Unexpected Incident

I was able to reach the outskirts of the Crates Mountains without much trouble.

The problem lies ahead.

I released the horse and watched as it headed back towards the village we had passed earlier. Then I looked up at the towering mountains that seemed to have no end in sight.

"It's ridiculously high."

I couldn't see the end at all.

It seemed almost unbelievable that such mountains existed.

In fact, they were so enormous that they would appear gigantic even from Merteon, which was a two-day journey away.

"I had no trouble finding it in the game..."

It seemed like it would take quite a while.

With determination in my heart, I began to climb the mountains.

Even though I had only just begun, the path quickly became treacherous.

"Besides that, it's surprisingly quiet, isn't it?"

I wondered if it was always this quiet here.

In fact, I found it strange that I hadn't encountered a single monster during the journey to the mountains.

Considering that the Crates Mountains were known as Ma Gyeong, a place rarely visited by humans, it should have been filled with various monsters, creatures, and rare beasts. Yet, I hadn't come across anything in the past two days.

"It's strange."

The Crates Mountains were one of the dangerous Ma Gyeongs where you would encounter monsters just by walking a short distance. Was reality different from the game?

That's when my senses caught something peculiar.

"A trap."

It was a simple trap.

However, it was a trap that an ordinary person would easily fall for.

Something thin like a wire caught my attention near my ankles.

To be honest, if it hadn't been for my cautiousness due to the Crates Mountains, I would have touched it without a second thought if it had been in a place like a neighborhood hill.

But who set it up?

It didn't seem like it was targeting humans, since no one would come to such a place. It seemed more like it was targeting monsters or beasts...

"A hunter?"

Could there be hunters in the Crates Mountains?

No specific person came to mind.

The only person I could think of who lived in a place like this was the eccentric Deshuran.

Could it have been set up by Deshuran?

I couldn't know for sure, but I decided not to mess with it for no reason.

Carefully crossing the wire, I ventured deeper into the mountains.

Han Inyoung was struggling through steep mountains, trying to escape from something.

The appearance of Inyoung was like a mix of human and beast, resembling a leopard.

As a Mat'ahar, Inyoung was exploring the Crates Mountains in search of the cause of the recent string of disappearances.

Already, five people had gone missing, and the village chief, realizing the seriousness of the situation, had selected several young people for the mission, and Inyoung was one of them.

However, the situation became chaotic shortly after receiving the mission from the village chief and beginning the exploration.

"What the hell are these monsters? Were they around here?"

Monsters with insect-like appearances suddenly appeared and began attacking Inyoung.

As a Mat'ahar, Inyoung had combat skills, so they confronted the creatures without fear. However, with their numbers increasing, Inyoung had no choice but to retreat.

Crack!

Splat!

Insects flying through the air spewed acid, and the creatures with six legs chased after Inyoung with their terrifying appearance.

And the biggest reason why Inyoung thought about running away was that a bipedal insect-like monster with wings spread open was gracefully flying after them.

"Kreeng!"

No matter how much Inyoung tried to escape, the pursuers were too fast.

The creatures were driving Inyoung as if they were on a hunting chase, and Inyoung was halfway aware of that fact.

"I can't run away. In that case, I'd rather..."

In a hurry, Mat'ahar turned and shattered the head of the bug chasing after him with sharp claws.

Crack!

Engaging in a battle with the insects that were approaching one after another, Mat'ahar was more concerned about the safety of the village than his own death.

"Are these creatures the cause of the missing villagers?"

It would be frustrating to die without revealing this fact.

Burning his body, Mat'ahar dealt with the monsters, shattering countless enemies. However, the most formidable enemy, the insect-like monster with bipedal locomotion, watched as Mat'ahar struggled while flying high in the air.

"Come on! Even if I die, I'll make you my companion on the road to the afterlife!"

In an attempt to boost courage, Mat'ahar let out a loud roar and rushed towards the insect.

However, the agile insect played with Mat'ahar, gracefully flying at high speeds that were unexpected for an insect.

Thud!

"Gack!"

The speed of the insect was not only fast but also accompanied by tremendous destructive power.

Using its sturdy body, the insect crashed into Mat'ahar with such force that it produced a tremendous sound.

Mat'ahar, despite his determination, was left feeling helpless as he was thrown to the ground, blood splattering in a futile manner.

"It's overwhelming."

Above all, the presence of those wings became an insurmountable obstacle for Mat'ahar.

"Damn it..."

As the fallen Mat'ahar was surrounded by the remaining small insects, he had received such a massive shock that he couldn't even move his hand to fend them off.

In that state, as Mat'ahar accepted his impending death and closed his eyes, an unexpected sound reached his ears.

Thud! Splat!

When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a man wearing a mask destroying the insects around him.

"What is this guy again?"

After three days of searching the Crates Mountains, I was able to find the place where the sleeping giant was located, which was my goal.

However, another problem arose along with that.

"Why aren't there any beasts or monsters around here?"

I discovered a village of different races, including the place where the giant was sleeping.

From my observations from a distance, they appeared to be Tsa'arin.

They seemed to have dried up the seeds of the monsters present in the vicinity to protect their village.

"I don't remember there being a village here in the game."

To progress the story enough to climb the Crates Mountains in the game, it would take at least one or two years, which means that the village would have disappeared during that time.

"But that's not the problem now."

In the empire, the treatment of different races was not good.

The main reason was the suppression policy against the different races by the current emperor, which led to hostility from the various races within the empire.

"So they probably live in such remote areas to avoid unnecessary encounters with humans."

Now, the question was how to penetrate the village and reach the hidden peace...

There seemed to be no way to enter without being detected.

The different races, especially the werewolves, had heightened senses, so there was no way around it.

I reluctantly considered giving up and heading towards Deshuran. But just as I was pondering that, I noticed that the atmosphere in the village was unusual.

It seemed as if something had happened, but I couldn't tell what just by observing from a distance.

I couldn't figure out what it was, but it seemed like a good time to retreat.

It wasn't such an urgent matter that I had to fight the entire village, and the village would disappear in a few years according to my knowledge. I could come back then.

As I gave up on the hidden peace and was about to head to where Deshuran was staying...

Crash!

From somewhere, the sound of a fight reached my ears.

"Monsters?"

Were the monsters fighting among themselves?

I should avoid them and go back.

However, even as I had that thought, I discovered traces of something and couldn't help but stop.

"This is..."

The remains of broken insects were scattered all around.

While the Crates Mountains were known to have various monsters, I had seen this type of monster in a different place, not the Crates Mountains.

"Lanos, the Insect Sorcerer."

He was a black magician affiliated with the Assembly.

To be precise, Lanos could be called a summoner who controlled his own bred insects.

Especially the few individuals he specially bred were monsters that could rival a single Oro Master when their powers were combined.

"Why on earth did it come to this situation?"

If he came from the Assembly, it could be related to wickedness.

If that's the case, I can't leave it be.

I immediately summoned Nickel and Timur.

Then I received a mask from Nickel and transformed my appearance.

I still had to hide my appearance just in case.

After that, using Timur's sense of smell, I quickly discovered the scene of a battle taking place.

There, a Tsa'arin was fighting against the insects, in a precarious situation as it was being attacked by a monster in the form of a bipedal insect.

"So, it seems this creature has already been created."

The insect-like monsters were particularly powerful individuals.

I didn't know how many of them were created, but it was a bit dangerous since there was already one roaming around.

Anyway, the situation had turned out like this, so I had to rescue the Tsa'arin first and see.

Even if they were hostile to humans, I couldn't let it go to the extent of harming a benevolent being.

First, to avoid any misunderstandings, I placed Nickel and Timur inside.

Then, I began clearing out the "small fry" that was swarming the Tsa'arin.

Crack!

"This feeling..."

As the boundaries between my heart and mana disappeared, my mana unified into one. Dark energy emanated from my sword, accompanied by a sinister aura.

The output felt stronger than before, so I swung my sword, and the insects that came into contact with it started shattering into pieces.

"It feels more destructive."

It didn't seem bad at all.

In fact, I should take this opportunity to loosen up a bit.

The insects, confused by my sudden intrusion, left me alone and reluctantly approached only the Tsa'arin.

While I worked hard to stop them, I used Mana Detect to search for the black magician.

"Are they just giving orders and hiding somewhere else?"

I couldn't feel their presence.

Perhaps that insect was commanding them.

After defeating most of the "small fry," I looked at the distant insect, which was rarely seen, and it began retreating for some reason.

Should I chase after it? I hesitated for a moment, but I decided to give up the pursuit because I felt sorry for the rescued Tsa'arin lying on the ground.

After all, it could always be pursued later.

For now, I needed to save the Tsa'arin and find a way into the village.

"Who are you?"

As I approached, the Tsa'arin, who was on high alert, asked with a guarded expression.

I took out a potion from my pocket and handed it to him without saying a word.

"It's a healing potion. Drink it if you want to live."

"Do you think I'll believe that? Are you an ally of those monsters?"

How annoying. I didn't feel like persuading him.

In the end, I swung the hilt of my sword at his jaw, causing him to faint.

Then I forcefully fed him the potion.

Stubborn fellows need medicine.

Is this the right thing to say in this situation?

Anyway, after feeding him a set of three potions, I roughly carried him on my shoulder and walked in the direction of the Tsa'arin village.

By the time I reached the Tsa'arin village, a group of wary Tsa'arin surrounded me.

"You, human! How did you get here?"

"It's Mat'ahar! Release Mat'ahar immediately!"

Among the chattering Tsa'arin, I cautiously put down the Tsa'arin called Mat'ahar.

It's about time he woke up.

As expected, Mat'ahar woke up, calling out the names of the Tsa'arin in a confused manner.

And then he noticed me standing behind him and got up, startled.

"You, human! What did you do to Mat'ahar?"

One of them, either Kamuru or Jokoham, shouted at me.

The Tsa'arin had a sharp and high-pitched voice that was difficult to listen to.

In the meantime, Mat'ahar slowly examined his own body and then looked up at me with narrowed eyes.

"Did you save me?"

As I nodded my head, Mat'ahar gestured towards the Tsa'arin surrounding us.

"This human saved me. And more importantly, I have urgent news to deliver to the village chief."

The Tsa'arin looked bewildered at Mat'ahar's words.

But they still maintained their guard, seemingly reminiscent of the past encounters they had with humans.

"First, let's bring the village chief."

Someone ran towards the village, and time passed amidst the tense atmosphere.

Of course, the tension was only on their side, and I calmly watched the situation.

I didn't want to kill innocent people, but if it came to a fight, I was confident I could handle them.

It would be impossible alone, but I had Nickel and Timur with me.

Soon, a Tsa'arin who ran into the village brought an elderly Tsa'arin with him.

"You're the human who saved Mat'ahar, right?"

I simply nodded my head without giving a verbal response.

Then the village chief asked Mat'ahar to explain the situation.

Mat'ahar briefly explained the situation he had witnessed to the village chief.

"Insect-like monsters... and a sudden appearance of a human."

It seemed like they were suspicious of me, but I genuinely didn't know anything about it.

"I was searching for a certain place, and I have no connection to those creatures."

"Which place? What do you mean by that in this situation?"

"I have a desired location on a secluded cliff in the corner of the village where you live. Frankly, I never imagined there would be a village there."

"A cliff?"

I nodded and pointed at Mat'ahar.

"As you can see, I saved this guy. I don't ask for much. Just let me go to that cliff quietly, and I'll disappear."

"I'm sorry, but it seems difficult to let outsiders into the village at the moment. As you can see, monsters suddenly appeared, and we already have five missing villagers. In this situation, we can't afford to take the risk of letting outsiders in. We are genuinely grateful that you saved Mat'ahar, but please understand our position as the village chief."

"Then, how about this?"

I proposed to the village chief.

"I will capture the master of those monsters. It's probably Lanos, who is responsible for the disappearances. I will resolve it for you."

After all, I was planning to catch Lanos, who wanted to capture me.

It didn't matter if I showed my true colors in this situation.

"Really? In that case, we will not only let you enter the village but also treat you as a friend of the village. In return, please take our warriors with you."

"Then let's start searching right away."