Chapter 62

Jun-sang’s Efficiency and a New Skill

Jun-sang began to quickly process the quest information Henes had gathered, one by one. As with most sub-quests, there was a variety of requests, from trivial matters to quite perplexing ones, but Jun-sang carried out all of them silently, without a change in expression. After completing all twelve quests, the light of a level-up once again enveloped his body and vanished.

“Oh…”

Henes’s father, Jester, was already astounded by Jun-sang’s ability to quickly handle tasks by summoning spirits and large wolves. Now, seeing him suddenly enveloped in a soft white light after completing everything, Jester could no longer deny Jun-sang’s “prophecy.”

“Assemble the elders immediately.”

“Yes!”

The Elder Council. This was a gathering of the prominent figures of the Brea family and the heads of families that had branched off from it. Normally, their role was merely to foster camaraderie, but in times of emergency like this, they served as a beacon, guiding Iberia’s future. The news that his father had finally convened the Elder Council immediately reached Henes.

“It’s done! Father is convening the Elder Council!”

“…”

Henes joyfully informed Jun-sang, but he was preoccupied testing the effect of a newly drawn skill card, so he merely nodded vaguely.

Card Info:

• Name: Psychokinesis
• Level: 1Lv
• Experience: 0
• Grade: Uncommon
• Category: Skill
• Growth: Normal (Medium)
• Attribute: None
• Effect: Moves 1 light object within a 10-meter radius.
• Cost: 15
• Seed: 2 slots

“Hmm…”

Although it only moved light objects within a 10-meter radius, it was a highly versatile skill for Jun-sang, who had no other ranged attack abilities aside from throwing stones or using spirits. Jun-sang was particularly concentrating on practicing the technique of pulling distant enemies towards him. There were other ways to utilize it, but due to the skill’s low grade and level, precise control of the force was impossible, so these remained mere thoughts. Even this simple practice of pulling a distant pebble with psychokinesis would go awry three or four times out of ten, so what more could be said?

Henes pouted again at Jun-sang’s focus on training, despite her excitement at bringing the news, and his lack of proper response. “Aren’t you worried?”

When Henes asked again, Jun-sang finally spoke. “What if I worry?”

“What?”

“Does anything change if I worry?”

“Well…”

“Or do you mean I should take the lead and guide them?”

Henes tilted her head at Jun-sang’s words and asked, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Me?” Jun-sang looked back at Henes and said, “I’ve never commanded an army, nor do I have the ability to.”

“Then…”

“I don’t know what will happen later, but right now, the only thing I can do is crush the enemy before me. Just that one thing.”

“…”

If a strong army led by an unskilled commander were to face a weak army led by a skilled commander, which side would win? It’s a common saying that in most such situations, the weak army led by a skilled commander would prevail. Of course, Jun-sang’s personal power was unparalleled and very special, but that was individual power, unrelated to commanding an army. In a situation like this, where the enemy’s scale was unknown, relying solely on his power and entrusting him with troop deployment would be tantamount to suicide.

Henes understood what Jun-sang was saying, but she couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied. It was as if she had been unfairly deprived of her moment in the spotlight. So she just kicked at a garden stone, and then Jun-sang’s voice continued.

“Have the people not returned yet?”

“No.”

While solving the sub-quests, Jun-sang had instructed Henes to send people to strategic locations like scattered villages, estates, and gates near Iberia to ascertain the surrounding situation. If the enemy was less than three days away, some nearby villages or estates might have already been attacked. If confirmed, there would be no need to question the credibility of Jun-sang’s words, and it would also be possible to advance and strike the enemy in their direction of progression. It was for this very reason that Jun-sang was still whiling away his time practicing skills at the Brea family mansion. However, Henes, who saw through Jun-sang’s intentions, couldn’t help but worry.

“Are you going alone…?”

“Of course.”

Henes sighed deeply at Jun-sang’s matter-of-fact reply. She knew he was strong enough, but Henes, whose heart was unconsciously leaning towards Jun-sang, was frustrated by her inability to dissuade him. As Henes fell silent, the atmosphere between them grew awkward again.

The Valley of Bidan and a Swift Departure

How much time passed? Suddenly, a servant rushed into the garden and delivered news to Henes. “We found them!” Henes was startled by the servant’s shout and quickly got up from the garden stone.

“Where?”

“Half a day’s journey from the Bidan Valley Gate!”

“Have you told Father?”

“Yes! Someone went immediately, so by now…”

Jun-sang, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, slowly composed himself and asked Henes, “Where is Bidan Valley?”

“It’s a gate about a day’s walk north from here. It’s the northernmost of the three gates between Iberia and the Forbidden Forest.”

“Can I get a simple map?”

Henes replied awkwardly to Jun-sang’s question, “Well… sharing maps requires the administrator’s permission.”

“I don’t need a precise map. A simple sketch is enough.” Given the local technology level, a precise map was indeed difficult to expect, and for Jun-sang, who had a minimap, a rough sketch allowing him to identify approximate locations via landmarks was sufficient.

“If that’s the case… I can draw it for you.” Henes was about to instruct the servant to bring paper and writing tools, but Jun-sang raised his hand to stop her and took out his cabinet from his inventory. From it, he pulled out a notebook and a ballpoint pen he had stored while organizing his home.

“Use this.”

As Jun-sang showed her how to use the ballpoint pen, Henes was surprised by its smooth writing feel. She quickly sketched the path to Bidan Valley in the notebook, adding explanations. “If you go straight in this direction, you’ll pass two small villages. From here, if you go for a few more hours at this fork, you’ll see the gate at the entrance to the valley.” Henes, who had been explaining while placing the notebook on a small garden stone, diligently explained and then looked up, startled to realize Jun-sang’s face was right in front of hers, causing her to quickly lower her head.

“I see.” Jun-sang tore the sketch from the notebook and put it away. He then lightly patted Henes’s head, which was flushed to her ears and flustered, saying, “Thank you.”

“Oh, no. Not at all…” Seeing Henes’s flustered reaction to his hand on her head, Jun-sang found himself unconsciously smiling gently at the cute brown-haired young lady. However, Henes, unaware of the expression on Jun-sang’s face, was too busy trying to calm her pounding heart.

“Be careful. Don’t get hurt by rushing.”

“What?” Even in her disoriented state, Henes realized the nuance in his words and was startled. “J-just a moment. Are you really going there alone…?”

Jun-sang calmly told her, “I told you earlier.”

“What…”

“The only thing I can do is crush the enemy before me.”

“Ah…”

“Now that the enemy has appeared, I will simply go and fight.” Henes, flustered, tried to speak again. “B-but…”

However, Henes could say no more. Jun-sang had pulled her head towards him and lightly kissed her forehead.

“…”

Jun-sang quietly said, looking at Henes, who had frozen at his sudden action, “I’ll be back.”

With those words, Jun-sang immediately began to run towards Bidan Valley, swiftly leaping over the mansion wall and disappearing from Henes’s sight. Henes stared blankly at his retreating figure, then slowly touched her forehead with her hand. For a long time, she replayed the fleeting touch of his lips and the soft whisper.

As Jun-sang passed through Iberia’s city gate, he immediately activated a skill. “Open Sprint.” Immediately, his body accelerated like a flash of light, vanishing from the sight of the people passing through the gate.

“W-what was that just now…?”

“W-well… it was so sudden…”

While the guards were having such bewildered conversations, Jun-sang was sprinting north, following the sketch Henes had drawn, towards the Bidan Valley Gate.

“Hah… hah…”

A thick shimmering heat began to rise from his body like smoke. No, not just his body. A stream of white smoke was also erupting from his mouth, like the exhaust from a steam locomotive chimney. It was a sprint befitting the description of a runaway human locomotive. At the extreme speed the human body could achieve, Jun-sang quickly traversed the highway connecting Iberia and Bidan. According to the servant’s report, the enemy’s location was about half a day’s journey from Bidan, and considering the distance between Bidan and Iberia, he needed to reach the valley as quickly as possible.

Beyond the gate lay an open field. If that gate were breached, the enemy could advance unimpeded all the way to Iberia. Jun-sang swiftly passed a small village. The residents of the small village, perhaps only ten households strong, were terrified by Jun-sang’s appearance—blue light flashing in his eyes, white smoke billowing from his body as if he were on fire—and quickly got out of his way.

“W-what was that just now?”

“W-well… it looked like a person…”

After passing another small village in this manner, the silhouette of a large forest gate finally appeared in Jun-sang’s sight. Jun-sang, as if pulled in an instant, surged towards the gate with explosive power, easily leaping over its walls, which were only two or three meters high.

“Eek!” A guard on top of the gate, who had been nervously gazing at the Forbidden Forest, shrieked in surprise as something dark suddenly leaped up beside him. Too startled, the guard stumbled backward and fell on his backside. He quickly scrambled to his feet, pointing his spear at Jun-sang. He resembled a human, but the blue light flashing in his eyes and the white smoke billowing from his body like a fire made him feel utterly unlike a person. But Jun-sang merely kept his gaze fixed on the Forbidden Forest, ignoring the guard beside him.

Soon, other guards approached on the gate wall, surrounding Jun-sang. “Wh-who are you! Identify yourself!”

But Jun-sang, at that very moment, was preoccupied with checking the hidden quests that had suddenly begun to fill his left vision and minimap.