NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24 - First Mission (5)
“What about it, Changbin? Is Baram okay?”
“No, I’ve tried using various skills on Baram, but due to the mana waves mixed into the hot winds, none of the skills are reaching him. The only thing I know for sure is… Baram’s stamina is steadily dropping. At this rate, Baram will…”
In front of the cave spewing hot winds, the six members of the Fixer Clan, minus Kim Baram, gathered, anxiously staring at the entrance where Kim Baram had gone in.
At Song Changbin’s ambiguous response, Ko Jooyeon, who had been silently holding the monkey mask discarded by Kim Baram, suddenly rushed toward the cave.
“You! What are you doing?”
“I’m going to save him. Let go.”
As Ko Jooyeon tried to charge forward, Joo Jinyong barely managed to grab her wrist and shout.
She turned her head, glaring at him with fierce eyes — completely different from her usual dazed look — from behind the rabbit mask, warning him to let go.
Thud!
Sensing the tension, Paeng Hojin swiftly moved behind Ko Jooyeon and struck the back of her head with a firm karate chop.
As Ko Jooyeon collapsed, unconscious, he caught her and declared confidently, “I figured this would be better!”
“… Good job, Hojin. Anyway, is there no way we can go in and save Baram? What about using your ice mana to push through, Cat?”
Shin Yul asked, turning to Yeo Jihye, who had been quietly observing the situation the entire time. She considered her remaining mana and shook her head, signaling that it was impossible.
All they could do was helplessly stare at the cave entrance, where Kim Baram had disappeared.
Frustrated, Shin Yul let out a deep sigh.
“Haa… I can’t think of any good solutions right now.”
“Hm… All we can do is pray that Baram can handle things on his own. I’ll keep trying to use my skills to help him as well.”
“Don’t worry so much! The monkey always has a plan. That’s why he went in! I’m sure he’ll come out with some amazing items!”
“Hojin, I hope you’re right.”
With Shin Yul’s words, the five remaining members — excluding the unconscious Ko Jooyeon — could only wait in silence, hoping that Kim Baram would return safely.
***
‘If this continues, I’m going to freeze to death.’
Even within the scorching winds of the cave, the Evercold Ice was working too well.
The cold from inside Kim Baram was steadily expanding, so much so that now, every time he exhaled, icy breath escaped from his mouth.
Still, he was left with no other choice but to keep moving forward, forcing his legs, which were barely responding, to take step after step.
Stamina: 23 (-20)
Thud… Clang!
“Ugh…”
But Kim Baram’s progress was short-lived.
With his stamina drained, he no longer had the strength to keep himself upright and stumbled over a rock, falling to the ground. He even dropped the Aegis that he had been holding in his left hand.
‘I have to… keep going…’
Stamina: 23 (-21)
Kim Baram tried to push himself forward, crawling with his hands to reach whatever was inside the cave that might be his last hope.
But his stamina bar was nearly empty, and the intense cold rising from his stomach made his body sluggish. He started to feel an overwhelming urge to fall asleep.
‘Is it because I’m on the verge of death? I’m seeing double… Two Aegises and two… leaves? Wait, leaves?’
Kim Baram rubbed his eyes with his arms, which were now frozen up to his elbows.
There, right in front of him, was a single green leaf, attached to what looked like a ginseng-like plant half-buried in the ground.
‘That’s it! It has to be!’
Stamina: 23 (-22)
Like a candle burning brightest before it goes out, the imminent threat of death spurred Kim Baram into action.
With the last bit of strength he had, he reached out and yanked the ginseng-like plant from the ground.
The moment he managed to pull it out, the intense hot winds in the cave stopped as if by magic, and a calm silence enveloped the cave.
‘I… have to… put it in my mouth…’
He tried to bring the ginseng-like plant he had pulled up to his mouth, but his arms were now frozen up to his wrists, refusing to move an inch.
Was he really going to die like this?
The cold had spread not only to his fingers and toes but also to his face, and his eyelids were growing heavy.
Ding!
[Got it! The link is established! Wake up, Kim Baram!]
[Player ‘Song Changbin’s skill
Stamina: 23 (-17)
Song Changbin’s voice faintly echoed in his ears, and Kim Baram felt a sudden surge of energy within his body. His eyes, which had been closing, snapped open.
‘Damn, I survived.’
He quickly grasped the situation and, without a second thought, forced his frozen arm to move.
With all the strength he could muster, Kim Baram shoved the ginseng-like plant, leaves and all, into his mouth and began chewing it frantically.
Gulp.
The moment he swallowed, a blazing heat surged through his stomach, mixing with the freezing cold that had overtaken his body.
An enormous amount of steam began to rise from him as the two forces collided.
“Kim Baram!”
Kim Baram faintly heard Shin Yul’s worried voice calling from near the cave entrance, but he couldn’t muster the strength to respond.
His whole body felt as if it were being torn apart, and his consciousness abruptly faded.
Ding!
[You have consumed the ‘Solar Ginseng’ in the most efficient manner, increasing strength, agility, stamina, and mana by 10 each.]
[You have acquired the skill
[You have acquired the skill
[Player ‘Kim Baram’s’ unique ability
[You have consumed the legendary elixir, ‘Solar Ginseng.’ You gain 1500 VP.]
***
[The next stop is the Sancheong Intercity Bus Terminal. Please check for any personal belongings before you disembark.]
Hiss.
Han Suyeon stepped off the express bus to Sancheong, feeling slightly dizzy from the long journey.
She stretched her body backward, trying to ease the stiffness in her muscles.
Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, she felt a bit better and immediately headed toward a taxi waiting in front of the terminal.
“Hello, where to?”
“Please take me to Seongsimwon.”
“Oh, heading for a hike this morning, are you? Pretty young lady and early riser, too.”
Except for the sword tied at her waist, Han Suyeon was dressed like a typical hiker, wearing fluorescent-colored hiking gear.
She didn’t bother responding to the friendly driver’s comments. Instead, she pulled her hiking hat down low, crossed her arms, and leaned back into her seat, appearing to be lost in thought.
This wasn’t her first conversation with this easygoing taxi driver.
The Jirisan S-Rank Gate Incident.
The reason Han Suyeon had come all the way here, early in the morning, was to prevent that incident, which would take place in the near future.
In just one month, an S-Rank demonic beast would appear in the Jirisan area, wreaking havoc on the mountain and the surrounding cities.
The name of that demonic beast was Devil Wood.
As the name suggests, Devil Wood was a plant-type monster. Initially, when it emerged from the gate, it was only an E-Rank monster, not particularly threatening.
The gate itself was also E-Rank, which meant the mana waves it emitted were weak and the Player Association failed to detect it in time.
Devil Wood, though only E-Rank at first, began attacking nearby plants, animals, and even hikers visiting Jirisan, absorbing their life energy.
Within a month, it grew by devouring all life in the Jirisan area, eventually becoming an S-Rank demonic beast.
Of course, the Player Association and Korea’s top eight guilds, realizing the severity of the situation, quickly assembled a team to exterminate it.
But Devil Wood was cunning. It hid its main body deep within the mountains, using its tree-like tendrils to attack players from a distance.
Unable to reach its main body, more and more players fell to Devil Wood, whose strength grew with every life it absorbed, regenerating from injuries.
In the end, the association made a painful decision: to abandon Jirisan and the surrounding towns.
As a result, the Jirisan area became a forbidden zone, transformed into a demon’s domain. To prevent Devil Wood from growing any further, at least three S-Rank players were stationed there at all times to monitor and contain it.
This incident led to a significant loss in Korea’s player strength. Combined with the emergence of new high-level gates in the future, the country would eventually fall to demonic beasts.
However, in earlier cycles, Han Suyeon had figured out how to stop this gate after many deaths and countless trials and errors.
The solution? Find and kill Devil Wood before it grows.
That was why, on the very day the gate would appear, Han Suyeon had taken a bus all the way from Seoul to Sancheong.
As she quietly reviewed her knowledge about Devil Wood in her mind, the taxi came to a stop.
“We’ve arrived, miss. How would you like to pay…?”
“Here you go. Take care.”
Han Suyeon handed the prepared cash to the taxi driver and got out of the vehicle.
12,100 won.
The fare was always the same, just like in all the previous rounds.
Without the slightest hint of hesitation on her part, Han Suyeon started walking along the hiking trail. Her steps were confident and steady as if she had done this countless times before. After all, she had.
About an hour into her hike, Han Suyeon veered off the trail and entered the dense forest. She continued to push through the thick undergrowth without hesitation for another 30 minutes until suddenly, the once lush, green surroundings gave way to an area where the plants and trees seemed decayed, drained of life.
Feeling the unnatural atmosphere around her, Han Suyeon stopped in her tracks, surveying the eerie forest. She stood still for a moment, then closed her eyes and started counting.
‘Three.’
‘Two.’
‘One.’
Ding!
[You have activated Ahron’s special ability
[You have used the skill
‘One Flash.’
In the blink of an eye, Han Suyeon drew Aron from her waist and spun around, slashing diagonally at something hurtling toward her from behind.
Slash!
The object Aron, infused with water-attribute mana, sliced cleanly through was a sharp, spike-like tree branch. Behind the severed branch stood a grotesque tree, its trunk embedded with a red mana stone, almost recoiling in surprise.
Realizing its sneak attack had failed and sensing the danger, the twisted tree quickly turned to flee, its tendrils moving like tentacles as it rapidly distanced itself from Han Suyeon.
Han Suyeon, who was familiar with the creature’s behavior, watched it retreat with a calm gaze. Holding Aron firmly with both hands, she channeled all her remaining mana into the sword.
The water-attribute mana swirled up Aron’s blade, and then, in an instant, the surging energy was absorbed, deepening the sword’s blue hue.
With a soft murmur, Han Suyeon swung Aron with all her strength, aiming it straight at the fleeing monster.
“Flying Sword.”
The second form of Yuhwa Swordsmanship is: Flying Sword.
A compressed, dark blue sword energy shot out from Aron, moving so fast that it was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
Crack!
The sword energy tore through the monster’s body and sliced cleanly through the mana stone embedded in its trunk.
Having exhausted all her mana into Aron, Han Suyeon winced, her head throbbing with pain. She lowered the sword, but there was no sense of pride or accomplishment on her face despite having just defeated a fearsome demonic beast that would have grown into an S-rank threat.
There was only the dull tedium of completing a task she had repeated countless times, and the inconvenience of having to catch the express bus back to Seoul.
But then, Han Suyeon’s indifferent expression slowly shifted, curiosity creeping in. Unlike previous rounds, a thought now occupied her mind.
‘I wonder what Kim Baram is doing right now.’
There were many things she wanted to ask him — about Aegis and more — but after some deliberation, she decided not to approach him for now.
She was cautious that her interference might push Kim Baram in the wrong direction. For the time being, she resolved to watch him from a distance… or at least keep an eye on him nearby.
Unbeknownst to herself, Kim Baram’s presence was steadily becoming a distraction in her thoughts.
With a slight smile tugging at her lips at the thought of seeing him again at the academy tomorrow, Han Suyeon descended the mountain with a much lighter step than when she had climbed it.