n

n

nAfter listening to everything, Jaehwan asked, “…End all Cultivation?”

n“Yes, that’s what he said. He was one of a kind.”

nJaehwan continued asking questions. “The expedition. Was it successful?”

n“You can say it was. I had to stop by the entrance of but Mulack did manage to reach the top of Tree of Imagery.”

n“How do you know that?”

n“Because Fruits began to drop from the branch.”

nChunghuh remembered watching the fruit dropping from the skies. The golden meteors that would surely give hope back to the people.

n“I guess you can say it was lucky. All expedition team members returned with an armful of fruits.”

n“I see.”

nBut that was weird. If the expedition was successful and they acquired the Fruit, why was this old man still in ? That’s when Claire jumped in.

n“Don’t lie old man. The expedition was successful?”

nChunghuh cackled. “I was wondering when you would interrupt.”

n“That expedition failed. You know that.”

n“…What do you know when you weren’t even born yet?”

nClaire frowned and moved to serve the other tables. Chunghuh gulped down another cup of beer.

n“What do you mean?”

n“It’s as she said. The expedition failed.”

n“Didn’t you just say it succeeded?”

n“It succeeded in getting the Fruit.”

nIt meant something happened when they returned to .

n“There were some waiting for the team at the entrance of .”

nThey were the strongest who resided in the Great Lands for a long time, but they were the ones who never dared to venture into the .

n“It was the Lords and the Elders of the Renowned families.”

nChunghuh spoke angrily. It was hundreds of years ago but he still remembered it very clearly.

n“The expedition had Masters of fortresses and leaders of Ten-Clan. However, all of them together was no match against them. Not even close.”

n“And your Fruits were taken away.”

nChunghuh drank again.

n“They still use the Fruit even to this day to be revived if they die. They even have a place called where they can revive. All of them go to that place if they die and wait for their turn to be revived.”

n“…I see.”

n“ is only the part of the Great Lands. The ones who are allowed to a normal life are not us.”

nJaehwan looked around the streets again. The world had a thing called Fruit and that would allow them to be revived. But it was so far from them. That was why they were all in despair, as this old man was.

n“Oh, and what happened to Mulack?”

nJaehwan had forgotten about Mulack while talking so he asked. Chunghuh did not answer so Jaehwan turned to Chunghuh.

n“Hey, old man.”

nHe fell asleep on the table. Wasn’t he the one who said people here could get drunk? Why did he pass out?

n“It’s no use. Old man really gets drunk.”

nClaire spoke as she cleaned the dishes.

n“…Get drunk?”

n“I don’t know why, but he gets drunk when he drinks.”

nJaehwan looked closely Chunghuh’s face. It was the face of a man who had lived for thousands of years. Maybe in his thousand years of fake lives, he had found way to fake reality.

n“You had a question about Mulack?”

nJaehwan became surprised at the voice.

n“…You know about him too?”

n“Everyone in Gorgon Fortress knows about Depth Expedition Team. It’s the story that old man always tells when he’s drunk.”

nClaire sighed and continued.

n“That Nightmare is gone.”

n“Gone?”

n“No one saw him after the expedition was over.”

nClaire paused for a moment and continued, “I think the Nightmare did say something to the old man before he disappeared…”

n“What is it?”

n“What was it? Hmm…”

nClaire thought as she rubbed the dishes for some time and mumbled as she remembered it.

n“I have failed.”

nThe accent seemed so realistic that Jaehwan almost thought this woman was Mulack himself.

n“Yeah, that was it. I have failed. That’s what he said.”

nI have failed… Jaehwan could guess what it meant. Mulack had reached the end of the Depth and acquired Fruits, but he failed to stop Cultivation.

n“Is that it?”

n“Hm… there was one more….”

nClaire didn’t seem to remember and then someone slumped down on the chair next to them. It was one of the drunk men that was fighting a while ago.

n“Ha, this old man is drunk again.”

nJaehwan felt the face was familiar. As he looked more closely, he realized that it was the guard that he got into a quarrel with at the gate a few days ago.

n‘Was it James?’

nClaire spoke. “Hey, drunkard.”

n“What.”

n“Do you know what Nightmare Mulack said before he disappeared?”

n“Mulack? The crazy Nightmare who said he would stop the Cultivation?”

n“Yeah.”

n“Wasn’t that a fake story that the old man made up? There’s no such Nightmare.”

nJames was then struck with a pan then mumbled on what he knew.

n“I have failed but not completely… was this what you talking about?”

n“Yeah, that.”

n“Dammit, that hurts. So, why did you ask?”

n“The one next to you was curious about it.”

nJames then glanced at Jaehwan.

n“Oh. We’ve met.”

n“…”

n“I was looking for you. To think about all the trouble I went through because of you…”

nJames mumbled as he gritted. It looked like Jaehwan would be involved in another annoying problem, but James suddenly said something that was unexpected.

n“Thank for what you did today.”

nJames didn’t look at Jaehwan as he spoke.

n“It’s about the captain. He would’ve died if it wasn’t for you.”

nAn awkward moment passed and James took the cup Chunghuh was drinking and gulped it down.

n“Madam, I’ll pay for him. How much is it?”

n“Get lost. I wasn’t thinking of getting paid by him anyway.”

n“Oh, you wanted to say thanks too?”

n“Get lost.”

nJames stood up as he ranted.

n“Hey, whatever you do, come by the North Gate when you come into Gorgon next time. I won’t ask for certification from now on.”

nHe turned back and added with a small voice, “Oh, but don’t let the Captain know.”

nJames walked away. Claire began chopping ingredients and Chunghuh began snoring loudly. The sound of food being made to fill non-existent hunger and the sound of tasteless beer drinking filled the area.

nA world with no hope. A world without real things, filled with people who pretend to be real.

n‘What is this feeling?’

nJaehwan could not understand what he felt. It was very strange. Then he saw someone running to him.

n‘The commander?’

nHe was sweeping the street with his men like a madman.

n“Doctor! Where are you! Doctor!”

nThe commander then found Jaehwan and Chunghuh and ran to them while panting.

n“…You were with him also?”

nThe commander bowed and glanced at Chunghuh.

n“Dammit, that’s why he didn’t answer. Doctor, wake up!”

nThe doctor didn’t wake up and Jaehwan asked, “What is it?”

n“The Master went berserk all of a sudden. He only does it once a week, but…”

nIt seemed something had happened regarding the Master of the fortress that only Chunghuh could solve. Then, an explosion was heard within the keep and the commander turned pale.

n“No…!”

nThe powerful and ominous energy source was stronger than Janya’s. It was stronger than any force Jaehwan had faced until now. He narrowed his eyes.

n‘So, the master was in that state.’

nHe had guessed when he heard Euren asking to him to save his ‘Master’.

n‘Below the keep… is it underground?’

nJaehwan looked into the keep with Suspicion. It looked weird. It felt like the keep was shaped like a giant stomach of a monster. Deep below lied something dark. It was a dark figure that his Suspicion could not read. A monster with tentacles and a giant mouth. Jaehwan knew what it was immediately.

n‘…Dead Man.’

nThe Master of Gorgon Fortress was morphing into a Dead Man.

nSomething terrible was about to be born.

n