Free Web NovelJoo Hoyoung had gone far and returned with beef, and after simmering the bones into thick broth and feasting on it for days, Yohan finally regained his strength.
But what was that...? Did I dream all of it while I was unconscious?
Cradling his spear—thankfully preserved by Lee Chanha—Yohan polished it carefully, lost in thought. He remembered how the core of the Abyss had collapsed, and then Lee Hyunmook had swallowed up all of them, Yohan included. After that, until he awoke again by the briny lake, he had remained inside Hyunmook.
Or so it seemed. The darkness, the emptiness, his crying, his crawling... the memories he received through the Eternal Stone, and then, and then.... Yohan’s face went pale, then flushed crimson. Dreamlike, yet not a dream. The strange, indecent memories flashed in his mind, and when he glanced at Hyunmook, he found the man gazing quietly back. Yohan’s face turned red all over again.
“Are you still unwell?”
“M-maybe a little....”
When Hyunmook gently reached out to check his forehead, Yohan answered in a tiny voice, then hurried to change the subject.
“Anyway... what about the cave?”
“It collapsed completely. No trace of an entrance left.”
Seo Yakrin, who had been making near-daily attempts to commune with the Eternal Stone mountain, shrugged. They had expected as much, but it was still disappointing. With Yohan’s condition nearly recovered, the group began preparing to move on.
“We need to start farming again.”
Yoon Seungryong sounded anxious as he noted their dwindling stores of vegetables and fruit. Perhaps because they were near the salt lake, even the toughened seeds they had planted failed to grow well. And truthfully, the recent state of things made farming unsustainable.
“Oh, then where should we go? Want to head to the Reed Sea? I know that place like the back of my hand.”
“Are you crazy? Back to that dark, desolate place? Obviously we should go to a city zone.”
Yoon Seungryong protested, and though it felt unkind toward Seo Yakrin, Yohan silently agreed. However dilapidated, ruined buildings were still easier to live in than the wilderness. Stepping between the two as their bickering grew sharper, Yohan suggested,
“Then, shall we get moving soon?”
“Wait!” Seo Yakrin cut in hurriedly.
“Let me try one last time to talk with the Eternal Stone. I want to ask it for a recommendation for a better place to live.”
“You’ve gotten close enough to get moving recommendations now?”
Joo Hoyoung grinned, amused. After several days of rest, the group’s spirits had improved. And perhaps the Abyss itself had truly grown lighter—physically and mentally, recovery was swifter than before.
Before leaving, Yoon Seungryong gathered a pile of shellfish. They grilled some while waiting for Seo Yakrin, but communing with the Eternal Stone was nothing like a human conversation, so it took longer than expected. By the time they were roasting enormous shrimp, Seo Yakrin finally returned.
“I got new information.”
“What information?”
Without much interest, Yoon Seungryong asked while salting the colossal shrimp in his hands. Seo Yakrin snatched up one still piping hot from the grill, popped it into his mouth shell and all, chewed barely twice before swallowing, and said:
“A new zone will appear soon. Do you know where?”
A new land? Surprised, Yohan, who had been quietly purifying him out of habit, lifted his head. Even Hyunmook looked over. Seo Yakrin declared triumphantly:
“Near the Korean zone.”
* * *
“A new zone already? Does that make sense?”
“Is it a trap?”
“It didn’t feel like a trap.”
The party huddled together, murmuring. Yohan, alternating between Seungryong and Hyunmook feeding him peeled shrimp, tilted his head.
“Already, though? Doesn’t the Abyss usually swallow a new place once every few months?”
It had been ten years since the Abyss first appeared. The Earth was rotting, gnawed through like a carcass. Rifts were one thing, but the places consumed entirely by the Abyss every few months, never to be restored, were another. Countless people had died, vast lands erased—an escalating disaster. Given more time, it was inevitable: not just humans but all life would struggle to survive here.
And Yohan had already been trapped here over a year. To him, it seemed entirely possible enough time had passed for a new zone to appear. Hearing ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) this, Joo Hoyoung pursed his lips into an O.
“Oh.”
Then Yoon Seungryong, still not finished eating, peeled another shrimp and pressed it into Yohan’s hands.
“I mean it’s too soon for the Korean zone to appear.”
“Ah, right. That’s true.”
Yohan nodded. The Abyss never devoured only one region, but gnawed evenly here and there. Since he himself had fallen with the Korean zone just over a year ago, it should take several more years before another region was swallowed. The party murmured again.
“Maybe it’s because we dealt it such a heavy blow this time. It urgently needs new nourishment.”
“Could be. That means Earth may become even more dangerous.”
“Who cares about Earth! Let’s go right away!”
Joo Hoyoung, nervously biting his nails, jumped up. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“If we’re lucky... we might get out!”
At that, Yohan remembered what Hoyoung had once said about the Abyss’s disguises—how sometimes, after swallowing too much, the land would be spat back out for a few days before vanishing again. Lee Chanha gave a bitter smile and said,
“It could happen... but don’t expect too much. It won’t be.”
“Well, yeah, but still....”
Hoyoung’s shoulders slumped. Never expect too much. Always assume failure. They all repeated this phrase like a mantra, burned into them by countless disappointments. Each time, Yohan felt both sorrow and pity.
“With a new zone, we could scavenge plenty of supplies.”
Excited already, Yoon Seungryong shifted restlessly. Yohan, recalling the treasures they’d found in the Korean zone—like that chocolate bar—felt anticipation stir in his chest. Maybe this time he could even find cola, fizzy and sweet....
“So, leader, what’s the plan?”
After hearing all the opinions, Lee Chanha asked in a calm voice. Hyunmook, who had listened quietly all along, nodded.
“There’s no reason not to go, and no reason to stay here. We leave right away.”
“But if it’s a ruined city, it’ll take a long time to reach.”
Yohan’s expression darkened. They had already crossed the ruined city, the jungle zone, Japan, the Reed Sea, and the high mountains before reaching this salt lake zone. To think of going back to the mountain again for fresh water—facing the herds of goats, the endless climbing—it was daunting. Then Seo Yakrin suddenly raised his head.
“Let’s cut through the Black Mountain. That way we don’t have to circle back. And what if we just fly the whole way?”
Yohan remembered how Seo Yakrin had powered them through the Reed Sea by telekinesis. He looked toward the so-called Black Mountain, now a ridge of Eternal Stone glowing in rainbow pastel hues, no longer black at all. The thought of not having to walk endlessly was temptingly sweet. Yet he worried aloud:
“But if you use telekinesis that long, your contamination will rise.”
“Then that’s even better! From there I can just use wings and fly. After the mess I made last time, I think I’ve figured out how.”
Was that so? If they flew, they’d avoid monster ambushes, almost like taking a plane. Except for Seungryong’s distaste, everyone seemed in favor. Even Hyunmook nodded, saying:
“It’ll be good training for Yakrin.”
So, after finishing their meal, the party packed. Not that packing took long—Seungryong stuffed everything into his “pouch.” Finding a massive tree, they carved it into a rough boat large enough for them all.
Seo Yakrin lifted the boat with his telekinesis. Then they soared swiftly across the Black Mountain. From above, the Eternal Stone sparkled more beautifully than ever. As they flew, Yohan thought back with emotion to when they had crossed the Reed Sea in the same way.
