As Sergeant Shin Young-joon returned to the base, a salute was exchanged between him and Lee Sang-ah.
The soldiers around them could only stand in awe, mouths agape. The sight before them was nothing short of miraculous: the earth itself seemed to shift, with massive trees parting as if guiding a path.
“What on earth is happening?” one soldier murmured.
“Just roll with it. Let’s not forget what we’ve seen,” another replied, still captivated.
While the others were grappling with their astonishment, Sang-ah quickly approached Young-joon, her expression shifting from shock to concern. “What happened in there? What’s going on?”
“Ah, be careful!”
Just as she stepped between the splintered roots of the trees, a massive root suddenly thrust itself into her path, blocking her way.
“Calm down!”
“Um, I don’t think you mean me,” Sang-ah replied, placing a hand over her heart while observing the imposing root.
I chuckled at her reaction and replied, “I was talking to this guy.” I reached out to gently stroke the large root. “Relax. This one here is a friend of mine. You don’t need to worry.”
Proceeding at my soothing words, the root made a soft rustling noise before retreating back to the ground, seemingly calming.
“What exactly is going on?” Sang-ah asked, still bewildered.
“Remember what I told you? Things worked out better than expected,” Young-joon said with a grin. “We’re friends now.”
* * *
“Anyway, just know that everything went well. And…”
Ignoring Sang-ah’s incredulous stare, I called out, “Is Cheol-wook here?”
The farmer type awakened sprang forth from the group of soldiers.
“Sir! How did everything go? Was it successful?”
“Thanks to you.”
“Wow!”
Cheol-wook’s genuine joy hinted at his pride in the fertilizer-making techniques that he had taught me. “That’s a wonderful news! I’m so relieved!”
“And there’s another piece of good news,” Young-joon added.
“Yes?”
“About what’s growing in there… what did you call them? Things that ignite the spirit of a farmer?”
“Oh! Yes, I did mention that,” Cheol-wook said, excitement glowing on his face.
“Got it. Just know this: you’re allowed to cultivate what’s in there. When I’m not around and make sure to take care of the fertilizer as well.”
“Th-thank you!”
Unlike my strategy of combining combat and cooking and gaining experience, Cheol-wook had been strictly focusing on his farming skills. To him, being allowed to grow more crops meant significantly expanding his potential.
He bowed deeply, gratitude evident in his posture.
“However, there’s something you must keep in mind.”
“…?”
“When I first discovered it, its appearance had already changed significantly. While this might spark your curiosity and wonder, be cautious and don’t approach hastily.”
Alraune, who could be compared to a malnourished human, had a grotesque face lodged at the center of the tree.
“Seeing it in its proper nutritional state resulted in quite an unsettling transformation. If you approach it recklessly, it could attack.”
For now I’m its only friend and the only one it acknowledges.
Moreover, having become friends with Alraune offered another significant advantage.
“We can entrust the defense of the back of the base to that forest.”
Acquiring a formidable ally was a massive gain, especially since most of the battle-ready members were currently deployed to Chuncheon. Though Inje-gun was relatively stabilized, there had been a considerable reduction in defensive strength.
It was hard to dismiss the possibility of some creature appearing unexpectedly.
‘With this, I’ll be able to worry far less.’
Now that Alraune had made this base his home, letting his friend’s house fall apart was not an option.
***
‘Now that I’ve replenished the veggies, it’s time to return to Chuncheon.’
As these thoughts settled in, a soldier called out, “Commander!”
“What is it?”
“The man has awakened!”
“Which man?”
“As you ordered, I’m reporting that the patient in the medical ward is awake.”
“Ah, I see—then I can’t leave just yet.”
* * *
Following the soldier’s guidance, I arrived at the medical ward. The man who had been unconscious just days prior was now finally awake.
He looked around, eyes wide with apprehension.
“Are you, um, the esteemed person the soldiers spoke of?” he stammered, clearly nervous.
“Well, you could say that,” I replied casually.
“Ah! Thank goodness! I need to talk to you.”
Upon saying so, the man grasped my collar tightly, voice shaking. “Please, help my hometown… Chuncheon. It’s a nightmare there!”
“Oh, that’s already been taken care of.”
“Really? The whole area flooded… Wait, what?” It was at that moment when I realized how long the man had been disoriented.
“Oh, I see.”
He explained the events that had transpired in Chuncheon—the rescue mission leading to a cleared dungeon and the people’s safe escape.
The man breathed a sigh of relief. “I felt like I had said something just before passing out, but I wasn’t certain… I knew it wasn’t a mere illusion…”
“From what I gathered, if things had delayed just a bit longer, people would have been on the brink of war over food shortages. You saved many lives.”
“O, oh! Thank goodness! Thank you so much!”
His tears shone in the dim light as he bowed deeply. There was genuine emotion in his voice.
“Though, I’m curious about something.”
“Yes? Ask me anything! You saved my hometown, after all!”
“Were you one of the people trapped in that dungeon?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Young-joon had long held a question in mind.
“How did you escape that dungeon?”
He was the only one known to have successfully left.
“Every other person believed the waterfall that isolated the city wasn’t ordinary—it had immense pressure, enough to crush through even thick iron. No one anticipated even attempting to escape. How did you…”