Chapter 102 – Ghost (4)

Yoo Yeonha asked for a broom while Chae Nayun and Shin Jonghak fetched the water and Kim Suho and Yi Yeonghan butchered the pig. I gave her the one that came with my camping set and she began to sweep. Thanks to her, the shelter became a decent camping ground.

“Not bad.”

Yoo Yeonha looked around and smiled. Meanwhile, I took out a burner and grill. Then I sat on a camping chair.

“Huaam. Oh right, um, I’ve been meaning to ask. Why can’t we use magic power? It took 30 minutes to clean this place when it should’ve only taken 3.”

Yoo Yeonha spoke as she stretched.

“You can’t use the magic power that you brought from the present. Usable magic power accumulates inside you after two days, but you’ll have to wait at least a week to use it.”

The same occurred in the original story. The post-Outcall mana felt vastly different from the stable mana in the present. The former felt denser, but also more difficult to wield. Everyone would suffer for at least a week until they acclimated. However, this would become a valuable experience for the future.

“Ah, so that’s why.”

Kim Suho overheard and spoke up. He sat next to me with Yi Yeonghan.

“Are you done?”

“Yep, we split it into different parts.”

“Yo, we’re back.”

Chae Nayun and Shin Jonghak appeared at the entrance and placed the buckets on the ground. Yoo Yeonha glanced around and coughed.

“Then should we eat now?”

Yoo Yeonha sounded happy since she could eat ramen. I lit the grill and filled the pot with water. Then I placed it on the burner. Today’s menu would be pork belly and ramen. First, I put the pork belly on the hot grill. Tssss— The meat pleasantly sizzled. I also placed several bags of ramen into the water as it boiled.

“Hehe.”

Yoo Yeonha happily looked back and forth between the pork belly and ramen. We sat around the food 4 minutes later. Kim Suho and Yi Yeonghan enjoyed it, but the other three grew up in luxury. Shin Jonghak and Chae Nayun only stared even though they felt hungry. Yoo Yeonha held back because of them.

“Your mana will replenish faster if you eat. Animals here have higher mana content.”

Shin Jonghak finally picked up his chopstick. Yoo Yeonha sighed and finally filled her bowl with ramen. She carefully slurped a few strands of noodles. I also filled my bowl with ramen and ate it with the pork belly.

“Hm?”

Yoo Yeonha watched me and also picked up a slice of pork belly into her bowl. Then she ate it together like I did. Nom, nom. Her small mouth busily moved as her head drooped. She clenched her fists and trembled. Was it that delicious? She sure made it seem so.

“Ah, I’m going to feel queasy…”

Chae Nayun slowly challenged a slice of pork belly. The greasy piece of meat entered her mouth.

“Eh? It tastes delicious.”

She murmured in surprise after chewing. I explained with a smile.

“It’s a pig that grew up eating mana.”

“What?”

“This pig lived in an area with higher mana concentration than Baekdu Mountain.”

Animals that grew up in mana-rich areas tasted more delicious than ordinary livestock. Most of these areas in the present were privately owned and such animals were considered precious. This pig would be high class even for Chae Nayun’s taste.

“Wow? That’s amazing!”

Chae Nayun began to move her chopsticks. Yoo Yeonha felt threatened and quickened her pace. We ate for the next thirty minutes without talking. Then Chae Nayun pointed at me with her chopsticks as we finished eating.

“By the way, that looks surprisingly good on you.”

“Hm? What does?”

“That hair and beard. You look like someone from a historical drama. You know, like one of those cool warriors.”

Kim Suho also chimed in from next to me.

“She’s right. Hajin, your beard grows like a Westerner.”

“Like a Western model?”

“No, not a model.”

A Western model… I proudly shrugged without speaking. It may not look like it, but I spent some time styling my facial hair. Yoo Yeonha muttered in a small voice.

“Yeah, I guess you look better the more you cover your face.”

“What? Care to repeat that?”

“W-Where’s the water?”

She had spoken subconsciously and avoided my gaze.

“By the way, are you bathing properly? You look dirty.”

“I do. At least once every two days at a nearby stream.”

“What! Hey, is the water we just drank…”

“It’s a different stream. Plus, we boiled it.”

“But still…” Chae Nayun sounded displeased.

“Beard…”

Meanwhile, Shin Jonghak rubbed his chin next to Chae Nayun. I felt like I would see Shin Jonghak with a beard after a week or so. Anyways, we played around enough. I clapped my hands.

“Gather up. I’ll explain the current situation.”

***

A ghost had caused this time travel, but it would normally never be strong enough to send humans to the past. Time travel was a mystical phenomenon that no one had ever observed. It could be considered a miracle. However, this ghost had reproduced a fraction of this miracle.

“It used a tower remnant.”

I took out a purple crystal from my pocket. Then I asked Shin Jonghak.

“The Tower of Time was inside Wind Mountain, correct?”

“Yeah. My grandfather conquered it more than 20 years ago.”

Only a tower’s reward could perform such a miracle. When someone conquered a tower, it condensed into a grand lump of magic power. These so-called tower crystals functioned differently depending on the tower. The buoyancy stone that kept Clancy Islet afloat was also a tower crystal, as well as the ocean stone and information stone.

“When the Tower of Time condensed into a tower crystal, some of its magic power remained. Over a long period, it formed this remnant.”

I showed them a fingernail-sized purple crystal.

“So the ghost borrowed this crystal’s power and pulled us into a recorded world.”

According to my settings, this recorded world functioned similarly to a parallel world, but slightly different. Yoo Yeonha vaguely understood, but Kim Suho seemed confused.

“A recorded world?”

“Yeah. It’s a form of magical space that reproduces the past. It's not that different from the real world since it operates within the same laws of physics. However, it can’t affect the real world in any way.”

“Oh…”

I continued explaining about the enemy we had to defeat.

“The ghost also pulled in a djinn by the name of Asura. By the way, he’s not the real Asura, so don’t worry too much. He’s using mana crystals to grow stronger.”

Mana crystals naturally formed when mana condensed into a solid.

“Um, I have a question.”

Yoo Yeonha raised her hand.

“How can he grow stronger with mana crystals? It wasn’t until the 2000’s that scientists figured out how to use them.”

“By eating them.”

“Eh?”

Most people would instantly die upon consuming mana crystals. They would suffer huge internal injuries even if they survived. However, this djinn was different.

“It looks like he gained a special power when he merged with the ghost. He can swallow and digest mana crystals without consequence.”

“Then…”

Their expressions turned serious. Asura had become stronger than in the original story, but not to a great extent. I couldn’t say the same about other antagonists, but I perfectly countered this self-proclaimed Asura.

“So this Asura is our only enemy?”

Shin Jonghak asked as I shook my head.

“No, there’s more. Before that, I need to explain how we can return to the present.”

I placed the purple crystal on my palm.

“As I said before, this tower remnant is holding this world together. Asura has placed these crystals around the world. Without them, he can’t materialize the past.”

“So we have to steal them?”

“Right.”

I opened a map that I made.

“One exists in Gwangmyeong City Hall, another in a water tower to the northeast, one in an armory to the west, and a steel tower to the south…”

We needed to steal six crystals. Then we had to gather and crush them at the same time. The past would crumble, and we would return to the present. Of course, Asura would use Gwangmyeong City Hall’s 5000 residents to stop us.

“Asura has a subordinate guarding each location other than Gwangmyeong City Hall.”

Honestly, I couldn’t beat Asura’s five subordinates, but I could beat their leader. It was a matter of suitability.

“So it’s clear what we need to do.”

Kim Suho spoke as I nodded and yawned. I felt tired since it was 1 A.M.

“It’s late. Let’s rest for five hours. It’ll help you replenish your mana. First, let’s decide on night watch.”

***

I opened my eyes at dawn and felt the cold morning wind. I had developed a short sleep cycle after staying here for 40 days. During my almost 6 weeks alone, I divided my sleep into one hour time frames since I didn’t know when enemies would attack. I even spent an entire day in a tree when they patrolled the area.

“Hmm.”

The morning air felt refreshing. I stretched outside the tent and saw Chae Nayun on watch when I went to the entrance of the abandoned building. The twilight’s blue hue shone down on her. She felt my presence and slightly turned towards me.

“You’re up?”

She smiled.

“Yeah. I see you’re on night watch.”

“Piece of cake.”

“Is it?”

I tied up my shoulder-length hair as Chae Nayun curiously looked at me.

“Hey, isn’t it uncomfortable with long hair? Yours is almost as long as mine.”

“It is, but I can’t cut it or I might get cursed by a magician.”

“They even have a curse magician?”

“Yeah. He walks around with a voodoo doll.”

I trudged up to Chae Nayun. Then I shooed her off my bike.

“Tsk.”

Chae Nayun clicked her tongue and moved over to a chair. She sat and looked forward at the sunrise over the horizon. The sky still shone with stars and lush vegetation filled the earth. I grew curious about what she thought looking at this scene from the past.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Huh? Mm… I wondered why the ghost couldn’t have sent me to the year 2000 instead of 1972.”

“…”

Her mother would still be alive. I silently looked at the forest. Suddenly, she said something I couldn’t understand.

“Well, I’m sure you thought about it too.”

“…?”

I turned to her as she quietly spoke.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t complain in front of you. Just ignore it.”

I recalled my parents after hearing her words. However, I stopped thinking about it since it felt too painful. Chae Nayun peeked at me and cheerfully spoke.

“Oh, by the way, my mom was born in 1972.”

“So she had you when she was fairly old.”

“That’s just how it was back then. She was super busy. I’m sure she didn’t have the time for a child when she was younger.”

Chae Nayun muttered as she stared at my bike. Then she repeated what she said before.

“My mom was born in 1972 in Sungmo Hospital.”

That was only thirty minutes away on the motorbike. If this was the real world, that is.

“We can’t go to central Seoul. This world is restricted to only this area.”

“Oh, I see.”

Chae Nayun hid her disappointment with a smile.

“How unfortunate.”