Cho Hong didnt return to Carpe Diems office immediately. No, itd be far more correct to say she couldnt.

Seol Ji-Hu turned around in a trance and left after the explanations came to an end. He didnt even suggest going back together. As a matter of fact, he didnt say anything. Cho Hong felt this heavy pressure from his back silently growing further away from her.

Eiii, god d*mn it. (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong found herself pacing up and down the vicinity of the office for a long while, before finally taking large strides up the steps to the side of the building.

She breathed in deeply and swung the door open, only to find Seol Ji-Hu had already finished getting ready to leave. She stood there and vacantly stared at him neatly fill his bag up.

You.. (Cho Hong)

Hey, you. What are you doing? (Cho Hong)

Ive a place I need to go to. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu didnt even bother to turn around as he answered. Cho Hong nearly jumped up in fright before a wry chuckle leaked out of her lips.

No way. Its not that, right? (Cho Hong)

Whats not it? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Youre angry and just want to let me know about it, right? Okay, okay. I got it. Hey, lets all calm down and have a seat so we can talk like adults. Right? Lets talk for a second. Ng? (Cho Hong)

Seol Ji-Hu snorted derisively.

What are you even on about? You think Id rush into the enemy camp all alone? (Seol Ji-Hu)

If not, that sure would be a big relief. Even then, Cho Hongs face was full of complicated, mixed-up emotions. However, Seol Ji-Hu completely disregarded that, slung the bag over his shoulder, and finally, picked up his spear. One wouldnt normally dress like that unless he was planning to leave the safety of the city for a while.

Where are you thinking of going, then? (Cho Hong)

No need to worry about it. (Seol Ji-Hu)

What was that? (Cho Hong)

Ill take care of this by myself. I also want to do it with my own strength, you see. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu walked right past Cho Hong. She squeezed her eyes shut and quickly grabbed his arm.

Are you really gonna be like this? (Cho Hong)

What do you mean, be like this? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Hey, you!! Okay, wait. Fine. Im sorry about not telling you anything, but. (Cho Hong)

No, thats not it. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu abruptly stopped walking and made a curt reply.

You did tell me something, alright. The problem is with you lying, thats all. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong faltered a little, then. His eyes were as icy and hard as the air permeating within the office. She gritted her teeth and shouted out.

B-but, you, you also did that, too! (Cho Hong)

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I know I made you worry, but even you.!! (Cho Hong)

At the very least, I told you beforehand, didnt I? (Seol Ji-Hu)

He cut her words off like a sharp blade.

And also, I never lied to you. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hongs face paled gradually. Seol Ji-Hu yanked his arm loose and stepped outside the door.

W-where are you going?! (Cho Hong)

He wordlessly climbed down the steps.

Hey, Seol!! Heeeey! (Cho Hong)

Her pleading voice echoed in the air but his figure soon disappeared from her sight.

*

Seol Ji-Hu got on a carriage. Its driver was hesitant at first after hearing the request of getting to the destination as quickly as possible and to wait until the youth was done with what he wanted to do there. But when a Silver coin was presented, there was an immediate change in the glint of the drivers eyes. The distance wasnt too far and there seemingly wasnt a good enough reason to refuse.

Thanks to that, Seol Ji-Hu got to reduce the travel time by at least eight hours, but it was already dawn when he arrived in Ramman village. But then again, every second counted, so he ran as if he wanted to fly and pounded on a certain familiar door.

Village head! Village head! (Seol Ji-Hu)

That was just like a sheer lightning bolt out of the blue; the village head had been deeply immersed in solving that riddle the whole day before barely managing to fall asleep. Now rudely awakened by this ruckus, he hurriedly yanked the door open in fright. After discovering a completely unexpected guest, though, his expression first became rather dumbfounded before rapidly shifting into one of annoyance.

Fella, where did you forget your manners this time?! (Village head)

Village head. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Save it! You have any idea what time it is?! (Village head)

I, uh, Im sorry. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu quickly bowed his head and apologised.

However. (Seol Ji-Hu)

He couldnt finish the rest of the sentence, though. The village head quickly read the urgency in the youth, and he calmed some of his irritation.

.Looks like youre facing a bit of problem. (Village head)

Yes, youre correct. (Seol Ji-Hu)

And so, you came back to collect the debt, am I right? (Village head)

Rather than that. I truly need your help, village head. (Seol Ji-Hu)

The old man arched up one of his brows. The young man before him was an Earthling who had uncovered his true identity. Compared to how he calmly analysed every single point back then, his current atmosphere seemed rather different somehow. He mustve had his reasons.

Do come in. And please, I beg of you. Lower your voice. (Village head)

I understand. Thank you. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Have a seat over here. And, take a deep breath. Now, explain what happened in detail. Even if the problem is urgent, trying to solve it too quickly wont ever result in a satisfying enough answer. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu settled down on the chair the village head pointed at. He caught his heavy breathing and proceeded to explain what happened.

***

What a stupid plan that was. (Village head)

Those were the first words muttered out by the village head upon hearing the explanation.

Lets forget about not being able to mobilise the army for a second here. Even then, to blindly infiltrate with only a small number of elites and destroy their facility? If you say they werent underestimating the Parasites, then all I can say is that your friends are stupid fools. (Village head)

His criticism of their actions was savage, to say the least.

Doing enough reconnaissance work beforehand is a must if you want to succeed in your infiltration. However, they blindly rushed in with no information at hand. Its only obvious they would fail. Tsk, tsk. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu was about to vociferously voice his opposition but had to suppress his anger. Because, the old man didnt say anything wrong just now.

Well, still. The appearance of these mutated Orcs sure is an unpleasant surprise. Its somewhat understandable why your people ended up making the wrong move in their haste. (Village head)

Hmm, the old man coughed to clear his throat and continued on.

In any case, Im guessing the reason why you came to see me is because of my rudium, right? (Village head)

Yes. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu urgently spoke up.

I beg of you. I know its a precious treasure, but. (Seol Ji-Hu)

No, not really? (Village head)

.Excuse me?

If we are talking about the original ore, sure. But the raw material has been processed already to create rudium so it has no value anymore. And with my experimental Nest gone, its completely useless to me now. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu blinked his eyes.

What Im saying is, you can have the rudium. (Village head)

Thank you very much! (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu hurriedly bowed his head.

Well, just think of it as me paying off the debt. Besides, its still too early for you to thank me. Wouldnt you agree? (Village head)

The old man suddenly formed a wide-open smile.

Alright, so. Say you take the rudium with you. What will you do next? (Village head)

That is. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Right at that moment, Seol Ji-Hu didnt know what to say.

Listen, young man. Ive said this before, and Ill say it again. How about slowing down a bit? (Village head)

The old man studied the youth with wizened eyes for a little while before stating his observation.

Although you try to look calm and collected, I can tell that youre burning up inside right now. (Village head)

Im just. (Seol Ji-Hu)

You think I cant tell? Fella, you cant fool my eyes. You pretend its not, yet I can see that your actions are hasty and disorganised. (Village head)

The moment he heard the word hasty, Seol Ji-Hu felt an impact akin to a hammer striking his head. He instantly realised what the village head was telling him. The youth closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts.

You made the right choice to come and see me, even though you must be feeling quite urgent right now. However, dont you think there is something else you could get from me besides the rudium? (Village head)

When the old man gave out a free hint, the cogs finally clicked in Seol Ji-Hus head. That helped his nerves to settle down.

Now that you mention it Village head, you were once a sorcerer of Delpinion Duchy, werent you? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Fufufu. (Village head)

And you worked in the royal laboratory, too. (Seol Ji-Hu)

I worked there many, many years. I know that place like the back of my hand. (Village head)

The old man grinned and stood up from his chair.

Now our conversation is finally going somewhere. (Village head)

The village head turned around to fetch the small box from the last time, along with a fairly large piece of paper.

First of all, lets break down in detail the current situation. (Village head)

The old man was, once upon a time, a highly reputed sorcerer. His body may have aged, but that didnt mean his experiences and knowledge base would dissipate overnight.

You need to consider that you no longer have any chance in infiltrating the enemy camp the old fashioned way. No, maybe I should revise and say that you never had a chance, to begin with. There is simply no way that Parasites wouldnt have prepared for an eventuality like this. (Village head)

The old mans pen continued scribbling over the paper as he spoke.

In any case the first operation has failed, so the security should have been tightened up several times higher by now. So, the same tactic will not work anymore. If you want to succeed, you need to hit the Parasites from where they least expect it. (Village head)

But, is there a way to take them by surprise as you say? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Of course, with this rudium. (Village head)

Click, the old man opened the small box. There it was, a murky, black-coloured stone the size of a childs clenched fist.

I told you that this thing is a consumable, right? (Village head)

Yes. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Originally, it wasnt this small. When I was making my escape with it from the laboratory, it was as big as a boulder. (Village head)

The old man spread open his arms wide.

With that in mind, have you ever thought about this point before? (Village head)

What point? (Seol Ji-Hu)

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Look at me. Im an old, decrepit man. And my physical strength is pretty poor, too. So, how could I have stolen a big rudium and safely escaped from the strict security of the Empire and the Duchy? (Village head)

Now that sounded strange. Even if the order to shut the project down was given, the value of rudium ores still would have been rather considerable. Meaning, every single one would have been strictly guarded, so how did this old man steal one away?

The correct answer is magic. Indeed, magic is always superior to everything. (Village head)

When you say magic.? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Fella, have you ever heard of a transfer magic circle? (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hus eyes opened up super-wide.

What if there is a way to cross the border region without risking your life and limb, and enter the laboratory straight away? (Village head)

Something like that is possible? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Well, yeah. I have used that to escape, havent I? So? Dont you think you can hit them from where they least expect it now? (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu tightly clenched his fist. If what the old man said was all true, then

Meanwhile, the old man finally finished jotting down with his pen and spoke up.

Let me explain what I think. Now, look at this. (Village head)

The paper was already chock-a-full of texts and drawings. Even at a casual glance, it looked like the floor plan of the laboratory.

The royal laboratory has two underground floors and two above ground for a total of four floors. (Village head)

The old mans artistic skill was rather excellent. Seol Ji-Hu expressed his admiration and focused on the village heads words.

Im not some incredible Sorcerer capable of using spells like Warp or Teleport, but when it comes to pre-installed magic circles, my story changes quite dramatically. Way back in the past, I used research as an excuse to come and visit Haramark so I could get myself a hideout deep within the mountains. Thats where I installed the transfer circle. (Village head)

If I use that magic circle, I can enter the laboratorys interior. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Correct. That is, assuming the hideout and the magic circle are still intact, obviously. And, when you use the transfer magic circle. (Village head)

The old man drew a circle on a certain spot on the floor plan.

Youll be transferred to the first hidden space over here on the first basement floor. (Village head)

The first one? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Heh, Im a bit cautious type, you see. (Village head)

The old man scratched his nose.

I prepared two hideouts just in case something unexpected happened. Well, Ill tell you about that later. (Village head)

Tap, tap. The old man lightly tapped the floor plan with the end of the pen.

Lets move on. I dont think there will be a need to go above ground in the first place. (Village head)

Why not? (Seol Ji-Hu)

It might have been an open secret, but well, it was still a secret experiment. The floors above ground were used as sleeping quarters or served some other miscellaneous purposes. The actual experiments were done underground, you see. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu nodded his head.

So, you need to search the first and second underground floors, but. According to my deduction, theres a good chance that your comrades are being held on the first floor. We used the entirety of the second floor as the experimentation area and used the first floor as a sort of a paddock. In other words, we used it mostly as a pen. (Village head)

The old man continued on.

An operation plan needs to be simple. If possible, you need to be able to explain in one sentence. (Village head)

Tack. He put the pen down and pointed with his hand, before drawing a line.

Transfer to the first basement floor using the magic circle, use rudium to achieve your objective, return to the secret room to escape by using the transfer circle again. Those are the gist of the plan Im suggesting. You understand now? (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu stared at the village head with eyes of awe and envy. The youth had been feeling rather lost and hopeless, but now, he felt as if his eyes had been opened, and his blocked chest had been liberated.

Village head can you be a god in disguise? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Stop spewing nonsense. (Village head)

The village heads nose clearly reddened somewhat as he opened his mouth.

Well, my plan certainly has a higher chance of succeeding than that dumb initial plan you told me about. However. (Village head)

He hesitated a little before continuing on.

I might as well come out and say it. There are a total of three variables for you to worry about in my plan. (Village head)

The old man raised three fingers before folding the ring finger first.

First. Its the current state of the hideout. (Village head)

Its current state, is it? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Not just the one in the Arden mountain range, but the one inside the laboratory itself, too. No one knows what they are like right now. I did hide them to the best of my abilities, but well, who amongst us can predict whatll happen in the future? In the worst case scenario, you may even find yourself right in the middle of the dang mutants as soon as transferring there. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hus complexion hardened.

You can only hope for the best on that one. Lamentably, there is nought you can do about that. If things do turn out that way, you need to escape immediately. Understand? (Village head)

Yes. (Seol Ji-Hu)

The second problem has to do with the transfer magic circle itself. (Village head)

The village head folded his middle finger next.

I dont know the level of skill the Sorcerer in Haramark possesses. But the thing is, that magic circle can only be maintained for 30 minutes, tops. Worse still, if the Sorcerers stamina runs out, or the Magic Power supply is cut off deliberately, then the circle will shut down automatically. (Village head)

Which means, everything needs to be taken care of within 30 minutes. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Correct. The important thing here is, regardless of whether Magic Power is supplied or not, the circle will shut down after 30 minutes. And youll need 72 hours to charge up a magic circle that had been shut down in that manner. Do you understand where Im going with this? (Village head)

Is there a way to increase the duration somehow? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hus earnest inquiry caused the village head to rub his chin.

Hmm, I wonder. It might sound like Im trying to make excuses, and Im ashamed about that, but well, transfer magic itself is inherently a difficult magic to master. Even back in the Empire, there was almost no one capable of activating this magic with nothing but their own powers. Most had to rely on transfer magic circles. So, in all honesty, Im not confident of improving the duration any further than 30. (Village head)

I guess it cant be helped, then. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu could only nod his head after hearing the old mans frank declaration on his limits. What could he do when it wasnt the case of not wanting to do it but being unable to do it, instead?

And finally, its the rudium itself. (Village head)

The village head folded the index finger.

Something like mutated Orcs arent high ranked creatures so you will probably be able to control them to some degree. (Village head)

Which means, I should be careful since I wont be able to control high ranked creatures. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Thats blindingly obvious. No, what Im trying to say is this. Look at it. Its just too small. Of course, I think you can use it plenty enough for around 30 minutes. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hu tilted his head a bit. What was the problem, then?

Thats why you need to make a choice. (Village head)

The old man spoke up, this time sounding a bit grimmer.

Use the rudium to destroy the facility, or use it to rescue your comrades. This is a completely different problem unrelated to the magic circles duration. (Village head)

But, cant I do both.. (Seol Ji-Hu)

You need to stop daydreaming right here. Fundamentally, this problem overlaps with the other two variables. One wrong move and you will fail to achieve neither of your goals. (Village head)

Chasing after two rabbits would result in missing both of them. Choose one, and focus on that.

I understand. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Very well. And then. (Village head)

The village head added several more detailed information and let out a long sigh of fatigue.

With this, it seems that I have done everything I can do for you. (Village head)

Seol Ji-Hus lips parted but closed shut again. He wanted to express his gratitude, but the harvest this time was well beyond his expectations and he simply didnt know where or how to start saying thanks. As a matter of fact, he never even imagined that the door of possibilities would open up this much by coming here.

Ehehe. I guess even you think this is a lot for a simple payment of a debt, dont you? (Village head)

Youre right. Looks like its me that owes you now. (Seol Ji-Hu)

How are you planning on repaying me, then? (Village head)

What do you have in mind? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hus reply brought about a shoulder shrug from the village head.

Well. Lets think about that later. Ill take my time on that. (Village head)

Thank you. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Thanks can wait. (Village head)

The old man smirked.

You need to come back alive first before you can repay me. So, dont you dare die on me. (Village head)

*

Seol Ji-Hu left the village heads residence and directly climbed aboard the waiting carriage. On his way to the village, he felt pressed, harried, worried. But on his return trip, he was now a step calmer, collected probably all thanks to the village head.

Now that his mind had calmed down, the first person he thought about was Cho Hong. Along with that, a sense of guilt rushed in.

In all honesty, he hadnt felt betrayal from her actions. Not to that extent, anyway. He could pretty much guess why Cho Hong tried to lie to him like that.

But back when he heard the truth, he became really angry at her. Should he blame that one on him feeling hurt and disappointed? He wasnt sure, but. Anyways, it was a bit like that. The emotion he felt back then wasnt something he could properly nail down and describe in words.

Im sure Cho Hong was under a lot of stress, too. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Regardless of what, his actions werent what youd call exemplary now that he had time to reflect on them. He made a mistake. Just what wouldve gone through her head after hearing that the fate of her long-time comrades-in-arms was completely unknown? He shouldve been more considerate towards her plight, for sure.

Did I really go overboard.? (Seol Ji-Hu)

.I need to go back for the time being. Seol Ji-Hu decided as thus and held tight on to the stuff the village head gifted him.

*

The morning sun was already burning brightly in the sky by the time he arrived in Haramark. Seol Ji-Hu paid the carriage drivers balance and ran back to the office building with all his might. He felt tired as he didnt get a wink of sleep, but he was too eager to show her the result of his work.

He ran up the steps and flung open the door to the third floor. He immediately ran into Cho Hong. She had been pacing up and down in the room, but her steps came to a halt right then. Her anxiety-ridden face crumpled in an instant.

Unexpectedly, she didnt open her mouth right away. And here he was, thinking that shed start biting his head off. With her silently staring back at him, he was getting even more awkward just standing there. Trapped within this strange silence, a pair of young man and woman could only stare at each other, unmoving.

The first one to break this deadlock was Cho Hong.

.Where have you been? (Cho Hong)

Her voice was low, hushed as if she was suppressing a lot of something. It seemed that she was a bit ticked off, as well. Seol Ji-Hu closed the door behind him and cautiously crept inside.

Were you waiting for me? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Thats right. I f*cking waited for you, you dumb as*hole. (Cho Hong)

Cho Hongs voice became rather rough. In fact, it was trembling noticeably as well. Signs of her trying to suppress her urge to yell out loudly were all too clear to see.

Are you happy now that you did the exact same thing back to me?! (Cho Hong)

Do what exactly? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Didnt you do this just to get back at me?! You narrow-minded fish-brained stupid b*stard!! (Cho Hong) (TL: Yes, the raw really did say fish brain. The author even provided the name of the fish species, too.)

She finally let go and yelled out. Seol Ji-Hu pouted as his response.

If thats what you think, Im a bit disappointed. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Disappointed?! Did you just say youre disappointed?!?! You, how can you even. (Cho Hong)

Im sorry. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu didnt say anything else, instead choosing to gather his hands together and apologise wholeheartedly. Keuhk! Cho Hong gasped out a sound of swallowing something back and spun around away from him. She breathed in softly for a little bit before wiping away the edges of her eyes with her clenched fists. It was Seol Ji-Hus turn to be surprised this time.

Whats this? Youre crying? Are you really Cho Hong that I know? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Whos crying?! You better let go! You stinking son of a b*tch! (Cho Hong)

Seol Ji-Hu tried to gently embrace and soothe her, but she twisted her shoulders and slapped his hands away. Although, there was no strength in her resistance.

Im sorry. Really. (Seol Ji-Hu)

D*mn it. You think I enjoyed lying to you? You dont know what Ive been going through. (Cho Hong)

Youre right. I really acted like a narrow-minded idiot. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu continued to apologise.

And, and, you dumba*s. Stop being like that, too. You are always, like, giggling and happy and stuff all the time, but when you got all super serious, do you have any idea how surprised I was? (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong poured out her dissatisfaction and sorrow like a dam bursting its walls.

I know. I know. I wont do that ever again in the future. (Seol Ji-Hu)

You idiot. Stinking b*stard. You didnt even know what Ive been through. (Cho Hong)

U~ tsutsutsu~, my baby. My baby is feeling really hurt, werent you~? (Seol Ji-Hu) (TL: noises to soothe a crying baby in Korean)

Stop screwing around. Or else, I might really beat the living sh*t out of you. (Cho Hong)

O-okay, then. Lets sit down first. Well talk after we settle down. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu had to expend a great deal of effort to calm her down. Cho Hong rested her head on his chest and sniffled occasionally. She didnt really cry, though. Just her eyes became a bit reddened, that was all.

She might have been a woman seemingly made up of pure steel, but she was also a human being at the end of the day. And a woman, too. She had been under tremendous stress lately, so when Seol Ji-Hu made her worry like this, she finally stopped suppressing everything and poured them all out.

Okay, so. (Cho Hong)

A short while later, Cho Hong sneaked her gaze up at him.

Where have you been? (Cho Hong)

Ramman village. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Why there? (Cho Hong)

Theres something I want to ask before answering that. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong hesitated but still nodded her head. Now that things had turned out this way, it seemed unnecessary to hide stuff from him now.

What did you guys decide to do? (Seol Ji-Hu)

We were planning to. have another meeting today. (Cho Hong)

To discuss the strategy? When? (Seol Ji-Hu)

Its probably already begun, you idiot. Because of you, I couldnt go. What a mess. (Cho Hong)

Well, then. We should get going, even if were late. (Seol Ji-Hu)

I guess youre right, but. (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong let the end of her sentence drift away, before continuing on again.

I dont know. I just dont know what we can do. We meet and talk and talk every day, but the end results are always the same. We want to rescue them, but we dont know how to. (Cho Hong)

Since that was a story he could sympathise with, Seol Ji-Hu nodded his head in a rather exaggerated manner.

You shouldnt have kept everything to yourself, you know? In times like these, you shouldve come and asked your oppa right here. (Seol Ji-Hu)

Oppa, my a*s. (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong giggled slightly at Seol Ji-Hus good-natured joke.

Okay, fine. Since were on the subject, let me ask you. You have a good plan, then? (Cho Hong)

Of course. (Seol Ji-Hu)

He admitted right away.

.Wha? (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong stared at him blankly. Meanwhile, Seol Ji-Hu got up from the couch.

H-hey.? What did you just. (Cho Hong)

Creak He opened the door to let the brilliant sunlight in and form a halo around his body. He turned to look at Cho Hong still sitting on the couch and grinned brightly.

Lets go and rescue them. (Seol Ji-Hu)

< 79. I dont want to live like that. -3 > Fin.