Light of Arad: Forerunner

Chapter 62

Karacas, who had been spinning his glass around, suddenly stopped.

Jinseong swallowed dryly.

As far as Jinseong knew, there were no mole-type monsters in the game Dungeon & Fighter.

Let alone moles that carry people on their backs and burrow through the ground? There was nothing like that.

‘Literally, there are no living moles within Arad’s world view. There were mechanical monsters shaped like moles, but I’ve never seen a living, breathing mole.’

Players couldn’t utilize such creatures, nor could they even confirm their existence.

Just thinking of Karacas from the Moonlight Tavern was a miracle in itself.

At present, there were no special quests assigned, nor items worth purchasing from him, so most users wouldn’t even bother to initiate a conversation with an NPC like Karacas.

‘But I remember. He definitely said it before. Nowadays, players wouldn’t know, but who am I to be called a “new player?” How many years of my life have I poured into Dungeon Fighter!’

If his memories of the past were correct.

And considering Jinseong’s current situation.

‘In Arad, it might exist. For me, this place is reality. If I think of it as something only someone who’s possessed could do…’

Perhaps it’s possible for someone who has merged with the world of Arad.

That was Jinseong’s ace in the hole.

Karacas, who had been showing only the side of his face, slowly began turning his head towards Jinseong.

“[Great Adventurer Karacas], it’s close to a kind of fairytale our guild created. Do you truly believe that? That I spoke with moles, and managed to escape from a mole that tried to eat me using some trickery?”

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I, too, find the part about talking to moles quite questionable.”

Jinseong responded, tilting his head at Karacas’s question.

Hearing that response, Karacas let out a bitter laugh.

“Haha, yeah. It’s something that sounds ridiculous to me too, and it would make sense to dismiss it as a lie. Such animals don’t exist in this world.”

Karacas, who seemed ready to end the conversation by saying such creatures don’t exist, found that Jinseong wasn’t about to back down.

He didn’t come here just because he remembered something Karacas had said.

If he considered the possibility that it was false, there would have been no need to come here and waste time.

Even so, Jinseong had sought out Karacas. So, what was his basis for seeking a giant mole?

“No, they do exist.”

“Hm?”

Jinseong’s knowledge of Dungeon & Fighter.

His deduction was based on the game’s lore and background.

“I know. That such animals do exist in the world. Or more precisely, that there are even names to describe such animals.”

“…What are you talking about?”

The people of Arad today wouldn’t know.

Plain: Arad, meaning this dimension and the entire planet, has not been fully explored, so the inhabitants of Arad, who live only on the surface, wouldn’t know.

“There are animals of considerable size and ability, ones that can even perfectly understand and communicate with humans. Some animals have special abilities that even ordinary humans don’t have. Though, since they don’t use ‘human language,’ I also find the part about talking suspicious.”

“Even as the head of the Adventurers’ Guild, I’ve never heard such stories.”

But who was Jinseong?

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Jinseong knew of a world that even the guild leader of the Adventurers’ Guild did not.

“That’s right. At this point, I’d say no one else knows but me. Because these creatures don’t exist in Arad yet. Well… there will come a day when they can be seen in Arad too.”

“Ha, interesting. If you stay around here long enough, I might not be called a liar. With such outlandish words—.”

As Karacas snorted dismissively, Jinseong moved closer and spoke.

“There are animals called Divine Beasts (신수, 神獸).”

These were creatures from Arad’s world, from the land closest to the sky.

His confidence stemmed from being a former who had explored the Celestial Realm.

He had the background, the knowledge, and had even manipulated it with a keyboard, seeing it through a monitor.

“If you know of the floating whale, the Behemoth… if you’ve ever been curious about where that Behemoth came from or where their home is, you’d have no choice but to believe me. Of course, the mole you rode might not be a Divine Beast… but it’s not impossible. Creatures that can’t speak but can communicate, and are big enough for humans to ride. Knowing they exist, I believe it.”

Jinseong was determined to continue his words.

If such a world existed, if such creatures existed.

Then, even in Arad, the possibility of a mole that could carry people underground wasn’t zero.

“…No way. You know about that truth? How—?”

“If you’re curious about my identity, you can ask the Mage Guild. I’m Jinseong, an Incident Response Committee member for Abnormal Phenomena with the Mage Guild. Although, now I’m here as an adventurer like you, seeking help from Karacas. Please tell me where the moles big enough to ride are.”

Jinseong whispered softly.

As he revealed his identity, Karacas’s eyes widened in surprise.

He poured more dark tequila into his glass.

“A semi-nomadic tribe… Quite good, aren’t they? They’re stiff when you first meet them, but once they open their hearts, they’re truly loyal. They show you what real loyalty is. And as their friend—.”

Then, in one gulp, he downed the entire glass.

Thud.

Setting his glass down, Karacas stood up.

“—Introducing a good friend to them is also a matter of loyalty, isn’t it?”

Hearing Karacas’s answer, implying that he would grant his request, Jinseong flashed a grin.

Soon after, they headed to a place beyond the forests of Elvenguard.

It was neither Granfloris nor the Canyon of the Dead, but literally a place Jinseong had never been to, nor could he visit, back when he was simply ‘Player Jinseong.’

* * *

It was a place that could rightly be called a wasteland, but Jinseong couldn’t hide his excitement.

“This place is amazing… Where exactly are we, Karacas?”

“It’s not exactly a specific place, hmm, but you could call it the northern side of Elvenguard. Compared to the greenery of Elvenguard and Granfloris, the desertification here is somewhat odd though—.”

“Ah, ah! I get it. Yeah, there could definitely be a place like this.”

“Uh, huh? Did you understand what I just said?”

Karacas looked puzzled at Jinseong’s reaction.

But Jinseong could roughly understand.

‘When Grand Magician Meyer created the Grand Magic Circle… Granfloris became the land of green. And before that—if I recall correctly from what I saw in the Grand Magician’s Dimensional Corridor—surely….’

It used to be a desert. A long time ago.

Given the structure and geography, could some areas that were deserts or wastelands in the past still remain as such?

‘If monsters suddenly started appearing around here, it would probably feel similar to arriving in the Demon World and heading towards Central Park before getting there—huh?’

Even while Jinseong was marveling at his surroundings, Karacas wasn’t idle.

With a small twig in his mouth, he was scattering something from his bag all over the place.

There was no need for Jinseong to ask what he was doing.

[Hehehe… What a resonant sound. Are you planning a gathering of all the creatures in this area?]

It must have been emitting frequencies inaudible to human ears.

And if you added the subtle scent coming from what was scattered everywhere?

‘So that’s how you call moles. What’s that smell… it’s like cheap bubblegum, the 50-won type sold near schools—.’

Rumble, rumble, rumble──────…….

“Whoa?!”

The reaction was immediate.

Feeling like a minor earthquake, Jinseong crouched down.

Karacas chuckled at the sight of Jinseong.

“If you’re scared, now’s your last chance to turn back.”

“Hehe, there’s no way I’d do that after coming this far. Besides, I have to see this through.”

Jinseong replied with a smile.

And finally, the ground beneath Karacas and Jinseong began to split open.

“Kyuuuuu—!”

What Jinseong first noticed was the sound, unfitting for its size.

[Hehehe… Such an irritating cry that makes me want to infect it right away.]

“Shh, shush. Be quiet.”

It seemed like the other consciousness of Diregie, imbued within the set, felt the same.

Jinseong quickly hushed him and observed the giant mole.

Each of the claws protruding from the ground was thicker than Jinseong’s own waist.

The elongated snout wasn’t much smaller than the height of a grown man.

“Mor!”

“Kyut, Kyu!”

Even though the mole’s name sounded oddly cute, Jinseong swallowed dryly. Karacas simply approached, hugging the giant mole’s snout and mouth, talking with it.

“Mor, I’d like you to give my friend a ride to the Perennial Snow Mountain. Can you do that?”

“Kyuu! Kyu Kyu! Kyu

!”

“Good, good. Thanks. I don’t have much for you, but at least have a snack.”

“Kyuu! Kyu!”

The mole, which had shown its upper body above ground, sank back into the hole.

And the places where Karacas had scattered the gum-smelling stuff began to stir.

Jinseong cautiously asked.

“We’re going to ride that mole, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I mean, I didn’t expect that giant moles could be used as transportation, but… how do we get on?”

The snout or the massive claws weren’t the only problems.

The mole’s coat, smooth enough to gleam under sunlight, seemed to have short hair.

How on earth was he supposed to climb on and hold on?

Karacas let out a chuckle, pulling something from his bag.

It was one of the scenarios Jinseong had least wanted to imagine.

“Of course, you tie yourself on. Back in my day, I didn’t have anyone to help, so I had to wrap ropes around the thing’s body myself—it was like putting on a literal show. But you’ll be fine since I’m here to help.”

When the snout popped out to eat the food, Karacas quickly tossed a looped rope around it, securing it in no time.

Karacas demonstrated why he was the head of the Adventurers’ Guild, efficiently maneuvering around the mole, quickly completing the preparations!

“Hop on.”

“Ugh…”

“Grrrr, grrr.”

Takko, clinging tightly to Jinseong’s back, expressed his discomfort, but Karacas remained unfazed.

The rope that connected Jinseong’s waist to the mole’s waist, the ropes that looped around the mole’s back to its belly, and then secured to both of Jinseong’s ankles—rope, rope, rope…

Jinseong felt uneasy but did his best not to show it too much.

Above all, gratitude to the one who provided this opportunity came first.

“Thank you for helping, Karacas.”

Karacas glanced at Jinseong for a moment, then simply checked the safety ropes again without a word.

Once the check was done, he jumped off the mole’s back and then asked Jinseong.

“The Mage Guild, huh… I’m not sure what you’re trying to do—but you said you’re interested in adventures too?”

“Uh… Yes, I’ll be traveling a lot in the future.”

Jinseong nodded.

was not confined to Arad’s surface alone.

Considering the places Jinseong would go right after this mission, his words about adventuring, whether interested or not, weren’t a lie.

“Got it. Finish your task well… and let’s talk again. Oh, and don’t forget you owe me one.”

Karacas said with a satisfied look.

To Jinseong, it felt more like a fair transaction than a debt, but a debt?

Jinseong was about to argue right away.

“Huh? Isn’t it not a debt? I’ve given—”

“Depart.”

“—-uuuuuu─────…!”

However, that chance never came.

In an instant, Jinseong was sucked into the ground, his figure fading like a mirage along with the echoes of his voice.

Karacas burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

Then, he gently rubbed his rough beard.

“Divine Beasts… Even the adventurers the Empire hired never mentioned that.”

Moments ago, his face, full of mischief, had now turned serious.

“Incident Response Committee for Abnormal Phenomena, Mage Guild… Seems like it’s worth putting out a notice.”

The confidence that had convinced the head of the Adventurers’ Guild.

If that confidence was based on truth, Jinseong’s existence would certainly hold value for the Adventurers’ Guild.