By Zephyria As soon as they reached the location guided by Squad Leader 8, the first thing they saw was the high cave wall and the huge crack engraved on it. A humid and eerie wind blew fiercely from the crack that had cracked as if lightning had struck, scratching the skin painfully.
Many members of other battalions who had already arrived in front of the crack were analyzing the components of the energy, and in the corner, one Dermokas that the first group was in charge of transporting was lying on the floor unconscious, tied to a sealing stone and rope.
There were many detectors that had become useless around them, and some of the detectors were making loud alarms, so the members broke the sensors to silence them.
As Hugo stepped into the chaotic scene, the commander of another battalion belonging to the same first group immediately ran to him.
“Loyalty, have you arrived!”
“What’s the situation?”
Hugo quickly surveyed the surroundings and responded with a light salute, immediately asking for details. The commander guided him to a place a little away from the noisy scene and quickly began the briefing.
While the two were briefly stepping aside to talk, Leonardo left them behind and slowly approached the crack in front of him. The strong wave coming from there seemed to be leading him as if he were being possessed.
As he moved his steps unconsciously, he instinctively believed that this air current was caused by the guy who would exist somewhere inside Seal No. 118. The feeling of his scalp tingling and his spine chilling every time the wind shook his hair and passed by was telling him so.
Hot air came in and out through the narrow and sharp gaps, and the wheezing wind sound scratched his eardrums. Leonardo frowned and blocked one ear, even though he was trying not to listen to the sound that strangely stimulated his nerves.
At that time, a strange voice that could not be distinguished whether it was a human or an animal brushed past his other ear.
“I’m hungry.”
Leonardo, startled for a moment, turned his head sharply to the side. It was a chilling sound as if someone had whispered in his ear right next to him.
He immediately turned his body and looked around, but there was no one within a close radius. There were members far away, but they were all focused on their work, so they didn’t seem to have the time to approach this side or the leeway to look at it.
‘…What?’
Leonardo rubbed his neck for no reason and looked around. The air spread all around was clearly hot, but he felt a strange coldness.
He occasionally heard hallucinations, but it was mainly a phenomenon when he was tired and sensitive. He had slept well last night, so he was not in bad condition.
Besides, the grudges that cursed him would have poured out curses, but there were even fewer guys who would suddenly come out and say they were hungry like this.
Leonardo, who had been touching his neck and arms with a stiff face for a while, eventually dismissed the unidentified sound he had heard as just the sound of the wind leaking from the crack. That was more comfortable for him.
After that, when he took a few more steps closer to examine the crack in more detail, someone grabbed his arm.
Pak―
Leonardo, who had turned into a cold face in an instant, strongly pushed away the hand that had grabbed his arm. When he turned around threateningly, there was an unexpected person standing there. It was Squad Leader 8, who had come here with him.
She was also surprised, and she was shaking her numb hand with a rather embarrassed expression.
Leonardo, who had been frozen for a while in tension, soon realized that what he had pushed away was her hand.
After that, he felt a little sorry, but since he didn’t have a very good relationship with her, he asked about his business without saying a word, making a subtle expression. Then, the squad leader, who had lowered her hand, said calmly.
“The investigation is not over yet. Don’t approach it recklessly, it’s dangerous.”
‘Dangerous?’
For a moment, Leonardo made a face as if he had heard something strange in another sense. The word danger that she was conveying to him was quite unfamiliar.
Since that time when they were standing side by side under the collapsing Boulder, this was the first time she had spoken properly, so it was even more so.
Although it was a little awkward, it sounded like advice stemming from concern, so he nodded lightly. After that, he only looked at the crack and didn’t approach it any further, but the thought that suddenly flashed through his mind made him turn his head to Squad Leader 8.
“Squad Leader Russell.”
Squad Leader 8, who had come to give advice and whose hand had become awkward, stopped at the title she heard as she was about to return to the Legion Commander. It was a name and title that she always heard, but it was just as unfamiliar to her when she heard it from him.
When she turned around, Leonardo asked with a serious expression, just in case.
“…Was it you who told me you were hungry?”
The squad leader was silent after hearing the question.
After a while, her eyebrows were terribly wrinkled. It sounded too silly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As she coldly retorted, showing an unpleasant expression, Leonardo closed his mouth at the embarrassment that was subtly rising. She certainly didn’t seem like the kind of person who would say such a thing.
At that time, when he turned his head to the crack for no reason to avoid the cold gaze, another thought suddenly flashed through his mind again.
“Your main attribute was wind, right.”
Thanks to the topics that changed quickly, Squad Leader 8 couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say at all. However, he didn’t seem to be trying to make a joke with his serious appearance, so she loosened her frowning expression and answered with sincerity.
“…That’s right. Why are you asking that?”
“Can you tell where this wind is blowing from?”
His fingertips pointed to the strong wind crossing the gap. Squad Leader 8 stared at the flow of transparent air and shook her head and answered.
“The structure inside is very complex, like an ant tunnel. The wind blowing in such a place is likely to have changed direction after colliding with the walls several times. So it is impossible to find out the exact source.”
The answer was firm. Leonardo was a little disappointed, but he quickly agreed and turned his eyes. If it had been easy to find, there would have been no reason for everyone to go through this trouble together.
“But it is certain that the source of the wind is the core.”
Leonardo turned back to the squad leader when he heard the words that followed after he thought it was over.
“How are you so sure?”
Instead of answering, she held out her palm in front of Leonardo. Then, five long needles that looked faintly visible with gas condensed on the grayish-white Magic Circle were created, and small Auras surrounded them to protect the shape from the strong wind.
Leonardo stepped back slightly at her sudden aggressive use of magic, but soon noticed the subtle undulation at the tip of the needle and narrowed his eyes.
Squad Leader 8 confirmed that his gaze had reached the needle and opened her mouth.
“I feel a vibration.”
Intermittent tremors were detected at regular intervals from the sharp tip of the needle. It wasn’t a vibration caused by a large impact, but a vibration created by periodic and uniform waves.
Until now, whenever a strong gust of wind blew in this Number 118 Block, it was always after a huge roar accompanied by an impact. However, for the past three days, he hadn’t felt any roar or sign of it, yet the fact that such a strong wind was blowing made him suspect that something else was happening.
In short, a phenomenon that humans couldn’t feel, but the Illaptor, which hadn’t been seen all along, might be able to feel.
“This is….”
Golden eyes, which had been staring at the undulating needle, quietly rolled towards the Squad Leader’s eyes. The two who met each other’s eyes spoke at the same time.
“The core’s Ultrasound.”