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102. Back in Place

Tap! Tap!

“Come on. It’s a turbo lighter.”

Ko Byeong-gap struggled to move the lighter to the end of the cigarette. The fierce wind trampled on his small wish, yet he was able to achieve his intended goal after a dozen attempts.

He enjoyed the scenery in front of him, puffing cigarette smoke one after another. It was a wonderful view, enchanting his eyes and mind. At the same time, it complicated his thoughts.

“Whoa… I never thought there would be a place like this.”

It was an extremely large mountain range surrounded by snow and ice caps. In particular, he stood at the summit of a mountain, which was more than three times higher than other places. So the white mountains seemed wide beneath his feet.

Whoosh!

“Huh.”

He pulled his thick coat tightly. It was handed to him by Kim Hana as soon as they crossed over here. Even though it almost covered his whole body, he was still cold. It probably exceeded minus 30 to 40 degrees celsius.

Ko Byeong-gap quietly burned a whole pack of cigarettes. His head was cluttered with one thought and another. He turned and walked toward the log cabin.

“This is Ashvilam.”

No one told him this was Ashvilam, but he could tell by the smell of the air and the color of the sky.

Squeak.

He opened the thick wooden door and entered the log cabin. Unlike the cold outside, the room was full of heat. Kim Hana, who was pushing firewood into the fireplace, looked back at him and spoke.

“Have you made up your mind a bit?”

“Somewhat.”

“Please close the door. I don’t like the cold wind.”

Ko Byeong-gap meekly closed the door. After that, he took off his overcoat and sat down on a suitable chair. Kim Hana came over to him with a kettle and poured him a cup of tea.

He drank the tea without much doubt. The bitter aftertaste wasn’t his taste, but he took a bite.

“Why aren’t the kids coming? Didn’t you say they were going to cut down trees?”

Kim Hana always took three children with her, and they were likely middle school students, but their strength was comparable to that of S-class hunters.

Ko Byeong-gap was secretly annoyed that they weren’t around. On the contrary, Kim Hana was nonchalant.

“They’ll be here when the time is right.”

She also sat on a chair and kept looking at Ko Byeong-gap with suspicious eyes.

“Hmm.”

Ko Byeong-gap slowly looked around inside the log cabin. All the furniture that filled the house seemed to have been brought from modern times. Just looking at the table in front of him, he could smell its industrial products right away.

It had been decorated pretty well with an old-fashioned sentiment. One ornament with a different atmosphere from the other furniture caught his eye.

It was a rough slate. There were signs of years on its worn-out edges, and something was engraved on the stone plate.

Feeling a strange familiarity with it, Ko Byeong-gap approached it. Immediately after, he doubted his eyes.

“Where did you get this?”

“I found it buried nearby. What’s the matter?”

“…”

‘It’s a map!’

It was a map, no matter what anyone said. It was a pretty elaborate map too. Moreover, the markings were very familiar to his eyes. He wondered where he saw it, and it was 99 percent identical to what was engraved on Marilyn’s body.

A pile of letters was carved densely on the back of the stone plate, but unfortunately, he couldn’t read it.

‘If I had the power of the Lord, I would have been able to read this.’

He focused on the map, leaving his disappointment behind. It was a bit weathered, but some of the main points were recognizable.

‘This is the northernmost point. Wait, is this Vervonia? So if you ride east… It’s Valtadren!’

He found Valtadren on the map and cried for joy. At that time, Kim Hana, who had approached him without his knowledge, asked in a questionable tone.

“It seems to be a map left by the old civilization. But it’s in vain if we go there.”

“In vain?”

“I’ve been to a few places nearby, but they were all in ruins.”

Kim Hana said so and touched the stone tablet with her hands. There were castles adjacent to the mountains.

“When was the last time you were there?”

“It’s been a while, about five or three years.”

‘Five years… Long before I came.’

“Why haven’t you been out lately?”

“Because I know it’s all ruins. And as you can see, the terrain here is rough. It’s too risky to go out on the road with that sense of adventure.”

“That’s true.”

Ko Byeong-gap said so and lifted the slate.

“Can I take this, please? I’ll give you whatever price you want.”

“Take it if you want. I don’t need money.”

Ko Byeong-gap thought it was a windfall, so he quickly took it to the car.

When he came back, Kim Hana was drinking tea in her chair. He hurried to sit next to her.

“I never thought there would be more like me. So what Lord are you?”

Kim Hana didn’t answer immediately. She sipped the tea with her eyes closed and then asked.

“Well, what kind of Lord are you, Mr. Byeong-gap?”

“I haven’t heard from you yet.”

“You want to get too much without giving.”

If he wanted her to reveal her identity, he had to reveal his identity first.

Ko Byeong-gap, who realized what Kim Hana wanted, smacked his lips. Yeah, well, what else could he hide when they were here?

“I’m the Goblin Lord. But… not now.”

“Goblin?”

Her eyes frowned slightly. Ko Byeong-gap noticed the small change but pretended not to notice.

“Are you talking about the Goblin I know?”

“Right.”

“What can you do?”

“I could do this and that. I’ve traveled between this world and Earth and sometimes obtained mysterious objects. I get the help of the Goblins. Aren’t you similar?”

“… I don’t know.”

Kim Hana cleverly spilled words and asked for something else.

“My rapid growth is due to the Lord’s power.”

“I can’t deny it.”

“What do you mean by ‘not now?\'”

“Literally. I’ve lost the power of the Lord now.”

“Why?”

“There were some accidents. It takes too long to explain the details.”

Ko Byeong-gap folded his arms after saying so. It was a nuance that he had done enough to talk about himself.

“So, what’s the answer to my question? What Lord are you?”

“I’m…”

As she was about to continue, they felt a movement outside and heard a loud thud.

She stood up and looked at the window.

“The children are here. The kids might be surprised to see you, so I’ll have to talk to them first.”

Ko Byeong-gap wasn’t happy, but he nodded. Didn’t she give him the map for free?

She left after putting on her coat. Ko Byeong-gap, who was left alone, looked at the window with his neck pulled out. All he could see was the hazy, clouded sky.

‘Come to think of it, those kids… They called Kim Hana their Master and followed her. So they might not be human, by any chance?’

Were they something that Kim Hana had, like the Goblins he had?

‘How were they born…?’

While inferring their identity, Kim Hana returned. The children didn’t follow in. She explained that they were building up firewood.

She sat back down, but she bit her lips as if practicing silence. He left her alone because it seemed like she was organizing her thoughts. After a while, the three children came in by opening the wooden door.

One girl with long, curly blond hair and one boy with his hair shaved like a monk. Of the three, there was one more boy with thick hair. They glared at Ko Byeong-gap as if they had spoken about it. Their grudge from the last time they met seemed to be still there.

Without a word, they rushed to the bonfire and started warming up.

‘Of course, they’re human.’

He stroked his chin and looked at the children’s backs. He then smacked his lips and looked at Kim Hana again.

“Why don’t you stop beating around the bush and let me know?”

“I would love to do that.”

Kim Hana put down the teacup and looked straight at Ko Byeong-gap. She said clearly and with dignity, “I’m not what you’re talking about, Lord or what. To confess, I don’t have a clue what I am.”

***

The snow suddenly poured like crazy. He took one step and was buried down to his knees.

“I don’t know where you’re going, but I don’t think it’s a very good idea to go out now.”

Kim Hana followed him and spoke. Ko Byeong-gap made an expression of rising irritation, but he wasn’t particularly annoyed by her.

‘Damn it. It would be hard to drive the car and drag like this. Anyway, I have to get there before the snow piles up more.’

Ko Byeong-gap hurriedly took out the snow chain and signed it.

“Hey, are you listening to me?”

“What did you say? I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now.”

“Where the hell are you going? There’s nothing here. It’s just a mountain covered with snow. The only thing that’s still there is ruins.”

“It’s not just ruins.”

“… What?”

“If you keep going south, there’s a city. A city of Goblins.”

Kim Hana clicked her mouth. She then added with a small sigh.

“Okay, even if that’s the case. So you’re going south through this blizzard? Why don’t you hang yourself if you want to kill yourself?”

“… If you don’t want to help, why don’t you just go back in?”

He hooked his chain to the last wheel. Having finished his preparation, he looked down at the vast mountain range. To be honest, he was reckless, as Kim Hana said. When would he be able to cross that cold zone and reach the warm land?

However, he had to go. He didn’t come all the way back to Ashvilam and be scared.

“I’ll come back later and listen to your back story.”

“Well, if I let you go like this, I’ll be talking to a corpse.”

“You should learn voodoo.”

Ko Byeong-gap got into the car, ignoring her. However, the car didn’t start well because it was frozen. As he warmed up and waited, Kim Hana knocked on the window.

“Get off for a second.”

“Oh, well, even if I have to go? I told you I’d hear from you later.”

“Ha… I got it, so get off for now.”

He got out of the car, wondering what she was going to say.

Kim Hana touched her forehead and was lost in thought for a moment. She spoke after deciding for a while.

“I’ll take you to the end of the mountain range.”

“What do you mean you’re going to take me? How?”

She took off her overcoat instead of answering. Her worn-out dress and bare skin were revealed.

What was the woman doing? He stood still as she spoke, staring at him.

“Turn around. Don’t look, and don’t be surprised.”

Ko Byeong-gap followed meekly, and then came the voices of the children.

“M-Master, don’t tell me…”

“It’ll take about a day. Please wait for me.”

“Master, no! You’re not feeling well!”

The blonde girl, Alpha, said with a very worried look. Kim Hana replied calmly.

“It’s okay.”

“Why is that man…?”

“We need him.”

Ko Byeong-gap felt tremendous energy the moment she said that. So he turned away reflexively even though she warned him not to look.

The next moment, his mouth opened wide. Kim Hana’s body turned red and began to transform.

Gooooo!

The change ended in a few blinks, and the woman before him turned into something inhuman.

Long neck, huge wings, gray torso, body-filled scales… She looked like a giant ‘winged lizard’.

“Oh no. What is this…?”

At first glance, she was similar to a Wyvern. However, as a living creature, she was overwhelming. The fanning of her wings was also incomparable.

Ko Byeong-gap instinctively pulled out his sword even though he knew that the unknown creature, which was 10 meters high, was Kim Hana.

“Put down your sword. You can’t ride on my back if you hold it.”

There was a strange force in her voice. Ko Byeong-gap recovered his sword as if possessed.

She walked a few steps forward and leaned down. It was a signal for him to get on.

“Load your car on my back. Guys, help him out.”

“Yes, Master.”

Ko Byeong-gap and the three children joined forces to move the car. It wasn’t a big deal for the four high-level awakeners.

Kim Hana’s appearance was as wide as a basketball court. She accommodated the car lightly.

Ko Byeong-gap soothed his bewilderment and climbed on her back.

“I can’t hear you while flying. You don’t have to worry because you won’t fall off.”

“Oh, yeah. I got it.”

“I’ll be back.”

“Please don’t overdo it, Master.”

Kim Hana flapped her wings. Suddenly, her gigantic body floated up. Ko Byeong-gap felt that his sense of reality had dulled. She flew as if to reach the clouds and started running toward the south.

***

Kim Hana flew without a single break. She stopped once in a while, but it seemed only so she could look for a direction.

‘I could try to get through there.’ She thought blankly as she looked down at the ground.

The mountain range was vast and rugged. If he had continued to come, he would’ve turned into a corpse, just as Kim Hana said.

Ko Byeong-gap sat on her wide back and was lost in thought about his future plans. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of the best course of action.

“It’s not easy.”

Time went by without a trace. The sun was setting, and the whole world became dark.

Ko Byeong-gap, who was dozing off, woke up from a tremor. They were no longer in the sky but already on the ground.

He stretched himself up. However, Kim Hana’s condition was unusual. She was sprawled with her head on the floor.

A breathless sigh escaped from her gigantic mouth.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Get the car off. Come on.”

There was a sense of urgency in her voice. Ko Byeong-gap went down to the ground with the pick-up truck. Suddenly, Kim Hana went back to the shape of a human being.

“Don’t look…”

She was naked. Ko Byeong-gap took off his coat shyly and threw it away.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? What’s wrong with you?”

“I’ve come too far… I’ll have to rest a little and go back. When can I pick you up?”

“You don’t have to pick me up. If things go well, I’ll go back to Jirisan Mountain on my own.”

“What if things don’t work out?”

Ko Byeong-gap tried to answer casually, but he shut up. He answered after some silence.

“That’s not going to happen. Anyway, let’s meet again at Jirisan Mountain.”

“… Yes, I understand.”

“Go home safely.”

Ko Byeong-gap got into the car and left Kim Hana lying on the floor. He started it without any difficulty since he preheated at one time during the flight.

It was already dawn, but he rolled the wheel without delay. He was going to run day and night for the next few days.

According to the map carved on the stone tablet, the ruins weren’t too far away, so he decided to find it first.