Chapter 73: The Canyon’s Embrace

The tentacle shot rapidly toward the turtle.

The turtle deflected it with its shell and quickly dodged.

Along with that, more tentacles struck the spot where the turtle had just been.

The trees grazed by the tentacles began to melt as if turning into liquid, releasing murky air.

The turtle inspected its shell with magic.

The spot where the tentacle had been deflected was damp and corroding, ruining even the magic contained within.

Cold sweat trickled down.

But thanks to the turtle’s evasion, an opportunity arose.

The creature had revealed an opening.

Quickly, a command was given.

“Now!”

At those words, Cassian drew her sword.

The blade, enveloped in magic, shot forward from the turtle’s mouth and struck the tentacles.

It began slicing through them one after another.

The tentacles resisted, but under the swift strikes of the sword, they fell to the ground.

Once severed, they melted where they landed and vanished completely.

The sword didn’t stop there.

It flew toward the direction the tentacles had come from.

At the end of its path was a massive egg.

Suspended on a tree, it resembled a large, white eyeball.

That was the origin of the tentacles.

A monster of unknown nature.

The sword shattered the tree holding the egg.

The creature atop it fell to the ground.

It managed to barely support itself with the remaining tentacles, but it couldn’t stop the fall.

“Let’s run now!”

With that shout, an order was given to the turtle.

The turtle immediately turned and bolted without looking back.

Mira glanced at me.

She nodded her head in understanding.

From her fingertips, a mist began to flow out.

The mist escaped through the turtle’s mouth and gradually concealed its body.

The sword, having finished its task, quickly returned to Cassian’s hand.

He sheathed it at her waist, watching the creature closely.

The monster began to rise.

It climbed onto another tree, scanning for us.

It appeared unscathed.

Even the severed tentacles had regenerated.

I felt like it was watching the direction we had fled.

But thanks to the mist, it couldn’t find us.

Eventually, it turned and retreated back into its territory.

The tension eased a little.

This would suffice.

I let out a sigh.

It had been a week since we left the tower.

‘How many times had we fled already?’ Monsters were overwhelmingly strong.

“That thing looks like it’d taste good if roasted.”

Cassian muttered while swallowing her saliva.

The bear plushie beside her nodded in agreement.

I gave a bitter smile.

The journey so far had been filled with relentless monsters.

They poured down like rain, attacking day and night without pause.

Exhaustion had piled up from fending them off.

Looking around, the inside of the turtle was filled with the remains of monsters.

Even after gathering only what seemed useful, it was this much.

We had discarded countless other items.

Among those discarded items, we sometimes tried cooking a few.

It felt wasteful to throw away so much.

I had even prepared some of it for Cassian.

It was rare for me to serve food to others, except for my professor.

I had only learned to cook with him in mind.

Mira, on the other hand, had been a test subject during my early cooking experiments.

Perhaps that’s why she seemed delighted whenever I cooked.

Fortunately, the food seemed to please Cassian.

Since tasting my first dish, she had become very proactive in hunting monsters.

Especially strong monsters, like the one we just encountered.

After all, the stronger the monster, the better it tasted.

“Still, taking that one on would be too much. We had no choice but to run,” I said.

The creature seemed like a high-tier monster.

Facing it head-on would’ve been impossible. Even fleeing had taken all we had.

Cassian nodded glumly.

The bear plushie rummaged in its pouch, pulling out a small piece of jerky and handing it to her.

She accepted it and began nibbling slowly.

As I watched, I pulled out the map I had brought for the trip.

It had been a while since I’d last used it.

Confirming our location, I noticed Mira leaning into my arm.

She glanced at the map with me.

“Oh, we’re almost there.”

“Yeah, we’ll soon be free from these monsters.”

I nodded.

We were getting close to our destination: the canyon city Cassian had mentioned.

It would take roughly 30 more minutes to reach it.

We were halfway there, the city overlapping with our position.

I hadn’t expected such a powerful monster to appear this close to the city.

Assuming it would be like Stalactite City had left me overly relaxed, and it almost cost us.

To be honest, my range of activity hadn’t been very broad.

When I asked other tower students, they mentioned operating across two or three cities.

But I had only used Stalactite City and my tower as my base.

Or rather, my tower was the sole focal point.

Stalactite City was the nearest, and I never felt the need to visit other cities.

That’s why, over the past five years, the only places I’d been to were my professor’s tower and Stalactite City.

Still, it made sense.

Managing the tower alone was demanding.

At least the area near Stalactite City was well-maintained.

There were no high-tier monsters, and lower-tier ones were regularly culled through commissions.

Once I left that zone, however, monsters poured in.

I had heard about the abundance of monsters but hadn’t experienced it firsthand until now.

“Once we arrive, I need to buy some clothes and change. Every city has its own style, after all. Cassian, you’re coming too, right?”

Mira smiled.

Cassian gulped down the jerky she was chewing and pulled a reluctant face.

Mira stared at her silently until Cassian awkwardly nodded.

“Yes, Mira… sister.”

‘Sister.’ It was an awkward word.

Cassian seemed uncomfortable saying it, her eyes darting around.

Over the past week, Mira had persistently clung to her, and this was the result.

Mira let go of my arm and approached Cassian.

The two began chatting quietly.

I returned to the map, scanning the area through the turtle’s eyes.

There was still a lot of monster magic in the vicinity.

They were observing the turtle, but the surrounding mist obscured its exact location.

‘Had Cassian and Mira not been with me, how would things have turned out?’ Alone, I probably wouldn’t have reached the destination even after a month.

Thanks to them, all I needed to focus on was moving forward.

Suddenly, I recalled spatial gates.

Hwaryoung had mentioned them once, about how cities used to be connected by them.

It must have been so convenient back then.

I couldn’t help but envy those times.

The number of monsters seemed to be decreasing now.

The turtle crashed through trees, pressing forward relentlessly.

The mist surrounding us began to fade.

***

After crossing several mountains and following the map’s guidance, we finally neared the city.

In the distance, peculiar structures came into view.

A narrow gap, perhaps that’s what one could call it.

From there, a few people could be seen emerging.

It was a fissure located between the mountains—a split canyon.

Cassian looked at it and nodded.

“Ah, that’s the place.”

“Is it?”

I glanced at her briefly.

She looked utterly deflated.

The bear plushie patted her gently, as if comforting her.

Mira watched the scene with a gaze full of adoration.

I understood Cassian’s demeanor.

The people she would have to face in the city were formidable figures.

When I first heard about her benefactors, I was astonished.

It wasn’t the kind of sponsorship that came from ordinary organizations.

Her supporters were none other than the Blade Association, the rulers of Canyon City.

I hadn’t paid much attention to them, as I thought they had little to do with me.

After all, their organization only accepted swordsmen into their ranks.

So it made sense for them to sponsor her.

And now they had summoned her—to question her about why she hadn’t reached the third floor.

When she shared this, she had slumped to the floor as though she wanted to melt into it.

They had called her as soon as her lectures had ended.

No one could guess how the conversation would go.

Even Cassian had tilted her head, saying she didn’t know.

I recalled a similar situation of my own—having to face Miryeong and Myra.

If I had to stand before them again and talk…

Just thinking about dealing with them again made my stomach churn slightly.

Cassian must be feeling the same way, especially since she would have to report her failures to them.

“Don’t worry. We’ll go with you, and everything will be fine,” Mira said softly, gently stroking Cassian’s back.

Cassian shivered slightly at the touch.

Mira began to massage her shoulders, starting her “improvement” session.

I averted my gaze.

***

Before we knew it, the canyon had grown closer.

The gap, the sight of it, became clearer.

Seeing it, I couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

The fissure was immense—a truly gigantic canyon.

The name “Canyon City” instantly made sense.

The vast chasm stretched deep into the ground below.

At the very bottom, a massive lake was visible.

Looking down at the canyon, it felt as though the sharp, cutting energy within was aimed directly at the turtle.

The shape of the canyon caught my eye once more.

It resembled the aftermath of a giant blade slicing through the earth.

The sharp and rapid flow of energy within the canyon seemed to prove it.

The city boldly revealed itself.

Unlike Stalactite City, which felt hidden within the mountains, this place seemed to bare itself entirely.

Still, there was one similarity—the city was located underground.

Canyon City was situated along both walls of the canyon.

The buildings, resembling honeycombs, formed multiple layers vertically along the canyon walls.

Each level had a distinct atmosphere, becoming increasingly crude the lower they went.

It was a familiar structure.

I had heard that most cities were like this, built underground.

It made sense.

After all, it was due to the mana values.

The turtle stopped near the canyon, not moving closer.

It was likely because of the figures approaching us with swords infused with mana.

They seemed to have mistaken the turtle for a monster.

“Shall we get down then?”

At those words, Mira stepped away from Cassian.

Cassian tidied herself and hugged the bear plushie tightly.

Her face, buried in the bear’s back, was slightly flushed.

The turtle’s side opened, forming a path down to the ground.

Leading the way, I stepped out.

The mana in the surroundings became much more palpable.

A faint metallic tang accompanied the sharp energy brushing past me.

Cassian and Mira followed behind me.

The turtle, shrinking itself, climbed onto my chest.

It had grown much heavier, likely due to everything stored inside it.

Patting the turtle, I looked toward the city.

The approaching figures, upon confirming our appearance, lowered their swords.

They turned back and began heading toward the city.

‘We’ll just follow them,’ I thought, starting to walk forward.

***

Time passed after we entered the city.

I glanced at Cassian beside me.

“Are you alright?”

“No… it hurts…”

She groaned in pain.

The clothes she had purchased with a considerable amount of money were now tattered, slashed by rough sword strikes.

Her body was covered in wounds.

Mira was tending to her injuries.

Mist enveloped Cassian’s body, wrapping around each wound and leaving behind a faint trace, like a bandage.

Cassian’s body healed quickly, and her complexion gradually improved.

Hugging the bear plushie, she slumped completely in exhaustion.

Looking around, I observed the room.

It was a clean and tidy space, somewhat reminiscent of the room used during the auction.

It had a slightly luxurious feel.

However, the walls were surrounded by strong mana. Layers of defensive magic seemed to envelop the exterior.

The door was the same—firmly sealed, as though to prevent any exit.

I gave a bitter smile.

There was no way out.

This place was essentially a prison.

I glanced at Cassian.

Seeing her like this left a heavy feeling in my chest.