Chapter 75
Reconstruction (1)
After the main demonstration ended,
Baozi stood there dazed, watching as the audience gradually left and the hall emptied.
“How did it come to this…?”
He hadn’t achieved a single thing.
He couldn’t appeal to the Great Wall, nor could he disparage them.
“A trivial little country like Han Guo…!”
Even after mobilizing connections from the Foundation, things had gone so wrong.
At this point, there was only one option left.
Since they already had a hold on Guanxi, they had to make use of it.
“If only Deputy Park would lend his influence…!”
The position of Deputy in the Foundation was no ordinary role handed to fresh recruits.
It was a post given only to highly capable individuals, someone who could easily act in place of a department head.
In practical terms, it was almost the ultimate decision-making authority in the field.
And this wasn’t just any department—it was the pivotal Crack Containment Division, the backbone of the Foundation.
“After all, this expo is organized by the Foundation, so it’s entirely possible.”
Even if public sentiment leaned against them, Deputy Park’s opinion could influence the judging results.
Just then, Baozi saw Deputy Park passing by.
“Deputy Park!!!”
Baozi hurriedly called out.
“May I help you?”
“How can you ask that? You saw it! I can’t just stand by and watch those Taizong people make a scene…”
“Your words are harsh, Representative Dongfang Mingzhu.”
Despite the smile, Deputy Park’s voice was ice-cold.
Baozi hesitated for a moment.
There was something strangely different about his demeanor.
“Deputy Park…?”
“It’s unfortunate you didn’t score well. I hope for better results next time.”
Deputy Park nodded slightly and walked on as if nothing had happened.
It was as if nothing had passed between them.
Baozi quickly grabbed his hand.
“Didn’t we promise? If we get first place…!”
“The situation has changed.”
“B-but…”
“If you lose, at least don’t hold a grudge. Tsk.”
But Deputy Park coldly shook off his hand and walked toward the Taizong team.
“Congratulations. Each demonstration was truly impressive. If you’re interested in a direct supply line, please come this way…”
Just as he had approached Baozi, he extended his business card and began negotiating.
Baozi’s last trump card vanished in an instant.
“Then, please contact me if you’re interested.”
The man, identifying himself as Deputy Park, handed over a card and disappeared.
Baozi crumpled the card and stuffed it into his pocket.
Jingangtai asked curiously,
“Are you going to refuse?”
“Yes.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad deal if it could be included in the standard equipment of the Crack Containment Division.”
“The way they operate is just terrible.”
He was a direct subordinate of Hong Chanho, the head manager of the Crack Containment Division.
No explanation was needed. He was one of the people who had turned that emergency mobilization into a disaster.
In his past life, when things went wrong, he immediately enforced crack closure. In this life, he opportunistically elevated Director Atlan.
In short, they were extremely opportunistic.
They swallowed anything sweet when convenient and spat it out the moment it wasn’t needed.
Chasing the next prey immediately after.
Even if Baozi accepted their offer, it would have been as light as a feather.
“They’re favorable now because of the situation, but otherwise, their reaction would have been the opposite.”
There was no need to rely on them.
With this level of promotion, the necessary people would line up on their own.
“Shall we go now?”
Taizong’s staff were finishing up the booth and preparing to load the luggage.
Sehyun also turned to leave the expo.
“Wait!”
A sudden shout stopped him.
“Huff… huff… just a moment, Sehyun.”
Sehyun’s eyes widened as he recognized the panting young man running up.
His hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a modified hanbok-style work uniform.
He was the chief craftsman of Cheonji Workshop, Doyoung.
Why was someone who should have been guarding the site on Baekdu Mountain with Halma here?
“Catch your breath. What’s going on?”
“Huff… huff… Sehyun, you must come with me immediately.”
“…Excuse me? Where?”
The answer soon became clear.
“Halma’s… life is in danger.”
A few weeks earlier.
Bang─! Bang─!
Late at night, when most of Cheonji Workshop’s lights had gone out,
Doyoung worked through the night, hammering.
“…I have to try harder.”
Since Sehyun had left, a fire had ignited in Doyoung’s heart.
At first, it was jealousy.
A young man, unexpectedly appearing, showed a higher level of skill than himself,
and, shockingly, it was the level Halma desired.
He was so frustrated that he even vented on Halma, unintentionally.
But Halma reassured him instead.
She told Doyoung that his feelings weren’t childish jealousy, but a burning desire to reach a higher place.
His direction shifted.
Until now, as chief, he had focused on analyzing blueprints to direct the night workers,
but now he could not endure without holding the hammer himself.
His heart, which Halma had described as “cold air,” now burned fiercely.
Bang─! Bang─!
Deep into the night, as he hammered,
Crash─!!!
The ceiling suddenly broke, and the waters of Cheonji poured down like a waterfall.
Whoooooosh─!!!!
It was similar to when Sehyun had appeared before,
but this time, something was seriously wrong.
“Emergency! Emergency!!”
The night workers shouted and scrambled.
But their movements were blocked.
Shhhhhhhh──
The water hitting molten rock caused uncontrollable steam.
With their vision obscured, everyone panicked.
Meanwhile, the culprit who broke the ceiling moved.
“Argh!!!”
“Who’s there!! Aaah!!!”
Screams echoed.
Bang─!!! Bang─!!!!
The core shattered with a loud crash.
Doyoung’s first destination was Halma’s quarters.
But before he could even reach it,
Ku-ku-ku-ku─!!!
The ground twisted grotesquely and collapsed onto Halma’s room.
She must have used her talisman.
That meant the intruder was already inside.
“Halma!!!!”
But it was already too late.
Blood pooled on the floor just within Doyoung’s reach.
What he saw next:
The ground around Halma’s body had bulged like a small mountain,
and a giant sword was lodged in her chest like a stake.
Doyoung’s face turned pale.
It was a horrific sight, leaving no hope that she could still be alive.
Frozen in place, unable to move, he heard a weak voice.
“Do…Young…”
“Ha…Halma!!!”
Her lips moved with effort, and he hurried to hold her hands.
A faint, whispering voice flowed from her mouth.
“Spread the news… outside.”
Then she lost consciousness.
“…And then you came straight to get me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry for grabbing you by the collar out of the blue.”
“It’s fine. It was justified.”
Before rushing to Cheonji Workshop, Sehyun had grabbed his collar upon hearing the story.
From what he heard, Halma’s life could end at any moment, yet he came to him first?
Even if Halma said so, Sehyun couldn’t tolerate it.
But the words, ‘You’ll understand if you see it yourself,’ made him restrain his anger and come.
And there she was.
As he had said, she wasn’t dead.
Her small chest rose and fell faintly.
She was still alive.
But…
“…This is…”
She looked strangely asleep.
Her legs were buried deep in the raised ground, her skin stiff and almost inhuman.
It looked like…
“A rooted old tree.”
Aside from slight movement with her breathing, she appeared barely alive.
Her vital activities were severely limited to preserve her life.
“That’s why she survived.”
The moment the large sword pierced her chest,
she must have judged she could not survive by normal means.
The talisman was her last resort.
It drew the ground up to envelop her body, merging stellar energy with her life force.
Like a tree drawing nutrients through its roots, she maintained minimal life through stellar energy.
Literally a “plant-human” state.
It was possible only because Halma had lived with Baekdu Mountain for decades.
“Is… this impossible?”
Despite being flustered, Doyoung tried to find a way to return Halma to normal.
The first person he thought of was Sehyun.
Since Halma had acknowledged him, he might know a method.
But his assessment was uncertain.
Sehyun remained silent for a long while.
Doyoung could do nothing but anxiously wait.
Finally, Sehyun looked up while examining Halma.
“There is a way.”
Sehyun had not come just to worry; she had a possible solution.
“The method itself is simple.”
Just reverse the process Halma had done.
Prepare all treatment equipment, use the talisman to release her from the rooted state, remove the sword, repair the fatal wound, and focus on recovery.
The only problem:
“Does anyone have the ability to wield the talisman like Halma?”
Since she had entered the rooted state via the talisman, someone had to use it again to reverse it.
But could anyone match Halma’s skill?
In her previous life, no one else had used it.
Or rather, no one dared.
Until the day Halma held the disaster at Baekdu Mountain, she had never relinquished the talisman, even to hold back the disaster for one extra second.
So no one else could be sure to wield it.
However, Halma had said once:
-
If you are qualified, you can use it too.
-
…And where do you get such qualifications?
-
What are you saying? Aren’t you a craftsman like me?
-
Don’t talk nonsense. How can we be the same?
Doyoung remembered being smacked for muttering in disbelief.
Not all craftsmen are equal.
No matter how much experience you gain, you can’t surpass one chosen by myth.
Even now, he still thought the same.
Artifacts aside, divine objects aren’t earned by effort.
But…
“Still, I can’t just do nothing.”
After all, he had experience repairing once before.
Sehyun extended his hand.
“Give it to me. The talisman.”
“……”
Doyoung hesitated.
“Still cautious, huh?”
Even when receiving the hammer from Halma before, he had been cautious.
Even caring for the workshop and Halma, being wary at this point was extreme.
Sehyun sighed deeply.
“I know you don’t like it. But Halma’s life is at stake, isn’t it?”
“I… that is…”
Yet Doyoung still hesitated.
But there was a subtle emotion unlike what he expected.
And the reason was easy to guess.
“The intruder… took the talisman too.”
“…What?”
“That’s why I called you, Sehyun.”
Without the talisman, things were even worse.
“I want you to create a talisman.”
The situation was far worse than expected.
