Ch.95Ice Fortress

At the point when Hwang-gu became capable of flight using her wings, a significant change came to this world.

The types of Fusion Bodies appearing in the field began to diversify, and these creatures started flooding into the city.

Of course, if users joined forces, they could sufficiently repel the attacks.

However, if the invasion of Fusion Bodies continued unchecked, the city of Seoul would collapse from the aftermath of battle.

Eventually, large barricades were built around the entirety of Seoul.

Of course, that wasn’t the only change. Dungeons began appearing more frequently than usual, and the variety of items sold in shops increased.

Changes never come without meaning. The invasion of Fusion Bodies likely meant preparing users to fight at any time, and the appearance of various items felt like a warning that powerful enemies requiring such items would soon appear.

Second-generation users didn’t know this fact. The world as it currently existed was all they remembered.

Even if they discovered traces of the old world, they didn’t long for those times. They weren’t even curious about it.

They simply considered such findings as “useful and interesting things we picked up.”

I took time to meditate alone.

It was to properly organize the memories of hundreds of people.

If I continued like this, I might forget who I was, buried under all these memories.

***

“Woof woof!”

I felt the tug on my hand and smiled softly.

Walking time with Hwang-gu was the moment she looked forward to most each day.

Our walks consisted of me holding her leash while strolling around Seoul.

I couldn’t understand why she enjoyed this ordinary activity so much, but I was more than willing to make time for Hwang-gu.

“Let’s go.”

While walking with Hwang-gu, we often encountered many second-generation users.

They greeted me with eyes full of respect, and they greeted Hwang-gu beside me as well.

At such times, Hwang-gu would proudly thrust out her chest and strike an impressive pose, though to me it just looked like a dog showing off.

The walking route was entirely determined by Hwang-gu. She would bury her nose to the ground, sniffing around and going wherever she pleased.

Sometimes she headed toward newly built parks, and other times she dragged me to secluded places where nobody was around.

At those times, Hwang-gu would transform into her wolf form and demand kisses from me.

It seems she really enjoyed that one time I obliged her.

“Whine…”

Today, as usual, Hwang-gu led me to a secluded spot and began whining.

I sighed and sat down in a suitable place.

Hwang-gu then wagged her tail vigorously and leaned her large body against me.

Her front paws climbed onto my shoulders, and her fluffy fur pressed against my body.

Once all preparations were complete, Hwang-gu pressed her long muzzle against mine.

As I accepted the long, soft tongue hidden behind sharp teeth attempting to invade my mouth, I found myself lost in thought.

If she wanted to kiss, she could just take her girl form…

“Huff… huff… slurp…”

Wolf-form Hwang-gu was large and heavy.

When she pressed down on my shoulders with that enormous body, I naturally fell backward.

Hwang-gu would lay me down like that and mercilessly explore my mouth.

“Ugh, cough…”

Of course, the kiss didn’t last long.

Hwang-gu’s long tongue kept touching beyond my throat, causing me to cough repeatedly.

When I turned my head and coughed, Hwang-gu whined and rubbed her head against me.

Kissing Hwang-gu in wolf form had numerous inconveniences.

I spat out the wolf hair that had somehow gotten into my mouth.

That was enough kissing. I got up and tugged firmly on Hwang-gu’s leash.

With her tail drooping, Hwang-gu began walking listlessly.

Though she might look that way now, after walking a bit more, she would start wagging her tail and bouncing around again.

“Sniff sniff…!”

Suddenly, Hwang-gu began sniffing vigorously.

Her hindquarters lowered slightly, suggesting something was amiss.

I looked around and followed Hwang-gu.

Hwang-gu headed toward another secluded spot. A place away from others’ eyes.

However, she chose a location where people would eventually pass by.

Upon arriving, Hwang-gu lowered her hindquarters almost to the ground and began to relieve herself.

Whoosh—

The large wolf Hwang-gu released quite a lot.

The ground turned into a veritable Han River.

After relieving herself thoroughly, Hwang-gu approached me with her tail wagging vigorously.

Apparently, Hwang-gu had no sense of embarrassment.

I sighed and wiped her underside with tissue.

At that moment, a sparrow flew over from the distance.

It was Chirpy the sparrow, Hwang-gu’s flight instructor and Aurel’s subordinate.

Chirp chirp-!

“Did Aurel send you?”

Chirp chirp chirp-!

“I see.”

To be honest, I couldn’t understand what it was saying.

I just pretended to understand, which made Chirpy the sparrow very happy.

Still, I could understand why the sparrow had come through its movements.

Seeing it fly in a figure-eight pattern, it seemed Aurel was looking for me.

I climbed onto Hwang-gu’s back and said, “Let’s go to Aurel.”

Hwang-gu spread her wings at my command.

The large wings extending from her back were grand and majestic like a Manticore’s, lifting Hwang-gu’s massive body into the air.

Unlike my shadow wings, these were wings that could truly fly.

Hwang-gu flapped her wings and followed Chirpy the sparrow.

Chirpy flew far beyond Seoul, heading in the direction of the ancient fortress.

As I suspected.

The sparrow flew over a building in the ancient fortress.

And of course, Aurel was there.

“Charlotte! Hwang-gu!”

Aurel welcomed us with open arms as soon as she spotted us.

Each time she jumped up and down, her skirt fluttered, revealing her white panties.

Hwang-gu and I descended beside Aurel.

“What’s going on?”

“Look over there!”

The place Aurel pointed to was where the Manticore had once stood.

“A mirror…?”

“Yes! It’s a mirror!”

As Aurel said, amidst the collapsed ruins stood a large mirror.

Judging by how it reflected the faint moonlight from above and the surroundings, it was definitely a mirror.

The problem was that it was a bit—no, extremely large.

At a glance, the mirror was similar in size to the former Manticore.

“When did it appear?”

“I’m not sure of the exact time. I just came by on a whim and found that thing there.”

“What about the second-generation users who were stationed here?”

“They weren’t visible.”

I tilted my head at her words.

After successfully defeating the Manticore, I had definitely selected a few second-generation users to stand guard here.

Those who had grown up under Aurel’s thorough brainwashing education would consider my orders absolute.

“Maybe they missed each other on the way?”

As Aurel suggested, they might have simply missed each other.

But somehow, I found that mirror suspicious.

“Hwang-gu. Check the scent.”

“Sniff sniff!”

Hwang-gu began sniffing at my command.

If they had missed each other as Aurel suggested, the scent of the second-generation users should lead outside the fortress.

However, Hwang-gu’s scent tracking stopped right in front of the mirror.

“Sniff sniff!”

“It ends here?”

“Woof!”

Hwang-gu nodded at my question.

I dismounted from Hwang-gu’s back and walked around the mirror.

Given how large the mirror was, it took considerable time just to circle it.

“I don’t see anything…”

Both Aurel and Hwang-gu helped me diligently search for traces of the second-generation users.

After wandering around for a while, I reached out toward the large mirror with a sense of foreboding.

As I did, a cold sensation transmitted through my fingertips, and the large mirror began to ripple like water.

“Gasp…!”

“Whine…!”

-Chirp!

Aurel and Hwang-gu were startled by the sight.

Even Chirpy the sparrow was so surprised that it fell to the ground.

I withdrew my hand and nodded.

Based on the circumstances, it seemed the second-generation users had fallen into the mirror while investigating it.

The fact that they hadn’t come out suggested something problematic had occurred.

I drew a long sword from within my shadow and inserted it into the mirror.

If there was something inside, there would be some reaction.

I poked around randomly beyond the mirror with the long sword.

When I pulled it back out, white snow came with it.

“Snow…?”

“Gasp…!”

“It’s snow…!”

Yes, pure white snow—the cold snow that falls in winter—came out with the sword.

It seemed that another region lay beyond this mirror.

Like the Underground Ruins discovered near Seoul.

Without hesitation, I threw myself through the mirror.

As I passed through the cold mirror, a vast white snowfield spread before me.

In the endless snowfield, snow fell with fierce winds, and looking around, nothing was visible except for snow.

At that moment, Aurel and Hwang-gu rushed in beside me.

“Charlotte!”

“Woof woof!”

The wolf and the small girl who appeared from beyond the mirror gaped in astonishment as they looked around, just as I had done.

“A new region…?”

Aurel murmured blankly as she surveyed the surroundings.

As she said, it was likely a new region, but according to my memory, there was no such snowy area in the game called Blood Carnival.

Could this also be dummy data that had only existed within the game?

I couldn’t be certain, but it seemed highly probable.

Despite entering this place, the large mirror serving as the entrance had not disappeared.

This meant we could exit the same way we came in if there were no special problems.

But then, where had the second-generation users disappeared to?

“Hwang-gu.”

“Woof!”

“Can you track their scent?”

“Sniff sniff!”

Hwang-gu immediately began tracking the scent at my command.

The second-generation users who had crossed through the mirror must have headed beyond this snowfield.

The falling snow would have erased their footprints, but their scent should still remain.

Indeed, Hwang-gu detected the scent of the second-generation users.

“Woof woof!”

Hwang-gu ran forward, wagging her tail vigorously.

Aurel and I followed behind her.

Crunch crunch, the white snow made cute sounds beneath our feet.