Tracking #019: The Hidden Troll Den
“Haa… haa!”
Rough breaths echoed as the sun dipped toward the horizon. From dawn until now—an exhausting twelve-hour mountain trek—had drained Yi Cho-rin’s stamina to the brink. Of course, they’d taken breaks for meals along the way, but expecting her to remain fresh after that was wishful thinking.
Yi Cho-rin flapped open the front of her sweat-soaked dress shirt. The outline of her undergarments showed through, but she had no time to worry about it. At this point, after everything they’d done—even handjobs—fretting over every little exposure felt pointless. Gaon wasn’t reacting, so making a fuss on her own would just be silly.
As she wiped sweat from her forehead, Gaon suddenly halted. Looking around, she realized they’d reached a barren clearing devoid of even a single tree. Ahead lay only a gently sloping hill.
“Gaon-ssi? What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Meanwhile, Gaon stared at the hill with certainty.
This is the place.
This was the site of the troll dungeon. It appeared as nothing more than a hill now, concealed by a shamanic barrier. At its center lay a massive cave entrance. Turning his gaze, he spotted a pile of stones—a marker. Five such piles were positioned around the hill in the five cardinal directions. Destroying half of them, two or three, would shatter the barrier and reveal the troll dungeon.
It was a laughably crude security measure, but that was the limit of goblin shamans. No helping it.
At any rate, reaching here meant they could relax for now. Shin Segye rarely came this way. At most, they’d scout goblin movements once a week. The goblins themselves only approached to check the barrier. They wouldn’t need to worry about interruptions for a while.
“Yi Cho-rin-ssi, let’s hurry. The sun’s about to set. There are hardly any tracks around, so it seems neither monsters nor people pass through here often. Let’s find a spot nearby to rest.”
“That’s a relief. Let’s push a little harder!”
Yi Cho-rin forced a cheerful shout and smile, trying to shake off her fatigue. Gaon nodded deeply in response and led them past the hill westward. They’d soon reach the edge of this space. Not some bottomless abyss—just the dome’s boundary. But crucially, another cave lay nearby. And not far off stretched a long lake extending from goblin territory. The cave sat on slightly elevated ground, offering a clear view of the landscape below.
In other words, they could see the lake—and spot any approaching enemies from afar.
Under the pretext of scouting from higher ground, Gaon and Yi Cho-rin climbed until they found the cave, just as dusk painted the sky. The sun vanished beyond the horizon, streaking purple across the heavens. The moon sharpened into view, and stars emerged one by one from the fading sunlight.
“Haaa… The only thing I like about this place might be the night sky. It’s so beautiful.”
Yi Cho-rin swept her ear-length hair back and exhaled. A timely breeze lifted her long straight locks. Narrowing her eyes in the pleasant wind as she gazed upward, she finally lowered her sight and spotted the lake—her eyes widening in surprise.
“Oh! G-Gaon-ssi! A lake! There’s a lake down there!”
“Indeed. We can refill our canteens there tomorrow. You must be tired today, so let’s head in and rest.”
“Huh? Oh, yes! But aren’t you happy?”
“I am.”
Yi Cho-rin seemed puzzled by Gaon’s unexpectedly subdued reaction. He’d known about the lake from the start, so his response differed from hers. Unaware of that, she found it natural to question him. Still glancing back at the lake, she followed him into the cave with a hint of regret.
And inside, they encountered an uninvited guest: a bear hunkered in the center, deep in slumber. It slept so soundly that it only twitched its nose and opened its eyes when they approached right up to it.
Puuk!
Gaon didn’t wait for it to fully wake. He thrust his spear indifferently, piercing the bear’s throat, then twisted viciously to widen the wound. The beast thrashed in agony but soon went still, life extinguished.
“G-Gaon-ssi…”
“Bears are dangerous. I had no choice. I’ll drag it outside.”
“I-I’ll help!”
It was a full-grown adult, weighing around 300 to 400 kilograms. Even with Gaon’s enhanced strength, hauling it alone would be tough. Accepting her help without protest, they carried it out together and dumped it a short distance away.
“Yi Cho-rin-ssi, I’ll gather firewood.”
“Okay! I’ll clean inside the cave.”
They set to their tasks. They’d done this before, discovering their first cave in orc territory. Repeating it felt tedious, but it couldn’t be ignored, so Gaon silently collected fuel. Once gathered, they fashioned fire-starting tools as before and built a campfire. They filled their bellies with dried fish and fruit.
Sitting across from each other, staring into the flames in quiet meal, Yi Cho-rin suddenly spoke.
“What did you do on Earth, Gaon-ssi?”
“Pardon?”
“I know it’s not helpful, but I’m curious. Don’t you worry about your family?”
“……”
Family. People he missed… but he’d let go of lingering attachments. In his second loop, he’d searched diligently but found no trace. The implication was clear: they were dead. Unable to survive the first month, they’d perished somewhere. If any had made it out, he’d have heard something. That kept him from vulnerabilities exploited by those who resented him then—a silver lining, perhaps? No, of course not. Family’s worth wasn’t defined by utility.
Undeterred by his silence, Yi Cho-rin continued.
“I worry about my mom. She never knew conflict… I wonder how she’s faring. Will we meet again?”
She looked at Gaon, her eyes half-resigned. She’d barely survived thanks to him—how could her gentle mother? Against those ferocious monsters, protection seemed impossible. She might even be lying cold somewhere right now.
Meeting her gaze, Gaon replied with his usual impassive calm.
“She’s alive. Based on what you’ve told me, she’s resilient, a good cook— she’d pull her weight. With a mild temperament, she’d blend into a group without infighting. She’s probably surviving well in one.”
Yi Cho-rin looked startled; she hadn’t expected positivity from this stoic man. She never imagined him squeezing out comforting words like this. Gaon occasionally showed such thoughtfulness, natural to him but striking to her. Each time, her heart fluttered pleasantly. Probably since tasting his semen first. She’d zone out, her gaze drifting to him, or scrutinize his face oddly during night watches.
She’d hoped for comfort now, just not this warmly. The cave air felt softer, warmer—perhaps her imagination. Feeling her chest glow, she bit deeply into a fruit. What caused this sweetness filling her mouth? She couldn’t say.
Night deepened.
“Yi Cho-rin-ssi. Wake up. It’s morning.”
“Mm… Okay. One moment.”
Yi Cho-rin stirred from deep sleep at the hand on her shoulder and his low voice. She sat up slowly, turned her back to tidy her face, then faced him.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go!”
“First, something to discuss. About what’s ahead.”
Morning training was non-negotiable. As she sprang up to head outside, Gaon stopped her. Retracting her step, she knelt before him again, eyes earnest. He nodded and spoke.
“This spot sits precariously between goblin and Shin Segye territories. Threats are far greater than before. We must grow strong enough to overcome any crisis. We can’t hunt humans, so we’ll enter goblin lands.”
He could hunt humans if needed, but Yi Cho-rin wouldn’t accept it, nor did he crave power that way. Villains deserved death without mercy, but what of their innocents? Park Gyu-wan was a thug but reasonable—no need for enmity. Their relations had soured, but without proof of their guilt, alliance remained possible.
Thus, this plan.
“Gaon-ssi, but we were ambushed just a week ago. Will it be okay?”
Yi Cho-rin voiced worry, her face faintly flushed.
“Or put another way, it’s been a whole week. That spot was quite distant from here. They’re limited in numbers, so this area should be quieter. And we’ve grown stronger. We could handle over ten ambushing us now.”
“If so, great. Got it. Training time!”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
The prior crisis stemmed largely from Gaon’s deliberate injury to prove a theory. No need now, so no early wounds. Their power had surged since. He could’ve slaughtered all goblins then, but protecting her complicated it. Now, she was much stronger—spear proficiency up, battle-hardened, physical stats soaring. She could manage four or five goblins, freeing him fully.
Gaon imagined how many she could handle unscathed as he followed her out. Reaching a nearby clearing, he began spear training.
Two weeks into the Union, they progressed admirably.