268. The Forest of the Sword (3)
Taebaek Mountains.
A mountain range that runs across the backbone of the Korean Peninsula.
Among them, Taebaeksan Mountain was a mountain located in Gangwon-do that was once called the sacred mountain of the nation.
Also, at the same time, this was the place where the gate explosion occurred a long time ago, and ‘Drake’ took over.
Drake, a subspecies of the dragon race but a wingless monster.
Although they resembled dinosaurs in appearance and possessed great strength, they were not actually very numerous.
As long as they didn’t invade my territory, I wouldn’t come down to Taebaeksan Mountain.
And crucially, it did not provide any useful material, like the fire dragon that Utopia brought out on the air, which is still alive and well and is occasionally recalled.
It was not profitable to run around Taebaeksan Mountain and hunt each and every Drake.
Because of this, there was a tentative agreement that subduing them was a waste of time poking a sensitive hornet’s nest.
Taebaeksan secretly acknowledged Drake’s territory and chose to coexist with humans.
It’s been 10 years since people stopped coming here.
At the foot of that deserted mountain, out of nowhere, stood a huge tile-roofed house.
The spacious smokehouse is surrounded by pure white clouds, creating a mystical atmosphere, as if it were a place where immortals reside.
A woman was lying on the veranda with her head down and a bored expression.
The woman, holding a bear doll lightly in her mouth, appears to be in her early 30s at most.
She was a woman with a seductive appearance, with a dot on the corner of her mouth and her hair pulled up.
At one time, the people of the world praised her loudly.
The world’s strongest prosecutor.
Master of the sword.
The Emperor of Swords.
Sword Emperor.
Said.
Phew─
A puff of white smoke came out of her mouth along with a lazy sigh.
at that time.
“Hmm······?”
Suddenly she tilted her head.
“Are guests coming······?”
I had a feeling that it would happen for some reason.
His intuition turned out to be pretty accurate.
In the past ten years, the only people who have visited his house are Mage Lina, the magical little kid, and the expressionless sword-wielding kid she brought with her.
“No, this time it feels a little different······?”
Ugh.
She groaned and sat up, calling her granddaughter’s name.
“Malsuk-ah─”
Okay then.
Peep.
A girl appeared from behind the tree.
Pure white hair.
Blue eye.
And a woman with a cold atmosphere.
She puffed out her cheeks in frustration and spoke in a small voice.
“Grandma, I told you not to call me by that name.”
under.
The inspector chuckled at her words.
“You call Malsuk Malsuk. Then what do you call it?”
“······Alice.”
“Alice is a piece of shit······.”
The inspector frowned at his granddaughter’s words.
Kim Mal-sook.
Even though we’re not related by blood.
She was a child that the swordsman raised like a real granddaughter.
She originally had brown hair, brown eyes and a pretty face.
Let’s say you’re going to the academy next year.
All of a sudden, they all dye their hair white like old people.
Why don’t you put circle lenses in your eyes to make them blue?
Now, even the pretty name ‘Kim Mal-sook’ was being changed to the bizarre name ‘Alice’.
He was born timid, so when he was young I wondered if there was a child who was this easy to raise.
As I grew up, my stubbornness became iron stubbornness.
“Are you done with your training for today?”
Nod.
“I used a sword. I used a spear.”
“······knife.”
Kook.
The inspector stroked his throbbing head.
“You awakened your specialization as a spear. Why on earth do you use a sword?”
“Because my grandmother is a swordsman······.”
······If anything, it seems fortunate that even though he has grown enough to enter the academy, he still follows and likes himself.
Even though she was different, she didn’t seem all that bad when she used a sword, saying she wanted to be like him.
‘Still, Malsuk has to use the window.’
Alice’s affinity for swords was so poor that it could almost be said that she had no affinity for swords.
‘Hmm, how do I get this kid to use the window······.’
After thinking for a moment, she sighed deeply and shook her head.
“Ha, okay, okay······.”
Because from the beginning, it was just annoying.
‘Well, when I enter the academy next year, that little girl Lina will take care of it······.’
In the end, it was just passing the buck.
Then she said, as if something originally intended to be said had occurred to her.
“Oh, and it looks like we’ll have guests arriving soon. Could you please get them ready?”
Then Alice’s eyes grew wide and her pupils convulsed.
“······What!? Cow, cow, cow, customer······!?”
* * *
The road up to Taebaeksan Mountain was quite rough.
Since no human footsteps have set foot on the road, trees and grass naturally clear the way.
The terrain had been artificially changed due to territorial disputes between monsters.
The saying that even mountains and rivers change over ten years was absolutely true.
Director Lina gave me a compass, saying I might need it to find my way.
So I’m just following along······.
The path the compass pointed to was actually a cliff that made you wonder if this was really the path.
Of course, no matter how steep the cliff is, for an awakened person who has overcome human limitations, this is not that difficult.
Surely, it should have been so.
“Haak, haak······. Jin Yuha! This place, it’s weird······!”
“Ugh! I feel the same way······. Phew, somehow my body doesn’t move the way I want it to.”
Lee Yuri and Kang Dohee, who were stuck to the cliff like barnacles, shouted at me while sweating profusely.
Kang Do-hee is in the front.
I’m second.
And this is the last one.
However, Kang Do-hee is still moving forward steadily.
The reason why she was left behind was a little burdensome.
‘Well, it’s definitely strange······.’
As Gukbap and Poppy said, I didn’t notice it when I was down there, but once I started climbing the mountain.
The flow of mana suddenly slowed down.
And it feels like the physical strength that could originally be utilized is considerably suppressed.
I wonder what it would have been like if Ichika had been here
‘Ichika must be having a hard time because the mana flow is being disrupted······. It would be a pain if he met Drake at a time like this······.’
Because I was stuck on the cliff, I couldn’t move freely.
As soon as I thought that.
─ Keww······.
An ominous sound is heard.
under.
I raised my head and let out a hollow laugh.
‘That’s why you shouldn’t raise the flag.’
A pitch-black dinosaur was poking its head out from the top of the cliff, drool dripping from its mouth.
*
─ Keeeeeeek!!!!
Drake opened his mouth wide and started running down the cliff.
Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!
A creature that descends vertically, digging its thick claws into the cliff.
The sharp teeth on its large head were threatening.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
I shouted straight at the party members.
“Ugh!!!”
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!
Then, Kang Do-hee started climbing the cliff even faster.
Yuri looked confused as if she didn’t know how to use the shield while hanging from the cliff.
I looked down and saw Yuri’s expression, and I was shocked.
‘Oh, I should have given an order.’
What should I do here?
I quickly thought about it and came up with the best thing I could do in the current situation.
I turned my head downward and shouted.
“Lee Yuri! Throw all your spare shields and stick them into the cliff!”
“Yes, a spare shield!?”
“Can you do it? We’re creating a platform for us to fight!”
Then, Yuri, who had been embarrassed, nodded.
“okay!!”
Ever since I had the experience of my shield breaking during the Master’s test the other day.
Yuri always carried a spare shield with her in case she lost or broke the one she was using.
“profit······!”
Yuri put strength into her hands that held the cliff and lifted her legs up.
Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Boom!
Boom!
And then, as she kicked the cliff with all her might, Yuri’s leg got stuck in the cliff.
I saw Drake coming down the cliff and copied him.
Even though her mana flow is disrupted and her physical abilities are suppressed, she is still a tank for Utopia.
I was confident that I could stand firm with my feet on the ground and not be defeated by anyone.
With both feet planted on the cliff, Yuri slowly got up.
“Phew······.”
Yuri let out a soft sigh and took out a round iron shield from her subspace tattoo.
That’s why Yuri is standing on the cliff like that.
Wheeing─
A strong wind blew through her hair.
She twisted her body, clutching her shield tightly.
He threw the shield with as much force as he could, just like a baseball player.
“Ugh!!!”
Whirilirik─
Kwajik─!
Then a shield that is deeply embedded diagonally.
Then, Yuri took out her shields one after another and started throwing them at the cliff.
Whirik─
Kwajik!
Whirik─
Kwajik!
Whirik─
Kwajik!
Meanwhile,
Kang Do-hee, who was climbing the cliff, and Drake, who was running down the cliff, were getting closer.
“One for me too!”
I shouted at Yuri.
“okay!!”
Whirlirik!
Kwajik!
Yuri’s iron shield was stuck in front of my eyes.
‘good.’
I closed my eyes, estimating the distance between the shields scattered here and there in front of me.
‘At this level, I can use it as a stepping stone. As expected, if you try, you’ll get there.’
In such a dangerous moment, the person who is the most reliable is, of course, Gukbap.
I landed on the shield.
Taat─
He immediately drew his sword and kicked his foot.
Then the shield falls down in reaction.
“Hey, hey! A 729,000 won shield─!!”
Yuri’s voice, mixed with shock, echoed over the cliff.