In the southwest of the Eastern Continent lay a small town shaped roughly like a rhombus, its four walls of nearly equal length. Though modest in size, given the level of development on the Eastern Continent, the sturdy-looking walls seemed sufficient to serve their purpose.
To put it plainly, this place was a city of beginnings. Every continent had its own—where the first users had set foot on the whole plain and, over many years, steadily expanded their influence. In other words, it was a kind of stronghold. Yet today, an unusual tension hung thickly over the fortress.
In the dim early dawn, hundreds of shadows lined the frost-covered walls. Without a doubt, these were users from the Eastern Continent. Having received news of the Southern Continent’s advance through angels, they had hurriedly taken up defensive positions.
Just on the western wall alone stood hundreds of men, and below the walls, more than twice that number waited. All of them stood rigid, eyes sharp and tense, like soldiers bracing for a final battle.
But rather than a sense of resolve, it was more accurate to say they were gripped by fear. Most trembled, struggling to hold back the dread creeping over them.
Leaning against the wall, a man let out a deep sigh. His gentle eyes marked him as a handsome figure.
“Are they really coming…?”
Muttering to himself, he turned his neck left and right, stealing glances beyond the wall. Beside him, a tall woman with neatly arranged black hair perched on the battlement, gazing into the distance.
Compared to the grim faces around her, she stood out. Beyond her striking beauty, her white blouse and voluminous red skirt, tied at the sleeves with cords, gave her the air of a shrine maiden.
Most notably, while the others wore hardened expressions, she alone looked out with a calm, almost serene face.
After a long silence, the man finally spoke quietly.
“Why don’t you come down?”
The woman blinked in surprise and turned to look at him. He kept his gaze fixed ahead as he continued.
“I’ll stay here. You go down and control the warp gate. If things go south, we’ll need to retreat.”
For a moment, she said nothing. Then, folding her legs neatly, she lightly jumped down inside the wall. But instead of heading for the stairs, she slowly raised her arm, pointing forward.
“They’re coming.”
Her voice was as quiet and still as the dawn itself. The place she indicated was so far away the sky met the horizon.
Following her finger, the man’s eyes suddenly widened.
“What did you say?”
“They’re coming.”
The repetition, as if chasing a fleeting cloud, irritated him. He squinted, staring intently ahead. Placing his hands on the cold bricks, he scanned the surroundings carefully.
But there was nothing in sight—only the sun climbing high, scattering warm light over the empty plains. Nothing else.
Except for one odd thing: a faint wisp of dust, barely visible, drifting in the distance. He watched for a long moment, then tilted his head in doubt.
The woman blinked slowly twice, her voice heavy with sleep.
“Death… yes, death is coming.”
“Akino. I know your class, but given the situation, can you be more specific? I don’t see anything.”
Unable to hold back, he voiced his frustration. But Akino remained silent, her gaze fixed ahead.
The man grimaced, clicking his tongue, then turned away. That’s when it happened.
A sudden, fierce roar swept around the fortress, louder than any wind. The clear sky darkened rapidly, clouds rolling in like a storm.
Though the sky didn’t blacken instantly, it was fast enough to unsettle the users on the walls. Murmurs spread like wildfire, and the entire fortress erupted into chaos.
Then, a thunderous roar tore through the heavens.
The sky was literally ripping apart. The gathering storm clouds split open like a beast’s gaping maw, and through the gap descended a massive black sphere—so enormous it seemed capable of swallowing the sun itself.
But that wasn’t all. The sphere radiated a strange, almost hypnotic pull, a suffocating pressure filled with malevolent energy that pressed down on every body.
Fully revealed, the black orb accelerated downward, as if intent on smashing the fortress to pieces.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Eeeeeek!”
Unable to withstand the terrifying force, screams erupted from somewhere. After all, this was only a recently conquered large city—who had ever seen an attack like this? The unprecedented sight naturally threw the users into panic.
By then, the black sphere had gained terrifying speed.
“Scatter!”
The man shouted desperately, staring at the impossible scene.
But it was far too late. The sphere, belching thick smoke, slammed into the wall. The users, crushed by the overwhelming pressure, could barely stand. They could only watch with shadowed eyes as the orb descended like a deadly projectile.
Moments later—
Flash!
A massive explosion shattered the silence, shaking the earth and sky.
As the sun slowly rose, brightening the eastern sky, we finally witnessed the fruits of our all-night march. It had been three weeks since we left behind the endless grasslands, the soggy marshes, and the rolling hills—what Huh Jun-young called “Im Hanna’s bosom.”
After five long days of relentless marching, we finally faced a dry wasteland stretching out before us.
This was no small feat. We had nearly halved the usual eight-week journey across the continent. Of course, it came at a heavy cost.
Anyway, entering the wasteland brought a definite change—not just in scenery.
If the marshes felt like uncharted territory, from the hills onward, traces of civilization began to appear here and there. The dry wasteland bore clear signs of human hands. In short, we were getting closer to a city. Maybe even near one.
I turned to share the good news but froze. The clan members trailing behind looked like zombies—each with hollow eyes glaring at me as if ready to devour me on the spot. The line was so long I couldn’t see everyone clearly, but the entire relief force shared the same haunted look.
No wonder—they’d been running all night. Even Shin Jae-ryong, who had been sleep-marching, somehow stayed in formation, while Cha Hee-young, cradled in his arms, was completely limp and asleep.
Originally, we planned to rest inside the city once found, but a short break seemed wiser.
Watching Ahn Hyun yawn so widely his mouth nearly split, I spoke up.
“Stop. We’ll rest here for an hour.”
Everyone, exhausted from the ordeal, agreed without hesitation. The clan members halted as if on cue. Those carrying mages and priests simultaneously released their grips.
Thud, thud, thud.
A chorus of small falls and muffled cries followed, like watching a human domino effect.
After a moment, the melee fighters collapsed, groaning as if near death. Occasionally, I caught murmurs of blame directed at me, but I let it slide.
The mages pulled out communication crystals to update the middle and rear guards, while the priests rubbed their eyes and handed out bottled water and snacks.
The archers, having preserved some energy, scattered swiftly to scout and keep watch. After thirty-five days of this, everyone knew what to do.
I sat down where I could, chewing on some dried meat Ansol had brought and drinking water. The cool liquid seeped into my parched body, clearing my mind.
“Ahhh!”
“I think I’m going to live.”
Jin Soo-hyun, who had been so exhausted, let out a triumphant yell as he gulped water, while Lee Yoo-jung coughed but sighed in relief.
Ahn Hyun sat silently, shoulders slumped, head bowed so low I worried he might be dead.
“Hyung.”
Someone called me. It took about ten seconds to realize it was Ahn Hyun. He spoke low, not even looking at me.
“When will this march end?”
“Soon.”
“How many more times do I have to hear ‘soon’?”
“It’s not a lie. You saw it yourself on the way here. Don’t you see the surroundings?”
At that, Ahn Hyun lifted his head sharply. I tossed him the half-full water bottle. To everyone’s surprise, he caught it perfectly with his mouth and tilted his head back, gulping it down. Applause broke out around us.
After finishing, Ahn Hyun spat the bottle out and spoke again. The dead blackness in his eyes flickered with a faint spark of life.
“Phew… So, are we really about to arrive now?”
“Probably?”
“…Wait a minute. You’re not saying we’re going to jump straight into a war as soon as we get there, are you?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
I had a pretty good idea what they were worried about, but I just shook my head lightly.
“Think about it. We left from Dana, a city in the Southeast Continent. So, based on the Eastern Continent, which city would be the closest?”
Looking around, I saw Anhyeon staring at me with a dazed expression. Jinsuhyeon was gazing blankly off into the distance. And for some reason, Uijeong was looking unusually serious.
…This isn’t a hard question at all. Have they lost their minds?
Just as I was starting to feel a little sad, Sin Jaeryong gave a wry smile and raised his hand.
“It would be a city to the northeast, I suppose.”
“Right. Then what about the Southern Continent?”
Sin Jaeryong stroked his chin thoughtfully, then continued with a slightly puzzled look.
“Well, I’d have to run through a few scenarios, but I think they’d consider the city to the southwest the shortest route.”
His guess matched my own. Actually, it was something anyone could predict. So why were they still looking so clueless?
“…By tomorrow at the latest, we’ll get our marching speed back to normal. We’ll rest enough, too. If we’re lucky and spot the city quickly, we might even get a full day off. The Eastern Continent knows we’re coming to save them, so at least they won’t treat us badly.”
In the end, I gave them an explanation that was just right for their level. It worked—those three who had been zoning out suddenly snapped back to life.
“Hyung! Really? We’ll be in the city soon?”
“If you’re lying, I’ll personally drag you off, Maru.”
Anhyeon laughed, tearing off a strip of dried meat. Instead of wasting time responding to such nonsense, I casually glanced to the side. There, Cha Heeyoung had stopped in her tracks, holding a water canteen, her face shocked.
When I looked forward again, Anhyeon was already slipping away silently. And with a demure smile, Cha Heeyoung put a hand to her cheek and started chasing after him with long strides.
Expecting Anhyeon’s screams to soon echo all around, I pulled out a cigarette and took a drag. Just then, from behind me came the sound of hurried footsteps and Sun Yuun’s shout.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------
I was dozing off at my computer with a cigarette in my mouth when suddenly a spark fell onto my chest—disaster struck… ㅜ.ㅠ
And of all places, it slid right inside my tank top, burning and even blistering my skin.
Now there’s a reddish stain just above my sternum, and it stings like crazy. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ