Chapter 363
With our destination decided, we didn’t waste a second and moved out immediately.
The darkness of the forest was no longer a problem. This wasn’t a situation where we could afford to worry about things like that.
Ryu Sunghyun’s skill lit the way as he ran in the lead. I followed in the middle, and at the very back, Kwon Seoyul came after us with Hyun Dowoon on his back.
Kwon Seoyul and Hyun Dowoon—who hadn’t followed us all the way to the cliff and didn’t know exactly what had happened—frowned as soon as we broke out of the forest.
Once the trees and brush that had blocked our view disappeared, the shadow covering the sky in the distance became visible, if only a little. Maybe because we were a bit closer than we’d been halfway up the mountain, the presence, too, felt a little clearer.
“Fuck. What the hell is that?”
Hyun Dowoon muttered like he was speechless, pushing his glasses up.
A shadow so black it was almost pure—black upon black. It was darker than the night sky itself, so it stood out clearly even at night.
We kept moving.
If we’d stuck to the original plan, we would’ve stopped whenever we came across a city or village—but now, we deliberately adjusted our route, choosing only paths with few people.
That was much faster. With nothing but our own legs as transportation, the only option was to run hard with S-rank strength. In places where civilians lived, even at night, there were too many unpredictable variables, so avoiding them was the right call.
But the problem was still the distance.
No matter how long we ran, the shadow blanketing the sky was still far away.
‘Of course it is. It’s not like we’re in a car or on a train. It’s obvious... but still.’
The frustration couldn’t be helped. And watching the sky gradually brighten as the morning sun rose only made the impatience surge higher.
“Cha Seohu.”
Ryu Sunghyun, who’d been leading the run, came to a stop. Unlike me—my breath catching at the edge of my throat—Ryu Sunghyun controlled his breathing smoothly. He was only breathing a little rougher than usual.
“Physically, it’s an impossible distance to reach in a single day. And... if we keep detouring like this through places with no people, it could actually make us even later. We don’t know the geography here.”
“That’s...”
He was right. The villages we’d passed during the night had been small, so going around them hadn’t made a big difference, but if we ran into a major city—like how we’d run into that group from Shaolin—avoiding it wouldn’t be easy.
“During the day, you’ll have to return to being a Supporter anyway, Cha Seohu. So in the daytime, we cross through villages or cities, and at night, we move as fast as possible like we did today. We eat during the day, too. Your friend’s stamina matters.”
Hyun Dowoon climbed down from Kwon Seoyul’s back. He’d managed to recover as much stamina as possible by dozing on and off while we moved, and now he scratched at his forehead as he spoke.
“Yeah. You think it’s possible to cross China in a day? And just looking at it, it’s fucking far.”
My gaze drifted back up to the sky. At the far end of the blue-tinged sky as dawn retreated, that ink-like darkness still shimmered.
Ryu Sunghyun stepped closer and gripped my shoulder firmly.
“And... since we don’t know what’s happening over there, it’s even more important to manage our stamina.”
“......”
“I understand that you’re worried about your younger brother. Still, your younger brother is strong enough—and from what I saw, he didn’t seem like the type who’d easily let someone do him harm.”
Ryu Sunghyun gave a bitter smile, trying to comfort me. I worked my lips as if to speak, then finally nodded.
“Understood. For now... I’ll go back to being a Supporter. And if we find a village or city, we’ll stop and look around.”
At my calm acceptance, relief flickered across Ryu Sunghyun’s face. The moment he eased back, I immediately deactivated my skill.
Pajijijik!
《Hidden Skill: Silverlight’s Blessing (S-rank) [Deactivated]》
Sparks brushed past my body, and the long hair that had fallen down fluttered. The hair in my field of view was already black again.
“Then let’s head out.”
Ryu Sunghyun took the lead again, moving first to prepare for danger.
As I followed, I remembered the words I hadn’t been able to say out loud.
‘...He understands that I’m worried about my younger brother? Me—about Cha Sahyeon?’
I’d succeeded in swallowing it before it escaped my mouth, but they were leftovers I hadn’t managed to digest.
‘No. I’m not worried.’
This wasn’t a gentle, clean emotion that could be categorized as worry or concern.
What happened to Cha Sahyeon—
That meant the Seed of Catastrophe’s progress, the thing that mattered most when it came to Cha Sahyeon’s condition.
And the reason I was anxious about whether Cha Sahyeon would recognize me—
Was because cognitive function was tied to the Catastrophe’s awakening.
If Cha Sahyeon couldn’t control his power and was rampaging, and he didn’t recognize me when I came, and the Seed of Catastrophe progress shown on the status window had shot past 70% and was nearing 100%...
Then I would have to make a decision.
“......”
A decision about what?
Someone asked in my head, but I consciously clenched my teeth and ignored it.
***
After about three hours of walking, the entrance to a new city appeared.
Even calling it a “city,” it was really just a low wall, with a slightly larger number of people going in and out through the gate. Still, it had some scale—people who looked like merchants were hauling trade caravans inside, and the smell of food drifted through the air.
The moment we stepped in, we felt a restless atmosphere. Whether it was the people walking through the streets, the peddlers sitting at their stalls, or the travelers gathered at the inn, everyone’s faces were heavy with worry.
“Is that really true?”
“If news has traveled all the way here...”
“Those so-called prestigious clans—how can they just sit back with their arms folded while things get this bad?!”
“This is making me uneasy...”
Everyone we passed spoke in low voices, their faces pale with fear. And since it wasn’t just one or two people, even in my Supporter state the voices came through quite clearly.
“Let’s go in there.”
I pointed to a mid-sized restaurant. Through the window, I could see people eating a late-morning meal.
It was the right kind of place to eat while picking up information. Ryu Sunghyun nodded and entered first.
We looked around briefly, then read the room and sat down at an empty table. Once we sat around a round wooden table, the distance to the next table over was closer than I’d expected.
Good. That meant I’d hear their conversation even more clearly.
Soon, a young boy who looked like a server approached.
“Welcome, Great Hero! You must be hungry after traveling so far—shall I bring you a full spread of rice and meat to fill you up?”
“Enough for four people.”
After speaking, I set the money pouch we’d taken from the bandits on the table. I opened the mouth of the pouch and stared at the server so he could take the cost himself.
The server blinked, looking back and forth between me and the pouch.
After quickly scanning my outfit and the impressions of the three men sitting with me, he took a few coins.
“Please wait just a moment!”
Bowing politely, the server left with a spring in his step.
He must’ve taken the right amount. He would’ve. Probably.
Anyway, what mattered right now wasn’t the price of the meal. Tucking the pouch away again, I focused on the sounds around us.
“Hey, did you look at the sky at dawn today? That wasn’t just ordinary storm clouds.”
“Don’t even start. They say it began out in Xinjiang, and the old folks say it was exactly like that back when the Demonic Cult ran rampant over a decade ago.”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. You never know who might be nearby... For a while, I’m going to bolt my doors and stay home, business or not. Looks like even the yamen bastards are trembling.”
The Demonic Cult.
It was what I’d expected to hear. Still, it wasn’t like we’d gained nothing.
‘So it’s not just a guess based on Cha Sahyeon’s skill.’
Xinjiang.
In wuxia novels, it was the land chosen as the Demonic Cult’s base. Vast—and far.
If the sky there was being covered by Cha Sahyeon’s skill right now... rumors that the Demonic Cult had started moving again would spread easily.
While I clicked my tongue inwardly and kept eavesdropping, the server brought our food. A savory smell and warm steam rose up.
“Eat.”
I said it to Hyun Dowoon, who was suffering the most with a civilian body—and it was right as I lifted my chopsticks.
“Cha Seohu!”
The moment Ryu Sunghyun shouted, Kwon Seoyul—who’d been resting his chin on his hand with a bored expression—tensed, killing intent spilling out of him.
Then, before I could even react, a sharp gust of wind flew in and split the table holding our food cleanly in half.
Koo-woong—The split table toppled over, bowls and plates spilling everywhere, and the civilians who’d been eating screamed and fled.
“You vile, unforgivable Demonic Cult bastards!”
A roaring shout thundered from behind us.
When I turned around, unfamiliar men were glaring at us with murderous expressions. The man in front had drawn his sword and was holding it up, and the two behind him watched us with their hands on their scabbards.
More than that, what caught my eye was the emblem pinned to their chests.
A black pine.
The symbol of the Wudang Sect.