Escape - Chapter 52.2

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On the surface, perhaps, but not in District 13. No one was buried in a grave here. They simply vanished, becoming ephemeral ash and smoke.

“Only fleeting smoke will guide the dead to the right path.”

Now she understood why only smoke navigated the Serpent’s Lair without getting lost. It was a truth that best expressed life and death. Only the fleeting smoke of the dead would guide the living forward. Once lit, the rest was quick. Flames engulfed the body, turning it black. Adeline watched the faint smoke escape through the small bars near the ceiling and softly said, “Let’s go back now. To Midgard.”

The men who had been here said Leon had finished developing the underwater item. They would be able to reunite with Eric without having to struggle to find him here. In an unknown continent where players had yet to set foot. Perhaps Adeline could protect a land still untainted. Although she still worried about Luce, she chose to trust her companion. Luce’s focus on safety meant she was a capable survivor.

Someone from District 13, who had endured the massacre, could survive anywhere. The fact that she had risked coming to find her was, at least, fulfilling a minimal obligation. “If this place is a guild like Leon, there must be a teleport to the Serpent’s Lair. Once we cross the sea, we won’t be pursued for a while.” As the small fire on the table died down, they began to move. Aside from the nausea-inducing experience of stumbling upon the orc breeding grounds while sneaking around the guild, there were no other incidents. About half an hour later, they found the teleport room with its pool of white liquid, and about ten hours later, they crossed the Sea of Illusions once more. They hadn’t brought Luce back, but there were gains. Adeline had resolved to shatter the illusions of others to protect her own reality.

***

The Age of Exploration had begun. Although the open sea route didn’t lead to America or India, it undeniably led to an uncharted continent. The boundless ocean, like an endless labyrinth, held an inherent allure. In the game, even a small group of two or three would buzz with talk of new worlds. What lay beyond the sea? What fantastical creatures and realistic unrealities would captivate them? Property values in Districts 10 and 9 plummeted, while Leon’s stock, with the underwater item under development, soared.

The escape, in a way, served as a true escape, allowing people trapped in a gray reality to momentarily forget their lives through the game. Naturally, the first to plunge into the sea were the top-ranked players. In this brutal world, you only had one life. A world unknown meant a world where anything was possible. Amidst the coexisting ecstasy and terror, the strong set out to pioneer new lands.

“Kraken, Kelpie, Mermen, and since the Serpent’s Lair became the sea, naturally, Serpiente,” Rahul reported rapidly, tapping away at his laptop. “These are the creatures discovered so far. A-ranks are mixed in, but as long as it’s not the Mermen, who travel in packs, encountering them shouldn’t be a problem.”

“And the trial run results?”

“Perfect. According to Probability’s calculations, it’s a one-way trip of about 10 hours to land. As initially designed, it looks like it can carry up to 1,000 people.” The fingers tapping the hot teacup paused. Eric nodded in satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan. Shade and other high-rankers might take the first steps, but he had no intention of handing over the new territory’s resources. This wasn’t Mount Everest. It wasn’t about who planted the flag first. The key was who exploited the new land first. “The remaining issue is who to take on the maiden voyage.”

Eric’s fingers resumed their tapping. This was tricky. The 1,000 people tasked with resource development needed to set foot on unknown land. High-rankers would manage in uncharted territory, but, “I abhor casualties.” The remaining 99% of the guild members would be risking their lives. The players belonging to Leon, a corporate guild, were mostly professional gamers, meaning their livelihoods were on the line. offered no second chances. So, what to do? Eric pondered.

“Casualties?” Rahul asked, picking up a cookie from the table, his brow furrowed. “Yes. We need to select people who are expendable, but everyone will try to avoid it.”

“Why worry about that?”

“Do you have a good idea?” Rahul was introverted and taciturn, but never at a loss for words. In fact, sometimes he offered more effective ideas than Gato or Bruja. Just like now.

“You’re already using the Fairy Queen for weapons development, aren’t you?” Eric immediately grasped Rahul’s hint. A sigh of admiration escaped his stubborn lips.

“The Orc army.” A large workforce suitable for resource development, yet entirely expendable. There were the Orc slaves the guild had acquired while pioneering District 9.

“Rahul, you’re a genius.”

A genuinely satisfied smile spread across Eric’s rigid face. Come to think of it, it was Rahul who had proposed the 22-hour workday for the Dwarf Fairies. A system that allowed for continuous labor exploitation without them dying from overwork. Thanks to that, the massive underwater item had been completed in record time. And now, using the Orc army as crew? The idea of utilizing slaves who had been idling away, used only for skill training, was truly groundbreaking.

“Problem solved, right? Then can I ask you something?” Rahul inquired, munching on his cookie. Eric readily nodded, then faltered at Rahul’s next words. “How long are you going to wait?”