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[Chapter 175]

[Cocoon Retrieval (2)]

There were several battles.

But Eunha and his companions quickly ended the battles by working together.

Engaging in battle meant manifesting mana, which in turn meant alerting monsters to their presence.

So the group left the area immediately after ending battles and erasing traces of combat.

Fortunately, there was no pursuit from monsters, and by evening they were able to safely reach Hoeryong Station.

"It's a shame we had to take detours because we encountered monsters along the way."

"It's frustrating that we can't use magic loudly. At times like this, we should unleash one big blast."

There was a university near the station.

Shinhan University Uijeongbu Campus.

People ate dinner in a building where they could monitor all directions.

Han Changjin noticed the day was already ending and gave a bitter smile.

Meanwhile, Bae Subin, who hadn't been able to properly fight, grumbled while shoveling canned food.

"Ugh, it's salty."

"Are you not going to eat that? Then can I eat it?"

"Parang oppa, hands off. This is mine. Why don't you eat your own?"

"Tch."

Jin Parang and Bae Subin bickered.

Eunha decided to leave the two who had been marching all day as they were.

It's better to let them relieve stress by bickering like that.

Slurp slurp.

Eunha swallowed his cup noodles.

It was suitable as food that could be prepared easily and eaten quickly.

Also, it was simple to make hot water using magic.

Anyway, the group filled their stomachs according to their preferences.

"The day is already ending."

"Papa."

By the time they finished dinner, night had already fallen.

Time seemed to pass quickly.

No, in Uijeongbu where city lights couldn't be found compared to Seoul, night probably came faster.

"Changjin hyung, put up a blackout curtain around us. Can you make it so we can see outside from inside even if they can't see inside from outside?"

"It probably won't be very clear, but it's possible. Just a moment."

Night is the monsters' world.

Monsters with powerful strength unaffected by the cocoon become even more powerful at night.

So fighting in Uijeongbu at night was forbidden.

Eunha asked Han Changjin to put up a barrier around them.

"Kaede, show me the map."

"Here it is."

Snapping his fingers to create a spark.

Eunha gathered the people.

Eunha, who unfolded the map Kaede handed over, pointed to their current location.

"The Uijeongbu Arts Center where the cocoon is located is about one station away from where we are."

About 1.5km in a straight line.

The distance wasn't far.

If they took a risk and got greedy, they could go to where the cocoon was right away today.

But reality wasn't so simple.

"It's too dangerous to go out and find it at this time. There's probably a commander-level monster roaming somewhere in Uijeongbu... If we encounter a commander in the middle of the night, we'll be annihilated."

"That's right, there's no need to take risks and adventure when we just have to wait a few hours for day to break again. So let's camp here for today, and go find the cocoon as soon as day breaks tomorrow."

As Kaede pointed out.

The path to the Uijeongbu Arts Center was included in the commander's activity area.

In a sense, Hoeryong Station where Eunha was now was a psychological Maginot Line.

After the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle failed, monsters began moving south.

To this, <Iron Fortress> Moon Jun blocked the monster forces at Hoeryong Station, preventing them from crossing into Gangbuk.

Since then, commander-level monsters didn't come near Hoeryong Station for some reason.

They probably know too.

That if commander-level monsters try to cross Hoeryong Station, the Fairy Government will feel threatened and oppose them.

The old Line 1 connecting Dobong Station to Uijeongbu.

Dobong, Dobongsan, Manwolsa, Hoeryong Station.

In a way, the distance of 3 stations could be considered a buffer zone between the Fairy Government and Uijeongbu.

Nevertheless, now that they had entered Hoeryong Station, they had to prepare for any situation.

"Then let's take turns standing guard in pairs of two for 2 hours each. We'll leave as soon as day breaks tomorrow, so everyone get plenty of rest..."

"Eunha, wait."

"Huh?"

""""...."""

It was when Eunha was about to give instructions.

At that moment, Han Changjin suddenly cut off his words.

His voice was heavily sunk, unlike usual.

People raised their guard at Han Changjin's reaction.

"There's something inside this building. The presence is so small it's hard to detect, but it seems to have been lurking around since earlier. I'll go check it out."

Han Changjin stood up.

At his words, people's hands moved to their devices.

"Parang hyung, go with him. Don't let Changjin hyung go alone."

"Got it! I'll go with him!"

Eunha also put his hand on his weapon.

While instructing Jin Parang.

Parang, with his wolf ears perked up, immediately followed Han Changjin.

""""...."""

A feeling like 1 second passing slowly.

People were restless.

They could only think the two were safe since there was no commotion outside.

Eventually, telepathy came in.

[We found a human kid on the 3rd floor. Changjin hyung checked and says he doesn't seem dangerous... We don't really know what's going on either, so we'll bring him over there.]

""""...."""

They found a person.

People who heard the telepathy blankly stared at each other.

They exchanged glances as if to confirm if what they heard was correct.

"Kid. Seems he lives here."

"We couldn't just leave him alone with monsters becoming ferocious, so we brought him here for now."

""""...."""

And when Jin Parang really brought a human boy into the curtain, they realized what they heard was true.

Everyone's eyes widened.

Eunha was the same.

Meanwhile, the boy who received their gazes─.

"─Wow! There really are other people alive besides us! Are you really from outside the barrier?"

Regardless of seeing weapons.

The boy exclaimed excitedly.

☆

There are people living in Uijeongbu too.

When the <End of Century Destruction> occurred, people in Gangbuk felt fear towards monsters.

Their fear naturally stemmed from monsters pushing down from the north to Seoul.

So people built high barriers to defend Gangbuk, and gave up Uijeongbu to prevent destruction.

The people living in Uijeongbu now can be said to be descendants of those left behind in Uijeongbu at that time.

It was a painful memory for Gangbuk people.

It was a tragedy they committed after losing rational judgment due to extreme fear.

However, if they kept remembering it, they would have to live with guilt for their entire lives, so most of them beautified their memories of Uijeongbu.

To make the tragedy as if it never happened, they chose to forget history.

Thus, they believed no one lived in Uijeongbu.

They had to believe that.

Because their existence was no different from a symbol reminding of the sin of those who survived the destruction.

However─.

─We knew from the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

That there were people in Uijeongbu too.

When people who remembered the destruction began to leave one by one.

People born after the destruction passed discovered there were survivors in Uijeongbu during the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

As a result, the sin of those who rose from destruction became known.

Nevertheless, public opinion at the time was negative towards the Uijeongbu residents, not them.

It was inevitable.

Because the Uijeongbu residents joined forces with monsters to annihilate the recapture forces.

"Wow! This is really delicious! Chocolate? It's my first time eating this!"

"Hehe, really? Then want to try this too? This is called... grapefruit jelly..."

"Wow! It's so chewy!"

"Eat slowly. You'll get indigestion."

""""Ugh...."""

The boy brought by Han Changjin and Jin Parang must have inherited their blood.

As a result, unlike Parang and Subin, Kang Hyeonchul and the Blaze Clan members had very uncomfortable expressions.

It can't be easy to relate.

The foolish hyung and Subin only heard stories, they weren't direct participants like the Uijeongbu recapture forces.

1st generation who rose from destruction.

2nd generation who experienced the Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

3rd generation who experienced the Seoul invasion.

Their thoughts were bound to be different since they experienced different things.

However─.

─We can't view the people living here purely.

They are people we must endlessly doubt until we pioneer Uijeongbu.

Eunha agreed to some extent with the 2nd generation players' thoughts.

So Eunha observed the boy from a distance.

The boy was busy exclaiming in admiration as he ate the food Jin Parang gave him.

"But why were you there? You don't live alone... Are there other people living here with you?"

Jin Parang who quickly became friendly with the boy.

Parang wondered as he stroked the boy's head.

To this, the boy answered cheerfully without any hesitation.

"Yes! We all live together forming a village at Beomgol Station!"

"Huh? That's near here, right? But why were you here alone?"

"I came to gather wild plants and it got late, so I was hiding in this building."

There's a village.

Eunha listened carefully.

Then Eunha realized.

The future had changed.

In his previous life, the Uijeongbu residents were living in the underground waterways of Uijeongbu Station even after the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle ended.

But the underground waterways completely collapsed, so they had no choice but to settle at Beomgol Station.

Probably Shin Seoyoung, who heard Eunha's advice at that time, changed the future.

As a result, the Uijeongbu residents moved their base to this nearby area.

Eunha, who heard unexpected information, stared intently at the boy.

Kang Hyeonchul and the Blaze Clan members were also staring at him by now.

Eventually, the boy clapped his hands.

"Ah! When morning comes, do you want to go to the village with me? It's much safer there and there's lots of food!"

"Huh? We can go?"

"Of course! Everyone in the village will surely be happy! Since you treated me to delicious things, the aunties and uncles will share delicious food with you too!"

The boy grinned broadly.

On the other hand, Jin Parang was troubled.

Because they had to carry out their mission.

So he turned to Eunha with a troubled face.

[Hey, what should we do?]

Jin Parang asked via telepathy.

He seemed to want to go, but he knew well they couldn't because of the mission.

So he sought judgment from Eunha, the commander.

To this, Eunha stood up.

""""...."""

Receiving people's gazes.

Eunha approached the boy.

The boy looked up at Eunha.

Then the boy smiled brightly.

And Eunha─.

"─Where is your village?"

"It's not far from here! I can guide you when day breaks tomorrow!"

When he heard there was a village.

Eunha's actions were already decided at that moment.

The future has changed. The Uijeongbu residents are a troublesome variable. Since that changed, I need to check directly.

If we're not careful, the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Battle may not go as planned.

He understood that recapturing Uijeongbu without information was dangerous.

So he needed to check.

"Alright, let's visit your village when day breaks tomorrow. To see what the village looks like."

"Yes, great!"

""""...!!""""

We can't leave this variable as is.

We need to grasp the variable.

Eunha, who came to that conclusion, suddenly said to the boy.

While people were surprised.

The boy nodded willingly.

"By the way, what's your name? Ah, maybe you don't have a name..."

"I have a name! Grandma said we didn't have names in the past, but now we can have names!"

"Really? What's your name?"

The future seemed to have changed, yet not changed.

Before the regression, in the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Battle, the residents' names changed in a somewhat different way from before.

If they had unoriginal names like livestock names in the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

In the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Battle, people had somewhat more human-like names.

In the previous life, it was Baek Myeonsang's doing.

In this life, it seemed people who escaped from Baek Myeonsang named themselves autonomously.

The variable was different, but the result was not different from before.

At that time, the boy in front of him proudly called out his name.

"─My name is Yoo Inhoo!! I'm 8 years old this year!"

""""...."""

"What are your names? Tell me quickly!!"

Yoo Inhoo, he said.

The boy introduced himself with a grin.

Hearing a human-like name.

Everyone flinched.

Having a name could be considered a sign that they had really changed somehow since the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

"..."

Eunha was the same.

But there was another hidden reason for his reaction.

Eunha raised the corners of his mouth.

"─My name is Noh Eunha. I'm really glad to meet you here. Yes, your name is Yoo Inhoo. And you're 8 years old."

3rd tier overrank monster Baek Myeonsang.

Before the regression, in the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Battle, that guy gave himself a plausible name when he transformed into a human.

Yoo Inhoo.

That was his name.

In other words, the most troublesome monster was alive.