I received a temporary permit to use abilities while working from the Access Control Department staff.
In other words, using some abilities while capturing the intruding Chinese is allowed.
Of course, using weapons like blades is not permitted.
The excuse is that the procedures become complicated if I want to use those.
There was no choice—I just brought two wood sticks.
I asked to borrow some binding equipment, but…
“That needs the team leader to unlock the storage with their vein recognition, and if I contact them on the weekend, we’re seriously screwed.”
“Can’t you just slip something out? There’s gotta be a master key or something.”
“An ex-employee registered their vein without telling anyone and got caught, losing their hand in the process. We now call them ‘Tornado.’”
That was a surprisingly harsh punishment.
“Seriously, cutting off a wrist is a bit extreme, don’t you think?”
“That person grilled pork belly in the storage and ordered chicken delivery.”
“…And they just cut off the wrist?”
Correction.
That was actually quite a merciful punishment.
Whether they heard our conversation or not, one of the staff watching the CCTV was waving around a prosthetic arm.
That jerk should have everything above the shoulder removed.
Bring the guillotine, you guys!
Since there was no need to stay in the Access Control Department any longer, we were now wandering around campus.
According to the intel, we had a total of 8 Chinese intruders to find.
Not too many, but definitely not a small number either.
While I was pondering how to catch them, Hyeji spoke up.
“Shinwoo, so how do we blow them up?”
“…The only similarity between capturing and blowing up is the ‘ㅍ’ and the number of letters. I’m trying to head to the broadcasting room first.”
“Gongja, we’re running out of time, and suddenly you want to go to the broadcasting room?”
“Shinwoo, are you planning to make a missing child broadcast or something? Those Chinese kids don’t have parents, is that even useful?”
Hyeji was laying down the law.
But it’s okay.
I already had a plan in mind.
“Remember the Ear Goblin funeral? I’ve got it all figured out.”
“Shinwoo, you really do have a plan.”
“…Was that crazy comment from the balding elf because of Gongja?”
Jeong Ahyeon’s face crumpled up with disgust.
Worried she might misinterpret my words, I quickly revealed the truth.
“I was just trying to balance the World Tree with the other trees.”
“What kind of balance is that!!!”
Jeong Ahyeon was still fuming.
It seemed she couldn’t accept it completely, so I decided to elaborate.
“The elves love the World Tree so much that the value of other trees is dropping.”
“Isn’t that obvious? The World Tree is like a mother to them!”
“I felt too bad about that, and so I just referred to it as ‘that big tree’ to balance it out.”
“Are you out of your mind???”
For those who already loved all trees, the impact might be minimal.
However, for those who only had blind affection for the World Tree, they would have to make a more ‘difficult choice.’
But honestly, it’s frustrating.
I handled everything with enough ‘conversation.’
“Plus, I was compelled by an oath, but I didn’t force anyone. We had a thorough discussion.”
“…I don’t want to ask, but what did you talk about?”
Jeong Ahyeon voiced her suspicion at me.
I calmly responded to Jeong Ahyeon.
“I went in with a chainsaw.”
“What kind of freaking conversation is that!!!!!!!!!!!”
Jeong Ahyeon was furious, her veins bulging in her neck.
And honestly, it was understandable.
It was just that…
“I definitely thought you’d be angry. My firepower was way too lacking.”
“Please stop your nonsense!!!”
Since power was lacking…
At that moment, Hyeji said to me as if she were doing me a favor.
“Shinwoo, I’ll throw in a few white phosphorus grenades next time.”
“Honestly, Hyeji is the only one who understands me.”
“You’re grateful, right? Shower me with more compliments.”
“Everyone’s crazy. Everyone’s crazy. Everyone’s crazy.”
Still, at least with a chainsaw, dialogue was possible.
Just like Doomguy said, it was an appropriate means of communication.
Jeong Ahyeon was mumbling something about how being followed was dumb.
With dead eyes, she mindlessly followed Hyeji and me.
Hyeji and I didn’t bother with Jeong Ahyeon any longer and moved towards our destination.
Finally, we arrived at the broadcasting room.
As soon as I entered, I briefly explained the current situation to the staff on duty.
“Yes, I understand the situation. But how can I help?”
“Just a second.”
I requested while sending a file via my phone.
Before long, the file was sent.
“Did you get it? Please play this in 15 minutes.”
“This? Sure, how long should I play it?”
“Just about 10 minutes.”
“Alright, understood.”
For now, preparations were roughly complete.
It was time to move.
*
As soon as I left the broadcasting room, I headed to the Records Storage.
It might seem random, but I had my reasons.
What kind of race are the Chinese?
A race that takes information without conscience.
They don’t discriminate between trivial things like people’s phone numbers and critical security information.
In fact, they consider it normal.
Why? Because they have this dumb mindset that a big nation can do whatever to a small one.
Thus, it was quite obvious where the Chinese would head.
After a short walk, we reached the Records Storage.
I spoke to Hyeji and Jeong Ahyeon.
“Hyeji, could you wait outside?”
“Are you leaving me behind again? Just the two of you having fun? You always leave me behind.”
“I’m not leaving you behind; please stop carrying that heavy burden. This is light novel material.”
Hyeji’s eyes went cold.
Then she seemed to come to terms with that.
“I won’t leave you; for now, I’ll trust you. What should I do?”
“When the broadcast starts, if you see someone reacting violently or trembling, just take them out, regardless of the reason. I’ll take care of the rest.”
At that moment, Hyeji wiggled her fingers, looking as if she were asking if she could have a snack.
“Can I blow them up?”
“…You have to keep their heads intact, okay?”
“I’ll spare them.”
Hyeji’s role assignment was complete.
Now it was Jeong Ahyeon’s turn.
“Gongja Shinwoo, what should I do?”
“Stick with me. We’ll catch anyone showing those reactions inside the building.”
“Understood. Let’s go.”
Immediately, Jeong Ahyeon and I entered the Records Storage.
From the outside, it looked like any other building, but the inside was quite different.
The first thing that caught my eye was a long staircase leading down from the entrance.
And at the end of the stairs, there were desks lined up with partitions from wall to wall.
The edges were filled with shelves crammed with paper books.
At this point, it looked somewhat like a library or a reading room.
If there hadn’t been cell phone connection ports on the desks, it would have looked even more so.
Then a few people entered our view.
They weren’t sitting quietly at their desks like everyone else, staring at phones or books.
They were moving frantically between desks, repeatedly plugging and unplugging the connection ports to their phones.
‘Looks like they didn’t know that phones not recognized by the Academy system are unusable.’
There were five people moving this way.
One of them was stuffing books into their bag without second thought.
Honestly speaking, it looked foolish.
Did we need to catch them?
Given that the Chinese’s phones are useless.
There’s really no valuable information in paper books, at most a list of restaurants.
However, they could steal students’ phones.
Because they’re Chinese.
‘I won’t forgive the voice phishing bastard who hurt my feelings.’
At that moment, the broadcast began.
It was time.
After a bit of static, the sound flowed from the speakers.
That was the file I had sent earlier.
– BGM: 我愛北京天安門 (I Love Beijing Tiananmen)
As the broadcast came on, the people we were watching displayed a response that didn’t betray a single expectation.
Suddenly collapsing, covering their ears, or shaking their heads in a frenzy to locate the sound’s source.
It became clear.
We had a total of 6 people to catch.
A reflex response, unmistakably.
Welcome, Pavlov’s doggies.
“Jeong Ahyeon, let’s work together on this.”
“I think they’re all ability users. Should we overpower them right away?”
“Let’s go! Let’s do it like the Four Southern Houses!”
“The surname of the Four Southern Houses is ‘Dang’!!! Dang!!!”
Jeong Ahyeon rebutted my words while still placing her hands on the ground to summon her beast.
She was definitely the type to work hard.
The summoned beasts totaled 12.
They all took the form of white wolves, but were slightly larger.
The summoned beasts dashed straight at the Chinese without a moment’s delay.
Two wolves per person.
Due to the BGM, the Chinese in a state of confusion were effortlessly subdued by the rushing wolves.
Moreover, each time they were subdued, they shouted in their mother tongue, confirming their identity.
[What the hell is going on!]
[I wasn’t informed about this at the party!]
[You bastards! Why are you throwing puppy punches at me!]
[Damn! I should’ve brought treats, not dog chews!]
[Ah!!! My genitals!!! Give them back!!! They’re my only manhood!!!!]
I couldn’t hear what the Chinese were saying.
But it seemed like the last one was missing an important part.
So what now? It’s a TS moment.
Anyway, it’s of no concern here.
There are plenty of job opportunities.
Though I was slightly doubtful if we would use a Chinese.
The five Chinese seemed to be trying to use their abilities, but no one could succeed.
It looked like the wolves’ restraint was thorough.
If they showed any silly moves while being stepped on, they got bitten immediately.
Some black numbers appeared over a few of the Chinese heads, yet nothing unusual happened.
Soon, the Chinese began to surrender.
‘Since they didn’t escape in the future, they’re probably resigned right after regressing.’
On the other hand, one Chinese was a bit different.
The balding Chinese who was closest to me.
Just as a wolf was about to pounce, that Chinese’s head shot up with a number above it.
Like the others, he was caught in a state of confusion, but suddenly regained his composure and grabbed the snout and jaw of the wolf.
He ripped open the wolf’s mouth horizontally, and to the wolf lunging from the side, he offered his right arm.
The wolf bit with all its might, but the Chinese struck the wolf on the head with his left fist without a change in expression.
After the wolf dissipated, what came into view was that balding Chinese’s right arm.
That arm was so clean it couldn’t possibly have been bitten.
‘No wounds and that kind of power—he’s clearly quite accustomed to physical enhancement.’
I threw one of the wood sticks I had at the balding Chinese.
Simultaneously, I dashed down the stairs with a wood stick held in my right hand.
I didn’t know if he could understand, but I shouted in Korean.
“What do you think you’re doing! Last time, you didn’t forget about Tiananmen and said you’d restore democracy!!! Why have you turned into a dog of the Party now?!”
“You bastard!!!!! Stop talking crap!!!!!!!!”
This jerk understands Korean.
You’re 4885 now.
You voice phishing bastard.
The Chinese swiped his right arm outward, deflecting the wood stick.
At the same time, I reached him.
With enhanced basic physical specs, it allowed for an approach that was previously impossible.
Maintaining acceleration, I stepped down with my right foot and swung the wood stick down.
– BAM!!!!
This time, the Chinese blocked my swing with his left hand.
The wood stick broke on impact. I struck pretty hard, but the Chinese remained expressionless.
In that gap, the Chinese’s right fist was drawn back, preparing to punch.
‘If I meet his reinforced fist head-on, only my arm will get wrecked.’
I chose to slip my attack at an angle instead.
I readied my left fist and waited for the moment his right hand would swing.
At that moment, a number appeared above the Chinese’s head.
His regression.
But this time, right before the Chinese.
There was a fragment floating in the air, like a piece of a mirror.
I thought I might have seen something wrong.
Did my ocular resolution break? I doubted it for a moment.
‘I’m still only 20! I haven’t used them much!’
Focusing intently on the fragment, my left eye suddenly throbbed.
Then, a strong light radiated from the fragment.
Something inexplicable was beginning to happen.
