Even though it was just accommodation at the Soohyeok Frontier Base, it was the most luxurious room with top-tier facilities. And to think he was sitting inside, drinking fine tea with an elf and having a conversation… It was something that the Soo-hyeok from just yesterday—no, even just a few hours ago—couldn't have imagined. Unlike his bank balance, his current reality was that of an ordinary man without even a proper home.
It was a strange feeling.
Was it the mood, or the tea?
The confusion in Soo-hyeok's mind quickly settled.
"Let's get straight to the point, so we're not uncomfortable. Seriniel El… miss?"
"Just call me Seriniel."
"Ah, then Seriniel. You said you have a magic tool that can detect Cosmo energy?"
"Yes. It's just beyond the prototype stage, but in portals of grade 7 or lower, it can be used quite efficiently."
"Ah… so it has a limitation based on portal grade."
Soo-hyeok unintentionally learned of the weakness in the magical tool the elf had newly developed.
"We're continuously improving it, so I believe that issue will be resolved soon," Seriniel said calmly as she reached into the cloak-like garment she wore and pulled out a blue gem.
"This is the magic tool. We call it 'Under the Shade of the World Tree'…"
She paused briefly and fell silent.
Then, for just a fleeting moment, her lips pouted slightly.
It was so brief that Soo-hyeok would've missed it if he hadn't been paying close attention.
"Humans say the name is too long and just call it 'Shade.' Feel free to call it whatever you like."
"I think 'Shade' is easier for me, too."
Once again, her lips briefly pouted and then returned to normal.
'So she's not completely expressionless after all.'
It's just that her expressions are subtle and clumsy.
Realizing this allowed Soo-hyeok to soften his impression of Seriniel's cold demeanor.
"…Shall we try it now?"
Recalling her own suggestion to get straight to the point, Soo-hyeok nodded lightly.
"No reason to delay. Even if it's the size of an island, it won't be easy to find."
"Then I'll activate it right away."
Seriniel placed her hands over the glowing blue gem, Shade, and closed her eyes.
uNaQ R%3 次 3 C%…
The chant that followed was in a language Soo-hyeok had never heard before.
But he could easily grasp its nature.
'A spell!'
It was the same feeling he'd experienced several times on the Continent of Illusion when encountering spells or rituals.
The atmosphere in the room stirred, swirling as if heat was rising, and soon a defined flow channeled through Seriniel's body, down to the gem beneath her palms.
It looked like a waterfall of golden light pouring down.
"Ah…"
Soo-hyeok let out a deep sigh of admiration at the beautiful and mystical scene—one unlike any spell or ritual he had ever seen.
From the blue gem that had absorbed the golden waterfall, a long beam of light emerged and formed the shape of a vast land.
Beneath the golden terrain that trickled down like sand in an hourglass, the word "Tlanon" appeared in English.
A map of the continent in the Tlanon Dimension… Some of the golden light, which had melted away under sunlight like snow, remained vivid and shone brightly.
Where… is this?
It was elevated compared to other terrain.
It clearly looked like a mountain.
But given the nature of the energy and Soo-hyeok's unfamiliarity with Tlanon's geography, it was a perplexing scene.
Just as his confusion deepened—
"Haaah…!"
Seriniel pulled her hands away from Shade and gasped heavily.
Her already pale skin was now even more ashen, and Soo-hyeok widened his eyes in surprise.
"Seriniel?"
"I'm… fine. I just need a little rest…"
She responded slowly to his concern, inhaling and exhaling deeply several times.
About ten minutes passed.
During that not-so-short time, Seriniel's breath gradually steadied and peace returned to her expression.
Then, once she was able to speak again, she looked straight at Soo-hyeok and said:
"I found it. From here… 300 kilometers away, by human standards…
The Black Fang Mountain Range."
"A mountain range?"
What he had thought was just a tall, large mountain turned out to be an entire mountain range.
Well, the entire continent had been miniaturized, so the misunderstanding was understandable.
Besides, didn't she say the space had been compressed to roughly the size of an island?
"The Black Fang Mountain Range, huh…"
Apparently, that's what it was originally called in the Tlanon Dimension.
It could still seem overwhelming, but Soo-hyeok wasn't too worried.
All he could do was speculate, but Seriniel clearly knew the exact location.
Her actions and gaze said it all.
"Shall we depart immediately?"
Hearing the certainty in her voice, Soo-hyeok was sure his assumptions had been correct.
He shook his head.
"Let's leave tomorrow."
"I'm fine with that."
"I'm the one who's tired."
Of course, that was a lie.
He was being considerate, seeing how much worse Seriniel looked now compared to when she had first arrived—despite her calm demeanor.
She looked clearly displeased.
A sudden stubbornness had flared up in her eyes.
"I'm a warrior too."
"I see."
"I can go."
"I can't."
Soo-hyeok shrugged his shoulders and stood up.
"Let's move out early tomorrow morning."
He felt that was enough conversation and turned to leave—
"Wait."
Seriniel stopped him again.
"There's no point in continuing. I already said I want to rest. I also want to look around the base."
"That's not it…"
"Hm?"
"This is your room, Warrior."
"…Huh?"
"My room is next door… so I'll be the one to leave."
Seriniel stood and walked past Soo-hyeok.
A refreshing—perhaps even cold—scent brushed past his nose.
"Well then, I'll see you early tomorrow morning. Thank you for your consideration."
Standing in front of the door, Seriniel bowed politely, pulled her hood deep over her head again, and exited the room.
"So this really is my room…"
The third-floor guest room was certainly cozy.
It was spacious and warm, and maybe thanks to the Goldmoon tea, it was filled with a pleasant aroma.
I guess it's fine to relax for another day.
Soo-hyeok threw himself onto the bed.
Soft and fluffy, it warmly embraced his whole body.
Mm… this is nice.
Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.
He had been training like a forced march lately, so it was only natural.
****
Early the next morning.
To be exact, it was still dawn.
Thanks to going to bed early, Soo-hyeok woke quickly, finished a breathing technique to gather energy, and was collecting his focus when someone knocked at the door.
When he opened it, there stood Seriniel, wearing a deeply pulled black hood.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Thanks to you, I'm great. And you?"
"Likewise, thanks to you. Hehe."
Soo-hyeok looked surprised at the brief laughter, and Seriniel quickly covered her mouth and shook her head.
"It's nothing."
She then removed her hood and looked directly into his eyes.
"Shall we leave now?"
With the same vivid presence she had when they first met, Soo-hyeok nodded without hesitation.
"Let's go."
The two left the inn and walked toward the ATV Soo-hyeok had parked.
300 kilometers—depending on perspective—was either short or long.
Considering possible monster ambushes, it could easily take nearly a full day.
With physical strain, collecting monster corpses, and other factors, the ATV was necessary.
However, the ATV was essentially a large four-wheeled motorcycle.
Spacious for one person, but cramped for two.
Soo-hyeok glanced at the seat, slightly awkward, and asked Seriniel:
"Will you be alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, nothing…"
If he was the only one embarrassed, he just had to hide it.
Thinking that, Soo-hyeok sat in the driver's seat and grabbed the handles.
He felt Seriniel carefully sit behind him, lightly grabbing onto his coat.
Man, this is awkward.
Had he just not thought about romance since coming back to Earth?
The feeling was strange.
Especially since Seriniel was Shahar's disciple, no less.
Shoo, shoo—bad thoughts, begone!
Chanting inwardly, Soo-hyeok started the ATV.
Vroooom—!
The engine roared, drawing in the cold dawn air.
There was a brief moment of silence.
As the engine warmed up, Soo-hyeok said:
"Here we go."
"Yes."
Seriniel nodded.
The ATV shot off toward its destination.
***
Less than five minutes after Soo-hyeok and Seriniel left the frontier base, a secret conversation began on the inn's first floor.
"They just left?"
"Yes. I saw the ATV drive off myself."
A huge, bald man—built like two grown men combined—questioned a scrawny young man, who answered while rubbing his hands.
"Good. You've done well. I'll pay you once this job's done."
"Eh? You said you'd pay in advance…"
"You say you saw it, but I haven't confirmed anything with my own eyes."
"Uh…"
The youth groaned, looking flustered.
Ignoring him, the massive man stood up and started cracking his wrists.
"Don't take it personally. If there's an elf among the two who just left, that info's worth a cool hundred million to me. As long as you're not lying, that's all that matters."
"Well, that's true, but—"
"…You promised—"
"Promise?"
The man chuckled coldly, his black eyes gleaming.
"When did I ever say I don't keep my promises?"
"I-I didn't mean that…"
CRACK!
The man's fist flew past the young man's face with terrifying force, narrowly missing but creating a thunderous sound.
The overwhelming power of it made the youth collapse on the spot.
"Don't throw your life away over stubborn pride. Let's move out."
The man left behind a mocking smile, and over ten others followed him.
The door of the frontier inn opened and closed in that short moment.
Now alone, the inn staffer Kim Ji-woon ground his teeth.
"Bastard thinks he can take rare intel for free…"
His eyes gleamed with malice.
"Let's see if things go your way, you son of a bitch."
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]