Chapter 105

– Body Enhancement Surgery (5)

I don’t think that will be possible.

Hansoo was thankful that they had helped them in a dangerous situation but he couldn’t let this guy go.
Then Tares, the man standing in front of him, sighed.
He couldn’t win with strength.
Since he had seen Kale Dawson who was hard to deal with even among the strong people get smashed by this guy.
But he couldn’t back off.
Tares asked him with a nervous expression.

Why do you need him? I don’t know why you guys need him but he’s a necessity to us.


Why?


Since that guy knows where our comrade is being held at.


…?

Hansoo squinted his eyes as he looked between Ken and the 3 males and 3 females.
Then he finally understood why they were asking him to give Ken to them.
‘So these guys are also looking for the location of the Jail.’
Hansoo pondered for a moment and then spoke out.

Why is there a need to go separately? Let’s go together.


Mmm?


I have some business with those guys too.

If he were to go with the people here then it will be much easier to find out the location of the Temple from them.
And even if it was borrowing a cat’s hand
, it was better if there was support.
There was no reason to go separately if they had the same destination.
The 3 males and 3 females made suspicious expressions but then nodded.
There wasn’t much time.
The surrounding defenses would increase by a level from the recent chaos.
It might’ve been different before this guy had come but even if they knew the location it will still be hard to get to it with their own strength.
‘Ailen. Wait for us.’
Tares clenched his teeth as he thought of their friend who would be held there.
……………………………………..
Crunch
Tares gulped as he saw the parasite Metiron get smashed through in a single strike.
‘He’s really strong…’
They were currently using the ant tunnels that the parasites had dug and not those which the humans had dug.
From the fear of the human-made ant tunnels swarming with clansmen searching for them.
Of course there was a reason why people didn’t go through the ant tunnels dug out by parasites.
Since other than eating the body fluids of the Grados, the parasites loved to feast upon humans as a special treat.
But Hansoo and Sofía who had recently joined them were smashing apart the parasites as they headed in the direction Ken was pointing to.

But why are they keeping our comrade hostage?

Ken squinted his eyes at the words of Tares.
‘This weakling…’
It might’ve been different for Hansoo but he could only get annoyed as these weakling asked him.
But there’s nothing he could do.
Since he had been caught.
Ken shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

What would it be. It’s to figure out the location of the Temple that they know.


Damn…

Tares frowned at the expected answer.
It was quite a well-known story.
Another race lived in the inner parts of the Gragos.
A race that was the object of fear from their powerful body, beast-like ability to take on hits and secretiveness.
But one day, a rumor came in.
<That race didn’t have that strength from the start either. If you visit a place called the Temple then even humans can gain that strength.>
Everyone tried to convince themselves that those words weren’t true but they couldn’t after seeing the person who had started that rumor.
Since he went up from the Baladi level to the Margoth level.
A powerful muscular structure and vitality that exceeded humans and even ignored skills.
Humans tried to search every bit of the Gragos from that point onwards but that wasn’t possible.
The numerous other parasites along with Baladis were burdensome enough.
Even though it seemed like they had dug around like it was the human’s territory, it was dug around in the safest spots.
And even if they got through the parasites, the unknown race was still the problem.
Because of this the location of the Temple fell into the depths of mystery.
And of course they would ask people like Ailen who would have hints towards that place.

Wouldn’t it just be easy if you put in the Symbol instead?

There was no need for torture.
Since they just needed to recruit them if they wanted to know.
Ken laughed at Sofia’s question as he answered.

I don’t now. It doesn’t seem like the symbol works on those who aren’t human.

Sofia, Hansoo and Tekilon paused at those words.
‘…Yeah. If they know about the Temple then it’s likely that they are Akaron.’


You guys are doing all this for nought. There’s nothing you would find out even after all that torture.


Why?

Tekilon nodded at Sofia’s words.

All the Akaron clansmen receive a restriction from the Temple before they set off. Even if they want to say it they can’t say a thing about the location of the temple. Anyways… It seems that kid will go through a lot of hardships.

Tekilon clenched his teeth.
The thought of his few remaining clansmen having been caught and being tortured had unconsciously made him grind his teeth.
Sofia asked back.

Why?

Tares was the one who answered.

The Akaron say that they can’t even suicide.

One of the 13 rules that had existed after the 3rd Great War.
Every Akaron must die at the hands of someone else.
It was one of the rules that had been created since they had so little numbers.

It seems you’re close to them.

That information wouldn’t be easily told to other races.
The fact that they knew that much meant that they are close.
Tares spoke with a bitter expression.

That’s why we’re going to go save them.


Hmm.


We will send her back to her home no matter what. But there is no other way right? It seems like you know something.

Tares wasn’t really surprised from the thought of Tekilon, who didn’t really look like an Akaron, knowing something.
There were a lot of people with strange stories and strange abilities in the Orange Zone and they were always people that were outside their expectation.
‘They might’ve heard this somewhere like us.’
Tekilon shrugged as he spoke.

I don’t know. The fact that they came outside… Means that they have the orders of the Temple. The Temple won’t remove the limitations until they complete those orders. Which means that Ailen kid won’t know the way to the Temple at all.

There were countless times when they were suspicious of other tribes before the Unification.
That was the reason for the method that could keep the location of the Temple which acted as the most important location secret.
The Akaron who had gone outside from the Temple will only have their limitations lifted off once they accomplish their orders and only then would they remember the way to the Temple.

…Oh yeah, she said that she had orders that she needed to accomplish. Though she didn’t tell us. Anyways it’s great. Having met people like you. We can’t save them with just our strength.

Tares made a bitter expression.
Though they had spent a lot of time together they didn’t get to hear the stories about the orders and the temple.
And they were in a situation where they couldn’t save Ailen because they lacked strength.
Kyaaaak!
Hansoo asked Ken after killing off the last parasite and collecting up the runes.

Are we really there? Where is it?

Ken pointed towards the small hole located between the Ant Tunnels with his finger.
An extremely shabby hole compared to the surrounding tunnels that towered over tens of meters.
‘It seems someone would just run by it if they didn’t know about it.’
There was no way that they could go into every tiny hole like that within the complex ant tunnels just because of suspicion.
Hansoo spoke towards the surrounding people.

Stay here.


Uh?

Hansoo jumped into the hole in the distance the moment he finished speaking.
‘This reckless bastard!’
Tares freaked out as he saw this.
If loud noises occur after jumping in recklessly like that then all the surrounding people will swarm in.
Though it was covered up as a small hole in order to hide it from people’s eyes, there were 5th and 6th year level people swarming inside there.
Since it was a place created by the Rerorerore clan to work away from the sights of other clans.
But the more problematic thing was the surrounding patrols.
Though this Jail was a bit out in the corner, the surrounding area belonged entirely to the Rerorerore clan.
The moment noise happened inside there, all the clansmen would swarm here like ants.
Befitting of the Ant Tunnels.
But unlike the worries of Tares, the insides of the Ant Tunnels were quite quiet.
‘…What’s happening in there?’
Tares looked at this surroundings but Sofia and Tekilon were also squinting their eyes.
As if they didn’t know either.
After a long while of silence a person held onto a thing much larger than his body as he jumped up.
Hansoo wasn’t small either but the person in Hansoo’s hands was almost 2m high.
A reddish brown skin and a tiger-like expression.
Tares’ expression turned bright as he saw this.

Ailen!

But Tares could only grind his teeth after seeing Ailen.
Since Ailen’s body was basically covered with wounds.
‘These fucking bastards!’
And Tares wasn’t the only one who was enraged.

Kuhue…

Tekilon made a helpless expression after seeing one of his race being covered in wounds.
‘Why did they send a child… Who hasn’t even received the Body Enhancement Surgery?’
If she had received the surgery then nothing would’ve happened.
But his questions disappeared as he saw the wounds all over her body and he was filled up with rage instead.
‘Humans…’
There was nothing good about this guy’s race.
To the point where he didn’t understand why Hansoo was trying to increase their numbers so hard.
‘Will coexisting with these guys be possible?’
Tekilon could only question.
Hansoo spoke towards Tekilon.

Let’s run away quickly.


Mmm?

Hansoo shrugged his shoulders.

It’s about time to run.

Flapflapflapflap
At that moment tens of carrier pigeons started to fly in all directions from the small hole Hansoo came out from.
And Tares made a confused expression as he mumbled.

Oh my… Did you not kill them?

Hansoo nodded.
‘It’ll be trouble if they get on our tail.’
There was a difference between taking one person and running away and killing everyone inside there and then running away.
The size of the tracking team will also change.
Though this Tares seemed to have personal grudges, there was no need for him to share that.
Hansoo spoke towards Ailen as he continued to run.
Since he had saved somebody who knew the road, it was now time to ask about it.
Of course after helping them remember it.

Which mission were you trying to do?

They needed to complete the mission in order to find the Temple.
And because of this Hansoo would gladly help with Ailen’s mission but he could only do so if he knew what it was.
Ailen looked at her surroundings and then clenched her teeth.
Because she was stuck between either telling them or not.
‘Can I trust these humans?’
Ailen looked at the people as well as Tares while she pondered but then clenched her teeth.
‘I need their help.’
She had wasted too much time here and her body condition wasn’t good enough to get through this place alone.
Ailen spoke out after she finished thinking.

Please take me to the Baladi Tube.

Tares made a surprised expression at Ailen’s words.
<Baladi Tube>
A mysterious tower located at the spine of the Gragos.
Though it didn’t even go over 5m above the skin, the reason for this tower being called mysterious was situated deep below it.
The depth of this tower that often blocked their path while they dug the ant tunnels couldn’t even be measured.
A tower that shot past even the deepest parts the humans had been to.
The people wanted to investigate this place with more detail but there were so many Baladis in the area to the point where most people couldn’t even approach it.
A mysterious tower that shot down deep into the Gragos which had so many Baladis that it was named after them.
The others were confused but Tekilon’s expression turned grim.
The humans didn’t know but the ones who set up the structure called the Baladi Tube was them, the Akaron.
The purpose for that structure was one.
<Checking the status of the Gragos’ body fluid.>
The Baladi Tube that was stuck in the giant spine of the Gragos checked the fluid level that came out from the Gragos using the body fluid pressure.
Like a thermometer.
If there’s plenty of body fluid then it will be filled up to the brim and if it was lacking then it would dry up to the bottom.
A mechanism built since the Gragos will roll around if there isn’t enough body fluid.
Hansoo nodded at those words as he flew his body towards the Baladi Tube in order to get Ailen over there.
The Baladi tube wasn’t that far away from where they were.
Ailen quickly checked inside the tube through the transparent window on the green wall of the tube.
‘Nothing.’
The body fluid that should’ve been filled up was gone and only a dark hole could be seen below.
Ailen clenched her teeth as she fumbled with a few places on the Tube as she opened the door and shouted.

I’ll be right back so wait.


Utt!

Ailen fell down the tube and checked the height of the tube after leaving behind the people’s shouts.
‘Though we expected this but for it to be this much…’
Ailen clenched her teeth as she looked at the dried up tube.
If the body fluids were at the green areas of the tube then it was safe.
It meant that more Akarons could live.
There was no need to clash with the Margoths either.
Ailen fell for a bit longer as she started to fall past the yellow area.
Yellow was warning.
A stage where though there wasn’t a need to clash against the Margoths yet, they should have a look at controlling their population.
‘…It’s not even filled up to this yet.’
Soon Ailen dropped past the yellow and started to fall into the red part of the tube.
Red was very dangerous.
Now, one of two things will happen.
Either the Margoth will die or them.
They needed to wage war against the Margoths.
And reduce the rate at which the body fluids were being drunk.
‘…There’s nothing here either?’

The moment Ailen was shocked, the red tube ended as well.
At that moment Ailen made a splashing sound as she crashed into the body fluids of the Gragos.
Bubble bubble
Her whole body had been smashed with a huge amount of force but that wasn’t the important part.
Ailen quickly looked at the surroundings.
Black.
‘Oh my god. How did it get down here so quickly…’
The body fluids were barely filled up to the dark tube.
Ailen clenched her teeth at the much more worse situation than it had been expected.
She had to quickly go to the Temple and tell them.
‘…I must get out without them finding out.’
The limitations were coming off and she could remember the location of the Temple.
The words of her returning were lies in order to lose those guys.
The rules told them to not lie and repay kindness but the human race was too dangerous for that as well as the current situation not being good.
The moment AIlen was about to escape through the secret tunnel on the side of the tube, a splashing noise was heard from behind.
‘Somebody jumped in after me?’
While Ailen was shocked, Hansoo’s voice was heard from inside the liquid.

It’s a bit troublesome if you go alone.

Hansoo also made a serious expression as he looked at the black walls.
‘…It’s too fast. It should happen at least a year later. Anyways, it doesn’t seem like this girl would take us that easily.’
Hansoo frowned as he looked at Ailen who was being very cautious of him.