Chapter 304: The Journey—An Accidental Incident.
Chapter 304: The Journey—An Accidental Incident.
Currently, we are racing through a high mountain range. We’ve left the Martial Alliance behind and are heading toward our next destination.
Originally, we were supposed to take a plane.
However, that set of damn drunken geezers—the 1st Generation Mages—had to go and blab to my disciples about how every vehicle I board ends up in pieces.
As a result, I was subjected to the icy glares of my disciples.
Well, calling them "icy" might just be my own sensitivity. Perhaps it was more like pity, curiosity, or a bewildered "I don't even know what to say" kind of look.
Regardless of that, even though we suddenly had extra time on our hands, it would have been awkward to run into the Heavenly Sword again, especially since he seemed to have realized exactly what I’d been up to.
So, after handling a few minor errands—like writing a letter of recommendation for the blacksmith I met on the first day—we departed from the Martial Alliance.
Of course, we borrowed a vehicle first.
It was sturdy, obviously, but it was also enhanced with Otherworld technology, giving it enough performance to traverse even the most overwhelming off-road terrain like mountain paths. It even smoothed out the uncomfortable ride quality typical of off-road vehicles.
It was an SUV whose price I couldn't even begin to imagine.
The Official Duty Permit issued by the Branch Manager truly was a powerful thing.
To think that I, a person considered so dangerous that they gave me a Rubber Boat when I asked for a ship, would be provided with such a magnificent vehicle.
And so, I climbed into the vehicle with visible joy.
But, ah—for the sake of my honor, let me make an excuse regarding the incident that followed: I was not the one driving this time.
Our voice of reason, disciple Han A-bin, finally witnessed me confusing the brake with the accelerator and realized my feet couldn't even properly reach the pedals.
Even so, she was just about to let out a sigh and let me drive anyway.
But the moment she saw me pull out a thermos and try to drink that suspicious Liquid X...
She freaked out, tossed me into the backseat, and took the wheel herself.
If I were to summarize her lecture, it was something about "drunk driving" or whatever.
Honestly, this isn't exactly alcohol.
And even if I were to concede ten thousand steps and call it alcohol, drinking while driving was a common occurrence on the battlefield, so I didn't see the big deal.
Of course, I’m not advocating for drunk driving. In a city, common sense dictates that it’s a recipe for disaster since it's overflowing with people and cars, and even a slight delay in reaction time can lead to a catastrophe.
But this was a rugged wilderness where you couldn't find another car even if you washed your eyes and looked.
In other words.
It meant you could just floor it like you were driving a tank on a battlefield.
Just like the thrill of feeling the vibrations and heat echoing inside a fortress of steel, the heavy shuddering as the continuous tracks grind flesh into the dirt.
Of course, the maintenance crew told me not to do that because it ruins the tracks.
And it’s a shame I haven't been able to ride one since that super-heavy tank, the Maus—used by a Hero who could reinforce any vehicle—suddenly underwent nuclear fission and exploded in the middle of enemy lines, despite not even being nuclear-powered.
That Hero had a mental breakdown because his collection piece was blown to bits, but he did complete the mission of stopping the attack, and strangely, no radioactive contamination remained at ground zero, so I figure all's well that ends well.
After that, instead of tanks, I used to sing "Jingle Bells" while road-killing monsters with Soviet guys in military junkers filled with vodka bottles, but really, nothing beats a tank for that sense of weight.
Planes have their own explosive charm, but the controls are just too clunky to call them a proper vehicle.
Anyway, enough rambling.
The point is, the catastrophe that happened afterward was not my fault.
Surely, the mechanic must have made a mistake, or it was undoubtedly a cowardly scheme by those Otherworld bastards.
It must have been a means to assassinate a high-ranking official of the Management Bureau riding in such a luxury SUV.
At the very least, it wasn't my fault or A-bin’s fault.
There’s no way such a thing could happen just from driving a vehicle.
Since it was such a gruesome accident, I will simply record the events as they happened.
While we were heading down a slope after crossing a ridge.
We collided with a monster that looked to be D-Rank or maybe C-Rank.
Fortunately, the premium SUV proved its worth by sending the C-Rank monster flying, but it failed to clear the heavy carcass that landed right in our path down the slope.
Consequently, our SUV, which had gained momentum on the descent, slammed head-on into the corpse, lost its balance, and began to spin.
Even in the midst of that, the incredibly sturdy SUV protected the lives of us passengers, who were all wearing our seatbelts.
The roof got dented in a bit, but it was a miracle it ended there.
If we’re measuring damages, the mental toll from Han A-bin’s screaming during those sixteen rotations was probably greater.
Anyway, after all the spinning stopped, we landed precariously near a cliff.
We all got out to check the SUV's condition and see how much damage it had taken.
At the time, the frame was slightly warped and the windows were cracked, but that was about it.
It didn't seem like a major problem, but then a bigger incident occurred.
Perhaps it was because their comrade had died.
Several creatures that looked just like the monster we had run over appeared.
They ignored us and began charging at the car, slamming into it with their bodies.
I suppose they thought the big car had killed their friend, rather than us. Their intelligence must have been incredibly low.
Regardless of the monsters' intelligence—which was about as small as The Queen's conscience—while we watched blankly.
The car, which had started breaking apart here and there, began to spew flames.
And soon, it exploded, swallowing the monsters with it.
Up to this point, it was a fairly common occurrence.
However, what happened next was not so common.
I’m not the designer of that car, so I don't know what was installed in it, but I can infer from what happened next. To be able to drive up nearly vertical cliffs, it must have had some kind of gravity control device installed.
Otherwise, there’s no way a space distortion—small as it may have been—would have triggered, grinding the surrounding monsters to dust and slicing through the cliffside.
If this had happened in a city, it would have been nothing short of a disaster, but fortunately, there were no casualties.
This was a remote area with no people.
The only people near the car were me and my two disciples.
Therefore, the car, as if proving its affiliation with the Management Bureau, must have fulfilled its duty to the very end, sacrificing itself to consume the pack of monsters.
As a result, the cliff that once boasted a beautiful view was now cleanly carved out in a circular shape, and several half-ground monster corpses were scattered about.
But what did it matter?
As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, an accident like that couldn't possibly be the fault of the passengers.
I do have a faint memory of setting the Physical Force Manipulation value to MAX as soon as I sat in the driver's seat, but anyway.
"I am... never... getting into anything with you again, Senior."
A-bin’s comment, spat out after watching the explosion, was practically slander.
That accident was clearly the fault of the mechanic who didn't maintain the vehicle properly, not me.
* * *
Having lost our vehicle, we ran through the mountains.
Because we lost a comrade—a Management Bureau vehicle that had no trouble hitting 200 km/h even in mountainous terrain—to a trivial prank of fate, our travel speed slowed down a bit.
But not by much.
I don't know the exact speed, but we were probably doing at least 100 km/h.
Of course, this wasn't our limit.
I could easily surpass that.
Baek Si-hyun could also run much faster than this.
The reason we maintained this pace was to match the speed of the slowest among us: Han A-bin.
In the past, I would have complained about her being slow and just carried her on my back.
But it seems the training at the Martial Alliance was a huge help to her.
It appeared that this wasn't even Han A-bin’s top speed, as she didn't seem out of breath even after running for several hours.
She sweated occasionally and tripped once or twice, but she kept the pace.
Who would call her The Lowest-ranked Hero now?
With this, Han A-bin had proven that she had risen this far through physical ability alone.
This must all be because my teaching is so excellent.
As I grinned to myself at that thought.
"...What are you smiling at?"
Han A-bin glared at me and said something, but...
I could tolerate that much.
Because I am a generous and wonderful master.
Maybe "wonderful" is a bit much. Anyway.
Baek Si-hyun has her eccentricities, but she’s growing well.
A-bin is also blossoming into her own talent.
The plan at the Martial Alliance had its share of accidents, but in the end, everything moved toward the goal.
And so, I smiled even as we traversed this rugged terrain, enjoying the happiness of the moment.
That was why the accident happened.
When you look back on an event after it occurs, there is something you realize.
That danger and accidents can approach at any time.
Thus, a chance accident bloomed in the midst of peace.
While running.
In a happy moment filled with brief conversation and the wind cooling the heat of our bodies.
As I laughed joyfully at one of Baek Si-hyun’s jokes, a sensation descended upon me—one that was familiar, yet something I couldn't immediately put into words.
Because it was something I so rarely felt.
A sensation I often forgot.
Because I didn't recognize what the sensation was.
Because that sensation was so incredibly ominous.
I stopped running and immediately took a combat stance.
To the point of stripping away even the lower-level Limiters.
As time passed and the sensation grew stronger, I soon remembered what it was.
The last time I had felt this sensation was with the Gray Eater.
The feeling of my Adversary.
Because I realized that.
"Han A-bin! Baek Si-hyun! Run!"
I immediately shouted and looked for my disciples.
But I heard nothing.
I could feel nothing.
"...A-bin?"
No answer came back.
"...Si-hyun?"
Even as I looked around, I couldn't feel their presence.
The only one here was me, holding my hammer.
With my small shoulder bag on.
Surrounded by the forest.
...Dammit.
They say no one knows when the Story will progress.
But at a time like this?
A truly unexpected timing.
No, perhaps it was the natural timing.
Wasn't it the same with the Gray Eater?
That monster appeared without any warning.
Along with a Public Enemy Designation.
Thinking of the Public Enemy Designation, a sense of relief washed over me, and I let out a short sigh.
"...At least it's not a total disaster of a monster like the Gray Eater."
Seeing as no Public Enemy Designation had been issued, it was likely something I could handle.
Of course, being my Adversary, it would at least be A-Rank or higher....
Actually, this is a relief.
A true relief.
I am grateful that my enemy appeared in a place like this.
The monster that appeared just before the Gray Eater.
That giant tentacle that emerged in the middle of Cheongju.
Because of its location, it had caused countless casualties that didn't even match its rank.
So this is for the best.
If an enemy is to appear as my Story progresses, it should be in a place where sacrifices are minimized.
In a place like this, where no one else is around.
The fact that my disciples suddenly vanished bothers me a bit.
But there’s no time to think about that.
No matter how much of a monster belongs to my Story, there’s no way Baek Si-hyun—even if we exclude Han A-bin—would die in an instant without being able to say a word.
I have to assume some kind of special ability is at work.
And right now, I am not alone.
"Un-ho. Hey. Wake up."
Because my partner is inside my bag.
I had already confirmed that Un-ho hadn't disappeared.
The moment my two disciples vanished and I recognized this anomaly.
By clutching my bag, I had confirmed that the fat ferret was still inside.
And so, I tapped the bag and called for my partner.
After repeating the action for about ten seconds.
"Uuuugh.... What is it all of a sudden.... Did you blow up another car or something?"
Our Un-ho, who hadn't even woken up when the car actually exploded, poked his head out of the bag, looking for the already-gone vehicle.
"The car blew up a long time ago. That's not the problem right now."
"Hwaaaaawm. Then why did you wake me up...?"
Un-ho, still not fully awake and seemingly unwilling to leave the bag, just stretched his neck out long and looked around.
"Huh...? A-bin and Si-hyun are gone.... And there's a strange presence...."
He muttered nonsense with half-closed eyes, then sniffed the air.
With that brief sniff.
"...An enemy of the Story."
Un-ho’s atmosphere changed.
"Yeah, an enemy."
I responded to Un-ho’s words.
Un-ho bristled his fur and leaped out of the bag, landing on my shoulder.
Ready to face the newly appeared, chance encounter of an enemy.
And so, in the midst of peace.
My Story began to progress.