Chapter 167: An Unexpected Encounter
Chapter 167: An Unexpected Encounter
And so, we completed our eventful and troublesome assault on the Cave of Screams. We hadn't perfectly cleared the entire cave, but we had taken down the boss monster and made it to the end, so it was fair to say we had done what we set out to do. We decided to leave the task of cleaning up the undead still wandering the cave to an investigation team that would be formed after our expedition report, or to other Users.
Though we had finished a major task, our expedition wasn't over yet. The most important mission remained: the return. Crossing the Blue Mountain Range, teeming with undead, was a challenge in itself. More importantly, everything the caravan had accomplished would only have meaning if we returned safely to Mule. There were more than a few Users who had lost their lives by letting their guard down, filled with the satisfaction of achieving their goal, so we had to be careful.
The hottest topic on our way back was the Chaos Mimic. Ahn Sol won everyone over when she said, “If something that big came out of a baby mimic, then the daddy mimic and mommy mimic will definitely give us something even bigger~.” I couldn't quite grasp the specific meaning of what would be ‘bigger,’ or what the others were agreeing with. However, based on the context, I had a general idea of what she was getting at, so I didn't say anything. (Though I thoroughly ignored the suggestion to open the box right then and there.)
Countless thoughts surfaced on our journey, and I took the time to organize them. I was most curious about the result of the Vagabond Extermination Plan and the Golden Lion Clan's march to the Steel Mountains. I wanted to get back to Mule as quickly as possible to find out what had happened, which might have been why I pushed our pace.
However, the timing of our return was incredibly ambiguous. According to the future I knew, the Vagabond Extermination Plan should have been over long ago, but it was uncertain whether the outcome of the march on the Steel Mountains would be known even after we got back.
I decided to be as patient as I could. It wasn't that I didn't feel a corner of my mind growing anxious, but I didn't want to rush things and mess up. As the saying goes, more haste, less speed. The right answer was to move forward calmly, taking care of the tasks at hand.
Besides, there was already a mountain of things to deal with. I had to get certificates of achievement for the Ancient Alchemist Vivian’s Dungeon and the Ruined Laboratory, and I also had to submit an expedition report for the newly explored Cave of Screams. We had to process and distribute the rewards from this expedition, consider equipment upgrades, and there was still the matter of applying to establish a clan. And most importantly, there was the issue of what to do with the User Ko Yeonju.
Just thinking about all the tasks ahead made my head spin, and I could only sigh. But as I had resolved earlier, if I handled them one by one, calmly, I was sure I could find a good solution. I encouraged myself with that thought and hurried on the road back to the small city of Mule.
*
It was only when Mule's North Gate began to peek into view in the distance that I and the rest of the party could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I turned my head for a moment and looked around. I could see a faint morning mist settling and blades of grass glistening with dew. All was quiet, and only the sound of the wind brushing past us occasionally disturbed the silence.
It had taken us ten days to reach the Cave of Screams and one day to explore it. That much was expected, but our return journey had been delayed by an extra day. We had tried to hurry back, but Yoojung had been having trouble. The aftereffects of the wound she’d received from Horrence lingered, and she would often fall behind the group if we picked up the pace even slightly.
To be honest, I was so lost in my own thoughts at first that I hadn't noticed at all. I’d felt that our march was a bit sluggish for some reason, but I only realized why when Hayeon discreetly told me. (To her credit, Yoojung hadn't shown any sign of it to me. It seemed she had been gritting her teeth and pushing through.) I didn't slow our pace, but since I had decided to be patient, I made sure to take time to accommodate Yoojung. The moment she showed the slightest sign of struggling, I would call for a short break and encourage her.
Yoojung's condition improved with time, and by the seventh or eighth day, we were able to return to our original cycle of marching and resting. Then, on the tenth day of our return, we decided to march through the night. We judged that there wouldn't be any major dangers so close to Mule, and by marching overnight, we could make up for some of the time we had lost.
And so, after eleven days, we successfully returned to the small city of Mule.
The path we walked was gradually changing. The overgrown grassy plains began to give way to bumpy but clearly man-made roads. After walking steadily for a while longer, the humble North Gate slowly came into view. In total, it had taken us twenty-two days to return to the small city of Mule.
We had left Mule before the first week of March was over, so the date now had to be near the end of March. As the North Gate drew closer and I saw the guards standing tall, my heart pounded with an odd sense of excitement.
“Welcome back on your safe return, Users! May the angel's blessing….”
When we finally reached the North Gate, two still-shabby-looking guards saw us and gave a sharp salute. After a simple acknowledgment, I turned my head and saw the unified expressions on my party members' faces. I was strongly curious what their reactions would be if I suggested we go back to The Demure Lady inn and start training right away. Of course, it was just a silly thought of my own.
As we stepped through the North Gate, quiet streets greeted us. It had to be dawn. Unless they were in an unavoidable situation like us, or just plain crazy, no User would venture out on an expedition at the crack of dawn.
“Uwaaah. We’re finally back.”
“I think I’m going to cry. Sob.”
“Woow. Woow.”
As this had been the toughest expedition they had ever experienced, the kids let out cheers the moment they set foot in the city. Vivian was constantly yawning and covering her mouth, while Shin Sangyong was nodding off with sleepy eyes. Hayeon tried not to show it, but her face was etched with fatigue. And Ko Yeonju…
The moment she entered Mule, she was staring at me with an intensity I had never seen before. I calmly met her gaze, and she winked, sending me a silent signal. I understood its meaning in an instant. And so, I quietly spoke to the party members, who were eager to get back to the inn.
“User Jung Hayeon.”
“Yes?”
“Please lead the others. Head back to The Demure Lady inn first.”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned, a blank expression on her face. The others looked just as confused. They all wore faces that asked why I was suddenly acting this way, but I just shook my head and continued.
“There’s something I need to check on quickly. It won’t take long.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to rest a little before you go? If it’s not urgent…”
“It is urgent, so it’s better to handle it now.”
At my firm tone, Hayeon tilted her head. Her worried gaze swept over me, but I conveyed my will by giving a slight shake of my head that only she could see. After seeing my signal, Hayeon let out a small sigh.
“I understand. If there’s anything we can do to help…”
“I’ll be helping him, so don’t you all worry and head on back first.”
“U-User Ko Yeonju?”
“That’s right. This is a matter that requires the fame of the Ten Strong.”
As Ko Yeonju cut in, I saw Hayeon sink into thought. Honestly, claiming to have urgent business at this hour of the morning was a stretch, but it wasn't entirely unheard of. Normally, she wouldn't have accepted it, but since she had heard parts of my plan, she seemed to think this was related to it. Or perhaps she thought it had something to do with Ko Yeonju, since she had only joined us temporarily in the first place.
After looking back and forth between me and Ko Yeonju for a while, she finally nodded and mouthed a tiny phrase in my direction. Be careful. I answered her concern with a faint smile, and upon receiving my reply, she led the sleepy party members toward the inn.
Just as their figures began to disappear down the streets of Mule, Ko Yeonju and I were finally left alone in front of the North Gate. She watched me for a moment, then opened her mouth with a beautiful smile.
“Shall we take a short walk? Outside the North Gate, of course.”
“I don’t see why not, but it feels a bit strange to leave again right after coming in.”
At my blunt reply, she giggled, then gently took my arm and led the way. And so, Ko Yeonju and I left the North Gate once more and began to walk, retracing the path our party had just taken. An awkward silence hung between us for a while, but it was Ko Yeonju who finally broke it.
“Do you dislike long talks?”
“I don’t mind if it’s necessary, but I hate beating around the bush.”
“Me too. In that case, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll get straight to the point. But it still might be a little long.”
“I understand. That’s what I was hoping for. I’m listening.”
The moment I said, I’m listening, she stopped dead in her tracks. I suddenly felt as if I had experienced a similar situation before. Kim Hanbyul, Jung Hayeon… The faces of the two women flashed through my mind in succession, but they were instantly erased by the sound of Ko Yeonju’s voice.
“There are too many things about you that don’t add up.”
“Hm.”
I let out a low sound and was about to speak, but she raised a hand to stop me. I decided to hear her out.
“I’m not just talking about your visible abilities. Of course, those are full of things I can’t understand either. But, when you think about it, I’m still just a Year 5 User, so it’s hard to say I know everything. You might have a special ability like that child… Well, fine. Being strong in the Hall Plain isn’t a problem at all. No matter what anyone says, that’s your own ability. I’m personally curious, but I have no right to pry.”
As expected of a veteran User, what she was saying felt different from Hayeon. But I didn't let my guard down. By conceding the point about my external abilities first, she was clearing the way to dig into other areas.
Just as I expected, Ko Yeonju narrowed her eyes and continued.
“Back then, in the 3rd-floor suite, you said it. Your goals are survival and returning to Earth. Survival and return. These are things every User in the Hall Plain has thought about at least once. And your words that followed shook my heart. They weren't the childish boasts of a simple Year 0 User; you were truly predicting the situation ahead and drawing a grand picture. And this time, you showed that you actually have the ability to execute it. …I thought about it. If I were to enter the city right now and see the situation tomorrow morning, and if your words were proven right, I felt the surprise would make the anxiety I’m holding in my heart disappear.”
“I’d like to know the source of that anxiety.”
“The root of my anxiety is none other than you. You, the Year 0 User Kim Soohyun, are the cause of my anxiety.”
“……”
Rustle… Rustle…
A cold dawn wind blew, and the grass swayed gently. I lifted my head and looked at her with a deep gaze. She wasn't looking at me. She simply had her arms spread wide, savoring the blowing wind. After a while, her lips parted softly once more.
“You can call it a gut feeling born from experience, or you can call it a woman’s intuition. You’re an unknowable man. The reason I agreed to join this expedition was because I wanted to observe the User named you.”
A tightness was slowly building in my chest. I regulated my breathing, taking slow, deep breaths. Then, in a calm voice, I spoke.
“And what did your observations reveal?”
“I told you. You’re unknowable,” she answered immediately, then tilted her head slightly.
“When I first saw you, you were just a kind-hearted User taking care of his kids. But then, at times, you were a terrifying User who shot killing intent at me. Then again, you were a devoted User who sacrificed for his party. But at other times… you were like a blood-soaked murderer, without a shred of mercy. In conclusion, you’re a User I can’t figure out, whether you were enraged because your party was hurt or simply angered by a provocation.”
“……”
Hearing her final words, spoken one by one, I finally understood why Ko Yeonju had been asking me all those questions right after I dealt with Horrence. I had felt a probing light in her eyes then; her questions had clearly all been to test me.
I couldn't think of anything else to say. As I stood there with my lips sealed, Ko Yeonju slowly approached me, clasped her hands behind her back, and thrust her head forward. The moment I glanced down, I could see her provocative eyes looking up at me. Meeting my gaze, she opened her mouth, her voice soft.
“Even you have to admit it doesn’t add up, right?”
“There’s no rule that a person, a User, must only have a single emotion.”
“That’s true. But there’s one thing your actions lack. Do you know what it is?”
“I don’t.”
“Don’t play dumb. It’s consistency. If you just put a different face to each of your actions, I’d perceive them as completely different people. And since you seem to be playing dumb, let me tell you this in advance.”
She paused for a moment, then swiftly pulled back, increasing the distance between us. She looked at me standing there motionlessly and gave a slight smile.
“Survival and return. Fine. I have no intention of denying it. But I hope you won’t try to cover up my anxiety with those eloquent words. Because what I’m truly curious about is the inner self you’ve hidden so deep inside.”
The wind had stopped. All around was silent. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
“So, will you finally answer me now?”
At some point, a considerable distance had opened up between us. She raised her right hand, her fingers spread, then curled them slightly and touched them lightly to her collarbone.
And I gave a faint, single nod. The moment she confirmed it, her beautiful lips slowly parted, and her soft voice echoed lazily across the plains.
“Even now… do you want to kill me?”