Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Subterranean Chaos
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Flash!
The engine room's darkness lit up once more.
Unlike before, no one was there.
Just ten corpses sprawled across the floor.
Jaun's party moved swiftly to escape the underground.
They casually killed any security agents in sight and dispelled the barriers blocking their path.
The underground held far more security measures than expected.
Occasionally, monsters or other sorcerers obstructed them, but some turned out to be illusions upon death.
"Argh! Another illusion!"
Baek Eun-seong grumbled as the monster vanished like a mirage when stabbed with his spear.
"...But the paths have been repeating since earlier."
"I sensed it too. Seems like some kind of illusion magic."
Bert calmly scanned their surroundings. At his words, Baek Eun-seong glanced up at the ceiling.
"Can't we just punch through the ceiling?"
"You think it'd give? This whole ship is one massive training facility."
Jin frowned in frustration.
"Hmph. Then smashing the devices first might be quicker."
"Right. Devices first."
Jin hurriedly checked their surroundings.
Jin was an auxiliary sorcerer, but also a mysticism researcher and expert in magic engineering.
He knew how most security setups worked, so he was confident he could find them fast.
And true to his confidence,
Jin quickly located the underground security devices.
Boom!
As they destroyed them one by one, the environment began to shift.
The illusion magic that had trapped them like a maze vanished.
"Got it."
"Let's move!"
Jaun bolted toward the exit again. That's when a voice rang in their ears.
—Hey! When are you guys coming?!
It was Natasha's voice.
Bert touched the communication magic tool in his ear and replied.
"The traps were more complicated than we thought. Took some time. We'll be up soon."
—It's getting tough holding out here too. Outdoors means every weirdo's swarming us.
"Just hold on a bit longer."
—Ugh. Fine. We'll hold as long as we can.
Right now, on Atlantis's rooftop, Natasha and a few others from the party were holding position.
They needed a new way off the ship after completing their mission and escaping.
Natasha had brought an airship here to get them out.
"Everyone hear that? Natasha's place is swarmed."
"Yeah. Let's hurry."
"Mm!"
Just as they started moving again,
a powerful surge of mana rippled from somewhere.
Bang—
Soon, a flaming spear shot toward them from the darkness. Bert hurriedly deployed a curtain of electricity.
Boom!
The spell crashed against Bert's barrier. But tension gripped them.
That flaming spear hadn't been security-agent level.
"Now who's this?"
At that moment, six figures emerged from the shadows.
"Long time no see, Bert."
"...Alex."
Bert's eyes widened upon seeing Alex.
Baek Eun-seong glanced between Bert and Alex before muttering,
"You know him?"
"Yeah. Little bro I used to know. Grown a lot."
"Oh... kinda romantic?"
"Romantic my ass."
Hedda let out a chuckle.
Then magic manifested around Alex again.
Roar!
Ten blazing flaming spears. Baek Eun-seong's expression hardened at the sight.
"Scratch romantic."
Bert sensed the intense mana in the spells and grew tense as well.
"...Things just got complicated."
Powerful mana explosions rocked the area nearby. A sign that Jaun had begun his move.
That level of mana burst meant they'd likely run into Elrin's crew.
The sudden blasts woke late-sleeping sorcerers one by one, sending them outside.
Scanning roughly, Lee Seo-jun's face stood out among them. He looked around, realized Jaun had stirred up trouble again, and hardened his expression.
I glanced toward the rooftop.
Natasha, Sca, Aaron, and Lee Cheong were locked in a fierce battle against security agents in front of the airship.
But they weren't my goal right now—no time to worry about them.
Even if I jumped in, it wouldn't change much.
I pulled my black hat low in a CCTV blind spot. Just in case, I stuck on a fake beard and covered it with a mask.
Looked shady as hell, but better than getting my identity blown.
If Jaun found out who I was, it'd be a headache.
Even if it was under the 'Kim Jin-woo' alias.
Atlantis's security agents rushed about frantically.
"Where's Poseidon right now?"
"The gang that stole Poseidon is still underground. Association's been dispatched—about 15 minutes till they arrive!"
"Fifteen minutes. Take out that airship first, whatever it takes!"
I left the surface to them and headed underground.
Arriving at basement level 2, the epicenter of the chaos.
Deeper underground, the mana grew even thicker. Even I started sweating coldly from the tension.
As I rushed toward the source,
a voice called from behind.
"H-Hey, who are you?"
Turning, I saw three security agents.
They looked like they'd gotten spooked by the distant mana and were guarding from afar.
I tugged my hat down lower.
They narrowed their eyes at my suspicious move.
"Passenger, what's your name?"
Situation turning messy.
I pondered my next move and decided fast.
I activated Instant Acceleration.
Instant Acceleration
Time dilation & surge of vitality
Subjectively, time slowed, and raw vigor flooded my body.
Whoosh!
I closed the gap faster than they could react. The agents startled and tried to respond, but no security grunt could match [Instant Acceleration].
I reinforced my fists with mana and smashed their heads.
Crack!
"Urk!"
All three crumpled unconscious at once.
Under three seconds. Clean, perfect work—even I felt satisfied.
"Phew!"
A twinge of guilt, but no life-threatening harm.
I dashed toward the battle sounds again.
Arriving at the spot, a brutal fight was underway.
4 vs. 6.
Jaun's side was outnumbered, but their baseline skills were superior, holding the fight evenly or better.
I hid safely and observed.
My reason for coming wasn't to join the fray.
Just to see what went down here and block any butterfly-effect variables that could screw the future.
"Grr! Such a pain!"
As I watched, Baek Eun-seong's frustrated voice burst out.
Jaun's other allies were the same—sweating buckets, gritting their teeth like cornered beasts.
It made sense.
Win or lose, the longer the fight dragged, the worse it got for Jaun.
They'd likely heard from Natasha's call that the Association was en route.
Association intervention meant no chance for them.
"...This fight's pointless."
"No choice. Jin! Use it!"
Bert shouted as he unleashed thorns of electricity.
Jin nodded and pulled a small orb from his waist pocket.
Mana smoke grenade.
Exactly as named—a smoke bomb laced with mana. Its special compounds induced hallucinations on contact.
A combat-grade 'mystic.'
Bang!
It hit the floor and erupted in thick smoke.
"Cough! Cough!"
The haze swiftly filled the underground space, blinding everything.
Then Bert, Jin, and Hedda burst out wearing compressed gas masks.
Plan: sow chaos with smoke, bolt.
But soon, five from the Jaun Subjugation Squad gave chase.
I zeroed in on Jin's waist pocket as he fled. Intense mana leaked from it.
Poseidon was probably there.
Might snag it unnoticed. I activated Grasp of Great Nature.
Jin's speed demanded precision and speed.
I used nature's mana to unseal the pocket, then delicately extracted Poseidon.
'Did it work?'
That instant, Jin snatched it with his hand.
"...What the? Why'd it pop out on its own?"
Jin frowned in confusion before sprinting ahead again. They vanished.
"Darn."
Nice try, but no dice.
Tsk. I gave up on Poseidon. It was Jaun's prize anyway.
No point forcing greed.
I turned back to the smoke.
Still people here.
Baek Eun-seong and Elrin.
They were still in the fog.
As the smoke thinned, they came into view.
Baek Eun-seong swung his spear wildly at empty air, face panicked.
"Kuh! What the hell?!"
A barrier. High-grade one too. Just Baek Eun-seong and Elrin inside.
I watched Baek Eun-seong, then shifted to Elrin.
Elrin sweated profusely, lips quivering.
Countless magic circles etched on her left hand-back and arm glowed crimson, unleashing colossal mana.
I reeled inwardly. Tattoo magic brought agony even with one.
Yet Elrin was firing off dozens from her arm simultaneously.
Baek Eun-seong stared, equally shocked.
"You... insane?"
"Heh heh. Trying to... run... somewhere? You ain't escaping."
Elrin flashed a chilling grin. Pale lips, drenched in sweat, but her eyes burned with venom.
Baek Eun-seong recoiled at her madness before slamming his spear into the barrier again.
Clang!
"You psycho! How do you even...?"
Realizing it wouldn't break, he turned back to Elrin.
"Fine. I'll kill you first!"
Intense mana surged into his Bangcheon Spear, making the tip tremble.
Baek Eun-seong gripped it tight.
Time was short.
The Association would crash in soon.
Worse, surrounded by ocean—move slow, risk capture.
"...Gotta end her quick."
But S-rank sorceress. No room for error.
Baek Eun-seong charged Elrin spear-first.
Whoosh!
Then Elrin triggered a circle on her right hand-back.
Bang!
A fire pillar erupted from the floor.
"Kuh!"
Baek Eun-seong leaped back. Next, a circle on her right arm lit up.
Ice thorns manifested behind him, raining down.
Baek Eun-seong whirled his spear, shattering every one.
"Damn. She's a total nutcase. Magic circles all over her body!"
A voice buzzed in his ear then.
—Hey! Baek Eun-seong, why aren't you here yet?!
Jin's voice. Baek Eun-seong briefly dropped his stance and touched his ear.
"Got nabbed by some psycho."
—What're you talking about?
"Dunno. Some barrier spell's got me pinned. And she's a total nutjob."
—Argh. What the hell? No time.
"I know. Sigh... You wouldn't get it. Worst psycho I've met—beats even Teresa.
—Hurry or we're leaving without you.
"Huh? Hey! What about me?!"
—Swim. You want us all dead?
Baek Eun-seong scowled.
"Hey! I can't swim!"
—Then why fear water, moron!
That moment. Ice thorns flew from his blind spot. Baek Eun-seong spun his spear deftly, blocking them.
"Gotta go. I'll trash this psycho ASAP."
—Five minutes. That's it.
"Got it."
Call ended, Baek Eun-seong fixed Elrin with sharper eyes than before.