The next morning, nineteen knights from the Funeer Knights set out from the palace. The monsters they needed to kill were Chimera and Harpies. Both were formidable opponents.
The area where the two types of monsters appeared was a mountain called Shabri Mountain, about ten days’ ride from the palace. The region was reputed to be rugged and challenging.
On the afternoon of the tenth day since leaving the palace, Lee Hwan ordered an early rest. Everyone, including the horses, had surely reached their limits due to the long journey.
The knights made minimal preparations for camping, showing signs of fatigue. In contrast, Lee Hwan, who remained relatively unfazed, strolled around as if taking a leisurely walk. As he expected, Absalom revealed himself.
“Thank you for going through the trouble of finding it.”
Absalom didn’t pretend to have encountered Lee Hwan by chance. Nonetheless, Lee Hwan had to keep his identity hidden, so he wore a cloak with no distinctive patterns, concealing his uniform.
Suddenly, Lee Hwan found the situation amusing. After avoiding Lucian throughout the palace, here he was meeting Absalom as if welcoming him. Chuckling at his own irony, Lee Hwan quickly dismissed the thought.
Meeting Absalom was merely a means to an end for Lee Hwan – a way to escape this place.
“You found me…”
Absalom silently scrutinized Lee Hwan’s face, his deep blue eyes examining him thoroughly.
“It means the investigation is over.”
With his hand in the cuff of his sleeve, Absalom took out a folded piece of paper just as Lee Hwan reached for it. Absalom then tucked the paper back into his sleeve.
“What’s this?”
“If you want something from a merchant, isn’t it customary to pay a price?”
A sly smile painted Absalom’s graceful face, as if anyone could see through the charade. Lee Hwan responded slowly.
“…Weren’t dressing well, eating well, and sleeping well enough?”
“That’s a condition. Payment is different.”
According to rumors, dragons hoard enormous treasures in their lairs. It was odd for a fugitive human, who would soon be in dire straits, to be asked for payment on such a topic. Lee Hwan stared challengingly at Absalom.
“What do you want?”
Their peculiar relationship was built on a strange balance of deceiving and being deceived. Unless one side revealed their hand first, the other had to feign ignorance. Thus, Absalom’s demands were limited to what Lee Hwan, ‘a mere soldier,’ could afford.
It could be gems or perhaps gold coins. Absalom responded as Lee Hwan waited for an answer.
“I can’t think of it right now. We’ll talk about it when we meet next.”
Thinking of Absalom’s mysterious ways, Lee Hwan pondered if dragons had a unique method of movement. Giving a chance to someone whose meeting time was uncertain was like leaping into the fire with a sieve. As Lee Hwan tightly sealed his lips, Absalom hastily added,
“I won’t ask for anything unreasonable.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“…Mlcf.”
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Within this inconspicuous piece of paper was the information he sought. Earth, home, parents, daily life—things he once wanted to regain at any cost.
Lee Hwan closed his eyes. The fact that things he once gave up were right in front of him didn’t quite register. Perhaps it was because he had lived too long, forsaking these things.
Opening his eyes again, Lee Hwan reached for the paper. The unique texture of the paper touched his fingertips. It wasn’t a dream or a fantasy; it was reality. The sensation of the paper reminded Lee Hwan of this fact.
Without further hesitation, he quickly read through the paper. Information about a total of six relics was written. Two of them were well-known in the world. And one of them—
Lee Hwan glanced down at the sword strapped to his waist. The paper detailed that the real Deus Telum, bestowed by Yela, was in the palace treasure vault.. What he initially dismissed as mere rumors and provocation turned out to be true. In a slightly agitated gesture, he tousled his hair.
Over a day had passed since he left in Palace. Now, returning was out of the question, and the palace treasure vault wasn’t a place just anyone could enter.
The decision whether to seize this opportunity and go to the palace to obtain the real Deus Telum or to turn attention to other relics was quickly reached.
Besides, the sword is already considered a pair with Lee Hwan. Even if he manages to obtain it somehow and uses it to flee, the spread of rumors if he is caught by someone would be instantaneous. Moreover, missing this opportunity would also be a problem.
The palace can be entered later, and if not, there are other relics. With that conclusion, Lee Hwan began reading about the next relic.
***
Upon arriving below Shabri Mountain, the knights disguised themselves in the nearby village to gather information. The monsters they had to face this time were Chimera and Harpies. Harpies was a flying type monster, so caution was needed when dealing with it.
After thorough preparations, the knights ventured into the mountain. Initially, the sounds of birds and insects filled the air, but as they delved deeper, it grew quieter, a sign that a dangerous presence lurked.
At the front, Lee Hwan silently halted his horse. The accompanying knights stopped in unison. Behind Lee Hwan, Ducre whispered.
“Shall we prepare?”
Lee Hwan nodded. As they moved forward, something suddenly emerged. The knights, who had been on high alert, stood ready.
However, what revealed itself was a small snake. A recent addition to the knights smirked and swung his sword, causing laughter.
“We were all on edge for nothing. Shoo away…!”
Thud!
The young knight’s blood splattered in all directions. However, he couldn’t even scream because his head was completely gone.
A lion, its jaws wrapped in armor, tore at the knight’s neck in a single bite, dripping blood from its fangs. Next to it, the head of a goat was attached, and from the snake’s mouth moments ago, laughter echoed, seemingly mocking the knights.
“Chimera!”
Someone shouted the monster’s name. As if responding to the call, the three heads opened their mouths wide. Simultaneously, countless shadows cast over the heads of the knights.
The upper body resembled a woman, while the lower body and wings were bird-like. The pale face peered down at the knights. The appearance of the half-human, half-bird monster Harpie was revealed.
Crossbows were loaded, and arrows found their mark in the harpies. Amidst the agonizing screams of the wounded harpies, the knights rushed forward, entangling them with ropes attached to thick wooden stakes. Every struggle of the harpies caused the arrowheads, shaped like hooks, to painfully dig into their flesh.
One of the crossbow arrows was equipped with a net. As the large net unfolded in the air, it covered the harpies. The more they fluttered their wings, the more entangled they became, causing several harpies to plummet to the ground.
On one side, knights were engaging Chimera. Although there were only five Chimera, due to the three-headed nature, it felt like they were fighting against a greater number.
After beheading the lion head of Chimera, Lee Hwan swiftly changed the direction of his sword and sliced through the goat head. The graceful movement, like flowing water, didn’t end there.
Thunk!
The Deus Telum Sword, which had pierced Chimera’s torso, reached the core. Sensing danger, The Chimera tried to escape, but Lee Hwan was faster. The core shattered, emitting black smoke.
“Kuk! Cough….”
Passing by the corpse of the slain Chimera, Lee Hwan coughed. Feeling a tickle, he involuntarily stopped his movements and wiped his mouth. It felt as if he had inhaled dust, but what flashed through his mind was the illness he had contracted before his return.
The illness that started with a similar cough had an unknown cause and name. However, there were similar diseases with mild symptoms that the children of this world easily overcame—something akin to chickenpox on Earth. Therefore, Lee Hwan speculated that the local disease had a severe impact on him, a foreigner.
It might already be progressing. Before the disease deepened, he had to return to Earth as soon as possible. Lee Hwan made up his mind to return.
Even as he pondered other thoughts in his mind, his body diligently continued to dispatch Chimera. Lee Hwan sliced through the second Chimera’s chest, breaking the core with the tip of his sword.
Now, only one Chimera remained. The fifteen harpies he initially counted had dwindled to five. Judging them as fifteen, they turned and began to flee.
“Chase them!”
Lee Hwan shouted briefly and spurred his horse, causing it to gallop.
The monsters fled towards the summit of the mountain. The path became narrower as they pursued, revealing a sheer cliff below. Nevertheless, the horse continued to charge fearlessly, guided by tight reins.
Horses are naturally timid creatures. In their true nature, they wouldn’t even think of chasing monsters like this. However, by covering the horse’s eyes, it became possible.
Lucian had taught Lee Hwan to do this, covering the horse’s eyes with a pretty smile, blocking its ears with kind words. As a result, Lee Hwan ended up playing into the royal intentions.
It won’t happen like that again.
As the path sharply turned, a hidden Harpies seized the opportunity and attacked Lee Hwan. Taking advantage of the distracting wings, another Harpies pushed Lee Hwan’s horse.
“Capture Them!”
Following them, Ducre’s voice echoed like a scream as he reached out his hand. However, rocks rained down on him. It was the harpies’ doing. Ducre retreated with a groan, while Lee Hwan had gone far beyond his reach.
A strong wind rose from the depths, making Lee Hwan’s cape flutter like a guide. The once shining silver armor quickly vanished into the darkness.
“Lord Alexander!”
Ducre howled, but only an echo mimicking his voice returned.
Lee Hwan raised the reins, hearing a name that didn’t feel like his own, even after using it for several years. The incident was memorable due to its shock, so he remembered it vividly. Striving for accuracy, he tried to move similarly to how he did then, and the result wasn’t bad. Even the falling rocks remained unchanged.
Before the regression, he had fallen into the middle of the cliff. Still, thanks to branches caught along the way, the speed of the fall decreased, preventing significant injuries. However, what really mattered came next. Falling rocks covered Lee Hwan. As a result, his back was completely crushed, and various bones were broken.
This time will be different.
Lee Hwan swung away the rocks. Despite the constrained movement due to the fall, he somehow managed.
Still, he wanted to live. He briefly reflected on that.
At the moment of striking the rock, Lee Hwan was unaware that it altered the trajectory of his fall. He opened his eyes to the rapidly approaching river. He was still wearing his armor and cape, and if he continued like this, he would plunge into the river’s depths.
Urgently, he untied the cape, cut the straps securing the armor with his sword, and discarded the helmet. Fortunately, he could still move in time. Lee Hwan breathed a sigh of relief with his lighter body.
As if mocking such thoughts, a Harpies approached. A foul odor emanated from its ashy wings. Lee Hwan raised his sword, but humans in the air were helpless.
In the dim air, crimson blood splattered. The harpy flew up, smiling satisfactorily.
Splash!
A massive ripple spread through the dark river. Lee Hwan struggled to regain his senses in the chilling water. Though he had no trauma from the fall due to the signs before regression, he didn’t want to end his second life in the same way.
He let go of the useless sword and moved his limbs. Despite the lack of air, he endured. Eventually, he tried to regain his composure in the dim light beyond the water’s surface.
Splash!
“Ugh! Ugh, ugh….”
As he thrust his head above the dark water, he gasped for breath. Though there was no trauma from the fall, he still experienced the impact of the Harpies attack. He barely moved his arms, enduring the shortage of breath. Finally, a faint light appeared beyond the water. Lee Hwan swam upwards with all his strength.
Splash!
“Ugh! Hah….”
As his head emerged from the water, he desperately inhaled. Was this how the first breath felt after being born? He thought the air had never tasted so sweet.
Struggling to move his stiff body, Lee Hwan managed to reach the shore. The Harpies’ attack on his back now felt numb. With great effort, he crawled to the bank, gasping for air, and couldn’t help but release a triumphant cheer.
“Hah… Finally!”
It was a victorious cry as his entire body finally rested on the ground. It became his last burst of energy. Lee Hwan lost consciousness right there.
***
In Greek mythology, a chimera was a monstrous fire-breathing creature usually depicted as a combination of lion, goat, and serpent. It had the body of a lion, the head of a goat protruding from its back, and a tail that ended with a serpent’s head. According to legend, it terrorized the lands of Lycia until it was slain by the hero Bellerophon, riding on the winged horse Pegasus. This myth symbolizes the triumph of civilization over wild nature.
In Greek mythology, harpies were winged spirits with the bodies of birds and the heads of women. They were known for their swift and vengeful nature, often depicted as tormentors or carriers of souls to the underworld. Harpies were associated with storm winds and were believed to snatch food or belongings, especially from those who had done wrong.
Thank you for the chapter <3
T.T wu wu wu he went through so much! Alone in a different world with nobody to trust and even being so madly deceived once!
The worst part being that he thought he had people he could trust wholeheartedly 😭