Chapter 178 – Wilderness (Five)

With calm steps, Gaiol approached and offered words of praise.

“I heard the story. I was watching a different direction at the time, so I didn’t see it myself, but I heard you used magic to take down a Sandworm single-handedly. That’s truly remarkable. Isn’t it?”

The surrounding members nodded in agreement.

“I’m only sorry I couldn’t witness it myself. But it’s hard to believe it was the work of a 1st Circle Wizard. Perhaps you’re actually beyond the 2nd Circle? No, maybe you’re even the rumored 3rd Circle.”

Gaiol naturally steered the conversation, asking in an insinuating tone.

Suspicion evident in his gaze.

A Vessel brimming with wariness.

Ray got the impression that Gaiol wasn’t pleased with the emergence of a powerful individual within the Expedition.

‘He seems wary of a situation where his own standing might diminish.’

Thinking that, he nodded under everyone’s expectant gazes.

Amidst exclamations, the atmosphere grew boisterous.

“Why did you hide your strength?”

“You seem more skilled in combat than Grine Madam, who is also 2nd Circle.”

Amidst the cheers, Ray observed Gaiol’s reaction.

His face was smiling… but the emotions in his Vessel indicated he wasn’t happy with this situation.

Afterwards, the members scattered for maintenance and rest, while Gaiol and Demper stayed behind for a brief conversation.

“Demper, can you take the lead when we break through the next habitat?”

“Yes. It’s possible.”

Demper hesitated and asked.

“But won’t it be difficult to drive and give overall commands? Perhaps it would be better if you rode with me and focused solely on assessing the situation and giving orders….”

“Haha, thank you for your concern. But this isn’t something I’ve done for just a year or two, is it? No need to worry.”

“…Understood.”

Ray could see an emotion busily swirling within Demper’s Vessel.

It was doubt.

「Do you think Gaiol is someone to be trusted?」

A doubt that had awoken from a deep slumber at those words.

Judging by the depth of its color, an emotion that had existed within the Vessel for a very long time.

There was no need to artificially forge and implant an emotion; a slight nudge seemed sufficient.

“Ray, I’ll be counting on you for the remainder of the Expedition as well.”

Gaiol offered a handshake and disappeared.

“…….”

Demper seemed to have something left to say, his lips twitching, but in the end, he couldn’t utter the sentence and left his seat.

Watching their retreating figures, Ray asked Veronica.

“What do you think?”

“Huh? About what?”

“Those two.”

Veronica, understanding what Ray was asking, pondered briefly before answering.

“I’m not sure yet, but Mr. Demper doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“Because he treats you like a dignified young lady?”

“Yes, that… No! Of course that’s part of it, but during conversations, I felt a few times that he was a sincere person.”

Ray nodded and this time asked Jang.

“Jang, what do you think?”

“I… May I speak frankly?”

“Yes, please be honest.”

Jang hesitated for a long moment before answering.

“Regarding Mr. Demper, I think the same as Miss Veronica. But as for that fellow Gaiol… it’s an intuition born from dealing with many people, but I get a strange feeling. His words and actions are too flawless, which ironically makes them feel unnatural.”

When Ray remained silent, Jang hastily added.

“S-sorry. I think I overstepped with my presumptuous opinion.”

“No. There’s no need to apologize. I think so too.”

Saying that, Ray shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Madam Grine and her disciples were looking this way, but the boy had only been making eye contact with one of them the whole time.

“Let’s depart now!”

The Expedition, having finished maintenance and rest, hurried back on the journey.

Whoooosh──!

Over two days, they passed through several Sandworm habitats, and each time, casualties occurred.

“It’s regrettable, but Rotten and Kedman didn’t follow orders and drove based on their own judgment.”

Each time, Gaiol gave a speech to quell the Expedition’s unease while simultaneously strengthening his own position.

The members’ trust grew thicker by the day.

In a way, it was only natural.

In an Expedition mostly composed of new members, Gaiol, with eight years of experience, was an absolutely indispensable figure.

But Gaiol wasn’t the only object of trust.

“Thank you, Wizard.”

“We survived again thanks to you…!”

Ray was becoming a mainstay of the Expedition alongside Gaiol.

It was thanks to his great performances each time they crossed a Sandworm habitat and his continuous sharing of useful information by unraveling Binjin’s memories.

“I think you said during the interview that it was your first time. Yet you seem to know the Sandworms’ habits well.”

Gaiol’s wariness swelled day by day, and in the end, he began to directly show signs of discomfort.

And on the third day.

When they were about to pass through the fourth Sandworm habitat.

─Two Sandworms are approaching underground. They’ll likely burst above ground in about 15 seconds, so evade to the left.

Ray, receiving Gaiol’s radio transmission from the bus roof, stared at the scenery unfolding before him.

One Sandworm on the ground chasing them with a dangerously narrow gap.

‘And two underground.

They must be chasing from quite deep, as there were no signs like the ground bulging.

A tremendous vibration did echo from the earth, but due to the jumble of various noises, it was impossible to pinpoint their location based on that alone.

But it didn’t matter.

The boy possessed a detection method far more certain than vibrations.

Reflected in the boy’s eyes, which stared unceasingly at the flowing earth, were colorful Mana streams.

The Mana flowing through the bodies of the Sandworms racing deep underground.

It was similar to how he had identified Lacria’s presence in the tower basement.

If there was a difference from then, perhaps it was that his ability to identify Mana beyond obstacles had further improved upon reaching the 3rd Circle.

‘Evade to the left?’

The two Sandworms underground were approaching from the right.

Following Gaiol’s instruction would lead directly to an ambush.

‘Seems my existence was inconvenient.’

He had anticipated it to some extent, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

He simply quickly descended to the bus’s first floor and gave Jang an instruction.

“You heard the transmission. Not left, evade to the right.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jang, with a hardened face, immediately turned the steering wheel to the right.

The next moment.

Kwaaaang──!

With a roar, they could see the massive body of a Sandworm bursting through the earth, narrowly missing the side of the bus.

And not long after.

────!

A vehicle on the opposite side of the column had also overturned, with Sandworms swarming it.

Having escaped the habitat, the Expedition stopped the vehicles beside a rocky mountain and checked the personnel.

As before, Gaiol encouraged the members and then approached Ray, saying,

“I’m sorry. It seems the detection system had a momentary error. We almost had a major incident because of me. I sincerely apologize.”

Gaiol bowed his head.

His voice carried genuine regret and guilt, but it didn’t have much effect on the boy.

For the boy was currently staring at the chagrin filling the man’s Vessel.

‘He must have planned to eliminate me during this crossing.’

Being young had its advantages.

The opponent so easily revealed his true intentions through action.

…Perhaps it was time to part ways with Gaiol soon.

Thinking that, Ray parted his lips.

“It’s fine. It was the machine’s fault, not yours, Gaiol. Anyway, we survived.”

Beneath the deeply bowed head, the corners of Gaiol’s mouth lifted.

As the sun set, preparations for camping began immediately.

They lit fires, prepared meals, and someone set up tents again.

Perhaps a sense of camaraderie had formed, as friendly conversation sounds could be heard from various places.

A black curtain quickly covered the sky.

────.

The surroundings grew quiet.

Bus, second floor.

Ray adjusted the position of the pillow for Veronica, who was asleep on the bed.

“Mmm… Ray… hand… so the Rockdeer… can bring it…”

A tossing body and sleep-talking.

‘Bring what?’

Ray placed a finger under Veronica’s nose, briefly blocking her breath, then straightened his bent back and turned his gaze.

After confirming Jang, who was fast asleep from driving fatigue on another bed, he exited the bus.

Crackle─ crackle─

A large bonfire blazed at the center of the campsite.

Around it, vehicles formed a Wall by circling their tails as much as possible.

No people were visible.

Except for one person in front of the bonfire.

“Shift change.”

“Ah, isn’t today your first night watch? Wizards are scheduled as little as possible.”

“That’s right.”

“Yes, then take care. If you have any questions, you can wake me anytime.”

“I will if needed.”

The previous watchman nodded and disappeared into the tent in front of the van.

Sitting on the folding chair, Ray adjusted the incline and leaned back deeply.

“…….”

Faintly twinkling stars were visible in the pitch-black sky.

Certainly, the farther they got from the Sector, the thinner the clouds became.

The pitch-black stains left on the ground by the Black Rain also decreased.

…The starry sky seemed to say that the cause of the Black Rain lay with humans.

Crackle─ crackle─

Rising flames.

The boy calmly sank into thought, recalling those who had starlight in their Vessels.

Then.

“…….”

He felt a gaze shooting from somewhere among the vehicles.

He closed his eyes and quieted his breathing.

How much time passed like that?

Pat.

A footstep sounded behind him.

“…Wizard?”

Then a voice whispered.

The other party, who had paused for a moment, approached right next to him with steps that minimized any presence.

And at that moment.

Swish─!

Ray, rising like lightning, moved behind the other, wrapping an arm around his neck.

Simultaneously kicking the back of the knee to trip the other, he lowered his own posture as well.

He whispered in a low voice by the ear.

“You must not have had much to tire you during the day. Seeing you wander around without sleeping like this.”

The captured person spoke urgently.

“Ray, why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“That’s what I should be saying. Isn’t it? Gaiol?”

Ray stretched out his other hand, the one not around the neck, forward.

Gaiol struggled desperately not to have the item in his hand taken, but he couldn’t win against Ray, who was using Enhancement Magic.

“Were you trying to feed this to me?”

“Th-that can’t be. It’s just medicine I take for a chronic illness.”

Gaiol was quite composed.

He seemed to think he could talk his way out of this situation.

“Interesting. I’ve never seen you take medicine. What chronic illness?”

“My respiratory system is weak. Even now, it’s hard to breathe because of your arm. Cough! Cough! Hey, I think I need to take my medicine, so let go of this first.”

“Ah, right.”

Ray forced Gaiol’s mouth open and poured all the pills from the bottle into it.

“Ghk! Gkuh!”

“Fascinating. Everyone always wanted to feed me medicine, but I’ve never seen anyone want to take it themselves.”

Ray continued speaking while making Gaiol swallow the pills.

“According to Demper, your Expeditions have never had double-digit returnees.”

“Gkuh!”

“You seem to advance by sacrificing inexperienced members to secure your own safety, and in the end, keep only the absolutely necessary personnel to maximize profits. Is that your method? Right?”

“Ghk!”

“My growing influence must be causing problems for your plan, so you tried to eliminate me. The fact that you already tried to eliminate a 2nd Circle Wizard means the Wasteland crossing is almost over, I suppose.”

Clatter!

The empty pill bottle rolled on the ground.

Gaiol, freed from Ray’s arm, supported himself with his palms on the ground, breathing raggedly.

Then he snarled.

“Someone! Someone help! Come out here right now!”

But there was no response from the vehicles.

Only a profound silence lingered.

It couldn’t be otherwise.

Ray had deployed Soundproofing and Distortion Magic simultaneously with Gaiol’s approach.

Ray was thinking about how to deal with Gaiol, bending his knee to match eye level.

Then, sensing something, he turned his gaze backward.

‘…….’

He saw it, composed of sand and wind, shimmering in multicolored hues.

Wordlessly, he rose from his seat and dispelled the Soundproofing and Distortion Magic.

And said to Gaiol.

“Get up. Wake the people.”