Chapter 457: Rescuing Ahn Hyun.
Chapter 457: Rescuing Ahn Hyun.
The first thing I saw was an empty space filled with a desolate silence. As I slowly lowered my gaze, I saw a circular clearing about thirty meters below.
So, this was the place where the heroes of myth met their end.
I stared silently at the clearing.
The clearing was certainly large enough to hold several thousand people, about the size of three or four high school fields combined.
But something was strange. An inexplicably rough and lonely energy lingered in the air, making me feel as if I were looking out at a barren desert.
Though I called it a clearing, it wasn't completely empty. Near what seemed to be the center, a black, mud-like substance was splattered in all directions. It looked like black paint splashed across a yellow canvas; if the center had been sunken, I would have believed it was a swamp.
Floating on the surface of this mud were round, pale objects. When I focused my vision and looked closer, I realized those pale things were human faces. Their bodies were buried in the mud-like substance, with only their faces or feet visible.
—...
The woman remained silent. But as she looked down at the clearing, her eyes narrowed slightly, a sorrowful light filling her gaze.
After watching her for a moment, I walked over and gently tapped her shoulder. She flinched, her shoulders jumping, and carefully turned to look at me. Her now-widened eyes and slightly pursed, reddish lips looked strangely cute.
“I see where the missing people are. It looks like we’ll have to pull them out of that mud. Are there any traps or magic circles we should watch out for on the way down?”
The woman tilted her head. I realized I had misspoken. She probably didn't understand the word 'mud'.
But she soon shook her head calmly, so it seemed the overall meaning had gotten through.
I looked down again. The distance to the ground was roughly thirty meters. With my abilities, I could land safely from this height.
So, I was about to say that I would go down first and the others could follow slowly, when...
Huh?
I suddenly felt my body float into the air. It wasn't just me; the other clan members were also lifted slightly off the ground.
The culprit was the woman. A sphere of faint light enveloped her slender hands; it seemed she had used some kind of levitation magic.
“Aaaah! Kim Soohyun, I’m falling! I’m falling! Aaaaaah!”
“O-Oppa. There’s something I have to tell you before I die.”
—...Hee!
...
Hearing Vivian and Yoojung's fuss, the woman let out a sudden giggle.
I quietly covered my face with my hands. Peeking through the gaps between my fingers, I could see her covering her mouth with one hand, her delicate shoulders trembling faintly.
As we descended, I could still hear the woman's stifled laughter, and I had to struggle to cool my flushing face.
Anyway, the slight commotion died down as soon as we landed safely on the ground. Even after we'd landed, the woman kept her head bowed, and since she had turned her back to me, I figured she was still laughing.
After a light sigh, I spoke calmly.
“As some of you have already seen, the Users seem to be asleep in that swamp-like area. Let's focus on finding Ahn Hyun first, but if you see any living Users, pull them out immediately... Ah. Priests are the exception.”
Shin Jaeryong and Ahn Sol, who had just been about to roll up the hems of their clothes, nodded and took a few steps back.
I calmly surveyed our surroundings. Even though it was only the central area, the clearing was so vast that I could see well over a hundred faces at a glance. We would have to check them all eventually, but blood is thicker than water, so rescuing Ahn Hyun was the priority.
“Alright, let's head in.”
Activating Third Eye, I took a step into the swamp-like area. A texture that was less like liquid and more like soggy, mushy jelly submerged my foot up to the ankle.
I felt a slight drain on my strength, but it was very faint. It might be a problem if I stayed submerged for a long time, but a few hours shouldn't matter. I waded deeper into the swamp.
『User Kim Hyeon (Deceased).』
『User Shin Ji-seok (Deceased).』
『User Baek Hye-yeon (Deceased).』
『User Han Yun-sang (Deceased).』
As I scanned the area, the names and statuses of numerous Users popped up in the air. Most of them were marked as deceased. They must have fallen asleep upon entering this place and had their life force drained by this mysterious swamp until they died.
Then, a familiar name caught my eye. I tilted my head for a moment before walking toward where the name was floating.
Looking down, I saw a corpse whose features were unrecognizable.
It was like looking at a mummy. The face was beyond gaunt, so desiccated it was impossible to identify. I used my foot to roll the body over, and from the shape of the chest and waist, I could tell it was a woman's corpse.
『User Sung Yubin (Deceased).』
Sung Yubin. A User who was once an executive of the former Golden Lion Clan.
She had once been a successful User, but she fell from grace with the collapse of the Golden Lion Clan. She was released from custody after helping deal with the prisoners of war, but her life afterward must have been difficult, given the terrible rumors surrounding the clan.
I didn't know why Sung Yubin was here. I could only guess that after a hard life of wandering, she had come to the Sleeping Dragon Mountains hoping for a chance to turn her life around. It was a bit pitiful that she ended up like this, but it couldn't be helped.
The Hall Plain had always been this kind of world.
Suddenly, a certain clan member came to mind. I calmly glanced to the side and saw Hanbyul dragging a User out by the feet, having apparently found someone who was still breathing.
Should I tell her, or not?
I hesitated for a moment. But I decided there was no need to say anything and turned away.
A moment later, I started walking toward the center, then changed my mind and turned toward the outer edge. Ahn Hyun would have been one of the most recent arrivals. Unless they were just thrown in randomly, there was a high chance he'd be closer to the outside than the center.
I began to walk along the perimeter, checking each of the countless names that appeared. By the time I had circled about half the clearing, I finally found the name I was looking for.
『User Ahn Hyun (Critical Injury).』
I shouted immediately.
“I found Ahn Hyun! User Ahn Sol! User Shin Jaeryong! Over here!”
I ran over like I was flying and saw Ahn Hyun, his face floating peacefully with his eyes closed. Before the other clan members arrived, I gave his head a good smack. Then I immediately pulled him out of the swamp and carried him to the edge.
Ahn Hyun wasn't as mummified as Sung Yubin, but his former healthy appearance was gone. He was so emaciated that he was just skin and bones.
Slightly regretting the smack, I gently laid Ahn Hyun on the ground. When I put a hand to his nose, I felt a faint, shallow breath. Only then could I feel relieved. The Third Eye had confirmed it as well—he was alive.
As I straightened up, the clan members who had gone into the swamp all started to head out. I immediately raised a hand and pointed back toward the swamp. It was a signal for them to look at Ahn Hyun later and focus on rescuing the other Users for now.
After a short wait, Shin Jaeryong, Ahn Sol, and the spirit of the woman arrived in succession. Their reactions to seeing Ahn Hyun were quite varied. Shin Jaeryong let out a sharp gasp, while Ahn Sol's eyebrows shot up. Her expression was unreadable, a mix of shock and anger.
“Is he... alive?”
As Shin Jaeryong stammered, the woman quietly raised a hand and stepped forward. Then, just as she had done for me, she placed her hand on Ahn Hyun's chest and chanted the time-reversal spell.
—Tempus Auxilium...
Soon, flesh began to return to Ahn Hyun's sunken cheeks, bit by bit. His once-loose equipment started to fit snugly against his restored skin and muscle.
So that's the true nature of the magic that restored my body.
I watched Ahn Hyun with great interest.
A short while later—though it took longer than I expected—Ahn Hyun's pitiful state had completely vanished. His complexion was healthy, and his breathing was even. The Third Eye no longer judged him as having a critical injury, but as being in good condition.
He was still asleep with his eyes closed, but he had regained his former healthy appearance.
Having finished the treatment, the woman's spirit turned to me and nodded.
I bowed my head slightly to express my gratitude.
*
After prioritizing Ahn Hyun's rescue, we resumed our search for other survivors. Personally, I wouldn't have minded leaving the rest, but we had to at least find the Users who had accompanied Ahn Hyun and Hangyul.
The entire rescue operation didn't take as long as I'd thought. There were hundreds of Users submerged in that mysterious area, but most of them were already dead.
In total, there were seventeen living Users—a mere fraction of the whole. Taking comfort in the fact that we had at least found our clients, I asked for all the survivors to be healed. The woman's spirit showed no signs of fatigue as she treated every one of them with her time-reversal magic.
According to Eternal Flame, that kind of magic normally operates on the principle of equivalent exchange, meaning the caster has to pay a corresponding price. However, since the woman was a spirit, the burden wasn't as great. In other words, we were just lucky.
As I was silently watching Ahn Hyun, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I calmly turned my head and saw the woman looking at me, her head tilted.
Still, the time-reversal magic wasn't without its effects. After healing everyone, the woman's spirit had become considerably fainter than before. I could still make out her form, but I worried she might fade away completely.
I spoke at once.
“You've worked hard. You must have wanted to return to your comrades... I'm sorry for keeping you for so long.”
The woman shook her head.
I slowly looked around the clearing. The clan members, finished with the rescue, were all gathered in one place, watching the woman. Their gazes were a mixture of pity and goodwill. It seemed they intended to see her off.
“Thank you for your help. It seems we've rescued all the living, so you can go now. I hope you can now go where you need to be, and where you wish to be.”
It was then.
Fwoosh!
The spirit suddenly radiated a brilliant light, and I could see a faint smile on her face.
The woman's spirit didn't ascend right away. Instead, she walked toward me, step by step, and stopped right in front of me.
Wondering what she was doing, I lowered my gaze.
The woman was on the shorter side. But as if standing on her tiptoes, her face suddenly tilted and rose toward mine.
And the moment I saw a gentle curve form on her reddish lips...
Chu.
A cool sensation touched my lips, and my eyes shot open before I knew it.
What...? Did she just... kiss me?
“K-Kim Soohyun? Hey! Hey! Heeeey!”
“Wh-What...? What just...? N-No... What...?”
Seeing Vivian shrieking and Ahn Sol looking completely dumbfounded, I figured that was exactly what had happened.
Perhaps sensing Yoojung, who was now glaring daggers and hastily drawing her own, the woman gave me a bashful smile. She waved both hands gently and parted her rosy lips.
—Goodbye... Let's meet again.
Her voice was as lovely as rolling jade beads.
Before I could respond, the woman transformed into a streak of light and seeped back into the item at Ahn Sol's waist.
Only then did I come to my senses, and I dazedly touched my lips.