Bundang Training Ground Grand Opening

All I remembered was a brilliant beam of light pouring from the staff in my hand.

When I came to, I was lying in the village chief's bed.

"Ah. This pattern again?"

I seriously worried about my brain cells' survival rate as I got up from the bed, and right on cue, a notification popped up.

I leaned on the staff beside me and stood up. My whole body creaked—there wasn't a single spot that didn't hurt.

"Still, looks like I pulled it off somehow."

As I muttered to myself, a familiar face rushed toward me.

"Eunha! You're awake!!!"

It was Lea, with her clear, refreshing voice. Her orange hair reeked of dog fur.

"Did you roll around in a doghouse or something? The smell..."

"Ah! No, that's..."

"That one got properly drunk and passed out on the street," the village chief said from behind Lea.

"Awake, are you?"

"Ah, yes."

The chief approached apologetically, gently touching my bandages.

"I'm sorry. It feels like we left the village's survival in your hands. My heart weighs heavy."

"Nah, Chief—you were back there protecting the villagers, laying down dozens of ether capture spells on the barrier..."

Thwack—

Lea's head got smacked with a staff.

"All you did was hold back the guide."

"What... it wasn't that bad..."

As I stared, Lea clasped her hands in prayer.

"Sorry! I totally tripped you up! Called myself an Iolde warrior and made a fool of myself."

I glanced at Lea's lower body. The mangled legs were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perfectly healed.

"Aha, getting the Iolde warrior title heals you this fast."

"...Should've left you then."

"What?! I nearly died for real? That's too harsh!"

While Lea panicked, I used the staff to head outside.

The villagers waved as soon as they saw me.

"Thanks, Guide!"

"We survived thanks to you. Thought we were goners when the giant came."

"Village gets raided right when the Guide shows up—what luck."

"Ahaha..."

Beyond the villagers, I saw the village reduced to ashes. The massive 10-meter crack from the giant remained untouched.

"To rebuild, we gotta seal that rift first."

"Hm..."

No matter how I looked, the village was beyond saving. Sealing that giant rift with just 100 people would take years.

"Chief."

"What is it?"

"If the people want, you can come to Byeolbada where your kin are."

"Hm..."

Honestly, Lea called it the underground city of Iolde, but it was just a small group of around 100.

"Sorry to say it, but it was half-ruined anyway."

Lea furrowed her brow at my words.

"Guide. It's still a city holding our beliefs and will."

"Nay. But reality is reality. This city is already dead."

"......"

The chief pondered, then gazed at the massive cave.

"Yes, it's time for our Arkrans to unite too..."

"Chief! You mean abandon the city now?"

As Lea's voice echoed through the village,

Crackkk—

An ominous sound came from the cave ceiling.

"Huh."

Cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling everywhere.

"Chief, this..."

"Hm..."

The chief stroked his beard and shouted.

"All Iolde! Prepare ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to leave the cave!"

"Chief!"

"W-we're really abandoning the city?"

"You said spirits live above the chief."

To the trembling villagers and children, the chief looked at me.

"We follow the Guide to a new village."

The villagers froze.

"If it's the Ether Guide..."

"She saved us in the first place..."

"Heh, first time seeing real sunlight in my life..."

And so, the 100-odd Iolde villagers joined Byeolbada.

*

It took a full day to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠escort Iolde's residents back to Byeolbada.

Guarding a large group while spamming magic was a fresh experience.

"We've arrived."

As soon as we portaled into my city, Byeolbada, the Iolde villagers cheered.

"Wow! Bigger than the cave!"

"Th-this is really the Guide's personal Abyss?"

"Ceiling's so pretty..."

"That's not a ceiling, dummy—it's the sky."

As Iolde residents mingled with Byeolbada's, Yuri and Monica approached.

"Kid, you shaved 10 years off my life..."

I hugged the sniffling Monica tight and awkwardly raised my bracelet.

"It has tracking magic anyway, right?"

"But waiting a whole week on that alone was too long!"

"Fair..."

The raid dragged longer than expected, messing up schedules.

"You ghosting made me consider canceling the Bundang free opening."

"You worked hard."

Monica sniffled on.

"Magic Tower Alliance—no, Lee Haryeong specifically—freaked out, asking if I invested in delisted stocks."

"That auntie lacks patience more than I thought..."

"Next time, check raid difficulty first."

"Hm... It hit me suddenly too..."

As I made excuses to Monica, a familiar voice cut in.

"Hey, Mayor!"

Shasha glared fiercely beside her.

"Heard everything! What if you'd died! Didn't think about us here! Huh!"

"No..."

Exhausted-looking Ella nodded beside her.

"Right. Mayor, I prayed nonstop— you have no idea the worry."

"Yeah, Ella pulled all-nighters praying for days."

I nodded apologetically at Ella.

"Sorry. Wasn't on purpose. But I saved kin, so it's fine, right?"

Shasha and Ella nodded in unison. Shasha especially serious.

"Wanderers, Peter the King's descendants, now Iolde residents—we're the biggest Arkrans I know."

"Just 250 now?"

"Arkrans—intelligent deep ones in your terms—are that rare."

"So... running this town might be tough, Eunha."

Right on cue, the chief and Yupri started bickering, proving her point.

"It was you, Yupri. Happy abandoning the village?"

"Hmph, yeah. Village Chief of Iolde."

I glanced at Lea during their weird tension. She whispered.

"Yupri was Iolde too, but bolted saying 'how long hide?'"

"Hm..."

Complicated ties there too.

As I watched, Iolde kids' laughter echoed from the woods.

"......"

The chief looked up at the night sky.

"Sorry, no daytime here. Might not differ much from cave life."

The chief shook his head.

"This suffices. Thanks, Guide. Feels like escaping the endless wilderness at last."

"......"

I smirked and poked his side.

"Your ether capture magic impressed me. Ether use outpaces absorption—been worrying."

The chief boomed a laugh, pointing at my staff.

"Hahaha! That staff outdoes me. My teachings would hinder."

"?"

"Guide, cherish it. It's Iolde's holy artifact."

I stroked the gleaming staff and nodded.

"Got it. But how do I learn from it?"

The chief tilted his head.

"Dunno exactly... Legends say it teaches vast magic."

"Hm..."

'Gotta trial-and-error from scratch...'

I swung the staff whoosh-whoosh.

"Hiding magic 'cause you don't wanna teach?"

"Heh, I can teach anytime. Just don't blame me later."

"......"

I swung once more, pouting.

"Fine, holy artifact—watch a month first."

"Wise choice."

As the chief chuckled, Monica ruffled my hair.

"Kid, home to rest?"

"Ah..."

Feeling my aches, I nodded.

"Yeah. Craving Taehyun's cooking."

Honestly, Iolde food was awful.

*

"Alright, everyone! Today's the day for unlimited magic practice!"

"Yay! Bundang practice for us toooo!"

Royal Academy's sunflower class junior mage Ye-seong bounced, firing magic. Not a proper 1-level Ether Shot, just a lumped ether blob, but shaping up.

"Dunno why that 7-year-old's so hyper~ Hmph. 5-year-olds learn from me."

Yu-na, hair in pigtails, scoffed.

"Seo-yun, what magic you practicing today?"

"Ether Shot maybe? Wanna master it this year."

Yu-na raised her nose.

"I'm onto Double Shot now."

"Whoa, awesome Jua—nailed Ether Shot?"

"Hehehe~ Did it in front of teacher yesterday!"

As Yu-na and Seo-yun chattered, a hat-wearing kid appeared from afar.

"Boy? Can't see hair."

"Nah, eyes say girl. No boy has eyes that big."

"Yeah? How'd she get in the training ground?"

Yu-na and Seo-yun eyed the mysterious new girl.