Mana Stone Mine Request - Mid -
Having finally wrapped up the late-night work at dawn and settled in for some rest, Go Yu-jin stirred awake and asked,
"All done?"
"For now, yes."
"That would've taken others days. You're amazing, as always."
I gave a slight nod at her praise, but An So-mi, who had just woken up herself, chimed in as if she'd caught the whole thing.
"Don't act like it's no big deal and just accept it like that. Don't you know humility?"
"No need for humility when it's just the obvious."
An So-mi shot me a look like she couldn't believe me. But she always seemed full of complaints about everything, so I turned the question back on her.
"If you're always that irritated, what's the point of living in this world?"
"I'm just sensitive to dissatisfaction, that's all. No real complaints about life. And I have plenty of fun, thank you very much?"
"Good to hear."
An So-mi glared at me with bulging eyes, while Go Yu-jin shook her head, slipping between us.
"Seong-chan needs rest too, so close your eyes. We'll keep watch."
"Appreciate it."
It wasn't overly taxing, but exploration could drag on indefinitely—two days at best, four on average, up to half a month in the worst cases. No point rushing the schedule.
I dozed off amid the faint melody humming from the core, lulled by the rest. How long had it been?
A soft rustle snapped my eyes open. I channeled mana to scan the approaching presence.
Four of them...
The footsteps and stealth screamed awakener. Those approaching the core fell into two camps: government officials checking its security, or those who hated owning the mine and wanted to smash it to force the gate shut.
It happened often in international disputes, and given their sneaky approach, these weren't the friendly sort.
Guests, then. How to handle them?
Movement was restricted here. Setting traps and waiting could inflict massive damage. Their goal was core destruction, so traps were a must.
I pondered the best ones, then seeded mana throughout the cave, laying light explosion traps. Next, I linked black mist traps to detonate simultaneously, obscuring vision, and enchanted them with Paralyze using imbue magic for skin absorption.
Traps set in seconds, I broadcast a light message spell in diffusion form toward them.
"Approach further, and I can't guarantee your lives. Back off."
Attacking without warning could backfire legally, so I paired the mild caution with an image save spell to record everything—proof they'd ignored me.
It all wrapped up in a flash, but they didn't stop. Reaching the first explosion trap, they paused and pulsed mana, confirming them as intruders.
How will they respond?
Curious about their moves, I searched for common cave bugs, turned one into a familiar, and cast Wizard Eye.
Sharing its vision, it spotted the intruders.
Two men, two women. Black attire, faces masked... familiar masks.
Stealth groups loved uniforms. These guests? A notorious underworld outfit specializing in gate closures, assassinations, and espionage.
China must really hate us adding another mine.
Worldwide, mana stone mines numbered around 600. Some countries had none. Tiny Korea ran four, raking in huge profits thanks to a hero-grade guardian at the entrance. Even massive China only fully owned six without disputes.
Us snagging one more? No wonder it twisted their guts.
High caliber, too.
They expertly pinpointed explosion traps, analyzed the mana, and dismantled them flawlessly with seasoned critiques. Plenty of experience.
Wonder how strong they are?
They weren't scary—just annoying. That's why the government threw in extra 1st and 2nd gens: to handle saboteurs. They could've managed themselves, but bureaucracy and 'permits' meant hiring mercs like us.
Ignoring warnings, they pressed on. As I debated solo cleanup, Go Yu-jin and An So-mi rushed back from scouting.
"Felt mana flux. What's going on?"
"Guests. Looks like a specific group. What intensity should we match?"
Go Yu-jin flared her mana, grasping the situation. Battle-hardened types honed detection instinctively. She quickly gauged their numbers and rough power.
"Capture and interrogate for the backers? Possible?"
"Not impossible. Give troublemakers trouble, and we're done."
An So-mi looked puzzled at my words, but I casually shifted mana, weighted the bug familiar, and lured it into a prepped explosion trap.
A small blast erupted, black mist spreading instantly to engulf the four. As they spun to flee, I stopped Go Yu-jin and An So-mi mid-move.
"Curse absorbs through skin. They think inhalation only—works every time."
They froze, staring blankly. Ten seconds later, movements slowed drastically. I dismantled my traps and approached the rigid quartet.
Five minutes in, we had them captured. Struggling to dispel my mana and shake the Paralyze, I told them,
"Lower realm than mine? It'll hold at least thirty minutes. Save your strength—roll your eyes up-down if you want to live."
All four frantically rolled their eyes.
Intel group with loose lips? Or just desperate?
Maybe realizing a black mage caught them, they're spilling quick.
"No torture. Spill it. Eyes: up-up, down-down, left-right."
Six pupils widened in bewilderment at my playfulness, but one sharp one complied perfectly. I pointed at the other three, hitting two with Electric Shock—intense current.
"Krghhh!"
"Guhhh!"
Mouths sealed, they convulsed. Pointing at the spared one,
"Why'd you dodge the shock?"
Its eyes quivered in terror.
"Oops, habit—only hit evens. Used to it. Yours'll be double dose."
It rolled eyes up-up down-down left-right furiously. After fake deliberation,
"Separate interrogations. Lie from either, and you'll beg for death. Truth only. Got it?"
Eye signals confirmed. I snapped fingers, weakening the first's Paralyze.
The pioneer blurted desperately,
"E-everything! Spare our lives!!"
"I know. Truth, and I won't kill you. Breathe free air, live out your days. Careful now. Let's go."
I manipulated its body with mana, heading deeper. To Go Yu-jin,
"Back in five. Mana flare if trouble."
"Y-yeah... got it."
She eyed me like a rare specimen. An So-mi too—beats me why.
A minute deeper, I raised a mana barrier and grilled: affiliation, rank, name, backers/client. Verified against my knowledge, then returned.
Re-Paralyzed it, fetched the next, repeated. Probed extras; it spilled smoothly at my cues. Reunited, dragged a shocked one for cross-checks.
Compiled intel, briefed Go Yu-jin. She blinked in surprise.
"Government official involved?"
Even I was taken aback—expected foreign sabotage, not domestic.
A Korean official hired them to shut the mine.
"Heard of Choo Jin-young?"
"Industry Ministry vice-minister."
They oversaw all domestic mines. Why would a veep greenlight this? Digging deeper screamed big scandal.
"Your call?"
Offing them cleaned it up easy—no entanglements needed.
"...Report to the government? What happens?"
"No hard proof, just words? Hard to punish or prove. They cry 'black mage slander,' and we're in disputes."
Few officials buy black mage tales straight. Go Yu-jin sighed—I figured she'd bury it.
"We'll pursue. Could be them trying to screw us."
"If that's the play... I'll back you fully."
"Thanks."
