Drip, drop.
A clump of dirt fell.
It tapped against his eyelids.
His eyelashes itched.
But he couldn't lift his hand.
He wanted to shake his head, but that wouldn't work either.
'Ah, this numb, fuzzy feeling. Not bad, though.'
Everything in front of him swayed.
His vision spun wildly.
His head wasn't just ringing—it was blank.
Maybe that's why hallucinations flooded in without any filter.
'What's this? The computer graphics feel so real.'
Someone was approaching in front of him.
Illuminated faintly by the glowing mushrooms on the wall.
It wasn't a person.
No, it couldn't be called human.
The visuals were too unrealistically perfect for anyone from this world.
'Total heartthrob.'
Silvery hair with a gray tint, blue eyes.
His features were art in themselves.
Even covered in soot all over his face.
Sweat mixed with the grime, caked on thick, and he still looked handsome.
If anything, it contrasted with his noble air, exuding another devilish charm.
'Damn, the more I look, the more annoying it gets.'
It was foul play for someone to be that good-looking.
His mere existence disrupted the ecosystem.
So, he couldn't be human.
It's CG.
Just believe he's CG that eats, sleeps, and talks.
Otherwise, the self-loathing would bubble up endlessly.
"...Lord Lloyd. Are you all right?"
Don't talk to me, CG.
I'm dizzy right now.
I feel like throwing up.
But the CG in front of him—no, Haviel—had no idea and raised his hand.
He slapped Lloyd's cheek hard without warning.
Smack!
"Pull yourself together."
"...."
Slap!
"You can't close your eyes here."
"...Stop. That's enough."
Lloyd finally came to a bit.
He hurriedly opened his mouth.
Haviel's hand, about to deliver a third slap, halted.
Relief finally washed over the guy's face.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, no thanks to you."
"Pardon?"
"That slap stung."
"Thank you."
"Whoa."
"Can you stand?"
"Gonna be tough. I just got a slap with feeling behind it."
"I only took the necessary measures."
"Yeah, sure you did."
"Please, get up now."
Haviel extended his hand.
But Lloyd couldn't accept the support.
The reason was simple.
The guy was sitting on the ground himself.
"Hey? You? Did you hurt your leg or something?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"My ankle's sprained, I think."
He pointed to his ankle.
Must hurt bad.
Lloyd belatedly noticed the beads of sweat on Haviel's forehead—cold sweat.
"That bad? Can't stand at all?"
"Both sides."
"Ah. So when you offered your hand earlier, it was you asking for help?"
"Yes."
"...."
What a brazen guy.
"Am I your personal crutch?"
"What's a shuttle?"
"There is such a thing. Anyway, whatever. Hold on."
Lloyd checked on the group first.
Haviel's legs were both injured.
Bangul in his bosom was out cold.
He himself had no major sprains or injuries.
Just minor scrapes and scratches at worst.
Of course, the full-body bruises gripping him tinglingly still hurt.
'This is no joke.'
His whole body ached.
Not a spot without throbbing.
To the point where it felt like the morning after his first gym visit, tortured all day by a hellish bulk trainer. Or like being spun dry in a washing machine all day.
Every muscle and joint screamed.
Even his armpit hair felt sore!
'But surviving like this is a miracle.'
Glowing mushrooms dotted the surrounding passages.
Their faint light let him survey the area.
First thing he saw: the passage in ruins, collapsed messily.
The queen ant's corpse too, mangled with only head and part of thorax left ragged.
Finally, he realized why he and Haviel survived the blast.
'Who knew? Queen ant shield saved us.'
Methane gas exploded from behind.
But the queen ant was between the blast and them.
She'd been chasing them.
'She was huge. Nearly filled the passage. And that size saved us. Like a cork stopping a champagne bottle.'
Her massive body had plugged the passage tight.
It blocked the pressure from the rear methane blast.
'Most of the explosion energy scattered into other passages.'
If not?
They'd be dead for sure.
'Lucky. Even with her blocking most of it, we're aching this bad.'
Direct hit? No corpses left.
The queen ant's shredded rag of a body proved it.
'She shrugged off Haviel's full-power sword strike.'
How powerful was that explosion?
Chills ran down his spine.
Lloyd shook his head vigorously to shake it off.
"Let's move now. Staying here means death."
They'd lucked out on the blast.
But no relaxing yet.
The situation was still grim.
"That side, across... all dead?"
Supporting each other as they stood, Haviel glanced over.
A collapsed passage in that direction.
Lloyd nodded.
"Probably."
The passage where the blast happened.
Beyond the rubble: hellscape.
Beast ants caught in it? Instant death.
Survivors?
"Most passages collapsed. Buried alive under tons of earth. The rest? Obvious. Suffocating to death."
Carbon layers spread through the ant nest.
Ignited now.
Toxic gas billowing.
Death by suffocation in that hellish heat and fumes.
"So, ants beyond the collapse? Total wipeout."
Underground explosions and fires were that terrifying.
Even in the modern world with advanced tech.
With top safety and rescue systems, tragedies still happened yearly.
No reason beast ants would fare better.
Mass fire, oxygen depletion.
No surviving that.
"Anyway, let's get out while we can. Ngh!"
Now it was their turn to survive.
Lloyd tightened his grip on the arm supporting Haviel.
Forced the guy up despite both legs injured.
Then quickly turned, showing his back, crouching slightly.
"Get on."
"Pardon?"
"Piggyback."
"Thank you."
"Whoa."
No hesitation—the guy hopped on.
Even tilted his head while on and said this.
"Lord Lloyd, by chance?"
"Hm?"
"Did you think I'd hesitate?"
"Nah, just politeness?"
Truth.
He figured the guy would demur once or twice. Even prepped lines like, 'Dude, carrying another guy? Hate to break it, but mega gross?'
But Haviel's shamelessness—or cool-headedness—exceeded expectations.
"Good call. Rational. Easier to move piggyback than support my two busted legs."
"Hey, you assume I'm taking you along no matter what?"
"You'd leave me?"
"Depends on you."
"But you already have."
"Yeah, and you're heavy as hell. Look all slim like an anchovy, but damn."
Not kidding—Haviel was heavier than he looked.
Packed with solid muscle.
Felt like carrying an iron ingot.
"Maybe not me heavy, but your stamina's weak, Lord Lloyd."
"Wow, seriously gonna drop you."
"I won't let go."
"Leech much?"
"Seen a leech this handsome?"
"Check the gall. Now he calls himself handsome."
"I'll lend you mana instead."
"Oh, nyah nyah. Using you as shuttle so openly? Should I kowtow in mega gratitude?"
"Shuttle aside from earlier, what's kowtow?"
"There's that. Just hold tight so you don't fall."
"Got it."
Lloyd bantered with Haviel on his back but didn't stop walking.
Truth was, it was tough. Exhausting.
Each time, the guy infused mana.
High-grade Sword Expert mana, Triple Circle Asrahan Heart Method.
Effect? Insane.
Felt like a power tiller fueled to the brim each dose.
"Hoo, haa! Power surging. Growing strong! Hup! Hoo!"
"More?"
"Gosh, precious body tainted by lowly mana."
"...."
"Shut up and give more. Quick. Dying here."
"Understood. But chit-chat disrupts breathing, shakes Heart Method. Worsens stamina drain. So, less talk."
"Shut up and walk? Nah. Hoo, haa!"
Smack!
"Ow! Why hit!"
"Whoa whoa. Giddyup."
"...Seriously dropping you?"
And so they bickered, using each other.
Haviel used Lloyd as shuttle; Lloyd used him as fuel tank.
The banter comforted too.
'If I were trapped alone? Total mental breakdown.'
Lloyd shuddered.
Hundreds of meters underground, pitch black tunnel.
Torch lost to blast.
Only faint glowing mushrooms for light.
Alone without talk? Mad terror.
Plus, carrying him brought a welcome message.
Ding.
[Haviel Asrahan feels great gratitude for your actions.]
[Haviel Asrahan shows trust toward you for the first time.]
[Haviel Asrahan's favorability toward you +6.]
[Current relationship with Haviel Asrahan: -14]
[Visible relationship improvement with key figure grants 108 RP.]
[Current RP: 157]
Lloyd glanced back at Haviel on his back and grinned.
"Kid, grateful?"
"What for?"
"Whatever. Looks like familiar path ahead."
"Seems so to me too."
Luckily, finding the way up wasn't hard.
Coming down, endless fights with beast ants.
Traces lined the descent path.
Haviel's diced ant corpses strung along.
Just follow them.
Familiar passages appeared.
Hope bloomed.
Inner light brightened.
Until a collapsed blockage barred the way.
"Tch."
From the blast earlier?
Lloyd wiped forehead sweat.
Inspected the rubble.
Survey skill probed beyond.
No open passage in 5-meter range.
Meant digging at least 5 meters.
'5's merciful. Could be 50.'
Better keep Survey active, find uncollapsed path.
Lloyd turned.
Time short.
'Gotta hurry...'
Then.
Boom rumble! Crash!
"...!"
Thunderous roar.
Tunnel shook.
Dust surged.
But Lloyd charged into it.
Saw it.
The way out they'd turned from—collapsed.
Clear meaning.
"We trapped here?"
"Appears so."
No jokes now.
Lloyd set Haviel down.
Checked rear collapse.
Same—no open passage in 5 meters.
'Screwed.'
Perfectly sealed.
Heart pounded.
Vision darkened.
Worst feared scenario.
'How long can we last?'
Lloyd quickly mapped trapped space.
Few meters.
Oxygen depletion soon.
'30 minutes? Maybe less.'
Then suffocation.
End.
But no sucking thumbs.
Lloyd pulled out unconscious Bangul.
Handed to Haviel.
"You, wake him quick. Slap like you did me, whatever. Got it? Need him now."
"Understood."
Haviel took Bangul without demur, grasping situation.
Lloyd thought coldly.
'All or nothing.'
No retreat.
End here, game over.
Try every means.
157 RP gathered.
Time to spend wisely.
Decided, Lloyd opened skill window.
(End of Chapter 27)
Read more on "novelshub.org"