Chapter 92

Chapter 17. The One-Horned Tribe (2)

Yeon-woo left a message for Yanu to wait a moment and returned to Phoenix's nest.

"Are you planning to leave?"

Yun-seok smiled and replied,

"I'll be back soon."

"Sure. But it seems the youngest one doesn't think so."

Phoenix chuckled, finding it amusing.

At that moment, Jjikjik landed on the egg, flapping its short wings vigorously.

Jjik!

It seemed to be asking where he was going.

Yeon-woo couldn't help but laugh again.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Jjikjik!

It meant he was leaving his friend behind.

Yeon-woo felt a bit awkward.

"Now, what do you plan to do?"

Phoenix's voice was tinged with amusement as he spoke.

Yeon-woo reached out and stroked Jjikjik's head. He then looked into its eyes and explained his situation.

Yeon-woo realized that in such situations, it was best to speak the truth sincerely rather than make excuses.

This way, there would be no room for misunderstandings.

"I'm going to find out how to get this chick out of the egg. Don't you want your friend to come out and play? I'll be back soon."

Jjik... Jikjik!

Jjikjik still looked displeased, but...

"Little one."

Phoenix's low voice finally convinced it. Instead, it started chirping and hopping on the spot, demanding a quick return.

Yeon-woo reassured Jjikjik several times before he could finally leave the egg.

Phoenix watched the young bird with a warm gaze and asked,

"It's good that you're going to the place where the One-Horned Tribe lives. But how do you plan to carry such a large egg?"

Yeon-woo shook his head and looked at his egg.

The egg, which had grown to about three meters, continued to grow steadily.

Fortunately, the growth rate had slowed down significantly.

However, it was still growing, not just in height but also in volume and weight.

Even Phoenix's telekinetic power was struggling to move it.

The One-Horned Tribe's settlement was outside the tower.

While it was possible to leave the tower using a portal, moving the egg to that location was impossible even with Phoenix's power.

But...

"Come out."

Yeon-woo summoned three Sa-guis and instructed them to carry the egg.

The Sa-guis, initially confused, soon dispersed into a gray mist, encircling the bottom of the egg and lifting it.

The egg floated a few centimeters above the ground. This height seemed manageable for slow movement.

"Wow! That's quite convenient. I didn't think you could achieve such physical manifestation. When did you improve so much?"

"The power of the Sa-guis has been enhanced, and now they are almost at their limit."

"Indeed. Impressive. You've only had the bracelet for a short time, yet you've mastered it so well. You are certainly an interesting human."

From the darkness, Phoenix's chuckle could be heard.

"I'm curious to see how the ghosts will have changed when we meet again."

"I'll be back soon, as I said."

"Sure. You'll need to prepare a lot to pass the trials of the other Four Divine Beasts."

Yeon-woo's eyes widened slightly under his mask.

He didn't remember mentioning it, so how did Phoenix know?

"I have a bit of insight. I didn't want to hurt your pride, but I'm not bothered by such things. Don't worry."

"Thank you."

Yeon-woo thought that perhaps the greatest gain after leaving the beginner stage was forming a bond with Phoenix.

Throughout their interactions, Phoenix had consistently shown consideration.

Perhaps, from the tutorial to the present, most of the connections he had formed were good ones.

Thanks to the various people he had met, he had managed to maintain his composure, even when he might have gone mad with revenge.

Phoenix was one of those people.

While others were good friends, Phoenix felt different.

'Like a mother...'

Thanks to this, Yeon-woo could say,

"Then I'll be back."

"Sure. Come back soon."

* * *

Yeon-woo carried the egg out of the nest.

Yanu, who had been waiting outside, gaped at the egg.

"Wow... What an unbelievable..."

Yanu had attempted the 11th floor long ago, and due to the custom of ascending the tower at a certain age, he had seen many people pass through the 11th floor.

But he had never seen an egg of such an unbelievable size.

Yeon-woo, however, was no longer surprised.

"Preparations are complete. But how do we get to the One-Horned Tribe's place? I heard it's not accessible to just anyone."

The One-Horned Tribe was described in the diary.

The One-Horned Tribe was said to be brought from a distant dimension by one of the three beings who first opened the tower, the 'Trinity Wonder.' They had purple eyes and a horn on one side of their head, and their innate physical abilities were so overwhelming that they dominated other players.

They had devised a new method to control their overwhelming power, which they called 'martial arts.'

They boasted unparalleled talent and physical abilities compared to humans and used their unique 'martial arts' to perfectly control and enhance their power.

In short, they were a race created specifically to conquer the tower.

Many AIs and players envied their innate qualities.

However, the One-Horned Tribe was not well-known despite their fame.

Most of them were arrogant and did not enjoy interacting with others.

There were also stories that once they opened up, they would share everything.

But such cases were rare and hard to find.

To even have a conversation, one had to prove their worth to catch their eye.

Naturally, the One-Horned Tribe was both revered and isolated within the tower.

The One-Horned Tribe did not seem to mind this.

Moreover, except for the rite of passage of ascending the tower at a certain age, they rarely showed themselves outside and were known to stay in their settlement.

They lived in a mysterious village surrounded by a strange formation, which completely blocked external communication.

Yeon-woo's brother had never had significant interactions with the One-Horned Tribe.

The diary contained only rumors and information he had heard from friends and colleagues.

Naturally, Yeon-woo had preconceived notions about them.

However, Yanu smiled.

"Ah, that's all nonsense. If we were as cold as the rumors suggest, how could we run a village? We also have visitors from outside and merchants occasionally."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. You'll see for yourself. The rumors are all nonsense."

Yanu shook his head and continued,

"Well, the rumors spread because some of our elders are grumpy and keep us locked up to prevent trouble... and some people deliberately distort the facts to use us as leverage... It's complicated."

Yeon-woo nodded, finding it plausible.

Certainly, if one could monopolize interactions with the One-Horned Tribe, it would be a significant advantage for any group.

However, while Yanu said the rumors were exaggerated, Yeon-woo thought the One-Horned Tribe's inherent personality played a significant role.

The first One-Horned Tribe members he met, Pant and Edoro, had a sharp aura that discouraged any approach.

And ordinary people would naturally feel intimidated by them.

Even considering that they were once powerful in their own dimensions and worlds.

"Still, the village is usually hidden by a formation, so follow me closely. Here, take this."

Yanu took out two papers from his pocket and handed one to Yeon-woo.

It was a ticket that allowed passage outside the stage for a certain period.

Yanu tore the ticket, and a red portal opened on the ground.

Yeon-woo also tore his ticket.

Whirr-

[Do you want to go to the area outside the tower?]

As he nodded to the message that appeared on his retina, the surroundings were enveloped in a hazy light.

When the light faded, he found himself in a familiar place. The tall tower was right in front of him.

Creak, Thud-

The tower's door closed firmly.

Yeon-woo glanced at the commercial district for a moment before turning to Yanu's call.

"Follow me."

Yanu kicked off the ground and moved.

Yeon-woo followed, pushing mana into the Sa-guis.

The egg, though heavy, followed steadily.

Yanu was heading to a place in the southeast of the area outside the tower.

It was a desolate area with no proper roads, and ordinary people rarely approached it.

Unlike the residential area, which was less desolate due to the forest, this place was a barren desert with only a few bare trees.

The ground was made of black basalt, preventing any water from pooling.

How could a village exist in such a place, where not even a blade of grass grew?

"From here, you need to follow my footsteps closely. If you deviate even a little, the path will be completely twisted."

Before Yeon-woo could respond, Yanu stamped his foot deeply to help him find the right position.

At that moment,

Swoosh-

Yanu's presence suddenly became blurry and disappeared right in front of him, as if he had evaporated.

Yeon-woo's eyes glowed with a strange light.

'Formation.'

The One-Horned Tribe had another unique skill besides 'martial arts.'

Formation (陣法).

It was a technique that stimulated the dragon veins flowing beneath the earth to artificially alter the surrounding geography and topography.

The most common form was a 'deceptive formation' (幻陣) used to hide objects and places. With deeper study, it could even create mountains and dry up seas, known as 'mysterious transformation' (奇門遁甲).

Formations were similar to but slightly different from magic circles. While magic involved stacking rules through strict calculations, formations involved twisting the flow of mana and the rules.

Although Yeon-woo was still a novice in magic, he could grasp the general concept.

'Dragon Eye.'

Yeon-woo opened his new eyes and stepped on the footprints Yanu left.

The world flipped, and instead of a barren desert, a green meadow appeared.

Fresh grass and flowers grew, and a stream flowed.

However, the air was filled with a hazy mist, making it hard to see even a few steps ahead.

Yeon-woo realized that this was the entrance to the village and the surrounding forest of the One-Horned Tribe.

Yanu's footprints were visible, and he just needed to follow them in order.

It seemed that following these would lead him safely to the village.

At that moment, Yeon-woo had a thought.

'Can I enter the village on my own from here?'

It seemed that Yanu was not understanding the formation but following a memorized sequence.

Yeon-woo focused mana in his eyes to train his Dragon Eye and observe the formation.

The more phenomena he observed, the deeper his Dragon Eye would become.

['Dragon Eye' is starting to observe and analyze the 'Hoho Yunmu Formation.' It is revealing the components of the formation.]

[A new category for formations has been created. All observed phenomena are organized in this category and can be reviewed at any time.]

[Your understanding of formations is too shallow. The observations are only simple. Accumulate more knowledge. The deeper your knowledge, the deeper your understanding of the observed phenomena.]

['Dragon Eye' skill proficiency has increased to 28.1%.]

The mist wriggled, trying to hide what was inside.

But as the Dragon Eye changed and persisted, it began to reveal the lines flowing through the mist.

The lines of the formation were not much different from each other.

They repeatedly tangled and untangled like threads.

The only difference was that they spread widely across the entire misty area.

Yeon-woo followed Yanu's footprints while observing the lines more closely.

This allowed him to realize a few things.

'They seem to be scattered randomly, but they move according to a certain flow.'

Although they were tangled like a spider web, following the lines with his eyes revealed a continuous line without any breaks.

These lines were gradually converging to form a massive flow.

Like hundreds of streams converging into a large river.

The lines were converging and spreading again, covering the entire misty area.

Yeon-woo realized that this was the central axis of the formation.

'Originally, this should be the mana stream flowing in the air... but by giving it a few stimuli, the direction is artificially altered to activate the formation within a desired range.'

It was similar to diverting a river to flow in a desired direction.

The flowing central axis also reminded him of something.

'Mana circuit.'

A flow of energy over a certain area.

Mana circulating within a limited space in the body.

Despite the small differences, the movement and general meaning were strikingly similar.

[Your understanding of formations has deepened. 'Dragon Eye' has successfully penetrated the 'Hoho Yunmu Formation.']

['Dragon Eye' skill proficiency has significantly increased to 31.9%.]

And.

His thoughts led to a new perspective.

He began comparing formations and mana circuits.

'If the movement of mana can achieve various things like hiding a village and creating mist... perhaps the current mana circuit can be used not just for simple circulation but in various ways depending on how it is utilized?'

[You have obtained a hint about the usage of 'mana circuits.' However, you have only grasped the general idea and not the specific details. Accumulate more knowledge.]

Yeon-woo felt he was on the right track.

He had unexpectedly discovered a new usage for the mana circuit, which he had previously thought of as a simple engine.

So, to gain more hints, he observed the formation more closely.

He had now grasped the basic components of the formation.

Next, he thought he could read where the lines were flowing.

'If I can do that, I might see a way to pass through this complex formation.'

If he could pass through on his own, it would mean he had almost understood and broken the formation.

To test this, he tried to predict Yanu's next step.

'45 degrees to the left'

Thud-

Yanu stamped his foot 45 degrees to the left.

It was a place where many lines converged.

'Next, 16 degrees to the right below.'

Again, Yanu stepped on the next place where the lines converged, as Yeon-woo had predicted.

'The next one is... '

Yeon-woo confirmed that his predictions were accurate.

Then, he saw Yanu move in a direction different from what he had predicted.

'That's a longer route. Did he intentionally teach me this? If so...'

Yanu stepped 35 degrees to the right. But in Yeon-woo's view, it was a straight path.

The end of the formation.

Yeon-woo decided to test it and threw himself in the straight direction.

"Huh? Hey!"

Yanu turned around, realizing Yeon-woo was taking a different path, but the mist had already obscured him.

And.

Whoosh-

Yeon-woo managed to completely leave the misty area.

The view opened up, and he could see a village with several houses clustered together at the foot of the hill.

At that moment,

A voice, amused, echoed in Yeon-woo's ear.

"Oh? An outsider broke through the Hoho Yunmu Formation without any hints? I've never seen you before. What are you doing here, kid?"