The Earth I lived on was a chaotic place.
All around the world, portals called ‘Gates’ opened up, connecting to another realm, and monsters known as ‘beasts’ poured out from them.
At first, it wasn’t too bad. The initial beasts that came through were easily killed with modern weapons.
However, as time went on, our modern arsenal started becoming useless.
Before long, we saw monsters that bullets couldn’t even touch, and it got to the point where we had to use missiles just to take down one of them.
A power that transcended the physical laws of this world: mana.
Monsters imbued with this began appearing.
Even the early monsters had traces of mana, but it was so minimal that physical force could still handle them.
But the stronger monsters that later emerged… they possessed powers far beyond what modern firearms could handle.
Of course, there was speculation that something powerful enough to wipe out an entire city might have worked, but destroying a city just to kill a monster wouldn’t make economic sense.
Though the number of beasts that were completely immune to modern weaponry was small, their mere existence was fatal for humanity.
And then, around that time…
Salvation came to humanity.
The Awakened Ones.
People who, like the beasts, possessed mana and wielded powers that defied physical laws.
Their strength was effective even against those monstrous creatures, and soon humanity began slowly reclaiming its territory.
Moreover, the byproduct that fell off the beasts, known as ‘mana stones,’ was nothing short of a revolutionary new material for modern humans.
After all, these were stones imbued with mana, a power that transcended physical laws.
Through this energy, humanity achieved unprecedented development and eventually managed to create weapons powered by mana.
However, where there is light, there must also be shadow.
Awakened Ones who caused trouble with their freely-given powers, the continued loss of life due to beasts pouring out of the Gates, and a new disease existed.
Mana maladaptation.
It was a disease caused by the inability to adapt to the mana that flowed into the world through the Gates.
Around 30% of the global population either suffered and died from mana maladaptation or are still suffering now.
My parents were among those people.
Ironically, I, born to two mana maladaptation sufferers, was an Awakened One, so I didn’t experience the same fate as them.
Imbued with mana and able to control it, possessing special abilities—awakened ones were called the new humans of the world.
What an ironic twist that a child born to mana maladaptation sufferers would be an awakened one.
As they slowly succumbed to death brought on by mana, my parents worried only about me.
“Yujin… don’t let others see your thoughts or feelings.”
“Always keep yourself hidden. Act mature.”
Both of them were always straightforward and honest people. While this trait could sometimes be seen as a positive in interpersonal relationships, socially, it wasn’t.
They often suffered losses because of this, and apparently, they didn’t want me to inherit their characteristics.
Thus, I lived my life following their final wishes, always keeping myself hidden.
I always greeted others with a smile, and insisted on using honorifics even when talking to children.
To avoid letting others read my thoughts through eye contact, I always squinted.
Others might have found me mysterious since they couldn’t figure out what I was thinking, but I didn’t care.
Being an awakened one, I could manage my livelihood without much difficulty, and I did have some people I could at least converse with.
“Hey, Yujin!”
“Ah, Chief Engineer. What’s the matter?”
Guilds formed, centered around awakened ones, after the Gates spread across the world.
Only guild masters licensed by the new national organization, the Awakened Ones Association, could establish these guilds. I belonged to a guild that was considered mid-sized, like a small-to-medium enterprise.
For a mid-sized guild, the treatment was pretty good, so I thought it wasn’t bad.
“Chief Engineer? Just call me Brother. How long have you been in our guild now and you’re still calling me that?”
“Haha, it just doesn’t feel right. I’ll try harder.”
“Don’t just try, do it. Practice. Come on, say it. Brother.”
“Haha, alright. Brother.”
The man in his early thirties standing before me was both the head engineer of our guild’s First Engineering Division and the vice guild master. He was the younger brother of the guild master.
In a way, he was the CEO’s younger brother and also the COO, but he didn’t throw his weight around or act superior. He got along well with everyone in the guild.
He was naturally a kind person, which is probably why he paid attention to someone like me.
“Hey, remember that game I recommended?”
That’s when the chief engineer mentioned it. The game he recommended…
“Ah, yes. Maze Academy, right?”
Maze Academy.
It’s a mobile RPG that takes place in a school built around mazes filled with various monsters and treasures.
He kept recommending it, and since I didn’t have anything better to pass the time, I started playing it.
“Yeah, that one. How far have you progressed in the maze? Around the 10th level is already pretty deep.”
“Um… I’m at a floor labeled [???].”
“…What? A question mark floor?”
“Yes. It doesn’t show the exact floor number.”
“…What? Can you show me?”
“Haha, sure.”
I casually turned on my phone, opened the game, and showed him my progress. Yesterday, I had stopped at the [???] labeled floor, unsure of what to do next.
“…It really says question mark. And the room name… what?! [Tiamat’s Tomb]?!”
“Why the surprise? Is something wrong?”
“What? How did you get in there? Huh?”
“Chief Engineer, please stop shaking me, my head hurts.”
An A-class melee-type awakened one holding onto and shaking a magic-type awakened one like me means I’m getting shaken helplessly.
“Ahh… sorry. Anyway, how did you get there?”
“I’m not sure myself. I triggered a trap room while exploring the maze, and when I fell through, I ended up here.”
“Hmm? I’ve never seen a case like this…”
“Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? This goes beyond wrong—it’s insane. You don’t know Tiamat?”
“I know she’s a dragon from Mesopotamian mythology and also referred to as the goddess of chaos and the sea…”
“No, no. Not that. Tiamat as it appears in the settings of Maze Academy! It’s similar to the Mesopotamian myth, but…”
“I’m not sure what you mean. What is it?”
“…Do you know the basic setting of the Maze City?”
Basic setting of Maze City… I recalled the text I saw when I first started the game.
“Um… At the beginning, the Transcendent beings were divided into gods, demons, dragons, and giants, and they fought in a great war. The surviving gods imprisoned the defeated demons, dragons, and giants, along with the remains of the Transcendents who perished during the war, inside the Great Maze… That’s the basic setting I remember.”
“Yes, that’s correct. And the leader of the dragons was Tiamat!”
“Wow, impressive.”
“…That’s it?”
Upon seeing my reaction, the chief engineer looked utterly disappointed. I just smiled faintly and shrugged.
“…Sigh, what can I expect from you? Anyway, you’re in Tiamat’s tomb, got it?”
“Understood.”
“…Hey, understand this: it’s the grave of the leader of the dragons! There should be some incredible treasure, right?”
“That seems likely.”
“…And your reaction is just that?”
“Haha, it’s just a game after all.”
“…Sigh, you’re right. Still…”
The chief engineer sighed deeply and shook his head, looking like there was nothing he could do.
“Hey, I’m curious now, so find some treasure quickly.”
“Um… Should I?”
I was also a little curious about his reaction. Could there really be something?
“Hey! We need to leave soon! Don’t forget about the new Gate!”
At that moment, the guild master’s voice calling us rang out. I hastily put my phone away.
“There’s nothing we can do. Let’s check after we get back.”
“Damn, why does my brother always call at times like this?”
Grumbling under his breath, the chief engineer moved toward where his older brother’s voice came from, and I followed.
…Little did I know that this would be a turning point in my life.
***
“This is the information on the newly appeared Gate at Ansan Station. Everyone memorize it?”
-Yes!
The guild members answered in front of the guild master giving a briefing. Behind them was a large black hole like a lion’s mouth waiting to devour.
“Clearing the Gate is important, but safety comes first. Everyone come back safely!”
-Yes!
After saying this, the guild master patted the shoulder of his younger brother, the chief engineer.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“Got it, Brother.”
With that, the chief engineer stepped forward and led the way.
And all the guild members of the First Engineering Division followed him.
“Let’s start the Gate clearing operation!”
-Yes!
With the energetic responses of the guild members, we headed toward the gate.
***
The purpose of Gate clearance is primarily to prevent beasts from coming out.
Initially, beasts don’t emerge immediately when a Gate is created. They usually appear within the Gate after about three days.
Therefore, the main goal of Gate clearance is to explore inside before the beasts come out.
“This is a cave.”
“Tch, it’s dark. Magic-type awakened ones, provide vision!”
Following that, the magic-type awakened ones, including me, floated orbs of light in our hands and sent them flying around the cave.
Light sources appeared in the vast darkness where there was none before.
Then, the engineering team slowly began advancing.
***
10 minutes after starting the Gate clearance.
So far, no beasts had appeared.
“Huh…? There’s absolutely no trace of these things?”
“They seem to be hiding deep inside.”
“But isn’t it strange that there’s no trace at all?”
The chief engineer seemed to start sensing something odd at this point. I looked around.
‘This doesn’t differ much from a normal cave… the problem is literally that there’s no living creature at all.’
Not only beasts, but there aren’t even bats or insects that would normally inhabit such caves.
Surprisingly, the interior of Gates often contains not only beasts suited to the environment but also ordinary plants and animals. Thus, this situation was clearly bizarre.
“…Let’s go a bit further.”
With that, the chief engineer resumed the search.
***
1 hour and 30 minutes after starting the Gate clearance.
“Chief Engineer, something definitely feels off.”
“…”
No matter how far we advanced, not even an ant was visible, and the chief engineer also began to sense the strangeness.
“If we return now…”
“…Hmm, the Gate info didn’t mention anything like this… Let’s go 10 more minutes. If there’s still nothing, then we’ll report back after returning.”
“Understood.”
With that, the guild members reluctantly nodded and followed the chief engineer’s instructions.
And, after advancing 10 more minutes…
“…There’s something ahead!”
Someone shouted. At that, the chief engineer raised his arm to halt everyone.
“Everyone stop! Let’s confirm what’s ahead first!”
The chief engineer cautiously approached first, tightly gripping his shield and sword.
As the rest of the group slowly followed behind him…
“…A door?”
They discovered a massive door made entirely of a material resembling obsidian.
The guild members began murmuring amongst themselves.
“What is this?”
“A door? Has anything like this ever been found in Gates before?”
“Besides, isn’t it weird that no beasts have shown up in a Gate like this?”
“Well, even considering that, isn’t it strange? To reach the end of a cave and find a door?”
“Everyone, quiet!”
The chief engineer silenced everyone. Then he spoke.
“Let’s check first. There’s writing here… what does it say?”
He muttered as he examined the strange alien-like inscriptions written on the door. But realizing he couldn’t decipher it himself, he turned back and said,
“Magic-type awakened ones! Can any of you read this?”
Magic-type awakened ones gain peculiar knowledge upon awakening, including knowledge of languages completely different from Earth’s.
Knowing this, the chief engineer asked, and the magic-type awakened ones, including me, stepped forward.
“…Hm…”
“Do you know what this is?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Ugh…”
As all the magic users similarly shook their heads in confusion, I felt a sense of déjà vu.
‘These writings… I’ve seen them somewhere before…’
Where was it?
‘…Ah, that’s right.’
The game the chief engineer recommended, Maze Academy.
There was a trap room I passed through before entering the chamber called Tiamat’s Tomb in that game.
I saw exactly the same inscription there.
And the translation of that inscription was…
“…The greatest mother rests here.”
“What?”
Just as I muttered those words…
Ruuuugghh…!
The door made of an unknown material began to open.
Inside the door was pitch-black darkness, showing nothing.
Seeing this, the chief engineer approached me and asked.
“Hey, hey. How did you open this, Yujin? Huh?”
“…I’m not sure myself.”
I deliberately said that to hide my surprise. After all, I couldn’t tell him I recited a phrase from a game.
“Uh… hmm, okay.”
The chief engineer seemed reluctant to press further and said that, pulling me back.
After confirming that the darkness inside the door couldn’t be illuminated by light magic, he paused for a moment, then said,
“Apparently, there’s something in here. Just saying, I intend to proceed for the sake of reporting. Does everyone agree?”
-Yes!
Since it would be pointless to retreat without any findings after coming this far, all the guild members responded affirmatively. Nodding, the chief engineer stepped forward and said,
“Alright, let’s go!”
Thus, we all started heading into the darkness inside the door…
***
And then, the engineering team re-emerged outside the Gate.
“…Huh?”
Starting with the chief engineer, all the team members looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“What is this? What happened?”
The chief engineer looked around at his team, confused.
Behind them was the Gate they entered, and their current location was Ansan Station.
“Wha…?”
Clearly, they had entered the door, yet somehow they were bounced back outside. What was going on?
“…Wait, where’s Yujin?”
Then, he realized that one of his team members was missing.
Though usually distant due to his mysterious aura and behavior, his striking appearance was such that anyone would turn around if he stood quietly nearby. Therefore, it was impossible not to notice his absence.
And indeed, he was missing from the team.
***
Walking through the darkness, and walking again.
Nothing can be seen, heard, or felt around.
Still, I kept walking, step by step.
The way back was already gone. All that remained was moving forward.
Believing there would be light at the end, I pressed on. Then,
Piiing!
A flash of light pierced straight through my heart.
And feeling as if I were spitting blood,
My consciousness faded to black.
***
“…!”
When I opened my eyes, a gray ceiling greeted me.
I sat up abruptly and looked around.
“…Where am I?”
Facing me was a vast joint space.
Several stone coffins stood like graves, and at the end, several enormous arch-shaped pillars could be seen.
…No, they weren’t pillars.
Looking closely, they were…
“…Bones?”
Thick, elongated arch-shaped structures weren’t pillars; they were the rib bones of an unimaginably colossal organism.
I stared at them blankly for a moment, then stood up and looked around.
Upon reflection, I felt a sense of déjà vu. As if I’d seen this place somewhere before…
And then, I remembered where I’d seen this landscape.
“…Maze Academy.”
Maze Academy.
The Great Maze within it.
Specifically, one of the rooms on a floor whose number couldn’t be determined.
“…Tiamat’s Tomb.”
I realized this space was identical to the one in the game. Unable to contain myself, I chuckled hollowly.
“Seriously.”
Though I usually prided myself on concealing my emotions, I guess I wasn’t perfect after all. Still, since there was no one around, it didn’t matter…
“…Am I inside a game?”
Regardless, I couldn’t stop laughing hollowly.
That’s right.
I had entered a space that existed within a game.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
