Chapter 86 (2/2)
‘W-what the…. f*ck….?' (Seol Ji-Hu)
Dazedly, he looked around before raising his head up only for his jaw to drop to the floor. He saw the night sky - past the hole with the circ.u.mference he couldn't even begin to fathom just how wide it was. That chilly-blue thing floating way up in the sky was definitely the moon.
‘Am I dreaming?!' (Seol Ji-Hu)
Seol Ji-Hu turned around and flinched. He found Teresa standing there with a shocked face, her line of sight looking diagonally at the bottom of the hole. He followed after her, and even his eyes tore open really wide next.
”I-isn't that….?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”….Yes, it's the research facility.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa muttered in a hushed voice.
As the word implied, the bottom of the hole was in a state of pure chaos. Although it was not clear to see, debris that must've been from the buildings were liberally strewn about. The structures above ground, the prison block, the hatchery, and even the experimental area, all of them had collapsed straight down to the ground.
Looking at this sight suddenly brought about a nasty case of gooseb.u.mps all over his skin. He recalled reading a news piece online about a sinkhole in the past.
Was it in j.a.pan? The ground in the middle of a city caved in and created a giant hole. He remembered feeling his bowels tighten after seeing a convenience store hanging precariously on the edge of the sinkhole back then. And this was exactly that spectacle. The previous layout of ‘ㅓ' was gone and now only ‘-‘ remained.
”….Princess?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”D-don't ask me. I don't know either.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa Hussey looked just as confused as he was. What on earth had happened while they were knocked out inside the dummy hideout?
The first one to recover her faculties was Teresa. She quickly estimated the height of the hole's edge from where they were; it was about five, maybe six metres from the first underground floor to the surface.
”Looks like we received the graces of the G.o.ds with those potion bottles.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa spoke in an excited voice and roused up her Magic Power. Bluish aura enveloped both of her hands.
Kwduk!!
Her five bent fingers stabbed deeply into the bedrock as if they were crus.h.i.+ng a block of tofu. Seol Ji-Hu was momentarily taken back before remembering that she was an upper-level being.
”Nice. With this….” (Teresa Hussey)
She proceeded to create two holes in the wall first, and then, stabbed the spear deeply in a spot just below them. She stood on the spear shaft and shoved her arm powerfully into the wall. After that, she placed her foot on the newly created hole and climbed up.
The spots she dug out became footholds; her arms proceeded to move up and down, her climbing speed rather rapid to behold.
He looked up in awe at her excellent rock-climbing skill before lowering his gaze while feeling a bit sheepish. Even if the current situation was like this, it didn't seem well-mannered to ‘look up' at her.
Not too long after, Teresa managed to escape out of the hole. Seol Ji-Hu felt lost, however; all he had to was to climb using the footholds she created, but his problem was with his useless left arm.
It was at that point that a thick rope dropped down before his eyes. Teresa was waving her hand at him from the surface.
”Don't try to grab it with your hand, just wrap it around you, instead! I'll pull you up!” (Teresa Hussey)
”….Ah.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Now that he thought about it, there was a rope in the bag, wasn't there? He pulled the ice spear out from the wall and tied the rope around his body. She roused up her Magic Power as much as possible and began pulling him out.
He became even more certain once he got near the surface. There was literally no moving thing here. The surroundings were decorated by collapsed ruins of buildings as if their current state was the result of poor construction.
‘Seriously now, what happened here?' (Seol Ji-Hu)
Did the high-ranking Parasite get p*ssed off and….? But, that made no sense. Or, maybe, a sinkhole really opened up quite coincidentally and with great timing?
”Fuu-woo!!” (Teresa Hussey)
Having successfully dragged him out of the hole, Teresa spat out a long, heavy sigh and plopped down on the ground. She might have consumed a bottle of healing potion, but that didn't mean her body had fully recovered. Seeing how tired she looked, he felt really apologetic. It felt like he had become baggage, a burden.
”I'm sorry.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Teresa Hussey had been catching her breaths with a relieved, light-hearted face, but her eyes went extra round from his words.
”About what?” (Teresa Hussey)
”Because of me, you….” (Seol Ji-Hu)
The end of his sentence blurred, but she simply snorted disinterestedly.
”You're speaking nonsense. Paying you the hefty tribute isn't going to be enough for everything you've done for me, you know? Hang on, you didn't say that because you really wanted to apologise, right?” (Teresa Hussey)
She grinned playfully and teased him while looking straight at him. At that moment, Seol Ji-Hu felt this strange mixture of emotions.
‘Her lips are smiling, but….' (Seol Ji-Hu)
Her eyes weren't laughing at all. Her two irises, the ones he always thought were rather pretty, were gleaming meaningfully under the chilly moonlight.
”Isn't that right? You said that because you were being polite, yes?” (Teresa Hussey)
She asked him again, this time a little more probing. Seol Ji-Hu swallowed back his saliva. He definitely didn't say those words because he was being polite at all.
Looking back, it was also the same story back during their first meeting. He felt this unexplainable attraction from her. For some reason, he wanted to stand up for her and take care of her. She was someone he wanted to help out. No strings attached.
However, he didn't know why. If he were to forcibly put it into words, then the feeling he got was akin to paying off his debt. Something like that.
”I guess I was right. You were saying it out of courtesy.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa's eyes were now slightly lonesome as she averted her gaze, but then…
”No, not at all.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
….He finally addressed her.
”Excuse me?” (Teresa Hussey)
”Before coming here, I was warned of a possible sniper. But I completely forgot about that, and it resulted in our current situation.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”…..”
”I'm truly sorry for being unable to rescue you properly. I'm serious.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
All traces of smiles were wiped off Teresa's expression. Her always-carefree face suddenly became scarily emotionless. He had never seen her react like this before.
”….Why?” (Teresa Hussey)
She finally opened her mouth.
”Why do you think that way? You're an Earthling, aren't you? You became like this because of me, right? Aren't you resentful?” (Teresa Hussey)
”Why do you say it's because of you, Princess?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Seol Ji-Hu calmly asked back.
”Regardless of who did it, the destruction of the laboratory had to be carried out. Am I wrong?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”W-well, that, that is true, but.” (Teresa Hussey)
She blinked her rapidly. As the light in her eyes grew stronger, the look of disbelief spread on her face even more.
‘What's gotten into her?' (Seol Ji-Hu)
He grew just a tad worried, wondering if he said something he shouldn't have, but then….
”Wow, so there was a person like him in the world, too….” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa murmured to herself. The gleam in her eyes also gradually quietened down.
”I'm surprised.” (Teresa Hussey)
”About?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”You were telling me the truth.” (Teresa Hussey)
Seol Ji-Hu scratched his cheek.
”Aren't you trusting me a bit too easily here, miss?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Well, there's a reason for that.” (Teresa Hussey)
She spoke with a rather hoa.r.s.e voice.
”Actually, I have an ability to read people, you see.” (Teresa Hussey)
”Excuse me?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Ahh, it's nothing much, really. One of my ancestors possessed the blood of a Sky Fairy, so….” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa Hussey hesitated slightly before quietly carrying on.
”Of course, a long time has pa.s.sed by since then. Every now and then, though, a child is born with an innate ability. Like me.” (Teresa Hussey)
”An innate ability??” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Seol Ji-Hu was flabbergasted.
”Yes.” (Teresa Hussey)
”Princess, you aren't supposed to reveal that to….” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Today's my first time revealing that. Please keep it as a secret between us.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa flatly retorted back to him. Seol Ji-Hu activated Nine Eyes and reflexively checked her Status Windows.
[Teresa Hussey's Status Window]
[4. Abilities.]
Innate abilities (1)
Job-related abilities (6)
Other abilities (4)
‘She really has one… W-what the heck is it now?' (Seol Ji-Hu)
There was another change that took place.
Her colour changed. A tinge of colour began seeping into Teresa's previous ‘no colour' state. And the blindingly gorgeous colour greeting him now was gold. The Golden Commandment, in other words.
She sneaked a couple of glances at the young man standing there like a scarecrow before trying to get up by pus.h.i.+ng down on the ground with her palm. But then,
”In any case, we… Ouch?!” (Teresa Hussey)
She frowned and hurriedly lifted her hand up.
”Are you alright?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Something small and sharp was digging into her palm. It was a small, scorched-black piece of something resembling grenade shrapnel.
”Argh, seriously now. What the heck is…. Eh?” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa tilted her head before her eyes narrowed to a slit.
”Hey, isn't this from a Thunder?” (Teresa Hussey)
”Thunder?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
She nodded her head.
”Yes. It's a stone with the power of the Earth Spirit condensed within. It also happens to possess incredible explosive power, too.” (Teresa Hussey)
”An explosive? You guys have explosives in this world, too?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Not explosives, but ‘Thunder'. It's called that because it makes the similar sort of racket to a thunderclap when it goes off.” (Teresa Hussey)
She corrected what he said with a simple explanation.
”In any case. I never heard of such a thing existing before.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Eii, unless it was the Empire, we don't have the technology to manufacture something like that. I told you just now, didn't I? The powers of the Earth Spirit have been condensed to create it.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa hurriedly waved her hands about as if to say it was impossible.
”If Magic Power is the exclusive domain of humanity, then Spirit magic is the exclusive domain of the Sky Fairies. Besides, the result of a master Dwarf artisan polis.h.i.+ng his technique to his limits is this thing, the Thunder. Should I say that it's the secret weapon of the Federation?” (Teresa Hussey)
”Wow…. No, hang on. They have things like this, yet they are on the back foot against the Parasites?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Teresa smirked softly.
”It's the opposite, actually. It's only because the Federation possesses things like this that they are managing to hold onto their tenuous balance. The main forces of the Parasites are truly beyond your imaginations, you know.” (Teresa Hussey)
”What about the Medusa….?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Sure, a Medusa is the ultimate evolution among the mid-tier Parasites, but still, if I were to be honest here, they are more like the leaders of local hoodlums, you know? When things like Nosferatus pop up, it's like, ‘Ohh, the Parasites are really serious this time', stuff like that.” (Teresa Hussey)
”Nosferatus?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”They are the Queen's personal elite guards. Besides all that…” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa replied with a short answer and scanned the ground. Similar sorts of shrapnel could be found here and there. She seemed utterly at a loss by what she saw.
”This is so weird. Why are these things here?” (Teresa Hussey)
[”We already thought about it. They were the ones that gave us the information, to begin with, so they must be operating their own infiltration squads, but….”] (Ian)
Seol Ji-Hu recalled what Ian told him before and spoke up.
”Could someone from the Federation have come here and destroyed this place? With that Thunder thing, I mean.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”The current circ.u.mstances say that might be the case….” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa crossed her arms across her chest. That possibility certainly made some sense. Especially if it was ‘that alien race' that invaded the Paradise but proceeded to construct the unified nation called the Federation, there was a good chance that they were responsible. Since they were capable of flight from the moment they were born, it'd be comparatively easier for them to make their approach.
”Doesn't sound too convincing, though.” (Teresa Hussey)
”In what regard?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”Back during the first mission, I got to find out how much importance the Parasites have placed to this place. If it weren't for Agnes, we wouldn't even have gotten anywhere remotely close to this place at all.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa continued on.
”And also, even though the Thunder is really, re~ally powerful, you gotta drop dozens of them in the exact same spot at the exact same time in order to create destruction of this scale. However, they have been guarding this place throughout day and night with no rest, so….” (Teresa Hussey)
She didn't finish her sentence, but he could more or less tell what she wanted to say. This ‘Thunder' might be an earth-shattering item, but in order to use it, one had to be in the vicinity of the laboratory first.
”The thing was, the defence perimeter set up by the Parasites that I've seen was just about perfect in every way. Didn't matter whether in the air or on the ground, there were keeping a very close eye for any intruders.” (Teresa Hussey)
Besides, the Parasites would have stepped up with their security after the first infiltration attempt ended in failure. The longer she thought about it, the deeper it felt like she was sinking into a quagmire.
”I don't know what to tell you, either.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
He shrugged his shoulders before briefly yelping out loudly. She watched him suffering in pain and broke out into a chuckle. She tried to get up, but then….
”Ouch! That stings!” (Teresa Hussey)
She pulled her head back and shouted out. The chains had pinched her skin.
”Urgh…. In any case, it's not important to us now.” (Teresa Hussey)
Which was true. They had no idea what happened here, but the important thing was, the laboratory had been crushed. And also, just because they managed to crawl outside, it was not the end of their trial, either.
They managed to overcome the first hurdle through unexpected luck, but they were still stuck in the middle of the enemy territory.
”Let's go, my prince.” (Teresa Hussey)
Teresa abruptly presented her hand. My prince, she said. Although his cheeks itched just then, it didn't sound too bad for some reason. Seol Ji-Hu sheepishly reached out as well.
Two of them held each other's hand and began looking in the same direction. It was in the direction of Haramark.
”Let's definitely go back home alive.” (Teresa Hussey)
She whispered to him, and he nodded his head in determination.
The real escape was about to begin for real now.
< 86.=”” strange=”” bedfellows=”” (1)=””> Fin.
(TL note: the t.i.tle of the chapter could have been TLed directly as ”Bitter enemies riding the same boat through fate/circ.u.mstances” but I thought I might as well go with ”Adversity makes strange bedfellows” instead. That was still too long for my liking, so ‘Strange Bedfellows”, it is.)