Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
57. On stage (7)
There were more problems, besides the weapon item cards not materializing.
“… It’s strange. The alarms don’t ring.”
“Yes? The alarms?”
“If a superpower wave this powerful explodes inside the building, the alarm should ring. Even if it doesn’t detect faint superpower waves, it can obviously detect this much.”
Thanks to coming to the broadcasting station more often than to school, Jeong Haeon seemed to know the security regulations quite well.
“Players have superpowers and Gwangrims that can activate without weapons. So an alarm system in case a superpower wave was detected was installed in the whole broadcasting station. And as weapons can use superpower waves, even if in small amounts, they leave marks on the cards to detect that.”
Jeong Haeon pointed at the Player guard.
Worthy of a pro Player, the Player guard tried to materialize the item and respond right away, but his item card also didn’t seem to materialize.
According to the explanation we heard when getting through the security checkpoint, the stickers’ role was not to restrict the materialization, but to ring an alarm when a weapon materializes.
I guess to deal with a time when something dangerous enough to make the Player guards materialize their weapons strikes, their weapons also had stickers.
It was certain that someone responsible for this matter knew the security systems of the broadcasting station very well.
“It seems there is a problem with the stickers plastered on the item cards. It’s possible to materialize other cards without stickers.”
“It’s not that all card materialization functions are sealed, so it’s only the problem with the cards with stickers, huh?”
Mok Uram was holding a brass[1] brush, as if he just materialized it.
That item was not a weapon, but a tool used to clean the surfaces of otherwordly metals, and though I didn’t know why he had it, I guess Mok Uram usually kept it with him.
Hwang Jiho examined the sticker on the R rank ‘Beginner Bō Martial Artist’s Iron Bō’ provided by the school, and said:
“It’s quite well-made, eh? If you forcibly remove the sticker, the item card structure will be damaged. If you hate to throw away the item card, don’t forcibly remove…”
Shred!
Turning around at the ominous sound, I saw GeunChan&WangChan forcibly removing the stickers on the item cards, and infusing them with superpower waves.
The card immediately sparkled with the superpower wave, but soon lost their light.
“Uh, what?! It isn’t materializing!”
“The card can’t be destroyed by common physical damages, right? I saw experiments on the TV, and it was fine even when dump truck ran over it!”
The moment Hwang Jiho spoke, the bastards ready to throw away their item cards appeared.
I guess they thought it would be okay to experiment with a few as they had more than one or two item cards.
“Well, I can fight bare handed, so it’s not a problem.”
“Me too.”
“Hahahaha! This one is the same.”
“I didn’t ask.”
Even in an obviously very strange situation, the class children were relatively calm.
The children, who had difficulty fighting without weapons, seemed flustered just like before, but there were many children in our class, who could fight without weapons.
If they weren’t wearing protectors in the bare-hand combat, the power would decrease and the risk of injury would increase, but it wasn’t like they couldn’t fight.
‘Then those who can fight right now are Hwang Jiho, who said he originally didn’t specialize in physical attacks and…’
The ones who currently could fight in the 1st year class 0 were me, Hwang Jiho, Han Yi, Maeng Hyodon, Sawol Seeum and Min Geurin.
It seems that it would be the first time Han Yi and Min Geurin fought without protectors, but they had combat power in opposition to Kim Yuri, Kwon Lena and Mok Uram, who seemed like they would have difficulty fighting without weapon items.
Yong Jegeon, who used the Space Art, and Jegal Jaegeol, who displayed his superpowers through kotodama, had no problems.
But as for the 2nd year class 0, from checking all item cards and making a fuss, it seemed they were completely ruined.
Even so, the combat power was overflowing.
‘If needed, I could share the weapon items from my inventory window.’
The item cards picked up when I was cleaning up the Fantasy Auction and Fight Club, piled up in the inventory window.
The items allocated by the school I kept just in a card holster, but I put the cards in the inventory window that could be called stolen goods, so they didn’t undergo the security check, same like the Nine Iron Teeth Rake.
But I pressed down my hand, which was heading to the inventory window.
‘Right now, there are many Players, who can fight without weapons, but there is a chance there comes a moment when that won’t be the case! I have to play keeping that move hidden.’
The opponent has an ability to seal materialization of the weapon item card items.
There may be a situation where we’re thrown into the battlefield without weapons like this again.
As if Hwang Jiho also had the same thought as me, he looked in my direction and shook his head slightly.
I decided to put off the move of distributing the item cards.
‘I was flustered by the unexpected move, but it’s not like I don’t have moves to respond with. First of all, let’s clearly figure out the situation.’
⟨Using Gwangrim ‘Player’s Trajectory’.⟩
⟨Using target character’s Gwangrim ‘Eyes embracing Heaven and Earth’.⟩
I unfolded the Gwangrim and checked the entire broadcasting station.
The first thing to catch my eye was the obstruction wall going down on the building without regard to windows and door, and the solid barrier unfolding.
And then what drew my eyes was…
‘The Yong in front of Yeom Junyeol’s waiting room is under attack! And the one attacking right now is…!’
The opponent who appeared as a Yong in PMH’s game, the mythological hero, who specialized in killing dragons, Cadmus.
When he was a human, he killed the dragon born in the god’s linage ‘Drakon Ismenios’, and in the last moment of his heroic life he was said to become dragons together with his goddess wife.
In other words, as Cadmus had a legend of a dragon-slayer who become a dragon, he was a perfect counter against the Yong tribe and Yong tribe’s descendants.
‘It’s not the time for Cadmus to appear yet, but that move was used already!?’
This being, who was listed among the mortals most loved by the gods, appeared as an enemy after Yeom Junyeol died.
When the Red Lion and Yong tribe’s united forces raided the National Assembly Building, he reenacted the legend of the dragon slayer in the modern times on the front lines with no regrets.
Because of the story of Cadmus killing a dragon, it was hard for the Yong tribe to fight back against him, but the battlefield was Korean Peninsula, and Cheongryeong’s ability to draw and use the Power of Earth, and his popularity were cut above his, so the balance was maintained.
But after the godly maiden of the Dragon King God’s betrayed, that balance was broken.
‘He is targeting Yeom Junyeol. The Yong is still enduring, but we have to go to help her!’
Before I could think of a move, something else entered my vision.
With an explosion, the cars parked in the underground parking lot crumpled like cans because of a superpower wave.
Because I was seeing it with my eyes, I couldn’t hear a sound, but it was certain that the cards were destroyed and the ground cracked with roars.
Something was revealed in the mercilessly unraveled ground.
An otherworld’s entrance.
“It seems the combat power is sufficient. First, let’s assess the situation…”
“An otherworld occurred in the underground parking lot! Requesting support.”
It was the member of the pro Player team, taking on a role of a guard.
As the otherworld occurred without warning, and the weapon items couldn’t be used, I guess they couldn’t counter it by themselves.
Jegal Jaegeol nodded his head to that request right away.
“I’ll go. Teacher Yong Jegeon-nim, can I ask You to take care of the children?”
“Ask to take care?! We’re going to fight too!”
“Right! And it’s strange that we suddenly can’t use weapons, but an otherworld? That’s even stranger!”
“What should we do if some evil bastards are targeting teacher-nim?”
“You can’t do it without weapons. Help other People take shelter.”
The 2nd year class 0’s senior bastards whined, but knowing how they were right now, they were faster to step back than expected.
“I want to go to Junyeol-yi. Something is strange.”
Yong Jegeon looked in the direction of the waiting room with a dark face.
The time to respond was gradually decreasing.
But it wasn’t like there were no moves.
I was caught off guard, but the move the opponent played targeted several pieces, and it wasn’t like that move didn’t have weaknesses to aim at.
And I had several pieces in my hands that the opponent didn’t know about.
I strengthened my resolve and opened my mouth.
“Please let our class children participate in the otherworld conquest.”
“You don’t have to worry. There is no need to borrow the hands of students for one otherworld. We have Players, who can fight without weapons on our side, and ‘Aquamarine Poet’ offered to cooperate…”
I shook my head at the Player guard’s words.
I had no plans to send Jegal Jaegeol alone to the place where the cause of this affair existed.
Jegal Jaegeol leaving the group and heading underground may be one of the moves of the enemy, who launched the attack.
Moreover, the premise the Player guard spoke out right now was wrong.
“I saw the underground with the Insight category superpower. Currently, three otherworlds occurred, and when looking at their size and appearance, I guess they’re over SR rank. If you don’t increase the manpower conquering the otherworld, the Enemies will climb to the broadcasting station from the underground.”
The Player guard made a shocked face at my words.
I didn’t know if it was acting or not, but he seemed flustered.
“Only one was captured on the camera…!”
“Their location seemed to target the blind-spots not captured by the camera. There can’t be a mistake in the manpower allocation.”
The Player guard and Jegal Jaegeol looked surprised hearing that explanation, but they soon leaned their ears.
Although I was a student, it was because I was a Player with an alias, moreover, I also figured out the battlefield situation with the Insight category superpower, so they couldn’t help but listen to my opinion.
“Hwang Jiho, you take the kids, who can fight, and please fight as a defense team together with teacher Jegal Jaegeol-nim in the vicinity of the otherworld. Until the ‘support’ comes.”
“We’re not conquering it fast?”
“The support will come soon.”
The communication was cut off, but Hwang Jiho’s blessing was across the entire region of Korean Peninsula, and he could still communicate through alter-egos.
Hwang Jiho probably already sent support to the broadcasting station through an alter-ego.
I didn’t want to make a situation that would make Jegal Jaegeol enter the otherworld as an attack group and be isolated.
“You can take shelter in this studio. Because ‘Saint of Naejang Mountain’ is here.”
As if he already heard the news, I saw Yeo Raehun take out a khakkhara made from bronze, one of bhikku eighteen items[2], and unfold a barrier.
It seemed that as a khakkhara was just a stick made out of bronze, that could just assist with barriers, without much attack power, it wasn’t sealed with the alarm sticker and so, wasn’t blocked.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I…”
I walked towards Yong Jegeon, who stared in the direction of the studio wall with narrow eyes, as I spoke.
“I’ll move with teacher Yong Jegeon-nim.”
“With Yong Jegeon?”
Hwang Jiho made a dubious face, but I didn’t tell him what I was going to do.
It was because I didn’t dare to reveal my plan in front of all the people watching, and what’s more, if I told my plan, I thought Hwang Jiho may oppose to it.
“I plan to join with senior Yeom Junyeol and make people take shelter. If we meet quickly, I’ll also go underground.”
“Jo Uisin, you…”
Hwang Jiho’s words were cut off in the middle.
“Inside this studio is safe.”
The one who spoke was the Playlist’s main MC and famous Player debater ‘Double-side Mirror Choe Jina’.
I heard that Choe Jina didn’t possess a superpower adept to attack from the beginning, so it seemed she was in no state to fight, as the weapon items were sealed.
“Then those left here will continue filming.”
“Yes? In current situation?”
Choe Jina glanced at us once, then at the top of the stage.
On the stage, the third candidate, who rambled saying we have to run, was talking with PD.
Under it, I saw the printed Playlist final round cue sheet being rolled on the metal panel.
“There is still a lot of controversy around the Playlist. If the filming is delayed because of the otherworld conquest during the broadcast or the broadcast is halted, the press will tilt towards the opposition against expanding the entertainment industry to Players.”
Cheo Jina spoke with a voice like she had a lump in her throat.
“When the people feel like the threat of otherworlds is near, the words like ‘as expected, the broadcasting should be done by ordinary people and Players should be conquering the otherworlds’ would appear.”
“That’s…!”
I heard Jeong Haeon’s scream.
Jeong Haeon opened and closed her mouth, looking for words to refute, but as if she knew the public opinion very well as the Playlist regular viewer and homema, she shut her mouth.
“Even during an otherworld conquest, we have to perfectly complete the Playlist’s last broadcast. If not, the road for Players to stand on stage will be blocked again.”
*~*~*
[1] brass — in Korean brass is called ‘yellow bronze’. Also the first sentence of the two above, is his.
[2] bhikku eighteen items — bhikku is an ordained male Buddhist monk, they are allowed to keep 18 items with them, khakkhara being one of them.
Translator’s note: *drools over the worldbuilding and thought put into the Players’s socio-political standing* Ignore me. Go chase Jo Uisin for talking something strange again.
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