any words. They must have found out what happened.
If only they’d thrown a tantrum or cursed me out—it would have been a relief. Or at least, if they’d just waited quietly, I wouldn’t have felt so embarrassed.
The only small mercy was that Kim Hanbyul and Lee Yujeong, who had also just woken, seemed to sense the situation and stayed quiet.
I endured the silent outcry of the four women, but that wasn’t the only thing that unsettled me.
On the way back to Atlanta, I kept getting this strange feeling. It was as if the atmosphere had shifted completely—like a 180-degree turn.
Drdrdrdr, drdrdrdr…
We had stopped marching to take a short break when I noticed the bushes trembling slightly. The vibrations pulsed rhythmically, starting and stopping.
There was only one meaning to this.
I quietly looked toward the source of the vibrations and stood up.
“Se…”
“About a hundred meters out. Approaching from northwest, 45 degrees.”
Just as I was about to speak, a clear voice beat me to it. Im Hanna was already chewing on some dried meat, grabbing her bow without hesitation. Soon after, Go Yeonju rose from her seat.
“Any other info?”
“The ground-shaking sound is strong, but not as bad as I thought. It feels more like two legs than four.”
“Can two legs cause that much vibration?”
“If they’re excited, maybe. Probably some pretty hungry ones. They’re heading straight toward us.”
I stared at Im Hanna blankly because what she said matched exactly what I was about to say. Go Yeonju nodded and spat out the jerky she’d been chewing.
“Hey, don’t just spit that out.”
“I only sucked the juice. You get sensitive right before a fight.”
As they chatted quietly, the clan members began to rise one by one. Without orders, they took their positions.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Go Yeonju suddenly looked back at me. Was she waiting for instructions?
But even as she asked, the vibrations grew noticeably closer. I said nothing and pointed west. Since we’d already detected them, intercepting was the best option.
Understanding immediately, the two women leapt up and disappeared into the trees in an instant. Go Yeonju melted away like smoke, hiding her body, while Im Hanna perched on a branch, carefully watching ahead.
“Huh? A monster I haven’t seen before?”
A voice came from above after a moment.
“About two meters tall… humanoid… rough skin… eyes blood-red… no weapons. Oh, and there seem to be over thirty of them.”
Since this was still a semi-stabilized area, we had to be prepared for new monsters to appear. Without panicking, we readied ourselves based on the archer’s report.
But why was everyone so calm? Normally, there’d be some commotion by now. This wasn’t the usual expedition crew.
“Let’s see…”
Then, just as a cautious voice spoke, a cluster of arrow-shaped lights flashed and streaked into the forest. A faint scream caught in my heightened hearing. About fifty meters left?
“One down~.”
A gentle voice, oddly out of place, rang out, followed by another flash of light.
“Two down~.”
Flash!
“Three down~.”
After three flashes lit up the scene, the forest ahead began to shake. Soon, the monsters matching Im Hanna’s description appeared in a heap.
Strangely, they didn’t let out their usual monstrous roars. Their blood-red eyes locked on us, and with a fierce snort, they charged blindly. That was the moment.
“Got ‘em?”
Go Yeonju’s languid voice came from somewhere as dark vines suddenly shot up in a wide area. She had calculated their approach and laid down a shadow trap.
The towering shadowy vines transformed into sharp spears, mercilessly piercing the monsters. As their formation broke with mournful screams, I charged forward.
At that moment—
“Huh?”
What was that?
I had planned to rush in head-on, cause chaos, then retreat quickly. The idea was to strike fast, pin them down, and pull back immediately.
But I wasn’t the only one charging.
If I came in diagonally from the left, Jin Suhyun was on the right, and Nam Daeun had somehow circled behind, striking from the rear.
As we cut down the monsters blocking our way and pushed toward the center, the other two arrived inside just like me. It was clear they’d had the same idea and had been watching my moves, waiting for the right moment.
I couldn’t help but think, “Look at that.”
They wanted to coordinate with me? No, they did.
At that moment, I stabbed through the neck of a collapsing monster and brushed past it. Flesh torn by shadows slapped against me.
There was no time to think. As I mechanically slashed through the enraged monsters thrashing in pain, I felt a terrifying flow of magic all around—in the air and from every direction. Swinging my sword wide, I ran back the way I came.
It was much easier to retreat with three of us pushing out at once. Glancing back, I saw Nam Daeun and Jin Suhyun also pulling back immediately.
Once the distance grew, a dazzling display of glowing arrows and multiple spells exploded among the monsters. The area attack swept through them thoroughly, and the rest of the fight went smoothly. The melee fighters, including me, turned back and quickly finished off the wounded or lucky escapees.
When the battle ended in just a few minutes, I looked over my clan members with a new sense of appreciation.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a difficult fight. These monsters were nothing special—just watch out for their melee attacks—and winning was a given. But even an easy match feels different when you win 3-0 versus 1-0 or 2-1.
We didn’t just hold formation and grind them down. Everyone played their role perfectly for the interception. We detected the attack early, successfully provoked and lured them, and the chain starting with Go Yeonju’s trap was excellent. Personally, I’d say it was like winning 5-0, or even 10-0. Though, in a way, that was to be expected.
“Why?”
Did she sense my dazed gaze?
“Got something you want to say?”
Go Yeonju crossed her arms and smiled lazily, giving me a playful wink—as if daring me to share my thoughts.
…Something I want to say?
Actually, I did. I wanted to tell them all they’d done well. Thank them for saving me and living up to expectations.
But I also knew it was too late to say that. And I wasn’t even worthy of saying it.
“…”
Still.
“…It was a good fight.”
I smiled faintly and spoke from the heart.
“A good fight.”
Thanks to Jegal Haesol’s transport ability, we returned to the city in just five days.
Since the expedition had little significance to begin with, there wasn’t much fanfare upon arrival. As usual, we announced individual achievements and happily unpacked the rewards we’d brought back. Among them, Lee Yujeong’s promotion to B-rank was definitely encouraging.
Most importantly, I declared that I would step aside during the reward distribution.
Aside from gold, silver, potions, and herbs, we’d gained a fair amount of equipment from the Abyss of Annihilation. But there was almost nothing I wanted to keep, and even if there was, I had no desire to be greedy. According to the ranking system, I could have claimed first pick, but this time, I wanted to give the hard-working clan members their due.
Maybe because I gave up my share, the four women didn’t bother me as much as I’d feared. They occasionally shot me subtle glances but didn’t make a big deal out of it. At least when it came to work, they kept personal and professional matters separate. (In truth, my anxiety grew day by day. There was no way this would pass quietly—I kept catching them whispering together behind my back.)
Even if I could handle it, I worried about Kim Hanbyul and Lee Yujeong. The four women’s influence was strong, and I feared they might be pressuring them without my knowledge.
But after watching carefully for several days, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They weren’t the type to stoop to such cowardly tactics, and if they had, I wouldn’t have stayed silent either.
Anyway, after finishing up various tasks that needed immediate attention, I contacted my older brother, who was qualified as the client, and told him the mission was complete. But contrary to my expectations, his response was indifferent—just a hollow “Is that so?” and a perfunctory “Good job.”
Right before the call ended, he said we should meet soon, which sparked a vague suspicion in me. Before I could ask what he meant, the connection cut off. I’d heard he’d been pretty busy lately, but I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
Still, that feeling quickly faded as I faced the pile of approvals waiting for me.
First, Jo Seung-woo brought some good news. He’d gotten word that a magical elixir would soon be up for auction in the ‘Night District.’ Apparently, the Shin Koran Union had already secured the item.
Seung-woo went further, saying he’d tried to negotiate directly with the seller to buy it immediately, but the price was outrageously high, so he gave up. That was the end of his report.
It was a shame we couldn’t buy it outright, but even this information was a major win. Normally, any items related to the Night District—auction lists included—are strictly kept from outsiders. The fact that the Shin Koran Union broke their own rule and even allowed us to contact the seller behind the scenes suggested they were considering our situation.
We had obtained one magical elixir during the Abyssal Void expedition, but I decided we should participate in the auction and instructed everyone to secure enough funds. Elixirs that boost stats are always useful, and if used cleverly, it’s even possible to take two at once. Vivian had been struggling with a lack of mana lately, so I personally wanted to solve that problem by aiming for the latter option.
Seung-woo agreed with my reasoning and confidently promised that, thanks to the expedition’s success, our finances were now sufficient to gather the necessary funds.
Of course, this wasn’t the only pressing matter—or the only piece of good news.
After returning from the expedition, another piece of joyful news was waiting for me.