#166
“The collapse of Seoul…?”
Yoon Pa-ran’s eyes trembled uncontrollably as he read the status window. Since encountering gates, had there ever been text that approached with such clear terror?
Seoul’s collapse wouldn’t mean the end of the country. However, many people would die or be injured in the process. His family would also be in danger.
In this bleak situation, Yoon Pa-ran looked up at the gate forming in empty space with a sense of helplessness. For now, his family could be safe in the bunker, but if monsters emerged from there, the orphanage would be finished.
“The Gate Management Office is in chaos too. They say there are more gates in this area than elsewhere. I just got word from Kim Sin-cheol that nothing unusual has happened yet.”
Just then, a calm voice cut through Yoon Pa-ran’s worries.
Slowly turning his head, he saw Dan Joo-hyuk looking at him while putting away his phone. At that unhurried demeanor, Yoon Pa-ran reflexively thought he was enjoying the situation.
But when their eyes met, he could tell that Dan Joo-hyuk wasn’t simply displaying such interest.
“First, shall we try to resolve that gate?”
The way he spoke as if it were simply his duty to do so.
“……”
Yoon Pa-ran became calm, as if affected by Dan Joo-hyuk’s atmosphere. Rather than a hundred consoling words, Dan Joo-hyuk’s attitude of addressing the “solution” made him snap to attention.
Yes. They could do something about this. Even the quest window was saying they could prevent this situation.
The idea that gates were gradually approaching the orphanage was an absurd assumption. However, that premonition had been correct, and he had safely evacuated his family in preparation. So he should be able to do something now too.
With that thought, Yoon Pa-ran looked up at the void with determination in his eyes. But seeing the gate that was increasingly making its presence known, a sense of helplessness washed over him again.
A major gate will open.
Time remaining: 4 minutes 03 seconds
“But how can we stop the gate?”
Yoon Pa-ran unconsciously muttered as if lamenting. Perhaps evacuating his family was the best he could do, and now they just had to wait for monsters to emerge.
However, in response to Yoon Pa-ran’s words, Dan Joo-hyuk asked an unexpected question.
“Is there a place in the orphanage where something might be buried?”
“A place to bury something?”
“I got information from someone who used to be Kim Tae-jun’s secretary. It seems they’re using something buried in the ground to manipulate things.”
It seemed Dan Joo-hyuk had obtained important information in the meantime.
Hope blossomed in Yoon Pa-ran’s heart that they might actually be able to resolve this incident. As hope emerged, he became anxious about the limited time remaining.
“Think carefully. You’ve been feeling something strange whenever you enter the orphanage recently.”
“There’s yard space everywhere, so there are many places to bury something.”
Yoon Pa-ran urgently cast his gaze toward the yard. No matter how he thought about it, the yard was the only area suitable for the expression of “burying something.”
“Among them, which place would be easy for outsiders to access?”
“Well, even the place you climbed over recently has new defenses now…”
“They’ve already reinforced that place again?”
The two hurriedly walked into the yard. From where the children’s ball was rolling around to the area with the swing, they checked everywhere, but there was no spot that particularly stood out.
Thinking that someone might have tampered with a place where his siblings always passed through gave him chills down his spine.
A major gate will open.
Time remaining: 2 minutes 41 seconds
Time was running out. In his anxiety, he swept the yard soil and even checked up in the trees just in case, but no particular abnormality was felt.
The ominous premonition that had been troubling him for days suddenly disappeared, leaving Yoon Pa-ran quite bewildered.
Perhaps it would have been better to overturn all the ground from the beginning. Had he made the wrong judgment?
“I don’t know.”
Yoon Pa-ran looked up at Dan Joo-hyuk with a trembling voice. Perhaps someone of higher rank than himself might have some insight.
“I’m out of your skill now, so it’s hard for me to clearly know.”
At that moment, Dan Joo-hyuk said something grim. Seeing Dan Joo-hyuk’s rigid expression, it was clear that he too took this situation seriously.
The sense of foreboding grew even stronger. Just as the panicked Yoon Pa-ran was about to dig up the nearest ground, a warm palm cupped his cheek.
“Yoon Pa-ran can do it. Try to recall when you felt something strange.”
The warmth transmitted through the palm pulsated in rhythm with Yoon Pa-ran’s heartbeat. After quickly making another round of the orphanage and returning to their starting point, they looked down at various spots of ground with desperate expressions.
As the timer’s time ran down relentlessly, Yoon Pa-ran suddenly realized. He had always stood at this spot, looking around the orphanage, feeling something was off.
His gaze naturally directed to one place. To a corner of the yard that was clearly visible from this position.
A major gate will open.
Time remaining: 1 minute 23 seconds
As if a heat haze were rising, his gaze went to a spot near the wall.
“There…!”
“Come here for a moment.”
As soon as Yoon Pa-ran’s fingertip pointed somewhere, Dan Joo-hyuk pulled him into his arms. Yoon Pa-ran, who was about to dash forward, abruptly stopped again. Simultaneously, Dan Joo-hyuk’s hand pointed in that direction.
“Ah…!”
Soon, a massive flame rose from the ground like lava.
With a “boom” sound, the ground where Yoon Pa-ran had pointed was scattered all at once. Rock fragments and dirt that rose from deep within the ground soared higher even than Dan Joo-hyuk’s height.
Come to think of it, the CCTV at exactly that spot had broken down once.
Dropping a clue that had passed by fleetingly, Yoon Pa-ran fixed his gaze on the dispersing fragments. There, along with faintly glowing stone fragments, an item emitting suspicious energy had risen. It was an ominous energy that made him wonder why he hadn’t sensed this energy until now.
As soon as he saw it, Yoon Pa-ran urgently launched his body forward.
“Be careful.”
The timer blinked in a corner of his vision, as if urging him on.
A major gate will open.
Time remaining: 26 seconds
“Kuk!”
Before that time became irreversible, Yoon Pa-ran, emitting white light from his hands, barely caught it in midair.
“Ah.”
As soon as he grabbed what appeared to be a shoulder plate, strength drained from within him. The item, which had been dripping with black energy, vibrated violently while wrapped in a massive light in his hand.
“Yoon Pa-ran!”
It was a violent vibration that seemed about to escape from his hand at any moment. It looked as if the item was trying to run away, so Yoon Pa-ran gripped it tightly with all his might.
But it seemed insufficient, as the item slipped as if about to spring into the air.
“Oh no…!”
Just as Yoon Pa-ran was about to lose the item with a panicked expression, a large hand covered the back of his hand.
“All we need to do is hold it, right?”
“Yes!”
Yoon Pa-ran, who had once again imprisoned the suspicious item in his hand, began to infuse power. Unlike a moment ago, the item didn’t escape from his grip.
Even while being swept into an unreal flow of time, Yoon Pa-ran concentrated until the end. Until the energy rising within him was sucked into the item like a tsunami.
“Ah……”
Finally, the grayish item in his hand turned completely white.
With strength suddenly draining from his body, Yoon Pa-ran was about to slump to the ground.
“…Are you okay?”
Just before his backside could touch the ruined yard, Dan Joo-hyuk skillfully caught Yoon Pa-ran’s body. Blinking at the suddenly elevated eye level, Yoon Pa-ran discovered he was in Dan Joo-hyuk’s arms and gently frowned.
“I’m fine, put me down.”
“Alright.”
Despite answering like that, Dan Joo-hyuk made no move to put Yoon Pa-ran down. Seeing him slowly move toward the swing, Yoon Pa-ran thought perhaps he was heading to an area without dust.
“Phew……”
Shaking his slightly dizzy head, Yoon Pa-ran stared down at his hand. The exterior of the item, now dyed pure white, even looked sacred at first glance. Although it wasn’t an item obtained from killing a monster, somehow all curses had been purified.
[Shoulder Plate of the Chosen One B]
**All curses have been purified.
Had it worked? Would the gate that appeared over the orphanage have to be entered and resolved? If so, there was no time to be dazed like this.
But due to the weakness, Yoon Pa-ran stared blankly at his hand again. Dan Joo-hyuk, who had now reached the swing, set Yoon Pa-ran down there.
Kneeling on one knee in front of him, Dan Joo-hyuk gently lifted Yoon Pa-ran’s lowered chin. Soon, his large hands held Yoon Pa-ran’s cheeks and carefully brushed up his bangs.
It was a gesture as if checking for injuries. The thought that suddenly came to mind was a bit embarrassing, so Yoon Pa-ran carefully pushed Dan Joo-hyuk’s hands away.
“That tickles.”
“You did well.”
“……”
Looking at Dan Joo-hyuk’s smiling face, a subtle sense of relief washed over him.
At least they had prevented the entire orphanage area from being destroyed.
You have passed the Trainee’s Trial.
Rewards will be provided.
Fortunately, the awaited status window soon appeared.
“It worked.”
“Success, indeed.”
You have prevented axes at a total of two locations.
Two?
Come to think of it, a similar status window had appeared at the gate where he had confronted Dan Joo-hyuk.
Back then, after purifying an item like this, it had said an axis was prevented. Though he didn’t know what an axis was, Yoon Pa-ran roughly understood the solution method.
Good news continued to appear before his eyes.
The fourth axis gate is disappearing.
The range of major gate occurrences will decrease.
“Look there!”
Soon, a change also occurred in the gate above the orphanage.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
