Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Shadows of the Final Night
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“Tomorrow's the end, huh.”
“Ah.”
Everyone gave awkward smiles. It meant their time in Atlantis was coming to an end tomorrow.
It had been a dreamlike few days, however brief, leaving everyone with a sense of regret.
“We head back at 7 p.m., right?”
“Yes, they said we'd arrive in Korea around when training wraps up tomorrow afternoon.”
Song Sung-ah answered Lee Seo-jun's question.
“Really? That's a shame. Even if we weren't here just to play.”
“Hehe. If you're sad about it, we can always come back next time.”
Song Sung-ah said with a smile. Surprisingly, it was Choi Seo-yoon who reacted, not Lee Seo-jun.
She seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking up.
“You're right. If we're sad, we can just come back next time.”
Her earlier gloom was gone, replaced by a voice brimming with strong resolve, her eyes blazing.
“Next year. No, this winter! We can train while we're at it.”
Everyone nodded at Choi Seo-yoon's words. She wasn't the only one feeling the regret of those short three days.
“What about Kim Seon-woo, though? Is he going too?”
“I'll take responsibility and drag him along.”
Lee Seo-jun replied confidently. Shin Young-jun let out a deep sigh.
“You think that'll work? The guy's as stubborn as they come. Tell him to go have fun, and he'll never budge.”
Lee Seo-jun cracked a wry smile at the phrase "stubborn as they come." It was a bit crude, but spot-on.
“Hmm. Let's call it 'mysterious' instead of stubborn.”
“Mysterious... Yeah, he kinda is. It's hard enough just getting him to eat a meal together.”
Tsk tsk. Shin Young-jun clicked his tongue again.
Lee Seo-jun nodded, sharing the sentiment to some degree.
“Honestly, I still don't really get Seon-woo. Haha.”
“He seems like he's got a ton of secrets.”
“Secrets... Yeah. But I haven't asked because it might be rude. He looks like he's got a complicated past.”
This time, Choi Seo-yoon murmured softly.
“You know, watching his daily routine, it feels like he's always training. Like he's possessed by some demon.”
“That's pretty well-known already.”
These days he slacked off a bit compared to before, but back then, he'd push himself to the absolute limit every day, to the point where onlookers worried he'd keel over.
Maybe that's why the whole school somewhat accepted his steep rise in rankings.
“But on weekends, he's always out somewhere doing something.”
“Oh yeah, he has a surprising number of weekend plans.”
“Sneaking off to meet someone? Heh heh.”
That was when the music stopped and the performers stood from their seats.
“The performance ends here. Thank you.”
The show was over.
Clap clap clap clap.
Loud applause echoed through the square. Soon, people began rising from their seats and filing out.
Lee Seo-jun stood up as well.
“Let's head out too.”
I was walking through the second basement level of Atlantis. I wanted to familiarize myself with the site of the upcoming incident in advance.
“Hmm.”
But the underground was ridiculously vast.
I knew the incident would happen on B2, but the original story never specified exactly where on B2, so I had no way of knowing.
I scanned the surroundings thoroughly.
Countless doors with "No Entry Except Authorized Personnel" signs caught my eye.
Activating Outsider's Boon, I spotted all sorts of barriers enveloping the area.
Some were illusion magic, others spatial spells.
As expected of a place like the heart of Atlantis, it was secured tightly with magical defenses.
I kept walking until I stopped at one spot.
“Even I might have trouble breaking this one.”
A powerful barrier loomed before me.
Just looking at it, I could feel the immense magic power. Probably created by Poseidon itself.
When I reached out to touch it, the magic repelled my hand like elastic jelly.
“Ouch, that's intense.”
It felt solidified, almost like ice magic. Proof of the unimaginable magic packed into this barrier.
“Hmm.”
I wondered if there was anything I could do here...
No matter how I thought about it, intervening in this incident offered no gains.
Of course, protecting Poseidon would give me huge advantages in the future plot.
But 'Poseidon' was a crucial item Jaun was determined to seize at any cost.
Once they'd set their minds to it, there was nothing my current self could do to stop them.
Unless I stole Poseidon before they did.
The problem was these barriers were made of mysteries, leaving me no way to breach them.
Plus, to obtain a key fragment, I'd need to intervene in the virtual world Poseidon created, but I didn't have a relic like Jaun's 'Fantasy Intervenor'.
“......Hmm.”
In truth, since Poseidon was destined to end up with Jaun in the original story, losing it wouldn't derail the plot much.
It was a scheduled event, so almost expected. But my current worry was something else.
Elrin.
The incident had been pulled forward by a year.
The current Elrin was worlds apart from the one who'd appear a year later in the original.
In the story a year from now, Elrin could hold her own against Jaun to some extent, but not now.
She wasn't armed with mystery-imbued gear yet, nor had she mastered her Rune Clan's secret technique, Rune Binding.
If the current Elrin clashed with Jaun...
A major character might end up dead.
That had to be prevented.
Sure, she was currently under the villain Han Se-jin, so she could be seen as a villain now too. But as someone harboring resentment toward Jaun, she'd be a huge help in suppressing their power later.
“Whew.”
That's when footsteps and chattering voices approached from somewhere.
I quickly ducked behind a wall.
“This way? It's so huge, I can't tell what's what.”
The voice belonged to Baek Eun-seong. Behind him were Bert, Jin, Ska, and Header.
“Oh? Found the barrier.”
Baek Eun-seong muttered, staring at the massive barrier ahead.
“......Poseidon's behind this, right?”
Baek Eun-seong whispered quietly.
“Probably.”
“Jin, pull out the key fragment.”
Jin took out the gem that was a key fragment from his pocket.
There were two in total.
“Still only two, so it won't work. One's missing.”
“Just try, you never know.”
Jin nodded and infused magic into the gem.
Light burst from the gem, and the barrier rippled like waves in response.
But that was it. It just rippled—no opening.
“Ooh. It reacted, at least.”
“Literally just reacted.”
The brown bob-haired woman, Header, chuckled.
“Good enough. We've confirmed the key fragments are real. We'll grab the last one at dawn.”
“Yeah. Man, I'm excited. Poseidon. Wonder how amazing it'll be up close.”
Jin murmured.
“Once we snag Poseidon this time, how many mysteries left?”
“About six. Wait, seven.”
“Seven. Not much longer now. The day we meet 'Him' again...”
Bert said, voice thick with emotion.
The rest of the group felt the same.
Like devotees yearning for their god.
With that, the Jaun crew vanished somewhere.
I waited about five minutes before stepping out.
My heart pounded with tension, but I calmed it quickly.
“......Guess I'll head up.”
I returned to the first floor.
As I climbed the stairs, crowds of people came into view.
The younger students, looking youthful, were snapping photos energetically, burning the last night.
Just as I headed for the dorms, I ran into familiar faces.
“Kim Seon-woo?”
It was Lee Seo-jun's group. They approached with welcoming smiles.
“Thought you were resting in the dorm. What's up?”
“Felt stuffy, so I stepped out.”
I made up a plausible excuse.
“Yeah? Since you're out, hang with us. We're heading to the magic arcade. Come on?”
Lee Seo-jun grinned brightly at me.
I stared blankly at him. With the incident looming, I was on edge, yet these guys were so carefree.
“Haa.”
Why was I stressing when it was that fool who should be rolling in the dirt?
A year from now, Lee Seo-jun would be much stronger and actually helpful.
As I sighed, Lee Seo-jun narrowed his eyes like he was offended.
“What? Why the pitiful look?”
Time flew by to the early hours before dawn.
I stepped outside again. It was 2 a.m.
Most people were asleep; restaurants, performance halls, and other facilities had shut down.
The incident would probably kick off around 3 a.m. Right now, Jaun was likely scouring the virtual world Poseidon created for the third key.
With nothing for me to do in the meantime, I leaned on the railing, staring blankly at the night sea.
Gazing at the dark waves stirred unnecessary sentimentality.
Along with worries and anxiety from various thoughts.
The villain incident had just happened, and now another one, pulled forward from a year later.
Could I handle this one too?
“......Eh, it'll work out somehow.”
I turned from the fourth-floor railing to look down at the first floor.
Even at dawn, a few people were visible.
Regular folk enjoying the final night, and using Character Insight, I spotted key figures in this incident—Elrin's group and Jaun—hiding their identities.
They were chatting casually, feigning calm.
Suddenly, Elrin's group huddled, whispering urgently before hurrying off somewhere.
Jaun did the same. After some communication magic tool chatter, they vanished.
“It's starting now.”
Basement Level 2.
The key glowed, and the barrier dissolved.
The sturdy barrier guarding Poseidon was dismantled.
“Finally...”
Baek Eun-seong cried out in rapture. The rest of the crew matched his excitement.
“No time to gawk. Recover it fast and run.”
Jin said calmly.
“Yeah, let's go!”
Jaun dashed forward.
Red lights flashed through the basement as sirens blared.
The announcements continued.
But Jaun ignored them, charging straight ahead.
The farther they went, the thicker and stronger the surrounding magic felt.
Touching their bodies, it induced a drugged, hazy euphoria.
“Incredible magic power.”
Jin smiled faintly.
As expected of the legendary Poseidon—even before arrival, it emanated overwhelming magic.
How long had they moved?
They spotted a blue stone floating mid-air, defying gravity amid high-tech magic tools and engineering devices.
Its shape evoked crashing waves.
“......We found it. Poseidon.”
That's when armed security personnel appeared from somewhere, magic surging as if ready to attack.
“Who are you?!”
At the security's shout, Jin nodded to Baek Eun-seong.
“Handle it.”
Baek Eun-seong nodded and swung his spear.
Clang!
But his attack was blocked more easily than expected by the security's shield magic.
“What? Not bad.”
Baek Eun-seong smirked arrogantly and stepped forward.
“At least A-rank, I'd say. A waste to use such talent just for security.”
As he approached, the security personnel's faces hardened coldly.
They'd gauged his strength from that strike.
At minimum, an S-rank sorcerer.
And judging by the spear's aura and form, it was unmistakably the S-rank weapon, 'Heavenly Flower Halberd'.
“N-No way, Jaun?”
“Correct.”
Crackle!
Baek Eun-seong swung again.
Blood soaked the floor. The lead security lost his life in an instant.
The remaining ones, watching from behind, recoiled in shock.
“H-How...?”
Rumble——
The ship suddenly shook violently.
All lights inside extinguished simultaneously. In the thick darkness, Jin spoke.
“Poseidon recovery complete.”