181 - The Road to Veyra

The map of the Golden Valley remained spread across the floor of Valeria's central hall long after Serena finished explaining the surrounding territories. Subin stood over the southern section, studying the route toward Veyra while Ara translated the information as accurately as she could. The road was not a simple tunnel between two cities. It crossed a wide stretch of wilderness, passed through a mountain corridor, and eventually reached a fortified settlement built around a natural mana spring. Veyra controlled the spring and, with it, the safest passage through the southern mountains.

"They charge everyone who uses the road?" Rafael asked.

Serena nodded.

"Resources, materials, sometimes labor. The amount depends on who is traveling."

Jae-hyun frowned. "And if someone refuses?"

Serena's expression became more serious.

"Then they take another road."

Ara paused before adding, "She says the other road is dangerous enough that most travelers accept Veyra's conditions."

Subin looked at the map again. "How dangerous?"

Serena pointed toward a narrow region between the mountains and a large forest.

"Creatures migrate through there. Some are territorial. Others move in groups. The route changes depending on the season."

"Then why does Veyra control it?"

Serena's answer was simple.

"Because they protect it."

That changed the tone of the discussion.

Subin had expected a powerful city demanding payment for access to a valuable route, but Serena's explanation suggested something more complicated. Veyra did not merely claim the road. It maintained it. They cleared dangerous creatures when necessary, repaired bridges, maintained mana barriers, and protected travelers from the worst parts of the mountain corridor.

"They're not necessarily exploiting the route," Yerin said.

Serena looked at her, and Ara translated her response.

"She says they can be both."

Yerin smiled slightly.

"Fair enough."

Subin appreciated the answer.

The expedition had spent enough time in human organizations on Earth to understand that territory was rarely divided into simple categories. Someone could protect a resource while benefiting from controlling it. Someone could charge for a service while genuinely providing something valuable. The same decision could help one group and inconvenience another.

There was no reason to judge Veyra before meeting them.

"What does Veyra want from travelers from Earth?" Subin asked.

Serena considered the question.

"They don't know you exist."

That answer surprised everyone.

Ara checked the translation.

"She's saying Veyra hasn't seen anyone from Earth before."

"Then how do they know the route connects to other regions?"

Serena pointed toward the underground river.

"They've used it for generations."

Subin understood.

The route existed independently of Earth.

Earth had only recently become connected to the World Dungeon.

That distinction mattered.

The civilizations inside this world had been developing their own relationships with these regions long before humanity discovered the entrances.

Serena then pointed toward the northern edge of the map.

"Your arrival has changed the routes."

Ara translated slowly.

Subin's expression became serious.

"How?"

Serena pointed toward the symbol representing the Frozen Region, then toward the Golden Valley, and finally toward several smaller paths connecting the two.

"The Great Passage has opened more often."

Ara looked up.

"How often?"

Serena gave a number.

Ara converted it into their familiar measurement.

"Before the Earth gates appeared, connections between distant regions were rare. Sometimes months passed without one. Since the Earth gates appeared, they've been occurring every few days."

The hall became quiet.

Jae-hyun looked toward Subin.

"That's important."

"Yes."

But Subin didn't jump to conclusions.

The timing suggested a relationship, but correlation alone didn't tell them why it was happening. Their objective was not to create a theory and force every observation to fit it.

They needed more information.

Serena pointed toward a smaller symbol near the center of the map.

"What is that?"

Ara translated Subin's question.

Serena answered with a word none of them recognized.

Ara tried to match it with their existing translation data.

"The closest meaning is... crossroads."

Subin studied the symbol.

It was positioned between several regions.

"Is it another city?"

Serena shook her head.

"A natural place."

"Can we reach it?"

Serena nodded.

"Through Veyra."

That made their next step obvious.

The expedition would travel to Veyra.

Not because they intended to interfere with its control of the road, but because Veyra was the safest route toward the central crossroads and potentially toward the regions beyond it.

Subin looked at the rest of the team.

"Before we leave, we should learn as much as possible about this region."

Ara nodded. "I'll compile everything Serena can provide."

Yerin looked at Serena.

"Does Valeria have any problems with Veyra?"

The question made several members of the local guard exchange glances.

Serena noticed.

She answered after a short pause.

"They disagree."

"About what?"

"Resources."

That word was familiar enough that no translation was needed.

Serena explained that the Golden Valley and Veyra had maintained an uneasy relationship for years. Veyra controlled several mountain routes and valuable mana springs, while Valeria controlled fertile land and access to several hunting territories. Neither city wanted war, but trade disputes and territorial disagreements occurred regularly.

There had been no major conflict recently.

However, the situation had become more complicated because creatures from the northern regions had recently begun migrating south.

Some were entering Valeria's territory.

Others were moving toward Veyra.

The reason was not known.

Subin listened carefully.

The pattern reminded him of the Territory Network Arc on Earth.

Environmental changes caused creatures to move.

Those movements affected human settlements.

Humans then reacted according to their own interests.

The difference was that here, the civilizations had already lived with such problems for generations.

They knew how to adapt.

"We shouldn't get involved in their dispute," Subin said.

Yerin nodded.

"Unless it affects our route."

"Exactly."

They spent the rest of the day preparing.

Valeria provided food, water, maps, and several pieces of equipment suitable for the surrounding terrain. The city did not ask for payment. Serena explained that the expedition's appearance had already created enough curiosity that helping them was considered worthwhile.

Subin noticed another interesting detail.

Valeria's weapons were not all designed for killing.

Some swords had unusually broad edges. Others were curved differently from anything he had seen on Earth. Several spear users carried weapons with multiple channels designed to conduct mana through the shaft.

The craftsmanship was unfamiliar.

Subin wanted to examine them.

But he resisted the urge.

There would be time.

The next morning, Serena accompanied them to the southern gate.

The Golden Valley looked different under the morning light. Golden grass stretched across the slopes, while enormous winged creatures crossed the distant sky. Farmers worked near the river, and groups of hunters prepared to leave the city.

The expedition passed through the gate.

Several Valerian citizens gathered along the road to watch them leave.

The young boy who had asked about Subin's sword was there as well.

He waved enthusiastically.

Subin raised one hand in response.

Yerin noticed.

"You made an impression."

"Apparently."

"He's going to tell everyone in the city that he met an S-rank swordsman from another world."

Subin smiled.

"Then I should probably behave."

Jae-hyun laughed behind them.

"Too late."

They followed the southern road for several kilometers before leaving the cultivated region.

The landscape changed gradually.

The golden grass became shorter.

The trees became denser.

Rocky hills began appearing ahead.

Serena remained with them, accompanied by four Valerian guards. Their presence wasn't necessary for protection, she explained. They were there to guide the expedition until the road reached the territory monitored by Veyra.

The first danger appeared before noon.

A herd of horned beasts crossed the road.

There were nearly fifty of them.

The largest was around the size of a horse, with dark brown fur and a single crystalline horn above its forehead.

The animals stopped when they saw the expedition.

The guards immediately moved aside.

Serena raised her hand.

"Don't attack."

The herd began crossing.

One younger beast wandered closer to the group before following the others.

Subin watched them disappear into the forest.

"Do these animals usually use this road?"

Serena nodded.

"They've done so for generations."

"Then why are they moving now?"

Serena looked toward the mountains.

"We don't know."

Before Subin could ask another question, a distant roar echoed through the valley.

The herd panicked.

The animals turned and began running back toward the expedition.

Serena's expression changed.

"Move."

The road filled with animals.

The guards shouted, trying to direct the herd around the group, but the creatures were frightened beyond reason.

Subin stepped forward.

He didn't draw his sword.

Instead, he released a controlled pulse of Sword Intent toward the ground.

The pressure spread outward without touching the animals directly.

The herd hesitated.

Subin redirected the pulse toward the western slope.

The animals followed the calmer route and disappeared between the trees.

Yerin looked toward the mountains.

"What frightened them?"

Subin listened.

The roar came again.

This time, the ground trembled.

A massive creature emerged from the forest.

It was nearly twenty meters tall, with a thick body covered in dark stone-like armor. Two horns extended from its skull, and each step crushed the ground beneath its feet.

Mountain Hornback — Level 187 — A+

The Valerian guards immediately formed a defensive line.

Serena drew her sword.

"This creature normally lives much farther north."

Subin studied it.

The beast wasn't moving toward them.

It was moving south.

Toward Valeria.

Behind it came more creatures.

A pack of smaller predators.

Then another large herbivore.

Then another.

The road was becoming a migration route.

Subin's expression hardened.

"This isn't one creature."

Ara looked toward her equipment.

"No. There are dozens of mana signatures behind the mountain."

The expedition members exchanged glances.

Something was pushing creatures southward.

The Mountain Hornback suddenly charged.

The Valerian guards attacked first.

Their movements were coordinated, clearly practiced from years of dealing with large creatures. Spears struck the beast's legs while two swordsmen attacked its flank, forcing it to change direction.

But the Hornback was too powerful.

Its front leg struck the road.

The shockwave threw two guards into the air.

Yerin rushed forward and caught one before he crashed into a tree.

Subin drew Simple Edge.

The Mountain Hornback turned toward him.

For a moment, the creature's eyes met his.

Then it charged.

Subin stepped forward.

He didn't attempt to overpower the creature.

Instead, he waited until the final moment, then cut across the ground beneath its leading foot.

The blade severed the compacted earth.

The beast's footing collapsed.

Its enormous body stumbled.

Subin moved alongside it and struck the joint behind its foreleg.

The blow wasn't deep enough to cripple it, but the pain forced the creature to turn.

Jae-hyun joined from the opposite side, directing the beast away from the road while Yerin struck its rear leg with the shaft of her spear rather than the blade.

The three attacks changed its momentum.

The Hornback stumbled toward an empty valley.

Rafael and Ethan immediately moved to prevent the smaller creatures behind it from following the same path.

Within minutes, the road was clear.

The Hornback retreated into the valley, still alive.

Serena lowered her sword.

She looked at Subin with an expression that was difficult to interpret.

"You didn't kill it."

Ara translated her words.

Subin shook his head.

"It wasn't attacking because it wanted to."

Serena looked toward the mountains.

"That's what worries me."

Subin followed her gaze.

More movement could be seen between the distant ridges.

Too many creatures.

Too many species.

And all of them were moving south.

"Something is driving them out," Yerin said.

Serena nodded.

"That is why Veyra has increased patrols."

Subin looked at the road ahead.

Their journey to Veyra had changed.

They were no longer simply traveling along a well-maintained route.

They were moving through the path of a massive migration.

And if the creatures continued south, Valeria would eventually be forced to deal with them.

Serena turned toward Subin.

"Veyra will know more."

Subin sheathed Simple Edge.

"Then let's reach Veyra."

The expedition continued toward the mountains.

Behind them, another distant roar echoed through the valley.

The migration was growing larger.

And somewhere beyond the mountains, the reason for it was waiting.