Chapter 4

  "Mother!"

  Awaken from a deep slumber, from his lingering dream, Hyunwoo anxiously yelled

  Haah Hah haah

  Heart racing, sweat quickly beading, still hazy to the dream he dreamt. Disoriented, Hyunwoo looked around with his tired eyes, trying to understand where he was, trying to piece his shambles mind.

  Hah Hahh Hah Hah

  "Oh"

  "!"

  "You are awake"

  Just then, a sudden voice came. Still trying to keep his bearing intact, he glances to his side to where the voice came, only to be greeted by someone he never meet

  "Quite a dream ha?"

  Deepening his confusion further.

  ....

  "I am Celest, from the [Village of Minorth]. Nice to meet you"

  Wearing a *wrap dress coated in dark blue and dray, this unknown woman introduces herself.

  "... [Village, of Minorth]?"

  Though still quite confused after just waking up, Hyunwoo puzzledly asked

  "Hmm? It's just up north of the [Great River Dale], 2 weeks journey by foot. Named after, well, from a once passing group of {Minotaurs}. Never been there?"

  She asked, wondering. Frowning, Hyunwoo has gotten more confused. So he shook his head before he ask

  "I, never heard of such village nor river before, which country is that?"

  "Country?.... Hmm.... Country..... I think, our village lies between the border of the [Kingdom of Eristelle] and [Queendom of Lurairel], and below the [Town of Honstkel], on the island of [Terrestel Island], which I couldn't recall if the place where we are is a coun-"

  "..."

  ".... Hmmm?"

  Placing his palm on his forehead, Hyunwoo has gone silent, truly confused and bewildered

  'Kingdom? Queendom? Island? What?'

  After wrapping his head and calming himself, he then further asked after introducing himself, which further confuses both of them

  "There's another habitable planet than ours!?"

  She yelled, surprised and amazed

  "I, I guess? As I never heard of any of those places you are telling me"

  "I see"

  Looking around the area

  ".... You're a doctor?"

  "Hmm?"

  She then glances back and saw the piles of herbs she collected, empty potion bottles, scattered books and metal scraps, shattered crystals and glasses, unopened wooden boxes, tattered furniture, and more

  "No, I'm an [Alchemists]"

  She then stood up, went to the drawer just a distance from them, took something out.

  "That's a-"

  <> [Vile of Healing] [C]

  >[When consume heals any minor wounds and restore 2% of your health]

  [Description: Even in death, she didn't abandoned her sacred duty]

  A cylinder bottle with a light red liquid inside it.

  "It took me almost 2 weeks to make this one, and a ton of resources atop of it"

  Glancing at the shattered glasses, Hyunwoo then understood.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "So it doesn't instantly makes you one, ha?"

  "I was surprised too when I picked it, thought I would *snap* become a great [Alchemist] in an instant"

  She then sat down beside him and continued

  "But I guess, work doesn't finish itself without its worker"

  Gazing at his palm, he then lay his head down and wanted to take a rest, when

  "!"

  "Hmm?"

  He suddenly realized as he quickly sat down

  "2 weeks? You have been here for 2 weeks?"

  "Yes?"

  "How?"

  "How what?"

  "I only been here for 2 days, so how? How did you get here before me?"

  ".... What?"

  ....

  (???? POV)

  Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap

  Arrff! Arrf! Arf!

  "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You damn useless bastards! Fuck!" (cursing as it run around the verdant labyrinth)

  Bang! Boom! BOOM!

  Thud (stumble down as he tripped then stood up and staggerly running)

  "Heheh... Ehehheh..... Ahhahahah! She wanted to see monster right? Fine! I'll bringing you one then, bitch!" (it grin, evident in its eyes the insanity it have as it took a turn to the left)

  ....

  "It was during the 3rd month of Winter, almost at the end of the season. After we have sold the {Nero Rabbits} and some {Boars} that we hunted in the nearby village, we were about to head back when a sudden magic circle appeared below us, and when I woke up, my younger brother and sister was nowhere to be found while I was lost in this ruin"

  She then gazed at Hyunwoo

  "Though pathetic it might be, but after meeting those monsters in my way, I... I couldn't have the courage to find them, nor to even.... *clench* nor even imagine their situation"

  "So you, give up?"

  She then stared above the ceiling as she replied

  "... Haaaa~ I guess, pathetic right?"

  Silence then envelope the room as Hyunwoo can't refute, nor does he have the right to do so. Was it wrong to be a coward? Does being selfish a mistake? He wonders. Crossing her legs, she then added

  "Rotten corpses, those grotesque monsters, this unknown ruin, even how much I try to be brave, trying to be a hero in this mess would just end my life than to gain anything valuable on it. So yes, I just give up, and didn't further look"

  "..... Don't you, miss them?"

  She then grin as she stared at him

  ".... Only a madman wouldn't"

  And stood up

  "Do you like a drink? I only have a coffee, water, and a little bit of tea left"

  "..... I.. I'll just take the coffee"

  She then made her way towards the cabinet, just behind the drawer

  "Wanna add some milk? I have some few left"

  ".... Do... Do you think-"

  "They resent me? Who wouldn't?"

  She then took out a small wooden boxes and went back

  "I was the eldest, yet I abandoned them. I assure you, if we meet, we will be enemies"

  She then handed the wooden cup to Hyunwoo

  "How about you?"

  As he silently sat there, lost in his thought as he grab the wooden cup

  "*sigh* I-"

  BOOM!

  GRRGGAAWWRRGG!

  "!?"

  A sudden loud roar then reverberate after such a large explosion, alarming both of them

  "..... What was that?"

  "I don't know, but as long we are inside this place, whoever that was can't get in"

  Hearing that, Hyunwoo glances back at her and asked

  "What?"

  Confused and skeptical. Staring at him, she then reply

  "..... This place is quite hidden in a narrow passage, that even if you are near to it, you still can't notice it. It was also behind some pile of wooden boxes, so this room is hard to s-"

  BANG!

  "!?"

  BOOM! BANG!

  But as those loud explosions get nearer and nearer

  "... I guess the secret passage isn't a secret anymore"

  CRASH!

  "W-what?"

  "Follow me"

  "Wh-whe-woah!"

  He yelp, as she forcefully pulled him and headed towards a huge wardrobe.

  Bang! Boom!

  Creak

  Rattle

  She, in haste, opened the wardrobe's door and pushed all the clothes to the side, revealing a small door to the supposed end(wall) of the wardrobe. Opening it, she then forcefully pull and push Hyunwoo inside, before she then went in, after she placed the hanged clothes to there place.

  BOOM!

  Ggggrrr!

  Arrff! Arrff!

  "Hush"

  She then gestures him to be silent, which he nodded, anxiously

  Sniff Sniff Sniff

  In the dimly room, prowling with its nostrils flaring as it tried sniffing the scent of its elusive prey, the beast, with its furless body, survey the surrounding area.

  Crack Crack

  As the shards of the broken glass crunched beneath its heavy, clawed feet, it moves around with the furniture littered on its path, trying to listen to the faintest sound.

  Ggggrrrrr~!

  A guttural growl escaped its throat as fury and hunger twisted in a volatile storm, with its eyes glowing in a dark hue of red.

  "..."

  "..."

  And silently awaiting behind the closet, the 2 tried to hold even the smallest whisper, hoping that the uninvited guest will leave.

  Pang!

  "!?"

  Close to them, a sound of a sudden object being thrown echoed

  BOOM! Rumble Thud Thud Clatter Clatter

  Followed by a tremor as the walls of the room crumbled.

  "....."

  "....."

  Then silence came. The 2 waited for an hour to pass before she signalled him to go out.

  "..... What the hell was that?"

  He asked, as he look around the area. With an exception to the wall, the state of the room didn't change.

  "Well-"

  Celest then crouch down as he found the object that was thrown at them

  "A very rude guest"

  And on her hand was a half of what was once a head

  "And a traitorous rat"

  She then glance at Hyunwoo, who was looking at her, and got up before she spoke

  "Though everyone who knows this place is gone by now, probably, this place isn't safe anymore, so we should start evacuating"

  "To where?"

  She then walk towards at the side of the closet

  "There's another place I known off that is far secretive than this one. Let us head there"

  "Like I said, to where?"

  "... I'll explain it to you on our way, for now-"

  Shhpshh Creak

  Behind the black curtain, a small secret door then revealed itself, tightly locked. Opening the door by drawing a small magic circle - a hexagonal star with an upside down crescent moon and a line at its center - it then open

  "Help me pack everything"

  Flop

  And throws away a bunch of empty bags.

  "..."

  Hyunwoo stood still there as he stared at the crumbled wall

  "Hurry up slowpoke, that beast isn't the only one you need to lookout for"

  Before he went towards her

  Thud

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  *A wrap dress is generic term for a dress with a front closure formed by wrapping one side across the other, and is fastened at the side or tied at the back. This forms a V-shaped neckline.