THIFSGSTW CH 64

Chapter 64: Valley of Flowing Clouds.

The mountains were completely green. The rustling of fresh leaves sprouting on the thick summer trees echoed gently in the wind.

A thin layer of white mist, like fog, covered the ground. The scent of cool water lingered in the air.

You’ve arrived at the ‘Valley of Flowing Clouds.’

I quietly stared at the blue window flickering unsteadily in front of me. The glitching status window soon started to crumble from the edges. Then, black text flickered into view.

Stand up

That sentence appeared last before the window instantly vanished. Right, something like that had flashed by last time too. What could it mean?

“Stand up.”

I repeated it quietly, but nothing happened. Naturally, there was no response.

“Huh? Sun Yi-han, what did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing.”

I shook my head lightly. I’d need to think about this later. I brushed away the letters that still lingered like afterimages in my mind and resumed walking.

The outer area seemed fine, so we were heading toward the center of the valley. The deeper we went, the thicker and denser the mist on the ground became.

‘Why do they call this clouds, anyway?’

Wouldn’t fog or mist be more accurate? Though, it felt a bit heavier and denser than regular fog. Maybe that was the reason.

Lost in thought, I didn’t realize until my legs were buried in mist just below the knees. It was now thick enough that I couldn’t even see the ground…

“Ah.”

My foot caught on something.

Song Ha-gyeon quickly reached out and braced me by my stomach. My body lurched forward like I was going to fall, but I managed to stay upright. Thank goodness I didn’t end up rolling in the dirt.

“Thanks, Ha-gyeon hyung.”

“…Watch your step.”

The ground was hard to see, so walking carefully didn’t help, but I nodded anyway.

Song Ha-gyeon looked at my face for a moment, and maybe he found me unreliable because he moved closer and held onto my forearm as we walked. It felt a bit warmer than before.

Soon after, Park Yul, who had been walking ahead, stretched his arm out to stop us.

“Stop. This is far enough.”

“…It’s serious.”

“Yeah, it seems the situation has progressed quite a lot.”

When Raen waved his hand, a strong wind blew, scattering the mist around us. Our surroundings became clear.

We were in a valley. Massive, rugged rocks lined the edge, soaking up the sun’s heat. In the center, where water should have flowed, there was a mass of black mist. It seemed viscous. It wavered and sloshed like murky sewage.

In the midst of the bright sunshine, it felt out of place, like that spot alone had been cut out of the otherwise sunny landscape. Park Yul, still staring at it, spoke cautiously.

“I think we need to get closer. I’ll need your support.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“With the monster like this, we can’t predict how it’ll attack. We need to investigate at least once.”

“I’ll provide support from the side, leader-hyung.”

Raen moved closer to Park Yul. Min Joo-hyuk stepped back and extended his hand toward them. A faint shimmering barrier briefly flickered around them before vanishing.

“First, we’ll find out how strong our defensive magic needs to be to block the monster. We need to use mana efficiently.”

“Yes. I’ll adjust the magic depending on the situation.”

“Good. And until we understand how it attacks, Raen, don’t move.”

“Got it. But if it looks dangerous, I’ll step in.”

“No, stay still for now. And…”

As everyone discussed their plans, I felt a gentle tug on my arm. Turning my head, I saw Song Ha-gyeon lightly pulling my forearm toward him, locking eyes with me.

“…Hold on.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going to retreat now.”

A notebook and pen floated in front of Ha-gyeon. He grabbed the notebook with one hand and calmly brought the pen over it with the other.

“…I’m going to use levitation magic. Hold on.”

Ah, so Ha-gyeon couldn’t hold me himself. Then where should I grab?

Despite it being summer, he was still wearing a white long-sleeve dress shirt. A few buttons at the collar were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up. His firm forearms were fully exposed from wrist to elbow.

Touching bare skin felt like it’d be too warm, but I had no other choice. When I reached out and touched it—

‘Gasp.’

I flinched and quickly pulled my hand back without thinking.

It was solid. And hot. Like sun-warmed skin in midsummer. Or maybe that’s just how it felt to me. Either way, the muscles were unmistakably firm.

I felt dazed. I already knew he was strong from when he lifted me easily, but touching him made it real. How did someone in research have a body like this?

‘No, this isn’t the time…’

Song Ha-gyeon’s gaze pierced through me, sharp enough to feel. There was no time to hesitate. Still, touching bare skin felt too embarrassing. I grabbed a bit of his shirt at his waist instead.

“You’re grabbing there?”

“Is that not okay?”

“…It’s fine.”

As Song Ha-gyeon placed a hand on my back and gently applied pressure, I found myself wrapping my arms around his waist.

I had misjudged the situation. It wasn’t just touching bare skin that was embarrassing. Song Ha-gyeon’s waist was just as firm as his forearms. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t used to physical contact with others, but my face felt a bit warm.

“Let’s go.”

As he spoke, warm air gently wrapped around us, and I felt myself slowly rising. I pushed other thoughts aside and focused on what was happening. Everyone below was still on the ground.

‘This is scary.’

It wasn’t the height that frightened me. It was the swirling black mist below, looming as if it would swallow everything. The darkness ahead felt endless, and I tightened my grip around Song Ha-gyeon’s waist in anxiety.

“…You.”

His low voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up sharply. The shadow cast over Song Ha-gyeon’s face made it hard to read his expression. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in his monocle.

After a brief pause, he let out a small sigh and spoke slowly.

“…It’s okay.”

In that moment, a cool breeze swept through, brushing my hair back. I thought I caught a faint scent of grass. My trembling body began to calm down, and I unconsciously relaxed my grip. Song Ha-gyeon turned his head back to look down, and I followed his gaze.

‘That’s the sword.’

It seemed the others had finished their strategy. Park Yul held a long, sharp sword and cautiously stepped toward the valley. Even from here, the red gem in the hilt was clearly visible.

I could hear the scratch of the pen on paper beside me, sounding almost like a racing heartbeat. I clenched my hands tightly.

Suddenly, Park Yul plunged the sword deep into the valley. The sound echoed sharply in the stillness. The sword struck the solid stone floor beneath the thick black mist, not the muddy ground.

The dark mist infused with the monster recoiled around the blade, leaving that spot gaping open.

Whoosh.

In an instant, the black mist surged like a tidal wave toward Park Yul, and a bright blue barrier immediately surrounded him. It looked like Min Joo-hyuk had cast magic.

My hands trembled in fear. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I’d seen a monster confrontation up close. The danger and urgency of it all made my heart race.

While I stared, frozen, at the sinister mist writhing like it was waiting for an opportunity, Song Ha-gyeon’s calm voice rang in my ears.

“That’s not a defense magic.”

“Huh? Then what is it?”

“…A sealing magic. It prevents anything from passing through, whether inside or outside.”

So they were different. A sealing magic must’ve been more absolute.

Wait, then to attack the monster, wouldn’t they have to undo the seal? Unlike a defensive magic, a sealing magic would block attacks from the inside, too.

From below, Park Yul’s voice rose. “Joohyuk-ah, release the seal. Raen, step back one more pace.”

“I’m not sure a normal defense magic can block a monster like this.”

“It’s fine. We won’t know until we try.”

“…Understood. I’ll give it a try.”

The bright barrier around Park Yul faded slightly. The monster-infused mist overflowed past the valley’s large rocks and slowly spread. Then, without warning, it surged upward and pierced through the barrier.

“Urgh.”

The monster wrapped around Park Yul’s neck and flung him away. Dust rose as he hit the ground, but he never let go of his sword.

It all happened in a flash. I could feel Song Ha-gyeon’s body stiffen as he held me. A gust of wind swept by, and suddenly, he was in front of Park Yul. He must have teleported.

Meanwhile, Raen cast an attack magic on the monster, and Min Joo-hyuk used a capture spell to pin it to the ground. Park Yul remained seated, slightly hunched over, one hand clutching his neck. His fine blonde hair swayed gently.

I hurriedly approached and knelt beside him, placing my hand on the back of his neck. I could hear his labored breathing, as if he was struggling to catch his breath. My heart raced with anxiety.

“<The Healer will help!> Healing Sucess!”

The light that had wrapped around Park Yul’s neck flowed into me.

“Yul hyung, are you okay?”

He kept his head down, so I couldn’t see his expression. I knew it was dangerous, but witnessing such a situation unfold right before my eyes made my heart drop.

Suddenly, Park Yul lifted his head sharply. His gaze locked onto mine, scanning me as if he were checking my condition in a hurry.

Could it be that he was worried about me after seeing that I could get hurt? This wasn’t the time for him to be concerned about me. It was Park Yul who was just attacked.

Once he confirmed that I was fine, Park Yul’s expression softened, and he spoke.

“You were scared, huh? It’s okay now, Yi-han.”

Park Yul gave me a bright smile, crinkling his eyes, as if he was reassuring me. It was the same expression that I always saw.

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. For some reason, my chest felt heavy. I didn’t quite know what the feeling was.

Park Yul ruffled my hair lightly, then stood up as if nothing had happened. His breathing had steadied. He turned his gaze toward the black mist in the valley and spoke.

“Hmm, there’s no core of the monster here.”

His voice was calm. As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned their heads toward the captured monster, their expressions serious.