NOVEL NEXT WORLD As Sayoon watched the crackling campfire, she examined what was in her hands.
A necklace, and a bracelet.
Both were stunning and beautiful accessories. Surely they must be quite valuable.
“Hehehe…”
“Hahaha…”
But could they really be better than the rewards obtained from breaking through two secret realms? That was a question she couldn’t help but ponder.
The doje’s treasure or the Thunder Blade that Namgoong Cheon obtained from this secret realm—if brought to the martial world, those items would surely stir up quite the blood storm.
In that sense, it might actually be a stroke of luck for the doje and Namgoong Cheon to have obtained those. After all, it returned to the rightful owners. A Cha Clan treasure to the Cha Clan, and a Namgoong Clan treasure to the Namgoong Clan.
No one could fault that.
“By the way, don’t you have anything you want for yourself?”
“Hmm, I’m good.”
Having received sufficient blessings from breaking through the secret realm, Sayoon didn’t feel greedy.
A doje’s treasure? Sayoon didn’t wield the way.
The Thunder Blade? Thanks to Mister, she already had a sword.
And gems, gauntlets, secret techniques—none of those were really necessary for her.
So she smiled at Chaeran’s question, while the doje, happily caressing his doje, grinned and said,
“I’ll make sure everything we get from the next secret realm goes to Hongseong.”
“Huh? Is that really okay?”
“Of course. Hey, old man. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s obvious.”
The next secret realm, according to Yu Wol, was created by someone called ‘Chunmak.’ Since Yu Wol didn’t tell them who that was, taking everything that comes out from there back to Hongseong wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.
“Alright. I think it’s about time. Shall we go in?”
As Namgoong Cheon, watching the campfire, opened his mouth and raised the Thunder Blade, the doje, who had just checked the sky for the time, stood up and spoke to Chaeran.
“Are you ready, Rian?”
“Yes. They said the path opens when the stars shine in the sky, so now should be the right time.”
She started moving the sarcophagi around. As she rearranged them according to Yu Wol’s instructions, light began to burst forth from the sarcophagi.
As the light gathered in one place, the four of them gasped in awe.
The entrance to the secret realm made of light began to reveal itself.
“Oh, so that’s why it can only be accessed at a certain time…”
The stars in the night sky don’t stay in the same spot. So, Yu Wol’s explanation about needing to enter that secret realm at a specific time and position suddenly made sense.
“How does my brother-in-law know about this stuff?”
Mister has always been like that. He knows a lot and never hesitates to share that knowledge with others.
Sayoon found herself smiling without realizing it.
He had done that before. Informing them about the hidden secret realms in Hongseong, revealing the secrets of the Hyunwun Armor, and even dropping hints for enlightenment.
He had freely given what someone truly needed without any hesitation.
“This won’t be easy.”
“Huh? What won’t?”
“Uh…”
Just as Sayoon was about to open her mouth, she smiled brightly.
“It’s nothing.”
Wanting to be like Mister.
Wanting to be similar to him.
It felt a bit embarrassing to reveal that, so Sayoon just scratched her cheek.
“Okay. Let’s go in.”
Namgoong Cheon placed his hand on the luminous door. As the door opened, Sayoon slowly inhaled.
Right. That’s not something she could think about now.
So, for now, let’s focus on the job that Mister trusts and has left to her.
Was it because of the strategy that Yu Wol provided? Getting through the secret realm itself wasn’t too difficult.
Plus, he had also given guidance on how to handle the evil monsters they would encounter in each room, so there was no danger involved either.
There was nothing to do.
As they arrived at the last room, Chaeran read the paper Yu Wol had given her.
“The owner of this secret realm is a monster called Kyungsa. The method to deal with it is… um. You see that mirror over there? You need to catch the Kyungsa that comes out of that mirror. However, you mustn’t attack recklessly, Father and Elder. Only attack the mirror that I attack first.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It says here that if you attack the Kyungsa when it shouldn’t be attacked, the attack will be reflected back to everyone in the room. Other than when a hole is made, it should just be me and Sayoon leading the offense.”
“So unless it’s a special situation, we should just focus on defense? That’s fine. But are we really okay with this?”
“Of course. Sayoon, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Chaeran smiled at Sayoon, who nodded seriously. Then it was settled.
“Alright. Shall we go?”
As soon as they stepped inside, the walls of the room began to move. Numerous mirrors installed on the walls revealed themselves, accompanied by a strange noise.
– Hee hee. Hee hee hee hee. Hee hee hee hee hee!!
A laugh that sounded like glass shattering. Just hearing it sent chills down Sayoon’s spine, and she bit her lip slightly.
And at that moment.
– Kyaaaahhh!!
Something jumped down from the ceiling mirror. It was a woman with a sickle for one arm.
As she dropped, letting out a scream filled with madness, Sayoon calmly swung her sword.
– Chaaeng!!
“Watch out!!”
Gritting her teeth, Sayoon spun around to evade and cut through the falling woman’s body.
– Kyaaaaah!!
The woman who came out of the mirror vanished. Was that it?
Sayoon bit her lip and gripped her sword tightly. She had no idea where the next attack would come from.
Just then, the Kyungsa revealed itself, peeking out from various mirrors, teasing them as it repeatedly hid.
“Now!!”
As the Kyungsa attempted to attack Sayoon, Chaeran seized the opportunity to swing her weapon. Soora’s weapon struck the mirror from which the Kyungsa had emerged, and the Thunderbolt Sword King’s sword and Doje’s foot technique spread forth.
Caught in that immense energy, the mirror couldn’t resist and shattered.
– Kyaaaaah!!
Another scream echoed. Infuriated by the shattering of its mirror, the Kyungsa turned its wrath towards Chaeran, while Sayoon rushed toward it, swinging her sword to draw the Kyungsa’s attention.
Hongseong Divine Art Sword Style. Myriad Waves.
With a cascade of colorful light bursting from her sword, it dramatically swung. The Kyungsa’s beam and sickle attack were all neutralized, and in that moment of vulnerability, Chaeran attacked the mirror again; in unison, Doje and Namgoong Cheon attacked the same mirror as well.
– Clang clang!!
Perhaps because two mirrors were destroyed in an instant?
The Kyungsa began to move more cautiously.
With the Kyungsa hiding its form, Doje, still gripping its weapon, asked.
“Shouldn’t we attack the remaining mirrors?”
“If we do, it’ll reflect our attacks instead,” replied Chaeran.
“Is that so.”
So, they had to wait to destroy the mirrors when the Kyungsa attacked.
Now, it was a battle of concentration.
Doje, Namgoong Cheon, Chaeran, and Sayoon all held their breath, waiting for the Kyungsa to make its move.
Tension surged.
Then, as if unable to contain the pressure, Sayoon drove her sword into the ground.
“Huuuh…”
Taking a slow breath, she gathered her composure.
Seeing her blatantly expose a gap, the Kyungsa lunged toward Sayoon.
She quickly grabbed the sword she had just set down and executed her technique.
Hongseong Divine Art Sword Style. Late Bloom.
Luring the enemy into attacking to counterstrike; she beheaded the Kyungsa with a technique she had learned from Hongryeon not long ago, and Chaeran chuckled.
“That’s nice!!”
She lures in the attack.
They couldn’t stay trapped here forever, could they?
With that thought, Chaeran leisurely placed down Soora’s blade and closed her eyes, while Doje shoved its weapon into its sheath and Namgoong Cheon grasped a liquor bottle.
– Kyaaaaaak!!
Seeing the four of them relaxing like they were outright mocking him, the expert charged at them in fury.
Unaware that this was exactly what they wanted.
– Kyaaaak…
If they had fought without knowing, it could have been dangerous.
The expert even changed his movements, pretending to attack and then simply turning back. If he had accidentally reflected that, he might have suffered significantly.
However, they already had detailed information about the expert, so there was no way they could fall for something like that.
In the end, the last mirror was shattered by Sayoon’s hand, and the expert, losing his way, panicked and screamed as he shattered just like the other mirrors.
“Phew. What a bothersome opponent.”
Honestly, a straightforward strong opponent would have been easier. Dealing with an expert who seemed to thrive on making others fail was truly no walk in the park.
“You all did great.”
“You too, Doje. And you too, Namgoong.”
Sayoon beamed, and as she approached, Doje nodded.
“Thanks to you, we were able to catch the expert quickly.”
“Hehe, it was nothing.”
If Sayoon hadn’t used a tactic to lure the enemy’s attack, they might have ended up waiting nervously and making at least one mistake.
And that one mistake could have been fatal.
“Alright, shall we check our rewards?”
“Huh? Wait a minute. What’s this?”
In the spot where the expert’s corpse had disappeared, there was a small mirror. It looked similar to the Soul Mind Mirror but was different.
As Sayoon picked it up, she tilted her head in confusion.
“What kind of mirror is this?”
“Who knows…? It looks pretty precious. I should ask Mister about it later.”
Sayoon thought little of it and tucked the mirror into her embrace.
Meanwhile, Doje, who had entered the rewards room, brought out a box and opened it, revealing a sword, a book, and a large, pricey-looking gem along with what seemed to be a medicine.
“He asked for this sword, right? And as promised, we’ll hand everything we got here over to the Hongseong.”
“Everything” essentially meant the mirror they got from defeating the expert and the rewards, but considering their value, they weren’t things to just give away easily.
“Oh. But…”
“It’s alright, just put it away. If you’re really worried, talk to Yu Wol.”
Only after Namgoong Cheon said this reassuringly did Sayoon nod.
“Alright, then shall we head back?”
After passing through the final secret realm and continuing to run, when they finally spotted Sihwa Castle, Chaeran burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Oh my! We’ve done something that other realm hunters would freak out over. If this gets out, my brother-in-law’s fame will soar, right?”
It probably would.
If one could pinpoint the location of a secret realm and manage to breach it just by giving directions, there would be plenty of people willing to do anything to get that information.
There were families and sects, like Moonjeong or the Namgoong Clan, that had lost their treasures or whose treasures were only mentioned in records.
So if this news got out, it was only natural that they would come looking for Yu Wol.
‘Not to mention, Mister also claimed he knew a way to retrieve half of the Cheonma Divine Art…’
Biting her lips slightly, Sayoon grabbed Chaeran.
“Do we… really need to tell him?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, Mister could be in danger.”
“Hmm. I guess that’s true. Father, this is…”
“Just keep your mouth shut. Hey, old man, you too, don’t go blabbing about this.”
“Got it.”
Namgoong Cheon replied nonchalantly as he stroked the Thunderblade hanging from his waist.
“After reporting back to Yu Wol, I’m going to return to the clan.”
“Huh? Are you really going back to the Namgoong Clan?”
“Ah, not really. I plan to inform about the Thunderblade and the Bicheon Sword and then slowly head north.”
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Upon hearing that Namgoong Cheon was leaving, Sayoon and Chaeran felt a bit disappointed. After all, they had grown quite close.
Namgoong Cheon chuckled lightly at them.
“But don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Speaking leisurely, Namgoong Cheon cast a glance at Seonhwa Castle. By the time he returned, it should be even bigger.
He mused about how nice it would be if the bathing facilities were upgraded when he got back, and then he stepped into the castle, followed by the others.
Arriving at the busy inn after strolling through the bustling streets of Seonhwa Castle, Sayoon spotted a man busily moving around among the crowd and found herself smiling unconsciously.
Yu Wol.
The future husband of her Master, Senior Sister, and close sister figure, Chaerin.
And.
Her dear Mister.
So, it was no wonder that a smile spread across her face as soon as she saw him.
“Mister!”
“Hmm? Ah, you’ve come. You’ve worked hard.”
Yu Wol greeted the guests with his usual warm smile. Seeing that grin made Sayoon’s heart feel all warm and fuzzy.
They had returned.
It felt like coming home.
Even though this place wasn’t Hongseong, just having him around eased her heart.
“It’s a relief to see you all unharmed. Let’s go upstairs.”
With Yu Wol guiding them, Sayoon climbed up with Chaeran and was met with a blend of the scents of hundred-day plum blossoms, cigarettes, and the aroma of an adult that wafted in the air.
Sitting down amidst the oddly comforting fragrances, she quietly gazed at Yu Wol conversing with Doje and Namgoong Cheon.
“Thanks for your hard work. Were there any unusual happenings?”
“Oh. Well…”
“Hmm?”
Sayoon gently raised her hand to show the mirror she got from Kyungsa.
Yu Wol tilted his head in curiosity as he took it.
“This is… a Space Mirror.”
“A Space Mirror?”
“Yeah. It’s something you can get if you get lucky while catching Kyungsa.”
“So, does that mean we can move through the mirror like with Kyungsa?”
“Not quite. If you practice with the Space Mirror, it’s said you can use a technique called Spatial Rift.”
“Spatial Rift, huh? Like this?”
Doje casually spun around and with a swoosh, a decoration hanging on the wall suddenly snapped off.
“Ah, so it’s similar to Void Slice. It’s great for surprise attacks, but the power isn’t really that impressive…”
“Wow… isn’t that still pretty good?”
“It’s weak for something used by a superhuman,” Doje said nonchalantly, and Namgoong Cheon nodded in agreement.
Yu Wol placed the Space Mirror onto Sayoon’s hand.
“Anyway, it’s a rare item. It has high value as a decoration too, so keep it.”
“Ah, I’ll give it to Mister.”
“Haha. Don’t you think it’s better for you to keep the mirror instead of me? You can use it for Spatial Rift, but it’s also a valuable mirror overall. You can use it for makeup and such later, so please keep it.”
“Hehe. Alright.”
Nodding, Sayoon tucked the Space Mirror close to her.
“Now then, you all worked hard, so eat to your heart’s content today. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Oh, then I should start with a bath.”
Namgoong Cheon stepped out, Doje headed to the inn for some drinks, and Chaeran went off to handle the remaining tasks.
Only Sayoon was left.
Yu Wol smiled at Sayoon, who was staring at him from her seat, and asked, “Do you have something to say?”
“Uh… no, I just wanted to stay here a bit longer before leaving. Um… is that okay? I don’t want to be a bother…”
She wanted to relish the warm, homely feeling a little longer.
When Sayoon awkwardly smiled and asked, Yu Wol shrugged his shoulders.
“You can stay as long as you want.”