NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
The slumbering Tesseract has awakened, and the scheming Invader has been thwarted.
Even Anser, who seemed lost without a trace, has returned to her senses.
In a way, this has been a series of outcomes that couldn’t get any better.
It was inevitable that the tension I was subconsciously holding would finally ease.
However, just as I caught Anser, who was unconscious and about to hit the ground, the reality of the situation flooded my mind.
‘…It’s still not time to fully relax. The real deal starts now.’
Thinking back, there were still unresolved issues lingering.
The biggest challenge was the need to leave quickly before the police arrived.
There was a risk of being misunderstood as the main culprit behind the situation, and if they caught sight of my telekinetic abilities, it could cause a huge commotion. If I got caught peacefully, revealing my lack of identity would be extremely troublesome.
Thus, avoiding capture by the police was the best course of action… But with Anser scattering the contract papers everywhere, they must have surrounded us without an escape route. It would be quite difficult to break through the encirclement in the first place.
‘And do I leave Anser behind or escape with her? That’s another dilemma.’
Listening to the police’s radio chatter, it seemed Anser had already been identified as a suspect in the case.
In other words, if I ran away with her without a plan, we could be endlessly pursued.
Once someone has been targeted, it might never end until we escape Night Haven.
But leaving Anser behind… I was troubled by how serious the situation was.
A subway station was completely locked down and every train passing by had halted due to the chaos?
The financial losses incurred were dizzying to even think about.
After all, she was merely a pawn caught in the crossfire, while the real culprits were someone else.
There was a chance she might end up shouldering all the blame for this mess.
‘Aaargh! My head hurts! What the heck am I supposed to do now? I don’t know!’
As I caught the fallen Anser using telekinesis, I clutched my throbbing head in despair.
Time was painfully short. The contracts Anser scattered might have expired already.
Yet, making a hasty decision felt wrong, and the sense that neither option seemed right tortured my mind.
Ah, I wish I had a magical item that could solve all my problems right now!
Thinking this, I looked at the Tesseract rolling in my palm.
Hmm, right now it’s a bit ambiguous to rely on the Tesseract to resolve the situation.
Setting aside the fact that I didn’t really have anything to offer as a price, the Tesseract wasn’t exactly a wish-granting tool.
‘The Tesseract is merely a tool designed to forcibly extract an individual’s potential. While it could easily turn me or Anser into a possibility free of harm… I might struggle to gain substantial help right now.’
None of these options seemed viable. So what am I supposed to do now?
After pondering in circles, I suddenly slapped my cheeks with both hands to gather my resolve.
First, let’s escape from here. I’ll think about the rest later.
Feeling the stinging sensation on my cheeks, I decided to make my escape.
Regardless of how the situation tangled, I figured something would work out!
Boom boom boom…
“…?”
A rumbling noise came from a distance, as if the ground was shaking.
It seemed like the police were making their way inside, having been blocked at the entrance.
I probably had about two minutes of leeway left.
In this fleeting time, I needed to escape like magic. Is that even possible?
‘Wait a minute. If I do this…’
At that moment, an idea flickered through my mind as I looked around.
What was the biggest problem right now?
It was that escaping without being noticed in this cramped tunnel was impossible, wasn’t it?
Then, if I could just hide my appearance, wouldn’t most of the problem be solved?
“…!”
As that good idea popped into my head, I stomped my foot angrily onto the ground.
Then, I extended my telekinesis through my toes and gripped a nearby object with force.
What I grabbed was gravel, serving as a cushion to reduce noise and distribute shock under the rail.
Thanks to the Invader Fragment which filled my body with extra energy, I managed to lift a heavy chunk of gravel weighing around 2 tons.
‘And then this… let’s clump it together!’
The gravel floated into the air according to my will, starting to mold itself like clay before my eyes.
In an instant, the shape morphed into a giant.
If I had to give it a name, perhaps “Gravel Giant” would suit it?
I quickly hopped onto the now-formed giant with Anser and left her perched on the giant’s palm as I ducked inside its structure.
The gravel was indeed dusty and dirty, but… my tablecloth draped over me would take the dirt, so I wouldn’t worry about that part.
‘Alright, let’s go. Let’s head back the way we came!’
Thud! Thud!
The Gravel Giant, controlled by my telekinesis, began to charge forward on the tracks dynamically.
Though I made it hastily, its joints seemed to be functioning well enough to allow me to swiftly traverse the underground tracks.
“Team Leader! There’s something strange here…!”
“Requesting backup! An oddly huge being has appeared on the tracks! Aaargh!”
“What kind of strength is this…!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
My carefully crafted Gravel Giant barreled through everything in its path.
Of course, colliding full-force against a nearly 2-ton giant would turn whoever it struck into mush, so I discreetly nudged them away using telekinesis.
Perhaps due to the daunting size of 3 meters and its unstoppable momentum, the police units entering the tunnel were utterly helpless against it. This really had the element of surprise working in my favor.
However, it seemed that they were well-prepared for an infiltration.
I sensed an ominous energy from behind me as I sprinted forward, focused solely on the front.
“Everyone, get out of the way! Prokella!”
Crash!
The storm surged, piercing through the tunnel and rushing right toward me.
If hit correctly, even the Gravel Giant would not withstand the absurd destructive power.
Magic is truly frightening. It sent chills down my spine.
Yet, I had no worries. I was currently dashing along the tracks…
Because I could use the gravel laid beneath me to my advantage!
‘Block it!’
Just as the Gravel Giant slammed its feet into the ground, I raised all the gravel underneath with my telekinesis.
In an instant, a thick wall of gravel several meters high rose into the air.
The wall spun in the opposite direction of the storm, neutralizing its destructive power.
The fierce storm magic was thoroughly churned away by the thick layer of gravel and scattered into the air.
“What… what’s happening?”
“The Team Leader’s magic!”
Did they truly not expect their carefully prepared magic to be thwarted so easily?
After that, the police, having completely lost their formation, could not possibly stop the train-like Gravel Giant.
Once the encirclement was breached, it was like an expressway.
I dashed freely down the vacant tracks without any trains in sight, quickly reaching the exit.
‘I did it…! I really took a mad gamble, but… it worked.’
The Gravel Giant I created was a force no ordinary person could stop, yet there was the possibility that with Alice around, it could easily be seen as mere cannon fodder.
Thanks to the wide encirclement they had established, I felt fortunate that a relatively weak gap had appeared.
Nevertheless, one might wonder why I was acting so recklessly when I had to conceal my identity.
Of course, meticulously thinking through my plan led me to this conclusion.
Let’s consider the two main concerns I held.
First, I was worried about my identity being exposed, turning me into a fugitive within the city.
Second, the chaos caused by Anser was thought to be an act of her own volition.
It was much more effective to rampage as the Gravel Giant openly; this was the only way to resolve both concerns at once.
As long as I could hide the connection between myself and the Gravel Giant, I would be able to slip away from the encirclement naturally.
‘Now’s my chance with no prying eyes!’
As soon as I exited the underground tracks, I tumbled out of the Gravel Giant’s backside and concealed myself among the nearby buildings.
Thanks to the fact that I directed the Gravel Giant to keep moving forward after my exit, it dashed ahead like a runaway train.
However, the further away I got, the harder it became to control my telekinesis, which lost precision and strength.
‘Just a little more… just a little further….’
But if I gave up here, I wouldn’t get the desired outcome.
Fully aware of that, I stayed hidden tightly in the building’s gap, gritting my teeth to maintain the connection with the Gravel Giant.
Please, anyone, come!
Was it because of my desperate wish that someone unexpectedly stood before the Gravel Giant as if to block its path?
The figure was none other than the man I had encountered earlier, Ethan.
“Stop, giant. Surrender peacefully and stand down.”
“….”
“Oh, so that’s how you want to play it? Alright, then from now on you’re an accomplice. I’m arresting you for a fresh crime.”
Ethan, ignoring my pleas, grinned at the Gravel Giant rushing forward while holding Anser in his arms.
Drawing a baton, commonly used by police, from his waist, he held it out menacingly.
“Special Team 3 Leader Ethan. I’m facing an accomplice who is fleeing with a suspect. My location is in front of the tunnel. I will attempt to subdue immediately; requesting backup.”
Thud! Thud!
The Gravel Giant charged at Ethan with ominous intent.
At this rate, I might find myself in a dire situation, caught in the violence of sheer mass!
Yet amidst all this, Ethan nonchalantly continued his radio communication.
Finally, when the Gravel Giant was upon him, he swung his baton mightily from below.
Smack!
The several-ton giant was lifted effortlessly from the ground in an instant.
Ethan then twirled around and caught the flailing Anser, who had slipped free, in his embrace.
With a powerful kick, he struck the giant’s abdomen.
As a result, the giant was sent soaring through the air, crashing into the empty space beyond the tracks.
Unbelievable strength for a single person.
I knew he was strong, but this was something else. How the heck did he manage that?
“Why do you keep causing so much trouble? Special Team Leader Ethan, I’ve captured two suspects. Guys, relay this back to headquarters.”
Ethan approached the fallen giant, still crumpled on the ground, cradling Anser in his arms.
Two suspects, he meant.
It seemed he viewed the giant as a kind of monster too.
That certainly made sense.
If the giant were a golem, there would’ve been some trace of magic detected.
A moving giant without any magical signatures to be sensed?
Someone unaware of the situation might misinterpret it as a type of rock giant.
‘Now!’
Just as Ethan reached the Gravel Giant, I released the telekinesis I had been painfully holding onto.
The giant’s form began to crumble into pieces starting from its ends.
As if a fully formed person was melting away in front of us, Ethan’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“What… is this?”
Clang!
A metal fragment dropped limply from within the giant.
It was the Invader Fragment that had been lodged in Anser’s chest earlier.
Though it seemed like a useless piece of metal now, completely devoid of power…
If it were evaluated by the research lab… they might detect this as belonging to the Invader.
Then the police would naturally suspect that this was not Anser’s solo crime but instead that there was an accomplice at play. Anser could shift from being viewed as a criminal to a victim used in this crime.
‘That would be… phew, great.’
I watched quietly as Ethan retrieved the Invader Fragment and then slipped away from the scene.
That was the best I could do. The future was out of my hands now.
If things spiral out of control, it’d be truly beyond my reach.
The snow continued to fall from the sky.
When on earth would this winter end?
Still, thanks to the snow obscuring my figure, I could return quietly to the Fixer Office without causing a stir.
“Yuria!”
“….”
Near the office, in the deserted park, Sabrina was sitting on a bench waiting.
Her ears and nose were bright red as she scanned the news on her terminal.
The news reported that the bomb placed at the station had been completely defused, and the subways would once again be operational. So that situation was completely settled.
“W-What happened?”
“…!”
Before Sabrina, who asked how things had gone, I dusted off the tablecloth that was covered in dirt and carefully gave a thumbs-up with a sheepish smile.
I thought this should count as resolving at least one issue, right?
Well, that was the general idea.