NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
Ugh…! Gag…
A male student sitting in the seat could no longer hold it in and poured vomit into the bag.
It was the reaction of riding an off-road vehicle for the first time, instead of the luxury car they had been using in the city.
The first-year students around him were also complaining of similar symptoms.
They lurched over the severely bumpy road, moving forward at a sluggish pace. Once they left the outskirts of the metropolis, the paved road had completely vanished.
It was fortunate to still have unpaved roads; sometimes they had to detour over steep hills or valley back roads because the path was completely interrupted.
Huff… How much longer until we arrive?
“At least three more days.”
A second-year female student sitting across from him replied matter-of-factly. Unlike the first-years who were struggling to adapt, the second-years seemed bored just sitting there, having experienced the rough terrain several times.
What… did you say?
The first-year male student wore a look of despair at her words.
Consider yourself lucky. Last year, it took twice as long. Fortunately, with the agricultural district being built, the road is being rebuilt.
What… Ugh…!
The male student, having vomited again, sulkily mumbled.
Huff… What is this? The speed is slow, and the ride is the worst. If it’s going to be like this, isn’t it better to ride horses like our ancestors?
“Are you going to supply the pasture and hay needed for the horses? There’s not even enough food for people, and now you want to add that…”
The earlier second-year student threw a quip at the male student.
Thankful there’s magic at all. Without it, we’d have to walk all the way to the South.
She cast a sidelong glance towards the driver’s seat. The female student sitting there hadn’t taken her hands off the gear stick. Through the touching surface, the glittering particles flowing into the vehicle’s power source, Stellaite, could be seen.
Still, this is… slower than my physical enhancement speed… I’d rather just get off and walk…
“You think you can run to the South with a Rubin value of 1 million R? You’ll also take out the monsters and raiders you encounter before your particles get exhausted, right?”
…
The male student fell silent. Instead, the first-year female student sitting next to him murmured with a nervous voice.
Is it really going to be okay? What if we encounter a warlock…
Don’t worry. Those guys aren’t anything special. The last time on the first mission, I took out three of them by myself…
Pfft…
Three, huh…
His boastful words, laced with a hint of dark interest towards the female student, soon scattered into thin air along with the laughter coming from the front.
What, what?
“Hey, Chick. Even if four of your kind rush at a single warlock, it’ll be hard to win. With the same Rubin value, magic can’t overpower dark magic in destructive power. Wake up.”
The second-year students, suppressing their laughter, said to the bewildered male student.
Huh? But surely…
The ones you faced weren’t warlocks; they were scraps. The real ones are in organizations like PLF or the Yagukdan. After you meet the real deal, you’ll immediately know the difference.
But… the Yagukdan is definitely… Baek Seoyeon-senpai…
She’s not someone living in the same world as us. Do you think she’s casually considered a candidate for the strongest throughout history?
At the cautious question from the first-year female student, a second-year shook their head. It was a well-known story among those who already knew.
Last year, the Yagukdan suffered near-annihilation at the hands of a new first-year during their mission. The upper echelons, powerful dark magic users whose names made it onto the wanted list, were all slaughtered in the extermination process.
The identity of the new first-year had been Baek Seoyeon from Paecheon, who had inadvertently stepped on their tails while doing an outside commission and hadn’t missed the opportunity.
The Yagukdan was ranked among the most notorious groups of criminal organizations. In contrast, the investigations and exterminations were sluggish, and rumors circulated that they had several influential families backing them.
Thus, Baek Seoyeon earned resounding praise for taking the initiative to obliterate them.
The public rumor that Paecheon was one of the Yagukdan’s biggest clients quietly vanished amid that acclaim.
Meanwhile, this incident also served as a catalyst for Yeon Minha to establish a rivalry with Baek Seoyeon.
While their abilities were similar, their sharply contrasting personalities began to come to light, and with the recognition of her contributions, Baek Seoyeon ascended as the new heir to Paecheon, taking the place of her big brother who had mysteriously gone missing.
… Don’t ever bring this up in front of Minha. It’s the topic she dislikes the most. Have you all heard about your senior who lost an ear during a duel last year? Don’t be clueless and bring it up in front of Minha.
The second-year female student muttered while glancing out the window. In the direction she was staring, there was the off-road vehicle that Yeon Minha was in.
From a human perspective, these students were likely to have a higher regard for Baek Seoyeon because of this mission.
However, already tied up with several relations, there was no opportunity to connect.
Suhee, I’m in danger of particle exhaustion soon. Change places in 10 minutes.
Got it!
The person sitting in the driver’s seat spoke, tossing their hand off the gear stick.
Ugh…!
Again, again… You all need to learn from her.
The female student scolded as she watched the male student start to gag again. Then, she glanced at someone in the vehicle following behind them. He sat there silently without a flicker of movement.
The odd sight of a black barrier suit with a white mask floating above it stood out sharply, even from quite a distance.
*
The green waves swaying in the gentle breeze extended endlessly beyond the horizon. At first glance, it seemed remarkably peaceful.
Wow…
Someone nearby exclaimed in unconscious admiration. The other students, tired from the difficult journey, seemed to find a bit of comfort in the scenery unfolding before them.
Turning my head to the front, I saw Yeon Minha maintaining an upright posture without a single hair out of place. Her smooth, shiny hair and flawless skin were quite impressive despite the long journey.
W-what… why…
… Nothing.
As if she felt a passing moment, Yeon Minha flinched slightly and stuttered. The eye holes of her mask were covered with polarized film, so her gaze would be invisible.
Perhaps because she was a spirit master, she possessed something that certainly regular people did not. Unlike the shadow—whose specific senses had developed—Yeon Minha seemed to have uniformly developed sensitive senses across the board. Maybe that was why she suffered more from mental pollution.
As I shook my head, Yeon Minha also turned her gaze in a different direction.
Soon, the gateway city of the South came into view. A group awaited our arrival, standing in formation in front of the gate.
There were two individuals with particle arrangers on their wrists, while the others were armed with firearms. It was a typical setup led by a magician who was short on personnel, and judging by the patch logo on their shoulders, they seemed to be corporate soldiers.
Following hand signals, we stopped the vehicle and got out, and the man standing at the forefront approached Yeon Minha and bowed his head. He had a young, friendly-looking impression, complete with glasses.
It’s an honor to meet the young lady of Jeokhwa. I’m Jinhwa-seong, the head of the first agricultural district in the South. I will be assisting those dispatched from the Cradle with their commission this time.
However, despite his polite and courteous demeanor, Yeon Minha frowned with an air of arrogance.
The one who delivered the commission to us should have been Executive Jin Yuncheol, right? Where is he? I haven’t heard anything about a change of personnel.
The Executive had an accident during an inspection of the agricultural district and was urgently transported. I sent a crow just now, but it seems our paths crossed at the time of his departure. The paperwork regarding the change of personnel is at headquarters; please check later…
Tch, enough. What’s the situation in the South?
Yes? Ah, yes. It’s not bad. To be honest, the security has been quite stable lately.
The man continued to explain, seemingly flustered.
A few years ago, we drove the thugs into a no-man’s land with a large-scale extermination, and since then, no significant activities have been detected. The supplies heading to the capital are being prepared smoothly. It should be wrapped up in two to three days, so you should be able to move without issue according to the original schedule.
He now bent over almost as if to bow deeply.
However, there are occasionally reports of spies lurking in the urban areas…
That’s enough. Those guys are everywhere. I think that explanation is sufficient.
Yes? Ah, yes…
Since Yeon Minha seemed to think the issue of a few spies was not a major problem, she interrupted the man mid-sentence.
Even I thought that a couple of spies wouldn’t pose a critical threat to carrying out the commission.
After all, such incidents were not uncommon in regions other than the capital.
We joined the corporate soldiers and proceeded through the gateway city. We traveled back and forth between winding mountain roads and plains, descending further into the South for a few more hours.
Eventually, a grand urban landscape set in a large basin came into view before us. While it couldn’t quite compare to the capital, the heavy metallic walls surrounding it were certainly tall and magnificent enough.
Moreover, there was an additional layer of defensive fortifications, which was noteworthy. The barriers built among the mountain ranges were likely designed to monitor the unoccupied areas where administrative power had not yet reached, especially in the southern and eastern basins.
As I was momentarily entranced by the scenery, the voice of the head, Cheon Hwaseong, who was leading ahead, reached me.
Welcome to the first city of the South, Jinryeong.