“Hmm, uuuh, hmm…”Joo-o hummed odd sounds—half-familiar, half-strange—while staring out the window.Rustle, munch.In that brief ride, he’d plunged his hand into his bag several times to pull out snacks. The paper-wrapped, palm-sized treat was clearly a fried meat sandwich; its faint mustard scent tickled the air. He’d evidently filled his bag with the best goodies, knowing there’d be no inspection.“Waaam, yum… hmm, uuuh.”“Either eat or sing—pick one.”“Hmm. Want some, Jin Muhae?”“I didn’t ask for it.”Even after Muhae’s rebuff, Joo-o merely tilted his head. Muhae’s pride prickled—this brat thought himself cleverer than anyone? Words from Dr. Jeong drifted back: he had to be blunt, or patients’ old wounds flared up. Boss Gil’s gossip agreed—Dr. Jeong wasn’t soft.Muhae scowled at the offered sandwich, then a large island rose into view—the landing point.Siiing—“If you’re done wiping your hands, get off.”“Here.”“Who am I supposed to give the trash to? Toss it inside.”Muhae tossed Joo-o a napkin and dragged the bike from beneath the craft. Watching six sandwiches vanish at once made him feel bloated by proxy. How many had Joo-o bought? He remembered him straining under a huge load before. Fate made him regret not stopping it.“I bet he’s broke by now.”With such wasteful habits, Joo-o must have almost no dil left. Soon he’d beg Muhae again—then Muhae would play it cool and watch him squirm.“Hehe.”Not knowing Muhae’s thoughts, Joo-o looped his clean hand around Muhae’s waist as they climbed onto the bike, his foolish smile bright in the sunlight. Stubborn, he clung and rubbed his cheek against Muhae’s shoulder. Joo-o’s sweet scent mingled with the breeze—as if he’d never eaten at all.“The back’s cramped.”“Don’t touch the rations. Eat them, and I’ll drop you at the shelter.”“I won’t. And even if you do, I’ll follow.”“Then swim after me.”Shaking off discomfort, Muhae rode along the cracked road. If they hit all three shelters quickly, they could reach the coordinates before sunset. He had no desire to spend another night in Takla; a tidy home beat a collapsing mattress any day.Grrrr—Muhae thrust his hand into the shelter’s opening and activated the mechanism. The massive door creaked open. He inhaled the stale air and strode inside.Click. The lights flickered on, revealing a sparse, worn interior—less ruinous than Iron Horse Valley’s shelters, thanks to Company upkeep.He opened the request checklist on his tablet and began inspecting each essential feature:Entrance mechanism: Functional. Opens slowly, closes quickly in manual mode.Exterior: Deep scratches—possible past attack, but no structural damage.Lighting: Fully operational.Emergency rations: More than half remain.Soundproofing: Not on the checklist; likely miners know to muffle noise.Surveillance camera: Destroyed; also unmaintained by the Company.Overall, safe enough for one night. The real challenge was getting here, not the shelter itself.“Do you hear anything outside?”“No.”“Then let’s go.”“Already done?”Joo-o bounced off the tattered mattress, disappointed despite thirty minutes passing. He always looked like he was off on a holiday, even when on a gig—strong and fearless, he barely registered danger.They checked two more identical shelters; miners rarely used them. Who’d choose to stay here? Frequent visitors would die two or three a month.“When do we arrive?”Joo-o murmured against Muhae’s shoulder. Without turning, Muhae checked the GPS: one kilometer left.[Takla 33.289 126.367][I wanted to meet in person in a closer place, but this seems the limit for now.]The note from his father’s records kept echoing in his mind. Anything real left here, or was it a fool’s hope?Vrrr—The bike slowed at a gentle hill. No path lay ahead—only dense undergrowth. Muhae drew his machete, swinging a wide arc. Tough ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) vines, strengthened by Crystal Blue, snapped and fell.“Wow. A knife.”“Keep up.”He tugged Joo-o’s sleeve; he would have followed regardless. Each step closer made Muhae’s heart pound.Finally, they reached a clearing. Muhae frowned.“Do you hear anything?”“No.”“Smell?”“Grass. And Jin Muhae.”No suspicious signs, per Joo-o’s assurance. The thinning sunset light signaled dusk—better to leave soon. Although distant from the crystal zone, wild beasts and anomalies still posed threats. Better to finish in an hour or spend an uncomfortable night here.‘Waste of time.’With a thunk, Muhae cut more vines. Eyes wide, he saw no markers—just thick foliage. Massaging his neck, he heard a sudden whistle.It was Joo-o, pursing his red lips. Turning, Muhae saw his gentle smile.“I just tried it. Haha. It sounds good.”“Why here?”“Well… something’s there.”Joo-o pointed to a left corner. Though nothing obvious stood out, Muhae approached, kicking aside vines. There, a slender rusted metal rod protruded—an antenna. Muhae bent to clear the plants, revealing a fist-sized cylindrical device, buried in earth and roots, with a broken antenna atop.“Yeah. That thing.”He picked it up, brushed off dirt, and held his power pack to it.Zuuuung.The device hummed and its flat surface flickered with dot-matrix lights.Ziiing! His link watch vibrated—an unauthorized access request.“…Well, shit.”Despite its sketchiness, he tapped “Accept.” Immediately, the device glowed, and a trembling hologram window flickered into view.

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