“Mister, do you know her?”
Lena asked cautiously as she studied Kang Hyeon-woo’s frozen expression.
‘Why are you here?’
She was a good person.
She was a little fierce and reckless, admittedly.
Kang Hyeon-woo had always been able to feel the consideration hidden behind that personality.
Ten years had passed since he was swept up in the Energy Storm.
When Kang Hyeon-woo opened his eyes in a hospital on the other side of Earth, there had been no one around him.
He could understand why the other four heroes hadn’t come looking for him.
No, Park Seong-jun had deliberately sabotaged the Dungeon and caused a Break, so Kang Hyeon-woo could even understand why he was living as a fugitive.
But Caroline.
She was one of the remaining five heroes, yet she had never once come looking for him.
And now, there she was, standing as a statue in the middle of another world inside a Dungeon.
‘Jino.’
Just how much did the City Lord of Castle Gaudium know?
Living as an information broker, he had all but forced the request on Kang Hyeon-woo and shoved him into this place.
“Kid.”
“My name’s Lena.”
“Where do you sense Mr. Bear?”
“If you call me Lena.”
“……I’m not in the mood to joke.”
Watching Kang Hyeon-woo’s expression, Lena raised an arm and pointed past the statue toward the distant ice palace.
“I sense him over there.”
Kang Hyeon-woo took a spherical Core from his coat and bit into it.
[500 Mana has been restored.]
[Direct Core consumption is…….]
“We’re moving.”
Kang Hyeon-woo’s group pushed through the blizzard toward the palace.
***
In front of the ice palace.
Kang Hyeon-woo’s group hid themselves in a quiet spot.
“Who are those people?”
In the courtyard before the palace, people bundled in thick clothing had gathered and were discussing something.
Even at a glance, there were more than twenty people, divided into two groups.
On one side were people in familiar clothing that clearly marked them as members of Castle Gaudium’s criminal organization.
And on the other side……
‘Monsters.’
No. Things they had called monsters.
Orcs, Ogres, Undead, insects.
The group wasn’t made up only of monsters.
There were Special Dungeons where skills appeared and civilizations existed, after all.
Perhaps because of that, there were also quite a few among the monster group who clearly looked human.
But conversation with them had never been possible by any means.
Whenever they met, they had been too busy fighting one another.
In the past, they had occasionally captured prisoners and tried various ways to communicate with them, but every attempt had failed.
After that, they had ultimately come to accept them as just another kind of monster. Yet now, the criminal organization members and the humanlike beings called ‘monsters’ looked as though they were conducting a transaction.
‘They’re talking…….’
At this point, it wasn’t Kang Hyeon-woo’s concern.
Whether they traded or not, all he had to do was complete the request.
‘Phase Intervention.’
THUD.
A thin, translucent membrane formed and spread far enough to cover the entire area containing the palace.
“W-what is this……?”
The people who had been talking looked around in confusion.
‘Control Weather.’
Fwoooosh.
The blizzard inside the palace area, now separated into its own phase, slowly subsided.
‘Hell Fire.’
FWOOSH—!
A small sphere formed in Kang Hyeon-woo’s hand.
Highest-level magic. Hell Fire.
Its condensed energy boasted strategic-weapon-level destructive power over a small area.
Kang Hyeon-woo could go a step further and even control the blast epicenter, radius, and direction of the explosion.
Kang Hyeon-woo lowered his arm.
The baseball-sized Hell Fire drifted lazily through the air.
And a moment later,
KABOOOOOOOM——!
“Aaaaaaagh—!”
“Aaagh!”
“W-what is this?! Save me……!”
The ground before the ice palace was gouged out in an instant, forming a crater.
More than half the people caught in the explosion vanished.
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly walked toward them.
“There he is!”
“Prepare for battle!”
“You bastards dared trick us?”
“Shut up! That’s our line!”
WHOOOOM—!
Scorching heat spread in an instant, melting the ground that had been frozen solid.
‘Hold.’
Rings of light appeared and bound everyone who remained.
“……Urgh. A Mage?”
“Hey, Henson. Hurry and use Dispel……!”
“A-ah, ah……!”
The man called Henson among the monster group trembled like aspen leaves as he stared at Kang Hyeon-woo.
“Henson! Get a grip!”
“A-ah……! D-dragon……!”
“……What? A Dragon?”
“Th-that spell just now…… H-Hell Fire……”
“What……? Why would a Dragon be here……?”
One of the criminal organization members struggled against the ring of light and shouted.
“What are you talking about?! Those clothes. Anyone can tell he’s a Mercenary! Ngh……! Who are you?!”
Henson stared at Kang Hyeon-woo blankly.
“He’s…… not a Mercenary…….”
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly moved his arm.
“Uh, uhh……!”
The captured monsters and humans were lined up side by side in a single, harmonious row.
Kang Hyeon-woo spoke in a flat voice, his expression languid.
“If you make me say it twice, I’ll kill you. Which side will talk first?”
***
“W-we are merely honest Mercenaries. We came to clear the Dungeon and ran into trouble……!”
‘Silence.’
‘Classification.’
‘Reverse Gravity.’
The man who answered rose rapidly into the air while hanging upside down.
He opened his mouth wide in terror, but no sound came out.
Gulp.
The people watching the bizarre sight swallowed hard without realizing it.
A man in a suit quickly spoke up.
“W-we will go first.”
“Where are the goods for today’s transaction?”
“Pardon?”
‘Silence.’
‘Classification.’
‘Reverse Gravity.’
The man in the suit also shot into the sky.
Kang Hyeon-woo turned an indifferent gaze toward the third man.
“Th-the blueprints and manual for the Core Reactor used to refine the Core Stream.”
“Where are they?”
The man hesitated for a moment.
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly raised his arm.
“Eek! W-wait! They’re…… over there.”
The man gestured with his chin toward a briefcase lying on the ground.
When Kang Hyeon-woo opened the case, a bundle of documents spilled out. It was a thick stack filled with all kinds of diagrams and numerical figures. Kang Hyeon-woo skimmed through the papers, then continued.
“The identity of your organization’s master.”
“Ah…….”
The man’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.
He glanced at the two men still floating in the air, screaming soundlessly, then squeezed his eyes shut.
“W-we do not really know either. We only receive orders through communications.”
“You claim the organization operates even though its master never shows himself in person?”
“Almost everything was relayed by Madam Grace, known as the representative. Not a single member of the organization has ever seen the master.”
Kang Hyeon-woo stared at the man.
“I-it is true!”
‘Both missions are complete.’
He hadn’t discovered the master’s true identity, but this was enough.
It was obvious from the beginning that the true objective had been these blueprints.
The master’s identity was probably just a bonus.
It wasn’t Kang Hyeon-woo’s fault that the organization members sent to conduct the transaction were too low-ranking to know the master.
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly raised his arm.
The man twisted desperately and shouted.
“W-wait! I clearly told you everything……!”
“I said I’d kill you if you made me say it twice. I never said I’d let you live.”
“……What?”
‘Silence.’
‘Classification.’
‘Reverse Gravity.’
The criminal organization members flew into the sky.
Kang Hyeon-woo turned toward the monsters with a languid expression.
“W-we……”
“It’s interesting that monsters can talk, but that’s none of my concern. Die.”
***
“P-please wait, great one!”
Henson struggled desperately against the restraint and shouted.
“We will give you any information you want. Please spare us! We absolutely must survive!”
“It was better in the old days when you couldn’t talk.”
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly raised his arm.
Watching him, Henson shouted once more.
“You may kill us if you wish. But please give us those documents! Our Caroline Imperial House absolutely needs them…….”
“Caroline Imperial House.”
“Y-yes. Empress Flauness de Caroline II absolutely needs them. Please, have mercy…….”
“Caroline II.”
“Yes. Caroli……ne…….”
Henson swallowed the rest of his words when he saw Kang Hyeon-woo’s expression.
Kang Hyeon-woo’s face was utterly rigid.
It looked as though Henson would be killed on the spot if he said even one more word.
“Tell me. Everything.”
.
.
.
‘……Her daughter.’
The statue was of Empress Caroline I, who had unified the continent.
And now her daughter, Caroline II, had ascended the throne.
Today’s transaction had been arranged by imperial decree.
“We absolutely need those documents. Please……!”
“I refuse.”
When Kang Hyeon-woo lowered his arm, the monsters also shot into the sky.
‘Detect.’
Mana spread out around Kang Hyeon-woo.
Except for the things floating in the air, he could sense no living creatures in the surroundings, including inside the ice palace.
“Lead the way.”
At Kang Hyeon-woo’s brief command, Lena, still surrounded by a shield, tilted her head as she looked at the people floating in the air.
“Mister, how can you move while maintaining the Stream? You can even talk.”
“By doing it well.”
“Huh?”
“It’s hard to explain in words how to ride a bicycle well. In the end, if you don’t figure it out yourself, you’ll just keep falling.”
“……Huh? A bicycle? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Not your concern.”
Unlike projectile-type magic such as Fire Ball, spells like Phase Intervention and Reverse Gravity required continuous mental concentration.
Fortunately, Kang Hyeon-woo was exceptionally skilled at controlling Mana. He had used it for more than a hundred years, after all. Kang Hyeon-woo was so proficient at Mana control that even the word mastery failed to describe it adequately.
“So you’re telling me to practice, right?”
“……Let’s move.”
Lena grinned broadly and followed Kang Hyeon-woo toward the palace.
***
“It feels similar to last time.”
A vast, orderly Great Hall.
Lena looked around between the towering pillars, touching this and that with fascination.
“I sense him over there.”
Lena pointed toward the altar.
Kang Hyeon-woo moved to the altar and found an old book resting on top of it. Its brown cover had nothing written on it.
Just as Kang Hyeon-woo was about to pick up the book, he cast a spell.
‘Identify.’
[S-Grade Magic Skill (Identify) used]
[Magic Trap]
[Type : Monster Summoning]
It was a simple trap.
Under a normal clear strategy, one would pick up this book, deal with the monsters that appeared, then destroy the altar to clear the Dungeon.
After thinking for a moment, Kang Hyeon-woo spoke.
“Lena, get ready.”
“For what?”
“Practicing how to ride a bicycle.”
“Huh?”
SNATCH.
Kang Hyeon-woo picked up the book.
RRRRRRRUMBLE—!
The ice palace shook violently.
CRACK—! CRACK—! CRACK—!
The floor split open, and monsters emerged.
“Eugh. What are those?”
“Ice Golem. Ice Lizards.”
In the once-silent Great Hall, one Ice Golem and dozens of Ice Lizards stared at Kang Hyeon-woo and Lena with gleaming eyes.
‘Absolute Shield.’
HUM—!
A translucent circular barrier formed around Kang Hyeon-woo and Lena.
“Watch carefully.”
Kang Hyeon-woo cast a spell and slowly controlled his Mana.
‘Fire Ball.’
A crimson sphere of flame formed above Kang Hyeon-woo’s palm.
When Kang Hyeon-woo lowered his arm, the Fire Ball flew toward the Lizards.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
SKREEEEE—!
Several Lizards were instantly engulfed in flames and screamed.
“Your turn.”
“Huh……?”
SKREEEEEEEE—!
The Lizards charged toward Kang Hyeon-woo and Lena.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The Ice Golem also moved slowly, breathing out cold air.
“Eh? How? Aah!”
Lena saw the Ice Lizard’s sword flying toward her and rolled to the side.
“Aaaah!”
The Ice Lizard’s sword was faster.
CLANG—!
The Ice Lizard’s sword struck the shield around Lena and failed to exert any force at all.
“……Huh?”
“Bicycle.”
“……Wow! Okay!”
Understanding the situation, Lena smiled brightly and got to her feet.
CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
The Lizards rushed in, surrounded Lena, and brought their swords down, but they couldn’t hurt her at all.
“Ahahaha—! Is this how I do it? Hmmmm…….”
Lena turned her palm upward and concentrated.
FWOOM—!
Soon, a small Fire Ball appeared above Lena’s hand.
“Wow! I did it!”
“Now throw it.”
“Okay! Hyah!”
PFFT—!
The Fire Ball left Lena’s hand, then weakly fizzled out halfway through its flight.
“Huh? Why?”
“If you stop concentrating just because the spell has flown off, that’s what happens.”
“Ahh……!”
CLANG—. CLANG—! CLANG—!
SKREE—?
KREEK-KREEK-KREEK! KREEK!
The Lizards continued attacking Lena.
“Here goes—! A hot heap of fire!”
“It’s called Fire Ball.”
“……You never told me the name! Fire Ball!”
FWOOSH—!
A Fire Ball slightly larger than before flew toward the Lizard directly in front of her.
BOOM—!
“Aaaah—!”
The force of the explosion sent Lena rolling across the floor.
Taking his eyes off Lena, Kang Hyeon-woo opened the book in his hand.
The book was filled with characters he couldn’t recognize.
‘Interesting.’
If an item was linked to the System, the Awakening Support System translated it automatically.
The things commonly called Skill Pages were the most representative example.
Mercenaries didn’t know what was actually written on them, but the System intuitively interpreted the Skill Page’s efficacy and effects.
Mercenaries simply had to tear the page to acquire the corresponding skill.
But the Support System did not react to this book.
‘Which means this isn’t an item permitted to Mercenaries.’
Kang Hyeon-woo skimmed through the densely written book and stopped at the final page.
There, Hangul was written clearly.
A familiar handwriting. The peculiar habit of drawing circles clockwise.
The Hangul on the final page of the book, which had otherwise been written in the language of another world, was in Park Seong-jun’s handwriting.
[Everything we knew was a lie.]