Chapter 85

With a swift motion, as Chahaya raised her sword high, those who were tense began to pull out their Cosmos.

"Ms. Chahaya, are you planning to show off your skills now?"

Heat waves rippled around Gang Shinwoo, a fire user. Before Seo Un could dissuade him, Chahaya kicked her chair and stood up.

"We are Tachien, followers of the Guild Master and Deputy Guild Master! We will not join the Alliance!"

As Chahaya shouted, some who saw her for the first time were dumbfounded. Gang Shinwoo looked at Lee Gwanwoong, as if to say, "Is Chahaya usually like this?" but he had a firm expression.

"That brat is for real."

As the DK Guild Master gripped the sword hilt, a black aura extended from the scabbard.

"DK Guild Master, don't get involved in such a joke."

Lee Gwanwoong, sitting next to him, pressed down on the end of the sword hilt.

"Are you threatening our Deputy Guild Master?"

Chahaya spoke warmly, but the atmosphere suggested that if they didn't put away their Cosmos, it meant they were ready to fight.

No matter how angry the Alliance members were, this was the Tachien headquarters. If a brawl broke out, it would be easy to be misunderstood as causing trouble for not siding with them.

"Really? Should I prepare to fight too?"

Han Donhee somehow supported Chahaya. Seo Un, thinking this couldn't go on, stood up abruptly.

"Our guild members haven't taken out their Cosmos, so isn't the Alliance's response excessive?"

Agreeing, Chahaya and Han Donhee thrust their scabbards toward the ceiling. "Calm down," Seo Un said, slightly bowing her head and grinding her teeth.

The Alliance, perhaps not wanting to cause more problems, began to gather the energy they had been pulling out. Seo Un, who had considered the worst-case scenario due to Chahaya's provocation, felt relieved.

Brr, Han Donhee's phone, which was on the table, vibrated. She tapped it as if something urgent had happened. The screen showed the game's waiting room.

"Ah, damn server! What's the waiting number?"

Crazy!

Seo Un forcibly covered Han Donhee's mouth as she raged about not being able to participate in the event. Then, Chahaya lifted Seo Un's hand with her scabbard.

"Got dirty."

Pfft, pfft, pfft, Han Donhee spat at Seo Un's hand, saying she would make it dirtier. Seo Un looked at the Alliance members with a troubled expression.

The faces of those watching the two who were causing trouble turned red and blue. The two top-tier and super-top-tier individuals seemed to have no concern for their enemies. Seo Un had to apologize before she could stop them from fighting.

"I'm sorry I can't give you a positive answer. Please leave now."

She bowed, hoping they would leave. Fortunately, they were proper adults. If they were ordinary people, they might not have held back and would have taken out their Cosmos to fight.

"Rather, it's for the best. I can't be in an alliance with such unreasonable people."

The Deputy Guild Master, Holorolo, sneered and left first, followed by the DK Guild Master, who glared until the end.

"Deputy Guild Master, I still have some goodwill towards you, so I'll give you one piece of advice."

Gang Shinwoo approached Seo Un and fiercely glared at her back.

"Your guild members, if left to act like calves, will get into big trouble."

Seo Un turned around because of this. She thought Chahaya and Han Donhee had entered a ceasefire because they were quiet, but it was a huge misunderstanding.

Chahaya had dragged her chair out and sat with her legs on the table, waving goodbye with a smile. Han Donhee was absorbed in her phone, excited that she had connected to the game. If Seo Un hadn't held back, she would have smacked her forehead in frustration.

"The Deputy Guild Master's choice will be a childish mistake. Once the river is completely crossed, it will be too late to regret it."

The last to leave was Lee Gwanwoong. It seemed he couldn't help but leave malicious words, and Seo Un felt his malice all over her body.

Now... it's really survival of the fittest.

Given that even human variants might appear, Seo Un swallowed hard, wondering if she could navigate safely with them.

***

Chapter 5. Uroboros

(*In the story, the area where Chahaya grew up is in southern Sulawesi, but the place name is fictional.) The Manseong species were strictly prohibited from leaving the country.

However, recognizing the severity of the current situation, a path to Indonesia was opened. Of course, numerous procedures were still required. Those registered as Manseong had to obtain a Manseong-specific passport, not a South Korean one.

They also had to board a dedicated plane sent by the Indonesian side, and if no variants appeared by July, they had to return immediately. The plane was scheduled to fly directly from South Korea to Masakar (an airport in South Sulawesi), with no stopovers in other countries.

The Variant Disaster Control Center repeatedly warned about behaviors that were not allowed abroad before and after boarding the plane.

1. Weapon possession is permitted, but use is prohibited except when dealing with variants.

2. Cosmos can only be used when dealing with variants.

3. Personal activities of Manseong visiting Indonesia are prohibited.

4. Wait in your respective accommodations until a variant appears.

5. All necessary matters should be requested from the Variant Disaster Control Center.

...

And so on. Violation of these terms will result in forced deportation.

They also distributed pamphlets containing information about the Sulawesi region. Seo Un was surprised by the size of Sulawesi Island, which was larger than the entire land area of South Korea.

Finding a human variant in Sulawesi was more daunting than finding one that might appear anywhere in South Korea. At least the search area was narrowed to the southern part of Sulawesi Island, as all the top-tier searchers pointed to that region, but it was still like finding a needle in a haystack.

Since the landing site was the South Sulawesi Airport, Seo Un and Chahaya planned to meet their uncle first. They couldn't leave the accommodation, so the uncle would have to do the legwork.

"Are you in pain?"

Chahaya, sitting next to her, turned her body completely toward Seo Un.

The plane, with two levels of seating, could accommodate about 400 people. The Manseong heading to Indonesia numbered around twenty.

The Manseong on the plane were those who had volunteered for the 'Recruitment Announcement for Manseong to be Dispatched to Indonesia' issued by the Variant Disaster Control Center. Of course, except for Tachien, they were all part of the Alliance.

They were upper-tier and super-top-tier individuals with abundant light stones, divided into those who were excited or anxious about the human variant.

Another dedicated plane had already departed, carrying the ASEAN Director and Reviewer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, numerous protocol staff, and interpreters. Although they didn't say it outright, it was clear they were reluctant to share a plane with the Manseong. However, this plane also carried civil servants from the Variant Disaster Control Center.

The head of the Control Center, Cha Byungcheon, had to stay in the country, so most of the senior specialists, section chiefs, and division chiefs were on the plane.

"Seo Un?"

Seo Un was distracted by many thoughts and didn't hear Chahaya's call. She was startled when Chahaya nudged her arm and looked at her.

"…Why?"

"I asked if you were in pain."

She shook her head, saying she was fine, but her face was pale. In fact, Seo Un had a fear of flying, not a fear of heights.

When she was in second grade, after a four-week English camp, she experienced severe turbulence on her flight back to Seoul. The camp teacher and leader were also on the flight, but they were in a panic.

She kept looking up, worried that the oxygen masks might drop, but her tears blurred her vision. The plane's sudden jolts made her young body tremble like a leaf.

Thump!

The plane began to shake violently as the pilot announced they had encountered turbulence. Even as a Manseong, Seo Un's fear of flying hadn't disappeared, and she let her imagination run wild.

If we fall, will we be in the middle of the Philippine Sea? Maybe it's better to open the door and escape than to be in a falling plane...

Thump! The plane jolted again.

"Oh, oh, it's shaking, it's shaking."

Seo Un muttered, gripping the seatbelt tightly.

Pilot, please drive safely for the sake of your family.

Chahaya, amused by Seo Un's frightened ramblings, suppressed a laugh. She reclined the business-class seat for Seo Un, who was sitting stiffly.

Reclining 180 degrees made the turbulence feel even more intense. When Seo Un tried to get up, Chahaya pulled a blanket over her.

"Just take a nap."

"How can I sleep? Hey! It's shaking like crazy. Crazy, we just lost altitude."

Seo Un added a comical interjection, and Chahaya couldn't help but chuckle. Normally, she would have told Seo Un not to laugh, but she had no such luxury now. Her body was being tossed around by the turbulence.

"You're cute, field mouse."

Chahaya, sitting sideways, watched Seo Un without reclining her seat. She thought the plane should shake even more because Seo Un was holding her hand tightly. Seo Un, lying flat and muttering incantations with her thick lips, didn't seem to realize she was holding Chahaya's hand.

When the plane's altitude dropped suddenly, Seo Un's pupils dilated and stiffened. Her frightened eyes, like those of a swallow, were endearing. Seo Un rarely showed such fear.

Chahaya resisted the urge to shake Seo Un's seat to scare her.

"Seo Un, even if the plane crashes, I can save you."

Seo Un slowly moved her stiffened pupils toward Chahaya.

"Huh?"

Chahaya's face was full of confidence.

"Just break the door and get out. I can protect Seo Un easily."

Strangely, all her ominous thoughts stopped, because she believed Chahaya could really do it.

"You... can you fly?"

Seo Un asked seriously, and Chahaya laughed out loud. It was refreshingly clear, piercing her muffled ears.