Chapter 77

A New City, A New Threat

As they emerged onto the main road, the blue expanse of the East Sea immediately greeted them. Earlier, when Jun-sang had walked alone by the sea, it had been heavily fogged and gloomy, but now, with Heness by his side, it was clear as if nothing had happened.

“Ugh…” Heness gasped at the sight of the blue ocean, then shivered as the cold sea breeze blew strongly. Jun-sang, who hadn’t felt the cold much, perhaps due to recently acquiring the Ice Spirit named Snowflake, suddenly realized his oversight. He reached for his parka, then remembered another spirit.

“Breezy, block the wind.”

A current of wind immediately enveloped them, partially blocking the strong sea breeze. It couldn’t completely fend off the fierce ocean wind, likely due to a lack of power, but the incoming gusts were significantly weakened.

“Whew… it’s really cold,” Heness shivered as she put on the parka Jun-sang offered.

“Sea winds are usually quite strong,” Jun-sang replied.

“Ah… is this the sea?”

“Yes, haven’t you seen it before?”

“No. I’ve seen large rivers, though.”

“I see.”

They walked along the coast for a bit, and a row of restaurants lined the roadside came into view. As expected near the sea, most served seafood.

“If this is your first time seeing the sea, you probably haven’t eaten much seafood either.”

“Seafood?”

“Things like fish or clams.”

Heness shook her head. “I’ve eaten fish caught in rivers, but they’re fishy and have too many bones, so I didn’t find them very tasty.”

“Is that so?” Jun-sang looked around briefly. Thinking that strong spices like chili would be difficult for Heness to handle, he opted for a safe choice: a grilled clam restaurant.

As they entered, the owner, an elderly woman, greeted them warmly. “Welcome! Just the two of you?”

“Yes.”

“The wind’s chilly, isn’t it? Oh, this young lady’s cheeks are quite blue. Go sit over there.”

“…” Jun-sang and Heness followed the owner to a table in the back.

“What would you like to eat?”

“What’s good?”

“Sand lance and sailfin goby are in season now. Scallops are delicious too.”

Jun-sang nodded. “Bring us a small portion of each for two. If it’s good, we’ll order more.”

“So, a small portion each of sand lance, sailfin goby, and scallops?”

“Yes, please.”

After taking their order, the owner left, then returned with side dishes, arranging them on the table. Heness was surprised by the noisy diners around them and once again by Jun-sang’s casual conversation with the owner. At least in Heness’s memory, she had never seen Jun-sang speak so many words at once.

Heness cautiously asked Jun-sang, “You… talk well?”

“…” Jun-sang looked at her silently, with an expression that seemed to ask, “What kind of obvious question is that?” Heness pouted and turned her head away with a sulky look.

“Hmph.” Jun-sang chuckled at her expression. He poured some water and placed it in front of her, then spoke. “There’s something I want to hear.”

“…” Heness took a sip of the cool water and then answered Jun-sang’s question. “Well… it was around evening after you suddenly left…”

In a quiet tone, Heness explained what had happened after Jun-sang left the city for the Forbidden Forest. From the Governor’s escape to the appearance of a hundred people with a mysterious light in Ibelua, and Jester allowing them to stay at the Governor’s mansion—Jun-sang briefly heard these events from Heness and fell into thought.

As they sat facing each other in silence, charcoal embers were already glowing in front of them. Red-roed sailfin gobies, large scallops, and pre-grilled sand lances were placed on top, emitting delicious aromas.

“Let’s eat first.”

“Yes.”

Jun-sang first placed a sailfin goby, full of roe bursting out, onto Heness’s plate. Heness looked at the fish on her plate, wondering what to do. Chopsticks and a spoon were placed next to it, but while the spoon was understandable, she had no idea how to use chopsticks.

“You can just pick it up with your hands.”

“With my hands?”

“Yes.”

Heness hesitated, then picked up the well-grilled sailfin goby with her hand and took a bite of the roe-filled part. The savory and mild taste of the goby, along with the popping texture of the roe, illuminated her palate like fireworks.

“Mmm!” Jun-sang watched Heness, whose eyes widened at the unexpected taste and texture. As she swiftly devoured one fish, he placed another sand lance and sailfin goby on her plate and said, “Listen while you eat.”

“…” Heness sucked her fingers, then reached for another sailfin goby but paused at Jun-sang’s words, stopping her hand. Jun-sang gave a wry smile at her cautious glance and said, “I’ll tell you how you ended up here.”

“…” Heness looked at Jun-sang with a serious expression. Jun-sang met her gaze and slowly began to speak.

“I can’t freely travel back and forth between your world. Going, coming, and even fighting are all practically forced upon me.”

“Forced…” Jun-sang pushed a sizzling scallop, which was starting to cook, to the side and continued. “I told you earlier, didn’t I? About people suddenly appearing in the city.”

“Yes.”

“You must have also seen the people who brought you from the Forbidden Land suddenly disappear.”

“I did.”

“You can think of me as no different.”

“…” Heness realized through those few words. This was the reason he hesitated to form relationships with others. She didn’t fully understand it, but she had already keenly felt that Jun-sang was always in the midst of blood and slaughter during her journey to find him in the Forbidden Land. Of course, Jun-sang possessed formidable strength, enough not to be easily defeated by anyone, but that didn’t necessarily guarantee victory. Dying in battle was inevitable. At least then, one could resign oneself to it as their fate. The problem was the pain left behind for those who remained. He wasn’t avoiding people. Perhaps he was afraid of the responsibility he would incur by befriending them.

Jun-sang saw Heness’s darkened expression and continued with a wry smile. “You don’t need to look so serious.”

“But…” Heness tried to say something, but Jun-sang shook his head and changed the subject.

“What’s important is your current situation.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” Jun-sang took a sip of water, as if his throat was dry, and slowly said, “As I told you, I can’t freely come and go from that place. I go when summoned, and I return when the task is done.”

“Then…”

“That’s right. When you came looking for me, I was in a situation where I had to return immediately. Just like those people who returned before me.”

“…”

“My returning alone wasn’t the problem. But if that happened, you would have been left alone in that deep place called the Forbidden Land. Of course, if you had the ability to return home by yourself from there, or at least wait for someone who might come looking for you, this situation wouldn’t have happened. But that wasn’t the case, so I had no choice but to use any available method.”

Heness, who had been calmly listening to Jun-sang’s explanation, pointed to the leather necklace around her neck and asked, “Is that… this necklace?”

Jun-sang nodded at Heness’s words. “That’s right.”

“What… is this?”

“As long as that is worn, the creature is bound to me. In other words, when I return here, I can bring you with me instead of leaving you there.”

“…” Heness looked a little surprised. Jun-sang saw this and spoke again.

“I apologize for not telling you beforehand. But the time remaining was tight, so it wasn’t a situation for a long explanation, and explaining it would have made the process even more complicated. Besides, I didn’t have any other options.”

“…” Yes, this was Jun-sang. He always found the most effective and fastest way, no matter the situation. It was no wonder “just the gist” was his catchphrase. In a way, the fact that he was telling her so much at length was already unusual for him, Heness knew.

“I can’t promise anything, as I don’t know when I’ll be called back there again. But, Delodran, was it? If a way to return to that country arises, I will take responsibility and safely return you home. This much, I promise clearly.”

But Heness only nodded silently with a somber expression, not replying. Their conversation ended there. After eating half-heartedly, they left the restaurant and quietly began walking along the coastal road. Jun-sang felt a pang of sadness seeing Heness’s persistent silence since the restaurant.

After walking silently along the coastal road for a long time, the two headed to a nearby motel as dusk fell. Jun-sang first unsummoned Heness outside, then entered the room and resummoned her.

“Wash up first.”

“Yes…” Heness replied, still with a somber expression, then entered the bathroom to wash herself.

“Huuuh…” Heness sighed deeply again, watching the hot water fill the bathtub. She was a little surprised when she heard she was bound to Jun-sang, but since it wasn’t done with malice and was for her own rescue, she didn’t feel bad about it. Objectively, the cause of all these events was ultimately her own reckless venture into the dangerous Forbidden Land, so there was no one to blame. But despite that, why did a corner of her heart feel a sense of disappointment? Was it because the words she had so surely thought were a confession were, in fact, not? Or was it disillusionment with herself for caring only about his feelings, not even her family who might be worrying in this situation? Heness sighed deeply, silently watching the water fill the bathtub.

It was at that moment. Jun-sang burst into the bathroom. Heness, startled, tried to get up but slipped on the bathroom floor and fell.

“Kyaa!” Just as she squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the pain, strong arms embraced her. Heness cautiously opened her eyes, and Jun-sang immediately spoke.

“Heness.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll have to go inside for a moment.”

“What do you mean…” Jun-sang looked at Heness’s bewildered face and said with a grim expression, “I’ve been called back to that place.”

“…” Only then did Heness understand why Jun-sang had rushed into the bathroom. “Then… do we have to part now?”

“…” Jun-sang didn’t reply, but Heness soon smiled with a bitter expression and said, “Alright. It’s okay, so don’t worry and do as you need to.”

“…” Jun-sang silently nodded at Heness’s attempt to sound cheerful, then unsummoned her.

“Huuuh…” Jun-sang let out a light sigh, opened the cabinet, took out his combat attire, and quickly put it on. Then, he immediately left the room. The innkeeper looked puzzled at Jun-sang’s hasty departure after just arriving, but didn’t call him back.

Jun-sang left the inn and entered a secluded alley. After a short wait, he was teleported for the quest with a flash of light. The first sound Jun-sang heard the moment the teleportation ended was a scream.

“Aaaargh!”

Immediately, gunshots and artillery fire followed. Jun-sang was momentarily flustered by the chaotic noise, reminiscent of an Earth battlefield.

“This is…” Jun-sang first looked around. Unfamiliar architectural structures entered his sight. Did Earth have such architectural styles?

But before he could make any judgment, the quest list appeared in his vision.

Defend the city from the Dark Forces.

:A mighty army of darkness is advancing towards the trade city of Belkaras. Stop their invasion. (Time remaining until invasion: 0 hours 0 minutes)

[This quest involves a large number of participants simultaneously.]

(Hidden) Eliminate General Saphatan. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

(Hidden) Eliminate Royal Guard Captain Tashas. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

(Hidden) Eliminate 10 Snake-headed Shamans. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

(Hidden) Eliminate Supply Captain Huka. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

(Hidden) Eliminate Assault Captain Amungan. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

(Hidden) Eliminate Reconnaissance Captain Ashdal. (Cooperation)

->Incomplete

It wasn’t an Epic Quest, but its contents were eerily similar, like a carbon copy. The only differences were the names of the boss-level individuals and the name of the invaded city, which was Belkaras instead of Ibelua.

Jun-sang was about to leave the alley when he suddenly saw a red marker appear nearby on his mini-map.

“Kyaaa!”

But the quest marker disappeared again with a woman’s piercing scream from close by. He had seen this phenomenon before.

“Already… inside?” Jun-sang quickly braced himself against a nearby wall and leapt onto a rooftop, looking around. Sure enough. Something ghost-like flickered into view from between the shadows, stabbed a nearby person to death, and then vanished again.

“Reconnaissance Captain Ashdal.” Similar combat patterns to Scout Captain Grunwal. But it felt different from simple invisibility. Of course, Jun-sang already had two solutions for this. Jun-sang first pulled out the easiest method to use.

“Wolf Pack.”

As his words fell, three massive wolves appeared with a flash of white light.

“Find them!”

The wolves immediately leaped from the rooftop at Jun-sang’s command and began searching for the enemy’s location. But before the wolves could even pinpoint the location, a small-statured being, as if mocking them, appeared from the darkness. It was the dog-headed monster he had seen in the mine before.

–Hehehe!

As Ashdal, holding a long, blood-stained iron skewer, appeared, the wolves immediately charged. But Ashdal, as if scoffing at the wolves, immediately vanished into the darkness. The wolves merely ran around the spot where he had disappeared, unable to properly locate him. Jun-sang saw this and realized. The ability he possessed wasn’t the same as Grunwal’s invisibility.

Just as he suspected. Ashdal appeared like a ghost behind the Timber Wolf, which was diligently sniffing the ground. The Timber Wolf immediately tried to turn, but Ashdal’s attack was faster.

–Woof woof woof!

And then, a message followed.

Warning!

: ‘Timber Wolf’ has taken severe damage and has been forcibly unsummoned.

Due to forced unsummoning, ‘Timber Wolf’ cannot be resummoned for 1 day.

-Be careful, as forced unsummoning of a summoned creature may rarely result in the card being destroyed.

And, the moment Jun-sang frowned at the forced unsummoning of the Timber Wolf, the walls of Belkaras crumbled with a tremendous roar.