Sabacheon (2)
‘What should I do?’
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
I can neither fight back nor run away.
Zzzzt— Crackle!
The woman was already poised, raising her spirits.
Perhaps she thought Hoon was no pushover, as she seemed ready to go all out from the beginning.
Just when the situation was about to explode…
“Wait, wait! Please, sis!”
Just before things could go irreversibly awry, a voice pierced through the tension.
“Hang on a second, So-hwa. Right now, we need to deal with that mage practitioner first…”
“U-Um… I don’t think that’s the case, sis! I feel like there’s been some misunderstanding…”
“…What? What do you mean by that?”
The woman’s frown deepened at the sudden revelation.
Yet her eyes didn’t stray from Hoon, taking in every move he made.
Ready to react at the slightest suspicious hint from him.
“That person is the one who rescued me after I was kidnapped. He fought off all the outlaws in the process.”
“…He wasn’t working with them?”
“Yes! There are many things I can’t explain besides that.”
Yoon So-hwa calmly persuaded her sister, as if the terror she had just felt was a lie.
He was known for his intelligence within the Seongcheon Yoon Clan.
At first, he had been somewhat paralyzed by the negative mental waves, but quickly regained his composure upon realizing he had a trustworthy ally by his side, prompting further unwarranted suspicions.
Conversations that seemed nonsensical regarding the Seongcheon Yoon Clan.
Her bold use of her abilities and the late attempt at clarification.
The exotic attire he initially dismissed as just quirky.
‘There are more weird points too. I was just collateral, and she also barged in here to rescue that girl…’
From clearing the masters underground to knocking out the lower minions on the way out.
Logically, if one came from the outside, wouldn’t they deal with the outer enemies first?
And there was one element in this world that could explain those inexplicable points.
“Could you be… someone from another dimension?”
A being that crossed the dimensional barrier.
Wanderers with unique abilities who quickly grow and bring various transformations to the world.
Yoon So-hwa, a descendant of the Seongcheon Yoon Clan, knew them well.
After all, even their family’s founder was from another world, wasn’t he?
If the ability he displayed wasn’t the magic chakra but part of such a special power…
“Oh? Smart. I was just pondering how to explain it.”
…That aspect was entirely understandable.
After all, beings from another dimension often didn’t conform to the common sense of this world.
Though considering that, he did seem a bit off his rocker.
“An otherworlder? That man is an otherworlder?”
The woman’s round eyes couldn’t hide her surprise as she studied him again.
Now that she thought that way, the discomfort she felt was significantly amplified.
Until now, she thought he was using some means to hide his energy, but it seemed he hadn’t trained in chakra from the beginning.
“Ah, but this is… hmm.”
After blinking a few times, the woman’s aggressive demeanor began to dissipate.
Her hostility towards Hoon stemmed from the belief that he was a mage practitioner.
The notoriety of creatures who wore human masks was, quite literally, horrendous.
But if that wasn’t the case…
“…Still, everything isn’t confirmed yet. I can’t just let you go unchallenged.”
With a small sigh, she stepped back and proposed a compromise.
If all of this was a wicked mage practitioner’s deception, wouldn’t that mean missing the dangers to the world right in front of her?
As someone dedicated to principles, she couldn’t afford to take that risk.
“I’m sorry, but would you mind accompanying us for a while? We have several otherworlders residing in our clan, so it shouldn’t take long to verify.”
If it could be confirmed, she could offer various assistance while residing on this land.
With her polite yet firm expression, Hoon could only nod.
‘Besides, I have nowhere else to go.’
He was stuck in this world until Ramu snapped out of it.
Thinking that he would at least have a place to stay during that time, this situation didn’t seem all that bad.
While the warriors of the Yoon clan sensed the commotion and hurried to handle the situation.
Holding Ramu, Hoon followed the two.
A trace left behind by a great hero who brought peace to the world after a long, great war.
The eye of the storm beginning to swirl slowly.
*
To sum up the Sabacheon dimension in one word…
It could be described as a sort of ‘Eastern Fantasy’ world.
From the wooden and tiled architectural style to the loose-fitting robes almost uncut from fabric.
At first glance, it resembled the Ganghwan Realm of the Martial Arts World, but there were distinct differences.
‘Fascinating.’
In the heart of a rather large city’s bustling area.
Hoon narrowed his eyes as he looked out the window at a street vendor grilling skewers.
The flames from the stove danced wildly, perfectly cooking the meat, evoking the sense of witnessing a spectacle.
“Huh? Are you hungry?”
“Nah, not really. Just found it fascinating that an ordinary citizen can use chakra.”
“Oh, I see.”
As Yoon So-hwa glanced at the vendor following Hoon’s gaze, she shrugged.
Then casually added, “Chakra is a power that anyone can wield if they understand the subject. Of course, without proper teaching and talent, there are limits to growth.”
As he stated, the vendor’s skills didn’t seem very high.
He appeared to be even less capable than Yoon So-hwa, who was only in her early teens.
By local standards, he could barely be classified as a beginner.
“I see that vendor has been grilling meat since opening the fire chakra, but to grow further, he’ll need to explore diverse methods. For instance, it’s fundamental to feel the heat all over his body from the flames for days, or even stick his hand in it at some point…”
Hoon half-listened to Yoon So-hwa’s knowledge-sharing while continuing to gaze out the window.
He noticed that it wasn’t just this vendor using chakra in everyday life.
A woman shaking out her laundry, a delivery worker moving heavy loads surprising given their build, and a merchant selling fresher vegetables all casually utilized the mystique.
No matter how low their level seemed, the sight of seemingly ordinary people using mystique appeared enchanting through Hoon’s experienced eyes.
‘Chakra… seems pretty useful.’
His eyes sparkled.
Unlike other common forms of mystique, chakra—dealing with the concept itself—was a captivating topic for him too.
What if he could wield it? It would surely provide him with great power!
“…In that sense, those who can simply use chakra and practitioners are different. To raise one’s level, one must endure any hardship to be called a practitioner. Usually, once someone surpasses the beginner stage, they…”
“Hey, So-hwa.”
Just as Yoon So-hwa continued her lecturing while Hoon gazed out the window, a woman quietly sitting next to the boy finally spoke up.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Ah!”
As soon as those words ended, the carriage they were riding in came to a halt.
Through the window, they saw the main gate of an estate extending endlessly with high walls.
“I’ve already informed the main house about the situation here, so the procedures shouldn’t take long.”
“Ah! Just as expected, thank you, Ramu!”
“Come on, it’s just what I should do.”
Yoon So-hwa looked up, her eyes sparkling, as Yoon Rusette gently smiled while ruffling her hair.
A little girl, Yoon So-hwa, with Western features and a beauty, Yoon Rusette, with Eastern looks.
‘…I still can’t get used to it.’
There was no other option.
If this is the culture of this world, then this foreigner had to adapt.
With a small sigh, Hoon petted Ramu’s still-sleeping hair on his lap.
*
The Seongcheon Yoon Clan was a massive power recognized anywhere in this Sabacheon.
There was no doubt about it.
Located between the Hongsan Kingdom and Cheonghae Kingdom, the main stages of the century-long war, their nominal ranking as a clan was misleading as they were essentially a military force and a ruling lord over an independent city-state.
Maintaining the balance between two superpowers that divvied up the world, the Yoon clan’s strength was extraordinary.
‘Seeing it up close, it feels even more impressive. That this power has endured for decades without collapsing.’
This was all possible because the origins of the clan differed from typical houses.
While they claimed to be descendants, none of the current members were actually related to the founder.
Wasn’t the clan started by those who followed the founder and the war orphans taken in during chaos?
Thus, blood ties were not a priority for them.
“Wow!”
“Hey! Come here!”
“Uwaaa~ Sister…”
As Hoon passed by the estate, he encountered yet another orphanage and clicked his tongue.
How many times had this been?
Even more surprising was how most of the children, despite their age, were already on the verge of opening their chakra or had just opened it—a remarkable level of talent.
‘Were they gathering talented kids from all over the world to raise them as future pillars of the clan?’
That seemed to be the driving force behind the Yoon clan’s flourishing success.
Yoon So-hwa, peeking at the mid-tier level, was just in her early teens. Yoon Rusette had reached the lower-tier level in her twenties.
They were all the ones certified and permitted to carry the surname ‘Yoon’.
“Hmm, you’re definitely from Earth.”
“I think so too. It’s hard to acquire such common knowledge through mere learning.”
Verifying Hoon as an otherworlder was not difficult.
He simply needed to converse with Earthlings who resided here when he was a guest.
The next small issue arose afterward.
“Excuse me! Where exactly are you from, sir?”
Yoon So-hwa, who had been watching from the side, momentarily lost her stern expression and hurriedly asked.
Ruset, who had kept her guard up on Hoon until the end, had the same look of wide-eyed surprise.
The glaring intensity in her eyes felt pressuring, but he had no choice but to answer.
“South Korea… Specifically, Seoul…!”
“Wait, then what about the founder? Do you know the founder?”
Of course, he did.
Not only had they talked; they even shook hands.
‘We’ve agreed to cooperate as well.’
However, knowing what kind of reaction would arise if he answered like that, Hoon simply nodded.
That alone would keep the excited duo calmed down for a while.
The chances of a Korean among the many Earthlings being transmitted to Sabacheon were few and far between.
And the probability of them surviving until they reached the domain of the Seongcheon Yoon Clan.
Furthermore, considering the probability of revealing his identity and having a conversation later…
It would be strange if they did not react so sensitively.
Given the decades of time, there might have been a few, but considering their ages, it would be hard to establish any existing relationships.
“Let’s talk more about it later…”
“How is the founder? What about our world, how…?”
He subtly averted his gaze to a large painting hung on the wall.
A world where everyone suffered from a war of death and destruction.
Thunderclouds filled the sky, with countless lightning strikes splashing down.
In the center stood a goddess descending to the ground, enveloped in a sacred electrical aura.
The founder of the Seongcheon Yoon Clan, the goddess of thunder, Yoon Ji-yoon.
In Earth, the head of the Southern Branch of the Korean Returning Association in Seoul.
‘…She doesn’t resemble her at all.’
Hoon nodded slightly, examining the painting depicted as a stunning beauty with a mixed expression.
Well, embellishing one’s veneration is something that happens everywhere.
‘But this works out well. They won’t treat me poorly, and I can remain here for a while to learn about chakra.’
For some reason, Ramu had not woken up until several hours later.
She seemed fine health-wise, but… if this continued, some exceptional measures would need to be taken.
There didn’t appear to be a place safer than this in the world, so it would not be a bad idea to use this as a base to monitor her condition.
“So, regarding the founder…”
“Is the founder…”
Maybe he should rethink it again.
*
“Failure?”
The being in the darkness grimaced slightly.
Hearing that the scheme they had reviewed and confirmed several times had failed, even he couldn’t help but respond sensitively.
“…What was the cause?”
No answer came.
But the being shrouded in darkness slowly nodded, seemingly understanding the answer, and began to scratch their chin.
“No, the mage practitioners wouldn’t betray us. They’ve been the ones yearning for this plan more than anyone.”
The century-old war, terminated decades ago.
During a time filled with death, famine, violence, despair, and suffering, it was essentially the peak of the mage practitioners.
The secret backing the prolonged war wasn’t a big secret anymore.
Their current power was unrivaled compared to the past.
Without a doubt, the Seongcheon Yoon Clan was akin to the arch-nemesis of all mage practitioners.
Yet, it was unimaginable for them to betray this side and interfere with the plan.
“Something feels ominous. Look into it in more detail. Everything that relates to this should be examined, even the minutiae.”
Fearing that something casually overlooked could result in grave repercussions, the being whispered lowly.
Though the answers were still absent, he closed his eyes as if all dialogue had concluded.
His mind was a chaotic whirl of existing plans and tasks ahead.
“…The atmosphere is shifting.”
He possessed no foresight abilities, but thanks to his studies in astronomy, he could grasp a glimpse of the world’s principles.
Even at this moment…
He sensed something unfamiliar slowly reaching out.
However, unless he intended to abandon all he had been working on thus far, his course of action was determined.
“It seems like I need to hasten the plan a little.”
Immediately after he spoke those words, the presence remaining in the darkness vanished without a trace.
As if nothing had ever been there from the beginning.
