NOVPUB“Failer. Are you angry?”
“Don’t call me by that old name I don’t even use anymore. A single joke can turn into a big mistake.”
Pandora, returning to her dwelling, faced the middle-aged man with the clock-shaped eyes, the one who had kept time in his gaze.
Although the man’s expression didn’t change much, Pandora knew. His mood was quite displeased.
The emotions that had been kept inside his face began to spill out through his words.
“Exposing your face and abilities in this current situation wasn’t part of the plan. And wasting such a precious artifact... I assume you’re holding your head high because you’ve made some results that can make up for this mistake, right?”
“Who do you think I am? Of course, I’ve achieved good results. You’ll feel differently once you hear this, trust me.”
“Explain.”
“I’ve verified a crucial part of the arrival of that being. Let me tell you.”
Pandora started explaining about the rift, beginning with the unavoidable detection due to the unpredictable natural errors.
When she highlighted the key point of successfully forcing the rift open, the man’s mood softened slightly.
“Hm...”
“Well? What do you think of this Pandora’s achievement?”
“I acknowledge it.”
Pandora held her head high, clearly having earned the acknowledgment.
The man accepted the unavoidable situation and decided not to press Pandora any further on her actions.
After all, what had been done was done. There was nothing to be gained by questioning it now. Pandora was an irreplaceable and valuable asset, a follower to be embraced, so it had to be accepted.
“If there are any other peculiarities, speak up.”
“Oh, I’ll call Hex. Is that alright?”
“Did you have an issue with the Grand Marshal?”
“I need a new test subject to add to the shadows, and I’ve been under so much stress from this situation that I want to get some skin care done as well.”
Naturally, Juyeon and the others had no idea about the true nature of the summoned creatures Pandora had used.
Hex had created these beings by mixing various monsters and humans, covering them with shadows, and refining them with scissors.
“I’ll accept the need for a test subject. But using a young woman under the pretext of skin care is an unnecessary waste. You do know that Black Hand’s resources are not for personal use, but for the being, right?”
“I don’t need you to nag about it. I’m doing this because it’s necessary. How much do you think I’ve earned for you to be this picky?”
“I still don’t accept it.”
“Well, consider beauty my motivation. It should be understood that keeping my mind and body well-maintained and focusing on research will yield greater results in the long run.”
After a brief pause, the man nodded, indicating his understanding, and stood up. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
During the short time it took him to reach the door, he finished his thoughts.
Grabbing the doorknob, the man addressed Pandora.
“I’ll tell you what’s definite for now. All the planned schedules are canceled. You’ll focus on research to organize this recent success for a while.”
“Why?”
Pandora raised an eyebrow in confusion, and the man rubbed his eyes.
The hands of the clock in his eyes moved a notch.
“The Grand Marshal of Samhwa Nation is someone I know. This is why meeting like this wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Hm, I didn’t know that.”
“You must have been quite nervous. I’ve decided that for the time being, we’ll maintain high security. Let’s just leave it as it is. After being caught, I’ve abandoned my impatience. I want to make sure that what I tried to cover up with force is done right.”
“Do as you please. I’ve waited long enough. A slight delay won’t make much difference.”
With that, their conversation ended.
As soon as the man left, Pandora immediately called Hex.
***
Rohan called Juyeon as soon as the situation settled.
According to the security guard, the issue ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) wasn’t only with the shopping mall, but also outside. It seemed like the Academy City was in complete disarray, which made Juyeon too busy to answer.
Rohan left a message explaining the situation and confirming that the cadets were safe, feeling satisfied with that for the time being.
Two hours later, Juyeon replied with a message saying he appreciated the hard work.
Since Juyeon was always diligent about keeping in touch, Rohan felt that this response was unusual.
He immediately asked if something was wrong, but Juyeon replied that there was nothing, and advised him to focus on making the most of his vacation.
‘Should I visit Instructor Juyeon...?’
There didn’t seem to be anything odd in Juyeon’s reaction.
But it still lingered on Rohan’s mind.
He was planning to stay in Academy City until he left for the beach, so maybe he would use his cadet privilege to invite Juyeon for a meal.
As usual, daily life returned to Academy City.
It seemed everyone was trying to forget the sudden catastrophe, with the commercial districts growing even more vibrant.
Gilbert’s group stuck to their original plan and left for the Sepia Islands.
The girls' swimsuit shopping ended up being something each of them did on their own.
It seemed that Shion and Clara were planning to visit the shopping mall in Academy City again, while Ichinose and Noah would go to Samhwa Nation to buy their swimsuits.
“Rohan, I’ll be leaving now. I guess I’ll see you in Samhwa Nation next time.”
In the evening, a car sent by Ichinose’s parents arrived in Academy City.
Ichinose reluctantly moved her feet and got into the car.
Noah, sticking her head out of the window, waved noisily at Shion and Clara.
Rohan turned and called out to the girl who was closing her eyes in the opposite direction.
“Ichinose.”
“...Yes?”
“If anything happens, contact me. Don’t get sick.”
At Rohan’s words, Ichinose’s lips curved into a slight smile.
She felt a sense of security knowing that if something went wrong, Rohan would rush to help. She was happy.
“If there’s no problem, I can still contact you, right?”
“Of course. It’s better to have no problems than have them.”
“Hehe.”
Ichinose was satisfied with Rohan’s obvious response.
As they shared a smile, Rohan didn’t forget an important matter.
“Make sure to send my regards to your father and mother.”
“Okay. You take care of yourself too, Rohan.”
The two girls got into the luxury car and left Academy City Elysium for Samhwa Nation.
Rohan stood quietly watching the car leave. Shion and Clara, still leaning out the window, waved at Noah.
“...”
Rohan felt a sense of loneliness, just as Ichinose and Noah were about to be out of his sight for a while.
...
Rohan, anticipating that he might be vulnerable today, decided to stay at Shion’s mansion for the night.
He prepared himself to sleep at any moment and laid down on the bed.
The bed Shion provided was much wider and more comfortable than the one at the dormitory.
‘I’ll try it now.’
He pulled out one of the things he’d been waiting to see.
[Restricted Viewing Video #1 Some Censorship Removed – Available for Viewing]
This video was from the time when Shion and Clara first fell into Monolith.
They had wandered under the scorching heat and suddenly found something.
After watching it, Rohan’s memory of the inexplicable fatigue returned vividly, which was also why he ended up staying at Shion’s mansion.
‘The man called the head of the household was sharing his gaze in this video.’
Rohan wasn’t sure which censorship had been removed.
The word “some” still bothered him, but for now, he decided to watch.
[Playing Restricted Viewing Video #1]
A notification popped up, and his consciousness began to fade.
“...”
Click, click, click.
The man was walking through a quaint building, just as before.
It was inside a building that no longer existed in the southern region of Solarea.
“Hm.”
The man, called the head of the household, stopped and admired a painting hanging in the corridor.
It depicted the horizon at dawn in oil painting. The title of the piece was—
‘Light.’
Rohan remembered it clearly, as it was written at the bottom.
He could still feel the emotions of the man looking at the painting.
The head of the household loved the painting "Light."
With that admiration came a decision. Just as he was about to start his day’s work, a presence approached.
The video didn’t show any change yet.
“Master!”
The man, quietly admiring the painting, turned his head when the presence he had been sensing finally spoke.
A woman approached, greeting him. She was the adopted daughter of a person named Failer.
Rohan remembered her.
She was the one the head of the household kept around cautiously.
“■■■. You’re up early.”
The name still had a place to be filled with noise and static.
Her face was obscured by a mosaic.
Rohan clicked his tongue in frustration as he watched. Then, a change occurred.
[Deleting Censorship]
Time rewound a few seconds.
It returned to the scene where the head of the household was admiring the painting.
“Master!”
“Pandora. You’re early.”
The hidden name was restored.
The face that had been concealed appeared, and it was someone Rohan recognized.
Pandora, though more modest in appearance than when they met in the shopping mall, still had the same sharp gaze.
“...!”
Rohan was surprised, but the relief he felt outweighed it.
This was something he had half expected.
The quest that had started with meeting Pandora was titled [Facing the Leader of the Southern Ruin].
It seemed like it was as expected. Rohan now had certainty about the parts he had suspected.
The information he had gathered over time connected.
‘So then...’
He continued watching.
Later, the phrase “some censorship” made sense.
After the head of the household parted ways with Pandora and arrived at his office, a woman was there with a child who appeared to be Rohan. Her face was still obscured.
[Ending Restricted Viewing Video #1]
Rohan opened his eyes.
He clenched and relaxed his fist to check his condition.
‘I’m a little tired, but it’s not enough to make me collapse.’
Though there was fatigue, it wasn’t as bad as before, where he couldn’t hold his ground.
Now that he had some free time, his purpose was clear.
[The Third Transcendence Shines]
