Chapter 362
Just as I’d expected, the explanation about wuxia ended up going on for quite a while.
In the middle of it, Kwon Seoyul—who’d already lost interest ages ago—blew up with an “Ah, what the hell are you even talking about?” but Ryu Sunghyun, maybe because {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} he saw it as a matter of safety and survival, listened calmly all the way to the end.
While we talked and walked through the forest, night came quickly. With no other choice, we picked a suitable spot, built a campfire, and started preparing to camp.
If you spend time running dungeons, camping is something you get used to, so we set things up efficiently. Only Hyun Dowoon—who’d spent most of his life underground in a district, staring at computer screens—sat down on the dirt awkwardly, like he didn’t know what to do with his body.
Crackle, crackle. The sound of branches burning spread along with the chirping of insects. Sitting in a circle around the fire, we roughly filled our stomachs with the food we’d packed in our inventory, then went back to discussing our plan.
“I understand that the Shaolin monks mistook us for the Demonic Cult and chased us,” Ryu Sunghyun said. “But I don’t get why it had to be the Demonic Cult. If it’s like what you explained, Cha Seohu, there wasn’t really a reason for them to mistake us for that.”
“It feels like this space is deliberately pushing us in that direction.”
I told him what had happened when I met Hyun Dowoon and Kwon Seoyul.
Ryu Sunghyun—who looked twice as sharp and alive compared to when he’d been listening to my wuxia explanation—nodded as he listened seriously.
“Yeah... that seems very likely. Especially if the reason they created this rift in the first place was to get that USB back.”
“If the people who entered the rift died, they could recover the item.”
They were the kind of bastards who could create rifts and open them whenever they wanted. They’d obviously prepared methods for recovering whatever items the people inside had.
Ryu Sunghyun stared at the quietly burning fire for a moment, then spoke in a slightly lower voice.
“Um... Cha Seohu. After listening to you explain that wuxia setting... there’s something I thought about.”
“Yes?”
“It’s about the Demonic Cult.”
Ryu Sunghyun hesitated, then continued carefully.
“The fact that it’s tied to religion, and the unethical behavior, even human sacrifice... in a lot of ways, it looks similar to that cult you’ve been chasing.”
“......”
“So I’m worried your missing younger brother might be involved with a place like the Demonic Cult.”
I froze for a beat, but answered soon after.
“Yes. I can feel it too. I’ve even been thinking that maybe that’s why this rift’s space ended up being set in that kind of world.”
But if that was true, the order of events got weird.
‘This rift was definitely created to target Hyun Dowoon.’
If they’d chosen this setting while considering Cha Sahyeon—who might have ended up with the Demonic Cult—then it didn’t add up.
‘Did they predict we’d come looking after learning the Circle Guild was attacked? Or did the inside of the rift change from what it was before when more of us entered?’
The only thing I was sure of was that I’d have to meet Cha Sahyeon to know the truth, but the uncomfortable feeling wouldn’t go away.
Ryu Sunghyun, who’d been watching me silently while I sank into thought, switched topics at an appropriate moment.
“If this is Chinese land, we don’t know how much longer we’ll be wandering around and camping like this, so when we see a village or a city, we should secure food first. And if it exists, it would be good to get a map too.”
“We do have money we took from the bandits, but honestly, I don’t know what kind of value this has.”
To be honest, I’d read wuxia novels plenty, but not so deeply that I obsessed over them. I had a habit of flipping through them quickly, so I didn’t really know the kinds of currency used in wuxia, or their value.
‘No, I mean, isn’t that normal? People read wuxia to watch the protagonist and the enemy beat the hell out of each other. Who the hell cares about currency and prices?’
And things like prices probably differed depending on the author—maybe the authors didn’t think too hard about it either.
Feeling at a loss, all I could do was hope the bandits I’d beaten up had been carrying a lot of money.
Hyun Dowoon, leaning back against a rock and yawning lazily, cut in.
“What are you worrying about? Just beat up bandits whenever we run into them and take their money. Those guys are basically the scum of society anyway.”
“Oh, hyung. That’s smart~.”
At Hyun Dowoon’s flat comment, Kwon Seoyul gave him a thumbs-up.
‘That’s a real Unorthodox mindset.’
The moment I made that judgment in my head, Ryu Sunghyun opened his mouth with a slightly troubled expression.
“You can’t just subdue them that recklessly. Even if they’re bandits...”
“Oh, come on. Bandits, bandits! If you leave them alone, they’ll just go around threatening innocent travelers anyway. If that’s the case, isn’t it better if we handle them?”
“Mmm~ I’m used to taking out the trash.”
With Hyun Dowoon’s shameless rebuttal and Kwon Seoyul backing him up, Ryu Sunghyun blinked like he was caught off guard, then turned to look at me.
But unfortunately—
“Well, they’re not civilians, and they’re bandits, so isn’t it okay if we beat them up a bit and take their money? It’s all fake anyway.”
I answered while rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. I wasn’t exactly the kind of person who could become an “Orthodox” type either, so I couldn’t really help him there.
“And if we take a lot of money, when we get to a city or village we can sleep somewhere with a roof.”
I worked hard to convince him about “stealing from thieves.”
Ryu Sunghyun, after hearing me out, wiped his face with dry hands.
***
Night grew deep.
As everyone rested and slept, the surroundings fell quiet, with only the occasional crackle of the campfire carrying through.
Hyun Dowoon had spread out his sleeping bag and was out cold, and the other two and I were each leaning back against a tree or rock with our eyes closed.
The sound of insects came like a lullaby, and just as the peace loosened my tension—
“......!”
A chilling presence made my upper body jerk on its own where I was leaning against the tree.
Kwon Seoyul reacted first. With a blank face and only his brow tightening slightly, he opened his eyes. His pupils—having picked up the sound with sharp hearing—glinted coldly.
“Cha Seohu.”
Ryu Sunghyun, also sensing that something wasn’t right, sprang to his feet.
I nodded and hurriedly activated my skill.
Pajijijik!
《Hidden Skill: Silverlight’s Blessing (S-rank) [Activated]》
Sharp sparks brushed past my body, and my long black hair that had fallen down changed into gold.
“Ugh, fuck, what is it?”
Hyun Dowoon woke up too, quickly putting on his glasses.
Kiiik, kiiik!
The shadow bird that had been sitting beside me cried sharply and flapped its wings. It was the most anxious I’d ever seen it.
“That way.”
Ryu Sunghyun ran out in front, gripping a golden sword made of light. Leaving Hyun Dowoon to Kwon Seoyul, I sprinted after him.
Crash—leaves scraped across my cheek. The light from Ryu Sunghyun running ahead lit the area.
We broke through thick brush that filled my vision and arrived at a cliff halfway up the mountain. As the view opened up, the landscape that had been hidden by trees revealed itself.
Below our feet, the forest stretched on and on, and above, the night sky was filled with stars.
And—
“......!”
At the far end of the sky.
A black cloud that looked ominous just from seeing it—shot through with red lightning—was spreading out.
‘A cloud? No... that’s a shadow.’
Even from this far away, its size was enormous—big enough to be visible.
A shadow spread like spilled ink, blotting everything out like storm clouds. The area swallowed by that shadow wouldn’t have a single ray of light even when morning came.
Whoo—A fierce wind blew in.
The presence leaking from that pitch-black shadow was so strong it reached even this far away, riding the wind.
With my clothes and hair whipping around, I was struck so hard my heart dropped to my feet, and my voice caught in my throat.
‘...That presence.’
That unbearably thick presence... was far too familiar to me.
‘Cha Sahyeon.’
There was no doubt. That was Cha Sahyeon’s skill.
Kik, kik, kiiik...
The shadow bird flying beside me let out pained, restless cries.
It felt like it was lost between the instinct to return to where its master was, and the order forcing it to stay with me.
“Cha Seohu. Are you all right?”
Ryu Sunghyun asked worriedly when I stood there in silence for a long time.
I reflexively tried to answer that I was fine, but even when I parted my lips, my voice wouldn’t come out properly.
Seeing me like that, Ryu Sunghyun carefully took my hand. When I felt his warm body heat, it finally felt like whatever had been choking my throat eased a little.
“...We have to go. Over there.”
The words I barely squeezed out sounded rough and small even to my own ears. Even so, Ryu Sunghyun nodded.
All over again, I felt it—Ryu Sunghyun knew what I was hiding. And even knowing, he hadn’t left. He was staying by my side.
So all the more, I couldn’t retreat.
With emotions tangled into something too complex to describe, I stared at the shadow spreading far away.
‘Kid... what the hell is going on?’
If I went to meet him... would I be able to find out?
I wasn’t sure.