Chapter 53
Part 52
At the entrance to the Tower, Yugeon stood alongside his companions and Eilen.
The Tower looked no different from usual.
However, their destination today was different.
"Woojin."
"I'm ready."
Woojin shook the object he was holding.
It was an auxiliary device they had prepared in advance, designed to release mana.
An item capable of projecting spatial distortion outward.
Normally, with Woojin present, they wouldn't have needed an item like this. But this time, they were conducting a test.
It was a consumable item that would break after approximately three uses.
They didn't need spatial distortion to enter the Tower, but they would need the item when leaving for the world inhabited by the Elves.
Under normal circumstances, I would've investigated Genocide's laboratory in the metropolitan area first...
Yugeon had raided the facility immediately after the press conference, only to find it completely empty.
The organization had even set fire to the offices, burning everything so that nothing could be recovered.
In the end, Yugeon had abandoned the pursuit for the time being and decided to travel to the Elves' world instead.
"Let's go in."
Step. Step.
Yugeon was the first to step inside the Tower.
Mincheol, Hwarin, and Woojin followed him, with Eilen entering last.
BZZZZT.
"Everyone inside?"
"Yes."
Everyone nodded in response to Yugeon's question.
"Then let's leave."
At Yugeon's instruction, they all turned around.
The entrance they had passed through just moments earlier was directly in front of them.
It was the first time any of them had entered the Tower only to leave immediately.
HUMMMMM!
As spatial distortion spread from the item, it enveloped Yugeon, Mincheol, Hwarin, and Woojin.
Eilen was the only one unaffected.
"The coordinates have been established."
Woojin hadn't done it himself.
The spatial distortion and coordinates programmed into the item had activated.
More precisely, the distortion would only activate once the coordinates had been successfully established.
"Here I go."
"Let's go."
Eilen took the lead and stepped through the entrance.
The others followed her without hesitation.
Whoooooosh.
The refreshing sound of a cool breeze.
Endless grasslands and fields of shimmering silver grass.
"Wow..."
An exclamation escaped Woojin's lips.
Even Mincheol forgot that he was holding a camera as he looked around in amazement.
An enormous waterfall could be seen between the distant mountain ranges, while unfamiliar creatures drifted slowly across the sky.
And despite the brightness of what appeared to be midday, tiny lights resembling fireflies floated through the air.
"So this is..."
Hwarin looked around, unable to finish her sentence.
Eilen smiled ever so slightly.
"Alvheim."
The world of the Elves.
They had arrived in Alvheim.
"We really crossed over."
Mincheol turned around.
The entrance to the Tower, which had been in Korea just moments ago, now stood amid a completely different landscape.
"Mincheol."
"Yes, Hyung! Don't worry. I've been filming properly since we got here!"
"The camera has spatial distortion applied to it too, right?"
"Yes."
Woojin nodded.
There was no way he would have forgotten something so simple.
"Is it all right to film this area?"
Mincheol raised the camera and asked Eilen.
"This area is fine. I'll let you know when we get closer to the roads and the settlement."
"Understood."
Mincheol slowly began recording the surrounding scenery.
Meanwhile, Yugeon looked at Eilen.
Even her expression was different from how it had been on Earth.
Back then, she had constantly been on guard, like a hedgehog with all its spines raised.
Now her steps were light, and her expression had softened.
She's back home.
It was only natural.
Yugeon smiled faintly and began walking forward.
They had been traveling for about an hour when the previously level path came to an end.
An enormous precipice appeared before them.
It was so deep that the bottom was barely visible.
The distance to the cliff on the opposite side was considerable too.
Mincheol approached the edge, then cautiously took a step back.
"How are we supposed to cross this?"
"Just wait."
Eilen took a small flute from inside her clothes.
It was a simple flute made of wood.
"We can't continue on foot from here."
"Then how do we get across?"
"We ride."
TWEEEEEEET!
A long, high-pitched whistle rang out beyond the cliff.
Tweet.
Tweet.
Eilen blew the flute three times at regular intervals before lowering it.
"Now we wait."
"?"
Mincheol swept his camera across the sky.
A short while later, Woojin was the first to notice something.
"Over there."
"Where?"
"Up there."
Everyone turned their gaze in the same direction.
At first, it looked like a bird.
However, as it drew closer, its size began to seem rather strange.
"...What is that?"
Mincheol stared with his mouth hanging open.
The creature had a broad, flat body that seemed to glide effortlessly through the air.
Its shape resembled an enormous stingray, and a passenger compartment made from wood and leather had been installed on its back.
"It's a Ravion."
"A Ravion?"
"Yes. We use them to travel long distances. They're very gentle creatures."
As the Ravion approached the cliff, it tilted its body and slowly began descending.
Whoooooosh.
A powerful gust of wind swept across the area as its enormous body came down.
"Hyung."
Mincheol, who had been about to board the Ravion, lowered his camera and pointed into the distance.
"What's that? Over there, really far away."
Yugeon followed his gaze.
Beyond the horizon, at a distance far greater than the mountain ranges, stood a tree of an almost unimaginable size.
It was an enormous tree that rose straight through the clouds.
