CHAPTER 118 — A Long Day
The further north they went, the fewer trees there were, and the landscape changed to a snow-covered plain. Beyond that, the form of a snowy mountain gradually began to reveal itself.

The days grew longer. The daytime hours increased, and the nights shortened accordingly.

'I think I heard about a phenomenon like this at the North Pole.'

He vaguely remembered hearing about it in a class long ago. The midnight sun, was it? In the Arctic region of Earth, the sun doesn't set below the horizon, causing it to be light even at night.

If a similar phenomenon was occurring in the Spirit Realm, did that mean this star's structure or position was similar to Earth's?

"We haven't found a portal."

Kalesian spoke with a slight frown.

"It's all well and good to explore the Spirit Realm, but it'll be dangerous if we run into another one like Silbaern…"

"I felt this last time, but it seems like blue portals don't appear very often in the Spirit Realm."

Previously, when they were exploring around Permu's tower, they had a hard time finding a blue portal.

The frequency of discovery was significantly lower than when searching for portals on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Floors.

It was hard not to feel a bit more on edge.

"Hah, this is the first time I've been this tense. Is it because even I can die here?"

Kalesian's tone seemed somewhat more excited than when he was on Earth.

Born on the 5th Floor, he never felt tense no matter where he went in the Gates. It was a given on the floors below the 4th, and even on the 5th, while there might be dangers, he never felt this level of tension.

But the Spirit Realm was clearly a land where beings of a higher order roamed.

What's more, he had the weakness of being a half-formed dragon who hadn't shed his skin, which made it even more so. If he had come to the Spirit Realm alone without Jinwoo, he would not have been able to handle Silbaern and would have died then and there.

Thinking about it, Jinwoo's existence was nothing short of mysterious.

'Where did a human like this come from?'

Of course, he knew his birthplace. What he was curious about was his more fundamental origin.

At first, he had thought of him as simply a strong Hunter who had acquired a sacred item of the Sky God and further enhanced his abilities.

But the more he observed him, especially after he had unleashed Erosion in the lair, the differently he saw him.

'The Lords of Erosion.'

Jinwoo's existence began to overlap with theirs.

Not as someone who had luckily obtained the power of a sacred item and wielded it reasonably well, but as if his very origin was connected to Erosion.

"Kalesian. I see people."

"Hm? Where?"

Awakened from his deep contemplation about Jinwoo's origins by his call, he looked where Jinwoo was pointing and saw several people.

Though there were several, they weren't clustered together like a group. The sparsely scattered houses seemed to be individual dwellings rather than a village, and there was no noticeable interaction between them.

They didn't talk to each other, nor did they work together. They didn't even make eye contact.

The only thing they were doing was one single act. They dug into the ground, scooping up snow-mixed soil and rocks, and loaded them onto carts.

Then they would struggle to pull the carts and disappear toward the snowy mountain. They repeated only this act, like machines.

"…Are they carrying construction materials?"

"It seems so. I wonder what they're building on the snowy mountain."

Jinwoo approached one of them. It was a man with a half-bald head and deep wrinkles etched on his face.

"Excuse me."

No answer. He called out a few more times and even tapped him, but the man didn't look at him at all.

When he forced their eyes to meet, they were devoid of light, completely empty. It was as if he was looking at a completely different place, not at Jinwoo.

"What is this?"

"I don't see any signs of a spell on him."

Jinwoo and Kalesian tilted their heads. The man continued on, pulling his cart, and Jinwoo grabbed another person and tried to talk to them. He received the same non-response.

"Hmm, how about we kidnap one and interrogate them?"

Kalesian made an unsettling suggestion. Jinwoo hadn't considered kidnapping, but he did want to try tying one of them up. If he tied their legs so they couldn't pull the cart, would there be a change in their machine-like movements?

Just then, Jinwoo spotted a familiar face and spoke in a surprised tone.

"I know that person."

"You know someone here? Is it someone you saw when you were in the Spirit Realm before?"

"No. He's a Hunter."

"What!?"

A Hunter from Earth is in the Spirit Realm? Did that mean there was another S-class who had reached the Spirit Realm besides them?

Jinwoo shook his head, saying that wasn't it.

"The warlock from New York. I encountered and fought him on the 2nd Floor."

The S-class warlock, Johann. The man he had defeated with the sword borrowed from the God of the Ice Valley, the man he had dropped into a hell-like abyss, was there.

He briefly explained to Kalesian. He was a warlock sent by David to kill him, whom he had met and defeated on the 2nd Floor.

At the time, Jinwoo was not strong enough to fight an S-class, so he had borrowed the power of the god's altar. The power he borrowed was from the God of the Ice Valley, and Johann's body and soul were given to her as payment.

If that was the case, then this place…

"Is the territory of that god, you mean."

"Probably."

A domain managed by the God of the Ice Valley. He didn't know if it was the place known as the God's Domain where the Lord herself resided, or just one of her many territories.

But either way, it was certain that this place was connected to the God of the Ice Valley.

"This is trouble. We had such a hard time with just Silbaern, and now we're in a Lord's land."

Kalesian's concern was justified. It hadn't been long since they had fought their way through that perilous forest, and now they were in another dangerous place.

"The World Tree branch is still glowing."

"At least the direction is certain."

"Probably."

It was clear that the direction the World Tree was guiding them was this way. But did they necessarily have to cross the snowy mountain?

"It would be better to go around, even if it's a bit further."

"I agree."

If they tried to take a shortcut across the snowy mountain and ended up clashing with the God of the Ice Valley, that would be a much bigger problem.

Going around a mountain was no easy task, but it was better to choose the safer path. They might even find a blue portal along the way.

Just then.

"You…"

Johann spotted them. Was it the senses of an S-class warlock, or his hatred for Jinwoo, who had killed him?

His eyes, which had been as lightless as the others', gradually regained their focus as he looked at Jinwoo. And then.

"Kang Jinwoo, you baaaaastard!"

Having fully regained his senses, he spread his hands and began to unleash a barrage of magic. Skeletons and corpses rose from the unfolding shadows, and sharp darkness shot out to pierce Jinwoo.

The magic that instantly covered the surroundings was certainly of S-class caliber, but it was completely ineffective against the current Jinwoo.

Jinwoo fearlessly broke through the storm of magic, cutting through all of it before grabbing Johann by the neck.

He slammed him to the ground and plunged his sword deep into his chest. In an instant, Johann was pinned to the ground like an insect specimen.

'Was he always this weak?'

Looking at the struggling Johann, Jinwoo blinked. It was true that the dragon's soul, which had been his trump card, was gone.

But even considering that, he seemed strangely weak. Had he been weakened by being exploited by the God of the Ice Valley?

'No…'

Rather, he himself had become much stronger. To a point where it was incomparable to back then.

Johann seemed to have felt the same thing, as his eyes trembled with shock.

"How… how can there be such a difference…"

Johann was speaking English, as he had when he was alive, but Jinwoo could understand everything. It was probably because they were in the Spirit Realm. His voice was not just a vibration of the air but was being transmitted from soul to soul.

"How could such a gap open up in just a single day!"

Seeing the shocked Johann, Jinwoo was also surprised. What did he just say?

'A single day?'

He couldn't understand what he meant. It had been years, not months, since he had fought Johann.

Jinwoo dragged Johann to his nearby house and tied him up. He was just tied to a wooden pillar with a rope, so he wasn't sure if he was properly subdued. An S-class warlock should be able to break free from this easily.

But Johann didn't seem to have any intention of resisting for now. He just kept his mouth shut and glared at them.

The preparations for a conversation were set.

"This place… is the land of the Lord of Snow and Ice, Lady Belkarim."

"Belkarim?"

So that was the name of the God of the Ice Valley.

"Remember it well, Jinwoo. Knowing names is very important," Kalesian whispered from the side, and Jinwoo nodded. Johann flinched even more upon seeing the dragon with Jinwoo.

"What are you and the others doing? Are you moving materials to build a temple?"

"We are building a mountain."

"Building a mountain?"

When Jinwoo asked in surprise, Johann’s lips curled into a triumphant expression.
“Do you see that snowy mountain up ahead? My compatriots and I built it. It is the masterpiece of a lifetime.”
Jinwoo didn’t know why he was speaking so proudly, but he now understood what was happening.
Building a mountain… He had heard the old tale of the foolish man who moved mountains, but this was the first time he’d seen someone actually do it.
“I planned to repay you someday for killing me, but in a way, I am also grateful. Thanks to you, I am now able to serve Him.”
Seeing Johann chuckle, it seemed he was quite satisfied with his current situation. It looked like he was pleased with his new job and new boss.
“So, what did you mean earlier? About ‘in just one day.’”
“What about it?”
“Weren’t you surprised that such a gap in power could open up in just one day?”
“Tsk! It means exactly what I said. What are you asking? I don’t understand the intent of your question.”
At Jinwoo’s question, Johann furrowed his brow. Their perceptions weren’t aligning.
Jinwoo reviewed Johann’s earlier comment and his current attitude. Then, with a dreadful suspicion, he asked again.
“Johann. When did you die?”
“When?”
As if asking what kind of question that was, Johann scowled and answered.
“It was yesterday.”
In his perception, only a single day had passed in the world.

After a few more questions, Jinwoo let Johann go. Johann, who couldn’t bring himself to attack, clenched his teeth. But as soon as he left the house and grabbed a cart, the light in his eyes vanished once more.
Leaving him to return to his work, Jinwoo and Kalesian remained in Johann’s house.
“Is it some kind of mind magic? You said there was no magic on him, but perhaps there’s a similar type of Authority at play.”
“.......”
Jinwoo’s words were logical, but Kalesian couldn’t bring himself to nod.
Kalesian looked up at the sky, and Jinwoo followed his gaze. At the end of their sight was the sun, illuminating the day.
The sun was not just refusing to set; it hadn't moved an inch.
“It’s true that some kind of Authority is at work, but it might not be affecting the mind.”
“Don’t tell me….”
Jinwoo thought he knew what Kalesian was thinking. But it was so far beyond common sense that he couldn’t help but be skeptical.
“It seems a day here is very long. Very, very long.”
What Kalesian meant was that this place might be one where time itself was frozen.