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< Base Camp >
If Lee Cheol-jun had been alone, it would not have been easy to obtain information.
But Li Hongdan, who followed him, was a different story.
“Hey kid.”
The man crouched down in front of Li Hongdan.
The startled boy looked at him with a frightened face.
“I’m going to ask you some questions from now on. If you know how to read the situation, it would be better for you to answer honestly, right?”
“Ugh! Ugh ugh!!!”
Lee Cheol-jun, with his mouth gagged, shouted with blood running down his throat. “Don’t even open your mouth!” he wanted to say, but he couldn’t come out with words.
The man smiled brightly and patted the skinny boy’s head. Li Hongdan was even more scared by that sight.
“If you answer correctly, you won’t get hurt. I’ll feed you plenty of food. Are you hungry?”
“Ugh···.”
Li Hongdan trembled. No matter how smart and quick-witted he was, he was only a thirteen-year-old boy.
In addition, the person he trusted and relied on the most in the world, Lee Cheol-jun, was captured.
As the elder tried to coax and persuade him, Li Hongdan started to blurt out things that had not been asked.
Li Hongdan said with tears and a runny nose running down his face.
“Please spare us. If we don’t go back, our comrades will all starve to death.”
“Where are my comrades?”
“Eeeeeeeep!”
After a while, the man, who had learned all about their circumstances, looked around.
Team 7 members had serious expressions on their faces.
I only heard rumors, but I didn’t know the situation in North Korea was this serious.
The tragedy that followed the collapse of the North Korean regime.
North Korean residents scattered throughout the country were hiding in caves, tunnels, and mines to avoid monsters, living lives worse than those of animals.
The manager spoke to his team members.
“Let’s get ready and leave right away.”
The place they headed to was a cave on the side of the mountain where comrades Lee Cheol-jun and Lee Hong-dan were waiting.
***
The man looked around the cave. He clicked his tongue softly.
“Tsk···.”
Dozens of North Koreans crouched, unable to resist, looking at the invaders with terrified eyes.
They looked like mummies, naked and starving, and some of them were in such critical condition that they would not last more than a few days.
“Bring the first aid kit quickly!”
The medical support team leader, Cheon Il-nam, and the medical team members went to the seriously ill patients. The man came out of the cave without saying anything.
Outside the cave stood Lee Cheol-jun and Lee Hong-jun, their gags released – but their arms and legs were tied.
Lee Cheol-jun glared at the man as if he was going to kill him.
“What do you plan to do with us?”
“What should I do? I should take your comrades in the cave as hostages and use them to my advantage.”
Lee Cheol-jun and Lee Hong-dan’s faces turned pale.
Lee Hongdan shouted.
“Isn’t that a different story! Comrades, I won’t hurt you···!”
“I told you that if you listen to me, I won’t harm you?”
Shh.
The man gave a mean laugh. Li Hongdan shivered in betrayal.
The man continued speaking.
“We’re going to use this as our base camp and search all the caves nearby. So don’t think about anything else. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
At the end, I intentionally imitated North Korean speech, but no one laughed.
Lee Cheol-jun asked with a stern expression.
“If you don’t listen, do you mean you’ll harm our comrades?”
“I know. If you run away or do anything stupid, I will kill you all.”
Behind the man who was laughing viciously, Wang Guho and Sirutteok looked at each other and laughed, “Heh heh heh.”
They laughed because they knew that a great man would never harm an innocent person.
But Lee Cheol-jun and Lee Hong-dan interpreted that appearance in a different way.
‘Those little bastards. They’re laughing happily while killing people!’
‘Those South Korean bastards are really scary…! With their size… Oh my…!’
Unintentionally, it ended up destroying their will to resist.
Lee Cheol-jun said, bowing his head.
“···Okay. I did as I was told.”
“Abai!”
“Listen to me.”
The man untied the ropes that bound the two people’s arms and legs.
Daein decided to split the team into two from now on.
“Wang Gu-ho. Sirutteok. You guys stay here with the support team and wait.”
“yes!”
The relatively heavy and slow Wang Gu-ho and Sirutteok were left behind to guard the base camp.
“Kid. You come with me. Can you fit four people in the shield?”
“Is it okay if it slows down a little?”
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The man nodded. Then he turned his head to look at Abraxas.
Before he could ask, Abraxas spoke.
“I’ll go take a look at that.”
Her gaze had been directed in the same direction since earlier.
Woof woof woof!
A huge magical barrier spread out in a colorful array.
As we climbed up to the middle of the mountain, the sight became clearly visible.
This is the image of Pyongyang, which has been encroached upon by the spirit world.
It was the decisive cause of the collapse of the North Korean regime and a disaster that befell North Korea.
It was my first time seeing the Great Indies with my own eyes.
‘North Korea was even unluckier than South Korea.’
At the time of the First Gate, a part of the spirit world appeared in Pyongyang, and a dimensional erosion phenomenon occurred.
When their living quarters suddenly changed, the spirits ran wild and ran wild. At the same time, they were contaminated.
Modern weapons were ineffective against spirits who were impervious to physical attacks, and even superhumans who had just begun to awaken could not stop them.
Eventually, Pyongyang was taken over by the polluted spirits, and now it has isolated itself in this way.
Woof woof woof!
A huge magical barrier surrounded the city. It was like a solid fortress, completely blocking the inside and the outside.
‘Strictly speaking, it’s not completely blocked, though.’
The monsters that live inside, neither humans nor spirits, can freely cross the magic barrier.
Abraxas could not just ignore such a curious phenomenon.
The man said.
“It’s dangerous to get close, so just look around and come back.”
“I’ll try.”
It was obvious that he was just passing by. Abraxas, unable to control his curiosity, was the first to leave.
The man looked at Pyongyang for a moment and then turned his head.
I had no intention of caring about the disaster that befell other countries.
That’s not what I came here for in the first place.
“Then shall we go too?”
After a while, Lily flew into the sky with Lee Cheol-jun and Lee Hong-dan on the shield.
“Eww! This Emina! Can’t you fly slowly?”
Lee Hong-dan, who was hanging on Lee Cheol-jun’s waist, screamed in fear.
*
*
*
Three days passed.
The great man who was investigating the forty-first cave suddenly felt the magical power in his dantian reacting sensitively.
Ss …
Pacheonshinkong reacted like a hedgehog raising its thorns, automatically drawing up its magical power.
‘Why all of a sudden?’
The man could soon guess the reason.
Pacheon Shingong is a martial art created by Geomhwang solely for the purpose of defeating Cheonma.
In other words, it is inevitable that one will react sensitively to the energy of the opposing Heavenly Demon God.
Those words… A smile appeared on the man’s lips.
“It’s here.”
The man strode into the cave. When Lily, Lee Cheol-jun, and Lee Hong-dan tried to follow him, the man stopped them.
“Wait outside. I’ll go and come back by myself.”
From here on out, I had to go alone.
Leaving his party outside, the man went into the cave alone.
After walking for a while, the man was able to find the stone statue of the first Heavenly Horse.
The stone statue, which was three meters tall, was half-leaning against the wall, and thick magical energy was flowing out of it.
Ssssssssut.
The figure of a man staring straight ahead with a sword drawn in his hand. Although it was only a stone statue, it felt like it had a strong aura.
And in front of it, a giant bear was guarding the stone statue.
Krrrrrr···.
It was no ordinary bear. Its fur was as black as coal, its eyes were bloodshot as if they were dripping blood. The teeth in its gaping mouth were sharp, like fangs.
-Khuuuuung!
The bear stood up on its hind legs, balancing itself on its sides. It was at least four meters tall.
A thick magical energy, like that which flowed from the stone statue, was flowing over the bastard’s body.
A bear monster that guards the statue of Cheonma Jo-sa.
The man remembered reading about that guy in an article a while back.
“You say your bear gall bladder is an elixir of eternity for those who have mastered magic?”
Ugh! Ugh!
Instead of answering, the demon bear swung its front paw. Its speed was no less than that of a master.
Phew!
The man lowered his head. An eerie crackling sound was heard from above his head. The man drew his sword and turned his body.
Whirl!
The man dove into the bear’s embrace and cut the bear’s chest diagonally.
Puhwaaaaak!
Blood spurted out like a fountain. The man swung his sword repeatedly.
Chook, chook, chook!
If left alone, it would have torn apart a dozen or so unmanned people who discovered this place a few years later, but it was no match for a human being.
The man jumped up and finished off the bear by cutting off its head.
-Koosh!
The bear’s massive body, weighing hundreds of kilograms, fell backwards.
“We’ll take out the bear bile later.”
The man stepped over the bear’s corpse and walked towards the statue of Cheonma Josa.
The energy of the Heavenly Demon God had been stimulating him since a while ago.
Tsk tsk tsk!
The man recalled the story he had heard about this stone statue before.
‘A monster that can make even the most skilled players fall into a state of despair.’
The first unmanned people who discovered this place numbered in the dozens. Half of them were torn to pieces by the monster bear, and the other half, unable to withstand the statue’s magic, went mad and killed each other.
After that, this place was banned for a while.
Until the masters of the Demonic Cult later retrieved the stone statue.
The man continued walking towards the stone statue.
Tsk tsk tsk tsk!
The closer I got to the statue, the thicker the magic it emitted became.
As if testing the great man, the magic was trying to invade his insides.
At that moment, the energy of the Heavenly Sword rose up on its own and protected the great man’s body. The Heavenly Sword did not allow any invasion by magic at all.
Tsk tsk tsk tsk!
Like water and oil, the two energies collided and repelled each other. The great man continued walking towards the statue of Cheonma.
Honestly, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“This human. Just how strong was he?”
If it’s the first Heavenly Horse, then it’s a master from hundreds of years ago.
Through the magic he had planted in the stone statue, the great man could guess the level of his opponent.
No, I had no idea.
“I think he might have been stronger than the Emperor in his later years···.”
It was a remark that would make the dead Sword Emperor kick his grave and come out, but in the great man’s mind, the first Heavenly Horse was placed above the Sword Emperor.
“Master. I cannot take revenge. Do you understand?”
Of course, I had no intention of doing it before, but the more excuses the better.
“But this time, I will definitely win.”
The Great Man raised his power with all his might. A blue energy emanated from his entire body.
Tsk tsk tsk tsk!
If I take the statue out like this, other people will be consumed by the magic, so I planned to get rid of all the magic while I’m at it.
After a while, the cave was filled with the celestial energy emitted by the stone statue and the heavenly energy emitted by the great man.
-Kwakwakwakwakwa!
A scene unfolded where a black dragon and a blue dragon were entangled and trying to eat each other.
The match was gradually decided. The Heavenly Demon’s spirit, created by the Emperor’s obsession and venom, relentlessly bit and tore the Heavenly Demon’s spirit apart.
On the other hand, the Cheonmagi weakened at its lowest point and soon completely scattered.
The stone statue no longer emanated magical energy.
“Phew···.”
The man wiped the sweat from his forehead. He felt more tired than if he had been swinging his sword for hours.
Even if he won this fight, it couldn’t be said that Pacheon Shingong was superior to Cheonma Shingong.
Because the opponent was not a person, but only the energy he had left behind. Even that was only because the compatibility was good that he was barely able to win.
“Anyway, a win is a win.”
The man approached to carry the stone statue on his shoulder.
Now that all the magic has been removed, it should be safe to take it outside.
That’s when the problem started.
Gugugugu!
The Cheonma statue began to vibrate on its own. The man was startled.
“Surely… it won’t break, right?”
If the statue breaks here, you have to go all the way to China to get a replacement. The man was looking at the statue with worried eyes.
Bam!
The statue’s mouth opened on its own, and the organs inside began to work, spitting out something.
“huh?”
It was a rolled up piece of parchment. The man unfolded it.
It was a single map.
A map pointing to a certain location in the old martial arts world.
“Is this by any chance···”
The word ‘Jangbo-do’ came to the man’s mind.
***
The man came out of the cave carrying the stone statue on his shoulder.
“Are you done?”
Lily, who had been waiting while drawing on the floor with a stick with Lee Hongdan, suddenly got up.
The man was smiling excessively brightly.
“Oh. Let’s go back since we found the stuff.”
“Good morning, Abai. What good things are happening?”
Over the past three days, Li Hongdan, who had become quite close with the two, asked the elder.
The corners of the man’s mouth were too high for him not to ask.
Although Lee Cheol-jun was still wary of the man, the boy often asked him questions about South Korea.
The man smiled brightly and said.
“Can you tell I like you?”
“Yes! There’s a lot left!”
“Because I found what I wanted. And now I’m happy to be going home.”
At that moment, Lee Hongdan’s expression darkened. Although it was slight, Lee Cheoljun’s expression also frowned.
“I see. You’re going now···.”
It’s funny to think this way, but Li Hongdan wished that Daein and Lily would not return.
The last three days were truly heaven.
People from South Korea fed their comrades well, made warm clothes out of animal skins, and cured sick comrades.
Who in the world treats a hostage this well?
And···. Lee Hongdan glanced at Lily.
Lily, who noticed her friend’s regretful feelings, took the boy’s hand and said.
“I’ll come back next time. Let’s play again then.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with this Emina! Let go of this!”
A startled Li Hongdan slapped Lily’s hand away. The boy’s face turned red like a persimmon.
On the other hand, Lily pouts at the unexpected cold reaction.
“I won’t play with you anymore!”
“Oh, kid, that’s not it… It’s not that my heart is fluttering because you keep smiling!”
Lily didn’t understand half of what he said.
“Don’t speak in dialect!”
“This is correct cultural language!”
“Phew.”
It was Lee Cheol-jun who burst into laughter at the bickering of the two children. The elder brother looked at him with a sly expression.
“You know how to laugh too?”
Lee Cheol-jun immediately turned around with a serious expression.
“Let’s go back soon.”
Because the statue was too heavy to fly, the group walked down.
The way back was leisurely and peaceful.
Lily and Li Hongdan would bicker and then find a squirrel and sit down to watch it, while Li Cheoljun would scold them and urge them on. The monsters that occasionally appeared were no threat at all.
The great man also went down the mountain path in a good mood. The great man spoke to everyone.
“Let’s take out all the leftover meat and grill it for dinner tonight.”
“You’re the best, sir!”
“Long live Abai!”
“······.”
The atmosphere was so bright that even Lee Cheol-jun’s expression softened slightly.
That atmosphere ended when they arrived at base camp.
Lee Cheol-jun, who was leading the way at the very front, ran with his eyes wide open.
“What is this···!”
A wrecked vehicle and bloodstains left everywhere.
Traces of the battle were scattered everywhere.
There was no sign of human presence.
Neither outside the cave nor inside the cave, not a single person remained. Not even a corpse.
thud!
It was when the man who had put down the stone statue looked around with a stern expression.
“Team leader···.”
A thin voice was heard.
< Base Camp > End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
