Ch.85Crossroads of Fate

# 85. Crossroads of Destiny

After my first experience with Subin, our engineering department faced a new phase. Is “new phase” too grandiose? Let’s call it a new beginning.

Anyway, once the important issues spanning both private and public matters—multi-faceted romantic feelings and fairness—were resolved, the pressure cooker of emotions that could have exploded at any moment released its steam, giving us momentum.

“The quests here have better rewards than I expected.”

“True. There are still some jerks even after that incident, but other Ayors actually help me out now.”

“Ah, that time.”

We always moved in groups of two or three. Following the plan Subin and I created, we completed efficient quests along optimal routes. Before long, we not only stocked up on consumables but also acquired new equipment and clothing.

Now we just needed to depart for the next floor.

“Since we’ve finished preparations, I was thinking we could leave tomorrow. Anyone have different thoughts? Want to rest more, or see more sights?”

“Not really! We’ve seen plenty, and if we rest too long, our bodies will get stiff. This timing feels just right.”

It was unanimously decided that we’d leave Ayord tomorrow. After my first experience with Subin, we had been taking turns sleeping separately in the room I rented, but since it was our last night, we decided to all sleep together in our original room.

“You girls and Soyu noona can use the bed. I’ll set up a tent on the floor.”

“You don’t have to do that. We can squeeze together.”

“No, we need to sleep comfortably before tomorrow’s departure.”

Of course I’d love to sleep between such beautiful girlfriends. I’d love it too much, actually…

The comment about sleeping comfortably before departure was actually meant for myself.

I needed some rest.

‘King Taejo Wang Geon. King Sejong the Great. How on earth did you manage?’

Of course, with everyone including Soyu noona present, we wouldn’t go all the way, but when young men and women who’ve tasted physical pleasure lie together in the same bed, would they really just sleep?

It’s obvious they’d touch, caress, and kiss each other.

So I decided to shake off the memories of recent thrilling days and sleep alone for the first time in a while. Just me and Danya.

“That’s disappointing, but can’t be helped.”

“Tch.”

Look at them.

Seyeon openly expressing disappointment, Yuri clicking her tongue, and Subin licking her lips.

“Beast.”

“What?”

“Hmph.”

Sensing our atmosphere, Soyu noona lightly dissed me, but I was quite desperate, and fortunately, my opinion was accepted.

“Good night, everyone.”

“Good night.”

After quickly setting up the tent and laying out the blanket, I lay down, and Danya quietly climbed onto my chest.

“Danya.”

“Nya.”

[Yes.]

Actually, Danya was the second reason I wanted to sleep alone tonight. She had barely spoken all day.

“Are you troubled?”

“Nyaa…”

[A little…]

She had been like this since this morning, even before we decided to leave Ayord tomorrow. She probably sensed it with her intuition.

Though she wanted to escape, the reality of truly leaving the city that contained her entire life (over 200 years)… describing those feelings as merely “unsettled” would be insufficient.

So instead of offering hasty words of comfort, I stroked Danya’s back. She purred and relaxed into me.

As time passed comfortably for both body and mind, just as my eyes were starting to get heavy…

“Nyaa.”

[Sunghyun.]

“Yes, Danya.”

“Nyaaa…”

[I thought I’d be purely happy and relieved… but it’s not quite like that. Am I strange?]

“You’re not strange at all. Humans feel the same way. Besides, your case is different. It’s a city you built yourself, fought and bled to protect, and lived in for over 200 years as its guardian deity.”

In our short time together, I’d come to understand that Danya was truly a good person.

While I had high expectations of her, my thoughts of using her or extracting maximum benefit had long since faded.

It’s not because I’m a pushover, nor because I’m overwhelmed by Danya’s reputation as an extraordinary Ayor.

I could know and feel this simply because her soul was bound to my heart.

“If Danya’s childhood is Chapter 1, the resistance and city-building is Chapter 2, and the long seclusion after construction is Chapter 3… then Chapter 4 of Danya’s life is about to begin.”

“Nya?”

[Hmm?]

Danya’s life was certainly worthy of being recorded in a book. Though there might not be an Ayor who would record Chapter 4.

“Chapter 3 was unusually long, so transitioning to Chapter 4 might feel awkward, but ‘Danya’s’ adventure with new characters, new settings, and new routines will surely be amazing. So amazing you won’t have time to regret or feel sad.”

“Nyaaat…”

[I was wondering what you were saying… Sunghyun, you really do have a way with words.]

“Why? Are you falling for me?”

“Nyat.”

[Haha. Maybe?]

My joke brightened Danya’s tone. She climbed down from my chest and rubbed her face against mine. I felt her gratitude.

So I picked her up and gave her soft belly a raspberry.

“NYAAAAT!”

[YOUUUU! I told you not to do that!]

“I think I’m getting addicted… no, I’m already addicted.”

“Nyat, nyaaaat!”

[You, you! When I return to normal, you’re really going to die!]

“Haha!”

“Nya, nyaaa…”

[St-stop it… ahng…]

Now, truly, all preparations were complete.

**

Waking up a bit earlier than usual, we quickly traversed Ayord’s center. Based on experience, leaving this floor would take considerable time, so we wanted to walk as much as possible.

Perhaps because we didn’t engage in intense physical exchanges last night, we were well-rested and moving at an impressive pace… but Ayord was bustling in a different way than usual.

“What? Travel restrictions?”

“A lockdown order will be issued soon.”

“Lockdown? Why?”

“In Ayord, which usually has relaxed rules, a lockdown order likely means a problem with the Hostile Star, eight or nine times out of ten.”

The engineering department members’ expressions turned serious.

“Danya.”

“Nyaa, nyaaa.”

[I don’t know anything about this. I retired and haven’t been involved in anything. Not even once.]

“I’m not doubting that, I’m just wondering if something like this happened before.”

“Nyaaa…”

[It wasn’t completely unheard of, but it was so long ago…]

Of course, this never happened in the game. If this is happening because of those Alb guys, there were similar events, but never a sudden lockdown preventing us from leaving.

“A twist of fate or something.”

“Subin, what’s going on?”

“It is about the Hostile Star.”

Subin returned with Soyu noona after saying she’d go find out. She repeatedly ran her hand through her hair and sighed.

“Remember what I said when I first came to Ayord? That I’d heard rumors about an increase in wounded soldiers being sent back to Ayord.”

“Don’t tell me.”

“It seems the conflict has intensified. So they’re recruiting additional support troops and implementing a lockdown as a precaution.”

“Subin unnie, but strictly speaking, this doesn’t concern us, right? Didn’t you tell them that?”

Subin nodded at Yuri’s question.

“Of course I did. I told them we’d take full responsibility and asked them to let us leave. They looked a bit reluctant but nodded, saying the lockdown order hadn’t been officially issued yet. If we’re going to leave, they said to do it quickly, before noon.”

“Ah…”

“Do you know which areas are dangerous?”

“No.”

I wonder if the fortune teller predicted this too. Following his advice, we took our time in Ayord, but if we had delayed our departure by just one day, we would have been trapped by an indefinite lockdown. It’s truly unpredictable.

‘As Yuri said, once we move to the next floor, this won’t matter to us. We’re not Ayors. But the fact that this suddenly happened means either we’ve been extremely unlucky and caught up in something unrelated, or it actually does concern us.’

I asked the department members:

“Did anyone get a quest notification?”

“Quest? No?”

I’m not sure if it’s fortunate, but it wasn’t a spontaneous quest.

“Let’s leave quickly. We don’t know when they might change their minds.”

“Agreed.”

I wanted to run, but the atmosphere wasn’t right. Though we weren’t Ayors, we didn’t want to appear as if we were fleeing, so we maintained a steady pace until we reached the watchtower. We didn’t chat or laugh. Everyone remained tense just in case. We only relaxed a little when Ayord’s exterior came into view.

‘Danya has visibly stiffened.’

She had flinched when we first heard about the lockdown, and as we approached Ayord’s outskirts, her movements became noticeably unnatural. The department members, aware of her situation, looked at her with concern. I picked her up.

“Danya.”

“…”

“It’s okay. There won’t be any problems.”

It’s just the same step as any other.

I wasn’t without concerns either. The ritual might have been incompletely successful or failed.

But I believe.

That her destiny doesn’t end here.

[Quest ‘Crossroads of Destiny’ has been updated.]

[Quest content – Choose 1 of 2 options]

[1. Leave Ayord]

[2. Postpone departure]

[Reward – ???]

[Failure – ???]

‘Quest? Crossroads of Destiny? Screw that. Since Danya contracted with me, leaving was the only path from the beginning.’

I mentally erased option 2 and stepped forward without hesitation.

I, we, and Danya in my arms…

Despite all our worries and tension, we left Ayord with surprising ease.

Ta-da!

Danya jumped from my arms and stood on all fours on the land ‘outside’ Ayord. She stared at her paws for a while, then gazed at Ayord’s watchtower.

[You have chosen [1. Leave Ayord].]

Her reflections on freedom from over 200 years of confinement lasted… barely two minutes.

“Nyah!”

[Let’s go!]

Danya, looking incredibly relieved and truly liberated from her shackles, energetically took the lead, only to quickly return, meowing that she didn’t know the way, making us laugh for quite some time.

About three days later, we found the portal to the next floor.