Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Piercing the Darkness
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Tae-jin noticed something was off two days later. The moment he opened the door to his house, he sensed something out of place.
Tae-jin's home was close to both the research lab and the military base. Seeing the side profiles of a couple of soldiers right as he stepped out was an everyday occurrence.
Living near the base meant plenty of soldiers passed by his house on their way to their destinations.
But today, the moment Tae-jin opened the door, what he saw was the front profile of one soldier—and the eyes of two others who seemed to be looking elsewhere while sneaking glances at him.
Yes. There was a front profile. The soldiers' target was Tae-jin.
'Something's up here.'
Tae-jin stepped outside as casually as ever, but the soldiers didn't stop him. Was it just paranoia or nerves making him feel watched?
However, dismissing it as mere coincidence felt too contrived given the timing, and ignoring it gnawed at him too much.
The first person Tae-jin went to see was Hong-cheol. He acted like he hadn't noticed a thing and brought it up casually.
"Hey, Hong-cheol. Any word back yet? They can't even spare an armored vehicle? A tank would be even better."
When Tae-jin mentioned it, Hong-cheol's eyes darted around suspiciously. It was a clear sign he wanted to tell Tae-jin something.
But the words coming out of his mouth were utterly mundane.
"Nah, hold on a bit longer. How long's it even been since you put in the request? Cutbacks don't come that fast."
Tae-jin followed Hong-cheol's gaze, shifting his eyes this way and that. But nothing caught his attention.
"Why? How long do I have to wait?"
"Who knows. You did your service—you know how soldiers drag their feet when it's not their problem."
Hong-cheol's eyes kept moving busily, with no particular direction or pattern. That's when Tae-jin finally realized.
This guy wasn't trying to convey a specific message with his eyes—he was just signaling that the situation was far from normal.
Tae-jin leaned back leisurely and spoke to Hong-cheol.
"Waiting without a timeline is frustrating. Old man Richer is leaving in just four days. It'll be ready by then, right?"
"Probably. Even if it's late, don't rush it—convince the old man to wait a few more days. Better than walking or taking a carriage. Riding in an armored vehicle comfortably is worth the wait."
"Got it. Still got a few days, so I'll take it slow."
"Yeah. Stay chill."
Tae-jin turned and headed back home, with Hong-cheol walking beside him for a bit. And that's when Tae-jin became certain. Every soldier scattered around was stealing glances at his movements.
Hong-cheol saw Tae-jin to his door, then stood in a spot with a clear view of the living room window and lit a cigarette.
It was odd. Why smoke there of all places? Hong-cheol always smoked in the barracks smoking area.
A thought came to him immediately. Back inside, Tae-jin quietly cast a spell from the living room, sending a message straight into Hong-cheol's mind.
It was a spell he'd used a few times before as a joke, one Hong-cheol knew about.
—Hey, you hear me?—
Even from a distance, Tae-jin could tell Hong-cheol's expression relaxed a bit. But this spell was one-way—it couldn't send Hong-cheol's thoughts back to him.
Still, that was enough. With one-way communication, he could handle the rest with gestures.
—Looks like you talked to the higher-ups and got a bad response?—
Hong-cheol wedged the cigarette between his fingers and bobbed it up and down—like nodding.
—Saw a ton of soldiers around as soon as I stepped out. I'm under surveillance now, aren't I? Give me some random signal if yes.—
Hong-cheol stretched his arms wide, loosening up his whole body like he was stiff all over. That had to be confirmation.
The situation wasn't great. With full-on surveillance, the soldiers might as well be non-lethal pursuers.
Whether they intended to kill or not didn't matter. If they kept him from leaving, he'd be living a life no better than death.
—They watching old man Richer too?—
Instead of answering, Hong-cheol grabbed the cigarette with his hand and saluted. An officer was calling him over.
The officer said something to Hong-cheol, then started walking toward the base with him in tow.
He looked calm, so it didn't seem serious, but miss the timing and who knew when they'd talk next. Surveillance would tighten as departure day approached.
Before following the officer, Hong-cheol tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and ground it out with his boot.
He always pocketed his butts—there was no reason to drop it now unless it was a signal answering Tae-jin's question.
Tae-jin was grateful that Sergeant Lee Hong-cheol was his friend.
Just the other day, Hong-cheol hadn't been thrilled about him leaving.
But Hong-cheol knew him better than anyone—better than anyone else how much stress this situation caused Tae-jin.
Even if Tae-jin's goal ran counter to Hong-cheol's advice, he wouldn't stand by and watch his friend rot away trapped for years.
Something welled up in his chest. But now wasn't the time for sentiment. He needed to think coldly and clearly.
The military wanted to stop him from leaving, and both he and old man Richer were under watch.
If he dawdled any longer and they prepped thermal imaging gear or installed indoor cameras, he'd be pinned down and confined near the Gate with no escape.
'If I'm moving, it's tonight.'
Tae-jin cracked the living room window open, as if for ventilation.
Then he waited, playing games like usual. Occasionally, he felt eyes from outside the window. But to them, his behavior looked perfectly normal.
Dusk fell. Tae-jin closed the blinds, cast Invisibility Magic, and slipped out through the open window gap.
Carefully, so the blinds barely swayed.
First, he checked if anyone was watching his house. Fortunately, after the blinds went down, no eyes turned his way.
With four days until departure, they weren't watching too closely yet.
It was a reasonable call. Show overt surveillance too early, and Tae-jin or old man Richer might catch on.
The only miscalculation was how quickly Tae-jin had noticed.
No time to leisurely pack. He prayed old man Richer had prepared enough.
Tae-jin slipped back inside and grabbed a small bag. He agonized over what to take.
He skipped bulky items like food that could be resupplied midway—stuff old man Richer likely had. He crammed in a few lightweight, handy essentials at random.
Tae-jin left a short note on the dining table.
'Mom, I'll find a way and come back. See you at home next time. Love you.'
No time for a long letter, and nothing more needed saying.
Finally, he stuffed a few valuables into a small backpack, cast Invisibility Magic again, and headed out.
He muffled his footsteps and hurried across the Great Plains.
Luckily, the night was dark, and the wind strong. The swaying grass, whipped by the gusts, would hide his path no matter where he went.
Gate Frontier City was close. In less than twenty minutes, Tae-jin reached the inn where old man Richer was staying—a restaurant-cum-inn on the second floor.
A bit early to sleep, but the lights in Richer's room were off.
Tae-jin sneaked inside. He needed to wake Richer and leave together.
But things went awry. Richer wasn't in bed, and all his treasured belongings were gone. Anyone could see he'd packed up and left.
Tae-jin's heart sank, but he had no time to freeze in despair. Tonight might be his last shot at escape.
He dropped Invisibility Magic and quickly scanned around.
The room didn't have that stale chill of long abandonment, and the bedsheets and blanket were rumpled.
Yes. The bedsheets and blanket were rumpled.
If Richer had been gone long, the innkeeper would've tidied up for the next guest.
The bed still being messy meant Richer had left recently.
Tae-jin thought fast. Where would he have gone?
Only two possibilities: He'd gone to the Empire's capital alone, or he'd come to pick up Tae-jin.
Tae-jin ruled out the first. He couldn't reach the capital solo without Richer's help, then gather data while traveling.
Only one option left: Richer had come for him, and they'd missed each other.
He had to find Richer, no question.
Tae-jin cast Invisibility Magic again and cautiously headed back to his house.
The surroundings were dark, and his heart pounded wildly.
The fierce wind thrashed the Great Plains grass like mad.