162 – Unfinished Rift -1-

Pandora was fleeing the Academy City at full tilt.

The artifact had already breathed its last; someone was bound to sense the unease emanating from her.

‘Verification complete!’

Yet, Pandora felt less threatened and more relieved to have confirmed a strong hypothesis.

She might not have another chance like this, and that was fortunate.

If she’d missed today but still held onto this hypothesis? Had another surge of power erupted in the Academy City, she wouldn’t have acted so subtly.

Having expended a precious artifact, she’d have no choice but to wreak havoc on society with her underlings, then brute-force her way in to confirm things, even if it meant a war of attrition.

Content with herself, she was just exiting the Academy City when.

A greatsword wreathed in flames came hurtling towards her at breakneck speed.

“How scary.”

Pandora’s lips curved upward.

A thick, congealed mass erupted from her shadow, tangling with the projectile and slowing it down.

Dodging the greatsword, Pandora landed on a deserted road.

Simultaneously, the greatsword returned to its master.

‘Today is proving to be a costly one, beyond mere verification. I do so detest complications.’

Obstacles appeared in Pandora’s vision.

The first to arrive, with overwhelming speed, was Juyeon, the owner of the hurled greatsword.

Pandora was already identifying the individuals closing in.

‘So, the Headmaster isn’t here. They said he’s getting old and his health is failing? Or is he stationed inside with others for defense?’

Following close behind Juyeon were Carrot and Ed, both instructors at the Academy.

And that middle-aged man with fists like pot lids is a Security Officer, rumored to be the next Chief of Public Safety.

“Looks like I’m all the rage today? With reinforcements arriving from afar, too.”

No one responded to Pandora’s words.

The four locked eyes, silently sharing information.

“A woman I’ve never seen. Not in the wanted posters either.”

“Same here.”

“Who could she be? I smell trouble.”

“Let’s take her into custody first. We need to extract information on how she infiltrated this deep.”

Pandora, who had been listening to their conversation, burst into a giggle.

Winning might be out of the question, but she was certain she could slip away from here.

*

The moment Rohan looked at the empty space where Pandora had been, a throbbing headache assaulted him.

His head felt like it was about to shatter.

Was this situation a success, or a failure?

‘Hah…’

He had used gestures and drawn out his words to appear foolish during his conversation with Pandora.

Even so, the conversation had been followed by extreme tension.

The time Rohan had felt was like hours, to put it bluntly.

His consciousness felt heavy, as if dehydrated.

Exhausted.

The fatigue accumulated in his mind was extreme.

[The experiment, once implemented, will prevent a greater disaster]

There wasn’t even time to deeply understand the actual quest’s content.

Judging that time was of the essence, he had approached Pandora without hesitation and did his best with what came to mind.

If he had approached her any friendlier, the emotions he was hiding would have surfaced.

The loathing he harbored wouldn’t allow for any more affectionate behavior than that.

“…”

Rohan’s eyes looked up at the mall’s ceiling.

The space was split wide and thin, as if struck by a sword.

A gap that wasn’t fully opened. Rohan saw a monster he recognized.

‘Morbid Frame.’

A human-like monster trapped inside an antique frame. Only its dark, grimy hands protruded, allowing it to hover. A chilling face moved inside the frame.

Of course, what was inside the frame wasn’t a person.

Just a monster that devoured people by grabbing them with both hands and swallowing them into the frame.

‘Their level isn’t high. Even with their numbers, they’re manageable enough.’

Those who looked up at the shopping mall shrieked.

─ Kyaaa!

─ I-it’s a monster!

Is this dimensional rift Pandora’s experiment, the one mentioned in the quest?

Can dimensional rifts be created by human hands? Or can they be artificially generated, even if they’re natural phenomena?

Curiosity swelled, but ultimately, there was only one thing to do right now.

‘Stop it.’

Rohan retrieved the credit card he’d used as bait and drew the Radiance, bound to his back ── *shwing!*

The instant he held the Brand in his left hand, a notification window popped up.

[Quest Completed]

[Rewards Acquired]

‘It’s been a minute. But is *this* considered a success…?’

Certainly, it was safer than Pandora herself rampaging.

But the fact that this dimensional rift opening was a *good* outcome was absurd.

[Restricted Video #1 Partially Censored – Viewing Permitted]

[Transcendence Yearns for Light]

Rewards kept their place and waited discreetly. Rohan moved towards the railing.

The dimensional rift wasn’t fully open.

It was slowly, languidly, splitting open like the maw of a beast.

Its shape was somehow strange. An incomplete feeling.

‘…It’s different from other rifts.’

Usually, dimensional rifts open and spew forth monsters without giving you a chance to stop them. Their appearance is anything but clean, like a tear in space.

But this was different.

The opening speed was like a tortoise, leaving monsters stuck and struggling to get through.

It looked like it would take some time to emerge, which was fortunate.

Rohan rechecked the types of ammunition he had and hastened his preparations, racking his brain.

‘Because this dimensional rift opened, I prevent the disaster that will occur later?’

Is that really what it means?

I truly couldn’t grasp it.

‘How is this situation advantageous?’

Rohan, while pondering, pulled back the pistol’s slide, finalizing preparations.

He smashed the red alarm device next to him, setting it blaring.

*Tiririring──!!!*

There was a possibility the people inside the shop hadn’t seen the monsters, or hadn’t heard the screams.

A basic precaution.

Just as Rohan aimed his gun barrel at the rift, trying to take down even one monster,

his phone began to vibrate madly.

[Gilbert]

“Tch…”

That guy was likely in the mall right now too. Almost certain.

Therefore, he couldn’t ignore the call.

The moment he answered, a voice roared like it had swallowed a steam train.

— Rohaaan!!! Major crisis!!!

“Hey. Are you still inside the mall?”

— Of course! Is Rohan inside too?!

“Calm down. This is your chance to use that big voice of yours. Evacuate the people like the drill sergeant taught you. Have your friend beside you call the constabulary.”

— Got it! Leave it to me! Emily is already reporting it to the constabulary!

Satisfied with the response, Rohan ended the call.

The instant he hung up, Gilbert’s voice echoed throughout the shopping mall.

“Everyone, ATTENTION!!! I’ll protect you, so maintain order!!!”

Rohan’s lips curled upwards as he raised the Brand.

He aimed the magic-infused bullet at a picture frame thrashing its arms about, trying to emerge.

Bang!

The bullet pierced the frame.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the Morbid Frame’s glass.

— *Kraaak!!!*

A grotesque face shrieked through the fractured glass, oozing black liquid.

Even so, no points registered.

Alive. That’s enough.

‘Confirmed: no need to assess for weaknesses.’

Flying things are a real nuisance, but a blade through the middle will finish them for sure.

Cracks are slowly opening, revealing a writhing mass of Morbid Frames inside.

A disgusting sight, that tangled mess of picture frames preserving those hideous faces.

I eject the standard magazine and load the magic-infused explosive rounds.

No time to be stingy. This is the perfect moment.

‘…Easily over a hundred? Sion and Clara would be a big help.’

Never have I missed my comrades so much. It’s downright lonely.

“O, Oppa…!”

Did the heavens hear that wish?

Amidst the chaotic screams of citizens and Gilbert’s yells…

At a timing that bordered on hallucination, a voice reached my ears.

“Rohan. Reinforcements incoming.”

Four girls descended from the upper floor.

Sion, landing smoothly, immediately opened the case she carried and rapidly assembled her firearm. Fashioning her beloved sniper rifle.

She confidently loads a magazine filled with massive rounds.

*Click!*

With the sound of Sion boldly pulling back the bolt, Rohan snapped out of his daze.

These girls weren’t a figment of his imagination.

“…Why are you all here?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

Now that she was close, Clara, seemingly erasing her sadness, became shy and avoided eye contact.

She flipped her balisong in her hand, drew the pistol strapped to her thigh, and fell silent.

Ichinose answered in her stead.

“We were shopping here, you see.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Noah shrugged with a smile, taking her place.

“Rohan. I’ll start with the explosive rounds. Minimal collateral damage.”

Rohan nodded at Sion’s report, then ruffled the hair of Clara, who was standing right beside him.

Lost in thought, I hesitated, wondering if the fierce firepower might only hasten the fissure’s widening.

With this many people, we could handle however many Morbid Frames poured out, I figured.

“Aim for the innermost part, if you would. I’d like to minimize their numbers before they even emerge.”

“Mm.”

Sion, lowering his goggles, calmly squeezed the trigger.

*KWAANG!* A sound too intense for a mere gunshot. The massive projectile tore through the air and

burrowed into the barely-open fissure, detonating in a burst.

[+7P]

[+7P]

[+7P]

[+7P]

[+7P]

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For Rohan, it was a veritable point festival.

Sion re-aimed, dispatching another projectile to precisely the right spot, and

Ichinose watched the Morbid Frames expire with a grave expression.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a fissure like this. Monsters getting stuck, unable to fully emerge… it’s unprecedented.”

He was about to elaborate when…

“ROHAN!!! The civilian evacuation should be complete before the constable arrives!!!”

“It’s fortunate that most of our patrons today were students!”

The Gilbert couple clambered up, having spotted Rohan, and

all eyes swiveled toward Nicholas, who ascended with them.