I Wasn't Expecting Much...
-Crack! The silver restraint around the child's neck split in half and clattered to the floor. Just a little pressure from my hand, and it shattered right away. What is this, some kind of cookie?
But the real surprise while breaking the restraint wasn't that.
"To think ether could even burn through a magic circle..."
The restraint had a security magic circle engraved on it, designed to unleash an electric shock upon impact. Normally, only the owner who installed it or a specialist could dismantle the incantation. But I was different.
Sung Hyun-sook marvels, "It seems more versatile the more I learn about it!"
Just like Mom said. During the spirit realm trial, her illusion had nullified the Attribute Endowment skill with it too. Maybe the 'Explosive Ether' wasn't just physical firepower...
'It might be a power that burns phenomena related to mana itself.'
Even something similar like Mana Burn couldn't incinerate already-activated skills or barriers. A power that burns mana itself...
"Not bad, huh? Heh heh..."
The constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' smacks her forehead at her son 'Our Baby♡''s chuunibyou vibes!
No, does every "keh keh" laugh make it chuunibyou? ...But yeah, I probably need to tone it down a bit.
"H-Hiiik..."
"That guy's suddenly laughing to himself..."
"Scary..."
The kids lined up for me to remove their restraints were trembling as they watched me grin.
...Kids. I am one of the good guys, you know.
Our baby looks like a kindergarten teacher, and 'Sung Hyun-sook' bursts out laughing!
I couldn't even argue. Leading around thirty kids out of the dark passage, I really did look like a teacher herding students on a field trip.
Except...
"U-Ugh..."
"N-Nooo..."
"No, it can't be..."
The kids' expressions didn't match field trip excitement at all. More like...
Cows or pigs being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
"E-Every time we came out this way, hell was always waiting for us..."
The girl who seemed to act as the big sister among the captives glanced at me nervously.
"They'd beat us out of nowhere, shove needles in us... And when we woke up, our whole bodies felt weird..!"
Her trembling worsened into dry heaves, so I hurriedly rubbed her back.
"...I get the picture. You can stop now."
"M-Mister... You're really here to save us, right? You won't hurt us later or anything?"
"...Doubt us all you want, but can you drop the 'mister' bit?"
Fair enough. After what they'd been through, not developing trust issues would be weirder.
As our grim chat continued, the exit finally came into view.
Right then—
Whooooosh—!
A chilling aura rippled from not far away.
...Ah.
Forgot about that for a sec.
"Wait here."
I had the kids hold position and stepped out first.
Sure enough.
"A little later, and this place would've been a total mess."
Beyond the glass tube covered in cracks, the Disaster Egg was emitting terrifying mana. Just from the shell, and whatever was inside...
'Sung Hyun-sook' worries for her 'Our Baby♡''s safety: "If you can't handle it, better just destroy it!"
Mom already knew what lurked inside from what I'd told her. No wonder she's worried I can't handle that insane creature.
"It's the same reason I adventured to make Gift my familiar, Mom."
Sure, smashing the egg before it hatches would be the safest bet. But if, like with Gift, I could turn it to my side?
'An army of a million.'
Just thinking about it feels reassuring. My win rate against legion commanders would skyrocket.
There's that saying about buying suffering young, right?
'Disaster Egg, time to hatch.'
Crash!
I smashed the nearly shattered glass tube completely.
With the barrier gone, the mana gale hit even more vividly.
"Ngh..."
I braced my feet hard to avoid getting blown back like an idiot.
At the same time, I activated the core-shaped Igor's Necklace on my armor's chest. Hatching later—securing it first.
Whoosh!
The massive suction from the core started pulling the Disaster Egg toward me bit by bit.
It's pretty big up close... Will it even fit?
A bad feeling flickered, but thankfully it was unfounded.
'Igor's Necklace' has successfully stored the 'Disaster Egg'.
Almost no remaining capacity for load weight!
"...Even though it holds up to 2 tons?"
The egg was huge, but I didn't expect this heavy. Without Igor's Necklace, I'd have been sucking my thumb.
"Kids, come on out now!"
I called to the ones waiting in the dark passage.
And shortly after.
"U-Uwaaa..."
"They're all... dead..."
Five minutes later, the kids faced the hellish sight of the lab interior.
Mangled machinery and researchers dead in gruesome states.
...A bit too stimulating for kids?
"Th-Those evil bastards..."
"Sniff, sob..."
The constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' gazes at the children with pitying eyes!
Some cursed the dead like they deserved it; others turned pale, tears flowing from painful memories.
Either way, not reactions you'd expect from kids that age.
...Damn, feels like I poked a sore spot. Sorry I couldn't protect your innocence—
"Gasp! Dragon!"
"What?! Dragon?!"
"Whoa! Dragon!"
The kids spotted Gift sitting quietly in the lab corner, eyes sparkling.
A few were scared, but more seemed thrilled.
...Kids these days.
'Sung Hyun-sook' smiles bittersweetly: "They're so pure, even a little thing can make them forget their pain for a moment, right?"
I agreed, chuckling as I approached Gift.
"Gift. Why are you sitting here all pathetic-like?"
-Kiruu, kiruuung...
"What? Need to poop or—"
Seeing him fidget and glare somewhere, my eyes followed.
There, on the table, sat an intact flask of rainbow liquid.
Why'd Gift leave this alone?
"View info."
◈ A potion that makes your strength surge when consumed. Clearly invented by master alchemists working together amicably.
◈ Effect: All Stats +30
...My good boy spotted the treasure and left it intact on purpose.
'Sung Hyun-sook' is shocked: "Potions that permanently boost overall stats by 30+ are rare even in the Hall of Fame!"
"Well... If they were common, 'Raising Lower Beings'—already a balance disaster—would've been a total trash game."
Either way, I'd hit the jackpot. Undeniable fact.
"Am I the only one? This proverb just popped into my head."
"What proverb?"
"When whales fight, the shrimp's back gets cracked."
"Shrimp? At this point, we're plankton."
Two Association staffers grumbled while hastily setting up barricades for civilian control.
If it were outbreak cleanup under this blazing sun, at least it'd feel justified.
"Why do we have to sweat our asses off just because S-rank players are throwing down?"
"At least no civilian casualties. Those monsters are surprisingly precise."
"If even one normie got hurt, Jin Soo-hyun'd be stripped of her license that day."
As they said, Jin Soo-hyun's monsters targeted only Mad Dog members inside the building. A testament to her meticulous taming skills.
"Whoa, you damn thing! Hey! Oh Chae-rin! Gonna remove this barrier or what!?"
Though watching her rain lightning from a monster bird near the roof, "meticulous" might not fit.
Screw it, focus on the job. As the two sighed and finished the barricade—
"Hold up. Mind if I head in?"
Swish.
A huge shadow fell over their heads, pointed at the ground from barricade work.
Puzzled by the sudden shade, they looked up.
"Gasp...!"
"Ch-Choi Player...!"
They snapped to attention like soldiers before a superior officer.
Beyond the half-built barricade stood Choi Kwang-hyun, giant-like, chuckling as he clapped their shoulders.
"Why the monster faces? The real monsters are over there."
The line "humans scarier than monsters" flashed, but they kept mum.
With light encouragement, Choi Kwang-hyun crossed the barricade into the scene.
"Hm..."
He knew the gist. And after weighing right and wrong, he reached a perfectly reasonable conclusion.
'Jin Soo-hyun's in the wrong here.'
Something unfair happened, sure, but launching outright terror crossed his line.
'I don't like Oh Chae-rin much either—shady as hell—but Jin Soo-hyun escalated big time.'
Judgment made, he stepped fully into mediator role.
Huuuup—
Chest swelling with a deep breath.
"Jin—Soo—Hyun—!!"
Mana-infused roar boomed like a lion's.
Just a shout, yet shockwaves rippled, kicking up dust.
"...!"
"W-Warn us first!"
Staffers clutched ears, nearly ruptured.
But soon, they fretted other things.
Flap!
From the sky, Jin Soo-hyun descended on her monster bird, face full of displeasure.
Halting at 5 meters, she glared down.
"What."
"What? What? Look around. You think 'what' fits?"
"Yeah. Comes out real nice."
"...Call off the monsters. This is an official Association warning."
"Don't call my friends monsters. My warning."
How's a wild woman so good at banter?
Exhausted, Choi Kwang-hyun massaged his brow with a sigh.
"Heard some underling of Oh Chae-rin's took something from you? I get the anger. But this is a city of civilized people, not Wild Island."
"No civilization on Wild Island? Who you think I am, Tarzan with gorillas? Spit it out."
"Let's talk it out."
Kaboom!
A lightning bolt from the bird's wings slammed beside him.
Choi Kwang-hyun eyed the smoking ground silently, then spoke slowly.
"...At least with me, talking it out's your best bet, Jin Soo-hyun."
"Yeah, that's the feeling. Pissed, right? Wanna smash her? No mood for talk? Oh Chae-rin invades my turf on a whim, but I gotta play nice? You two must think I'm a pushover. Right?"
"Gonna have to get you off that bird first."
"Try it. I'll grill you well-done, crispy."
Not some saint himself—especially against someone hurling bolts at him.
"Fine. Let's settle it for real."
Releasing bloodlust, local gravity doubled.
Watching staffers paled.
"Urk...!"
"W-Wait! You two! Ngh...!"
Some tried intervening, but breathing felt like swallowing iron.
'No, this can't...!'
If they clashed, true hell.
Tension like storm's eve. Both poised to charge—
BOOM!
Massive explosion from the building entrance.
"...!"
Shocked, they turned.
There, Mad Dog players rolling on the ground like punched.
And the culprit dusting his hands, walking out.
"These aren't monsters. How many times I gotta say it? Geez."
Jin Soo-hyun, stuck on Wild Island, didn't recognize him—but that's on her.
No one in Korea doesn't know Hwang Jae-min.
"Oh! You?!"
Choi Kwang-hyun beamed amid surprise. Seeing him lifted his mood.
"Why're you here? Didn't hear you were on site!"
He started toward me happily.
Step, step, step.
Until about thirty kids followed me out.
"Huh...?"
But not normal kids. Wings on backs, horns on foreheads, emaciated bodies furred white.
Like half-monster, half-human hybrids.
"What..."
"The hell...?"
"Monsters? No, humans?"
Choi Kwang-hyun's grin froze.
Jin Soo-hyun, half-mad, too.
Even frantic staffers.
All speechless at the eerie procession.
"......"
I scanned the staring crowd. Expected reaction. Had my line ready.
"Let me sum up what these scum were doing in the basement."
Soon after, Choi Kwang-hyun and Jin Soo-hyun united with me to go beat down Oh Chae-rin.