Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Collapse (3)
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The monitoring room detected the mana core rapidly spiraling out of control. The overflowing demonic energy had already surpassed the critical point, and the escaped spirits were forming human faces, filling the entire barrier.
Rumble rumble rumble───!
The vibrations shook the monitoring room. Crimson-black mana surged in from beyond the screen.
"Damn it! Give me an explanation! Why the hell is this happening?!"
"We cannot ascertain the details."
Shelton jumped up and down, glaring at the surveillance camera, but the camera feed remained unchanged.
For the past five minutes, Sion and Soliet had been standing face-to-face, completely still. It looked like a frozen frame, yet time kept ticking by.
What the hell? Were they possessed or something?
Shelton grabbed the mid-level manager by the shoulder.
"At least give me the probabilities!"
"It defies magical, scientific, and probabilistic explanations. The mana core's output suddenly amplified. This is something worth reporting to the academic community—"
"Screw your reports! Just tell me what's going to happen!"
Boom──!
A massive shock hit the monitoring room. Several researchers fainted and collapsed to the floor.
The mid-level manager spoke.
"...The resonance inside the mana core—the shell can't hold. It's causing its own collapse. An impossible phenomenon. An unimaginable variable."
"No, so... if it's collapsing, what happens to the mana core?"
"......"
The mid-level manager let go of his hands.
Those hands, which had been fiddling with the keyboard and mouse for 30 straight hours, now rested neatly on his knees.
"It's already beyond recovery."
"What the──!"
Shelton felt like he was going insane. The back of his head burned like molten lava, and static electricity kept crackling down his spine.
"So, is there a way—"
"The mana core has already collapsed."
The manager pointed at the screen as if delivering the killing blow.
The drone camera overlooking the barrier.
Crack crack crack...
Cracks were forming in this artificial barrier that Shelton and the Magic Tower had poured hundreds of millions of ren into creating.
One by one, fragments were crumbling and falling.
"......"
Shelton stared blankly.
His legs gave out.
When he came to, his knees were on the ground.
60 million ren. The cost invested in this mana core.
6 billion ren. The value of the 'comprehensive theme park' to be created from this mana core.
And that was the absolute minimum estimate.
"Ah... F───ck!"
Shelton let out a beastly howl and scanned the researchers. He pointed at each one, veins bulging.
"You lot! With this shitty design! F───ck! How the hell did you even build it?!"
"It's judged as an act of God. Probability-wise, it's infinitesimally close to zero..."
His bloodshot eyes clamped the mid-level manager's mouth shut.
"Instead of spouting probabilities, you should have responded first, you probability-headed idiots──!"
───Rumble rumble rumble!
The blasting echoes reverberated through the speakers.
Shelton and the researchers turned to the monitors simultaneously.
Whoosh...
The entire barrier was crumbling down.
Like a Jenga tower with the wrong block pulled, collapsing so pathetically.
In an instant.
More feebly than a sandcastle.
Crackle.
Finally, the entire screen cut out amid noise.
The monitoring room plunged into total blackout.
"Ha, haha..."
In that darkness, only Shelton's deranged, hollow laughter trailed thinly.
[0 : 00 : 00]
I returned as the last survivor. The location was Cleam Hall, completely empty. No Soliet, no one.
Creak—
Right on cue, the front door opened. A man in a gown walked in.
"Hey."
It was Shelton.
"Congrats. First place."
His haggard face glared at me as he asked,
"Just one question. Nothing happened in there, right?"
Switching to casual speech now that things went south.
Finally showing his true colors.
"Yeah. Something did."
"What?"
"Suddenly, ghost faces everywhere... Ugh, horrifying. Still getting PTSD."
"...Anything else?"
"What else? I'm telling you, PTSD. Shouldn't you compensate me for mental damages?"
At the mention of mental damages, Shelton shuddered slightly.
"It was part of the assignment, so no."
"Give me money. At least the 30 ren you took back then."
"...Tch. Fine. A D- like you couldn't have done anything to the mana core anyway. Keep leeching off others your whole life."
Shelton sighed deeply and turned away. Handy having a D- grade sometimes. No suspicion at all. Wait, isn't a D- getting first place suspicious?
Suddenly—
Shelton stopped and turned back to me.
"Hey. You said 30 ren was enough."
"...What?"
He pulled 30 ren from his wallet and stuffed it into my coat pocket.
"Don't whine about it. Mental damages settled for 30 ren."
"......"
Saying something ridiculous, he left Cleam Hall. His gown pocket buzzed wildly: ring— riiing— riiiiing!
Ominous alarms. Can't wait to see what happens next.
"Bye. You won't get far."
I smiled faintly.
Of course, the guy surely has backing. A capable one who pulled in tens of millions of ren solo.
So, might need a final nail in the coffin.
I pulled out my smartphone and called a saved contact.
Ring ring ring—
—Hello.
Didn't think he'd pick up, but he did quickly.
"...Uh, yeah."
—Who is this.
His voice bristled with exhaustion, like he hadn't slept.
"I'm calling with a tip."
—Who are you? Do I know you?
"...Lena Helda. Prosecutor, right?"
—Yeah, who is this. Yaaawn.
A yawn, followed by the creak of him sinking into a chair.
Busy with work, huh.
"We met at the Recordak interrogation room last time."
—What... Oh, the yellow-hair? Sion Askal?
I chuckled silently.
At least he remembers my name.
—Hey. Wanna die? I let you off, and you crawl back. Calling a prosecutor from Edshila?
"...I told you before. I'd call if I had a tip."
—What tip.
"Something happened at the College Board."
—College Board?
Lena's voice pitched up.
"Yeah. Know the Cadillac Casino incident?"
—Who doesn't? It's in the textbooks.
"That mana core from back then? Might not have been released."
—...What?
Lena's tone shifted instantly.
He pieced it all together in these 30 seconds. No surprise; he knows every Edshila case and precedent by heart.
"Check it out. You'll find someone interesting."
—Hey, wait—
I hung up after that.
As I said, Lena's a sharp prosecutor. In class-ridden Edshila, a lone wolf who took down nobles galore and still became senior prosecutor.
With this info, he'll handle the rest.
Same time.
In Presium, one of Edshila's top-tier luxury apartments.
"Haa..."
6-star prospect Elise Petra was still buried in her bed.
Depressed.
Embarrassed.
Irritated.
Hard to even gauge how many CP points she lost on this assignment.
Of course, she'd get into Edshila National University with room to spare, but Elise's goal was beyond that.
Top of the entire College Board.
She wanted to climb to the summit and prove herself spectacularly.
Rumors said Gerkken and Soliet hit perfect cut lines...
"...Haa."
A sigh escaped. She gripped the pillow with both hands and hacked at the innocent bed.
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
Like a beaver cracking clams, she thrashed for a while, then lay back properly and stared at the ceiling.
Depressed.
Embarrassed.
Irritated... No.
Not irritated.
This won't change anything.
Everyone fails. Even legends of the continent.
They all failed, fell, crumbled at least once—but what matters is bouncing back.
Bounce back.
I can do it too.
I have talent everyone envies. Qualities overflowing to become a legend.
Elise sat up.
"...Ah."
But her body wouldn't obey. It slumped like she'd taken a physical injury.
Didn't want to do anything, didn't want to live, everything felt meaningless.
"......"
She stared blankly at the door. It was wide open.
All doors in her place stayed open. They didn't close. Couldn't close.
Positively, that day's issue might not have been just the grades.
Surviving alone was a miracle.
Room 444 was the worst of the worst. Worst in nearly three years.
The panic on the fourth floor—thinking about it choked her, and confused her.
What happened to her there?
Forced return right before death? Or...
Did someone really save her?
"...There was."
She shook her head.
No need to doubt this.
Someone was there. Even in faint memories, on the brink of drowning consciousness, that touch, that warmth—was undeniable.
Elise trusted her memory.
She didn't survive by sheer luck; some 'mysterious man' saved her.
Which made it worse.
Who the hell was it?
Ding—
Her smartphone rang.
Elise groped the bed and grabbed it. Lots of messages, but she ignored them.
Opened Yutubi, searched puppies. Bunnies too. Stared blankly at them eating and playing, then set it down.
Ding—
Smartphone rang again. She glanced—her eyes widened.
[James: We're meeting at 7 today, right?]
"Ah... right."
The festival play meeting.
She'd recruited beforehand, before College Board even started.
Four from Latynel class: James, Wendy, Brown, Dell.
Two Edshila National University musical theater hopefuls: Miller, Shasha.
Plus herself: seven total.
Time: Saturday 7 PM.
One hour away.
Elise forced herself up.
Surely, the will to keep promises could overcome this emptiness—
"Ah."
She flopped back onto the bed.
Talking play stuff, they'd definitely ask about the assignment during break.
What to say then?
Just ban the topic?
Ding—
[JR: Heard the rumors. No need to worry.]
Her admissions consultant.
How'd he know? She hadn't said anything.
[JR: It's a gap you can reverse.]
Rumors spread that far already, he says no worry—feels worse.
Elise gritted her teeth.
Which loose-lipped bastards spread it? Kill them?
[It's fine.]
Not fine, but she replied and dragged herself out. Rolled her limp body out of the bedroom.
"Miss! Are you okay?!"
Petra's servants rushed in, faces worried.
Elise spoke in a sickly tone.
"Clothes... prepare some... Got a play meeting..."