The World Best Engineer novel - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

“Ppo-dong!”

 

There was a hole in the dirt wall. Ppodong popped his head through the hole. He beamed a smile at Lloyd, who flopped down in front of the wall made of soil. 

 

In disbelief, Lloyd said, “Ppo…. dong?”

 

“Ppo-dong!”

 

“Is that really you?”

 

“Ppo-do-dong! Ppo-dong!”

 

Ppodong nodded with all of his might. Inside his small and round head, Ppodong recalled the events that had happened recently.

 

♣

 

Since a few days ago, Ppodong had been very bored. Lloyd had been working on the development of the mine all day. Bangul also had been away continuously because she was mobilized for the construction.

 

Ppodong had nothing to do. He had spent the days by rolling around inside the bedroom as his daily routine.

 

It was good at first, but as he had done it continuously, he absolutely couldn’t keep on doing that to pass the time. Feeling unpleasant boredom, eventually, Ppodong ran out of Lloyd’s bedroom.

 

Ppodong had been wandering around the mansion. Then, he met a woman who was tending to the flowers in the mansion’s garden. She was Lloyd’s mother, the baron’s wife.

 

The Baroness had been very pleased to see him and said something like, ‘I don’t think I can thank you enough. These days, I’ve been worried about a few mice that have been damaging the flower garden. You’re their relative, aren’t you? If it’s possible, can you call them? Please ask them to not ruin the flower garden for me.’

 

….. It was a request. Of course he had accepted it, he had nothing to do anyway. After accepting her request, Ppodong had run to the meadows excitedly.

 

That was when all of it started.

 

For several days, Ppodong had been searching for the mice near the mansion. Finally, he caught a herd of mice and met with their leader.

 

On the spot, he had made a polite suggestion to the leader of the mice.

 

‘Ppo-dong! Ppo-do-dong! Ppo-dong!’

 

Ppodong had suggested not to use the Baroness’ flower garden as the mice’s playground. But, the leader of the mice had replied with, ‘Squeak! Squeak? Squeak! Squeak!’

 

Ppodong had no idea what the leader of the mice was talking about.

 

In short, Ppodong didn’t understand the mice’s language while the mice also didn’t understand Ppodong’s language.

 

Regrettably, they had failed to come to an agreement. It had also become the start of their war. 

 

Ppodong had declared war on the herd of mice. Whenever he saw them, he would courageously run to them. Then he’d press them down with his belly, bounce them off with his butt, and strike them with his head. Each time, the mice would be busy running away from their deaths.

 

Today was the same as always.

 

Ppodong had been chasing the leader of the herd of mice. However, the leader was faster than he had thought.

 

The leader had managed to run away without getting caught meanwhile Ppodong had followed after him enthusiastically. 

 

After passing through the mansion’s garden, Ppodong had run through the paved road, passed through the village, reached the foot of the mountain, and arrived at the mine construction site. And by chance, he had passed through the tunnel and came inside the ant nest.

 

‘Ppo-dong?’

 

He had arrived at a strange place he didn’t know of. Plus, he had lost the leader of the mice. Ppodong had tried to turn away and go back. If he hadn’t heard a familiar voice that was somewhat nearby, he would’ve returned to the mansion.

 

‘Gasp! Heup!’

 

To be exact, it wasn’t a voice, but the sound of someone breathing. Yet, that alone was enough for Ppodong to recognize whose breathing sound it was.

 

‘Ppo-dong!’

 

The man who had summoned him to this world. The one who had made it possible for him to exist in that way. The breathing sound was Lloyd’s.

 

‘Ppo-dong! Ppo-do-dong!’ Ppodong raised his voice, full of joy. However, there was no reply. Lloyd was still breathing heavily somewhere nearby. Plus, each time, the perpetual sound of digging with a shovel could be heard.

 

‘Ppo-dong?’ Ppodong tilted his head and then guessed that Lloyd must’ve been digging somewhere nearby. If that was the case, then he could go and help Lloyd.

 

‘Ppo-do-dong! Ppo-dong!’ He eagerly perceived the source of the sound. 

 

It wasn’t far away. It was just across the passageway where he was located right now.

 

From then on, Ppodong also started to dig a tunnel. He dug enthusiastically towards the direction where Lloyd’s breathing sound was coming from. His soft and fluffy butt swayed while his front paws moved to the point of sweating.

 

And at last, he finally appeared in front of Lloyd.

 

“Is that really you?” Lloyd asked.

 

“Ppo-dong!”

 

“……”

 

Rub rub rub.

 

Ppodong approached Lloyd and rubbed his butt on Lloyd’s cheek, as if saying hello. On his tail, there was Ppodong’s unique smell. After smelling it, it finally occurred to Lloyd that this was reality. Really, it was really Ppodong.

 

“Sigh, how did you come here?” That was what Lloyd said, but actually, he couldn’t be happier than this.

 

Before, he had thought everything was over. Yet, at that moment, his hazy mind gradually woke up thanks to the fist-sized hole made by Ppodong as he went inside. Because the air could finally flow inside from there.

 

‘Of course, I still feel like my head is going to break.’

 

Lloyd still had hypoxia. The air that entered from the small hole only prevented his condition from deteriorating.

 

‘Still, this is much better than dying.’

 

Lloyd wiggled his fingers. Fortunately, it moved according to how he wanted it to. 

 

Then, he said to Ppodong, “Hey, Ppodong? I have a favor to ask.”

 

“Ppo-dong?”

 

“Could you bite my nose to wake me up?”

 

“Ppo-do-dong?”

 

“It’s all right. I won’t kill you.”

 

“Ppo-dong?”

 

“Are you asking if I’m serious? Come quick.”

 

“Ppo-dong!”

 

Ppodong, who was on Lloyd’s shoulder, positioned himself. He got up on his feet and put his paws on Lloyd’s cheek. Then, Ppodong nibbled Lloyd’s nose.

 

“Ppo-dong!”

 

Bit!

 

“…. Ouch!”

 

It stung a lot more than Lloyd predicted. His whole body shook as he winced. Still thanks to that, Lloyd came to his senses.

 

“Uuuugh, th-thank you!” Lloyd smiled at Ppodong, who in return gave him a thumbs up from on top of his shoulder.

 

After that, Lloyd struggled to get up. He approached the dirt wall, while practically being on his knees. He put his face in front of the hole Ppodong had dug and inhaled the air that flowed from the hole. His condition got a little better.

 

‘That guy needs to be saved too.’

 

Lloyd turned around and crawled to Javier, who was so far away. Javier had completely fallen unconscious. Fortunately, Javier was still breathing.

 

Lloyd dragged Javier along while panting and groaning. He then grabbed Javier by the collar and pulled him up. Then, he put Javier’s face in front of the hole. A moment later, Javier’s complexion looked better.

 

‘Let’s get out of here.’

 

Lloyd didn’t know when another collapse would occur. If there was one in this situation, they would surely die. Knowing this, Lloyd difficultly stood up. He then picked up the steel shovel.

 

Due to the penalty of using the optional skill Latent Power Surge, the Asrahan Core Technique couldn’t be used. Instead, only the power to move little by little remained. 

 

Lloyd stabbed the dirt wall with a shovel. 

 

Crunch!

 

The tip of the shovel was buried into the wall made of soil about 1 centimeter deep. That was enough. In that state, Lloyd leaned forward and put all of his weight onto the shovel. 

 

Crack….

 

The shovel dug deeper into the soil. Deeper and deeper, without hesitation, to the very end. Finally, it passed through. The shovel, which was slowly getting deeper into the soil, suddenly popped through the hole. The head of the shovel broke through the 30 centimeters thick dirt wall and successfully escaped to the other side. 

 

‘I did it!’

 

Lloyd leaned forward with more power. His body weight was his weapon. 

 

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Thud!

 

Lloyd hit the wall with his shoulder. He pushed the dirt wall with his whole body.

 

At last, the wall crumbled to pieces.

 

“Gasp, whoa.”

 

Lloyd got crushed under the piles of soil that crumbled, but it didn’t matter. Lloyd took a deep breath as deep as he could. More oxygen entered his lungs than what he had managed to inhale through the small hole. He got even more energized.

 

“So, why don’t you open your eyes now,” Lloyd grumbled and carried Javier on his back. Javier felt much heavier than before, perhaps because Javier lost his consciousness or Lloyd was feeling so tired. Either way, Lloyd still took a step forward one at a time.

 

‘At times like this, you should walk calmly. Confident without excess power. Put strength on your waist and lower body.’

 

That was the trick to carry heavy things while in a state of exhaustion. You shouldn’t try to forcefully use strength. If you do so, you wouldn’t carry it far.

 

The heavier it was, the calmer you should get. The harder it was, the better this trick worked. 

 

Back in the days when he had been going back and forth from the workforce center every dawn in South Korea, Lloyd had been the one who was carrying numerous cement sacks and bricks. 

 

‘This paled in comparison to when I was carrying loads of tiles and bricks all day long while going up and down a four-story building!’

 

Lloyd clenched his teeth hard. He focused only on walking. Thanks to Ppodong who took the lead, Lloyd didn’t have to care about finding the way out. He devoted all of his concentration to walking and checking the spot on the ground where he would take his next step.

 

How long had he been walking like that?

 

An unexpected message popped up in front of him. 

 

Ding dong.

 

[You were able to overcome your physical limitations through an impressive trick in extreme situations.]

[This particular experience has a major impact on <Skill : Asrahan Core Technique>.]

[New optional skill has been unlocked.]

[Optional Skill ③ : Power Saving Mode – Even in extreme exhaustion, you can use the Asrahan Core Technique, albeit weakly. The mana amplification rate is fixed at 10% of the normal amplification rate]

 

‘Wow? What is this?’

 

Lloyd blinked. That was an unexpected optional skill. His body could feel the effect immediately.

 

Kiiiiiiiing….

 

His double circle that wrapped around his heart had stopped rotating because he was in a state of exhaustion. However, it started to rotate again even if the speed was 1/10 from the usual. Still, that was enough. It infused Lloyd, who was extremely tired, with strength that was similar to a long-awaited rain that eased the drought.

 

‘The mana is being absorbed again.’

 

Even if it was unintentional, the Asrahan Core Technique got activated automatically. Lloyd drew and absorbed a small amount of mana from the surroundings. The absorbed mana was sent to the circles and then spread around the body. Fresh energy gushed out.

 

‘I can do this. I can get out of here!’

 

Lloyd’s pace gained speed and strength. He already walked for such a long time. He was still carrying Javier on his back, yet he never stopped.

 

In the meantime, the surroundings began to change. The number of luminous mushrooms that inhabited the walls of the ant nest continuously decreased. However, the passageway wasn’t dark because far ahead from there, the torches’ light that was swaying lightened up his way.

 

“There! It’s Young Master Lloyd!” Lloyd heard someone shouting. Then, there were urgent steps of a group of people that were rushing towards him. A barrage of hands approached and reached out to help him. Amongst them, some belonged to the Baron.

 

“Are you okay? Where did you get hurt?” the Baron asked with a voice full of bewilderment, while both of his hands clasped Lloyd’s face.

 

Lloyd stopped smiling and he laughed. He wasn’t in the right mind to answer.

 

He survived.

 

The feeling of relief loosened his tension. He couldn’t help but smile. His eyelids closed.

 

‘Whoa. What a tough day.’

 

Even when he was at the goshiwon, he used to sag down like this when he was tired. Lloyd then sunk down into the Baron’s arms. 

 

The long and arduous day finally ended.

 

 

 

♣

 

Time had flown by.

 

For the time being, Lloyd fell into a much deeper sleep than everyone expected. Even after a day or two passed, Lloyd’s eyes still didn’t open. 

 

Other than the damaged muscles and ligaments because of being overworked, there was no severe injury. There was also no sign of illness. The doctor of the territory said that his body was just resting, and the tired body was recovering through sleep. That was how the doctor comforted the Baron and his wife. 

 

The Baron and the Baroness often stayed inside Lloyd’s bedroom. As long as time permitted, they stayed by Lloyd’s bedside. This was especially the case for the Baron. 

 

Days before, the Baron was the one who had led the charge against the ant beasts. He didn’t even spare himself more than anyone else to clear the way down to the underground ant nest faster.

 

Although one of his arms got broken in the fight and his body was burning with fever in the aftermath, he refused to be bedridden and stayed on Lloyd’s side.

 

The Baroness’ devotion was also no less than that. She took care of the territory’s affairs on behalf of her husband. She personally visited the wounded soldiers who got injured in the battle against the ant beasts, praised them for their courage, and patched their wounds.

 

Meanwhile, warm rumors quietly spread throughout the territory. The rumor was about Lloyd. When the ant beasts first appeared, the ruffian Young Master was said to evacuate the workers first without hesitating. For their safety, he had said that he would stay behind with Javier. It was also said that he had invaded the ant nest to repel the ant beasts and even rescued the knight, Javier.

 

There were also witnesses. The workers who were being evacuated and the soldiers who were there at the moment of the rescue, witnessed Lloyd carrying Javier on his back.

 

The Young Master risked his life to protect his people from peril. The Young Master never gave up on carrying his loyal knight until the end. 

 

The male residents of the territory clenched their fists as they heard the story, the girls felt their heart pounding, while the tender-hearted elderly became tearful.

 

In the meantime, the Baron couple summoned Javier, who woke up first. They asked the young and faithful knight about what had happened inside the ant nest. While listening to the story, the couple sometimes got surprised, they sighed, and patted their chest, feeling relieved.

 

As such, everyone waited altogether. They genuinely looked forward to it and wished for it.

 

May their Young Master regain his consciousness. We hope for him to wake up as soon as possible in good health.

 

By the fourth day after the accident, Lloyd opened his eyes.