Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Other Side World (5)
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The mood got a bit awkward for a moment, but at my call to start the operation, everyone scattered in their assigned directions.
They all wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible, so they decided to brush off the minor incident.
Lee Seo-yeon's group headed west, Arthur's group south, Noah's group north.
Park Garam, Im Da-hee, and I raced eastward at full speed.
You might have noticed something off by now.
Forget Im Da-hee—even with my lowest stamina and Park Garam being a mage, how were we running so fast?
It was thanks to the buffs Noah cast on everyone right before we split up to start the operation.
The buffs he applied were fourfold: increased stamina recovery speed, increased movement speed, increased physical strength, and increased mental fortitude.
Noah said that since he'd focused on combat-oriented holy arts, the enhancement spells he knew were limited to these.
But contrary to his words, the buffs were perfect for our current situation, and as expected from someone called a "saint" in the grand temple, their effects were outstanding.
"Su, Su-seok. We, we got bu, buffs, right? Bu, but why does she seem fa, faster than us?"
"...Im Da-hee, she's a physical superhuman. Unlike us."
"A, ah ha."
As Park Garam occasionally blurted out the obvious, Im Da-hee was running slightly ahead of us.
Just like Park Garam and me, Im Da-hee had received the same buffs.
And since she could amplify her speed with her electricity skill, even as a physical superhuman, I couldn't keep up.
We were only matching her pace because we had to stick together for now—if not, she would've been long gone.
"Get out of the way—!"
- Kieeeek?!
Boom! Kwang!
The monsters flew off to either side like they'd been hit by a dump truck.
Noah's buffs were incredibly effective, but now that Im Da-hee could manifest her electricity skill on demand, she'd gained tremendous destructive power.
But... even in full warrior mode, wasn't her personality shifting too much?
Was this really the same downcast Im Da-hee from when we first formed the group?
My chest felt so full it was swelling.
As I was thinking that, Im Da-hee, who was clearing the path ahead, suddenly shouted my name loudly.
"Lee Yoo-jin—! We're almost at the core! The demonic energy's getting thicker, just like you said!"
Sure enough.
I could feel the demonic energy thickening, as she said.
No, it wasn't just a feeling—the unpleasant, repulsive aura unique to demonic energy was starting to appear like mist.
"Urk... This, this feels gross......"
Park Garam grimaced and dry-heaved.
As the demonic energy thickened, his mana was starting to react with rejection.
My mana reserves were low, so Im Da-hee and I could endure it, but Park Garam, with his mage-level mana pool, was struggling hard.
So I advised him to coat his body with mana.
"...Hoo, haa."
Only after wrapping himself in mana like a coating did Park Garam sigh in relief, his face easing up a bit.
This was normally something you'd learn in theory after practical training ended.
'But nothing beats real combat for certainty.'
Theory was great, but the fastest way to improve was through live action.
Forget me or the leads—even Park Garam, Im Da-hee, and the ten nameless extras would come out of this strong enough to shake up the rankings.
With that thought, I scanned our surroundings.
The landscape was no longer just hazy—it was downright dim and murky.
Proof that we'd plunged deep into the demonic mist.
And at the same time.
"Everyone, stop."
We'd reached the core.
"...Su, Su-seok?"
"Lee Yoo-jin, what's up all of a sudden?"
Park Garam and Im Da-hee, who had been rushing ahead, halted at my command.
I raised a hand to stop them as they approached with puzzled looks.
"Hold position."
"...Wha, what?"
"...Why?"
They stared at me in confusion at my sudden order not to approach.
But ignoring their bewilderment, I pulled two shock grenades from my inventory and tossed one to each.
"Wh, why this?"
"......"
Park Garam caught the grenade, a question mark practically floating over his head.
Im Da-hee, on the other hand, seemed to sense something from my actions, her expression hardening as she watched me.
"Alright, now for a super easy question."
"Qu, question?"
"...Out of nowhere?"
Yeah, it'd feel weird.
We were sprinting to find the core, and suddenly I stop and act bizarre.
Even I'd think, 'Is this guy nuts?'
But this crazy routine was my verification process.
So play along nicely.
I grinned, drawing the "Holy Gun" from its holster on my tactical vest and pulling out my lantern.
Then, extending my left hand holding the lantern forward, I said,
"This lantern doesn't run on batteries—it's charged with mana."
"A, awesome one?"
"...So."
Unlike Park Garam's innocent curiosity, Im Da-hee eyed me curtly, as if demanding what I was getting at.
I met her gaze and continued.
"Items powered by mana have one fatal flaw."
"......"
Im Da-hee's curt stare was turning hostile.
But I pressed on steadily, unperturbed.
"Most people think that flaw is this."
That you can't use it without charging mana.
"Right, that's true—but it's not fatal. Just recharge the mana and you're good. How's that a dealbreaker?"
"...Lee Yoo-jin, you know you're acting weird, right?"
Im Da-hee dropped her shock grenade to the ground and leveled her spear at me.
"You're not even thinking about finding the core fast—are you really Lee Yoo-jin?"
"Y, yeah. Su, Su-seok. You, you're acting stra, strange right now."
Park Garam nodded along, eyeing me warily.
At their reactions, I chuckled and took a step forward.
Then.
Tick, tick.
The previously steady lantern started flickering.
"The fatal flaw I'm talking about is this."
I took another step forward.
Tidididick.
The flickering sped up dramatically.
Pointing at the lantern's erratic on-off pulsing, I said,
"If there's a demonic-energy-bearing creature nearby, it starts breaking down like this."
"......"
Im Da-hee's mouth snapped shut.
Her face turned doll-like and rigid simultaneously.
Then her form began to change, until suddenly, the previously invisible monster—a ghoul—revealed itself.
"...H-Hieeek!"
As the Im Da-hee beside us morphed into a monster, Park Garam freaked out and hurriedly backed away.
Ignoring her, the shapeshifted monster—"Copycat Ghoul" posing as Im Da-hee—just stared at me blankly.
"Busted, huh?"
I smirked at the ghoul's split-mouthed grin.
"Yeah, busted."
Then I pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet shot from the barrel toward my chosen target.
Clink!
The pin popped out of the shock grenade the copycat ghoul had dropped.
And the ensuing shockwave.
Kwaaang!
- Kieeeek...!
The copycat ghoul flew back into the darkness from the blast.
Park Garam tried to rush toward me then, as if waiting for it.
I raised my hand to stop her again.
"...Wh, why?"
I answered her puzzled question by pulling the trigger.
Bang! Clink!
"N, no... I, I'm not a mo, monster......"
"Yeah, you are."
Kwaaang!
- Kieeeek!
The copycat ghoul disguised as Park Garam got blasted away into the shadows too.
Tidick..., tick.
"Finally working normally."
The lantern's flickering stopped.
I tucked the lantern back into my tactical vest and pulled a flashbang from my inventory, hurling it upward with all my might.
Just before it vanished into the darkness.
"Let there be light."
I pulled the trigger.
Bang!
...Screeeee—!
The intense light banished the darkness.
- Kieeeek!
- Kiaaaak!
- Kraaak!
With the darkness gone, the exposed monsters clutched their eyes and screeched in agony.
And amid them, I spotted the real Park Garam and Im Da-hee, moments from being pounced by copycat ghouls.
"...Eh, eh? Su, Su-seok and I, Im Da-hee are fi, fine?"
"...Both of them were mo, monsters?"
Park Garam and Im Da-hee stared blankly at the copycat monsters.
Park Garam hadn't even considered his companions might be fakes.
Im Da-hee seemed to have suspected something, but not that both were monsters.
At their reactions, I chuckled and shouted,
"Both of you, get over here!"
"...Eek, Su-seok!"
"...Lee Yoo-jin!"
At my call, they broke through the dazed monsters still reeling from the flashbang and reached me.
"Y, you're really Su, Su-seok, right?"
"You two aren't monsters?"
Traumatized by the copycats, they eyed me and each other distrustfully.
I gave them a simple way to resolve it.
Show off their unique abilities.
With that, I pulled another flashbang from my inventory, tossed it up, and shot it mid-air.
Bang!
Screeeee—!
Hitting the wildly wobbling flashbang with my shaky aim finally convinced them I was real.
Then, as I'd instructed, they each demonstrated their powers.
Park Garam with magic.
Im Da-hee with her electricity skill.
"...Y, you're really Su, Su-seok and I, Im Da-hee."
"...You're the real Park Garam too."
Confirming everyone was genuine, they sighed in relief.
"So, Lee Yoo-jin. How'd you know? That those weird-looking monsters could copy appearances?"
I spun a convenient tale for Im Da-hee's question.
I'd studied a ton of theory.
Copycat ghouls were a rare variant only near cores—I'd read about them in the monster manual.
Apocalypse-themed cores spew demonic energy to hide—I saw that in rift literature.
A mix of truth and lies.
'Can't exactly say I knew because I poured 30,000 hours into the game as a vet.'
...Not embarrassed or anything.
They'd never believe it anyway.
"Su, Su-seok, so, so smart again."
"......Yeah?"
Park Garam looked at me admiringly over my story, but Im Da-hee... sharp as she was, seemed to catch the fib.
But what're you gonna do about it?
How would you know I'm a game vet?
"...Whatever. So that's the core?"
Im Da-hee pointed with her spear tip.
Following it, amid the monsters blinded by the flashbang, a heart-like thing pulsed violently, spewing demonic energy.
Yeah, that was it.
The core.
I nodded affirmatively.
"Cores always look that gross?"
"Nah, just this apocalypse theme. Other shadow worlds have mana stone-looking cores."
"...Really?"
Im Da-hee scowled.
Not even a pretty mana stone-like one—the first core she sees is this ugly thing.
She was seriously pissed.
Pzzt!
"...Let's get out of here quick."
As she infused her spear blade with electricity, she said,
"Y, yeah. Le, let's get out, out of here fast."
Park Garam emphatically agreed, conjuring a fireball in his hand.
In response, I holstered my pistol, gripped my rifle and grenade launcher.
And answered with a hail of bullets and grenades.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Pewooong......
Starting with a flare launching from the south.
Then sequentially from the west and north.
And finally, from the east where I was.
Kwajik!
We'd just shredded the core to pieces.
"Feels good."
Looking at the monster corpses strewn about and the core no longer emitting demonic energy, Im Da-hee and Park Garam wore satisfied grins atop it.
I pulled a flare from my inventory.
And fired it straight up.
Bang!
With one gunshot, the flare rocketed skyward.
All four sub-cores in the cardinal directions were now destroyed.
Only the main core left.
Smash that, and we could head back to the academy.
"...Ha, I'm beat."
Day one of academy life, and this is it?
My chest was swelling like crazy.