Chapter 30. To the Northern Continent.
The destination was Nigersong, the great city on the Northern Continent. The five hero teams had decided to rendezvous there. Ganesha's muscle-girl team hadn't found their missing hero yet, so they sent word that their departure would be delayed.
Gunda's team set out first. They volunteered as the vanguard, heading ahead to scout the situation in Nigersong.
Ji-hyuk was also late to depart because he needed one more healer. Grace the foul-mouthed chain-smoker couldn't handle healing this large group alone. So they hurriedly recruited a middle-aged female healer who ran a prayer hall. A devout follower of the sun god, she had plenty of expedition experience back in her prime. Lora the middle-aged healer had retired from expeditions about ten years ago, but with her prayer hall short on funds, she had no choice but to get back to work. That's how she ended up joining Ji-hyuk's team for a hefty paycheck.
Two days after Lora joined, the two teams finally left the capital. Tanks: Gid and Bruce. Dealers: Ji-hyuk, Mahushu, Kayak, Grendal, Jepopo, and Celly. Mages: Yael and Ludvine. Healers: Grace and Lora. Buff specialists: Rozalia and Lorelia. Combining Ji-hyuk's team and Mahushu's made a grand total of fourteen members. They split into carriages by team, but since they'd always act together, it didn't mean much.
"The Demon King..."
Bald burly Gid muttered to himself as he gazed at the dawning sky. Everyone pretended to be unfazed on the surface, but deep in their guts, that primal fear was slithering up unbidden. The king of demons, the Six Lords—no one born and raised on this continent hadn't heard at least one legend about them. The horrors from childhood tales were crawling back out now that they were adults.
Lorelia, who had never even seen a demon pup let alone a Demon King—and whose first expedition happened to coincide with this one—was visibly tense. Ji-hyuk, sitting right beside her, patted the buff girl's shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry. Just trust me, and nothing'll happen. Got it? Stick to me. Rely on me for everything."
"...Yes, Boss."
Lorelia smiled shyly. There was no longer any trace of the sickly girl she used to be. After taking the elixir, she had transformed into a beautiful, mature virgin.
Celly the telekinesis mage was tense too. But she'd been steadily training her stamina and telekinesis skills, so Ji-hyuk was confident she'd shine on this expedition. She wouldn't be on the front lines yet—this time, she'd support from the second line alongside Yael and Lorelia. Debuting in a Demon King subjugation? If they pulled it off successfully, it'd be a brag-worthy tale for life.
...Of course, the girls had no idea just how incredible that was yet.
"Boss, once this subjugation's done, we'll get a fat payout, right?"
The bald brute rubbed his palms together with a sleazy grin. Ji-hyuk nodded as if it was obvious.
"It's an imperial mission. We'll get at least double the usual reward, easy."
"Fuuuck yeah! This time I'll bang ten at once. Hooah, hooah!"
Gid shook his hips back and forth like he was thrusting at the air, and Yael shot him a disgusted up-and-down glare.
"That's so gross—!"
"Gross my ass. Sex is, uh, nature's blessing. Fuuuck, it's a holy act."
"Better save that cash for the future than waste it."
The bald brute clicked his tongue and shook his head pityingly. That smug look was punchable.
"Tsk tsk, you clueless bitch. ...Guys like us could drop dead anytime. Yeah? Hoard gold for a hundred days, a thousand—it all ends when you're worm food. Fuuuck, spend it while you got it. Right, Boss?"
Ji-hyuk chuckled. "Can't argue with that."
"See? Even Boss agrees. What do softies slinging spells from the back know? Heh heh heh."
Yael glared daggers. "Hey... take back that 'softie' shit."
"Soooftie woo woo."
The druggie TA eyed him up and down like a bratty little brother, then huffed and whipped her head away.
"Avoiding shit 'cause it's scary and gross."
"Heh heh heh, my shit ain't."
Everyone snickered. Even Yael couldn't help cracking up at the sheer absurdity. By then, the whole world had brightened, and the capital was fading into the distance.
The farther north they went, the colder it got. The team layered up one extra garment at a time. About a month in, snowflakes started drifting down now and then. Those seeing snow for the first time were fascinated by the fluffy white stuff floating lazily from the sky.
Gid, who'd wandered far and wide, bragged about the snowy vistas he'd witnessed.
"When snow piles up, the whole world turns pure white. You have no idea how killer the view is. Freezing your balls off, sure, but you gotta see it once before you die."
"Whoaaa."
Naive Lorelia was awestruck. Yael kept a hawk eye on him to check for bullshit. But since the buff girl wasn't a total blockhead like Mahushu, she filtered what to believe.
The occasional flurries grew heavier. Then, one night while camping a week later, it dumped snow like crazy. And there it was—the pristine white wonderland Gid had described.
"It's so cooool—!"
The fields blanketed in fresh snow were a sight to behold. It wasn't piled too deep yet, so the carriages could still roll. Ji-hyuk worried that heavier snow might strand them, but luckily, they reached the mid-sized city of Orlleo the next day. Just two weeks more to Nigersong, they were told.
But the snow thickened again during a lull, delaying departure by a few days. Ji-hyuk cursed his bad luck in picking the timing.
From here on, instead of horses, massive shaggy beasts like Earth's yaks pulled the carriages. One could easily haul ten people thanks to their strength. Fortunately, the baron ruling Orlleo provided accommodations, letting the hero team rest easy for a week.
During that time, Ji-hyuk took turns "providing" his cock to Yael and Grace, keeping an eye out. He didn't want the team catching wind of his secret sex life. They had no clue they were sharing the boss's dick by turns—and it was best they never did.
Ji-hyuk also picked up scraps of info on the Demon King's descent here. Nothing useful, though. Folks had heard the news but saw no action, so their guard was down. With mighty Nigersong right ahead, what could go wrong?
After a comfy week, the hero team hit the road again toward Nigersong. Ji-hyuk trusted Gunda, who arrived early, had gathered solid intel. The guy's diligence guaranteed it.
Two weeks of slogging through light snow brought them to the outskirts of the great city. Even those who raved about the snowy beauty were sick of the endless white slog and desperate to escape. Not that—it was the brutal cold that had them shivering. Especially the bone-chilling nights; they half-worried they'd freeze in their sleep.
...Life's pretty tenacious, though. They endured without dying.
The team entered the city before dusk. Relieved they wouldn't shiver through another night, their faces lit up. They headed straight for the inner castle, where the waiting earl welcomed them warmly.
After getting assigned rooms, they soaked in hot baths to thaw their frozen bodies. Word of Ji-hyuk's team's arrival drew Gunda for greetings. He and Ji-hyuk shook hands like old pals reunited.
"Hero Kang Ji-hyuk—!"
"Finally made it, Gunda. ...Wait long?"
"Just ten days."
"Any intel gathered?"
"As much as I could."
"Let's talk later, then."
"Got it. Enjoy your meal, Hero."
They parted. Ji-hyuk joined his team for a lavish dinner in the grand hall, then returned to his room. Soon Gunda knocked.
Ji-hyuk poured tea and served him. "Let's hear it. What's the scoop?"
Gunda spilled details on the demon cult's movements, especially the rampaging crow legions.
...Nothing surprising; it was all predictable.
"Demon sightings are frequent too. From descriptions, at least three confirmed."
"Three... so probably more."
"Yes."
Ji-hyuk didn't know the demons' exact nature. This was uncharted territory—no prior loops. Just useless hearsay.
"One small city went dark. Probably wiped out."
A town of maybe ten thousand couldn't hold off a Demon King army.
"We'll need Nigersong's forces too."
"Discuss when Her Majesty arrives."
"Right. ...Tough journey—get some rest, Hero. See you tomorrow."
Gunda left. Ji-hyuk flopped onto the bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
Huuuuh.
A long sigh escaped. ...When's that bitch showing up? Lingering here too long was bad. With one town gone, the enemy was gaining momentum.
Lost in thoughts, Ji-hyuk drifted off. The hero dreamed. Of clashing in bloody battle with the Demon King. Amid hellish chaos on the battlefield, he fought endlessly.
Then his head got lopped off—waking him from the nightmare with a gasp.
...Outside was still pitch-black night.