Chapter 205: Isolated System (1)
” Huh? Doesn’t he look exactly like Yaya? “
Kyung-joon’s voice, which sounded 3.76 times faster due to the Dimensional Study Room.
Eo-er was startled and immediately tried to get off.
” Aaack……! “
But Kyung-joon couldn’t just let that happen.
Whizz, thud!
With overwhelming speed, Kyung-joon grabbed Eo-er’s arm from behind, tied his hands, and tripped him.
Thud!
Eo-er collapsed pathetically face-first onto the floor.
” Ugh……! “
He let out a short moan as the impact cut him off.
And then immediately.
Hum.
He gathered mana to activate the voice message scroll in his hand……
” Oh, dear. “
[Unique skill 『Mana Plunder (Lv.2)』 ]
[Absorbs the target’s mana and cancels scroll activation.]
Crackle!
Kyung-joon wouldn’t just let that happen.
However, Eo-er wasn’t one to give up after just one try.
Hum! Crackle!
Hum! Crackle!
Hum! Crackle!
But no matter how many times he tried, whenever Kyung-joon’s hand touched the arm holding the scroll, it would go out like a fire doused by a fire extinguisher.
” Grr……! “
Eo-er realized that mana wouldn’t work anymore.
” Heave! “
He momentarily put all his strength into his body to break free from Kyung-joon.
” Going somewhere? “
Kyung-joon matched Eo-er’s strength, pushing him down.
” Ugh! Urgh……! “
Eo-er struggled but couldn’t budge an inch.
He was completely outmatched in strength.
Unlike Yaya, who took core training classes at the Combat Magic Department, Eo-er had only ever studied, so there was no way he could be physically strong.
On the other hand, Kyung-joon had done quite a bit of physical labor, such as building beehives, and had absorbed a significant amount of strength stats from BlackChef, so he had no trouble subduing the struggling Eo-er.
Kyung-joon spoke.
Still acting like a professor.
” This won’t do. Don’t you know that physical strength is national power? Student, you can’t study for long if you’re this physically weak. “
……Even though Kyung-joon, who was saying this, had the same problem.
For almost half a year, Kyung-joon had been sitting at school every day and lying down at home, wearing the connection gear.
Lately, he had been feeling that his body wasn’t what it used to be.
‘I need to start jogging in the morning or maybe even get a gym membership.’
As Kyung-joon was thinking this to himself, Eo-er, who was pinned beneath him, shouted in an excited voice.
” What about Yaya! What happened to Yaya! And what is this……! “
” Hmm. “
Kyung-joon’s expression asked if that was even a necessary question.
” Can’t you tell just by looking around? “
Broken debris was scattered everywhere, and acrid-smelling mana smoke rose from various places.
The surroundings were a desolate wasteland, as if the buildings had not only collapsed but had been bombed.
It was a clear scene that Kyung-joon didn’t need to explain.
But it wasn’t like that for Eo-er.
” What did you do to make it like this! “
” Well, it looks like it was bombed. “
” L, Lies! There wasn’t any sound! And the vibrations too……! “
Snap!
[Rare skill 『Delay Magic (Lv.4)』 ]
Kyung-joon snapped his fingers, activating the magic he had delayed.
Seeing is believing, so it would be faster to let him experience it firsthand than to tell him.
[Rare skill 『Transform Magic (Lv.6)』 ]
[Rare skill 『Sound Blocking (Lv.3)』 ]
[Blocks all sounds heard by the target.]
Sound disappeared from Eo-er.
[Rare skill 『Transform Magic (Lv.6)』 ]
[Unique skill 『R-wave (Lv.2)』 ]
[Cancels all shock and vibration felt by the target.]
The sensation of touch and pressure on his skin also disappeared.
Since he couldn’t hear anything anyway.
[Unique skill 『Multi Mana Control: Nano (Lv.6)』 ]
[Creates letters in the air with mana.]
Kyung-joon wrote right in front of Eo-er’s eyes.
『How is it? Do you understand now?』
Eo-er, seeing Kyung-joon’s mana writing, let out a tense breath, “Huff, huff.”
However, he couldn’t feel the sound of his own breathing or the pressure of the air passing through his mouth.
He had been deprived of his hearing and sense of touch.
The cold floor against his stomach, Kyung-joon’s body heat on his back, and Kyung-joon’s writing in front of him were the only senses Eo-er was allowed.
Rustle.
Kyung-joon manipulated his mana to change the writing in front of Eo-er.
『I have a few questions for you. Can you answer them?』
Eo-er didn’t nod or shake his head.
Regardless, Kyung-joon’s writing continued to change.
『It’s nothing too difficult.』
『Things like the current organizational structure of Scrollpia, the location of the camp, tomorrow’s schedule, and so on…… Things like that.』
『It shouldn’t be too hard since you know everything, right?』
Shaking his head.
Eo-er shook his head.
And then.
『Really?』
Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine.
A cold sensation spreading from the center of his back.
No, it wasn’t cold.
The warmth of the human man that he had felt on his back was slowly disappearing.
[Unique skill 『Multi Mana Control (Lv.6)』 ]
[Rare skill 『Transform Magic (Lv.6)』 ]
[advanced skill 『Energy Shooter (Lv.6)』 ]
[Controls the energy of the air in real time with mana.]
From a point to a circle.
And the circle soon became his entire body.
Eo-er was deprived of his sense of heat and cold, following his hearing and touch.
He could no longer feel anything below his eyes.
『I have perfectly matched the amount of heat leaving your body with the amount of heat entering your body.』
『It’s what’s called a dynamic equilibrium state in science. It’s like you can’t even feel the temperature, right?』
Huff. Huff.
Eo-er continued to breathe heavily.
He could feel his body tensing up and becoming more and more strained.
But, but why, why did it feel like he couldn’t feel anything?
He didn’t even know if his heart was beating.
He couldn’t tell if he was breathing in or out.
His elven ears, several times more sensitive than a human’s, couldn’t pick up a single sound.
He couldn’t tell if he was being pressed to the floor or floating.
He felt like he was going crazy.
Not being able to feel anything was like being disabled.
It would be better if he was attacked and his points went to 0 so he could at least retire.
Even that wasn’t allowed.
Only through his sense of sight could he realize that he was stuck to the ground.
『So.』
At that moment.
The writing changed again.
『Do you want to tell me now?』
Eo-er tried to nod.
But then he shook his head.
And then he spoke.
Don’t underestimate Scrollpia.
He couldn’t even hear his own voice, so he wondered if it had been conveyed properly.
『Well then.』
Fortunately, it seemed to have been conveyed properly.
Of course, that didn’t lead to a good outcome.
To put it bluntly, what had come to visit was a purgatory close to hell.
『You’ll be going to the truth room for a bit.』
The moment the writing said that.
His last remaining sense, sight, was taken away.
─────.
And then complete nothingness followed.
．
．
．
About 4 minutes and 30 seconds later.
Thinking it was about time, Kyung-joon released the Isolated System skill.
Eo-er, finally freed from the sensory deprivation chamber.
He was curled up, muttering to himself.
” ……is what I am. My favorite food is paella, a famous dish from the Mediterranean Sea. My nanny used to make it for me all the time when I was little because she didn’t feel like cooking rice…… Oh, right…… My nanny’s name was Ariz. When I shower, I wash my face→hair→body in that order, and I always have to use the bathroom in the morning…… Otherwise, my stomach feels off all day and it bothers me during class…… And my ideal type is a cat beastkin…… “
He was spouting out information about himself as if it were some kind of prayer.
It was a last-ditch effort to hold onto himself in a space where he couldn’t feel anything.
Seeing him so desperate made Kyung-joon feel a little sorry for him.
” Hmm…… I tried to do it gently, but I guess this is worse. “
< (ꃋิꎴꃋิ)>
Kyung-joon scratched the back of his head awkwardly and approached Eo-er.
” I am Eo-er, the younger twin of the Twineez family, and my favorite food is…… “
Eo-er continued to mutter with his eyes closed, unaware that his senses had returned.
It seemed that being deprived of all senses with the Isolated System for just 5 minutes was more painful than ordinary torture.
” Excuse me. “
Kyung-joon tried to resume the conversation.
Pat.
Shake, shake.
Kyung-joon tapped Eo-er’s shoulder and shook him a little.
” Aaack?! I, It’s back……?! Waaaaah! Ughhhh! “
Eo-er looked up at the sky with tears, a runny nose, and a bewildered face.
The sounds, vibrations, touch, temperature, and light that had been blocked off……
The senses that had been taken away returned one by one.
The senses that had been useless because there was nothing began to function properly again.
” Ah…… Ahhh…… “
It was an incredible pleasure.
The cold floor.
The dusty air of the ruined building.
The hazy sky above.
The echoing sounds of battle in the distance.
” Ah, uh, eoh, uh-huh. “
Simple sounds, the sound of his own breathing, the vibrations of his heart beating, the feeling of his entire body scraping against the floor, his vision swaying from side to side.
All these things, which he normally took for granted, were now more desirable than anything else.
” Mr. Eo-er. Are you alright? “
Kyung-joon was kneeling down, looking down at him.
As soon as Eo-er saw Kyung-joon, he started shouting.
” Aaaah! Please, please! I don’t want to go back in there! I don’t want to go back in there ever again! I don’t want to go back! Please! It’s dark and cold in there, no, it’s not even cold, it’s not hot or cold, I can’t feel anything, it’s like I can’t even breathe……! I never want to go back there again…… Uh……? “
Pat, pat.
Kyung-joon started to gently pat Eo-er’s head.
” I’m sorry. I went too far. It’s my first time using the Isolated System, so I didn’t know it would be this bad. “
Kyung-joon looked genuinely sorry, as if he felt sorry for him.
He seemed to feel quite guilty about doing this to Eo-er.
” So, can you tell me now? “
Grin.
Kyung-joon grinned as he looked down at Eo-er.
And then.
” The control camp is located underground the underwater training ground, north of the hill east of Fel Square! They’re there because they figured no one from the Scroll Department would ever go there since we hate water! Anyway, all the message scrolls are programmed so they work fine even if they get a little wet or humid! The person in charge of the control camp is the leader’s right-hand man, a woman named Teclyn, and she……! “
Eo-er began to spill everything he knew.
” Yes, yes. Good, good. Keep talking. “
Kyung-joon nodded satisfactorily, as if the dam had finally broken.
And so, Kyung-joon heard firsthand from Eo-er himself about the location of the control camp and all sorts of other information about Scrollpia.
” ……My favorite food is black ink paella, a famous dish from the Mediterranean Sea! My nanny used to make it for me all the time when I was little because she didn’t feel like cooking rice! When I shower, I wash in the order of face→hair→body, and I’m the type who gets an upset stomach if I don’t go to the bathroom in the morning……! Uh, uh…… Ah! I’ve dated a total of three people so far, an elf, a human, and a beastkin…… Mmm?! “
Kyung-joon hurriedly covered Eo-er’s mouth.
” That’s enough, that’s enough. I’ve heard enough of that. “
Perhaps it was an aftereffect of the Isolated System skill, but Eo-er was telling him everything.
” Haha…… I guess I was a little too harsh. “
As Kyung-joon was watching Eo-er awkwardly, a notification popped up in front of him.
Ding!
A status window suddenly appeared.
[You have newly created the Unique skill 『Isolated System』.]
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