Chapter 126: Creak

The door to the shrine creaked open, revealing Baek Yiheon dozing in a chair. It seemed the guy who'd dragged my collapsed ass here hadn't even logged out, just waited for me to recover.

"……."

Something about his face made me feel unexpectedly guilty.

"Wake up."

"Mmm……."

Crack! Finally, I smacked the back of his head since he wouldn't stir even after smacking my lips.

Skang!

"Who the hell—?!"

Baek Yiheon bolted up, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instinctively drawing his sword and yelling.

"It's me."

"Oh? You're up? Shit, thank god. On the way here, your whole body was like a fireball—I thought you might actually croak. Plus, that runaway bastard might come sniffing around."

Confirming it was me, Baek Yiheon sheepishly sheathed his sword.

"Thanks."

He touched my forehead at my words.

"Fever didn't fry your brain, did it? You, thanking me?"

"Shut up and get ready to move. One more stop."

"Again? Geez…… You don't ever get tired?"

"To stay ahead, you move faster than everyone else. It wasn't a real injury anyway, and the shrine's buffs restored all my stamina, so no issue."

Baek Yiheon let out a low sigh at my casual tone.

"Idiot. Your mind gets tired."

He looked at me.

"It's a game. Getting stronger's great, crushing the eight great clans is fine, but if you burn out first—not your character here, but the real you—we're screwed."

"……."

I couldn't respond right away to Baek Yiheon's words. The instinct-driven hothead had just nailed me.

Black Eye's words drew a bitter smile from me.

Whoosh! Yeomhwa-ryeong licked her lips, ignited her wings, and circled Baek Yiheon.

"What the—? This firefly?"

Baek Yiheon waved her off irritably.

"You're right. Keep pushing nonstop, and I'll crash. Once this job's done, we'll head back to Mu-hal for regroup."

"Good. I don't plan on repeating the same mistake."

"Me neither."

I knew exactly what he meant and nodded softly.

"Leaving now? Feeling better?"

Then Deva, tending water inside the shrine, greeted my awakening.

"The harsh plateau winds have calmed."

"Glad to hear it."

I played dumb, but Deva surely knew I was involved.

"I suspected…… Now I get it. Folks from Obela dropped by occasionally, searching for someone…… Connected to those heading for the plateau, it seems."

'As expected. Hamma did solid work.'

She didn't show she knew me, but she'd been wary of Obelans.

Before leaving Obela, I'd tasked Hamma with digging on the Torong tribe. As planned, the info leaks reached her ears.

"No worries about the plateau chill. Snow's melted—you can cross easy now."

I glanced at Yeomhwa-ryeong, perched exhausted on my shoulder after tussling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Black Eye. As the shrine's chronicler, Deva clocked her instantly.

"One who commands gods…… I figured you weren't ordinary."

"Same goes for you, no?"

"……Pardon?"

I'd stirred up searches for the Torong tribe via Hamma because regular folks thought they inherited Norpa's dwarf tech as humans. Her interest wasn't really them—it was the dwarf knowledge.

"Deva. If you've got the guts to break your chains, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠come to Mu-hal. You'll find what you seek."

"……Pardon?"

Her eyes trembled. NPCs, programmed human-like as they were, couldn't stray from core code. No guard turns adventurer sans event, no priest swaps to mage. Their "emotions" showed as alerts, letting players grind rep.

"No need to stay here longer. Leave and seek Mu-hal on your own will…… We'll talk then."

An NPC abandoning post? Near impossible.

But I'd shattered that rule before.

The alerts confirmed my hunch.

A vivid quest alert popped over her head. Higher authority grade? Unlike Tonpe's faint afterimage, hers was crystal clear from the start.

"Think it over."

That was all I could do now. Like with Tonpe, turn breaking the mold into a quest. But ironically, accepting or rejecting? Up to the NPC herself.

"This……."

Deva stared at her quest window, masking bewilderment poorly. Unlike Tonpe, she hesitated, no hasty accept.

"See you in Mu-hal, then."

I didn't push. We'd meet again regardless—even if just in dreams, I wanted Yul's witch, who'd followed me, to choose better.

"Where to now?"

At the door, I murmured low.

"Fairy King's land."

"That really Do-hyun?"

"Yeah, seemed like it."

"Damn, how does he sniff out every weird skill? Telepathy's tough even for mages……."

Arriving in Nias Village, Chan-ho and Jin-su scanned around post-chat with Do-hyun.

"First time breaking from Deus Union. Others push central basin; we're just outta start zone."

Chan-ho eyed the quiet scene softly.

"Better than dungeon wanderers. All that patience paid off."

"True."

Chan-ho glanced at the black mark on his hand.

"Thought we'd die at Huanrok Altar…… But success."

"Do-hyun'd flip if he knew our call."

"Heh……."

Jin-su's words drew a weird chuckle ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from Chan-ho.

"……Hm?"

Then Chan-ho hushed with a finger to lips; Jin-su shifted eyes only.

"Tail on us."

His hand mark flickered warningly.

"Eight clans from Deus, probably."

"Different. Had Gemini Bow guard up entering village. Stealth types."

"Assassins?"

A new plan sparked in Jin-su's mind.

That same moment Jin-su and Chan-ho clashed tails in village.

Leaving the shrine, we sped across cleared plateau into foggy opposite woods.

Endless dense forest plus fog blinded us; stepping in felt like a maze.

'Weird.'

But the unease wasn't fog. Snapped branches, trampled brush—battle traces.

Suddenly, a snake burst from brush, shrieking at me.

Puk! Baek Yiheon lunged, slicing its body.

Severed tail flopped on ground.

Bisected head thrashed, biting Baek Yiheon's ankle.

"Wh-what?!"

Baek Yiheon grimaced at the alerts and stiffening.

Ripping off the snake, he flung the carcass irritably.

"Dumbass thing."

"You good?"

"Yeah. Recovery outpaces poison damage—gone soon."

"Relief."

"But what? Mist Snake ain't undead…… Still attacks post-decap."

"Hmm……."

His point unsettled me too.

'Visited Geshutalt in memories four times. Never monsters…….'

Mist Snake was lowbie level 20 trash, but monsters here where fairy power lingered? Wrong.

"Yeomhwa-ryeong. How far?"

Faint light flickered at fog's edge, proving him.

"There. Visible."

Familiar sight eased my breath.

Fairy King's repository, Geshutalt.

At the fog light, pathfinding leveled. It meant map-reading broadly, but maxed minimap expansion—unmarked spots gave fat XP.

'Bit more, and Observation skill unlocks.'

Satisfied with rising XP, I dismissed alerts.

The awaited prompt appeared. Touching the glowing light in fog—whoosh! Fog vanished instantly.

Cleared, a glade with low trees held a shabby small building, like slapped-together planks.

"Had to be. Holds Fairy King's knowledge, but elves managed it."

I nodded.

"Old Elvenheim site, elf kingdom. Fairy magic's mostly nature spells—overlaps elves. Guarding for his spellcraft study."

Black Eye's sharp query left me smiling bitterly, no easy answer.

Casual remark, but felt weighty.

"Their fall might tie to the tower."

Destroyer slumbering upper floors doomed humanity too.

"Wait here."

Creak. I left Baek Yiheon on watch, opened Geshutalt door.

"Hm?"

"What the?"

I frowned opening it. Inside Geshutalt lay wrecked.

'What happened?'

Forest battle signs on entry. Monster in monsterless woods. Door open confirmed: something wrong.

"Ugh…… Urgh……."

Faint groan from within. I shoved collapsed shelves, rushed in.

"……!!"

Blood soaked scattered books.

"Help……."

A woman, back bent shrimp-like on floor, gasped toward me. Trouble afoot.

"Hidden Eater?"