The Tail
Whoosh! Swish!
Inside the 6th private training hall, which had remained locked for days, only the sound of a sword cutting through the air echoed in the static atmosphere. Whoosh! The person swinging the blade was Baek Ha-yeon, but her appearance was vastly different from usual. Her white hair, drained of its luster, fluttered listlessly, and dark, heavy circles hung beneath her vacant eyes. Her skin was as pale as a corpse’s, and her lips were so dry they were cracked and peeling.
Splat.
The floor of the training hall where she stood was stained with droplets of blood. It was seeping from the wounds on her hands, which had burst and festered from not putting down her sword for a single moment over the past few days. She was in a state where it wouldn't have been strange for her to collapse and lose consciousness at any second. Yet, Baek Ha-yeon did not stop.
She felt as though she could finally understand the words Kim Ilshin had spoken to her on the day of the sparring exam.
Whoosh!
Baek Ha-yeon’s sword stance changed. A cold, sharp intent was imbued in the blade as it sliced through the air. Two years ago, Baek Ha-yeon had been obsessed solely with mastering the Baeksan Sword Art. She had believed that if she could master it perfectly, Baek Ho-san would finally acknowledge her.
‘……That was a completely wrong way of thinking.’
But it hadn't been easy. It was a high-level sword technique created by Baek Ho-san himself. For Baek Ha-yeon, who had just entered the academy, mastering it was an incredibly difficult feat. Just when she was stuck in a rut, making no progress despite repeated training, Kim Ilshin had appeared. His advice had allowed her to master the Baeksan Sword Art rapidly, and back then, she had mistaken it for her own ability. She hadn't even realized how foolish she was.
‘His advice wasn't limited to the Baeksan Sword Art. No, it wasn't even advice about the Baeksan Sword Art in the first place.’
Baek Ha-yeon could finally grasp the true meaning of his words. He had been giving her advice on the fundamental "sword" itself.
Sring—
Ice crystals formed on the blade and scattered into the air. The bright light reflecting off them created a faint mirror image in front of her. The trajectory of her sword, which sliced through that image in a single motion, was unhesitating, and Baek Ha-yeon felt her own growth.
“…….”
However, there was no joy. This was not growth she had achieved through her own power.
Clatter.
Feeling her vision darken, Baek Ha-yeon let go of her sword. The blood-soaked hilt clattered against the floor, making a jarring sound. Standing with her eyes closed, Baek Ha-yeon felt an endless sense of helplessness. She had no idea what she should do now. To her, who had realized that everything she had achieved through her own choices was a failure, there had been only one person who had presented her with a clear path.
‘I need Kim Ilshin…….’
She desperately needed Kim Ilshin’s advice to lead her to the right answer.
“We’ve finally arrived…….”
After a long journey, Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo arrived at the entrance of Mt. Baekdu. The majesty of the mountain, which couldn't be captured in a single glance, was immense. Being this close, it felt truly overwhelming. Even before entering, the density of mana in the air was noticeably higher. The quality of the mana was also far superior to anywhere else. If one were to practice mana circulation here, they could surely achieve much higher efficiency.
‘I never thought I’d end up seeing Mt. Baekdu after coming here.’
In this world, there was no North or South Korea. The Great Cataclysm had erupted immediately after liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, leaving no time to divide the nation by ideology. Survival itself was impossible without pooling their strength. Thus, the history of division never occurred. The territory that was North Korea in his original world was part of the Republic of Korea, and it was sufficiently developed.
However, the vicinity of Mt. Baekdu was classified as a danger zone, and civilian residence was prohibited. There was no telling when monsters might descend from the mountain to attack people. In fact, similar incidents had occurred several times. The reason there were no tall buildings nearby was for the same reason. High-rise buildings were easy targets for monsters.
“Ugh…….”
A groaning sound escaped Lee Yeon-woo’s lips as she stretched. Despite having done nothing but sit during the trip, she looked exhausted. He couldn't even fathom how poor her stamina was. He hadn't expected someone who spent every day doing research to have great stamina, but even considering that, Lee Yeon-woo’s condition was severe. He wondered if it would even be possible for her to climb the rugged Mt. Baekdu, which they would have to do immediately after this. Still, since she had said she could do it and had been there a few times before, he decided not to worry about it.
‘The security is tight.’
The path into Mt. Baekdu was blocked by a long iron fence. To enter, one had to have their identity verified by soldiers at the checkpoint, and entry permits were often denied. Mt. Baekdu here was an incomparably more dangerous mountain than the one in his original world. Not only were there many powerful monsters, but the mana densely spread throughout the air caused many abnormal phenomena. It was only natural that access was restricted.
“C-class Hero Kim Ji-hoon and three others verified. You may pass.”
Most of the people lining up at the checkpoint to enter Mt. Baekdu were active heroes or researchers. Inside Mt. Baekdu, there were various rare materials as well as creatures that could only be found there. Because of this, it was a great environment for collecting expensive materials or conducting various studies. It was quite dangerous, but it held things worth risking that danger for.
“Let’s get in line, too. I contacted them in advance, so there shouldn't be any problems. ……Probably.”
There was no issue with an academy teacher passing through, but as a student, Kim Ilshin might not be granted permission. Because of this, Lee Yeon-woo had already contacted the checkpoint and provided Kim Ilshin’s detailed information. Seeing his track record of successfully completing high-difficulty requests and his status as the academy’s top student, they wouldn't be able to deny him entry.
“Oh, Teacher Lee Yeon-woo? Is that you!”
Just as they stood at the very end of the line, a man near the front shouted loudly and waved in the direction of Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo. He was a middle-aged researcher wearing a stained lab coat, and it was immediately obvious that he and Lee Yeon-woo were not on good terms.
“Ugh….”
The moment Lee Yeon-woo identified the person who had called her, her expression began to crumple mercilessly.
“You remember me, right? Park Seong-jun, a Level 1 researcher at the Seongwi Research Institute! Wow, fancy seeing you here. What brings you here?”
Park Seong-jun walked over, ignoring Lee Yeon-woo’s negative reaction, and thrust his messy face toward them.
“What brings you here? You were someone who never left the lab. ……Did you find something new or something?”
He spoke as if he knew Lee Yeon-woo well, then asked a question with an unpleasant intent.
“It’s none of your business, so mind your own affairs.”
Even at Lee Yeon-woo’s sharp reply, Park Seong-jun did not back down. Seeming to judge that he couldn't get anything out of Lee Yeon-woo, he turned his gaze toward Kim Ilshin.
“I don't think I’ve seen this one before. Is he your lover?”
“He is my student. Stop your rude behavior and please leave now.”
“Oh, my. My apologies. I was just happy to see you, that’s all.”
Only after Lee Yeon-woo said that did Park Seong-jun step back and return to his original spot. However, he continued to send them strange looks even then. Once he returned, Lee Yeon-woo let out a sigh of relief. Treating others coldly was very difficult for her.
“……Whew. I’m sorry. You must have felt very uncomfortable…?”
“I’m fine. But who is that person? He doesn't seem like a good person.”
“He’s someone I used to work with at the same research institute. He was my superior, but he was kicked out after being caught trying to steal my thesis.”
Lee Yeon-woo continued, casting a sidelong glance at where Park Seong-jun was standing.
“They say that after that, he joined a shady guild and even managed to become a lab director. There are many rumors that all of that is achievement he gained by stealing, too.”
It was a one-sided ill-fated relationship. It was impressive that he could be so shameless after committing such acts. It was highly likely that someone like Park Seong-jun considered that his own survival skill. Otherwise, it would be hard for him to be so brazen.
“Let’s not worry about it and do what we came here to do….”
“Yes, that would be best.”
Kim Ilshin decided to keep an eye on him for now. Because the look in Park Seong-jun’s eyes as he turned away after hearing Lee Yeon-woo’s words had been subtle. After that, the line moved quickly, and Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo passed through the checkpoint without difficulty. Thanks to having sent Kim Ilshin’s personal information in advance, they were able to enter immediately without any unnecessary procedures.
‘This looks dangerous.’
As soon as they passed the checkpoint, the lush entrance to Mt. Baekdu came into view. The path was open, but it was difficult to gauge the distance ahead because of the densely packed trees.
“I’ll lead the way from here. It’s not that far.”
Lee Yeon-woo took the lead and attached a brooch to her chest. It was an artifact called an "Exercise Aid," created to assist the muscle movement of people with physical disabilities. It seemed Lee Yeon-woo intended to use that expensive item to climb the mountain.
‘That’s the first time I’ve seen it used that way.’
Following behind the energetically moving Lee Yeon-woo, Kim Ilshin spread his Mist Spirit Vision wide. Now, assuming he focused solely on the Mist Spirit Vision, he could extend it up to a radius of 30 meters. But just then, a specific movement was detected by his Mist Spirit Vision. The location was in the bushes diagonally to the right, and the number was three.
‘……Is this a tail? I think I know who it is.’
Kim Ilshin judged that those people were Park Seong-jun and his group, whom he had seen earlier, and that was close to a certainty. It was a very traditional cliché for such a suspicious guy to pull something like this. And it was an even more traditional cliché for such guys to get a harsh lesson.