Free Web NovelAccording to Hyunmook, the Black Mountain was sometimes merciful and sometimes violent. At times it let monsters pass through, and at other times it devoured them whole. Yohan prayed desperately {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it would be the former this time. With Bumram’s pursuit halted, they slowed from running to a fast march, careful not to provoke the mountain.
“...I always hate being here.”
That mutter came from Joo Hoyoung, who, thanks to his speed, could freely come and go through the Black Mountain more often than anyone. Yoon Seungryong’s expression was uneasy too, though not as bad as when Bumram had charged them earlier. Yohan turned back anxiously.
“Mr. Hyunmook, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just keep your eyes forward for now.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Hyunmook spoke calmly, his hand never leaving Yohan’s shoulder from the moment they’d stepped inside the mountain.
“Ah, y-yes.”
“You can talk if you want.”
At that, some of the tension in Yohan’s body drained, and his grip on his weapon loosened a little. Still trying to ignore the feeling of countless eyes staring at him from the mountain itself, he asked,
“Once we get through the Black Mountain... what kind of place is next?”
“The Reed Sea Sector.”
“The... Reed Sea?”
Yohan tilted his head. He couldn’t picture what such a place would be. From behind him, Hyunmook added,
“Mm. You’ll have to see it with your own eyes to understand. It’s one of the rare places here that’s actually quite beautiful.”
“Wow... if you say that, Mr. Hyunmook, I really can’t wait.”
Yohan forced cheer into his voice to drive away fear, though the tremor in his tone betrayed him. Hyunmook decided to steady him with something even more shocking.
“Yakrin will probably be there.”
Yohan’s eyes widened. Seo Yakrin! The name of another teammate made him flare with excitement. His gaze flickered to the chipped stone spear he was holding. Above all, Seo Yakrin was the one who could refine Eternal Stone into Absolute Steel—Yohan’s hopes soared. But then, Seungryong let out a strangled cry.
“No! Let’s go somewhere else! I don’t want that old bastard back!”
“Yakrin needs to make Yohan a proper weapon. He can’t keep carrying around that rock on a stick forever.”
Hyunmook cut in firmly. Seungryong groaned and tore at his hair in frustration. Yohan leaned closer to Hoyoung, who was walking beside him in Yohan’s glow, and whispered,
“Does Seungryong not get along with Mr. Yakrin?”
“Yeah, not really. They just don’t mesh well. But hey, I need Yakrin too. My bow still needs fixing.”
Hoyoung stroked the weapon in his hands. Yohan had purified it once, but the warped stave hadn’t straightened. And yet, even bent like that, Hoyoung still hit every shot.
They walked on, and before long they were nearly out of the Black Mountain. Yohan wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes. It seemed, thankfully, that today the mountain would let them pass without incident.
“I’ll go ahead and check. Just in case Bumram’s waiting out there too.”
Hoyoung darted forward, his figure vanishing quickly into the ridgeline beyond. Seungryong was the first to step out of the mountain, scanning the surroundings with caution, Yohan close behind him. Hyunmook followed last, his spear angled across his body. Relief spilled out of Yohan in a sigh.
He bit back the words, Thank God, nothing happened. In movies, that kind of line was a death flag.
And then—
Kaaaaaaahk! A shriek split the sky, monstrous and piercing. Yohan’s breath froze. He’d only thought the words, but it still cursed them! His eyes darted up to follow Seungryong and Hyunmook’s gazes. Under a canopy of dark storm clouds, an enormous bird-beast flapped its wings. The sheer size was crushing, even from a distance.
Hoyoung came running back, nocking an arrow, aiming skyward.
“Do we attack first?”
“No. Wait.” frёeωebɳovel.com
Hyunmook’s sharp eyes narrowed, and then he clicked his tongue. Yohan’s stomach dropped. What he thought was storm cloud was in fact a vast flock of birds. When the great bird screeched again, the black, writhing swarm dove as one.
“Uwaaaagh!”
This time Yohan really screamed. They looked like skeletal carrion crows, their beaks and talons dagger-sharp, thirsting for flesh. The flock poured down like rain. Hyunmook quickly pulled away from the group to avoid friendly fire, while Seungryong moved in close to shield Yohan.
Crackkkk! A black lightning bolt split the air. The flock’s long, pointed beaks acted as lightning rods, and several birds crackled and burned, dropping lifeless from the sky. Through the gaps, Hoyoung’s ice arrows flew, cutting down dozens more.
Yet some still made it through. They landed, stabbing their beaks into the ground, rising again with cataract-white eyes blankly scanning. They weren’t as huge as the giant bird above, but many were larger than men.
“Poison’s coming!” Seungryong shouted.
“Yes! I’ll purify it!”
Yohan steadied his breath, spreading his cleansing light. The choking fumes of Seungryong’s poison didn’t even come near him, collapsing in his glow. But the enemies that charged into the light dropped dead one after another.
The flock kept coming. Even as Hyunmook slaughtered dozens and Hoyoung skewered countless more, the sky only darkened with wings. Piles of corpses were rising into mounds around them. And still the three fought smoothly, accustomed to this kind of chaos. Seungryong even joked as he kicked a melting bird aside,
“Should we have chicken for dinner?”
Despite his terror, Yohan managed a shaky smile. He was about to answer, I’d like that, when suddenly a black wall surged up between him and Seungryong. Before he even understood what it was, the ground gave way beneath him.
“Yohan!”
Seungryong’s hand punched through the wall, reaching for him. His fingers brushed Yohan’s clothes but couldn’t hold—Yohan fell, tumbling into the dark. Above him, the Black Mountain crashed down like a tidal wave, blotting out the sky.
* * *
“Ugh, nnngh....”
Pain throbbed through his body as Yohan came to. Memory slammed back, and he snapped his eyes open—only to see utter darkness.
“Wh-what the....”
He tried to sit up and cracked his head on something above, forcing him back down. Groaning, clutching his forehead, he realized something terrifying. He stretched his hands around and found the space unbearably tight. He could barely extend his arms. It was like a coffin. Panic crushed his chest.
I’m... I’m buried in the Black Mountain? Buried alive?!
“Mr. Hyunmook! Seungryong-hyung! Hoyoung!”
Yohan flailed, screaming, but no answer came. Only rumbling noises shook the walls around him, gravel sprinkling down on his face.
“No, no, no...”
Fear broke him, and he sobbed out loud. Being cut off, buried alone—it was worse than death. He prayed it was only a nightmare.
Eventually, after endless crying, something odd broke through. His hand trembled with a faint vibration. Only then did he realize he was still clutching his weapon, gripped tight even while unconscious.
“Hhhk, hhhnn....”
Panting through hyperventilation, Yohan pushed his power into it. The Eternal Stone at its tip blazed with light. Just that light gave him a shred of life. His ragged breath steadied a little.
Shaking, terrified, he scanned his surroundings. The cramped space was only just big enough to lie down in, far smaller than he’d thought. His breathing quickened again.
“I-I have to s-stay calm....”
But the words meant nothing—tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. The claustrophobic squeeze made it feel like he would suffocate. Even without a phobia, this place could invent one. Compared to Bumram’s pursuit, this was no less horrific.
Right. I’m an advanced Awakener. I can dig my way out.
Determined, Yohan clawed upward. But instead of soil, his fingers scraped against solid rock. He shoved harder, prying loose stones. Pebbles rained down... and then, to his horror, the space closed back in, the walls knitting shut. The pebbles remained, but his coffin grew smaller.
“Uhhhhn, I want out....”
Despairing, sobbing, Yohan hugged his weapon to his chest. By chance, the Eternal Stone brushed against the wall. A faint ripple of light spread across the rock, like water disturbed by a pebble.
“...What was that?”
Sniffling, Yohan blinked through tears. He jabbed his weapon’s tip into the wall. Again, the ripple spread silently. Heart pounding, he pressed his glowing hand, focused with purification power, against the wall.
The reaction that came was nothing short of astonishing.
