An Ominous Presence
Return. By the time Hwanryeong Team 2 made it back to base camp, the sun had already set, leaving the sky dim and shadowed. They hadn't gone far enough in a single day to warrant such exhaustion, yet the fatigue from adapting to an entirely new environment was undeniable. The team members who had shed their protective suits looked pale and drained.
"Everyone looks exhausted."
"Ah, no, we're fine!"
"Be honest about your condition. This was your first time dealing with a lava zone, so I'm not going to scold anyone. Your mana leakage must have been considerable too."
"……Well. I am a bit tired."
At Yusoha's words, the team members answered without hesitation. She nodded in acknowledgment.
"Then, since we have nothing else scheduled for today, let's rest for now. We'll sleep and discuss our next moves when we wake up."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Ah, before we head in, answer me one thing. It was pretty hot inside the suits, wasn't it?"
"Yes. I thought I was going to cook alive."
Yusoha nodded at that. Even with water-attribute mages present, the heat of the lava zone was nothing to take lightly. She would need to come up with countermeasures.
"Understood. For now, let's get some rest."
"Yes!"
"Ah. And just in case, I've prepared ice packs. Use them if you need to. Anyone feeling unwell should get checked by the medical team."
"Understood!"
"Good work today, everyone. Dismissed. We'll eat, rest, and I'll call you again at ten tonight."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Haaah."
Inside the base camp, Yusoha let out a long sigh as hot water streamed over her in the shower attached to her quarters. Her skin was flushed red in several places. Heat radiated from her entire body, so intense that touching her would burn. The lava zone's temperature had been brutal enough to leave her in this state even with Baek Si-hoo and Eun Hyeong-won's assistance. The cold water helped, but the underlying problem remained.
"Damn lava zone."
The environment. Normally, Awakened didn't tire so easily. Yet here they were, worn down this quickly. It was a troubling situation. If even her team—fresh off rigorous training with Eclipse and boasting dramatically improved stamina—were struggling like this, she might need to revise their plans.
For now, no powerful monsters had appeared, so it wasn't an immediate crisis. But if a strong one suddenly attacked, the physical toll from the lava zone would definitely become a liability.
"What should I do……"
Moreover, even though they'd set up base camp right in front of Tosan County, Hwanghae Province was vast. To keep exploring such a wide area, they would eventually need to establish forward bases. But with terrain like this, even a forward base wouldn't allow proper rest.
Even after finishing her shower, Yusoha continued racking her brain for ways to tackle Hwanghae Province, sketching out possible routes. When no satisfactory answer came, she finally set down her pen and clutched her head.
"Damn it."
The words escaped her involuntarily. She shook her head once.
At this rate, there's no end to it. Problems without answers will have to wait until we gather more information. For now, the only option is to prepare supplies to endure the lava zone.
At least the heat issue could be somewhat mitigated with ice packs. They wouldn't stay cold forever, of course, but that was what Baek Si-hoo and Eun Hyeong-won were for. Water-attribute mages could handle cold as well.
Let's secure as many ice packs as possible. That's all we can do right now. Water will be the same—we'll rely on Baek Si-hoo and Eun Hyeong-won. Still, after all that thinking, the best solution I came up with was just stocking more ice packs…… We really don't have enough information.
After a brief sigh, she began thinking again.
For the time being, we should continue focusing on reconnaissance. If we find a spot with less heat that's suitable for a forward base, we'll set one up there and adjust our direction accordingly.
Knock, knock.
Just as Yusoha was getting a rough sense of their next steps, someone knocked on her door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Soha."
It was Eclipse, who had been assigned a separate room. Guardian Stars couldn't stray far from their contractors without materializing, so Eclipse usually stayed in his own quarters to avoid disturbing her during private moments like bathing. This expedition to North Korea was no different.
"Eclipse? Come in."
When she opened the door, Eclipse stood there in his usual armored form.
"What's going on?"
"Ah, I came to check on your condition. Are you injured anywhere?"
"What? Why all of a sudden?"
"The other team members looked quite exhausted, so I wondered if you might be tired as well."
"You don't need to worry about me."
"……Is that true?"
"It is. Stop worrying over nothing. I'm fine."
"……Truly fine?"
Eclipse saw through her immediately. He couldn't miss it. Even during the return, her movements had been noticeably slower. Being able to read even her smallest gestures, he knew she was considerably fatigued.
"I said I'm fine."
"It doesn't seem that way at all."
"I'm okay. How are we supposed to complete this North Korea expedition if we collapse from something like this?"
"……I see. Understood."
"So is that all?"
"No, actually…… there's something I should tell you."
"Tell me? What is it?"
Yusoha looked at him curiously.
"The lava zone we visited today. No, even farther out—I sensed an incredibly strong hostility. I can't gauge the exact distance, but there's definitely something dangerous there."
"……What?"
Yusoha's expression turned serious in an instant.
"If you hadn't ordered the team to fall back, I would have stopped you myself."
"If you're saying that, it must be an extremely powerful existence……"
"I don't know the details yet. I only sensed it. But there is one thing I can say with certainty."
"……?"
"It's strong. Strong enough that you and your team wouldn't stand a chance."
"That strong?"
"Yes. So when you head into the deeper areas, it would be wise to prepare thoroughly."
"Got it. Thanks for the information. Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"I remembered you saying you preferred not to rely on my help, so I simply paid closer attention."
"……Ah."
"Then I'll assume it's acceptable to share information like this."
"Yeah. I didn't want that kind of help if I could avoid it…… but this place seems more dangerous than I thought, so it can't be helped."
Yusoha gave him an awkward smile.
"Well, I've delivered the message, so I'll take my leave. Rest well."
"Right."
Eclipse reached for the door again. But he didn't leave right away.
"……Eclipse?"
"Soha."
"Yeah?"
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"I'm the team leader. I'm the one responsible for leading everyone without issues. The moment I waver, the team loses its cohesion."
Yusoha answered firmly, making it clear she wouldn't accept the advice.
"I see."
Eclipse understood, but said nothing more. He knew her nature. She pursued perfection. Her pride was immense, and she believed everything she did had to succeed. The reason was simple: she was arrogant. Because she was arrogant, she always believed she was right. Perfection meant no mistakes, no errors. Thus, she thought only the perfect had the right to be arrogant, and she strove for it. Only the flawless could point out others' flaws. She could never accept saying things like "I was wrong" or "That was my mistake." She always had to be right.
Someone like that leading a team would naturally strive for perfection in everything. No matter how exhausted she was, she wouldn't show it. She would force herself to act energetic and lead the team. In the end, she would wear herself down. Humans were never meant to be perfect.
Eclipse knew this, but didn't say it. What he wanted to learn from her was exactly that quality—the way she pursued perfection and used it to bend others to her will. That was what he sought to understand from her.
Of course, he had no intention of letting her collapse from her own stubbornness. He would take appropriate measures when the time came. But now was not that time.
So Eclipse left her room without another word.