Chapter 181: 39th Floor. World of Espers (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 181: 39th Floor. World of Espers (4)
"……Ah?"
"Huh?"
Chang Ma-yeom and Gu Jok’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Kang Jun-hyeok had taken a direct hit from the Ruler’s attack—a strike so devastating that no human should have survived. Yet, there wasn't a single scratch on him. Not only was he unharmed, but he had also counterattacked with enough force to send the Ruler hurtling through the air.
"A Sub-Esper?"
"What on earth is this…?"
"Run," Kang Jun-hyeok barked.
"What?"
"I said run!"
His voice, heavy with authority, snapped them out of their daze. Chang Ma-yeom flinched, then grit her teeth.
"Gu Jok!"
"……Understood."
Chang Ma-yeom grabbed Gu Jok’s hand and leaped from the building. Though they were high in the sky, her Telekinesis allowed them to glide safely toward the ground.
Creeeeeak.
As they descended, the debris of the wall the Ruler had been smashed into began to hover.
"You… you. What are you?"
The Ruler emerged from the wreckage, staggering. He looked battered, but he had no visible external injuries, meaning he had successfully mitigated the brunt of Kang Jun-hyeok’s strike.
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a sharp whistle. "You blocked that? You’re halfway decent."
"Don't… don't give me that bullshit!" the Ruler snarled, his teeth bared. "You’re an Esper. Saying you had no abilities was a lie. You're a high-level Physical Enhancer. But even so, you can’t reach me."
He convinced himself he had simply been caught off guard. With the screeching sound of metal scraping against the corridor, nearby materials began to clump together.
Grind, crunch.
The metal compressed rapidly, forming a dense, singular sphere. The surrounding space distorted under the weight of a powerful magnetic field.
Kang Jun-hyeok whistled again. "As I thought, you really are halfway decent."
"Die!"
Boom!
The sphere hurtled toward Kang Jun-hyeok like a cannonball. He simply smiled and took a step forward.
"But that’s as far as you go."
[Instant Acceleration]
He threw a punch as he stepped into the strike. The metal sphere shattered like glass. Fragments exploded in every direction, and the resulting shockwave caused the entire building to groan and shudder.
Kang Jun-hyeok closed the distance instantly. The Ruler desperately unleashed a barrage of attacks to keep him at bay, but Kang Jun-hyeok crushed through them all with ease.
"If you block this well, you might actually live."
[High-Output Gauntlet from Somewhere]
"Wait—"
CRUNCH!
Fist met Ruler, and a thunderous roar erupted. The floating building blew apart, its fragments falling toward the city like lethal hail.
The Ruler’s body was slammed into the ground far below. After watching the spectacle for a moment, Kang Jun-hyeok threw himself over the edge and descended to the surface.
When he found Chang Ma-yeom and Gu Jok, the two were in a state of pure panic.
"Kang Jun-hyeok?"
"How did you get down? More importantly… did you actually defeat a Ruler?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Uh… okay."
It was a blunt dismissal, but the power of Persuasion behind his words was so overwhelming that neither of them could bring themselves to argue. Kang Jun-hyeok jerked his chin toward the horizon.
"Let’s head back."
"Right."
* * *
They returned to the headquarters of All For Equal.
Despite the chaos, the mission was a success. They had secured vital information regarding the Rulers' abilities. The Director was initially overjoyed, praising them for their efforts.
"Well done! Once we analyze this data, we’ll finally be able to stand against them!"
However, the Director’s joy was short-lived. The moment he reviewed the data, his face hardened into a mask of stone.
"……What is this!"
A Ruler with Telepathy: capable of reading the thoughts of hundreds of people simultaneously and brainwashing dozens to use as pawns.
A Ruler with Telekinesis: able to lift multi-ton trucks and paralyze over a hundred adults with a single thought.
A Ruler with Magnetism: powerful enough to levitate entire buildings.
A Space Control Esper: possessing the ability to perceive an entire district and everything happening within it.
Each power was far beyond the realm of human capability. The Director was thrown into a spiral of confusion and despair. How was he supposed to win against such monsters?
Then, a darker realization hit him. Against such beings, how had he managed to avoid capture for so long?
The answer was immediate and humiliating.
He was being mocked.
The Rulers were watching him like a child with a toy, laughing at his "rebellion" as if telling him to try his best for their entertainment. That thought was confirmed by the words of the Ruler that Chang Ma-yeom had relayed.
— Do you think this is the first time people like you have appeared? No. It’s happened many times. They were all just buried and forgotten. Still, you’re the first ones to annoy us this much. I’ll give you that much credit.
"……Ah. Aaaaaah!"
The Director fell into a frenzy, hurling documents and smashing furniture.
The commotion spread through the organization like a virus. The realization that the Rulers' power surpassed human comprehension broke their spirits. They couldn't be fought. Panic ignited instantly.
The only one who remained unfazed was Kang Jun-hyeok. He had known it would turn out like this from the start.
The Rulers' power was at the First Rank or higher—a stage that transcended humanity. No matter how hard ordinary humans struggled, they could never bridge that gap.
But for the Director, this truth was a death blow. It was the revelation that the goal he had spent his life chasing was nothing more than a mirage.
The Director lost his mind. Since All For Equal had been held together solely by his leadership, the organization collapsed. Members began to desert in droves. Eventually, even the founding members, Chang Ma-yeom and Gu Jok, couldn't take it anymore and left. Even the Non-Espers realized the futility of their cause and turned their backs.
In the end, only Kang Jun-hyeok remained by the Director’s side.
"What are you going to do, Director? Are you giving up?"
"……No."
After a long silence, the Director spoke. A dangerous, unstable light flickered in his eyes.
"I can't… I can't give up like this. My dream… isn't over yet."
The Director stood up, staggering. He rummaged through his broken desk and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
"Go here. To this place. There is a person there. Bring them to me. I… I will be making the final preparations."
"Understood."
Kang Jun-hyeok took the paper. The location was in the deepest, most secure sector of Psychotic. As he moved with a burst of speed, the Master of All Weapons spoke to him curiously.
[I don't understand. He has already collapsed. There is no point in staying by his side. The goal of the quest is to carve your name into history. Wouldn't it be more efficient to find another path rather than wasting time here?]
The Master of All Weapons was right. There was no logical reason to stay. However, Kang Jun-hyeok’s reason was simple.
'Because that’s what Gu Bijan would have done.'
Gu Bijan had eventually obtained an Esper ability here. If that was the case, Kang Jun-hyeok had to follow the same path. Yet, he still didn't have a clear lead.
'How on earth did he get an Esper ability in a world like this?'
Outside of the 39th Floor, there were only a few ways to obtain Esper abilities after birth: through hyper-advanced technology or by meeting a Transcendent-level Esper with a specific gift. Neither seemed to exist here. The technology was comparable to Earth’s, and the limit of Esper power was the First Rank.
'Gu Bijan spent a full year on the 39th Floor.'
It was a long time. Perhaps the conditions for the ability couldn't be met yet. Kang Jun-hyeok pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the mission.
[Rift Movement]
Flash.
He leaped through space. The destination was heavily guarded—the security level was even higher than the facility housing the Rulers' secrets. It was a well-furnished prison, reinforced with dozens of layers of security, as if the world was terrified of what was inside.
But for Kang Jun-hyeok, these defenses were meaningless.
'Gu Bijan must have had a hell of a time getting in here.'
At the end of the corridor, Kang Jun-hyeok reached a single room. It was a small, sterile white space, barely twenty-six square meters.
He stepped inside.
There was a girl there. She was snow-white, with hair like frost and eyes as red as blood. Kang Jun-hyeok frowned.
'An albino?'
"……Hmm?"
Sensing a presence, the girl looked up and tilted her head curiously. "Oh? You’re not the researcher I usually see. Are you a new one?"
"No. A kidnapper."
"A kidnapper?"
Contrary to what one might expect, the girl’s eyes sparkled with interest. "Are you kidnapping me? Really?"
"That’s the plan."
Kang Jun-hyeok approached her. Even as a strange man closed in, the girl remained perfectly calm.
"I’ll give you some advice: it’s better if you don't come any closer. Ah… too late."
"……!"
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened. The moment he stepped into her personal space, he felt it. His Mana, Internal Energy, and Divine Power—everything had vanished.
The girl toyed with a strand of her white hair. "My ability is the nullification of all supernatural powers. It should last for at least a day, right?"
[Oh?]
[This is…]
The Master of All Weapons and Eldiria reacted immediately.
An Esper who nullifies abilities was rare, but not unheard of on a galactic scale. However, that power was strictly limited to other Esper abilities. It should never have been able to erase Mana or Internal Energy. Furthermore, an ability that could nullify a Player’s system was unheard of.
[This isn't simple nullification. It’s something else.]
They realized the truth.
[This is Reality Manipulation.]
It was a legendary ability among Espers, rare even across the entire universe. It was the power to interfere with and rewrite reality itself.
[This is dangerous. It’s only like this now because she thinks she’s just erasing your abilities. If she perceived you as an enemy, things would get ugly.]
Kang Jun-hyeok’s body instinctively tensed. Reality Manipulation was a selfish, absolute power. In his past life, he had possessed a similar technique: Existence Erasure. The power to make something as if it had never existed in the universe was a close cousin to Reality Manipulation.
In other words, this girl could potentially erase his very existence on a whim.
'……Of course, there must be limits to her power.'
It was dangerous, but he finally had his answer. This girl was the key to how Gu Bijan had obtained his Esper ability.
Kang Jun-hyeok walked right up to her.
"Since your abilities are gone and you can't leave anyway, do you want to play with me?" she asked. "Oh, or are you going to kill me? That wouldn't be bad either."
Instead of answering, Kang Jun-hyeok tucked her under his arm and kicked off the ground.
"Oof!"
The girl gasped as he blurred into motion. His body cut through the wind, sprinting with explosive speed.
It didn't matter if he couldn't use Internal Energy or Mana. He still had his raw stats and skills. No matter how much she manipulated reality, she couldn't touch the fundamental essence of his being.
In an instant, he broke through the perimeter and reached the outside. The girl looked at him, stunned.
"……What? Your abilities should have been nullified."
"I’m a Non-Esper."
"A Non-Esper? What you just did doesn't seem like something a normal person can do."
Even while being carried, the girl watched him with sparkling eyes. To a Reality Manipulator, Kang Jun-hyeok—a man she couldn't understand—was an object of intense fascination. Eldiria let out a hollow laugh.
[To approach a Reality Manipulation user so boldly… you’ve got guts.]
If she had shown even a hint of hostility, Gu Bijan would never have made it out alive. Kang Jun-hyeok moved with confidence because he knew the history, but from Eldiria’s perspective, it was a suicidal gamble.
When they returned to the base, the Director smiled broadly.
"Ohhh! You’re back! I knew I could count on you!"
"I’ve brought her."
"You wanted to bring me to this old man? This suddenly got boring," the girl muttered, grimacing.
Kang Jun-hyeok looked at the Director. "This girl’s ability seems to be erasing Esper powers."
"As I thought!"
"How did you know about her?"
"It was hidden in the data you brought back. They had it buried deep. At first, I didn't pay it any mind because I thought it was irrelevant, but now everything has changed! Come this way!"
The Director led them to the deepest basement of the base, where a strange, complex device sat waiting.
"What is this?"
"An Ability Enhancer. It’s a device designed to forcibly strengthen an Esper’s power. It was discarded because the side effects were lethal, but I’ve modified it myself. Her ability will go beyond enhancement—it will enter a state of berserk. The range will be massive."
"Wide enough to flip the entire city upside down," Kang Jun-hyeok noted.
"Yes." The Director smirked. "Normally, it would just be a temporary aftereffect… but this child’s ability erases all powers. Even if it’s only for a moment, it’s enough to bring the city to its knees."
Psychotic, the city of Espers. Its entire infrastructure and power grid ran on Esper abilities. If that power were cut off for even a second, a catastrophe worse than a total blackout would occur.
"I have one question," Kang Jun-hyeok said, looking at the girl. "What happens to the Esper who goes berserk?"
"……They die."
"I see."
"But it’s a necessary sacrifice! This world is wrong! Espers shouldn't exist! They are evil! I am merely delivering justice!" the Director shouted, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
There was no sense of the noble purpose he’d had at the beginning. There was only a broken, vengeful man. The girl, meanwhile, looked on with nothing but boredom.
* * *
The Director’s wish was a futile one. The girl’s ability wasn't something as simple as "erasing powers."
However, regardless of its true nature, if her ability went berserk, it would certainly flip the city upside down. The girl didn't seem to have any intention of resisting. Considering that the most common cause of death for Reality Manipulators was suicide, her apathy wasn't surprising.
The man who accomplished such a feat would surely have his name carved into history. Perhaps in the process of that berserk state, reality would be manipulated enough to grant someone an Esper ability. Gu Bijan’s existence was proof enough.
The path to a Perfect Clear had been found.
But something felt off.
Did it really end like this? If he followed this plan, would he truly obtain what he needed?
'What would Gu Bijan have done?'
Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head, clearing his thoughts. For now, he had to focus on the present.
As the Director had planned, the Rulers didn't notice their movements at first. But when the city became too quiet, they sensed the dissonance. They gathered their intelligence and realized the Director was plotting something—something that threatened their very existence.
Finally, they began to move.
The Rulers were approaching. The strongest Espers in the world.
"I have to do what I have to do."
Kang Jun-hyeok stood up, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.