Yuseong University (4)
"I-I'll go."
"Me too."
Yoo Soyeon and Jeong Yena, of course, didn't refuse. A brief silence flowed between us.
Then Yoo Soyeon spoke up. "Th-that... I couldn't say it earlier, but th-thank you for saving us..."
But I cut her off. "Save the thanks for later. I haven't saved you yet."
"Y-yes... O-okay..."
It might come off as harsh. But that was the truth.
I wiped down the pickaxe handle with the Liberation Army uniform as I spoke. "...That came out weird. Once we get to a safe place, I'll explain everything. At least to the station... The problem is, I can't guarantee your safety."
My skills were optimized for solo wandering and fighting. The only things for protecting others or blocking gunfire were ice shields. But ice shields could only block attacks I was aware of—they wouldn't stop ones coming from blind spots.
"So, you'll have to use your skills well too. Think you can help out?"
This time, I planned to use these women. Detection upgraded to something better called appraisal, plus that scarecrow ability that looked pretty useful.
"Y-yes..."
"P-please take care of us..."
"Yes. Thank you."
"N-no, we should be thanking you."
They probably had a ton of questions. Was my base really safe? Were the people there living well? No weird shit going on? But like the saying, even rolling in dog shit beats the afterlife—so they figured dying in this Liberation Army hellhole was worse. Plus, I hadn't acted threatening, and I hadn't let anyone die like with Seol Juyeong and Seol Minyoung.
Guess they've got their heads on straight enough.
The timid, gloomy glasses girl and the cool blue bob-cut girl. Good abilities, decent personalities—better to clean up the library quick and get out.
I met their eyes. "First, the plan: we'll clear everything on the way down. Clean the library, leave Yuseong University, head back to our base at Gaeseong High School."
Jeong Yena and Yoo Soyeon trailed close behind me.
"So, keep talk to a minimum from here on. We're already way too late. They've probably noticed by now."
"Yes..."
"Y-yeah."
Not probably—definitely. But since they weren't coming up, they were plotting something. I thought of that as I called Yoo Soyeon. "Yoo Soyeon."
"Y-yes?!"
She startled at her own reply. I stepped closer to her.
She flinched back a little. I grabbed her arm firmly. "Show me that."
"Ah, y-yes!"
I peered into her palm. Same as before: white and red dots moving around.
"N-no problems or anything!"
"Yeah."
It looked that way. Unlike what I'd expected—some scheme brewing—the lower library floors showed no reaction.
...No detection? They had to know the two upstairs were gone.
I scowled. Probably because of those Liberation Army bastards I couldn't read at all.
"Keep watching it. Let's move."
What could I do? I wasn't a god; I couldn't read their minds. We headed to the stairs leading to the sixth floor.
Blood-soaked hallway. Squishing shoes. I cleaned it up while forming a plan.
For now, clear as much as possible with the pickaxe on the way down.
Save mana. No telling what might happen. Plus, with Yoo Soyeon's ability, I had a shot at preemptive strikes on the key players.
It's weird, though.
Weird or not, I'd use what I had. Smash with the pickaxe as much as possible; ice spears if not. For cluttered spots like archives, shove 'em with ice shields.
I was wiping my shoes when Yoo Soyeon, who'd been staring quietly, spoke up. "Th-that... w-wouldn't it be better to t-take this?"
She pointed at the rifles. Two M16s with magazines removed that I'd set aside earlier.
But I shook my head. "...You know how to shoot?"
"Uh... N-no..."
"Can you carry it without making noise?"
"Sorry..."
I shook my head. "Not blaming you. You could carry it if you want."
It came out a bit sharp, but that was the truth. If they were guys, soldiers or reserves, no issue. Unless total trash, they'd handle shooting like Jeong Suhyun, noise aside.
"...But think about the clinking as you pass or how cumbersome it'll be. Better without."
Their abilities weren't offensive. A pistol? I'd say take it. But rifles, even if not that heavy, were a pain to lug around. And for firepower, my ice spears and shields were enough.
...Even if I taught 'em, not sure they could shoot in this situation anyway.
"...Still wanna take it?"
"N-no."
"Fine then. Grab 'em on the way out."
"Y-yes!"
Yoo Soyeon nodded; Jeong Yena looked indifferent either way.
"Alright, let's go. Yoo Soyeon, show me that again. Up and down too?"
I glanced around. With an ability like hers, Z-axis detection would be ideal.
"Y-yes."
Hers was way better. Her square screen shifted to a 3D cube. Range... about 25 meters?
"Th-they're all below the sixth floor."
"Got it."
Sure enough, from the sixth floor down, white and red dots swarmed.
Problem: couldn't tell friend from foe. Survivors mixed with Liberation Army? Or monsters and humans with them? Had to find out now.
Click.
"...Jeong Yena, hang back a bit and stay alert. Yoo Soyeon, stick right behind me—tap my back if something happens."
I ignored Yoo Soyeon's squeak and slung the rifle aside.
"Raise hand, you stop. Lower it, move. Only speak for critical stuff. Got it?"
They nodded. I descended the stairs.
===
Time when the evening glow passed. Twilight-dyed outside.
Scrape. Only our footsteps echoed.
Crushed dust. Plenty on the stairs to the sixth floor.
No cleaning at all, huh.
Made sense—why would Liberation Army clean?
Scrape.
Scrape.
I advanced, checking every corner of the stairs. Looked ridiculous maybe.
But...
Those Liberation Army fuckers took the elevator for a reason.
Yoo Soyeon's ability showed several white and red dots on the sixth floor. Total around a dozen or so.
Yet when they brought the women up, they used the elevator for no reason.
...If they're using the sixth-floor reading room and laptop room as living quarters, no need to take the elevator over intact stairs.
Even if infrastructure held, elevators in this dead world were bombs waiting to blow. Stopped? No fix, no rescue—perfect suicide box. Using it meant a reason.
...Or tied to detection.
Swipe.
Click.
That moment.
Creak.
I halted. Footsteps stopped behind me.
This is...
I stared at the floor, raising my hand. A thread at the bottom of the stairs.
Click.
I stealthily raised the pickaxe; a faint click echoed from somewhere. I signaled Yoo Soyeon: no people or monsters.
...What the hell.
Going further would trigger something, clearly.
But...
Can't see shit.
Grenade trap from some game? Shotgun trap? Traps meant something nearby—but nothing visible. Just apocalypse dust stairs, gray-tinted windows, spiderweb hallway.
Annoying.
I whispered to Yoo Soyeon. "Yoo Soyeon."
"...Yes?"
She whispered back.
"...No people really?"
"H-here."
She shoved her radar in my face. I checked: seven red, six white on sixth floor.
...None here.
Nothing near us. Detection-missed, with two lone white dots.
...Ability?
Made sense then. Trap, thread-based detection, alarm maybe.
Gonna bug me.
Key: trap or detection?
...What to do.
Cross a attack trap? Dismantle. Detection? Ignore and pass.
...Tch.
I decided after agonizing.
...Ignore and go.
Might be attack ability, but better to trip detection.
Swipe.
Right as I crossed the thread.
"J-Junyoung-ssi!"
Yoo Soyeon urgently grabbed my arm, whispering.
I got why she yelled.
Bzzz.
The dozen white and red dots on sixth floor shifted all at once. Dots from everywhere slowly approached.
Detection, thread-triggered kind.
Wondered why no reaction to elevator kills. This type explained it.
Makes sense only one lookout on roof too.
Intruders upstairs? Sane ones skip elevator. Opens to open hallway. They'd take stairs—and hit this thread guaranteed.
Don't touch—pass it.
Nothing around, so passing triggers. Even catches me. Physical passage detection, not pure ability.
Items I carry trip it too. Inferior to other detections, but needed that edge... backfired on them.
Not bad for me. Frontal assault suited me fine. Plus, two ability users besides me.
"O-on the right curve, three whites approaching slow...! Right ahead...!"
Yoo Soyeon whispered fast. I confirmed, told Jeong Yena. "Yena, send a scarecrow."
"Got it. Scarecrow summon."
Quiet hallway. Her scarecrow scrape-scraped to the curve.
Exact moment it arrived.
Rat-tat-tat!
Tat-tang!
Gunfire; scarecrow flopped to the floor.
"...Those guys. Uniforms."
"Yeah."
Whites are Liberation Army too.
"Ice Spear."
I summoned one quietly, launched it where her ability pinged.
Boom!
Something exploded.