Echoes of the Reverse Planet

Chapter 106: Corporate Assault

‘Good.’

Having changed the most important ability, it was now time to change the appearance.

Instead of combat gear, the clothing Baek Woohyun wore was the test subject outfit he had worn at the research facility.

It could be considered the most fitting outfit for assaulting a corporation operating a research facility. Originally, he had no other outfits besides combat gear and this one anyway.

“……”

Even though he hadn’t worn it in a long time, the test subject outfit still made him feel a filthy emotion.

The suppressed anger and hatred seeped out, dyeing the inside of his heart black.

It was as if the emotions he had deliberately ignored to adapt to the modern era, though sunk deep, were loudly declaring they would never disappear.

-Revenge.

-Revenge.

“……”

Looking at the specters that appeared upon realizing the time for revenge had come again, Baek Woohyun finally masked his face with a mask.

This was also one of the spoils obtained from eliminating the Hunting Dogs, an item that had belonged to the weasel-like man who led them.

He seemed to carry it to conceal his identity when performing secretly handled missions. Broken mask fragments were also found from other Hunting Dogs.

Though it was questionable why he wasn’t wearing it during the assault on Baek Woohyun—

‘It probably doesn’t matter.’

Exiting the training ground, Baek Woohyun immediately used his ability to fly up before others’ gazes could reach him.

So high that it couldn’t be identified with the naked eye.

-He uses his ability so well??

-Anyway, underdog lovers tsk tsk

-No Compensation this, long-range that lololol

-Yep~ Hackphysical just flies into the sky the moment he appears~

“Fly into the sky. Huh, truly amazing.”

“…Is that something to be amazed by?”

“Yes. It’s very amazing. Isn’t it that Hackphysical’s current ability build composition has no room for a skill like levitation?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, Hackphysical levitating means it’s an ability stemming from the freedom unique to abilities without Compensation, so I can’t help but be amazed.”

-What’s that, you otaku?

-Explain in plain terms;;

-Professor, the problem-solving is too difficult.

-It sounds like there’s something good about No Compensation.

“Compensation is both a help and a restraint. For example, look at ability techniques. All you do is use them exactly as predetermined.”

“Yes, well—but isn’t that originally normal?”

“If there’s no Compensation, you can change and use ability techniques as you wish. It means you can create dozens of [Wind Cutter], not just launch one.”

“Ah!”

“In short, the levitation he’s showing now is proof that Hackphysical is perfectly controlling the power he gained from his Core Element according to his will.”

-Crazy ㄷㄓ

-So you can do that without Compensation.

-Pros trying to reduce Compensation aren’t doing it for nothing yep.

-Perfect No Compensation would then be exactly like using abilities in reality.

‘Castoros’ donated ‘1000 won’!

[Still unknown. Need to see combat situation yep Fighting while using techniques is completely different from just flying alone here.]

-This is damn right.

-How he fights is important yep ;

-Ugh tsk tsk How come unbelievers keep endlessly appearing even when he keeps proving it?

-Just believe lol It’s Hackphysical lol

“……Phew.”

Baek Woohyun, standing in the sky wrapped in a transparent aura, calmly controlled his breath. Although it was an ability he hadn’t used in a while, his mind was unshaken.

He could do something like levitating his body as naturally as breathing, unless it was a huge technique like tearing out an entire building.

Although he may not have reached the state of ‘Transcendence,’ being called ‘Annihilation’ wasn’t in vain. Even now, with his power restricted, he could daringly be called the strongest.

‘The place worth targeting… is undoubtedly only that one.’

Which corporation to target had already been decided even before leaving the training ground.

In his heart, he wanted to assault the corporation to which the weasel man and Hunting Dogs who used TL-01 belonged, but it was a pity he couldn’t.

Instead, the place he chose was a corporation deeply related to the research facility based on his experience ‘over there,’ and which might possess information about TL-01.

He had even been entangled with them once within Reverse Planet.

‘Geumshin Electronics.’

It was the very place that had sent Hunting Dogs, including Choi Hyeongcheol, to attempt kidnapping.

‘Conveniently, their headquarters is also within Seoul.’

Moreover, having experience destroying the Geumshin Electronics headquarters once ‘over there,’ he could also guess where they hid information.

Therefore, in a situation where he didn’t know which corporation TL-01 came from, it was literally the optimal assault location.

Whoosh—!

Baek Woohyun, cutting through the air in an instant.

Flying through the air without signal or identification, he reached his target location in a flash.

Stepping on the air, he looked down at the super-tall building being used as Geumshin Electronics’ headquarters.

As is common with corporations capable of employing Hunting Dogs, Geumshin Electronics was also sufficiently a major corporation, and accordingly, its headquarters was enormous.

As if externally displaying their inflated greed.

‘The time limit is probably around thirty minutes.’

Once the fact of a corporate assault by an unregistered awakener—since he changed his ability build, he would be judged as such—is known, the Otherworld Management Bureau would immediately mobilize.

To avoid conflict with them, he had to handle things as quickly as possible and leave.

Fortunately, as mentioned before, Baek Woohyun had experience assaulting and even destroying the Geumshin Electronics headquarters ‘over there.’

It meant he knew very well what was where and which floor to target.

‘From the start, go all out.’

Growwl—!

Baek Woohyun’s pupils, visible between the mask, blazed with ashen fire, and the transparent aura enveloping his entire body rippled more intensely.

It looked as if he was wrapped in invisible flames. It was also proof that he was fully drawing out his ability’s power.

In that state—he plummeted like a meteor towards the Geumshin Electronics headquarters entrance.

Kwaaaang!

“Kyaak!””Wh-what is it?!”

“Suddenly what’s—”

With an enormous explosion, the headquarters entrance was completely shattered. It was damage hard to believe was caused by just one person plummeting down.

Subsequently, the emergency bells installed in the headquarters rang frantically, and the screams and shouts of shock from those caught in it mixed into chaos.

-He came straight to wreck it lololol

-First time seeing a corporate assault lololol

-Ah lol He doesn’t just take it lying down lol

-A man who endures once but not twice ㄷㄓ

“This… Is this okay to do?”

“Huh… Is it?”

-Will it be? lol

-But what really happens if you do this?

-Normally, you just get caught, pay a fine, and that’s it yep No other impact whatsoever.

-Did the phase just shift? Am I the only one seeing it?

However, Baek Woohyun, unfazed, calmly walked out from the crater-like depression.

His face showed not a hint of panic. Because this was also a very familiar thing to him. The kind of thing he had done many times ‘over there.’

To herald the end of ‘Project: Transcendence’, he had assaulted and destroyed numerous corporations.

‘The phase shifted the moment I hit the ground.’

Baek Woohyun’s gaze, scanning the interior of Geumshin Electronics, cooled.

He didn’t miss the momentary moment when the surroundings strangely changed. The clear disappearance of the few users who had been visible was also part of it.

It meant the phase shift system, which assigns users to different spaces depending on missions or events even if they are in the same area, had activated.

‘Then.’

The corporate assault that would now proceed became unique content solely for Baek Woohyun alone, not affecting other users.

This also meant the probability that this assault would affect story progression increased.

“Don’t move!”

“Slowly raise your hands! Resist and we’ll shoot!”

Armed guards who hurriedly rushed towards Baek Woohyun, who had boldly stepped into the Geumshin Electronics headquarters, shouted.

As expected of armed guards operated by a major corporation, their equipment was outstanding.

They even possessed assault rifles to prepare for any unforeseen situations, so no further explanation is needed.

Of course, as is typical with firearms in Reverse Planet, they held little significance.

Even if one were to be hit defenselessly, no matter how much they shoot with personal firearms, it would be difficult to even pierce a Particle Barrier.

Knowing that fact, Baek Woohyun’s gaze towards them was merely calm.

Groooan—!

“Ugh!””Khup?!”

As an invisible force heavily pressed down on their entire bodies, the armed guards fell flat on the ground without being able to offer any resistance.

Baek Woohyun’s ability, based on telekinesis, manifested, completely neutralizing the armed guards who had pointed their guns at him.

Unless they were fellow awakeners, it was a natural result since they were ordinary people with no ability resistance.

“……”

However, Baek Woohyun’s attack stopped exactly there.

He only subdued the armed guards by flattening them, not killing them. They weren’t Hunting Dogs, and there was no need to kill mere armed guards.

The specters that always screamed to kill the enemies were now silent. Because they were not the targets of revenge the specters desired.

“Grrr—””Ugh, I can’t move!”

Thump thump.

Pressing down all other nearby office workers as well, Baek Woohyun crossed the headquarters lobby as if walking through an uninhabited place.

With everyone flat on the ground, his figure, alone in moving his steps, exuded an overwhelming presence.

Even his shabby test subject outfit was wrapped in transparent flames, granting a bizarre sense of intimidation in itself!

‘It should be around here.’

Reaching the center of the headquarters lobby, Baek Woohyun examined the floor with deeply sunken eyes.

The reason he broke through the Geumshin Electronics headquarters entrance and entered, even though he flew through the air, was because the location of the needed materials was underground.

If the materials had been on an upper floor, he would have broken through the glass wall above and entered directly. But since it was in a secret underground space, he had no choice but to come down.

‘Found it.’

“Halt!”

Just as he was about to exert his ability’s power again, a coarse male voice stopped Baek Woohyun.

He could have ignored it and continued what he was about to do, but due to the unpleasantness felt upon hearing the voice, Baek Woohyun’s gaze turned in that direction.

There stood four people wearing outfits similar to Otherworld Management Bureau combat gear. They were the awakeners who stepped forward as the armed guards were subdued.

The man leading them boasted a surprisingly large physique, and combined with his appearance, it made one think of a gorilla.

Seeing Baek Woohyun standing still and looking this way, he even puffed out his chest triumphantly with a Hmph!

Soon, the gorilla-like man shouted with a loud, echoing volume.

“Cease illegal ability use immediately and surrender! Otherwise, we will subdue you by force!”

“……”

-Kill! Kill him!

-Kill that bastard now!

Emotion vanished from Baek Woohyun’s face as he looked at the gorilla man issuing the warning. As it always was when facing an enemy that must be killed.

In tandem, the specters, who had remained silent until dealing with the armed guards, also went wild, revealing the vengeful feelings accumulated within them without reserve.

The scene clearly showed that the gorilla man who appeared now—Won Jongcheol—was considered a target of revenge by Baek Woohyun and the specters to that extent.

“……”

Growwl—!

Baek Woohyun substituted an answer by drawing up his ability’s power in silence.

The transparent flames surrounding his entire body rippled fiercely, threateningly blazing. It was a scene showing that the power of his ability was extraordinary.

Perhaps sensing that fact, tension settled on the faces of Won Jongcheol and the other guard awakeners, which had been relaxed.

“Negotiation doesn’t seem possible.”

“……Ha.”

Hearing Won Jongcheol’s mutter, Baek Woohyun smiled coldly. It seemed intolerable that words like ‘negotiation’ came from that bastard’s mouth.

Given that the number of test subject comrades that bastard killed ‘over there’ exceeded dozens, how could negotiation be possible?

Even now, a thick smell of blood emanated from him. It meant he was still doing the same things, both ‘over there’ and here.

“Subdue the intru—”

Crunch crackle!

Baek Woohyun started his attack, no longer holding back.

With one gesture from him, the area around Won Jongcheol and the awakeners crumbled and shattered. As if a giant hand strongly grabbed and twisted their surroundings.

It was the manifestation of the technique Baek Woohyun named [Distortion], which telekinetically grabs and twists the target and the space itself around it.

“Block it! [Guardian Stone]!”

“[Lake’s Blessing]!”

“[Bone Shield]!”

“[Steel Curtain]!”

However, the awakeners, including Won Jongcheol, are not ordinary people unable to resist abilities like the armed guards. They immediately resisted.

All four of them simultaneously used defensive ability techniques to block [Distortion].

Because it was a timely response, Baek Woohyun’s [Distortion] lost its power and disappeared after only crushing their defensive ability techniques.

Though it looked like they blocked it well at a glance, Won Jongcheol’s face had actually hardened more than before.

“Be careful. The opponent is much stronger than expected!”