He went into their main area, which used to be the European sculptures section, remodeled into a sort of resting space. He lay down in a sleeping bag he'd found during one of their earlier expeditions. Now was also a good time to start using a method he'd always used during the first few days of the disaster. A way to improve the mastery of his skill. Tiers were defined based on mastery of one's skill. His own was currently at Low Tier, since he was only beginning to train it now, rather than in combat.
He closed his eyes and focused on his skill. Since it was a time-based skill, the first ability he always had allowed him to see into the future, or rather, predict something in a certain amount of time before it happened. It was one of the more useful starting abilities he had access to this early, and proved invaluable in battles. Of course, for some reason, it never worked on Achilles, but he never found out why. But what mattered most was achieving at least Mid Tier with his current level.
If it came down to it, he was sure he'd be able to kill Achilles should things go south.
He channeled the mana he currently had through his body. Using this method, by circulating it through the body, he wouldn't be losing any and would be able to expand his mana pathways, allowing it to flow more easily. Granted, he wasn't over a leyline, which made the current speed of it much slower, which he hated, but it was something. The faster his mana could move through his body, the stronger he would become when he used it.
Flowing the mana through his arm, then one by one, into his fingers, until he felt the mana moving, albeit slowly, but moving. It took ten minutes before he was able to fully feel it through his right arm, and he repeated the process in his left arm. Circulating the mana through his shoulders, and into his deltoid, then bicep, his elbow, down into his forearm, and finally into his hand. He sighed, feeling a bit tired. Whenever he used mana like this for long periods of time, he would feel exhausted, and he never learned why. Not since the Simurgh went missing.
It was strange. A lot of monsters went missing, according to what he'd heard when he traveled the world, but very few people actually know just how worrying it was. Monsters like Tamamo-no-Mae of Japan, the peregrine falcon in Cairo, a host of the Egyptian god Horus, and even the all-knowing Simurgh of Persia, the embodiment of Knowledge. No one ever found out who killed them, or even took them, and not even the best trackers could locate them.
The Simurgh, an extremely old creature and one of the many bird kings, was known for possessing knowledge of a myriad things, even about the times when certain gods did not roam the world just yet. It was extremely sought after, yet no one could find it without permission from the creature itself. When it had gone missing, the entire Middle East set out on a search for it, marking it as a global tragedy.
As he thought of this, his mana had successfully traveled through his arms, neck, and down to his waist. What was next were his legs.
'This'll take some time. If I can do it correctly, all I need to do is move my mana through my spine to reach my legs. If I fail, I'll be crippled until someone can fix my mana pathways or I do it myself. I knew how to do it before, but I can't remember exactly how. Damn it! Of all things I had to forget!'
Let it be known that Kimsung's skill only brings his memories back, not his mind entirely. To balance out such an ability as going back in time, only his memories are brought to his past, and nothing more. Granted, like anyone else, he forgets things and only remembers the most important information, such as knowledge on using his base abilities, plus a few from his higher ranks.
'I feel tired after doing this for what, an hour now?. I'm only halfway done with my right leg, and I can already feel my eyelids becoming heavier.'
Maybe he should take a nap and finish up later at night. After all, he had time now, and it was a peaceful, quiet day. Their expedition brought in plenty of food and supplies to everyone here, so they'd be alright for the time being. And so he did, Kimsung had fallen asleep. But for some reason, he felt… wet?
His eyes snapped open as he struggled in what was water. He used what knowledge of swimming he remembered and swam his way up, his lungs and throat begging for air. His mind began to fog and become unfocused as he continued upward, making it harder for his arms to move. However, before his arms and legs gave out, something pulled him out of the water and tossed him carelessly across whatever it was. He coughed and gasped for fresh air, then opened his eyes to see water flowing beneath him.
He did not know how he arrived here, but he looked around and saw nothing but water in a white expanse. There was nothing but the water, as it flowed in turns, loops, and in ways he didn't understand. There were points everywhere that split endlessly into minor streams, until they became trickles as small as his nails.
"You know, I expected this reaction, since this never happened before, but I'm working on a tight schedule, plus I've got a lady and her kid to heal."
Kimsung turned around quickly, looking to the voice behind him that sounded eerily like the man he wanted dead. A hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he felt as if he was going to die. As he looked behind himself again, he saw a man in a white coat, a black button-up shirt, loose black pants, and black shoes. He had a kind smile on his face and had a dark, tanned complexion. His hair, curly and long, was in a high ponytail, and a scar ran on the right side of his face from his forehead to his cheek. He had blue eyes, like a beautiful sea, with hints of white in them.
"Well? Are you just going to look at me, or are you going to ask who I am?"