Here's an Opportunity-Chapter 147: The Rescue (1)

Warning: There's a lot of talk about torture, suicide, and graphic suicidal ideation in this chapter. If you'd prefer to skip it, scroll till the next section :)

The young dwarf Maru stared blankly at the entrance to the mine. Through the thick iron bars, he could see the village where the dwarves had once lived in peace.

Each day in the mine was spent scraping by, surviving on nothing but potatoes or sweet potatoes while struggling to meet the crushing workloads assigned to them. If even one dwarf failed to meet their quota, the Black Wizards would unleash their dark magic, inflicting unbearable suffering on the poor soul. Any attempt to rebel resulted not only in the death of the instigator but also in the execution of several young dwarves under the rule of collective punishment.

"Will we really..." Maru murmured, trailing off before finishing the thought.

Will we really be able to survive this?

The older dwarves constantly told the younger ones to endure just a little longer. That their kin would come to rescue them. That their people hadn't forgotten them. So no matter how painful and degrading their captivity became, they had to hold on until help arrived.

Maru had clung to those words and chosen to endure. He had endured the endless diet of potatoes and sweet potatoes. And when those ran out, he endured by chewing on unprocessed grains of wheat. Sometimes, he even had to take on the workloads of the elders, whose bodies had long since failed them under the strain.

The rescuers they had hoped for—those who would slay the Black Wizards and skeletons—never came. One by one, the older dwarves died, unable to withstand the frequent torture and exhausting labor. Every day, it became harder to go on.

Maru sighed, lost in thought. Should I just end it? Is there any point to living like this... working myself to death just to survive on a single potato or sweet potato a day? Is there any reason to go on living as a toy for the Black Wizards, dying slowly under the weight of their impossible demands?

A month ago, Maru might have tried to resist, even if it was hopeless, but everything had changed since then. After the older dwarves staged a revolt that ended in total failure, he had lost even the will to fight back. If his comrades had simply been killed off, Maru might have felt differently. But the Black Wizards had captured every last one of them. They were subjected to relentless torture or used as test subjects for magical experiments until their eventual deaths.

Maru slowly reached down and dug his hand into the ground. Silently, he closed his fingers around a sharpened piece of ore he had hidden beneath the soil. It was honed to a point so that if he pressed it to his neck and pulled hard to the side, he would bleed out. Alternatively, if he gripped it with both hands and plunged it into the left side of his chest, it would be over just as quick.

But if I did that... Maru thought, glancing at the other dwarves still trapped in the mine.

There were other young dwarves, staring blankly at the entrance just as he had been. Some children huddled in a corner, trying to sleep. And in the shadows, a few of his remaining friends were quietly preparing for one final act of resistance.

However, the Black Wizards had warned them that for each dwarf that took their own life, three dwarven children would be made to share the same fate. In fact, Maru had already witnessed the Black Wizards keeping to their promise and killing three of the remaining children after a dwarf had taken his own life. Even if he joined his friends in their last attempt at rebellion, the outcome was certain. When they inevitably failed, he would either be tortured or turned into a test subject.

No matter what path he chose, the only thing waiting for him was hell. Yet even so, surviving another day and holding on to that last fragile thread of hope was becoming increasingly unbearable.

After a long moment of contemplation, Maru slowly lowered the piece of ore in his hand.

"Ha... hahaha. I'm such a fool," he muttered.

He couldn't end his life due to the children, yet lacked the courage to join his friends in their doomed resistance. He was truly pathetic.

Maru placed the ore back into the small hole he had dug and resumed staring at the mine entrance in silence. With a blank look in his eyes, he tried to recall life before the Black Wizards first invaded.

Thud.

Maru was jolted from his thoughts, head turning as he tried to look for the source of the sound. He gasped in surprise as a clump of dirt suddenly flew into the air in front of him. A hole had appeared right where he was sitting.

From that hole, a human head smoothly emerged with a relieved sigh. "Haaah, we're finally here."

The human immediately looked around the mine, ignoring the stunned stares of the dwarves who had all turned to face him. After scanning the area in a full circle, his gaze settled back on Maru.

"Oh my, it seems you all have suffered quite a lot," the head said with sympathy.

"A human?" Maru muttered, still gaping in shock.

"Yes, I am a human," the head replied with a nod. "And at the request of the Continental Alliance, we've come to rescue you."

Kim Ki-Rok seemed unfazed by introducing himself with only his head visible. He reached up and placed his hands on the ground, using them for leverage as he climbed out of the hole.

Thanks to the information gathered through the spirits, Kim Ki-Rok had successfully avoided the Black Wizards and the Undead, entered the secret passage, and infiltrated the mine where the dwarves were imprisoned. Grunting with effort as he pulled himself up, he dusted off the worst of the dirt before turning once more to face the dwarves.

But instead of relief, he was met with looks of despair, anger, and murderous intent from the dwarves who had been waiting in vain for rescue from their own kind.

"Oh my."

Kim Ki-Rok, almost clapping in realization, quickly understood the source of their hostility. Muttering to himself, he stepped deeper into the mine, letting the shadows conceal his form.

"Alright, now then," Kim Ki-Rok plopped down onto the ground so that he could speak face-to-face with the dwarves who were still warily staring at him. "I've heard that the Black Wizards don't conduct any patrols because they've placed all of their trust in the spell that is currently sealing away your mana. Is that correct?"

The young dwarves, who had been openly planning their final resistance while knowing this, all nodded their heads.

Kim Ki-Rok nodded and said, "In that case, let's start talking about how we are going to help you escape."

One dwarf stammered, "H-hold on—"

But before he could finish, Kim Ki-Rok cut in smoothly, "Of course, I understand that some of you might suspect I was sent by the Black Wizards to deceive you."

The young dwarves widened their eyes in shock. Moments ago, they had been eyeing the intruder with suspicion, afraid this was just another twisted game by the Black Wizards, only for him to say exactly what they had feared.

"To start off, allow me to explain that my mana has been sealed to avoid attracting the attention of the Black Wizards, so I can't contact your people directly. However, I can share the latest news I've received from Lady Serena, a High Elf. The Continental Alliance has already formed a rescue team to save you, and they're currently infiltrating the Black Kingdom. The Great Warrior of the White Moru Tribe, Sir Reardon, is personally leading the team," Kim Ki-Rok revealed.

"S-Sir Reardon!" Several dwarves gaped in shock at the name.

"Yep, that's right. The Great Warrior of the White Moru Tribe Sir, Reardon, is personally taking action to rescue you all. Ah, he even asked me to pass a letter to you. Would you like to see it?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

***

"How boring..." the Black Wizard Matero complained with a wide yawn as he set his grimoire down. "Haaaaah, and it's so cramped in here."

He looked up, but instead of the sky, all he could see was the brown, rocky ceiling of the mountain above. At first, being assigned to guard the mine hadn't seemed so bad. Not every mission came with this much safety and leisure. He could also use the free time to practice magic.

Sure, he had to keep an eye out for rebellious dwarves, but even if they did rebel, they weren't much of a threat. With their mana sealed and their stamina worn down by torture and overwork, they could be subdued with mere 1st-Circle spells.

As time dragged on, his attitude began to shift. He was spending day after day in this dark village buried in a mountain, with no view of the sky and no break in the monotony. If there had been any chance of a battle breaking out, at least he might have been able to feel some tension. But his post had been uneventful, almost oppressively so. His boredom quickly turned into mind-numbing ennui.

In the beginning, he had entertained himself by playing cruel games with the dwarves, but that only lasted a few days before growing stale. Ten days passed, then two weeks, and then a full month.

"Even messing with the dwarves has gotten boring..." Matero sighed.

As for his original plan to train in magic during his downtime, reading grimoires and meditating all day only left him frustrated. No matter how much effort he put in, it felt like he was stuck behind an invisible wall. Progress eluded him.

"How many days are left again...?"

Staring blankly up at the ceiling, Matero folded his fingers down one by one as he counted the months. The assignment to supervise the dwarves rotated among the Black Wizards every six months.

"Since this is the fourth month..."

Matero groaned. He still had to live sixty more days buried deep underground.

"And even if I wanted to, I can't just wipe them all out," he muttered with another sigh.

Killing all the dwarves might free him from this assignment, but he couldn't afford such laziness.

An Archwizard—a title granted only to Black Wizards of the 6th-Circle or higher—had issued a strict order for the dwarves' craftsmanship to be preserved. Defying that command would be a death sentence. His body would be obliterated, and his soul enslaved by the Black Wizard. In the worst case, his soul might even be sacrificed to the demons.

"Arghh! So annoying," Matero grumbled.

He reconsidered the idea of playing with the dwarves again. Though it had gotten old, it was the only entertainment left to him. He might as well vent his boredom.

Matero got up and slowly walked over the mine where the dwarves were imprisoned. As he neared the entrance, he let his mind wander. Should he play with one of the children, those young dwarves whose eyes still burned with anger? Or perhaps an old man, one of the broken ones who had already surrendered to despair?

With another wide yawn, Matero entered the mine and slowly reached a decision.

"Let's see n—"

"Hello there." A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Matero froze for a second before letting out, "A human?"

A human stood inside the mine, not hiding, not sneaking, just standing there and looking back at him with a calm smile.

"Yes. I am a human," he readily admitted.

Then, in one swift motion, Kim Ki-Rok clamped his left hand over Matero's mouth. His right fist drove into the wizard's stomach at the same time. Even with his mana sealed, the buffs enhancing his physical strength made every blow land like a hammer. With his grip tight enough to crush bone, Kim Ki-Rok continued to pummel Matero, giving him no chance to react.

Stunned by the sheer absurdity of it all, Matero failed to summon any mana to defend himself. Kim Ki-Rok hauled him upright with his left hand, only to slam him back down into the ground. Smiling broadly, he grappled with the fallen wizard and, with his free hand, swung a dagger he pulled from his waist.

The blade plunged into Matero's abdomen and caused excruciating pain, though he couldn't let out a scream through Kim Ki-Rok's grip. The only visible sign of agony were the almost bulging eyeballs that strained against its sockets.

"Now then," Kim Ki-Rok said calmly, "there are seventeen more daggers hanging on my belt, each waiting for a turn to taste your blood. You have two choices, Black Wizard. Suffer this pain seventeen more times before you die, or endure it just twice before I end your life."

Matero's eyes darted left to right as he tried to shake his head.

"I've heard from the dwarves that the only reason any Black Wizard comes to this mine before dawn is to torture them. So, to keep your little games secret from your superiors, you must've used soundproofing magic, probably recorded among your memorized spells. If I'm right, blink once. If I'm wrong, blink twice," Kim Ki-Rok instructed.

Trembling, Matero blinked once.

Kim Ki-Rok nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, second question... Do you use an artifact to activate your memorized spells, or have you truly learned Memorize and cast them on your own? Blink once if it's an artifact, twice if it's your own power."

After he blinked twice, Kim Ki-Rok drew a second dagger, gave it a little spin, and plunged away. The blade pierced Matero's left shoulder. His eyes bulged again, overflowing with pain.

"Let's try this one more time," Kim Ki-Rok said calmly. "Artifact or your own power?"

With tears welling in his eyes, Matero blinked just once this time.

"Don't you regret lying the first time?" Kim Ki-Rok asked. "You know what's funny? The dwarves behind me were kind enough to tell me about your ability, so I already knew."

Those damned rats! Matero screamed silently.

Matero struggled to turn his head to the side, only to be met with a crowd of dwarven gazes filled with murderous intent. He quickly turned his eyes back upward to meet his assailant's.

"Now then..."

Why is he smiling? Matero wondered.

"Time for my next question."

At this point, the smiling human somehow felt more terrifying than the entire group of dwarves glaring at him with killing intent. Matero braced himself for what would come next.

***

In front of the gates at the entrance to the dwarven mine, a Hunter reported, "We have confirmed the enemy numbers. There are fifty Black Wizards, two thousand skeletons, and five hundred ghost-type monsters."

"Hm? How was this information obtained?" Kang Man-Ki asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

The Hunter who had delivered the report hesitated, clearly unsure. "That's..."

"Yes? That's?" prompted the Association president.

"We're not really sure," the Hunter finally admitted. "The only thing that Hunter Kim Ki-Rok shared before providing this information is that he had managed to use the secret passage to contact the dwarves..."