Eden Camp (3)
“Guhhh…!”
Ma Gang-il’s final breath cut off with a sound like metal scraping. Even a Climber blessed by stats could not withstand the raw fury of dozens of people with bare hands. The iron pipes and farming tools gripped by the enraged residents were more than enough to snuff out his life.
The chaos of the blood-and-dust-stained plaza gradually subsided. The residents stood dazed, chests heaving, as if they could scarcely believe the liberation they had wrought with their own hands.
Then came the sound of footsteps.
Thud. Thud.
An old man who looked to be the eldest among them approached Hyun Si-woon, a few residents in tow.
“Thank you, young man. Truly, thank you. Because of you, Yuna lived—and we could put down that beast who was worse than any monster.”
The old man bowed deeply. The others behind him lowered their heads in silence. It was gratitude more sincere than any flowery speech.
“You’ll be leaving soon, I suppose…?”
Anxiety the old man tried to hide bled into his voice. The tyrant was gone, but so was even the meager safety that tyrant had provided. The bleak uncertainty of survival must have been flickering before their eyes.
“You lot haven’t had a proper meal because of those bastards… It’s nothing fancy, but at least share a meal we prepared before you go. The day’s already growing dark, isn’t it?”
Grrroooowl.
The moment the words left his mouth, a thunderous rumble erupted from Hwang Dae-un’s stomach. Perhaps the afterimage of the chicken baeksuk they had been forced to leave uneaten still haunted him. The other members swallowed hard and looked away, fighting the same urge.
Si-woon let out a short laugh at the sight.
“Sure, elder. We’ve got no reason to refuse.”
Relief washed over the old man’s face at Si-woon’s acceptance.
“But, elder.”
“Hm?”
“Have you ever seen monsters around this camp?”
“Monsters…? Aren’t there plenty of them beyond the fence? That’s what we always figured.”
“Have you seen them yourself? Around Chiak Mountain, you probably almost never have….”
The old man’s eyes went round.
“Heavens, how did you know that? Now that you mention it, you’re right. Even though Wonju below turned to ruins, the creatures strangely never climbed up near this mountain much. We just assumed it was because the terrain was so rugged….”
Si-woon decided they needed a measure of reassurance planted in them. A group paralyzed by fear was quick to spiral out of control. What they needed right now was the belief that they could be safe even without Ma Gang-il. Only with that belief could this camp gain the self-sustaining strength to endure.
This camp is useful.
It wasn’t some temporary shelter where a handful of survivors scraped by day to day. They farmed. They had electricity. Sewage treatment worked. They raised livestock. A camp like that? There wasn’t one even in Seoul.
It could become a critical foothold later—a bridgehead for eastern exploration, or a refuge when an unexpected crisis hit. So he had to plant it now: the seed of hope, and the fertilizer of trust.
“It’s because this place is a Spirit Land. Ordinary evil spirits can’t set foot here carelessly.”
“A Spirit Land…?”
Confusion rose on the residents’ faces. It was a word they had never heard in their lives.
“Then why is this land a Spirit Land?”
the old man asked carefully.
Si-woon grinned.
“I don’t know either. That’s what I have to go find out now.”
The reason he had been able to climb the Tower of Despair all the way to the thirtieth floor wasn’t merely superior game sense or talent. It was the stubbornness to refuse to take any phenomenon before his eyes as given, and to dig all the way into the hidden laws and possibilities behind it. The meticulousness to personally verify even the tiniest sense of wrongness others brushed past, even the smallest clue that looked like mere background scenery.
Si-woon believed that was exactly what birthed opportunities.
Dinner felt like a festival. Everyone gathered in one place to eat. The residents brought out food made from the vegetables and livestock they had raised themselves without holding anything back. Si-woon’s teammates, moved by warm, carefully prepared meals they hadn’t tasted in so long, filled their stomachs with almost desperate hunger.
After the meal, the old man led the party to the quarters Ma Gang-il had once used.
“Use this place. It might feel unclean knowing those bastards lived here, but you won’t find better accommodations in the camp.”
Their rooms were luxurious. Lights powered by solar energy banished the dark, and there was even a shower that poured hot water. Most of all, the soft beds felt like heaven to teammates who had been snatching fitful sleep on hard ground for days.
“Hwaaaaah.”
Hwang Dae-un flopped onto a bed in the corner and let out a moan of pure bliss.
“This is insane. Can’t we just live here? We can protect the residents a little.”
Kang Si-a, Jang Cha-yul, and Baek Do-hee took turns showering, washing away days of fatigue and sweat. Laughter never stopped from the bathroom wreathed in white steam. The comforts of civilization, reclaimed after so long, felt like compensation for the grueling journey they had endured.
Si-woon himself had finished washing first and was looking down at the now-quiet camp from the window when it happened.
Hmph. Just dousing themselves in warm water once and flopping onto soft beds, and look how they act like they’ve died and gone to heaven.
Ha-wol appeared at his side, arms crossed, and clicked her tongue.
I’m seriously worried they’ll get drunk on comfort and lose their fighting spirit. Anyone who gets snared by such petty pleasures will never reach the peak. Tomorrow I’ll have to thrash them properly so they snap to attention.
“So, do you understand a little better now? What this Spirit Land really is.”
Si-woon asked quietly.
It’s still faint. But the strongest energy is coming from near that mountain’s peak. The source of the Spirit Land is probably there.
“Is that so?”
The rugged ridgeline of Chiak Mountain lay drowned in darkness. It looked like they would have to head up there once the sun rose tomorrow.
“Hyeong-nim! What are you doing outside?”
At the energetic voice, Si-woon turned his head. Hwang Dae-un, having finished his shower at some point, was approaching while toweling his wet hair. In his hands were two cold cans of beer beaded with condensation.
“There was cold beer in the fridge. Want one? The members say we should all have a drink together for the first time in ages.”
Dae-un held out a can to Si-woon with a broad grin, clearly high on the taste of civilization after so long. Si-woon accepted the beer, but he drew a firm line.
“Thanks. But one can is the limit. No more than that.”
“Huk—one… can.”
Regret flickered across Dae-un’s face. Baek Yeon-ho and Jang Cha-yul, who had been buzzing with excitement, both slumped.
Si-woon looked around at them and spoke quietly.
“Night watch is still on. Two-hour shifts. First watch tonight is Dae-un and Cha-yul noona.”
“Hwaaah, yes sir.”
“Got it….”
The members nodded. There was nothing wrong with Si-woon’s words. No matter how safe the camp seemed, the world was still full of dangers ready to punish anyone who grew soft on comfort. Letting go of the tension when you never knew when or where a new threat might strike was as good as inviting death.
Pssht!
Si-woon cracked the can and took a long, cool swallow. The sharp carbonation and bitter taste slid down his throat. Exactly one can. A short enough reward for the hard road they had walked.
“Rest well tonight. At dawn tomorrow, we climb Chiak Mountain.”
With that, Si-woon moved into Ma Gang-il’s room and stretched out on the large bed.
The next morning at dawn.
He woke and stepped outside.
Hm?
Even at that early hour, a faint energy already moved through the camp. Residents were gathered in small groups repairing the broken fence, while on the other side an earnest discussion about new rules and division of roles was underway around the old man.
“You’re already up.”
The old man spotted Si-woon and came over. Fatigue from a sleepless night sat on his face, but new hope lived there too.
“We talked things over among ourselves. From now on, no one person will decide things alone. A few of the elders will gather to settle important matters. If it’s true what you said—that monsters don’t come here—then as long as we set the rules well, we should be able to live self-sufficiently.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Would it be possible… for you young people to stay and lead us? If we had a strong leader like you….”
Earnest longing filled the old man’s eyes. But Si-woon shook his head.
“Elder. As I said yesterday, we can’t stay here. We have a road we have to walk. However….”
Si-woon fell silent for a moment, thinking. He was human too; he liked this place. A real neighborhood that smelled of people, free from the surveillance of Rankers. The comfort of warm meals and soft beds was sweeter than he had expected. He didn’t want to turn his back on this place completely just because he was leaving.
“Later… if the chance comes, I’ll stop by again. When that happens, I can give the young people here some light guidance so they can protect themselves—enough that they can become Climbers. And if I think of a good way to make this place even safer, I’ll keep dropping by then too.”
“Heavens, is that true?”
The old man’s face bloomed bright. Not a simple refusal, but a promise that looked toward the future. That alone was enough.
“To tell the truth, there was a lot of talk among us about you leaving. The consensus was that we should always keep a house and rooms ready so the people who liberated us can come back and rest anytime. If you’d do even that much for us, we’d welcome you with open arms!”
Si-woon smiled faintly.
“I’d be truly grateful if you would.”
“So you’re leaving today, then? Not just handling business over the mountain and coming right back?”
the old man asked with clear regret.
“Yes.”
Si-woon nodded. While standing night watch last night he had confirmed it—the blue light lay farther off, near Taebaek Mountain rather than Chiak. Once he grasped the true nature of the spirit beast, he planned to head straight there. Coming back would be too much of a detour.
“I see. Take care of yourselves.”
The teammates, finished with their preparations, gathered at his side. Watching them ready to leave, Seo Yu-jin and Seo Yu-na came forward. Unlike yesterday, their faces were clean from washing, but tears were already welling in Yu-na’s eyes.
“I… I’m really grateful. If it hadn’t been for you, oppa….”
She couldn’t finish and lowered her head. Si-woon grinned.
“How old are you?”
“S-sixteen.”
“Take good care of your little brother. You’re the big sister.”
Seo Yu-jin clutched the hem of his clothes tightly beside her.
“Back then… I’m sorry. For trying to steal, and for yelling all that stuff.”
“Forget it, kid. If you’re sorry, just listen to your sister.”
After the brief farewells, Si-woon didn’t linger any longer. Leaving the residents’ reluctant send-off behind them, his climbing party set out on the road once more.
For some reason…
Even as he walked toward the new destination, Si-woon’s gaze kept drifting back to the camp. Just a vague instinct.
We’ll be back before long.
A strong premonition rose in him that the bond with these people would not end here.