Chapter 182 – Hardeon (14)

As the Yeti’s core dissolved within my body, the mana in my dantian surged.

The fierce wave of mana soon transformed into an extreme chill, as if freezing all my flesh and blood.

The cold blood flowing through my veins spread to every corner of my body, making me feel dizzy.

But this was not merely painful.

Instead, my entire body felt purified.

Just like when I immersed myself in the Spring of Elixir.

‘No, honestly, it’s beyond that.’

Surprisingly, this was not a trick of the senses.

All the waste products and impurities in my body began to exit.

A thick, pitch-black liquid emitted a terrible stench.

But this wasn’t the end.

‘It’s changed!’

When the mana’s rampage stopped, I couldn’t help but be enveloped in a strong sense of unfamiliarity.

My body, which had been contaminated for a long time due to dungeon radiation exposure, had returned to a pristine state.

This was a condition I had never experienced with Seo Ji-han’s body, so I could instantly recognize the change.

A tingling sensation ran through my entire body.

I hadn’t expected the day I had longed for to arrive so suddenly in this way.

I had only thought that if I struggled every day in the Spring of Elixir, that day would eventually come.

‘I thought it would take several years.’

I curled the corners of my lips.

Remme, watching me, wore a serious expression.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Because I’ve gained a wondrous opportunity, a miraculous elixir. By the way, have you read through all my memories?”

Remme nodded.

“For some reason, you seemed to have suffered terribly from magic.”

A hollow laugh escaped me in surprise.

He said he couldn’t read specific memories, yet he found out something like this.

The scene of the dragon spewing its breath on the day I died still occasionally appears in my dreams.

“Amazing! Is this what the power of shamanism is truly like?”

“No, I’m just a bit special. But there’s one thing in your memories that I can’t understand.”

“What is it?”

“That magic that tormented you, it seemed to have no connection to our organization at all.”

“Because it truly has no connection.”

“How is that possible? There shouldn’t be any entity in the Empire capable of wielding magic strong enough to torment you, other than our organization.”

“I will not reveal this part.”

At my firmness, Remme asked again, sounding regretful.

“Why?”

“Just as your organization is discreet, I also have my secrets.”

“Secrets, huh…”

That I came from another world called Earth.

That the being at my opposite end was a dragon.

And that I had reincarnated.

All were difficult things to reveal.

“So, is my verification complete?”

“It’s ambiguous.”

“Ambiguous? I assume you know that I’m not on the Empire’s side.”

“But your thirst for revenge against beings who use magic is too strong. That’s what makes me uneasy.”

This was hypocrisy at its finest.

His own organization was planning to destroy Hardeon out of revenge against gladiators.

And that too, using the worst possible method: zombies.

“So, you won’t continue our deal?”

“I never said that. I only said it’s ambiguous.”

Then, Remme took a step back.

As I expected.

This organization must now vaguely grasp the power and abilities I possess.

“Honestly, I think you’re a very dangerous human.”

“You have a long tongue for a Barbarian.”

“I told you I’m not a Barbarian!”

“If you live with Barbarians, relying on them here, then that makes you a Barbarian. What else would a Barbarian be? Honestly, just by looking at you, you look the most Barbarian here.”

“Stop it!”

It seemed I had hit a sore spot.

“Then tell me the details of the request.”

“You’re certainly not a good person.”

“But I’m a capable one.”

“Then are you prepared to undertake anything?”

“Except for dying.”

“It’s not about dying. However…”

Seeing him trail off, I knew the request wouldn’t be ordinary.

In fact, the assassination of the Legion Commander was already an insane request by normal standards.

“However, what?”

“The place you’re going could be a death trap.”

“Where is that?”

“Mount Morane.”

I knew that place now.

The volcano that erupted coincidentally 400 years ago, on the day the age of magic ended and the Empire of the Sword began.

“What do I need to do there?”

“Bring back volcanic rocks. The required quantity is 50.”

It seemed they were seriously preparing to create zombies.

“Understood.”

“To accept immediately, you truly are a madman.”

If I successfully complete this request, I will then be able to contact Blue Code.

According to the Gwangun Sword Family’s report, the clue for the quest is also found at this very point.

There was still some way to go.

***

Nordam Village, near Mount Morane. We intended to find a guide here.

The mysterious portal, said to be somewhere on the colossal volcano, was difficult to find without knowing the mountain’s geography well.

“Unit Leader. I think this is the inn.”

This was where recruitment and job-seeking were most active in the village.

I handed a coin to the innkeeper and asked him to find a guide who could lead us to Mount Morane.

“That’s a strange coincidence.”

“Why? Is there a problem going there?”

“No, it’s just that someone came here recently asking for a guide for the same thing.”

It was indeed strange.

The world within that portal was a land of death teeming with all sorts of monsters.

Conversely, there was nothing to be gained from there except volcanic rocks.

And these volcanic rocks, moreover, had no special use and weren’t even particularly good for display.

To ordinary people, they were just pretty-looking stones.

“There was someone else besides us?”

“Yes. Now that I think about it, you two somehow resemble them in appearance. Perhaps you’re from the same hometown.”

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

The Gwangun Sword Family.

Of course, there was no specific basis.

The resemblance in appearance was merely the innkeeper’s subjective opinion.

“But is there something to be found on Mount Morane these days? To want to enter such a dangerous place.”

I handed him another coin.

“I’d like to hire the guide who went there recently. Can you find them?”

“Ah… I’m a bit hazy on who that was. If I had about two more coins, I might remember.”

I briefly considered torturing him, but then decided it would be easier to just go with it.

“Here you go.”

“Aha! I finally remember! Please wait a moment.”

The innkeeper left and immediately returned with a young woman.

She seemed to be the guide who had recently gone to Mount Morane.

“Are you the one who called for me?”

“Yes, can you be our guide?”

“Just so you know, I’m quite expensive.”

Her eyes showed a clear intention to fleece an easy mark.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Money wasn’t important.

An agreement was reached in an instant.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“The person who hired you as a guide recently. Was he alone?”

“No. At first, I thought he was alone, but once we started the hike, there were almost ten of them.”

“Anything suspicious or unusual about them? Any memorable words they said?”

At my question, the woman paused in thought for a moment before speaking.

“Well, nothing special, but they asked me one thing.”

“What was it?”

“A question about whether any other outsiders had recently climbed Mount Morane. Now that you mention it, it’s quite similar to what you’re asking.”

Something was definitely off.

The regrettable thing was that I couldn’t find out anything else specific.

Since I had hired a guide, I intended to depart immediately.

“Wait a moment! I’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

I briefly wondered if this woman was going to run off with my money, but she actually returned to us after exactly 10 minutes.

She showed a somewhat suspicious demeanor, but I decided not to worry about it.

As long as she guided us well to our destination, nothing else mattered.

***

Mount Morane.

Although it was a place with plenty of history, once I arrived, I immediately understood why it couldn’t become a tourist attraction.

The terrain was rugged, and the smell of gas emanating from the crater at the summit was quite potent.

I also realized that the amount the woman demanded for guiding was not unreasonable at all.

“Are we still far?”

“You’re quite impatient. We’re almost there.”

The woman was panting.

They had been climbing this rugged terrain for two hours already, so it was natural for her to be tired, no matter how familiar she was with the mountain.

“This is definitely the right path, isn’t it?”

“What do you take me for? It’s certain!”

“It feels like we’re passing the same place twice.”

The woman flinched for a moment, then replied nonchalantly.

“Is this your first time on a mountain? Mountains are all like that.”

“Then shall we rest for a bit?”

“Good idea. That’s what I wanted to say!”

The woman wiped the sweat streaming down her forehead and fanned herself with her hand.

“Are we waiting here?”

“…What?”

“The people following us, I mean.”

“F-following us? Who?”

“Who else? You’d know better than I would.”

I had known for a while that a group was tailing us.

That these were the people the woman had called,

and that she had guided us around the same spot twice because the distance wasn’t closing easily.

I had noticed everything.

“Were you hired by someone to do this?”

“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

It wasn’t a bad act.

She should have been flustered, but her current sly expression seemed genuine.

Of course, that mask only lasted until the group following us arrived.

A moment later, eight figures appeared before us.

All of them carried large swords.

“Why?”

Perhaps tired of acting, the woman’s expression suddenly changed.

“How long have you known?”

“Since we started the hike.”

“That’s a lie. You’re lying because you’re scared, aren’t you? If you knew then, you should have run away quickly, shouldn’t you?”

“I was curious about the reason. Why?”

“You’re right.”

“You were hired?”

The woman nodded.

“Don’t resent me too much. The person who came here before you offered an amount too large to refuse.”

“So, if anyone tries to enter the portal on Mount Morane, eliminate them. Something like that?”

“Yes. You’re accurate.”

And the eight figures surrounded us, forming a circle.

There was definitely something suspicious going on.

‘Gwangun Sword Family.’

If my intuition was right, then it was even better.

Because I wouldn’t have to seek them out myself.

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