Translator: Wan ED/PR: novio
16. Central Library basement stack room (2)
Air Hotel ‘Icarus’.
This place was famous for their offering to customers rooms, all designed to suit the guests’ taste, from pillows to slippers, after the reservation.
Not only that, it was also the highest grade air hotel, fully equipped with five restaurants and spas, a fitness club, an aquarium, a jazz concert hall and a wedding hall.
On that Icarus’ rooftop.
The tents and camping lanterns, which didn’t fit this high grade air hotel at all, were scattered.
“Let’s sleep outside and have a tickling endurance contest!”
“Here is outside and you want to sleep outside-outside? You’re crazy, huh? Okay, let’s do it!”
“Let’s get outdoor sleep and then add tomorrow’s breakfast.”
“We haven’t even had dinner yet. Why are you losing your mind over breakfast?”
“If that fool Wang Chansol didn’t forget portable gas stoves, we would be eating by now.”
“Right! We have to make that special 2nd year class 0 golden recipe for our teacher Jegal-nim to eat, the one which we spent three days and nights to come up with, that damn perfectly clumsy fool of the vice class president, why!”
“Haa… Why are we starving when Geun-Chan’s hotel is just below?”
About twenty students collectively wearing fluorescent hoodie t-shirts and pants were the 2nd year class 0.
Their entire group’s t-shirt and pants were marked with today’s date, each of their names and a short introductory phrase.
“Because of the laws related to illegal solicitation, as well as the ban on accepting money or valuables. We will be in trouble if we offer hotel lodging and food. If you don’t want to get caught by law, you have to get teacher Jegal-nim to pay his share after it, even half of the price of group tea.”
‘Originator of the 1st semester outing, place sponsor’
‘2nd year class 0 invincible class president-nim, Geun Chansol’
… was what the hoodie t-shirt Geun Chansol was wearing said, in rather big and golden writing.
“Originally the rooftop is only opened to the public in summer and made into an outdoor swimming pool, so it still isn’t used and is in the middle of cleaning, so I was able to receive a discount and rent it with only half of our allocated budget.”
This operation was led by Geun Chansol.
As a daughter of the owner of the Air Hotel ‘Icarus’, she planned this time as a one night and two days outing.
At Jo Uisin’s request for Jegal Jaegeol’s clothes, as he needed to make bait, an idea sprouted in her mind: ‘Then let’s make matching group class t-shirts and pants, so teacher Jegal-nim has to dress with us!’.
The 2nd year class 0 didn’t play different jokes for the past couple of days as they planned this outing.
“Even so, the air and the view are good. And we also have teacher Jegal-nim!”
Production of the group t-shirts and pants, from the designs, writings to colors.
Securing the outing venue as well as arranging budget.
Because the 2nd year class 0 left the budget allocated to each class for miscellaneous expenses untouched, they could reserve the rooftop of the Icarus Air Hotel.
“… No way I’m regretting that we didn’t rent a suite room! If teacher Jegal-nim doesn’t pay for his lodging expenses, he will violate the law, if he does he will have to live in poverty for a few months, so I can’t do that!”
Of course, because the 2nd year class 0 really rented only the place, they had to use tents.
From the outsider’s perspective, the 1 night and 2 days outing on the Icarus’ rooftop would sound luxurious, but in fact it was dirt cheap by itself.
So no one expressed dissatisfaction, each of them paid an entry fee and brought a tent and participated in the seizing Jegal Jaegeol operation.
In addition, they dressed Jegal Jaegeol in very eye-catching clothes, so he couldn’t escape.
They received a comment ‘Wow, it’s like the fairy and woodcutter[1]’ as a bonus.
“What are you going to do if you catch a cold? Don’t sleep outside. The days are still chilly.”
The 2nd year class 0 children who were in the middle of the tickling endurance contest stopped it straight away at Jegal Jaegeol’s words.
The student, who three minutes earlier was enduring an attack, had a very depressed face but seeing Jegal Jaegeol’s face she shut her mouth.
“Yes, we won’t!”
“… Yep!”
The adult man who soothed the class with two words, Jegal Jaegeol.
He wore a fluorescent yellow hoodie t-shirt and pants that didn’t suit him at all.
Those clothes were decorated with various color writings.
‘Our eternal homeroom teacher ♡ Jegal-nim’
‘I wrote Jegal Jaegeol but read Liiiiggght’
‘I didn’t particularly like him, and then the power of love’
Etc.
The number of writings matched the number of the students in the 2nd year class 0.
Truth be told, the 2nd year class 0 argued so much about who was going to write on his clothes that they ended up playing a battle royal.
The several hours-long argument ended with everyone writing one short and friendly phrase, each in the color they wanted.
As a result, Jegal Jaegeol’s clothes had the most colorful and chaotic design.
“This teacher-nim still has work left at school…”
“What work? Let the guys take it easy today!”
“Right. And teacher-nim does all chores alone every day!”
Jegal Jaegeol was suddenly kidnapped in the classroom.
Of course, the clothes he was wearing, the device and his wallet were all stolen.
‘I have to go, but…’
They were mischief makers, but it didn’t hurt his eyes to look at them, and he naturally wanted to be with them.
However, there was a lot he had to do.
The clean up of all atrocities that Choe Pyeondeuk’s gang committed still wasn’t over and he had to consult with other school staff about the problem with the Newspaper Club and the School Magazine Editorial Club.
“Teacher-nim didn’t play with us these days, so we wanted to play together and did this…”
“It’s alright… Teacher Jegal-nim is doing things with the School Magazine Editorial Club or Newspaper Club every day, so he is busy…”
As if excitement moments ago was a lie, the entire atmosphere changed.
The 2nd year class 0 students gradually lost their spirit.
Jegal Jaegeol struggled to stay calm as he said:
“I’m sorry. Teacher-nim is really busy, so… Today teacher-nim will stay until you go to sleep and then go back.”
“I hate it!”
“This is the play with the teacher-nim for 1 night and 2 days. We even prepared a game to decide who is going to share a tent with teacher-nim!”
“We haven’t even done preliminary matches yet!”
“However…”
It seemed that Jegal Jaegeol’s mind couldn’t be simply changed.
But this was 2nd year class 0 who had mastered such tricks.
They were already prepared for him to behave like this and came up with a strategy.
Geun Chansol sent a signal with her eyes to the Theater Club’s ace and the ace gave a small nod.
“Stop. Teacher-nim is busy. I’m very sorry, teacher-nim… Guys, let’s pack.”
The Theater Club’s student exploded with a desperate performance.
Worthy of the ace of the Theater Club, as she was taking out the emotions she held, the corners of her eyes were already wet even without water drops in the meantime.
When Jegal Jaegeol was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, Geun Chansol added an extra punch.
“… I just wanted to play with teacher Jegal-nim, so I bragged as a class president and did it. Why are you apologizing? You’re making teacher Jegal-nim uncomfortable, so don’t do that expression. And don’t cry. Teacher-nim, I’m very sorry… Those guys did nothing wrong. It’s all because of me.”
Geun Chansol threw a line, which was unknown whether it was to calm others down or provoke them, at a perfect timing.
As expected from 2nd year class 0 president, Geun Chansol.
Her ability to seize a chance was amazing.
The students who bowed their heads with depressed faces, thought inside ‘President is doing well. Do it more!’.
Finally, Jegal Jaegeol broke first.
“I’m sorry. You kids… It seems that teacher-nim only considered his situation and couldn’t think about you.”
Jegal Jaegeol’s voice was full of guilt.
Outside his field of vision, students did small highfives and then gripped their fists.
“…I’m sorry, teacher-nim, we misbehaved.”
“Yes. We’re sorry for being annoying students…”
“No. You worked hard to prepare it, but I didn’t realize it… I’ll stay here until tomorrow morning. I’m really sorry.”
2nd year class 0’s ace actor double punch.
One after another, the lines of the Theatre Club’s ace and 2nd year class 0 president, Geun Chansol, put Jegal Jaegeol’s mind in visible pain.
Secretly, all of the 2nd year class 0 thought ‘Teacher Jegal-nim will cry! Stop!’.
“And I had not even once thought about my students as annoying students. Don’t say anything like this in the future.”
With Thoth’s blessing, Jegal Jaegeol couldn’t lie.
Knowing his words were the truth, the student’s expression got visibly better.
When the warm-hearted atmosphere continued…
“I’m back!”
The rooftop doors opened and Wang Chansol entered.
Wang Chansol was wearing a fluorescent hoodie t-shirt with big writing ‘I’m a fool, sir’ made with a marker.
In his hand, he was holding a plastic bag filled with portable gas stoves.
“What are you shouting for, fool!”
“I’m starving, you know! Hey, boil water!”
Those who had eaten raw ramen, threw ramen packages folded like ddakji[2] at Wang Chansol’s head.
“Teacher Jegal-nim! We developed a special ramen recipe. Please look forward to it!”
“It’s very tasty. Extremely tasty!”
“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.”
The 2nd year class 0 were moving busily taking out prepared ingredients.
Watching this peaceful scene, Jegal Jaegeol self-accused himself that he in fact still didn’t know his students’ minds.
… Come to think of it, there was still no news from his old student who sent a message every day.
***
The central zone library basement stack room.
The energy pouring out of the power-holding ancient books pricked my skin.
It was nothing like Hwang Myeong-ho’s mansion’s basement but if I stay in this place for a long time, the energy in my body would be unbalanced.
‘Teacher Jegal Jaegeol-nim would have a great fun with 2nd year class 0 by now.’
I was curious about how they were playing, but it was a story only between 2nd year class 0 and Jegal Jaegeol.
‘Everything is proceeding as planned.’
I received Jegal Jaegeol’s clothes from Geun Chansol and Wang Chansol and then I entered the staff room after I changed into his appearance with the usage of Player’s Trajectory.
While I was reading the staff room’s conversation log using Exclusive Menu, as it was in the game, the followers appeared and the scenario progressed.
“If I was going to answer you, I wouldn’t wear a mask. Idiots.” [3]
In the game Jegal Jaegeol ignored the dissuasion of the higher being, Thoth, and nodded his head at the request of the followers to shoulder the curses.
This place, the central library basement stack room, flowed with high-density power.
In addition, Jegal Jaegeol received a blessing from Thoth, who was not only the god of knowledge, science, language, time and the moon, but with Hermes, he was also a guardian deity of the library.
With all this knowledge and all the power, his words would hold a few times more power than usual and bind him.
‘Those bastards aimed for that and wanted to settle this matter in the basement stack room.’
The followers were visibly embarrassed and fumbled with their words.
“Wh–Where is Jegal Jaegeol!? If you don’t bring this guy immediately, then those dicks and bitches…”
⟨Using active character’s skill ‘Fight’.⟩
Whack!
Before his words finished, I narrowed the distance between me and the bastard with an open mouth in the instant and dealt an uppercut to his chin, sending him flying.
As the follower couldn’t even think of reacting, broken and cracked teeth mixed with blood flowed out of his mouth.
“I didn’t see…!”
“What, what?! That’s not Jegal Jaegeol!”
I entered the hexagram and stood, blocking the way between them and the students.
Because those bastards each stood at the vertex, it wasn’t possible to protect them perfectly, but it was possible to keep the bastards in check to some degree.
“Hide your head.”
I spoke towards the only student who tried to dissuade Jegal Jaegeol, she frantically nodded and then hid her head.
Other guys were a bit involved, so they deserved a few punches, but I had a very little bit of consideration for that girl, so I gave her advice.
I rushed towards the follower who took out the weapon item and was about to use a skill..
Peuk, bang—!
My fists and toes accurately hit the vital points.
The skill ‘Fight’ allowed me to change the fist fighting technique I used time and time again to inflict as much damage as possible at the maximum speed.
I wasn’t wearing protection gear on my hands and feet, but for followers who were worse than Choe Pyeondeuk’s gang, it was more than enough to beat them up.
“Kaauk!”
“Fu–Fuck. I don’t have time to use a skill!”
This place is a library.
I might damage the books, so I couldn’t use a flashy Gwangrim or skill.
‘No way I am letting precious books be damaged, just because of those bastards.’
Therefore, the character I chose was the version of Maeng Hyodon that finished developing.
Thanks to my outer appearance being still that of Jo Uisin, the penalties caused by Maeng Hyodon’s small physique decreased.
‘And… those dog bastards and I aren’t the only ones here.’
I couldn’t use eye catching Gwangrims or skills.
I used Maeng Hyodon’s skills and happily beat up followers.
“Fu-Fuck! Take this!”
One of the followers took out an item card and stretched it towards me.
I had no idea what the card was, but from the item card’s rarity color and what he said, I guess it was an anti-personnel bomb.
‘The Maeng Hyodon I’m currently using is high level, so such an average item won’t have any particular effects.’
I tied the feet of the guy who was about to flee and moved towards him.
Before that.
Crunch.
“Uu–uaaaack!”
The sound of crushing bones and meat was heard.
With a scream, his fingers holding an item card broke, curving up in a direction they shouldn’t be able to.
A hand wrapped in a leather glove was holding those fingers.
Behind the owner of that hand, from the darkness emerged people in the black coats and masks.
“Player’s Association Regulation Enforcement Department. According to Association’s rules all your precious Gwangrims, skills, cardifing and materializing abilities will be sealed.”
It was Hong Gyubin’s voice.
His usual sly demeanor was nowhere to be felt, his voice was completely devoid of emotions.
The horror exploded between followers who heard his words.
“Player’s Association Re–Regulation Enforcement Team!”
“Fuck, it’s the Association! How did they know…!”
Under Hong Gyubin’s command, the followers were overpowered in an instant.
The arms of struggling people were engraved with a black seal one after one.
“You came late.”
“Sorry. My subordinates’ school visit permit was handed over easily, but the stack room entrance permit came a bit late. We had to receive that entrance permit after those guys came in.”
Hong Gyubin, yet another face, was a member of the Player’s Association Korean Branch’s Regulation Enforcement Department.
It was even such a high-ranking person that he had permission to use the Sealing Art Item.
‘Rather, it would be weird if a fraud rank Player with the Foresight skill was only doing a desk job.’
Of course, Hong Gyubin’s title of the 1st media and PR’s team leader was also real.
In the Association, the Regulation Enforcement Department received one more surface’s duty.
Because of the Regulation Enforcement Department’s character, criminal Players would be on guard against their members, so to lower their guard and lessen suspicion there was such a custom.
‘Regulation Enforcement Department… I saw them in the setting book and background description a few times, but this is the first time I’ve seen them work in person.’
So the overnight work might have been more frequent.
Because settling the incidents revealed by Red Wall Thief needed the power of the Regulation Enforcement Department.
“I was worried when you said you’re going to play the role of bait, but… I guess worrying was useless. I heard you mainly use magic. So you have skills beside Use of Everything?”
“Let’s not dig into each other’s secrets.”
“Hahaha! The wariness still remains! I thought we already showed each other many of the cards we possess.”
And I thought that Hong Gyubin is still hiding even more.
He was a crafty schemer type.
There is no way he showed me all his cards at once.
“Well. Let’s be satisfied only with seeing Uisin here using the ‘Crow mask’ which was used during the purification of the Eungwang District. I’m going to hear the hostages’ story for a moment and then. Let’s go upstairs together. Wait here.”
As I organized my thoughts, while watching fainted followers being dragged away in the hands of Hong Gyubin’s subordinates…
An unexpected thing happened.
⟨Skill ‘Power of Fate’ activated.⟩
*~*~*
[1] Fairy and woodcutter — It’s a popular folktale, so you may know it under a different name. The gist of it is that the fairies descended from heavens to bathe, the woodcutter who saw it stole the winged robe of one fairy (at the advice of a deer), the fairy without the robe couldn’t come back to heavens, so she had to stay and marry the woodcutter. So Jegal Jaegeol would be a fairy in this metaphor…
[2] Ddakji – ddakji is a name of folded paper ‘toy’ used in the traditional korean ddakjichigi game. The goal of the game is to flip ddakji laying on the floor, with another thrown ddakji. This translator played something similar with bottle caps as a child, so if you have similar experiences, you may refer to this experience…. I just learned it was also in the squid game, so I suppose you can also go watch a squid game.
[3] “If I was going to answer you, I wouldn’t wear a mask. Idiots.” — Jo Uisin is referring to their question ‘Who are you?!’ in the previous chapter.
Translator’s note: There are a lot of card references in this chapter… Mm, yes cards may be important too. Like chess.
* I feel like I should point out that I don’t know what pronoun any of the 2nd year class 0’s extras in this chapter use (beside named characters and the ace now). That’s often a thing in Korean, as they don’t use pronouns as often as English… I think I will start to roll the dice whenever I have to use a pronoun for some extra I had no information about.
Last minute important info!
Leadership Club will be changed to the Guideline Club!
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
Leave a Reply