Chapter 242

Chapter 242

“Hwagmu?! What the hell are you saying right now?!”

“B-But I definitely heard it...! I definitely heard something say that!”

At the mention of Hwagmu, even Chi Woo, who had shown absolutely no interest so far, began paying attention.

“Really?” asked Chi Woo. “You really heard that?”

“Ah... Yes...”

“Hm... Someone stronger than we expected might be behind this incident...”

Seol also agreed with that statement.

‘If it’s claiming Hwagmu revived them, then...’

Seol began mentally going through the figurative guidebook in his head.

There were a number of individuals who helped Hwagmu. While some were humans, there were also members of other races.

‘Don’t tell me...’

A certain individual crossed Seol's mind as he pondered who it could be.

"Argh, damn it! Is that even important right now? We’re in danger regardless, what does it matter?"

“That’s true...”

The miners began to squabble among themselves.

However, they weren’t wrong.

Even just a few moments ago, their only futures seemed to be either starving to death or succumbing to madness.

There was no way anyone could think about the future when their next decisions were already a matter of life or death.

One of the miners suddenly asked Seol and the others a question.

“Food! Do you perhaps have any food?”

“Our supply box disappeared when the Large Soldier fell, so...”

Seol nodded in response.

‘Maybe that was why they were so on edge?’

Not only had the miners gone without food for several days, but they were also facing death at every moment. It made sense why they didn’t have any manners or welcome Seol and the others properly. Additionally, Seol Hong had repaired the Large Soldier, their sole hope, in a way the miners hadn’t even heard of before.

“Kang Seol is an excellent cook,” said Seol Hong. “Please wait a second.”

Everyone, including Chi Woo, immediately turned to her.

“He’s going to cook? In a hole like this...?”

“What is she...”

In an instant, an unbelievable sight unfolded in front of them.

Out of nowhere, Seol pulled out a wok and a burner and immediately poured oil into them.

Ssssssss...

Just the smell of the oil was enough to stimulate the miners' senses.

In fact, a few miners might have even tried to lick the hot oil from the wok if Seol Hong hadn’t stopped them.

Sizzle...

After frying rice noodles in the oil, Seol immediately tossed in some shredded vegetables as well.

Gulp...

Seol then pushed everything in the wok to one side before cracking multiple eggs into it.

After that, he mixed everything into the eggs.

“Haha... I never thought I’d see something like this...”

“He’s cooking a fresh meal in the mines...”

Unlike in ordinary mines, dust explosions and excess dust were extremely rare in the Sodoong Mine, because the Large Soldiers they rode had the ability to purify the air around them.

In fact, If it weren’t for the ghost energy, they could eat and sleep here normally.

Regardless, Seol began handing out the food, and everyone began eating their meals.

“Haah... H-Hot...”

“Careful not to eat too quickly.”

The miners quickly began wolfing down their food.

For the first time since Seol and the others met them, the miners were silent.

Burp...

“Thanks for the meal! I feel a bit better now that I’ve eaten some food.”

“I feel more sleepy now than anything, though...”

“Right? This is why it’s dangerous to eat too quickly, haha!”

“Then why don’t you guys get some sleep?” said Seol Hong. “We’ll keep watch while we discuss what to do next.”

A miner, who seemed to be the leader, began shaking his head.Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

“How could we possibly sleep in front of a Dragon’s Flower...”

“Do I look like a Dragon’s Flower to you now?” joked Seol Hong.

“I-I apologize for my bad manners...”

Smirk...

“You can even do more if you wish. After all, your friends are doing so already.”

“...Huh?”

The miner turned around to see all of the other survivors taking a nap.

“Th-those bastards...”

"It’s fine. Everyone recovering their energy is much more important for the future anyway."

“...Thank you.”

And like that, the miners went to sleep.

Chi Woo joined them as well, sleeping alongside the miners.

After the two shot the wolf boy an incredulous look, they quickly began discussing things.

“What do you think?” asked Seol Hong.

“The situation is definitely not good.”

“I agree. We also used too much fuel on our way here.”

"That too, but our circumstances also don’t allow us to operate two Large Soldiers.”

- Ahhhhh! Th-this bastard...

- I’m stronger than you. Therefore, you are beneath me.

- What?

- Now I’m going to do whatever I want to you!

Chi Woo bullied the Dragon’s Flowers he didn’t like, using training as an excuse. In the end, he managed to make them surrender.

- You’re right... so stop...

But for some reason, it wasn’t fun anymore. Chi Woo stopped bullying them after that.

How was I supposed to live?

Though Cho Yeon had given him the option to do so, she did not leave him with any teachings.

You could break your opponent’s will through violence.

In fact, you could even break them without violence, if you could scare them enough.

Chi Woo lost interest in the world after learning such things.

Everyone seemed like children pretending to be strong. Especially the Dragon’s Flowers, they were nothing more than empty shells.

Or... at least, that was what he thought until he met Seol Hong.

“That’s interesting...”

Why was Seol Hong so desperate?

For herself? The miners?

One of the miners then opened their mouth.

“Maybe we can just... give up on that?”

“What?”

“Y-You know what I’m trying to say, right? We could last a few more weeks here if we just save fuel... Then maybe they’ll form another res—”

"Shut your fucking mouth! The sounds are getting closer! We don’t know what could happen at any moment!"

The past couple of nights, everyone heard the whispers of a ghost.

- You’re scared of me...

- Feel the fear... Close your eyes, truly feel it...

Though it could have initially been dismissed as a nightmare, everyone had heard the same sounds. The voice definitely belonged to whatever had escaped the door.

“It’s as Lady Seol Hong said! If we want to escape now, this is the only method!”

“B-But...”

Clang...

“It’s done. Everyone, come over here,” said Seol Hong.

After soldering one metal plate to another, Seol Hong created a massive box. Well, to be more accurate, she had simply remodeled a container that was already inside the Large Soldier.

“What’s that?”

“A coffin?”

“A box?”

Seol Hong then began to explain.

“Do you see the connected part there?”

Taking a closer look, the miners noticed a hole and a hose attached to it.

“Yes, we do.”

“We will be using fuel to create a protective field within it.”

“Which would essentially protect the box from the ghost energy, right?”

“It will. You can think of it as a massive protective suit.”

“What about oxygen...”

“Oxygen will also be poured into it, after being purified.”

‘Coffin’ was a suitable word for the crudely made box.

“Are you... really trying to stuff us into there?”

“...I am.”

The miners began to murmur with cold expressions.

“Do you really know what you’re saying right now?”

“I do.”

The box was enclosed on all sides.

If the miners were going to escape placed inside the box, they would have to sit in there for multiple days, completely unaware of the outside.

One of the technicians then asked a question.

“Why are you using this method...”

“Because this is the only method. We don’t have much fuel, and the batteries we are using to maintain the protective umbrella will run out soon. We have to save fuel while also trying to reach the surface.”

“But...”

“I know, I’m sure you’re terrified. However, if you place your faith in me...”

It was then...

“How the hell could we trust you?! You’re a Dragon’s Flower!”

“Watch your words!” shouted another miner.

“What the hell happened to all of you?!” yelled the first miner. “Did all of you forget? Did everyone really forget what that Dragon’s Flower did to us?”

“......”

"Because that bastard prohibited us from mining because of some stupid ruin, my dad lost his job! In just a day, he ended up on the streets, begging! And after that, he even ended his own life!"

“......”

"All of the Dragon’s Flowers I’ve met were like that! They’re all hypocrites, they don’t care who ends up dying just because they can’t stop trampling over everything around them!"

Seol Hong then asked a question.

“Do you remember his name?”

“...Zhe Gak. It was Zhe Gak, I’m sure of it.”

“......”

Disappointment consumed Seol Hong’s face.

The unsavory rumors about Zhe Gak seemed to hold some truth.