At that moment, Ahn Hyun’s eyes snapped wide open. A flood of curses surged up his throat, but he barely managed to swallow them down.
Crunch!
Glinting with fierce intensity, he peered through the hole and clenched his teeth, trembling.
The storage room inside was nothing special—just an ordinary, slightly rundown warehouse. The problem wasn’t the warehouse itself, but the people inside.
“Ah! Ahhh! S-stop it, please!”
“Huff…! Huff…! Stay still, you bitch! You’re making noise! Huh? She’s coming out…!”
Four men surrounded a woman.
She was being violated. One of the men had just climaxed, his head thrown back as his whole body trembled. Beneath him, the woman cried out pitifully, struggling in vain.
Yes. The warehouse was a mess. A chaotic scene already in full swing.
“L-let me out? N-no! Don’t! Please! P-please stop! Nooooooo!”
“I told you to stay still!”
For a moment, strands of hair scattered wildly across the cold floor, but it was a futile resistance. Every time the man twitched, the woman’s body flailed like a fish on a chopping block.
“Ugh… this is killing me…”
“Sniff… sniff…”
After a while, despite the woman’s desperate resistance, the man who had just finished stood up with a satisfied look. The other three men slowly approached him.
“Did you enjoy yourself enough? Hehe.”
“Ah, it was great. This is what the User Academy is all about. You get to enjoy that untouched innocence. Heh heh.”
“Glad you were satisfied. Well then…”
“Huh? Ah~ don’t worry. I’ll be keeping a close eye on you all.”
They exchanged words casually, as if the woman’s sobbing didn’t even exist.
Watching this, a deep distrust settled in Ahn Hyun’s eyes. Then, as the man began to put on his shirt, Ahn Hyun noticed a familiar emblem—a blue dragon.
‘The blue dragon is the symbol of the Goryeo Clan. So… that man is a member of the Goryeo Clan?’
Ahn Hyun studied the man’s face carefully. He racked his memory but couldn’t recall anyone matching that face among the instructors or trainers he knew. Maybe he had forgotten, or perhaps this man was an assistant like himself.
The thought sent a chill through Ahn Hyun’s chest.
As the first man stepped back, the other three began stripping off their clothes. The man who had just finished puffed on a cigarette, still flushed with excitement.
“Phew~ Hey, can you handle silencing that bitch? She put up more of a fight than I expected. Well, I guess that made it more fun.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. She’s much quieter now compared to the beginning.”
The woman could be seen as a pitiful victim. If she was guilty of anything, it was simply crossing paths with the wrong people during the rite of passage—a cruel twist of fate that followed her even into the Hollow Plain.
“When we first met during the rite, she was so stubborn. But after a few rounds, she quieted down.”
“Heh heh. Look at you talking. Anyway, be careful. Even if she blows up, we can smooth things over on our side.”
Amidst their crude conversation, a sinister laughter echoed through the warehouse.
The woman lay collapsed on the floor, her eyes glazed and unfocused, staring blankly at the ceiling as her body trembled.
Meanwhile, Ahn Hyun stood frozen like a statue, staring through the hole. Sweat inexplicably beaded on his palms.
“…!”
Suddenly, he barely held back a scream. Perhaps sensing his gaze, the woman slowly turned her head just before the three men pounced again.
Her eyes met the exact direction of the hole—right where Ahn Hyun was watching.
Their eyes locked, and Ahn Hyun was caught in a moment of hesitation.
‘Did she see me? Or was it just a coincidence?’
The answer came in her next action.
She slowly raised her arm and whispered in a faint voice:
“Help… me…”
Though the men’s jeering echoed loudly inside, Ahn Hyun’s sharpened hearing caught her words clearly.
Startled, he took a step back. Realizing what he was doing, he peered through the hole again.
A scrawny man was climbing on top of the woman, as if about to violate her anew.
Yet, despite everything, the woman’s trembling hand remained raised, as if that hole was her last hope.
Conflicted, Ahn Hyun’s eyes flickered with indecision.
If this were the old Ahn Hyun, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have burst inside the moment he saw her, answering her silent plea for help.
But now, he couldn’t.
Or rather, he wasn’t allowed to.
Two weeks ago, a conversation with Kim Soo Hyun at the cafeteria had left a deep mark on his mind.
‘This User Academy is really important. So this time, don’t expect anything else.’
‘No matter what you see, hear, or experience, don’t cause any trouble. Just stay quiet and leave quietly. Got it?’
His heart screamed to save the woman, but those words held him back.
Besides, just hours ago, he had promised himself to keep his wits about him. If he intervened now, no matter the reason, he’d be disobeying Kim Soo Hyun’s orders.
And that wasn’t all.
The men seemed connected to the Goryeo Clan. Even Ahn Hyun, who was oblivious to politics, knew better than to mess with the dominant power in the East.
Despite his tension, Ahn Hyun sorted through his thoughts one by one.
Just pretend you didn’t see anything.
There’s nothing you can do right now.
If you leave quietly, everything will proceed as it should.
He bit his lip hard, exhaled cautiously, and closed his eyes.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t see what happened next—the woman’s eyes flickered sharply left and right, then her arm dropped to the floor with a soft thud.
‘I’m sorry. Truly, I’m sorry.’
Silently apologizing, Ahn Hyun slowly turned away.
Then—
“Help me… please… anyone… please help me… save me…”
Her desperate cries pierced his back, stabbing deep into his chest. A crushing guilt overwhelmed him, making him want to block his ears.
Yet, with feet that refused to move, he took the first step.
“Please don’t… please… don’t do this… save me…”
A pleading voice echoed. Who was she begging?
Ahn Hyun forced himself to ignore it, thinking of Kim Soo Hyun, Ahn Sol, and Jung Ha Yeon. He took a second step.
“Why… why me? Why does this always happen to me? What did I do wrong? Waaah…”
This time, her sobs were hollow, tinged with a strange anger. The men’s chuckles followed.
When Ahn Hyun took the third step—
“Why… why… why won’t anyone help me? Why… why…!”
Her voice was different now—filled with raw rage, even hatred.
At that moment—
“…”
Suddenly, Ahn Hyun stopped dead in his tracks. He half-turned and looked back at the warehouse.
The woman’s voice was gone. Only the men’s bestial groans and ragged breaths remained.
After staring for a while, Ahn Hyun looked up at the sky and let out a bitter laugh.
“Ha. I really am an idiot.”
At the same time, his steps turned 180 degrees, heading back toward the warehouse instead of the dormitory.
His face looked strangely light, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Like a bolt from the blue. Or a sudden thunderclap.
How could he even describe the feelings swirling inside him? He had no clue, but one thing was certain:
The cold fury that had been dormant until moments ago was now boiling over.
After arriving in the city, he had split the clan members into two groups to speed things up. One team was tasked with finding a suitable spot to set up a warp gate, while the other was to head to the central fortress to assist the residents.
But before they even reached the central plaza, a sudden communication came through to Ha Yeon.
The message was simple.
User Ahn Hyun assaulted one assistant instructor from the Goryeo Clan and three second-week users—an outright, one-sided attack.
The full details are still being investigated.
The Goryeo Clan Lord and the Mercenary Clan Lord have been urgently summoned.
Not only did Ahn Hyun attack members of the Goryeo Clan, but he even laid hands on the rookies.
In his limp hand was a tiny orb, no bigger than a fingernail, its light fading slowly. It was a communication crystal. He clenched it tightly once, as if trying to crush it, then let his hand fall slack again.
“The Goryeo Clan… second-week users… this is going to be a real headache…”
I pressed my fingers against my forehead. The clan members nearby had overheard the communication and seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
“This is maddening. Causing trouble again. I’m really sick of it. Clan Lord, maybe it’s time to put an end to this…”
“Oppa… maybe Ahn Hyun had his reasons? Don’t you think?”
A few voices were already rising, a mix of worry and blame.
Suddenly, I realized I had to pull myself together. Every clan member was watching me anxiously. If I wavered, they all would. There were already too many loose ends, and this kind of attitude could seriously disrupt our future plans.
So, I forced down the surge of emotions and spoke quietly.
“Everyone, please calm down. We don’t know the full situation yet. They’re still investigating the details. And since the central administration has requested my presence, I need to go and get a clear picture first.”
I spoke as calmly as I could, then scanned the surroundings.
We had entered the city, but only just at its outskirts. This wasn’t exactly the ideal spot Helena had mentioned. Warp gates are usually built at strategic points within a city. But since she said it was easy to activate here, we could always move it later.
With that in mind, I spoke softly.
“Helena Lu Ayens, activate the warp gate right here.”
“Understood.”
Helena seemed to sense the tension too and nodded without protest. I watched as she pulled out a Memoria Stone a short distance away, then turned my gaze to Da-eun.
“User Nam Da-eun, except for Helena and me, take the others to the central fortress immediately. Help the residents as they need, and once everything’s done, return through the warp gate.”
“…Yes.”
“Please. And if I can’t return by tomorrow, coordinate with User Jo Seung-woo to continue the work.”
“I will. Don’t worry about it, Clan Lord.”
Da-eun looked like she wanted to say more but simply bowed calmly.
Watching her lead the clan members and residents away, I slipped the orb into my pocket. Only then did I notice my hand trembling slightly.
“The warp gate connection is complete, Clan Lord.”
About twenty minutes later, I received the report that the warp gate was activated. Just as Helena said, the portal opened without any issues.
For a moment, I wondered if it had been too easy, but I quickly pushed the thought aside. That wasn’t what mattered now.
“What’s this? You call me ‘Mother’ so properly when it’s just the two of us.”
“I know when to joke and when not to.”
“Don’t tell me you’re sending me somewhere weird again?”
“Have you forgotten? I can’t harm you.”
Helena’s words made me smile softly as I stood before the shimmering portal. After a long sigh, I stepped through. A cool sensation washed over me.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the familiar cityscape of Monica. The warp gate had worked perfectly.
But there was no time to celebrate. I quickly paid the fee and headed straight to Barbara.
My heart was racing. Now that I was alone, the emotions I had forced down earlier surged up.
To be honest… when I first heard the communication, I felt betrayed.
I told them to do nothing.
I asked them to stay quiet.
No matter what happened, I begged them not to intervene.
Of course, they must have had their reasons. But looking at the outcome, Ahn Hyun disobeyed my orders once again.
I had been patient enough, tolerant enough.
Suddenly, a thought struck me.
If I can’t accept this situation, then when it comes to Ahn Hyun, I might have to make the final decision.
The night cityscape blurred past as I ran without realizing it.
In the distance, the User Academy slowly came into view.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I think I really need to cut back on smoking—or quit altogether. Lately, every time I light up, I feel nauseous. ㅜ.ㅠ
I’m a bit tired today, so I’ll keep this note brief. Wishing you all a peaceful night. :)