HLSEBT - 84

There was no way transfer students could have such high-level information.

It was an easy and simple method that didn’t require dirtying his hands.

Ko Myung-sung’s subtle voice clung to Kang Jin-ho’s ears like a hallucination.

“Have we ever disappointed you with the cleanup?”

Without hesitation, Kang Jin-ho raised his pistol.

A black sphere struck the fin-like structure. From all directions came sounds resembling the cries of a massive beast.

Ignoring it, he continued his assault.

This too would be labeled as an accident.

I will not let anyone take my place.

By now, blood vessels bulged in Kang Jin-ho’s eyes like spiderwebs. The pistol, absorbing his hostility, grew scorching hot as if about to explode.

The fin-like structure he attacked trembled violently before retreating into the wall like a turtle withdrawing its head.

KWAHHH!

From afar, the sound of water gushing echoed.

Satisfied, Kang Jin-ho turned his steps toward the upper node.

________________________________________

Yoon Taeha waited for Cheon Geonyoung at the entrance to the lower node. He didn’t keep her waiting long.

Cheon Geonyoung approached with noticeably lighter steps, his bag slung over his shoulder. He appeared unharmed.

“Was it manageable?”

They cut off the transmission to headquarters and spoke privately. Cheon Geonyoung grimaced slightly.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat shrimp for a while.”

Suppressing a smile at the expected reaction, Yoon Taeha teased lightly. Seeing her bright expression, Cheon Geonyoung seemed to relax momentarily.

“You shouldn’t laugh.”

“Not even the seafood market owners have locked eyes with shrimp as much as I just did.”

“It’s called the ‘Whale’s Heart’ for a reason.”

Cheon Geonyoung set his bag down and began inspecting his weapons one last time before entering the node.

Watching him skillfully reorganize his gear, she remarked:

“I’ve been thinking about this for three hours.”

“Considering the allocated magazines, each shot must eliminate one target to avoid running out of ammunition prematurely.”

“That’s right. Since this isn’t real.”

Cheon Geonyoung shrugged casually. Finishing his preparations, he said:

“The mid-tier enemies in the central corridor—all taken care of by you, it seems.”

Yoon Taeha extended her hand. Two mismatched rings adorned her fingers.

“My weapon’s efficiency helped.”

The black ring was unfamiliar to Cheon Geonyoung. Intrigued, he asked:

“A new ring?”

“It’s my doppelgänger.”

“Like Center Director’s watch?”

“Yes.”

The elegantly twisted ring resembled a snake guarding its master. Yoon Taeha raised her hand for him to see better.

“It suits you.”

“Now that repairs are done, you’ll see it often. I don’t even take it off when I sleep.”

“If you use it, signal me first.”

“Why?”

“I want to see it properly the first time.”

After finishing his check, Yoon Taeha nodded at him and murmured softly:

“It’s time to enter the node.”

Waiting for them was a narrow, throat-like passage.

Cheon Geonyoung turned to confirm:

“What do we do once inside?”

“Destroy thirteen thorns on the walls. That’s the guide’s job.”

He filled in the gaps:

“The esper lures and distracts the node’s guardian protecting the thorns.”

“The standard method.”

Finishing her explanation, Yoon Taeha paused thoughtfully before adding:

“About the node’s guardian…”

“Yeah.”

“Their strength varies depending on the opponent.”

Cheon Geonyoung responded nonchalantly:

“Are we going to die here today?”

“Surely not… Surely not. Officially, my data doesn’t exist in the shelter system. The guardian operates under the same dataset. But even so...”

For the first time, uncertainty tinged her voice.

“Just in case, it might be stronger than expected.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I won’t let you get hurt. Besides, it’s just a puppet… And I have my ring.”

“Yoon Taeha.”

In the dim passageway, he called her name. She looked at him with a slightly dazed expression.

The eyes she once thought beautiful under the sun still shimmered in the dark underground. Perhaps it wasn’t the sunlight that made them radiant.

“Trust my skills.”

The trust between them felt awkward yet comforting.

“So don’t worry.”

Yoon Taeha took a deep breath and returned to her usual demeanor, deliberately adopting a solemn tone.

“I’ll live up to that trust.”

Cheon Geonyoung’s lips curved upward smoothly.

________________________________________

The two entered the passage.

Cold droplets occasionally fell from the ceiling. Humid air laden with someone’s murderous intent wafted from the opposite direction.

Cheon Geonyoung glanced back at her serious expression. Protecting his partner at all costs was a purpose etched clearly on Yoon Taeha’s face.

This kind of protection was unfamiliar to him.

Reaching the end of the passage, they found a space resembling an overturned dome.

He immediately identified the positions of the cameras and thorns. Yoon Taeha also became aware that their actions were now exposed to headquarters from this point onward.

A tiny dot-like camera was embedded in the center of the ceiling.

Cheon Geonyoung announced:

“I’ve located the positions.”

Yoon Taeha nodded briefly, taking in the scenery of the node.

The scene before them was unique.

Crystal-like minerals sprouted across the reddish floor like mushrooms. The translucent minerals absorbed surrounding colors, appearing reddish.

Large and small protrusions dotted the rounded walls densely. Among them, thirteen particularly massive ones were the “thorns.”

“That’s the core of the thorns.”

He pointed to a minuscule crystal embedded at the base of one large protrusion.

“It’s so small. If attacked, it might move.”

Yoon Taeha frowned at the sight, glancing at the camera as if acknowledging its presence.

He dismissed it casually:

“It’s manageable.”

She nodded in agreement. Walking to the center of the space, she instructed:

“Take your position and signal when ready.”

Cheon Geonyoung positioned himself at the periphery, where he had cover behind large mineral clusters. A blue glow swirled freely around the esper standing at the center of the red space, ready to strike at any moment.

Once prepared, Cheon Geonyoung spoke:

“We’ll proceed clockwise.”

• If you need support, let me know immediately.

Her distant voice echoed strangely.

He aimed precisely at the first target. With a low, clear signal, his gun spat fire.

The gunshot, always nerve-wracking, shattered the tranquil air of the node.

The first thorn was easily destroyed.

But both knew this was only the beginning. The floor trembled faintly.

• Move on to the second immediately.

• I’ll handle the guardian.

As soon as the esper’s decisive voice faded, the previously limp thorns stood erect like lightning-struck trees, shaking wildly as if convulsing.

Without hesitation, Cheon Geonyoung resumed firing.

When the second thorn was halfway destroyed, Yoon Taeha leapt high into the air.

Landing atop a mineral cluster, sharp blue streaks orbited her, ready to strike.

An unpleasant smell seeped into the air.

Instinctively, he realized.

• The node guardian has appeared.

He forced himself not to look toward the source. The trembling floor showed no signs of calming.

KIEEEK! GGGRRRK!

The monster’s cries grew louder as more blue streaks swirled. Behind the screams came the sound of destruction—shattered remnants of the node’s interior.

Until the ninth thorn was destroyed, he didn’t search for Yoon Taeha, who had vanished from sight.

Looking for her would waste time. Occasionally, a blue feather circling him signaled she was firmly in control.

Cheon Geonyoung shifted to destroy the tenth thorn.

Only then could he glimpse the node guardian’s form.

• Doesn’t it look like a red blood cell from a textbook?

Yoon Taeha asked in a relaxed tone.

Moments later, a rotating red disc resembling a saw blade lunged horizontally to sever her.

Wherever the guardian passed, the floor was left barren, like land ravaged by a tractor. Broken minerals glittered pitifully in scattered spots.

“Indeed.”

• Its shape changes frequently.

• Earlier, it looked like slime.

Focusing again, Cheon Geonyoung destroyed the tenth and eleventh thorns. Midway, a mineral shard hurled by the guardian lodged near him.

One shard nearly grazed his arm.

But an invisible force nudged it mid-air, altering its trajectory unnaturally.

• You weren’t hit, right?

He knew who had intervened without asking.

“Not at all.”

• Two left?

“One.”

After obliterating the twelfth thorn, he answered.

Yoon Taeha calmly announced the next phase.

• Now we attack.

• Signal when the thorns are destroyed.

• We need to time the final blow carefully.

Through his scope, Cheon Geonyoung watched Yoon Taeha gather the blue feathers into one spot.

The guardian now resembled a sea urchin. One teasing blue feather darted provocatively, only to be savagely swallowed by the guardian.

“Commence firing.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yoon Taeha launched her full-scale attack. A deep smile played on her lips, having ended her taunting game.

When the node guardian dies, the thorns are absorbed into the walls.

That seals the exit.

To open it, they must destroy the cores attached to the thorns and then defeat the guardian, forcing the dungeon to surrender.

Just before destruction, Cheon Geonyoung signaled:

“Stop.”

Yoon Taeha immediately ceased her attack, dodging the crimson mass’s frenzied assault.

BANG!

He aimed precisely at the core. A direct hit. Two more shots would shatter it completely and destroy the final thorn.

This was the textbook-clear route shown by the center. Most students knew this as the standard way to break the Heart of the White Whale.

But the awaited variable finally emerged.

• Did it hide?

The final thorn, struck by bullets, writhed wildly before slipping silently into the wall.

• Even the guardian fled…

The guardian lying on the floor vanished without a trace.

And from somewhere, the faint sound of surging water echoed.