Chapter 36 – Chapter 8. Samura Gorge.
The Sylph Merchant, which departed early in the morning from the big city of Parsia, arrived near the entrance of the gorge near sunset. The mountain ranges, which were beautiful from a distance, exuded a gloomy atmosphere as we got closer.
Jihyeok scanned the mountain range with his eyes. He could understand at once that there was an uproar. It was not usually easy to live a life that spread viciously around.
… This may be more difficult than you think.
Even those who are sensitive must have sensed that the atmosphere in the canyon is unusual. Still, since I had already eaten the money, I couldn’t get it back now.
The upper class quickly prepared for camp. Jihyeok and his party also unpacked their belongings as soon as they got off the wagon. They lit a campfire in the center and gathered around it. Soon the sun was completely gone.
The three captains gathered in one place and set the order of the vigil. They decided to keep the night watch, taking turns one day at a time. Of course, the first order was determined by drawing lots. Jihyeok picked number 1, the orc captain picked number 2, and the beast captain number 3.
He returned to his seat and announced that it was his turn to watch today. Gide laughed at how lucky he was.
“Since it is not yet a canyon, it will be enough for one person to stand. You do it first, Yayel. You know, because you do it often, right?”
“Yes.”
I saw a lot of vigils while camping anyway. The party was on the side of being considerate of her because she was a bit weak. It’s a big deal if you overwork a wizard who lacks physical strength and can’t even use magic because of fatigue.
She turned the hourglass upside down. Grains of sand began to fall. The rest of the team lay flat on the rug and went to sleep. An ensemble of snoring sounds.
Woo woo woo. I heard the cry of an unknown animal from somewhere. Yayel was wary of her surroundings with a little nervous eyes.
Even at night the mountains were not quiet. The dreary life became more rampant.
The drug dealer was afraid of this black, invisible darkness. She hoped the time would pass quickly.
However, the sand grains fell tantalizingly.
· · ·
Fortunately, the first night passed without incident.
Most of the people who slept soundly without night shifts had rather uncomfortable faces. It was because of the nightmares I had last night. If life was dark, this was a problem. Sleeping in an anxious state often leads to nightmares.
“I should have played my daughter and slept. Then I don’t even dream and sleep soundly.”
Gide muttered that while chewing on the dried meat, probably having a bad dream.
Yayel also didn’t look very good. As a sorceress, she is particularly sensitive. She also had a dream in which her head was chewed and eaten by a monster. She was a little afraid that it would become a reality. Because I often dreamed of precognitive dreams.
“Yayel, you know that the condition of your body is the most important, right?”
Jihyeok threw a word like that while watching Yayel chewing his food helplessly. The drug addict wizard raised his head and looked at the captain with round eyes.
“Yes? Ah yes.”
“You put your body first. Don’t think otherwise. Okay? It means that if you die, the other person will die too.”
“I see, chief.”
“You’ve been practicing magic all this time, haven’t you? Because you’re sincere, I believe…”
“Yes, I did it consistently.”
Although he majored in Theory, he had learned fire magic in Combat Studies as a minor. That was Yayel’s only comfort. At least it will be more helpful than theory.
The group cleared the camp before sunrise. The borrowed wagons were ready to return. From now on, the group had to cross the canyon on foot, with a horse-drawn cart.
It usually took about a week to cross Samura Gorge. You might ask why it took so long to get over just one canyon, but it was because the mountains were deep and huge.
In fact, this place was no different from the Devil’s Land. There were still many monsters that didn’t even have a scientific name. So if you pass through here, the price of things jumps up like that. Because it’s a risk taking.
– Departure-!
The starting signal dropped in front. The carts started moving. The escorts and mercenaries of the upper ranks each set an area to escort. Jihyeok and his party of four took on the middle part.
They slowly entered the mouth of the canyon. There were tall trees on both sides of the small mountain road. It was so gloomy that there was no sound. Life was still dark.
Gide, too, clamped his chattering mouth shut and rolled his tense eyes. Everyone looked like him.
Jihyeok never thought that this overly strong eerie aura was natural. There was something he felt that way And there was no way that such a guess could be wrong.
What is it?
Of course, there were many guesses. There were so many that it was difficult to pinpoint one. There were so many crazy bastards on the continent that I became suspicious of them all.
Among them, three are the most suspicious.
Witch.
Demon Cult.
Devil.
It must have been related to the devil, enough to spread such a negative vibe. While there are demons who like human sacrifices, there are demons who like monster sacrifices.
Let’s go a little nicer, please.
Of course, there was no way the demon bastard could stay still after seeing such delicious prey. Of course, I’m going to tremble the damn light.
During a short break, Jihyeok called his party together and said a word.
“I think there’s a devil somewhere here.”
“Yeah-?!”
Gide and Yael looked startled. Still, Gorsh and Kayak remained calm.
“The rampaging monsters are probably those who have been turned into witches by demons. Other than that, I can’t explain this aura.”
“… Isn’t that fucking dangerous?”
“Not dangerous. Still, as long as you listen to my orders, you can pass them safely, so don’t lose your mind and act calmly. Okay?”
“Yes, chief.”
Strangely enough, the party had strong faith in Jihyeok. For some reason, being with him gave him the confidence that he could overcome any adversity and hardship.
The other two mercenary captains also noticed something and were preparing for it. They were definitely seasoned captains.
Still, on the first day of entry, wouldn’t it be possible to pass without incident?
Before the sun had even set, a group of monsters suddenly attacked. The couriers screamed in surprise and hid under the cart.
Suck!
Yayel also froze in surprise when she saw the monster right in front of her nose for the first time. Except for Jihyeok, the other three skillfully formed formations and dealt with the monster.
“Yayel, yayel—!”
Ah…
The drug addict mage was frightened and trembled. He trained for a considerable amount of time in preparation for this occasion, but when he saw the real monster, his body did not move. It was huge, ferocious, and terrifying.
The escorts and mercenaries were preparing in advance, so they won the first battle without difficulty. Jihyeok and his team easily dealt with monsters, except for the fact that the tank, Gide, was a little scratched.
Of course, I couldn’t say it was perfect. Because Yayel looked very unsightly. It was his first time, so he was in too bad shape to say he could have been.
Jihyeok dragged Yael to a dark place. Then, in her shudder, he pushed her against her wooden post and fiercely glared at her eyes.
“What are you doing right now, huh?”
“Wait, boss…”
“It’s the first time, so even if you can understand me to some extent, you’ve crossed the line. Have you forgotten how considerate your teammates have been for you? What’s the use of it if you’re no help, huh?!”
“Sorry.”
“I’m sorry, is that all? This time the monsters didn’t appear very often, so I passed it easily, but do you think you’ll always be so lucky? Fuck, if you tremble because you’re scared, you know that all your teammates will be left behind?! Are you going to act like it’s not your life?”
“Sorry Sorry.”
“Good luck going forward. … I’m just going to skip this one time. If this happens next time, don’t let it go. Okay? I will keep watching.”
“Yes…”
Yayel lowered his head and bit his lip. Jihyeok turned around and went to the place where his party was. Seeing the captain walking, Gide laughed wickedly.
“It’s your first time, so take it easy.”
“First is important. If you get into a bad habit, it will be more difficult later. You have to catch it from the beginning.”
Lizard Man Kayak also nodded his head as if that was right. Orc Gorsh had an expression that he was entrusting everything to the captain as if he was philosophical.
Soon the potion wizard returned. She nodded her head at her teammates. She’s sorry for looking ugly. Gide laughed and waved her hand.
“It’s okay. Where are you for not fainting? Still, I’m glad I have a chat. We can do better in the future.”
Gide’s words were very comforting to Yayel. She cried for a moment, but held back her tears. There could be many more difficult things, but she couldn’t break down here.
“The captain is saying that because he thinks of you. So, don’t keep it in your heart too much and brush it off.”
“Yes, I know.”
The caravan went further away from the fighting. There was a vacant lot that was dug a little concave there. Of course, it wasn’t that big, so it was difficult to fit all of the carts.
The group made camp. Jihyeok also lit a bonfire in the middle. The party sat around it and warmed themselves up. Said Gide, wiping under her sniffling nose.
“Still, I’m glad I got a good night’s sleep today.”
Today’s vigil was the turn of the Orc Captain’s mercenaries.
“Still, don’t be alarmed. I can’t believe it’s all night shift. If you die, you will be the one to regret.”
Jihyeok paid attention to that. Of course, everyone except Yayel has thick bones on this floor, so there’s no way they don’t know that.
… Still, the night passed without incident.
The procession continued the next day. However, the monster did not appear on this day either. Everyone’s eyes were more tense. There was something like the eve of a storm.
This time, the mercenary corps of the head of the prisoner stood vigil. Strangely, Jihyeok couldn’t erase this uneasiness that simmered in his chest.
I think something is going to happen tonight…
Being quiet was more of a concern. From the looks of it, it was clear that the mean devil was trying to catch them off guard.
“Everyone is nervous. You never know what might happen tonight.”
Jihyeok said that and he counted the number of times he passed without incident. So, everyone in the party lay down in their seats nervously. Of course, I couldn’t sleep deeply. Because I’m anxious
… In the end, as Jihyeok predicted, the accident occurred late at night.
“Wake up, get up!”
There was a loud cry. The crowd opened their eyes as if they had been waiting. He was a sign that something was coming.
Waking up from his nap, Jihyeok shook his head a couple of times and spread mana around him. A horde of monsters was approaching.
Fuck this
The group quickly donned their gear and grabbed their weapons. After checking the condition of his party, Ji-hyeok approached Yayel. Clutching her wand, she looked at her captain with a determined look. Jihyeok grabbed her by the collar and brought her face closer.
“Make it clear this time, okay?”
“Yes… !”
The escort and the three mercenaries divided their quarters. And they drove the non-combatants into the middle.
“Fuck, kill them all!”
A nasty mercenary bastard exclaimed cheerfully and burned his fighting spirit. Soon the monster crawled out.
It wasn’t just one or two guys. It certainly wasn’t normal for all kinds of things to come together like this. … It was obviously impossible without the devil’s power.
Jihyeok pulled out the holy sword. A sultry aura emanated from the knob wrapped around his palm. It was the devil’s resentment that dwelled in this cursed sword.
Of course he didn’t think much of it. A grudge of this magnitude had never frightened him.
Originally, fear was an emotion that stemmed from death. However, the fear of death was already a faint feeling to him who died and came back to life fifteen times.
In that respect, Jihyeok was the worst for a demon who uses human emotions. Because none of the tricks work for him.
Yeah, damn, I’m going to go all the way.
Ji-hyeok had no intention of touching the devil if he had sent it well. However, he had no more intentions of letting the devil who dared to attack him live.
Okay… , Well, at this point, try kendo once.
Ji-hyeok slashed the monster with a single blow, trying to chew on his mouth and swallow it.
The sword’s performance killed it.
