The Dual Passage

The moment they stepped into the passage, Ro-un’s inventory suddenly opened and an item flew out.

Flap-flap-flap!

“That’s… the old tome?”

Ro-un’s eyes widened at the sight of the old tome floating in midair, its pages turning on their own.
Cheon Su-ho, who had reflexively stepped in front of Ro-un, looked at the floating tome and asked,

“Lee Ro-un. Is that your item?”
“…Yes.”
“You just called it an old tome, didn’t you? You had something like that?”
“……”

He ignored Joo Hee-jun.
He had not expected the item he had planned to appraise later to suddenly jump out on its own.
It seemed to be the kind of item whose information could only be revealed after entering a passage.
Ro-un reached out toward the tome floating in the air with its pages flipping rapidly.
The instant his hand touched it, the tome settled obediently into Ro-un’s hand, holding itself open at a specific page.
Ro-un checked the information on the item that had finally revealed itself.

<Record of the Peeping One (S)>
: Records the information of the passage entered.

To think the old tome he had found by chance in the library was actually an S-rank item.
It almost felt as though he could hear the raid difficulty dropping.
‘This is good. Records on passages have never been complete, so this’ll be useful in the future too.’

Hadn’t he only recently learned that the report on the otherworld passage at the spring halfway up Mount Jiri had omitted the fact that there had been a white snake there?
Thinking of the academy student who must have written that incomplete report, Ro-un’s hand tightened.
Once Ro-un checked the item’s information, Cheon Su-ho and Joo Hee-jun crowded in beside him.

“Hey. What is that?”
“The cover looks kind of different now. Was it an unappraised item?”
“Yeah. I happened to pick it up by chance too, but I didn’t know it would reveal itself here.”
“I’ve heard of things like that. There are items that only reveal their true form once you enter a passage! They said those are super rare. Wow. The president really is the president. Even having an item like that.”
“Well, I suppose.”

There was no need to mention that he had found that rare item in the library.
The Association employee came over to the three huddled together.

“Student Lee Ro-un. Please report that item to the Association.”
“Understood.”

Reporting it to the Association would mean he’d also have to explain how he obtained it, but he could make something up for that well enough.
It wasn’t as if Lee Ro-un had only entered one or two passages up to now, and the passages he had entered at the request of those pigs and dogs had often been reported in a slapdash manner anyway.

‘I can just make it fit into one of those.’

Deciding to conceal the exact method by which he had obtained it, Ro-un used the item with an easy mind.
The moment Ro-un activated the item, opened on its own and began drawing a map.

“Flashli— Joo Hee-jun. Turn the light on.”
“You were about to call me a flashlight, weren’t you!”
“Shut up and turn it on already.”
“You!”

Joo Hee-jun shouted at the top of his lungs.
After all that about wanting to be called a flashlight too.
When Ro-un ignored him with a flat look, Cheon Su-ho stepped in to calm Joo Hee-jun down.

“Calm down. Lee Ro-un probably doesn’t mean anything bad by it.”

He had absolutely meant it that way.
When Ro-un looked at Cheon Su-ho with dull eyes for defending him without being asked, Joo Hee-jun picked up on his true intent and started howling.

“Th-th-th-that! Look at that! Look! He’s totally full of bad intentions!”
“Hahahaha. There’s no way Lee Ro-un would be like that.”
“There’s no way, my ass. The whole academy’s been full of rumors that the president’s changed as a person.”

Oh?
The students at our academy never listen when they’re supposed to, but they sure are quick to pick up rumors about other people.

“Look at him! Just look! His face is full of scheming!”

At Joo Hee-jun pointing his finger, Cheon Su-ho turned to look at Ro-un.
Ro-un’s face was as calm as ever.

“It is true that Lee Ro-un has lost his smile, but I can still sense good energy from him.”
“Wow! Wow! What are you, some cult preacher? What? Good energy?”
“That’s right. Lee Ro-un’s power is still pure and good.”
“Ha! Look at that face! In what world does the president look good?”
“But isn’t it true that Lee Ro-un is kind? He still guides the students and is kind to the weak, isn’t he?”

Did I?
Come to think of it, he had probably shown sides like that when he was around Cheon Su-ho.

‘He was around when I was with Yu-jeong or the princess, when the midterm results came out, and when I was treating and training Joo Hee-jun.’

Looking at nothing but the outward appearances, Ro-un accepted that Cheon Su-ho might indeed see him that way.
But there was one person here who absolutely disagreed.

“No way! That bastard’s always been scheming!”
“Go on. Keep talking.”

Ro-un looked at Joo Hee-jun leisurely.

“I’m not the one in a hurry here.”

He had said only one sentence, yet two people reacted.
Why are you reacting too?
Then again, Cheon Su-ho was the reason he was here in the first place.
Ro-un looked back and forth between the two of them as if they were both pathetic.

“Are we not going to continue the raid? You do know time is still passing, right?”

As Ro-un said this with a glance toward the Association employee, the other two turned their eyes that way as well.
The Association employee, who had been standing quietly like a shadow, smiled pleasantly.

“It has been quite some time since we entered.”

It was a polite way of telling them to get on with the raid already.
Joo Hee-jun focused and conjured a small flame.
From that point on, Joo Hee-jun would have to devote all of his focus to maintaining that tiny flame, so he was effectively out of the battle lineup.

Pop!

‘You already blew it?’

When Ro-un and Cheon Su-ho turned around, Joo Hee-jun flusteredly produced the flame again.

“I-I can do it!”
“Sure you can.”

Since they had both expected it to go out a few times, Ro-un and Cheon Su-ho simply ignored him and kept walking.

【Otherworld Passage: The Marsh Where Wailing Echoes (C)】
This passage, where ghost-type otherworld residents appeared, was so compatible with Ro-un that if the right conditions were met, he could have cleared it alone.

‘That is, if it weren’t hiding an S-rank passage.’

Ro-un cast [Healing] on Cheon Su-ho, who was out in front throwing punches.
Wrapped in healing light to make up for the mana he lacked, Cheon Su-ho laughed heartily and charged at the otherworld residents.

“Hahahahaha!”
“For some reason, he looks like he’s really letting off steam every time he throws a punch.”
“Of course he does. He’s never once been able to enter a passage all this time because of .”
“Oh, right.”

Remembering Cheon Su-ho’s condition, Joo Hee-jun nodded.
At the moment, two skills were active on Cheon Su-ho.
One was [Healing], which let him strike ghost-type otherworld residents.
The other was [Protection], which prevented the otherworld’s energy from corroding him.

【Skill [Protection] has risen from Lv.1 to Lv.2.】

“Ah. It leveled up.”
“What did? What leveled up?”

Puh-ung!

The flame Joo Hee-jun had been maintaining burst apart on the spot.
He had seemed distracted for a while now. I knew he’d blow it.
Whether he sensed Ro-un’s exasperated gaze even in the darkness or not, Joo Hee-jun quickly created another flame and sent it floating up.
After thoroughly venting his long-held frustration by beating otherworld residents with his fists, Cheon Su-ho returned to their side.

“Is everyone all right?”
“Yeah. You?”
“With you covering me, of course I’m fine. As expected, a promising healer really is different .”

Thanks to the [Protection] Ro-un kept placing on him, Cheon Su-ho remained safe even inside the passage.
The Association employee’s eyes gleamed at Lee Ro-un’s ability and judgment.

“Cheon Su-ho. Is your stamina still fine?”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“The boss room is close.”
“I know. My instincts are telling me there’s not much left.”

At Cheon Su-ho’s mention of instinct, Ro-un’s eyes narrowed.
Looking at , he could see both their current location and another entrance near the boss room.

‘This is the hidden passage.’

Perhaps because it still didn’t count as having officially entered that passage yet, detailed information didn’t appear, but he could at least see that there was an entrance opposite the boss room.

‘To enter that passage, I’ll need Cheon Su-ho.’

Ro-un watched Cheon Su-ho’s back as he went out ahead again and punched down the otherworld residents.
And the Association employee was watching Ro-un in turn.
The kindly-looking Association employee’s eyes sharpened like a predator’s for a moment, only to sink back beneath his thick brow.

“Kiiiaaaak!”

The boss of the C-rank passage, struck by Cheon Su-ho’s fist, turned to ash and vanished.
Even with Lee Ro-un’s support, seeing Cheon Su-ho defeat every single otherworld resident in a C-rank passage with his own hands made Joo Hee-jun edge closer and ask,

“Hey, does he really have ?”
“Yeah.”
“In what world does that look like ?! You’re telling me that movement is pure physical ability?”
“What? You don’t believe it?”
“Of course not! At that level, you could call him a top prospect.”
“Someone like Cheon Su-ho is a top prospect, sure. He’s still a lot better than you, who couldn’t even fulfill your role as a human flashlight because of your ‘unstable’ trait.”
“What about me?!”
“Can’t you see the lighter in my hand right now? And how many times did your flame go out on the way here again?”

At Ro-un’s words, Joo Hee-jun could do nothing but open and close his mouth soundlessly.
True to a magic-type’s sharp memory, he remembered exactly how many times the flame had gone out.

“It was nine times, right?”
“You!! How do you remember all of that?”
“I remember all of it. I pulled out the lighter after your flame went out the fifth time.”

What a terrifying bastard!
I’m a magic-type Awakener, so of course I remember minor details, but why does the president remember all of it too?!
Joo Hee-jun looked at him in sickened disbelief, but Ro-un’s reaction was flat.

‘How many passages do you think I’ve entered? Remembering even small things that happen inside a passage is only natural.’

Scoffing at the fledgling, Ro-un turned back to Cheon Su-ho.
Cheon Su-ho was staring at the tightly shut door beyond the now-open boss room.
Ro-un walked over to his side.

“Cheon Su-ho. Can you feel it?”
“Yeah. I can.”
“What? What is it this time? What now?”

At the conversation that only the two of them seemed to understand, Joo Hee-jun followed behind with a bewildered look, and the Association employee approached the three of them, eyes shining.

“Is there some kind of problem?”
“Don’t keep it to yourselves. Say something. Why are you staring at that decorative door?”
“That looks decorative to you?”
“Th-then what is it?!”

Joo Hee-jun snapped back.
The Association employee, on the other hand, lifted his flesh-buried eyes and looked toward the giant sealed door.

“There had been reports that even after defeating the boss, this passage could not be closed. There was an analysis suggesting that the door opposite the boss room might lead to another passage.”
“But that door was supposed to be impossible for anyone to open. They said the Baekje Guild tried every method they could think of, and it still wouldn’t open. So they started preparing for a passage collapse… don’t tell me!”
“Cheon Su-ho will be able to open this door.”
“Seriously?!”

Both Joo Hee-jun and the employee turned their heads toward Cheon Su-ho.

“Cheon Su-ho, is that true?”
“It is. Whatever lies beyond this door has been calling to me the whole time.”
“How would you even know that? Did you get a system message or something?”
“No. But my instincts are telling me so.”

Instinct.
On its own, it would not have been a very reliable thing to trust, but with Awakeners involved, that was a different matter.
The instincts of an exceptional Awakener could at times come close to foresight.
The four of them stared at the empty wall with tense eyes.

“Cheon Su-ho.”
“Understood.”

At Ro-un’s call, Cheon Su-ho placed his hand on the door.

Grrrrrrrr!

The enormous door, which had seemed like nothing more than decoration, slowly began to open.

“No way…!”
“This is….”

Joo Hee-jun and the Association employee, neither of whom knew the full situation, stepped back at the sight of the slowly opening door.
The door was far larger than the boss room itself, rising all the way to a ceiling tall enough for giants to pass through, and the sight of it opening made Ro-un clamp his mouth shut so hard that his jaw tensed.

‘Found it.’

Faced with the clue that would unravel an incident he had known would happen but had never found a way to solve, Ro-un looked up at the giant-sized door with an unreadable expression.
Beside him, Joo Hee-jun started panicking noisily.

“H-hey. What do we do? Shouldn’t we go back out and report this?”
“I’m going in.”
“Cheon Su-ho, are you insane?! It’s obvious this isn’t C-rank!”

Sensing the waves of mana pouring out from the door, Joo Hee-jun recoiled in horror at Cheon Su-ho’s declaration and grabbed at his clothes.

“Let’s get out of here. This isn’t right. Lee Ro-un, say something too!”
“No. We have to go in.”
“This is insane. E-excuse me! Please stop these two!”

At the thought of those two trying to enter the hidden passage, Joo Hee-jun clawed at his hood and then ran over to the Association employee.
The employee opened his inventory and pulled out his equipment.

“It will be all right. I am here. And it seems this door cannot be opened by anyone except student Cheon Su-ho.”
“That’s right.”
“Lee Ro-un. Don’t tell me you knew?”
“Cheon Su-ho asked me to help him get in here.”
“Damn it! So you really knew all along? Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“Because I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure. And I didn’t know if just bringing Cheon Su-ho to the passage would actually solve anything.”

The fact that he was part of the team yet had been the only one left in the dark made Joo Hee-jun bounce in outrage.

“That thing obviously looks above A-rank! Even with the staff member here, how are the three of us supposed to handle an A-rank passage?!”
“It’s fine. Cheon Su-ho must have some way. And if he doesn’t, then we escape the way the employee said.”
“Am I the only one worried right now?!”
“Please don’t worry. I may not look it, but I’m fairly strong. I’ll make sure to get all of you out safely.”
“Argh! That’s not the point!”

Am I the weird one here?!
Joo Hee-jun tore at his hood at the sight of everyone else trying to tackle a passage that looked at least A-rank with a C-rank (‘unstable’), a B-rank (zero mana), an A-rank (healer), plus an Association employee.
And just look at that employee’s belly! You can tell at a glance he hasn’t been active in the field for a long time!
If he had not been wearing a hood, he might have torn out every last strand of his precious hair.

“Joo Hee-jun. Trust me.”
“Aaagh!!!”

At those words from a zero-mana Awakener, Joo Hee-jun curled in on himself and screamed.

“I’m leaving.”
“Joo Hee-jun. You remember saying you’d do whatever I asked, right? Didn’t you say a mage’s words carry power?”
“Why the hell did I have to say that back then?!”

Tormented by the words he had already let slip out, Joo Hee-jun stomped the ground in misery.
Ro-un looked at the one-man meltdown Joo Hee-jun was having and said,
Even an Awakener Association employee could not stop everything that might happen inside a passage.
It would already be pushing it even if they had one of the S-rank agents who counted as top-tier combat strength!

‘This won’t do. I need to figure out a way myself!’

Joo Hee-jun began pulling items from his inventory and equipping them one by one.
Seeing Joo Hee-jun draped in items from head to toe, Ro-un asked,

“You. You had stuff like that too?”
“My mom gave them to me to use in emergencies.”

Ro-un’s eyes widened as he watched Joo Hee-jun pull out and equip a robe, a necklace, rings, bracelets, and a wand.
That was a little excessive for something a loving mother was supposed to have given her child, wasn’t it?
At that point, wasn’t he practically wearing the value of an entire building on the most expensive land in Seoul?
Even if an S-rank passage opened, he’d probably escape just fine.

“If everyone’s ready, let’s go in.”

At Ro-un’s words, the three of them entered the giant door.