Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 284
Chapter Title: Ulsan Rock Collapse, 2nd Round
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[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ activates.]
[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ activates.]
[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ activates.]
Urgent alarm bells ringing in my head.
“Kim Shin-hwa, hurry!”
A voice bursting out of my mouth on its own.
“Wait, I know!”
These guys were stealing control of my mouth the moment my mind wandered even a little.
I already knew what the problem was. And what I had to do.
“If you know, then move already!”
Fwoooosh—
The roar of my clothes whipping in the wind. My field of view shifting at blinding speed.
Grrrrumble!!
The sky overhead. A deafening roar coming from up there.
An expanding darkness, moment by moment.
A threat on nearly surreal levels was devouring the heavens, growing larger.
Grrrrumble!!
It wasn’t some abyssal entity descending.
The mountain was collapsing.
More precisely, Ulsan Rock—that massive boulder peak—was slowly tilting toward us.
Grrrrrrrrumble!!
“Who the hell did something so insane?”
I’d said it half-jokingly, but yeah. The culprit was me.
Pretending to be chased by the monster (though I really was),
Pretending to be delirious (though I had been confused for real),
Wandering aimlessly and such, all while preparing my spell—
I’d launched armed trucks and heavy machinery like bullets into the sky, smashing the base of Ulsan Rock.
Grrrrumble!!
The people around Seoraksan might curse me out someday.
But I had no choice.
This was the surest, fastest way to resolve everything happening here—and everything that would happen in this place moving forward—in one shot.
“Uwaaaah! The sky! The sky!”
“It’s collapsing!”
“If you’ve got time to scream, run!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Screams and chaos erupting from all directions.
I’d induced evacuations ahead of time, but plenty of people hadn’t escaped yet.
“Ugh, did I trigger it too soon?”
No, it was an unavoidable timing.
Crack—creeeak—
The sound of the Shoggoth I’d frozen starting to move bit by bit.
“Tekeli-li-li-li-li-li!!”
A delirious Moon Kyung-nam bellowing a monstrous cry as his body swelled.
If I’d delayed the detonation even a little more, one of those two would’ve caused new problems.
That’s why—
I—
Right here, right now—
Causing Ulsan Rock to fall—
Was an act of force majeure.
“Wizard! Sun-bin! Please, save Sun-bin!”
Moon Seung-hee’s voice from afar.
“I know, so don’t worry and get out first!”
Hmm, but time’s short.
They say time is something you can’t buy even for gold?
But right now, I could buy that time.
[L-rank Weapon ‘Sword of the Flesh’ unique function, ‘Time Stop’ activates.
// Time Stop: Time freezes. Duration proportional to mental strength.]
[Time Stop]
Creeeeeak—
* * *
The sound of time freezing, my vision dyeing gray.
Ulsan Rock, on the verge of full descent after tilting; fragments spilling prematurely; dust clouds rising to the heavens; people fleeing every which way.
Everything in the world turned to gray, lifeless objects, halting all motion and change.
It wasn’t just color and movement that vanished.
An eerie silence.
‘Too quiet.’
I moved my lips out of habit, but no voice came out.
You can’t speak in stopped time.
The din from everywhere, people’s shouts, yells, curses, screams.
All that gone, leaving a serene, silent world.
The split personalities couldn’t interfere, and the artificially induced madness paused too.
Yeah, no madness here.
I could even take off the mask if I wanted.
‘Can’t keep it stopped forever, so gotta move fast.’
[Flight]
I forcibly stirred my halted mana to weave spells.
Mana lines, runes, shapes forming fragmentary patterns, emitting brilliant light all around.
‘Mana flow isn’t smooth.’
Casting magic in stopped time took more power and effort than usual.
[Invisible Hand]
[Forced Ejection]
[Swift Escape]
[Chains of Dominion]
Spells activating simultaneously from all sides.
Effects triggering without whooshes or flashes.
People catapulted out of the danger zone, freezing midair.
Normally they’d arc to the ground, but with inertia halted, they only moved as far as I pushed them.
‘They’ll keep flying when [Time Stop] ends.’
[Feather Fall]
I layered spells to cushion their sudden drops, gliding over the construction site.
‘What a mess.’
A diorama capturing the asura field right before surreal violence rained down.
‘Hmm, that’s Moon Seung-hee’s office.’
A temporary container office. Not needed for the future? Actually, the documents inside were.
[Chains of Dominion]
[Giant’s Grasp]
The container sailing over the barrier wall.
I flew busily, casting spells everywhere else too.
Buffs to boost specific people’s courage and leadership; some attack spells to smash obstacles impeding evacuees.
In the midst, I spotted a group heading the wrong way.
‘Hey, running that way hits a wall?’
No use saying it. Moving them all...
‘Ah, screw it. Just demolish the wall!’
[Great Upheaval]
Cracks spiderwebbing so fast it felt like I heard the snap.
When [Time Stop] ended, that barrier would shatter, opening escape paths.
‘This area’s roughly handled?’
I spread detection without slowing my flight.
Some stragglers over there, but Curtain Call was nearby—they’d handle it.
Urgent fires out.
‘Rescue Lee Sun-bin and escape.’
I shot skyward silently, but had to halt short of my goal.
‘Damn. It’s back.’
Normally, [Time Stop] alone wouldn’t cause this.
But I’d regressed to fix last round’s mistakes, and this world had a system to punish foolish regressors.
“Kroo-li-li-rik!”
A bizarre noise shattering the stopped time’s peace.
Hound of Tindalos.
A lethal pursuer from [Tindalos], outside this space-time.
Not bound to this continuum, it ignored [Time Stop].
“Kwee-li-li-rik!”
That’s why it could make noise.
The Hound of Tindalos charging with an indescribable screech.
‘Hup!’
[Mirror Image]
[Spell Enhancement: Multi-Cast]
I scattered hundreds of illusory [fake Kim Shin-hwas] to confuse it, while
[Heavenly Prison]
[Great Flame]
Firing flames and lightning to block its path.
And...
‘Busy, so catch you later!’
I pulled mana and flew toward Lee Sun-bin.
‘Come to think, why can Gong Isu make noise? Do time travelers count as outside continuum? Wait, then...’
Thought unfinished, I halted flight.
“Kroo-errruk!”
‘Oh come on, it dipped out and back already?’
The Hound of Tindalos bursting from containers on the ground.
[Dimension Step].
Its unique trait.
If there’s a 120-degree corner nearby, it can flee outside spacetime anytime.
Normally it’d take time to return, but [Time Stop] reset its cooldown?
Meaning, no matter how I shook it, time stop let it reappear instantly.
‘Ah, this is annoying as hell.’
No madness, and Hounds of Tindalos aren’t easy foes.
[Immune to All Physical Attacks], [Super Regeneration], [Combat Reflexes], etc.—
Magic worked, but it dodged even lightning.
‘Can’t beat it with simple emission spells. But ones that’d work...’
Can’t use in stopped time.
‘Ah, such a pain!’
I brainstormed a few plans, then released time stop.
* * *
Kwarrrrrumble!
Roar from the sky.
Changes hitting all at once.
“Uwaaaah!” “Kyaaah!” “Where are we!?” “This way!” Swoosh! Thud! KABOOM! Barrier walls crumbling, people and containers flying, obstacles shattering, buffs granting strength and courage to lead others.
“Kwee-li-li-li-rik!”
“Ugh, damn it!”
And the moment [Time Stop] lifted, my [Dog Phobia] returned.
“Damn, how is that [That Thing]!?”
Geometric body coated in blue slime.
Limbs like legs or tails, but moving in utterly unimaginable ways.
A hideously twisted maw.
Nothing like any earthly mammal or lifeform.
Yet my subconscious—or implanted madness—deemed it phobia-related, so I feared it.
“Damn, if it’s gonna scare me, make the madness trigger fully!”
The halfway gap to real beasts kept madness dormant, leaving only obsessive flight impulse.
But that meant I could fight it!
Dodges lightning?
What about instant wide-area attacks?
[S-rank Weapon ‘Butcher’s Hook’ unique function, ‘Proof of Slaughter’ activates.
// Proof of Slaughter: Necromancy spell power increases 100%.]
[Ring of Death]
Wooooo! Woooooo!
Wraiths’ cries from all sides.
A bluish ring enveloping it in an instant.
“Kwee-ryu-li-rik!”
The [Tindalos Horror] shrieking, body curling grotesquely.
“Gotcha!”
With its speed slowed, I drew [Butcher’s Hook], swung, and chained necromancy spells.
[Necrotic Collision]
[Wail of the Dead]
[Cold Grasp]
“Kwe-ri-ki-li-li-rik!”
Uwaaaah, horrific!
“Snap out of it, Kim Shin-hwa!” “Hiding in a corner again!”
“I see it too!”
I clamped down my retreating legs, focusing.
“If you see it, do something! If not, switch with someone else!”
“Easy to backseat from the side! Think you’d do better!?”
[Invisible Hand]
[Gale Strike]
[Matter Transmutation]
Crack-crack-crack!
Before the [Tindalos Abomination] could act, I cleared, blasted, and shaved everything in its 5m radius.
No corners to escape now?
“How’s that, you bastard! I’ll squeeze the life out of you!”
I amplified mana, bound it tight, turned direction—
[Flight]
Fwoooosh—
Pouring all mana into flight, I reached Lee Sun-bin, scooping up her fallen form.
Just escape now and we’re done!
Done! Done!
Solved every problem here that I needed to handle!
Just cleanup left!
If we can escape, that is!
[System: ‘Enhanced Vigilance’ activates.]
“Ah, what now!?”
Urrrrgh—
Moon Kyung-nam lumbering toward me, body grotesquely swollen.
“Tekeli-li-li-li-li-rik!”
I’d planned to save him somehow, but in that state, no way.
[Rapid Freeze]
Craaaack!
Moon Kyung-nam turning to a massive ice pillar instantly.
“Kki-ru-er-li-li-rik!”
The Hound of Tindalos thrashing to break free—argh, infuriating!
“You stay put! Sit! Stay!”
[Grasp of the Dead]
Grrrrumble!!!
Really, just a little longer now.
Ulsan Rock blotting out the sky.
You know how fast it’s falling now?
No joke!
[Time Stop]
* * *
Kwaaaaaaaaaaa—
A monstrous explosion.
Earth-shaking roar.
“Uwaaaaah! We’re alive!”
My shout.
I’d escaped the danger zone with Lee Sun-bin, and right in front of me—Kwak Dae-yong—
“No way, Professor Kim!”
Grinning, trying to hug me.
“Get outta the way! No, run! Secondary collapse! Secondary!”
Screeeech—crunch—
Ulsan Rock, jammed vertically into the ground, groaning ominously as it tilted.
“What? Whaaat?? Uwaaah! Everyone run!”
* * *
A bit of clatter, clamor, more clatter.
After the chaotic mess—
I, and we, could finally handle cleanup.
It wasn’t over till it was over.
Everyone involved was dazed for a good while, and some had to keep moving even in this.
I flew around handling everything for ages, made dozens of calls, and only then...
Whiiiish—
Dry wind from afar.
“Ah, nice view.”
I could finally talk with exhausted Moon Seung-hee.
“Wizard...”
Her voice, shaky unlike usual.
“Yes, speak.”
“Do we... have to talk here?”
I smiled back.
“Secret talk. Plus, things to do here anyway.”
This was the top of the massive rock—3km high—plunged vertically into the construction site.
Ulsan Rock’s summit.
“Lots to say, but first, the urgent part.”
“Yes.”
Her reply, steadier now.
“As soon as this mess is sorted...”
I paused appropriately, then said it.
“Take over Yeonam Construction.”
“...What?”
Fresh instability in Moon Seung-hee’s just-regained composure.
“Wizard, what...”
Hmm, hadn’t planned this route—but for cleanup, no choice.
Fastest, cleanest way.
“Seize Yeonam Construction. Need funds? I’ll lend some.”