Chapter 180 - Escape (7)
“G-Get the bomb! Take it from her!”
At my urgent shout, Karl lunged forward, and the branch leader reacted instantly, turning to flee.
There were multiple tunnels leading to the mine’s core.
She bolted toward one of them—
I cursed and summoned my bow.
If she got away, this would be a disaster.
PUHUK!
Golden arrows, imbued with piercing power, tore through her thigh and shoulder.
She crashed to the ground, rolling across the dirt.
I exhaled in relief.
Because she was Black Market, I had half-expected her to be on the level of Black Rose’s branch leader, but—
She was far weaker than I had feared.
That was a huge relief.
She didn’t even scream.
A clear sign of brainwashing.
Karl rushed to rip Theramore from her grasp—
But even as her fingernails cracked and her arm snapped, she refused to let go.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP—
A chilling alarm.
I gritted my teeth.
And then, I kicked her in the face.
Her head slamd into the wall, and the sphere rolled free from her fingers.
Karl glanced at the branch leader’s limp body, her neck twisted unnaturally, then looked up at with a stunned expression.
“…Brutal bastard.”
“We’re all about to die, who the hell cares?”
One second here could an life or death.
I snatched Theramore off the ground.
It hadn’t floated into the air yet—so we still had ti.
Staring at the pure white sphere, I felt Karl approach.
His expression was grim as he extended his hand.
“Give it to . You need to get out of here.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“You can’t die. You’re different from .”
When he reached for the sphere, I stepped back.
His expression twisted.
Every instinct in his body scread—
This was real. This was the actual bomb.
“Fuck! It’s going to explode! I an it!”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“I promised Lochter I’d bring you back alive!”
“Then we’re leaving together. If we can’t stop it, we’re all dead anyway—us, and Lochter’s group inside the tunnel.”
Just then—
[It’s possible.]
Reto’s voice.
The answer I had been waiting for.
After analyzing Theramore’s energy during the battle with Lyon, Reto had made a theoretical proposal.
And now, he confird that it would work.
I poured Holy Power into Theramore.
The Enchant ability.
A golden glow engulfed the white sphere.
“Reto, you’re sure this will work?”
[Theramore is an ultra-condensed mass of chaotic energy. If your Holy Power is strong enough, you can suppress the explosion.]
But then—
Theramore’s condensed mana resisted the Holy Power.
Even though I poured everything into it, the light started pushing back.
“D-Damn it… Burst Strike—”
[If you use Burst Strike while channeling Holy Power, the enchantnt will lose control. You’ll die instantly.]
“Ugh…!!”
[It’s not enough. You can’t stop the explosion—only delay it.]
The red flashing light on Theramore slowed down significantly.
Karl’s eyes widened.
“What… What did you just do?”
“Theramore is an unstable mana bomb—if the mana becos stable, it won’t explode.”
“…That’s possible?”
“I thought it was. Turns out—nope.”
“What the fuck, man?”
Holy Power was ant to restore order—to stabilize chaotic energy.
But only if my power was stronger.
WUUUUUUNG—
“…Shit!”
Theramore began to float.
The situation was getting worse.
The twisting mass of mana was pushing back my Holy Power.
Do I just grab this thing and run out of the mine?
[Don’t touch it. It’ll detonate.]
“…Damn it. No other options.”
Reto was feeding real-ti energy readings from Theramore.
As a Transcendent, he was highly attuned to the world’s energy flows.
[The bomb’s energy is rampaging. It can’t be controlled anymore.]
Then—
TUK—
The vibrating sphere suddenly stilled.
Then, as if swallowing the golden light, it began to descend slowly toward the ground.
Like snowflakes falling in slow motion.
The enchantnt was collapsing.
If it touched the ground, it would explode.
“…Did we do it? Did we succeed?!”
“Succeed in what?! RUN!”
When death stares you in the face, you reach a crossroad.
The first choice was how to handle the bomb.
With Reto’s help, I had delayed the explosion, but I couldn’t stop it completely.
Now, another decision awaited .
‘The safest escape is that way…’
I glanced back toward the entrance.
It was closer to escape into the forest than to go deeper inside.
But—
‘If I don’t go back, they’ll be trapped.’
The people waiting for on the other side.
I had sent them there.
And I was the only one who could lead them to safety.
I lunged toward the mine’s depths instead of escaping.
Karl cursed and chased after .
No ti to hesitate.
We sprinted like madn.
The sealed tunnels.
As the exit passage ca into view, I shouted at Karl.
“Just follow my back! If you think you’re about to die, tap my shoulder!”
“…Die? Tap? Why?”
Instead of answering, I summoned golden light.
It illuminated the tight space ahead—
Barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
There was no room to move side by side.
With our awkward positions, it was hard to move fast.
Karl and I frantically crawled forward.
The more we rushed, the more our limbs tangled, and the more our bodies scraped against the walls—adding to our wounds.
Did Lochter and the others make it through?
Ti was too tight.
“The space—! It’s getting bigger!”
“RUN!”
As the tunnel widened, we could finally sprint.
The mont I could move my legs properly—
I scread at the top of my lungs.
“RUN! EVERYONE, RUN!!!”
The tunnel stretched in a straight line—
My voice echoed down its length.
I could only pray that the people ahead heard my warning.
I ran until my throat burned.
When I faltered, Karl took over, screaming in my place.
Panting, I scanned my surroundings.
Now, the tunnel was wide enough for two people to run side by side.
We poured every ounce of strength into our legs.
We shot forward like lightning.
The golden glow reflecting off the walls beca even brighter.
I had seen this before—
Back at Nelitori Gorge.
That ti, too, I had barely escaped before everything collapsed.
Buried alive—twice in a single year.
What a fucked-up destiny.
“RUN!!!!”
The tenth ti I scread, my voice cut through the tunnel like a blade.
KUUUUUUUUUUNG!!!
The entire ground shook, and cracks spider-webbed across the walls.
The floor lurched violently beneath us.
Theramore had exploded.
GRRRRRRRK—!
The tunnel shrieked, crumbling apart like a dying beast.
“SH-SHIT!!!!”
Karl’s frantic swearing said it all.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM—!!!
The shockwave collapsed the passage from behind, sealing it off with an avalanche of rubble.
And the ground itself was giving way.
We clenched our teeth.
Pushing all of our 4-star aura, yet each step felt sluggish.
FASTER!
Karl hadn’t grabbed my shoulder yet.
His danger sense hadn’t sounded its final death knell.
Not yet.
“T-THERE!!!”
Up ahead—
Lochter’s group ca into view.
Two of them were carrying Lochter, sprinting like madn.
Moving in a group of three made them slower than us—
But they had heard my warning.
They were running with everything they had.
I scanned the surroundings.
Three ahead. One behind.
I visualized the escape route, ran multiple simulations in my head.
They can make it.
“AAAAAAAHH!! HEY! HEY!!”
Karl suddenly scread, his high-pitched shriek stabbing through the chaos.
I didn’t dare look back.
But Karl was gripping my shoulder, his body shaking violently.
His eyes stayed fixed behind us—
Like a man watching death itself close in.
We’re going to die!
“WE’RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!!!”
The mont Karl’s danger sense confird death, I grabbed him by the collar.
And then—
“HAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
I scread, contracting every muscle in my body—
And detonated it all at once.
Final Burst Strike.
The golden waves that shimred in my vision distorted like a storm.
The world sucked inward.
My body blasted forward like a bullet.
Then—
I landed beside the others, slowing down for just a brief mont.
CRRRK—
“Guh…!”
I staggered, clenching my teeth.
Even though I had slowed down slightly, my entire body scread in agony.
No ti to rest.
“GRAB ON! NOW!”
No need for explanations—
These guys had survived the Experint Prison.
They were built for survival.
As I reached out, two of them latched onto like leeches.
I wrapped my free arm around the guy carrying Lochter, gripping tight.
Karl was also caught, held in place by another.
“DON’T LET GO! I DON’T CARE IF YOUR BONES BREAK, HOLD ON!!”
“AAAAAH!! HEY, WHY ARE YOU PULLING MY— WAIT, MY HAIR, MY—!!”
Karl’s desperate screech was the last thing I heard before—
KWA-AAAAAANG!!!
A deafening explosion.
The others scread in terror.
Dragging all their weight, I took off running.
From that point—
Everything went blank.
No thoughts.
No emotions.
I simply forced my body forward, slamming my feet into the ground, pushing toward the exit.
I shut out the noise.
I ignored the pain.
I locked every sense away, pouring everything into running.
The world felt sluggish.
This sensation…
I had felt it before—
During Reto’s training.
I was on the verge of collapse.
[You’re out of stamina. STOP.]
Reto’s voice buzzed through my mind.
I ignored it.
I couldn’t stop.
We weren’t out yet.
I clung to the last embers of Burst Strike.
And then—
I realized sothing.
I could chain Burst Strikes together.
I had only ever used it as a single shot.
But now—
I could keep going.
With no stamina left, my muscles scread.
Blood poured from my eyes, nose, and mouth.
My bones groaned under the strain.
It felt like my brain was lting.
The pain was unbearable.
[Do you want to die like a puddle of flesh?!]
Reto scread his second warning.
For the first ti, I heard panic in his voice.
And then—
At the end of the tunnel, I saw—
[……!!!]
The others were shouting, but I couldn’t hear them.
A thick cloud of dust choked my vision.
The tunnel had collapsed all the way here?!
Through the panic, one voice pierced my brain.
“JUMP!!!!!!”
Lochter’s desperate scream.
At the sa ti—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOM!!!
The ground collapsed right behind us.
It was too late.
I had no voice left—
But I forced out a raw, broken scream and hurled myself forward.
The world slowed down even further.
Was that—the forest ahead?
No—not the forest.
A massive crowd of thousands.
Their faces shifted as if they were breathing, alive.
Were they… relieved?
When did morning break?
My head tilted upward—
The sky was a clear, brilliant blue.
As a smile curled on my lips—
Everything went dark.
KWA-AAAAAAAAAANG!!!!
The tunnel collapsed completely, kicking up thick clouds of dust.
Nothing was visible.
The rock face crumbled down, forcing the crowd to scream and retreat.
“…Lochter!”
“M-Master!”
Those waiting at the entrance rushed forward.
They moved swiftly, lifting the last survivors out of danger.
“Is everyone safe?!”
Heinz sprinted over, checking the fallen survivors.
These n were far more important than him.
They could not afford to be lost.
Heinz’s eyes darted across the group, his face tense.
Once he saw them nod in confirmation—
He let out a deep sigh of relief.
At first glance, everyone only had minor wounds.
So were even conscious.
One of them—Karl—stared blankly at the fallen figure beside him.
His hands clutched tightly at his own hair.
He hesitated, then touched his head.
The last line of defense he had once proudly kept—
Had been completely ripped off.
He ran a hand over his smooth scalp, then looked up at the sky—
And closed his eyes.
“…It’s fine. We made it.”
We had escaped.
Everyone had survived.
Was that why—?
Tears, hot and uncontrollable, rolled down his face.
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