Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88: Ignis Guild Field Trip (5)
The door to the Guild Master's office closed quietly.
Leaving behind the gold frame and the chamber pot commotion (?), the students stood in the hallway again.
"This is the last course. This way."
As Secretary Kim beckoned lightly, the students began to move in an orderly fashion.
After that, they passed through three doors.
Made of thick bulletproof glass, triple locks, iris and fingerprint recognition.
Minute vibrations flowed through the floor, and a transparent defensive barrier was formed along the ceiling rails.
"Wow, the atmosphere is different from the start."
"Does this mean the last one is the finale?"
"Just what are we going to see……."
The students instinctively lowered their voices.
"What did you hide to act like this? Entering a dungeon boss room would be easier than this."
Yoo jin added as if grumbling, but Secretary Kim just silently bowed her head slightly.
As if she couldn't tell them right now.
After penetrating such long security, a small laboratory appeared.
"Is that it……?"
"What is this?"
At the twins' voices, the gazes of the students and Yoo jin focused on one place.
A mechanical device sitting right in the center of the laboratory was visible.
The device placed in the center was surprisingly small.
A sleek cylindrical device.
A thin tube protruded from the front, and a simple interface floated on the screen.
"What is this?"
When Jin-ho asked as a representative, Lee Si-wang took off his sunglasses and spoke to the children.
"This is an Illegal Awakening Verification Device."
"Illegal Awakening Verification Device?"
"Yes. It is a mechanical device created to distinguish illegal awakened ones. To put it simply, it's like a 'breathalyzer'."
As Lee Si-wang's explanation continued, the children's eyes were capturing the minute details of the mechanical device placed in the center.
"If you place your hand on the body of the mechanical device and exhale heavily into the tube, it detects abnormal reactions and transmits them to that screen visible over there. Well, naturally, cases without problems also appear on that screen."
The children's heads moved up and down.
Realizing the explanation was a bit lacking, Lee Si-wang added more words.
"Illegal awakening has been rampant for a few years now. Although not heavily highlighted in the media, it became quite a problem, so equipment to verify it like this was even created."
Secretary Kim took over and spoke.
"This device reads the residual reactions of the relevant indicators as a pattern. A legal basis has been prepared and it is scheduled to be linked with the Association. It will probably be commercialized sooner or later."
"It's already being commercialized?"
"Yes, we prepared for a long time together with science and technology specialized guilds, and the performance has been perfected to the point where there are no errors or margins of error."
"I see."
Yoo jin nodded his head looking at the mechanical device as if he had no particular interest.
"By the way, isn't it good if we make awakened ones?"
As if pouring cold water on the silenced atmosphere, the twins raised their hands high and asked.
"That's right, well, getting caught being illegal is an issue. But still, if the number of awakened ones increases, we can respond faster to Dungeon Breaks, and medium-sized guilds lacking manpower can recruit many good resources."
The gazes of the students and Yoo jin turned toward the twins.
He felt it since last time, but the twins, and especially Im Jong-sin among them.
This guy seemed to become smart only at strange times.
It was like that when special envoys came to the school after he revealed he was a Returnee.
Well, anyway.
Flash!
Yoo jin's gaze turned toward Lee Si-wang.
Silent pressure.
Inside those eyes, 'You answer instead' was contained.
Lee Si-wang, who was pouting his lips, let out a small exhale and turned toward the twins.
What was the use of saying anything, the answer that would return was obvious, and he had no right to refuse.
"There must certainly be benefits or socially good parts. However, there has to be a reason why the name illegal is attached."
Lee Si-wang, who caught his breath for a moment, voiced out again.
"If you force power into a body that doesn't fit…… what do you think will happen to the body eventually?"
Silence flowed.
There were children who understood this at once, and children who tilted their heads, not yet understanding the meaning of these words.
"For example, what about putting air into a balloon? Since it expands and can fly up, it's fine. But… what if you put hot lava instead of air into a balloon that is too thin?"
Lee Si-wang, who made eye contact with the students one by one,
Clap!
Clapped his hands strongly, making a loud sound.
Most of the children were startled by that and became wide-eyed.
"It will melt down and burst at once."
Gulp.
Only now did the twins as well as the students there come to understand why one shouldn't do illegal awakening.
"Although awakening hasn't been completely clarified yet, one thing is certain. That one must be chosen. Only when the body, the mind, and the Unique Skill blooming within can all be endured does awakening finally happen."
"……."
The children became mute as if they had eaten honey.
Then, Yoo jin, who was watching quietly, added a word.
"Think about forcing a ridiculously high-performance engine into a small can. The car body is like a sheet of paper, but if what's inside is an engine capable of moving a tank? Wouldn't the result be obvious."
As Yoo jin's explanation continued once more, the children flinched their bodies.
"It's like pouring lava into a container that can't endure it. That is illegal awakening. Even if it looks like they use power for a moment on the outside, eventually they will collapse, burst, and burn even the surroundings. Naturally, their own body too."
When the words ended, a short silence flowed in the space.
The heads of the children, who now properly understood illegal awakening, nodded slowly.
Secretary Kim opened her mouth while moving slowly to the front of the machine.
"Illegal drugs, awakening accelerators, and even taboo spells are all detectable."
Secretary Kim, who stopped in front of the machine, lifted the glasses she was wearing once.
"Is there anyone who wants to try experiencing it?"
At that single word.
The atmosphere that had settled down reversed in an instant.
Like little kids at an amusement park whose turn had come after waiting in line for an hour.
"Me!"
"I want to try too!"
The children's expressions came alive as they gathered in front of Secretary Kim all at once.
The experience began.
The twins pushed each other and played around, and Seong-hyeon, who stepped up as the leader first, blew his breath.
"Guess this, you machine brat! Foo!!!!"
Beep-beep—
[Normal]
― A-Rank Unique Skill….
…….
…….
…….
The children laughed and clapped.
Ye-na too, Jin-ho too.
Blew their breath in turn, and all were 'Normal'.
The equipment was operating accurately, and smiles did not leave the children's lips at the new experience.
The experience proceeded in turn.
However, not everyone did it, and this time only those who wanted to do it.
It was understandable.
Because at Taewoon High School, the most prestigious among the prestigious.
There was no way there would be a child who awakened illegally.
However.
"……."
Yoo jin's gaze stopped at the back of the crowd.
Thin eyeglass frames, neat shirt collar.
A student of few words and shallow presence.
That moment no one paid attention to.
Yoo jin definitely discovered it.
Lee Chan-yeong.
His disciple.
Perhaps…… that child who was even more timid and unnoticed than Jin-ho when they first met.
That his body was trembling.
Small trembling, suppressed air, blurry eyes.
A fleeting moment.
At that time when Yoo jin's vision was filled with his disciple.
"Now, with this, today's field trip is all concluded."
Secretary Kim's voice rang out like an echo from a distant mountain.
And although the sound of applause filled the laboratory behind that voice.
"……."
Yoo jin's eyes were still.
Following that child.
Like that, the Ignis Guild field trip was concluded.
***
Republic of Korea's 3 Great Guilds.
Receiving the send-off of the Ignis Guild Master, Vice Guild Master, and Secretary, the bus door closed.
Inside the bus returning to the dormitory.
Because it was a precious experience that even a prestigious school couldn't easily do.
Excitement was still filled on the children's faces.
"The portal was truly a legend."
"No! The cafeteria was truly the GOAT!"
"Ah, I want to eat LA Galbi(Beef) again."
"Do you have no conscience? You ate five plates, you know?"
"Really?"
"Hahahaha!"
Smiles did not leave the lips of the children returning to the dormitory.
And on Yoo jin's face watching those smiles too.
Naturally.
The smile did not leave.
'Well… seeing this, it was good that I saved them.'
Reclaiming Yeoncheon.
The whole world knows he is a Returnee.
People coming with blank checks and legendary grade artifacts.
The whole world calls him a God, no, a Demon King, revering and praising him.
Rather than such fame or treasures.
Yoo jin thought that it was good he saved them because he could see his disciples' smiles through the Ignis Guild field trip.
At that time Yoo jin was laughing while looking at the children like that.
Vrrrm—
The smartphone in his inner pocket vibrated.
Yoo jin put his hand in his pocket and taking out the smartphone.
[Inviting you to the Room of Gods.]
Letters floating on the screen.
"Ha, why does this spam come every day?"
Wondering where his information was leaked, this strange invitation had been coming several times since last time.
The smile disappeared from Yoo jin's face.
"I never joined anything weird, tsk."
Swipe!
Yoo jin treated the invitation as spam today as well and deleted it.
That's right.
The secret room of Returnees that S-Ranks of each country and Presidents are anxious to enter.
'Room of Gods.'
That invitation that not just anyone receives.
Headed to the trash can today as well.
***
Same time.
Room of Gods.
"He still hasn't accepted……."
"……."
"……."
Returnees called Gods.
Heavenly King.
Supreme King.
Holy King.
For the first time since ascending to the position of God, they were experiencing something called playing hard to get.
***
That night when the Year 2 Class A students returned from the field trip to Ignis Guild.
Footsteps seeped into the dormitory hallway.
Heavy footsteps passed the hallway, flowed down the stairs, and eventually passed the door.
The humid night air of summer grazed the cheek.
Avoiding the moonlight, a child moved his steps into the darkness.
He was a student who went on the field trip to Ignis Guild with Yoo jin today.
And at the same time…….
"I'd rather…… ask to turn me back to a non-awakened…… if I don't……."
Before his figure was completely devoured by the darkness.
Tears were welling up on the child's face reflected in the moonlight.
"Not just me…… even my parents will become criminals."
Lee Chan-yeong.
The child who was timid and quiet but called the most upright in Class A.
However, inside his heart, a brand that no one should know was engraved.
Gained power through a forbidden transaction at the Underground Dark Store.
He was an illegal awakened one.