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22. Underwater otherworld conquest (3)

The Player's Association Korean Branch, otherworld conquest support room, Satellite Management team's PlayerSAT-K control room.

The team members of the Satellite Management team were monitoring dozens of holograms.

The very center of the control room.

The Satellite Management team leader, Im Jihwa, was standing in the middle of the control room with her arms crossed as she listened to reports.

"The Ho tribe's head opened his power."

"Immediately when movements of the Ho tribe's head stop, record the supernatural wave changes in corresponding coordinates in 0.1 second breaks and show it on hologram."

"Yes, understood."

The hologram with the video of the Seokchon Lake observed by PlayerSAT-K floated up.

Between golden particles stood a young man.

Each time he moved his hand, the shape of the lake changed.

It was a sight that made people suspect the video was fabricated.

"Does the Ho tribe's head possess water related power?"

"Looking at the video recording, it doesn't seem so. I think he is moving it with pure magic? It would be less efficient than if the Eternal Lake team master would do it."

"To compare, it wouldn't be like using a gun to shoot a bullet, but using your fingers to shoot a bullet…"

The Ho tribe's head's gestures stopped.

In the coordinates points designated beforehand, at the place where the lake was, the floor was completely exposed.

Between the wet ground, something started to show itself.

'What is that…'

Im Jihwa, who had been staring at the screen, ordered the team members.

"Zoom in."

"Understood."

They looked at the ground on the screen in full zoom.

In the ground, they clearly saw an otherworld crack.

"An otherworld crack observable with a satellite picture!"

"… I didn't see that wrong, right? Will our satellite have to undergo inspection again?"

"No matter how I look, it's a maze type of otherworld crack…!"

"Wait. What, ice? Frost? It seems to be covered with that."

Im Jihwa continued to give orders to agitated team members.

"Observe the otherworld crack from now on. The Ho tribe head will conquer the otherworld. It will be difficult to look inside, but at least thoroughly examine it on the outside. And check all accessible recording devices around the Seokchon Lake."

On the outside, Im Jihwa seemed to have mastered her composure, but inside her head terrifying visions were skimming by.

'There is no way there exist more otherworld cracks like this, right?'

***

Once an otherworld crack isn't controlled either by conquering it or dominating it, the crack grows bigger and summons Enemies outside.

That was this world's common sense.

The exception to this common sense was first discovered when Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain conquered this 'Frozen type Otherworld' during their 1st year 2nd semester.

'This Frozen type Otherworld is the crystallization of the demons' evil research.'

A being, which succeeds in an otherworld domination, can attempt to suspend their interference and 'freeze an otherworld'.

If otherworld freezing is successful, the otherworld is filled with frost and miasma[1] and goes into an inactive state, changing into the Frozen type.

And the Frozen type Otherworld can be ordered to be revitalized in an instant, whenever the person who used a freezing skill wants it.

'Frozen type Otherworlds are no different from ticking bombs.'

Those ticking bombs were planted during the period which has now come to be called 'Dark Age' or 'Age of Despair'[2].

It was a time when manpower, information and items were all insufficient.

In those days, Players were afraid of conquering otherworlds and confronting Enemies, and lived hiding their abilities.

As this Dark Age continued, the Player's Association's Korean branch didn't have resources to conquer high level otherworlds.

Every time an otherworld of high difficulty conquest appeared, people's names and assets were lost and the scale gradually grew.

While rumors of the Korean Peninsula's collapse were earnestly spreading, certain Jin people approached the head of the Korean branch with a sort of offer.

[We can control all SR+++ rank and higher otherworlds for you. But, the records of coordinates of all otherworlds we control must be erased.]

It was a suspicious offer, but if he didn't nod his head here, the future of the Korean Peninsula couldn't be guaranteed.

The head of the Korean branch signed a soul-binding contract, accepting the deal.

'When Great Hero Iron Arm Song Manseok appeared, he ended the Dark Age, and the contract ended, but…'

During the Dark Age, all otherworlds' coordinates records received with PlayerSAT-K's guidance and dominated by Jin people were erased.

'The Frozen Otherworlds must have been made during that time. However, now I'm unaware of their accurate number and location.'

In the game, all of them were revitalized at the crucial moment, leading to the worst situation.

'But the clues are certain to exist somewhere.'

The Player's Association Korean branch's head was powerless in front of the flow of that time, but he wasn't an idiot.

Those mysterious Jin people also weren't like that, so they erased records and at the same time they assassinated the Korea branch head, disguising it as an accident.

'If it's that person, he would have pierced a loophole in the contract before he died, so he would have left a hint somewhere.'

Numerous characters in the game, who died and left.

Incidents that couldn't be solved.

Background settings that couldn't receive attention and were ignored.

I was certain that clues existed somewhere.

'Let's utilize the cards I possess to the maximum.'

First of all, I decided to try to use the card I could use in this place.

"Ok Toyeon-ssi."

Ok Toyeon's red pupils were slowly and ugly rolling around as she stared at the Frozen Otherworld's crack.

She was startled when I spoke up to her.

"Um? Uh? You, who, do I know you? Oh… Perhaps, is it the benefactor?"

I guess she didn't recognize me straight away.

Just in that moment, Hwang-ho in his 30's made high walls out of earth around the Frozen Otherworld, blocking the lake water from flowing in and gathered back his power, then he came this way.

Hwang-ho stared at Ok Toyeon as if she was pathetic.

"Stupid thing."

"Ah, Hwang-ho! Don't make those eyes! Unlucky! Disgusting!… Ah, the feeling of sympathy is already gone, huh?"

It seemed that there would be no end if the two Jin tribes' heads started to bicker, so I cut in.

"How does this otherworld crack look with the Moon Palace technique?"

"Um… There was nothing particular when I looked at it before I came here today."

She was openly very surprised when the Frozen Otherworld's crack was discovered, so I didn't have high expectations, but it was as I expected.

Hwang-ho's version in his 30's looked at Ok Toyeon with a gaze filled with contempt as he was looking at something very insignificant.

"Useless. You are not needed now, so stop this annoying behavior and get out."

Ok Toyeon glared with her red eyes and her body trembled with fury.

"I have yet to do my best, have I? Do you think I can't find this one? I, among Moon Palace's Moon Rabbits, I'm the Cherished Rabbit!"

"Um. I think you can't find it."

"Hey! I have yet to try!"

Paat!

Ok Toyeon, who fell for Hwang-ho's provocation, opened her power.

Behind her, who had opened her power, Hwang-ho didn't make a sound and seemed to be smiling.

'Ok Toyeon… In some way, she has an easy to handle personality, huh?'

Moonlight and particles of the same color spread around Ok Toyeon.

There was a feeling of heaviness on the body from the pressure of the supernatural wave.

'Among Jin people, the To tribe belong to those on the weak side, but even Ok Toyeon seems more powerful than a decent human Player.'

At Ok Toyeon's fingertips a map shaped like the Korean Peninsula appeared.

The Korean Peninsula map was filled with the qi flows and moving swarms of lights.

I guess this is the Moon Palace Guide.

"Uuuk…. The output appears to be still lacking."

Paaaaat!

Red energy inside of Ok Toyeon's eyes gradually thickened.

As if she couldn't find anything particularly weird, Ok Toyeon's expression turned anxious.

As she gradually raised through the stages of her power's output, the supernatural wave grew stronger.

Hwang-ho frowned as he observed Ok Toyeon, and then, when he stood in front of me and Kwon Jane to put on a shield.

"What is that, I see a stain on the Moon Palace Guide. Poison? Curse?"

"Poison?"

"It seems to be a kind of substance that can pollute the body possessing supernatural powers. What, it's the first time I see something like this!"

It seemed that Ok Toyeon's Moon Palace Guide pierced up to this point, huh?

The supernatural poison could be found with a long range observation technique, that was encouraging.

'It seems that it can't capture the Frozen Otherworld's crack, but if power output is raised, there is a possibility of detecting supernatural poison, huh?'

Seokchon Lake's tragedy.

The cause of it was that supernatural poison.

At the time an otherworld formed at the West Lake.

The result was an SR – – rank maze with water lake up to knees.

Both the attack team and defense team fought while being submerged in the lake's water.

The Seokchon Lake's water was polluted by the supernatural poison oozing out of the Frozen Otherworld submerged in the water of East Lake.

'That maze must have been a supernatural poison testing field.'

To deactivate an otherworld for the Frozen Otherworld, strong cold air and miasma are needed.

And the caster of the Freezing Otherworld skill can control that miasma to some degree.

'And during that time, when support had come, the supernatural power was already taken back as the experiment was finished.'

Paaa…

Ok Toyeon gathered her power and collapsed on the spot.

"Auuuu, my head hurts."

Tears dripped from Ok Toyeon's red eyes.

'Moon Palace Guide can observe the supernatural poison, but the efficiency is low. She won't be able to use it for long, huh?'

I'll have to think about the best method to use the Moon Palace Guide.

"Thank you, Ok Toyeon-ssi. Please rest."

"…Uuuu, ok."

Ok Toyeon gave a half-hearted reply as she massaged her scalp herself.

Hwang-ho spoke as he collected the shield he constructed moments ago.

"Poison, you say… I have ominous feelings when I concentrate power and look at it up close. Though it doesn't seem to affect Jin people very much, humans…"

That point was completely not a problem.

"It's fine."

This world's title heroine, An Dain.

An Dain possessed an 'constitution' which suppressed poison and curses around her.

'So, during mid-term exam period, thanks to An Dain, the progress of the curse of Choe Pyeondeuk's followers was slower and during 1st year 2nd semester's Frozen Otherworld conquest she shined the brightest[3].'

⟨Using the Gwangrim 'Player's Trajectory'.⟩

The selected character was a fully fostered version of An Dain.

My outer appearance didn't change, but I felt my body abilities rapidly improve.

"Wait! You…!"

Before Hwang-ho could grab me, I ran towards the cold Frozen Otherworld's crack without hesitation.

Then I stood uninjured in the middle of the miasma.

"To prepare for any incidents, don't step away from me for more than 10m."

Everyone in this place stared at me with shocked faces.

***

After Hwang-ho smashed the frozen entrance, the otherworld changed to an active state.

As I put in a request to the Association's Satellite Management team through Hong Gyubin beforehand, there was no situation where smart devices around rang in alarm because the satellite sent a warning.

The remaining defense team was Hwang-ho's subordinates and Ok Toyeon.

The attack team going in was me, Hwang-ho, Kwon Jane and two Eternal Lake's team members.

"If you're just careful about the poison, there won't be any problems." [4]

SR+++ rank maze.

Compared to its conquest difficulty, our power was full and overflowing.

Kwon Jane, who after being put in front of the otherworld regained her posture.

Two team members, who assisted their team master as the world's top team.

And Hwang-ho in the center.

Thanks to their performance, Enemies were vanquished at frightening speed the moment they were discovered.

"How the hell are you controlling this miasma?"

Hwang-ho, who stepped away from me for a few seconds for a test, spoke up with a tone saying he couldn't understand.

"Kwon Jane, and you two there. Don't leave that kid's side. Because of this poison, even if you don't die, you will suffer."

In comparison to other otherworlds, the road leading to the boss area in a maze type otherworld was long and complicated.

While the conquest progressed quickly, as we maintained a formation with me as a center, Kwon Jane abruptly spoke up:

"You're that junior who came as a staff member during my concert, huh?"

Is it natural for a Player of Kwon Jane's degree to recognize me?

"The face visible under the mask is similar, however, the sound is the same. Your speed of talking or footsteps. They overlap a lot."

I guess as the world's best violinist she views people by the sounds.

Looks like she has outstanding hearing worthy of a violinist.

"Are others who also came that day your friends? Do you get along?"

I thought she would ask about something else, but it missed my expectations.

Usually, if someone sees their junior looking like this and moving together with the Ho tribe's head, they would ask different questions.

Even though I thought it was weird, I replied:

"Yes, all of us get along well. These days others are busy preparing for Teacher's Day."

"Okay, who is your homeroom teacher?"

"Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim."

"Okay… I heard that his face is scary, but he is a good person."

I guess Ham Geun-hyeong's rough expression is famous.

While Kwon Jane smiled slightly, she asked this and that about our class.

As I continued the conversation with Kwon Jane and advanced forward, the air around us changed.

'It's the entrance to the boss area…!'

Before I could get nervous about facing the boss, golden light flashed before my eyes.

"I have no intention of taking any longer."

Kwa-clang—!

Before boss Enemy could reveal its entire form, it was annihilated by Hwang-ho's merciless blow.

Kwon Jane had an indifferent expression, but two Eternal Lake's team members opened their mouths wide and stared at the scene.

"It's not the end. It's dim, but I feel a Jin's energy."

Jin recognizes Jin.

When we took combat stances at Hwang-ho's words.

Behind the disappearing Enemy, was a shadow dressed in a long dress.

Looking at the blurry shape, it didn't seem to be the main body.

"This…!"

"It's a butterfly's scale."

The powder from the butterfly's scale scattered around.

Visible from beyond the powder was a silhouette I saw a few times in the game.

'Nabiryeong!'

The Jeop who was a key NPC in the game, Nabiryeong.

The silhouette of the butterfly Kwon Jane had been searching for was on the other side of that.

*~*~*

[1] miasma – something of poisonous or evil character.

[2] Dark Age and Age of Despair – two words of similar but different meanings are used. '어둠' – means something is dark, without light or time when something is dark (like night) 암흑 – means black, very dark or as a figurative word to describe desperate, hopeless situation.

[3] shined the brightest – literally 'she made a great performance (played an active role)' in raws.

[4] "If you're just careful about the poison, there won't be any problems." – this sentence has a tone Hwang-ho would use in raws (which I sadly can't figure out how to show in English). But it's probably safe to assume he said that.

Translator's note:

Jo Uisin: "It's fine."

*proceeds to almost give people around a heart attack*

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EX-rank's Replay (78)

EX-rank's Replay (80)

17 responses

Mya

August 10, 2023

Thanks for the chapter

sidenote:

KJ finds out MC's secret identity, then starts asking questions like a parent checking in on their childs school life.

hmmm

suspiscious

Wan

August 10, 2023

Thanks for reading~

What do you mean suspicious? Of course Kwon Jane is a very normally behaving person.

Somebodyinahood

August 10, 2023

Thank you for another update I weirdly don't have anything to say (?)

(｡ŏ﹏ŏ)

Wan

August 10, 2023

Thank you for reading~

Why do you have to have something specific to say? I'm always more than happy just seeing people enjoying reading the novel and being happy about another chapter ^^

Iceowl

November 6, 2023

Gotta say the translation keeps getting better, reads so smoothly now. Thanks for the hard work!

Wan

November 7, 2023

Yes? Gods, really?! I heard that the translation got better, but I didn't know it meant it got smoother! Thank you so much for telling me! <3

Crescent Moon

December 23, 2023

Euishin 🤝Cale🤝 Dokja : I'm fine

Their companions : TIE HIM UP

SoloDono

January 6, 2024

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