Chapter ss95: Side Story 95 - What If Story (10)

Two years passed and winter arrived.

Essence of the Strait's vice guild master appeared in front of the crowd at the Essential Stadium and completely captivated them.

She was wearing a black dress, high heels, a very down-to-earth yet luxurious necklace, and holding a black clutch bag.

She wasn't overdressed or underdressed for the occasion as she sat in the VIP seat to watch the duel in the stadium.

"This is the report on Rookie," her secretary passed her a file and stole a glance at her necklace.

Yoo Yeonha always changed her fashion style, but that necklace always remained. It was a beautiful piece of accessory. However, wearing it all the time seemed strange. There were rumors that it belonged to her lover who passed away. There was no way to confirm that though.

"Okay," Yoo Yeonha replied as she took the file.

She was scanning through it when the whole stadium turned pitch black. She finally placed the file on the table in front of her.

Spotlights shone down on the two heroes on the stage.

Today's match was the title defense match of The Beast Jinhwan against his opponent from Austria, The Giant Bifran.

— And now, what all of you have been waiting for...!

She rested her chin on her palm and watched the show.

The match started once the host was done talking. The heroes in the ring channeled their mana and used their skills.

However, it wasn't that entertaining to her.

— Ah! Jinhwan used his signature Fire Strike and struck Bifran in the abdomen!

The champion, Jinhwan, glanced at Yoo Yeonha after making a nice move.

Yoo Yeonha smirked in disbelief after seeing what he did. How dare he act strong when he had never entered a dungeon before?

The CEO of the duel arena, Yun Hojong, asked with a smile, "What do you think? He has the potential to be a star, right?"

"I heard a lot of cadets are joining the duel arena these days. I guess the rumors were true," Yoo Yeonha replied out of courtesy.

Yun Hojong proudly nodded and replied, "Haha! It has become another career choice for them! We have worked extremely hard so that a large guild like Essence of the Strait will be interested in us!"

Essence of the Strait recently jumped into the entertainment industry. That was the reason for Yoo Yeonha's visit to the stadium today.

"Is that so?"

"Yes! The collaboration between the arena champion and an active hero would definitely capture the attention of the masses. If vice guild master wants, then..."

Yun Hojong started his sales pitch while earnestly bowing. That was how big Yoo Yeonha became in just two years. In fact, she was one of the top ten most respected individuals among cadets.

— ... Bifran is down! K.O.! Jinhwan defeated the Austrian Giant just six minutes into the fifth round! He has defended his title!

The match was over.

Yoo Yeonha politely refused Yun Hojong's repeated offer to introduce her to the champion.

She left the stadium and the entire surroundings were covered in snow. The snowy white scenery somehow made her feel melancholic.

"Your outerwear, vice guild master," Rain said as she passed a white mink coat to her.

The reporters lurking outside the stadium immediately ran up to her and started taking pictures. Yoo Yeonha smiled at their cameras.

"Your furry hat is really cute," Rain whispered from behind.

"..."

Yoo Yeonha glanced back at her and whispered back, "Is it normal for a bodyguard to call their superior cute?"

"I am saying this because it looks like an Inuit's hat."

"... How rude. It's called fashion, okay?"

Their limousine arrived. Yoo Yeonha immediately went over the various reports as soon as she got into the limousine, but a bright-colored parcel that Rain was holding caught her eye.

It was a bag of potato chips.

Yoo Yeonha blinked a few times while thinking, '... That looks good.'

She shook her head, switched her smartwatch on, and logged into her social media account to distract herself.

[hajjjjjjin1058]

She searched for the username. She found out about his social media handle around six months ago thanks to a comment Chae Nayun left behind. She never knew he used social media and found out that he uploaded at least once a week.

He uploaded three pictures today.

"... He's still overseas."

Kim Hajin was going around the world from the Amazon to Mongolia and Austria. He was now in a vast plain in the United States.

"Pfft!" She couldn't help but smile after seeing his posts.

Kim Hajin grew a lot stronger just like her. He was now a top mercenary and took a lot of pictures with celebrities. She looked at all of the pictures he posted.

Then, she let out a sigh, "... Sigh."

Two years had already passed, but she still clearly remembered that day. She felt pain in her heart whenever she recalled it.

Because she was embarrassed.

"Tsk..."

Yoo Yeonha switched her smartwatch off and looked out the window.

It was snowing outside.

***

"Isn't it time for you to start thinking about getting married, Yeonha?"

Yoo Yeonha was eating with her family after a long time when her mother, Jin Yeojung, went on the offensive.

Yoo Yeonha was cutting her steak and retorted with a frown, "I'm only in my mid-twenties, Mother. Please come to your senses."

"Yeah, what's this marriage talk about..." Yoo Jinwoong grumbled, but he was forced to pipe down when his wife fiercely glared at him.

"Listen to your mother. You should start dating from now on so you won't feel like you missed out when you get married later. Will you keep working for the rest of your life without even dating someone?" Jin Yeojung asked.

"You threatened to kill me if I got into a relationship... did you not?"

Jin Yeojung vehemently opposed it when the scandal between Yoo Yeonha and Kim Hajin broke out three years ago. She repeatedly told her daughter that it was the wrong choice and she suggested treating him like a plaything and throwing him away later on. Then, she changed her mind and told her daughter not to get involved with a mercenary even if he was merely a plaything.

"He was a mercenary. You can't get romantically involved with a mercenary. How dare that mercenary come after you... You need to be mindful of your public image."

"Ha? It depends on what kind of a mercenary he is, no?" Yoo Yeonha shook her head and stood up. Then she said, "I don't feel like eating anymore. I'm going now."

"Nobody asked you to get married now. I said start dating. I'll find some good men for you. Ah, you know that handsome American hero, right? That guy is a fan of yours, so..."

"Forget about it."

Yoo Yeonha took her coat and left the mansion. She rushed out the front door as if she was running away and walked towards the cars in the parking lot.

Her schedule was quite full until three in the morning. She still had a lecture to give at Cube...

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Suddenly, her smartwatch started blaring sirens.

Not only Yoo Yeonha's smartwatch, but also the mansion gardener's, Yoo Yeonha's secretary, and even the limousine driver's smartwatch started ringing.

Yoo Yeonha immediately checked her smartwatch.

[Emergency Alert: An explosion has occurred in the Southern Region of Korea. The tower that Frost Sanctuary and Creator's Sacred Grace are raiding has exploded.]

[An emergency notice has been issued to the Hero Association and top guilds in the country.]

An emergency draft notice was issued by the association and government.

Then, someone called Yoo Yeonhwa.

— This is the association. They have failed the Tower of Memory raid. We are now in a state of emergency due to the tower's effect. We request your guild to mobilize.

***

The news of the raid's failure spread throughout the world in no time. Every government sent their condolences and some countries even sent their heroes as reinforcements.

"Wow! It's Yoo Yeonha!"

"Please tell us what happened, Vice Guild Master Yoo Yeonha!"

"What do you think about Creator's Sacred Grace failing? Please tell us your thoughts!"

The Tower of Memory was located between Hadong City and Mount Jiri. There was already a massive crowd of reporters and heroes gathered there.

Yoo Yeonha nonchalantly passed through the parade of camera flashes.

"..."

It was utter chaos. Mana was littered all over the place and the air was filled with dense mana that made it difficult for even heroes to breathe.

"I knew it..."

Creator's Sacred Grace was divided into two factions. First was the guild master, Jin Inho's faction while the second was the vice guild master, Yun Seung-Ah's faction.

Yun Seung-Ah took Kim Suho with her to America and raided a dungeon there while Jin Inho forced it by raiding the Tower of Memory.

In the end, their growing feud led to this catastrophe.

"The tower is completely cut in half," Yoo Yeonha said.

Yi Jinah nodded and replied with a serious look, "Yes, this is the worst among everything I have seen so far."

There was mana flowing out from the tower cut in half and the tower's mana was seeping into the ground. The result of that was the surrounding area turning into a much rougher environment compared to a tower or a dungeon.

"Hey~ Yeonha~" Chae Nayun called out while waving.

She was accompanied by Yi Jiyoon, Zellin, Hazuki, and other Essence of the Strait members.

Behind them were the vice guild master of The General and Luterin, the handsome American hero Jin Yeojung was talking about. Hoften, the vice guild master of Desolate Moon, Shin Jonghak, Kim Horak, and other renowned heroes were also there.

"What are we going to do about that?" Chae Nayun asked while looking at the tower and its surroundings.

The area was now getting contaminated with mana and a thick mana fog started blocking their vision.

"We will have to find a solution," Yoo Yeonha replied.

Then, a high-pitched voice suddenly called out to Yoo Yeonha.

"Huh? It's Essence of the Strait's vice guild master."

The kid had white hair tied in double ponytails. No, it was actually Aileen.

Yoo Yeonha greeted her with a bow.

Aileen nonchalantly floated in the air and met Yoo Yeonha at eye level.

"Do you know what's going on?" she asked.

"No, I just arrived here. I do not have the full picture yet," Yoo Yeonha replied.

"Ah, the tower's mana is fragmenting the space around it."

"Fragmenting...?"

"Yeah," Aileen replied before she crossed her arms and explained, "That tower isn't called the Tower of Memory for nothing. The dimension within the tower was split into dozens of different dimensions when it was destroyed. Every single one of those dimensions is now trying to create its own dimensional space. In short, it's something like a mixed puzzle now. We will have to clear those dimensions first if we want to stabilize the tower."

The insight of the Human Dragon from the Temple of Justice was truly remarkable.

"I guess we will have to go in..." Yoo Yeonha said.

"Yes. We might have no clue what's inside, but we have no choice but to march on. Besides, it's not something that we can see from the outside. We have no other... Hey! Damn it!"

Aileen suddenly glared somewhere and cursed loudly. A group of people who were either heroes or mercenaries were loitering behind the thick fog.

"Fuck off!" Aileen shouted and kicked them out of the area. She grumbled under her breath, "Ah, I should form a barrier around the tower to keep the flies away..."

She waved her magic staff and shouted, "Barrier! Construct yourself!"

Rumble... Rumble...

The ground shook before an earthen wall shot out from the ground.

"That will do for now. Anyways, I'm thinking of creating an advanced party. What do you think, vice guild master?"

"I have no objections. Time is of the essence in these kinds of situations."

Prioritizing limiting the tower's effect was the textbook reaction to these kinds of situations. The golden time they had was only a mere four days. This entire area would be conquered by the tower if they failed to stabilize it within that time.

In the event that happened, the chances of reclaiming the area were close to zero. The land would be contaminated forever.

Korea was already a small country and losing this entire southern region would be a massive blow to the country.

"Alright, but I'm only going to allow intermediate high rank, tier two heroes or above. The rest will be stationed outside until further orders are given."

Hazuki was removed from the group as she was an intermediate high rank, tier three hero. Yi Jinah, Yi Jiyoon, Zellin, Chae Nayun, and the rest were qualified for the advanced party.

"But are you sure you're going to tag along? Isn't it better for you to stay behind and take command of the situation?" Aileen asked.

Yoo Yeonha smiled and replied, "I am also a high rank hero now. I can't call myself the vice guild master if I shy away from challenges."

"Hmm... If you say so," Aileen replied with a satisfied nod.

She smacked Chae Nayun on the shoulder after she caught Chae Nayun looking at her with a certain set of eyes.

"Hey! Why are you looking at me like that?" Aileen growled.

"Hehehe... I just thought that you never age. That's all," Chae Nayun replied with a dumb grin.

"Shut up. Anyways, I'll leave your guild to you. I'm opening the door now," Aileen said before she opened a portal with the words, [Exclusive Portal - Essence of the Strait], written on it.

"We're going immediately right, Yeonha? We already prepared all of our gear and necessities," Chae Nayun asked while pointing at her rucksack.

"Yes, this counts as a contribution too. Besides, who knows what we might get from the tower?"

"Okay! Then, let's go! This is going to be fun!" Chae Nayun snickered and exclaimed as she led the way.

Essence of the Strait walked towards the portal.

"Don't forget to envelope yourself in your aura. We might get separated or our vision could get disturbed. Don't forget to tighten the rope around your waist."

"Roger that!"

They made their final preparations and tightened the ropes around their waists before marching into the portal.

They walked for five minutes when Yoo Yeonha suddenly felt an eerie chill crawl up her spine. The entire area was already covered in fog and nothing was visible ahead.

Yoo Yeonha felt an eerie sensation from the thick cold fog, so she called out to the others. However, her voice wouldn't come out. No, it was more like she was trying to speak, but the air wouldn't carry the soundwaves she was emitting.

It felt like she was in a vacuum.

Yoo Yeonha suddenly stopped walking amid the eerie silence. She saw a sign in front of her.

The sign was right above an entrance that stretched deep into the darkness like a cave.

[... Evacu Shelt...]

The words were smudged so it was difficult to read, but she was certain that this was one of the fragments of the Tower of Memory.

Yoo Yeonha grabbed the rope connecting her to her guild members and bravely marched into the tunnel.