Chapter 39 - Delia Island (2)

Finally, we stopped in front of a portal.

Passing through here would lead to Delia Island, the second quest area of the Abyss.

The journey had been smooth since meeting Min Ha-rin.

She had taken care of most of the monsters that appeared on the way.

“Then, let’s go in now.”

“Yes, senior. But there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“To speak comfortably. We’re not strangers seeing each other for the first time.”

“I’ll do that. From inside the portal.”

Min Ha-rin smiled joyfully, like a child going on a picnic.

Without either of us saying who should go first, we stepped into the portal at the same time.

[The two of you have been recognized as companions. Would you like to form a party to proceed with the quest?]

[Yes/No]

I feel it every time, but the Abyss is truly a mysterious place.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

[A 2-person party quest has been generated.]

[Recently, new species of monsters have appeared on Delia Island, threatening the lives of the natives. Hunt at least one of each of the six new monster species to contribute to the safety and peace of the island.]

And then, the scenery of Delia Island unfolded before us.

In fact, just by looking at our immediate surroundings, it was hard to tell if this was really an island.

A vast land stretched out, so much so that the coastline was not even visible.

“Still, the quest is more manageable than I thought.”

“We’ll have to wait and see if it’s manageable. We don't know what kind of monsters will appear yet.”

“Wow! You really started speaking comfortably right away. It was so natural!”

“Stop with the nonsense and look behind you!”

As soon as we passed through the portal, what greeted us were several monsters.

Slouching towards us from between the bushes were four one-horned foxes.

“We're in luck.”

“Why?”

“It’s a new species of monster. One that couldn’t be seen on Delia Island before.”

This time, I had done my research thoroughly.

So as not to be caught off guard by unexpected variables.

“Is that so? I studied before coming too, but seeing it in person like this, I’m not so sure! Whether it’s a monster I studied or one I’m seeing for the first time!”

Having only learned about monsters from books, it was understandable.

But to me, it was a very familiar species.

Those one-horned foxes were as common as dirt on the Kalia Continent.

“Ha-rin, you take the front.”

“What about you, senior?”

“Rear support.”

Of course, I intended to provide support with my mouth as much as possible.

Because I had to conserve my sesame-seed-sized mana.

“Yes, I understand!”

Kuaang!!

Soon, as the distance closed, the one-horned foxes began to charge.

Min Ha-rin immediately moved forward and aimed her sword.

“Don’t slash, stab. That’ll be more effective.”

The one-horned fox was a monster species with surprisingly high evasion against long slashes from a sword.

On the other hand, they had a characteristic of collapsing helplessly against linear attacks.

Hwiiik!

Min Ha-rin launched a gale-like thrusting attack towards the first one-horned fox that charged at her.

She had completely trusted and followed my words.

Keeeek!

And trust in me is always rewarded without fail.

One one-horned fox, deeply pierced by Min Ha-rin’s sword, slumped to the ground, losing its ability to fight.

“Awesome!”

She calmly dealt with the one-horned foxes that charged in subsequently and engaged in battle.

There was no sign of panic even while facing an unknown monster.

A talent coveted by a sword unit leader.

It was just a shame about her affiliation.

“The one at 11 o’clock is the leader. Target that one first!”

Monsters that live in packs have a habit of relying on their leader, and the one-horned fox was a prime example.

If you took down the leader, the aggression of the rest would drop by more than half.

It wouldn't be easy to seize an opportunity to attack while facing multiple monsters at once, but if it was Min Ha-rin, she would soon find an opening.

Swaaaak!

Swaaaaak!

And this was that moment. As if by telepathy, she immediately carried out my instructions.

Shuuuk!

A thrusting attack again.

The one-horned fox let out a pained groan at Min Ha-rin’s single strike, without fail.

Kkueeeek!

The other two foxes hurriedly stuck close to the leader’s side and switched to a defensive posture.

It was a moment when the difficulty of raiding the monsters momentarily decreased.

“You can ignore the two on the sides since they won’t charge. The game is almost over once you take down the leader in the middle.”

From now on, I could cross my arms and watch with ease.

Because the momentum had completely shifted to Min Ha-rin.

Kwaaaaaak!

In the end, the leader allowed another thrusting attack and died, and the remaining two who had lost their will to fight were no match for her.

Min Ha-rin went around finishing off the one-horned foxes one by one, cleaning up the area.

[Quest Progress: 1/6]

A moment later, the carcasses of two one-horned foxes were in my Inventory.

It was a good thing we partied up.

I had progressed the quest without lifting a finger and had obtained half of the monster carcasses.

Of course, something like a one-horned fox wouldn't be enough to compete with the other sword units of the Haewon Sword Family.

No matter how new a monster species it was, its ‘class’ itself wasn't very high.

“Senior!”

Min Ha-rin looked at me with a flushed face.

“Good work.”

“That’s not it, what just happened?”

“What?”

“How do you know so much about a monster whose raid strategy hasn't even been released yet? Everything you said was right!”

“Application.”

“Application?”

“There’s no need to panic just because it’s a monster you don’t know. You can infer enough from the experience of facing monsters with similar appearances or of similar species.”

“You can do that on the spot?”

“Yeah. I can.”

It wasn't just a lie.

The ‘gut feeling’ developed from countless battlefield experiences was usually right.

Of course, the case just now was not a gut feeling but experience itself.

“As expected, you’re amazing, senior.”

“By the way, you’ve improved a lot.”

“My swordsmanship?”

“It’s become much more precise and smooth. As if it’s been polished for a long time.”

“There was a catalyst for that. I usually get pretty tough after taking a big hit, and there was someone who gave me a good experience.”

Min Ha-rin had no idea that that person was me.

What a strange girl.

***

The start was refreshing, but the problem came after that.

Even after wandering around for quite a long time, no new monster species that could progress the quest appeared. I don’t know how many innocent Goblins and Lizardmen we hunted.

And the sun was already setting.

“Front, 2 o'clock. Looks like a pack of Kobolds this time.”

“It’s so amazing! How do you know every time!”

“With enough experience, you’ll be able to do something similar. Your hearing is exceptionally sensitive, after all.”

“That’s true, but….”

As expected, what appeared before us were fourteen Kobolds.

A bust this time as well.

No matter how many of those we caught, the quest wouldn't progress, and it was unrelated to the purpose of my coming to the Abyss.

“Go take care of it.”

“Yes. I’ll be back.”

Min Ha-rin took care of most of the annoying tasks.

When I sent her to gain practical experience, she followed without a word.

Thanks to that, I was able to conserve my stamina.

“I’ve taken care of it, senior.”

“Good work. And that’s it for today.”

“We’re stopping already?”

“It's not ‘already.’ You with your bad night vision.”

I pointed my finger at the sky, which had grown even darker, and spoke.

“I think it’s about time we started preparing to camp.”

“Wow, you’re right. We couldn't finish it in a day after all.”

At this pace, I couldn't guarantee tomorrow either.

“For now, let’s spend the night around here, and tomorrow, I was thinking we could try heading out to the coast.”

Delia Island was a place where Barbarians lived, far from civilization.

In other words, there were no such things as lodging facilities.

For now, it seemed we had to find a suitable place, build a fire, and take out the emergency food from our inventories to soothe our hungry stomachs.

Although there were no major crises, it was true that we were tired from hunting monsters for a long time.

Especially Min Ha-rin.

We moved to a hilly area to find a place to rest for the night.

As I was looking for a suitable campsite, a faint scent stimulated the tip of my nose.

A somewhat familiar sensation.

I searched for the source of that scent.

And a moment later, an unexpected discovery.

“To think something like this was here.”

“What is that?”

It was an herb called Guyeopcho.

It was a type of mana recovery agent that exhibited amazing effects when boiled at a specific temperature range.

In fact, it was always a shame that there were no herbs of this kind on Earth.

The only way to recover depleted mana was through the mana technique.

“Wait here. I’ll treat you to something good.”

Earth was a place where science and technology were more advanced than Kalia, but in this field, Kalia was a much more advanced civilization.

It was like I was spreading the new culture of Kalia to Earth for the first time.

Min Ha-rin was the one who had worked hard today, so she deserved to be treated to this much.

We hurriedly set up camp and built a fire, and I handed her a cup of tea boiled with Guyeopcho.

“Try it.”

“The scent is a bit unique.”

“The smell might be, but the taste isn't bad.”

Min Ha-rin took the steaming teacup and began to drink the tea, blowing on it.

The ‘Mana’s Eye’ was proving the efficacy of the herb in real time.

By the time she had emptied the teacup, her mana had already recovered considerably.

“Senior! What is this?”

Min Ha-rin had the eyes of a startled rabbit.

“There are things. Like that.”

“No, what on earth is it! My dantian is full of mana!”

“It's a trade secret, so asking about it is a bit difficult.”

“Who on earth are you, senior?”

“What? Wondering what my identity is?”

At my words, Min Ha-rin silently nodded her head.

Well, on Earth, this kind of concept didn't even exist yet, so it might be natural for her to be this surprised.

“I told you. I’m Seo Yohan. Just know that much.”

Min Ha-rin made a blank expression and answered.

“……Yes.”

The regrettable thing was that nothing could be brought from the Abyss region to Earth.

If only I could bring the Guyeopcho that was abundant here to Earth, it would be an almost revolutionary event.

***

Min Ha-rin gazed at the sleeping Seo Yohan and was lost in thought.

‘He’s such a mysterious person.’

What surprised her the most after their reunion was his youthful appearance.

In fact, at their first meeting, she couldn't see his face because of the darkness, but she had guessed he would be at least in his late 30s.

His way of speaking, as if he had seen all the world, had a strong scent of a middle-aged man.

But looking at his face now, he was definitely not over thirty.

If seen without prejudice, he could even pass for his early to mid-20s.

‘Should I ask him how old he is when he wakes up tomorrow?’

She thought so, but then she shook her head.

Somehow, she felt like he wouldn't tell her.

In fact, all he had revealed was the name Seo Yohan.

Where he lived, his affiliation, all were unknown.

It was cheap, but if he didn't want to say, there was nothing she could do.

This field was a place where all sorts of things could be secrets.

‘By the way, I need to be more humble.’

People called her a genius, but the real genius was someone else.

For example, Seo Yohan sleeping in front of her.

She called him senior out of habit, but their actual age difference didn't seem that great.

But when she tried to gauge her own capabilities against Seo Yohan's…….

‘Hah!’

There was a gap that couldn't even be gauged.

Seo Yohan was unbelievably perfect.

In Yoron Village, he had shown the martial prowess to take down a Lycanthrope in a single blow.

This time, he had shown the appearance of a scholar knowledgeable in all things of the world.

He had instantly figured out the strategy for an unfamiliar monster and had whipped up a medicine with amazing effects.

It was just a mystery why such a person had not been known until now.

‘Then again.’

Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time something incomprehensible had happened.

There was also the time she had been soundly defeated by the youngest son of the Haewon Sword Family, who had been living a terminally ill life until just a short while ago.

‘Real geniuses are people like this.’

It was a night where a humble heart was filled to the brim.