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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 154
About three days had passed. With the boundaries between day and night so blurred, I couldn't be sure if I was calculating time correctly. It was just an estimate.
One thing I'd discovered was that the plants growing here were different from those in the northern wilderness beyond Wolhan Fortress.
I didn't know how it happened, but the fact that such a significant change was visible meant that my location had changed considerably. I couldn't understand how this could have happened after simply falling off a cliff.
I desperately tried to find a way to locate myself to return, but no matter how far I walked, nothing changed. The same scenery repeated endlessly.
Trees grew with twisted roots, and the ground beneath them was soft and spongy. The sensation of my feet sinking into the muddy ground was incredibly unpleasant. It felt like I was walking through thick mud, and it was draining my energy quickly.
Unable to bear it any longer, I drew my sword and carved a mark into a nearby tree. After walking for a long time, when I found the mark I had made…
I realized I had been walking in circles.
Of course, it was impossible for all the trees in the same forest to look exactly the same.
After realizing this, I found a suitable place and made it my temporary shelter. It was a small cave made of rock. The strange sounds coming from inside the cave made me uneasy, but...
I had no other choice. The sounds inside the cave were similar to the sound of the wind, but if I listened closely, they seemed more like eerie whispers or sobs.
Listening to them seemed to alleviate the headache caused by my heightened senses due to my supernatural abilities.
It felt like something was deliberately lingering around me. Though I didn't think it had any malicious intent.
Regardless, it confirmed that I was in a magical realm. As long as I stayed in a quiet place without using the bellflower, I could hear those sounds.
The fact that I could hear similar sounds meant that I wasn't in a completely isolated place.
What was strange was that while I felt constantly unwell in the magical realm, I felt much better here.
Another fortunate thing was that I found a stream near the cave.
I scooped some water up with my hands and brought it to my lips. Thanks to my abilities, I could tell if the water was safe to drink.
At least I could determine if it was poisonous. That was a good thing.
"It's water."
I sighed in relief and took a sip. My thirst quenched, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
The water was sweet. I felt a little clear-headed after quenching my thirst.
After drinking, I stood up and looked at the direction the stream was flowing.
If I followed the stream, I would eventually find its source. And if I followed it downstream, I might find a lake or a river.
If there was a lake or river, I might find people living there.
But considering that I was in a magical realm, it was unlikely that there would be people downstream.
I looked around and suddenly noticed something familiar.
The dense bushes near the stream. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, I approached the bushes and examined the leaves.
"I've seen this somewhere..."
Of course, leaves were all pretty much the same. How different could they be?
The top side of the leaves was green, but when I flipped them over, the underside was purple. The color was a bit unusual.
"Or maybe not?"
I touched the leaves for a long time and even smelled them. I couldn't find anything special except for the feeling of déjà vu.
Then I sensed a presence nearby.
A rustling sound came from the bushes. In the next moment, a small beast about two spans long glared at me with eerie eyes from the bushes.
* * *
I thought back to the time when I was on the run from Jincheon after Blood Cloud Fortress fell.
The situation was a bit different back then.
At least now, I wasn't being hunted by a terrifying monster like Jincheon, who had become the general of Huawei.
Back then, I had wandered around remote mountain areas, hiding. Sometimes I would join up with other people who shared my goals, but most of the time, I was a lone wanderer.
There weren't many people skilled enough to track me down, and no one was loyal to the ruined Mokryeo or Blood Cloud Fortress.
The Huawei emperor was cunning. He would forgive anyone who surrendered and pledged their loyalty, regardless of their previous allegiance.
He promoted people based solely on their abilities, even if they were once his most wanted enemies.
There's a famous story about a general from Tohyeon, who had massacred hundreds or thousands of Huawei soldiers, bowing his head before the emperor and being granted the position of General.
So, talented commanders were often invited to surrender. Someone like General So would have been welcomed with open arms.
Unfortunately, General So had died in battle, so he wasn’t offered that opportunity in the past.
On the other hand, our Lord of Blood Cloud Fortress had received such offers. Quite a few, actually.
Of course, he refused every time.
But strangely, the emperor never offered me the same deal.
He just sent Jincheon to kill me. Even when the emperor eventually gave up, that crazy Jincheon kept chasing me until he finally succeeded.
Thinking about it makes me so angry.
No, it's not so much anger as it is... the memory of dying makes my hair stand on end. It's disgusting.
"It's so humiliating..."
I frowned as I thought about the past.
"I hope he drowns in a latrine."
Considering that I might never return, I really hoped someone would annoy Jincheon enough to make him leave Mokryeo.
Since he seems to be somewhat close to my grandfather, maybe if someone were to provoke him like Gong Chomun used to, he might reconsider.
"Haah..."
I looked up at the sky and sighed.
The sky was a murky, dark purple. It was hard to tell if it was day or night.
It was more like dusk, but the overcast sky made it feel even more gloomy.
I spoke to the sky, even though I knew it wouldn't answer.
"Please stay by General So's side... I heard they're giving you a manor. Do you know how much money that family has? Huh?"
Compared to the So family's wealth, the private funds I had as the First Prince were nothing.
I needed Jincheon to stay near my grandfather until I found a way back. Besides my grandfather, there was no one else in Mokryeo who could keep him in check.
Jincheon already seemed to look down on me, but he didn't seem to have the same attitude towards my grandfather.
Maybe the ability to judge people was something you were born with. Or maybe he was just more of a beast than a human.
"Ugh."
Being alone made me think too much about people who weren't here.
Honestly, I wasn't used to being alone. Even though I had wandered alone for so long, I wasn't used to being alone. I wondered how I had survived on the streets as a child without anyone to look after me.
Once, the Lord of Blood Cloud Fortress told me that I probably wasn't born a street urchin and offered to help me find my parents if I wanted. But I refused.
If my parents had abandoned me... honestly, I wasn't sure if I could handle that. And even if they had simply lost me, I didn't want to go back to them. There was no point in searching for parents if I had no intention of returning to them. It would just be a painful experience.
I was content with my life in Blood Cloud Fortress, and I wanted to end my life as a member of the Blood Cloud Fortress clan.
I shook off my thoughts and looked at the campfire I had lit.
I had cooked a monster I had caught near the stream, and the meat was dripping with oil. It smelled delicious.
"...Not bad."
I had been starving for days, and my mouth watered.
I took a bite of the meat. It was greasy, but it was delicious.
I'd done this a few times before, dragging captured beasts back to use as food. That's when I'd heard it. Soldier Bu, who had volunteered to serve me, would ramble on about the taste of the monster meat.
I wondered what had happened to Bu-seop, Jo Seunghoe, and the others who had come with me.
"...No."
With Jincheon there, and given that they weren't isolated like I was, they would probably have returned to the general's main force.
It wasn't just blind optimism. Even if I was alone, it wouldn't have been impossible for me to return from there. When I traced the route in my mind, I nodded.
"...But it would be difficult for them to find me."
Would they even try? I had already told my grandfather to do what he thought was best.
I had told him to prioritize his goals over me and the lives of my soldiers.
Of course, it would be in his best interest for me to become king, but he seemed to have considered the possibility that I might give up on claiming the throne.
"Well, anyway..."
I had fallen into such a strange place that it would be difficult for anyone to find me, even if they tried.
If they used all their soldiers to search for me, it would be a huge waste.
It was best for me to return on my own. Gathering my resolve, I looked forward to the next day. I planned to explore further.
I had to find a way home.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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