Chapter 74. The Cost of a Choice (2)

“Huff... I-I’m dying here!”

“Faster! Run faster! Run like a lightning bolt!”

Eun-Ho had been in second grade when it all started, in the very beginning of his track days. His coach always yelled the same thing.

Run like lightning.

That man said it so often, it might as well have been his own name. Whenever Eun-Ho failed to post a good time, he’d smack the back of his calves, or thump him between the shoulder blades with a grimace.

Once, Eun-Ho had even tried to argue with his coach. He even memorized the speed of lightning beforehand, childishly thinking it’d help.

“H-how can a person run like a lightning bolt? A lightning bolt travels like 100,000 kilometers per sec—”

“Big mouth for such a shrimp! Get over here!”

Still, he ended up getting beat even worse afterward. Funny how that first act of rebellion at just nine years old turned out to be useful now.

“

Whoa!

An airplane shaped cloud just went by! And then—”

“Acceleration.”

“...nnn”

Eun-Ho used his two points to stretch his Acceleration skill from one to thirty seconds.

“

Summon. Activate.

”

He even activated the Beginner Swordsmanship Class audit pass. Then, he cracked open the cave door, keeping his eyes fixed on the sky outside.

Thirty seconds in Acceleration translated to only one minute in reality. In other words, he’d created his own little pocket of time, stretched as far as it would go.

The very instant he finished holding his breath, there was a blinding flash up in the sky.

Bzzzt!

Even in his slowed-down perception, the lightning bolt hit almost instantaneously. He ignored the smaller branches that forked in every direction, focusing solely on the single straight line that sliced the sky in half. The true spear of light.

0.1 seconds...

Numbers whirred through his mind in a blur, followed by a ticking sound.

Tick—

“A-and then the lightning...

Ah

, that went by so fast!”

Eun-Ho concluded that what he was planning was feasible.

Yeo-Jin shook her head in amazement and gave a thumbs-up. “Wow... So there actually is a pattern! How’d you even figure that out?”

Realizing Eun-Ho was a hundred percent serious, Jae-Hyuk swallowed nervously. “

Umm...

Hyungnim, when you said break our way out earlier, what did you mean exactly?”

“This arena,” Eun-Ho continued, “we can’t get out unless we smash it.”

“W-what?! Where and how are we supposed to do that?!”

The way to escape a Möbius strip—where running forever only brought one back to where they started—was simple. By leaving the track the gods laid out for them. The problem, of course, was figuring out where outside the track even was.

“Going forward or sideways is definitely part of the track. After all, we’ve tried that and gotten nowhere.” Eun-Ho pointed down. “Below us isn’t it either, because that’s actively being erased.”

“What?!”

“So then the only thing left is”

Eun-Ho lifted a finger. “It’s upward.”

“P-pardon?”

The reactions that came back at him were not limited to Jae-Hyuk’s high-pitched yelp.

“You’re talking about breaking the sky?!”

“You crazy bastard!”

“Oh, Young Man! That ain’t something a sane man says!”

The backlash was immediate and furious.

Even quiet Ji-Eun, who’d trusted him without question so far, clutched at his sleeve anxiously. “Eun-Ho!”

“It’s possible if Ji-Eun gives me the lift.”

“It’s way too dangerous! What if you fall while you’re going up?!”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the thought, but Eun-Ho only shook his head.

“It’s not as high as you think.”

“How can you be so sure?” Ji-Eun asked.

“Because,” he continued calmly, “I already did the math.”

This was his life on the line, so precision was mandatory.

“Lightning,” Eun-Ho muttered.

“What about it?” Ji-Eun asked.

“Lightning moves a hundred thousand kilometers per second. If you know how long it takes to reach the ground, you can estimate the distance.”

It wasn’t perfect as he wasn’t a scientist, but it didn’t need to be.

Then, Swear-Master finally found his voice. “Okay, genius, and how long did it take?”

“0.00005 seconds.”

In truth, it wasn’t even a full 1/18,000th of a second. He’d seen it using his Acceleration and Swordsmanship skills combined. Therefore, the reading should be spot on. It hadn’t even taken 0.1 seconds in a timescale slowed down by 1,800-fold.

“Zero point zero zero zero zero... What?!”

“0.00005 seconds. Plug that into a speed of 100,000 km/s... That puts the distance from the strike point in the sky to the ground at roughly five kilometers.”

The Swear-Master remained silent, wearing the same stunned look as Ji-Eun and everyone else.

Jae-Hyuk and the cleaning lady were staring vacantly into the distance, as if their souls had fled.

Perhaps he’d explained it too technically, so he tossed out a joke. “Just think of it like skydiving. I’ve always wanted to try it anyway.”

“The fuck?!” shouted Swear-Master, backing away like they did when they first encountered the dragon.

Then Sol-Ah, the only one still barely holding on to her sanity, asked, “So... Five kilometers above us?”

“Right. But it’s getting closer.”

She appeared incredulous, eyes wide. “Wait, the sky is lowering?!”

However, Eun-Ho had a witness prepared. “Yul!”

“Y-yeah?!”

“Don’t you think the clouds are bigger than before?”

“Huh? Oh yeah! They are bigger!” The little observer gasped in shock. “Uncle, how do you know everything?”

With Yul’s adorable question, Eun-Ho considered his turn complete.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Now you’re trying to punch a hole in the freaking sky?!”

“Technically speaking, it’s not the real sky.”

“You crazy bastard! Don’t say that as if it makes things any better!”

Now, everything depended on Ji-Eun’s answer.

“Well?”

She hesitated before answering with shaky conviction. “Five kilometers... I think it’s doable. It’s still just as dangerous though, of course...”

Unfortunately, something unexpected had cropped up though.

Whooosh—!

A sudden downpour had drenched her completely, and Ji-Eun trembled violently.

Crap. She’s always been sensitive to the cold.

Snap!

Since there was no time to ask permission, Eun-Ho instinctively grabbed her wrist. He frowned at how icy her skin felt.

“Your skin’s too cold! Are you okay?”

“I’m f-fine...”

Eun-Ho could tell that was a lie. Her lips were turning blue as she trembled all over. He’d been too preoccupied solving the secrets of this world to realize it sooner.

It’ll be dangerous.

Her psychokinesis depended directly on her willpower and focus. Hence, the worse shape she was in, the riskier this plan became.

“Hang on one second.”

Swish!

Eun-Ho shrugged off his outer jacket and stepped in close, so close that he could see raindrops trailing off the ends of her short hair. Then, he gently rubbed the wet strands with the jacket and draped it over her head.

“E-Eun-Ho!” Ji-Eun’s face turned beet-red as she ducked her head, only daring to look up at him with wide, rabbit-like eyes. “I really am okay...”

“No. Body temperature is critical. If it gets any lower, you’ll get hit with a status effect. Besides, this is what I need to do.”

“

Huh?

Something you need to do?”

Fighting the system called for every card they could play.

“Summon.”

The Shatter Blade materialized in his right hand, the Flame Orb in his left.

[Flame Orb]

- A precious orb once carried by the Exquisite Flame Dragon.

- Saturated with an eternal living flame and awakens to the caster’s will, but requires an appropriate catalyst to manifest. Use with caution.

Even just holding it made a simmering heat radiate from its red core.

“Hey! Isn’t that the orb we pulled from the dragon earlier?!” Jae-Hyuk blurted out in shock.

“Yep, it is,” Eun-Ho replied.

“W-wait. Does this also show illusions—”

“Nope. Says it holds a real, living flame. No illusions.”

“Awesome, then you’re gonna use it to start a fire?!”

“Yup. I’m planning to slot it in here.”

He was referring to the empty socket of the Shatter Blade.

“No way! Then that sword’ll become...” Jae-Hyuk’s eyes sparkled wildly with imagination, only to fall flat a moment later. “

Uh...

But Hyungnim, it doesn’t fit so well.”

“Petrify,” Eun-Ho said.

That should answer everything.

Scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk...

Using his reinforced fingertip like a whetstone, he filed the orb down to fit. Grinding the top, bottom, and sides, he let red, sand-like powder fall in soft clouds.

[Caution!]

[Poor craftsmanship may reduce the orb’s effectiveness.]

An unpleasant message popped up, but he ignored it and kept going. What other choice did he have?

[The title, Human Whetstone, compensates for lack of skill!]

[The orb effectiveness will not be reduced!]

Scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk, scrrrk...

He spent far less time than with the blade itself, but the shine he brought out was stronger than ever.

“Oh, it looks good now, Hyungnim!”

Eun-Ho picked up the slightly smaller, now adorable orb, and slid it into the socket.

Click!

[The Flame Orb has been equipped on the Shatter Blade.]

There was a beat of silence and then came a series of system messages.

[Congratulations!]

[You have obtained the Flame Shatter Blade!]

[An exclusive skill associated with your weapon, Flame Burst(Lv. 1), has been unlocked!]

Just hearing the name of the skill told him his gamble had paid off.

[Press the button while attacking to release a pillar of flame.]

Perfect. Everything’s set.

Swoosh—!

The sword trembled due to immense power. The next moment, he drove it into the base of a nearby tree. A metallic hum traveled from blade to handle.

[You have activated the skill, Flame Burst(Lv. 1)!]

Crackle! Crackle!

Fwhoooosh—!

A massive pillar of fire shot upward, wrapping the entire trunk and its branches, before stretching straight up toward the sky.

“... Thank you,” Ji-Eun whispered, basking in the warmth.

***

“So let me get this straight.” Ji-Eun gulped as the pillar crackled beside her. “You want me to lift you above the sky?”

“Not just above, but all the way through it.”

“Through the sky...” She mouthed the words as if saying them for the first time. “And then you’ll

break

the sky?”

“Yes. And I’d like you to come with me.”

“W-what?! You want me to go as well?”

She seemed to be in total shock, so he patiently explained why going alone wasn’t an option, “My attack power isn’t enough, and I need someone who can respond if things go south.”

“That’s true, but...”

“Ideally, I’d bring everyone and attack all together, but you said your control drops when too many people are in the air.”

“Right. One person or maybe two at most would be the best if I want perfect control.”

That was why it had to be her.

“All the more reason you should come. I need you close in order to maneuver smoothly. Plus, I’ll need fire support.”

“Fire support?”

“I saw that you shoot better than me.”

“

Oh,

that.”

Back in the Observation Room, he remembered her gunfire booming so loud it drowned out a dragon’s scream, and powerful enough to shake the entire chamber. Her shooting and his bone-bombs together had literally shattered that system-made room. With her around, smashing the arena didn’t feel so crazy anymore.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

He blinked. “... What?”

“This time, I really can’t go with you. I’m sorry, Eun-Ho!”

“Ah, is it because you might get hurt? Then maybe if we get you some armor—”

“N-no! That’s not it... It’s just that I can’t lift myself up.” She bit her lip and shook her head. “I’ve never succeeded, not even once.”

Her face twisted with embarrassment and frustration.

Right... Back during the hunting trial, she had mentioned she couldn’t fly herself to find the respawn zone.

“I-I just walked around until I found it...”

she had confessed quietly.

Damn. That threw a wrench into everything.

As Eun-Ho scrambled for a backup plan, Ji-Eun murmured under her breath, "Psychokinesis can only control things I care about...”

She seemed frustrated and ashamed, biting her lip hard.

“Things you care about?”

She could move him, Jae-Hyuk, and everyone else. Besides, she could even move rocks and weapons. Yet, not herself. Eun-Ho didn’t entirely understand, but telling someone to love themself wasn’t going to fix this.

“I’m really sorry, Eun-Ho! Maybe I could lift you and Jae-Hyuk—”

“I’ll go, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk offered eagerly.

“No. Ji-Eun.”

“Yes?”

He’d trusted the Ji-Eun he knew—the woman who, despite shivering in the cold, had still dried little Sol-Ah’s wet hair before her own.

“I need you. I really do.”

Ji-Eun remained silent.

Perhaps knowing she was needed and that someone saw her worth, would make a difference.

“No one else will do. Only you can in this entire world.”

“Only me?”

“Will you help me?”

Ji-Eun lowered her head, dripping hair hiding her face.

“For me and for everyone here,” Eun-Ho added.

Silence stretched and finally she looked up, eyes burning, lips pressed tight with resolve. “... I’ll go.”

In that instant, Eun-Ho rose off the muddy ground.

Vmmmmm—!

The earth shrank below, and leaves he’d thought were just under the sky floated past at eye-level. Rain continued to pour down on fully exposed skin.

“

Whoa!

Hyungnim! Noonim! You guys are actually going up!”

“Be careful, you two!”

“Come back down if anything seems wrong!”

Ji-Eun floated, too. She was wavering a bit, but she was definitely up in the air. People’s voices below grew distant.

Whooooosh—!

The forest beneath them shrank.

Whoooooosh—!

The round, earth-like arena spread out in full view. Ji-Eun trembled silently. Eun-Ho clutched her hand, passing her a gun.

“Shoot when I give you the signal.”

“... Okay.”

Click!

Then, he raised the Flame Shatter Blade.

Pzzz—

Raindrops struck the flaming blade, turning instantly to steam.

Tap—

Then finally, they reached the edge of the sky five kilometers up.

“Now! Right here!”

“Got it!”

They struck the sky together, at the same time.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crack—!

The sky finally responded.

Beep—!

[Malicious attack has been detected!]

[A barrier will be deployed!]