Chapter 4
Cold, dark, and oppressive.
Even though the abandoned mine had been cleared by the Quicksand Team, the environment remained dire.
The ceiling was so fractured it seemed like it could collapse at any moment.
Fortunately, the interior was spacious enough. To ensure the mining carts could transport ore smoothly, an unexpectedly large amount of space had been left open.
Haruto couldn't help but admire how, despite Orre being desolate, its technological level was impressively advanced.
It had been ten minutes since they entered the mine.
As soon as someone stepped into the tunnel, they decided to dig out a piece of jade from the outer layers. The sharp clanging of a pickaxe against the rock wall put Haruto on edge, so he quickly distanced himself from the person. Not long after, a terrifying crash and a scream echoed through the tunnel.
That reckless individual's mistake was enough to dissuade others from trying something similar.
"Stay alert and don't get separated."
Headlamps illuminated the surroundings, while the braver teammates led the way, occasionally whispering warnings.
In the oppressive darkness, even through their masks, the sound of each person's breathing was painfully clear. The claustrophobic environment quietly chipped away at their composure.
Most children from Pyrite Town had some experience going underground, but normal mines and abandoned mines were worlds apart in terms of safety—especially with the added risk of hidden traps and lurking Pokémon.
Being attacked by Pokémon was an expected part of the assessment. For the people of Orre, it was as terrifying as playing an escape room in another region and suddenly facing live gunfire.
As a result, sticking together was the obvious choice. The Quicksand Team never prohibited teamwork during the test, so traveling in a group was the natural strategy.
However, according to veterans who had taken the test before, moving in large groups increased the likelihood of being targeted by Pokémon. Even if someone was lucky enough to find the objective, there was always the risk of infighting over the loot.
Haruto didn't want that to happen.
They already had little advantage against Shibata's gang. If internal conflict broke out, they'd be bullied for the rest of their lives.
"There's a fork ahead—be careful."
He issued a quiet warning, scanning the faces of his companions. "There's a good chance Pokémon are lying in ambush here... Don't be so tense, just relax and take deep breaths."
His teammates were either drenched in sweat or breathing heavily, their expressions anxious. It was obvious they were on the verge of panic.
Once they finally calmed down, Haruto continued, "When we reach the fork, don't linger. Pick a direction and move quickly—I'll cover the rear."
"Huh?"
A group of surprised faces turned toward him.
"Don't 'huh' me—just hurry up. There are only so many tokens, and if someone else takes them, we'll have no chance."
He stepped to the back of the group. "Go."
In extreme tension, people often lost their rationality, and the instinct to survive pushed them to make reckless choices. If chaos broke out while he was at the front, one wrong move from someone else could get him killed.
Even if it wasn't intentional.
What was the saying? If you encounter a bear in the wild, you don't need to outrun the bear—just the person next to you.
He didn't intend to throw anyone under the bus, but he also couldn't let himself become a victim.
"Haruto…"
His teammates had no idea what he was thinking. Instead, they looked at him with admiration before rallying themselves and pressing forward.
Haruto took a deep breath, scanning his surroundings with vigilance.
Carelessness could be fatal.
The constant threat of death kept his mind sharp, forcing him to stay focused and observe every suspicious detail.
The Quicksand Team's Pokémon were mostly of the Ground and Rock types, making them perfectly suited for the underground environment. Fighting them in this setting would be unwise.
They stepped into the fork.
The tunnel widened slightly, causing everyone's nerves to tighten. They anxiously scanned their surroundings, ready to react at a moment's notice. The teammate at the front didn't hesitate, immediately choosing to take the left path—
"Wait."
Haruto's voice cut through the tension from the back.
A chill ran down everyone's spines as cold sweat dripped from their foreheads and backs.
"W-What's wrong?" someone asked, their voice trembling.
"You said not to stop at the fork!" another person said nervously.
Haruto shushed them. "Listen carefully. Do you hear that rumbling? The ground is shaking!"
Everyone exchanged anxious glances, instinctively holding their breath to listen.
Haruto focused. His sharp senses quickly confirmed it—there was more than just tremors in the ground. The distant rumble was growing louder, as if something massive was getting closer.
The source—was the tunnel in the middle!
A chill ran through him. He bolted toward the left path while shouting, "Run! Something's coming! Move!"
The moment he spoke, a massive boulder—large enough to match a person's height—came barreling out of the center tunnel at incredible speed!
"Which way?!"
"Left!"
"Which left?! Where's Haruto?!"
"Just go! Don't freeze up!"
Panic erupted. Their headlamps swung wildly, making it impossible to see clearly in the darkness.
To make matters worse, as the tremors intensified, rocks started falling from above, signaling an imminent collapse. Everything around them quivered as the chaos escalated.
Crisis. Panic. Shouts.
A terrifying rolling boulder attack.
All these factors pushed Haruto to instinctively sprint ahead.
Despite the urgency, he kept his awareness sharp, carefully avoiding potential traps and hidden Pokémon.
When he finally stopped in a safer area and turned around—there was no one behind him.
The massive rock, likely a disguised Graveler, had also disappeared.
"There were three paths… I took the left one, right?"
Haruto frowned, waiting for a minute, but it became clear—he had been completely separated from his teammates.
Go back?
Impossible. That Graveler could still be lurking.
"…"
Regret flickered across his face. Teaming up had its pros and cons. His companions might not have been great under pressure, but who knew if one of them would've helped him in a desperate moment?
But now that they were split up, there was no point dwelling on it.
Haruto composed himself.
Navigating an underground mine made it easy to lose one's sense of direction. Thankfully, by carefully examining the rock walls, he could spot directional markers—simple enough that even a half-literate person like him could understand them.
After roughly ten minutes of walking—
He suddenly stopped, crouched down, and switched off his headlamp, squeezing himself into a crevice between the rocks to hide.
After half a minute, two buzzing Nincada flew past overhead. The sound of their wings sent sharp pangs through Haruto's head.
What made his stomach churn was that one of them was clutching a bloodied young man.
Unconscious? Dead?
Neither option was good. Fighting alone was too risky.
Just as he exhaled in relief, ready to move—he froze again.
At the edge of his vision, a pair of blue eyes watched him.
"Guh?"
A strange cry came from the unknown creature.
Haruto stiffened. The Nincada's buzzing had masked its approach.
He studied it closely.
It was deep gray, vaguely insect-like, with a face resembling a hockey mask.
About the size of a Border Collie, its body had several black, hollow cavities that made it look unsettling.
**[Iron Armor Pokémon, Aron]**
It consumed iron ore and, when starving, would even gnaw on bridges and railroad tracks. Many people considered it a pest.
A Steel and Rock-type Pokémon.
Damn.
His luck was unbelievably bad.
Haruto's heart grew heavier.