Surviving Restructuring

“You seriously flew? Like, actually flew?”

“No way. That’s ridiculous.”

“This could actually be real! Flying ability sounds like a totally legit skill name!”

All eyes were on Eun-Ho now. The purple-haired girl blinked her long lashes, staring at him with sparkling curiosity.

“But to be precise,” Eun-Ho said, “I fell from the sky.”

“Huh? The sky?”

“Didn’t you guys see it yesterday? Something huge would’ve floated up there.”

The girl’s disappointment was brief. Her eyes went wide, then she slapped both hands over her mouth like she’d just realized something. “No way! That UFO yesterday! That was you?!”

A UFO? Eun-Ho thought.

For people who didn’t know any better, the round arena probably did look like one. Seen from a distance, it would’ve been hard to tell if it was a sphere or a disc.

And did she just say yesterday? So I guess I was unconscious for an entire night. I mean that would explain the pile of messages I’ve racked up.

[A gift has arrived from the subject Kim Ji-Eun! Would you like to check it?]

[A gift has arrived from the subject Choi Jae-Hyuk! Would you like to check it?]

[A gift has arrived from the subject Kim Han-Wool! Would you like to check it?]

...

Good. Looks like they’re all safe.

He’d been worried since he’d blacked out without confirming anything.

I’ll check them later... First I need to deal with these kids.

“No wonder... I thought it was weird how dirt was falling from a broken UFO.”

Clearly annoyed that his group was being swayed by a suspicious stranger, the man scolded her, “You idiot! You believe everything he says?”

“You saw it too! Water and dirt was pouring down from the sky!”

“Where was your original district?”

“Yongsan,” Eun-Ho replied.

“Then why did you go up there?”

“Well, of course it was because of a trial.”

“Then why did it suddenly collapse?”

“That’s because the trial ended.”

Even though Eun-Ho was telling the truth, the sleek-eyed guy clearly wasn’t buying it.

“Then where are the others you supposedly went up with? Why are you alone? And why come here instead of back to Yongsan?”

“I caught a bad gust of wind on the way down, which separated me from all the others. Next thing I know, I’m tied up right here.”

“And we’re supposed to just believe that?”

He shrugged as best he could with bound hands. “Don’t see any good reason not to.”

The man sighed, looking cautious and calculating. “Ugh, whether your words are true or not, we can’t just let a suspicious person stay here.”

Honestly, he seemed more leader-like than the purple-haired girl.

“Aw, man... I always wanted to fly once before I die.” Purple-haired girl pouted, sounding more disappointed than wary. “So what was the trial?”

“They threw us in an arena and made us fight monsters.”

“Whoa! Did you win?”

“Would I be standing here if I lost?”

The purple-haired girl nodded as if that made perfect sense.

Eun-Ho said to the man, projecting clearly so everyone around could hear, “Anyway, wouldn’t having one more fighter be a good thing?”

“What?”

“I could help in battle.”

The man’s eyebrow twitched.

”Don’t you have trouble with enemies?”

”How did you—”

Eun-Ho remembered the conversation they were having earlier.

“So what about the lookout?”

“They already switched with the next shift!”

Even with a person falling straight out of the sky, the perimeter security operated like clockwork. If there were actual soldiers among them, that’d make sense. However, from the looks of it, there wasn’t even a single reservist in sight.

They were just ordinary students, barely twenty years old. That changed things.

“Look.” Eun-Ho cut in flatly, nodding toward their orderly watch rotations. “The trial is over, so there’s no reason to post guards anymore. Unless, you’re expecting an attack, or trying to protect something from one. It’s gotta be one of the two.”

“That’s just...”

“It’s too organized for a bunch of regular students who haven’t even done military service. You guys were in lots of battles, weren’t you?”

It was obvious that they weren’t fighting the system, but the enemies they could actually see.

The man’s eyes flicked back and forth as his brain churned, so the purple-haired girl broke it first. “But what does that have to do with letting you live?”

“I’m quite strong. Although it would sound arrogant to say so myself,” Eun-Ho replied.

“But you could be a spy or an assassin.”

“Then I probably wouldn’t have walked in through the front door.”

“I guess that’s true.” She toyed with her bangs again, thinking. “But what if we still decide to kill you?”

Her lips curved upward playfully behind her fingers.

Glancing at her, Eun-Ho smiled back faintly, quietly finishing the last thread of rope he’d loosened.

Then, as if nothing were wrong, he extended his free hand for a handshake. “Then I guess I can’t stop you... But I’d rather keep things peaceful.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not a fan of pointless fighting.”

The purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes and smiled right back.

***

Thankfully, they were reasonable people, hence he at least managed to get outside.

“I’ll take him.”

“You sure? What if he lunges—”

“It’s fine.”

However, he was being marched out, while the purple-haired girl twisted both his arms behind his back.

“You watch a lot of crime movies or something?”

She had probably seen the wristlock from somewhere. Still, since she hadn’t invested in Strength—her stat was maybe a 10 at best—the hold was more theatrical than effective.

“Just bear with me until we’re outside. Everyone’s a little paranoid.”

Do we really have to walk like this? I mean, she’s the one getting hurt, Eun-Ho thought.

She’d banged her head on a post while half-dragging him. “Ow!”

Girls gathered around her like she’d taken a bullet.

“Bo-Ra!”

“Are you okay, Unnie?!”

“Did you get hurt?! Let me see!”

Then, one of the women who had been making a fuss accidentally hit the purple-haired girl’s head.

Thwack!

“Sorry! I was trying to see if you were okay...”

“Ugh, I’m fine, so could you just move away?”

Just like that, there was awkward silence.

What a tiring group, Eun-Ho thought.

“Can’t we just walk like normal? This hallway’s narrow anyway,” Eun-Ho asked.

“I would, but the others are uneasy.”

“Well... Maybe you’re the one making them uneasy, not me.”

Hearing that, the purple-haired girl gave a quiet laugh. When Eun-Ho glanced up, she caught his eyes and introduced herself. “It’s Yeon Bo-Ra.”

“Yeon Bo-Ra?”

“That’s my name.”

Briefly thrown off by the strange situation, Eun-Ho paused and replied blankly, “... Ah, I see.”

Yeon Bo-Ra pouted her lips. “That’s it? That’s your reaction?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you gonna ask if it’s a nickname? Or if I dyed my hair purple because of the name? Aren’t you curious?”

“Do I have to ask?”

She seemed taken aback. “Well, isn’t it kind of interesting?”

“No, I’m more interested in when you plan to stop jamming this into my neck.”

“... What a weird old man.”

Old, huh, Eun-Ho thought.

He wasn’t that much older, but apparently he was a weird old man now.

“There’s stairs ahead so be careful.”

She slowed her pace, still clutching his arm, as if afraid he’d stumble.

What a peculiar girl, Eun-Ho thought.

“So what’s your name?” Yeon Bo-Ra asked.

“Why bother chatting with the prisoner?” Sounding annoyed, the guy behind them butted in.

“Because I feel like it.” Bo-Ra shot back.

Her long wavy hair brushed his face as she turned.

“Lee Eun-Ho.”

He smelled grass. That damp, rainy-day smell.

“Hmm... That name doesn’t suit you,” Yeon Bo-Ra replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Eun-Ho feels soft, like watery mud.”

His name had been called girly before, but watery mud was a first.

What exactly does that supposed to mean? Eun-Ho wondered.

“Shape-wise, the name feels smooth and round... Color-wise, it feels like a warm silver. Anyway, not a good match.”

“You’re quite judgy, aren’t you? I’m a very soft person,” Eun-Ho replied.

“I’m not buying that.”

“We’ve known each other for only five minutes. How are you so sure?”

She ignored him and muttered to herself, “... Actually, you’re more like a stone! Sculpted stone!”

“A stone?”

“Yeah. Like something that was carved, not molded.”

Given that he uses his Petrify skill almost every day, it felt strange. Though, it was probably just a coincidence. He kept staring forward because he thought continuing this was pointless.

However, Bo-Ra leaned in expectantly. “What about me? What vibe do I give?”

“Well, you’re not a leader material.”

“Eh?! Me? Why?” She made a comically offended face. “I even saved your life!”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

“You’re too soft.”

If this place required guards on watch like a fortress, they should’ve locked him up, blindfolded him, or killed him on the spot.

“Plus, everyone else seems to rely on you even though you look like the weakest one here,” Eun-Ho said.

She was too weak, actually. She’d lost ten percent of her Stamina stat by just bumping into a pillar.

[90.5%]

At that rate, ten posts in a row would kill her.

“You think I’m the weakest? Me?”

“Yeah. You look like you’d fall over if I tapped you.”

For a split second, her smile vanished. Then it returned, a shade too quickly. “You mean I look delicate, right?”

“Well...”

Hmm... She’s suspicious, as if she’s hiding something, Eun-Ho thought.

Even the guy had gone quiet.

Maybe one more prod would shake something loose, Eun-Ho thought.

“And leadership-wise... I’m guessing there’s some other reason they follow you.”

“Wow, you’re quite sharp actually.”

She smirked but offered nothing else up until they pushed through a heavy glass door. Then, it made sense why there were so many young women, and why Bo-Ra had kept going on about textures and shapes and colors.

“This is...” Eun-Ho muttered.

“Have you been to our school before?”

However, there was no need to ask what school it was. There were signs plastered everywhere, saying Hongin University.

“Not this deep into campus,” Eun-Ho replied.

Most outsiders only wandered the pub street by the main gate, and not into campus.

Thump. Thump.

He wasn’t sure whether that word, “campus,” applied anymore.

“The main entrance is fixed!”

“Good! Patch the back wall at Hongmun Hall too!”

“Do we have any ladder left?”

The entire campus perimeter was surrounded by thick packed-earth walls like a medieval fortress.

Without thinking, Eun-Ho blurted out a comment, “... The Great Wall?”

Yeon Bo-Ra burst into laughter. “Pfft! What?! Seriously?”

“Are you an art major?”

“I’m in the sculpture department. There are a few from the painting and ceramics departments over there too.”

Then, with a proud smile, she reached out as if she was about to introduce herself.

Thud!

Suddenly, the wall exploded.

***

Boom! Thud—!

The wall that had firmly supported the campus—the dirt wall that had been a precious shield for the students—collapsed inward, upside down.

“Aaah! My leg! It’s getting crushed!”

“Be careful!”

“The building is falling!”

Instead of a gun or a sword, this was probably artillery fire. To be precise, a cannonball.

Who in the world could be firing such a modern weapon? For what purpose? Why at a place like this? There were so many questions, but the most puzzling of all was: why was everyone calling desperately for the weakest woman who seemed like she’d die with just a brush of wind?

“Bo-Ra Unnie! What do we do?!”

“Please! Save us, Bo-Ra!”

“Yeon Bo-Ra!”

The next moment, Yeon Bo-Ra stretched both hands forward, her face tightly scrunched. “Mold! (Sculpting)!”

As beads of sweat formed on her forehead, the ground beneath her trembled.

Rumble—!

Eun-Ho remained speechless because the collapsed mud began to surge upward.

Shlrrrrp—!

Wet clay flowed, rolled, packed itself and became a wall.

“Bastards! They even built bombs?!” Yeon Bo-Ra complained.

So this is how they’ve lasted so far? Eun-Ho thought.

She could manipulate earth however she wanted, building walls and reshaping terrain as if wielding some massive invisible hand. It was an exceptional ability, easily worth ten, twenty, maybe a hundred ordinary people in pure defense.

However, a mud wall could only endure so much bombardment before it crumbled, especially against modern explosives.

Boom! Baaam!

“Kyaaaah!”

It’s weaker than I thought. Unless she’s still holding back something, Eun-Ho thought, looking at the mud wall.

“Hand it over Yeon Bo-Ra, you bitch!”

Yeon Bo-Ra appeared startled.

“I’m going to drop one shell every minute until you do!”

A man’s cry echoed from beyond the mud wall.

“It seems like he’s looking for you,” Eun-Ho said.

“Please! Be quiet!”

“Why is he dropping bombs? What did you do to him?”

Yeon Bo-Ra pressed her finger to her lips and scowled. “Shush!”

[Due to the effects of your Stamina stat, the duration of the status effect overexertion has been reduced.]

[Remaining duration: 36 minutes.]

There were still thirty-six minutes left for Eun-Ho to fully recover. The fever had already subsided quite a bit. He just had to hold on a little longer.

In fact, he had the audit pass for the Basic Swordsmanship class. He could just leave the area and return after the battle was over. Nevertheless, Eun-Ho thought he could also play along for a bit.

“The gym wall has been breached!”

“Same with the library What should we do?!”

“We can’t block them all at once...”

“Do you need a hand?” Eun-Ho asked.

“... Pardon?”

Besides, there was something he needed to get back.

Yeon Bo-Ra, sweating coldly, seemed to snap back to her senses and shouted, “P-please help me! If you just buy me some time until I can gather the mud again, I’ll figure something out!”

“Then give me my sword back!” Eun-Ho took a step closer, with his hand out.

Yeon Bora, clearly flustered, looked at him in confusion. “W-why are you looking for that from me?”

Hmm... I didn’t think she would try to deny it even now. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter to me, Eun-Ho thought.

“Your hand,” he said, glancing down at the palm she’d wrapped in bandages. “You tried using it, didn’t you? And burned yourself.”

She instinctively looked at her hand and then flinched in surprise. “... Um, that’s...”

She looked like a student caught trying to do something bad, not knowing what to do. Cold sweat now dripped down to her sharp chin.

Just then, the man’s voice rang out more clearly from nearby.

“Yeon Bo-Ra! Come out!”

Eun-Ho tried to reveal her location. “Here! Yeon Bo-Ra is he—”

She covered his mouth to silence him, pleading with her eyes. “Shhh! I’ll give it to you! Just... Shh!”

Then, she immediately shouted one word, “Summon!”

Should’ve done it from the start, you little sneaky cat.