Chapter : 92
A Long Road to Dokgong (14)
The Development Planning Bureau ran a direct team unofficially because of public perception. After all, they were a government agency and couldn’t just act recklessly. Moreover, the public wasn’t favorable toward government-led expeditions.
However, if the Dragon Slayer Project succeeded and a new city was opened, public opinion would undoubtedly change. Lee Won-jae was certain of that.
“This is the moment when history changes.”
The moment humanity took another step into the wilderness of Cameron, when the city opened and people celebrated a new frontier. They would announce it riding on that wave of public support.
“That sounds… tempting.”
“Right?”
Lee Won-jae smiled slyly.
‘They’re really enjoying themselves.’
Suhyun idly scratched her ear with her pinky, thinking to herself. Lee Won-jae spoke passionately about the privileges that would come with the new city. Everyone listened with calm expressions, but in their eyes shone a strong desire.
Once this project ended, they would occupy a position far above everyone else—almost like a new privileged class.
“How was it?”
“Well… the conversation went as expected. Nothing unusual, right?”
“Yes. We were training as instructed.”
“Good. How about Luilil?”
“She didn’t cause any problems.”
“Alright. Then it’s about time to prepare.”
“Are we going to Dokji…?”
“Seeing the Development Planning Bureau, I got impatient. Who knows when they might issue a mobilization order? To be safe, we should enter now.”
Suhyun’s words made Seo Kang-seok nod.
“Call all the operatives.”
Everything was already prepared. Once they sent an expedition report to the Development Planning Bureau and went ‘missing’ appropriately, everything else would proceed on its own.
But right before departure, Suhyun changed one part of the plan.
“You’re taking Luilil with us?”
“Yes, it has to be done.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the three of them, but Luilil’s abilities were exceptional. The way she had already adapted made people uneasy.
‘Is there anything more troublesome than someone harmless but impossible to ignore?’
Luilil wasn’t an overt enemy like Suhyun’s actual opponents, but if one let their guard down, she could easily cause trouble.
‘Maybe I should have just killed her to finish it?’
He had a habit of using every usable talent available—sometimes a strength, sometimes a flaw. Luilil was definitely not someone unusable like Joo Won-jun.
Taking Luilil would solve several worries. First, it would prevent her from acting recklessly while he wasn’t around. She was, at heart, a troublemaker.
‘If she wandered into the Chinese side and got caught, things would get really messy.’
However, this decision triggered an unexpected reaction—Shaina.
“Why are you taking only that elf?!”
“…?”
Suhyun looked at Shaina with a baffled expression.
“What are you talking about?”
“I came in first! Are you discriminating just because she’s a dark elf?”
“You want to enter Dokji? Jealous?”
Shaina flinched at Suhyun’s incredulous response.
“Let me clarify. We’re taking Luilil because I don’t fully trust her. It’s to prevent accidents. You’re not coming because there’s no such risk.”
“….”
Hearing that she was trusted while Luilil was not, Shaina relaxed. Once Luilil joined, she had felt even more isolated—essentially, she and Luilil were inherently different.
“If you don’t trust her, why take her? Just leave her behind…”
“Sometimes in life, you have to handle difficult people.”
Suhyun dismissed Shaina’s concerns. The decision to use Luilil’s abilities was final. Changing it now would be pointless.
“Then I’ll go too.”
“What?”
“The more people go missing, the more plausible it looks.”
“That’s true… but do you really need to volunteer for trouble?”
“Of course, I’ll get extra pay!”
“The money’s not the issue.”
There was no shortage of funding. The real concern was whether it was worth taking a reliable psychic teammate into such a dangerous area.
Taking Luilil into Dokji was relatively low-risk even if she got injured. Suhyun strictly distinguished between operatives he valued and those he didn’t.
Shaina, by contrast, may talk about money, but she was dependable at work.
‘No need to put her in danger…’
But Shaina seemed firmly decided. The money excuse was merely a pretext. Refusing now could alienate her further from the team.
‘Just get along with her.’
“Do as you wish.”
Suhyun’s permission made Shaina clench her fist in triumph.
“Um… do you have a moment?”
‘Did I put a sign saying consultations at the door?’
Suhyun grumbled internally and told Lee So-hee to come in. Even though the operatives were mentally prepared for his absence, they seemed quite uneasy. Not only So-hee, but other operatives kept coming to ask questions.
‘I didn’t expect So-hee to do this…’
“What brings you here?”
“You said that for the Dragon Slayer Project, people close to us should stay out as much as possible.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So… is it okay if I tell someone working at another mercenary company?”
Only then did Suhyun realize why So-hee had come. He had said not to involve anyone related to the project, but So-hee’s contact was no ordinary person—it was Lee Jung-woo, team leader of Jindo Dog Team 1.
“Because of the team leader of Jindo Dog 1?”
“…Yes.”
“It’s fine to warn them.”
“!”
“Of course, you don’t need to reveal that we’re taking overt actions—just say we’ve analyzed it very negatively. That should be enough.”
Jindo Dog couldn’t ignore Suhyun’s judgment. They had already suffered too much from him to disregard it. Moreover, they had experienced the bitter brush with near-disappearance of Team 1, a lesson not easily forgotten.
‘The best outcome would be for them not to participate, but I wonder if there’s any large mercenary company that would do that.’
The most likely scenario was a subordinate team of Jindo Dog participating—avoiding total profit loss while minimizing risk.
“Still… will that be okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
So-hee likely worried about leaking potential advantages to a rival company, but Suhyun didn’t care. Jindo Dog was an exploitable company.
‘I hope there are more companies like Jindo Dog.’
They had a different strategy, a solid internal structure, and didn’t overstep boundaries, making them predictable and easy to manipulate. They were practically Suhyun’s easy targets.
Suhyun hoped that Jindo Dog would maintain its size even after the Dragon Slayer Project. Finding new gullible companies was bothersome.
“I know you’ll work harder than the others, So-hee. Don’t worry, take care of the team while I’m gone.”
“Yes!”
So-hee responded with a brighter expression than when she arrived.
“Why am I… even…”
“Stop muttering.”
Shaina snapped at Luilil in a sharp voice. They were now in Poshukan.
After submitting the expedition plan and getting government approval, the operatives had been sent back in a controlled situation. Now, the only thing left was entering Dokji.
Unlike Shaina, Luilil was well familiar with the area, even knowing there was a particularly dangerous spot inside Poshukan.
“Dokji isn’t that dangerous, so don’t worry too much.”
“…….”
“Want me to go first?”
“Ah, no.”
Suhyun smirked and held out his hand, wearing an unremarkable copper ring that had no abilities.
‘Can’t enter Dokji without psychokinesis.’
His ability allowed him to confidently enter Dokji. Psychokinesis, in its many forms, could even serve as the ultimate shield. The copper ring was just a pretext.
‘As for the magician… I’ll test the waters after the Dragon Slayer Project ends.’
Seeing the copper ring on his hand, Luilil’s eyes sparkled.
“Is that an artifact?”
“Move your hand if you don’t want to get hit.”
“…I’m not taking it.”
“First, let’s do some cleaning.”
“?”
Entering Dokji didn’t mean poison would immediately surge. Only creatures with toxins would attack. Suhyun clenched his fist.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Obstacles flew in a circular pattern around him. Poisonous insects leapt to attack but were blocked midair.
‘Psychokinesis artifact!’
Luilil immediately realized what Suhyun had done. Such a powerful artifact hadn’t been known until now—she couldn’t comprehend it.
“Let’s catch them all.”
“Does it even make sense to collect them?”
“Shut up.”
Like harvesters, the three began putting the insects into storage packs. Seeing the insects’ lethal toxins, Suhyun thought:
‘This is just the outskirts. If it’s this bad here, I might have to go inside alone.’
Though psychokinesis was strong, taking care of others here wouldn’t be easy. Dokji wasn’t called that for nothing. Not only insects, but everything nearby likely carried strong toxins.
Suhyun first found a hideout—a small cave was perfect. Using psychokinesis to sweep away nearby lifeforms and blocking the entrance ensured safety.
“What should we do now?”
“Wait it out. Ada will send news.”
Luilil frowned. Enduring like this wasn’t her style.
“I don’t want to…”
“Then just die.”
“…….”
“You’ll be fine?”
“I came prepared. I’ve faced worse alone.”
Probably not, but Suhyun didn’t point it out.
‘I should be ready for at least six months to a year.’
During that time, he needed to collect toxins to perfect his powers. Time couldn’t be wasted.
From the next day, Suhyun started work: completing the hideout, moving supplies, and collecting toxins. His sharp eye allowed him to select monsters without wasting time, impressing the two.
“Can you remember all that?”
“Roughly. With the right method, yes.”
Twisting a snake’s neck and tossing it into a pack, Suhyun straightened up. It was time to enter deeper. He had gathered all the toxins available in the area.
“You’ll manage with Luilil even if I’m gone?”
“Who do you take me for? Why?”
“I plan to go inside alone. Going together would just be a hassle.”
Luilil clapped in delight at Suhyun’s announcement.
‘Maybe I should just take her in…’
As if reading his thoughts, Luilil quickly changed her tone:
“Go safely. Be careful!”
“Shaina, if she does anything suspicious, just attack immediately.”
“Got it.”
“……”
However, Suhyun could not enter the inner part of Dokji—something unexpected had occurred.
“Wild beasts, huh… this ecosystem is unpredictable.”
Muttering, Suhyun struck down a deer-like monster from afar. Just because it resembled a deer didn’t mean he could relax. This was Cameron, and this was one of its most dangerous zones. That deer could carry unknown toxins.
“?”
As he tried to extract poison from its body, something unusual caught his eye.
