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After the battle, what followed was a simple ceremony of rewards and a chance to boast about one’s own achievements.

This was a moment to announce just how much presence one had in the fight and share stories of heroic feats…. At the same time, it served as a way to relax after the tension of combat.

Maintaining that heightened sense of alertness would only lead to fatigue and unfavorable outcomes later.

Thus, one could say that this gathering arose from human instinct.

A primal urge not to waste energy and mental effort on unnecessary matters.

However, normally such an occasion would last for some time before coming to an end, yet this gathering concluded in an instant.

They praised Kazuo and quickly recounted how they had thrashed that damned evil spirit.

The reason was simple.

This was not a safe zone.

**”North Korea”**

A region that never lost its number one status in danger levels, regardless of whether people lived there or not.

Just being in that area was reason enough to remain on high alert.

Especially when those entering were people from the **Republic of Korea** and **Japan**—it demanded even more caution.

Ah, of course, it might differ slightly from when the North Korean puppet regime was still in existence.

When people resided there, the fate awaited them was to be stripped bare, beaten, dragged off for torture, and worked to the point of exhausting every drop of their marrow, while now… one could never know when an evil ghost would jump out and ambush them, when an evil spirit might attempt to possess them, or when a ghost might cling to some object, spewing curses and tainting their surroundings.

Of course, in both scenarios, it was evident that people would face a future far worse than they could imagine.

The capable ones gathered in this place prepared to move toward the ship.

“Swimming there would be a disaster, right?”

“Of course! Even a decent general would be spooked by a water ghost; do you think we know what’s lurking under there?”

“That’s troublesome….”

Returning by boat was no simple task.

While they clearly remembered moving toward the coast to fight the evil spirits, the boat, though close to shore, was still too far away to reach without swimming.

It truly was the stuff of ghostly tales.

“My body isn’t even wet… How did we end up on this wretched land?”

“….”

What made it especially strange was that not a single drop of seawater clung to their bodies. Their clothes might be damp from sweat, but not a single drop of seawater had touched them.

It was as if their memories of having approached the shore were trying to affirm themselves.

“Well, that boat couldn’t have moved on its own….”

“Don’t say such ominous things. What if there really is an evil spirit on that boat?”

“Ah. Damn.”

Then what is the truth?

Is it real that they arrived at the coast with the boat?

Did they possibly jump from the boat while possessed by a ghost?

Did the boat move on its own?

They hadn’t boarded the vessel with any crew, but rather with capable people splitting up tasks.

And yet everyone was present at this moment….

Or was it that there was “something” on the ship that kept it at a distance?

Or rather, under the boat.

Under that sea….

“Everyone. There’s no need to think too deeply.”

Just as the thoughts of those gathered began to deepen, the shaman who had been quietly observing them spoke up.

“When looking into the dark forest, one feels both fear and curiosity. In the darkness, it seems like something is twisting, and lights are seen dancing in a place where no humans should be. That imagination leads one to conjure images of ghosts or monsters, or even cute fairies. However, if one goes there when the day breaks, it would be utterly calm, as the unknown and darkness love to hide and inflate their true nature.”

The shaman smiled gently, pointing toward the boat.

“Thus, it would be better not to succumb to fear, and though it might take a bit of effort, a simple solution may be the best approach.”

“A simple solution?”

“Let’s freeze the water to create a path.”

“…Shaman Park Jinseong, I’m sorry, but that might be a bit difficult. There aren’t many here capable of ice magic, and even those who can don’t delve into that much….”

The shaman’s suggestion was met with reluctant headshakes from the wizards.

They hadn’t considered it out of the realm of possibility, but it indeed seemed tough.

Given that they were facing ghosts, using magic that belonged to the Yin category, which had diminished effectiveness, was less favorable than employing Yang magic—mainly utilizing fire or electricity. Freezing the sea was no simple task.

They could try, but all they could manage was a thin layer of ice, barely passable even for the lightest of people.

And if anyone fell into the sea while attempting to traverse such a flimsy ice path, a disaster would ensue.

The wizards detailed all the reasons why the idea wouldn’t work.

Yet Shaman Park Jinseong addressed the warriors.

“We don’t all need to cross. And we don’t need to make a proper path.”

“Warriors… ah!”

“Let’s create numerous ice plates or chunks and scatter them from the boat. Then, one of the warriors skilled in lightness can step across those chunks to reach the boat, drive it over, and return!”

The wizards thought about Park Jinseong’s proposal.

It was primitive.

Unlike the methods they had imagined, like carving ice into the forms of small boats or rafts or tearing their clothes to tie them into ropes using levitation to connect to the boat, this idea was raw and clumsy.

Not to mention they would have to channel magic into ice-making spells they weren’t even familiar with while not knowing how the currents would react, risking the ice getting swept away. If they lacked a warrior skilled in lightness, the whole plan could fall apart, and if a warrior accidentally fell into the sea, it would spell trouble.

In short, it was a full of holes plan.

“Well. Let’s go with that.”

But it didn’t seem impossible.

While they felt it was inefficient, it was still a rational suggestion.

Moreover,

‘Since they hadn’t achieved any noteworthy feats, they could let this slide.’

Political reasons made them nod in agreement with Park Jinseong’s decision.

During this battle, despite the fame, Park Jinseong hadn’t distinguished himself much.

The details would unfold back at base through in-depth discussions about battle dynamics, but as far as the capable people present knew, Park Jinseong hadn’t exhibited any *noticeable* prowess.

Thus, it ironically allowed Park Jinseong’s opinion to hold weight.

‘This much could be let off as a favor.’

They were convinced that nothing substantial would diminish their impressive performances.

Alongside that, there were a few emotional reasons at play too.

Having endured the previous battle, they had already become comrades.

While the beginning had been awkward, fighting against a formidable enemy for their lives had led them, in one way or another, to accept each other as allies.

Yet making a ruckus and demanding credit for this little feat before their comrades?

Well…. At least not now.

Once they returned and time passed, with feelings faded, perhaps.

“Ice chunks, huh… Hmm. I think I learned how to make them back in school.”

“Haha. You don’t eat many cold drinks, do you? Those small ice chunks are the best when you put them in and sip!”

“Who even makes their own ice these days? You just press the ice button on a water dispenser and get pretty ice cubes.”

So the wizards started making a whole bunch of ice chunks, each about the size of human heads…. In any case, they made a lot.

Then the warriors picked up the ice chunks and hurled them.

Thud.

Next, the one set to cross quickly stepped on the ice chunks. Just in case, they kept the divine objects the Onmyoji and shaman had given them close.

“….”

“….”

After a bit of time passed.

“There’s no problem with the boat-! I’m coming now-!”

The boat began to move closer to the shore.

It was time to go home.

—

It’s cold.

Rather than just cold, the places that once held warmth feel much colder upon losing it.

Thus, this place is cold.

The little warmth that was once there has completely vanished.

The wood that filled the emptiness has splintered and disappeared, and the fleeting presence that had briefly filled the long-empty space has dissipated, replaced by profound stillness.

No grass grows to rustle or make noise, and even as the sea water rises and falls, there isn’t a single clam that moves.

There’s sound, yet it’s the sound of death; there’s solitude, yet no one feels it, rendering it utterly meaningless.

Only a remnant left by the guest serves to ease the loneliness.

The ice chunks left floating atop the sea testify to the footprints of human presence that once were.

Ice chunks.

Those larger than a human head, crafted by the wizards—more than a hundred of them.

It was proposed by Park Jinseong… and even if the initial idea was turned down, they must have convinced the wizards to create them for other reasons or uses.

Beneath those ice chunks, the local inhabitants gather.

They bind to that spot, lost and unable to find their way.

And bit by bit, the energies scattered by Park Jinseong lure them in like a light, one by one, as they approach and embrace the ice. It evokes a scene reminiscent of someone lost at sea, clinging to a tube and floating above the waters.

Drifting, the ice rides the waves.

It advances with the ebb and flow of the currents, sometimes straying from them as it undulates.

The ice carries them forward to *somewhere*.

Ego.

It’s time to go home.

 

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