Chapter 226
Chapter 226. Kallem
The hexagram-shaped mark on baby Yoo Ji-han’s neck.
Was it merely a coincidence that the same pattern was drawn on the note left by his missing father’s friend?
However, it seemed too similar to just be a coincidence.
‘There’s no way he could have been unaware of my mark.’
He was someone who frequently visited Yoo Ji-han’s parents.
Naturally, the young Yoo Ji-han must have met him many times and had likely seen the mark on his neck at least once.
As he shuffled through the photographs, Yoo Ji-han grunted and spoke to Sylph.
“Don’t you know anything?”
—How would I know anything!
“Have you ever seen something like this in Grudia?”
—Nope!
“Think hard about it.”
—Uheehee! You can count on me to hope you’re hopeful!
Although he wished to borrow the knowledge amassed over many years by the spirit,
Sylph could only repeat that she didn’t know.
‘Just in case, should I print this out?’
Since his mobile phone wouldn’t work in Kallem, he planned to leave it in Korea.
Thus, Yoo Ji-han printed the photos out.
So he could carry them around and look at them anytime.
*
The day of departure for Kallem arrived even faster than Yoo Ji-han had anticipated.
He had been so busy in the remaining time that he hadn’t realized how quickly time was passing.
Before he knew it, Yoo Ji-han was packing his belongings to leave Korea.
“Is this enough?”
—Isn’t that too little?
“I can just be self-sufficient once I get there.”
His belongings fit into just a small bag.
Only three days’ worth of food that could be eaten easily was inside.
‘The transfer of Mongdang is all completed, and…… I’ve already hired people, so the remaining tasks should proceed automatically.’
He was fully prepared to leave his position in Korea.
After one last check, he gathered his things and moved to the designated location.
Heroes heading to Kallem and reporters who came to cover them were already gathered.
“Mr. Yoo Ji-han! Please say a word before departure.”
“I’ll be back safely.”
Yoo Ji-han replied casually to the microphones thrust at him by the reporters.
His posture in front of the cameras was quite skillful.
Having faced similar situations many times, he had grown accustomed to it.
“Are you here?”
“……?”
Lee Mi-a, sporting a massive bag on her back, greeted Yoo Ji-han.
Seeing her, Yoo Ji-han remembered the bag he used to carry in Kim Hyun-tae’s party.
It was stuffed to the brim like her bulging bag.
“What’s in that bag?”
“Food.”
“How much food did you bring…….”
“Five days’ worth.”
“Can you eat all that in five days?”
“Of course.”
Lee Mi-a answered as if it were no big deal.
Though it seemed like enough food to last for a month to Yoo Ji-han,
Her appetite was such that it was merely five days’ worth for her.
“Chilla! Share a bit with me!”
“No way. It’s all mine.”
“Selfish human! Zik!”
Chilla, carrying a bag similar in size to Mi-a’s, was bold enough to ask for food.
What a cheeky little creature.
—Uheehee! There are two pigs here!
“Zik! You cheeky spirit!”
“Even spirits can get hit!”
“Captain! Can I just hit Sylph once? Zik?”
—Yikes! Rowdy beasts!
Min Yu-ri and Chilla clenched their fists.
At that, Sylph yelped and hid in Yoo Ji-han’s arms.
“Please take care of me.”
“Ah, yes.”
Watanabe, who had come over, patted Yoo Ji-han on the shoulder with a bright smile.
Among the fifty people heading to Kallem, he was the only one who had returned from the dimensional boundary.
“It’s been a while since my heart raced like this. It’s like I’m returning to my childhood.”
Watanabe couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
Today marked a day of new excitement in his otherwise dull life.
Stepping into the unknown realm, a hero’s rank had no bearing.
“We will definitely find the Guild Master and return.”
“Yes!”
“Until then, absolutely don’t get hurt…….”
Park Jae-kyung from the Dice was sharing her resolve to find the surrounding heroes and Yoon Do-ha.
Yoo Ji-han just nodded slightly at her.
“Ji-han!”
“Ah, Ji-cheol.”
“Here’s the phone.”
Yang Ji-cheol from the Hero Department handed Yoo Ji-han the so-called Dimension Phone.
An artifact with the possibility of maintaining contact with Earth even in another world.
“I’ll contact you as soon as the phone functionality is ready.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Don’t break it!”
Yoo Ji-han tucked the handed Dimension Phone into his chest.
A total of four Dimension Phones were distributed to the Kallem Expeditionary Force.
One each for Watanabe, Yoo Ji-han, Park Jae-kyung, and a hero from the United States.
“We’re off!”
As Min Yu-ri and Kim Si-hu arrived at their spots and waited,
At the designated time, Yang Ji-cheol signaled for the heroes, who had been chatting, to gather.
Yang Ji-cheol then looked at Yoo Ji-han and gave a small nod.
“Please return safely.”
Wooong!
A faint beam of light surged upwards from the ground.
The light enveloped all the heroes within range.
It was the magic circle prepared in advance on the floor that was activated.
“Whew!”
“What is…….”
The blinding light faded, revealing the dimensional boundary.
It was a teleportation magic adapted from Ajesia’s magic circle.
Kim Si-hu, who played a crucial role in completing the magic circle, couldn’t hide his satisfaction.
“Did it succeed without any problems?”
“Ahem!”
“Impressive, huh?”
“Ahem!!”
Kim Si-hu boldly puffed out his chest in front of Yoo Ji-han and Min Yu-ri.
It was the moment the genius mage, advised by Adem, showcased the fruits of his labor.
‘Nothing seems different here.’
Upon arriving at the dimensional boundary, Yoo Ji-han looked around.
The one-room space had no entrances, still unchanged, as if time had stopped.
However, with fifty people inside, the space felt even more cramped than before.
Watanabe, stroking the wall with a curious expression, spoke.
“Hm, I understand why fifty people are assigned to each other world.”
The dimensional boundary was not as spacious as expected.
It wasn’t enough to accommodate such a large number of people.
Yoo Ji-han looked at Watanabe and said, “Can you gather people’s attention? Guild Master.”
Watanabe Yosuke was nominally the leader of the Kallem Expeditionary Force.
Yoo Ji-han played a supportive role behind him.
But Watanabe shook his head and said,
“Too bothersome, I don’t want to!”
“…….”
“You do it. You handled things just fine in the movie, didn’t you?”
In the local expedition, Yoo Ji-han had showcased his prowess as a team leader.
Recalling that moment, Watanabe chuckled and stepped back.
Left with no choice, Yoo Ji-han waved his hand to gather the noisy crowd’s attention.
“We have to move quickly as there’s an order.”
The Kallem Expeditionary Force was the first to step into the dimensional boundary.
The next expedition team was scheduled to enter another world an hour later.
Since this space was shared by all humans, they had to clear it out beforehand.
Swish!
Yoo Ji-han pulled several thin magic scrolls from his pocket.
Seeing him spread the scrolls on the floor, people stepped aside.
Watanabe, watching with interest, asked, “Is that a dimensional travel scroll?”
“Yes.”
Magic scrolls inscribed with dimensional magic that could only be used at the dimensional boundary.
It was a contrast to the man who effortlessly showcased dimensional magic with a clap.
Through the could-be complicated scrolls, precise magical adjustments were possible.
‘Thanks to this, I can go to Kallem.’
Yoo Ji-han had previously faced a condition where dimensional magic failed for unknown reasons.
While he was able to survive past battles accordingly, it now posed a significant hindrance.
Nonetheless, being able to use dimensional magic was due to several modifications made to the scroll inscribed with it.
‘That’s the dimensional teleportation magic……!’
‘I must steal it.’
Ziiing.
A few heroes began capturing images of the scroll’s magic circle with ultra-small cameras.
They aimed to secretly pilfer the unique dimensional travel method that Korea exclusively possessed.
But then Kim Si-hu spoke up.
“You won’t find it useful if you take pictures.”
“Zik! Foolish humans!”
“……!”
“Cough, cough!”
At the short warning, some jumped in surprise or cleared their throats.
Yoo Ji-han’s party was already aware that their kind was mixed in with the Kallem Expeditionary Force.
However, in this place, nothing could be recorded by cameras.
Even if they managed to secure video, it would be pointless, so no one paid much mind.
Whooom!
As Yoo Ji-han infused his magical energy, the scrolls sank into the hard floor.
Subsequently, all the magic circles inscribed on the scrolls transferred to the ground.
Kugugugugu……!
The dimensional boundary trembled like an earthquake.
The heroes, tense with anxiety, began to experience growing darkness in their sights.
*
The world had turned pitch black, as if coated in black paint.
Yoo Ji-han was experiencing a feeling he had never encountered before.
To describe it, it felt like his body was freely floating in a space where gravity had vanished.
It was entirely different from flying in an airplane or using magic to lift his body.
‘The magic can’t be faulty, can it?’
Seeing nothing yet, he was inwardly anxious.
Though he had indirectly experienced dimensional travel several times through others’ memories,
He had never been in a situation like this.
He was worried there might have been a mistake with the dimensional magic.
‘There’s nothing around me.’
No matter how much he flailed his arms, he couldn’t grasp Kim Si-hu’s body, which was right beside him.
Not a single sound of someone’s gentle breath could be heard; only silence echoed.
If Sylph’s explanation about the absolute contract between spirits and their contractors was true, they would be able to sense each other in any situation.
However, calling for Sylph repeatedly yielded no response.
‘……I feel like I can hear something.’
At that moment, a sound floated to Yoo Ji-han’s ears.
It was a feeble voice that was hard to understand.
——Sa……. Sa……. Sa…….
A woman’s voice, rather than a man.
That short sound looped and replayed.
Soon it grew loud enough for him to comprehend.
——Love.
——Our lovely…….
A very warm and fluffy voice, like cotton candy.
Hearing the voice of a woman he didn’t even remember, Yoo Ji-han inexplicably felt nostalgic.
It was the first time he had the desire to be embraced by a face he didn’t even recognize.
——Our lovely son.
However, finally understanding her words, Yoo Ji-han couldn’t help but grimace.
——Would you die for me?
He didn’t want to hear her voice any longer.
*
“Ugh.”
The dark view suddenly brightened.
Yoo Ji-han grabbed his astonished heart and surveyed his surroundings immediately.
Several heroes lay scattered on the dirt floor, asleep.
And some stood just fine, like Yoo Ji-han.
“Is this Kallem!”
“We’ve arrived!”
“Let’s wake the sleeping ones.”
“Hey! Wake up!”
Realizing they had reached Kallem, the group awakened those still dazed.
As seasoned heroes, some swiftly began to keep watch around them.
“Ji-han! We made it!”
“Didn’t you hear anything just now?”
“Yes?”
“Some young woman’s voice…….”
“Hear what?”
Upon using the dimensional magic, Kim Si-hu realized they had entered Kallem.
Min Yu-ri and Lee Mi-a were little different from him.
“I didn’t hear anything either.”
“I just arrived right after the tremor.”
“Zik? Did the captain have a dream for a second?”
“…….”
The voice of the woman that no one else heard.
Yoo Ji-han vividly recalled the voice that was definitely not a hallucination and fell into deep thought.
—Hmm? This isn’t a lie…….
Sylph was the only one aware that the contractor’s claims were true.
As awkward feelings lingered, Watanabe spoke up.
“They say there are three moons at night, but the sun here is oddly shaped too?”
“Yes? The sun?”
Even Fran from Kallem had never heard such a thing.
Yoo Ji-han shielded the sunlight with his palm and looked up at the sky.
Through his fingers, he peeked at the sun, and,
“……Huh.”
A black dot, like a black grain, was embedded right in the center of the sun.
That was undoubtedly a sign of doom that Kazimir had warned him about.
With his eyes widening, Yoo Ji-han recalled Kazimir’s warning.
——Remember, Yoo Ji-han.
——If by any chance signs of doom appear in Kallem, finding Yoon Do-ha won’t matter.
——You all have to be worried about your lives.
It seemed they had unwittingly arrived in this world during a rather inauspicious time.
