"We need to devise a way to extract him."
Tapping the ground to assess the shadow's solidity, Sihyun looked at the remaining team members. Their faces fell in disappointment. They had been pleased to see the end of this long and tedious search, but finding Hamin's location did not mean the end. The task wouldn't be complete until they safely rescued him.
The challenge lay in how to extract Hamin.
The most viable option seemed to be digging through the ground with a blade, but that required either the use of aura or considerable strength. Even with sufficient strength, reckless digging was not an option, as a misstep could lead the blade to impale Hamin's shoulder or thigh—a horrifying thought.
Moreover, there was no guarantee that Hamin would be found alive. In a situation demanding utmost caution, the team members groaned.
"...I can dig through the ground, but the problem is locating the student."
After a moment of silence, Jichang spoke up. Indeed, with his strength, digging was feasible. Sihyun's spirits briefly lifted, only to be dampened by the ensuing complications. Without knowing Hamin's exact depth, they couldn't just start digging.
"Ah, it would be so much easier if we had an aura user now."
A team member who had injured his leg earlier lamented. When Sihyun inquired if anyone could use aura, all he received were negative responses. Remembering his classmates, Sihyun chuckled to himself.
Seowoo, Hamin, and Haru were all aura users, making him wonder if it was something anyone could do, but it seemed to be challenging indeed. Among the dispatched search team, only Jichang and the man from earlier were of the swordsman class.
"How would using aura make a difference?"
"Aura users can sense the presence of others through their aura, right? I thought that might work in this situation too."
A man with his hands clasped behind his head suggested. Remembering Hyuk from the lab, the method seemed feasible. Lost in thought, Sihyun suddenly let out a soft sigh, catching everyone's attention with his tone of revelation.
"It's about sensing presences."
"Yes."
"Do you think only aura users can do that?"
"What?"
At Sihyun's question, the team members looked puzzled, as if they had heard something absurd. Sihyun fell silent, contemplating. If aura involved emitting energy to detect people's breathing or movements, perhaps he could mimic something similar.
After all, they had to try whatever they could. Refusing to be paralyzed by fear and miss the critical moment, Sihyun gripped his staff more firmly.
Detecting human presences wasn't an exclusive skill of aura users.
So, there was no reason he couldn't do it.
"What, what are you going to do?"
As Sihyun steeled himself, a team member asked with a skeptical expression. While it was undeniable that Sihyun had been a great help in crisis situations, it seemed unlikely to them that the young boy could resolve this particular situation. Sihyun faced the man, whose doubts were clearly reflected in his eyes, and spoke.
"I'm going to let water flow."
"Water?"
"Yes. Water seeps into the ground, right? If this shadow ground is ultimately just ground, then maybe we can make it seep in somehow. If not, we'll force it in."
"Why suddenly...?"
"If we share sensations with the water, we might be able to tell where the water that seeped down has gone."
"Is that even possible?"
"We have to try, even if it might not work."
They weren't in a situation to only try guaranteed methods.
Casually adding to his point, Sihyun announced he was about to begin and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he channeled mana into his staff. Droplets of water began to spread over the ground from the tip of his staff.
"It might take some time for it to seep in. The barrier might break in the meantime, so be prepared. I won't be able to focus on the barrier as well."
There was a limit to multitasking. Now was the time to focus all attention on finding Hamin, he warned. Jichang watched Sihyun for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Jichang's orders to the team members could be heard from behind. Trusting Jichang to handle it, Sihyun concentrated on sharing sensations with the summoned water.
He forcibly pushed the blue water into the resistant ground in a sort of tug-of-war. After a few minutes of struggle, the blue water began to penetrate the surface. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It felt like he had been wrestling for an hour.
"Phew..."
Until now, he had managed to push through with sheer mana, but from here on, the task demanded finesse and intense focus. Sharing sensations with the water, he delved into the black shadow's inn
ards. The slipping water moved deeper and lower. Sweat from his forehead dripped down to the ground, moistening the shadow beneath. His palms were sweaty from the effort.
"Maintain formation! Don't fall back!"
"We need a debuff here!"
"Jichang, some support, please!"
As time passed, even the barrier was breached, and the team became busy. Despite the difficulty, the pressure to not rest spurred Sihyun to search more delicately and accurately. The voices behind him grew louder as the number of irregulars increased, making Sihyun anxious. He contemplated taking a break before trying again.
"Damn! Sihyun, are we there yet? I'm going to lose my mind at this rate!"
A team member, who had shown a carefree demeanor several times before, shouted in desperation. If he was expressing such urgency, the situation must have indeed become critical. Sihyun felt torn between maintaining the barrier and taking a brief rest, but the ambiguous shouts, both urging and supporting him, left him no choice but to grip his staff tighter.
Sweat poured down like rain. Without moving a muscle, the mental exertion alone was enough to soak his bangs. He had no sense of how deep the water had penetrated, partly due to the slow seeping speed.
Eventually, he began to doubt whether Pia had guided them correctly.
Thud.
Something snagged at the end of the water droplet—a faint warmth contrasted against the cold shadow ground. Sihyun's eyes sparkled as he gripped his staff.
It was Hamin.
He was certain of it.
"I found him! Everyone, back off; I'm casting a barrier!"
At Sihyun's shout, the expressions of the nearly defeated team members brightened. They increased their pace, pushing back the irregulars and retreating. Once a safe distance was established, Sihyun surrounded them with the remaining mana for a barrier. Thud, his heart sank heavily. It felt like a warning against the excessive use of mana.
'You might die at this rate, kid.'
Ruth's words, concerned about his life due to the mana clash, came to mind.
'I told you to only use mana within limits...'
Chewing on his lip, Sihyun swallowed hard. His mana wasn't entirely depleted yet, just at its brink.
Excessive use from here would strain his heart, or more precisely, his core.
It was just enough mana for one critical healing. Healing once was the limit, so Sihyun decided to be cautious as he checked on the team members rushing towards him.
"Did you find him?"
"Yes. Mr. Jichang, could you dig the ground as I instruct?"
"I will."
The man nodded and drove his greatsword into the ground. 'Tell me to stop when needed,' he said, and Sihyun agreed. From then on, how fast they could excavate the ground was crucial.
Watching the man swiftly carve through the shadow ground, Sihyun sat down on the ground. He needed to give his tense body some rest. With mana running low, there wasn't much he could do to assist Jichang. Copying a buff skill to enhance strength, Sihyun sighed. Jichang, enveloped in golden energy, glanced at Sihyun before silently resuming his digging.
Despite the difficulty, he didn't utter a single complaint.
Not just in stature but in spirit too, he was as steadfast as a mountain.
"I'll take over from here."
When a considerable amount of ground had been dug, Sihyun, finding a small dagger among the team members, spoke up. Delicate work was needed from this point on, work that couldn't be entrusted to others.
"I can continue if you guide me."
Jichang looked at Sihyun, questioning if he could handle it. Needing to proceed regardless, Sihyun nodded and swapped places with Jichang. Holding the small dagger, he began to dig. For efficient work, he copied a cutting skill and moved his arm non-stop. The copy skill's duration was 10 minutes, so Hamin had to be found within that timeframe.
Scraping sounds filled the heavy silence as shadows were cut by the dagger. Sweat began to flow again, and pain was felt in the palm. Ignoring the team's offers of help, Sihyun focused until something resembling a human leg began to emerge. The team gasped. Sihyun momentarily held his breath before starting to tear away the shadows with his hands. It was a task that wore down his fingernails and split his fingertips, but he didn't care.
Finally, Hamin's face was revealed.
"Ah..."
Sihyun let out a low sigh. Waves of emotion overwhelmed him. He looked at Hamin, even thinner than in his dream, for a long time before tremblingly placing his hand under Hamin's nose.
A faint breath was felt.
He was still alive.
Somehow, he had survived tenaciously.
"Pia pia!"
Pia was the first to express joy towards Hamin. Then, the people snapped back to reality and took over the work. Just when the barrier, cast more solidly than ever, began to crack, ten members cooperated to extract Hamin from the shadows. No parts were severed, though his arms were fractured from resisting fiercely, causing Sihyun to bite his lip and silently heal Hamin.
Thud, thud.
Mana finally hit rock bottom, making his heart beat fiercely. But it wasn't just because of the mana.
"Lee Hamin..."
Without a response, Sihyun called the boy's name once and then lowered his eyelids. He took a slow breath, seeking calm. The emotional reunion would have to wait until after they left this place.
"Let's go back."
His voice, mixed with deep breaths, flowed out. Sihyun's words, laden with much restraint, prompted nods from the team. Jichang carried Hamin, and Jeonghyun supported Sihyun. The remaining team members set up the teleportation circle.
Crack!
-Sssshk!
As the barrier finally gave way and numerous irregulars began their charge, the completed teleportation circle activated.
Flash!
A bright light flashed.
"Pia pia!"
Just before Sihyun and his
team vanished, the last sound left in the Shadow World was Pia's cry.
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