Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Abandoned Mine

The mine the village chief spoke of was a place long since abandoned, its history said to stretch back to the days of the Civil War. After that era, it had become utterly desolate, with only the nearby small town retaining a faint trace of liveliness. Yet now, the situation had changed entirely.

Torches blazed, illuminating the pitch-black tunnels; from the slope nearby, one could see the scene inside. It no longer resembled a mine left to rot for a century. Instead, it seemed as if life and vigor had returned to it once more.

“Why are we here?” Eluca grumbled, her reluctance plain. “Commander, couldn’t you just assign the task for us to carry out? Why must you come personally?”

She would much rather stay with her beloved Harmony than venture to such a forsaken place. Yet Farin had issued the order, and so she had no choice but to comply. To Eluca, this was a trivial matter—one that hardly warranted Farin’s involvement. On the wasteland, such tasks were usually handled by subordinates like herself. But now, Farin insisted on coming in person, which unsettled her deeply.

Though Farin had joined them in combat during their previous node explorations, Eluca understood the significance of those missions. Even the true rulers of the Blackstone Group had to rely on them, so Farin’s participation was unsurprising. But this was different—a mere gathering spot among countless others on the wasteland, populated by people with little to offer. The danger, however, was unusually high. The wasteland teemed with threats; any mission could yield unexpected trouble. Abandoned places like this were even more perilous—not only for whatever might lurk within, but for the mine’s structural integrity itself. Should disaster strike and the tunnels collapse, one might not die immediately, but being trapped for days would be just as fatal. This was no longer the world before the disaster; there were no ambulances or emergency calls, which was why subordinates were expected to risk their lives. The Black Dog Squad had always handled such work, and while she and her sisters faced danger together, their bond—formed since birth—made it bearable.

Farin was different. His status and strength in District Nine far surpassed that of Eluca and her sisters. Normally, someone of his caliber would avoid unnecessary risk. Yet, for a mere request from a minor settlement’s leader, he chose to take the risk himself. Eluca could not fathom his reasoning.

Regardless, they were his subordinates. Since Farin had given his command, they could only obey.

“It’s simply my habit. There’s no need for you to worry. Just focus on your own duties.”

“Yes, Commander.”

With Farin’s order clear, Eluca could only nod and fall silent. Having received her response, Farin strode toward the mine entrance.

In the dim night, the entire mining site was shrouded in silence. Aside from the occasional crackle of torches, only their footsteps broke the stillness. Delyn had not resumed her cat-eared maid form, instead remaining as a black cat perched upon Farin’s shoulder. Behind him, Eluca, Chris, and Korona followed closely, alert to their surroundings.

From the outside, nothing seemed amiss. Abandoned tools and mine carts remained untouched, and there were no traces of blood, corpses, or signs of combat. That was unsurprising—according to the village chief, since the mine was sealed and forsaken, no one had returned. Perhaps, in earlier days, adventurous youths had come seeking excitement, but after the cataclysm, such exploits had vanished. After all, wandering the wasteland alone was excitement enough.

“Korona, anything to report?”

While scanning the surroundings, Eluca lowered her voice to inquire. Many were unaware of the terror that familiars inspired, but Eluca and her companions had witnessed it firsthand. These creatures were not of this world, their existence defying logic and resembling the fairies and monsters of legend. Conventional attacks had little effect upon them. Even Eluca doubted whether Korona’s abilities could detect the familiars, but having the little one nearby provided some reassurance.

“No need to worry so much.”

Seeing the three tense and uneasy, Farin smiled gently before speaking.

“I doubt the danger this time is very high. I suspect these familiars are not of the particularly violent sort.”

“Why is that, Commander?”

If anyone else had said such words, Eluca would have scoffed. But Farin was different—he kept a familiar by his side, and surely knew more about them than anyone else.

“Familiars generally have very simple personalities. If they want to kill you, they will do so. If they like you, they will let you know. If they wish to avoid contact, they’ll keep their distance. According to the village chief, this group has been around for a while, but aside from burning some fruit trees and vegetables, and killing a cow, they haven’t harmed anyone… It seems they need treatment.”

“Huh?”

At this, Eluca was taken aback, and Korona’s eyes widened in curiosity, gazing at Farin.

“Commander, are the familiars sick?”

“Yes, I think they are.”

Smiling at Korona’s question, Farin turned his right hand, and soon a scalpel appeared between his fingers.

“They need medical attention. Truth be told, it’s been quite some time since I dissected a familiar. I wonder if these ones will cooperate with my treatment.”

“?”

Korona tilted her head in curiosity at Farin’s reply. Eluca let out a low cry, feeling herself suddenly on high alert. In that moment, as she watched Farin’s silhouette, her mind flashed back to that day in the building—the scene forever etched in her memory: blood spraying, sharp cries, flailing limbs, and the gleaming blade slicing through skin and muscle…

“Ugh…”

She quickly covered her mouth and lowered her head, trembling. It seemed this would be a permanent scar upon her mind.

Suddenly, almost at the same instant, the torches burning around them went out in a flash. In the blink of an eye, all was plunged into darkness. Then, from the shadows, a series of strange, eerie laughter echoed forth.

“Hahaha… hahahaha…”

The laughter was not loud, almost resembling the cries of an infant, but in such absolute darkness, it felt all the more unsettling. Then, blue fireballs, like ghostly flames, appeared suddenly in the gloom, hurtling toward Farin and his companions.

“Watch out!”