Chapter 28 (1/2)

Chapter 28 – Giant’s Canyon (6)

Sungjin continuously scanned his surroundings as he progressed through the Canyon. He was searching for a ‘hidden piece’ while keeping an eye out for the Assassin.

And once in awhile, he looked back to check on Serin who followed from behind. Her cheeks carried traces of tears, but she looked much calmer now.

Of course, because of her earlier ‘experience’, she kept her bow and arrow at the ready, but she was regaining her usual haughty demeanor. Sungjin stopped to speak to her.

“Excuse me, but…”

Serin bit her lip without replying. She was still extremely weary of Sungjin.

“Did you happen to see anything weird or out of place on your way here?”

Sungjin asked Serin carefully.

“Weird…?”

“Yes. Anything is fine… Did you see anything like that? Something that shouldn’t be there, something that seemed odd… Like a concealed location…”

Serin answered as if Sungjin’s question was puzzling.

“What do you mean by that? This whole place is filled with nothing but strange things.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hairy monsters, fat pot bellied beasts, two-headed giants.”

“… I mean…”

She was technically correct, so Sungjin didn’t have much in the way of a reply. He decided to change his question instead.

“I don’t mean it in that way. I meant especially strange things. Abnormally powerful beast among beasts, weirder things among weird things. Something that stands out even in this place.”

Serin shook her head.

“I don’t know. I hate being around these monsters; I just wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. So I focused on nothing but shooting arrows into their heads.”

“…I see.”

Sungjin nodded. In truth, he didn’t expect much from her anyway; Even by chapter 10 most people were unaware that ‘hidden pieces’ existed at all.

‘Should I use the ‘Treasure Hunter’s’ active skill…?’

Serin then interrupted Sungjin’s thoughts and asked a question.

“Kei… That’s a fake name, right? What country are you really from?”

Sungjin shook his head.

“…It doesn’t matter. Think what you want.”

Sungjin answered half-heartedly. He didn’t want to get close to someone who was most likely going to die in the near future.

It always hurts less when a stranger dies compares to when a friend does. This was the reason why Sungjin called himself ‘K’.

“It has to be between China, Japan, and Korea.”

Sungjin didn’t plan on answering. Then,

“Between Kimchi Jjigae and Doenjang Jjigae, which is your favourite?”

Sungjin instinctively and unintentionally ‘thought’ of the answer. Serin’s sharp eyes did not miss his slight change in behaviour.

“You must be Korean.”

“What?”

“If you were Chinese or Japanese, you probably would have first asked what those were.”

Sungjin thought of saying

‘…I’ve been to Korea before…’

And stopped himself.

‘She’s a smart one.’

Sungjin turned his head halfway and replied,

“I said this before, but what difference does nationality make here?”

But she replied

“It is only right that the one who is saved remembers the name and nationality of the one who saved her.”

Sungjin turned his head all the way back to look at her.

“What?”

She finally replied

“I wanted to say thank you earlier.”

Now that he thought of it, it was the first time she had thanked him. A faint smile appeared on her face, as she slightly lowered her head towards him.

Sungjin was battle hardened and emotionally vacant, but even his long-cold heart was shaken by her beautiful smile.

“Ah well, got it.”

Sungjin intentionally looked away. He then called to the Operator.

“Remaining time?”

[32 minutes 49 seconds]

‘…If I don’t find it within 20 minutes, I will use the Treasure Hunter Active skill.’

Sungjin resumed combing the Canyon.

*

A long time after, Serin stopped Sungjin.

“Hey.”

Sungjin stopped on the spot. He turned and looked at her.

“What is it?

Serin pointed with her thumb somewhere.

“Isn’t that suspicious?”

Sungjin looked over in the general direction she was pointing towards. There was an ordinary Canyon wall.

“What’s strange about it?”

“Its appearance… Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?”

Sungjin shook his head. He was an orphan. Poor even among the poor. He had never been out of the country all his life; not even to China or Japan.

“I have. Twice. I lived in America as a child.”

Sungjin nodded. He recalled a news article from the past.

‘Beautiful Archer Serin Han. Born into money and privilege; Father was a major player in the American Finance Industry.’

“The Canyon walls are formed by compacting earth and sediments layer over layer over long periods of time. So typically, there are varieties of colors present on the Canyon wall. But over there…”

Sungjin looked over to the canyon wall again listening to her explanation. Now that she mentioned it, he too noticed the strangeness of that particular part of the wall.

To the left and the right of it, the walls were layered horizontally in a uniform pattern. Only this portion of the canyon wall was different.

At the center, the layers were narrow, and the colors shifted within the layer. The variance of the color within the layer became worse closer to the center.

The way the canyon face was shaped, it stuck out in some parts, and it was indented inward at others. This portion of the wall, however, the outs and ins were too straight, as if designed and cut with precision tools.

“Wait… this looks like…”