From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 164: Homeward

“That’s enough,” a voice said.

“Pfft.”

“Pfft-cough cough!”

As soon as they heard Yeo Seong-Gu speak, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, who had been trying their best to stifle their chuckles, burst into laughter.

“I could never have dreamed that you would be afraid of ghosts, Hyung,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu.

Yeo Seong-Gu’s face flushed red in response as the other Hunter quietly called out to his Familiar again.

‘Hel.’

“Shriek!!”

“Hiccup!”

When the Familiar materialized once again, Jeong In-Chang was alarmed once again while Yeo Seong-Gu hiccuped repeatedly.

“Mr. Lee!”

“Lee Jun-Kyeong!”

With gaunt faces, they both shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked as he beckoned for Hel to return.

“I really don’t understand it,” Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as his voice betrayed his mirth.

“I mean, even if we say that Mr. Jeong is going to be like this, what reason do you have to be scared of ghosts, Hyung? You probably faced a lot of undead and ghost-type monsters before… I just can’t understand it.”

After the gates had appeared, the Hunters eventually came to believe in the existence of spirits as they began to be able to see them. The undead or ghost-type monsters that would occasionally appear at the gates served as proof that a soul existed.

Moreover.

‘I mean, there’s no way they could ignore it, either.’

The world had already become a mess, and people’s common sense and the things that they had thought were the truth had already been overturned from a long time ago. Consequently, various religions and ideological systems have no choice but to change various things.

"To think you're afraid of ghosts...”

Yeo Seong-Gu was one of the strongest players in the world.

Thus, there was nothing more ironic than the great Heimdall being afraid of ghosts.

“It’s because you know nothing,” Yeo Seong-Gu said as he waved his hand with a disgusted expression.

“I have trauma because of it.”

“Trauma?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, now curious.

“Before I became a Hunter…when I was really young,” Yeo Seong-Gu said, scratching his head. “There was an instance when I saw a real ghost.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked. “Huh? Hyung, are you some sort of shaman? Or maybe you’re being haunted by…”

“It’s not like that, you little brat.”

Yeo Seong-Gu frowned for a moment as he wrestled with his memory and then continued to explain his story, “I don’t remember very well, but when I was very young, a ghost appeared and had said something to me. Ever since, I’ve been afraid of them.”

“Huh?” Jeong In-Chang voiced, expressing surprise for a moment after having listened quietly for a time.

“Especially because the ghost that I saw then looked like that thing. A blurry figure that seemed to be wrapped in robes and…anyway, that’s why. There’s no way that I’m actually afraid of the undead or other ghosts,” Yeo Seong-Gu said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

He then added, “This is the first time I’ve ever reacted like this to a ghost, anyway.”

“It looks like it’s still right. You really are afraid of ghosts.”

While Lee Jun-Kyeong made fun of him again, Jeong In-Chang, who was standing next to him, spoke to Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“I also… I’ve had a similar experience, too.”

“Aw, baby. It seems you must have been weak as a child.”

At Yeo Seong-Gu’s cheeky remarks, although Lee Jun-Kyeong could clearly see that the Hunter teasing Jeong In-Chang was completely ironic, he felt an unknown sense of incongruity.

‘They both had the same experience…?’

“Tut tut. You must have been weak as a child.”

Both of the people had experienced the same thing. Moreover, it was a ghost that was looked similar to Hel.

Hel materialized again, looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

It was a blurry figure, and it was impossible to see the face of the existence wearing the robe.

The Familiar greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong with a small nod.

“SHRIEK!”

“Hiccup.”

Then, as Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang were about to say something to Lee Jun-Kyeong, he covered their mouths.

“We’ve arrived.”

They had reached their destination.

The veil.

They had arrived at the veil that closed off Incheon–no, that closed off Seoul.[1]

***

Although Incheon and Seoul were widely expressed as having been divided from one another, the reality was a little different. The cataclysm didn’t appear, having divided the different regions of Korea exactly into the districts of the cities. This was also true regarding Incheon and Seoul, which were two of the largest cities in Korea.

To be precise, the veil that divided Seoul and Incheon had been erected around where Bucheon met with Yangcheon-Gu.[2]

‘The veil that encloses Gyeonggi-Do is…’[3]

Gyeonggi-Do was the destination of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

The part of the veil that they would have to cross on the road to arrive at their destination was near the south side of the city.

Of course, since the veil completely surrounded the area, the party would still have to take a detour to get there.

The party was currently in a tent on the road from Bucheon into Yangcheon-Gu.

“...”

Unlike Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu, who had already seen the veil, Lee Jun-Kyeong had come to see it for the first time himself.

“It really does…” Lee Jun-Kyeong said while touching the veil that blocked the air before him. “...seem quite difficult to break through.”

The veil was extremely sturdy, and what formed the veil was none other than mana.

The veil that entrapped Seoul was like adamantine and completely infused with a concentrated mana. So much so that the veil glowed golden, emitting light to the point that the situation in Seoul wasn’t visible anymore.

‘On the inside…’

“As the days pass, the veil seems to be getting tighter and tighter with each passing day. Is this normal?” Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned. “It’s natural for the veil to harden, but…that will eventually only continue till it reaches a certain point.”

“...”

“For now, we’ll just have to continue to expect it,” Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he placed a hand on the veil. The pulsating barrier only pushed back at his touch as if trying to reject his hand.

“A veil is like a gate,” Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as he looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu. “The harder the veil, the more condensed the mana it possesses…”

Yeo Seong-Gu could already anticipate what he was going to say, even though he didn't listen to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had to say to the end.

“So it means that there are powerful monsters and rulers inside,” he interjected.

Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. "Yes."

A veil would make a city like a gate.

Gates were divided according to rank, and what divided the ranks of the gates was the mana.

That meant that the higher the level of the gate, the stronger the monsters would be.

Yeo Seong-Gu wasn’t wrong.

“...”

The party was silent for a while as they looked at the veil.

“Let’s go.”

After staring at the barrier in front of them for a while, they began to make their move.

It was time to go to their first destination.

“On to Gwangmyeong.”

To Gwangmyeong.[4]

***

Although Gwangmyeong was a city in the province of Gyeonggi-Do, it hadn’t been enclosed within Gyeonggi-do’s veil. However, that didn’t mean that it had been connected to Incheon, either.

It was a place that had been blocked off from Incheon due to its own veil and had then been reconnected thanks to the weakening and eventual collapse of Incheon’s veil after Elfame had fallen.

However, just because it had its own veil didn’t mean that there was a ruler in Gwangmyeong.

Although the cataclysm had begun and Gwangmyeong wasn’t detached from its effects, there was no ruler there.

It could almost be said to be some sort of middle ground.

In large cities, rulers would appear with the cataclysm without fail, but in small and medium-sized cities, even if a veil appeared due to the cataclysm, rulers weren’t guaranteed to appear.

Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party crossed into Gwangmyeong.

“...”

It was possible for them to move by car, but there was a reason that they were walking.

“Kiiiik!”

It was because there were many monsters here as well.

Although the monsters in Incheon were in the process of being eradicated, Gwangmyeong was full of monsters, even at the entrance.

Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party moved forward while slaying monsters.

“Have you ever contacted Gwangmyeong?” Jeong In-Chang asked Yeo Seong-Gu, his clothes covered with the blood and flesh of monsters.

The other Hunter shook his head. “There aren’t any forces for me to contact on this side…still, there is a branch of the Association, so let’s go there first.”

“Sounds good,” Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response, and they started moving again.

The city was in a more severe situation than when he had first seen Incheon, and the devastation made them unable to differentiate the city from a gate or the Korea in which they lived.

People’s voices couldn’t be heard.

The only thing that could be distinguished in their surroundings was the cries of the monsters who had found Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

“Kiiiik!”

As if the monsters were hiding everywhere, they seemed to pop out from all around them, running towards the party. Soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his companions were forced into a war of attrition.

Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to his second brat, “Hel.”

It was the newest member of his Familiars.

Shhhhh.

This brat.

“It only shows its true value when dealing with a large number of enemies.”

As Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, the monsters that were running toward the party halted.

“Kiiik?”

Something seemed to be stirring under the feet of the monsters, who had stopped moving with puzzled expressions.

Rumble.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that their ankles had been caught on by something gray. They were unable to do anything to lose their restraints before something else happened.

Swoop!

The monsters that had lined the road disappeared.

As for what was left behind in their place…

“How impressive.”

…Indescribable holes were left in the ground.

–I have carried out the order.

Hel disappeared again after completing its task.

Its ability held domain over the soul and the underworld, and the monsters that had been coming toward them were buried alive into the ground through its power.

“How impressive.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated the same words as Yeo Seong-Gu, but the meaning was different.

‘My mana…’

Unlike Yeo Seong-Gu, who was admiring Hel’s ability, he was shocked because the amount of mana consumed by Hel was enormous.

However, even while he was shocked, monsters were still appearing constantly.

“Kiiiik!”

“For now, let’s break through.”

They started to run forward.

***

The Gwangmyeong Association Branch was said to be located between Gwangmyeong City Hall and the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex. Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party headed there, guided by Yeo Seong-Gu.

However, as they continued forward, the further they entered the city, the more their expressions hardened.

“...”

Incheon was said to have been at least somewhat safe with the establishment of a League Guild Branch and the gathering of Hunters according to Yeo Seong-Gu’s arrangements. However, unlike Incheon, Gwangmyeong was close to ruins.

Unlike the monsters that would appear here and there, there wasn’t a single sign of human life, so their senses just filled with the smell of the rotting corpses and burning rubble.

“...”

As their complexions paled, with hardened expressions, they proceeded.

Moreover, the closer they got to Gwangmyeong City Hall, the more severely they worried. As the Hunter Association Branch, even if it was just a little, the road leading to the building should have been at least a tiny bit safer.

“Kiiiik!”

However, instead, monsters were still appearing in droves.

This had evolved into a situation where the Hunters seemed as though they had been unable to organize anything at all, so they were assuming the worst.

‘The Hunters, and…even the ordinary humans…’

They had all most likely died.

It had been some time since the cataclysm had begun.

Although it seemed as though it had been ages as they were in the midst of a catastrophe, in reality, it was a length of time that could still be described as short.

The possibility that this many people would have died without lasting in that time…

Tadak, tadak!

Lee Jun-Kyeong started to run even faster, and the same went for Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

The Gwangmyeong Hunter Association Branch Building.

“Damn it…”

No, now, it was just a pile of broken stones.

The disappearance of the Hunter Association branch could only mean that Lee Jun-Kyeong’s assumption had become true.

“Just how…”

It was a voice of anger and despair, Jeong In-Chang.

“...”

Then, silence and a long sigh.

Yeo Seong-Gu.

“...”

However, Lee Jun-Kyeong left the two behind and closed his eyes.

His mana stream grew day by day.

He could do it: he would read the flow of mana.

Even within the veil and in the midst of the chaos of the cataclysm, he chased after the flow of mana, searching and searching.

Then.

“I found it,” he said with a brightened complexion.

“I found it! Traces of people!”

1. The veil that had blocked off Incheon had fallen after Elfame died, but on the other side was the veil of Seoul. ????

2. Roughly the middle point between Incheon and Seoul. ????

3. Incheon is on the northwest coast of Korea, and one would have to head east and pass through the metropolitan area of Seoul to get to Gyeonggi-Do. ????

4. East of Incheon, southeast of Bucheon, and southwest of Seoul. ????