How to Survive Restructuring

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 80: Treasure (5)

BOOM!

The explosives beyond the dirt wall went off.

Soon after, the man who had been yelling for Yeon Bora to surrender let out a scream.

"Argh! What the hell is this?!"

"Huh? What just happened?!"

"Damn it! Get out here! Come out now!"

Yeon Bora, who had stopped her playing, stared in shock as the explosives continued to detonate in midair, hitting nothing.

But as I kept things under control on this side—

BOOM! KABOOM!

—an incoming shell from the other side struck a building directly across from us.

"Aaaahhh! Bora, save me!"

"Unnie!!"

WHOOSH!

Flames erupted.

The fire spread quickly as more shells hit the burning building in succession.

Explosions.

Fire.

More explosions.

Bigger flames.

In no time, the flames had spread across the entire campus.

"Help!!"

"Aaaaahhh!"

The screams grew louder as the fire intensified.

Yeon Bora trembled like a leaf in the wind as the flames roared louder.

"B-Bora! A barrier…!"

That blasted barrier they kept demanding of Yeon Bora.

Yeon Bora, who was trembling like she’d gone into shock, began to move her fingers.

When her fingertips reached the strings of her devilish instrument that drained her life—

WHOOSH!

—the fiery heat in the air was replaced by a cool, soothing energy emanating from her melody.

The sound seeped into my skin rather than just my ears, bringing a comforting chill.

But.

"This is only a temporary fix."

I had to act.

"What are you doing?!"

Rather than waste time—

"Build a wall!"

"Huh? Wh-What?"

"We just need to cut off the burning buildings! If we seal them off now, the fire won’t spread!"

Ignoring everyone else, I grabbed Yeon Bora’s shoulders and shouted.

My words rippled through the crowd, spreading murmurs filled with discontent and anxiety.

"Hurry!"

When I repeated myself, Yeon Bora seemed to collect herself.

She moved her palms.

"Sculpt!"

She formed her hands into claw-like shapes and moved them.

She was gathering dirt.

The dirt clumped together and shifted with her hand movements.

Rustle.

Then, she spread her hands wide, pushing them forward, as if she were erecting an invisible barrier, her motions careful and persistent.

The clumps of dirt gradually moved and piled up, encasing one of the burning buildings completely.

But.

"There isn’t enough dirt!"

"We should use a barrier instead!"

"Bora! You’ve done enough. Just play again and—"

A dozen voices bombarded Yeon Bora, each claiming to offer advice, though they were really coercing her.

It was maddening to watch them demand sacrifices from her as if their own lives weren’t on the line.

They wanted to take the safer route, even if it meant one person had to die for their security.

How frustrating.

"Can’t you use something other than dirt? Like asphalt or debris from the buildings?!"

"Ah…!"

My outburst seemed to spark an idea.

Yeon Bora, who had been rubbing her face in exhaustion, suddenly brightened.

"I’ll try!"

She furrowed her brow momentarily, then mimicked her earlier gesture, this time directing it at the asphalt.

"Sculpt!"

Sculpting—shaping materials like clay or soil into something new.

A proper practitioner should’ve already known.

She wouldn’t have worked exclusively with dirt.

But.

‘She probably didn’t have the time to think it through.’

The ever-present pressure of looming danger.

The guilt of people dying around her.

The invincible shield that only activated when she played, combined with the relentless demands from her so-called friends.

Crunch! Rustle!

From Yeon Bora’s hands, an asphalt wall began to form.

The black granules clumped together, stiffened, and finally stood upright at a right angle.

Thanks to the skill's influence, it was sturdier than before.

"Everyone, this way!"

The combined barrier of dirt and asphalt completely enclosed the burning buildings.

No more attacks followed, as if the shelling had stopped.

But the problem remained.

"You persistent wretch…!"

A furious man, having planted small explosives all over the weakened barrier, caused it to collapse.

Crack!

Cracks spread through the blackened dirt wall.

Though reinforced, it wasn’t enough to withstand such force.

RUMBLE!

The wall collapsed in no time.

Unfortunately.

"Where’s Yeon Bora?!"

Emerging from beyond the crumbled wall was a man.

I had suspected he was dangerous, given his mastery of explosives and shelling.

"…An engineering student?"

A plaid shirt, horn-rimmed glasses, and a backpack slung over his shoulders—he looked like an ordinary college student.

"…Where’d he get all these explosives?"

"He said he’s a graduate student in the engineering department at the neighboring university. Made and modified them himself…"

"Impressive."

It wasn’t empty praise.

Despite his meek appearance, the explosives stuffed in his backpack told a different story.

He wasn’t just an average student.

And the massive thing behind him…

"A cannon?"

"What the hell are you?! Of course I built it! You think I bought it?!"

So that’s what had been launching the shells over the wall.

The oversized contraption was no joke whether it was a siege weapon or a bazooka.

With its crude cylindrical body, he loaded a lit shell into the cannon.

"They’ve really made a variety of sizes."

Bang!

The power and accuracy seemed a bit lacking, but still, the craftsmanship was impressive.

Had they unlocked some kind of weapon-making or modification skill?

Either way, for an average college student, this would have been terrifyingly dangerous.

But me?

I’m a little different.

[Subject: ‘Eunho Lee.’ Status condition ‘Fatigue’ has been resolved!]

[The lingering fever has disappeared.]

[Muscle aches vanish completely.]

[All movement restrictions are lifted.]

[Stamina, strength, and agility stats are fully restored.]

Now that my handicap is gone…

"You demon! Murderer!"

"Kyahhh!"

"Do you even know how many people died because of you? Your friends will all be killed, too! Summon!"

Click!

The man’s whites were showing from how furious he was, leaving no room for awareness of his surroundings.

So, I waited for him to pass by me.

Slash!

I severed the spear shaft.

The man let out a shriek, unable to contain his rage.

"You—you! Who are you? I’ve never seen you before… If you’re uninvolved, scram!"

"Hmm... I don’t really want to interfere, but something feels off."

"What’s off?!"

The man, startled, cursed and pulled out a knife from his belt.

His grip was as practiced as when he handled the cannon.

So.

"Who killed them? Your friends?"

"It’s because this woman locked us up—!"

"Then."

Calmly, but swiftly, I asked again.

"Who took their lives?"

Who was it that truly killed your friends?

"T-the nightmare did…."

"When the nightmare attacked, what did you do?"

Who was the real killer?

"You’ve got talent. Didn’t you fight back?"

"….."

"How many people have you killed with your own hands?"

Could it be that your excessive hatred for Yeon Bora stems from guilt, knowing your hands are stained with your friends’ blood?

Did you just want someone to blame?

Anyone?

"Shut up! What do you know?!"

The man’s trembling hand tightened around the dagger.

If that blade so much as grazed her, Yeon Bora would die.

"I get that it’s painful. But blaming others is just disgusting."

"And what about you?! You’ve survived by killing too, haven’t you?!"

"I did. The nightmare."

For a woman who loses 10% of her health with a mere bump, getting hit by the sword would mean instant death.

"That… that’s impossible!"

The man, a former engineering student, cursed and flipped out.

His eyes turned white again as his rage boiled over.

"It's all because of this murderer! All of it...!"

And at that moment, as the man with the crazed eyes lunged again to end Yeon Bora's life,

"For my friends' sake..."

"Accelerate!"

"Whoooooosh..."

I grabbed the man's wrist, which was moving with what felt like slow motion.

30 seconds.

I twisted his wrist and took the sword.

If I had intended to kill him, I would have immediately stabbed him in the neck.

20 seconds.

Clang!

I threw the dagger at his feet.

This was solely between those two.

I had no reason to intervene any further.

The only reason I stepped in was because I had said I would.

"It'll be helpful in a fight."

And so...

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

During the remaining 10 seconds, I moved Yeon Bora to a safe place.

Finally, time returned to normal.

"Huh, huh? Fuckk! What the heck!"

"Huh?!"

The man and Yeon Bora shouted simultaneously.

They must have thought they had teleported.

That's how fast it was.

So, I hoped that they would stop fighting while they were still in shock.

"Fuck... you just used an ability, didn't you?"

The brain of the guy who was already out of his mind was filled with rage, leaving no room for surprise.

"Fine, fuck it! We'll all die together!"

As if he didn't care about anything anymore, he tore open his checkered shirt.

"No way...!"

He brought a lit lighter to it.

To the explosives that were densely packed inside his clothes.

Fwoosh!

Comparing the explosive power of the gunpowder I saw earlier with the power of the bombs I had experienced so far...

'It's a little weaker than the bone bomb.'

First, let's summon a 'Door' to block it.

I'll block any subsequent shock with my scale armor.

And since that might not be enough, I'll summon the shield I bought in advance.

...Just as I was about to say that,

"Sojo!"

A pile of dirt covered the man.

Boom-!

The explosion was contained, but the fortress walls were in ruins.

Everyone except Yeon Bora was panicking about what to do now, but it wasn't really a bad thing.

They couldn't just stay hidden inside the school forever.

'Now that the company entrance exams are over...'

─ Static!

* * *

[…… This is an announcement.]

Crackle!

[The recruitment test for the 'Seoul' region has officially concluded.]

[The physical examination for new recruits will take place tomorrow at 9:00 AM sharp. Please prepare accordingly.]

"A physical examination…?"

"What exactly are they checking for?"

Yeon Bora’s friends murmured among themselves.

‘A physical examination, huh.’

Maybe they just wanted to assess everyone’s condition after the recruitment test.

Or, could it be something more sinister, like disqualifying those who didn’t meet certain criteria?

I don’t know.

But.

‘I can prepare.’

So I whispered amidst the commotion.

‘Mission rewards.’

To check the remaining cards.

From the last mission, I received double the rewards.

I used 5 points each on stamina and strength, and 2 points on acceleration to shatter the sky.

And even after that, I had some left.

[Checking remaining rewards for 'Eunho Lee.']

[Two rewards are available.]

[10,000 welfare points and 2 points for outstanding participant education have been granted.]

It was 10,000 welfare points and 2 points for education completion.

Education points.

Getting an S+ instead of an S earned me 1 point, and thanks to the double reward event, I got another.

That’s good.

I don’t know what form the physical exam will take, but there’s plenty of time to prepare.

Especially with training.

[Select a course to complete!]

[Available courses are limited by your lowest rank.]

And since my rank has risen, more courses should now be available.

While I was mulling over strategies, people began to gather around Yeon Bora and pester her again.

"Bora! Are you okay?!"

"But... um... where’s the instrument?"

"That guy didn’t take it, did he?"

Oops.

The lute they were looking for was in my inventory, not with Yeon Bora.

I was debating whether I really needed to return it when—

"It’s broken,"

Yeon Bora shrugged.

"Huh?"

Broken, she says.

I thought it might’ve been a mistake, but no.

She turned her head and winked slyly.

"Really?"

"What?! You broke it?!"

As expected, her friends were all aghast.

The thin man hung his head without a word.

Yeon Bora smiled wryly and continued.

"Sorry, I don’t think I can play anymore."

"Then, what about us...?!"

"It’s fine. Nobody will target me anymore."

"But... what if someone else attacks? What if those guys come back for revenge? Then we’ll have no shield and—"

But, but, but.

For people who stayed hidden in the back doing nothing, they sure had a lot to say.

I wanted to tell them to pick up a weapon and fight if they were so worried.

"I think I’ve done enough."

"Huh...?"

"Figure it out on your own now."

With those words, Yeon Bora turned away.

"Mister, you can go. You’ve got nothing to do with us."

Then she sent me out.

Even though she knew I had the lute, she didn’t say a word about it.

So.

"Show me the way out."

I took her along.

She seemed like she’d cry if left alone.

She followed with her head down, and a few others hesitated behind us.

"Y-Yeon Bora!"

A tall man, who’d been nervously looking at her, finally spoke up.

"I’m leaving. Let me go."

"..."

At a single word from Yeon Bora, he clammed up again.

He had no problem shouting at me but seemed too cautious to even say her name or ask her to stay.

Must be the situation.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Anyway.

Step, step, step.

As I led the key asset from the neighboring group out, I asked cautiously.

"Want to come with us?"

Our group has Jieun, and she wouldn’t be much older than Sola or Yeojin.

Plus, Yeon Bora’s skills seemed like they’d be useful to us.

"Uh... no, I’m okay."

As expected, I probably seemed suspicious.

Thinking that made sense, I nodded, but Yeon Bora hastily waved her hands and added,

"I mean, I do want to, but... I don’t want to be a burden. You know how fragile I am. One hit and I’m dead."

"So you’re going alone?"

"For now. It might be dangerous, but..."

I understand.

She’s the type to take responsibility for her actions, even if it costs her life, so she wouldn’t want to burden strangers.

So.

"Alright, then."

"Ugh... if only my body weren’t such a mess..."

She stamped her foot in frustration, messing up her bangs, and I asked a question that had been on my mind for a while.

"Yeon Bora, what’s your skill level with manipulating earth?"

"Sojo? I think it’s... level 13 now. Why?"

As I thought.

Her level’s pretty high.

She must have poured all her rewards into it.

So she wouldn’t have known.

"Focus on increasing your stamina stat from now on."

"Huh?"

"It’ll take a while to recover what you’ve lost... but it’s possible."

"!!"

That raising stamina increases maximum health.

"You’ve never played games before?"

"Uh... I’ve done puzzle games, but... I didn’t know that!"

Yeon Bora stopped in her tracks, blinking.

Her pale face lit up with life.

Even if she pretended otherwise, she didn’t want to die.

Of course.

"From now on, choose your friends wisely."

"Pfft—got it!"

After that, Yeon Bora didn’t say another word.

Even after passing through the Hongin’s main gate and nearly leaving the main road.

She kept opening her mouth as if to say something but just fiddled with her bangs, hesitating.

By the time I decided it was safe and told her to leave.

"I’m going! Mister! Take care!"

As if I’m the one who needs to be careful.

Before taking more than a few steps, I waved back at Yeon Bora, who was eagerly bidding me farewell, and then I spoke.

"Transfer to the training institute."

Immediately, an announcement flowed through the air.

[Special lectures for outstanding entrance exam takers have been prepared.]

[You can use your training points to attend various lectures.]

[Do you agree?]

"Yes."

─ Flash!

As soon as my short answer ended, an iron door appeared before my eyes.

It was a door that had materialized out of nowhere, without a building or support structure, but rather than being surprised, I was filled with anticipation.

Anticipation that more diverse classes awaited me than before.

And then.

"Um… wait a minute!"

Click!

Just as I was about to turn the doorknob and step forward, Yeon Bora suddenly asked an unexpected question.

"When we meet again next time… can I call you ‘oppa’?"

Next time.

That ‘next time’ likely wouldn’t be too far in the future.

Time in the training institute flows differently from here.

"Suit yourself."

I was sure it would be awkward if we met again soon, but I didn’t add any unnecessary words that might give away my thoughts.

"Really?! You promised!"

In the dimming view.

Yeon Bora’s joyful face was as radiant as the sun peeking through dark clouds.

[Subject: Lee Eunho. Transferring to the training institute!]

[Prepare for impact!]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]