The Eve of the Storm
The eve of the storm. Upon returning to base, Yusoha crawled straight into her tent as if she might collapse at any moment. Where should we search tomorrow? Which direction will make those creatures appear? Even with her body teetering on the edge of exhaustion, she forced herself to think through tomorrow’s plan. After all, she was the team leader who had led the North Korea expedition. If she failed to give clear direction, her teammates would fall into confusion. Haa. If only we could use drones, we could scout the terrain far more efficiently and cut down on wasted time……. In regions warped by gate erosion, unstable mana waves filled the sky, rendering drones useless. The moment a drone climbed past a certain altitude inside the erosion zone, its systems would shut down completely. Even without deliberate jamming, the phenomenon proved that erratic mana waves produced effects similar to radio interference. Yusoha couldn’t help feeling frustrated, yet dwelling on what she couldn’t use was pointless. She shook her head once and returned to the question of where they should head tomorrow. Staying near the village we took yesterday is probably best. And we can’t keep relying on stealth either. Now that we know Orc Shamans can detect it…… we can’t depend solely on Zekern’s ability. What should we do……. A dull ache began to throb behind her eyes. No clever solution presented itself. All they could do was push forward as stubbornly as before. Unable to offer anything more concrete, Yusoha tried to let sleep claim her. Then footsteps approached from outside.
“Soha. May I come in for a moment?”
“Yeah. Come in. Did something happen?”
“It did. The King’s movements have accelerated. He’ll likely reach us very soon.”
Yusoha’s face clouded with unease. “Very soon” meant the enemy was already nearly upon them.
“That means……”
“Exactly. Now is the time to conserve strength. If we exhaust ourselves recklessly, we may not endure when we finally face him.”
“Is he truly that powerful?”
“Honestly, even I cannot guarantee victory. I am still weakened from having only recently arrived in this world, whereas he is not.”
“Ah. Of course…… Decades have passed. The Orc King must have grown considerably stronger here.”
Only then did Yusoha grasp how long the gate erosion in North Korea had persisted. The creature had spent decades on this land.
“Therefore, should we encounter the King, I will take the front.”
“If he proves beyond our means, I’ll leave it to you. An S-class threat is important, but I won’t risk the team for it.”
“Understood. So rest. Worrying endlessly will only tire you further. Sometimes clearing your mind is wiser.”
“Yeah. I was planning to anyway.”
Eclipse left the tent. Once he was gone, Yusoha exhaled a long sigh. He told me not to overthink, yet how am I supposed to stop……. Instead of settling, her thoughts grew even more tangled. The King was coming. Time was short. What forces would he bring? How strong were the Orcs accompanying him? A dozen interlocking fears pressed down on her. What if someone dies? That failure would be hers alone. Not a single casualty could be allowed. Just like the day her entire team had been wiped out because of an incompetent superior. For an instant the memory threatened to drag her under, but she shook her head hard and forced the past away.
* * *
The next morning, Yusoha gathered the team and relayed what Eclipse had told her.
“In short, the King is approaching, so from today onward we’ll focus on recovering our condition.”
“We still don’t know when he’ll arrive?”
“No. That’s why we’ll need night watches as well. Yesterday proved Orc Shamans can detect stealth.”
The news that the King would soon find them visibly stiffened every member of Hwanryeong Team 2. After days of fighting these Orcs, they had already learned the truth: the creatures here were nothing like the D-class Orcs that usually spilled from gates. These were at least B-class. And now they faced the King of such beings. No one could begin to estimate his strength, let alone guess how many warriors he would bring. Their grim expressions were only natural.
Yusoha, sensing their anxiety, offered reassurance. “Don’t worry too much. Eclipse and Shin Seongmin will both fight alongside us against the King. We’ll be fine.”
“Ah, if that’s the case……”
The moment they heard the two strongest fighters would join the battle, tension drained from their faces.
“So rest properly. If anything unusual happens, report it at once.”
“Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“Does that mean we have no schedule today?”
“Correct. Tomorrow, however, we’ll begin laying traps and fortifying the forward base.”
“Understood!”
* * *
The rest that preceded a great battle felt impossibly sweet to Hwanryeong Team 2 after days of relentless movement. The team members relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages. Lee Mina, who normally hovered at Yusoha’s side, was no exception. Though meticulous by nature, she knew when to rest completely. The instant Yusoha dismissed everyone, Mina sprawled inside her own tent. Even the news of the Orc King’s approach failed to disturb her. Eclipse would fight. That single fact was enough to let her set worry aside and enjoy the rare downtime—quite the opposite of her team leader, whose mind refused to quiet.
Should I take a long nap, or maybe chat with Cinea?
While she debated, a familiar voice rang in her ears.
[Mina!]
“……Hm? Cinea? What’s wrong?”
[I grew!]
“What? What do you mean, you grew?”
[Yeah!]
Cinea answered and immediately manifested before her.
“……Huh?”
Mina realized her Guardian Star’s appearance had changed subtly.
“Look! My body got bigger!”
“What on earth……?”
Confusion swept over her. Guardian Stars only grew when their summoner grew, which would mean Mina herself had advanced. She steadied her thoughts and examined her own body.
“……Huh?”
A startled sound escaped her. Without her noticing, her total mana reserves had increased dramatically. Unable to explain it, she decided it counted as an unusual event and left her tent to report to Yusoha. Outside, she found the rest of Hwanryeong Team 2 wearing the same bewildered expressions—every one of them had experienced a sudden surge in mana.
* * *
“So you’re saying everyone’s mana reserves have increased?”
“Yes.”
The team members who would normally have been lounging in their tents now stood assembled before Yusoha, shaken by the unprecedented development.
“And none of you know why?”
“No. It’s not as if we consumed any elixir…… yet the amount rose this sharply.”
“Wait. I should check my own reserves as well.”
Yusoha turned her awareness inward. The result left her momentarily stunned. Her already enormous mana pool had grown even larger; its new limits were impossible to gauge.
“……It really has increased.”
She looked at the others with rare surprise in her eyes.
“What could be the cause?”
“Well, the only plausible explanation is that this land is saturated with mana waves because of the gate erosion. We’ve been fighting and moving nonstop in that environment.”
Shin Seongmin, who had been watching the team, smiled. “That theory is likely correct.”
“Come to think of it, you spent a long time operating inside an erosion zone too, didn’t you, Shin Seongmin?”
“I did. I experienced the same sudden increase in mana back then—right after a series of intense battles.”
“……Well, it’s a fortunate development either way. Our strength has grown right before a major fight. Ah—wait. Eclipse. You……”
Her gaze snapped to him. Eclipse met her eyes and nodded.
“Yes. It appears I have grown as well. Or rather, a portion of my former power has returned.”
“……Good heavens.”
A collective gasp of shock rippled through the group.