Chapter 36
A harsh wind was blowing.
A low stone wall path stretched along the surroundings, and children from the countryside ran about, holding branches and playing hunter.
“Take the Sword Saint’s attack!”
“Hey! Why do you get to be the Sword Saint?”
“Hmph, because I called it first!”
“Jeez! I’m going to tell my uncle on you!”
This place, steeped in a warm and friendly atmosphere, was the fantasy island of Jeju.
In the original world, the adjective ‘fantasy’ was merely a nickname, but the Jeju Island here was the ultimate vacation spot, a place where the word ‘fantasy’ fit perfectly.
This was because people, worried that another Great Fissure might open as Seoul was being rebuilt, had designated Jeju Island as the ‘Backup City.’
It was a separate concept from Suwon, the political capital of the Republic of Korea.
Just as Seoul and Suwon had different roles.
In any case, the land prices on Jeju Island were just as expensive as in Seoul.
It was filled with the same advanced magic engineering technologies applied within Seoul’s inner districts and, more importantly, it could be considered a cradle of powerful connections, as many Awakeners chose it for their retirement.
For Awakeners and non-Awakeners alike, there were plenty of places for recreation, and the circulation of resources was active…
It was even a place that, unlike Seoul, received sunlight, so the name ‘fantasy island’ was no exaggeration.
No exaggeration at all, but…
“Hah… to think I have to be stuck like this with you of all people, Ji Seokhyeon.”
I was currently spending time with Gwon Chihun in a shabby guesthouse.
For the second day in a row, at that.
“If you’re that bored, why don’t you go wander around outside?”
“What? Hmph, you’re from the outskirts, so you probably don’t know, but for guys like me who grew up in the 4th Scholastic District for half their lives, Jeju Island is a place we come to all the time. For training retreats, school trips, seasonal semesters… ugh.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, if you want, I can be generous—very, very generous—and act as your guide. If you run for about thirty minutes from here, there’s a beach where you can hang out with hot girls. You look human enough, so if you add my dazzling conversational skills, you might be able to have a change of pace.”
What a joke.
I barely managed to suppress a scoff that was about to escape.
It was only natural, since Gwon Chihun had been single his whole life.
I had set him up that way from the beginning.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Go by yourself. I have something else to do anyway.”
“Huh? Hey, are you really not going? I’ll give you the full course treatment…”
“I said I’m fine. Like you said, I’m from the outskirts, so there’s a mountain of places for me to see around here.”
With those words, I opened the guesthouse’s main gate, from which all the paint had peeled, and stepped outside.
Today was Saturday.
We had come to Jeju Island because of what happened yesterday, and we were staying at a guesthouse on the island’s outskirts.
The reason we came here was… well…
Since it was a secret operation, we could not call a helicopter to the cargo ship.
Therefore, we decided to look for a flight right away from Jeju Island, but the only available flights were for Sunday.
The reason was that it was peak season on Jeju Island.
“But isn’t every day peak season for the Jeju Island of this world?”
Gwon Chihun had woken up as soon as we arrived on Jeju Island yesterday.
Baek Dojun, having removed his disguise, praised the freshly awakened Gwon Chihun with words like, ‘I was impressed by your investigative skills,’ and ‘Thanks to you, we were able to catch the Ghoul.’
Furthermore, when Baek Dojun fostered a sense of belonging by saying they should keep this matter a secret between them, the guy did not breathe a word about the incident, as if he had become some kind of intelligence agent.
His loyalty was such that he, with no flexibility, got us a guesthouse on the outskirts for the sake of cooperating with a secret investigation.
He could have bragged about it to the other cadets as if it were a heroic tale, but it was highly likely he would keep his mouth shut until the end.
That was because he himself had played no active role in this incident.
He had woken up to find the case resolved, so if he wanted to elaborate, he would have to mention my name.
The possibility of a story about my achievements coming from Gwon Chihun’s mouth?
I could guarantee the odds were lower than his chances of becoming a Special Affairs Division investigator.
“It’s safe to say it converges to zero.”
Anyway, after that, Baek Dojun disappeared, leaving only cash for the flight tickets.
He had hinted that he had business on Jeju Island, but it was obvious he was just trying to enjoy his freedom, taking the opportunity while his aide, Kim Seyeon, was away.
Well, that aside.
It was not as if I was in a position to be concerned with Gwon Chihun or Baek Dojun.
Since yesterday, my smartwatch had been vibrating nonstop, as if it were broken.
-Training Ground Instructor An Hwigom: You insolent brat. It would be better for your well-being if you just didn't come back.
-Investigation Division Do Minyeong: So, you went on an investigation field trip and just happened to end up on Jeju Island? Are you telling me to believe that?
-Investigation Instructor Yun Jeongseop: Lee Eunho has submitted a request to leave the club. If you know anything about this, contact me immediately.
I could deal with An Hwigom physically, and I could appease Do Minyeong by offering her points…
The problem was Yun Jeongseop’s message.
That Lee Eunho was trying to leave the Mystery Club.
The current Lee Eunho, unlike in the original work, had not regressed, had no fated encounters, and was a complex character who held a grudge against me.
I had not faced him yet, so I could not gauge his expression and mood, but I had anticipated that there would be some change in his state of mind.
But for him to try to leave the club this quickly…
“…It must mean our relationship is more twisted than I thought.”
How should I put it?
I felt like I was being thoroughly screwed over by a devoted reader.
Not that there was anything I could do about it from Jeju Island, so I decided to focus on my current objective for now.
I left the guesthouse and walked briskly.
Although I was staying here unexpectedly, is there not a saying about turning a misfortune into a blessing?
I planned to take this opportunity to snatch one more of Lee Eunho’s fated encounters.
A fated encounter that, according to the original timeline, he would not have obtained until next winter.
Its location was none other than…
“As expected, there are a lot of people.”
Hallasan Mountain.
I had chosen the least crowded of the various hiking trails, but its entrance was swarming with people of all races, genders, and ages.
Though most of them were descending since the sun was about to set.
At night, the entirety of Hallasan Mountain becomes a restricted area for non-Awakeners.
The reason for the restriction? Well, it was because monsters appeared exclusively at night.
However, that was the fated encounter I was after.
To be precise, a fated encounter that could only be met on a day with a full moon, like today.
Therefore, I planned to wait until sunset and then secretly sneak in.
I had left the guesthouse, gone into the city to change out of my cadet uniform, and familiarized myself with the general terrain while riding the tram.
I was not as handsome as some, nor was my face well-known, so blending into this massive crowd was as easy as breathing.
I casually looked around for a place to sit and found a vending machine at a corner of the hiking trail.
As if possessed, I approached it, bought a carbonated coffee, and leaned against a nearby wooden railing, popping the can open with a click.
“…It’s a famous story, isn’t it? That the dokkaebi living in the mountains throws tantrums with the weather.”
“Is there anyone who believes that kind of thing in this day and age?”
“In the age of Awakeners, there’s nothing you can’t believe. There are still rumors that offerings are made near Baengnokdam Lake from time to time.”
An interesting conversation between hikers sitting on a bench for a moment.
I listened a little more closely.
“Is Baengnokdam Lake some kind of Imdangsu? Besides, what kind of offerings?”
“How should I know? It’s probably not a live sacrifice. From what I hear, they offer up a large quantity of monster mana stones or something.”
“Mana stones? Those expensive things? Come to think of it, the weather on Jeju Island does seem harsher than it used to be. It was always unusual, though.”
Dokkaebi.
It was a monster I created for the protagonist Lee Eunho’s fated encounter.
Generally, monsters are beings that live beyond the fissures.
For them to appear in this world meant that they had crossed over a small-scale fissure, like the Great Fissure.
One of a significantly smaller size.
Another term for a fissure is a ‘one-time anomalous phenomenon,’ and there are two types.
Either a monster pops out, or it connects to a dungeon where monsters reside.
Since the Great Fissure, fissures have been occurring all over the world.
One ironic point is that in Seoul, where the traces of the Great Fissure linger, no fissures occur.
In other words, it could be called the safest city from the threat of monsters.
“Of course, it’s a place with more threats from deranged Awakeners than from monsters.”
A representative example was Gangwon-do, a closed-off region where fissures had occurred uncontrollably.
A so-called high-level exclusive hunting ground.
When you hunt a monster, you can obtain a mana stone from near its heart.
A stone that contains a considerable amount of mana, like the Core of the Earth that I possessed.
They are used in abilities or magic engineering, and the higher the grade of the mana stone, the more exorbitant the price it is traded for.
“In reality, it’s no exaggeration to say that this world runs on mana stones…”
I twisted my lips into a bitter smile.
The disappointment of being the one who created such a deformed world.
Perhaps I was paying for my karma right now.
As I got lost in such miscellaneous thoughts, the right time arrived.
The sun began to set.
I quickly finished a hiking lunchbox from a nearby kiosk and moved into the forest, avoiding the eyes of the forestry officials.
My strength was low, but thanks to my high agility, I could hike in a reasonably decent posture.
My first destination was a rugged mid-slope that was difficult for even drones to observe.
I did not know where the Dokkaebi was or where it roamed, but…
There was a way to summon it.
“If it’s the same as in the original work, that is.”
Passing through the forest, I diligently sprinkled mana potion.
An expensive mana potion, where with every drop, a banknote’s worth vanished.
Timidly narrowing the tilt, I let it trickle for quite a long time before stopping in a suitable place.
A wooden cave formed by giant trees tangled together like vines.
A mystical place where the seeping moonlight lingered strangely.
Upon a brief inspection, there were even sparse traces left by stranded people who had stayed here.
“I won’t be easily spotted here.”
I took out all the mana potions I had in my inventory.
Then, without hesitation, I threw them all on the ground.
Soon, the dirt floor became drenched, and the scent of mana potion filled the air to the point of numbing my nose. I then took out the dagger I carried for emergencies and held it.
“…”
Tension.
The fact that this was a fated encounter Lee Eunho would only obtain next winter meant that it came with a corresponding level of risk.
“One careless move and I’ll be torn in two…”
As I was steeling myself, the visitor I had been waiting for revealed itself inside the wooden cave.
STEP.
“…”
Reddish skin.
A height that seemed to be twice that of a human.
In one hand, it held a sword so white it was nearly pure, and in the other, the corpse of an unidentifiable creature.
“…Hello?”
A monster that made one mistakenly think they had encountered a rather tough-looking grim reaper.
It was a Dokkaebi.
I calmly continued speaking.
“I was waiting for you. I had something to give you.”
“…”
“I know why you wander this world. And I’m probably the only human who can understand that.”
There was no reply.
I never described it as being able to speak in the first place.
All I could do was distinguish its occasionally harsh breaths.
Still, it seemed to understand words, as it did not readjust its grip on the club-like sword.
I carefully bent my knees and placed the Core of the Earth on the ground.
“…”
“…”
As expected, the Dokkaebi showed an unusual reaction.
It was obvious from a glance that it was revealing a greedy face.
This Dokkaebi was a fated encounter that would give an item if provided with a certain level of mana or more.
In the original work, Lee Eunho obtained things like an elixir that raised his attributes, but there was no way I, with my coins, would be satisfied with just that.
I opened my mouth again.
“Dokkaebi, oh Dokkaebi, I’ll quench your thirst. Give me your bundle.”
A cringeworthy line.
This was the line that Lee Eunho had uttered in the original work.
When dealing with such folklore, a proper incantation is necessary.
“Dokkaebi, oh Dokkaebi. I’ll quench your thirst. Give me your bundle.”
“…”
“Dokkaebi, oh Dokka…”
In an instant, the Dokkaebi took a large step forward.
My Adam’s apple bobbed.
A tension that would have made me run away long ago if I hadn’t raised my durability.
“…”
“I’ll give you thirst. Unpack your bundle…”
It came right up to me and tossed the corpse behind it with a flick.
What was it trying to do?
According to the setup, the condition is met simply by it taking the mana I provided.
But for it to suddenly raise the sword it was holding with both hands, and to glare at me directly with those bloodshot eyes…
“Was the incantation wrong…?”
That was ridiculous.
The killing intent it radiated was no lie.
It was clearly targeting me.
I hurriedly looked around again.
What on earth went wrong…!
The wooden cave with traces of being rather sturdily repaired.
The traces I had thought belonged to a stranded person.
The fact that it was carrying a corpse when it appeared, and the reason it revealed itself sooner than expected…
“Damn it…”
There was no mistake.
This was its dwelling, the Dokkaebi’s cave.
And I was the uninvited guest who had trespassed.
To hell with the Core of the Earth; right now, the only thing in its eyes was me.
One might question why a monster that only appears on a full moon would need a dwelling, but it was not strange to think of this as the place where it was summoned each time.
“…”
Could I beat the Dokkaebi?
Me, who had never even had a proper battle with a monster?
Running away was the best option.
But how was I supposed to escape?
Could I even get away in the first place?
Tens of thousands of thoughts flooded my mind.
But without the luxury of making a single plausible decision, the pure white sword drew a beautiful arc as it rushed toward my neck.