Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Logos
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It was supposed to take half a month to get there, but by the time they actually arrived in Logos, three full weeks had passed.
Unlike the rush from Oldor to Lutran, there was no need to hurry on the journey to Logos. If there were no villages or cities nearby, they camped outdoors, but this time they made sure to stay a full day whenever they passed through one before moving on.
Yuri had no complaints about that.
Sure, he was curious about Logos, but sleeping in a bed was better than a sleeping bag on the ground. A proper meal at a clean restaurant beat rations or hunted game any day. And using a real toilet beat keeping watch while squatting in the bushes.
The summer heat made for a perfect excuse, so in the end, the trip was comfortable and leisurely.
“We actually made it.”
Ha-ryeong let out a long sigh from the driver’s seat.
Yuri was holding the reins in her place. Up until now, wherever they went, Elena had to come along, and Ha-ryeong, her bodyguard, naturally tagged along.
But after returning to Lutran, Yuri would have to travel alone. No one to drive the carriage for him.
Sure, how often would he even need a carriage on a solo trip? But you never know with life. So he’d asked Ha-ryeong to teach him how to drive and maintain one during the journey.
She’d taught him how to ride a horse, too.
It wasn’t a groundbreaking experience, but as Lee Soo-hyuk, he’d ridden one before. The Jeju Island school trip that almost every Korean kid went on. Except Lee Soo-hyuk had never gone on a school trip during his school years.
No money, no friends. Back then, he hadn’t minded, but as an adult, he regretted never having gone.
By then, he’d saved up enough from part-time jobs to go alone. First time on a plane, black pork in Jeju, even a pony riding experience.
Learning to ride a horse made him realize just how gentle and seasoned the horses at that ranch were. And how damn uncomfortable horses were as a mode of transport.
‘How did people in the old days deal with hemorrhoids...?’
His ass hurt like hell, for one. He’d learned the basics, but he had no desire to ride more. He’d rather run. No wonder people learned lightness skills.
“Since we’re already late, how about we delay a bit more? I think I left something important back in that village we stopped at the day before yesterday.”
Ha-ryeong was openly dreading Logos, and Yuri could guess why. Once they arrived, she’d have a ton of work. Even pathetic monsters counted as “threats.”
“No.”
Elena, sitting inside, opened the window connecting to the driver’s seat and answered without a second thought.
“We’re already here. Why delay more?”
“Miss, I really did leave something behind.”
“What?”
“A gift from my mother.”
“Ha-ryeong, didn’t you say you had no family?”
“Keepsakes are gifts, too.”
Ha-ryeong’s expression was so earnest that Elena flinched. As a fellow orphan, she knew how sensitive “family” topics could be.
“...If you really left something, let’s go back.”
“Your seriousness is making me waver, miss. Truth is, I didn’t leave anything. I’m not that scatterbrained.”
“Were you orphaned, Ha-ryeong?”
“I said I have no family, not that I’m an orphan.”
Isn’t that the same thing? Yuri glanced at her with a puzzled look, still holding the reins.
“No way, Yuri. Are you feeling some inner kinship because you think I’m an orphan?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face is saying it all.”
“If you’re not an orphan, why no family?”
“Everyone has circumstances they can’t share. Don’t you, Yuri?”
It wasn’t a pointed remark. Just her usual empty joke. Yuri didn’t take it seriously, and thankfully, her expression didn’t change.
“You two are getting close.”
Elena leaned her arm on the window frame and shot them a glare.
“Close? Elena, don’t make such horrifying jokes.”
“That bad?”
“Yuri. I haven’t forgotten what happened at the Leseun Auction House. I thought we were friends, but you drew the line first.”
He hadn’t drawn it that firmly, but Yuri didn’t argue.
The carriage kept rolling forward amid the chatter, and soon they reached Logos.
In the game, Logos was just an open hunting ground. Reality was different. It wasn’t a big city like Lutran, but there were plenty of buildings.
The rift in Logos had existed for decades. At first, just holding back the abnormally multiplying monsters was all they could manage, but the adventurers gathered here soon adapted to the rift itself.
To fend off hordes of monsters, you needed hordes of people. And where people gathered in droves, needs followed. Thus, a large village sprang up in Logos.
After stabling the horses and carriage at the entrance, Yuri looked up beyond the village.
A mountain.
“Logos” was the name of that mountain. The rift of chaos lay within it. Yuri narrowed his eyes and glared at it.
‘It’s not mana.’
A dark red mist cloaked the mountain, giving it an ominous, eerie vibe. Seeing it firsthand, he understood why it was called a “rift.” The long, drifting crimson fog looked like a tear in the world itself, with the mountain straddling the gap.
Even now, monsters were spawning on that mountain, and people were killing them for all sorts of reasons.
This village was where visitors to Logos stayed. It sold pretty much everything needed for rift activities, with lodgings, restaurants, taverns, and all sorts of entertainment besides.
“Isn’t this where we’re supposed to gear up?”
“What do you think’s better—gear sold in Logos or gear from the big city Lutran?”
Elena’s point was spot on.
Ha-ryeong, who’d been to Logos before, took the lead. Strangely, the touts grabbing at passersby avoided her, so Yuri and Elena didn’t have to fend off any hands either.
“Let’s hire a guide first.”
“Ha-ryeong, aren’t you guiding us?”
“Miss, I told you—I came here as a kid.”
The rift of chaos was thick with the evil god’s power. Wander into that “mountain” clueless, and you’d get lost for good. Unlike modern trails, this era’s mountains crawled with dangerous monsters and beasts.
Plus, rift terrain turned even flat ground into a maze. That’s why they needed a guide familiar with Logos.
“I’m a versatile assassin who drives carriages well and excels in both letters and arms, but honestly, I’m no guide for Logos.”
It was true she’d trained here as a child. But time had passed since then, and her training hadn’t been guide-focused.
“If you’re not used to places like this, hiring a guide is a must. We wouldn’t die in the mountains without one, but we’d suffer for sure.”
A guide... Elena looked reluctant. She didn’t like strangers butting into her comfy group with her companions. She wasn’t very sociable to begin with.
The childhood friend barrier had broken the ice fast, but back when they’d reunited in Oldor, Elena had been cold, prickly, and rude. Warm to her own, walled off from outsiders.
‘Her MBTI would be...’
He tried recalling the personality types big in Lee Soo-hyuk’s world, but nothing fit. Sharp-minded as he was, he’d never bought into those tests anyway—saw the MBTI crowd as pathetic trend-followers.
“Where do we hire guides?”
“Usually the adventurer guild. You can find them on streets or back alleys, but we’re not after secret spots or anything shady, right?”
They needed a “normal” guide who knew Logos well and wouldn’t let them get lost. The guild had those in spades.
They had to stop by the guild for quests anyway, and rifts were guild-managed—no permit, no entry.
“Nominally, yes.”
Ha-ryeong said flatly.
“Folks who wanna sneak in do it anyway. Plenty want in without fanfare. If guild patrols catch you, it’s trouble, though.”
“Did you sneak in, Ha-ryeong?”
“Not snuck in, but I was here for assassin training. Different identity.”
“What if we report it?”
“Please. I don’t want to kill you, Yuri.”
Same face as always, but it didn’t sound entirely like a joke.
Before heading to the guild, they picked a decent inn from the abundance. While Elena paid upfront, Ha-ryeong whispered low.
“Were you hoping for a shared room?”
“I’m seriously tempted to report you now.”
“Even so, don’t sneak into rooms at night. I’m rooming with Elena. If you must, give me a heads-up first.”
“You know I lived in the same house as Elena for half a year, right?”
“Good lord, you’ve already snuck in before?”
No. Half a year in the mansion, and Yuri had never entered her room, even when she was out.
“Anyway, we’re next door, so say the word anytime. Scream if something feels off.”
“Why?”
“Not a cheap flop, so security’s decent, but thieves target adventurers’ bags in places like this.”
“No need to worry.”
Elena returned after paying.
“I’ll set wards too. Cleared it with them. Told the cleaners to only come when we’re in, so no one’ll enter while we’re out.”
“Are you hot? Your face is red.”
“I-it’s summer.”
The stammered reply. Ha-ryeong didn’t laugh outright but found it amusing. She’d said she’d sort her feelings and confess back in Lutran, but maybe something’d happen in Logos first? Create an excuse to step out...
No room for personal feelings on the job, but this cold, ruthless killer felt a mischievous urge to try.
“Grab a guide before quests.”
Ha-ryeong whispered as they entered the adventurer guild.
“Rifts mean quests galore, but guide first lets them advise on picks. Want me to handle it?”
“Yeah, please.”
The huge building had multiple counters. While Ha-ryeong went to an open one for a guide, Yuri got dragged by Elena to another.
“Adventurer registration, please.”
To live as an “adventurer,” guild registration was essential. Registering as “Yuri” wasn’t ideal, but no choice now.
‘Once I can transform, I’ll get a new ID and reregister.’
Ha-ryeong’s case showed it wasn’t hard, but trying it revealed why. Magic might replace tech here, but modern convenience was unmatched.
No computers, for one. IDs existed, but no quick queries.
Hand over ID, state origin, name, age—done. Fill out the form, get your adventurer card on the spot.
Tier field: wrote 2nd Tier. 4th Tier+ needed verification, but newbie 2nd had none.
Mages listed specialty spells, martial artists weapons. No need to lie here—wrote “fists.”
“A martial artist?”
The clerk’s expression was odd upon submission. No need to wonder why; she grumbled.
“2nd Tier martial artist? Tough finding a party. You know that, right?”
That explained it. He’d heard from Ha-ryeong and Baker before—pre-4th Tier martial artists had more cons than pros. In game terms, no DPS, no tanking. 3rd Tier started pulling weight, but 2nd? Couldn’t even meat shield. No armor, no shield—how?
Adventurers fought monsters a lot. Martial arts specialized in PvP over monsters anyway, so low-tier ones were useless there.
“What quests do 2nd Tier martial artists usually take?”
“External specialists might haul as porters. Desperate parties armor up and tank front. Otherwise, bounty hunting or bandit extermination... low survival rates.”
“Don’t do dangerous stuff alone.”
Elena whispered, glaring, as she listened.
“Mages get way better treatment. 2nd Tier mages fit most parties.”
“You just trained at the tower at 2nd Tier.”
“Who said it was me? Mages in general.”
The card resembled a dog tag. Small metal plate: name, Rank 1, 2nd Tier Martial Artist.
Holding it felt special. His old ID was the dead orphan Yuri’s; this was his now.
But thinking the orphan Yuri had dreamed of adventuring as a kid made it weird.
“Ranks rise with achievements.”
“What’s yours?”
“Rank 4.”
“Didn’t you do one quest?”
“4th Tier starts at tier-matching rank.”
So 4th Tier changed everything.
He’d run Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art daily on the road, but hadn’t hit 4th yet. Felt the inner energy blaze in his dantian—but the wall held.
He sensed the “fire” growing fiercer. Exciting, but scary. It was a demonic art. One slip, flames consume him, qi deviation.
Would the intensifying fire swallow him someday? Burn to ash? Unlike other arts, no one to consult—alone with his worries.
‘If only I could meet Lorellia.’
She’d said maybe someday, but Yuri couldn’t seek her.
‘Don’t even know where the Order Church’s hidden sanctuary is.’
Not someone you meet on a whim. If at all, she’d come to him. Last was the Oldor letter; unlikely more.
‘What’s she doing now?’
What punishment? Not dead, right? Dark thought—then her red eyes and beaming smile flashed.
‘No way.’
The Supreme Extremity Sage’s rationality.
Ferocity.
Prestige aside, not the type to die like this.
He’d felt her terrifying strength in the lounge, but now with martial basics, it hit harder.
“Name’s Jake.”
After an hour in the guild, a shabby man approached.
“Looking for a guide for Rank 3 quests, right?”
Jake was a 10-year Logos guide adventurer. Early 40s, 3rd Tier, Rank 4. Face as average as his talent.
Trained in martial arts, varied weapons. Mainly spear, crossbow as needed. Knew Logos geography, monsters well.
Facial scar: badge of experience or proof of mediocrity? Jack-of-all, master of none. Typical 3rd Tier guide.
Stuck at the wall, gave up advancing, no longer a true warrior. Probably started spear-only—but learned miscellany to survive.
“Ha-ryeong’s 3rd Tier Rank 1, Elena 4th Tier Rank 4... correct?”
She’d reregistered with a fake identity from before. 3rd Tier was a lie—telepathy meant at least 4th.
“And Yuri, 2nd Tier Rank 1... martial artist.”
Jake’s gaze matched the clerk’s.
“No frontliner hire?”
“No need.”
Elena’s attitude chilled the moment Jake arrived, responses curt. He seemed used to it. 20-year-old 4th Tier from a magic tower. Jake just smiled and bowed.
“Yes, understood. Ha-ryeong and I front, Yuri porter?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Conflicting answers overlapped. Jake blinked; Yuri and Elena eyed each other.
“Why porter?”
“Gotta do something.”
“No need. Stay by me and watch. Fight a decent monster if one shows.”
“Bags aren’t heavy. I’ll carry.”
“If we need porter, we’ll hire separate.”
Ignoring Yuri, Elena turned to Jake.
“No interest in monster corpses, so no porter. Quests: extermination only, no gathering.”
“Hm... yes. If so, may I gather some materials? Half pay after guide duty.”
“Not one-and-done. That’s too generous off-mission.”
“Then 1/3. How’s that?”
“Fine. Unsatisfied? Contract void, be ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
Jake smiled and bowed again.
“Rank 2 exterminations near entrance—village lodging. Rank 3+: camp in mountains. Preference?”
“Three days Rank 2 for acclimation, then Rank 3.”
“Yes.”
Found matching quests, set meet tomorrow morning. Jake left.
“Asking a stranger if he’s porter—rude question, no?”
“Being icy and prickly to a stranger—rude attitude? He’s old enough to be your dad.”
“I’m paying him. So what? I’m higher tier, stronger. I’ll do the fighting in Logos. Don’t think my attitude’s rude. Not condescending is polite enough.”
Elena puffed her chest, chin high. Yuri inwardly thanked she was born here.
‘If Earth, this’d be power-trip drama...’
She wasn’t wrong, though. She was way stronger, battles centered on her, employer or not.
“For Rank 2 monsters, something Yuri could handle...”
Ha-ryeong pondered, then spoke.
“Beasts too tough, so humanoid types. Rank 2 humanoid: goblins. Tomorrow’s gonna be fun.”
“Why fun?”
“Seeing you and a goblin in a life-or-death duel.”
“...”
“I have full faith you’ll win against a goblin.”
So that’s what she meant—teasing.