Ch 2

She is just standing there, nervously looking for something to say. Here it is, an awkward silence. It happens all the time when someone hears that I don't have a catalyst attribute. Looking at the puzzled and stunned expression on her face, I have decided to break the silence.

-" Well, I guess you have lost your interest since I don't want to waste any more of your time I will excuse my self."

-' No, wait, sorry I didn't mean it that way.'

Whatever the case, what a lucky man I am. I have seen such a variety of emotions of such a fine lady in just a day. From the seriousness of the iron lady to complete dumbfounded expression. To top it up, is it compassion in her eyes?  Is she pitying me? Well, at least I can feel that her emotions are sincere. Sigh, I guess I was too cold.

-"Nothing to be sorry about, besides I am more or less used to this so take it easy. We will be spending quite some time together in the tunnel, so let's work together."

-'Ahh yea sure, you are right. I will see you in 40 minutes.'

Well, now I should hurry to get the rations for the week.Upon my return to the hangar, Fei Hong had a heated argument with the logistics officer. It seems that we won't be traveling via plane but a military LRT, either way, it won't take that much time.

-' Give it up captain, its probably,  Hyuk-Il's luck taking its action, we won't have a smooth ride. Heheheh'

Three guys behind him, Gan Gang Ja,  Ja Wui Wang, and Pi Hae Ja. Better known as 3 JA were loyal henchmen of Sung Byung. Even though they weren't blood-related, they look as a triplet offsprings of the same mother. They were about to add some unnecessary comments to appease their master but were abruptly interrupted by another person.

-' Isn't it better this way?  We will have a proper warm meal on the train and some comfy seats. We will be eating tube food, and sleeping on the ground for god knows how long. So we should thank Hyuk-Il. HAHAHAH.'

It was Sergei, a man in his mid-thirties, descendant of Russian families that migrated to Korea after the third great eruption in 1952 in Kamchatka. One head taller and way better build then  Sung Byung, on the intimidation scale, he was quite close to the battalion commander.

-'Tch, whatever.'

Agitated Sung Byung turned and joined his group to have them praise and cheer him up.

In just a moment, all of us were following Fei Hong to our train.

The custom-made 2-carriage train was huge, so Sung Byung's and Sergei's groups settled as far away from each other as possible.

-"Middle it is."

(Well, not like I have a choice here.)

While I was wondering where the girls will be seating, Ha Eun flopped on the chair next to me. Fei Hong and another girl followed her and in a more dignified way, seated themselves close to me.

-' Buuuu, why didn't you say hi earlier in the hangar?'

-"Sorry, I was spacing out. Didn't expect I will be a part of this mission."

-'Ahhhhh, is that so? I wonder what will they serve for lunch. I am starving. I want chicken curry.'

(I guess fantasizing about food made her drool.)  

Ha Eun is an epitome of an unbalanced person. Her doll-like face with big and kind eyes, long silky reddish hair along with her adorable gluttonous, happy go lucky and angel-like innocent character attracted eyes of all the men in our battalion. Well, most of the gazes were glaring at what was slightly lower. Her perfect plump chest, thin toned waist that transitioned to gracious hips, a firm butt, and long legs.

(She is so cute, but she is drooling so much I want to put food feeding apron on her.)

Just imagining her in this small apron made my blood rushed from head to lower area.

(Calm down, calm down.)

A girl, in front of Ha Eun, took a handkerchief leaned and wiped the drool away. While she was grooming Ha Eun, her eyes were radiating love and worship. But, the moment I have entered back her field of view. Her eyes changed from that of a loving parent or companion to a tiger looking at its prey. Then her lips started to move.

-'Ha Eun, you are rarely talking to men aside to your family members, let alone being one who initiates the dialogue, is he a friend of yours?'

-'Ooopsie Hyuk-Il this is Kim Kwang Nyun, she is my childhood friend, our families are very close, so we hang out together quite often. Kim Kwang Nyun, this is Hyuk-Il, we had the first deployment at the same time. During the descent humanoid dwellers attacked our squad, the battle was chaotic, I was so scared and couldn't concentrate to use my powers properly, and then one of the dwellers entangled my leg and started to drag me to deeper levels. Only Hyuk-Il noticed that and rushed for my rescue. He was like a shining prince on the white horse.'

Ha Eun made a weird but excited face. At this moment, she resembles a 5-year old who was overexcited about his favorite movie or cartoon.

-"You make it sound like I defeated them, all I was able to do is to fend them off until the rest of the squad caught up with us. Besides, I have lost both hands trying to do that."

-'Good thing I was there' Hehehehe.

(That's right, Ha Eun is a water-earth adventer, so she has access to wood and a healing trait. Though her water CL is very low and she hasn't progressed with rising wood CL, her healing CL is around 80. She basically can cure and heal any injury or disease. Having her in our squad is reassuring.)

-'Well, since you saved her life, we can be friends as well.'

Kim Kwang Nyun extended and offered her hand.I had to lean my torso a bit to shook her hand.

-"Nice to be friends with you."

Fei Hong who stayed quite all the time during our conversation jumped in with a rather unsettling remark

-'But you know Hyuk-Il Ha Eun  to meet humanoid dwellers at the first deployment what terrible luck.'

-'hehe, that's true.'

-"Well as long as we stay alive. I have no complaints."

We were enjoying pleasant and idle talk for the remaining time of the trip.

For lunch, there was chicken curry.