Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Great Escape
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“If it's you, Brüel, you can save the others too, right?”
Su-hyeon's words, asking her to help the others since she herself was fine.
I could easily guess what came next.
“...Yes. But.”
“Please.”
Her master seemed to have made up her mind.
She was endlessly cute and lovable as always, but seeing this side of her, she truly resembled their sacred trees.
“I have an idea too.”
Unable to say she couldn't obey the order, Brüel remained silent, and Su-hyeon added,
“...Understood.”
“Thank you. Please take care of the professor first.”
“As you command.”
Before I go...
Brüel glanced toward the center of the hall.
The massive giant's bones in the middle, isolated within a cylindrical reinforced glass pillar and suspended by steel wires from the ceiling, began to creak as if about to move.
Shuuuuaak—
As she sliced through the glass and wires in one go, the bones collapsed in a heap. Thick dust filled the glass pillar.
Soon after, Brüel hoisted the fallen professor onto her back and left the specimen area.
Following Su-hyeon's orders, she planned to first move the immobile people and then deal with the magic beasts emerging from other areas.
After Brüel departed, Chan-seong and I decided to recreate the department store scenario.
“You're going to do that thing from before?”
“Y-Yeah, for now...”
But now that it was time to actually do it, I felt a bit scared.
The ones from the department store had been sturdy but sluggish, as if half-formed.
Kraaak— Kyaaaah—
The rampaging magic beasts now were like they were at a frenzy party, thrashing wildly. Approaching them felt like asking to get smacked dead.
“What about that one?”
As I hesitated, Chan-seong pointed to one spot.
There was a frog that seemed relatively calm.
The problem was its size—bigger than a car.
“What kind of frog is...”
“It's big, but if you're careful, it's not a dangerous magic beast.”
No choice, then.
We crept forward, dodging floor debris, sneaking up behind the magic beast.
Its back is covered in fur.
Relieved it wasn't sticky skin, I tentatively placed my hand on it.
Then—
“?”
Huh?
“What's wrong?”
Nothing happened.
On the contrary, the frog slowly turned its head, eyeing me with one eye.
The cloudy membrane over its eyeball slowly closed and opened.
Gulp.
“...Don't move suddenly. If you move slowly, it won't recognize what's in front of it.”
Chan-seong whispered.
I froze stiff, searching for the issue.
What's different from before?
Too many possibilities.
For starters, these magic beasts had a real presence, unlike the empty feeling from before. They felt like ordinary creatures. Like the difference between an artificial object that couldn't exist in nature and a real animal.
Ah, maybe!
Back then, before going home, I'd been blasting energy everywhere.
After learning from Grandmother how to wield power, it felt like my strength had built up...
Definitely now, I was controlling it so no energy leaked out.
Now that I knew the problem, time to put it into practice.
I deliberately unleashed the energy pooled in my body wildly.
Burst!
Gururuk—!
Twitch.
The magic energy canceled out wildly, reducing the stench.
The frog seemed to sense something off, inflating its vocal sac once, but it didn't explode or anything.
If anything, its eyes sharpened with intelligence.
“......Failed.”
“...What didn't work?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.”
Totally lame.
It was right then that I missed Brüel.
Kuooo!
A mighty roar echoed with the crash of crumbling stone piles.
The troll, now awake, reached toward us.
It had only been up to its waist before, but it had regenerated its legs—made of massive bones, not its own.
“Urk!”
A giant shadow engulfed us.
I closed my eyes amid the explosion.
The first thing that flashed in my mind was the communicator Brüel had given me. The one I'd tossed on the desk because I didn't like its look.
...I'll definitely carry it next time.
If there is a next time.
...?
But nothing happened even after waiting?
Kuwaaaak!!
The wailing came from a bit farther now.
Slowly lifting my eyelids, writhing tree vines held the troll fast.
The troll irritably tore at the vines wrapping it, but the more it tore, the more grew.
Chan-seong looked just as dumbfounded.
“This is...”
A green something on the floor caught my eye.
It was definitely a sprouted bean.
The bean I always carried in my pocket to practice my ability.
It must have fallen out when I tripped dodging the troll's hand.
“...Su-hyeon, we should retreat for now.”
“Ah, wait.”
As I stared blankly at the bean, Chan-seong snapped out of it first and urged me.
I quickly scooped up the bean, pocketed it, and was hoisted onto Chan-seong's shoulder.
“Let's get out of here first and help the others.”
Chan-seong ran toward the exit with me on his shoulder.
I stretched my hand toward the rampaging plant-type magic beasts behind us and used my ability again.
Emotion Synchronization!
Suddenly, the heads of the wildly thrashing plant magic beasts all turned in one direction.
Kik—
Krrruk!?
A three-legged Venus flytrap-like magic beast leaped onto the troll's head.
Its leaf-teeth weren't enough to pierce skin but perfect for blocking vision.
Blinded, the troll rampaged more ferociously, trying to rip off the beast on its head.
The withered flowers from before bared teeth and began gnawing at the thick leg bones.
Kugugugu.
The Tree Ent, which had been bending rebar with a grimace, slowly stood and lumbered past the exhibition boundary.
It cracked its neck side to side and slowly approached the troll tearing at the charging plant magic beasts.
Just like a PC bang owner about to discipline noisy kids.
Thud. Thud.
The massive Tree Ent shattered surroundings with slight movements. Lights and trusses installed for the exhibit from upper floors crashed down.
Kyaaaak!
A despairing scream.
Falling debris covered a fleeing family.
Rumble rumble.
Then a shadow loomed over them.
The shadow was a frog with a massive leaf on its back.
A car-sized frog suddenly jumped in, using its leaf to shield the family from the falling objects.
The frog leisurely looked down at the family beneath it.
“Th-thank you...”
The mother hugging her child bowed dazedly in gratitude, and the frog closed its eyes, nodding politely.
The goblins hadn't even exited the display cases, dying as hosts to parasitic plants.
The situation seemed similar elsewhere.
The stench filling the hall had vanished, replaced by the scent of grass.
Chan-seong, carrying Su-hyeon, suddenly stopped to gaze inside the hall.
“...Is this your true ability?”
Things seemed to be sorting themselves out somehow.
Still a mess, but at least no one looked like they'd get hurt.
Meanwhile, Brüel was thrilled by the explosive life force bursting from the exhibition hall.
Immense vitality. It's like the power of the Earth Mother God!
Chwaak.
She shook blood off her blade.
She'd just finished off magic beasts emerging from another area. How many had been exhibited?
Apparently, even more corpses were stored in the warehouse.
Someone released magic gas. Nearly thousands of tons.
Magic gas was invisible, so Brüel, watching Su-hyeon from afar, hadn't noticed.
But with Su-hyeon using her power, the situation would resolve soon.
Thinking that, Brüel moved toward the next sign of presence to lend a hand.
“Oh?”
“...?”
A burly man stood there.
At his feet, two people in fluorescent vests lay bound.
“White Space.”
The nickname other special forces used for them.
The man seemed slightly surprised but acted like he knew them.
She'd never heard of collaborators...
He looked familiar. Who was he?
Brüel racked her brain without a word.
“I see. So it really is true.”
...My mistake.
He'd apparently probed without full certainty.
He might have heard rumors about elves, but unlikely to have direct ties.
In other words, an incredibly powerful figure, but not under U.S. intelligence reach.
And in such cases, their power was likely martial prowess.
“I'd like to hear about this incident.”
“......”
Brüel remained silent.
Magic beasts burst through the door behind the man.
Keruk keruk, kek?
Bzzzt crackle.
Without looking, he snapped his fingers, frying the beasts.
Then Brüel recalled his identity.
“Camellia Guild Master. Gu Jun-hyeok.”
“Oh, so even a secret unit knows my face? I thought info stopped after high school.”
Gu Jun-hyeok seemed honored that she recognized him.
Most countries guarded A-rank+ Awakener info.
But memorizing major S-ranks was basic.
Often identified by abilities or traits rather than faces, but no need to correct misunderstandings.
“I'd prefer my epithet over my name. Thunder Dragon. 'Lightning Dragon'—cool, right?”
“......Kid stuff.”
“Kuhuhu, kinda, huh? Childhood nickname.”
She hadn't heard that info.
It seemed trivial, but given the man's personality, likely intentional.
Playful, seemingly capricious, but meticulously calculating.
Whatever he wanted, Brüel had no reason to get involved now.
“We're not connected to this situation.”
“Yeah, figures. No sane person from another country would pull off such sloppy terrorism. Even in America.”
“We're not with America, though.”
“Ah, nonexistent unit? Denying it just makes it seem true.”
“You'd think that anyway, right?”
“Hah! Not backing down at all. Like my secretary.”
Jun-hyeok chuckled and got to the point.
“Anyway, mind sharing some info?”
“I refuse.”
“Aw, c'mon. You know something about the department store too, right?”
“No reason to tell, and I can't.”
Solid as a rock.
No sign of persuasion working, Jun-hyeok exaggerated his shock.
“Wait, this happened in my country, my guild's zone—why not? Seriously, no idea!”
As he finished, he slammed his foot down.
Electricity surged through the floor, walls, and ceiling.
A wave of current rushed in instantly.
Brüel leaped away, dodging.
Lights shattered as her feet left the floor; the corridor plunged into darkness.
A lightning bolt shot straight at her.
She deflected it with her military knife.
Tak!
Landing, Brüel shook her tingling hand.
Jun-hyeok finally looked genuinely surprised.
“Whoa, you batted that away?”
“Lightning's fast, but faster than light?”
“Visible info comes first.”
“Fair point, but at this range, not much difference usually... And you killed the lights.”
Jun-hyeok seemed delighted instead.
“Held back, but still shocking. So, no intention of talking?”
Hands in pockets, swaggering, he assumed a serious stance.
“...You plan to oppose us?”
“Bluff. If we self-destruct, you lose more.”
Brüel's eyes narrowed.
True to his reputation.
-!-?
Commotion outside.
Guards entering, apparently.
Five minutes since the incident—impressively fast.
...Escape for now.
Exposing herself was fine.
Claim hunter in odd clothes. Strangers wouldn't know.
Media could be suppressed easily; half-knowers would fear silence.
But linking to Su-hyeon was bad.
Her master seemed to enjoy this life.
Escape fast, hide in the city.
In this densely populated city's heart, even that flashy man couldn't track her easily.
“Hey, whatcha thinking?”
“!”
Swaeek—
Jun-hyeok sneaked behind, cheesy line ready.
Brüel spun with a back kick at the sound.
But casually blocked by one hand.
Thwack—
Delayed air burst followed.
“Hmm, not unknown S-rank, too strong for A... Not physical enhancer either... Yikes!”
“Don't analyze me.”
She broke free with her other foot, adding minor hand strikes on disengage.
She whirled to flee the building.
“Huh? Miss, where ya going~? Let's chat.”
“......”
She dashed dozens of meters in seconds, yet Jun-hyeok stood behind.
She'd expected pursuit. Lightning wasn't light-speed, nor was she faster.
She'd baited counter to escape on rebound, but he wouldn't play along.
“Keep it up, and I'll have to hurt... Huh?”
“!!”
Kugugugu—
The entire hall shook.
Plant vines burst through every exhibition door.
People poured out the main entrance on vine rides.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
About twenty people, an angry-looking man with a child at the front.
“What...? Weren't they all evacuated? Hey, wait!”
Brüel fled, seizing the moment.
Jun-hyeok hesitated between chase and rescue, sighed, and chose duty.