Ch.139Professor, Conclusion (2)

# In front of the elevator doors.

We all gathered, waiting for the final check.

First, the weapons needed for the upcoming battle.

“Heave-ho.”

Dan gathered all the weapons and placed them in front of the elevator.

The “weapons” spilled onto the floor with a rumbling sound.

Robin bent over the mountain of items piled up.

“This would be right for Ms. Dabin.”

What Robin handed me was a small pistol.

When I actually used it before, it had incredibly low noise. However, its power was somewhat lacking.

So it was more suitable for assassination rather than engaging in a frontal gunfight.

“Among us, Ms. Dabin has the weakest physical condition, so it’s better to avoid direct combat.”

That’s true.

While the Librarian’s authority slightly enhances physical abilities, the effect isn’t that significant during normal times.

Just getting less winded when jumping. Not much help in combat.

First of all, I can’t match the men in basic physical strength.

And even among women, our backgrounds are completely different.

Daju, who came from being a test subject, practically flies around in combat, and Robin, from the Foundation’s leadership, goes without saying.

Even Heo Yoon, who’s relatively ordinary, has survived in the apartment much longer than I have.

It’s not strange at all that I’d be considered the weakest.

“Here. Take it.”

Without argument, I took the pistol Robin gave me.

We brought two of these small silenced pistols.

I just received one. The other one goes to Riko, who’s equally weak.

“Ugh…”

Riko seemed tense. Perhaps at the thought of facing the Professor again, she looked almost pale.

She even grabbed Robin and started arguing.

“I, I, Robin… Can’t I not go?”

“Why?”

“I’ve been telling you. The lab doesn’t just have researchers. There are tons of combat personnel for emergencies. They’re not quite Mobile Task Force level, but still.”

Riko swallowed hard, almost whimpering.

“They’re somewhat prepared for combat. And there are many of them. They could easily subdue a few civilians like us.”

“You’re right. Riko can stay here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But you’ll be left alone. Will that be okay?”

“What?!”

At Robin’s firm response, Riko’s eyes widened.

“We likely won’t be able to return here afterward. You’ll probably be left here alone.”

“You won’t come back for me? You’re abandoning me?!”

“Yes. Even if we could, we won’t.”

“Ah. Ugh… urgh.”

In the end, Riko took the gun and gripped it.

She looked so pitiful, trembling while clutching the gun, that I quietly approached her.

“Oh. Ms. Dabin?”

As soon as Riko saw me, she grabbed my sleeve and bombarded me with questions.

“I won’t die, right? We can succeed, right?”

“It’ll be fine.”

“I’ll only trust you, Ms. Dabin. You’re a Librarian. You can see the future, right? I won’t die in the future, right?”

I nodded with a smile.

“Yes. You won’t die.”

Of course, I’m not certain.

I can’t perfectly see the future, and I can’t even read what will happen next.

So, it’s just empty words. But if it reassures her, that’s fine.

After comforting Riko, I turned my attention to Serim.

“Oh right. Will Serim be okay?”

“Hm? Me?”

“You don’t have any weapons.”

“Ah… I can knock people out with my ability. So I think that’s why. We don’t have that many weapons anyway.”

“But won’t you get exhausted if you use your ability too much?”

“Well, I wonder?”

Serim glanced at me with a smile.

The way she gradually closed the distance between us seemed very… seductive.

After holding my breath for a moment, I spoke with a sigh.

“If you can’t handle it, join me. Just in case.”

“Okay. I will.”

Next was Yoon Daju.

Before Robin could hand it to her, Daju had already picked up a weapon and was admiring it.

It was a shotgun that looked dangerous at first glance.

Click, click.

Yoon Daju fearlessly fiddled with the shotgun.

I’d seen her use it during practice a few times, but I still couldn’t shake off my unease.

“Daju. You really know how to shoot that thing properly, right?”

“Come on, oppa. You’ve seen me shoot this gun before.”

Yoon Daju smiled mischievously.

“Want to see again?”

Then she pointed the barrel toward the empty end of the corridor—

BOOM!

—and pulled the trigger.

With a tremendous noise, dust scattered everywhere, and debris that had been suspended in the air belatedly fell to the floor.

“…”

Despite doing that, Daju seemed perfectly fine.

Her arm didn’t fly back from the recoil, and she didn’t even step back from where she was standing. Her posture remained exactly the same.

Though her build is similar to mine, her physical abilities are truly unbelievable.

“Hey, hey! Are you crazy?”

“What? You said we can’t come back here anyway.”

“No, that’s not it. What about the bullets?”

“…”

Daju rolled her eyes.

“Um. One less miss? Wouldn’t that work?”

“You’re really insane.”

I can’t stand being near her; it’s infuriating.

Heo Yoon, who was standing nearby, also threw a remark at Daju.

“Daju. Don’t get too excited.”

“Yes, unni.”

Heo Yoon was skillfully checking the condition of her rifle.

Everyone else was also inspecting their firearms, making sure everything was ready for the final preparations.

Swoosh—

With a sound even more eerie than usual, the elevator doors finally opened.

Riko, who was a former researcher, knew the number to reach the laboratory where the “Professor” was waiting.

“I’m going to press the button now.”

For some reason, Riko looked at me as she spoke.

Was it because of what I said earlier?

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Press- press- press-

As she pressed the numbers in sequence, the wall rotated to reveal a keypad.

Riko quickly entered a combination of numbers and letters, leaving only the last character.

As she was taking a breath, a calm voice cut in.

It was Robin.

“Riko. Please double-check the number.”

“What? What? Isn’t this right?”

“No. I meant let’s carefully verify it.”

“Yes. I understand. Let’s see…”

Riko recited each entered character one by one.

1. A. 3…

Her voice continued reading the text. It was quite a lengthy string of characters.

“I’ve confirmed everything.”

“Then let’s depart now. What’s the last number?”

“7. Seven.”

“Good. Be careful not to make a mistake. Press it.”

Shortly after Robin finished speaking, Riko entered the final number.

7. Seven.

I wonder if it’s mere coincidence that this is the last number.

The button to enter the laboratory was pressed.

The elevator moved without any noise, as if gliding.

Everyone was quiet. Even Daju remained silent. No, maybe she was just absorbed in playing with her newly acquired weapon.

Anyway.

As I always did in these moments, I observed my surroundings.

Jung Haewon was frozen against the wall, extremely tense, while Heo Yoon and Seok Hyunmin were holding hands tightly.

And beside me were Serim and Yebin.

I playfully poked Serim’s cheek.

“For once, you’re not hiding in a corner.”

“Huh? I just wanted to be here.”

Serim smiled brightly.

After seeing this much, I could tell her mood without asking.

Right now, her face showed a mix of tension and excitement.

“When we get out of here, let’s all stay together.”

Serim spoke first in an excited voice.

“Yes. We should.”

Then suddenly, she clapped her hands and started laughing at me.

“Oh right! When we get outside, Dabin, you’ll have to call me unni?”

“Uh… Is that how it works?”

“Of course. People would think it’s strange, right? It would be weird if you kept calling me noona.”

“What?”

I was slightly taken aback.

“I guess so.”

“Dabin. You couldn’t find a way to return to being a man, right?”

“…Yes. Well, there are plenty of methods, but if I return to being a man, the world will end.”

“Even after all this is over?”

“When this is all over, there won’t be any methods or anything.”

In the past, my face would have turned red, but now I can just laugh it off.

Actually, it’s not even an important issue anymore. It’s better than the world ending.

Still, I feel a bit wronged.

“Since I did something significant enough to save a world that was about to end, the current information will be fixed. So from the beginning, I was a woman—”

“Ahaha!”

Serim burst into laughter.

“From the beginning you were a woman? Really?”

“Yes. That’s how it turned out.”

“Considering what others might think, maybe it’s for the best? I’m not sure.”

“Of course it’s not good! Going back to being a man would obviously be the best!”

Click. Click.

Beside us, Daju was intently examining her weapon.

Apparently, she keeps finding new aspects to it.

Heo Yoon quietly watched Daju and occasionally scolded her.

“Daju. Be careful.”

“Yes, unni.”

The incredibly tense atmosphere lasted only briefly. The mood in the elevator returned to normal.

Only Riko, Dan, and Robin—the three who joined later—remained frozen with tension.

“Dabin. Let’s practice in advance. Unni. Try it. Un. Ni.”

“Ah. No thanks.”

I don’t know when Serim developed this kind of personality.

It could be because she’s nervous, or maybe she feels comfortable around me.

Since Serim spent a long time being swayed by others’ thoughts, she’s probably still at the stage of deciding which aspects of herself to choose.

Yebin, who had been silent beside us, also chuckled.

I don’t know why the conversation turned this way. Once again, my face burned hot.

I exhaled with a “whew.”

At first, I was extremely nervous too, but now I just wish we’d arrive soon.

A moment later.

“Dabin. Look there.”

Yebin quietly pointed ahead.

The elevator had reached its destination and was about to open its doors.

Only then did I sense that the lift had stopped.

Without a single noise or jolt, we had arrived at the entrance to the Professor’s laboratory.

Swoosh—

I moved toward the elevator doors that were just beginning to open.

There was no sign of anything unusual yet.

Lowering my voice and listening for sounds from outside,

I looked around at everyone.

“Let’s all get ready.”

Gradually, the appearance of the laboratory where the Professor stayed was revealed.

Between the elevator doors, dazzling light poured through the slowly widening gap.

If there were celestial light, would it be like this?

The warm rays that seemed to warm even the heart gave me an unpleasant feeling instead.

Because I needed to stay alert now.

Without anyone needing to say anything, everyone adjusted their weapons.

Daju with her shotgun.

Others with their rifles.

“The Professor will be on a completely different level from any monsters we’ve encountered so far.”

And Robin gave a final warning.

“If you see him, shoot immediately.”

“But Robin.”

A deep voice interrupted the serious atmosphere.

It was Dan.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Can we even get past the guards first? I’d be thrilled just to see the face of this Professor person or whoever.”

“We’ll have to try. As much as we can.”

“Easier said than done.”

While the two were arguing, I hurriedly checked on the others.

“Hey, Yoon Daju. You’re not nervous, right?”

“I’m super excited right now.”

“Yebin?”

“I’m fine, Dabin.”

“Serim, are you ready?”

“Yes, Dabin. But did you just say ‘noona’?”

“Unni! Serim unni. You don’t seem nervous.”

After checking on everyone one by one, I turned my attention to Jung Haewon.

“Haewon is… completely frozen.”

“Yes.”

“Daju, take good care of him.”

“Yes, oppa.”

I didn’t check on Heo Yoon and Seok Hyunmin because they were busy being lovey-dovey.

When you look at them carefully, they’re practically like a married couple.

The personnel check was complete, but the doors weren’t even half open yet.

They were definitely moving much slower than usual.

As if trying to match the exact moment.

The elevator makes its final timing adjustment.

Tick.

The sound of a clock hand comes from somewhere.

Tick. Tick.

Soon a great bell will ring.

With the bell as a starting point, the one story that penetrates all stories will begin.

What comes next, no one can dare predict.

And.

In front of the finally opened doors, there was no one.

***

It felt like swimming in a river of blood.

Sitting at his office desk, the “Professor” was writing a short document.

A document of just about three lines.

With a few photos attached, the page count increased slightly.

But even so, anyone could skim through the content in about a minute.

The document ends like this:

We will not be defeated.