00436 The mountain range where the dragon sleeps. ————————————————– ———————-=
A cool wind blew once. And in that wind, the hair of numerous users fluttered like a wave. A woman’s jet black hair was scattered in the air and returned to its original position, swaying gently.
‘Queen Of Blood And Iron’ Han So-young. As her title suggests, she was a woman who didn’t blink at most things, but now her woman’s eyes were filled with an unexpected tension.
The place where the woman’s eyes landed was a flat area surrounded by mountains high above sea level. But it doesn’t look good. The basin was covered with a hazy fog, and only gloomy and gloomy energy emanated from it, holding back the footsteps of users looking down.
Again, the wind blew.
This wind was also cool, but it felt different. The wind was covered in something unpleasant and sticky, and it felt like a warning of sorts. As if to say, “If you come any closer, you will die.”
After a while, a man approached the woman. Her man, clad in slightly faded chain mail, was grasping her large ax with both hands. However, as her hands were shaking slightly and a drop or two of sweat was seeping out of her, it seemed like her man was also very nervous.
Finally, the man opened his mouth with a cautious look on his face.
“Clan Lord. “The queen’s army you summoned is not returning.”
“… know. “Because we confirmed its disappearance 5 minutes ago.”
The woman lightly agreed. However, the man probably didn’t know that the words “annihilation” would come out, and the man opened his eyes wide and revealed his feelings.
The woman let out a soft, short breath and turned her head. She then stared at her clan members standing neatly behind her.
Clan Istantel Row.
Although they had skills as strong as their reputation spread across the Northern Continent, the faces they see now are not much different from those of a woman or a man. no. On the contrary, he occasionally showed signs of fear, as if he was weighed down by the energy flowing from the basin in front of him.
“… Should I just go back?”
It was a voice filled with a hint of regret. The woman turned her head again and stared at her basin with sad eyes. She had gone through hardships and hardships to get to this point, but her attitude was that it would be a waste to just turn her back.
However, other people seemed to think otherwise, and the man calmly shook his head and comforted the woman.
“Clan Lord. Remember the last days of user Jeong Chang-min. He stopped me from going inside until he died. Although he somehow managed to get here, he may have to make an even greater sacrifice if he is to conquer the ruins.”
User Changmin Jeong. Until a day ago, he was a clan member of Istantel Row and was a famous user for his ability to manipulate barriers. He was also an unlucky user who was eaten by the ‘Mountains Where the Dragon Sleeps’ due to one mistake.
‘Viciousness, screams, despair, murderous intent, hatred, etc… . Anyway, the deeper I go, the more I feel something very unpleasant. Clan Lord. Actually, I really didn’t want to go there. sorry… .’
The woman was silent for a while. She just closed her eyes as was her habit. She chewed her lips for a while and then she broke the silence and opened her mouth to say one word.
“Let’s go back.”
In the end, the woman declared giving up. And when he completely turned around, the clan members who were watching all looked relieved.
At the same time, a long sigh flowed from the lips of a young man standing at the very back.
*
“I don’t like it.”
It was very late. The clan members were exhausted from today’s forced march and went into their sleeping bags as soon as they finished dinner, leaving only me and Heo Jun-young to remain on watch.
Thump, thump!
Just as I was about to throw in the split firewood, I suddenly turned my eyes and stared at Heo Jun-young. He was delayed in reacting because he was thinking about something else for a moment. Soon, when firewood is thrown into the blazing bonfire, sparks pop out again.
Only after seeing the embers coming back to life did I open my mouth.
“what. “Going to save Anhyun and Hangyeol?”
“Just everything. “Going to save Ahn Hyeon and having to participate in something like this.”
You also have to participate in these things.
I calmly stared at Heo Jun-young. His male subject had long, waist-length hair with a dark purple glow flowing through it. The outfit she was wearing was a black coat-type mail, with unknown patterns engraved here and there, giving off a soft glow.
Heo Jun-young took out his sword and placed it on his leg with his eyes tightly closed. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but the overall atmosphere surrounding him felt dark. It almost felt like a sheathed sword was warmer than a person.
Eventually, perhaps feeling my gaze, Heo Jun-young finally opened his eyes and looked at me. His eyes were a deep purple color, similar to the color of his hair.
“1 year ago. So, when I just joined Mercenary, something similar happened.”
“1 year ago?”
While wondering, I recalled what happened a year ago.
My first relationship with Heo Jun-young was when I was working as part of a vagrant killing team. Coincidentally, she received information about where the vagabonds were hiding and set out to kill them, but when she got there, she could see the user who had arrived one step ahead.
That user was Heo Jun-young. He was fighting alone against nearly a hundred vagabonds, including the leader.
Heo Jun-young at that time… . well. Although he was promoting things in his own way, I remember that he was in quite a dangerous situation due to the organized response of his vagabonds. So I and the assassination team immediately supported him and at the same time completely wiped out the vagabonds.
Of course, Heo Jun-young did not join right away. Afterwards, he left with a simple thank you and the words, “I will return the favor someday,” and I turned away, remembering only the user information.
Coincidentally, the reunion between Heo Jun-young and I was made possible by Lee Hyo-eul, the guardian of the North Continent. It turned out that Heo Jun-young’s true identity was Lee Hyo-eul’s hands and feet, helping her from behind the scenes. At that time, he went to deal with the vagrant at the request of Lee Hyo-eul.
At that time, Lee Hyo-eul had found a successor. As soon as the handover was over, he would quit being a guardian, and he was also preparing to end his contract with Heo Jun-young.
So Lee Hyo-eul suggested that both of them quit anyway, and that it would be better to take Heo Jun-young from the mercenary in advance.
Afterwards, Heo Jun-young and I talked a bit and went through the formal process to join.
It was a good thing for me to gain a user who was comparable to Nam Da-eun, and Heo Jun-young also signed up with the intention of repaying the favor since he had something to do with it.
The thoughts continued one after another. As if he thought I hadn’t remembered it, Heo Jun-young spoke in a slightly frustrated tone.
“I mean Ahn Hyeon. Didn’t something similar happen a year ago? And I had quite a bit of trouble resolving it.”
“Oh, that. still… . “There’s no comparison between then and now.”
Heo Jun-young slowly shook his head when he answered with a bland smile.
“Isn’t it ultimately similar? It seemed like things would calm down a bit after that incident, but that thunder-naked guy caused trouble again. “It means that I did not follow your control then and now.”
“That’s right.”
“… So why not just leave it like this? To be honest, I have lost 50,000 of my affection for this guy due to this incident. If you’re lucky, you’ll come back alive, but if you’re unlucky, there’s nothing you can do. Do we really need to… .”
“That’s not allowed.”
I answered clearly. And he continued speaking in a firm voice.
“I decided to save them both, and the rescue team has already come this far. I know what you mean, but I have no intention of changing my mind or turning away. “If you want to go back, go alone.”
Crack! Crack!
The fire suddenly intensified, and powerful sparks flew out in all directions. As if struck by a spark, Heo Jun-young slightly shook his head.
And only after a while did he slowly open his mouth.
“… “I don’t like that.”
“The mountain range where the dragon sleeps is a dangerous area. “Even if we join forces, it won’t be enough, so it would be difficult if we showed up uncooperative already.”
“It was just a thought. “Now that I think about it, Hangyeol is there, so I have no choice but to go in.”
“It’s inevitable.”
I laughed bitterly. What he said a moment ago was more a habit than a true intention of Heo Jun-young. Even though this guy would eventually lend his strength, he had a habit of grumbling until then. Sometimes, when I see it, it feels like I’m looking at a prim cat. Well, it’s a bit out of place for a man to be a cat.
It was then.
“huh?”
“hmm.”
Just as we were about to pick up firewood as the flames slowly died down again, Heo Jun-young and I turned our heads to one side at the same time. This is because I suddenly felt faint vibrations coming from the ground. The vibrations that felt like digging a tunnel were still felt steadily.
‘Is it Jackal Road? . The number is around thirty.’
Jackal Road. Simply put, it is an underground monster. They were monsters whose bodies were optimized for digging or living underground, and they were vicious creatures that attacked users while they were asleep.
Srrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr possible!
“Now that I think about it, I guess it’s time to change the night watch… . Come back. “Go to sleep first.”
Heo Jun-young immediately stood up and drew his sword with great skill. The width of his sword body was very thin, but the length was very long, almost equal to his own height. Soon, as I saw Heo Jun-young slowly putting his sword on his shoulder, I absentmindedly opened her mouth.
“You can go together.”
“not really. From the looks of it, they don’t seem to be the ones following me… . “As long as there are a few dozen landmen, it doesn’t matter if there are a few dozen of them.”
‘They are the ones following me.’
Heo Jun-young answered in a whisper. I listened to him carefully.
The followers I just mentioned are probably users or outcasts who have been following us knowingly or unknowingly ever since we left Monica. The distance control was so delicate that I could only sense that someone was following me, but I had a very good sense of it anyway.
“Anyway, I’ll take care of everything, so don’t worry and go to bed first.”
Hearing Junyoung Heo’s confirmation, I nodded my head and stood up. In fact, with that level of skill, even 100 so-called ‘grounders’ would be laughable.
“Should I at least wake you up?”
“No, it’s okay. “I’ll wake you up after I get back, so give me one at the beginning of the year.”
I took it out and threw it to him when he asked to borrow some kind of tobacco, and he caught it with his thin fingers. At the same time, the moment he lightly jumped onto the ground, Heo Jun-young’s body suddenly disappeared, as if he had used a palace spirit. He was a secret class with a high agility ability like me.
After checking the flames, I buried myself in my sleeping bag.
Soon, a large surge of darkness came from one side, the sound of splitting the earth, and a faint scream that was believed to be that of a jackalod.
With those sounds as accompaniment, I slowly fell into sleep.
*
It was a slightly foggy morning, but the sky was clear and blue.
We had a quick meal and left early in the morning. As we were leaving, we heard Ansol and Yujeong sleeping soundly, but they seemed unaware that they were almost attacked by a jackalod.
When I reflexively looked at Heo Jun-young, he responded by quietly shaking his head. He’s not really the type to brag, and he seems to just want to move on quietly.
The Dragon’s Sleeping Mountain Range is an area about three weeks northwest of the western small town of Dorothy.
In just three weeks, there would have been a few visits from users, but the mountain range was commonly classified as an unexplored area. This is because the path is very difficult and monsters that are difficult to deal with often appear in groups.
Right now, we had already passed through the red desert, the magnetic wilderness, and the muddy swamp. And once you pass the plain of fog that you are currently walking through, you will reach the rugged mountainous area that forms the winding mountain range. That was the beginning of the unexplored area.
I was quietly lost in thought.
During the first round, the Northern Continent stabilized and conquered all regions before conquering the Steel Mountains. However, there was only one exception: the mountain range where the dragon sleeps.
The last clan I challenged was the Istantel Low clan, which I was a member of. Although one person died, they were able to successfully get to the ruins. However, Han So-young ended up turning away when the ruins were right in front of her.
At the time, the deceased in Istantel Row was named Jeong Chang-min, and he was a skilled user of barriers. He lost his life due to a momentary mistake, and he left a will to me just before he died.
‘Soohyun… . By any chance, the clan lord… . If you insist on going even if your clan members try to stop you… . You must stop me… .’
‘You look very pretty. haha… . Maybe he won’t be so stubborn if everyone tries to stop him… . Still, please. Something makes me feel uneasy. and… .’
In the end, Han So-young gave up her stubbornness after the clan members tried to dissuade her. Afterwards, she completed her strategy by setting up a large-scale sealing barrier near the ruins and cleaning only the inside of the mountain range, according to Jung Chang-min’s will.
After returning, it was announced externally that it had stabilized, but strictly speaking, it was difficult to view it as a complete attack. Rather than exploring the inside of the ruins, they simply sealed it to prevent what was inside from coming out.
and.
Another question here was the existence of users who had gone missing within the mountain range.
Whether it was the first or second round, the traces of users who went missing within the mountain range suddenly disappeared. It would be normal for there to be at least a corpse, but even the corpse is not visible. Many users predicted that it might be within the ruins, but in the end, the predictions ended up being speculation as the ruins themselves were sealed.
Thinking that maybe I should explore the ruins, I turned my thoughts to the history of the mountain range.
A great war in mythology, recorded in ancient times even in ancient Hall Plain. A battle between the dragons who ruled the continent and the humans who tried to escape their rule.
As the records say, the final victor was clearly a human being. The mythical inhabitants won the final battle. And Magna Carta, the dragon of the apocalypse, placed a curse on the final location, pledging his soul before his death.
However, there is nothing recorded after that. It was normal for there to be at least a brief mention of the outcome, but the end of the record was that the battle was won and the dragon placed a curse.
Anyway, the place where the decades-long battle came to an end was where we were headed.
“Wow. Then? “What happened next?”
While calmly marching, Ansol asked with sparkling eyes. As we went, I briefly told them stories about ancient mythology, and they seemed quite interested.
I slowly shook my head towards Ansol, who was pulling my arm tightly with a very curious look on his face.
“I don’t know after that. Because it’s not in the records. “If you’re curious, go back and find out for yourself.”
“Yes… . Magna Carta, Dragon of the End… . I’m curious… .”
Ansol held my arm tightly while tilting his head. After watching that scene quietly, I quietly opened my mouth.
“I guess you’re not that worried?”
“Ugh? “Are you worried?”
“Ahn Hyeon. “Your real brother.”
“Oh~. yes. I’m not really worried. My brother has the vitality of a c*ckroach~. And your brother is on his way to rescue you. lol.”
Ansol smiled brightly. He even waved the arm he was holding to see if it was really okay.
‘Is he still alive?’
I was at the point where I was wondering whether I should take this reaction as comfort or not. Suddenly, Nam Da-eun came up to her, smiled, and spoke to Ansol.
“Our Sol. “It seems like you really like the clan lord.”
“yes! As for me. My brother is the best job in the world… . Uh, huh? Uh, sister. “Why are you suddenly sneaking me away?”
“ah. “It’s because our Sol is so cute.”
“Uh, uh… ?”
Ansol, who spread his arms wide, was caught by Nam Da-eun and began to be dragged. It was a moment when I turned my arm around, feeling much more comfortable, as I saw Ansol waving his hands in the air.
“Ugh… ! Ugh… !”
At that moment, a faint moan came from behind Jin. It was a consistent voice. I immediately stopped marching and ran to Shin Jae-ryong. Currently, Hangyeol was being carried by Shin Jae-ryong.
“Is there a problem?”
As he ran in one step, Shin Jae-ryong was looking down at Han-gyeol with worried eyes, lying on his back. He sighed lightly and licked his lips.
“Hangyeol suddenly… .”
“What is your condition?”
“It was fine until last night. However, from the edge of the Plain of Fog, he suddenly felt pain. no. He was having a hard time, looked scared, and now he looks like he’s in pain. Since it doesn’t listen to healing spells… . “I don’t know either.”
“… Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue without realizing it. It was natural that the healing spell did not work. Because the Hangyeol we see before our eyes right now was just an empty shell, or half a person.
When I put my hand on my chest, fortunately, my heart was beating. However, it was much weaker than when it started, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it stopped soon.
“I guess we’ll have to force a march again. User Shin Jae-ryong. please.”
“it’s okay. “For a priest, I have good strength.”
Shin Jae-ryong shook his head excitedly and hugged Han-gyeol again.
Soon, I bit my lip as I watched the clan members preparing to march again. To be honest, as I have been running non-stop so far, I wanted to give myself some time to build up my stamina ahead of the mountain range. So I tried to refrain from forceful marching as much as possible, but the situation was not conducive.
Preparations for the forced march were completed in no time. Just before setting off again, I stopped for a moment and looked behind me.
As of this morning, I can no longer feel the signs of someone following me secretly, which I felt until last night. Still, when I looked at Heo Jun-young just in case, he looked back and shook his head excitedly.
I opened my mouth to my clan members.
“I’ll just take a three-minute break. “You won’t be able to rest much until you find Hangyeol, so you can think of it as your last rest.”
After speaking quickly, I quickly moved to one side and distanced myself from the clan members. At the same time, I gave Go Yeon-joo a look with her eyes, and she quickly understood and followed me quietly.
“Su-hyun. What happen?”
“The signs that followed us until yesterday have disappeared. Do you know?”
When I asked the question, Go Yeon-ju opened her eyes round. But it seemed like she knew, too, as she nodded and nodded.
“yes. To be exact, I think we retreated after breakfast and when we reached the end of the plain. I think he was probably curious as to whether we were entering the mountain range or not… . “I don’t know why.”
“That’s it.”
“yes?”
Go Yeon-ju tilts her head. I looked around her again, then walked up to her and grabbed her shoulder. Ko Yeon-joo flinched for a moment and then stared at me with her puzzled eyes.
“High user performance. From now on, you must listen carefully to what I say. “I have an important request to make.”
“Is this an important request? if… . “I’m not saying you should go back, right?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s right.”
“… omg.”
Go Yeonju was silent for a while. But soon, with a crying sound, her body collapsed into my arms.
“Hehe~. “It’s too much~.”
“I’m sorry. However, the only thing I can do is perform at a high level.”
I also felt sorry for coming this far and having to go back, but I had no choice. It wasn’t a spontaneous idea, it was an idea that came to me when I saw Kim Soo-jeong in the conference room. And I was almost certain when I felt a crowd following us. The reason why Yujeong was brought in in the first place was to fill the void left by Ko Yeonju.
“… “Is this something only I can do?”
“yes. From now on, Go Yeon-ju must return to the city without anyone knowing.”
Perhaps the group that secretly followed us, as Ko Yeon-ju said, followed to check whether the rescue team was entering the mountain range or not.
To be more precise, they would have tried to check the participation of the ‘Shadow Queen’ and whether she left midway. Because when it comes to information and tracking, there is no one more burdensome than Go Yeonju.
‘Of course, all of this is still just speculation… .’
I trusted my intuition after working in the shadows for 10 years during the first round. This incident had a very unpleasant and musty smell.
“The important thing is to go back without anyone knowing.”
When I spoke again forcefully, Go Yeon-ju’s crying sound suddenly stopped.
Soon, I felt the head buried in my arms slowly rising.
“Su-hyun. “What is it about?”
A languid voice tickled my ears. When I glanced down, I could see Go Yeon-ju with a deep smile on her lips.
After a while, I opened my mouth to whisper.
—————————= Review of the work ——————– ——-=
Fortunately, it’s not too late. Thanks to you, I had a good time at the big house. Oxygen also stopped by and said hello. 🙂
ah. When I watch a wedding, I feel envious of something, and I also feel strange that it ends so quickly.
Heo Jun-young, An Sol, Shin Jae-ryong. User information will be updated this morning. After driving back and forth from Seoul to Changwon, I am a bit distracted and very tired. haha.
* Lee Jun-young’s name was changed to Heo Jun-young due to unavoidable circumstances. We ask for the readers’ understanding.
* The clan member who participated in the rescue team was Shin Jae-ryong, not Baek Seung-hoon. Baek Seung-hoon is one of the newly added priest clan members, and was confused with Shin Jae-ryong in the previous episode. Sorry for the confusion. _(__)_
fantasy,
