Morning had broken. At last, it was the day to set off on a new expedition. The ruin to be excavated this time was The Cave Of Wailing. Since it was an expedition expected to take at least three weeks, the caravan needed to be thoroughly prepared.
As I stepped out of the inn The Modest Lady, a cool breeze and crisp air welcomed me. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath of the refreshing air. It felt like my whole body was being awakened.
"Wow. The weather is amazing. It's the perfect day to travel."
As I turned around, Ha-Yeong appeared, brushing her flowing hair as she pushed open the door. She had a small backpack slung over her shoulder. It was a newly purchased travel pack for the expedition. Given the duration of the trip, we had invested in fairly high-quality backpacks—four in total—which we handed out to the mages and priests. (We didn't give them to melee fighters since they might get in the way during battle.)
Seeing her cheerful smile, I responded with a gentle one of my own.
"In a way, this is like a trip too, isn't it? There are lots of scenic places on the Hall Plain."
"Hoho. I'd prefer to avoid trips that risk our lives, thank you."
Around her neck hung a necklace that glimmered with a beautiful light. It was clearly the Necklace of Glory we had found earlier at the Ruined laboratory. I was curious what kind of spell she had memorized into it, but seeing the rest of our party pouring out one by one, I kept my mouth shut.
The others had also come down, fully equipped with the gear we obtained from the laboratory. In particular, An-Hyun and Lee Yun-Jung looked very different from when they had first arrived in Mule. Back then, they were so green it was almost embarrassing to call them players. Now, though, they had at least shed the obvious signs of being total rookies. Of course, it was all just appearances for now—but even so, I felt a sense of pride knowing I had raised them.
"Wow. These gloves are seriously amazing. The spear feels like a toothpick!"
An-Hyun twirled his spear around with ease, clearly pleased. It was the Glove of Reduction. While it didn't actually increase the wearer's physical strength, its utility was undeniable. I looked past his happy face as he spun the spear and began to quietly observe the rest of our group.
Eventually, with the arrival of Vivienne, Shin Sang-Yong, and Go Yeon-Joo—who came down last—we finished our preparations and I lined everyone up. Go Yeon-Joo gave the inn's door a lazy push to close it, then took her place in the middle of the group. With myself at the front, we set off toward the north gate.
Along the way, we passed a few groups of other players. Anyone still in Mule at this point in the season probably had predictable stats—or were just really new. They all looked at us with envious eyes, likely going through tough times just trying to make ends meet each day. I could relate. Back when I was a rookie player, I used to watch better-equipped players heading out early in the morning for expeditions and feel that same envy. So yeah, I got where they were coming from.
And so, with the guards' strong salutes behind us, we exited through the north gate—and in that moment, the mood of the group shifted dramatically. The chatter and laughter vanished instantly, and the once-excited expressions turned serious as everyone grew alert to their surroundings. They knew my temperament all too well: inside the city, they could mess around all they wanted, but once we were in the field, I wouldn't tolerate even the slightest bit of carelessness. All the training we'd done was finally paying off. I felt especially pleased when Go Yeon-Joo tilted her head slightly, as if impressed by the shift in atmosphere.
Our party currently consists of eight members. It wasn't a perfect composition (not counting individual players' stats), and there were some class gaps. Still, compared to when we tackled the Ancient Alchemist's Dungeon, our formation had become more complete.
That meant it was time to further define each person's position within the group. I took point, serving as both the main tank and the overall coordinator. An-Hyun would act as a sub-tank and support fighter. An-Sol stood at the center of the group, flanked by Vivienne, Ha-Yeong, and Shin Sang-Yong in a triangular formation around her. At first glance, the center might appear vulnerable, but that weakness was entirely offset by assigning Go Yeon-Joo as the keeper.
One unique detail was Yun-Jung's request to take rear guard and operate freely. In the past, I would've flat-out refused, telling her not to spout nonsense. But this time, she added the condition that she'd still report to me and act with permission—so I allowed it.
And with that, we arrived at the plains where we had once tackled both the Ancient Alchemist's Dungeon and the Ruined laboratory. Without hesitation, I turned us eastward and led the group onward.
The others were all faithfully following my orders, but there was a confidence in their eyes they couldn't quite hide. The excitement of heading out on an expedition after a long time, the quality of their new gear, the improvement in their skills compared to before, and the admiring gazes of other players—all of these factors had their morale soaring, far higher than usual.
But I was planning to extinguish that fire in an instant. Riding the wave of motivation was good, but I believed it was more important to awaken a sense of caution. Compared to other players of their year, they had grown incredibly strong—but in the grand scheme of the Hall Plain, they were still just rookies. And from what I'd observed of their behavior so far, there was a high chance that this confidence would soon turn into pride, and eventually, arrogance. The best way to deal with that wasn't to yell at them—but to create a situation where they could come to that realization on their own.
The party barely spoke, aside from necessary exchanges. After keeping a consistent marching pace for a while, I eventually glanced back. Mule was no longer in sight, completely lost to the horizon. The sun had begun to rise, and it seemed we were approaching noon. I briefly opened the map to gauge our current position, then decided to shift direction slightly.
Despite our steady pace, we hadn't seen any monsters or vagrants. While the lack of vagrants was understandable, not encountering a single monster was definitely unexpected. As we continued the march with our new heading, I could see that the tense expressions the others wore earlier had begun to loosen. That told me it was nearly time to put my plan into action. I quickened my pace.
Before long, a tall mountain—my intended target—came into view ahead of the group. I came to a stop and turned to face the others, opening my mouth to speak.
"From this point on, we'll be crossing that mountain you see ahead."
"Huh? Do we really need to go over the mountain? You said it would take ten days to get there, but as far as I know, even taking the direct route ends up being the same distance in the end. Isn't it a waste of energy to climb a mountain for no reason?"
Go Yeon-Joo's question definitely had merit. What she meant was that since we had a long march ahead—ten days, no less—it was important to conserve stamina. However, I had a specific reason for choosing this path, so I was able to respond smoothly.
"Just in case, I did some light scouting on dungeons other than The Cave Of Wailing. Originally, we were going to take the direct route, but I figured passing by some other sites along the way wouldn't be a bad idea. Of course, we won't be exploring them thoroughly, but still—better than nothing, right? The route might be a little twisted, but I'll make sure we arrive on schedule. That said, we'll need to increase our marching speed to stay on track, so I hope everyone can keep up."
"Hah. So you're saying you've already looked into other dungeons besides The Cave Of Wailing, too?"
"Yes. I only checked the ones that lie in the same general direction. We need to be prepared in case something unexpected happens."
After answering modestly, I immediately turned around. Go Yeon-Joo wore a slightly confused expression, as if she didn't fully understand, but for now, I was the leader of this caravan. And besides, she was the one who previously raised the issue of needing a backup plan in case we failed to locate The Cave Of Wailing, so I framed this as an extension of that logic—leaving her with little to argue.
I did feel a bit sorry for Ha-Yeong, Shin Sang-Yong, and Vivienne, but this was a necessary process. The Cave Of Wailing was, in essence, the final stage of a training exercise for Mule. Right now, they probably felt like things weren't too bad—there weren't many players around, and it was a small town, after all.
But things would be completely different the moment they stepped into a regular city—or worse, a large city. There, every step forward meant being surrounded by players with far greater skills, vagrants waiting to strike the moment you let your guard down, dungeons of significantly higher difficulty, and monsters far more dangerous than anything we'd faced so far. To survive in that kind of environment, they needed to become fully aware of their current level.
That's why I chose marching. Marching is the most basic and essential requirement for any player within the Hall Plain. My intention was to wear them down a little—to bring them back to earth.
Before we knew it, we had reached the base of the mountain we had originally aimed for. From a distance, it hadn't seemed like much, but now, standing before the massive range, everyone's expressions had clearly changed. Before we entered the mountain, I repeated myself to the group, stressing the importance of what lay ahead.
"From here, we'll be crossing the mountain in front of us. It doesn't have an official name yet, but according to my research at the library, it's part of a vast range made up of three peaks. Climbing it will be tough, but we won't be extending our estimated arrival time. Stay in sync with my pace, and while keeping up, make sure to remain alert. Mountain areas have a high monster encounter rate."
I heard the soft gulp of someone swallowing hard. The sound was so small and cute that I couldn't help but chuckle. Then, I sent An-Hyun and Yun-Jung to the rear. It was a precaution in case the mages or priests collapsed. An-Hyun, still brimming with confidence, accepted the order without hesitation. He was probably reminded of the forced march we'd done in the Forest Of Midnight.
But back then, the pace had been carefully adjusted for the group's level. This time, I intended to show them just how rough things really were—how ordinary players usually conducted their expeditions.
"Then, we'll be heading out."
At my words, the group nodded in unison, and without delay, I strode into the mountain path.
"Haa... haa..."
"Huff... huff..."
Though they had begun the climb with high spirits, it wasn't even an hour before they all started to pant heavily. The first to show signs of fatigue was An-Sol. As expected of a priest—and considering her naturally low Vitality—she was the first to hit her limit. Even so, I didn't slow down in the slightest.
Aside from the younger members, the rest of the group was pushing through with clenched teeth. With the mage players enduring the climb, it would've been laughable if An-Hyun or Yun-Jung complained about being tired. Still, An-Sol gradually began to fall behind, and eventually, An-Hyun and Yun-Jung were helping her up the trail. That, of course, would only increase the physical strain on them.
I could feel the silent glances from behind, begging for just a short break—but I didn't hesitate for even a second and continued the climb. Watching me move effortlessly, even through the high elevations, the others must have felt like they were dying. And the moment anyone disrupted the formation, I immediately called them out.
Every time that happened, I could see the desperate looks on their faces. But I completely ignored their silent pleas. Instead, I scolded them sharply with a firm tone.
"Get it together. Don't fall behind—maintain the formation. You haven't even fought yet. If you can't handle a simple march, how do you expect to survive out here?"
Still, the training we'd done up until now didn't seem to be for nothing. Though they were gasping for air, they kept moving. Seeing that, I picked up the pace even more. I was determined to make them realize just how easy they had it back in Mule.
After an additional hour of marching, I finally found a small clearing and came to a stop. I glanced back and saw the players with beads of sweat forming on their faces. After quickly scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger, I calmly spoke up.
"We'll take a ten-minute break here. I'll keep watch, so everyone else can sit down and rest."
At my words, everyone immediately collapsed where they stood. Go Yeon-Joo stretched out with a look like she'd just exercised for the first time in ages, while Vivienne and Ha-Yeong shared some water between them. Shin Sang-Yong also pulled out his canteen and offered a sip to each of the others.
"Isn't the marching pace a little too fast?"
Go Yeon-Joo approached me with a cheerful face, casually enjoying the view.
"A Vitality stat of 50—no, even 45—would've been enough to keep up. We've trained enough that this should be well within reach. If they can't even manage this much, that's a problem."
"Haha. Well, they did keep up in the end. The mages, just barely. And the two melee players drained twice trying to support the one who fell behind."
At her words, I turned my head and saw An-Hyun chugging from Shin Sang-Yong's canteen like it was a trumpet. His vitality wasn't bad, but even he had barely managed to keep up—hauling An-Sol up the mountain had taken a serious toll. The same went for Yun-Jung. Toward the end, An-Sol had practically been dragged up by both arms. Looking at her face now, I saw her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes trembling, as if she were just barely holding back tears.
"If you're already falling apart from a simple march, that's a problem. If anything, the mage players managed to keep up just fine. This only proves that their mental game isn't where it needs to be yet."
"Oh my. You're nothing like how you are in the city—so strict out here."
Go Yeon-Joo let out a quiet laugh and covered her mouth with her hand. Watching the others for a moment, I gave a small shake of my head and turned my gaze away.
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