Failed Possession Chapter-37

##Ch-37. **Lagos**

—

They said it would take fifteen days to get there—but by the time they actually arrived in Lagos, three full weeks had passed.

Unlike the journey from Aldor to Lutran, there had been no need to hurry this time. Whenever there was a nearby village or town, they made sure to stay at least a day before moving on. Only when there was truly nothing around did they camp outdoors.

Yuri couldn’t complain about that.

He was curious about Lagos, sure—but sleeping in a proper bed was better than in a bedroll, eating in a clean restaurant beat gnawing on rations or hunted game, and using a restroom beat keeping watch while doing one’s business in the wild.

The fact that it was summer served as a convenient excuse.

In the end, the journey had been comfortable and leisurely.

“And yet we’ve finally arrived.”

From the driver’s seat, Haryeong let out a long sigh.

Yuri was holding the reins in her place. Until now, wherever they went, he had gone with Elena—and if Elena went, her bodyguard Haryeong naturally followed.

But after returning to Lutran, Yuri would be traveling alone. There would be no one to drive a carriage for him.

Granted, how often would a lone traveler even use a carriage? Still, one never knew. So he had asked Haryeong to teach him how to drive and manage one during the journey.

He’d also learned how to ride a horse.

It wasn’t some grand experience, but Lee Su-hyeok had ridden a horse before.

Jeju Island—hardly anyone in Korea hadn’t visited it on a school trip.

Except Lee Su-hyeok.

He’d never gone on a school trip. No money. No friends.

At the time, he hadn’t felt it was a loss. But as an adult, the fact that he’d never once gone on a proper school trip lingered unpleasantly.

When he’d saved up some part-time wages, he’d gone alone. Took his first flight. Ate black pork in Jeju. Even tried horseback riding—not ponies, but still.

While learning to ride properly this time, he realized just how gentle and seasoned those tourist horses had been.

And how uncomfortable riding a horse truly was.

‘How did people in the old days deal with hemorrhoids…?’

His backside hurt terribly. He’d learned how to ride, but he didn’t particularly want to do it more. He’d rather run.

Now he understood why people learned lightness skills.

“If we’re already late, why not delay a little longer? I think I left something important behind in the last village.”

Haryeong had been openly reluctant about reaching Lagos.

The reason was obvious. Once they arrived, she’d have more to do. Even weak monsters were still threats.

“No.”

Elena answered immediately from inside the carriage, having opened the small window.

“We’re already here. What’s there to delay?”

“Miss, I truly left something behind.”

“What?”

“A gift from my mother.”

“You said before you didn’t have family.”

“Relics can be gifts too.”

Haryeong’s expression was so serious that Elena flinched. As someone who was also an orphan, she knew how sensitive topics of family could be.

“If… if you really forgot it, we can go back.”

“Your sincerity weakens my heart, Miss. But I didn’t actually leave anything. I’m not that careless.”

“Were you an orphan too, Haryeong?”

“I said I have no family. I didn’t say I was an orphan.”

Wasn’t that the same thing?

Yuri glanced at her skeptically while holding the reins.

“Don’t tell me, Yuri, you felt a sense of inner kinship because I might be an orphan?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re speaking with your face.”

“If you’re not an orphan, why don’t you have family?”

“Everyone has at least one circumstance they can’t speak about. Don’t you have one too, Yuri?”

There was no hidden barb. Just her usual flippant teasing.

Yuri didn’t take it seriously. Fortunately, his expression didn’t change.

“You two are pretty close.”

Elena leaned on the window frame and shot them a look.

“Close? Miss, please don’t make such terrifying jokes.”

“That bad?”

“Yuri. I haven’t forgotten what happened at the Le-Seun auction house. I thought we were close—friends, even—but you were the one who drew the line first.”

He didn’t think he’d drawn it *that* sharply.

But he didn’t argue.

Even as they talked, the carriage kept moving—and they reached Lagos.

In the game, Lagos had been nothing more than a wide-open hunting ground.

Reality was different.

It wasn’t a metropolis like Lutran, but there were quite a few buildings.

The Rift of Chaos in Lagos had existed for decades. At first, simply holding back the abnormal monster surges had been overwhelming. But over time, the adventurers gathered here adapted to the phenomenon itself.

To fend off many monsters, you needed many people.

And when many people gathered, they needed infrastructure.

Thus, a sizable town had formed.

As they left the horses and carriage at the stable near the entrance, Yuri lifted his gaze beyond the town.

A mountain.

“Lagos” was the mountain’s name.

The Rift lay within it.

Yuri narrowed his eyes.

‘That’s not mana.’

A dark red mist coiled around the mountain, ominous and sinister.

Seeing it in person, he understood why it was called a “rift.”

The long, drifting crimson haze looked like a tear in the world itself, and the mountain stood embedded within it.

Even now, monsters were being born there. And people who came for various reasons were killing them.

This town was for those who visited Lagos.

Most necessities for operating in Lagos were sold here. Lodgings, restaurants, taverns—and other entertainments as well.

“Couldn’t we have just bought gear here?”

“Which do you think is better? Equipment sold in Lagos, or in a major city like Lutran?”

Elena’s logic was sound.

Haryeong, who claimed to have been here before, took the lead.

Oddly enough, the touts grabbing passersby didn’t approach Haryeong at all—so Yuri and Elena, walking with her, didn’t have to shake off any either.

“Let’s hire a guide first.”

“Haryeong, weren’t you guiding us?”

“Miss, I told you I came here when I was a child.”

The Rift of Chaos was where the Evil God’s divine power pooled.

Mountains were treacherous even without that. This era had no well-maintained hiking trails. Dangerous monsters and beasts roamed freely.

And terrain around a rift could become a maze—even on flat ground.

A guide familiar with Lagos was necessary.

“It’s true that I’m a versatile assassin skilled in both martial and literary arts, and that I drive a carriage well—but honestly, I’m not confident as a Lagos guide.”

It was true she’d trained here as a child.

But much time had passed.

And her training back then had not involved guiding.

“If you’re unfamiliar with this region, hiring a guide is natural. Of course, we won’t die in the mountains without one—but we’ll certainly suffer.”

A guide…

Elena didn’t look pleased.

She disliked unfamiliar people intruding into their comfortable group. She wasn’t especially sociable to begin with.

It was only because of the barrier of childhood friendship that she had opened up quickly. When they’d reunited in Aldor, she’d been cold, prickly, and blunt.

Lenient with her own people.

Walls up with everyone else.

‘MBTI was…’

Yuri vaguely recalled personality types from Lee Su-hyeok’s world, but nothing clear came to mind.

Lee Su-hyeok had never believed in such tests anyway. He’d thought people obsessing over MBTI were pitiful trend-followers.

“So where do we hire a guide?”

“Usually at the Adventurers’ Guild. Some hire them off the streets or in back alleys—but we’re not looking for some secret location or anything shady, are we?”

What they needed was a normal guide who knew Lagos well and would keep them from getting lost.

Such guides were easily found at the Guild.

They had to visit the Guild anyway to take on a request. And since the Rift was under Guild management, entry required permission.

“Officially, yes.”

Haryeong spoke flatly.

“Anyone who wants to sneak in will sneak in. Plenty of people don’t want to report their entry. Of course, if the Guild patrol catches you inside, that becomes troublesome.”

“Did you sneak in back then, Haryeong?”

“Not sneak. I entered under a different identity for assassin training.”

“What happens if someone reports that?”

“Please. I’d rather not have to kill you, Yuri.”

She said it in her usual tone—but it didn’t sound entirely like a joke.

Before heading to the Guild, they chose a decent inn among the many available.

While Elena paid in advance, Haryeong spoke quietly.

“Were you hoping to share a room?”

“I genuinely want to report you.”

“No sneaking into our room at night, understood? I’m sharing with Lady Elena. If you insist, at least inform me beforehand.”

“You know I lived in the same house as Elena for half a year, right?”

“My, have you already snuck into her room before?”

He hadn’t.

In half a year, he had never once entered her room—even when she wasn’t there.

“Well, you’re next door, so let me know anytime. And if anything dangerous or suspicious happens, be sure to scream.”

“Why?”

“Even if this isn’t a cheap inn and has decent security, places like this always attract petty thieves looking to cut open adventurers’ bags.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Elena answered, having finished paying.

“I’ll set up magic before we leave. I already got permission. And I asked that room cleaning only be done while we’re present—so no one will enter while we’re out.”

“Are you perhaps feeling hot? Your face is red.”

“I–it’s summer.”

The answer came stammering.

Haryeong didn’t laugh outright, but she found it amusing.

She’d said she would sort out her feelings and confess once they returned to Lutran… but maybe something might progress first here in Lagos? Maybe it would be better to make some excuse and deliberately leave them alone.

Letting personal feelings interfere with duty wasn’t proper for an assassin.

And yet this cold, ruthless killer found herself entertaining the mischievous thought anyway.

“We should hire a guide before taking any requests,” Haryeong whispered as they entered the Adventurers’ Guild.

“There’ll be plenty of requests since there’s a Rift, but if we hire a guide first, they can advise us on which ones to choose. If you’re not familiar, shall I handle it?”

“Yeah, please.”

The building was large, and there were several counters. While Haryeong headed to an empty desk to arrange a guide, Yuri got dragged by Elena to another one.

“We’d like to register as adventurers.”

If you wanted to make a living as an adventurer, Guild registration was mandatory.

Honestly, registering under the name “Yuri” didn’t sit well with him—but he had no choice for now.

‘Once I can alter my appearance, I’ll get another identity and register again.’

Seeing Haryeong use a different identity had made it seem easy enough. After registering himself, he understood why.

No matter how much magic replaced science here, it couldn’t match the accessibility and convenience of modern tech.

This world didn’t even have computers.

There were ID cards, sure—but no database you could query with a few clicks.

You just presented your ID, stated your birthplace, name, and age. Done.

After filling out a form, an adventurer certificate was issued on the spot.

For rank, he wrote **Tier 2**. Apparently Tier 4 and above required verification, but for a fledgling Tier 2, there was no such process.

Mages listed their specialty spells. Martial artists listed their weapons.

There was no need to lie.

He wrote: **Fists**.

“A martial artist?”

The clerk’s expression turned odd.

Then he muttered,

“If you’re a Tier 2 martial artist, it’ll be hard to find a party. You know that, right?”

Ah. That was it.

He’d heard this before from Haryeong and Bakered. Pre–Tier 4 martial artists had more drawbacks than advantages.

In game terms: bad DPS, bad tanking.

Tier 3 at least had some use. But Tier 2?

Frankly useless.

You couldn’t even use them as a meat shield. No armor, no shield—what kind of shield was that?

And adventurers mostly fought monsters. Martial artists specialized in fighting people, not monsters.

So low-tier martial artists had almost no role.

“Then what kind of requests do Tier 2 martial artists usually take?”

“If you’re specialized in external training, you might get recruited as a porter. Or if desperate, wear armor and carry a shield for frontline duty. Otherwise bounty hunting or bandit suppression… survival rates aren’t great.”

“Don’t do anything dangerous alone.”

Elena whispered sharply beside him.

“Mages really get treated differently. Even Tier 2 mages can join most parties.”

“You just trained in the Magic Tower at Tier 2.”

“Not talking about me. I mean mages in general.”

The adventurer badge resembled a dog tag.

A small metal plate engraved with his name and: **Grade 1, Tier 2 Martial Artist**.

Holding it felt strange.

His old ID belonged to dead orphan Yuri.

This one belonged to the current Yuri.

But remembering that orphan Yuri had once dreamed of becoming an adventurer gave him a complicated feeling.

“Adventurer grade rises with achievements.”

“What grade are you?”

“Grade 4.”

“Didn’t you only take one request?”

“If you register at Tier 4, they assign your grade accordingly.”

So everything changed starting from Tier 4.

Even during the trip, Yuri practiced the **Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique** daily—but he still hadn’t broken into Tier 4.

He could feel the inner energy in his dantian burning.

But he hadn’t crossed the wall yet.

Still…

The flames were growing stronger.

That excited him—and honestly frightened him.

The technique was demonic in nature.

If he lost control, he might be swallowed by the flames and suffer deviation.

What if one day the fire consumed him?

Turned him to ash?

And it wasn’t something he could consult anyone about.

He had to endure alone.

‘I wish I could meet Lorellia…’

She’d said they might meet again someday.

But he couldn’t go find her.

He didn’t even know where the hidden sanctuary of the Order was.

And she wasn’t someone you could just meet because you wanted to.

Most likely, only she could come to him.

The last contact had been that letter in Aldor.

‘What is she doing now?’

What punishment had she received?

Surely she wasn’t dead—

The moment the thought crossed his mind, her crimson eyes and bright smile came to mind.

‘No way.’

One of the Two Saints of the Supreme Realm.

The Calamity Saint.

Not someone who’d die so easily.

Even back in the waiting room, she’d felt overwhelmingly strong.

Now that he’d stepped into martial arts himself, he understood it even more clearly.

“My name’s Jake.”

About an hour later, a shabby-looking man approached.

“You were looking for a guide suitable for Grade 3 requests, right?”

Jake had worked as a guide in Lagos for ten years.

Early forties. Tier 3. Grade 4 adventurer.

Average talent. Average appearance.

Trained in martial arts. Used multiple weapons. Primarily a spear, sometimes a crossbow.

Knew the terrain and monsters well.

The scars on his face—either proof of experience or mediocre skill.

Someone who knew many things but excelled at none.

Typical Tier 3 guide.

Someone who’d hit the wall and stopped climbing.

Probably started with just a spear, then learned everything else just to survive.

“Haryeong, Tier 3 Grade 1. Elena, Tier 4 Grade 4… correct?”

Haryeong had registered anew.

Of course, her Tier 3 was fake. The fact she could use voice transmission meant she was at least Tier 4.

“And Yuri, Tier 2 Grade 1… martial artist.”

Jake’s look mirrored the clerk’s.

“Not hiring a frontline tank?”

“No need.”

Elena’s attitude turned cold immediately.

Jake seemed used to it. A Tier 4 mage at age twenty, Magic Tower-affiliated.

He smiled and bowed.

“Understood. Then Haryeong and I will take the front, and Yuri will handle porter duty?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Two answers at once.

Jake blinked.

Elena glared at Yuri.

“Why would you be a porter?”

“Gotta do something, right?”

“You don’t need to. Just stay beside me and watch. Fight something if you feel like it.”

“The luggage isn’t heavy—”

“If we need a porter, we’ll hire one.”

She cut him off and turned to Jake.

“We’re not interested in monster materials, so no porter. Only subjugation requests—no gathering.”

“Hmm… understood. Then may I gather some materials for myself? In exchange, I’ll take only half pay after guiding.”

“That seems excessive for off-duty compensation.”

“Then one-third.”

“…Fine. But if your guidance isn’t satisfactory, we terminate the contract.”

“Understood.”

After arranging to meet tomorrow morning with suitable requests, Jake left.

“Isn’t it rude to ask someone you just met if they’re a porter?”

Elena shot back immediately.

“Isn’t glaring coldly at someone you just met rude too? He’s practically old enough to be our dad.”

“I’m paying him. And I’m stronger and higher tier. I’ll be doing most of the fighting. I’m not being rude. Not talking down to him is already polite enough.”

She lifted her chin proudly.

Yuri silently thought—

‘Thank goodness she was born in this world…’

On Earth, she’d be canceled for power harassment.

Still… she wasn’t wrong.

“Monsters suitable for Yuri at Grade 2…”

After thinking, Haryeong spoke.

“Beasts are tough. Demi-humans might work. There are goblins.”

She smiled faintly.

“I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I’ll get to watch Yuri engage in a life-or-death duel with a goblin.”

“…”

“I firmly believe you’ll win.”

…She was clearly teasing him.