Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Rank 0 Among Awakener Elite Schools
Episode 39
The Special Class of Gaon.
A select few units that commanded both the admiration of current students and the trust of the faculty.
The members known widely among the student body at present were as follows.
First, the captain: Tae Ga-young.
She served simultaneously as captain of the Special Class and vice-director of the Kendo Club.
The eldest daughter of the former police commissioner.
Her Core was Sword Qi.
Whenever she swung her blade, it was said that a tremendous wind rose as though a typhoon had been unleashed.
By pure combat strength alone, everyone agreed she would be the overwhelmingly dominant first among all students in Gaon.
Next came the vice-captain: Do Min-gi.
He likewise held both the position of vice-captain of the Special Class and that of Student Council president.
His Core was Perfect Memory.
Once he saw something—whether written or in a landscape—he would never forget it. He possessed absolute recall, making him the true brain of the Special Class.
Thanks to this, he always ranked first in exams, and his perfect memory proved invaluable when navigating the complex interior passages of the Abyss.
Captain Tae Ga-young and Vice-captain Do Min-gi.
With their efforts, rumors held that the current Special Class was achieving remarkable feats.
They were said to be the strongest Special Class across all of history.
“What…?! You joined the Special Class?”
Lisa’s surprised voice crackled through the receiver.
Yes. Ji-woo had become a full member of the Special Class.
The moment he returned to the Dormitory, he’d called Lisa to break the news.
“Yeah, so I won’t be able to go to school tomorrow. I wanted to give you a heads-up in case you were waiting for me in front of the Dormitory in the morning.”
“Ah… so the Special Class has activities tomorrow, then?”
“Apparently.”
He’d been told that the Special Class was rarely summoned. Normally, they lived like ordinary students, leading regular school lives.
There were two main reasons the Special Class would be called to gather.
First: when a new member was admitted on the director’s recommendation. In such cases, all members except those on missions had to assemble at the Annex Building.
And second: when a mission needed to be carried out.
“But you just joined the Special Class. Is it really okay to throw you into a mission right away?”
Lisa’s voice carried concern—she’d heard that Special Class missions were extremely dangerous.
Ji-woo, organizing his belongings with the speaker phone on, replied matter-of-factly.
“Well, according to the captain, cases like this are actually rare.”
“I see… so are you going on the mission tomorrow with Yu-jin?”
At that moment, Ji-woo’s hands froze as he was closing his bag’s zipper.
“…You already knew Moon Yu-jin was in the Special Class?”
“There were rumors. She was scouted right after entering the high school division. She even skipped classes sometimes before you came back…”
True—someone as accomplished as Moon Yu-jin wouldn’t skip class without reason.
“But… could the mission the Special Class is taking on tomorrow be related to what happened recently?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not certain, but I heard two elementary students went missing near the Abyss. One of them is apparently the daughter of the Core Training instructor…”
The Core Training instructor?
Who was that again?
“Anyway, Ji-woo, you need to be careful.”
Lisa’s voice remained full of worry until the moment she hung up.
* * *
Monday.
Ji-woo headed toward the Annex Building.
“Oh, you’re here.”
Captain Tae Ga-young, standing at the front, waved upon spotting him.
“How’s your body feeling?”
“…My body?”
“Didn’t you consume ten Nullspores—those poisonous mushrooms?”
Oh, right.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Excellent.”
Tae Ga-young smiled with satisfaction and turned to look back.
“Well then, everyone’s here. Shall we depart?”
Tae Ga-young, Do Min-gi, Moon Yu-jin, Nam Rae-in.
And Ji-woo—five in total—left the Annex Building.
Their destination lay north of the Annex: the Abyss.
“Two elementary students were playing in this area Saturday afternoon and went missing. Our mission today is to find those children.”
The mission details matched Lisa’s prediction.
Do Min-gi, listening to the briefing, lifted his glasses slightly and asked for specifics.
“Do we have the exact location or coordinates where the children disappeared?”
“The last footage was from CCTV near the Abyss entrance at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday.”
“That’s all?”
“For now. The school conducted a full sweep of the Abyss vicinity from Saturday night through Sunday but found nothing. That means the children likely entered the Abyss.”
And that’s why the Special Class had to step in, Tae Ga-young said.
This time, it was Ji-woo who spoke.
“…Isn’t it possible it’s already too late?”
“Because of the Toxic Miasma?”
“Yes.”
A faint Toxic Miasma hung about the Abyss’s surroundings.
Awakeners had some resistance to Toxic Miasma, so as long as they weren’t exposed for extended periods, their bodies wouldn’t suffer serious damage.
But the interior of the Abyss was a different matter entirely.
Depending on depth and surrounding conditions, the general maximum time an Awakener could spend inside the Abyss was forty-eight hours.
If the Awakener in question was an elementary student, that reduced to half—twenty-four hours.
Cross that threshold, and they’d begin to suffer Toxic Miasma poisoning.
At first, the extremities would go numb bit by bit, but eventually, complete Petrification would set in.
Plants, animals, or people poisoned by Miasma and turned to stone.
That was precisely what a Mana Stone was—the material Ji-woo had picked up during Core Application class.
‘If those children entered the Abyss Saturday afternoon… the likelihood they’ve already been poisoned is high.’
It was currently 8 a.m. Monday.
Meaning, barely more than a day and a half remained.
Having checked the time, Ji-woo spoke to Tae Ga-young again.
“Elementary students wouldn’t survive this long.”
“Hmm, so you doubt this mission has any meaning.”
“Well…”
“That’s fine. Such doubts are reasonable.”
Tae Ga-young smiled wryly and turned her full body toward Ji-woo.
“Recruit, have you entered the Abyss before?”
“…No, I haven’t.”
“Then let me explain. The Abyss takes the form of a sinkhole—a vertically elongated hole of unknowable depth. But once you actually enter, it’s not quite like that.”
Tae Ga-young proceeded with her explanation.
Generally, the deeper one descended, the denser the Toxic Miasma became.
But humanity didn’t divide the Abyss into ‘levels’ based on depth.
The reason was simple.
“The Abyss changes its layout every time you enter.”
What was known as Terrain Shift.
The cause was unknown. There was no discernible pattern.
The Abyss altered its geography randomly and without warning, as though it possessed a will of its own.
“A place that was one floor down yesterday could be a hundred floors down tomorrow. Conversely, even if you’re unlucky enough to plummet tens of kilometers below, you might rise back to the upper levels within hours.”
Hearing this, Ji-woo murmured.
“…So what you’re saying is, those children might still be surviving in a relatively safer level?”
“Quite perceptive. And there’s one more thing.”
Tae Ga-young’s smile faded, and she looked directly at Ji-woo.
“Listen carefully, recruit. Our objective is not to bring those children back alive.”
“Then—”
“Living or dead.”
Whoooosh.
A dry wind swept past, and Tae Ga-young’s voice continued.
“Find the children and bring them back. Whether they’re dead, turned to stone as Mana Stones, or otherwise—you bring it back.”
…What?
Ji-woo’s eyes widened.
But it was only Ji-woo. The other members showed no particular change in expression, as though this was not their first encounter with such circumstances.
“I’ll divide us into teams with myself and Vice-captain Min-gi leading. Yu-jin, you’re with me in Team One. Team Two will have Min-gi and Rae-in. And as for the recruit, Ji-woo…”
Tae Ga-young’s gaze, which had swept across the other members in turn, finally settled back on Ji-woo.
“You may choose directly. Which team will you join?”
In that moment, his eyes met directly with Do Min-gi’s, who stood beside him.
“…”
Do Min-gi’s face was dry and impassive, as though utterly indifferent.
He neither urged Ji-woo to join his team nor showed any sign of reluctance—his expression said: decide for yourself.
…Should I choose Team One with Tae Ga-young after all?
As captain, she’d surely know the Special Class best. Besides, Moon Yu-jin in Team One was at least somewhat familiar.
But then again…
Team Two had Nam Rae-in.
– Wouldn’t Rae-in know you far better than me?
Ji-woo’s gaze flickered toward Nam Rae-in.
‘…What should I do?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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