Chapter 80. Treasure (5)

Chapter 80. Treasure (5)

Boom!

Gunpowder charges exploded beyond the mud wall.

The man who’d yelled for Yeon Bo-Ra shrieked with bloodcurdling terror. “

Aaaah!

What the hell?!”

“W-what just happened?!” Bo-Ra asked.

“Shit! Get out here! Show yourself!”

Yeon Bo-Ra froze mid-performance, staring wide-eyed as the fireworks kept bursting in midair, detonating against nothing. However, while Eun-Ho was busy dealing with this side, the danger was closing in from elsewhere.

Kaboom!

A cannonball crashed into a building across the way, striking it dead-on.

“

Aaaah!

Bo-Ra, save me!”

“Unnie!”

Whoosh—!

Flames erupted and the fire spread. Then, another shell struck the same spot, setting off a chain of explosions. Fire upon fire, and smoke upon smoke, the entire campus seemed to ignite all at once.

“Help us!!”

“Somebody help! Please!”

The louder the flames roared, the more piercing the screams became. With every cry, Yeon Bo-Ra trembled like an aspen leaf.

“Bo-Ra! Make the barrier! Hurry, the barrier!” someone shouted.

That barrier. Always that damn barrier,

Eun-Ho thought.

Yeon Bo-Ra trembled so hard that she seemed ready to collapse, but her fingers twitched. Slowly, she reached for the devil’s strings, the cursed chords that drained her life every time she played.

Fwoosh—!

As soon as her fingertips touched, the melody that flowed carried not heat, but a chilling, piercing coolness. The music didn’t just echo in their ears, but seeped into their skin, spreading a refreshing frost.

However, Eun-Ho stopped it. “Store.”

It was only a temporary solution.

“What are you doing?!” Bo-Ra shouted.

“Build a wall instead!” Eun-Ho replied.

“Huh? What?”

“We just need to abandon the buildings that are already on fire! If we block it now, it won’t spread any further!”

Ignoring everyone else, Eun-Ho grabbed Bo-Ra’s shoulders and shouted above the chaos. Murmurs filled with discontent and anxiety rippled through the crowd like waves.

“Hurry!”

When he repeated himself, Bo-Ra steadied herself and pressed her palms outward.

“Mold!” she cried.

Her hands curved like claws, raking the ground and gathering soil. Earth rose up at her command, clumping into massive heaps that mirrored her gestures. Then, she straightened her palms and pushed forward, as if pressing against an invisible barrier. The mounds of dirt followed, inch by inch, stacking up until they surrounded an entire burning building.

“There’s not enough soil for a barrier!” someone shouted.

“We still need the barrier!” another barked.

“Bo-Ra, you’ve done enough of this, now just play!” a third insisted.

A dozen or so pieces of advice were hurled at Bo-Ra. Or more like, demands disguised as advice. Watching them demand her sacrifice so casually, as if her life wasn’t worth a damn, made Eun-Ho sick.

They were essentially saying, “Let’s all survive by avoiding the risky path, even if it means one person definitely dies.”

Ugh, this is infuriating,

Eun-Ho thought.

“Can’t you use something besides soil? Try something like asphalt or building debris!” Eun-Ho shouted out of sheer frustration.

“

Ah...!

” Bo-Ra, who had been rubbing her face with both hands in exhaustion from all the nagging, lit up again with renewed focus in her eyes. “I’ll... I’ll try!”

Grimacing, she crouched low, clawing at the asphalt itself, ready to bend even the city streets to her will.

Molding generally meant one could shape raw materials like clay, mud, or anything into sculptures. Any trained student would have known it wasn’t limited to soil alone, if they had the luxury of calm reasoning anyway.

She probably hasn’t had a moment to think clearly. Urgent trials came up one after another, and she’s guilty knowing people had died because of her. Besides, she probably had no time to rest when her friends pressured her nonstop to create that supposedly invincible shield...

Crack! Shhhk!

From her hands rose a wall of asphalt. Black gravel clumped and hardened, locking together until the slab stood upright, sharper and stronger than the walls she’d made before.

“Everyone, come this way!” she cried.

The barricade of dirt, reinforced with asphalt, sealed the burning building on all sides. The shelling stopped, as if the enemy had run out of shells.

However, the man, wild-eyed with rage, hurled a cluster of small bombs. “You stubborn bitch!”

The reinforced wall buckled under the repeated blasts.

Crack—!

Black stone fractured, splitting along jagged seams. Despite its toughness, even this wall couldn’t last forever.

Rumble—Thud!

In moments, it collapsed. Then, a man appeared from beyond the collapsed wall.

“Where’s Yeon Bo-Ra?!”

Eun-Ho froze, startled. This man had been launching shells and wielding gunpowder freely, making him definitely marked as a dangerous individual.

“... An engineering student?” Eun-Ho muttered.

The man wore a checkered shirt and horn-rimmed glasses, with a backpack slung across his shoulders. He looked like the most ordinary college boy on the block.

“Where the hell did you even get all that gunpowder?” Eun-Ho asked.

“He said he’s a grad student from the neighboring engineering school. Apparently, he made it and modified it by himself,” Bo-Ra whispered back.

Eun-Ho couldn’t help but mutter, “That’s impressive.”

It wasn’t flattery. For all his bookish appearance, the explosives spilling out of his pack showed that this wasn’t a fluke.

Seeing the massive cannon standing behind the man, Eun-Ho asked, “Wait! You’ve built a cannon too?”

“Fuck! Who even are you?” he snapped. “What, you think I bought it then?!”

That was what had been launching over the wall until now. Some kind of siege weapon, maybe a makeshift bazooka. Its cylinder-shaped body was large and crude, loaded with explosive shells lit by a fuse.

“You’ve got quite the collection,” Eun-Ho said dryly.

Boom!

The weapon roared. Despite being rough-looking, it was still powerful enough to do damage. The man had likely unlocked some kind of crafting or modification ability. Something that was enough to make any normal student terrifying.

However, Eun-Ho was different.

[Your status effect, Overexertion, has been relieved.]

[The residual fever has disappeared.]

[The muscle pain has vanished.]

[All movement restrictions have been lifted.]

[Stamina, Strength, and Agility stats have been fully restored.]

Just like that, Eun-Ho’s handicap was gone.

“You demon! You murderer!” the man screamed.

Shrieks echoed around them.

“Do you even know how many you’ve killed? Your friends will all die too! Summon!”

Sparks flared as he fumbled with another charge. His eyes were rolled so far back in his head that he didn’t even seem aware of his surroundings. Eun-Ho waited until he passed right in front of him, and sliced through the shaft of his spear.

Swoosh—!

The man let out a shrill scream, unable to contain his rage.

“

Aaaargh!

” he howled, shrieking more in fury than pain. “Who the hell are you?! I’ve never seen you before, so if you’ve got nothing to do with this, then get lost!”

“

Hmm...

I don’t really want to get involved either, but something about this just feels off,” Eun-Ho replied.

“What the hell are you talking about?!” he barked, pulling a knife from his belt.

The motion was practiced, almost as fluid as when he handled his cannon.

“Who killed them? Your friends,” Eun-Ho pressed, his voice calm but quick.

He snarled, “That bitch! She trapped us, and because of her—”

“So...” Eun-Ho interrupted softly. “Whose hands cut off their air? Who was it, really?”

The question hung heavy, asking who

really

killed his friends.

“That’s... The Dream Demons,” the man muttered.

“So, when the Dream Demons attacked, what did you do?” Eun-Ho asked.

Eun-Ho glared at him, eyes sharp, as if to ask, “Who was the real killer?”

“You sure got talent. Didn’t you fight back at all?” Eun-Ho asked again.

The man remained silent.

“So tell me. How many people have you killed with your own hands?”

Maybe that seething hatred for Yeon Bo-Ra wasn’t about her at all. Maybe it was guilt, and he just needed someone—

anyone

—to blame for the blood on his own hands.

The man snapped. “You don’t know shit!”

The dagger in his grip trembled. Just one deep cut from that blade would kill Yeon Bo-Ra instantly.

“I get it. I get that you’re hurt. But dumping it all on her? That’s pathetic,” Eun-Ho replied.

"And what about you?! Didn’t you also survive by killing?!"

“Yeah, I did. I killed the Dream Demons,” Eun-Ho replied.

Yeon Bo-Ra was fragile enough to lose ten percent of her life from a bump on the head. If that knife struck her, she’d be gone in an instant.

“No! That’s a lie!” The engineering student’s face twisted in rage as he shrieked, spit flying. “It’s all her fault! All of it! Every death!”

Then he lunged, eyes bloodshot, aiming for Yeon Bo-Ra’s throat. “I’m going to pay back for my fr—”

“Acceleration.”

“... riiiieeeend.”

Time stretched, movements slowing to a crawl. His wrist came down in slow motion, and Eun-Ho caught it with ease.

With thirty seconds remaining, Eun-Ho twisted his wrist, wrenching the dagger from his grip. If Eun-Ho had wanted him dead, he could’ve buried the blade in that man’s neck right then. Instead, he tossed the dagger at the guy’s feet.

Twenty seconds remaining.

Clang!

This was their feud, not his. This was also their grudge to settle, not his place to finish. The only reason he acted was because he wanted to be responsible for what he said to Yeon Bo-Ra earlier.

“I could help in battle.”

In the remaining ten seconds, Eun-Ho moved Bo-Ra to a safe place. Then, the time snapped back to normal.

Both the man and Bo-Ra screamed at the same time.

"W-what?! What the hell?!"

"Eh?!"

The insane speed had probably led them to think it was some sort of teleportation. In that moment of shock, Eun-Ho hoped the fight would stop as well.

“You bastard... You just used your ability, didn’t you?”

The guy, whose eyes were bloodshot, seemed too consumed by rage to even let the surprise in.

"Fine!” he roared. “Then we all die together!”

He ripped open his checkered shirt.

“Wait! No way...” Eun-Ho muttered..

The man flicked the lighter, bringing the flame close to the explosives crammed and dangling inside his coat.

Crackle—!

Comparing the blast power of that gunpowder earlier with the bombs he’d faced so far, it was a little weaker than a Bone Bomb.

Eun-Ho was already calculating. First, he was going to summon

the door

to block it. If the shockwave continued, the Scale Chestplate would take the hit. In case that wasn’t enough, he even thought of summoning the spare shield he bought in advance.

“Mold!”

Right as he opened his mouth to put his thoughts into action, a surge of dirt rose like a tidal wave and buried the man.

Bababam—!

***

The explosion had been contained, but the fortress wall was a wreck. Everyone except Yeon Bo-Ra panicked, wondering what they should do now. Frankly, it wasn’t that big of a loss. They couldn’t hide inside the school forever.

Besides, the Entrance Exam is over...

Eun-Ho thought.

Bzzt!

[... is an announcement.]

Bzzzzt!

[All Entrance Exams in the Seoul sector have been concluded.]

[A physical examination for new recruits will be held tomorrow at 9:00 AM sharp. Please be prepared.]

Yeon Bo-Ra’s friends huddled together, whispering anxiously.

“A physical examination?”

“What are they going to check?”

A physical examination, huh,

Eun-Ho thought.

Was it just to check on the subjects’ condition after the Entrance Exam? Or would they examine their physical conditions and disqualify anyone who didn’t meet the standard? Eun-Ho didn’t know, but he knew preparation was possible.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Taking advantage of the noisy atmosphere, he whispered, “Trial reward.”

It was time to check the cards he still had left. From the previous trial, he had received double rewards.

He’d already spent five points each on Stamina and Strength, and two points on Acceleration to shatter the sky. What remained was ten thousand Welfare Points, and two Education Points.

[Checking remaining trial rewards.]

[Two rewards are available for your review.]

[You have been rewarded with ten thousand Welfare Points and two Education Points for being an outstanding candidate.]

He would’ve earned one Education Point for getting an S+, and another from the double-reward event. Although he didn’t know how this physical exam would go, there was plenty of time to prepare, especially here inside the Training Institute.

[Please select a course.]

[Available courses are limited based on your current rank.]

Since his rank had gone up, more courses should be unlocked. As he turned these thoughts over and over in his head, people began to gather again, pestering Yeon Bo-Ra once more.

“Bo-Ra! Are you okay?!”

“But...

Um...

Where’s the instrument?”

“That guy didn’t take it, did he?”

The pipa that they were looking for was sitting safely in Eun-Ho’s inventory. He wondered whether he should give it back to her.

Yeon Bo-Ra shrugged. “It’s broken.”

Huh? Broken?

Eun-Ho was surprised by what he heard.

For a second, he thought she was mistaken, but when she snuck a glance his way and gave a quick wink, it became obvious.

As expected, her friends all panicked in unison.

“Seriously?”

“What? You mean you broke it?!”

The skinny guy just lowered his head without a word.

Bo-Ra showed a bittersweet smile. “Sorry. I don’t think I’ll be playing anymore.”

“T-then what about us?!”

“It’s fine. No one’s going to come after me anymore.”

“But what if other people attack? What if that guy’s friends come back for revenge? Then we’ll have to fight without a shield!”

These so-called friends, who did nothing but hide behind her the whole time, sure had a lot to say. If they were

that

worried, they should just pick up a weapon and fight themselves. That was what Eun-Ho wanted to tell them.

“I think I’ve done enough.”

“

Huh?

”

“From now on, figure it out yourselves.” With those words, Bo-Ra turned her back. “Mister, you can go. This has nothing to do with you.”

With that, she tried to send Eun-Ho away. Even knowing he had the pipa, she didn’t breathe a word of it. Therefore, Eun-Ho brought her out with him.

“Show me the way out.”

Left alone, she seemed like she’d burst into tears. She lowered her head and followed, a few others hesitating before trailing behind.

The tall guy who’d been fidgeting, stealing glances at her all this time, finally mustered the courage. “Y-Yeon Bo-Ra!”

“I want to leave. Please let me go.”

However, at a single word from Bo-Ra, his mouth shut tight again.

He had no problem barking at Eun-Ho, but when it came to his friend, he couldn’t even call her by name without trembling. He couldn’t even tell her not to go. Well, considering the situation, maybe that was to be expected.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

As Eun-Ho led away the key fighter from the neighboring group, he asked carefully, “Want to come join us?”

His group already had Ji-Eun, plus Sol-Ah and Yeo-Jin, who weren’t far off her age. Besides, Eun-Ho honestly thought that her skill set would be useful to his team.

However, Yeon Bo-Ra shook her head and replied, “No, I’ll be fine.”

Did I come across as suspicious?

Eun-Ho thought.

He figured that’d be the case, so he just nodded in understanding.

However, Bo-Ra hurriedly waved her hands, saying “I-I do want to go with you, but I don’t want to be a burden. You know me. One wrong hit and I’m dead.”

“So you’ll go alone?”

“For now, yeah. It might be dangerous but...”

He could understand. This was someone who had nearly thrown her life away just to take responsibility for her own actions. There was no way she’d willingly trouble a stranger.

“Alright then.”

Grinding her teeth in frustration, she ruffled her bangs. “

Ugh...

If only my body was in better shape...”

Watching her, Eun-Ho finally asked the question that had been on his mind, “Yeon Bo-Ra. What level’s your earth skill?”

“You mean Mold?

Um...

I think it’s level thirteen now. Why?”

As expected, it was pretty high. She had likely poured every reward into it, not knowing that raising her Stamina stat would increase her max Stamina.

“From now on, put points into Stamina,” Eun-Ho told her.

“

Huh?

”

“It’ll take time to make up for what you’ve already burned away. But you can recover. It’s possible.”

Her eyes went wide as she didn’t know that was a possibility.

“You’ve never played games, have you?”

“I...

Uh

, I’ve done puzzle games,” she admitted sheepishly. “But I didn’t know that.”

She stopped in her tracks, blinking. For the first time in a while, color returned to her pale face. She didn’t want to die, of course she didn’t.

“Another thing. From now on, be picky about who you call a friend.”

“

Pfft

. Got it!” she said, laughing.

After that, Bo-Ra went quiet. Even after they passed the Hongin University main entrance and nearly reached the big road, she stayed silent. Every so often, she’d open her mouth like she wanted to say something, but just fidgeted with her bangs instead.

It wasn’t until he decided they’d reached a safe enough spot and told her to head back that she finally said, “I’ll go now! Mister! Take care of yourself!”

She was the one who needed to take care, yet here she was, cheerfully calling out.

He waved back at her, and then said, “To the Training Institute."

Right away, the announcement came.

[Special lectures have been prepared for the top performer of the Entrance Exam.]

[You may spend Education Points to attend a variety of classes.]

[Do you consent?]

“Yes.”

Fwoosh!

The word had barely left his lips when an iron door appeared before him. There were no buildings nor frames, just a lone door hanging in the air. However, rather than surprise, what he felt was anticipation—the expectation of more classes waiting for him than before.

Clack!

“W-wait a second!” Just as he reached for the knob, Bo-Ra’s sudden movement stopped him. “I-If we meet again, can I call you Oppa?”

That “again” probably wasn’t that far off, as time flowed differently in the Training Institute than it did here.

“Do as you like.”

If they happened to meet again soon, it’d definitely be awkward, but he wasn’t about to add any careless words on top of it.

“Really?! You promised!”

As his vision blurred and faded, her face beamed like sunlight breaking through clouds.

[You will now be transported to the Training Institute.]

[Brace for impact!]