Chapter 187

This Great Barrier, passed down through the Yangcheolkoong and the Iron Clan, possesses several Traits.

One of them was that, to efficiently manipulate the barrier, a Medium set in advance was absolutely necessary.

‘The Medium changes whenever the master of the Yangcheolkoong changes.’

It was a given. Only then could the risk of information leakage be reduced, and the barrier could be seized more reliably.

And as I expected, the Medium Haekaram had set was none other than that goblin mask.

The mask itself was probably a Cursed Tool, and a fairly high-grade one at that.

‘If I can somehow get that mask away from Haekaram…’

I could break through the Yangcheolkoong’s Great Barrier, the biggest obstacle to the prison break.

Whether he sensed my gaze or not, I don’t know, but Haekaram put the mask back on his face and spoke again.

“So, is this really enough? I’m making a special concession, so if you want anything else, say it now.”

A rather favorable gesture. That alone made me realize she currently thought quite highly of me.

In response, after a brief moment of thought, I met Haekaram’s eyes through the mask and spoke again.

“Someday, I would like you to listen to what I have to say.”

“Putting off a wish doesn’t appeal to me much.”

“I don’t mean you have to fulfill a request. Just hearing my words with your own ears and considering them seriously is enough.”

“Well, if it’s just that…”

Haekaram looked at me with an expression of curiosity, finding it strange that I would make such a trivial wish.

But anyway, the reward was given, and the conversation ended there.

As Haekaram was about to wrap up the talk, I quietly added one more thing.

“Come to think of it, there’s something I should mention.”

“What is it?”

“Lately, late at night, I keep sensing a strange energy from the lower floors,”

Haekaram before me would know best what I was getting at.

“That is…”

“It was quite a clamorous flow of Spiritual Power, so someone might be up to no good.”

Of course, I had no such memory. It was just a lie to probe the other’s reaction.

Haekaram showed no particular reaction, but somehow I felt she was frowning behind the mask.

After a brief silence, she gave me a clear order to leave with a somewhat displeased expression.

“…That’s not something for you to worry about. You should leave now.”

I nodded and left Haekaram’s office, returning to the Second Floor under the guard’s guidance.

In doing so, I gained certainty about the second question I desperately wanted to figure out.

‘It seems that’s the correct answer.’

There is someone in the hidden floor between the Second and Third Floors, in the special prisoner cell.

That was information as crucial to me as the Medium of the Great Barrier.

‘Even from the perspective of Part 1, it wasn’t certain if there would be a Special Prisoner.’

Now I had obtained all the necessary information. It was finally time to seriously formulate a plan for escape.

‘…I’m going to be sleep-deprived.’

That night, I ultimately had to surrender myself to waves of countless thoughts.

‘Barely made the deadline.’

It had already been three days since the meeting with Haekaram. While unconsciously carrying out my daily routine as a prisoner, I continuously formulated plans in my head.

‘There’s no time left now.’

By now, outside, chaos was probably already escalating within the Cheong Family due to Jinmyeong Daesa’s machinations.

I could delay no longer.

I couldn’t call the plan perfect, but I had to pull it off somehow.

‘Tonight, I execute it immediately.’

There’s no room for hesitation. Having made my decision, I spent the day recovering my condition as much as possible and waited for nightfall.

And finally, it arrived.

The time when silence hung in all directions, and only the guards occasionally patrolled the darkness-filled space.

‘On Saturday dawn, the number of active guards is at its lowest.’

It couldn’t be helped. They were human too, needing proper rest and compensation.

And on Friday nights and Saturday mornings, a slight gap occurs as personnel leaving for vacation and those returning overlap.

This was information confirmed in the original work through Do Jihwan’s case.

‘And Haekaram, having just completed a major regular inspection yesterday, is not at one hundred percent condition.’

In other words, right now was the optimal timing to attempt an escape.

Grateful for the appropriately aligned stroke of luck, I quietly opened my eyes and rose from my spot.

‘Sahwanje.’

Upon calling its name in my heart, a response came immediately.

From the wavering shadows, I felt the sensation of Sahwanje carrying out my command.

‘It’s a real blessing to have it.’

Of course, with abilities like Sahwanje’s, it’s nearly impossible to use power within this Great Barrier.

Its spatial Art Formula is impressive, but honestly, it’s hard to consider it top-level.

‘But it’s all about how you use it.’

The underground Arena, where the Great Barrier’s influence is minimal, was the key.

Using Sahwanje’s power, I had created and left a very small fissure there.

Of course, if it were detected by the Great Barrier, it would be putting the cart before the horse, so it was a thread-like passageway.

Direct movement for me was impossible, and using it as a passage for a Shikigami was also difficult.

However, it was sufficient in size to transmit my Art Formula using Transference, a derivative technique of the Phantom Body Trait.

‘With this, I can do it.’

Whoosh.

Fssht.

Generally, there are two ways to interfere with the activation of a Cursed Technique.

Disrupt the arrangement of the Art Formula, or render the Spiritual Power needed for the Art Formula’s operation useless in some form.

The methods derived from this branch out into numerous variations, but ultimately, tracing their roots, they all originate from those two.

Among them, the method applied to this Yangcheolkoong’s Great Barrier was the former.

It generates a powerful wavelength within a certain area, covering any imprint of an activated Art Formula and scattering its arrangement.

Thus, it allows for the control of a wide range of Cursed Techniques, while on the other hand, its effect weakens the higher the grade of the target.

‘Because the denser the Spiritual Power or the higher the control over the Art Formula, the weaker the effect of the wavelength.’

And Do Jihwan, utilizing his unique genius to the fullest, figured out a method to temporarily cancel out the Yangcheolkoong barrier’s wavelength.

Namely, by using an Intermediate-Rank Art Formula called ‘Wave Sound Transformation’ (濤音鳴變), which applies the Basic Art of Resonance.

‘I’ll have to go through some trial and error…’

Since the situation at the time was described in considerable detail, I should also be able to do the same thing.

And if that succeeded, even Haekaram, who controlled the Great Barrier, wouldn’t be able to detect my use of an Art Formula.

Rather, because he relies on the barrier’s senses, he would be completely blindsided.

‘The problem is, as I said earlier, sufficient trial and error is needed.’

That’s where the passageway connected deep within the Arena, via Sahwanje, comes into play.

Even if I generate a slight wavelength in a place already minimally affected by the Great Barrier, no one would pay it any mind.

Even if, by some chance, it were discovered, it wouldn’t cause me any harm.

Pouring my heart and soul into it, I used the Transference Art Formula to search for the appropriate wavelength value, ensuring not even a trace leaked out.

After several dozen minutes passed, drenched in cold sweat, I barely managed to grasp that sensation with my body.

‘…The first hurdle is cleared.’

With this, the next task is simple.

Use the completed ‘Tao-eum-myeong-byeon’ Art Formula to leave this room undetected and hide.

The actual escape would probably come after that.

After hastily creating one Sorcery Doll to act as my substitute, I escaped from room 7 as planned, deceiving the guards’ eyes and left the Second Floor.

‘Well, from here is the real problem.’

Looking at it this way, it seems like I’ve accomplished a lot, but in reality, not much has changed.

The Great Barrier protecting the Yangcheolkoong is still intact, and I’m still in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position.

There are two escape methods I can choose right now.

Somehow interfere with Haekaram’s goblin mask to disrupt the barrier, or find a completely different method and pioneer a new route.

‘Choosing the former would inevitably require contact with Haekaram, and choosing the latter is too uncertain.’

I remember all the escape routes and methods Do Jihwan used, but as mentioned before, those only have meaning after first neutralizing the Great Barrier like he did.

I’ve pondered it countless times, but no matter how I think about it, my power is insufficient to do all that.

Thus, I needed it. A very powerful variable that could fill that void.

‘…I have no choice.’

From now on, I’m heading to the floor below the Second Floor.

However, the destination is not the Third Floor. It’s none other than the hidden floor where the Special Prisoner is confined.

‘Releasing the dangerous element there is, no matter how you think about it, not the best plan…’

But now, I had to achieve my goal even if it meant forcing things a bit. If I couldn’t stop Jinmyeong Daesa’s plan, the future would surely twist in a bad direction.

‘What I’m about to do now is truly a sin.’

But my decision was already made. Steeling my resolve, I slowly moved my reluctant footsteps forward.

And simultaneously, a clamorous alarm echoed throughout the entire floor.

Weeeing!

Weeeeing—!*

A signal that an intruder or escapee had appeared.

Faced with it, I panicked immensely and urgently scanned my surroundings.

‘Caught? This quickly?’

This is no time to be cautious. I even used a body-enhancement Cursed Technique and began pushing off the ground with all my might.

However, soon sensing something off, I ran only three steps before stopping with a grimace.

‘No, that can’t be.’

My actions weren’t that sloppy. At the very least, it’s hard to imagine being discovered by someone immediately.

This wasn’t arrogance. It was a judgment made after sufficiently considering various possibilities, rationally.

Only then could I recall one exceptional circumstance I had forgotten.

‘Considering everything, the optimal timing for escape is right now.’

And the fact that I thought that meant someone else could very well make the same judgment.

‘…There were others besides me.’

At this very moment, attempting a prison break wasn’t just me.

And as if to prove it, a terrified guard’s shout came from the other end of the passageway in an instant.

“E-Escape! The Special Prisoner from the Middle Floor has disappeared!”

The moment the situation began to shift into a completely new phase.