By Zephyria 
The second missing person was also found through their acquaintance not long after. The reward money played a big role again.
An old man wearing worn-out shoes, seemingly not well-off, looked around and called out to Mu-hae at the meeting place.
“He’s probably dead.”
“Mm.”
“He was young, but we got along well, and we often drank together. But one day, he started gambling.”
According to the old man, the missing person became increasingly shabby after getting into gambling. Eventually, he frantically borrowed money and then disappeared.
A missing person report was filed at work, but everyone assumed he had run away in the night. Then, rumors spread that his bag had been found abandoned in a pile of trash near Sakdal.
The old man speculated that he owed money to Sakdal and was made an example of. For some reason, the investigation fizzled out, and even his friends didn’t want to cooperate with anything dangerous.
Back then, Sakdal was a real den of iniquity, he said. He spent at least 20 minutes explaining that it wasn’t the lighthearted entertainment district it is now.
“This is something.”
Mu-hae was happy to find news of the missing person sooner than expected, but he only got a bunch of unsettling stories. Still, West Wind wouldn’t have died so meaninglessly like them, or be held captive somewhere.
The money he had on hand was also running low. He would have to contact Director Gil and ask for more money in advance.
“Jin Mu-hae. Contact.”
Woo-oong-. Just then, the Link Watch vibrated. He looked at it, half expecting it, and sure enough, information about the next missing person had arrived.
The informant, wanting to hide their identity, wouldn’t even meet in person. The address he received after paying the reward in advance pointed to a slum in the south.
“Doesn’t look like a good neighborhood.”
As soon as they got off the train, Joo-oh whispered. Jin Mu-hae pulled his hood down further and walked through the dirty streets.
The security didn’t feel as good as in the west, where Starlight Road was. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to cover up Joo-oh’s face as much as possible, if not his own.
“Hello?”
Bang, bang! The doorbell of the house was broken. No matter how many times he knocked, he couldn’t sense anyone inside.
After rattling the door several times, the window of the house next door opened slightly. A woman with long hair gestured them over through the iron bars.
“Who are you? He’s out working.”
“Working?”
“He’s a miner. Once he leaves, he’s gone for days.”
Damn. Mu-hae sighed and put his hands in his pockets. If he had gone Blue Mining, as she said, he wouldn’t be back in a day or two.
“Are you an acquaintance?”
“I don’t really say hello, but since we live right next door, I know some things.”
Just in case, he handed her some groceries and asked about his appearance. She described his distinctive face with prominent cheekbones exactly.
Joo-oh, having his snack stolen, pouted. But he was quite well-behaved, as if he knew this wasn’t a situation for him to act up.
“Everyone calls him Kim, Kim. I don’t know his name. And, don’t go around saying I told you this. Especially not that I received something like this.”
“Of course. We’ll pretend nothing happened.”
Unlike the shop owners in Sakdal, there was no neighborly affection or loyalty in the slums.
The woman, who had sold out her neighbor for a few coins’ worth of food, slammed the window shut again and disappeared.
Only then did Joo-oh tiptoe and whisper in his ear.
“Different surname.”
“And the age they know… It seems he’s hiding his identity and living as a miner.”
It seemed they would have to visit again in a few days. Just as he was thinking it was fortunate to have found a missing person alive, Woo-oong-. His left wrist vibrated again.
“What is it?”
Even as he asked, Joo-oh didn’t even think about sticking his head out to look.
As if he already knew what the message was about, his red eyes, full of interest, were just rolling around.
! Company Emergency Request
Reference; MH5591……
Aberrant attack reported in the Crystal Zone of the Moat Zone.
Urgently seeking personnel available for dispatch at 8 AM tomorrow.
xx. xx. xx. ~ Undecided
Search Crystal Zone in Moat Zone 2 and secure energy
Class 2 Short-Range Small Aircraft / Additional compensation provided
Currently, two miners are presumed to be alive and isolated.
Secure the mined Blue Energy and explore the situation in the Crystal Zone of the Moat Zone.
(Optional) Incentives will be paid for rescuing personnel.
Cheonggang Mining & Energy Service Team
An unexpected job. If it had been last month, he would have refused the request considering the risk, but it came with a rather sweet reward.
Besides, he had a strange sense of déjà vu, as if it wasn’t completely unrelated to Mu-hae’s situation.
Was it because he had just heard that the missing person he was looking for was living as a miner?
“Hey. How’s your condition?”
“Good. I’m always good.”
He stopped Joo-oh, who was swinging his arms around, and sent an acceptance email to the Company…
Woo-oong-!
The schedule and information were quickly shared and sent over. Mu-hae activated the hologram and opened the document sent by the Company.
Zzzzt. Two pictures of the Moat Zone’s detailed map and tired faces were generated on the screen, trembling with blue light.
“Jin Mu-hae. This person……”
An familiar face was looming where Joo-oh’s fingertip touched.
Wrinkles were all over the place and he looked old, but it was definitely a familiar face. Prominent cheekbones, thin and long eyes.
“It’s Ilgun.”
“Damn it.”
What a coincidence? The third missing person, who was away from home, was isolated in the accident area.
If he wanted to talk to the living person, he had to rescue him from the danger zone.
A miner is like a mayfly. No matter how brave a person is, they don’t last more than a few years before quitting, or they mostly end their lives, so there are no experts who survive and work for a long time.
It seemed that Ilgun had been hiding his identity and working as a handyman, and started working as a miner last year. It was because there were fewer workplaces calling him due to his age.
“We’ll avoid combat as much as possible. Don’t attract attention and move quietly.”
“Okay. I’m good at that.”
Joo-oh, who got off the Small Aircraft, carried his bag securely. His movements as he jumped up were quick and light.
Since there was a shelter nearby, the miners would be hiding there if they were alive.
The ultimate goal of this request was to check the situation in the Crystal Zone, secure the personnel there, and then escape.
“The radar isn’t picking up anything.”
“No sound either.”
Joo-oh, who was standing still and listening, shook his head. It seemed that something could only be detected if they went close to the area, even though it was dangerous.
Jin Mu-hae carefully packed his equipment and looked into the dense forest. If a difficult combat situation arose, he planned to distract the Aberrant with a disposable drone that made noise.
“Ooh. The rocks are slippery.”
It had rained overnight, and the soil and stones were all wet. It was a disappointing condition for kicking off the ground and jumping.
Jin Mu-hae glanced several times at Joo-oh, who was walking stably as if sticking to the ground, despite making precarious noises.
As he always thought, he felt stable in whatever he did, even though he seemed clumsy. Even swinging a club seemed like a random swing, but he controlled it with accurate angles and strength.
It was hard to believe that he was someone who had never done this kind of work before.
“Eep.”
Even now, he crossed at least 2 meters with a light jump. Was he not an ordinary human after all? A regrettable guess crossed his mind.
“Walk normally, please. Normally.”
“Shh.”
When he grabbed his shoulder as he was jumping around, Joo-oh suddenly lowered his voice and put his index finger to his lips.
“I hear a sound.”
At that word, Mu-hae immediately activated the radar. A red dot was marked on the updated map in the distance.
“Is it an Aberrant?”
“Kereureu…… Gireureuk.”
A chilling cry flowed from between his rosy lips. In an instant, Jin Mu-hae felt a chill down his neck and his body stiffened.
Again. Joo-oh was again imitating the Aberrant’s cry too vividly. Somehow, just the sound made his heart drop, and he felt goosebumps running down his spine as if he had met a predator.
“The Company estimated it to be around Class 2.”
“Um…… I don’t think so. My skin feels scratchy and prickly.”
Joo-oh frowned, presenting a distinction he hadn’t made before. He could now understand the kind of speech that made him wonder what he was talking about. Roughly, it meant that they were stronger monsters than that.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
Whether he knew that he was more worried because he was there, Joo-oh smiled confidently and readjusted his slipping bag.
A long club was in his hand before he knew it. It looked sturdy enough to crush anything if he just struck it.
Rustle, crunch.
Walking through the forest path was noisier than he thought. No matter how much he muffled his footsteps, the sound of stepping on grass and breaking branches spread subtly around him.
The fact that the wet soil hid the remaining sounds was helpful, but the silence was especially nerve-wracking because there were no sounds of insects.
As if facing an unapproachable predator, the entire forest was quietly dead. Even the smallest creatures seemed to have stopped their mating cries and quietly curled up.
The blinking radar light was moving not far away. Finally, Mu-hae turned his head and looked at Joo-oh.
Nod. Joo-oh’s hair fluttered as he nodded his head. It meant that if they went any closer, they might enter the Aberrant’s detection range.
Damn it. At this rate, he couldn’t check the Crystal Zone. If he flew a drone to take pictures, he might unnecessarily provoke the Aberrant.
The future where the monster would swoop down like a bolt of lightning the moment he retrieved the video flashed before his eyes.
In the end, the only way was to lure the Aberrant by making noise in a completely different direction, like last time. Mu-hae rummaged through the bag on his side and took out a cheap drone.
When he pressed the round sphere, the flimsy propellers spread out with a whoosh. Mu-hae set the timer and flew the drone into the air.
“Three minutes.”
“Okay.”
“As soon as I hear the sound, I’ll run that way. Don’t get lost and follow me.”
180 seconds, 100 seconds, 50 seconds, and…….
Bbee-yoong-! Bbee-yoong-!
A deafening noise that confused the mind echoed from afar. At the same time, Kiiieeeek! A faint wail was also heard in between.
Now! Signaling, Mu-hae jumped up, and Joo-oh’s figure quickly followed behind him.
As the destination approached, a bright blue light began to flicker between the trees.
It was Crystal Blue, full of energy. Red remnants were scattered everywhere around the intact minerals.
Red, sticky, and lumpy pieces. The foul fishy smell made even Mu-hae, who was used to this sight, feel a little nauseous.
“Turned into meat.”
Perhaps it was because of the muttering voice that made it even more so. Joo-oh’s vocabulary, which didn’t fit the situation, sometimes felt eerie.
That wouldn’t do. He had to give him a warning later when he went to the shelter. Don’t call dead people meat. Don’t laugh gleefully at a terrible accident scene.