Chapter 39: Return
By the time Hwanryeong Team 2 returned to the base camp, having traveled quite a distance, the sun had set, and it was already growing dark.
It wasn’t the kind of place where a single day’s exploration would leave them exhausted, but the fatigue from the unfamiliar environment was undeniable. The team members, having shed their protective suits, looked visibly worn out.
“Feeling tired?”
“No, not at all!”
“Be honest about your condition. It’s your first time in a lava zone, so I’m not going to judge. Your mana must be draining quite a bit too.”
“…Well, I’m a bit tired.”
The team members seized the opportunity to respond to Yoo Soha’s words. She nodded in acknowledgment.
“Alright, since there’s nothing else planned for today, get some rest. We’ll sleep and then discuss our next steps tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Oh, one more thing before you go. The inside of the protective suits—it was pretty hot, right?”
“Yes, I thought I was going to boil.”
Yoo Soha nodded at the response.
As expected, even with water-attribute mages, the heat of the lava zone wasn’t something to take lightly.
They needed a plan.
“Got it. For now… let’s rest.”
“Yes!”
“Oh, and just in case, I’ve prepared ice packs. Use them if you need to. If anyone’s feeling unwell, get checked by the medical team.”
“Yes!”
“Good work today. You’re dismissed for now. We’ll eat, rest, and regroup at 10 p.m.”
“Understood!”
“Phew.”
Inside the base camp, Yoo Soha stood under the shower in her quarters, letting out a sigh as the water poured over her.
Her skin was flushed red in patches. The heat coursing through her body made her skin feel scalding to the touch.
The intense heat of the lava zone had taken its toll, even with Baek Sihu and Eun Hyeongwon’s assistance.
The cold water helped somewhat, but a fundamental problem remained.
“Damn lava zone.”
The environment.
Awakeners typically didn’t tire easily, yet they were this exhausted.
It was a troublesome situation.
Even after the rigorous training with Eclipse, which had significantly boosted the team’s stamina, they were in this state. She might need to adjust the plan going forward.
For now, the absence of strong beasts meant no immediate issues, but if a powerful beast appeared suddenly, the team’s depleted stamina due to the harsh environment would be a liability.
“What to do…”
Moreover, even though they’d set up the base camp right at the edge of Tosan County, North Hwanghae was vast.
Exploring such a large area would require forward bases. But with the terrain in this state, even a forward base wouldn’t provide proper rest.
After her shower, Yoo Soha racked her brain, trying to devise a strategy for conquering North Hwanghae.
But no clear solution came to mind, and she eventually dropped her pen and clutched her head.
“Damn it.”
The words slipped out instinctively.
She shook her head.
‘This is going nowhere. If I can’t find an answer now, I’ll gather more information later. For now, I need to focus on preparing supplies to endure the lava zone.’
At least the heat issue could be somewhat mitigated with ice packs.
They wouldn’t stay cold for long, but that could be handled by relying on Baek Sihu and Eun Hyeongwon. Water-attribute mages could typically manipulate cold as well.
‘Let’s secure plenty of ice packs for now. That’s all we can do. Water can be handled by Baek Sihu and Eun Hyeongwon too. To think, after all this planning, the best solution is just stocking up on ice packs… There’s just not enough information.’
After a brief sigh, she began thinking again.
‘For now, we’ll focus on regional reconnaissance. If we find a relatively cooler area suitable for a forward base, we’ll set one up there and proceed accordingly.’
Knock, knock.
Just as Yoo Soha was starting to get a handle on her plans, someone knocked on her door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Soha.”
It was Eclipse, who had been assigned a separate room.
As a guardian, he couldn’t stray far from his awakener unless materialized.
When not materialized, he could see Yoo Soha, but he didn’t want to intrude on her private moments, like showering or personal time. Thus, Eclipse always had a separate room, even for this North Korea expedition.
“Eclipse? Come in.”
Opening the door revealed Eclipse, still clad in his tattered armor.
“What’s up?”
“I was wondering how you’re holding up. Are you feeling okay?”
“What? Why the sudden concern?”
“The other team members looked pretty exhausted, so I thought you might be too.”
“No need to worry about me.”
“Really, I’m fine. Don’t fuss over nothing. I’m okay.”
“…Are you sure?”
Eclipse could tell at a glance that Yoo Soha was putting on a front. It was impossible not to notice.
Even on the way back, her movements had been noticeably sluggish, hadn’t they?
Able to pick up on even the smallest details of Yoo Soha’s behavior, Eclipse knew she was quite fatigued.
“I said I’m fine.”
“It doesn’t look that way at all.”
“I’m fine. How am I supposed to lead this expedition if I collapse from something like this?”
“…Alright, I understand.”
“So, is that all?”
“No, actually… there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Something to tell me? What?”
Yoo Soha looked at Eclipse curiously as he spoke.
“Today, in the lava zone—no, further out—I sensed a powerful hostility. I couldn’t gauge the exact distance, but there’s definitely a dangerous presence.”
“…What?”
Yoo Soha’s expression turned grave.
“If you hadn’t pulled the team back, I would have intervened.”
“For you to say that, it must be something incredibly strong…”
“I don’t know the details yet. I just felt it. But one thing I’m certain of…”
“…?”
“It’s strong. Too strong for you and your team to handle.”
“That strong?”
“Yes. So, when heading deeper, you’d better be thoroughly prepared.”
“Got it. Thanks for the info. But why didn’t you mention it earlier?”
“I remembered you said you wanted to rely on my help as little as possible, so I was cautious.”
“…Oh.”
“Then I’ll assume it’s okay to share this kind of information.”
“Yeah. I’d prefer not to rely on even that kind of help, but… this place seems more dangerous than I thought, so I guess I have no choice.”
Yoo Soha gave Eclipse a sheepish smile.
“Alright, I’ve said what I needed to. Rest well.”
“Okay.”
Eclipse reached for the door.
But he didn’t leave immediately.
“…Eclipse?”
“Soha.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’m the team leader. I have to lead the team without any issues. The moment I waver, the team loses its cohesion.”
Yoo Soha replied firmly, signaling she wouldn’t accept his advice.
“Alright.”
Eclipse understood but didn’t press further.
He knew her personality.
She pursued perfection.
Her pride was sky-high, and she believed everything she did had to succeed.
The reason Yoo Soha sought perfection was simple.
She was arrogant. Her arrogance made her believe she was always right.
Perfection meant no mistakes, no errors.
Thus, Yoo Soha believed only the perfect had the right to be arrogant and strove for perfection.
Only the perfect had the right to point out others’ flaws.
“I was wrong. That was my mistake.”
Such words were unacceptable to her inner self. She had to always be right.
As someone like that led the team, it was only natural she’d aim for perfection in every task.
Even when exhausted, she’d hide it, feigning energy to lead the team.
Ultimately, she’d wear herself down. Humans, by nature, couldn’t be perfect.
Eclipse knew this but didn’t tell her.
Because that was what he wanted to learn from her.
The pursuit of perfection and using that perfection to bend others to her will.
That’s what he sought to learn from her.
Of course, he had no intention of letting her collapse due to her stubbornness.
He’d take appropriate measures when the time came.
But now wasn’t that time.
So, Eclipse left her room without saying anything more.