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After listening to the information, Lee Sungmin crushed the grey crystal ball and blew the powder into the wind.
Baek Sogo was alive. He had already learned that from that old beggar of the Wandering Sect, but he heard something new from Erebrisa.
‘You say she left the Murim factions?’
He heard that her resignation was quite abrupt. Baek Sogo had declared her withdrawal from the Murim factions and said she was leaving the city of Cron and heading South. Eria was too large to pinpoint the exact location where she was headed, but just by looking at the South of the map, if she was heading south from where Cron was…
‘She must be worried about me.’
The distance from Cron to the Dungeon was very long. They were teleported to Cron from the Dungeon in an instant using the scroll, but it would generally take months to get from Cron to the Dungeon in a conventional manner. It would take just over a month assuming that she ate and slept and drank Recovery Potions like water to keep using One Thunder.
“Is it possible to send a letter to Baek Sogo?”
“Sure.”
Neville nodded and replied. Looking at Neville, who could appear at any place at a moment’s notice, the concept of ‘distance’ didn’t seem to matter to Erebrisa’s brokers.
“Is it possible to move me to Baek Sogo’s location?”
“It is impossible.”
It was a question he asked just in case, but Neville shook his head as expected.
“We are not bound by the restrictions of space. However, that’s not the case for you. If you move through space the same way we do, you will not be able to withstand the turbulence between spaces, and your body will be destroyed.”
Neville told him with a serious expression.
“I can get you a Long-distance Teleportation Scroll, but it’s not very convenient. You can usually only use it to move to preset coordinates. Besides, such scrolls are very expensive. Teleportation scrolls are expensive because it lets people buy ‘time’ to move around.”
“Then how long would it take for the letter to be delivered?”
“It won’t take long. I can do it myself.”
Neville shrugged and replied. Upon hearing that, Lee Sungmin thought about Erebrisa, the Information guild, and the brokers who belonged to it. Their informants could move through space at will.
Even for Lee Sungmin, who was already at transcendence, he could not see through Neville’s strength.
“Just what the hell is Erebisa?”
“It’s an intermediary guild.”
Neville answered without any change in his expression. It seemed like he wasn’t going to give him the true answer.
“Can I get a pen and paper?”
“I’ll get it.”
Neville moved his hand up, placing it into a gap in space and taking out a pen, along with a thin sheet of paper.
“Are you lending these to me?”
“… I’ll just give it to you.”
Lee Sungmin sat down on the floor with a smile. He placed the nib on the paper and considered his thoughts for a moment. What should he say? Assure her that he’s okay?
I’m sorry to only send a letter as an explanation.
I’m okay. I’m not hurt, and I escaped safely.
It’s a relief that you are also alive. Baek Sogo, I don’t blame you. I went to the dungeon willingly, in the hope that you would survive.
So please don’t worry about me or feel guilty.
I’m fine. It’s really alright.
After he had written that far, Lee Sungmin stopped moving the pen. Could he tell Baek Sogo where he was going now? If he told her, Baek Sogo would also go there. Could he let that happen? Lee Sungmin was heading north. He didn’t know what kind of unexpected events and dangers he could face there.
In the end, Lee Sungmin didn’t inform Baek Sogo of his destination. He wanted to meet her. He wanted to travel with her. But not yet. He hadn’t heard the words he wanted to hear from Baek Sogo yet. You’ve improved a lot. You’re a lot stronger now. Those words. Lee Sungmin put his pen down.
‘Later.’
First, he had to go north.
‘You were quite the character, huh?’
After sending Neville back, Lee Sungmin began to move again. He tried to get used to using One Thunder and Haste together. Running could also be considered as practice.
[Now you know?]
Heoju shrugged. Neville’s information also included information about him. Heoju was active 400 years ago. He had existed since then, as the Leader of Ghosts, reigning like a nightmare in the Southern parts of Eria.
‘Then you lost your body and got sealed.’
[There were tens of thousands of people who tried to seal me. A group of mages, martial artists, spirits, and many others. At that time, all of those punks were trying to subdue me.]
“Why didn’t you run away?”
[I didn’t want to escape.]
Heoju replied promptly.
“… Is that all?”
[That is all.]
“When I heard about it, it seemed really amazing. You weren’t a king, but you reigned like a true king in that region. The people in the south say that there are tribes that still believe in you.”
[That’s the way people are. Their faith starts as soon as they see a wonder beyond their understanding. They take one look at the lightning that separates the sky and start calling it a God’s doing.]
Heoju’s voice was deep.
[If you have the chance one day, go south. After all, I said I would give my treasure to you.]
“Where did all your subordinates go?”
[They all died.]
Heoju replied. After that, he didn’t speak anymore. It seemed like the story of his past wasn’t too pleasant to recollect. Lee Sungmin also did not intend to ask any more questions.
‘The south.’
He had never been there. In fact, it was the same with the Northern region where he was currently headed. But he actually didn’t know where in the north he should go. What came to mind when he thought of ‘the North’ was the large city of Travia, which had previously been the Bloody Heavenly Demon’s turf.
It was the place where Baek Museon had reigned, but Travia had turned into a battlefield after Wijihoyeon cut off his arm.
‘I heard that Travia is overflowing with the Murim and Black Mages. They ran out of patience.’
It would be nice if he could run into Preskan there. If that happened, he could ask him about the black heart without having to actively search for him.
* * *
The appearance of the man was strange and sudden. Baek Sogo stopped running and breathed warily. She stared with caution at Neville, who was standing not too far off in the distance. Neville raised both hands and addressed her.
“I am not an enemy.”
“… a Dragon?”
Baek Sogo hesitated for a moment and then asked. Neville raised his eyebrows at the question and burst into laughter soon after.
“You are the first to have such a misunderstanding!”
Neville laughed and laughed, unable to stop. Despite seeing him laugh at her like that, Baek Sogo didn’t feel embarrassed. In fact, his appearance out of thin air was astonishing enough for Baek Sogo to mistake him as a ‘Dragon.
Empty space had suddenly cracked open before he walked out of it. It seemed different from the Teleportation or Blink that mages used. Baek Sogo could neither sense his presence nor see through his level.
“Ah… Sorry. I laughed too much. Dragon, dragon… Yes. You could misunderstand.”
Neville said as he came up to Baek Sogo. As he approached her, Baek Sogo raised her Defense Aura just in case. However, Neville did not slow his pace.
“Did I not tell you? I am not your enemy. I’m just a messenger.”
Neville said and reached into his sleeves. What he pulled out from the inside of his suit was a well-folded envelope.
“This is a letter from Lee Sungmin.”
“… What?”
Baek Sogo’s expression suddenly changed.
“Lee Sungmin sent you a letter.”
She wanted to reach out and grab that letter right away. But she endured it. She took a deep breath and withdrew her killing intent. Her Defense Aura also dispersed.
‘Even if I tried to take it by force… Could I do it?’
Baek Sogo thought. When she reined in her hostility, Neville grinned and handed her the letter. After handing it to her, Neville disappeared through the gaps of space the same way he had appeared. Baek Sogo read the letter in silence for a while.
“I am alive.”
It was a simple letter.
Even if it was unbelievable, Baek Sogo still believed it. Her trust was based on the existence of the mysterious Neville rather than the handwriting. Baek Sogo held the letter carefully and muttered in a small voice.
“You’re alive… Sungmin is alive.”
As her heartfelt relief subsided, Baek Sogo thought of a small question.
‘How did he get out of there?’
It was a natural question. She read the letter again. Where was he going, where was he headed? It would have been nice if he had written something like that. Baek Sogo stood up feeling sad.
‘If I was stronger… Sungmin wouldn’t have had to come forward to buy time.’
Baek Sogo bit on her lower lip. The Lee Sungmin she met had seen incredible growth over the years. The last time she saw him before the dungeon, he hadn’t even reached Peak level; but the Sungmin she saw in the dungeon seemed to have the same or greater skills than her.
She decided where to go.
Baek Sogo pulled herself together. She folded the letter well and placed it in her sleeves. She looked in the direction of the mountain that couldn’t be seen from there. Baek Sogo recalled the conversation she had with Lee Sungmin before parting.
He told her to run away.
“That was my line.”
Baek Sogo muttered as she headed towards Mush’s mountain.
* * *
His destination was Travia, but there was no reason to rush. That was because there was still time to spare until winter.
“It’s like I’m homeless.”
Rubia complained. Lee Sungmin listened to Rubia complain and glanced at her while grilling a rabbit he had hunted on the bonfire.
“You have a lot of complaints.”
“If I am going to sleep, it’s better to do it under a roof on a bed.”
“Haven’t you ever been homeless when traveling with Envirus?”
“My master always lived with elegance and grace, even when he was homeless. He always built a nice house using magic and slept there.”
“You’re such a hassle.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can sleep well even when I sleep on the floor without a roof.”
Lee Sungmin answered, ripping off the rabbit’s leg before handing it to Rubia. Despite all of her complaints, Rubia accepted it obediently. She grabbed it carefully, opening her mouth to bite it.
“How long will I have to be homeless?”
“Until we arrive at Travia.”
“We’ve already been homeless for a month. And there are three more months to go from here to Travia.”
“Yes.”
“So I have to be homeless for three months?”
“I don’t think it’s going to be too difficult. We can get food by hunting, and there is plenty of extra food in my interdimensional pocket.
“What about other necessities?”
“There is a way for that too.”
“How could someone like you become a member of Erebrisa?”
Rubia muttered as she clucked her tongue. Lee Sungmin’s shoulders trembled. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Rubia.
“How did you know?”
“You didn’t hide it in the first place, did you?”
Rubia asked. There was nothing he could say to that. It was Lee Sungmin who called Neville openly in front of Rubia and Heoju.
[I also know.]
Heoju roared. He thought that would be the case. Heoju didn’t express any surprise when Neville suddenly appeared.
‘It’s been a long time.’
If Heoju, who was active 400 years ago, knew about them, that meant Erebrisa existed even at that time.
‘You were a member of Erebrisa?’
[I received an offer but declined it.]
“… Is Envirus a member of Erebrisa?”
“Of course.”
Rubia replied cheerfully. Lee Sungmin asked while staring at Rubia.
“What the hell is this Erebisa?”
He looked at Heoju and Ruby. The question was directed toward both of them.
***
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