Chapter 132: Jjangdol

The moment they stepped out of the alley, a piercing pwee!—like a whistle—split the air, followed by furious shouts.

“Humans have escaped!”

“Call the Danseongdae! Summon the Danseongdae!”

The Danseongdae—literally “those who sever even the sacred”—were, according to Rancelon, the enforcers who kept order in the Primitive Lands. Think of them as the city guard, except that anyone caught by them could expect torture as standard procedure and summary executions weren’t exactly rare.

Their cries and screams only heightened the party’s anxiety, and their pace quickened.

They were on the broad avenue they had used earlier today, heading straight toward the lone tower that seemed to pierce the sky at the far end of the road.

The path itself was simple—just keep moving forward—but no one would call the advance easy.

Guards in matching uniforms already blocked the way ahead, their greatswords, tridents, and iron maces catching the starlight with an icy gleam, as though they had been waiting for a night like this.

So those are the Danseongdae.

Isaac resheathed the sword he had half‑drawn. This was no drill; it was the real thing. Every weapon they had would be needed—and Isaac’s swordplay was a weapon in its own right.

Just as he stepped forward—

“What are you—!”

A man like an iron wall pushed past him.

Uldiran Caldias brandished a spear worn almost to a nub for someone of his skill, yet a palpable aura of fighting spirit radiated from him.

There was no hesitation. His spear shattered the brow of the first charging guard and ripped free again. Before the next could pounce, Uldiran’s spear flashed once more, and for a heartbeat he seemed to face the supernal mob alone.

When Uldiran’s momentum began to rampage like a beast freed from the Wall of Malidan, the other northern soldiers quickly formed up to support him.

Disciplined… and proficient.

Isaac couldn’t help admiring them.

Northern soldiers had always been veterans worthy of the name, but what he saw now were warriors seasoned in battles against the transcendent race—scenes he had only witnessed in his previous life.

Their systematic tactics made it plain how fiercely they must have fought, how desperately they must have struggled to survive after being hurled into the Abyss Realm.

The problem tonight, however, was not to hold the line, but to break through it.

The boulevard was broad—and long.

At first, the Danseongdae reeled, surprised by the ferocity of our resistance, but soon they focused on slowing our advance with minimal engagement.

“They’re trying to buy time,” Isaac said, sliding in beside Uldiran and slicing open a gap with a single draw‑cut.

Uldiran grunted low in agreement.

“Which means someone’s coming.”

There was no need to say who.

This was the Primitive Lands. In a realm where Primitive transcendents dwelled, the reinforcements were obvious.

Arandel had slaughtered five Primitive transcendents by himself.

Here, they had no idea how many were on their way.

Five was the minimum. If double‑digit Primitive transcendents charged them…

The thought made Isaac dizzy. No matter how they resisted, defeat would be certain.

They had to punch through—

“Isaac!”

Sharen darted up behind him, mischief gleaming in her eyes—wholly out of step with the dire situation. That sparkle said she had a plan to crack this mess wide open.

“Leave it to me! Just hold on a sec!”

“...Sharen?”

“I’ll be right back!”

“Sharen! Wait—!”

Before he could stop her, Sharen sprinted the opposite direction, blazing across the ground as she poured her hoarded inner force into every stride. Isaac’s shout echoed uselessly after her.

Even so, she didn’t slow.

‘Ah, seriously…’ Isaac had no idea what she meant to do, but he prayed she’d stay safe and refocused on the front line.

Here and there, smoke curled up or odd commotions flared nearby.

The Danseongdae blocking the road kept glancing that way. Likely Rihanna was rousing the transcendents from the village she’d come through, stirring up distractions.

It was a tense night.

High above, a silver star atop the tower seemed to stab at Isaac’s eyes.

Were they heading for the tower… or chasing the star itself?

[The child who chases the stars.]

Murmuring the phrase as if savoring it, Isaac pressed forward.

****

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Though it was late, the racket made Nureumdol jerk his head up in surprise. He had been chatting near the stone wall with compatriots he hadn’t seen in ages, dredging up old memories while listening to their troubles and hiding his own heaviness behind a puzzled tilt of the head.

“It’s really loud… Did something blow up?” he asked.

Some of the Stonewall folk nearby answered with a shrug.

“Trouble’s pretty common around here.”

“Food’s scarce, life’s harsh—no matter how much we tell each other to hang on, sooner or later we end up fighting.”

“The transcendent folk weren’t like this in the old days. Something’s different now.”

Stories flitted back and forth. Normally, the Stonewall folk kept their mouths shut, numbing themselves to avoid thinking about their lot, but having a compatriot visit after so long had given them a bit of fresh air.

At the same time, they dreaded the gnawing emptiness and unchanged reality that would return once he left.

“So how did you, Nureumdol, end up winning the transcendents’ favor?”

“Yeah. They only see us as bricks. The moment they need one, they yank us out and bury us in a wall.”

To the transcendents, they were tools—handy building blocks. Once, it hadn’t been that way, or so they’d heard. But that was the past. Now they were prey and predator living in a barren land.

“Well, you see—”

At first, Nureumdol had been terrified—honestly, he still was.

And yet… There was something almost child‑like about them.

[Wanna taste some spell?!]

It felt less like a threat and more like a prank. Scary, sure, but unlike the other transcendents, these two didn’t look as though they’d lop off his limbs and mortar him into a wall.

He opened his mouth to explain how they’d first met when—

“Hey! Great, you’re still here!”

A bright voice rang out behind him—Sharen came pelting over, waving her greatsword.

“Ah, I… I was just heading back!”

He had received permission to step out, but realizing he’d stayed too long, Nurumdol apologized at once. Sharen shook her head.

“No— I need your help!”

“…My help?”

“Yeah! We have to bust through a roadblock!”

Nurumdol blinked. He glanced at the commotion rumbling in the distance and ventured a guess.

“I‑is that, um, you fighting over there—?”

“It is! We’re escaping this place and heading back to the Human Realm, so help us out!”

“M‑me?! Impossible! I can’t! I—I’m literally just a rock!”

Help them how? Face crumpling, Nurumdol shook his head so hard it rattled. He was grateful they hadn’t turned him into masonry, but the last thing he wanted was to join a transcendent brawl—he’d never fought a day in his life.

“Why not?! C’mon! If you help, in the name of Helmut—”

Sharen pressed a hand to her chest, hesitating. Words failed her a moment, and every Stonewall eye locked on her.

“In the name of Helmut, I’ll get you your own spot in our Rose Garden! How about that?!”

“Rose… garden?”

“Yup! Our estate’s garden is huge! Well, not what it used to be, but… I’ll pester my sister ’til we reserve a place for you!”

What on earth was she talking about—Helmut? A garden?

Just then the most weathered Stonewall among them rasped, “You are…”

Crusted eyelids peeled open, the voice dry as old mortar. The surrounding stones rolled their eyes in shock.

“…human, aren’t you?”

Sharen wavered again, flustered. “I—I’m a trans‑transcendent, okay?! W‑wanna taste my spell?!”

“The Abyss Realm bears no roses, and Helmut is a house of the Human Realm, is it not?”

“Whoa…”

How did he know that? Sharen sniffed, impressed by the well‑informed Stonewall, then resorted to sheer stubbornness.

“Just help meee!”

She couldn’t coax like Isaac or overawe like Rihanna. This—throwing a fit—was Sharen Helmut’s style, and to the Stonewalls it was oddly refreshing.

“Pleeease! I already told Isaac I’d make it happen!”

Years trapped here, carted off and jammed into walls—no one had begged them for anything in ages.

“…Give Nurumdol a hand,” one stone muttered.

“Yeah, do it, at least that much,” another added.

“How adorable,” a third chuckled.

Their uncle‑like murmurs made Nurumdol panic. “I—I could die if this goes wrong! If the transcendents notice me, I’m in real danger!”

Tears welled, yet Sharen thumped her chest. “Don’t worry! I’ll bring you to our manor too! I’ll tell the gardeners to set you up real nice!”

“What even is…”

The absurdity dried his tears, but the Stonewalls gently shoved him forward.

“Stay here and you’ll end up like us anyway.”

“If those people really leave, what happens to you? Think you can ever get out of here on your own?”

“Nurumdol, this is your shot. Make the bastards who did this to us eat it.”

“Whoa…”

Sharen’s eyes lit up—she hadn’t expected the Stonewalls to side with her.

Nurumdol wanted no part of it—he was timid by nature and hated fights.

But their words weren’t wrong. Whether these folks escaped or died trying, his fate was sealed the moment he set foot here.

So—

“F‑fine! Whatever! B‑but you have to keep me safe, okay?! Promise?!”

“Deal! Nurumdol—no, Jjangdol! You rock!”

The praise wasn’t entirely unpleasant; Nurumdol grinned sheepishly. “S‑so what do you need me to do?”

“Uh, lie down over there. Face down.”

“…Sorry?”

“Down. On your belly.”

****

KR‑R‑R‑R‑R‑R‑RUMBLE!

The party clawing its way up the boulevard heard a strange vibration.

Had a Primitive transcendent finally shown up? If so, what an entrance.

Isaac braced himself—but the sound was coming from behind them, not ahead.

Then—

“Outta the waaay! Moooove!”

Sharen’s voice ripped across the night sky.

They turned—and stared.

“What on earth…?”

A massive boulder was thundering up the boulevard, gathering frightening speed.

Rippling bands of Sharen’s crimson aura coiled around it, whipping the thing ever faster.

“Out—out of the way! Clear the path!”

At the shouts from Silverna and Isaac, both the northern soldiers and the Danseongdae scattered in bewilderment.

The boulder rolled—

and rolled—

and kept on rolling—

—until it slammed straight into the tower entrance at the end of the road.

KWA‑AAAA‑AAAA‑BOOM!

– – The End of The Chapter ––

 

[TL: Sharen is the MVP here!!!

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