Chapter 61: Miners of the Iron Mine (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: Miners of the Iron Mine (3)
The accident occurred in Tunnel No. 8 of Zone E.
Morcan rushed to the scene, shoving his way through the bustling crowd as he shouted urgently, "What happened?!"
"Lord Morcan! Tunnel No. 8 has collapsed!"
"What?!"
Zone E was a newly developed area.
Morcan had heard that the excavation was proceeding smoothly and that miners would be deployed soon. An unexpected collapse—especially without an earthquake—was highly irregular. He immediately began assessing the situation.
A worker who had been in Tunnel No. 8 just moments prior spoke up, his face pale with fright.
"As you know, Tunnel No. 8 goes deep underground. We thoroughly checked the ground and the pulley holding the transport lift. There were no issues. But suddenly, one of the walls caved in, dragging the lift down with it. The problem is... there was a worker operating directly below. Fortunately, it was lunchtime, so only one person had gone down, but there's been no response since the collapse. He might be buried under the rubble and the lift."
"Oh, no."
This was terrible news. A collapse was an unforeseen disaster.
No matter how thoroughly the ground was inspected, mining was an industry where accidents could strike at any moment. The collapse could have been triggered by anything—perhaps installing the transport lift had put too much strain on the earth, or the heavy rains from a few days ago had compromised the structural integrity.
But one thing was certain: an accident had occurred. A worker was trapped underground, and his life was in grave danger.
What on earth should we do?
Morcan felt his mind go blank.
The only means of descending had been destroyed, making access to the accident site incredibly difficult. Furthermore, sending a rescue team down when the tunnel could cave in again at any moment was far too risky. There was only one textbook solution: thoroughly reinforce the collapsed ground, then lower a ladder to retrieve the victim. It was the only way to ensure the safety of both the rescuer and the rescued.
Seeing Morcan lost in thought, the worker urged him on.
"We have to save him quickly! He's going to die at this rate!"
It was a race against time.
Right then, before Morcan could even open his mouth, Roman stepped forward.
"Lead me to the accident site. I will go down."
Morcan and the worker whipped their heads around, staring at Roman in sheer panic.
Courage and reckless bravado were two completely different things. Naturally, Morcan judged Roman's decision to be the latter.
"Absolutely not, Young Master! You are the eldest son of the Dmitry Family. If you put yourself in danger while trying to rescue a worker, we who stood by and watched would face severe punishment. First, we must assess the situation, and then—"
"By then, it will be too late," Roman cut him off.
Based on the worker's explanation, Morcan's proposed method wouldn't save the man in time.
"The transport lift weighs hundreds of kilograms. If he is pinned beneath it, delaying even a single moment could cost him his life. I won't deny that your method is the safest, but even if you send people down after securing the ground, moving that lift without heavy tools is practically impossible. Ultimately, you need someone who can wield the power of mana. I can solve all of those problems by going down myself."
An Aura Swordsman.
A human residing in the realm of superhumans.
Just as Roman said, having him personally execute the rescue was indeed a viable solution. However...
"It's not that we don't know that, Young Master. But I must consider the worst-case scenario. I know you are an Aura Swordsman, and I know how incredible your strength is, but we have no choice but to worry about your safety."
"Morcan."
"Yes, Young Master."
"I told you, didn't I? The reason why I came to the iron mine."
Roman spoke with absolute conviction, causing Morcan's eyes to tremble violently.
"Those who bear the name of Dmitry must fulfill their responsibilities. A leader does not merely reign over others, pursuing only comfort and personal happiness. This, too, is a duty I must shoulder. A person of Dmitry has been caught in a collapse, and I, who possess the power to resolve it, am present at the scene. If I turn away from danger and run, I have no right to live as a Dmitry."
Roman.
No, Baek Joong-hyuk.
He had lived his entire previous life as a ruler. Even though he had shed rivers of blood during his conquest of the Murim, Baek Joong-hyuk's reign had ultimately ushered in an Era of Great Peace. That was the result of his core values. Just as he had always stood at the vanguard on the battlefield, Baek Joong-hyuk accepted the absolute loyalty of his subordinates, but he never took the weight of his position lightly.
When necessary, he stepped forward himself. He took responsibility and braved the danger.
These were his values as the Heavenly Demon.
Having lived his entire life at the apex, Roman knew exactly how to act when facing danger in this new reality.
'If I run away, the people below me will lose their trust. For people to devote everything to the name of the Heavenly Demon—or to the name of Dmitry—I must prove that I am worthy of such loyalty.'
The injured worker trapped underground was a stranger whose face Roman didn't even know. Risking his own life to save him was not a pragmatic choice, but Roman thought differently.
If he saved this man, the people's attitude would shift entirely. The miners would look upon Roman with absolute favor, allowing him to carry out his future plans much more smoothly.
This was a calculated performance. A golden opportunity to win the trust of the common people while simultaneously fulfilling his duty as a leader. When justification and ideals aligned so perfectly, there was no reason not to act.
"Young Master..."
Morcan was lost for words.
He was completely oblivious to Roman's inner calculations. Instead, his heart swelled at Roman's resolve to risk his life for a lowly worker while upholding the duties of the Dmitry Family.
Roman Dmitry. He was the real deal. Morcan felt a wave of intense regret for having ever doubted him.
"...Please be careful. You must return safely."
"I will be back."
There was no more time to waste. Leaving Morcan behind, Roman quickly arrived at the site of the collapse.
It was the vertical passage leading down to Tunnel No. 8. An ordinary person would have needed a ladder to descend, but Roman simply threw himself into the abyss the moment he arrived.
Tap, tap.
Lightness Skill.
Roman moved with the grace of a nimble beast. He descended rapidly, kicking off the walls like a mountain goat navigating a sheer cliff, and reached the bottom in an instant.
The surrounding area was choked with thick dust and suffocating darkness. The falling transport lift had smashed all the torches along the way, but to Roman, this was a trivial issue.
Whoosh.
He focused mana into his eyes. While it wasn't as bright as broad daylight, the darkness peeled back enough for him to discern his surroundings.
'Where is the injured worker...?'
He scanned the area. The cavern was a complete mess. Most of the painstakingly excavated tunnel had caved in, and massive boulders were piled around the transport lift, which was half-embedded in the earth. If someone had been directly beneath it, they would have been crushed instantly.
Fortunately, no such tragedy had occurred.
Searching around the perimeter of the lift, Roman found a young man collapsed on the ground. He was unconscious. Roman checked his pulse and confirmed he was still breathing.
'A stroke of luck amidst a disaster.'
In a catastrophe where the very earth had collapsed on him, the man had miraculously avoided being pinned beneath the heaviest debris. He was bleeding from a head wound caused by falling rocks, and his arm and leg were clearly broken, but his life was not in immediate danger.
Human fate was truly a fascinating thing. This man had been struck by a disaster out of the blue, yet by sheer luck, someone like Roman—a being who possessed the absolute power to resolve the crisis—happened to be nearby.
'It is not your destiny to die today.'
Grip.
He slung the unconscious man over his shoulder. And then—
Tap.
Tap, tap.
Roman immediately scaled the vertical shaft, ascending with the exact same explosive agility he had used to come down.
*
"Whoaaa!"
"He's alive!"
"Young Master Roman saved him!"
When Roman emerged, a massive crowd had already gathered. They had heard the news that the Young Master had personally gone down into the collapsed tunnel. They had been waiting anxiously, stamping their feet in dread, but Roman had successfully returned with the victim in record time.
It was a sight they could hardly believe. Just descending and climbing back up a ladder should have taken a considerable amount of time, yet Roman reappeared with the injured man slung over his shoulder so quickly that it made all their panic seem foolish.
Thud.
He gently set the injured worker down. The crowd erupted into cheers.
But now was not the time to revel in their reactions. Roman checked the man's condition and barked an order at a nearby worker.
"Bring me something to use as a splint."
"Pardon?"
"Hurry!"
Startled by Roman's commanding shout, the worker scrambled off.
Although the man's life wasn't in danger, his broken limbs required immediate attention. Roman examined the body and channeled mana into the man's system. After suppressing the pain and staunching the bleeding, he ran his hands over the fractures and forcefully aligned the bones.
Crack! Crack!
A sickening crunch echoed through the air. Those with weak stomachs turned their heads away from the gruesome sight, but Roman continued his work without batting an eye.
Morcan, who had stepped forward to help, watched in sheer astonishment.
'How can he be so skilled?'
Treating severe injuries was no easy task. Roman wasn't merely applying medicine; he was boldly setting shattered bones with his bare hands. That was impossible without absolute confidence and anatomical knowledge.
Morcan saw Roman in a completely new light. From personally diving into a collapsed tunnel to performing brutal but effective field medicine, the Young Master was a continuous series of surprises.
In truth, this kind of treatment was second nature to Roman.
In the cutthroat world of the Murim, where every day felt like walking on a razor's edge, gruesome injuries were a daily occurrence. To survive, Baek Joong-hyuk had set his own broken bones countless times and had extensive experience dragging his dying subordinates back from the brink of death.
He hadn't formally studied medicine, but the vast, bloody experience accumulated in real combat had taught him exactly how to handle physical trauma. Compared to the horrors he had witnessed, the injuries of the man before him were practically a scratch. In his past life, Baek Joong-hyuk had once shoved spilled intestines back into a ruptured abdomen and stitched the wound shut himself.
Naturally, his hands moved with incredible precision. The cheering crowd eventually fell silent, watching in breathless awe.
The worker returned with the makeshift splints. Only after applying them and securing the limbs firmly did Roman look up at Morcan.
"Take him to a healer immediately. I have performed basic first aid, but he will need professional treatment to ensure there are no lasting aftereffects. If they say a potion is required for his recovery, tell them I will cover the cost. Make sure he makes a full recovery."
"Understood."
Morcan gestured to the surrounding men. Several workers rushed over, carefully loading the injured man onto a stretcher and rushing him off to the healer.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Morcan's heart was still pounding against his ribs. A deadly accident had occurred, yet Roman had personally rescued the victim and stabilized him before anyone else could even process the situation. Overwhelmed by the rapid succession of events, Morcan could only stare blankly at Roman with a dazed expression.
Roman stood up and wiped his hands. Looking directly at Morcan, he said,
"I believe what happened today is the 'safety issue' you spoke of earlier. No matter how thoroughly we prepare, sudden disasters cannot be entirely prevented. However, from this moment on, as someone who bears the name of Dmitry, I intend to do everything in my power to resolve the difficulties you all are facing. And it probably won't take very long."
At that very moment, Morcan felt an emotion well up inside him that could not be described in words.
Whether the safety issues were completely solved or not was no longer important. The mere fact that Roman had listened to the voices of the miners, and put his own life on the line for them—that alone cemented Morcan's absolute, unwavering respect for Roman Dmitry.