10
I changed my running route.
I ran toward the direction where there were fewer of those starfish-like monsters, then pulled out a large number of smoke grenades from my inventory. I pulled the pins one after another and threw them in every direction. In an instant, thick smoke blanketed the area.
I stopped at a spot just before the wind picked up and planted a Reject into the ground. I held my breath inside a space barely larger than a square meter.
It was a gamble.
A gamble based on the idea that if “presence” included mana, then maybe Reject could conceal it.
Fortunately, the bet didn’t fail.
When the smoke cleared, the creatures were no longer moving aggressively like before. Instead, they wandered around as if searching for something, then one by one settled down and disguised themselves as rocks.
Only after every remaining monster in the desert had gone still did I finally sit down. Pain I had been ignoring surged back into my body.
I took a red potion from my inventory and drank it in one gulp. As my wounds healed and the pain faded, I could finally breathe again.
“Your Highness. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
He stepped down and spread his arms. As expected, he didn’t have a single scratch on him.
Meanwhile, I was covered in dust from rolling and being thrown around.
……
No. It’s fine as long as you’re safe.
“Do you have any weapons that don’t matter if they break?”
Without answering, I immediately pulled out a Glock 17. It was a mass-produced weapon I could buy anytime.
“One more thing. You’re ambidextrous, aren’t you?”
I wasn’t actually ambidextrous, but I did use two weapons at once. Still, I shook my head.
“No need. I have to hold you with one hand anyway, Your Highness.”
“I see.”
His eyes lowered slightly. His gaze darkened.
Even without words, I could tell.
He was feeling down.
He thought he was becoming a burden.
I casually held out a grenade toward him.
“I don’t know what you plan to do, but you can use this separately.”
I had suggested it without thinking—but just that alone made Idnis smile like a blooming hyacinth. The surroundings felt brighter.
In a slightly excited voice, he said,
“Leave it there.”
“It can’t be on the ground. The moment I let go, it disappears.”
“Then I’ll hold it?”
I nodded. I supported the Glock and the grenade in both hands.
“Let’s begin.”
He extended both hands downward.
A crackling sound followed. I flinched without realizing it.
White sparks—familiar by now—burst from Idnis’s palms. The molten-silver light dripped down, coating the grenade and the pistol, then flowed into my hands.
It should have been scorching hot.
But I felt nothing.
It was as if light itself had taken physical form and flowed like liquid.
Fwoosh.
Soon, the light vanished.
“This is called enchantment. Enchanted weapons carry the mana of the one who enchants them, not the user.”
“Hoh.”
I raised the Glock to eye level. It looked completely unchanged.
But the monsters began to move again.
“Your Highness.”
I opened my arms. He immediately jumped into them.
Kieek.
A nearby creature began fighting another, seemingly irritated.
I gripped the Glock tightly and ran forward.
The next moment, the “Reject” device I had planted earlier was swept away along with the ground by the chaos.
Eyes were on us.
No—on him.
I aimed at the nearest creature. Nothing had changed. The grip, the recoil, the charging beasts—all the same.
I gritted my teeth and pulled the trigger.
Bang.
And then—
KWAANG!
The only thing that had changed… was the power.
The creature exploded into pieces like rain.
“What the—?!”
I almost lost my footing.
What the hell was that? Was this a Glock or a rocket launcher?
“Focus, Evan.”
Idnis pulled lightly at my sleeve. His calm voice steadied me.
I looked ahead.
Monsters were charging in from all directions.
Click.
No need to aim.
KWAANG! KWAANG!
Every shot felt like a tank shell hitting them.
My fingers tingled. Adrenaline surged up from my feet.
I could do this.
“Once we get out of the desert, they won’t follow us. Can you make it?”
It looked tight—but I nodded confidently.
“No problem.”
“Good.”
The monsters began to lose momentum. We cut through them in a straight line and broke through the desert boundary into the forest.
The moment we stepped into the trees, the creatures stopped chasing.
Behind us was silence.
Just the rocky desert.
“This forest is the boundary between plains and mountains. A long, thin strip surrounding the range. If we go a bit further, we’ll reach the mountains.”
“Then we should set up a rest point here.”
I opened my inventory.
And sighed after checking the remaining Reject devices.
“And I need to restock weapons.”
We used a large tree as a center point and planted three Reject units.
Their range was only one meter, forming a tiny triangle barely large enough to sit in.
That was the limit.
It was time to use something I had been saving for emergencies.
I took out a “Drone Merchant Remote” and an order form from my inventory and handed Idnis a set of pen and paper.
“Can you write what I say here?”
It should have been simple.
But Idnis suddenly stiffened.
“Documents… you say?”
“Why?”
“If you tell me to do it, I will. Even if I’m just a useless, powerless burden.”
“…Huh?”
He started muttering to himself, eyes slightly unfocused.
I quickly snatched the paper back.
“Just rest. I’ll handle it.”
“Really?”
His tone changed instantly. I could swear I saw something like a fluffy tail behind him for a moment.
“Yes. Just stay still.”
“Understood.”
And then—
He sat down obediently.
On my lap.
……
I swallowed everything I wanted to say.
I picked up the order form in my left hand, held the pen in my mouth, and opened my inventory with my right.
“This is your subspace?”
“Mhmf.”
My words came out muffled.
“Interesting. Human subspaces are visible only to their owners?”
I nodded while scrolling.
“First… emergency repair kits, Reject units, grenades… and if possible, two Glock 17s.”
I began writing the order.
The prices appeared next to each item.
Then I saw it.
“WHAT? WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE?!”
Two repair kits alone cost absurd amounts. Even converting it to real-world money, it had to be at least 500,000 won.
Damn it.
I stared at the order sheet.
The price didn’t change no matter how long I looked at it.
I hesitated.
Should I temporarily seal away Gurza?
But could I survive what’s coming without it?
I looked at Idnis.
He stared back and said seriously,
“You wouldn’t be planning to go back on your word, would you? No documents allowed.”
……
All hesitation disappeared like dust in a storm.
I pressed the button.
The “remote” was just a simple device with a single red button.
A low drone sound soon echoed above us.
A drone merchant.
It was a mobile shop used in remote areas or mountains.
Prices were about 1.5 times higher than normal shops, but its convenience made it a favorite among players.
“What’s coming, Evan.”
Idnis said as he looked up.
The drone slowly descended.
I fed the order form into it.
Gold in my inventory decreased.
A weapon box dropped into my hands.
I opened it and took out the Reject units first.
Then I began rebuilding our tiny shelter.
Seven Reject units formed a wider space.
Idnis looked satisfied, walked around it, then sat in a corner.
But then he stood up again, pressing the seat.
“This place is less comfortable. Your lap was softer.”
I was speechless.
I ignored him and continued unpacking.
Ten grenades. One repair kit.
I stored the grenades.
Then I paused.
Something was wrong.
The grenades… which should have taken one inventory slot…
were now split into two slots.
