HG Ch 30

<30>

“No!”

[Joo Eunho. Do you really think you can handle the main quest alone?]

“Of course I can. Why should I run the main quest with a thirty-one-year-old creep who messes with minors? What kind of trouble would I get into if we watch the ending together? No thanks.”

[Where are you right now?]

“Not telling.”

[You’re in the forest, huh. With those stats, I’m surprised you made it that far. I guess you didn’t run into anything on the way?]

“Funny how people who’ve done wrong always talk more. I’m not replying anymore. Take care.”

Eunho, after putting the translated prophecy book back into his inventory, was just about to start his long journey again.

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

[Joo Eunho. You can’t even take down a rabbit there. Don’t get yourself killed and reset. Just accept it already.]

He couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the absurdity of it and replied anyway.

“The rabbit here has a Spiritual Power of 45. Why wouldn’t I be able to take them down? I could punch one to death.”

[Not in your current state. If it grazes you, you’ll die.]

What nonsense. Now he was really stretching it. Eunho clicked his tongue and flicked both ears as he dismissed the whisper and started walking again.

And then he saw them.

The “White Rabbit”, field mobs scattered all throughout the forest.

Normally, he wouldn’t even spare a glance at such low-level monsters and would have walked right past, but this time, Eunho came to an abrupt stop. The white rabbits looked nothing like what he remembered.

All he could do was blankly stare at the red aura rising around the rabbits.

What the hell? Why does such a low-level monster have the kind of aura you only see on dangerous monsters?

Just then, a white rabbit turned to look at Eunho. Its snow-white fur was in stark contrast to its blood-red eyes, which stared him down like a vicious predator. And it wasn’t just one. More rabbits began to appear out of nowhere, like a pride of lions closing in on their prey, and soon they had completely surrounded him.

Each one of them was emanating the same red aura.

A thought flashed through his mind.

If one of those rabbits touches me, I’ll die instantly.

Just then, the system alert popped up again.

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

Get reset by a low-level rabbit right after hitting max level vs. Swallow your pride and ask for help.

…Damn it. Accept.

* * *

[SYSTEM] Due to the activation of the <A Bond Like Glue and Lacquer> trait, you cannot be separated from your Sworn Companion. If the Sworn Companion is separated from you, they will fall into despair, and all of their stats will be adjusted to the equivalent of Spiritual Power Level 30.

After confirming the effect of “A Bond Like Glue and Lacquer”, Eunho stood there, stunned. Facing him, Yoon Iseo spoke in a firm voice.

“Stop being so obvious about your guard. It’s annoying. I already told you I’m not interested in you.”

“Then why did you do that to me?”

Yoon Iseo opened his mouth. But every time he moved his lips with that aggrieved look in his eyes, Eunho just mentally rolled on the floor. In other words, everything Yoon Iseo said came out as static noise.

Are we really sworn companions? We can’t even communicate, let alone understand each other’s thoughts.

Yoon Iseo also looked like he was about to lose his mind. He let out a long breath as if to collect himself, then said, “It won’t happen again. I’ll follow the story properly until the ending, so please just trust me.”

“Sure.”

And at that moment, Eunho thought, Would you trust you?

From ancient times to now, the one type of person you should never trust is the guy who says, “Trust me.” Eunho was a guy too, so he knew that better than anyone. Especially since Yoon Iseo was the most suspicious character in this entire world.

What the hell was he thinking? How could he keep someone like him around in a world this dangerous and not even be suspicious? Yoon Iseo knew too much for someone who supposedly just transmigrated, and then he went and shoved someone into a trap—

And kissed him.

Fuck.

Fine. Let’s say, just to give him the maximum benefit of the doubt, that Yoon Iseo is the type of player who speeds through games. There are people out there who play using bizarre strategies to blitz through content. Still, even if you’re dying to discover a hidden route, how does a guy end up kissing another guy? That’s just straight-up abnormal.

Is there still a romance route left in this?

He had felt relieved when the <Beauty That Can Overthrow Nations> trait disappeared after forming Sworn Companions with Yoon Iseo, but now he realized that had been a mistake.

In this place, the only things I can trust are my controls, my skills, and my stats.

To be honest, he’d been way too complacent until now. It was time to get his head on straight and fight through this brutal world with everything he had.

Unaware of whatever resolution Eunho had made, Yoon Iseo summoned Cheollima^[1].

“We should start with the Hallasan raid, right? Get on.”

Yoon Iseo stood next to a white horse that looked as though it had been sculpted from a single block of flawless jade, jerking his chin toward it. The horse gently tapped its long snout against Yoon Iseo’s shoulder. As Yoon Iseo reached up to stroke it, the horse gave a low, powerful snort. At the same time, long wings unfolded gracefully from its flanks, draping elegantly like the hem of a gown.  

Riding a white horse together? This was straight out of a romance novel.

“Can’t I get something like this, too?”

“This is a class-exclusive mount for Assassins.”

Class-exclusive mount?

“Then there has to be one for Gunners too, right? How do I get it?”

“You get it as a reward once you hit max level. You probably got it already.”

After hitting max level, everything had come at Eunho so fast he hadn’t even had the chance to check what rewards he’d received.

If I got a mount too, then there’s no reason we need to ride this horse together.

And finally, a mount of his own. Eunho checked it with eager anticipation, lighting up his face.

[SYSTEM] You have reached Spiritual Power 70 and obtained the mount “Choheon[2]”. [SYSTEM] The “Choheon”, once used by second-rank officials and above, is gifted to you in honor of your achievements. [SYSTEM] Increases movement speed by 200% upon mounting. (※Flight not available)

Choheon? It sounded fancy, something only high-ranking officials rode. Intrigued, Eunho gave the command for “detailed view.” A small 3D image of Choheon appeared before his eyes.

His hopeful expression immediately crumbled.

“……”

What the hell was this pathetic-looking one-wheeled cart?

Riding this around would make him look like some kind of traveling clown. Wasn’t this class discrimination? If he were a Gunner, they should’ve at least given him a tiger.

And it couldn’t even fly. That meant he wouldn’t be able to cross the sea with it.

Frustrated, Eunho closed the mount list with a scowl.

“Judging by your face, I’m guessing you checked it.”

Yoon Iseo already seemed to know exactly what mount Eunho had received. As Eunho watched him get ready to ride the white horse again, a different idea popped into his head.

“Can’t we just take a boat? It’s wide and comfortable.”

No, but seriously. Imagine crossing the sea on the same horse, huddled close, enjoying the pretty scenery… If they weren’t close before, they’d definitely be by the time they arrived. No way he was letting that happen.

As Eunho persisted stubbornly, Yoon Iseo sighed. Still, perhaps feeling some guilt for how he’d acted until now, he tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible.

“If we take a boat, it’ll take ten days to reach Jeju Island.”

Then he added, “If we fly on Cheollima, it’ll take twenty minutes. Also, just so you know, taking a boat triggers a shipwreck event. I won’t stop you if you’re looking for adventure, though.”

Now that he thought about it, he did remember reading something about the sea being plagued by sea beasts that wreck ships. Eunho hesitated.

Yoon Iseo asked him again.

“If you’d rather take a boat than ride Cheollima, then go ahead.”

He masked the question beneath the offer, clearly willing to let Eunho make a poor decision if that’s what he wanted. The same Yoon Iseo who used to bulldoze ahead on his own was now, astonishingly, trying to compromise.

“……”

To be honest, Eunho thought this: In reality, anger should be managed with some common sense and self-preservation. The kind of person he could never understand was the one who’d skip meals just to show they were upset. That only harmed their own body. Riding a boat for ten days, knowing it might capsize, just out of spite? That was the same thing. It would only hurt him more.

He should just grit his teeth and ride Cheollima for twenty minutes.

As if reading Eunho’s thoughts, Yoon Iseo mounted the tall horse in a single, effortless leap. Then, he held out his hand to Eunho.

For a brief moment, something like sunlight or maybe a halo glowed behind Yoon Iseo’s back. Seeing him pose like the lead in a painting titled “A Man Escorting on a White Horse”, as if it belonged in an art museum, Eunho was hit with a full-body wave of chills. He sincerely did not want to appear in that painting with him.

[SYSTEM] You may share a mount with your partner bound by the Vow of a Hundred Years. [SYSTEM] Would you like to mount your Vow of a Hundred Years partner’s “Cheollima”?

But there was no way around it. He had no other option; he had to ride. Eunho shut his eyes tight and took Yoon Iseo’s hand.

Yoon Iseo easily pulled him up onto Cheollima’s back.

The moment Eunho settled onto the horse, he hurriedly tried to let go of the other’s hand.

“…Did you customize this?”

Yoon Iseo, brows furrowed, was still holding Eunho’s hand as he asked the question.

Knew it. He really is trying to turn this into a romance plot.

Eunho glared at him with a “knew it all along” kind of look. Maybe Yoon Iseo felt a little guilty, because instead of meeting his gaze, he tilted his eyes downward, staring only at the tips of Eunho’s fingers.

Then, still holding his hand, Yoon Iseo lifted Eunho’s arm. The wide sleeves of Eunho’s robe slipped down, revealing his wrist and the back of his hand.

“Ah.”

Eunho yanked his hand away forcefully.

Startled by his own reaction, Eunho looked at Yoon Iseo again. He half-expected to be scolded for the overreaction.

“Sorry.”

Yoon Iseo simply blinked and quietly backed off.

What the hell… Where’d that temper go?

And so, the deeply uncomfortable flight began.