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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 155
“If Gon were here, it’d be able to figure out where we are.”
It was a useless thought, since it wasn't.
“I miss it already, huh?”
I couldn’t believe I was longing for Gon’s company. It wasn’t that I needed it as a scout, although that would have been helpful. It was more that I missed having someone to talk to. Someone like Gon.
Of course, I had my grandfather, Yoo Geung, and Eunuch Han, though I hadn’t seen them in a while. They were all close to me, but none of them were as easy to talk to as Gon.
I couldn’t compare someone like Gon, who was content with a few pieces of dried meat, to those who expected me to become king.
I sat in front of my makeshift cave home, gazing out at the landscape, and sighed.
The hazy purple sky had lightened slightly, as if it were nearing dawn.
The magical realm's atmosphere was still heavy and sticky. The gloomy, sharp wind seemed to seep into my bones as soon as it touched my skin.
Strangely, I seemed to be less affected by my magical abilities here. Was it just my imagination? But I had felt quite comfortable here for the past few days.
While living conditions were harsh, I felt better mentally than when I was in the palace. I was sleeping soundly, free from my neuroses.
“Something’s different..."
I scratched my chin and looked around.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure it out.
I had been using this cave as my home for about a week now.
I had gotten used to the strange, whimpering sounds coming from inside the cave. The twisted trees that surrounded me had become a familiar sight.
In fact, I felt strange if I couldn't see those twisted branches.
I had explored the area many times, marking my paths with cuts on the trees. But there were so many marks that they were no longer useful.
I hadn't found the river or lake that I had hoped to find. Maybe I just hadn't gone far enough.
I had also explored upstream, where the trees became sparser. Even without going very far, the landscape changed dramatically.
If I went further, I would probably find a rocky area. After exploring that area for a while, I
concluded that there was no need to follow the stream any farther.
Despite exploring extensively, I hadn't encountered any real danger. Of course, that didn't mean I hadn't seen any monsters.
I encountered them several times a day. However, they were small and harmless.
Since there was no immediate threat, my supernatural senses were unusually calm.
Considering my situation, I was doing surprisingly well. If only I wasn't worried about my grandfather and the others searching for me.
I stood up and started to explore again.
And that day, I finally encountered a creature I could consider an enemy.
It was dusk.
At first, I thought it was just a rock or a dead tree, but then I realized it was alive.
I sensed a slight movement with my heightened senses. It was enough for me to realize that the rock was actually a living creature.
And then I noticed something else.
The creature was emitting a peculiar aura. I couldn't quite describe it, but it made the air around it feel heavy.
It was an invisible phenomenon, but I could feel it. The air around the creature was distorted.
"What is that?" A mix of curiosity and fear washed over me.
As if sensing my tension, the creature stirred and stretched, revealing its true form.
A pair of red eyes blinked slowly in the darkness. The creature was much larger than I had anticipated, given its rocky appearance. It had been curled up, making it seem like just a boulder. As it stretched out, it became almost as tall as me.
Its skin was as hard as rock, just as I had thought. A low growl rumbled through the ground.
The strangely twisted trees around me seemed to tremble in fear. The creature clearly saw me as prey.
It was a peculiar experience to be seen as prey by a monster. It would be a story to tell later.
Of course, that would only be possible if I made it back to civilization.
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
The trees and bushes were similar to those near the stream, but they were tangled together, leaving little room to escape.
I drew my sword and gripped it tightly.
As soon as I drew my sword, the monster's red eyes locked onto me, and with a roar, it charged.
The ground shook with each of its heavy steps. The shockwaves from its movements felt like waves crashing over me.
I dodged to the left. The creature, unable to stop immediately, stumbled. To prevent itself from falling, it swung its front leg, snapping several nearby trees.
It was slow, but incredibly strong.
"Damn!"
Taking advantage of the brief moment when the creature was off balance after its failed attack, I quickly moved to its blind side. A swift, powerful attack was my best bet against such a slow, brute force opponent.
I found a small gap in its side and plunged my sword in with all my might.
Its skin was tougher than I had expected. My sword didn't go in as deep as I'd hoped, but it didn't bounce off either.
"GRRRRR!"
The creature roared, shaking the ground once more. I had a bad feeling that this loud noise would attract other creatures.
I needed to finish it quickly. I continued to attack the creature's blind spot, aiming for the same spot on its side.
Its tough hide made it difficult to inflict any serious damage, but I kept at it. If I continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before I wore it down.
I remembered the deep pit I had passed earlier. I dashed towards it, with the creature lumbering after me.
It was easy to manipulate the creature's movements. After a few feints and dodges, I managed to steer it towards the pit.
With a final, powerful strike, I sent the creature tumbling into the pit.
It wasn't a very deep pit, but it was enough to immobilize the creature.
I continued to attack the weak spot on its side until it finally stopped moving.
I was sure that the pit had been dug by another monster.
This was the first time I had encountered a creature that was a real threat.
I returned to my shelter, determined to find more of these creatures.
As I approached my shelter, I noticed that the sky was growing darker.
I had encountered this creature at dusk.
And as I looked up at the sky, I realized that the strange aura surrounding the creature was similar to the aura I had been feeling in this forest.
It seemed that the forest itself was alive, and the creatures here were part of it.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I had come to this place to escape my problems, but it seemed I had found a whole new set of them.
* * *
Soldier Do suggested that they join the main army in the search, and Jincheon agreed without hesitation. A small team was quickly assembled, and their decision and actions were kept secret.
Finding the spot where they had last seen Yegyeong was easy enough. But the massive landslide that had separated the main army from his unit was still there. There was no way they could move it.
Do Ye-ran pondered for a moment before giving up.
"I guess we won't find him. He must have been buried alive."
Jincheon and the other soldiers looked at Do Ye-ran in astonishment. Then, Jincheon tapped on the ground and walls, before disappearing somewhere. After a while, he returned.
Do Ye-ran asked indifferently, "What did you find?"
"I found a path. Let's go this way."
Since Jincheon was the last to see the prince, they figured he'd have a better sense of direction. Without question, Do Ye-ran followed Jincheon's suggestion.
However, even if they followed the path Jincheon had found, it was unlikely they would find Yegyeong, who was probably already dead.
As they were searching, they encountered a monster. Jincheon, who had volunteered to fight the monster, was surprised when it was easily defeated by a few poisoned arrows. He looked at Soldier Do with newfound suspicion. It was a suspicion born from the realization that Soldier Do was a valuable asset to the main army.
Do Ye-ran noticed the change in Jincheon's expression but didn't ask why. It didn't matter to her why his eyes were so sharp. She simply thought he was a rude boy.
"He must have gone even further. The coward..." Do Ye-ran muttered.
She didn't expect to find him immediately, but it was disheartening to realize that she might not find any clues. Nevertheless, they continued their search, deeper into the forest.
They hadn't found anything yet, but they were doing their best to find Yegyeong.
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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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