Mines in the South
After setting Jeong Myeong-ho down in a safe spot, Kim Jun moved forward to closely examine the area where the core mines had been planted. The flickering influence of the mana vortexes had caused even his sharp eyes to miss them.
The mines were buried one by one in the narrow passages between the mana vortexes.
No monsters appeared in the mana vortex zones. They instinctively sensed the danger and avoided even approaching. So the purpose of the mines... wasn't to fend off monsters.
"Kwon Joo-chan's one cautious bastard."
Jeong Myeong-ho said.
Kim Jun nodded slowly.
Strictly speaking, the odds of a raider carrying a severely wounded comrade—who couldn't even walk—surviving the mana vortex zones scattered throughout the Second Zone were extremely low. Calculated as a probability, it wouldn't even hit 5 percent.
Which meant Kwon Joo-chan could have sent Mars and the traitorous Lincoln to sweep the Second Zone, then conclude that the two escapees had vanished without a trace.
Yet despite that possibility, Kwon Joo-chan was convinced Kim Jun and Jeong Myeong-ho were alive... and would definitely pass through here.
The proof was right there: the core mines.
A man who never let his guard down.
A tricky opponent.
One question occurred to Kim Jun.
If he was that cautious, why not set up an ambush? If he'd hidden nearby and waited quietly, he could've seized the moment and finished the job properly.
There was no surer method than lying in wait for a surprise attack. He wouldn't have left unless there was something even better.
What could it be?
Kim Jun closed his eyes for a moment and pictured Kwon Joo-chan.
Those cold eyes and stone-statue resolve came vividly to mind. He recalled articles he'd dug up from the media and the stories An Seong-ho had shared.
Kwon Joo-chan was a different breed from Kim Se-wi.
Where Kim Se-wi flaunted his flashy abilities and reveled in the spotlight, Kwon Joo-chan was the opposite.
He didn't care if it wasn't righteous... or even if it bruised his pride... as long as the results were good.
Why skip the ambush? Where was Kwon Joo-chan right now?
The answer hit him like a bolt.
'Pink Team.'
Kim Jun bit his lip.
"How long ago do you think these mines were planted?"
"Why?"
"Answer first."
"Hm, two or three hours, maybe."
That meant Mars and Lincoln, having left this area, had likely already met up with Pink Team.
Kim Jun explained his suspicions to Jeong Myeong-ho.
The captain's expression darkened.
"That sounds just like him."
"We need to pick up the pace."
"And if you trigger a core mine?"
"I'll do everything I can to avoid them."
"Go."
Kim Jun couldn't believe his ears.
"...What?"
"I'll stay here, so go. This spot's where the vortexes overlap—no monsters will come near. It'll be fine."
Jeong Myeong-ho forced a confident smile.
Kim Jun stared at him silently, then pulled out the White Spear and tossed it lightly to him.
"What's this?"
"Grip it tight. It'll help with recovery. You know how expensive this item is, right? If you lose it, I'll make you pay up somehow, so hold on tight."
It was a promise to return no matter what.
Jeong Myeong-ho wiped under his nose with the back of his hand and tossed the White Spear back.
"You need this more than I do. So just come back alive. And... take this too."
What flew toward him was a small stone resembling a diamond. It was a core Optitarakum—inject it with mana or internal energy, and it would meticulously record events within a certain radius.
Kim Jun nodded and sprinted off into the darkness.
* * *
Maeng Gyu-pil jammed a walnut-black seed into a deep corner where the wall met the ceiling.
As he infused it with mana, roots sprouted from the seed, burrowing through the solid rock wall. A stem extended, and at its tip, a flower bloomed. Every petal was pitch black, facing directly across the passage.
He slowly extended his right index finger.
When it was about ten centimeters from the flower, a vine shot out at tremendous speed. The sharp thorn at its end pierced his fingertip and began greedily sucking his blood.
Maeng Gyu-pil stood still.
Once it had absorbed enough blood, the thorn detached on its own.
He stepped back and closed his eyes.
Soon, he connected with the devil's flower, Dabelrang. Even with his eyelids shut, he could see. It was just like watching CCTV footage.
Planting Dabelrang after so long, and it worked on the first try. Skills like this were like riding a bike—you never really forgot once you'd mastered them.
Maeng Gyu-pil planted three seeds in different spots before returning to Pink Team.
"Why'd you take so long?"
Bang Yun-a snapped at the sight of him.
Maeng Gyu-pil rubbed his stomach.
"...Stomach's been acting up. Must've happened passing through that gravity vortex zone earlier."
She let the pre-planned excuse slide with a glance at the second tanker, saying nothing more.
A stranger caught his eye. And someone who should be there was missing.
Maeng Gyu-pil approached Yeom Sang-taek.
"Where's Choi Muhyun?"
"He went to Mars Team for a search briefing. Once Pacific, Grintree, and Apgujeong join up, the team leader meeting starts."
"And this guy?"
"Mars's second tanker, Song Deok-hwan. He's here temporarily to brief Pink on South sector rescues and anomalies while the leaders meet. Saves time, lets us start searching right away."
It made sense.
Pink Team was new to the South sector—without guidance, they could miss Kim Jun and Jeong Myeong-ho entirely or get caught in dangerous mana vortexes and take heavy casualties. A local guide would cut down on trial and error.
Maeng Gyu-pil eyed Yeom Sang-taek, tense from head to toe. He stepped closer, placed a hand on his shoulder, and kneaded gently.
The startled buffer looked up at him.
"Relax. It'll raise our chances of finding the team leader."
"...Yeah."
Then Song Deok-hwan stepped forward.
"Alright, let's move. Follow me. South sector's structure is complex, but I've marked the walls, so it won't be too hard."
Song Deok-hwan took point, and Pink Team followed.
His left eye itched.
Maeng Gyu-pil winked it shut.
Moments later, he saw Song Deok-hwan's back—and light approaching from the darkness beyond.
It was Hwang In-su's Pacific, followed by Jason Tyler's Grintree and Han Ye-jin's Apgujeong.
'Huh, it's legit. I half-thought Kwon Joo-chan might team up with Hwang In-su for some bullshit. But can't trust it fully. A guy like Kim Jun vanishing in a mana vortex? Something's off. Problem is Jeong Myeong-ho. Where the hell did that bastard go?'
Thud.
Distracted scanning the three teams with his left eye, his foot caught on a rock protrusion. He didn't fall, but he bumped into Skyla walking beside him, making a clumsy spectacle.
Song Deok-hwan glanced back at the tanker who'd nearly tripped.
"Some pretty tough guys wandering around. Gotta stay extra sharp."
A thick sneer.
Maeng Gyu-pil didn't miss it.
That little shit.
"Why make a mistake you never do?"
It was Skyla.
Not so much blaming Maeng Gyu-pil as defending him—reminding Song Deok-hwan this wasn't his usual self, that he was a far more capable raider.
"Some types just crumble in real combat."
Song Deok-hwan arbitrarily concluded and picked up speed.
Weak in combat?
Me, Maeng Gyu-pil?
He wanted to surround the prick with flammable Flodziston gas right then and torch him. See if that sneer stuck while he burned alive.
"Mars must be a real combat powerhouse, huh."
Bang Yun-a stepped up.
"What're you getting at?"
Song Deok-hwan halted and glared at her.
"Nothing much. Just, for a guide, you're awfully arrogant. Ju Shin or not, you're a second tanker too—talking combat like that twists my guts. So how'd Mars lose their buffer? If Ju Shin's so combat-strong, that shouldn't happen. Unless you're the weak-in-combat type too?"
Bang Yun-a scratched at him viciously behind a sweet smile.
Maeng Gyu-pil was stunned.
Song Deok-hwan wasn't the team leader, but he was Ju Shin. He hadn't expected Bang Yun-a to jump in and press so hard.
The moment killing intent leaked from Song Deok-hwan's eyes, Pink snapped into defense formation.
Maeng Gyu-pil moved to Choi Muhyun's spot—the main tanker position—while second buffer An Seong-ho shifted to Maeng Gyu-pil's old spot, the second tanker role.
Bang Yun-a and Skyla began channeling spells, ready to strike Song Deok-hwan anytime.
Song Deok-hwan looked startled by the swift shift.
The killing intent faded. Even a Ju Shin raider couldn't take on a whole team alone.
"My apologies. I was short-sighted. Forgive me. I just hope my actions don't strain team bonds."
Song Deok-hwan bowed toward Maeng Gyu-pil.
The defense formation dissolved.
Bang Yun-a glanced at Maeng Gyu-pil.
"What're you waiting for?"
Maeng Gyu-pil nodded slightly at Song Deok-hwan too.
"We're on the same expedition—no need to make it awkward. Let's go."
"Straightforward—I like it."
Song Deok-hwan resumed guiding.
As Maeng Gyu-pil followed, a nagging unease wouldn't shake. Why the stuffiness, the sense something was overlooked? No answers came.
It took a long walk to pinpoint part of it.
Among all the Ju Shin raiders he'd met, not one had apologized so cleanly like Song Deok-hwan. Those pride-swollen Ju Shin bastards stayed brazen as steel plates even after screwing up—unfazed by direct callouts.
Why apologize?
Some unusually conscientious raider?
Truth was, refusing to admit mistakes wasn't just a Ju Shin thing.
Brave, Miracle, even Cheonhondan raiders brushed off minor fuckups openly or played dumb. The higher the pride, the thicker the intolerance for errors.
The South sector was complex enough to need a guide. Sometimes vast like a gymnasium, others a maze of tight paths.
Mana vortex zones dotted everywhere, slowing their structure checks.
Song Deok-hwan stopped and pressed a hand to his ear.
"Yes, listening. South-7 sector now. Got it. Heading back immediately."
He turned and approached Bang Yun-a.
"Got word from your team leader—the meeting's over. I'll return and come back with Choi Muhyun. Meanwhile, how about Pink secures this as a base?"
"Sure."
Bang Yun-a said.
Securing a base was essential for precise searches. A monster-free rest spot let them plan systematic sweeps of sectors.
Song Deok-hwan vanished into the dark, and Pink began base work—layering Expel Powder and setting defense magic circles.
His left eye itched again.
A wink, and dizziness hit.
"You okay?"
Yeom Sang-taek asked.
"...Stomach's off."
Replying, Maeng Gyu-pil peered through his left eye down the passage. At first, he couldn't tell why Dabelrang reacted. Only after close inspection did he spot... Song Deok-hwan, crouched and doing something in the passage.
Burying something in the ground.
His extreme caution suggested something dangerous.
A few nasty items came to mind. Most likely: a core mine.
Needed confirmation.
Maeng Gyu-pil walked to Bang Yun-a, hand on his stomach, face grim. She sighed.
"Go quick. Not far."
"Yep!"
Slipping from the team, Maeng Gyu-pil unleashed Mokhonbo at max speed. Soon he found the buried core mine. Without knowing, nine out of ten would've stepped on it.
There wasn't just one or two.
"This many... means they want Pink Team wiped out completely."
Then it hit him: Choi Muhyun at the team leader meeting.
Why exclude him?
Because they needed him!
Why?
Maeng Gyu-pil grinned.
Kwon Joo-chan had tried to kill Kim Jun but missed. To lure out Kim Jun—now hidden somewhere in the Second Zone—he needed his old friend Choi Muhyun.
With that juicy bait secured, the rest of Pink Team could be expendable.
"If they want Pink Team gone this bad, who am I to deny the wish?"
Maeng Gyu-pil turned and raced back to base.