Chapter 240
Which one was harder? Survival or loneliness? The answer was that I was having a better time now compared to the time I spent in the Land of the Dead. The Baclan Corps was searching for us frantically and had sent their commanders, whose power was equivalent to A-class dungeon monsters, after us.
The System had been acting in good faith as it had set the starting point on the area where the Moong Awakened were concentrated. Unfortunately, that spot was too far from the central area of the Baclan Corps. In the past two months, we had traveled a thousand and five hundred kilometers across the meadow and over the mountains. Along the way, we saw a series of mountains and grasslands. We didn’t need a map as the information Yeon-Hee had obtained during the battle was enough for her to become our navigator.
Anyway, the Baclans aren't a nomadic civilization since they didn’t raise livestock such as cattle and sheep, but they had some similar aspects because they constantly moved along the curves of the meadow without settling in one location. However, the spot where their king and their violent civilization were gathered never changed. From the beginning, that was our final destination, and we had to go double the distance we had traveled so far to get there now.
Yeon-Hee wasn’t worried about the people who were left in the normal Stage of Advent, but Soo-Ah often mentioned that she was concerned about the village as she had put in lots of effort in establishing a community.
It was fine because the Final Stage of Act One didn’t end quickly. The Baclan units on the stage where Yeon-Hee and I were standing had become weakened as we had caught their commanders in the beginning, but we still needed a considerable amount of time to eradicate all the monsters that had appeared from dozens of gates.
Moreover, we had enough time because Act Two started only when all other stages were completed or failed to finish the Final Stage of Act One. In other words, the possibility of us missing the start of Act Two was slim. It also meant we had to focus on catching the Baclan King rather than paying attention to the hidden rewards in Act Two, Stage One.
However, it had gotten to the point when even Seong-Il, who had the highest class in Health among the three, was getting exhausted. It would have been nice if my dragon allowed my people to ride it, but it considered anything besides me on its back as an enemy to be eliminated.
Also, the three had problems using other vehicles. Yeon-Hee and I were fine, but these three needed to be fully alert and prepared to respond immediately by raising their Sense to the highest class. Only by doing that could they protect themselves from the assassins and snipers of the Baclan Corps that were hiding in bushes. Things were okay now because the three were steadily growing. They would be more helpful by the time we reach the area ruled by the king. That was where the problem was…
“This must be the best site to camp.”
We had time to rest for five days. The points we gained from completing the quest were incomparably more than what we would get from simple hunting. Nevertheless, the three were able to open the boxes after killing some monsters as they were of high class.
I saw Seong-Il grinning and tapping his chest with his palm to check on his biceps, which had become stronger. He must have finally upgraded his Strength to B-class. By using items, it could even reach A-Class. Something like this would have been impossible if we stayed in the Final Stage of Act One.
Meanwhile, Shin Kyung-Ah was accumulating points. She needed to upgrade her stats, but I let her do whatever she wanted to. That was my compensation to her for not returning her mentality back to the original. Lee Soo-Ah was speaking to Yeon-Hee to get advice, and she had been trying to get closer to her recently. Yeon-Hee didn’t ignore her efforts and no longer looked at her as if she wanted to tear the other woman apart. It was because I asked her not to push away the people I had chosen and brought here. Yeon-Hee’s expression was still cold, but she was much nicer than before.
“Noona, may I ask you something as well?”
I closed my eyes after seeing Seong-Il sitting between the two women.
***
My eyes opened when I smelled the scent of grilling meat. Morning had arrived, and Seong-Il was preparing breakfast.
- Good morning.
I heard Yeon-Hee’s voice via telepathy as soon as I woke up.
[Water Bottle from Outside World (Item)
It’s full of water that Yeon-Hee has gathered.
Volume: 500mL]
I had maintained a sharp Sense since entering the enemy’s mainland, so my Night Eyes were spamming my notification window with too much information. Yeon-Hee sat next to me, handing me a bottle of water.
- I hope things stay like this. It’s chill and quiet. I like this.
She was smiling, but she looked sad. I followed her gaze, and saw that Shin Kyung-Ah had an alluring vibe to her as she washed herself in the valley under the dazzling sunlight. Seong-Il smiled wickedly while peeking at her, and Lee Soo-Ah was staring at his back with mixed feelings.
- Lee Soo-Ah likes Kwon Seong-Il. He’s also interested in her.
I was shocked.
- You didn’t know? It’s not love, but they’ve felt that way for a while. Is it still unacceptable for you to have some romance between your team members?
I responded via telepathy: - Because any gains can be outweighed by the loss. Are you sure it’s not just comradeship?
- My original ability hasn’t changed. Do you think I, Woo Yeon-Hee, can’t tell the difference between someone feeling romantically towards someone else and simple feelings of comradeship?
Yeon-Hee’s lips curved slightly as if she found it funny. I ended the conversation by changing the subject without answering her question. If it had continued, we would have ended up talking about ourselves. I should have never risked my life for her, nor should I have thought of the world with Yeon-Hee in the center. I needed to satisfy my sexual desires by some other means in order to keep our relationship as simple and honest as monks did. That was the only way Yeon-Hee wouldn’t turn into my obstacle.
I got up. Yeon-Hee might have expected me to confess my feelings and probably thought that I was acting too cold, but this was the best choice for both of us. We had to maintain the boundary. We could never be lovers. Never.
Kyung-Ah suddenly snapped, “Can you stop looking at me, Seong-Il? The way you look at me feels so unpleasant and rude.”
He sputtered, “H…hey! You… you are getting an innocent person into trouble! There is nothing to look at. I have high standards!”
She snorted. “You are still looking at me.”
Seong-Il grumbled, “Then, you should have worn some clothes. It’s your fault for showing off like that. I’m not a pervert!”
Kyung-Ah rolled her eyes. “I’m not naked because I wanted you to look at me. If you’re going to look at me, then do it with confidence and out in the open. You’re acting like such a coward. I find that more disgusting.”
The older man paused and then asked, “...Can I?”
“What the heck? Of course not! Hohoho. You are such an idiot.”
Shin Kyung-Ah walked out naked. The valley water slid along her skin, and the remaining droplets clinging to her curvaceous body made it look even sexier. The primal response I had to that was natural; it was proof that I was healthy and energetic. Getting some quality sleep had helped me a lot. After finishing the meal leisurely, we started moving again.
There were several layover stops on the way to the enemy’s capital area. We were able to pinpoint the regions where the other Moongs were hiding based on the information Yeon-Hee had obtained from the nearby monsters she killed.
When we stormed them, I was once again convinced that the System was being kind to us. The highest class among the Moong Awakened was B, and there were significantly fewer number of them compared to the first group. On top of that, the majority of them were non-Awakened. As I had expected, Treasure Goblins were rare. If I could find two more, I could become so powerful that I’d be beyond where the First Evil was in the past. In fact, I could check whether the SSS-class existed, but the possibility of reaching that point was getting slimmer and slimmer. We kept moving, and time passed by as we battled and journeyed.
We arrived on the outskirts of their capital region about half a year after we first entered their territory. As Seong-Il looked down at the scene where the enemy’s leather tents were stretched out to the horizon, I could tell he felt disguised. We could hear the shouts of the Baclans from a distance. They were indeed a tribe that enjoyed fighting.
“Ah, fuck.”
On one side, thousands of Baclans riding animals were traveling through the meadow. Among all the overwhelming images, Seong-Il was focusing on that area. He well acknowledged their ferocity and strength as his limbs became amputated whenever he encountered them. There were a couple of close moments when his head had been in danger of being sliced off. He groped a hand around his neck as if he was imagining himself getting beheaded.
“The gopchang[1] restaurant owners would love to see this. Wow. How many units are there? They must have had sex a lot at night to reproduce that much.”
The thousands of riders were just the tip of the iceberg. Within the brush and deep vegetated areas, there would also be a lot of priests and sorcerer's spread around. In fact, there were many Baclans whose power was equivalent to any boss monster in S-class dungeons.
In the early days of my previous life, the leaders from different countries discussed how to turn the tables instead of focusing on defense. They ended up deciding that the Awakened needed to enter the gates. However, they would have never been able to say such a thing if they had faced the Baclans’ forces in person. Of course, the Awakened who were controlled by the military authorities at the time had protested, so the plan was scrapped.
I couldn’t even see the castle where the King would be staying. We had to go further and deeper. This was Mission Impossible.
***
I wished that there was a force hostile toward the Baclan King. If they existed, I was planning to take advantage of them and make them revolt against the King.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. The whole army was unified under one power, the Baclan King. Such a power that encompassed the entire dimension had never existed in our human history. The only comparable thing was the gold tower built by an Awakened in the past. This basically meant that we had to defeat the Baclans’ most powerful force with just five of us. Following that, we needed to reach the king’s bedroom in the royal castle and catch him.
Keuk…
Although I had expected something similar from the moment I entered this dimension, this was a bit insane. The only way to describe the current situation was: ‘A clash with a viciously unified civilization!’ This was an impossible quest, made to make us self-destruct like moths rushing to a light made of flames. Then, I felt warmth surrounding my hand. Yeon-Hee had put her hand around mine.
- I can get in, so take that into account.
I knew what she was thinking. Nothing could block her because even if they did try to attack her, they would soon end up attacking each other and allowing her to go unhindered. The amazing thing about her performance was that she was able to capture the target’s spirit in the blink of an eye. She could advance like that by quickly changing her shields to protect herself from any flying projections, which would target her from a distance. However, she would reach her limit in the end. If the S-class sorcerers flocked together and attacked her at once, she wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
- No. Arriving at the castle isn’t the end of this.
I thought the king’s castle would be an integration of all kinds of dungeons. Most of the S-class dungeons associated with the Baclan Corps would have been derived from their castle.
The four, including Mary, gathered in front of me.
“Attack the bottom line with Mary. But your goal is not making your way in there and looking for the castle. There’s no need to try getting in.”
They had to draw attention. They needed to resist the enemies like an anvil so that I could be a hammer and intensify the fear. The dread of a foreign power, like the one in 1997 when Seoul was collapsing as Hong Kong raised interest rates to four hundred percent overnight, would incite panic. Then, the panic from the outskirts would move the Baclan King. If he shut himself in the castle without doing anything, he wouldn’t be qualified to be a king. But that scenario was unlikely to happen. The King was not just the ruler; he was also the strongest warrior in their civilization. Even if they worshiped the Seven Demon Kings, he had to fight against the newly emerged enemy as the chief warrior of the Baclan Corps.
He would eventually come out from his nest. However, if he didn’t, then the plan was to leave the capital area as quickly as possible and return to the village by using the returning stones. This meant I had to give up the opportunity to be with Yeon-Hee in Act Two, but I had no other choice.
Crack!
We all raised our heads to the sky as if we had agreed beforehand. To my horror, gigantic eyes appeared like the sun in the sky. There was no face covered by the clouds. Instead, only a pair of eyes had shown up. The gaze seemed relaxed as if they were looking at an animal in the zoo, but they soon grew bigger and filled the entire sky. Goosebumps appeared all over me, and it felt like even my soul had become frozen. I couldn’t breathe.
Although the System didn’t inform me, I knew what the eyes were… We were currently in the mainland of the Baclans, where Doom Arukuda, the second most powerful among the Seven Demon Kings, had absolute authority.
Those were…Doom Arukuda’s eyes!
Incarnation… Are those Doom Arukuda’s incarnations? No… no way!
“Aaaargh!”
I suddenly dropped down as a terrible headache had seized my head, and the pain was killing me. One of my knees involuntarily hit the ground, and everything looked blurry. Surprisingly, the other three hadn’t fallen down though. Instead, Seong-Il, Lee Soo-Ah and Shin Kyung-Ah were all standing still. However, the three were muttering the same thing at the same time.
“Worship Doom Arukuda.”
“Worship Doom Arukuda.”
“Worship Doom Arukuda.”
Then, a voice pierced into my mind. Yeon-Hee was using telepathy.
- Euk… Seon-Hu… Whom should I save…?
1. A type of Korean sausage that is made from the small intestines of cows. They are popular and nutritious, and are rich in iron and vitamins. ☜