Chapter 136 – Pangaea (2)

The newly selected 2nd generation members totaled 10 people.

Thus, I organized the Chamryongdan into a total of 2 teams.

I appropriately mixed the existing 1st generation and the new 2nd generation members and appointed Choi Ho-joong as the 1st team leader and Shin Ah-yeon as the 2nd team leader.

Now, in terms of scale, our Chamryongdan had finally taken some shape.

Ho-joong, perhaps pleased with his new title, had been grinning and smiling ever since the team leader appointment ceremony.

“Team Leader Shin Ah-yeon, let’s have a friendly competition from now on!”

“Stop saying that to me! It’s cringey!”

Shin Ah-yeon made a straight face.

However, as Ho-joong said, competition between teams serves as appropriate stimulation for each other and becomes nourishment for mutual development.

Therefore, I thought it was necessary to develop the two leaders first.

“You called, Unit Leader.”

I called Choi Ho-joong and Shin Ah-yeon and handed them Stupeo.

“Now that you’re team leaders, shouldn’t you master the 3rd stage?”

At my words, both of their pupils shook violently.

“If you’re not confident, return your team leader positions.”

“No, sir!”

The two’s swordsmanship achievements were exquisitely at a similar level.

With Stupeo as well, they were at a point where they could move on to the next stage if they just overcame the final hurdle of the 3rd stage.

If even one of them surpassed it, the other, being stimulated, would surely overcome it right away.

“If possible, finish it before I return from the Abyss. You can do it, right?”

A brief silence followed.

Both of them took one more moment before answering.

But they were guys who wouldn’t disappoint my expectations if they really gritted their teeth and did it.

Perhaps when I returned, both would have entered the 4th stage.

***

[Welcome to Pangaea.]

[A quest has been generated. Accumulate merit.]

[Current Merit: 0/100]

A simple but vague quest was generated.

“Merit…”

The scope of merit would be entirely determined by the Abyss.

I would have to try something first to be able to judge.

The place we arrived at was a bustling town.

And what we held in our hands was an initial capital of 100 gulit(currency). Including Yoon Joo-hee’s, it was a total of 200 gulit.

Of course, I had to figure out how much value this held from now on.

“Yoon Joo-hee. We’ve come to a strange land with no information. What do you think we should do first?”

“I think we need to understand the worldview.”

Correct.

It was extremely common sense, but the fact that she answered without hesitation was excellent.

“Then, what’s a good way to grasp the worldview?”

“Wouldn’t it be good to go to a place where many people gather and listen to their stories?”

“For instance?”

“A place like a tavern.”

That wasn’t a bad method either, but its efficiency was low.

The information obtained from a place like a tavern corresponds to the trees, not the forest.

“For now, we need to see the forest as a whole.”

“How so?”

“We need to see the Pangaean Empire with our own eyes.”

“Ah!”

“Do you get it now?”

“I think we should buy a map.”

Looking at a map is the most intuitive way to grasp the worldview.

Unlike the general quest areas of the Abyss, there was no information about this place, so it was necessary to grasp at least the minimum geographical information.

Also, a map was a necessary item to find the Imperial Palace where the 3rd Princess, Clera Erendina, would be.

We spent an hour asking around and finally managed to arrive at a shop that sold maps.

“Let’s see the goods first.”

But the shopkeeper immediately shook his head.

“100 gulit.”

“You mean we have to pay before even seeing the item?”

“You people, I don’t know what corner of the countryside you came from to be spouting such nonsense. You want to see the map before paying for it?”

Judging by the atmosphere, maps were a precious commodity in this worldview.

100 gulit was a whopping half of our initial funds, but I had no choice but to spend it.

“You people are lucky. This was the last map of the entire empire.”

The shopkeeper went somewhere and came out holding a dusty scroll.

I immediately unfolded the map the shopkeeper handed me on the spot.

“The place we are at now is…”

“Why are you struggling so much? Just look at the southernmost part of the map.”

Tak!

The shopkeeper, as if frustrated, pointed his finger to the very bottom edge of the map.

Rehad Village.

This was a small village located at the southernmost tip of the empire, surrounded by all sorts of mountain ranges.

“You people look like outsiders. Are you perhaps explorers?”

“Something like that.”

“You don’t look like it at all.”

“Why not?”

“Why else? Because you both look feeble. By the way, did you guys cross the Kirill Mountains to get to our village?”

The place the shopkeeper pointed to was a small mountain range north of Rehad Village.

Since that was the only route to approach the village, I gave a rough nod.

“That’s also surprising. The Kirill Mountains are a paradise for monsters, so it wouldn’t have been easy for just the two of you to cross.”

“We’ve learned enough martial arts to protect ourselves.”

“Hoh! Now that you say that, you suddenly look different.”

The shopkeeper’s name was Dermein.

He was a very talkative old man.

But in many ways, he was a useful character.

Because I was able to hear various miscellaneous stories about Pangaea from him.

The 100 gulit paid for the map was a big loss, but I was able to get some pretty useful information from here.

He began to list various pieces of information, such as peculiar terrains not well-marked on the map, unknown shortcuts when moving from region to region, regional cultures and climates, and other precautions.

And then, at the end.

“My apologies. I talked a bit too much, didn’t I?”

he said, letting out a hearty laugh.

Along with the cliché line that he needed a companion to talk to because he lived alone in solitude.

“It seems you haven’t lived in Rehad Village your whole life, elder.”

“Kekeke. I know quite a lot, don’t I?”

As if he were an NPC prepared just for me, his knowledge of Pangaea was considerably extensive.

To the point where I obtained information that couldn’t be bought with money.

“Actually, I was an explorer in my youth too. I lived while roaming all over Pangaea.”

“I had a feeling that might be the case.”

Despite being old, his muscles were solid, the amount of mana was unbelievable for a shopkeeper, and he had a wide range of survival knowledge.

I thought he must have been a soldier or an explorer in his younger days.

“You two, did you say you learned martial arts to protect yourselves?”

“Yes. Though it’s not that great.”

“As it happens, there’s a good job opening. Would you like to try it?”

He was a very grateful old man.

I needed money anyway.

After hearing the story, I thought it was even more doable and immediately accepted.

“You people are very lucky.”

Nike’s Ring, worn on my hand, was shining brilliantly.

Perhaps I really was lucky.

***

Kkang!

Kkang!

The sound of the workers’ pickaxes echoed.

This place was a mine in the Jenyak Mountains, adjacent to Rehad Village.

Not long ago, gold was discovered in this mine, so the local government office recruited a large number of workers, and they were still busy searching for the gold vein.

That said, Yoon Joo-hee and I were not hired as workers.

Our role was to escort the mine.

It was a job to stand guard in case monsters appeared around the mine.

“This side of you is unexpected, Unit Leader.”

“What is.”

“I thought you would always do only noble things, Unit Leader. It was hard to imagine you standing guard like this.”

Yoon Joo-hee, who was standing guard next to me, started spouting nonsense.

Only noble things.

The Abyss was by no means such a place.

“You have a pointless fantasy.”

“As you are doing this kind of work, Unit Leader, I hope there will be a good reward.”

I nodded.

But in truth, I didn’t come here to Pangaea seeking a reward.

My purpose for visiting was to find a clue about the red dragon.

I planned to meet the 3rd Princess Clera and ask for her help in this matter.

‘For now, let’s earn some quick money first.’

Besides money, there was one more thing I was expecting from taking this job, and that was regarding ‘merit.’

Standing guard wasn’t a very big mission, but since it was a job led by the local government office, I thought my merit might be acknowledged.

Even if it wasn’t, it would be a way to gauge the standard for acknowledging merit, so there would be no loss.

Kkang!

Kkang!

The sound of pickaxes echoed relentlessly.

Even with so many people put into it, the discovery of the gold vein seemed to be a distant prospect.

The guard leader wandered around and walked over to me.

“So it’s you two. The guards who were hastily hired to fill the numbers.”

Since it was the truth, I didn’t bother to deny it.

“You’re some lucky guys. By regulations, there have to be guards, but in reality, monsters never show up.”

“Is that so?”

“If it were a place where monsters appeared, you wouldn’t have been picked in the first place. Well, the pay would have been much higher, of course.”

“Honestly, I think the lucky ones aren’t the two of us, but the rest of the people.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we weren’t here, the workers and the guards would all be dead.”

“What?”

The guard leader wore a baffled expression, as if asking what I was talking about.

I had been feeling it for a while.

The presences that were approaching, surrounding this mine.

Without a doubt, they were monsters.

And it wasn’t just a few of them.

‘At most, up to a hundred.’

I didn’t know what kind of creatures they were, but their number was considerable.

I told the guard leader.

“I recommend you take the other guards and evacuate to the mining site.”

“What kind of bullshit is that right now?”

“At this speed of movement, it’ll be about 2 minutes. The monsters are scheduled to swarm in.”

“I don’t think you were hired to make such unfunny jokes. Why don’t you just grab a pickaxe and find a gold vein instead?”

Actually, I was considering that too.

If luck was on my side, I might be able to find the gold vein faster than the workers here.

But for now, the monsters were the priority.

“I’ve certainly told you. To evacuate.”

“Wahahaha? This bastard, he’s really got a weird concept. You, you should know that you won’t be able to come here from next time… Aack!!!”

The guard leader couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because Yoon Joo-hee, who was next to him, had twisted his arm.

“Don’t speak carelessly. He is not someone who should hear such words.”

“Hey! You bastard! Aren’t you going to let go? Aaaack!!”

Yoon Joo-hee twisted the guard leader’s joint a little more.

“That’s enough. Don’t cause a scene and let go. We have to start the battle soon.”

“But, this person was rude to you, Unit Leader!”

“So you were the one with the weird concept. Just let go.”

At my words, Yoon Joo-hee finally released the guard leader’s arm.

“You two! What the hell kind of bastards are you! Huh?”

At that moment, an alien cry began to fill the air of the mine.

“I see you didn’t hear that just now.”

“What kind of trick is that! Heard what!”

And the hungry howls that were getting more and more frequent.

Seeing the guard leader’s hair stand on end right away, it seemed he heard it now.

“I told you. To take the guards and evacuate. Go up there and grab a pickaxe or something.”

As if my words weren’t even finished, the guard leader was seen running away at full speed.

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