Emperor! Can You See Stats!?

Chapter 138: The South Sea

Meanwhile.

Unlike Eurius, who had encountered an unexpected and awkward situation, the other two castaways were not in such a bad state.

It was because they had someone who knew the way.

It was none other than Jegal Hwayoung, who was originally supposed to guide them.

“We should ask for Sega’s help to find the lord and the others. It would be faster that way. Let’s head to the contact point first.”

“Alright.”

Beatrice had no objections, so the two of them headed to the contact point that they had agreed on with Sega beforehand. But the result was disappointing.

“…”

Jegal Hwayoung bit her lip.

There was nothing left at the temporary base of Sega, who was supposed to greet them, except for the ruins of a burned building.

‘Did something happen to Sega while we were out of touch?’

It was not a simple arson by looking at the state of the building.

It was clear that it was burned down by their own side to destroy any evidence after evacuating the people.

She searched through the debris and finally found Sega’s secret mark.

The code that was found with the mark was deciphered as follows:

[The Dark Sect gathered in the South Sea, Sega fell, emergency withdrawal, contact point changed.]

‘The Dark Sect’s gathering? And Sega fell even though my uncle returned?’

Her face turned pale for a moment at this ominous news, but she quickly regained her composure.

‘If they were able to leave this mark despite the Dark Sect’s attack, then most of Sega’s leaders must have escaped safely.’

And there was another question. It was about this voyage and the Dark Sect.

‘The South Sea should have been where our ship passed by, right?’

In fact, this route that crossed the South Sea was not a common trade route, but a route that Sega had discovered on their own.

It was absurd that a storm suddenly hit after using it safely for decades.

She pondered for a while and came to a conclusion.

‘No matter what happened, we have to contact Sega first.’

She soon collected herself and explained the situation to Beatrice.

“We have to go inland and contact Sega.”

But that was the problem.

Beatrice’s reaction was not very pleasant.

“His Majesty might have drifted nearby as well. Shouldn’t we prioritize joining him first?”

“The lord might have already moved inland. It would be better to gather information by joining Sega…”

“What if they are also burned down like this place?”

Seeing Beatrice speak in a rare sharp tone, Jegal Hwayoung’s expression also turned serious.

‘This is bad… I’ve lost her trust.’

It was true that she was the one who arranged the ship and suggested going to the contact point first.

But the results were unsatisfactory in a row, so it was understandable that Beatrice, who had been calm, became edgy.

But Jegal Hwayoung did not insist on going inland just for Sega’s sake.

“It was an unfortunate accident that we were shipwrecked, but it was all my fault. But I think it would be faster if you listen to me for the lord’s sake.”

“…”

Beatrice still looked at her with suspicion. Feeling slightly angry at her attitude, Jegal Hwayoung started to explain in a cold tone.

“It’s useless to look for him here. The coastline is very wide. And if the lord has already moved inland, it would be pointless.”

“But…”

“This area has rough terrain and few cities, so it’s hard to get any rumors. But fortunately, the lord’s appearance stands out in this continent. It would be much more efficient to send out agents and collect information.”

She could not argue with her logical words.

Jegal Hwayoung, who had been annoyed by her unnecessary doubt, added one last thing.

“I’m also worried about the lord as much as you are. But we won’t find him if we get swept away by our emotions. The lord must also be making a calm judgment and finding a way to join us.”

“…”

Seeing Beatrice remain silent, Jegal Hwayoung felt a surge of blood in her head and then felt a bit flustered.

‘Did I go too far?’

She was a bit more sharp than usual, as she had to deal with various problems, such as Sega’s safety and Eurius’s whereabouts.

In fact, she wanted to maintain a good relationship with Beatrice if possible.

Based on her observations, she was likely to be the future mistress of the house, which was a reasonable judgment.

‘I made an uncharacteristic mistake. I should have persuaded her gently. What if we become estranged here?’

However, Beatrice’s reaction was different from what she expected. She bowed her head slightly.

“I think I made a wrong judgment. I’m sorry.”

“…!?”

“No… it’s okay.”

Jegal Hwayoung also awkwardly accepted her apology.

Actually, Beatrice was also burning inside about Eurius’s whereabouts, just like she pretended to be calm on the outside.

She had also drifted with Jegal Hwayoung, whom she didn’t like very much, so her judgment was blurred for a moment.

But Beatrice was not a fool.

When she heard her explanation, she realized that it was better to collect information slowly and aim for a reunion than to find Eurius right away.

And when she heard that Eurius would have made a cold judgment, she had nothing more to say.

‘I came along to help His Highness, but I ended up trying to cause discord with an ally.’

She felt so sorry that her expression softened slightly.

Seeing that, Jegal Hwayoung was rather bewildered.

‘Why is she acting like that? She’s usually so cold.’

But soon she figured it out, as she was smart enough.

‘She has an unexpected side that doesn’t suit her martial arts. Come to think of it, she’s six years younger than me, right?’

That’s right.

Beatrice was only twenty years old.

She didn’t show it much because she was always quiet, but it would be more strange if she was calm in this situation.

Thinking that way, Jegal Hwayoung felt like she had fought with a young child and softened her expression.

“I’m sorry for being rude to the person who will be the mistress.”

“Mistress?”

Beatrice tilted her head.

She didn’t understand why Jegal Hwayoung said that.

“Hmm! I’ve always wanted to tell you, but I didn’t have a chance.”

“…!?”

Jegal Hwayoung coughed lightly and said what she had been wanting to excuse herself for.

In fact, wasn’t it very embarrassing to say this with her own mouth?

“I have no relationship with the master in the way you think.”

“…”

Beatrice blushed slightly when she heard that.

Did that mean she was the only one who misunderstood and messed up?

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Jegal Hwayoung said firmly, and she felt so sorry that she bowed her head again.

Seeing her look so cute despite her worries, Jegal Hwayoung smiled slightly.

“Then let’s go. Fortunately, the next contact point is not far away, so we should find the master first.”

“Yes.”

The two women who became allies in a strange place arrived at a small mansion in a secluded village in Jiangsu Province, the next base of Jegal Sega, in less than two days.

They hurried their steps and arrived at the place.

As soon as she showed a sign at the entrance, the door opened immediately.

Inside, a young man stood up and welcomed them.

“Lady, you’re back!”

“Seongun, you’re safe.”

Jegal Hwayoung also greeted him happily and sighed with relief.

This young man’s name was Jegal Seongun!

He was one of the core figures in Sega, who was in charge of the current moon war despite being a side branch rather than a direct descendant of the lord.

If he was safe, then all the key leaders in Sega would be fine.

“How is Sega’s situation?”

“I’ll explain it to you inside. But who is this?”

Jegal Seongun pointed at Beatrice, who was hiding her distinctive appearance by pulling down her hood.

Jegal Hwayoung chuckled here.

“He’s a brother I met in the Western Continent.”

***

Lee Cheongmun, the Master of all Martial Arts!

He had four disciples and was famous as the god of martial arts who no one could match at that time.

There were players in the Eastern Continent, but no one dared to challenge his name.

However, an unexpected challenger appeared in his later years.

His name was not known, but the martial artists of that time called him with fear as White Horse or Pegasus .

It was because he was a rare person with blue eyes in this continent where most people had black or brown eyes.

He defeated all the absolute masters of the martial world at that time and made his reputation with his cruel methods.

What was more surprising was that he was not a player.

The mages and evil sects who were fascinated by his powerful strength gathered under his banner.

Soon, the martial world seemed to be engulfed by a bloodbath due to his power that grew out of control.

However, as soon as the players who had been watching him quietly stepped in, the situation changed drastically.

Lee Cheongmun and the players who followed him united and attacked his faction, Dark Sect, and they could not stop the alliance of players no matter how strong they were.

Even Pegasus, who fled to the end, could not escape Lee Cheongmun’s relentless pursuit.

Eventually, he was driven to a remote island in the South Sea, where he had to fight Lee Cheongmun in a final battle and died by his hand, according to legend.

After hearing this explanation, Eurius asked with a curious expression.

“Are you saying that Dark Sect is the same as Magyo?”

Namgoong Ho shook his head.

“No. They were just a group from a distant past. They are known to have different roots from the current Magyo.”

“Then why is someone with blue eyes suspected of being Magyo?”

“That’s because one of the three great families of Magyo has blue eyes.”

According to the explanation, there are three great families in Magyo that take turns selecting the sect leader.

The latecomers lowered their heads awkwardly here.

“Actually, this is the first time we’ve seen a person of color. The official trade has been cut off since thirty years ago, so it’s hard to see them in the inland except for port cities.”

“Hmm…”

Eurius realized why they didn’t believe his words.

If trade had been cut off long ago, it would be natural for him to be suspicious if he suddenly appeared.

“That’s enough. So what is this Peninsula thing?”

“Actually, there is a rumor that Bongmado, which was only passed down as a legend in the South Sea, has been discovered.”

“Bongmado?”

“It’s the island where the final battle between Lee Cheongmun, the cure for all diseases, and Pegasus took place. His last trace was cut off there, so there is a high possibility that he left his legacy there.”

“Huh?”

Eurius opened his eyes wide here.

“Did he die there?”

“Magyo claims so, but the orthodox sects don’t believe it. The time when Lee Cheongmun went there coincided with the time when all players disappeared.”

“So he disappeared with other players after dealing with Pegasus?”

“That’s right. According to the rumor that spread this time, there are both Lee Cheongmun’s legacy and Pegasus’s martial arts on that island.”

According to Namgoong Ho’s explanation, a huge cave that leads to the underground of the island was found on that island named Bongmado.

The cave was full of traps using various mechanisms, so no one could enter it yet.

“The alliance had treated it as a rumor at first, but when Magyo tried to take over that place, the rumor gained credibility and eventually it had to turn into a big fight.”

“And Jegalsega was attacked in the meantime?”

“Yes. Among the five great families, Jegalsega was the most active in investigating that cave.”

‘Tsk! That makes sense.’

Eurius clicked his tongue.

He knew how Jegalsega’s crisis came about.

They would not have wanted to give up a place where Lee Cheongmun’s legacy might exist to Magyo, and eventually it would have turned into a fierce battle.

Finally having heard the whole story, Eurius suddenly got up.

“So you guys are going to where Jegalsega and that alliance are?”

“Yes, I was on a scouting mission there when I was spotted by the cultists and had to flee.”

Nangong Ho answered with a puzzled expression.

“We better hurry. We’re going to run day and night from now on, so I’ll need your guidance.”

Eurius was excited even as he flew. He came here to face the cult, but it turned out to be an unexpected situation.

‘Maybe I’ll find the legacy of a new player.’

***

Three days later

Eurius and his companions were taking a short break in front of a forest.

“Huff… Huff…”

The exhausted rookies were dying. Eurius had run almost non-stop for three days as he had promised. They looked at him with resentful eyes.

‘If he showed any signs of fatigue, I would ask him to rest.’

But Eurius was fine without even breathing hard after the same three-day march. He even opened his mouth as if to urge them to get up quickly.

“Is this the base of the Righteous Alliance right after we cross this forest?”

“Yes. You might even meet some of the people from Jegal Se’s faction.”

They answered hastily, but their condition was not good. It was already remarkable that they had followed Eurius, a superhuman, this far.

Swoosh.

But as soon as he heard that answer, Eurius drew his sword.

The rookies looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Grandmaster?”

And their expressions turned into horror at his next words.

Eurius smiled wickedly and pointed his sword at them.

“You’ve done well guiding me. Now you can die.”