Chapter 1586: A New Normal (41) |
His facial features made him look sharp, and his neatly tied black hair immediately stood out. His skin was flawless, and he had the kind of face that would keep members of the opposite sex awake at night.
Of course, he was nowhere near enough to threaten Kim Hyun-Sung's dominance. There was too much of a pretty-boy feel about him. His lack of muscle mass was noticeable enough that there was no need to say anything further about that.
'I feel like he has slacked off too much when it comes to physical training.'
He seemed lacking in terms of his physical build, and it was probably because he focused primarily on improving his internal energy. Rather than a swordsman, he had the physique of an assassin. I didn't know if it was because people like us had controlled our diets while building our bodies, or if he trained while eating things like fasting pills, but he didn't seem to have a solid build.
'He should've eaten some chicken breast.'
I wasn't saying it was good to mindlessly pack on muscle like Bahamut, Valentin Alexandra, and Park Deok-Gu, but if one were to put him next to Kim Hyun-Sung or Jung Jinho, the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon would probably look like a dried anchovy.
Of course, since he was a martial artist, there was no doubt that an extremely refined physique lay beneath those robes.
What also stood out was that, for an ordinary swordsman, his mana reserves seemed to be quite high. I checked the status window and saw that "Mana" had been replaced with "Internal Energy."
'Interesting.'
'So he really did come from another dimension?'
The status window that the Mind's Eye had displayed for me was clearly telling me that he was, in fact, a martial artist. Commander Jin's expression twisted slightly as well while he was leaning on a wall.
He probably hadn't read the man's information, but he seemed to realize that the man standing before us was anything but ordinary. Since he had introduced himself as the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon, it was only natural to treat him accordingly.
'Guys with the word "Dragon" in their title are usually either highly anticipated rookies or famous figures.'
He seemed to possess genuine skill, and more importantly, he appeared capable of accurately assessing his own situation. The clearest proof was how calm he remained despite being suddenly dragged into another dimension and thrown into an underground prison.
He seemed to understand what was happening around him and had already accepted that he was in a completely different environment.
He was handling the situation more calmly than modern people familiar with games and pop culture ever would.
'Maybe it's because he spends a lot of time meditating,' I thought, nodding to myself as I organized my thoughts. Naturally, I had no choice but to address the man who had been cautiously sizing us up. With a friendly smile, of course.
“Ah, so you're Mr. Woon Hyun, the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon,” I said.
“That’s right.”
“Before we get into any serious discussion, I'd first like to thank you for understanding why we had no choice but to accommodate you in a place like this,” I said.
“I understand completely. Your side has its own position to consider. Especially since you witnessed the Demon Lord Star Swallower crossing over here with me. It’s only natural that you would be wary of me as well,” Woon Hyun said.
“You are remarkably composed. Most people would be a lot more confused,” I commented.
“I don't expect any misunderstandings to be resolved quickly, but I thought the wisest course of action was to submit until a decision had been made. This doesn’t appear to be the world I once lived in. Everything here is different from the place I came from.
"At first, I even wondered whether I had arrived in the afterlife. It was my first time seeing so many foreigners as well as strange architecture and clothing. Even the mysterious powers you all wield are entirely unfamiliar to me,” he explained.
“...”
“Of course, I wasn’t this calm from the beginning. However, while staying in the place you call a dungeon, I came to accept that I had been transported somewhere else. Seeing ordinary people suddenly conjure flames from their hands or wield powers similar to internal energy left me with no choice but to be astonished,” he continued.
“Hmm... did you perhaps not receive any explanation in the Starting Room?” I asked.
“An explanation?” he asked.
'Looks like he didn't.'
“You may have already heard this, but this continent normally receives guests from a dimension called Earth. Usually, people gather in a place called the Starting Room, where they're informed that they've been invited and are given basic information about the continent.
"They are taught things like item grades, how to use the status window, and even strategies for clearing the Tutorial Dungeon. You didn’t hear any of that?” I asked.
“I found myself in a place that looked like a small rift in space,” he answered.
“No game invitation... I mean, did you perhaps receive some kind of letter?” I asked.
“I don’t really remember how I arrived here. I was walking around Mount Hua, and when I blinked, I found myself somewhere else,” he answered.
'So he wasn't officially invited.'
Whether that was fortunate or not, it was hard to say, but at least it didn't seem as though Benigoa had forcibly opened a dimensional gate. The best way to describe it was that he simply popped into the server as though some random bug had occurred.
“And what do you mean by an explanation? Are you saying there’s actually someone responsible for explaining these things?” he asked.
“Strictly speaking, not a person. It's a bit complicated, but calling them a god would probably be the most accurate description,” I answered.
“A god?” He looked at me as though I were insane.
“You may find it hard to believe, but gods truly exist in this world. In fact, priests who serve them can borrow and wield their power,” I told him.
Once again, he cast a gaze reserved for lunatics at me.
“I know it's difficult to believe. However, you should assume that most of the common sense you possess is practically useless on this continent, Mr. Plum Blossom Sword Dragon. There are people here capable of traveling tens of thousands of li in the blink of an eye or calling down fire from the heavens.
"In fact, I myself may serve as proof that gods truly exist,” I explained.
“I'm sorry?”
“Because I’m the representative of the continent's chief deity, Goddess Benigoa,” I added.
“...”
No further explanation was necessary, as I decided to spread all of my wings. In an instant, the dark underground prison became filled with light. Feathers made of pure radiance drifted through the air, and an atmosphere overflowing with divinity manifested.
Naturally, the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon looked like he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. His mouth hung open as if his jaw were about to fall off. The composure he had been maintaining until now seemed to be falling apart. Of course, I had never expected someone with no prior knowledge to understand what he was seeing, but whether he understood it or not was irrelevant.
In the end, he would have no choice but to accept it. A transcendent being—no, a god. The moment he witnessed someone wrapped in divinity, he would instinctively accept the sight before him.
“Th-That's impossible,” Woon Hyun muttered.
'Yeah... that's what everyone says.'
“H-How can such pure and immaculate energy... No... this... this is...” he mumbled.
'Pure and immaculate? Well, I am a pretty pure person.'
“Hah...”
“...”
“...”
Even after rubbing his eyes repeatedly, the sight before him remained unchanged. I was still standing there with my wings spread. It looked as though he was carefully choosing his words, unsure about how he ought to continue. Since the situation was starting to feel a little awkward, I quietly folded my wings back in.
The Plum Blossom Sword Dragon finally released the breath he had been holding.
Naturally, the way he looked at me now was completely different from before. He seemed to be searching for the proper way to treat me. It looked as though he wouldn't say anything unless I spoke first, so I said, “Do you understand it now?"
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Yes.”
“And do you understand why I came here personally?” I asked.
“Yes...”
“The fact that you were summoned to this continent without passing through the Starting Room means that your presence here was, by all appearances, an unforeseen accident.
"If all of this were truly the will of the Goddess, I wouldn't mind at all. However, from our perspective, we need to investigate why you were drawn into this world before the balance that sustains the continent is disrupted,” I explained.
“Are you saying that my existence is disrupting the balance of your world, Mr. Lee Ki-Young?” he asked.
“To be honest, yes,” I answered.
“It's difficult to grasp, but... I think I understand,” he said.
“And there's a high possibility that you're not the end of this problem, but the beginning of it. The collapse of the world's balance is certainly a concern, but from another perspective, we also have to worry about the negative influence of people from your world... people like the Demon Lord Star Swallower, for example, might have on ours.
"I've heard that martial artists are divided into the righteous and outlaw groups,” I explained.
“Yes, that's correct,” he confirmed.
“There are those who value chivalry and justice, but there are undoubtedly others who do not...” I said.
“It’s embarrassing to admit,” he said.
“There's no need to be embarrassed. Our world isn't free of evil people either. Before this peaceful age arrived, many things happened, and many people died. That's why everyone understands the value of the peace we've finally obtained. More than anyone else, I don't want to see the destruction of this hard-won peace,” I said.
“...”
“Your cooperation is desperately needed, Mr. Woon Hyun,” I said.
“I believe it’s only proper that I cooperate. However, before that...” he paused.
“Ah! You probably won't be able to return,” I told him.
“Pardon?”
“There’s likely no way for you to return to where you originally came from. Even we have yet to find any clue that would allow us to return to the places we came from. Of course, the possibility isn't completely nonexistent, but it certainly isn't something that can be resolved in the short term.
"It would require an enormous amount of time and manpower,” I explained.
“How can that be...” He looked at me with a hollow face, but eventually, he seemed to have accepted it and nodded slowly.
“Wh-What exactly would you have me cooperate with?” he asked.
“For now, I'd like you to answer a few questions honestly,” I answered.
“...”
“Then the first question.”
“...”
“Why did you lie?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” he questioned back.
“...”
“...”
“Why are you pretending to be this so-called Plum Blossom Sword Dragon?” I asked.
Before he could react, I saw him lunge toward me. Naturally, his hand never reached me. Instead, he was slammed straight into the ground. Turning my head slightly, I saw Commander Jin standing with his arms crossed, casually flicking a finger.
He had already cast a spell. When I looked back, the man who had been posing as the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon was glaring at me with a twisted face.
“Take it easy, Commander. He's a valuable sample,” I said.
