Chapter 188
Chapter 188. To the Land’s End
Yoo Ji-han’s party faced Kim Hyun-tae’s party once again in the office.
Thanks to the conclusion that they would cooperate, the atmosphere inside had quieted down compared to before.
“You definitely mean you’ll help us, right?”
“First, tell me your plan.”
“I’m planning to focus our attacks on the hideout I mentioned earlier. If you help us, we can send expedition members to simultaneously raid multiple hideouts.”
“What about the monsters?”
Currently, the route into the city where the Haenam County Office is located was surrounded by monsters.
Originally, Kim Hyun-tae’s Haenam expedition force intended to deal with them first.
Given that there had been no news from the Rear Guard, it seemed they had either fallen into a trap or were confronting another horde of monsters.
“As long as we select only the necessary personnel, dealing with the monsters with the remaining members shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“How can I trust that?”
“I came through their ranks myself.”
In a hidden state thanks to [Invisibility], Yoo Ji-han acted as bait, luring the monsters while assessing their levels.
As a result, he concluded that if a small number of heroes handled it well, they could endure their current position without much trouble.
Even if they were pushed back, they could take a significant detour without major concerns.
“What’s the destination?”
“We’re going to the Land’s End Village. I’ll mark the locations where the other members should head on the map. I also have all the counter-scenarios ready after finding the elites.”
“……Alright.”
Kim Hyun-tae rose from the chair he had been sitting on.
He approached Yoo Ji-han and extended his arm forward.
“Please take care of things for a while.”
“……?”
With a suddenly friendly smile, Kim Hyun-tae requested a handshake.
His attitude seemed vastly different from before, making Yoo Ji-han bewildered as he inadvertently grabbed his hand.
However, upon noticing a man coming up beside them with a camera, he realized Kim Hyun-tae was putting on a ‘show’ for the shoot.
‘Well, if it leads to something good, it’s fine.’
As long as they could exchange information and cooperate, the reasons didn’t particularly matter.
With the firepower of Kim Hyun-tae’s party, they would surely be of great assistance in this matter.
*
Kim Hyun-tae gathered all expedition members and selected personnel for a preemptive attack on the hideouts.
It seemed that some party members wanted to play important roles in the expedition, as they quickly raised their hands to volunteer.
Thus the expedition split into a special unit heading toward the hideouts of the people from another world and a group remaining behind to confront the monsters.
“Don’t die, everyone!”
“We’ll see each other at the after-party later!”
The selected special unit gathered all their preparations and swiftly left the Haenam County Office.
Heading to the south where Land’s End Village was located, Yoo Ji-han’s party moved alongside Kim Hyun-tae’s.
‘It’s the most suspicious area.’
Yoo Ji-han thought that the elites would be hiding in the farthest location from their current position.
That was because it was the hideout in Haenam with the best resources and facilities.
It was also the perfect place to recover their yet-to-awaken commander.
Due to the distance, it was a place where ordinary heroes rarely gazed upon.
But then.
“Are we taking a car?”
“Is there any need to walk annoyingly?”
The group, moving along the road for a while, froze at Kim Hyun-tae’s suggestion to take a nearby car.
Yoo Ji-han responded, “It doesn’t seem right to get in a car when we’re trying to move stealthily.”
“It’s inefficient to expend energy when we have an excellent means of transportation.”
“There are parts of the route that will go off the road. Even if we take it, we won’t last more than 10 minutes.”
“I guess we could manage 10 minutes.”
“……”
How lazy must Kim Hyun-tae have felt to propose taking a car?
Yoo Ji-han pressed his temples as he thought, ‘How did we happen to find a car with the keys still in it?’
Three parked vehicles by the roadside inexplicably had their keys still inserted in the ignition.
It was fine for ten people to squeeze in, but having the large Chilla in a regular vehicle was nearly impossible.
“The car’s too cramped for Chilla.”
“We could have him ride on the roof.”
“Why do something so dangerous? Come on, Hyun-tae, let’s be reasonable.”
“You’re the one being overly stubborn, Yoo Ji-han.”
“You can’t be weakened to the point where a few minutes of walking tires you out, can you?”
“………”
“There’s no way that Kim Hyun-tae would lack stamina. Isn’t that right?”
To argue here would mean admitting to having low stamina himself.
Wanting to lighten his mood with a drive, Kim Hyun-tae glared at Yoo Ji-han before turning to walk again.
Their relationship wasn’t strictly hierarchical, so he couldn’t force his opinion on the one who proposed the plan.
“The next route is over there.”
“What? That’s just a mountain.”
Their disagreement persisted after that.
This time, Yoo Ji-han suggested they cross a terrain completely covered in mountains.
Kim Hyun-tae exhibited a strong skepticism.
“I said earlier I could jump over the mountains.”
“I meant I’d do that if necessary. Why go out of our way to climb a mountain when there’s a safe plain?”
“Because it doesn’t look safe. According to the map, it’s a commonly traveled route, making it even more dangerous.”
“Come on, don’t be a coward…….”
“Kim Hyun-tae! Didn’t we agree that I’d decide the route from Haenam?”
“……Tsk!”
With a click of his tongue, Kim Hyun-tae headed toward the mountain.
Hwang Joon-ho, Lim Si-yeon, and Kim Kang-woo naturally followed behind him.
Lee Mi-a, who had been briefly stopped, glanced between Kim Hyun-tae and Yoo Ji-han.
Seeing this, Yoo Ji-han gestured for her to go ahead.
‘Kim Hyun-tae is actually listening to me.’
Yoo Ji-han knew well Kim Hyun-tae’s instinct to take control.
That he would yield his wishes to follow Yoo Ji-han’s suggestion was something he never would have imagined in the past.
‘This is oddly fun.’
Even in a special situation, it felt nice to contain his bullheadedness as he wanted.
It was the moment he realized their relationship with Kim Hyun-tae had completely changed from the past.
“Snap! Snap!”
Crash! Bang! Bang!
As they traversed the rough mountain path, reaching the foothills, Chilla nimbly hopped between trees.
Perhaps he liked the mountain, as it seemed to enjoy the rough environment.
“Chilla seems excited.”
“It looks like he quite enjoys the terrain.”
Yoo Ji-han’s party watched him run around with fond expressions.
But in the moment when Chilla was about to jump to a new tree—
Boom!
The thick branch Chilla was aiming for snapped upon contact with something.
“Chilla!”
“Snap?!”
Startled, Chilla quickly grasped the tree trunk with both hands to regain his balance.
Min Yu-ri, rushing over, checked on him but thankfully, he wasn’t injured.
“Hey!”
Following, she yelled with evident anger.
It was Kim Kang-woo from Kim Hyun-tae’s party who had broken the branch using his skill.
“What are you doing?!”
“Oops, I thought it was a monster. Sorry!”
Kim Kang-woo apologized nonchalantly.
Min Yu-ri narrowed her eyes.
She realized he wasn’t sincerely apologizing.
“Tell him not to jump around up there since he risks getting mistaken for a monster.”
“Snap…!”
Chilla, who slid down the tree, shot a glare at Kim Kang-woo.
Yoo Ji-han, also glaring at Kim Kang-woo, spoke up.
“Kim Kang-woo, can’t you even distinguish between a monster and a pet?”
“What?”
“During such bright sunlight, you find it difficult to identify friends? If so, that’s quite disappointing.”
Belonging to Kim Hyun-tae’s party, how could he not recognize his own allies?
Yoo Ji-han questioned Kim Kang-woo.
“Ah, I mean it was a mistake?!”
“Yes! I hope it was just a ‘mistake’, not due to your ‘skills’. Very sincerely.”
“……”
“I wouldn’t want to have to rely on someone who attacks their own allies.”
Yoo Ji-han delivered a warning message to Kim Kang-woo.
With tightly sealed lips, Kim Kang-woo spun around and walked forward.
The Sylph that flew from Yoo Ji-han toward Chilla spoke in a sharp voice.
—He’s got no manners!
“Judging from his actions, he’s completely a rookie.”
Even the spirits were expressing dissatisfaction with his lack of etiquette.
The new member of Kim Hyun-tae’s party seemed to be falling short of Yoo Ji-han’s expectations.
“……”
Looking back slightly, Lee Mi-a lowered her head in Yoo Ji-han’s direction.
It was an apology for Kim Kang-woo’s behavior.
“Hyung, is this okay?”
“It’s not okay at all.”
Though they were acting together for a single purpose, they would have to respond if the other crossed a certain line.
“I won’t let it slide if this happens again.”
He couldn’t join forces with someone whose allegiance was unknown.
*
Two hours after they began moving.
Crossing mountains and plains, Yoo Ji-han was slowly getting closer to their destination.
With about an hour more to move, they could reach the hideout without any major incidents.
“That’s…….”
“Monsters.”
Monsters appeared a short distance away from the group.
Kim Hyun-tae’s party swiftly assumed battle positions.
They looked ready to strike at any moment against the monsters that had yet to recognize them.
“Wait a moment.”
However, Yoo Ji-han halted them.
He had an uneasy feeling about something.
“This isn’t a place where monsters should be.”
A location far removed from ordinary roads.
No residential houses were around, and even if they had come from below, it wasn’t a typical place for monsters to pass through.
While it was possible that monsters naturally appeared nearby,
the behavior of the monsters, lingering in one spot, felt oddly out of place.
“It’s better to avoid them.”
“What? Let’s just leave them be?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s nonsense!”
Kim Hyun-tae opposed Yoo Ji-han’s suggestion.
It wouldn’t take even five minutes to take down the monsters they had just discovered.
What’s so frightening about monsters that are only a mouthful away?
Kim Hyun-tae’s pride wouldn’t allow him to let that slip.
“If you’re scared, just watch from the back.”
“Hey, wait……..”
Ignoring Yoo Ji-han, Kim Hyun-tae dashed forward.
His party members followed in line with their group leader.
Soon, they launched an attack towards the monsters.
Boom! Crash—!
The ground trembled as the clash between Kim Hyun-tae’s party and the mob of monsters unfolded.
The surrounding air vibrated with the scattered magic.
“We’ll just wait.”
“Yes.”
Yoo Ji-han’s party waited without jumping into the fray.
They intended to observe the situation before acting.
“Come at me!!”
[Dragon’s Wrath]
Kim Hyun-tae cleaved through the monsters with a massive greatsword.
Thanks to the artifact that enhanced his strength, even the thick and solid bones were torn apart like paper.
Such overwhelming power that didn’t require special techniques as a warrior.
A cameraman who trailed him captured his image from various angles.
“Huh!”
His actions, intermingling over-the-top expressions and gestures, appeared awkward even from Yoo Ji-han’s distance.
‘What a shame.’
Having spent a long time with them as a supporter, Yoo Ji-han felt a twitch to critique the harmony—or rather lack thereof—among Kim Hyun-tae’s party.
It felt as though the party members were not working together but were off on their own.
‘It’s not my place to worry about it.’
He could point out many things if he wished.
But when it came to Kim Hyun-tae’s party, he had no complaints as long as they displayed adequate firepower.
What bothered him more was that the battle was taking place in an undesirable location.
“……?”
At that moment, something caught Yoo Ji-han’s eye.
Something rolling along the ground headed towards Kim Hyun-tae’s party in the midst of battle.
As it drew closer to them, Yoo Ji-han widened his eyes.
‘Poison.’
It was a poison bomb presumably exhaled by a plant-type monster.
The poison spread into the air as soon as the thin shell surrounding it burst.
The shell was colored to mask it, blending almost perfectly with the ground’s hue.
‘No wonder it felt off…….’
The Kim Hyun-tae party, focused on combat, hadn’t yet noticed the poison bomb approaching.
Yoo Ji-han quickly pointed at it and shouted.
“Yu-ri, aim for that!”
“What is that?”
“Poison.”
At Yoo Ji-han’s request, Min Yu-ri prepared a magic arrow.
Just before she shot the arrow, she asked, “Is it dangerous poison?”
“It shouldn’t be life-threatening.”
“Then it seems okay to let it explode.”
“Excuse me?”
“Once it bursts, they’ll realize their mistake.”
“……”
Yoo Ji-han almost nodded at Min Yu-ri’s very persuasive argument.
