Platinum Skies (The Manifests Series #2)

[6] Another Home

The team's impromptu plan of finding Erythos came in quicker than expected. In no less than two hours, they already have found his territory, but his ability of generating biomagnetic stalactites and stalagmites from kilometers away proved too difficult for the team to fight into, and they were soon forced to flee the area.

It was a stroke of luck that they found a device that took them out of the deadly train subway safely. It was an even greater stroke of luck that they encountered remnants of the Korean military at their exit point. At first, they were suspicious of Hyungwon and his team, because they had a Koul'in with them.

Fortunately, the soldiers had listened to reason, and soon, they trusted them.

Two notable individuals who led the military unit introduced themselves to the team---Kim Jinwoo and Jung Sanghoon.

Kim Jinwoo was the one who recognized TWICE's Jihyo, Sana, and ITZY's Ryujin. He looked as tall as Hyungwon---5'5, and had a black, spiky hair, thick eyebrows, and a well defined face with a pale complexion. He had a slim stature but well defined muscles. He has multiple cuts on his arms and neck, and he was sporting a fresh, seemingly brand new military uniform.

Jung Sanghoon, the one with a crew cut hairstyle, was just as tall as Jihyo. He had a slightly round face with reading glasses, and was wearing a military uniform with a damaged military bulletproof vest. He was slim as well, but he had no defined muscles.

After the formal introductions, Jinwoo then informed the settlement team that they landed in a large grove close to Ganchang Station, located extremely due west of Daegu.

Most of the settlement team considered this as a disadvantage--- for they thought that they have strayed too far from their objective, and that they have no way get back to that place without dealing with biogmagnetic traps and stalactites once more.

But for Hyungwon, this retreat was an opportunity---they may get additional supplies, potential assistance, and more importantly, a new way to get back into Erythos' territory.

April 27, 2023, 8:59 am, Grove Due North of Ganchang Station, Daegu, South Korea.

It was a quiet walk towards the soldier's settlement, with only the sounds of trampled snow and snapping branches echoing throughout the grove.

Zeke quietly observes his surroundings, twirling his mystical scissor in his hands as his feet continued to plow through the slightly thick snow. Jihyo, on the other hand, was looking at Sana, who had her arms wrapped around her left arm.

Hyungwon, Hangyeol, and Ryujin were quiet as well, seemingly exhausted and just wanted to focus on walking to conserve energy.

Vanta feels the soldiers eye on him every now and then, presumably cautious about him despite Hyungwon and Sana's reassurance that he wasn't a threat. He was still Koul'in, after all, and again, he can't blame these individuals for acting like that around him.

They soon arrive in settlement grounds of the barren grove.

"Here we are." Jinwoo said as they all look at the settlement area just several feet away from them.

Unlike Minhyuk's settlement---which was enclosed, had many intact buildings, and surrounded by fortified walls, the soldier's settlement was much more of an open area encampment with six huge military tents scattered around---with four of them serving as the settler's sleeping areas, one serving as a medical tent, and the final one being the command post for meetings and gatherings.

Piles of wooden crates lay neatly on the snowy ground. There were also patches of a ground with extinguished campfires, leftovers of packed lunches, and charred branches.