00922 A Poisoned Chalice, Part Two
The moment we left the area conquered by the Hamill expedition, the scenery changed completely. If the borderlands had been a grim forest thick with tension, the valley we were now marching through was filled with clear, fresh air.
Perhaps because the place radiated a sacred aura that naturally instilled reverence, Mar looked around with a bright expression throughout the march. So much so that during a rest, the usually reserved child approached me and asked innocently, “Father, I really like this place. Can I run around for a bit?” Of course, I didn’t allow it—individual actions were strictly forbidden on such a large-scale expedition.
Seeing Mar’s ears droop and his shoulders slump as he turned away disappointed, a thought suddenly struck me. Maybe the regions we’d passed through so far were partial representations of the zones within the Law Territory.
Think about it: the steel-blue and blood-tinted forests, the third rite of passage—the Iron Blood zone; then the sacred valley, the fourth rite—the Holy zone. I hadn’t realized it before, but now it all seemed to connect perfectly.
Still, no matter how noble the place, it was a zone we’d have to conquer eventually—and this valley was no exception. But recalling my past experience, I made a different choice this time.
There were two paths through the valley. If memory served, the main road was blocked by a monster nest—the dominant force in this deep gorge. However, after fully clearing this area before, I’d discovered a narrow side path that skirted the nest.
I chose that side path for this expedition. It was narrower and a bit out of the way, but it greatly reduced the chance of encountering monsters. Since we needed to conserve our strength for the assault on the Temple of Promise, it was the best option.
Of course, these creatures had lived in the valley for ages, so avoiding them entirely was unlikely. They didn’t appear frequently, but every now and then, one would show up—probably drawn by the strange presence of thousands of people moving through their territory.
Each time, I called on Seonyu-yun to quietly snipe the approaching monster. If successful, we’d retrieve the corpse, burn it, and move on swiftly.
Missing even one was unthinkable. If a monster escaped, it would surely lead others from the nest to attack us. Later, following Woo Jung-min’s advice, we formed a sniper team of about ten to prepare for multiple monster appearances.
The expedition itself was an elite group, and from among them, we’d selected archers who could rival the best. The snipers usually met my expectations, but there was one dangerous moment.
It happened while passing through a rough side path. Suddenly, over twenty monsters appeared above the gentle canyon slope.
Half of them charged down at us with guttural cries—easy to dispatch. But the other half panicked at the sight of their comrades being slaughtered and fled.
The snipers quickly pursued and took down most, but the terrain was unfavorable, and two slipped away. One was caught thanks to Ko Yeon-ju’s abilities, but the last one was a problem. It ran in the opposite direction, and even the Shadow Queen couldn’t catch it.
That’s when Seonyu-yun, the “Heavenly Bow,” stepped in. He aimed at the fleeing pale monster but, shaking his head in frustration, sheathed his violet longbow. Then, with a deep sigh, he suddenly fired an arrow straight into the sky.
At first, I thought it was like a frustrated player kicking the ball away after missing a penalty kick. But within seconds, I realized my mistake.
The arrow, which I thought had vanished into the clouds, suddenly reappeared, slicing through the sky in a sharp arc before plunging down and striking the monster’s head like a pinpoint. It was a miraculous shot, like an eagle snatching its prey in an instant. For me, who had been bracing for a tough fight, it was a moment that felt like I’d dodged death by ten years.
Amid the small cheers of the expedition, Seonyu-yun calmly retrieved the corpse and burned it. Curious, I asked about his ability, but he only smiled faintly and said nothing. So I observed through my Third Eye.
Having passed that perilous moment, we resumed our march. Every step was still tense, but the progress was at least twice as smooth as the first time. The goal of “avoiding monster clashes and escaping as quickly as possible” was no longer a dream but becoming reality.
At first, during the first week, there was no sign of anything unusual. But as we neared the second week, I grew more certain. For nearly four days, not a single monster appeared. Considering that before, they showed up every morning and evening, or at least every other day, this was highly unusual.
Not only that, but the surrounding scenery was gradually changing. It wasn’t sudden, but at some point, a mist began swirling at our feet, and the ground felt soft and damp underfoot. The air grew slightly heavy, though it didn’t hinder our march.
As the tension eased, the expedition’s mood relaxed a bit.
“Wow~ Geunwon, Geunwon, what’s this? Target Alignment Two? Wasn’t this an archer’s skill? How can a mage use this?”
“…”
“Huh? This is applied magic… Hey, why are you hiding it? Let me see! Let’s look together, okay?”
“…”
Jegal Haesol tried sneaking a peek at the records Geunwon was studying, but when Geunwon refused to show her, she resorted to odd tactics—blowing breath in her ear, poking her side. But when Heo Jun-young scolded her with a stern look, she sulked and went back to her place.
Geunwon stared coldly at Heo Jun-young, then quietly slid a page of the record over. But Heo Jun-young ignored it and shot a disapproving glare around the room. The whispers and giggles instantly died down.
In the ensuing quiet, I said nothing and walked on silently. Only faint sounds carried by the wind tickled my ears. But as the strange, dreamlike noises continued, I instinctively sharpened my hearing.
There were angry breaths, short sighs, the crunch of gravel underfoot, chirping mountain birds, flowing water, and somewhere, the sound of someone sniffling.
How much time passed, I don’t know.
The sounds faded and returned repeatedly, but the sobbing—the sound of someone crying—never stopped. The surroundings grew even more silent than before.
Feeling something was wrong, I looked around and noticed the mist that had been swirling around my ankles had risen to my chest. Only then did I realize I was trapped in a waking dream.
It was strange. Though the mist blurred my vision, I didn’t feel like I was in an illusionary space. I was still walking through the valley, and though faint, I could sense my companions nearby.
Then, suddenly, a young man crouched on the ground appeared before me.
“This is too much… really too much… you bad woman… bad woman…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. The young man, crouched and wiping away tears pitifully, was familiar. No, that was me from the first expedition.
When was that… Oh, I remember. It was when I hesitated in the square, then eagerly joined the expedition when invited. At first, they treated me well, and I felt proud, but it was all a setup to use me as bait. Barely surviving, I was chased away with only a small amount of silver coins.
Thinking back, I remember how much I resented it. The leader who led the expedition looked at me like I was a bug. I still can’t forget that priestess woman. I wonder what she’s doing now.
Then, that version of me suddenly vanished. Within a second, a new dream appeared—with more characters this time.
“Why won’t you help me!”
“Brother just said it. Don’t you get it yet? It’s definitely Belphegor’s scheme.”
“Enough! I’m going alone! Don’t stop me!”
“Suhyun? Suhyun! Please listen to me…”
There I was, crying with snot and tears, shouting, while my older brother tried to hold me back with a troubled look. Around us, the former Hamill clan members sighed deeply.
Hmm… watching this is so embarrassing. If only I’d held back then, the powerful Hamill clan wouldn’t have been torn apart. That was such a nuisance—no, a disaster. My brother was really a saint.
Still, it’s kind of fascinating. No, maybe I should say nostalgic. Or maybe I’m just envious.
In both dreams, I was crying. Foolish and stupid as I was, that anger and those tears were so human—far more so than I am now.
…Now that I think about it, when was the last time I actually cried? Even if I wanted to cry now, I don’t think I could. Maybe once all this is over, I’ll finally be able to let it out and have a good, cleansing cry.
But who knows? It might not even be possible. Honestly, up until now, I think I’d forgotten how to cry altogether—forgotten what it even means to shed tears.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the third nightmare appeared.
“Su-hyun… Su-hyun…”
Then, a woman with ebony hair and deep, piercing eyes materialized.
“Damn it…”
I muttered under my breath, cursing quietly as I summoned every ounce of strength to activate my third eye. I drew on my magic and stirred the power of the Flower Spirit. No matter what, I never wanted to see that memory again.
Did it work? After a moment, the image of the woman, grinning like a fool, began to fade little by little. The mist that filled my chest remained, though. At this rate, I couldn’t even tell if I was still dreaming or not.
Setting aside how she managed to pierce through my spiritual defenses, I stopped moving. There had to be a reason she appeared just now—there was definitely something behind it.
With that in mind, I sharpened my vision and scanned my surroundings carefully.
And then, it happened.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Thank you all so much for the many comments. (__)
With so many different opinions, there were naturally some disagreements, and I’ve had a lot to think about because of that.
Still, I want to do my best to accommodate as many of your needs as possible.
I’m aiming to take the story in a direction that will satisfy as many readers as I can.
Thank you again.
It’s already July.
I hope everyone has a great start to the month. :D
P.S. I am clearly a fierce, wild, and untamed male bear. Not a female bear. And I’d like to politely decline the nickname “Ungnyeo.” …Well, if you’re ready to face my third great loli war, I’ll gladly accept the challenge. (?)