Entering Exorsus (1)

The campsite was filled only with the occasional cries of the logs burning away.

Neither Lee Hyo-ju, who turned back time, nor I had much to say. It was I who broke the silence first.

“Do you have more to say?”

I could sense Hyo-ju’s restless movements behind me as we sat in front of the campfire.

In the past, I would have been full of concern, asking what was wrong, but I spoke in an unusually calm tone. Without even turning around.

“So… um… I-I’m sorry.”

“Did you turn back time just to apologize to me? That must be overwhelming for you now, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes? H-how did you know…?!”

I turned roughly to look at Lee Hyo-ju, my gaze intimidating.

With 31 years of experience on the battlefield, Lee Hyo-ju couldn’t question how I recognized her power, overwhelmed by my eyes that had seen chaos.

She just trembled her lips, struggling to suppress her fear.

“Lee Hyo-ju, the representative of Time. Do you have any idea how extraordinary it is to handle ‘time’?”

“…Hng.”

“Gods who have shown true loyalty to the Creator for ages, some even say they are gods who love the Creator. The powers entrusted to such true loyalists by the Creator are never ordinary. ‘Time’ and ‘Space’, ‘Life’ and ‘Death’. The four elemental spirit kings. What do you think they have in common?”

“…….”

“The so-called gods cannot ‘completely’ escape it. Even Heavenly and Demonic Gods are subject to the flow of time and remain within space. They live and die. Without fire? Without water? Could even a god endure? You possess such a power that even gods cannot avoid.”

“Ugh…”

“If you continue to act as cluelessly as you do now, you’ll only be used by others and meet a miserable end. So, as the representative of Aetas, the Goddess of Time, from Earth, Lee Hyo-ju, always think and act. Don’t reveal your power recklessly and keep a low profile until you can handle the power of other representatives by yourself. As a fellow Earthling, one more piece of personal advice: it’s best for you not to disclose that you are the representative of Time. Just like when you feigned ignorance at Unos’s question.”

It started with annoyance at the current clueless state of Lee Hyo-ju, unlike her previous self, but regardless of how it ended, it concluded with sincere advice, considering Lee Hyo-ju, a comrade of 25 years on the battlefield.

“…Alright. So… So please take me with you.”

Did she sense that my tone had softened? Or did she realize something from my words? She firmly requested to accompany me, albeit in a small voice.

Only then did I fully accept one fact.

Lee Hyo-ju didn’t speak with insults from start to finish. She was neither harsh nor malicious, nor did she torment me.

Perhaps it was a turning point for her, something that might have happened if I hadn’t appeared.

Three men and one bystander—the fact that a completely different Lee Hyo-ju stood before me, one who hadn’t suffered an indelible wound as an individual, was something I decided to accept.

Then, a sudden question arose.

‘Then why did she love Unos?’

“The woman and the man you want dead won’t die for a while. They’re experimental subjects with things to be extracted and tested. And that man, the one who subtly carries the scent of water, I’ll be taking him along too. Do you still want me to take you?”

“…Yes. I will become stronger and take my revenge myself.”

A completely different Lee Hyo-ju from before. Is the naive Lee Hyo-ju trying to change a little? That’s something to watch.

“Alright. Let’s move.”

After that, we moved at a much faster pace than the previous group.

My strength and stamina stats allowed me to drag two humans by their heads without feeling any discomfort.

Of course, those being dragged were scraped and hit the ground at tremendous speed, repeatedly fainting and waking, but it wasn’t my concern.

Moreover, as a representative endowed with power, they had a certain toughness that didn’t let their heads come off just by being kicked by rocks or caught on tree roots, which made dragging them quite enjoyable for me.

The journey that began before dawn didn’t stop even when night fell.

The thought that they might give up if it got too hard, or rather, the expectation that Arun or Lee Hyo-ju might give up, led me to decide on a forced march.

We only paused briefly to catch our breath or to satisfy hunger; the grueling march of the first day continued into the night without stopping.

After approximately 40 hours, I instructed the group to settle down and rest, and as soon as I spoke, Lee Hyo-ju and Arun collapsed from exhaustion.

During that time, I checked the messages I had postponed.

Hmm. Titles and effects I’ve never obtained or heard of before. I’m satisfied and pleased.

Especially Ruthless. This title seems to precisely indicate the path I’m heading towards, making me even more content.

Even after the first night of rest, we continued to move at a rapid pace. I ran using my pure physical abilities, while Hyo-ju and Arun barely managed to keep up with the help of Arun’s magical power.

Regardless of whether they could keep up, I firmly grasped the hair of the two and ran swiftly.

In doing so, we covered a distance that would have taken about two weeks at the leisurely pace of Unos’s group in just three full days.

By late lunch, when the sun began to descend from the middle of the sky towards the west, the unique, subtle silver walls of Exorsus came into view.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Huff… Huff huff…”

“Hah hah…”

Feeling a bit guilty and concerned about the rough breathing behind me, I hurriedly walked towards the castle gate.

“Uh, halt! Your identity…”

“I am a Delegate.”

“A-a Delegate? You mean a representative of the gods?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

One of the surprised guards went off to find someone, while the remaining guard, not knowing what to do, fidgeted nervously and watched me closely.

Especially the way he glanced at the two men and women being dragged by their hair on the ground, as if finding it hard to believe that a representative of the gods they worship would do such a thing.

Soon, unlike the guards at the gate, a man in iron armor quickly ran towards the gate.

Upon arrival, he looked at me and my surroundings, unable to hide his surprise.

“Indeed… you are a divine representative. Congratulations. You are the first to arrive. It might be the shortest record in history!”

Huh? There hasn’t been a faster Delegate?

In my previous life, I was wretched and lacking ability, avoiding monsters, but even the monstrous Delegates I can think of could have arrived in a day!

“I’m the first to arrive?”

“Yes. Historically, no one has arrived in less than a week.”

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

Unintentionally, I voiced my inner thoughts in a situation I couldn’t understand.

I shook my head, pondering, but there was no way to find out. I’d have to ask Ludicer about this later.

“Oh! My forgetfulness! I apologize, please come in. Welcome to Exorsus, representative of the gods.”

“Welcome!”

“Welcome!”

As I entered Exorsus, I was greeted by two guards and someone who appeared to be the head of security.

At the same time, a message appeared.

‘Oh.’

The head of security, who was leading the way, guided us to a building visible on the right as soon as we passed through the castle gate.

The building, which seemed like one the security team would use, looked no different inside. It was quite spacious, possibly because it was the head of security’s room, but it was rather barren.

As soon as we entered the head of security’s room, I dumped the two pieces of trash in one corner and chose one of the chairs placed around a rather long table to sit in.

When Hyo-ju and Arun sat next to me, the head of security personally brought out tea and sat across from us.

“First of all, welcome once again to Exorsus, the city of beginnings! This is a historic event in the history of the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’!!”

“Indeed. Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“Here, this is a registration certificate that allows you to request skill transfer from anyone living in Exorsus. Regardless of who they are or how strong or weak they are, you can receive a skill ‘transfer’ by showing this certificate. An additional one is given to the three of you who arrived first. Here…”

I received two yellow, elongated pieces of paper, shaped like the old subway tickets.

Even after we three collected our registration certificates, the head of security seemed to have more to say, hesitantly opening his mouth.

“Um, sir… those people…”

“Yes, they’re representatives, but not my allies. Rather, you could say they’re my enemies. And they’ll probably die soon.”

“St-still… according to the ‘rules’ given by the oracle, we must issue the registration cards as a basic procedure.”

Surprised by my statement about their impending death, the head of security wiped the sweat off his forehead and reluctantly mentioned the oracle.

I understood that for the people of the continent, the ‘settings,’ which were equivalent to the voice of the gods, couldn’t be ignored.

When I extended my hand, the head of security, momentarily bewildered, quickly realized and, with a cautious demeanor, placed two yellow registration cards onto my palm.

Standing up, I slipped one registration card into each of the two’s clothes in front of the head of security, who then bowed with a relieved and satisfied expression.

Leaving the brief incident behind, I dragged the two by their heads and exited the guard building.

Then, the head of security hurriedly approached from behind and suggested we take a carriage pulled by two horses.

Noticing his gaze directed at Unos and Katarina, I nodded with a wry smile.