This was the Sodoong Mine, located quite a bit away from the other mines in Tumaku.
And on the first floor of an old guest house there...
A handsome young man with wolf ears instead of human ears sat with another man who was clearly very upset.
“What about your Dragon’s Stone?”
“Chi Woo is the strongest Dragon’s Flower,” claimed the wolf-eared man, describing himself as the strongest. “Why would I need one when Chi Woo is the strongest?”
The man on the opposite side didn’t necessarily disagree with that statement.
Though it wasn't conclusive, Chi Woo was certainly someone who could claim that title.
After all, he was the child of Hong Cheon, the Dragon Emperor, and Cho Yeon, a woman from the Lang tribe, known for their wolf ears.
The Lang tribe was a beastmen tribe that transformed into werewolves during full moons when their wildness awakened.
However, since Chi Woo was half-human and half-beastman, he did not transform into a werewolf just because of a full moon.Even so, he was born with an unparalleled innate strength. His powerful body and physique were perfect for martial arts, placing him on an entirely different level from ordinary humans.
The eyes and fangs that appeared when he was excited, along with his wolf ears, were the only features that immediately identified him as a member of the Lang tribe.
“From what I heard, Chi Woo… you scored highly on your previous trials because of your overwhelming strength, right?”
“It’s easy to break stuff,” replied Chi Woo, uninterested.
“Aha… Is that so? Then it won’t be easy for you this time. We are about to receive a trial to establish a contract with the Sodoong Mine. This isn't something you can just brute-force with your fists.”
“Worry about yourself, Bang Jae.”
The man named Bang Jae scowled for a second before replying.
“You little… What I’m trying to say is that regardless of who the next Dragon’s Flower is, what do you think about working together?”
“...Working together?”
“Yeah! We’ll combine your strength and my influence to overcome the trial! What do you think? If you agree, it won't be just this trial either. Even in the future trials that you can’t solve with your strength alone...”
“Argh, you’re so loud.”
“…What?”
“Then I’ll just fail then, who cares? You’re not fun at all.”
“Urgh…”
Chi Woo acted purely on emotion. And if you also consider the fact that he was incredibly strong, it makes sense why most people avoided him.
“Regardless… Take some time to think about it. I am kind, after all.”
“Can I eat this?” asked Chi Woo, taking a bite of the fruit in front of him.
Crunch…
“Nom…”
Despite Chi Woo ignoring him entirely, Bang Jae remained patient.
“That’s that, but… Why aren’t they here yet? We’ve already been here for two days.”
“Hey, archivist!” shouted Bang Jae. “How much longer do we have to wait?”
“......”
Receiving only silence in response, Bang Jae grumbled to himself.
"Those arrogant little… They better be ready for when I become emperor," he muttered.
“Woah! What’s this? It tastes so…”
Suddenly…
BAAAAAAAAAM!
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The guest house began to rumble with a sudden explosion, prompting Bang Jae to hide under the table quickly.
Chi Woo then stuck his head under the table as well.
“What are you doing down there?” he asked.
“Wh-what was that just now?!” panicked Bang Jae. “You heard that too, right?”
“Yeah.”
Bang Jae hurriedly exited the guest house to assess the situation.
There, he noticed someone shouting loudly while running toward the town.
“The mine collapsed! The Sodoong Mine collapsed!”
Bang Jae's jaw dropped as Chi Woo remained uninterested.
“The mine… collapsed?” said Bang Jae.
* * *
Eventually, Seol's party successfully reached the Tumaku mining town.
However, before they could even unpack their belongings, they were forced to meet up with Chi Woo and Bang Jae.
‘Wolf ears…’ thought Seol while stealing glances at Chi Woo.
While Bang Jae and his Dragon’s Stone were normal, the aura Seol felt from Chi Woo definitely wasn’t.
‘He’s about as strong as Jang Du.’
Chi Woo also stole glances at Seol.
The two immediately recognized each other’s strength. Despite this, they did not speak to each other at all.
“What the hell? It was you, Seol Hong?”
“Elder Brother Bang Jae…”
“Hmph. Hurry up and take a seat. Do you have any idea how long we waited for you?”
“I apologize. It took some time because we came from Yocheon.”
In truth, there wasn't necessarily anything to apologize for. However, it also wasn’t something worth fighting over. Sensing her agreeability, Bang Jae quickly shifted his attitude and called the archivists.
“Hey, archivists! Seol Hong arrived!”
A few seconds later, an archivist’s voice echoed out.
"Bang Jae, Chi Woo, and Seol Hong. Your original Dragon Trials were to renegotiate the contract with the Sodoong Mine."
“I knew it. Wait… what do you mean by original?”
While Chi Woo, showing disinterest, continued to stare at Seol, Seol Hong closed her eyes, sensing something amiss.
“Don’t tell me… it’s something like that, right?”
“I had an idea on the way here, but… is that really our trial?”
The archivist continued.
"Due to unexpected circumstances, the Sodoong Mine has collapsed. As a result, due to negotiations being postponed… we will offer you all an alternative."
“An alternative…?”
“As the situation has changed, you have two options. The first is to defer the trial regarding the Sodoong Mine for a later trial. The other is to rescue the trapped miners in Sodoong Mine."
"Wait... Have all of you lost your minds? Do you realize how deep the Sodoong Mine is? Besides, we're not even sure which parts of the mine have collapsed, are we?"
Everyone remained silent.
Suddenly, a group of people entered the guest house. One of them, a white-haired old man, then began to speak.
"Why don't I explain that, Dragon’s Flowers?"
“Who… are you?”
“My name is Seong Chi. I own the Sodoong Mine, and the people next to me help operate it.”
Step…
They then sat down next to the Dragon's Flowers.
“Haven’t you already finished talking with the archivists?” Bang Jae asked, glancing at them incredulously.
"More precisely, I heard about it from the Khan Empire’s authorities at the scene after the incident occurred. They mentioned that the Dragon’s Flowers were here to renegotiate a contract and could be of assistance,” responded Seong Chi.
“They really just say whatever they want, huh?” Bang Jae scoffed.
“Please do not punish them, sir. It was because I begged them due to the urgent situation.”
Bang Jae continued to bite back at the desperate Seong Chi.
“Since we don’t have much time… Why don’t we start off with the most important questions?” said Bang Jae.
"Of course. I would answer any question to get the miners out of there even a day sooner."
“What is the Suni Kingdom’s response to this? I know you were having conversations with them regarding our renegotiation.”
“They did send a response, but they claimed that it would be difficult to prepare something right away. Not only is there the distance, but they also seemed to be considering it an ordinary matter…”
“Simply excuses for a slow response. What about Khan?”
“......”
Seong Chi briefly paused before continuing.
“How much do the Dragon’s Flowers here… know about the Sodoong Mine?”
"I know there is a special ore that can only be mined here. That's also the reason for your extremely advanced equipment, isn't it?"
“You are exactly right. The main ore mined from the Sodoong Mine is the eerie ghost stone.”
“The eerie ghost stone?”
"Yes, it is an interesting ore imbued with ghost energy. It also only appears in the Sodoong Mine."
Everyone here had heard of the luminous ghost ore.
It was an ore with numerous national-scale uses but was often in short supply.
“I understand that the Sodoong Mine is an important mine. So what?”
"As the mine constantly emits ghost energy, no one is allowed to enter without taking the necessary precautions."
“What would happen if someone was exposed to it, though?”
"They could go insane, or… bleed until they die.”
“That’s not good.”
"That's why we use a special method for mining eerie ghost stone. All of the miners wear protective clothing and enter the mineshaft with a Large Soldier."
“...A Large Soldier? The same Large Soldier that I am thinking about?”
It was a military weapon used by the Khan Empire, the world’s center of mechanical engineering.
In simpler terms, it was a large, bipedal vehicle. While the Khan Empire primarily used it for military purposes, it also served various other functions.
"Yes, we send the miners down after filling the Large Soldier with the fuel for the protective clothing."
“Hm… But why are you bringing this up now?”
"The Khan Empire promised to send Large Soldiers for mining, as well as shamans to help with purification. We can only thank them for their fast response, but... the issue is that no matter how fast they are, it will still take two weeks."
"There's no other choice if they're attempting to bring those massive Large Soldiers through the mountains. Especially considering they’re mostly controlled by the capital."
Seong Chi nodded in response.
“But would the miners still be alive then?” asked Seol Hong.
“...That’s the problem we are facing right now. Everyone’s life is on the line. Every minute is essential…”
Even though Seong Chi clearly looked to be on the verge of tears, Bang Jae seemed completely indifferent about the situation.
“Are there no other Large Soldiers?”
“In truth… recently, we have had issues with them.”
“Issues? With the Large Soldiers?”
"Yes, all of our Large Soldiers became uncontrollable. We had no choice but to ship them off to Hong Yeon, the capital, for repair. Currently, we only have two Large Soldiers operational for mining. And to make matters worse, the pilots and mechanics have also been sent to Hong Yeon with them, so…”
“So things went from bad to worse…”
"Please, I cannot put a value on the lives of my miners. They are people's fathers, husbands, and sons. If anyone can rescue the miners from the mine, I..."
“...God damn it,” muttered Bang Jae, leaning back into his chair.
Contrary to their expectations, the third trial involved rescue, not negotiation.
“If we can’t enter normally…” began Seol Hong. “Couldn’t we just also wear the protective clothing?”
“But the protective clothing won’t work properly unless the Large Soldier continues to supply it with fuel.”
“Do we have to spell everything out for you, Seol Hong?” remarked Bang Jae.
Ignoring his insults, Seol Hong rubbed her chin and asked another question.
“I saw some Large Soldiers while coming to town. Are those not operational?”
"They're older models. They're difficult to operate, and the only person capable of operating them has already left for Hong Yeon..."
“I am simply asking whether they are operational or not. Can the older models move?”
Though confused, Seong Chi still provided an answer.
“Yes, they can. But why…”
As Seong Chi explained, the early Large Soldier models were extremely crude. Though they were designed to fight powerful monsters, they were not only difficult to control but also had numerous miscellaneous functions. It was clear that no one here would be capable of operating them.
The only people capable of doing so had already been dispatched to Hong Yeon.
"Then I guess we've reached a conclusion," said Bang Jae.
Stand…
"I give up," he continued, rising to his feet. "I will take a different trial."
“C-Could you please reconsider? The lives of your citizens are…”
"This isn't a situation they can be rescued from. Stop trying to force it," said Bang Jae before turning to Chi Woo. "Chi Woo, what will you do?"
Yawn…
“I’ll see first,” yawned Chi Woo.
“Tch… Do whatever you want.”
Bang Jae then promptly left the guest house after that.
Seong Chi despaired as one of the three had already given up.
“Is there really no way…”
“By ‘older model’... did you perhaps mean Earth King Unit 1?” asked Seol Hong.
“...What?”
Everyone in the guest house immediately turned to her.
“Would it be alright if I tried to activate it?”
“What do you…”
“I know how to operate the Earth King.”
* * *
Click, clack, clack!
Hummmmm…
Lights flickered on in the Large Soldier’s cockpit.
“I didn’t know you had a talent like this, Lady Seol Hong,” laughed Seol defeatedly.
“Why? Is it that surprising?” she responded.
“Isn’t it obvious that I would be shocked?”
A teenage girl was operating a massive mechanical soldier alone with just her small frame. It required a vivid imagination to expect such a sight.
“It’s the only talent I could be proud of, so… don’t compliment me too much, alright?” said Seol Hong from behind the cockpit.
“Did you learn mechanical engineering?” asked Chi Woo.
“Argh! What the hell?!”
“Heh… Why are you so scared?” laughed Chi Woo.
Seol Hong then looked at Seol.
Nod…
It appeared that Seol already knew that Chi Woo had snuck into the cockpit.
“...Master Chi Woo?” asked Seol Hong.
“You’re trying to go down there, right? Take me with you. I’m bored.”
It was incredibly foolish to want to enter a collapsed mineshaft out of sheer boredom.
“Well…” began Seol Hong. “I guess the reason doesn’t matter. We’ll end up facing the same danger anyway.”
“But why did you learn mechanical engineering?” Chi Woo asked. “Did the Dragon Emperor not teach you?”
Though the Dragon Emperor did not show interest in the Dragon’s Flowers, one thing was guaranteed for each of them.
They were all guaranteed the best education possible.
Obviously, they weren’t taught every subject. They were only taught what they had talent for.
“Though I had no talent in martial arts or Daoist spells…” began Seol Hong. “I was fortunate.”
Tap tap…
Hummmmmm!
The Large Soldier stood up.
- Earth King, activated.
- Hello, World! I am Earth King.
- Hello, Wor…
- Hel…
“They said they fixed everything, but I guess there are still some issues…”
Hummmmmmm…
After a while, Seol Hong checked the Earth King's maneuverability once more. It seemed she had already made up her mind to descend into the mine shaft.
“Lady Seol Hong…” said Cheon Ju.
“Cheon Ju? Hahaha! You look so small from here!” laughed Seol Hong.
As Cheon Ju stood closer to the robot’s feet than to its head, she looked tiny to Seol Hong.
“...Must you go?” asked Cheon Ju.
“And if I don’t?”
“......”
“Don’t worry, Cheon Ju. I have Seol with me, right?”
Seol nodded in response.
“Why do you always put yourself in harm’s way?!” cried Cheon Ju.
“What choice do I have? They always need me where it’s dangerous,” smiled Seol Hong.
“That’s…”
“Cheon Ju, I like hot baths.”
“...Huh?”
“Tumaku is also famous for its hot springs, you know? And I like hot baths.”
Cheon Ju gave up as Seol Hong flashed another smile.
“I shall prepare an appropriate place and wait… Please return safely.”
“Yeah.”
Hmmm…
Thunk…
Thunk…
They began to load the Large Soldier at the Sodoong Mine’s entrance.
“Fill it completely with fuel!” shouted Seol Hong. “We can take care of the food, no problem!”
There was no need to worry about food with Seol there. And though Seol also wanted to fill his inventory entirely with fuel, he could only fit two barrels due to their large size.
“Then… now…”
Just as Seol Hong was about to close the roof of the Large Soldier’s cockpit, the townspeople swarmed in. Like a herd of cattle, children and wives rushed toward them.
“...What is going on?”
By the time Seol Hong could make a shocked expression, a swarm of people had already gathered around her feet.
It seemed rumors about a Dragon’s Flower personally heading down into the mines to save the trapped miners had spread.
“Miss Dragon’s Flower…. Miss Dragon’s Flower… please bring back my husband.”
“My dad’s… My dad’s down there!”
“Miss Dragon’s Flower, please!”
“Please bring them back, no matter what!”
Seol Hong’s expression stiffened.
But then, someone's voice broke through, bringing silence with their question.
"Honestly... you don’t even have to do something this dangerous, right?"
“......”
“Then why are you going? Something like this is…”
The crowd had deliberately kept these questions to themselves, not wanting to test their faith. They were doing their best to remove thoughts of Seol Hong failing.
However, the answer they heard from her in response was something unexpected.
Haaah…
“Honestly, who would want to do this?” said Seol Hong. “It’s extremely likely that I die.”
“......”
It was a truth that everyone knew. Seol Hong was facing death on behalf of the townspeople.
While the crowd sympathized with her plight, they were not willing to die themselves. Their situations were incompletely different from Seol Hong's.
“It just so happened that the Sodoong Mine collapsed on the day I arrived, it also just so happened that I was the only one capable of controlling the Large Soldier. Why does my title matter in a situation like this? Well, perhaps my title as a Dragon’s Flower is also a coincidence?”
Though Seol Hong hadn’t intended on it, she was essentially giving them a speech. The only difference, though, was that she was fully intent on telling her truth instead of spurring them to action.
“Do you believe in me?”
“We do! S-So please… our family…”
“I believe in you, Miss Dragon’s Flower!”
“...Well, don’t,” responded Seol Hong.
“...What?”
“What do you…”
As the crowd began to murmur, she added a few lines.
"Do not feel relieved after entrusting the fate of those precious to you in someone else's hands."
“......”
"Pray. Pray until your voices can reach those buried underground."
Hummmmmmm…
Thunk…
Thunk…
The entrance to the Sodoong Mine was massive, featuring a lift necessary to descend its steep, cliff-like entrance.
Seol Hong's Large Soldier stepped onto the lift.
The cockpit door closed as the machine turned around.
As Seol Hong put on the respirator attached to the Large Soldier, covering half of her face, her voice echoed from the speakers.
“I am not your god. In the end, Dragon’s Flowers are humans as well. Therefore…”
Click!
The Large Soldier gave a salute.
“I will do my best. Descend!”
“Descend!”
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
The Large Soldier, carrying Seol Hong, Chi Woo, and Seol, descended into the darkness.
Into the endless abyss.
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