TRPM 147

chapter 147

Columnar joints aren’t unique to Jeju Island.

Columnar joints are usually formed when magma rapidly cools due to sudden temperature changes, solidifies, contracts, and cracks, so they can be found wherever there are volcanic landscapes.

However, the columnar joints on Jeju Island, home to Hallasan—one of Korea’s most famous volcanoes—are particularly renowned.

“Besides, being famous means they carry the weight of countless stories.”

That’s why I wanted to see the columnar joints first.

“Wow! It looks like a honeycomb!”
“Hmm… the energy here feels a bit strange…?”
“Strange? I don’t really feel anything…”

When we reached a spot with a clear view of the columnar joints, the other children reacted with wonder or slight unease at the sight.

But the archmage Lee Ha-eun was different.

She sensed the energy of this place and looked at me. She must have assumed I already knew the nature of this energy.

“Columnar joints are formed from solidified magma, so they have a strong fire energy.”
“Fire energy?”
“If you want to get technical… it’s something close to the fire elementals used by elementalists.”

Still, this is energy a regular wizard wouldn’t feel—only an elementalist might. Even a grand archmage wouldn’t necessarily sense it.

Yet, Lee Ha-eun did. Why?

I had a suspicion.

[It’s not just about giving Fenrir a story as a familiar, but also giving a story to its master… Lee Ha-eun.]
[The story of Loki, the god of fraud and deception.]
[Some also view Loki as a fire god, but since Ha-eun doesn’t use fire magic, that part isn’t relevant…]

Lee Ha-eun had received the story of Loki, considered a fire god. That story must have resonated with the fire energy she felt at the columnar joints.

‘If I take her to other places with strong volcanic fire energy, she’ll likely react the same way.’

Her affinity isn’t with fire magic, and I had no reason to take her to volcanoes, so it wasn’t a major concern.

Anyway…

“Wow…”
“It’s so much bigger than I imagined from the pictures!”

The children were captivated by a sight they had only seen in textbooks.

Watching them, I smiled warmly and asked,

“Shall we go closer?”
“Can we really do that?”
“As long as we don’t cross the rope fence, it’s fine. Look, there are people on the other side too.”

The rocks inside the fence were a bit damp—probably due to yesterday’s rain. Encouraged, the children began running along the fence.

“…Wait! Don’t run! It could be slippery!”
“Geon-woo! Take a picture! Let’s go to the front!”
“Okay, but go slowly!”

Even though they were all Awakened, I couldn’t risk anyone slipping on the wet rocks. So I stayed close, ready to protect them.

“All right, cheese!”

Naturally, we took a photo with the massive columnar joints in the background.

Click!
Bang!

…Huh?

“What was that just now?”
“Besides the camera shutter, didn’t you hear another sound?”

Amid the camera’s click, there was a gunshot. I turned toward the direction of the sound.

‘It came from over there…’

On the opposite side of where we stood, a group of people was present. The gunshot came from that direction.

Chloe Greenwood.

With a first name meaning “meadow” and a surname meaning “living wood,” she was known in public as an elf.

Her appearance, slightly altered when she awakened, and her abilities seemed almost destined for the “elf” label. Early in her awakening, she used her looks and nickname to gain popularity—a decision she now regretted.

‘(If I had known it would be this hard, I wouldn’t have tried acting.)’

Her acting work wasn’t the hard part. The issue was the assassins who began targeting her after she gained fame. Thanks to the security team protecting cast and crew, she avoided major incidents. But after the first attack, she hired a whole security company to protect herself and her family.

‘(…huff… haa…)’

One of her hobbies was visiting famous natural sites worldwide to absorb their energy. She believed that meditating in such places sped up an Awakened person’s growth.

‘(Even if others don’t care, I’m an elf who lives close to nature. The closer I get to it, the stronger I’ll become.)’

Without a security team, she could still handle most assassins on her own. The purpose of traveling the world’s natural wonders while putting her life at risk was precisely that.

‘(It actually works.)’

Each time she inhaled and exhaled the energy of a natural site, she could sense elementals more clearly. While lingering in one place had some effect, experiencing various regions yielded better results. So she constantly sought new natural locations.

‘(…)’
‘(…)’

Security guards monitored her closely, ensuring no suspicious person approached. Even in South Korea, with relatively good public safety, they couldn’t afford to be lax. Past mistakes had proven costly. Chloe’s would-be attackers were powerful people worldwide.

“(Hey, there are people across the way. Kids?)”
“(At least they’re not assassins. Looks like a school group on a field trip. They’re all Awakened, but not assassins.)”

As the guards exchanged information and stayed alert, one noticed something else.

“(…Someone’s in the water.)”

The guards, and Chloe herself—breathing in the fire energy of the columnar joints—looked toward the sea.

Splash!

Perhaps realizing they were discovered, the assassin submerged. The guards could have pursued, but chose not to.

“(He won’t be alone, right?)”
“(Could be bait or a trap. Splitting forces to chase him is risky.)”

Their top priority was Chloe’s safety, not chasing a single fleeing assassin.

“(Ms. Chloe, it’s dangerous to stay exposed. Let’s return to the vehicle.)”
“(Yes, let’s.)”

Most assassins wouldn’t actually aim to kill Chloe. The real goal was to study her for secrets of immortality. But caution was necessary.

Bang…!

The gunshot rang out as they tried to retreat.

“(…Gah…!)”

One guard collapsed, coughing blood.

“(Everyone, deploy barriers and get down!)”

It was a sniper attack, clearly targeting the group. The guards activated their barrier generators and lowered themselves to avoid stray bullets, then began emergency treatment on the wounded guard.

“(Luckily, no vital organs were hit. Not a special bullet. If we stop the bleeding quickly, he’ll recover without aftereffects.)”
“(Then our next step is to retreat…)”

The advantage was on Chloe and her guards’ side. The gunshot would attract local Awakened, forcing the assassins to flee—they couldn’t carry out a massacre here.

“(…No. It won’t go that smoothly.)”

Chloe, as an elementalist, assessed the situation more realistically.

“(What is it?)”
“(I’m not sure what to call them… but there are people wearing threatening gear, and there are many.)”
“(What does the gear look like?)”
“(…Like suits from a movie. Quite big—about 3 to 5 meters tall?)”

Some guards paled.

“(Powered armor…?)”
“(They even brought military-grade equipment. They’re serious.)”
“(Everyone, be careful! If they have powered armor, they probably have heavy weapons. Our barriers won’t stop them!)”

Clearly, if these were the attackers’ plans, half-hearted efforts by Awakened wouldn’t suffice.

Clack… Clack…

As they contemplated this, the assassins in powered armor revealed themselves. They didn’t look like typical assassins—they exuded an aura as if they intended to kill every witness.

“(Hey, guards. We don’t want unnecessary bloodshed. Just hand over the woman.)”
“(We only want the woman, the suit’s ownership, and the money. No need to fight.)”
“(You know our type doesn’t kill bystanders.)”

Chloe tensed. Guards had dismissed such offers in the past. Could they this time? Refuse and risk being torn apart by those terrifying suits?

‘…If only I’m taken, we avoid massacre. Life is more precious than contract penalties.’

Chloe assumed the guards would accept.

“(…Sorry, but in our line of work, trust is everything. Breaking a contract is hard.)”

Her assumption was pleasantly betrayed. All guards raised weapons, ready to protect Chloe.

“(Regrettable.)”

One assassin murmured, expecting the guards’ reaction, and aimed their machine gun. As they pulled the trigger…

Crack…!

Their gun seemed to shatter…

Boom!

The arm of the powered armor holding the gun was gone.

“(…Aaaah?!)”

The assassin’s arm inside was torn off with it. Other assassins hurriedly surveyed their surroundings, but…

Crack…! Thud! Boom!
“(…Ghh?!)”
“(Aaaah…!)”

Their actions were meaningless. Guns shattered, armor arms torn off, and their own arms gone.

One of Chloe’s guards realized what caused this.

“(…A rock…?)”

An ordinary rock lying nearby had shattered machine guns, armor, and assassins’ arms. He looked in the direction the rock came from.

A massive howling wolf appeared…

Thud! Thud!

And atop its back, a boy was preparing to throw another rock.