Kevin.
The fanatical believer whom Gorth had his eye on did not disappear, but rather had a sudden inspiration during his missionary work.
Finding people on the vast snowfield is too difficult. Since I can become invisible, why not go to those gathering places?
Do it as soon as you think of it.
Kevin immediately went to the largest mine in the vicinity, something the guards couldn't guess at all.
There really are idiots who manage to sneak into the mines with Infected convoys...
Fortunately, Kevin isn't really stupid.
Once inside the mine and out of the detection range of the Arts Unit, Kevin immediately blended into the environment.
It wasn't until he actually entered the mine entrance that Kevin realized how modest the word "mine" was.
The exposed opening alone is a sinkhole large enough to stop several mobile warships.
The environment beneath the mine further reinforced Kevin's ominous premonition.
The dense network of mine tunnels resembled an anthill, and just memorizing the routes gave him a major headache.
Fortunately, there are fixed supply points in the upper part of the mine.
But unlike before, Kevin soon encountered the biggest difficulty in missionary work.
How can I prove that what I'm saying is true?
To the Infected, Kevin was just a pitiful man driven mad by reality.
As for the fact that the Black Forest truly exists...
Even if they did exist, it would be irrelevant to them, who were inside the mine.
This is very troublesome...
Kevin was certainly not so arrogant as to think he could save everyone on his own.
Just as Kevin was pondering how to break the deadlock, someone approached him first.
Rellkin.
After being accidentally infected, he was reported by his neighbors and moved between several mines before finally arriving in this desolate place.
Like other Infected, Rellkin was once one of the numb ones.
But when the already meager food supplies were cut again, the instinct for survival forced Rellkin to begin to fight back.
But he also knew that success was unlikely.
Therefore, gathering intelligence about his surroundings became his hobby.
In his daily work, Rellkin, who was familiar with most of the miners, began to behave like a deputy miners' team leader.
The miners, who used to secretly plunder grain, seemed to have found a leader and formed a simple order under Rellkin's guidance.
Thanks to this, Rellkin was able to obtain information about most of the Infected.
But recently, an unexpected incident occurred.
Kevin...
It's common knowledge that newly Infected can't integrate quickly, but this person is acting too strangely.
In an Originium where survival is a luxury, this guy is actually proselytizing, and judging from the descriptions... he's practically Evil God.
Out of a sense of responsibility to maintain order, Rellkin attempted to make contact, but quickly realized something was amiss.
The latest batch of Infected all stated that they had never seen Kevin, and other colleagues also said they had not seen him at the studio.
Out of caution, Rellkin decided to conduct the investigation himself.
When he witnessed Kevin disappear into a dead end, Rellkin knew—
The opportunity has arrived.
"Rellkin, all the trustworthy ones are ready. How much longer are we going to wait?"
New outpost--
In a shallow mine shaft carved into the rock face, a group of miners sat around a dim lantern in the center.
The young miner's anxious questioning was met with a calm glance back from the leader.
Rellkin did not reply until the other person sat back down on the ground.
"Nikto, we've waited a long time, a little more time won't matter."
"Yes, we've waited long enough..."
The emaciated miner touched his chest and muttered in agreement.
"Just wait a little longer, and we'll be able to leave."
"But how long are we supposed to wait? The disappearances are already attracting their attention!"
Nikto looked at the emaciated miner, then at the exposed Originium crystal.
"Uncle Hori ...we're all Infected, I don't want to turn into dust in the mine."
The miners unconsciously looked at their Originium crystals, and Rellkin's eyes also darkened.
How ironic...
How much wealth did they create for Ursus with their lives?
But when life ends, even the body cannot be taken away.
What they can take with them when they leave...
Only life itself.
Rellkin was used to quickly recovering from his disappointment.
He understood Nikto's anxiety; after all, the other person had only been Infected for a short time and had not yet become completely numb.
But...
"The Crystal Core issue hasn't been resolved yet, so you can't go anywhere."
[Crystal Core was implanted into the miner's body, granting him the ability to locate objects and explode.]
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately darkened.
Kevin, who spoke, showed no fear, while Rellkin rubbed his temples in pain.
"Kevin... not at a time like this."
"Damage morale?"
Kevin automatically picked up the thread, immediately shattering everyone's illusions.
"But that's reality. Even if I can steal supplies to keep ourselves fed, how long can we hide?"
"The number of people [missing] is increasing, but food consumption has never decreased."
"Those guys really didn't check the signal, but what if they suddenly remember?"
Everyone was speechless at this bloody reality. Seeing this, Rellkin spoke up to boost morale.
"It is indeed difficult, but there is always a glimmer of hope."
All eyes in the mine were fixed on him as Rellkin revealed his plan.
"Since leaving will trigger an alarm, let's escape through the mine tunnels."
"Mining tunnel?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, but Hori suddenly realized what was going on.
"You mean the link to the mine? But there are troops stationed there too."
"But the number of people and equipment is much smaller."
Thanks to the large consumption of minerals, mineral vein connection points gradually ceased to operate as mines and instead shifted their focus to the transportation of materials.
Everyone understood this, but even a small army is still an army.
Moreover...
"What about the Crystal Core? How do we solve the Crystal Core problem?"
"I'll handle it."
Nikto asked the question again, and this time Kevin answered it.
"Since it's Crystal Core, it must have a controller. We can just destroy it, right?"
"No, you don't understand how densely guarded they are there; even your Originium Arts can't..."
"That's why I'll take action."
Nikto looked angrily at Rellkin.
Can't you two just finish what you're saying, taking turns like this?!
Before he could question it, Rellkin said:
"All we need to do is stir up riots and get attention."
"..."xN
Everyone stared blankly, Hori was the first to react and immediately objected.
"No! Taking action now would be suicide!"
One by one, the crowd, realizing what was happening, refuted him. Once everyone had quieted down, Rellkin said:
"Don't worry, this is a riot without anyone's involvement."
He pulled an object from his lower back, and everyone's pupils contracted, exclaiming in surprise:
"Crystal Core! Have you figured out how to get it out?"
"No... this belongs to our fallen comrades."
The atmosphere fell silent instantly, and Nikto was the first to realize the other party's intentions.
"You want to use this to create the illusion of our escape... and then distract the garrison!?"
Seeing Rellkin nod, everyone marveled at this bold idea.
They did indeed overlook this possibility.
This is a barrier based on the common sense that Crystal Core cannot be transported normally, but with Kevin, who can become invisible and move freely...
As long as Kevin escapes with a large number of Crystal Core, it will create the illusion of a riot.
"That's right, it will be much easier to go to the console then," Rellkin added.
"Besides, there are a lot of transport vehicles connecting to the mine, which we can use to speed things up."
These words greatly boosted morale. Taking advantage of the crowd's excited discussion, Rellkin patted Kevin on the shoulder, and they walked outside together.
"How dare you try to fob them off with such a sloppy plan."
Kevin scrutinized Rellkin, taking a fresh look at his collaborator.
"That's the closest we've come to success."
Rellkin remained completely unfazed, and his calm demeanor only fueled Kevin's growing irritation.
"The answer closest to success... Ha."
"Where does the time for destroying the controller come from? How do we retrieve the dormant Crystal Core? Where do we escape to after we've truly left? And..."
Kevin laid out the reality before Rellkin, who remained calm, like a dead puppet.
When Kevin stopped, panting, Rellkin maintained his calm tone.
"I know."
"What do you know? You don't even..."
"I will work with the rest of my countrymen to buy time."
"... What did you say?"
Kevin wondered if he had misheard, Rellkin repeated it again.
"... How did you convince them?"
I didn't convince them.
Following Rellkin's words, figures emerged from the darkness one by one.
"It was our own choice to do it."
These figures varied in build and included men, women, young and old.
The only thing that's the same...
It was those Originium so dense they made your scalp tingle.
Clearly, the miners here are all severely Infected on the verge of death.
"Since I'm not going to live much longer anyway, I might as well fight those bugs to the death!"
"I've wanted to do this for ages! Watch me smash their heads open with my pickaxe!"
"What a fucking irony... I used to be a soldier."
The group started discussing amongst themselves, and Kevin's body trembled uncontrollably.
The people in front of him were the believers he had been searching for.
But...
"What can I do for you...?"
"Disrupt the controller, and protect yourself."
Kevin nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized what he meant.
"Where's the Crystal Core?"
The atmosphere fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, then couldn't help but laugh.
"Those things are useless after their owner dies. To get attention, we need the real thing!"
"Hahaha, we'll blast them in the face with Originium dust, just thinking about it is exciting!"
The crowd discussed excitedly, completely oblivious to the fact that their revelry would come at the cost of their own lives.
As time passed, the sounds gradually faded, and everyone watched Kevin in silence.
Feeling the gaze upon him, Kevin nodded solemnly.
He remembers that gaze; he'll never forget it in his life...
That's the look in the eyes of someone who has reached a state of enlightenment.
Having received a satisfactory answer, the group left one by one.
When it was just him and Rellkin left, Kevin couldn't help but ask that question.
That... question he had wanted to ask his father countless times.
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
He scrutinized Rellkin, a man who, despite years of hunger and cold, possessed a muscular physique.
Judging from the exposed crystals, the other party's Oripathy was far less severe than that of the others.
"Perhaps..."
As Rellkin walked back, Kevin said irritably:
"Explain more clearly! What do you mean by 'approximately'?"
"They're probably still scared..."
Rellkin gave an immediate reply, which Kevin couldn't help but feel was just a perfunctory response.
"Can't you just give me a clear answer?"
Does it matter?
Rellkin stopped and looked at Kevin, his serious gaze making the latter hallucinate as if he were seeing his father.
"Success! You may leave."
"If you fail, you only need to inform the others; those of you who behave yourselves will not be held accountable."
"But I still don't understand..."
Kevin stubbornly sought the answer.
If the Black Forest Lord's benevolence is due to his ability to take charge of the entire situation...
Where did Rellkin get the courage to sacrifice himself?
Life is inherently selfish, and Kevin, who has experienced death, has a lot to say about this.
That is why he was all the more grateful to the Lord of the Forest who had selflessly saved him.
But what do you, Rellkin, have?
"Just consider me an idiot..."
Rellkin gave a reply, but it still sounded like a perfunctory response.
"What kind of answer is that!"
"Well..."
With a sigh, Rellkin brought up a digression.
Do you know anything about real Ursus soldiers?
"Unlike those beasts in the Infection Patrol, they drove away the invading Nightzmora, overthrew the tyranny of the Hippogryph, and are true heroes."
"I used to... idolize them."
"And now?"
Kevin asked instinctively, and Rellkin laughed, a rare occurrence for him.
"It's the same now."
As he spoke, Rellkin glanced sideways at Kevin.
Don't tell me you didn't dream of becoming a general when you were a kid.
"So what?"
"..."
"So... only when you truly become a leader, when you truly realize that a group of people have entrusted their lives to you, can you understand the weight of this word."
Rellkin ruffled Kevin's hair, then shoved him into the mine shaft.
"Kids, don't worry about it so much. By the time you woke up, the adults had already solved all the problems."
Kevin's doubts were resolved with force, Rellkin, standing outside the cave, finally relaxed.
Silence--
"Actually, I lied just now. I'm still afraid of dying..."
"You brat, if you don't try to persuade me more, I might just agree."
"Alright, Rellkin! Stand up straight! Be a real soldier!"
"It still doesn't work..."
The tall man was in tears, talking to himself like a madman.
"I still want to..."
Snap--
Before he could utter the remaining two words, Rellkin covered his mouth and nose tightly.
He swallowed the overflowing saliva, along with his fear.
Rellkin remained in that position until shouts came from inside the mine.
Wiping away his tears with dust, Rellkin rejoined the group.
"What were you doing outside just now? Your eyes are so red!"
"It's just dusty."
"Ah... that's really bad luck."
"Yes--"
With everyone present, Kevin activated Originium Arts once again.
The mine disappeared again, along with those tears.
"What bad luck..."