Plot Bait (1)
Nothing in this world lasts forever. Not even nations that seem unbreakable. Countless countries have risen and fallen throughout history, their legacies either carried on or utterly erased. As long as people exist, conflicts big and small arise, and those cracks eventually lead to collapse. This world is no different. Kingdom after kingdom, empire after empire has come and gone.
I never cared much about history, but being in another world made it impossible to ignore completely.
└YasaengGrill
I'm here. What's written on that?
└Olfather
Oho! You've arrived! Mr. Grill, you've uncovered an incredible record!
└YasaengGrill
That so?
└Olfather
I haven't even translated half the page yet, but this is from the Vulcan Kingdom! Do you have any idea how amazing this is?
└YasaengGrill
Yeah.
└Hey. Didn't you say you know math? Doesn't that mean you got a basic education?
└You got basic education and don't know Vulcan Kingdom?
└YasaengGrill
I told you, I'm from another world. Even if I did get educated, the history I know is stuff like Joseon, Goryeo, Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje. Broader scope? Mongolia, Nazi Germany, Britain, that sort of thing. Way back? Rome, maybe. That's it. History's not my thing.
'What I do know, I scraped from the internet anyway.'
Sometimes certain countries just spawn a ton of memes. Britain's the poster child—whenever something happens in the world, blame Britain and you're probably right. That's the "hate Britain" meme. They did pull every kind of atrocity imaginable, but there was a nation that made even that look tame: Nazi Germany, the king of madness, treating massacres like an industry. That's about where my knowledge ends. I know zilch about this world.
└YasaengGrill
Vulcan Kingdom must've been some badass kingdom, huh?
└Olfather
Heh heh. I'm tempted to Meteor right now.
└YasaengGrill
Pardon?
└Olfather
It wasn't just badass—it was a kingdom that reached the pinnacle in magic, especially necromancy.
└And the kingdom that birthed the Immortal King.
└All records wiped out after its fall, but one survives in the Four Seasons Forest lol
└But why'd he go into the Four Seasons Forest? Curious.
History buffs started piling on comments one by one. To an ignoramus like me, it made zero sense. I considered searching the gallery, but I didn't want to miss the conversation.
'No clue who the Immortal King even is.'
All I recalled was that the mage king Cardir had subjugated him. Beyond that? Nothing. And I never felt the need to know more.
└YasaengGrill
I have no idea what any of that's about. Roughly, there was a strong ancient kingdom that fell because of the Immortal King?
└Olfather
That's the gist.
└YasaengGrill
And the mage king took down the Immortal King.
└Olfather
Correct.
└YasaengGrill
So when did Vulcan Kingdom fall?
└Olfather
About 30 years ago, timeline-wise.
└Shit was real chaos back then. Evacuations everywhere.
└My dad was a holy knight, got the death notice.
└Stay strong.
└Wasn't there a previous-gen hero too?
└Yeah, hero went down heroically, which let Cardir seal the deal.
30 years ago isn't that long. The scars would still run deep. World War II was about 100 years back by pure timeline. Korea's worst war, 6.25, was barely 80 years ago. This generation basically lived through the Immortal King's terror firsthand. No wonder he's still a massive boogeyman.
└YasaengGrill
Did the Immortal King wipe out my country or something?
└Olfather
He turned the entire populace into undead. Nearly swallowed the world—worst incident in history.
└That's why the Holy Kingdom banned necromancy outright.
└Banned? They straight-up labeled it heresy.
└More like branded practitioners as straight-up evil. Kinda sucks though. Necromancy was great for replacing labor.
└It was controversial from the start. Jungwon banned it outright—no respect for the dead.
└Respect for the dead my ass, the living need to live;;
└ㅅㅂ You try farming bare-handed? Villages with necromancers were so convenient.
└Necromancers are shady af, who knows what they'd do.
└That's prejudice. Necromancy's how you cast spells on corpses to find cause of death.
└YasaengGrill
Whoa, for real?
└Olfather
Still an unsolved puzzle. But we might get answers from the book you found, Mr. Grill.
Still lost. Sounded like some foreign country's drama. Stuck in the Four Seasons Forest too long? Or maybe it's the gallery vibe. Didn't hit home. Vulcan Kingdom, Immortal King—who cares.
└YasaengGrill
I'll upload page-by-page pics. Can you translate? Focus on survival tips over history, please.
└Olfather
Aigoo! Thank you so much! How can I ever repay this honor...!
└YasaengGrill
Just tell me the survival parts. Like I said, survival's priority one.
I flipped through the book, snapping each page meticulously. Uploading the whole thing to the gallery would take time, which is why I rushed back.
'Just give it all to Olfather?'
I considered dumping it on him, but decided to post everything publicly. Even if he's smart, decoding might trip him up. Public eyes mean more objective info. If someone helps big-time, I'd toss 'em an adult mandrake.
'Ignore the randos.'
Gallery's full of all sorts—floaters' takes get the ignore. No weird misreads stirring confusion.
'Still, give the book to Olfather.'
Separate from posting, I'd hand it over. Useless to me, and he's the most trustworthy. Academic value? Survival info first for me.
'This guy's impressive. Kept a journal through hell.'
I snapped pages, then glanced at the bone-filled sack. What kind of person clings to life in this demonic forest and journals? Hoping for pro tips, I photographed carefully. Well-preserved for its age—barely any illegible text.
'Ooh, what's this plant?'
Early pages were text-heavy, but later ones had drawings. Promising stuff: plants, animals, locations. Exactly what I needed—extra care on those shots.
"Aigoo, my throat."
Afternoon vanished photographing. Took less time than you'd think—no camera needed. Just flip, eye-snap, done. Perfect quality since vision = resolution. And my eyes are sharp. HD all the way.
'Time to upload to the gallery.'
I posted all the shots. Why the hassle? Olfather could've handled it easy. Objectivity, sure—but some won't get it. Just felt right. Weirdly.
'Separate posts per book for easy sorting.'
Gallery has no pic limit, but mana drains per upload. More pics, longer vids = more cost.
Found Book 1
YasaengGrill
(Book page photo)
(Book page photo)
(Book page photo)
⋮
(Last page photo)
Full book dump. Decode survival info? Adult mandrake your reward. High-nics only, fyi. More books coming.
Posted 'em all like that. Pure grunt work, but finishing felt oddly satisfying.
Once the content was up, I pinged Olfather for a trade. He accepted in under 3 seconds.
Hello, Mr. Olfather. See my post?
Olfather
Reading it now with a raging boner down south. ;;
Typical him—let it slide. Don't wanna feel awkward solo.
Anyway, donating the books I found? Or whatever.
Olfather
No way! Those priceless books... to me? For real?
I can't store or read 'em. Just flag survival bits ASAP.
Olfather
Easy peasy. No questions on Vulcan Kingdom or Immortal King?
Just some king who raised skeleton armies for war, right?
Olfather
Heh heh. Too spot-on, lost for words. No interest, huh?
My own nose is numb.
Olfather
Got it. I'll detail his survival methods.
Thanks. Oh, one more thing?
Olfather
Shoot.
What's his name? Names matter.
Luckily, first page had it—Olfather answered quick.
Olfather
Last scribe of Vulcan Kingdom, Rice Kraone. Rice Kraone.
Rice Kraone. Got it.
Handed over the book, one thing left: bury the skull from the sack in a sunny spot.
I grabbed shovel, hammer, sack, and headed out.
'Cross... nah. Stone's better than a cross.'
Cross plus sacrifice? What mongrel ritual is that. Better grab a flat stone and plant it.
Pak! Pak!
Shoveled a long pit, skull-sized grave. Dump sack, cover—done.
'Bones still connected, weird.'
Skull held shape like a science-class model. Should be loose bones, but intact. No clue why—fine by me.
Laid it to rest, piled dirt.
Pak! Tak! Ddak! Ddak!
Hammered a flat stone on top, solid. Prep complete.
Bought cheap auction booze—Jungwon style, Eastern vibe felt right. Sprinkling beer? Not my style.
Glug glug glug—
Poured over "cross" and grave to soothe the spirit. Two bows after. Sloppy, but sincere enough. Formality's secondary to respect. That's my take.
'Oh right, the name.'
Forgot to engrave. Close call.
Flipped the top stone back. Bought ink and brush from auction, wrote carefully.
Hangul, obviously. Only script I know.
Last Scribe of Vulcan Kingdom
Rice Kraone
Rest here.
Short and sweet. Waited for ink to dry, reset stone. Respect paid. Last rites done.
One final item from the sack... nah, skipped it. Pendant on the skull? Buried with him.
Funeral wrapped—
[Gratzas.]
A chilling voice echoed from behind, eerie as hell. Goosebumps exploded with the cold aura.
I whipped around in shock, staring at the grave.
And...
"......"
Nothing. So quiet, it felt like hallucination. Just serene air and fresh grave greeting me.
'...Now I'm hearing voices?'
Dry-washed my face, trudged back to the cave. Eel for lunch, and I'm drained already?
'Nap time.'
Body felt weirdly exhausted.
*****
While Grill napped.
└Yo. If that's my decode right, this is gonna blow up.
└Wtf's in it?
└Holy Kingdom massacred Vulcan civilians to make the Immortal King ;;;
└???
└ㅅㅂ What the hell??
└The Holy Kingdom? Why tho?
Out-of-nowhere bombshells kept dropping.