EST Ch 18

As soon as Gijun spoke, Baek Sunwoo immediately indicated the path to B-1. The mana passage was not straight but intricately twisted, yet Baek Sunwoo always found the direction without difficulty. Everyone followed him, thinking his spatial awareness was impressive.

However, a problem arose while heading to B-1.

“There’s electricity running through…”

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Just as Lee Donghun sighed, the underground lights began to turn on one by one.

Gijun bit his lip. He had suspected there might be another power source when they disabled the emergency power unit earlier. It was strange that such a large underground area had only one power unit, and since Yeon Mijeong knew about their plan, she might have prepared additional measures as soon as she returned to the underground.

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As the lights came on, beams of light seeped through the holes in the mana passage. To those accustomed to the dark, the intrusion of light felt ominous.

The brightening below indicated that the commotion caused by the blackout was subsiding, making it easier for the links to detect the presence of intruders in the mana passage. The passage was an echoey space, amplifying sounds.

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“Up there!”

“Attack!”

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The feared scenario unfolded. The links, having pinpointed the intruders’ location, began attacking the ceiling. Lee Donghun cursed as he narrowly avoided being shot in the foot.

The links relentlessly pursued them in the direction they fled. They tried their best to shake them off, but the confined space of the passage made escaping difficult. The links anticipated their route and tore the passage floor ahead of them.

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— Crash! 

The four of them fell below.

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“You guys…!”

The links lying in wait on either side tried to capture them. Park Inho was among them. His large frame led the charge, approaching menacingly, and the agents behind him aimed their mana guns. But just as their hands got close…

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The air seemed to compress for a moment.

“Don’t interfere.”

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Baek Sunwoo raised his head, using his ability to command obedience. Instantly, everyone froze, unable to breathe. Alone, he calmly observed the surroundings, his presence somewhat eerie. It was as if he was not only subduing everything but crushing it underfoot with overwhelming power.

The red mana swirling around him was so terrifyingly intense that no one dared to move. They couldn’t defy the will of the dominant presence.

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— Flicker, flicker…

Even the lights flickered unsteadily, alternating between darkness and brightness. In the moments of darkness, Baek Sunwoo’s eyes grew increasingly dark.

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“Attack all at once!”

The agents tried to resist and charge, their eyes turning red.

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“Kill each other.”

Baek Sunwoo declared his command.

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The red mana exploded outward from him, sweeping over the enemies. The intensity and savagery of the mana were on a completely different level from what he had used before.

The links, unable to dodge the tidal wave of mana, hesitated, staggering back before regaining their footing.

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— Stab.

“Aaah!”

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“W-what is this…”

One link agent stabbed another with a knife. They tried to push each other off the corridor, shooting and using their abilities, blindly trying to kill each other.

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Resistance-enhancing artifacts were rare, so only a few links wore them. Those without artifacts were all dominated, their eyes clouded.

Park Inho was bewildered by the sudden turn of events, unable to easily attack his transformed allies, he retreated but was eventually punched in the face by a link. Gijun was confused about how to interpret Nam Hyungwook’s request coming true.

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Lee Donghun and Shim Dokyung were also shocked but ran towards B-1. It was hard to believe the reality, frequently looking back. Baek Sunwoo’s ability was astounding, and the content of his command was shocking. He had, without hesitation, ordered killings.

And the shock wasn’t just due to the internal strife among the links.

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“Aaah, why, why is this happening!”

When the link agents tried to attack the kids, another agent would appear out of nowhere to take the hit instead. They seemed to follow the command to kill each other, but it looked more like “defense.”

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Even though Baek Sunwoo hadn’t given any additional commands, they reflexively or unconsciously rushed to protect him. As if they were dominated, or as if their lives were bound to him.

Hae Gijun instinctively realized it. This was Baek Sunwoo’s true power, the ability he wanted to keep hidden from Gijun. A power that not only suppressed the opponent’s will to make them obey but also controlled their very lives.

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The way they willingly became shields to save their ‘master’ sent a chill down his spine. Their eyes were now glowing red, just like Baek Sunwoo’s.

Suddenly, a faint image appeared in Gijun’s vision. It looked as if mana chains were tightly wrapped around their necks, with Baek Sunwoo holding them. It seemed to show that they were subordinate to him.

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Amid this strange sense of déjà vu, Gijun glanced at Baek Sunwoo. His expressionless face made him seem like a different person. This change was disconcerting, but it also made it clear that he was pushing his mana to its limit.

“Gah…”

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Baek Sunwoo, his face growing paler, coughed up blood. He hastily covered his mouth with his arm, but his white sleeve quickly turned red. Gijun, alarmed, grabbed him, but he just shook his head silently.

Gijun bit his lip. In this situation, stopping Baek Sunwoo would only be a hindrance. Regaining his composure, he quickly signaled to Lee Donghun and Shim Dokyung, who nodded in understanding.

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The three of them ran toward the back, throwing explosive artifacts here and there. Lee Donghun, in particular, ran around and threw bombs further away to create confusion.

— Boom! Bang! 

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The underground echoed with successive explosions.

But this alone couldn’t take down all the links. There were only four students on the run, but dozens of enemies. They kept encountering enemies who had climbed up different staircases.

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Baek Sunwoo blocked them with his true ability and mana chains, while the three of them used explosive artifacts, but they were reaching their limit.

“Damn, it’s like a swarm of ants…”

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Lee Donghun said, looking exhausted, his breath coming in gasps. As they were running low on explosive artifacts and Gijun thought the situation was becoming dangerous…

— Boom! Bang!

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— Swish!

Suddenly, noise erupted from behind. Startled, Hae Gijun turned his head, bewildered. The commotion’s origin was the underground entrance.

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Through the smoke, one by one, figures emerged, and Lee Donghun was immediately shocked.

“Why are they coming from there?!”

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Led by the student council, the students of Shin Hae High School swarmed in. As many as could come had arrived, each holding makeshift weapons, with some student council members equipped with mana guns and resistance artifacts around their necks.

Just a few minutes ago, all the monsters inside the training camp had vanished.

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Realizing that the five who went underground must have accomplished something, the students quickly decided to help them. Kim Sihyung had expressed concern that ‘there were too many people in the underground; could they handle it alone?’

So, they ambushed the teachers who had not yet gone underground. Pretending to be innocent students unaware of the betrayal, they asked for help and then quickly attacked when they got close, taking mana guns and artifacts and charging underground.

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Of course, it wasn’t without fear. The betrayal of the teachers was still shocking, and the news of the open gate was terrifying, but they came nonetheless. Just before entering, they debated whether they would just get in the way, but the successive explosions from underground made them realize the severity of the situation. Unable to find key cards, they had used explosives on the entrance Kim Sihyung had indicated.

— WEEWOO!

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Machines detecting intruders who weren’t links blared loudly. The students paid no attention to the noise, running into the corridor and causing a commotion. The louder the detector’s alarm, the better.

They threw explosive artifacts, shot guns, and used their abilities. Even though their abilities were only F-rank, the combined attacks of several made for a plausible assault.

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“Set it on fire!”

They attacked the labs connected in a line along the corridor. As the underground caught fire, the commotion grew. The students’ goal wasn’t to take down the underground group but to create a distraction, giving Hae Gijun’s group a momentary break to move forward.

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“Those kids…”

Gijun sighed in disbelief. Their actions could only be described as reckless. Indeed, as soon as a nearby link approached, several students were knocked down, but they kept charging.

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The links fell into confusion as the students recklessly attacked.

Their numbers were greater, but the students were more powerful. Should they capture these intruders immediately, or subdue and use them as hostages? In the end, the links decided to split their forces.

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But while they were momentarily startled and disoriented, Gijun’s group had already escaped far ahead.

Finally, they arrived at B-1.

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As soon as they entered the room, Hae Gijun closed the door. Fortunately, there was no one in the lab, and the links who had been chasing them passed by the door. Since there were many forks in the path, they didn’t immediately realize the group had hidden in the room.

The kids held their breath until the sounds of pursuit faded completely, then finally relaxed.

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“Ha…”

Shim Dokyung collapsed as if his legs had given out, and Lee Donghun slid down the wall to sit with his knees bent.

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So much had happened in such a short time. Hae Gijun, too, held his head for a moment, feeling a throbbing headache, but turned his attention immediately to the sound of coughing nearby. It was a small sound, but it came from Baek Sunwoo.

“Hey, your condition…!”

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Baek Sunwoo hastily covered his mouth, but the metallic scent of blood filled the air. When Gijun forcibly grabbed his hand to check, he found it soaked in blood, as expected. Baek Sunwoo, too weak to even say he was fine, leaned his head against the wall and breathed slowly.

He had overexerted his abilities to clear the path. Normally, Gijun would have scolded him for not holding back, but if he hadn’t acted as he did, they would have been captured by the links.

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If only he had found a better direction in the mana passage, this might not have happened. Even though he knew it was unnecessary regret, he felt heavy-hearted. Silently, Gijun found some tissues and gently wiped Baek Sunwoo’s hand.

“…You did well.”

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At the quiet praise, Baek Sunwoo smiled faintly, as if it was enough just to see Gijun alive in front of him.

In the midst of this, Lee Donghun sighed blankly. Even now, the air around Baek Sunwoo was tense, but Hae Gijun remained unaffected. Despite Baek Sunwoo having commanded dozens to kill each other and used them as shields, Gijun still worried about him like a fragile creature.

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Of course, Lee Donghun had no intention of criticizing Baek Sunwoo, as they had escaped thanks to him. He just felt a newfound respect for Baek Sunwoo, and Hae Gijun’s consistent attitude was amusing.

“Hey, those guys…”

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Lee Donghun habitually turned his head to speak but bit his lip when he saw the empty spot beside him. So much had happened at once that he had forgotten. Or maybe he wanted to deny it. He repeatedly rubbed his face with his hands before finally burying his face in them.

Shim Dokyung, seeing Lee Donghun’s actions, also bowed his head and cried. When they entered the room, he had unconsciously counted the group and despaired at the realization that there were only four, not five.

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The air grew heavy for a moment.

In times like this, that presence would always break the somber mood with playful antics. Hearing her voice like a hallucination, Shim Dokyung rubbed his eyes with his arms.

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He was the first to move. With trembling legs, he looked around the room and examined the papers on the table.

“Guys, there are some documents and a manual on the table…”

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“A manual?”

“Yeah. It explains how to set the lock.”

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The pages were open as if recently read, with a pen lying on top. Gijun quickly checked to see if it was related to the gate but found it was just a guide on operating digital machines.

Disappointed, Gijun turned his attention to other documents.

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“Each entity’s potential? What is this?”

“Ugh, I don’t want to analyze more documents.”

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Lee Donghun exaggeratedly shivered, trying to shake off the heavy atmosphere. Gijun nodded silently, understanding there was no time to analyze documents thoroughly. He quickly skimmed through the contents.

[Each entity’s potential varies…]

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[The purer and stronger the entity, the greater the potential]

[…The more potential gathered, the more opportunities arise.]

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[However, changes may occur in proportion to the difficulty of the set values…]

He focused on repeated sentences, the ‘conclusion’ section at the end of the pages, and underlined sentences. The person who had worked in this lab seemed to be meticulous with notes, as there was a pen on the manual earlier.

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Just as he was silently thanking the unknown researcher, Lee Donghun asked,

“But where is the door to the deeper underground in this room? It does seem unusually empty…”

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“Could it be this wall?”

“…It’s right there, about 1 meter to the left of where Shim Dokyung is pointing.”

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Gijun’s puzzled response made the other two exchange confused glances. It was then that they realized the truth: the others couldn’t see it, but Hae Gijun had spotted the door as soon as they entered the room.

“Wow. I was wondering why you weren’t looking for the door first.”

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“Gijun, your eyes are really something…”

Their admiration made Gijun look around the room, feeling slightly bewildered. He had assumed they could see it too, so he was caught off guard.

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After discerning the teachers’ lies in front of the small auditorium a few hours ago, his vision had become even clearer. It was like his eyes had been newly opened. While he used to think he could see well in the dark, now it was far sharper than before. It was as if his vision had upgraded in quality.

Hae Gijun_11.Pro.max said,

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“Anyway, there’s nothing more to gather here, so we should unlock and go down with the card key…”

But he couldn’t finish his sentence. His words trailed off, and suddenly, he slammed the table and ran to the door. His face hardened, as if he had realized something.

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“W-what’s going on? Why are you…”

“Gijun…?”

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As they looked on in alarm, Hae Gijun took out the card key from his pocket. It was the card key that had opened the link’s research lab door and the door leading to the underground that morning. The card key, marked with the white letters “LINK,” was placed on the reader.

Beep-beep-beep. But the sound from the reader was different from what they had heard when the door opened before.

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Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the screen displaying red letters. The link had changed the entry key.

“Ha…”

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Hae Gijun cursed under his breath. He had suspected something when he saw the lock settings manual in the room, and Yeon Mijeong must have ordered the key change throughout the facility. She had seen him holding the card key in the morning.

He had expected the key to be changed ever since first acquiring the card key at the annex, but it was frustratingly timely.

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Gijun tried pulling and pushing the handle. The door didn’t budge, but he noticed it was exceptionally thick. Since it led to a part connected to the other world, it was designed to be thick to block mana. It wasn’t a door that could be easily broken.

Lee Donghun, looking distressed, brought the manual over.

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“Can’t we use this to operate the machine?”

“We’d need to open it and change things from the inside…”

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“So what was the new key? Tattoo? Fingerprint? Finger? Eyeball?”

Gijun speculated with increasingly grim suggestions. If those were required, he was ready to fetch a link’s corpse outside. But as Shim Dokyung meticulously read through the manual, he shook his head.

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“No, it seems there was a change to the card key. The links in the underground appear to have had additional processing done to their existing keys…”

Shim Dokyung showed tenacity and talent for this kind of analysis. He had been the quickest to summarize the key points in the meeting room a few hours ago. His eyes scanned the manual rapidly, like speed-reading.

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Meanwhile, Lee Donghun bit his lip and said,

“It’d be great if we could open it and change the password.”

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That had also been part of Gijun’s plan. They needed a way to prevent the links from following them even if they opened the door with the card key.

Shim Dokyung, fully focused on the manual, finally stopped on a specific page.

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“There’s a way to reset the password. Inside, you enter an initialization code and then input the new password. It takes about 1-2 minutes to register.”

“Can you enter any number? Like 0000?”

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“No, it’s not like that…”

Shim Dokyung’s look made Lee Donghun quiet down immediately. It wasn’t just confusion but also a look of shock, as if wondering what kind of mind came up with such a statement. Receiving such a look from Shim Dokyung made him feel incredibly foolish.

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Clearing his throat, Shim Dokyung pointed to the card key Gijun was holding.

“Each card has an embedded code. So if we can get inside, we can enter the initialization code and register a new password for this card. Then the links with the changed cards won’t be able to get in.”

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“Oh…!”

The initialization code was long and complicated. It seemed impossible to memorize, so Gijun tore out the page and noticed a small note beside it.

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[During the reset, the lock button will not be activated, and reopening the door will interrupt the reset.]

While Gijun read that phrase, Shim Dokyung continued to skim through the manual. Since there was a way to reset the password, he hoped there might also be a method to open the door in an emergency without a key.

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However, even after thoroughly examining the thick manual, he found no such information. Disappointed, Shim Dokyung fiddled with the last page. After all, if they couldn’t get inside, it was all useless.

Then, Shim Dokyung noticed some very small text.

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“Warning: If a very strong mana wave occurs around the reader, it may cause an error that opens the door…”

Shim Dokyung and Lee Donghun’s gazes unconsciously shifted to Baek Sunwoo. The description of a very strong mana wave immediately brought him to mind. Currently rated A-rank but measured with S-rank potential. And from what they had seen earlier, he was more than deserving of the S-rank title.

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In fact, a few hours ago, Choi Sowon had mentioned something similar. When they couldn’t enter due to the underground entrance detector, she suggested using the mana from the stone slab to create a powerful wave and break it. So if Baek Sunwoo placed his hand on the reader and poured out his mana…

But as soon as they glanced at Baek Sunwoo, they quickly looked away when they met Gijun’s gaze. Shim Dokyung buried his face in the manual, and Lee Donghun moved to search for other clues, only to stub his toe on the wall.

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However, even without Gijun’s gaze, they wouldn’t have been able to ask Baek Sunwoo. His face was alarmingly pale, and they had just seen him cough up blood. They couldn’t force him to overexert himself.

In the midst of the awkward situation, Baek Sunwoo asked,

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“If an error occurs, does that mean we can’t lock it again?”

“Uh, uh? It doesn’t say, so I don’t know…”

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“Then let’s try it once.”

“Baek Sunwoo!”

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Gijun, alarmed, grabbed him. But Baek Sunwoo shook his head and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

“This is the only way to open the door right now. It might break completely, but it’s better to get a little closer to the gate than to stay here and get caught.”

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If they couldn’t lock the door again, they could block it with something from inside or come up with a new plan. Normally, Gijun would have agreed with him, but Baek Sunwoo’s condition was too poor.

It wasn’t about overprotecting him; it was an objective fact. He was so exhausted that it wouldn’t be surprising if he collapsed.

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“Wait. I’ll find another way…”

“This is the only door.”

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“Or another way to open it-”

“Gijun.”

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Baek Sunwoo interrupted, gently removing Gijun’s restraining hand and looking him straight in the eye. His voice was overly calm as he whispered that they didn’t have time.

For a moment, Hae Gijun felt a surge of emotion. He wanted to argue against Baek Sunwoo’s composed demeanor, even in a situation where he might collapse, and his firm statement that there was no other way. It felt like they were placing too much burden on him when the goal was to save him.

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But realizing that this conversation was a waste of time, Gijun reluctantly nodded. Baek Sunwoo smiled faintly and moved to the reader by the door. He murmured quietly,

“This is the last time…”

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Gijun looked at him curiously. Was he saying this because they were about to reach the gate? But there was no time to ask. Red mana slowly swirled around Baek Sunwoo, then concentrated on the reader and began to pour out explosively.

— Whoosh…

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The air vibrated loudly, even though nothing was being physically struck. It felt like the atmosphere was being stretched like a rubber band and then snapped.

The reader displayed [Error!] and tried to sound an alarm, but the speaker seemed broken, emitting only a faint crackling noise.

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As soon as he started, Baek Sunwoo panted heavily. His face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Gijun hesitated, wondering if he should stop him, but at that moment, the door slowly began to open with a rumbling sound.

“Move quickly.”

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A gap just wide enough for one person appeared. Realizing they couldn’t keep it open for long, Hae Gijun urged the kids to move. He went in first, followed by Lee Donghun.

And just as Shim Dokyung was about to enter last…

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— Thud, thud!

“They’re in here!”

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“Break down the door immediately!”

Commotion echoed from outside the lab. The links had finally chased them all the way here. The pounding on the locked door grew louder, as if they were trying to force it open.

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Despite the tension, Gijun pressed the reset code on the screen inside. He read the long, complex code with his eyes, quickly inputting it with his hands while calculating the situation in his head. Unfortunately, they had used up all their explosive artifacts on the way here.

Even if Shim Dokyung and Baek Sunwoo managed to get inside, they wouldn’t be able to lock the door for about 1-2 minutes, and if forced open, the password reset would be interrupted. There seemed to be more than ten links outside. Could they hold out against them for that long? It was not a short amount of time.

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As Gijun anxiously scanned the room, Shim Dokyung suddenly stepped back. He needed to come inside so Baek Sunwoo could move, but instead, he turned around and stepped out. In a situation where every second counted, Gijun turned to look at him sharply.

“I-I’ll buy us some time…”

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Shim Dokyung, trembling and on the verge of tears, faced him. His lips quivered with fear and anxiety, but he managed to speak.

The links would soon break into the room. Shim Dokyung said he would use his confusion ability to prevent them from reaching the door. The door was so thick that using his ability from the inside would be pointless. It was specially designed to block the mana from the other world.

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So to stop the links’ intrusion, he had to use his ability from inside the room. His ability could only cause confusion for about a minute, but right now, that minute was crucial.

“What? What are you saying!”

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“Dokyung, if you come inside first, I can somehow…”

“No, Sunwoo. I want to, no, I need to be helpful too.”

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Shim Dokyung shook his head at Lee Donghun and Baek Sunwoo’s words. Tears streamed down his face, but his voice didn’t waver with fear.

“We can’t waste the path Youngah created for us.”

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Shim Dokyung had been thinking that continuously. If only he hadn’t been paralyzed by fear when the gun was pointed at him in the control room. If only he had acted before Gijun signaled him. If only he had used his ability to create a gap as soon as they entered…

Maybe then Youngah wouldn’t have died.

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He was tormented by his weakness. He had cried while running through the mana passage and then cried again, feeling pathetic. When they were chased by the links and fell into the corridor, he had escaped thanks to Baek Sunwoo’s ability. Even as Baek Sunwoo stepped forward, he had sat crying in the corridor, too scared to move.

Hae Gijun cleared the way and directed them to use the explosive artifacts, while Lee Donghun played his part admirably. Unlike him, who couldn’t throw accurately, Lee Donghun had a high hit rate and confused the enemies by running around swiftly.

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Determined to be helpful somehow, he had read the manual diligently in this room. If he got caught by the links now, all his efforts would be in vain.

Shim Dokyung wanted to see his efforts through.

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It was they who had first made him believe his ability was useful. Originally, he couldn’t even imagine going out to hunt monsters. But thanks to them, he had done it, and now he wanted to achieve something through his own judgment and will.

As if realizing there was no more time to waste, Shim Dokyung took a step back and pushed Baek Sunwoo with all his might. Already exhausted, Baek Sunwoo staggered and was shoved inside just as the door began to close.

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The door had initially opened just enough for one person to squeeze through, and now that it was closing again, there was no way out. Inside, Lee Donghun frantically searched for the open-close button, but the reset process had already deactivated the other buttons.

Shim Dokyung, crying but with a relieved smile, faced their shocked expressions.

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“I’ll keep my head straight this time.”

— Thud…

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The door closed completely. Now, the only sound was the mechanical noise of the reader processing the password reset. The three of them stood silently, unable to speak, staring at the closed door.

From the other side, they could faintly hear someone shouting. It was a faint sound, as if coming from a distant place, barely audible unless they focused. Finally, as everything grew faint,

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[Reset complete.]

The screen changed.

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— Clunk! 

They felt someone trying to push open the door from the other side. Only then did Hae Gijun realize he was still holding the door handle.

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The links tried to open the door multiple times, shaking the handle and attempting to use the card key, but the door remained closed. Shim Dokyung’s analysis had been correct. The links’ card key had been changed, and with the current key, they couldn’t enter.

After a chilling silence, Lee Donghun asked with difficulty.

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“…Hey. Is this… is this how it’s supposed to go?”

Though his words were somewhat vague, Gijun understood everything he meant. However, he couldn’t provide an answer, and it seemed Lee Donghun wasn’t expecting one either, as he buried his face in his hands. His breathing trembled like someone on the verge of tears.

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Gijun quietly looked at the door before turning away.

“…Let’s go down.”

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He hesitated for a moment as he let go of the handle, but once he turned his back on the door, he descended the stairs without hesitation. For now, they had blocked the path by changing the password, but since the machine originally belonged to the links, they would eventually break through. It was a cold and logical decision.

Lee Donghun’s voice, choked with emotion, called out from behind.

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“Hey! How can you just do that? The kids are…!”

“The kids, what.”

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“…What did you say?”

“Yeah, the kids died. Ahn Youngah died, Shim Dokyung died. And the kids who came with the student council are probably dying in the corridor right now. So what do you want to do about it? Have a moment of silence?”

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“Hey! That’s not what I meant! Aren’t you sad? Huh?”

Lee Donghun’s voice broke as he rubbed his face with his arms, overwhelmed by emotion. Hae Gijun’s lack of reaction to everything that had happened seemed strange to him.

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From a few steps below, Hae Gijun looked up at him with calm eyes. His dark eyes seemed devoid of any emotion. He was only faintly curious about Lee Donghun’s reaction.

Was he like that at first too? He couldn’t even remember anymore.

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Gijun muttered to himself.

“…I don’t know.”

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“You’re not normal, Hae Gijun.”

“That’s true.”

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“…?”

Gijun agreed calmly to the angry accusation. Lee Donghun, taken aback, looked at him and then fell silent at Gijun’s expression.

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Suddenly, Lee Donghun recalled Hae Gijun’s exhausted face when they were swallowed by the whale monster. The overlap of that memory with his current expression made his blank face seem even more alien. Hae Gijun wasn’t indifferent to the kids’ deaths, nor was he unaffected.

He looked like someone who had walked a long, worn path to get here, worn down and eroded.

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“…I understand that wasting time here isn’t the right thing to do.”

His quietly muttered voice sounded mechanical. Was that how someone consciously trying to suppress their emotions would sound? Somehow, Lee Donghun couldn’t say anything. Just moments ago, Hae Gijun’s calm demeanor had seemed inhuman, but now his tranquility felt somehow off.

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Hae Gijun, taking his gaze off the hesitant Lee Donghun, moved downward again. As they descended the long stairs, no conversation passed between the three of them.

In truth, Gijun found the situation very strange.

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Ahn Youngah, Shim Dokyung, and the students who had suddenly joined them. They all seemed strange to Gijun. He had only intended to save Baek Sunwoo, so how had it come to this? What were they acting for?

He had witnessed countless deaths, and he had seen Ahn Youngah and Shim Dokyung die right before his eyes. But he hadn’t felt the same strange feeling then. Was it because he thought he might be able to resolve it this time? Because if there was no next round, it would be the end for them too?

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Gijun suppressed the urge to retch, forcing himself to stay rational. It wasn’t the time to get caught up in unnecessary emotions.

As they descended further, they felt the flow of immense mana. Lee Donghun sighed blankly.

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“What is this…”

A massive machine occupied the center of the underground space. Though he had seen it in photos, it was far larger than he had anticipated.

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A door in the center. And a cylindrical capsule connected to it.

Several control panels were arranged at a certain distance from them. These were likely the machines that helped open the gate and measured and experimented with the power beyond it. But in the current situation, they didn’t draw attention.

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The massive door was slightly open.

Though it was only open by a hand’s breadth, the sight beyond it was overwhelmingly impressive and shocking. It was a chaotic and brilliant mix of all the colors in the world. Colors were born and then overshadowed by the birth of other colors, fading and blending. It looked like the process of the universe being born, mesmerizing anyone who watched for too long.

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In addition, dark red mana flickered around the door. Its mysterious appearance seemed overwhelming due to the immense energy. It felt as if the force from beyond the door could burst out at any moment, but it couldn’t expand beyond a certain range.

But even the energy seeping through the crack in the door was enough to dominate the training camp and summon monsters. Thus, it was hard to imagine what would happen if the door fully opened.

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The links wanted to open that door completely and connect with the other world.

Lee Donghun asked in a trembling voice.

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“Hey, can we even close that thing? We can’t even touch it.”

“…Did you really think we could close it by hand?”

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“…”

“…”

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For a moment, a silent exchange passed between Hae Gijun and Lee Donghun. Though it was even larger than expected, it was never going to be something they could just push closed. Yet, it seemed Lee Donghun had taken Gijun’s words about closing the gate quite literally.

Finally, Gijun shook his head and moved down first. Fortunately, no one was in the underground at the moment. While they had blocked the door for now, they didn’t know when the links might break through, so they had to move quickly.

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Their first destination was in front of the cylindrical capsule.

“…?”

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Gijun’s expression turned strange. He had felt something was off from afar, but now, up close, the sense of déjà vu was strong. No, it was more than just familiarity.

Inside the transparent capsule floated pale yellow light particles. They wavered like mirages, but mostly floated in the form of spheres. The overall appearance was so beautiful that it seemed almost magical.

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But Gijun felt like he had seen each sphere before, in the small auditorium and the machine room. And even earlier, when the door had closed, and the high-pitched sound had abruptly ceased.

“What the heck is this?”

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Lee Donghun verbalized Gijun’s confusion, walking around the capsule. But from every angle, they couldn’t figure out what the light particles inside were. They could only conclude that, as they had inferred, the material inside the capsule was necessary for using the power of the other world.

Reflecting on this, Gijun lightly tapped the capsule. It was quite thick.

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“We need to get rid of this material to close the gate…”

“Huh? By breaking the capsule?”

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“If possible. This material not only uses the power of the other world but also serves as the basic energy to open the gate. If we break the capsule and empty it, the door won’t be able to stay open.”

From the moment Gijun learned of the capsule’s existence, he thought it had to be destroyed. Though they still didn’t know exactly what was inside, it was clear that the links had collected the material to open the gate before the school trip started. Even Choi Sowon had said so.

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Lee Donghun’s eyes widened. He awkwardly commented that Hae Gijun seemed to have a plan. Perhaps he was conscious of their earlier argument, but Gijun hadn’t paid any attention to it from the start.

The two of them busied themselves looking for a way. They examined the control panels behind the capsule and checked if they could cut the wires connected to the door. Lee Donghun vigorously chopped with a hand axe, but it seemed hopeless, and pulling them out forcefully was impossible due to the dark red mana swirling around.

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“So breaking the capsule is the only option…”

No matter how much they searched the control panels, there was no open-close button for the capsule, leaving destruction as the only option. But the capsule was thick and wouldn’t break easily…

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Tapping the capsule, Gijun turned to see if Baek Sunwoo knew anything. But his face quickly showed concern and puzzlement.

“…Baek Sunwoo, what’s wrong?”

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“Huh?”

“Why is your face…”

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Baek Sunwoo’s face was pale. While it could be attributed to exhaustion, his complexion went beyond pale, looking somber and sunken. His hands trembled as if recalling a terrible memory. When Gijun looked down, Baek Sunwoo quietly hid his hands behind him.

Then, he smiled faintly as if it was nothing, but Gijun found it strangely unfamiliar despite the familiarity. Somehow, Baek Sunwoo seemed contemplative. He quietly watched his actions without saying anything.

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Gijun had felt that Baek Sunwoo’s attitude had subtly changed since he was swallowed by the monster. But he couldn’t pinpoint it, and now the sense of incongruity had grown stronger.

Was it just exhaustion? Feeling uneasy, Gijun was about to turn away when he noticed Baek Sunwoo’s gaze fixed on something. A small machine near the capsule. The digital display on it kept flickering with numbers.

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The numbers fluctuated slightly but generally settled at 1102. It was clearly more than the number of light particles in the capsule. Currently, there were about two hundred particles inside the capsule.

Lee Donghun approached and examined the display, accidentally touching the control panel in the process.

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“Hey, be careful…”

Worried that something might go wrong, Gijun grabbed him, but nothing happened. The numbers on the display disappeared momentarily, then beeped, and a new number appeared.

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“…What’s with this pathetic number?”

Lee Donghun frowned at the suddenly reduced number. Meanwhile, Hae Gijun, after confirming that nothing had changed, placed his hand on the display. He wanted to see if the numbers changed depending on who touched it.

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“…”

“…This number might be meaningless.”

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Though Hae Gijun remained silent, Lee Donghun, startled, claimed the display was acting strangely. He was surprised by the even smaller number compared to the one he had seen.

But Gijun quietly observed the screen. The number 1 flickered continuously. It hadn’t happened when Lee Donghun touched it, but in front of Gijun, it seemed broken, shaking as if malfunctioning.

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Suddenly, a whisper echoed in Gijun’s mind.

‘…Twelve times…’

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This was his eleventh loop, and if the twelfth was the last, he only had one chance left. The memory of finding the number 11 marked on his body a few hours ago made it flash in his mind. But how could this machine possibly know how many chances he had left?

It’s not like it measures potential or anything…

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“Wait…”

Gijun’s face hardened with realization. The documents he had seen in the lab earlier came to mind, with their contents swirling in his thoughts. Analysis indicated that each entity had different potential, and purer, stronger entities had more potential.

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He quickly retrieved the documents he had stuffed into his pocket. Without properly unfolding the crumpled paper, he read the words. The more potential gathered, the more opportunities arose.

‘It’s clear unusual materials are used. Ordinary energy wouldn’t be enough to handle the flow of the world.’

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He remembered Choi Sowon’s speculation from the meeting room. The power of the other world could realize any will and change the very laws of the world. And the materials required to use it.

Suddenly, Gijun recalled the link’s words from the first day in the annex auditorium.

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‘Even if you don’t awaken, don’t be disheartened. You all have the honor of becoming sacrifices for the great gate.’

…Sacrifices.

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He had heard it many times during the repeated training camps. But Gijun had focused solely on the prophecy, not paying much attention to the links’ additional remarks. Now, the man’s words brought a chilling premonition.

The dozens of mirages he had seen when the small auditorium exploded, the light particles he had seen when Ahn Youngah self-detonated in the control room, and the faint beam of light that appeared when Shim Dokyung vanished beyond the door.

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His heart raced wildly. Shock overwhelmed him, and a wave of discomfort surged. He finally understood why Yeon Mijeong had gone to the trouble of gathering and treating students in the small auditorium.

“The material inside this capsule… it seems to be souls…”

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— Beep.

As Gijun spoke with difficulty and raised his head, a sound came from the front. Lee Donghun had dragged Baek Sunwoo over and placed his hand on the display. He seemed curious whether Gijun’s number 1 was an error or if there was some rule.

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Baek Sunwoo clearly didn’t want to do it, but in his exhausted state, he couldn’t push Lee Donghun away. As his hand touched the display, he recoiled in shock. As Lee Donghun belatedly checked his expression and apologized,

The number appeared.

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Gijun, who had just looked up, stared at the number with a somewhat dazed expression. Lee Donghun, too, glanced between the number and Baek Sunwoo, bewildered.

Stammering, he suggested that Baek Sunwoo might be unmeasurable, hence the 0, but then he recalled Gijun’s words.

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“Wait a second. The light particles inside the capsule are souls?”

Lee Donghun immediately snatched the documents from Gijun’s hand and read them. As he pieced together the clues, his face turned pale.

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“Then, if we release the materials in this capsule, the souls, will the kids come back to life? Or will they just disappear forever?”