Chapter 20. Association – ???
The Easiest Way to Sneak into the Association
What is the law?
A large-scale invasion?
Sneaking in?
Finding a security gap?
Or some special means?
I heard it all.
“Good job.”
“It’s late for you too, hard at work.”
The guard standing next to the Otherworld’s Power detector didn’t even look back to see who greeted him and mechanically replied to my greeting. He probably didn’t even remember what I looked like. If he were a dedicated guard, he might remember that I resembled someone.
But he would quickly erase that thought. There’s no way a monster would show up at the Association. He wouldn’t want to be responsible if something went wrong.
So, the Black Marauder broke through the Association’s security and managed to get inside.
This is how it is.
Even if it’s called the Association, it’s ultimately just a 0-0 agency. If he just looked human, he could proudly walk in through the front gate.
He was only detected because he was releasing Otherworld’s Power trying to break through the defenses.
The critical facilities are heavily guarded, so that’s impossible, but getting into the Association building doesn’t require that much.
Even so…
There are more surveillance cameras than before.
As I thought about that, I moved into the blind spot of the cameras hanging from the ceiling. I don’t know how good facial recognition technology has become, but it probably hasn’t degraded.
Moving into the surveillance camera’s blind spot, I casually walked.
– Registration number 30-0623-C, hero, please come to the consultation window.
“Move quickly! The response team has already departed!”
“Hey, isn’t that the one in self-reflection? Scoop!”
“The cafeteria isn’t closed yet, right?”
“It’s your fault for training too long!”
Someone was announcing a search for someone. Heroes from the Association were hurrying out, and journalists lurking at night for a scoop were in an uproar.
A pair of men and women, soaked in sweat as if they just finished training. Familiar faces from the group they once belonged to.
It was a nostalgic scene.
Awakeners and non-awakeners working together for humanity while respecting the Awakeners and recognizing the heroes, all under one institution.
Dong-hoon would have been so pleased to see this scene.
I thought with a twinge of regret as I moved my body, and just at that moment, many people seemed to take the timing to flow out altogether toward the exit.
“Oh, sorry. I accidentally bumped into someone trying to get out.”
I bowed to the person apologizing and moved forward.
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
The man I bumped into muttered such words, but soon lost interest, turned his gaze, and headed for the exit.
In the flow, where similar bumps happened many times, I moved forward, pushing through the crowd because what I was looking for was outside that flow.
I noticed the “No Entry Except for Authorized Personnel” signs but ignored them and continued ahead.
Before long, the target location came into view.
A clean yet oddly stained hallway that gives off a sense of life. A nameplate with a numbered door hanging in front. If I listened closely, various faint sounds could be heard.
This was definitely the same. I had a hunch, but it was still an absurdly soundproofed dormitory that didn’t do its job.
It was hard to believe that Taejoon Kim, a high-ranking official, lived here in such a shabby dormitory.
Could it be a trap?
From the beginning, I had it in my head.
The possibility that the Danger Rifle might have provided false information to sell me to the Association.
Still, I didn’t really feel the need to factor in costs. Whether it was a trap or not, I could somehow escape, so what would it matter?
I just needed to confirm. I rested the crowbar on my shoulder and walked down the hallway with tap tap sounds.
Room 304. 306… 311.
Found it.
Before smashing the door and entering, I enhanced my hearing to check if there was anything to be heard inside.
“See, working at the Association is so tough. Money? Sure, it’s plenty.”
That was definitely Taejoon Kim’s voice.
It sounded like he was chatting with someone, but at least it confirmed that Taejoon was indeed here.
I wedged the crowbar into the doorframe and lightly pushed.
Crack.
With the lock destroyed, I pulled the door open and pushed my body inside.
A roughly 6-pyeong studio. In a small room filled with shining furniture, Taejoon Kim was lying down on the bed while he was on a phone call.
“What the hell, who…”
His phone dropped from his hand, and a look of horror appeared on his face.
The Black Marauder…
“Stay still, and I’ll take care of you with my hands and feet.” Depending on the questioning results, it might even get worse.
“What… what is it? What do you want?”
His voice was filled with fear as if he really didn’t know why I came looking for him.
At least this wasn’t a trap.
I placed my hand on Taejoon’s neck and applied pressure to close off his carotid artery.
Thud.
However, my efforts immediately vanished into thin air.
The grip around his neck transformed into a punch, and his previously strong life force felt completely erased.
What was this?
Even though I hadn’t taken my eyes off him, in an instant, Taejoon’s figure vanished.
Does he have teleportation abilities?
No.
That didn’t seem to explain the situation.
All sounds vanished.
Every noise that came from each room stopped, and I felt no presence around.
Flick flick.
The lights on the ceiling began to flicker.
A clear anomaly.
Otherworld invasion? Large-scale transmission?
I quickly adjusted my grip on the crowbar and dashed into the hallway.
The hallway was already devoid of light, and only the green emergency lights pointed to the exit. Those emergency lights flickered painfully, showing a bizarre situation that signified the end.
For some reason, this oddly resembled something in my memories.
The vanishing of the people around. The darkened building. The flickering lights with no meaning. If my predictions were correct, a strange sound would soon echo.
Squeak. Squeak.
A bizarre metallic sound, like rusty hinges groaning, was heard. It was nerve-wracking yet strangely reassuring.
That meant I must be familiar with that sound.
“I thought I couldn’t trust Ye-jin, but it turned out to be worth moving my senses.”
An old man’s voice echoed in the dark hallway. Slowly, I turned my gaze. A sturdy-looking wheelchair carried a seemingly ordinary elderly man.
Dressed in a slightly worn jumper, his white hair adorned with a beret looked no different from any old man in a nursing home or hospital. But anyone who had lived through a turbulent era would recognize that he was different from ordinary seniors.
“What’s different from that guy… is it the hair color? It’s been so long since I’ve seen him that I can’t quite remember.”
I had anticipated his appearance the moment I fell into this bizarre situation. However, a part of me was wishing that he wouldn’t show up, which shook my heart when he did.
“Open your mouth, will you? He’s not here, but I’d like to hear his voice for the first time in a long time.”
The old man picked up the cane resting on his knees.
Even though it was an ordinary wooden cane, it exuded a strong presence as it moved, and the walls bulged and grabbed me.
As if the building was claiming it had always been built that way, the speed of the movements was unrecognizable even to me.
Squeak. Squeak.
The entire hallway tilted, and the wheelchair rolled down the inclined path. The old man arrived right in front of me, and the leaning hallway returned to its original state.
Our eyes met. His gaze, detached from the world, slowly examined me.
“Indeed, you resemble him. Especially that sulky expression.”
What’s wrong with my expression, you old geezer?
Since I didn’t want to reveal too much information to him, I poured strength into the hand gripping the crowbar.
Thud. Thud.
Even though I added power, the concrete wall only emitted a loud noise without even hinting at breaking.
It’s futile. Is the knowledge not transmittable? It’s impossible to escape this either through sheer strength alone…
Shut it, you old man.
Emotions that had been lodged began to pour out, and an immense amount of mana surged through my body.
I should be thankful to my comrades.
They prepared a battlefield where I could unleash all my power without hesitation for once.
Creeeak. Crack.
Cracks began to form on the wall. My right arm broke through the wall as I slowly pushed forward.
…Indeed. I understand why the Association called me.
There’s nothing that cannot be broken with sheer physical strength. If it can’t be broken, it’s merely a matter of insufficient power. I’ll demonstrate that with action, breaking the Architect’s space.
My right arm stuck out of the wall, revealing the crimson crowbar. As concrete chunks flew everywhere in the chaos, I swung the crowbar toward the old man’s head.
This was different from the somewhat half-hearted attacks to break an amateur’s limbs; this was filled with genuine, considerable strength.
The shockwave from the swinging crowbar spread out, causing the surroundings to collapse and the walls that swallowed my body to explode, showering concrete in all directions.
Without support, my body floated in the air, and as I regained my stance, I saw the old man’s face. He neither panicked nor got angry.
A cold face calmly assessed the situation. His battle posture was one I had seen many times before.
“Breaking space, huh? Not even A-rank, but at least a 0-Rank. The girls over at the Association need a good scolding.”
Old man, let’s wrap up such conversations.
For now, I’ll enjoy this moment too.
A tremendous roar echoed that almost made my ears numb.
The result expected from swinging the crowbar arrived.
A sensation of colliding with something solid.
Naturally, it was the wall.
Without checking the results of the attack, I kicked the wall and turned my body. I have no interest in confirming failed attacks.
Immediately, a black wall appeared where I had been standing. As if it had always been there, an unmistakably present wall.
From now on, I could not afford to miss a single moment in my movements.
One restraint and one mistake could lead to defeat.
Continuing, I swung the crowbar wildly, and the walls that sprang up from thin air swallowed my attacks entirely.
The walls of the offensive and defensive battle skimmed past my skin, and in exchange for dodging the attack, my crowbar got stuck against the wall.
The wall continued to emerge and disappear repeatedly, and I merely moved my body instinctively.
Like a rehearsed play, the battle went on.
“Try saying something while you’re at it. That stubbornness resembles that guy.”
In a fleeting moment, he opened his mouth.
A meaningless act in the midst of battle.
After recoiling my grip on the crowbar, I thrust my right arm forward. Naturally, a wall appeared, but this time, I didn’t stop my attack and kept pushing through.
A fleeting moment that couldn’t even be called careless. But between experts, it was an enormous instant.
Thud.
A refreshing sound, like banging a nail against the wall, flew through the air as my crowbar pierced through.
He tilted his head, as if expecting the wall to be penetrated and dodged my crowbar.
“Watch your head.”
For the first time, I spoke as I yanked back the crowbar.
Thud.
The end of the crowbar snagged on his head as I pulled with all my might.
The old man collided with the wall, making a sound of distress as he was forced out of his wheelchair.
Though his expression was hidden, he surely must have been greatly flustered.
I wanted to savor the feeling of victory for a moment, but I quickly retracted my crowbar and leaped backward.
As expected, the wall emerged again to bind me and I barely managed to dodge it once more.
I hadn’t captured Taejoon, but after a long time, I had met a comrade and loosened my muscles, so it wasn’t much of a problem.
It was a good workout after a long time.
Seeing my comrade’s face was also a pleasant surprise.
Now, how should I escape?
I wondered if the old man would let me go, glancing at him. He still looked cold, but there were veins popping on his head.
Ah, he’s angry.
When that old man gets angry, he becomes incredibly tenacious.
I thought that as I tried to distance myself from the old man, looking for any escape from this space.
The Infinite Architect.
An S-Rank Awakener who had extended his influence over many nations and the architect of all associations.
He was the old man overseeing our support in the rear. And now he was chasing me like a madman.
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