Chapter 28
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 028
Chapter Title: Task Amid Crisis
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Seoul's night sky was dyed red. An overwhelming barrage of fire rained down toward the ground.
"Ye-ji!"
"Yes!"
Explosion
Attribute: Fire
During the earlier scuffle over asd123's scrolls, Shin Ye-ji had only been at the early stages of 3-circle magic. Now, she was on the verge of reaching its peak.
A far more refined Explosion collided with the fire rain.
Boom!
Seizing that opening, Kim Ji-seok and the rest of the team helped evacuate the civilians.
"This way to the shelter! Ignore the attacks—just focus on getting to safety without getting hurt!"
They were now a proper A-rank team.
After all, just the four of them were handling an entire district.
But as time dragged on, Shin Ye-ji's mana began to run dry.
"...I can't see the end of this."
On the other hand, the fire rain pouring from the sky showed no sign of letting up from the start.
Kim Ji-seok gazed at the serpent silhouette, clearly visible even from this distance, and murmured,
"...All we can do is pray they handle it over there."
At the same time, Kim Ji-seok thought of someone else besides "over there."
[Creator! Are you okay...]
The moment the crisis broke, he'd sent a mail, but there was still no reply from asd123.
'asd123, are you alright? Did the commission go successfully? Even if not, please just be safe...'
With deep worry weighing on him, Kim Ji-seok drew his sword to support Shin Ye-ji.
The site where the elemental golem's core had been.
Association executives and executives from major guilds had arrived.
The serpent's mere movements had triggered landslides, making the area hardly resemble a mountain anymore.
Hiss...
The serpent flicked its tongue. Each time it did, countless fireballs rained from the sky.
Taesan Guild's master, Kang Mu-jin, grinned broadly at the sight.
"Doesn't look that tough. Just assign us a few mages, and our guild can take it down."
It was the confidence befitting the top martial guild.
But a woman chimed in to pile on.
"I agree. Though, of course, our guild could handle it solo without any mages."
Fire Spirit Guild's master, Seo Ji-ah. Known as a barrier master extraordinaire, she'd been the most aggressive in courting asd123.
Blocking their path was a white-haired elder.
"It's only C-rank. Without asd123's efforts, the monster you'd be facing wouldn't be some lowly worm like that."
"...You talk like you've fought it yourself."
The Association President was the one who'd abandoned that critical gate for an overseas trip.
Kang Mu-jin showed his displeasure, but since the president was manifesting a massive ritual, he didn't press further.
In any case, their plan was simple.
The Association President would seal the creature's movements with Lightning Strike, then Seo Ji-ah would bind it briefly with a standard barrier.
"As I said, we can't kill it yet. If you do, it'll shed its shell and reveal its true form."
That true form would corrupt the entire area with demonic energy just by breathing.
An incurable demonic poison. The true form carried it.
Even the Association President would waste away resisting it endlessly—what chance did other Awakeners have?
They'd eventually fail to hold out and turn into Corrupted Awakeners.
Once corrupted, they'd become "seeds," spreading corruption like a plague.
Thus, while binding it with a standard barrier, Seo Ji-ah would cast a virtual barrier to send both the serpent and the subjugation team into a virtual space. That was the core of the operation.
They had to defeat it not on Earth, but in virtual space.
After slaying the true form, the Association President would then kill the entire subjugation team—before the virtual barrier expired.
That was why he'd settled on this as the next-best option. He had to kill talented personnel and valued subordinates with his own hands.
The end result was assured annihilation anyway.
'...So it comes to this after all.'
The variable called asd123 had affected even the Corrupted Awakeners.
When that immense power sided with humanity, the Corrupted grew impatient and pulled some scheme.
'But no need for disappointment.'
This round had discovered a new route.
Focus on gathering intel, then push harder next round.
The moment the Association President steeled his resolve.
Kaboom!!!
A lightning strike hit the serpent right before their eyes.
He'd tweaked the ritual formula appropriately—vastly reducing destructive power while boosting attribute output.
In other words, damage was minimal, but the status effect was guaranteed.
Crackle. Crackle.
Electricity sparked around the serpent's body. The fire rain paused momentarily. As Seo Ji-ah prepared her standard barrier, she asked,
"...Is this plan really safe? If a Corrupted intervenes directly, the barrier could crumble instantly... My barriers are weak to external shocks."
Lee Dong-gyu, who'd followed her, answered.
"The Corrupted have already made massive sacrifices to achieve the Break. There's clearly something binding them from acting freely."
Why else would they go so far as piercing their own hearts just to sow chaos?
From that perspective, they lacked the spare sacrifices to disrupt this plan too.
Saving that serpent surely wasn't their ultimate goal.
"Hmm... Alright. Then I'll cast the barrier right away."
With that, an enormous rectangular barrier enclosed the serpent, successfully completing the first phase.
Now, while the standard barrier held, they just needed to assemble the subjugation team to assist the Association President.
'...I'll select only those not essential for the future.'
As the president dwelled on the bitter thought, he asked Seo Ji-ah,
"How long will the standard barrier last?"
"For that size, 8 hours for the standard one. The virtual barrier maxes out at 1 hour."
The president nodded and turned to Lee Dong-gyu.
"Any word from asd123...?"
Lee Dong-gyu replied weakly.
"...No, not yet."
Emphasizing "yet" just a bit.
"Understood... Then let's assemble the team. Oh, and Councilor Jeong is essential—summon him immediately."
30 minutes earlier.
Having gotten an idea from Kim Ah-hyun, Park Ha-jun was sketching out a Barrier circuit in his workshop.
As he immersed himself, refining his thoughts step by step.
Beep-beep!
Disaster alerts blared alongside deafening sirens.
Startled, Park Ha-jun left the workshop and headed to the veranda.
The sky was dyed red. Something blazing red poured down from the heavens.
"..."
With a chaotic mind, he scanned beyond the veranda.
"Mom...! Mooooom...!"
A child playing in the park wailed, calling for their mother.
"Damn it, when are those mages supposed to arrive?!"
Kaboom. Whoosh.
He saw Hunters struggling to counter the fireballs.
Even so, one fireball they couldn't block struck an apartment building directly.
Like Park Ha-jun, people stared blankly from their verandas.
Inside the burning apartment, he saw a family collapsed in tears.
...
Ding.
A message chimed.
- Profㅠㅠㅠㅠ We're in the lab. Lots of Awakeners here, so we're safe, but are you okay...
From Lee Soo-ji.
- Professor! Where are you? I'll come get you...
From Kang Eun-ho.
- Professor, you're an Awakener, right? You can make Barriers, right? If not, tell me where you are...
From the new researcher, Kim Ah-hyun.
Seeing the messages snapped Park Ha-jun back to reality.
'...This isn't the time.'
It had been 8 years, but he'd been through situations like this before. He wouldn't just panic.
He opened his status window.
[New mail...]
[New mail...]
[New mail...]
Mails were flooding in like crazy given the crisis.
Most asked if he could supply more Barrier scrolls.
Park Ha-jun applied a filter to check only his favorited contacts.
[From: Ji-seok]
[Creator! Are you okay? Seems like a problem with that gate we mentioned last time...]
Through Kim Ji-seok's report, he grasped the situation.
[From: Urgent Item Buyer]
[Creator, hard to explain in detail given the situation, but there's a variable with the commission. If it's not too rude, could I receive the Barrier scroll by lunch tomorrow...]
The end was filled with frantic apologies, revealing how dire things were for the Association.
Park Ha-jun replied only to the texts. He was unhurt, and unless something urgent came up, they should stay in the lab without worrying.
But he held off on the mails. He planned to reply once he'd nailed down a direction.
The Association wasn't looking for mere well-wishes. At minimum, he needed a solid direction to confirm feasibility.
After texting, Park Ha-jun hurried back to his workshop chair. He gripped the quill, trying to draw something on the parchment.
But his hand wouldn't move. His mind was a mess. He closed his eyes briefly.
It felt like he stood at a crossroads.
Trust the Association President's next-best plan and mass-produce decent Barriers to protect civilians?
Or craft the "optimal" Barrier infused with "harmony" and send it to the Association?
After agonizing, Park Ha-jun reached a decision.
'They didn't distinguish optimal from next-best for nothing.'
Solving this crisis with the next-best would surely derail the future badly.
There was a reason he, Park Ha-jun, was needed.
'...Don't give up.'
Even now, Hunters were shielding civilians from the fire rain. Believe in them.
Give Lee Dong-gyu, waiting for asd123's scroll, exactly what he wanted.
'I'll do my utmost from my position too...'
He opened his eyes and gripped the quill tightly again. Then he thought furiously.
'Use the Barrier membrane for detection and intercept with offensive magic, was it?'
That could still be called a Barrier.
And if feasible, infusing "harmony" into the offensive magic would fulfill the commission.
The problem was...
'How to intercept nonlinear attacks...'
And could he organize the supporting equations in time?
No matter how he thought, it seemed impossible...
As Park Ha-jun sighed and pressed his temples.
Rumble...
Thunder echoed outside, followed by another mail from Lee Dong-gyu.
[From: Urgent Item Buyer]
[Creator, hope you're unhurt? We've contained the monster for now. President announced subjugation in 8 hours. Sorry for the excessive request earlier—if it's too much, don't push yourself...]
The Association would handle it well, so stay safe— that was the gist.
-Professor, you're really okay, right? I just arrived at the lab with Eun-ho...
Kim Ah-hyun's second text. Don't stay home—come to the safe lab.
If injured and immobile, she'd come pick him up.
"..."
Everyone was doing their best in their own positions.
Seeing this, Park Ha-jun felt even less like giving up.
But he couldn't help thinking.
His Math Department lab staff, Kang Eun-ho, Kim Ah-hyun.
Colleagues who trusted and followed him fervently—did he need to bear everything alone, betraying that trust?
If the Association President's "next-best" led to Korea's decline or doom, was such caution necessary?
Even if they learned he was asd123, they weren't the type to exploit it.
Though his understanding of Kim Ah-hyun was limited.
'...Not a concern right now.'
There was that "MathLover" nickname. He had an out.
Thus, back to square one.
Park Ha-jun's current hurdles were organizing equations and practical implementation.
But on second thought, his researchers could help there.
'...Geometric Interpretation is uniquely mine.'
[Geometric Interpretation].
The ability to view scroll circuits as shapes and spaces.
[Geometric Intuition].
The ability to grasp the meaning and essence of that reinterpretation.
In other words, scroll circuits weren't inherently about shapes. They were far more complex.
But Park Ha-jun could perceive and express them geometrically.
'Ultimately, infusing geometry and math into circuits is something only I can do now.'
Viewing those disparate fields in one vista was Park Ha-jun's alone.
But if he separated geometry and circuits completely?
His researchers could concretize and compute the mathematical concepts and models he designed.
Kang Eun-ho and Kim Ah-hyun could validate circuits using them and enhance practicality.
Even pre-Awakening modern math rarely solved problems in isolation.
Math, intolerant of a single logical flaw, required groups pooling heads endlessly to solve and verify.
If even math back then was like that, what of Park Ha-jun's current endeavor?
Completing the commission solo in time was outright impossible.
'...So treat it as an 8-hour project. My role is nailing the idea's direction.'
Having organized his thoughts, Park Ha-jun frantically pulled books from his study.
The ideas in his head needed mathematical concepts for implementation—not circuits.
Thick tomes piled up on the floor.
As they cluttered the ground haphazardly, Park Ha-jun paused at one book.
'...This is it.'
After speed-reading it, he sent a mail via his lab email and texted Soo-ji.
Meanwhile, around that time in the lab.
Teaching assistant Lee Soo-ji and all the Math Department lab staff were gathered.
"...Is the professor really okay?"
Kang Eun-ho asked Lee Soo-ji worriedly.
"Even if he's hurt, he'd say he's fine..."
The worry was immense.
Though Kang Eun-ho wasn't dumb enough to still think Park Ha-jun was non-Awakened.
'No mana from the professor, though...'
Even if Awakened, he judged him as a scroll maker or combat-weak magic-type Awakener.
Getting caught in that fire rain meant no survival.
"Assistant, do you know roughly where the professor lives? I could..."
As Kang Eun-ho grabbed items, Lee Soo-ji checked her smartphone.
"Oh, a text!"
From Park Ha-jun.
But the content was unusual. Amid this crisis, he'd sent mathematical models and equations, asking the researchers to compute them together.
"?"
In this situation? With the sky red and fires breaking out everywhere?
Yet it was so very Professor Park Ha-jun.
Even if the world ended, he'd be perusing math papers, right?
No—that was too tame.
When the world ended, he'd flip open papers to read one more page.
But for the researchers, this inspired more terror than the fire rain...
"The timing..."
10:30 PM. The professor suddenly assigned homework. And they were stuck in the lab with danger outside.
"Eek!"
Kang Eun-ho and Kim Ah-hyun, puzzled by the reaction, checked the text.
"What's it say?"
It assigned roles to them too.
Wait in the lab for now, then validate the circuits he'd send later for practicality.
The next dawn.
After a long meeting, the subjugation team was selected.
Its composition was bizarre.
Just the Association President, Councilor Jeong, and a top-tier B-rank melee DPS.
Only three. The meeting dragged because others couldn't accept it.
Finally, Lee Dong-gyu, unable to shake his unease, asked,
"...President, I hear virtual barriers create spaces divorced from reality. No reinforcements for a full hour—shouldn't you bring a tank or healer?"
But the president refused flatly.
"No need. This is the optimal lineup."
He couldn't accept it. Even if it was the president's call, why not explain the reasoning?
Was this truly worthy of being called "next-best"?
Regardless, the president left the temp conference room with the reluctant Councilor Jeong and B-rank martial Awakener.
"Fire Spirit side says they're prepping the virtual barrier. We need to pin its movements again before the standard one expires—heading out now."
"..."
Kim Ji-seok opened his status window with a heavy heart.
[Unread Mail: 0]
No reply from asd123 yet. Without asd123, he was this powerless.
Just watching incomprehensible decisions—utterly useless.
He'd deluded himself after resolving crises for the Association.
It wasn't his competence; asd123's scrolls had made him look competent.
"..."
He watched the president's back as he left the conference room, heart heavy.
As the figure shrank to a dot.
[From: asd123]
[The requested scroll can be produced within 2 hours...]
It was here.
A mail from asd123.
One that could completely reverse this atmosphere, this situation.