Chapter 102 – Kraken’s Core (2)

No matter how much Sun-woo checked, the skill window had no changes, and each skill checked just in case also didn’t differ from before.

But because his head definitely felt different from before, Sun-woo had no choice but to be perplexed for quite a while.

‘Is it because connection with the Summoner is cut? Or is there another reason?’

As expected, there was too little information. And Sun-woo recalled the smile Sylvia made when returning the core just before.

“Did she know it would turn out like this?”

Sun-woo immediately felt wronged but soon shook his head. Sylvia didn’t seem to harbor other intentions. If she knew there was no effect, she clearly would have told him right away.

“Then what on earth is it?”

Eventually, Sun-woo sighed and put away the phone. Looks like he had to ask Sylvia.

***

Several hours later, the party moved their steps to the building where they had dimensional travel recently, guided by Clara.

The party that relieved fatigue for even a short time had vigor on their faces except for the black knight and gravity ability user.

While going to the building, Clara and Hayden walked side by side sharing stories from that time.

At that affectionate appearance, Michael resolved to drink heartily with women as soon as he returned.

[Really became crowded with people. If Sun-woo-ssi hadn’t found a new passage, would have been in big trouble.]

Nan-seol looked around the street filled with people then whispered to Sun-woo through telepathy. Certainly the underground city was bustling with people.

As she said, if they hadn’t found the new underground river and passage, the underground city clearly would have become endangered with various problems.

But Sun-woo had no choice but to shake his head at her words.

“The scavengers seem to have saved many people meanwhile. And it’s what Sylvia and underground city people did. I just added a foot.”

Before departure, he told the party what he was called for, so the party all knew he drilled through the underground river and city.

Thanks to that, he seemed to have resolved another matter, but this time truly what Sun-woo himself did wasn’t so much.

“I see.”

Nan-seol immediately believed Sun-woo’s words. Though such stories didn’t need believing, Nan-seol had no shred of doubt.

As someone who had done missions together with Sun-woo, she had never seen cases where Sun-woo said empty words.

Of course, there were absolutely no cases of false modesty either!

Sun-woo walked the crowded road with the party while feeling slightly awkward.

Despite too many people, they could arrive easily.

Because people made way for them to pass.

Though many people knew Clara and other party members, most gazes were directed toward Sun-woo.

Because when Sun-woo drilled the water vein last time, many people watched that appearance even from afar, and even now at this moment, those rumors spread in an instant.

“A, a celebrity.”

Michael slightly teased Sun-woo, but Sun-woo only felt burdened by surrounding gazes.

The building where they did dimensional travel last time had the interior changed quite differently from before.

The flat floor was dug deeply downward in stairs giving a feeling like a theater or performance hall.

“We repaired it after last time’s accident. A big hole formed, so we carved down the surroundings to match that hole.”

Seer Sylvia who was waiting inside the building answered when the party looked around.

She was talking about the pit Sun-woo dug deeply when Sylvia ran wild last time.

Her expression speaking darkened slightly. Because that time’s events came to mind.

Though it wasn’t intentionally caused rampage, still the former prophet lost life because of her.

Now able to see the future, she knew all those events were in the prophet’s plans, but still couldn’t help sadness rising.

The party that came down stairs saw amplification stones floating in a circle at the building center like before and the spatial ability user sitting at their center.

The spatial ability user’s face seen after a long time was blackened to death. At his appearance with fatigue plastered all over his face, the party naturally felt sympathetic.

“This should be okay, right?”

Even that stoic Daniel whispered small to the party with concern, and the spatial ability user who opportunely opened his eyes strode toward the party.

He cleanly passed Daniel with a troubled face and firmly grasped Sun-woo’s hand.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

His face expressing thanks while grasping his hand was that of a believer seeing a savior.

To Sun-woo and the party looking at him with absurd expressions, he continued speaking.

“A little while ago, I heard you drilled a new path leading to the surface. Thanks to you, I’m saved.”

After entrances were blocked due to contaminated humans’ attacks, the only method of passage with outside was spatial movement.

In the underground city with all entrances blocked, they had no choice but to utilize the spatial ability user maximally. Though unable to use it frequently and unable to move many personnel at once.

“The new Seer said there would be a method, but the difficulty doesn’t go anywhere, does it? Now that a path opened, can rest a bit.”

Looks like Sylvia still wasn’t acknowledged as much as the former prophet.

The spatial ability user’s thoughtlessly brought up words felt slightly tinged with discontent.

And Sun-woo who saw Sylvia’s eyes narrow slightly at that moment expressed deep condolences for the spatial ability user’s future.

Sylvia who briefly revealed her inner thoughts when alone together wasn’t an ocean-hearted person like the former prophet.

Anyway, the party headed toward where amplification stones were, guided by the spatial ability user who rather welcomed them, and Sun-woo briefly remained there throwing a question to Sylvia.

It was a question about the skill window checked several hours ago.

“By any chance, when you saw the future, didn’t you see that my abilities had no changes?”

But Sylvia shook her head while making that mysterious smile seen before again.

“No, it definitely changed.”

Sun-woo became bewildered at her words and asked what changed, but she didn’t answer.

“You’ll know soon.”

Looks like she wouldn’t say precisely this time either. Having heard reasons why it’s difficult to speak about the future just before, asking more looked difficult.

“And unfortunately, only enough amplification stones remain for you all to return. Please take care of Sophia.”

Sylvia looked at Sun-woo intently while bringing up different talk. If there were no amplification stones to give Sylvia, there was no way to return, but she seemed to trust Sun-woo.

Sun-woo also recalled a method at her words. Looks like more work would increase.

“Now, moving!”

Where did the quiet impression seen last time go? The spatial ability user shouted loudly with fatigue-plastered face.

Soon a large black hole formed below the party and Sun-woo’s party was sucked into the hole.

“Then now it’s our turn to work.”

After lastly looking at where the party disappeared, Sylvia exited the building together with Hayden.

Now they gained passages that could go throughout the Empire and wide space, plus a large river with uncontaminated fish.

And possibility to eliminate contamination also appeared. Of course, with the underground city’s current capabilities, eliminating even one facility wasn’t easy. However, finding facilities spread throughout the Empire was sufficiently possible.

Sylvia planned to wait. Sun-woo and the party would return.

The former prophet’s prophecy wasn’t wrong. In the future she saw too, Sun-woo was the underground city’s future.

***

The place the party appeared again was the nameless island they came to several times.

Since the spatial ability user only knew this place, the party always did dimensional travel here.

And when the party appeared on the island, the Summoner’s voice was immediately heard.

[Please convey detailed contents to the Association’s Chairman. Will do spatial movement soon.]

Looks like those guys above waited with necks stretched out. They intended to immediately do spatial movement without even giving rest time.

Personnel from other dimensions also received missions to report to their own dimensions.

Sun-woo’s party exchanged greetings while looking at each other, and also bid silent farewells to the black knight and gravity ability user Diane who came together with them.

Diane unexpectedly didn’t remain in the underground city. Though she hadn’t gone to her hometown, with the entire Empire changed, her hometown couldn’t be intact.

Though she wasn’t without desire to check, she didn’t want to stay together with scavengers because of that.

And she had no intention of leaving the black knight’s side.

Now with high possibility no more people connected to her remained, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him who sacrificed for her.

[Starting movement.]

Shortly after, with the Summoner’s voice, the party disappeared from the island one by one.

***

The place Sun-woo and Michael appeared again was the office with glass windows filling one side that they saw before. It was exactly Chairman’s office of <Cleanse> headquarters in San Francisco.

Though previously an empty office, this time the office wasn’t empty. The three directors met before were gathered in the chairman’s office.

“Then she will be kept at headquarters…”

They looked like they were discussing something important, and they were startled at Sun-woo and Michael suddenly appearing.

The directors immediately recognized Sun-woo and Michael and made welcoming expressions.

They seemed to know where Sun-woo and Michael came from. Well, if Association representatives, the Summoner might inform them.

“Welcome, we were waiting for when you’d return.”

With Douglas’s welcoming greeting, the two people’s reports immediately followed.

Contamination facilities and contaminated neidan and amplification stones discovered there, and giant monsters flocking to contaminated regions.

However, Sun-woo didn’t mention his personal stories, the prophet, and the underground city story of newly making tunnels.

They were stories with no particular need to inform Summoner and Association people, nor did he want to inform them.

Moreover, underground city matters and stories about the prophet were things the Summoner didn’t know at all. No need to unnecessarily step forward revealing information.

Finishing the story, Sun-woo lastly took out the <Contaminated Neidan>. When the murky-colored neidan was placed on the table, the directors made startled expressions.

“It’s evidence and the item becoming the contamination facility’s core.”

With this, Sun-woo’s missions were all finished.

After asking several more questions, the directors let the two people go ending with Chairman Douglas’s words.

“Good work. I was keeping people who worked hard. Please write a detailed report. And besides points the Summoner gives, will pay a separate bonus.”

At Chairman Douglas’s words, Michael clenched his fist. Because he could properly drink heartily.

“By any chance, did a spatial ability user not come here?”

When Sun-woo leaving the chairman’s office threw a question, Chairman Douglas’s forehead slightly wrinkled.

“…Arrived safely well. We’re protecting safely.”

The chairman answered Sun-woo’s words after pausing slightly.

“Then by any chance, could I see them before returning to Korea?”

The chairman who thought briefly at Sun-woo’s words nodded.

“Will let you meet before tomorrow’s departure.”

With this conversation finished, Sun-woo and Michael exited the chairman’s office. Michael excitedly ran to a bar, and Sun-woo guided by a secretary spent one night at lodgings inside headquarters where he stayed before.

And the next day, Sun-woo came to know the effect of eating the <Kraken’s Core>.