NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 143. The City of the Dead (1)
Choi Hyun-ji tried to light a fire with her clumsy hands.
He was in the middle of rubbing a wooden stick into the pan until it started to smoke.
“Rubbing. Just rubbing. Rubbing like X.”
Choi Hyun-ji started imitating a character from a movie she had seen before.
“… … Went this way, went that way. Ah, just rub the X. … … Eeeeek! Argh! I can’t do it. Haa… … !”
After struggling with the wooden stick for a while, Choi Hyun-ji eventually gave up and fell backwards.
Meanwhile, Jin Jae-hee, who had gone out hunting, returned holding a rabbit-shaped monster in one hand.
Jin Jae-hee took a look at the situation in front of Choi Hyun-ji, then shot the artifact with his finger and lit it very easily.
“… … .”
Bam.
Jin Jae-hee threw the rabbit monster carelessly and sat down near Choi Hyun-ji.
Choi Hyun-ji glanced at her.
Thinking about what all the efforts I have made to light a fire have been…
After a while, Choi Myeong-jun, who had gone to fetch water, returned carrying a bucket full of water on his body, and a small bonfire was completed in the camp.
As the fire blazed, the group gathered around the campfire and dried their bodies from the rain.
At the same time, the meat on the skewers was cooked to a delicious finish.
Jin Jae-hee laid Kang Shi-on down in the warmest center spot around the campfire.
And covered it with a blanket.
“So, what should we do now?”
In the heavy atmosphere, Choi Hyun-ji opened her mouth.
The light that revealed the dark insides was now taken care of, and now all that was left was to escape the forest.
Choi Hyun-ji opened the quest window for no reason.
[Find the witch's traces.]
The quest didn't progress at all.
“Where the hell is the witch?”
Choi Hyun-ji let out a deep sigh.
Choi Myeong-jun also shook his head while looking at the quest window.
But Jin Jae-hee didn't pay attention to the complaints around him.
She stayed close to Kang Shi-on's side and devoted herself to nursing him.
He was looking down at Kang Shi-on with worried and pitiful eyes.
“Hey, is there any use in thinking about it among ourselves? It seems like you’re really tired, hyung. Let’s rest for a bit and think about it later. Haaam… … .”
Choi Myeong-jun yawned heavily and lay down on the spot.
His words also had some merit.
Kang Shi-on, the brain of the group, has lost consciousness.
I couldn't even decide on my future destination.
For now, it was the right decision to slowly wait for Kang Shi-on to recover.
That's why no one could stop Choi Myeong-jun when he suddenly lay down and started snoring.
Oh my god!
“But it’s not boring.”
Even Choi Myung-jun's snoring, which had been so horrible, felt welcome in this solemn atmosphere.
Choi Hyun-ji looked at Jin Jae-hee, who was taking care of Kang Si-on, then smiled and rested her chin on her hand.
“Brother. Do you like the King that much?”
It was just something said casually as a joke.
It was a remark made to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
But Jin Jae-hee's reaction was not light.
"what?"
A very sharp voice.
Choi Hyun-ji expected at best a scolding response like, "Stop talking nonsense," but Jin Jae-hee looked a little flustered and serious, which was unusual for her.
Choi Hyun-ji was startled by Jin Jae-hee's reaction and waved her hand.
“No, no, just kidding. I saw you looking at the King with a world-ending expression.”
Jin Jae-hee didn't say anything.
I just quietly looked at Kang Shi-on's expression, which seemed to be sleeping.
Then, after a while, he spoke in a low voice to Choi Hyun-ji, who was sitting there, slumped down.
“Kang Shion is strong. He can lead us all to the league championship. He is hope. I don’t know how I will see him. … … I don’t know. Just. Don’t ask. That kind of stuff.”
Choi Hyun-ji opened her eyes wide.
This was because Jin Jae-hee rarely revealed her true feelings.
Either way, Jin Jae-hee continued.
“So, we must not lose Kang Shi-on. That’s all.”
She mumbled and mumbled, then closed her mouth again.
Choi Hyun-ji suddenly recalled the world before it changed.
A peaceful life.
What kind of person was Jin Jae-hee at that time?
A world where there was an ordinary life where people lived boring but peaceful days, had a boyfriend, went on a trip, and occasionally had a drink and laughed and chatted.
In that world, would Jin Jae-hee have smiled happily too?
Choi Hyun-ji's heart ached.
——————
faqwiki.xyz
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
She sat down next to Jin Jae-hee without saying anything.
Choi Myeong-jun was still snoring loudly.
Even though the two people didn't try to lower their voices, it felt like they were whispering.
Choi Hyun-ji suddenly looked at Jin Jae-hee's side profile and let out a sinister smile.
“Hehe, if you’re the king… … . Even if you’re a little short, you’re handsome. In this world, love, romance, everything is a luxury. But if it weren’t for this world, do you think you would have caught my eye?”
A small ripple appeared in Jin Jae-hee’s eyes.
But soon after, Jin Jae-hee narrowed his eyes and glared at Choi Hyun-ji.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, then go away.”
“Hey, don’t be like that. Just think about it. If the world wasn’t like this. If the King had ended this damn league like you said and returned to his original world.”
If I return to the original world.
Jin Jae-hee found himself lost in thought without even realizing it.
I recalled the conversation I had with Kang Si-on in Man-gyeong before.
'What kind of days will Kang Shi-on spend when he returns to his original world?'
And Jin Jae-hee secretly drew herself next to the image of Kang Si-on living in a peaceful world.
Not those stupid relationships like lovers or love.
As a colleague who has overcome hardships together.
The kind of relationship where you drink together late into the night, then go to a karaoke bar and sing a great song. A really normal friendship.
Next to him, Choi Myung-jun is burying his nose in the small karaoke remote control, and Choi Hyun-ji is throwing a tantrum, telling him that the next song is his.
Such stupid scenes came to my mind.
But Jin Jae-hee scattered the scenes that came to mind.
Did I become weak-hearted because of Choi Hyun-ji's foolish imagination?
“Stop. The original world has already ended. Now, it’s a world where it wouldn’t be strange if you died right now.”
Choi Hyun-ji pouted her lips as if she was discouraged by Jin Jae-hee's firm tone.
But soon, without giving in, he opened his mouth again.
“Still. Sometimes it’s a little bit better. Saying, ‘It used to be good,’ and looking into the empty space with hazy eyes. Is it a little bit healing? I think I understand why old people keep singing about the old days, the old days.”
And then Choi Hyun-ji giggles.
She suddenly made a gesture as if she was taking a picture with her hand and spoke to Jin Jae-hee.
“You know what? I was a YouTuber.”
Jin Jae-hee didn't answer any further, but Choi Hyun-ji continued speaking.
“Wow! My little sister’s drawings are amazing. Please join me later. If I make a video with someone as pretty as my little sister, the views will probably go up a lot.”
But Choi Hyun-ji soon scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed expression.
“But there were only one thousand and twenty-two subscribers.”
Only then did Jin Jae-hee look back at Choi Hyeon-ji.
Choi Hyun-ji made a foolish sound and thrust her finger camera at Jin Jae-hee's face.
“Oh! Beautiful lady over there! Do you have a minute?”
Jin Jae-hee made an odd expression inside Choi Hyun-ji's finger camera.
Then he looked at Choi Hyun-ji and let out a hollow laugh.
“I understand why there were only one thousand and twenty.”
“One thousand and twenty-two! Do you know how precious each and every one of your subscribers is?”
“Oh, right. But you know what? My video was uploaded to YouTube once.”
“What?!? When?!”
Choi Hyun-ji was startled and pushed her face toward Jin Jae-hee.
Jin Jae-hee pushed Choi Hyun-ji's forehead with his finger and pushed her away from him.
“Someone filmed me busking and posted it on YouTube. I don’t know who it is.”
“Oooooohhh!!! Busking? How many views?”
“200,000.”
“200,000?!?!? Wow… … That’s more than my total number of views on YouTube?”
Choi Hyun-ji pursed her lips.
Jin Jae-hee took his eyes off her.
“Then what should I do? I failed anyway.”
Jin Jae-hee habitually tried to take out a cigarette but ended up not doing so.
She made a promise with Kang Shi-on.
I will quit smoking and continue practicing singing.
The two people fell silent after that conversation.
failure.
It was a fearful word even in the original world, but now it was a word that meant imminent death.
Those heavy words poured cold water on the atmosphere that had briefly loosened up.
The two people knew.
Now it's time to slowly get back to reality.
And then.
The two men caught the strange smell wafting through the air.
It was a sour smell that blended well with the scent of grass, but it was a smell that contained thorns somewhere.
A beautiful yet deadly scent, like a splendid rose.
Both of them turned their heads toward the source of the smell.
“The secret to beauty? Is there really a secret? Just being born beautiful.”
There was a woman standing there.
A beautiful woman with a captivating smile.
and.
Tiring.
A quest window appeared before the eyes of Choi Hyun-ji and Jin Jae-hee.
[Find the witch. Complete.]
[Hidden Quest: Dungeon Dense Forest]
[Field Boss Area.]
[Content: Kill the witch.]
[Reward: S-rank item.]
The quest has been updated.
* * *
The two people checked the quest window in front of them.
Unlike Choi Hyun-ji, who was dumbfounded and unable to keep up with the situation, Jin Jae-hee instantly figured out what was in front of her.
witch.
He was the key to getting out of this forest.
After finishing her thoughts, she moved at incredible speed.
A speed that even Choi Hyun-ji couldn't react.
Her sword swung powerfully towards the witch, slicing through the ground.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Shhhhhhhhhh!
He merely swung the holy sword upward, but the sound of the blow shook the forest.
“Ugh… … . Ugh! What, what is it!”
Choi Myeong-jun also opened his eyes wide in surprise at the sound of the explosion and checked the quest window that appeared before his eyes.
“X bee!”
While Choi Myeong-jun hurriedly got up from his seat and prepared for battle, the witch who had been attacked by Jin Jae-hee opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“I was surprised, kid. It’s useless to swing something so dangerous.”
"……what?"
Jin Jae-hee frowned slightly.
The Holy Sword had the ability to cut down anything in this world.
But it was strange.
Even though I had clearly cut down the witch in front of me, the witch was standing there with an indifferent expression on her face.
That wasn't all.
In the spot where Jin Jae-hee had been standing, several vines had grown up and were entangling themselves in the air.
The forest that had seemed beautiful until just a moment ago had now become a huge enemy.
Every single leaf on a tree, every single blade of grass growing on the ground.
Everyone was squirming as if they were aiming at Kang Si-on and his group.
“I’m sorry, child. Our children are very filial, and if you attack their mother, they get angry. Do you understand?”
The witch said this with a smile on her face and a gentle wave of her hand.
Jin Jae-hee looked closely at the witch's appearance.
'It has no substance.'
Jin Jae-hee realized why he had not detected the witch's presence beforehand.
The witch's appearance is an illusion.
The main body was not here.
“I heard that some kids were attacking the ghouls I was taking care of, so I came out to check it out, and they seem to be quite skilled. Do you want to be my material too?”
After finishing speaking, the witch brought up the main topic. She turned her gaze towards Kang Shi-on, who was lying down, and opened her mouth again.
“And yet he is still beautiful. He is even more beautiful when seen in person… … .”
The witch couldn't take her eyes off Kang Shi-on, her face filled with ecstasy.
The witch has been ordering the ghouls to collect beautiful humans.
A person with a beautiful face.
A human with a beautiful body.
But the greatest beauty of them all is.
It was a soul.
“That unwavering inner self. That unbending will. So beautiful.”
Kang Shi-on's soul was truly perfect.
Incomparable to that of other humans.
The witch really wanted to have Kang Shi-on's beautiful soul.
“My child, I like your pretty face, but when you’re next to that little girl, your beauty loses its luster.”
The witch said so and looked at Jin Jae-hee's face.
Jin Jae-hee shuddered at the creepy gaze and summoned the artifact again.
“I told you, it’s useless, kid.”
Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
A series of crashing sounds shook the forest again.
Jin Jae-hee's sword could cut anything in two with a single blow, but it could not touch an illusion that had no substance.
The witch even laughed out loud, as if Jin Jae-hee's attacks were fun.
“Ahaha! This is fun, kid. Why should you be obsessed with attacks that won’t even reach you?”
Jin Jae-hee frowned slightly at the witch's words.
The witch threw out a word with a smiling face.
“Stupid woman… … .”
The witch was very jealous of Kang Shi-on.
However, Jin Jae-hee, who was standing right next to him and protecting Kang Si-on, was annoying.
The witch was able to avoid Jin Jae-hee's attacks, but she couldn't inflict damage on him.
It would be impossible for a witch to possess Kang Shion alone.
But if you can't do it alone, wouldn't it be better to create a strong ally?
The witch had been steadily preparing to make Kang Shion her own ever since he and his party entered the forest.
A way to bring down Kang Shi-on, who is very vigilant and has a strong spirit.
It was the person named ‘Kang Jun-ho’ that Kang Si-on was obsessed with.
“It was difficult. But I put my all into it and completed it! Now, that strong spirit has been reborn as my beautiful work.”
At that moment, the surrounding bushes scattered in a mess, revealing a group of monsters.
“… … !”
Jin Jae-hee looked around in surprise.
Ghouls that were clearly thought to be dead, or rather, were definitely dead, were coming back to life and walking towards us.
A child walking behind the witch.
one.
The girl's neck was bent back, and she approached like a zombie.
It was black magic.
A black magic that revives the dead for a certain period of time and continues to attack the enemy designated by the caster until he or she dies.
The witch smiled strangely.
“For three days, my children will attack you. My own zombies that will never die will attack endlessly.”
The ghouls, or rather zombie ghouls now, slowly approached the expedition team.
(Continued in the next episode)