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Chapter 61 Hidden Piece (2)
“What? Cadet Min JaeHyun is on leave?”
“Last night, he came saying there was something he had to do today and asked for a leave permit. I thought something might have happened at home, so I gave him permission. Ack! Is there some kind of problem?”
“Oh, no. Keep up the good work.”
At the words of the manager of the hotel JaeHyun was staying at, Instructor Kim JiYeon became very flustered.
‘What? He left now? At this point? How does that make sense?’
According to the manager, JaeHyun had asked permission a while ago and had gone on leave.
But Kim JiYeon thought something was clearly wrong.
‘Of course, it’s not against regulations, but…’
According to Millaes’ rules, cadets could freely leave campus during the weekend or holidays as long as they got permission.
But after the day before?
The day of the Dungeon Practicum?
JaeHyun in particular was unfortunate enough to face a Kobold Lord much stronger than the others.
‘The investigation unit told me yesterday. The boss monster that showed up there was at least B-rank.’
Of course, she didn’t believe everything the investigation unit said.
It didn’t make sense.
A B-rank dungeon needed B-rank raiders, or at least 6 C-rank raiders for it to be successfully cleared.
It was a dangerous zone where no one could say for certain they would make it out alive.
And two cadets manage to clear such an area?
Finding someone to believe it would be harder.
Of course, she wasn’t saying they were lying.
She merely thought that the results of the investigation were wrong.
Anyway, Kim JiYeon thought JaeHyun must have been resting after going through such a thing. And since everything had occurred on a Friday, he would have decided to rest over the weekend.
However, the manager told her something unexpected.
JaeHyun had gone out and would not return until Sunday evening.
She couldn’t help but be surprised.
‘If something had gone wrong yesterday, Min JaeHyun and Seo Ina could have died. It was an unbelievably dangerous situation! So how does it make sense that he would calmly go out on a trip after something like that?’
Instructor Kim JiYeon scoffed.
She had gone looking for JaeHyun to gather information about what had happened in the Dungeon Practicum.
But a leave…
No matter how she thought about it, it wasn’t something someone who had just experienced a life-threatening incident would do.
Considering the fact that it was normal for professional raiders to rest for two days after clearing a dungeon, his recovery speed was truly insane.
Both physical and mental.
‘He’s a cadet with as much guts as skills. Min JaeHyun, I’m looking forward to how he’ll grow.’
Kim JiYeon smiled.
It was normal for most cadets who entered a dungeon for the first time to be terrified and hide at home.
Very few cadets went to class for lessons the next day, and they also suffered from the trauma of clearing a dungeon for a few days.
Either they suffered from Mana Rebound, or they couldn’t concentrate on class due to fear.
It was normal.
It was the first time the cadets had fought with their lives on the line.
Before they were raiders, they were students and still minors.
Those who could quickly come to their senses in a life-threatening situation and prepare for the next one were very rare.
‘And those who overcome the trauma so quickly become A-rank or S-rank raiders.’
Kim JiYeon lightly bit her lower lip. It was a habit of hers when she was curious about something.
‘Somehow, the second S-rank Magician after guildmaster Yoo Sung-Eun might appear.’
Kim JiYeon recalled the disdain Magicians had to suffer so far from Warriors.
Those who didn’t have the ability to be Warriors became Magicians and hid in the back. Kim JiYeon remembered the names of those who cursed at her and said she didn’t have the right to enter a dungeon.
She thought a Magician who would one day break those prejudices would appear.
‘I think I found them.’
The thought stimulated her whole body.
A smile spread on Kim JiYeon’s face.
“When Cadet Min JaeHyun returns, could you let him know I'm looking for him?”
“Yes, I’ll do so. But you can probably call him instead, so why ask me to pass on the message…?”
“Please.”
As she said so, Kim JiYeon’s face was filled with curiosity.
She could have called or texted, as the manager said.
‘But if I did that, there would be a record of me trying to contact him. Chairman Gu Ja-In is dangerous.’
After talking to the other instructors and members of the investigation unit, there was clearly something strange about the incident.
For example, Gu Ja-In, who only participated in festivals and important events, directed the event in person.
That the boss monster Kobold Lord appeared in all of the mock dungeons…
On top of that, a much stronger monster appeared in the dungeon of the first and second place cadets from the Freshmen Hunt.
There were several things that were strange.
But even when she asked the other instructors, they just kept shushing her without telling her anything for certain.
‘Chairman Gu Ja-In probably did something to make this incident happen. And… There’s a high probability that Min JaeHyun already knew about it.’
JaeHyun was always calm.
Even during the Freshmen Hunt and the Dungeon Practicum.
That meant there was a big possibility he already knew about Gu Ja-In’s underhanded schemes.
‘I need to contact him and find out the truth.’
Kim JiYeon nodded slightly as she left the hotel’s lobby.
***
Reaper Scans
Translator - Rainypup
Proofreader - Harley
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***
“Oh! Mysterious land, Neverland~!”
When the female voice he’d often heard as a child sounded, JaeHyun finally felt as if he had arrived at Neverland.
‘Although, listening to it now, it feels three times more old-fashioned…’
The song he just heard was Neverland’s theme song.
It was a song that JN, an Indie singer, helped write for TV advertisements. He remembered hearing it often because the song itself was quite well-written.
Of course, it was inevitable that JaeHyun, who had lived for over ten years in the future, found the song a bit tacky. However, it wasn’t that bad as it brought back memories.
“Phew…”
JaeHyun exhaled lightly and went to buy a ticket.
The area would be destroyed soon, anyway. There was no room for rides.
In addition, the park was closed not only because of the themed dungeon but also due to the water tank explosions.
There was no reason to enjoy the rides when it was so dangerous.
“Plus, after becoming a raider, there’s no way you would feel a thrill from riding amusement park rides.”
Raiders had to enter dungeons every day, with their lives hanging in the balance.
It was natural that they wouldn’t be affected by most normal stimuli.
JaeHyun went inside.
The atmosphere of the amusement park as a whole mostly coincided with the one in his memory.
A brighter atmosphere among the employees in the crowd since it was the weekend. Couples on dates, and students on a school trip.
Everyone looked happy.
However…
‘In a little while, the people here… Everyone dies because of the dungeon.’
JaeHyun knew better than anyone else about the disaster that would soon happen.
He walked straight ahead.
After a while, an employee in charge of the line entered his line of sight.
JaeHyun approached and spoke to her.
“Hello.”
“Oh, hello~ if you wish to get on this ride, please wait a moment and line up at the back.”
It was a clear and bright voice.
JaeHyun took a deep breath and, using all of his acting skills, he whispered to her.
“I am Min JaeHyun, a cadet from Millaes Academy. In a short while, a 《Themed Dungeon》 will appear here.”
* * *
It didn’t take him that long to convince the employee.
Once he showed her his academy ID, she quickly took JaeHyun to the broadcast room.
The employee nervously bit her nails. The situation was that urgent.
JaeHyun told the employee that soon, a Themed Dungeon would appear in Neverland. Several thousands of people might die.
The employee couldn’t help but believe him.
The ID JaeHyun had brought with him was from Millaes Academy.
It was not something that could be forged.
If anyone tried to do so as a joke, they would be expelled.
‘It’s dangerous. We must evacuate everyone…’
The employee tried to ask the National Raider’s Association for support but failed.
The National Raider’s Association was run by the government, but that meant legal procedures were required for a formal request.
Even the president found it difficult to call on them freely.
“Um… Will it really be alright? To think a Themed dungeon would appear in an amusement park…”
The employee asked in an anxious voice.
JaeHyun nodded with an expressionless face.
“As long as we evacuate everyone quickly, everything will be alright. Don’t worry too much.”
JaeHyun already knew the future.
Soon, the park would be bathed in blood.
There would only be one survivor.
Truthfully, there was no reason for JaeHyun to be involved in the death of others.
He didn’t know how the future would change if someone who was supposed to die survived.
It would cause serious changes.
‘But… Even so, I can't just leave people to die in front of me.’
JaeHyun helping them wouldn’t be profitable, but he would feel better about it.
What if he just let things happen and let them die?
He might be alright at the moment, but he would suffer from a lot of trauma in the future.
How agitated had he become due to Lee Myung-Ho’s death before his return?
As he was thinking, the employee asked JaeHyun a question, since she was unsure of what to do next.
“Wh-what should we do next?”
“It’s an emergency, so have everyone evacuate first. They need to be at least 5km away from the amusement park. Please.”
“Okay. But is it alright that there’s no other raiders here?”
The employee asked worriedly.
JaeHyun nodded with a well-meaning expression.
“Don’t worry. Even if I look like this, I’m pretty strong.”
Although he said those words to calm her down, JaeHyun’s dark thoughts were simple.
If other raiders arrived on-site and stole the item, he didn’t know how furious he would be.
“I’ll start first.”
The employee nodded with a determined expression.
Kzzt… kzzt…
Feedback rang out through the amusement park.
[Ah, ah. To everyone in Neverland. Due to an emergency, the amusement park needs to close immediately. Please evacuate the premises right away. Once again…]
* * *
Everyone hurriedly left the amusement park.
People were constantly threatened by monster attacks, so persuading them wasn’t very difficult.
‘In the past, few people used to follow the safety rules, even when there was an earthquake.’
Dungeon gates burst open even on the streets, allowing monsters to pour out into the current Korea.
In such situations, an announcement with the word ‘emergency’ meant disaster.
JaeHyun stood alone in the crowd of evacuees and checked the time on his smartphone.
It was 2:58 pm.
“It should start soon.”
He stretched and relaxed his whole body.
He had purchased more Mana Potions directly from JaeSang, so he had more than twenty. He also had the 《Shadow Armor》 and the 《Probationary Valkyrie Set》 equipped.
“Phew.”
As JaeHyun exhaled lightly, he heard the voice he had been waiting for.
The Themed Dungeon 《Neverland in Ruins》 has appeared.
A special item will be awarded once five consecutive dungeons are cleared.
Special quest 《BIG 5》 has been obtained.
____