Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

The shock of seeing someone like me—a bearer of a Constellation—had barely begun to settle when chaos struck. My mind raced, unable to calm the storm of confusion over what had just unfolded.

 

As I stood there, flustered and disoriented, someone sidled up close to me. Their suspicious demeanor immediately put me on edge.

 

“…Zero?”

 

“Hehe. You recognize me right away now.”

 

Judging from the strange, unsettling chuckle, it was definitely zero. Perhaps he borrowed someone else’s body, but this time it was a man.

 

“What kind of skill even allows this…?”

 

Pushing my curiosity aside, I extended my hand without hesitation.

 

“Did you bring it? Hand it over.”

 

“Not quite yet. The item is with me, but…”

 

“What nonsense—oh, your real body?”

 

Realization dawned on me mid-sentence. Zero grinned, nodding smugly.

 

“I’m currently on the 47th floor. I’ll finish up here and join you shortly.”

 

“Does your skill work all the way from there to here?”

 

“Hehe, I took precautions beforehand. Just for you, boss.”

 

Zero’s sly laugh made me grimace. His current host’s face didn’t suit that laugh at all. In his original body, even though he was scrawny, his face at least made his weird chuckle somewhat bearable. But on someone else? It was just unbearable.

 

Glancing at Do-young, who was still zoned out and glued to the TV, I asked worriedly.

 

“Is it really okay to meet in a place with so many people?”

 

“I didn’t expect it to be this crowded either. Probably because of

that

.”

 

I followed his subtle nod and saw the news again, with the massive countdown from the pillar displayed prominently.

 「00:21:03」 

“…Do you know what that thing is?”

 

“Not sure. But I’d say

you

probably know better than me, boss.”

 

His cryptic reply startled me, and I shot him a suspicious look. But Zero simply scanned the area and leaned in to whisper.

 

“Five minutes from now, by the third vending machine in the right wing.”

 

Before I could respond, he left, blending into the crowd. The man Zero had possessed stood in the corner, looking around in confusion, as if he had no idea what had just happened.

 

The ticking timer made my palms sweat. I didn’t even want to think about what failure might mean. Deciding to deal with consequences later, I focused on finding the path Zero had mentioned.

 

Behind the enormous TV, I spotted two branching hallways. With the size of this place, getting to the location within five minutes meant there was no time to waste. 

 

After confirming that Do-young was still engrossed in the news, I quietly began moving. But just as I took a step, a hand clamped down on my shoulder from behind.

 

“You’re leaving? Good idea. Things are pretty chaotic here. It’s better to head upstairs for now.”

 

“Uh, yeah… But I need to hit the restroom first.”

 

“Now? Does it really have to be this moment? You could just go once you’re upstairs.”

 

“I’m dying here. Can’t wait another second. Just wait here—I’ll be quick.”

 

“Then I’ll go with you.”

 

I tried to make a quick escape, but Do-young stubbornly followed me like a shadow. My attempt to slip away alone was

a total failure.

 

‘Great. Now I’ll end up meeting Zero with him in tow.’

 

Frantically wracking my brain for a way out, I decided to duck into the restroom and called for Do-young.

 

“Hey, come here for a second.”

 

“Why? Look, I wasn’t planning on following you

that

far in.”

 

“No, no, it’s not that. There’s something cool I found. Check it out.”

 

I motioned for Do-young to come in, and though he looked reluctant, he stepped into the restroom. When I gestured toward the far end and told him to take a look, he leaned forward, craning his neck as he examined the area.

 

“What’s this all about? What’s supposed to be so—”

 

Thwack!

 

I smacked the back of his head with a mop handle. With a muffled groan, he collapsed onto the floor, sprawled out like

a ragdoll. Dusting off my hands, I muttered under my breath.

 

“Persistent little bastard.”

 

I stuffed his limp body into the cleaning supply closet, cramming him in before slamming the door shut. Acting as though nothing had happened, I strolled down the hallway. A few people gave me curious glances, but luckily no one intervened, and I reached the meeting point without issue.

 

Leaning casually against the third vending machine, Zero waved at me.

 

“Right on time.”

 

“You too.”

 

It was the first time I’d ever been genuinely glad to see his smug face. I rushed over to him, and he extended his hand.

 

“First, let’s get what you promised.”

 

“Here. This is it, right?”

 

“Hmm… Yes, this is undoubtedly the gryphon egg.”

 

“Great. Now that you’ve verified it, give me my item.”

 

Zero slipped the egg into his inventory and pulled a short staff out from his cloak. My eyes widened as I recognized the

item—it had been weeks since I’d last seen it.

 

“Here it is. Now the real problem is escaping. The car is ready, but we need to get to the parking lot without causing a scene. I have a guild member I spotted earlier on the way here. If we go down to the 4th floor with him, there’s a hidden passage that leads to the parking lot… Boss? Are you listening?”

 

I took the staff, but there was no immediate quest completion message. I didn’t feel any markings or signs. The countdown was ticking down, only about ten minutes left. I felt a sense of urgency as I examined the staff. Zero grabbed my hand and pulled it down, shaking his head.

 

“It’s going to be hard to unlock it right now. This is a masterpiece, made by one of Nepal’s finest craftsmen. It’s part of the Three Brothers series, a Sealing Stick. To unlock it, you’ll need someone with the corresponding skill level.”

 

“No, I don’t have time! I need to unlock it in ten minutes!”

 

“Ten minutes? …I see, it’s related to the pillar’s countdown.”

 

“You’re quick to catch on… Aha! Got it!”

 

As I fiddled with the base of the staff, light suddenly burst out, making me gasp.

 [Responding to the power of the challenger. Please prove your worth.] 

I pressed my left palm, which had been tingling, against the glowing spot. A clicking sound echoed, and it felt like my palm was being pulled into the base of the staff.

 [Do not remove your hand. Unlocking 1% complete.] 

“Did you… unlock it? The Three Brothers series?”

 

“No, not yet.”

 

Focusing on the strange sensation that traveled from my heart to my hand, I pushed harder. The percentage increased much faster now. It was frustrating, but if it continued like this, I could unlock it before time ran out.

 

As I focused, the speed increased, and I was about to suggest hiding nearby until the percentage hit 100% when a monotonous melody echoed throughout the building, followed by an announcement over the intercom.

 [Attention: There is an intruder in the building and a search is underway. The intruder is a young man in his twenties, with a sturdy build and wearing bright-colored outerwear. If found, please subdue and escort him to security.] 

I met Zero’s gaze. He quickly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me backward.

 

“Run.”

 

“What? Wait, where—”

 

“To the car!”

 

Zero’s glasses dissolved into a mask that covered his face. After he turned the corner, his figure disappeared, and chaos erupted outside.

 

“Over there! He’s running that way!”

 

“Eui-jin nim! It’s no use escaping!”

 

“We have to catch him, no matter what! We can’t let him meet with his accomplice!”

 

As expected, they were after me. I immediately threw off my coat and started running.

 

Zero had bought me some time, but there was no way I could keep running in the middle of the Nox Guild’s headquarters, surrounded by hundreds of members. The central passage was likely blocked, so I had to take the nearest emergency exit to the parking lot.

 

As I briefly lost focus, I noticed the percentage was slowing down again. The percentage climbed slowly, and the countdown kept ticking down. My heart raced in response to the mounting pressure. When I finally found the emergency exit, a warning shot flew past me.

 

“Eui-jin nim! Stop right there!”

 

Damn it! I was so close. Quietly, I opened my inventory and grabbed the sleeping potion. I only had one left. In such an open space, using it would have minimal effect, and I wouldn’t be able to escape from them.

 [Do not remove your hand. Unlocking 83% complete.] 

I opened the quest window and confirmed the countdown. Only five minutes left. If I focused fully from this point on, even if I got caught, I could still complete the quest. I gripped the staff tightly, hiding it under my chest. The approaching figures behind me threatened in a stern voice.

 

“The Guild Leader is just below this floor. It would be best if you go up and wait for him.”

 

“There’s nowhere to run, so don’t even think about resisting. Put down your weapon and come over here.”

 

I could feel their presence right behind me. At that moment, there was a thunderous crash, and the sky flickered with flashes of light.

 

“What’s this? A power outage?”

 

“…No. It’s outside.”

 

In the darkness, the same system window appeared before everyone’s eyes. It was a countdown.

 「00:03:59」 

“What is this?”

 

“Can you see it too? I’m seeing the system window as well.”

 

“Could it be a quest? If that’s the case, a dungeon break should’ve happened nearby.”

 

The sky, which had turned pitch black, began to gradually brighten, but the clouds were dark and ominous. It felt as though the countdown was signaling a disaster of a completely different scale that would unfold once it reached zero. At that moment, a new system window appeared in front of me.

 「Your master is nearby.」 

‘Seong San-ha?’

 

I quickly lifted my head and scanned the surroundings. Seong San-ha shouldn’t appear here, but instead, the emergency exit door was wide open in my sight. Taking advantage of the Nox members’ dazed state, I swiftly bolted toward the emergency exit.

 

“No, this number…! I think, it’s…Eui-jin nim!”

 

“Kang Eui-jin escaped! Chase him!”

 

As soon as the Nox members stepped into the emergency exit, I hid behind the door and threw the sleep-inducing incense on the ground, shattering it. The scent spread faster than the eye could follow, and those closest to me began to collapse. 

 

I took the opportunity to move down the stairs as the remaining ones staggered, but something flew from behind. A sticky object attached to my back, sticking me to the wall.

 

“Catch… him…!”

 

Struggling against the sticky cloth stuck to the wall, I had no choice but to drop down and rip the clothes off to free myself. Grabbing the blue jacket of a fallen Nox member, I threw it on and sprinted down the stairs, jumping five steps at a time.

 

“Stop right there! Kang Eui-jin!!”

 「00:01:15」 「Do not remove your hand. Unsealing 95% complete.」 「00:00:28」 「Do not remove your hand. Unsealing 98% complete.」 

‘Just a bit more… just a bit more…!’

 

I gripped the stick tightly with the hand touching it, focusing all my attention on the numbers in front of me. But then, I heard a rush of wind near my ear.

 

“Huh…?”

 

The long whip that had aimed to wrap around me missed, but the stick I was holding was struck. I watched in slow motion as the stick slipped from my grasp and flew away.

 「Do not remove your hand. Unsealing 99% complete.」 

‘No, please, no!!’

 

The moment the stick flew through the air, it happened to slip right out the open window of the stairwell landing.

 

“Argh- Fu- ck!!”

 「00:00:05」 

Without a second to think, I threw open the window wide and hurled myself outside.

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