Chapter 306
Chapter 306
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: The Compass of Bonds
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Whiiiir!
A blinding blizzard swept across the snowfield.
Choi Seo-yoon trudged through the deep snow, walking aimlessly without a destination.
“…Where did everyone go?”
Just moments ago, she had been with the group, but then a fierce wind had blurred her vision, and in an instant, she was alone.
Perhaps because she sensed no mana at all. True to its name, the ‘Mystery Snowfield’ was full of strange happenings.
“If only there were some kind of clue.”
What was she supposed to do alone in this vast snowfield?
“Haa…”
As Choi Seo-yoon let out a deep sigh, she suddenly recalled the hairpin gift incident(?) with Kim Sun-woo from before they got separated.
“……What could it be?”
She had a vague sense that Kim Sun-woo sunbae-nim and Yoo Ah-ra sunbae-nim were closer than she thought.
She had witnessed them having serious conversations alone in front of a park at night a few times, and the way they treated each other felt very casual.
But Choi Seo-yoon had thought they were just simple friends.
She hadn’t sensed any special feelings between them.
However, today made her think that might have been her misconception.
“…A hairpin.”
What was the intention behind gifting the hairpin?
Of course, friends often exchanged gifts, but gifting a magic tool worth over 100 million wasn’t common, was it…?
Unless it was someone truly precious after a long time together.
At that moment, Choi Seo-yoon remembered Kim Sun-woo’s final words.
‘Don’t misunderstand and listen carefully. So…’
What had Kim Sun-woo sunbae-nim been about to say at the end?
Since he said not to misunderstand, there must have been some other reason.
But of all timings, they had to get separated right then.
“…Ugh, it’s cold.”
Choi Seo-yoon hugged herself and shivered.
The blizzard felt even fiercer somehow.
Setting everything else aside, she needed to deal with this blizzard first.
Choi Seo-yoon drew up her mana.
At the same time, the blizzard blowing in front of her began to freeze solid into a curtain-like barrier with a sharp crackling sound.
The ice curtain gradually widened, forming like a massive umbrella that blocked the blizzard and fierce winds.
“Phew. Now I can finally see ahead.”
Choi Seo-yoon felt quietly proud of her mana utilization.
If there was one advantage unique to ice-attribute magic, it was the solidification of mana.
This was where ice wizards’ skills were divided— in these subtle applications of magic.
Choi Seo-yoon brushed the snow off her head and stepped forward again.
Time to go find sunbae-nim and the others.
Choi Seo-yoon pushed through the blizzard once more.
How long had she walked without direction?
Then, Choi Seo-yoon spotted a weathered signpost embedded in the center of the snowfield.
[This land has been cursed by the Ice Witch, bringing eternal winter.]
[All living beings on this land will freeze to death until the Ice Witch dies.]
“…Ice Witch? Eternal winter?”
That was when it happened.
[‘Choi Seo-yoon’ has uncovered the mystery of the snowfield!]
[This land has been cursed by the Ice Witch, bringing eternal winter.]
[To escape eternal winter, the Ice Witch must be defeated.]
[Tower of the Four Seasons, 19th Floor, Stage 2: ‘Mystery Snowfield’ has been cleared.]
[As a special reward, ‘Compass of Bonds’ has been granted.]
“…Huh? Wh-what?”
Choi Seo-yoon panicked at the sudden stage clear.
According to the tower’s will, it seemed others had cleared the stage thanks to her.
“Whatever it is, did I do it?”
Then, a pure white light burst in front of her, soon transforming into a small disc shape.
She cautiously picked it up, and it became a compass.
The usage instructions naturally imprinted in her mind.
“…Compass of Bonds.”
It was a relic that allowed tracking someone’s location by registering their mana.
[5 compasses wish to register you as a bond. Do you permit?]
“Yes.”
A tiny bit of her mana left her body, shooting out in five streams like falling meteors toward somewhere.
At the same time, five streams of mana shot back toward Choi Seo-yoon and were absorbed into the compass in her hand.
Instinctively, she knew the group’s mana had been registered in the compass.
Choi Seo-yoon closed her eyes and thought of someone. The compass needle moved.
[Tower of the Four Seasons, 19th Floor, Stage 3: ‘Clue Hunt’ has begun.]
[To proceed to the next stage, find clues about the Ice Witch.]
[Gather the scattered clues on this land to locate the Ice Witch and reunite with your dispersed allies!]
A new stage had started. Choi Seo-yoon followed the compass.
Deep in a cave hidden somewhere in the snowfield.
I had lit a campfire and was crouching in front of it, warming myself.
“Whew. Feels like I can live now.”
The blizzard was so intense that I had found a suitable spot to take shelter.
I’d been to countless snowy mountains, but nowhere as brutal as this.
Now I was worried if the others were okay.
Still, they were all top talents in their fields, so they’d survive on their own.
“Hmm. Need to find clues about the Ice Witch too.”
Thanks to Choi Seo-yoon, the new stage had opened quickly.
The early flow was subtly different from the original, but the core—finding the Ice Witch maintaining the winter—remained the same.
I knew the path forward from the original story, so I was confident in clearing the stage.
But it was late, so better to rest well tonight and start searching tomorrow.
The others might be looking for me too, so moving rashly could make us miss each other.
“Yawn…”
I let out a big yawn, stood up, and entered the pre-set ‘Goblin Special Compressed Camouflage Tent.’
The cozy interior. Lighting it with a goblin lamp brought warmth too.
I laid out my sleeping bag and flopped onto the floor.
“Nice.”
A bit less comfy than a bed, but paradise compared to outside.
Lying there alone, staring at the ceiling, I pulled the ‘Compass of Bonds’ from my pocket.
［Compass of Bonds (Relic)］
Description: A compass that locates those connected by bonds. Inject mana to register bonds.
No limit on bond registrations, but if even one bond breaks, the compass shatters.
“…Didn’t expect this as a reward.”
The Compass of Bonds let you register others’ mana to find their locations.
Like a tracker. Seemed great for quickly finding Lee Seo-jun or the others to help, but not ideal for me.
Because while operating under another identity, they could track me instead.
In that sense, it was a double-edged sword.
“What to do with this.”
I had to share mana to clear the tower, but I had a feeling this would cause headaches.
Sure, after graduation I’d move more as ‘Kim Sun-woo’ than ‘Kim Jin-woo,’ but still uneasy.
Above all, once mana was registered, it couldn’t be undone.
Unless someone died and broke the compass.
“Maybe suggest we all destroy them after.”
I could convince them by invoking privacy invasion.
But another thought lingered.
Shouldn’t Lee Seo-jun’s survival take priority over my identity being exposed?
“…Hmm.”
Lost in thought, I sensed faint footsteps outside the cave. I sat up and looked out.
Through the blizzard, a figure trudged toward me.
Choi Seo-yoon, walking with a wide ice curtain overhead perfectly blocking the snow.
She must have followed the compass.
“Sunbae-nim!”
Choi Seo-yoon spotted me, waved her compass happily, and approached.
I stepped out of the tent, gave a light smile, and welcomed her.
“Must be cold. Come in quick.”
Choi Seo-yoon nodded and entered the cave.
She looked around the interior in awe, mouth agape.
“Wow. How’d you find a place like this? So cozy.”
“Warm, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Warm yourself by the campfire.”
At my words, Choi Seo-yoon crouched by the fire.
I poured water from the kettle over the fire and handed her a cup.
“Ah. Thank you.”
Choi Seo-yoon took the cup and sipped.
As time passed, we casually chatted about what had happened.
Mid-conversation, Choi Seo-yoon turned to me as if remembering something.
“Sunbae-nim.”
“Yeah?”
“…Um, before we got separated, you were about to say something. What was it?”
So that’s what it was—the hairpin story with Yoo Ah-ra.
She’d been sneaking glances at me, wanting to ask this.
Not wanting misunderstandings, I prepared a quick explanation.
Then, footsteps approached from outside again.
Choi Seo-yoon noticed too and looked out.
A black silhouette approached from outside the cave.
Seeing the piled-up snow on its head, I chuckled.
“Sun-woo!”
It was Yoon Ha-young. Choi Seo-yoon and I stood to greet her.
Yoon Ha-young spotted Choi Seo-yoon and paused, then smiled.
“Seo-yoon’s here too.”
“Yep, I just arrived.”
I brushed the snow off her head. Plop. Thick snow fell to the ground.
“You got covered in snow. Use an ice curtain to block it. Isn’t that easy with ice affinity?”
“Oh, should’ve. Totally forgot.”
Yoon Ha-young brushed snow off me sheepishly with a grin.
As I dusted her off, I glanced at Choi Seo-yoon.
“She blocked it completely with a curtain. Learn from that.”
“…Seo-yoon being top of her class makes a difference.”
At Yoon Ha-young’s praise, Choi Seo-yoon gave a subtle look, stared at us, then nodded faintly.
“……Yeah.”
Once the snow was off, Yoon Ha-young looked around the cave.
“Wow. But Sun-woo, you set this up so nicely. That tent’s from the goblin village, right?”
“Yeah. Warmer and bigger inside than expected.”
“Ah~ Should’ve gotten one too.”
Yoon Ha-young pouted regretfully.
I shrugged, poured water from the kettle into a cup, and gave it to her.
“Ah, thanks.”
Yoon Ha-young crouched by the fire and sipped.
Her frozen body seemed to thaw, face softening.
Yoon Ha-young stared blankly at the fire, then glanced at me.
“Right. Sun-woo. About that earlier… what’s with Ah-ra’s hairpin?”
Choi Seo-yoon and Yoon Ha-young both seemed more interested in this than the stage.
Despite plenty to discuss, bringing this up first meant they were really curious.
“Just a misunderstanding.”
“What kind?”
“I didn’t just give it to Yoo Ah-ra. Gave Lee Seo-jun one too.”
Choi Seo-yoon tilted her head at my words.
“…You gave Lee Seo-jun sunbae-nim a hairpin too?”
“No, not a hairpin—half-gloves for Lee Seo-jun. Gave them the same day as Ah-ra’s hairpin.”
“Ah~ So just pricey friendship gifts?”
Yoon Ha-young nodded in understanding.
“Something like that.”
Yoon Ha-young pondered briefly, then nodded.
“Hmm. Makes sense… You’ve always been generous, buying stuff for everyone.”
Choi Seo-yoon blinked, then spoke.
“…Did you get a gift too, sunbae-nim?”