episode_0170

I had a dream.

The familiar park in the southern district.

The resting area between Darmon’s Inn and the Temple of the Great Mother.

A place where children sometimes played, and wandering troupes stopped to perform.

It was also a place used as a refuge when an earthquake hit the city.

Whenever I had something to think about, I would often sit on a bench in the corner of the park.

Jeong Yu-shin was standing right in front of the park fountain.

I looked around.

The sky was dark, and there was no one around.

I raised my head and looked up at the statue in the center of the fountain.

A figure wearing a ceremonial robe embroidered with the symbols of each spirit church.

A human with a staff in one hand, a thick book in the other, long hair, and a gentle impression.

Behind his head was a halo carved to represent divinity.

Saint Ezdras.

A person who, long ago, drew all the evil spirits and sealed them in this labyrinth city.

I don’t know the rest of his story.

I only know that he is a saint of the Spirit Church.

If I may offer an excuse, I was too busy trying to make a living to be interested.

It was the same now. Things kept happening, so I had no time to stand still. I also took the initiative to accumulate various karmic debts.

But.

‘Why?’

Why am I having this dream now?

Is there a reason I would be left alone to look up at the saint’s statue?

Rumble!!!

The ground began to shake.

A red light began to mix into the dark sky.

“Wh-what?”

Jeong Yu-shin uttered in a voice filled with panic.

Chunks of flesh began to sprout like tumors around the park.

The green trees withered, and black filth spewed from the fountain.

In the increasingly horrific scenery.

Jeong Yu-shin suddenly looked up at the saint’s statue.

“…”

Crack!!!

Half of the statue’s face crumbled.

Fragments of stone scattered, and a bizarre sight came into view.

“…!”

Jeong Yu-shin’s body froze like ice.

He even forgot to breathe.

Half a face with only reddish muscles left, as if the skin had been completely peeled off.

‘Something’ called a saint was looking down at Jeong Yu-shin with bloodshot eyes.

“Wh-what?!”

Jeong Yu-shin staggered backward.

An indescribable sense of horror climbed up his spine.

Jeong Yu-shin turned and ran.

I have to get out of here now.

He worked his legs hard with an almost obsessive thought, but the filth and chunks of flesh overflowing around him grabbed his feet.

Jeong Yu-shin thrashed around, screaming.

“Damn it!!! Let go!!!”

* * *

I opened my eyes.

“Huff! Huff!”

A familiar ceiling.

My room.

Morning sunlight was coming in through the window.

I calmed my panting breath and looked around.

“Hoo. Damn it.”

Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Still, it was a terrible nightmare. My whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

Lynn was curled up on my chest, purring and snoring.

I wonder where she had been wandering again.

I gently stroked Lynn’s white fur. Thanks to the soft touch, my uneasy heart calmed down a bit.

I petted Lynn and thought.

What on earth was that dream?

It was definitely an ominous dream.

Suddenly, Barion’s scribbled words from last night came to mind.

‘The evils of the labyrinth also affect the city.’

I couldn’t just dismiss this warning.

Could there be any changes in the labyrinth city, like the last Eldritch Wave?

‘I need to prepare as soon as possible.’

I got up, changed my clothes, put the drowsy Lynn in my front pocket, and went down to the first floor of the inn.

“Karin.”

Karin was sitting alone at the counter, wiping glasses. Aldaine’s subordinates didn’t come. Because I told them today was a holiday.

“Did you wake up?”

Karin carefully placed the wiped glasses on the shelf.

She didn’t have to put so much effort into it.

Karin finished tidying up and tied her hair back.

“Wait a minute. I’ll make you breakfast.”

“I’ll buy something outside. I heard a new street vendor opened in front of the general store, and it’s supposed to be really good.”

“···Really? Okay.”

Karin thought for a moment and nodded.

Jeong Yu-shin got up and went out into the street.

I walked along the fairly quiet main street with few people.

I looked around at various things and arrived in front of the general store.

The general store owner recognized Jeong Yu-shin and waved.

“Scar, is there anything you want to buy?”

“No. I came to buy breakfast.”

“Is that so?”

The general store owner sighed and glared at the street vendor across the street.

There was a long line, so I didn’t know what kind of food they were selling, but it seemed popular.

“Suddenly setting up shop right in front of my store, he’s got guts.”

“Is he a new face?”

“I heard he’s a pretty famous street vendor from the eastern district.”

“Hoo.”

Jeong Yu-shin stroked his chin. Is it a one-time deal, so he prepared properly?

I was looking forward to it.

The general store owner stroked his half-bald head and crossed his arms.

“Scar, when you think about it, aren’t you also a merchant? The southern district’s commercial area is being threatened, so you shouldn’t treat it like it’s someone else’s problem.”

“No one sets up shop in front of my inn, though?”

“That’s because…”

The general store owner swallowed his words.

‘It’s because you’re Barbaroi.’

If you mess with him, instead of filling your pockets with coins, he’ll fill your holes with semen.

Unless you have a strong heart, you wouldn’t think of messing with a Barbaroi who is just minding his own business.

“Ahem! Anyway, I’m uncomfortable, that’s what I’m saying. Not only me, but also the people who make a living selling things here feel the same way. I’m already worried because the price of goods is soaring these days, tsk.”

“Why are the prices of goods going up?”

“A giant clan is buying up a lot of supplies. It looks like they’re competing or something. …Something unusual seems to be happening in the city.”

“Geez.”

Jeong Yu-shin scratched the back of his head.

The general store owner gave Jeong Yu-shin a sly wink.

“Is it okay for you to be so carefree? My store almost collapsed during the last earthquake. How about your inn?”

“My inn is fine. You should have built it a little sturdier. Why…”

Jeong Yu-shin was speaking casually but closed his mouth.

The general store owner glared at Jeong Yu-shin before opening his mouth.

“Scar, why does my chest feel so stuffy when I talk to you?”

“I wonder why.”

Jeong Yu-shin glanced at the dwindling line at the street vendor and got up from his seat.

“I’ll stop by often.”

“Do that.”

I left the general store and stood in line at the street vendor across the street.

A savory smell wafted up.

The street vendor was a cat person with a knife scar on one eye.

He was diligently cooking something.

At first glance, it looked like some kind of fried food.

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes widened as he closely observed the dish.

“Th-this is?”

Fish and potatoes coated in flour and fried in oil.

Commonly known as fish and chips.

But the shape of the fish was a little different. Instead of frying white cod, he was using fish that looked like carp.

And that, whole.

‘Why are you even frying the head?’

A culture I couldn’t understand at all.

Jeong Yu-shin frowned and took a step back.

I heard that a good restaurant had opened, so I came looking for it, but now I see that it’s a strange street vendor that fries fish whole.

My appetite disappeared.

‘Should I give up?’

“Squeak? Squeak squeak.”

Lynn opened her eyes and sniffed around.

“Squeak squeak!!!”

Lynn raised her front paws and pointed to the fried fish. Seeing her eyes sparkling, it seemed like she really wanted to eat it.

The cat person raised his head and stiffened when he saw Jeong Yu-shin.

“Wh-what would you like?”

The cat person asked politely.

“Give me two of those fish and chips.”

I decided to give one to Karin and the other to Lynn, and I would just eat the french fries.

“Ah, I understand!”

The cat person quickly started cooking.

He put the flour-coated fish in boiling oil and also fried the thickly sliced potatoes. It seemed that he didn’t need firewood because he was using a separate heating magic tool.

Lynn stretched out her body to look at the fish, as if she was about to jump into the fryer.

“It’s done. He-here’s the sauce.”

The cat person quickly finished cooking and handed the fried food wrapped in a bag.

“How much is it?”

“It’s free. You can just take it.”

Jeong Yu-shin shook his head.

“I can’t do that.”

“It’s 25 copper coins, but if you think it’s too expensive, I’ll give you a discount.”

The cat person said, looking at Jeong Yu-shin.

It was certainly expensive. But I couldn’t just cheat him.

“Here you go.”

The moment I took out a copper coin from my pocket.

Rumble!

The earth began to tremble.

Jeong Yu-shin, the cat person, and the people on the street stiffened.

Rumble!!!

The road surface trembled and the buildings began to shake.

“Wh-what?!”

“It’s an earthquake!!!”

“Be careful!!!”

The people panicked and didn’t know what to do.

Rumble!!!

The vibration became more and more severe.

Crack!!!

As the sidewalk blocks began to crack like a spider web, the general store owner, as well as the people in the inn and store buildings, rushed out.

People with pale faces, wearing incomprehensible expressions, screamed as they looked around.

“Aaaagh!!!”

“Something’s falling from above!!! Get out of the way!!!”

“Dad!!!”

Rumble!!!!!

Squeak!!!

The general store building creaked and was about to collapse.

“No!!!”

The general store owner, who couldn’t even keep his balance due to the shaking, crawled on his hands and knees to get inside the general store.

Jeong Yu-shin quickly ran and grabbed the general store owner.

“It’s dangerous!”

“My family is inside!!!”

The general store owner shouted urgently.

‘Damn it!’

Jeong Yu-shin immediately jumped into the general store.

Entering inside the counter, I saw a door.

I kicked the door open and saw two women clinging to each other under the table, trembling.

I threw the table aside, put the two women on both hips, and got out of the general store.

Rumble!!!

The earthquake was still going on.

The vibration was getting worse.

People were rolling around, unable to keep their balance.

Jeong Yu-shin ran and put the family down in front of the general store owner kneeling on the floor.

“Honey!!!”

The general store owner hugged his wife and daughter tightly.

Jeong Yu-shin also regained his balance and looked around.

Soon, the sidewalk cracked open, revealing a deep valley. Underneath, you could see the sewers and the flowing water.

Jeong Yu-shin barely moved out of the way and waited for the earthquake to stop.

Rumble.

After 30 minutes, the earthquake subsided.

“M-mom!!!”

“Sa-save me!!!”

Leaning buildings and fallen people.

Amidst all that, there were many people desperately calling out the names of their families, as if there had been an accident.

A sudden pandemonium.

Jeong Yu-shin couldn’t just stand by and quickly moved around, rescuing people who needed help one by one.

People who appeared to be explorers also came forward and searched the collapsed buildings to rescue the injured.

Thanks to the help of many people, the rescue was quickly completed.

“Scar! Thank you for saving my daughter and wife!”

“Thank you! I will never forget this favor!”

The rescued people bowed their heads repeatedly, expressing their gratitude.

Jeong Yu-shin shook his head and expressed humility.

“It’s only natural. And other explorers besides me also cooperated in the rescue, so please express your gratitude to them as well. Then.”

I saved everyone I could.

There was nothing more I could do.

Jeong Yu-shin shook off the people trying to hold him back and quickly ran towards the inn.

The last time there was an earthquake, there was a strange sound from the rafters and pillars.

You could call it the scream of the trees. Because that sound was still in my memory, an uneasy feeling crept up on me.

I jumped over the cracked and broken road and barely arrived at Darmon’s Inn.

“Uh…?”

“Scar!!!”

Karin ran and hugged Jeong Yu-shin.

But I couldn’t pay attention to that.

Over Karin’s shoulder, I could see the half-collapsed inn.

One of the main beams must have collapsed, or one of the pillars must have broken, as one side had completely collapsed.

“No…crap.”

A hollow voice leaked from Jeong Yu-shin’s mouth.

His legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

The fish and chips in the paper bag spilled onto the floor.

Especially the side that was completely destroyed included my room.

Was it a case of going on the wrong day?

I wondered why my dream was so ominous.

Jeong Yu-shin, who had suddenly become a refugee, opened his mouth blankly, completely out of his mind.

Is this what they call starting from zero in another world or something?

“Hehe. Damn it. Ah, damn it.”

Or is it not?

I don’t know.