“First, we have confirmed that it's possible to step on and ascend using the tiles.”
“However, it seems a different problem has arisen.”
Hahyuk glanced at the remaining thirty or so tiles. Regardless of the small number of tiles, at least five were needed for one person to reach the destination. Allowing for errors and stepping on seven tiles per person would mean only four people could make it to the destination.
The silence that followed was broken by Laoqian.
“From what I've seen, once a tile is used, it doesn't regenerate. Do you have any plan in mind? If not, let's just have four of us go up. How about me, Kang Sihyun, the Redem Guild Leader, and Luoxiang?”
From his tone, it seemed he had already decided on the four. Hamin bristled at Laoqian's suggestion, which naturally excluded himself, but Hahyuk held him back as Sihyun offered a counterproposal.
“This dungeon is more challenging than any we've encountered before. We should bring all the strength we can muster. It doesn’t make sense to reduce our numbers even more, especially since we have fewer people than when we tackled Nonus.”
Surviving here would be difficult enough without attempting a strategy.
His added comment was dry, speaking with a certainty rather than speculation. Laoqian’s eyebrows twitched as his gaze bore down on Sihyun. The standoff between the two men ended when one stepped back, lifting his chin. His attitude was imposing and unpleasant, hardly what one would expect from a collaborator.
“So, do you have another method in mind?”
“Let's move in pairs.”
“In pairs?”
“It's better to carry everyone if necessary rather than leaving anyone behind.”
Hahyuk, catching on to Sihyun's idea, chuckled and added, "Better than dying, right?" His remark felt slightly annoying. After exchanging looks with Hahyuk, Laoqian tilted his head slightly, his gaze filled with a mix of doubt and skepticism.
“Is that also the opinion of the Redem Guild Leader?”
“Yes. Carry or be carried, as you wish. The important thing is not to leave anyone behind.”
As long as there was one person per tile, it was feasible. Proposing to split into four teams for a total of seven people, Laoqian looked thoughtful before turning to consult with Luoxiang. Unexpectedly, it was Songzhan who turned out to be the brain of the operation.
There was no other option. Songzhan, realizing this, smiled slightly after a moment.
“Let's do as Kang Sihyun suggests. How shall we split the teams?”
“There are three of us and four from the Zhenqing Guild. Two teams from our side and two from Zhenqing should do.”
He thought of pairing up with Hamin and letting Hahyuk go up separately. Observing the conversation, the siblings spoke up.
“Yeah, I’ll carry you.”
“I’ll take care of Kang Sihyun.”
The simultaneous responses from the two sounded as if it was fate. Hamin immediately scowled and glared at his brother, while Hahyuk let out a sigh almost akin to a groan. Sihyun, watching the rivalry from a distance, came to a slightly twisted conclusion.
“Or how about the Guild Leader takes care of Lee Hamin?”
“That's not a bad idea.”
“What? I don’t want to!”
Hamin was aghast at the plan that thoroughly excluded his opinion. Seeing the familiar scene, Sihyun felt a bit more at ease. It was the first time he had smiled since arriving in China, finally feeling a semblance of harmony, until Laoqian threw a wet blanket on it.
“Or Kang Sihyun could come with us?”
“Me?”
It was an utterly unexpected suggestion. They were discussing who would take care of him, and suddenly Zhenqing was involved, making him frown unwittingly. Despite seeing his frown, Laoqian glanced back at his guild members without concern.
“Wouldn't it be hard for us to carry each other, given our sizes?”
It was a subtly valid point. Excluding Songzhan, everyone appeared to be over 188 cm, with Laoqian and Luoxiang exceeding 190 cm. Songzhan could probably be carried by one, but Laoqian carrying Luoxiang or vice versa seemed impractical. They were not just tall but also broadly built.
But that doesn’t mean I want to go.
Why should I accommodate them just because they are large?
As he hesitated to respond, Laoqian shrugged.
“If you’re unwilling, other members of Redem can take care of Woerjin.”
“Can't Zhenqing guild members take care of their own?”
“It would be possible, but we need to be careful. Pairing up with someone of
similar build could be challenging during movement. We might accidentally use up more tiles or fail to reach the destination if we run out of tiles. It's better to prevent such situations beforehand.”
His tone was lighthearted, almost joking, but the underlying message was akin to a threat. The prospect of causing inconvenience by struggling during the movement was already worrisome.
He was pondering how to respond when suddenly a voice erupted from the side. Sihyun was taken aback by the sudden curse from Hamin, who then grabbed his arm and pushed him towards Hahyuk.
“Just go over there.”
As if the earlier quarrel about who would take Sihyun was just an act, the boy spoke without hesitation, clearly annoyed, and approached Laoqian.
“If you need one person so badly, take me. It's not like there’s a big difference between us anyway.”
Though there was more than a 10kg weight difference, Sihyun nodded in agreement. He was below normal weight, while Hamin was indeed lean for his height. Instead of fat, he had muscle, which didn’t show but meant he didn’t weigh much. Compared to the considerably built Woerjin of Zhenqing, he clearly appeared lighter.
Unexpectedly, Laoqian agreed to take Hamin without further argument, whether it was because carrying their own guild members was indeed difficult or to scatter them. Concerned for Hamin, Sihyun received a reassuring grip from Hahyuk.
“Don’t even think about switching. Sihyun is much more at risk than Hamin.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hamin is still my brother, the youngest son of the S Corporation's chairman, and also the future leader of Redem Guild. They can’t mess with him easily. But Sihyun, being a Quadruple, doesn’t have the same backing and could be in danger.”
In essence, Hamin was somewhat safer due to his background. Unable to instantly acquire such a background, Sihyun acquiesced, and Hahyuk continued the conversation. After a few more exchanges and a standoff, the teams and their order for ascending the temple were decided.
Sihyun and Hahyuk would start, followed by Laoqian and Hamin, then Songzhan and Luoxiang, with Woerjin last. Since the solo climber needed to be the lightest, it made sense for Woerjin to go last, a decision that seemed predetermined.
Concerned about Haru above, Sihyun decided to start first, grabbing Hahyuk’s arm. He didn’t want to be carried, so he just reached up to hold onto Hahyuk’s shoulder, prompting Hahyuk to leap off the ground with Sihyun in tow.
“How’s Hamin?”
Looking back midway to see Hamin clinging to Laoqian’s neck in a grimace as they ascended, Hahyuk asked. Caught off guard by the question, Sihyun tilted his head to meet Hahyuk’s gaze.
“What about it?”
“As a lover. Weren’t you still considering it?”
“…Cough!”
Sihyun choked on his saliva, astonished by the question, and glared at Hahyuk, wondering if he had lost his mind. Hahyuk, not expecting a response, increased their pace towards the temple.
“…Not bad.”
Murmuring just loud enough to be heard, Hahyuk smiled. Sihyun, feeling somewhat embarrassed, gripped his shoulder tightly.
In truth, Hamin wasn’t bad at all.
As a person, as a friend.
Seeing how well he treated his people, he wouldn’t be bad as a lover either. It’s just that there wasn’t time or the emotional capacity to date anyone right now.
Recalling the confessions that had been put on hold, Sihyun shook his head to clear them as they neared the dungeon. The immediate task was to deal with Gula.
Finally reaching the dungeon floating in mid-air, Sihyun let go of Hahyuk’s shoulder and looked for Haru. He wouldn’t have entered the dungeon alone, so he must be near the temple. Yet, Haru was nowhere to be seen. Wondering if he had used invisibility, Sihyun narrowed his eyes.
As Woerjin arrived at the temple, grey mist surged as if it had been waiting for this moment, reminiscent of a storm.
Whoooosh!
The entities behind the temple blew towards them, reaching them in an instant. A brief scent of blood brushed past Sihyun’s nose. Sensing danger through instinct and experience, Sihyun widened his eyes and grabbed the neck of Hamin’s shirt and Hahyuk’s hand.
“Pia!”
“Pssh!”
Calling out, a small phantom atop his shoulder responded. Simultaneously, the mist enveloped Sihyun and the entire group.
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