Chapter 25

I woke up early in the morning and immediately went to retrieve the Dongbaek Sword.

[Jung Hae-in]: I don’t think I can make it to exercise today.

[Yoo Hana]: Why? Are you hurt somewhere?

[Jung Hae-in]: I have somewhere to go.

[Yoo Hana]: I see… Alright.

Thanks to this, I ended up skipping morning practice today.

‘It does feel like I’ve been continuously missing it…’

Still, I hope you all can understand—it’s all for your sake.

“Ugh, this is heavy.”

As expected, it’s still incredibly heavy since I haven’t fully accustomed to it yet.

I placed the sword on the ground and prepared to head out again.

Today, it’s Mount Baekdu.

When I arrived at the terminal, as I expected, it was crowded due to the weekend.

People heading home, students out for excursions or weekend stays.

The terminal had its usual bustling atmosphere.

Still, none of these people would be traveling to Mount Baekdu for an outing or a weekend stay.

Of course, my trip isn’t for leisure either.

Well, technically, it is kind of a weekend outing, but I’ll definitely be back home by the end of today.

If nothing serious happens.

Mount Baekdu is officially designated as an extreme danger zone by the Association. There is no direct portal, and only with the Association’s explicit approval can one enter.

So, first, I had to take the portal to Seoul.

The faint light obscured my vision for a moment before brightening again.

The Seoul terminal was much busier than Realm.

I headed toward the specialized portal terminal operated by the Association rather than the usual one.

The special portal terminal was quieter than the general area but filled with tension. At the entrance stood a slightly exhausted-looking attendant.

I approached and asked him.

“I’m heading to Mount Baekdu.”

The attendant barely glanced at me and replied in a tone that conveyed his annoyance.

“Special portals require prior registration or appropriate qualifications~”

I hesitated briefly before pulling out my Realm Academy student ID.

“Will this work?”

It was a shot in the dark.

Realm is a top-tier academy, and sometimes, the prestigious title of being an “excellent hero-in-training” grants privileges elsewhere.

The attendant stared at the student ID for a long time before shaking his head.

“Ah… most students from Realm are fine, but Mount Baekdu is an exception. It’s far too dangerous…”

So, it’s not working.

I inwardly sighed and reached for the identification issued by the Association.

This was the hero ID I obtained post the Iano Tomb incident under the alias Moogwi.

“So, will this….”

But just then, footsteps sounded from behind.

“Is this some student trying to head to Mount Baekdu?”

An unfamiliar voice spoke.

I turned around to see a group dressed in combat gear approaching me. On the armor of the one who seemed to be their leader was an emblem shaped like a lotus.

‘The Lotus Guild?’

There are no other guilds using the lotus as their emblem.

The man walking ahead snickered at me and said,

“Youngster bragging… this is no place for games. Move aside.”

I glanced at him once but ignored him and continued talking to the attendant.

“So, will this…”

I presented my hero ID.

This should definitely prove my qualifications…

-Tap

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Suddenly, my wrist was firmly grabbed. A low, rough voice sounded from behind, making the attendant flinch and step back.

‘Oh, it’s that guy.’

Uoo Jang-hoon, the leader of the 2nd Squad of the Lotus Guild.

He’s known for being rather thuggish even in everyday circumstances.

An A-rank hero with exceptional skills, but his name is almost always associated with unflattering rumors.

Uoo Jang-hoon glanced at my ID and scoffed.

“What are you trying to pull with such a fake ID…”

He tightened his grip on my wrist and mocked,

“I’ve never seen someone like you before. You know that impersonating a hero is a severe crime, right?”

I paused briefly for thought.

I’m not one to start fights, but neither am I one to avoid a fight that’s coming.

‘Can I win this?’

It was hard to tell. It feels like something I’d need to try to know.

‘Then, is the aftermath easily manageable?’

This was definitively yes.

The justification and reasons are all on my side.

‘Then, let’s do it.’

I came to conclusion that getting this done will be the cleanest option.

That’s when it happened.

“Is there a problem?”

A clear and calm voice cut through the atmosphere.

Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the voice.

There stood Kang Ah-rin. With a confident stride, she approached, wearing her characteristic relaxed smile.

“This person will be accompanying me on the Mount Baekdu exploration today.”

Kang Ah-rin calmly stated while looking at Uoo Jang-hoon.

“Of course, I can understand your urgency due to the recent disturbance affecting Lotus…”

She took a step closer, stopping right in front of Uoo Jang-hoon. Her gaze briefly fell on his arm before her eyes turned icy.

“But a guild like Lotus would know better about rules and procedures, correct?”

Uoo Jang-hoon’s expression stiffened.

“And you are also aware that our subsidiary guild Glory holds priority over Lotus for the primary exploration rights, right?”

Her words caused Uoo Jang-hoon’s lips to tremble slightly.

“Ah… Miss Kang Ah-rin.”

He forced a smile, quickly changing his attitude, though his eyes betrayed his evident discomfort.

“I didn’t realize Miss Ah-rin was part of your group. My apologies…”

Before he could finish, Kang Ah-rin firmly brushed away his arm and said decisively,

“Then, let go.”

It was short and clear.

She turned back to the attendant and calmly requested,

“Please register that Mr. Jung Hae-in and I have received official approval from the Association.”

The attendant hesitated, looking between Uoo Jang-hoon and Kang Ah-rin, then hurriedly began processing the request. Uoo Jang-hoon, unable to say anything more, stepped back.

With matters proceeding smoothly, Kang Ah-rin turned to me and smiled.

“Shall we go?”

I’m not oblivious.

It was clear she was helping me out.

‘But why the honorifics?’

Wordlessly, I nodded and followed her into the portal.

Kang Ah-rin and I arrived at the foothills of Mount Baekdu.

Considering Lotus’ 2nd team was following closely behind, it made sense to travel together.

However, they seemed to have prepared a separate route in advance and quickly disappeared.

“Shall we part ways soon?”

Kang Ah-rin spoke.

She had been using honorifics until this point, but after the Lotus team left, she reverted to her usual self. Honestly, that was more comfortable for me too.

“Yeah, I’ll go ahead first. Thanks for the help earlier.”

“Alright.”

Even though I was curious about why she helped me, it wasn’t the kind of situation where I felt she’d explain if I asked.

Similarly, she didn’t question why I was heading to Mount Baekdu.

Therefore, we naturally parted ways without delving into our purposes.

Also, the method by which I intended to ascend the mountain wasn’t something I wanted to show anyone.

‘It’s high.’

Mount Baekdu was set to be one of the most difficult zones in the original story.

And the harmony shard I seek now is among the four and possesses the strongest attribute.

Naturally, this would be Seong Si-woo’s task.

A shard buried deep within the bowels of the earth.

However, the process of retrieving it is exceedingly unrealistic.

The recent anomalies on Mount Baekdu most likely stem from the energy emitted by the shard.

Of course, multiple guilds would have sent raid teams, and Lotus with Kang Ah-rin would be among them.

‘Probably impossible.’

Danger zones have their reasons.

The likelihood that any current teams could break through the swarms of monsters and make it to the center is near impossible.

After all, only teams with stats from the very last phase of the story barely manage it in the original.

So, how will I get there?

I had reached the area where monsters began to appear by now. In front of me stood a large signpost with red letters warning of the dangers.

“I’ll go back in time.”

Mount Baekdu became a danger zone fifty years ago, in 1979, after the harmony shard was formed. The high-dimensional energy emitted by the shard distorted the environment, feeding and strengthening the monsters.

That’s why I plan to return to the moment right after the shard was formed and retrieve it from the center of the earth. This is the only method that offers the least resistance.

Of course, when I retrieve the shard from the past, its counterpart from the present will naturally disappear.

This plan contains a hidden gimmick.

A secret location only the first player to successfully conquer Mount Baekdu in the original story could discover.

‘The old lodge.’

For the players who endured great hardship to obtain the shard in the first round, this was set up so they could access it more easily in future rounds—sort of like a save file mechanism.

That’s why I need to find the lodge.

I have a rough idea of its location.

Close to the altitude where monsters start appearing, in a relatively less dangerous area.

I thought I’d find it quickly.

But I was utterly wrong.

“Shit.”

That “rough” information was the problem.

Even after the sun set, the lodge had not appeared.

As night fell and the rain began pouring down, the lodge still eluded me.

The rain and wind wrapped around me entirely, and I was already soaked.

Before I knew it, I was aimlessly wandering the mountain, unsure of where I was headed.

‘Maybe not today…’

I had decided to try again another day when, far in the distance, the outline of a dilapidated lodge came into view.

‘I found it.’

I triumphantly thought as I pushed through the wind and ran toward the lodge.

When I opened the door and entered, the smell of old wood greeted me.

The interior appeared untouched by human hands for a long time, covered in dust.

However, one thing stood out.

The calendar hanging on the wall.

I approached and inspected it.

Unlike the other furniture, which was covered in dust, this calendar was almost pristine.

Even more surprisingly,

“March 20, 2029.”

Amazingly, today’s date was clearly marked on it.

In a lodge long untouched by human presence, located in an isolated area,

The calendar showed the latest date.

“It’s real.”

I finally found it.

I immediately slumped into a seat and activated my watch.

[10:20 PM]

Much time had passed unnoticed.

‘Midnight at 12:00.’

At midnight, this lodge will activate and send me back to the time right after the harmony shard was formed.

I listened carefully to the ticking of the old wall clock as I patiently awaited the moment.

*

How much more time passed?

I opened my eyes to check the time.

[11:58 PM]

The moment was nearly upon me.

The ticking of the clock grew louder, heightening the tension.

But then, the moment it happened.

-Bang!

The door violently swung open, letting a cold draft of air rush into the lodge.

“What?!?”

I hastily turned around to see a familiar face.

“Kang Ah-rin…?”

It was her.

Wringing out her thoroughly soaked shirt, she marched confidently into the lodge.

“Hey! Hey, it’s dangerous! Get out!”

I shouted in panic.

Only one person can use this lodge to travel back in time. Nobody knows what would happen if there were two of us in here.

“Isn’t that harsh? Asking me to go out in this weather?”

Kang Ah-rin calmly replied and closed the door.

-Click

And locked it.

Her wet shirt clung tightly to her body, revealing her curves.

“Feeling pretty ungrateful, aren’t you?”

“Not that, it’s just… you need to get out right now…”

-Tick, Tock

The ticking of the ancient clock echoed loudly in the lodge’s silence.

-Cuckoo, Cuckoo

And finally, the old cuckoo clock mounted on the wall chimed,

Announcing the arrival of midnight with its eerie sound.

“Ah.”

Kang Ah-rin tilted her head toward me and smiled warmly, her red eyes glowing softly.

“Already twelve o’clock?”

At that moment, the air inside the lodge began to distort.

“Damn it….”

It was too late.

I gritted my teeth and looked at her, but Kang Ah-rin stood there naturally, undisturbed.

And then, the space around us was consumed by the blinding light that filled the lodge.

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