The expedition continued smoothly. Nothing happened on the first or second day after they passed the border. The marching was also easy since there were very few hills, but as time went by, Chi-Woo began to feel mental fatigue. Everyone was on extremely high alert. Before, they were able to breathe easily whenever they took a break, but as soon as they crossed the border, the atmosphere among the expedition team changed dramatically, and everyone was tense whether they were marching or resting.

The chatty Jin-Cheon had also stopped talking and instead put all his attention on surveying his surroundings. He seemed so serious that Chi-Woo couldn’t even jokingly ask what happened and tell him to lighten up. It was different when he had been in the rescue team; the rescue team was a large group, while this expedition team was small. A single mistake could bring about the death of the whole team. Thus, everyone was careful to not make the slightest misstep. And knowing this, Chi-Woo tried to adjust to the current atmosphere rather than making any attempt to relieve his tiredness.

As the sun set and dusk arrived, the wind became chilly. Because it had rained not long ago, the grasses were wet with dew, and the meadow cold to walk on. Some time later, Nangnang picked a spot between the hills and announced, ‘This place seems good for today.’ While his companions prepared the campsite, Chi-Woo offered to make dinner for the day. Since it was cold, he wanted to make some hot, spicy soup and warm his stomach to help him endure the cold of the night.

‘I should make broth with the meat first,’ he thought. He felt...