Secrets Shared and the Jayang River Assault
Pa-aa-aht!
A brilliant blue light erupted from the Curtain of Seclusion spell and its incantation formula, which had been rippling endlessly.
Parkinson's face twisted in shock.
"What... is this?"
He gaped at me, his expression screaming that he couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
It worked.
I chuckled inwardly. This was my first time trying something like this, so even I had been half-doubting it would succeed. But in the end, I'd pulled it off just as planned.
It was possible only because I'd completely pierced and understood the structure of Parkinson's Curtain of Seclusion spell.
In the past, I could only memorize spell structures. Now, I can actually see the flow.
I could already use a few miscellaneous spells on the spot. Like the Illusory Eye from before. All those tricks had mostly been drilled into me rote by the Shinseon Butterfly clan or Kun.
I hadn't truly understood the structures; I'd just memorized them like engravings in my head and manifested them.
But now it's different.
Every time Parkinson cast a spell earlier, I'd familiarized myself with its flow. At first, I'd wondered if what I was seeing matched the spell's formula and current. But the moment I interfered with someone else's spell just now, my suspicions turned to certainty.
The structures were starkly different regardless of realm or stage. Reaching the brink of Ultimate Body didn't mean mastery over spells.
Was the reason it worked now because I'd awakened the power of the Megaera Mantis?
Well, even if not, I've gained more than one or two abilities lately... It could be a combination of effects.
Of course, my gut leaned heavier toward the Megaera Mantis side.
"What in the world are you...?"
Parkinson stared at me with the complete opposite of his earlier gaze. Before, it had been laced with cynicism. Now, it brimmed with horror, as if he were looking at a monster.
"Looks like they've all gone. Time to move."
"...Right."
Parkinson grumbled reluctantly but obeyed without protest. Earlier, he'd kept insisting I follow his lead as the guide whenever I suggested something. Now, he was accepting my input to some degree.
He must've been pretty shocked.
His reaction nearly made me snort with laughter inside.
We pressed deeper into Centipede Valley, using spells periodically to dodge venomous bugs whenever we encountered them.
Come to think of it, Parkinson's talents don't seem typical for the Shinseon Butterfly clan.
He had a knack for stealth, camouflage, detection, and the like. No wonder he was highly rated as a guide. Among the clan's spellcasters, he was exceptionally rare and unique.
His Will Manifestation in the Growth Stage must've leaned this way...
It might tie into the personal history Hose had mentioned.
Either way, it was convenient for me. Thanks to him, we'd nearly traversed Centipede Valley—a place I'd never have dared alone.
Without Parkinson, reaching Chung Hak Gwan in five days would've been impossible.
Such thoughts flitted through my mind as we set up camp in a rocky, stone-strewn area after escaping the swamp. Separate from his occasional grumbling, I was genuinely grateful.
Once camp was ready,
"We should exit Centipede Valley by tomorrow," Parkinson said, uncharacteristically initiating conversation.
"Once we leave here, we'll reach the narrow, swift section of the Jayang River. Cross that, and there'll be no major dangers. Borrow a pathfinder and ride straight to Chung Hak Gwan—we should make it in time."
He'd even calculated the remaining schedule and explained it to me.
"I'll guide you right up to the other side of the Jayang River. You can handle the rest alone, right?"
"Of course. Thanks to you, I should arrive at Chung Hak Gwan on schedule. I won't forget this favor. Thank you so much for your help."
"...You're too much."
Parkinson turned away at my thanks, avoiding my eyes. Whether from embarrassment or lingering discomfort, I couldn't tell.
That was when it happened.
Sasasasak!
Faint footsteps and a whiff of earth rode the night breeze. My super senses blared an intense alarm.
"Parkinson, we're under attack. Deploy the Curtain of Seclusion."
He hadn't noticed the intruders yet. I demanded the spell without hesitation.
"What?"
After a brief retort, he swiftly gestured, unfurling the Curtain of Seclusion.
Susut.
A translucent hemispherical barrier descended over us amid cascading blue particles.
"Kiriririt?"
At the same moment, our nocturnal visitors revealed themselves.
Earth Spiders!
Five Primal Earth Spiders. If Parkinson had hesitated instead of casting immediately, we'd have been in a real mess.
"...!"
Having witnessed the ambush with his own eyes—something he'd missed—Parkinson turned to me in astonishment.
I gave him a faint smile and a nod of approval. Well done.
"Kiririt! Kiririririt!"
The creatures prowled the area briefly before departing.
"Whew, that was close. Sorry... I let my guard down at the end."
Parkinson exhaled the sigh he'd held back, admitting his mistake. If he'd stayed vigilant, he could've detected the Primals just as quickly as I had.
"No problem. It was nothing."
I waved it off casually.
Parkinson eyed me with a strange look.
"You're a real enigma, you know that?"
He sprinkled Concealment Powder more meticulously around the perimeter afterward. The powder excelled at masking scents from wild Primals.
"By the way, are you really from the lesser mantis clan? Even accounting for molting in the meantime, you've grown way too big..."
Hoo... Took him long enough.
I eyed him gleamingly as he finally showed personal curiosity.
Back when I'd ascended to Growth Stage and returned to Moon Paper Forest, everyone—including Hose—had gawked and asked the same. But Parkinson had stubbornly looked away.
His clan's innate curiosity must've been driving him mad.
"I'm just a bit unusual."
"Ha?"
Parkinson looked incredulous.
"I have to admit you're extraordinary. Fine, since this might be our last chat... Mind if I ask some questions?"
"Go ahead."
Parkinson met my eyes steadily.
"Why Chung Hak Gwan?"
"Nothing special. To get stronger."
"To get stronger... That's the instinctual drive for all of us on the Abian Continent. Let me rephrase."
He cleared his throat.
"Once you're strong enough to feel satisfied on your own, is there something else you want to do?"
"Hm."
I pondered briefly.
"I'll right the continent's injustices."
"The continent's... injustices...?"
His face showed utter surprise. He echoed reflexively, then pressed on.
"Injustices... That's broad. Think you can do it alone? Are you confident?"
"No more confident than that I can't. I'll do what I can with my power."
I grinned as I replied.
Parkinson murmured with a peculiar expression.
"...Impressive. Sincerely."
I studied him a moment, then asked my own question.
"Mind if I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Might be sensitive, but... Last night, you kept calling for your parents in your sleep. Nightmare?"
"...!"
Parkinson's face stiffened instantly. I realized it was a sore spot.
His personal history... Must involve family.
We'd taken turns on watch. He'd whimpered "Mom... Dad..." in his sleep, emotions raw with anguish—not mere nightmare stuff.
"Forget I asked if it's uncomfortable..."
"When I was young, my family was attacked by a king mantis Primal."
He cut me off, speaking before I finished.
It aligned with my guess.
So he lost his family to mantises.
In our short time together, he'd seemed to harbor grudges against mantises—Primal or otherwise. Now I knew the root.
"I was the only survivor... Watching them eaten alive... I'll never forget, not in a lifetime. Nightmares are my daily routine now."
"That must've been hell."
"Hell... Yeah."
He let out a low, guttural growl like a beast.
"My life became hell from then on. You, raised under your parents' wings—you can't understand. Sorry, but even sympathy sounds like pity to me."
His emotional chasm ran deep. No unqualified person could offer even shallow comfort.
But I'd been through something similar, so maybe I could.
"My parents vanished when I was young too. Grew up an orphan. Not as bad as you, but no normal infancy... I get how grueling it is to be left alone in the world."
"...!"
Parkinson's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that.
This body surely had a turbulent childhood too.
...Though I only possessed it starting from the survival exam, so I didn't live it.
Empathizing with my plight, he fell silent.
"You went through that and still...?"
He muttered to himself, then lay down facing away, eyes closed.
"It's late. Wake me for my shift."
Right. My turn for first watch.
I shrugged at his turned back.
...Knowing his story made him look especially pitiable.
* * *
The next day, we escaped Centipede Valley without incident and reached the swift, narrowing Jayang River as Parkinson described.
I gazed across, eyes sparkling.
Just cross there, and...
I'd enter Chung Hak Gwan on time, safe and sound.
"We'll fly from here. Hop on my back."
"Oh."
A soft exclamation escaped at his words. I'd wondered how to cross the accelerating rapids.
Flight. Only feasible for flight-capable clans.
Even flyers struggle carrying someone without full Primalization...
But he wasn't just any flyer—he was a Shinseon Butterfly spell master.
As Parkinson chanted, blue particles coalesced into wings on his back.
I climbed on immediately. He floated up from the ground.
"Spell flight is slow. Hold tight so you don't fall."
His tone carried uncharacteristic warmth. Last day together? Or from sharing our pasts?
Either way, I welcomed the change with a faint smile.
Saaaah—.
Over ten meters up, Parkinson carried me slowly across the Jayang River. The view from the sky was breathtakingly beautiful.
Just cross smoothly like this...
That was when—
Pong—!
Kwaaaaaaang—!
A splash erupted near our crossing point. A long, brown figure shot toward us.
This guy's... a Gaebackbi?
I recognized the attacker instantly, drew my sword from my waist, and shouted to Parkinson.
"Be right back."
"What?"
Ignoring his startled voice, I leaped toward the oncoming Gaebackbi.