Chapter 23

“That… that’s impossible! And I don’t want revenge on those people!”

Moon Ah-rin stumbled back, flustered.

For a moment, the atmosphere had felt different between them. Was it just her imagination?

But whether it was Hayan who was strange, or her own feelings that were mistaken, she couldn’t tell. All she could do was shrink her voice smaller and smaller.

“Really? Think about when you were locked up here just now. Can you honestly say you didn’t feel even a shred of resentment?”

“Th-that’s…!”

“Look me in the eye and say it.”

“I-I get it, so please just—!”

The moment Hayan let go of her hand, he snapped his fingers lightly, and the truck door swung open.

Sunlight streamed through the trees, revealing the dazzling scenery of Mount Cheonsan.

As Ah-rin shielded her eyes from the glare, a sweet whisper tickled her ear.

“If we work together, even the collapse of the Red Tower cartel isn’t just a dream!”

Or maybe it was a devil’s whisper.

“Picture it. Branches of the White Tower standing tall across the world! Pillars of radiant light falling like divine punishment upon the demons’ heads!”

“No… the one who inherited White Magic… could never do something like that…”

“I’m not asking about doctrine. I’m asking about your pure magic, Ah-rin. Let me give you the power!”

Maybe it was her lifelong indecisiveness. Or maybe there was something strangely persuasive about Hayan’s words.

When she came back to her senses, she was already in the passenger seat of the truck.

Hayan sat beside her, humming a tune as he buckled his seatbelt. She asked timidly,

“S-so what exactly are you planning to do?”

“Revenge. We’re going to make your teammates regret what they did by showing them how brightly you can shine in this training.”

“Then why are you starting the engine? You don’t even have the keys!”

“Oh, this? The truck was built with magitech. The engine and control system both respond to mana signals. If you dig into the Channel properly, you can… like this.”

She didn’t understand a word he said, but the engine really started.

For someone like her—still stuck at Lower Level even after two years—it was an impossible sight.

“A-amazing…”

“I’ve had similar experience before, so it was easy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, right… that was a memory that doesn’t exist. Forget it! Anyway, shall we head out?”

He seemed a little unhinged.

The truck rumbled forward, bouncing over the mountain roads toward the battlefield.

Their first stop was a dense forest, its trees made of steel from roots to leaves.

Up ahead, mages from Division 4 crouched behind a Magical Siege Turret, trapped on a hill and barely fending off Division 3’s assault.

Surrounded on all sides, they had no choice but to rely on bombardment from the sky.

Even as the explosions thundered in his ears, Hayan shifted gears calmly.

“They say the winner of this training is whichever side captures more of the three strongholds.”

“Y-yes!”

“Then we’ll circle around and distribute the supplies. Since the iron dust makes it hard to see, use your wings to light the way.”

“Got it… w-wait! Someone’s ahead!”

Between the trees, a Special Unit soldier with a spear suddenly stepped into their path.

Ah-rin gripped the handle beside her head, bracing for a sudden stop.

But instead of slowing, the truck accelerated.

“Wait, you—! Ughk!”

“Oh, my mistake.”

“Hayan!”

Was that someone he knew?

The man tried to say something, but the truck slammed into him. A barrage of magic followed, finishing him off.

Ah-rin felt the wheels thump over something, her face turning pale.

“Um… I should’ve asked earlier, but… you do have a license, right?”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s not an answer!”

Despite her fears, the truck darted through the battlefield at incredible speed.

Every time something squirmed inside Hayan’s robe and nudged the gears or pedals, the truck veered neatly between trees, dodging spells and crushing enemies alike.

When they finally burst into the first stronghold, Ah-rin staggered out of the vehicle, clutching her stomach.

But as she lifted her head, the gazes that met her were nothing short of reverent.

“We broke through?”

“I thought we were finished for sure.”

“Ah-rin, thank you!”

“N-no, it wasn’t me…”

She tried to give Hayan the credit, but he didn’t even step out of the driver’s seat.

Through the tinted glass, she could see him still flipping through the grimoire, plotting their next route.

So she threw herself into the work—distributing food and water, tending the wounded, even attempting emergency repairs on the Magical Siege Turret.

By the time she collapsed back into the truck, breathing hard, she’d forgotten all about the exhaustion.

For the first time in a long while, she felt useful. She felt alive.

“H-Hayan, it’s all finished.”

“Then let’s head to the next one.”

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. I didn’t get the chance to say it earlier.”

She gave her thanks carefully.

She didn’t know about revenge, but just being able to help others made her happy.

And Hayan—despite being from another division—had been so earnest about the training that he’d even fought his own comrades with tears in his eyes. She still remembered how he’d secretly wiped them away after running over that spear-wielding Awakened.

“Man, driving is more tiring than I thought. So sleepy.”

“A-are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Either way, I’m glad I could help.”

“After this training ends, if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. We can even take missions together…!”

Summoning her courage, she handed him her smartwatch ID.

When the friend request notification chimed, she happily opened his profile.

The description was bizarre, and the nickname incomprehensible, but his peer evaluations were more impressive than anyone she’d ever seen.

‘He’s even more amazing than I thought…’

While Ah-rin admired him in silence, Hayan popped a stick of anti-sleep gum from the console into his mouth and gripped the wheel again.

“I should be thanking you.”

Even though she hadn’t given him anything yet.

For hours after that, she and Hayan drove from one stronghold to the next.

The circular training zone stretched around a massive mountain peak, and they’d already crossed more than half of it.

Divisions 3 and 4 were still evenly matched, but as the sun set, the balance began to tip.

Under the cover of night, unidentified Awakened cut off supply lines and sabotaged the turrets.

『Damn it, the enemy’s pressure is too much!』

『Siege turret disabled! Retreating from Team 2’s stronghold!』

『Hey, these guys aren’t Division 3! They’re just swinging swords around!』

『Knew it. At least try to put some effort into your disguise, you bastards!』

No doubt The Old Gods’ Wound was pulling strings from behind the scenes.

It didn’t sound like Yoo Se-byeol had asked them for help, but she couldn’t stop them from doing as they pleased.

I opened the grimoire Cheon So-baek had given me yet again.

Her request was simple: interpret the chapter and inscribe the magic circle somewhere in the mountains to bind the Tartaruga.

She would activate the circle herself, as long as I prepared the groundwork and kept it hidden until the Gate opened.

Which meant I’d spent the entire day racing across the battlefield, exhausted but still not done.

“There it is! The Savior’s Truck!”

“Get them!”

A mob charged after the truck glowing white from the windshield.

Word had spread across the mountains—Division 4’s supplies were moving on one truck, smashing through enemies and ramming anyone in the way.

Between driving and fending off swordsmen in the dark, even three arms weren’t enough.

If I were alone, I’d just make thirty tentacles and be done with it. But with Moon Ah-rin beside me, I couldn’t.

“It’s dangerous! We’ve crossed into Division 3’s territory! We have to turn back—”

“They’re herding us this way. Not easy to escape. But don’t worry, we’re still on the right track.”

I twisted the wheel and scattered mana around me.

By hijacking the Channels, I could eavesdrop on Division 3’s communications and slip through the encirclement.

The moment I tapped in, a clear voice—free of interference—flowed into my ear.

It was Yoo Se-byeol’s grumbling.

『Why now, of all times… I told them not to get tangled with The Old Gods’ Wound…』

『But isn’t it helping us? If not for that, we’d have been overrun ages ago with Hayan stuck on the other side.』

『Wh-why are you bringing him up? I don’t care what he’s doing right now…!』

『They say the one driving the Savior’s Truck is Hayan.』

The “Savior’s Truck”—that’s what the Special Unit soldiers had started calling this supply vehicle in Mount Cheonsan.

Because of Moon Ah-rin’s radiant wings, the glowing truck looked like salvation itself.

Usually, an Awakened earned their epithet around Middle Level, and often through large-scale battles like this.

Of course, this was just training, and the nickname was for the truck, not me. But Yoo Se-byeol still sounded pleased.

『He’s been tearing things up out there.』

『R-really? I-I wasn’t expecting much, but it seems he’s doing well!』

『He even shook off The Old Gods’ Wound’s pursuers. Should be out of our territory soon. Do we just let him go?』

『Well~ since he’s working hard… maybe this time—』

Oh? Was she actually going to let me go?

Just a bit further, and I’d reach the destination.

I pressed the accelerator, excitement bubbling up.

But then another bit of intercepted chatter cut in.

『Oh, and apparently there’s a girl riding with him.』

『Chase them to the end and smash them.』

A cold execution order.

At the same time, a massive silhouette appeared in the distance, growing larger by the second.

A bare-chested figure in Special Unit uniform pants, crimson aura billowing above his head.

Axes in both hands, Alexei cleaved down entire trees as he charged straight toward me.

“Ku-hahaha! Brother! I’ve been waiting for this day!”

I lifted my smartwatch to check the time.

Unfortunately, if I wanted today’s plan to succeed, I had no time to fight Alexei.

Watching him barrel forward like a beast, I grabbed Moon Ah-rin’s head and shouted as I floored the accelerator.

“Duck! Wings too!”

“Huh? Kyaaah!”

Glass shattered. The sound of metal tearing like paper filled my ears.

One swing of his axes had ripped the truck’s roof clean off.

“It’s not me you’re after, brother! Until next time!”

Thankfully, the cargo hold was empty now. By not slowing down, I managed to barrel right past Alexei.

After making sure he vanished into the distance, I pulled the battered truck onto a quiet hill and stopped.

Opening the mangled door, I turned to her.

“Wh-why? We were almost there…”

“Get out.”

“What?!”

“Hurry. Switch to this seat.”

She flinched, checking that her wings hadn’t been severed, then scrambled over into the driver’s seat.

I pointed down the road leading back to where we first started.

“Soon the whole mountain will shake. Wait at the stronghold. When I call, come pick me up here.”

“What about you, Hayan?”

“I have something to take care of. They’re waiting, so go on.”

“But—Ah!”

A small tentacle hidden at my feet pressed the accelerator, sending the truck lurching forward.

As Ah-rin grabbed the wheel in a panic, I watched her go.

Stretching, I drew in a long breath.

I’d spent more than twelve hours tearing across the battlefield with heightened senses, weaving magic and tentacles between it all.

Even after flooding the ground with mana, I still had plenty left. This Earth… or rather, this Mount Cheonsan, truly was something special.

So it was only natural that someone would come, displeased by my reckless trampling of the sacred land of swordsmen.

『Fear not.』

“I’d rather not give it my all against someone who isn’t even an Archduke. But you always have to assume the worst.”

Two lessons I’d learned in the Demon Realm:

Always bring your opener when entering a Gate. ¹

And never forget—carelessness and ignorance mean a short life.

“I know you’ve been tailing me, old man. Come out already.”

“Well, well…”

My hand brushed the opener in my pocket as I muttered quietly.

“You’ve brought something nasty into my mountain.”

And this time, it wasn’t just me talking to myself.

An elderly man stepped out from behind a tree.