We Came To Help

The people stared at Ro-un as he walked through the light as though bewitched.
Ro-un, looking out at the people from within the light, looked like a messenger of God.
Wrapped in a gentle cluster of light, the people couldn’t take their eyes off the white-haired Saint gazing toward them.

“Lee Ro-un.”
“The Saint.”
“The Saint is here.”
“Oh. Dear God.”

Even if they couldn’t sense mana, they could feel the warmth of the light surrounding them.
At the appearance of God’s representative, the people instinctively called for God.
A Korean might not know who their district assemblyman was, but there was no way they wouldn’t know Lee Ro-un.

Step, step.

Ro-un walked into the chaotically tangled crowd.
Under the light Ro-un spread, people’s injuries were being healed without them even realizing it.
Passing the people who could only stare blankly at him, Ro-un crouched in front of the child who had lost hold of a parent’s hand.

Rustle, sweep.

He pulled the child to their feet and brushed the dust from their body.
As Ro-un’s hand passed over them, the scraped wounds vanished as though erased.
At the sight, which looked like time being turned back, the people let out low murmurs of amazement.

“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”

After checking that the child had no more scratches, Ro-un lifted them into his arms.
When the child was gathered into the Saint’s arms, the people bursted in cheers.

“Waaah!”
“It’s real.”
“The Saint appeared.”
“We’re saved. We’re going to live now.”

Expectation, hope, and relief spread through the crowd like contagion.
At a scene that looked fit for a cathedral mural, the people shook off the terror of nearly dying when the suddenly appeared passage collapsed and regained the will to live.
Ro-un swept his gaze across the people whose mood had changed, then stopped in one place.

“You’re this child’s parents, right?”
“Yes, yes!”
“That’s right. That’s our child.”
“Yu-seong!”
“Mom!”

Ro-un stood with the child in his arms and returned them to the parents, who came pushing through the crowd in tears.

“Don’t let go again.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Th-thank you.”

Passing by the parents who kept bowing their heads, Ro-un swept his gaze from left to right.
A strange fervor quickly kindled in the people who met Ro-un’s gaze.

“A barrier-type Awakener is holding the passage off. Support will arrive soon as well. If you keep order and evacuate to the shelter, the Awakeners will deal with the passage.”
“Yes. We will!”
“Understood.”
“We believe in you!”

The people’s attitude toward Ro-un was almost like fanaticism.
Bearing the pressure of that blind faith weighing heavily on his shoulders, Ro-un calmly guided the people toward the shelter.

“The shelter is over there. Move carefully so no one gets hurt. I will make absolutely sure none of you are harmed.”
“The shelter is that way!”
“Parents with children, do not let go of them under any circumstances.”
“If anyone has trouble moving, please help them.”

Graceful beauties appeared from somewhere, helping those who had trouble moving and guiding people toward the shelter.
Perhaps because Ro-un had spread his Holy Power, the people’s fear noticeably lessened.
Once their panic settled, they began remembering the evacuation manual buried in the backs of their minds.

Flutter.

Under the Holy Power pouring down like a waterfall, Ro-un’s clothes fluttered even though there was no wind.
Ro-un decided to keep up the ridiculous appearance until the people finished evacuating.

‘I look like some kind of human light board, but there’s no helping it right now.’

It was ridiculous, but if it could calm people down, then he had no choice but to look like this.

‘This will end safely. No matter what happens, it will end safely.’

Ro-un repeated the thought like a spell.
Activating the additional effect of 【Healing Lv.6】, Wide-Area Healing, and spreading Holy Power wide like a lake, Ro-un watched the people evacuate.
Before he knew it, graceful beauties had entered his view, blending into the crowd and guiding the evacuation.

‘Are those people Proprietress Gu’s subordinates?’

Getting the same feeling from the graceful beauties directing the evacuation as he had from the attendants he saw at the Night Market, Ro-un finally let out a breath.
Standing in the flower field he had bloomed from light, Ro-un gauged the time.

Healing light spread out behind her.
Feeling that power even from outside the barrier, Gu So-ye glanced back.

‘Bringing Lee Ro-un was the right call.’

She could see the people who had been panicking calm down and evacuate in order.
A smile fit to be painted on silk curved at Gu So-ye’s lips as she elegantly cut down her enemies.

‘Even with the barrier up, I was worried whether we could get through this without anyone being hurt.’

It seemed bringing Lee Ro-un had been the answer.
Gu So-ye swung her sword lightly.

Chwaaak!

Gu So-ye cut down another one and traced an elegant circle.
Seen from above, it would have looked like a red flower blooming.
A red afterimage followed her movements, and the violet blood of the otherworld residents stretched like brushstrokes.
Moving like a painted figure, Gu So-ye calmly and coldly reviewed the information.

‘Someone asked for the ○○ Bank in Seocho-dong to be hit.’

It had been a piece of information that happened to come in a few days ago.
All rumors that entered the Night Market flowed to Gu So-ye.
Gu So-ye did not simply let words slip past just because they could have been overlooked.
The information kept gathering.

‘The erosion level of the passage owned by the Gangnam Alliance Guild is rising rapidly.’
‘The erosion level of the passage near Seocho-dong is rising at an unprecedented rate.’
‘If the passage is not cleared before the weekend ends, the passages may collapse in a chain reaction.’

Because of that, Seocho-dong had been left completely stripped of security.
It was interesting.

‘Almost as if someone deliberately wanted to empty this place out.’

As always, Gu So-ye had not let the rumors flowing into the Night Market pass by, and had instead pursued them relentlessly.

‘Someone deliberately emptied Seocho-dong out. And on top of that, they can manipulate the erosion level of passages.’

Based on that information, Gu So-ye reached one conclusion.

<A disaster like the ones from the early days of <Otherworld Upheaval> may strike Seocho-dong.>

Sudden passage.
It was a term that had all but fallen out of use.
It was a one-in-ten-thousand chance, but the damage that one chance could leave behind would be immense.

‘Still, it’s fortunate the Saint happened to come. Thanks to that, we should be able to prevent any loss of life.’

Humans might have been injured or died, but thanks to the Saint, a way had appeared to save them all.
The Heavenly Fox, Gu So-ye.
She had originally descended in accordance with Heaven’s will to care for humans.
Whenever a human among them happened to catch her eye, she could not look away, and the foxes who followed her were precious beyond words.
She couldn’t tolerate the lives she loved being trampled before her eyes by beings invading from the otherworld.

‘Saint. I’ll repay this kindness for a long, long time.’

Watching Lee Ro-un’s efforts, Gu So-ye made a quick gesture with her hand.
Graceful beauties who had appeared out of nowhere guided the civilians toward the shelter.

The people followed Gu So-ye’s subordinates and Ro-un’s instructions very well.
Once the presence of the people heading to the shelter had faded into the distance, Ro-un also withdrew the Holy Power he had been spreading almost like a plea for them to notice him.
His fluttering clothes settled as the force pouring off him like a waterfall subsided.

‘The evacuation is over. Still no support? If it’s this late, then did something happen somewhere else too? If Proprietress Gu is a being on the same level as the chairman of Baekdu Academy, then she should be able to hold off that passage alone.’

Even so, he wasn’t the sort to simply stand still in a situation like this, so Ro-un walked toward the barrier.
There were too many suspicious aspects to this incident.
A sudden passage appearing before the first Calamity, unlike the future Ro-un knew, was suspicious enough. So was the fact that no support had arrived even now.

‘No matter how rotten the Association is, can they really be this slow to respond to a sudden passage in the middle of the capital?’

Just as his thoughts reached that point, a sharp sound suddenly came from behind him.

“Krrrkahaak!”
“Kyarr-r-rk!”

Not even realizing it was blocked by the barrier, an otherworld resident lunged at Ro-un.
Stupid bastards.
The truly frightening enemy was not the kind that charged straight at you like that.
The truly frightening enemy was the kind that slipped into everyday life without issue and finished preparing to tear out your throat.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Chwaaak!

A violet flower bloomed against the translucent barrier.
A scene that should have looked only brutal instead looked like a painting because of Gu So-ye’s movements.

‘A person really can look that beautiful.’

Ah. Right, not a person, but a fox.
Even in the middle of fierce battle, Ro-un quietly marveled at the sight of that ancient fox who could steal everyone’s eyes.

Splaaat! Splaaat!
Grrrk! Grrk!

The other otherworld residents Proprietress Gu was not directly engaging noticed the group of civilians evacuating outside the barrier and tried to rush them, only to be flattened against the barrier.
The way the part of them that touched the barrier was squashed flat was revolting to look at.

‘No matter when I see them, they never become any more likable.’

The ones he had seen in <Melting Forest> or <The Marsh Where Ghostly Wails Ring Out> had at least been somewhat bearable to look at.
The higher the rank of an otherworld passage, the more its residents either took on forms that inspired disgust or began to resemble humans.
Judging by their forms, the collapsed passage seemed to be an otherwise unremarkable one apart from the fact that it was a sudden passage.

Chwarrr!

“Kiarghaa!”

Another one tried to force its way out in disregard of the barrier and was squashed flat.
He had seen it at the Night Market too, but Gu So-ye was an extraordinary barrier caster.
Ro-un marveled at her barrier arts, but even more than that he found himself marveling at the way she moved like she was dancing among the otherworld residents, cutting their cores apart with her twin swords.

Kkwaaaak!

He was jealous.
If only he could deal with them the way she could, he would not have had to stand outside the barrier and do nothing but wait for support.
I’m jealous. Jealous enough to die.

‘If only I had a means of attack too.’

Ro-un’s tightly clenched fist had gone white as if all blood had drained from it.
As Ro-un watched Gu So-ye’s movements as if entranced, he heard someone calling his name from somewhere.

“Lee Ro-un!”
“Hey!”

They were familiar voices.
When Ro-un turned, Cheon Su-ho and Joo Hee-jun were running toward him.

‘Why are those two here?’

At their unexpected appearance, Ro-un’s eyes widened as he stared at them.
When the two stopped in front of him and caught their breath, Ro-un opened his mouth with a blank expression.

“You two, how did you…?”
“We saw it on the news! They said you and another Awakener were holding off a passage collapse by yourselves, Lee Ro-un! So we came to help!”
“Lee Ro-un. You crazy bastard. Was this what you meant by ‘business’? What kind of place is this for you to come alone? To come alone!”

Joo Hee-jun screeched about how a healer had somehow come here alone.

‘Looks like someone with a real reporter’s spirit must have covered this. They probably came to their senses while evacuating and started reporting on it.’

While Ro-un was feeling annoyed that he had ended up on camera again, Cheon Su-ho and Joo Hee-jun were recoiling in shock at what Ro-un had done, blanketing the whole area around the passage in Holy Power.

“You idiot! And look at you, you still have power left. Did you leave us behind to do this?!”
“Mm! It looked very beautiful on screen! As expected of Lee Ro-un.”
“This isn’t the kind of thing that ends with ‘it was pretty’! Hey, Lee Ro-un. Are you okay? You’re not dizzy, are you? No signs of mana exhaustion?”

Of all things, it was Holy Power, and he had more than enough of that, so what was all the fuss over something like this?
Ro-un waved a hand as if it were nothing.
It was the sort of gesture one might use to shoo away flies, but the two of them ignored it and kept checking on him.
I said I was fine, so why were they being so annoying?

“There was no need for you two to come too. Support will be here soon. While Proprietress Gu holds things off, the two of you should look around and make sure there aren’t any other people nearby.”
“I can’t sense any civilians nearby. More importantly, that lady is holding them off alone right now, so shouldn’t we go help too!”
“Right! We should hurry up and join her too!”
“Are you insane? Who do you think you are, jumping into that? The moment you cross the barrier, you’ll be diced to pieces.”
“E-even so, I’m still C-rank! And with support still not showing up, wouldn’t it be better if even one more person helped?”
“Lee Ro-un, your point is valid. In that case, I’ll help!”
“If it’s you, maybe.”
“Stop looking down on me! I’m a C-Rank Awakener too, you know!”

Yes. Which is exactly why you’ll get diced to pieces the moment you step in there.
Ro-un shot Joo Hee-jun a scornful glance.
But a moment ago, something had come out of that guy’s mouth that he couldn’t ignore.

“Cheon Su-ho. What do you mean that support isn’t coming?”

A sudden passage had appeared in the middle of the capital of Korea, so why was support not coming?

“Hey! I’m the one who said that, so why are you asking Cheon Su-ho—”
“The Gangnam Alliance Guild teams responsible for this district are all currently engaged in clearing passages.”
“I saw the reports saying the erosion levels of the passages controlled by Gangnam Alliance were rising quickly. What about support from the Association or nearby guilds?”
“Other places had their own district passages suddenly spike in erosion too, so they all went to clear them.”

Joo Hee-jun cut in quickly before Cheon Su-ho could answer.
It wasn’t just the passages held by the Gangnam Alliance whose erosion levels had risen?
As expected, there was something artificial about this passage.
Ro-un’s gaze sank low.

“Anyway, it’s not just here that’s in chaos. Other places are a mess right now too. Passages are causing problems all over, so everyone’s apparently in an uproar over the manpower shortage.”
“I heard the Association is contacting guilds responsible for other districts.”
“But in the middle of all this, one of the Association executives is apparently lying there insisting that someone needs to be held responsible for this incident, that the truth has to be thoroughly investigated and severe punishment handed down, and that until then the Association won’t send support.”

What kind of bullshit is that now?
Why the hell is that lunatic spouting that kind of bullshit and delaying the response when this is what’s happening!

“Apparently the Association is saying it absolutely won’t move until the guild responsible for the district apologizes and is punished, so I guess even the people inside the Association are in a bind.”
“Are they insane, seriously….”

At the Association executive’s complete troll of a stunt, Ro-un buried his face in his hand.