CH 232

“If the two of you have finished talking, let’s go to the red market.”

I was concerned about Cheon Sa-yeon’s mood, but in the current situation, I couldn’t soothe him, so it was right to do what I had to do first.

Like the last time, we entered the Red Market through the subway wall and went back to the location where Producer Li Wei’s shop was.

Edward saw the empty place and asked me a question.

“Is it here?”

“Yes. He probably sold his inventories here before he disappeared.”

“If you’re sure he has stayed here for more than a day… you’d better to use this.”

When Edward tapped the jewel of the ring he was wearing, a small wooden doll fell from the air.

“This kid will follow the traces of the producer you are looking for. When you reach the end of the trace, it automatically goes back to the inventory.”

A wooden doll the size of my palm creaked and stood up. Then it fumbled on the ground and immediately walked hard straight ahead.

“Oh my, so cute.”

Min Ah-rin, who saw the little thing working hard and walking, lit up her eyes. Fox, who was curious, released his invisibility to see, flew near the wooden doll, and tilted his head.

‘It’s cute, but…’

It was so small that no matter how fast it ran, there was a limit to its speed. How long do we have to wait. Kwon Jeong-han asked Edward as if he had the same thoughts as me.

“Is there other than bigger than that one?”

Edward, noticing the meaning of his words, answered with an awkward smile.

“Yeees. It’s a bit… small, right? But I’m sure this one is the best.”

If he was sure, there was nothing we could do. We slowly followed behind the vigorously running wooden doll.

The wooden doll went deep into the outskirts of the Red Market without stopping. As I entered a place where no one could reach, I was getting worried.

“Does anyone know how long the Red Market is?”

“I’ve heard that it’s difficult to find out unless you’re a related person since it was made by someone with space control ability.”

Ha Tae-heon, who was walking next to me, answered my question. Is that so? All of a sudden, there was nothing but an empty dirt road around the area where the noise had disappeared as well as the crowd.

“Um, it’s true that it’s still inside the Red Market.”

Edward, who used his ability, looked around and opened his mouth.

“I’ve been to the Red Market a lot, but it’s the first time I’ve been this deep.”

“The Red Market has only one entrance, doesn’t it? I wonder what will happen if we keep walking like this.”

Hearing Park Geon-ho’s words, I looked down at the wooden doll that was only going straight.

‘I feel… something wrong.’

I turned my gaze to check Cheon Sa-yeon’s face. As before, he just walked quietly with an expressionless face.

I didn’t know if it was because he was in a bad mood or if he was feeling something like myself.

Piiik! Piik!

Fox, who had abandoned me and cling to the wooden doll, suddenly cried high and flew back to me. At the same time, a very strange sensation ran through my body.

“…what?”

“Did anyone else feel it just now?”

“I felt it too.”

Everyone looked confused as well as if they felt the same.

“Wait a minute.”

Edward, noticing something, raised his head and looked up at the sky. Cold energy emanated from his body, the focus of his eyes disappeared and a swarm of lights filled up.

Edward, who used his ability stronger than ever, explained.

“The space has just changed. This is no longer inside the Red Market.”

“Did someone use their ability to change it?”

“No, it’s more like a case of secretly pasting another space in a part of the Red Market. We just passed through the space.”

“What you see is no different from the Red Market… The energy I feel is definitely different.”

I also raised my gaze at Ha Tae-heon’s words. The night sky where the Milky Way was seen was like the sky embodied by the American Red Market.

Kkigik, gik.

The wooden doll that stopped with us creaked. Edward, who stopped the operation of the wooden doll, asked.

“The traces are still there. What should we do? Shall we go in more?”

“I think it would be better to follow along, but… what do others think?”

It could be dangerous, so I asked everyone for their opinion. Cheon Sa-yeon, who was worried about something while touching his lips, opened his mouth for the first time since coming here.

“Let’s go further. However, in case something happens, it would be better for Edward, Healer Min Ah-rin, and Bodyguard Kwon Jeong-han to be careful in advance.”

We switched positions with Edward, Min Ah-rin, and Kwon Jeong-han in the centre. I slowly raised my energy in case we had to run away just in case.

“Then I will start again.”

After confirming that everyone had been prepared in case of an unexpected situation, Edward restarted the wooden doll with a nervous face. The wooden doll, which had been sitting down, got up again and creaked forward.

As I went further inside, the surroundings slowly began to darken. The night sky, where the Milky Way was spread out, was filled with just black darkness and the darkness that came like smoke narrowed my vision.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi, can you see the other side?”

“No. I can’t see it.”

“Then it’s not normal darkness.”

If it was the darkness that covered the eyes of SS-rank Ha Tae-heon, it was obvious that it was a fake they had created. Meanwhile, the darkness continued to come silently like smoke. All I could see now was the road we had passed and the front. It was like a narrow alleyway.

When the situation became like this, I became anxious and grabbed Cheon Sa-yeon’s arm.

“Wouldn’t it be better if we send Edward-ssi back and just go by ourselves?”

“I think that would be difficult.”

Rather, it was Edward who had answered my words. He, who had been using his ability since before, spoke in a calm voice.

“The way back is already closed. I didn’t know until I got here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I was late to notice because it was a space created by a person with a much higher level of ability than me…”

“Then is there no way out of this place?”

Edward furrowed his brow with a slightly pale complexion.

“The crafting circuit that looks beyond space is too complex that I can’t interpret how to escape.”

“Then there is only one choice. We have no choice but to keep following that trace.”

Swallowing dry saliva at the conclusion that Cheon Sa-yeon drew, I stared at the endless front.

“…will it be okay?”

“Be careful not to get too far away from each other.”

Seeing Min Ah-rin’s frightened face, I sent Fox on my shoulder to her.

“No matter what happens, don’t stay away from Min Ah-rin-ssi and Edward-ssi.”

Piik! As if aware of my concern, Fox flew straight to Min Ah-rin and Edward as if not to worry. It was such a relief at the time.

Kugugung!

Suddenly, the ground shook violently as if there had been an earthquake. I stopped in haste and noticed that the ground was falling rapidly.

“Yi-gyeol-ssi!”

I woke up to Min Ah-rin’s scream. As the strong wind quickly enveloped everyone, the energy decreased at a tremendous rate and the bracelet I was wearing trembled.

“Ugh, what the…!”

Even though I had obviously used my ability, an unknown force kept pulling me downward. The ground had long since disappeared and now all that was left was the black darkness that couldn’t be seen an inch ahead.

“The space is changing! We can escape with the wind ability…!”

“Edward-ssi!”

Edward vanished into the darkness in an instant. Not only Edward, but Min Ah-rin and Fox beside me, as well as Park Geon-ho, Woo Seo-hyuk, Kwon Jeong-han, and Ha Tae-heon disappeared one after another.

“Han Yi-gyeol…!”

I was suffocated by the surging fear when I saw with my own eyes that even Kim Woo-jin’s figure, who reached out to me with a white, paled face, had disappeared.

‘What should I do?’

No matter how hard I struggled with my wind ability, nothing changed. My body, falling into the endless darkness, didn’t even move as if it was out of my control.

Han Yi-gyeol’s wind ability couldn’t escape from this. Then the ability to intervene…!

“Shh.”

“Gasp!”

I felt a cold hand grabbing my trembling hand. Cheon Sa-yeon, who hugged me from behind, whispered in my ear.

“It looks like they’ve created something formidable. What a huge space.”

“…Cheon Sa-yeon?”

“Don’t panic and focus. What they are preparing is starting from now on.”

Cheon Sa-yeon’s and my hands were engulfed in darkness. However, there was no fear to the point of losing my mind like just before.

My heart, which had been beating like crazy, returned to my normal speed little by little thanks to the low and soft speaking Cheon Sa-yeon. I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

‘The energy…’

I could feel it. Everyone’s energy, including Cheon Sa-yeon behind me, was clearly felt. It was obvious that they couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, but they all didn’t disappear and were side by side.

Eventually, my body was completely swallowed up by the darkness. I closed my eyes slowly in the complete darkness without a single ray of light.

Since there was nothing in sight, I had to rely on other senses. That was the moment.

[The most terrible moment of the strongest will be recreated.]

A low, harsh voice resounded in my head. As soon as I opened my eyes to the unfamiliar yet familiar voice, the space began to twist wildly.

“Ugh…!”

Unlike before, a heavy gravity hit my body. I clenched my teeth and endured the shock. The darkness that filled my eyes soon distorted and flashed in various colours.

Kuung!

At the same time as the group of lights took on a certain shape, something hard hit my back strongly. Suddenly, I collided with something unidentified and fell to the ground.

“Ugh…!”

“Keuk!”

I heard cries from behind me, one by one. I hurriedly got up and looked around, but found that everyone, who had disappeared into the dark, had returned safely and I asked urgently.

“Are you all okay?”

“Aya… what a surprise.”

Piiik, piik!

“Han Yi-gyeol, are you okay?”

“Han Yi-gyeol!”

Unlike me, who fell on the table, I could see Min Ah-rin and Edward who fell onto the sofa, the whining Fox, and Kim Woo-jin and Ha Tae-heon running towards me. Behind them were Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk, who frowned with their backs on each other, and Kwon Jeong-han picking up the glasses he had dropped.

Finally, after confirming Cheon Sa-yeon, who was quietly looking around, I grabbed my chest and exhaled a long breath.

‘That’s a relief.’

Everyone is safe. Like me, people who were relieved only after checking each other’s appearances looked around afterwards.

“Where is it?”

“It looks like a luxurious bar.”

There was a red leather sofa and a black table in the centre. Seeing the round lights hanging from the ceiling and the neat wallpaper, I frowned.

‘What?’

It was a very familiar place for the first time I came. Where did I see it? As I narrowed my eyes at the unstable memory, Ha Tae-heon blocked the front and sent me back.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

“Someone is coming.”

As soon as those words were finished, I could hear the sound of footsteps in my ears. The sound of heavy shoe heels intertwined roughly. A rough estimate, the number was well over six people.

“Fox. Use invisibility and stick to Edward-ssi.”

Piiik, pik!

I hurriedly sent Min Ah-rin, Edward, and Kwon Jeong-han behind and looked at the door.

I quickly organized the situation while listening to the sound of footsteps approaching right in front of the door.

‘This place is too narrow for a battle.’

I’d rather break the wall behind me with my ability and run away with the wind. When I made up my mind, the wind squeaked threateningly as if it was about to burst. Soon the door swung open.

“I’m sure there’s a sound…”

“Hyung-nim, there really are people!”

“What the, fuck! What bastards are you?”

“These crazy bastards, recklessly entering the store that hasn’t even started the business yet?”

We couldn’t hide our bewilderment when we faced the large men entering through the wide-open door. No one could feel the energy of the talented people. They were ordinary people.

“Oh…?”

And then I saw the opponent’s face over Ha Tae-heon’s shoulder and let out a stupid sound. The opponent’s face, whom I thought was a clear enemy, was very familiar.

What the… nonsense. This…

“What’s the fuss about?”

It was then that the sense of reality disappeared and I was absentminded. A voice that shouldn’t be heard, beyond the door… was heard.

“Hyung-nim, would you like to come over for a moment?”

“Suspicious guys have invaded.”

“Suspicious guys?”

A low voice asking a question. I felt a cold sensation as if the blood all over my body had escaped under my feet.

“Get out of the way.”

“Yes.”

I clenched my fists strongly at the act of leading the way by biting back those blocking the front door. Thump, thump, the sound of my heart beating faster than ever before, disturbed my mind.

No. No. You… you…

“…who are you?”

Black hair with half of the forehead exposed. Vigilant eyes. Black suit. Seeing everything about the man standing in front of me, I smiled as if I wanted to cry.

Kwon Se-hyun, why are you here?