The transport plane settled onto the floor of the fissure in something close to a belly landing.
All its wheels burst, and one wing snapped off and plunged into the lava.
Even so, perhaps because the pilot’s skill was good, the transport plane did not split in two and came to a stop before the ice wall.
Crunch!
Of course, the inside of the transport plane was a wreck as well, but thanks to the shield Sopeu had cast, no one was injured.
After landing, the pilots looked as if every last bit of strength had drained out of them, but the scientists quickly recovered from the shock and were absorbed in confirming the new facts before them.
“It’s amazing enough that we weren’t hurt, but how are we able to breathe here?”
Dr. Miller was fascinated by the purification magic Sopeu had cast, while Dr. Ella’s eyes shone as she looked at the ruins embedded in the ice wall in front of the transport plane.
“My goodness, Doctor, look at that. They’re ruins. Ruins beneath Antarctica. I never thought I’d see those ruins with my own eyes.”
I led them toward the ruins.
The distance from the broken transport plane to the ruins was short, but even during that brief walk, the people looked around with astonished eyes.
Beside us flowed a river of lava, and on both sides rose sheer cliffs of ice. The magnificent sight overwhelmed not only the scientists but even the exhausted pilots.
“It’s fine to look, but do not stop walking. If you get too far from me, you won’t be able to breathe.”
The people, who had been marveling at the view, came to their senses at my words and pressed close around me.
I entered the ruins with them.
The lobby I had seen not long ago greeted us without having changed at all.
As soon as we entered the lobby, Dr. Ella recognized the drones lying smashed farther inside.
“The drones are over there. The drone we sent first is there too.”
“But the way they’re broken is strange. No matter how I look at it, it seems like someone smashed them…”
As the two scientists said that and approached the wrecked drones, a ball of fire suddenly popped out from among the debris.
Fwoosh.
“Eek!”
At the sight of the fireball, Dr. Ella screamed in surprise, and Maxwell and the pilots drew their pistols and aimed them at it.
It would not have mattered even if they fired, but it seemed like it would waste unnecessary time, so I spoke to them.
“It’s all right. You don’t need to worry.”
After waving my hand to stop them from shooting, I spoke to the two scientists.
“It is the golem that guarded these ruins. That golem was what destroyed the drones.”
At my words, Dr. Ella tilted her head.
“What? That fireball destroyed the drones? Then why is it all right?”
“Because that golem is now following Sopeu’s—no, my orders.”
There was no dark energy, so we could not operate these ruins, but Sopeu had already finished taking control of them.
That was why we had been able to activate the spatial transfer device, and why the golem had come to obey Sopeu.
When I beckoned to the fireball golem, the fireball moved around the people and came to my side.
The scientists stared in fascination at the fireball golem moving to avoid them.
They must have seen many similar robots, but the scientists’ curiosity was endless.
“You must not touch it. The heat is still the same.”
If I had not said that, they might have even reached their hands into the flames.
Together with the fireball golem, we continued walking.
We passed the drone wreckage, went through the corridor, and descended the stairs leading underground.
A short while later, we arrived at the underground hall where the ruins’ control device was located.
At the sight of the empty underground hall filled with patterns and the pedestal standing at its center, the scientists’ eyes shone.
“So this is the ruin that regulates Earth’s environment. The one made by aliens.”
Dr. Ella’s words were only half right.
This was indeed a terraforming ruin, but it had not been made by aliens.
Calling the Venusians aliens was not quite accurate.
The descendants of the Venusians who made these ruins lost magic and became our ancestors.
When Earthlings went to Trappist, a planet with dark energy, the reason they gained abilities and became able to use magic was that we were their descendants.
The scientists ran about as far as the translucent shield reached, inspecting the inside of the hall.
The scientists were not the only ones who examined the underground hall.
After checking the underground hall as thoroughly as the scientists, Maxwell let out a sigh.
“It’s definitely different from the Baekdu Mountain base. This hall also resembles the terraforming ruins I’ve seen in drawings more than the spatial transfer ruins.”
Even though I had told him repeatedly, it seemed he had not let go of his expectations until now.
I asked him.
“Do you need a new planet that badly? Paradise and Taepyeong alone shouldn’t be insufficient, should they?”
Of course, considering Earth’s population, two planets were absolutely not enough.
However, at the current pace, it would be difficult to fill even that insufficient number of people.
On top of that, even if they transported people frantically, filling the quota would still be difficult, yet the United States government was still selecting whom to accept.
Needless to say, the Chinese government, which was short even on black stones, was in an even worse position.
At my words, Maxwell opened his mouth with an awkward expression.
“Too many countries are involved in Paradise right now. If all the people from those countries are moved to Paradise, the United States’ influence there will inevitably decline.
Even now, we are controlling the numbers as much as possible, but the backlash from other countries is considerable. To reduce that backlash, we need another planet to which we can send people from other countries.”
After hearing him, I understood why the United States had been dragging its feet.
Even in a situation like this, they were moving while considering America’s interests.
Perhaps this was an unavoidable fate of nations, but maybe because it was not my country, it did not feel very good.
As if Maxwell himself did not feel proud of America’s actions, he avoided my gaze.
In truth, there was a planet to which people from other countries could be moved.
The planet called Trappist.
I was the only one who could move ordinary people there, and the number I could move was not large, but if things went well, I might be able to move more than to Taepyeong.
Since this was something they would soon hear once we got out of here, I did not tell Maxwell.
Instead, I spoke to the two scientists.
“Both of you, please seriously consider the proposal I made above. You will have to come to a conclusion soon.”
If we delayed for no reason, there was no telling what might happen.
It would be best if both of them went with me to Trappist this time.
The scientists seemed to want to look around these ruins more, but I gathered everyone together.
“Everyone, stand in front of that pedestal.”
Once the people had gathered in front of the pedestal, I floated the spear above it.
Wooooong.
The spear stood vertically above the pedestal and created magic circles, and Sopeu spoke to me.
[Place the black stone on the pedestal.]
I took out the control-object black stone and placed it on the pedestal.
Srrrrr.
The black stone disappeared into the pedestal,
Shwaaaaak!
And a black hole appeared before the group.
A wavering black hole.
It was a portal that led elsewhere.
“It really worked. Spatial transfer can be done with magic, even without electronic equipment.”
Seeing the portal appear, Maxwell shook his head.
Unlike the others, who were simply amazed, he knew a certain amount about spatial transfer devices and magic.
Perhaps because of that, it seemed he had not easily believed that a spatial transfer device could be operated with magic.
But now that I had shown it to him directly like this, he had no choice but to believe.
While the people were shocked by the portal, Sopeu asked me.
[Where would be best for the destination?]
The spatial transfer ruins that had been connected to these ruins when they were built seemed to have already disappeared.
But it did not matter.
As on Trappist, Sopeu could connect these ruins to other spatial transfer ruins on Earth.
There were three spatial transfer ruins we knew of.
[Let’s make it the Baekdu Mountain ruins.]
Naturally, I was referring to the ruins connected to Trappist.
One of the magic circles changed shape.
Within the magic circle, ancient coordinates indicating the Baekdu Mountain ruins were formed.
Once the coordinates were created, the wavering portal stabilized.
It had connected to the Baekdu Mountain ruins.
“Everyone, take my hand. If you enter that with me, we will arrive at the Baekdu Mountain ruins. If you let go of my hand, you will be left behind here, so do not let go.”
At my words, the two pilots quickly ran over and took my hands.
I did not like that two men were the first to hold my hands, but I did not show it and waited for everyone else to join hands.
After everyone had taken hold, we stepped into the portal.
Flaaaash!
White light covered the world, and the next moment, we had arrived beneath Baekdu Mountain.
“Ah! Someone came from Trappist…?”
Seeing people appear on the altar, the technician who had been about to inform the others trailed off when he saw who had appeared, especially me.
That was because he had seen me arrive on Earth not long ago.
And yet here I was, appearing from the altar again.
From the technician’s point of view, it was something he could not understand.
The technicians, as well as the soldiers and officers who recognized me, all looked puzzled, but I could not explain the situation to everyone I met.
I ignored them and headed to the surface with the people who had come with me.
When I came up to the surface with the others, whose faces had turned pale from spatial transfer sickness, hot air greeted us.
It was hotter than Antarctica, but since it was winter, the heat was still bearable for people.
Like the hot weather, the base was chaotic, but I did not sense the same tension as before.
It must have been because the Chinese rebels had withdrawn.
As the others were looking around the chaotic base, Magreta seemed to have heard the news and came running.
Seeing her, Maxwell raised his hand, but Magreta paid no attention to her cousin.
“Hyeon!”
She ran over with a smile and examined my body.
“You worked hard. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“No. I’m fine.”
At my answer, she smiled in satisfaction, then looked toward the place we had emerged from.
“If you came here, that means you came by spatial transfer… Were the Antarctic ruins spatial transfer ruins?”
At her question, I shook my head.
“No. They were terraforming ruins. Useless ruins without dark energy.”
At my words, Magreta also looked disappointed.
But the disappointed expression quickly disappeared.
Unlike Maxwell, she had not expected much from the Antarctic ruins.
After confirming that I was safe, she put on a businesslike smile and spoke to the people who had come with me.
“The rest of you also worked hard. There are empty barracks over there, so you can rest there for now.”
At her signal, the soldiers guarding the barracks approached.
Even though the person in charge of the base had changed because of the Chinese rebels, her power and position seemed to remain the same.
The pilots moved after the soldiers, and when the scientists tried to go with them, I stopped them.
“These two are environmental climatologists from the Antarctic base. I haven’t received a definite answer from them yet, but you can think of them as being in the same situation as the nuclear technician Chen Ming.”
Magreta understood my words right away.
“Ah, I understand. Then the two of you should come with me. And the report… Hyeon should go, right? Maxwell alone won’t satisfy everyone.”
At Magreta’s words, I nodded.
I had much to say to the command.
I had to tell them that I could take ordinary people to Trappist, and that I intended to do so.
If necessary, I was also thinking of telling them that I had a hydrogen bomb.
After going to Australia, I had learned the reality.
Earth no longer had much time.
There was no time to hide things and weigh options.
After revealing all of my power, I had to get what I wanted, even if I had to threaten them.
No matter what country it was.
Even if it was the world’s greatest superpower.
National Power-Class Mage