Chapter 98

Thundercloud

End point.

A term that refers to the moment when a commanding force can no longer carry out operations due to various factors.

It’s one of the essential considerations when commanding a military unit.

This concept of an end point isn’t limited to the military alone.

“I think it’s about time we head back. If we continue the exploration for more than a day under the current conditions, we might not make it back to the surface.”

Irena voiced her opinion to Kairus.

She was a knight. She was trained and evaluated for her ability to command troops. Her conclusion, drawn from knowledge gained through experience and study, was reasonable.

“I know.”

Likewise, Kairus had experience in the military. He agreed with Irena’s words.

Even so, Kairus wasn’t entirely sure that turning back here was the right choice.

“Feels like we’re almost there, though.”

“Are you sure? We’re talking about the lives of four people here.”

At Irena’s pointed remark, Kairus let out a small sigh. He agreed that proceeding safely was the better course of action.

Just as he was about to speak, having decided to head back—

“Not yet.”

Melvin spoke first.

“There’s a chance we might not have to go back just yet. I think we’re almost there, like Kairus said. If we can hold out just a little longer.”

Even Kairus hadn’t expected those words to come from Melvin.

Melvin had been struggling with relying solely on nutrition blocks for food, frequently dry heaving, and suffering from insomnia and low-grade fevers.

If there was anyone here who most wanted to return to the surface as quickly as possible, it would obviously be Melvin, since this was his first time experiencing something like this.

“He’s saying it himself. And he’s the expert.”

“We still have a day left, don’t we?”

Irena responded to Melvin’s words.

“That’s cutting it too close. If a battle breaks out on the way back, or if the path suddenly becomes blocked and we have to reroute…”

That extra day was their margin for emergencies.

If they used all that time for exploration, they might find themselves in an unthinkable danger from the slightest mistake.

“We have to go back now. You know that, don’t you?”

Irena spoke firmly to Kairus.

“Yeah. If I’m being generous, I’d call it a hunch. If I’m not, it’s just lingering attachment.”

Kairus readily accepted Irena’s proposal. It was better to turn back.

“That’s not true. It’s not without basis.”

At Melvin’s assertion, Kairus turned his eyes to him again.

“Look at the floor. You’ll understand.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Kairus replied to Melvin that way as he looked down at the floor.

“It took a long time to build Pontus. And the places where construction materials could be procured kept changing over time.”

Melvin spoke confidently as he tapped the floor with his hand.

“The deeper you go into the Dimensional Maze and Pontus, the more you see the later styles of the Dersos civilization. It’s inevitable.”

His voice brimmed with confidence.

It was proof that he wasn’t just a so-called archaeologist, and that he hadn’t been granted access to the Rezantin Museum without reason.

“But you can tell how much farther we have to go from that?”

“This area resembles the architectural style from when construction was completed. Look here, at the relief carving of the lily on this wall.”

At Melvin’s words, Kairus looked at the pattern on the wall.

“This is a lily?”

“Yes, more precisely, a symbol. The Dersos civilization loved lilies and expressed them in various forms over the ages.”

And according to Melvin, the lily design carved here dated back to about 200 years before Pontus was completed.

“Considering the time gap between the completion of the Dimensional Maze and Pontus, it means we’re almost there.”

According to Melvin, there was about a 150-year difference between the completion of the Dimensional Maze and Pontus.

After listening to his enthusiastic explanation, Kairus glanced at Irena.

“If you’re asking for my opinion, I still say we should go back and return later. But… Dr. Istovan’s words do make sense.”

After some hesitation, Irena let her words trail off.

“Let’s keep going.”

The decision was made. The feeling that they were almost there was no longer just a hunch or attachment.

Melvin had presented evidence, and after hearing him out, it made enough sense.

“You’d have to be insane to dig out an underground structure like this and complete it from the bottom up.”

It was only logical to dig from the surface and complete each section downward, not the other way around.

“Maybe your father helped in some way.”

At Kairus’s words, Tanya quietly made the sign of the cross and responded softly.

“I’m glad the path my father prepared for me has become a blessing for all of you as well.”

Tanya didn’t worry about herself. She had no reason to. She was always lucky.

The reason she was genuinely happy was because everyone with her was safe.

After hearing Melvin’s explanation, Kairus and his group decided to continue their investigation for about four more hours.

“…”

The result of Tanya’s good fortune, Melvin’s knowledge, and Kairus’s sense of direction combining into one—

The ancient Dersos shelter.

The entrance to Pontus.

“It’s certain. You just need to place the Yucheok Sword in the mouth of this dog-shaped ceramic figure.”

“A puppy with three eyes, huh.”

Kairus examined the dog-shaped figure.

It was glossy black. It appeared to be made from the same ceramic material as the traps they had seen earlier in the Dimensional Maze.

It must have been crafted that way to preserve its form unaltered through the passage of time.

“I’ve recorded all the coordinates.”

The notebook was complete.

“Still, I didn’t expect it to fill up five entire volumes.”

Melvin stared at the notebooks with a dumbfounded expression.

“It’s a shame they’re single-use.”

If the Rose Garden got their hands on those notebooks, they would thoroughly investigate whether there were any extra copies and then destroy them.

But it didn’t matter. Now that Kairus had arrived here once, he could find his way back again whenever he wanted.

“Alright. Now we just go back and…”

Once he secured the Yucheok Sword and returned here, that would be it.

It had been a disgustingly long and difficult path, but somehow, Kairus had found a way to erase the death sentence Cecilia had stamped on his forehead.

“Hellooo~ Can you hear me?”

But contrary to Kairus’s belief that everything was finally over, it wasn’t.

Kairus flinched slightly at the whisper-like voice that echoed from the darkness behind him.

“Lunaseeker, huh.”

Instead of a response, a girl’s laughter echoed in return.

“I’m Nora Galatea. From the Lunaseeker Agency and… what was it again… right.”

Listening to Nora’s cheerful chatter from within the darkness, Kairus drew the Flicker.

“Aww? I don’t really want to fight though.”

“If you don’t want to fight, why don’t you show yourself and talk?”

“If you drop that sword on the floor and raise your hands, I might consider showing myself~”

Kairus gave a dry chuckle at her words.

“Bullshit.”

“You’re the one talking bullshit, mister. Telling a Lunaseeker to show herself? Get real.”

Of course, Kairus had planned to strike the moment she showed herself.

Suddenly, a sheet of paper and a stamp pad flew toward him from the darkness. He could have caught them, but he didn’t.

Instead, he remained alert, watching the shadows.

“If you write that I discovered Pontus first and everyone stamps it with their thumbprints, we can all go home without anyone dying.”

So she was offering to avoid a fight if they handed Pontus over. Kairus laughed at the suggestion.

“Sorry. The situation’s a bit complicated.”

“Come on, no matter how complicated it is, nothing’s more complicated than staying alive, right?”

Kairus replied to Nora’s words.

“You’re right. Nothing’s more complicated than staying alive. If I don’t hand Pontus over to the Rose Garden, I die.”

“Ah. I see.”

That was Nora’s only reaction to his words.

At the same time, she pushed her senses to their absolute limit. Negotiation with Kairus was no longer an option.

“One of you is unavoidable. So I’ll let the other three live.”

In this situation, there was a clear course of action for a Lunaseeker agent.

From Nora Galatea’s point of view, everything would be resolved as long as she killed Kairus.

♩♬♪♪♩♬

With a crisp snap, something broke, and all light vanished, plunging them into darkness.

At the same time, a faint humming echoed from all directions.

“Irena, don’t move. Actually, nobody move.”

At Kairus’s words, Irena, who had drawn her stained glass blade, flinched.

“That’s a good choice. You’re more sentimental than I expected, mister.”

Nora paused her humming briefly, speaking in a voice laced with laughter.

“You just need to kill me, right? No need to make this more complicated.”

As he spoke, Kairus twisted his body and swung his sword forcefully toward his rear.

Just in time, the yataghan aiming for the back of his neck clashed with Flicker, sparks flying.

He wasn’t worried about Irena dying. What mattered was that her movements could interfere with his senses.

It was actually easier to fight when no one else was moving.

“I’m guessing the lights won’t be coming back on.”

“Maybe? Maybe not? Will I die this time?”

As Kairus tilted his head back, the yataghan shot upward, stabbing through the air where his chin had been just moments earlier.

Before he could counterattack, the blade once again melted into the darkness.

“You’re the first to dodge twice since I graduated training!”

“There’s a lot of firsts coming your way today. Don’t be too surprised.”

“Hope so!”

The add-ons used by Lunaseeker agents manipulated human senses. Relying on instinct alone wouldn’t work.

He needed something even more primal.

Now!

He guessed when the attack would come—guessed where it would come from—purely on instinct.

“Whoa. What are you, mister?”

Once again, the yataghan was blocked by Flicker, ringing out with a sharp metallic screech.

In the flurry of sparks, Nora’s face flashed briefly into view.

“Blonde hair and blue eyes, huh.”

This time, he didn’t just block the attack—he took it a step further and managed to grab Nora’s wrist.

Just then, a sharp swoosh brushed past Kairus’s ear. He quickly pulled back the hand holding her wrist.

Had he been even slightly slower, the yataghan’s blade would’ve taken his hand.

“Almost got myself killed.”

“Mister, how much do you really know about the Lunaseekers?”

Nora’s last move was something no one unfamiliar with the Lunaseekers could’ve anticipated.

If a normal person’s wrist moved like that, their joint would’ve shattered.

“What’s a Lunaseeker? Is it something you eat?”

Kairus replied in a nonchalant tone.

“Or was it the name of my pet dog?”

Realizing Kairus wasn’t planning on giving a proper answer, Nora shot back, unwilling to be outdone.

Then, she blew her whistle with all her might. A sharp pain pierced Kairus’s ears, making him grimace.

A shrill beeeeeeeeep rang out. Blowing the whistle, Nora lunged for Kairus’s neck.

“Damn brat. That was dangerous.”

Kairus rubbed the wound left on the back of his neck. If it had been just a bit deeper, she might’ve cut a vein.

Cold sweat ran down Kairus’s back.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.