Supplementing the Ending (2)
People waiting in line to enter the castle gate and soldiers checking them at the entrance.
As I slyly slipped some money to the fussy soldiers to get through, I was greeted with the sight of countless people…
‘…I was expecting something, but what’s up with this place?’
Even though the scale was a bit small, with ramparts surrounding the area and many buildings erected, it was surely a city.
‘But why is it so empty?’
The soldiers guarding the entrance barely glanced at me, whispering among themselves without saying a word as I passed through the gate.
‘At least no thorough checks, that’s a relief.’
I knew nothing about this world.
The casual rambling I had used with the old man in the village wouldn’t work on the city guards.
If they started grilling me with questions, I would definitely be in trouble.
‘I had prepared some coins just in case it got tricky.’
Even though it was still bright out, there weren’t many residents wandering about, and they seemed indifferent to an outsider like me.
The whole city just lacked any vitality.
‘What’s up with the atmosphere here? Is something going on?’
Feeling uneasy, I decided to first look for a place to stay.
I needed to gather some information from this place before heading off to somewhere else.
‘Let’s see… Where could the inn be? Should I ask that person over there?’
Just as I approached someone who looked like a local to ask for directions, something caught my eye—a dark alley beside the road.
A muscular hulk with a tattoo on his neck and a disheveled little girl who looked around ten years old.
“…I’m sorry! Just a little more time, please…”
The girl was bowing her head repeatedly, pleading with the hulk, her face tearful.
“I understand your situation, but you know I can’t wait long, right? I’ll give you three days. If you don’t bring it back in three days, I won’t be able to help you.”
He uncrossed his arms, scratching his head with a dissatisfied look while answering gruffly.
Without even waiting for the girl’s reply, he turned back inside.
“Did you hear? You two. Two silver coins in three days.”
As he vanished into the darkness of the alley, the girl slumped down right there.
After a brief moment of dazed sitting, she took a deep breath as if trying to swallow her tears and slapped her cheeks.
Then, she staggered and stood back up.
‘Hmm… a thug and an exploited little girl. Such a cliché.’
In this medieval fantasy world, this was probably a common occurrence.
Even if I protested for human rights, nothing would change, and there was no real reason for me to do so in the first place.
Thump—
As I quietly stood there watching, the dizzy girl stumbled out of the alley and bumped into me.
“Ah… I’m sorry…”
I looked down at the girl who bowed her head right in front of me.
Her skin was rough for her age, and her hands were scratched and swollen.
Her vacant eyes and the faint aura of despair surrounding her felt all too familiar to me.
After her apology, she passed by me and continued her slow walk away.
Her slumped shoulders and footsteps showed not a hint of vitality.
For some reason, that figure stuck in my mind.
‘Hmm, two silver coins, huh.’
I pulled out a pouch from my pocket.
It was the pouch I had prepared for bribery, filled with several coins and about six silver coins.
‘I didn’t know the prices here, so I packed it well. Looks like the value of silver coins is higher than I thought.’
I assumed I wouldn’t need to use it after passing through the gate without checks, but a perfect opportunity just sprang up.
‘Just when I need information about this world.’
Someone who would provide insights while being willing to comply with our shared duties.
And someone with minimal risk of pulling other tricks.
Wasn’t the perfect candidate right in front of me?
‘I might not know if I can trust her yet, but if I can get information for this little amount of money…’
I took out two silver coins from the pouch and put them back in.
‘Well, this must be fate. I had planned to use it as a bribe anyway, but this seems more efficient.’
I strode towards the girl who was still staggering along.
I approached her without leaving a trace, yet she showed no reaction to my presence.
“Ahem… hey, kid?”
“……….”
“Hey~? I have something to say…”
When I didn’t get a response, I raised my voice a bit and gently tapped her shoulder…
“Eek—! I-I’m sorry!”
I was startled along with her as she jumped up in surprise.
“……….”
“Uh, who are you?”
The one who will become your employer.
I didn’t plan to simply bestow help out of pity for the girl.
A mutually beneficial relationship is always the strongest and longest-lasting.
I didn’t know how long I would be here, but I had to uphold my end.
So, let’s discuss the working conditions.
*
After encountering the girl in the city, Seong-hyun Han smoothly secured accommodations with her help and began gathering information.
With a local guide by my side, everything went smoothly.
“Alright… shall I get started?”
Gold bars! It was time to harvest gold bars.
Traveling to another world is nice, but first and foremost, I need to ensure my own well-being.
‘But summoning Hans straight away is a bit scary.’
Didn’t I realize his might when we faced each other as Han?
‘But I do have the “Clear Mind” skill. It should be okay for a short while.’
Still, just in case, I closed my eyes so we wouldn’t lock gazes and summoned Hans.
Wooooosh…
The moment I summoned him, an icy chill embraced me.
Even without seeing it directly, I instinctively realized something ominous was present before me.
[Wow… this is no joke. I could never show myself to others again!]
Hans mumbled as he looked at my body, which was frozen in his line of sight.
His voice, resonating with magical power, sent shivers down my spine like a demon whispering from the underworld.
‘But thanks to “Clear Mind,” I feel like I’m getting a bit more composed.’
Unlike the first time I summoned Hans, when the skill had me trembling uncontrollably, I was slowly starting to feel steadier now.
“Hoo, I think I’m good now…”
With a calm mind, I opened my eyes and faced Hans, only to immediately turn my head away.
No, I turned my whole body towards the restroom.
“Let’s keep our distance for the time being. I need to take a quick bathroom break. Nature calls.”
Muttering to myself, even though no one was around, I stepped away from Hans.
‘He can just pull out the items while I’m in there.’
While I was in the restroom, Hans neatly stacked up all the items he was holding.
Gold bars, precious metals, and magical equipment.
I took a few protective magical items, as the safety of my main body was the top priority.
Just to check, I lifted the skull staff and lightly tapped the floor with it…
[Hmm, it seems like summoning in this world is impossible.]
It looked like summoning undead creatures from that side was a no-go.
Unless I created a spatial dimension completely belonging to Hans where he could stow things away, but right now, he didn’t know such magic.
‘Well, I’ll find out as I grow.’
For now, this was more than enough. There was no need to rush.
Beep beep beep— Click
After finishing my business, I stepped out of the restroom and was getting accustomed to Hans’s presence when the main door opened, and my avatar returned from exercise.
I hadn’t named it yet because I was still pondering a cool name, but it was a handy one with the “Acceleration” skill that boosts speed for a moment.
‘I got a wooden mask to reflect the era, and I think it’ll suit him well.’
As my avatar returned from working out, it held a wooden mask I had prepared to put on Hans.
Using a plastic mask in a fantasy world just won’t do.
Well, I could use one, but I preferred this option more.
I had my avatar approach and place the mask on Hans’s face, tying the strap tightly behind.
I secured it several times with durable leather straps just in case it might fall off.
“Ohhh… now that’s got a vibe. Looks much more menacing than before.”
I clapped in excitement while looking at Hans’s face.
While my avatar was running around town, it suddenly spotted something—Hans was now wearing the Hahoe Mask!
Wrapped in a robe and appearing to smile from the eye holes, the green aura radiated from it, while fangs peeked through the open mouth, letting out a chilling mist.
Truly, a scene straight out of a horror movie.
‘Wait, hold on. Does this mask serve a purpose?’
Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind, but I quickly let it go.
Even with a cute pink bunny mask, Hans would still look like a psychopathic serial killer.
For now, hiding the fact that he wasn’t human should suffice for the mask’s function.
‘Hmm… as long as the skull isn’t visible, I can probably manage somehow.’
I tried hard to ignore Hans’s intimidating appearance as I fetched a bag to stuff the gold bars inside.
‘So, the gold bars I’ve brought weigh about 3 kg. That should be enough for now.’
Long term, I planned to buy a house on the outskirts of Seoul and surround it with all sorts of protective barriers, but I couldn’t head out just yet, so I’d take my time preparing.
‘I have to believe it will get better. I can’t keep living like this forever.’
For now, I’d just sell these gold bars normally.
I could pretend I discovered them while sorting items left behind by my parents.
Our family wasn’t in such dire straits, and given the current chaotic times, selling this amount of gold shouldn’t pose any issues.
As my avatar was gearing up to leave, it hesitated momentarily at the door.
With such valuable items, I felt an irrational worry.
“Just going out like this feels a bit daunting.”
Even with protective magical equipment, something felt off.
While glancing around nervously, I noticed Hans standing stiffly, looking dazed.
*
“Thank you! Goodbye!”
The staff at the gold buying shop bowed at ninety degrees as they sent me off.
As expected, the selling process went smoothly, and my concerns about unforeseen accidents turned out to be unfounded.
It was rewarding to have gone so far to seek a place that buys gold at a high price. I smiled contentedly upon seeing my suddenly bloated bank balance.
The streets had grown dim, and streetlights were flickering on one by one.
As I walked with a lighter heart, I casually glanced at my shadow on the ground.
Of all the shadows, mine appeared notably darker.
‘Though I can’t show myself in front of others, I’m glad I can use it like this.’
My shadow hid Hans using black magic.
I had kept it concealed for emergencies, and it seemed my worries had been unfounded.
Vrrr— Vrrrr!
Boom—!
Before I could finish my train of thought, the security gate at the gold buying shop behind me crashed down, and moments later, the wall blew up.
‘Why do my bad feelings never miss?’
I quickly squeezed my eyes shut and then peeked back.
A muscular werewolf towering over two meters and a black-masked man clambered out of the demolished building and fled into the alley.
When I glanced inside the now chaotic building, precious metals were gone, and people were sprawled on the ground.
Fortunately, I had escaped just before the incident, so I wasn’t caught up in it directly.
But…
‘A villain, eh…’
Those who commit crimes with awakened abilities.
Of course, there are guardians who protect citizens from such villains, but as always, they can’t shield everyone from every danger.
Just like with their own families.
I briefly gazed in the direction they fled before continuing on my way.
The surroundings had turned into chaos, filled with people reporting and filming the incident.
The guardians would pursue them, and if caught, they would face severe punishment for their ability-related crimes.
If they evade capture…
‘They’ll live well. But I can’t do anything about it.’
Seong-hyun Han left the scene of the incident and headed home.
*
“Alright, Wolf, just like the plan. Now, let’s get to where the portal is and get out!”
“Grrr, we have about three minutes until the guardians arrive. That’s plenty of time.”
The plan was simple.
The muscle-man “Wolf” would subdue the guards and destroy the vault and security systems to secure a getaway, while the transporter “Porter” would haul in all the precious metals and cash before getting carried by Wolf.
Then, once we moved hastily to the location with the exit, “Portal” would use his ability to transport us far away, and that would be it.
“Ha ha ha— the guardians will arrive late and see the look on their faces!”
“Grrr! We’ve arrived, so put me down.”
They soon entered the construction site.
Since Portal’s ability requires a while to create the gate, they couldn’t use it right on-site and needed to scout the location in advance for escape prep.
Thud— Bang!
Once they rushed inside, they spotted construction workers who had been knocked out and pushed to a corner.
And Portal, who should have been generating the gate and waiting for them, was also knocked out.
“Uh…? What’s happening?”
Standing before the unconscious Portal was something shadowy.
Grrrr…
Wolf’s fur stood on end. He bared his teeth and claws, lowering his body while raising his tail.
But his eyes were clearly filled with terror.
“W-what is th-that…?”
Porter was in even worse shape. Thoughts were cut off, and he couldn’t think straight.
And then ‘it’ raised one hand and pointed at them.
The last thing Porter’s eyes beheld was… a grinning face glowing blue amidst the encroaching shadows.
