Chapter 102 – D-Day of the Finals

“If you did, can you explain what kind of ability it is? In detail?”

Baek Jun continued to press, his gaze fixed intently on Kim Jinsung.

After a brief silence, Kim Jinsung met his gaze, responding,

“No, I didn’t get it.”

“……”

Silence fell between them.

Baek Jun, his lips pressed together, stared into Kim Jinsung’s eyes and spoke again.

“Don’t even think about lying to me. Do you have any idea how many awakened individuals I’ve encountered while running this program?”

“……”

“I can tell if you’re lying just by looking at your face now.”

Kim Jinsung responded coolly to Baek Jun’s chilling words, not even blinking.

“I’m being honest.”

“…Honest?”

“Yes. It’s a fact that I didn’t acquire the ability.”

An even heavier silence descended upon them. This time, it stretched, seemingly endless.

Baek Jun continued to gaze into Kim Jinsung’s eyes, who met his gaze unflinchingly.

The tension, taut as a stretched wire, finally snapped when Baek Jun broke eye contact.

“Alright. You can go.”

At his dismissal, a Hunter Bureau agent, standing nearby, approached Kim Jinsung.

Kim Jinsung stood up and walked towards the door.

‘Did he really expect me to be honest?’

He scoffed inwardly, unseen by anyone.

‘And I don’t believe a word about him doing this for the nation.’

The Kim Jinsung of before the fight club might’ve been honest with Baek Jun. Back then, he was more naive, easily intimidated.

But after experiencing countless hardships, Kim Jinsung wasn’t so easily manipulated.

As soon as Kim Jinsung left, the Hunter Bureau agent closed the door.

A side door slowly creaked open, and an elderly man with white hair walked towards Baek Jun, who stood up and bowed his head respectfully.

“I apologize. I failed to elicit the answer you wanted.”

“That’s alright, it was to be expected. I would’ve responded the same way.”

Yong Hangil shook his head and settled down at the table.

He picked up Kim Jinsung’s untouched glass of water, taking a sip, before continuing,

“It seems we’ll need to deploy more of our clan members for the finals. If Kim Jinsung did obtain Shin Woong’s ability, the level of security we planned might not be enough.”

“…Are you sure that’s alright?”

Baek Jun asked cautiously.

The finals would be held on an island within the New Continent. As a special arrangement, hunters from the Daehan Clan, the only Korean clan with a presence in the New Continent, had agreed to assist with security during the finals.

“I’m just concerned about potential security breaches at our headquarters in Sselepoh…”

“The days when our base could be destabilized by sending out a few more members are long gone. Don’t worry.”

“…Thank you, Master.”

Baek Jun bowed deeply to Yong Hangil.

Once they relocated to the island in the New Continent, he would no longer be able to rely on support from the Hunter Bureau. The Bureau’s support had been secured thanks to Bin Nasir’s involvement, but he had already returned to his country after the preliminaries.

Therefore, during the finals, they would be heavily reliant on the Daehan Clan’s security detail.

He was naturally very grateful for Yong Hangil’s offer to send additional personnel.

“However, our men might be a bit…overbearing when it comes to security on the day of the finals. As you know, the New Continent is a volatile place, where anything can happen at any time. I’d appreciate your understanding regarding that.”

“Of course, I’ll inform our staff about it.”

“The finals will proceed as scheduled, correct?”

Baek Jun nodded at Yong Hangil’s question.

“Yes, they’ll be held in 5 days, as scheduled.”

“Five days…That could be a bit tight.”

Yong Hangil pondered, bringing his cup to his lips.

* * *

Time sped by.

The transport plane carrying all the finalists, including Kim Jinsung, left Korea and was soaring over the Pacific Ocean.

Just as they left Korean airspace, Baek Jun’s voice came over the plane’s speakers.

[Greetings, contestants. I’m Baek Jun, president of Colosseum Survival.]

He was seated next to the pilot, speaking into a microphone connected to the plane’s PA system.

[First, I want to congratulate all 62 survivors who successfully passed all the preliminary rounds which lasted for two months.]

“…”

No one on the plane responded.

They were all too nervous to react.

Baek Jun’s voice continued to echo among the anxious passengers.

[This transport plane is approaching ‘Ambages,’ the island in the New Continent where the final competition will be held.]

“……”

“…Gulp.”

At the mention of the New Continent, several passengers gulped involuntarily.

It was clear what was making them so nervous.

[Ambages Island is one of the farthest islands from the mainland of the New Continent. Therefore, the monsters you’ll encounter will be weaker than those found on the mainland.]

“Whew….”

[However, the New Continent is still the New Continent. The monsters there are far stronger than anything you’ve encountered on other continents.]

“……!”

The faces of some, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, tensed up again at his words.

[The upcoming finals will be far more challenging and dangerous than any of the previous preliminaries. Keep that in mind.]

Just as Baek Jun finished speaking, the plane, which had been flying smoothly, suddenly began to shake violently.

“Uh…?”

“Wh-what’s happening?”

As the passengers started to murmur in confusion, the voice of a guide echoed through the speakers.

[We are currently passing through the New Continent’s ‘Cascara.’ Please remain calm.]

“Ah, Cascara…!”

“I’ve only heard rumors about it….”

Some of the passengers nodded, recognizing Baek Jun’s words.

Kim Jinsung immediately looked out the window.

He saw the plane flying through what looked like an incredibly thick, opaque gray barrier.

‘That’s Cascara, the barrier surrounding the New Continent.’

Cascara, which had formed along with the New Continent when it rose from the Pacific Ocean, served as a boundary separating the Earth’s other continents from the New Continent.

Only vehicles equipped with powerful protective magic circles, like the transport plane they were currently on, could withstand the passage through Cascara.

Weaker vehicles would’ve been crushed and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

It also blocked wireless communication. No wireless signal, including satellite communication, could penetrate Cascara.

Wired connections were also easily severed by the internal forces within Cascara, effectively cutting off communication between the New Continent and other continents.

There was no way to know what was happening in the other world except through direct human travel.

[We’ve safely passed through Cascara.]

The shaking ceased as soon as the announcement came through.

Moments later, they felt the plane descending.

[We will be arriving on Ambages Island shortly.]

Hearing this, all the passengers turned to look out the window.

A small island slowly grew larger as they descended.

As they neared, Kim Jinsung spotted a massive black portal at the center of the island.

‘It looks like a dungeon portal?’

[Staff, please release your assigned contestant’s seatbelts and distribute the prepared bags.]

Hearing the announcement, the staff members seated next to the passengers sprung into action.

The plane reached the center of the island and began descending towards the portal. As the passengers donned their backpacks, a representative of the staff gave an OK sign to the camera, indicating that all contestants were prepared.

Baek Jun, watching the signal from a monitor in the cockpit, nodded to the pilot.

The pilot immediately pressed a large red button in the center of the cockpit.

Simultaneously, the floor of the plane opened wide.

“Uh, uh ohhh?!”

“Waaaah!!”

The passengers screamed as they plummeted towards the black portal shimmering on the island below.

Kim Jinsung was no exception. The hunter shackles rendered him helpless, unable to stop his descent into the portal.

The staff, however, had prepared for this, holding onto their seats, secured by their safety belts.

Once all contestants had disappeared into the portal, Baek Jun heard a familiar voice through his earpiece.

– I’ve confirmed that all 62 contestants have entered.

“Understood.”

Baek Jun, after hearing Yong Hangil’s confirmation, nodded to the pilot, who pressed the red button again and initiated takeoff.

The plane, its floor now closed, headed towards a landing strip at the edge of the island.

Yong Hangil stood beside the dungeon portal, watching the plane fly away.

He turned to Hong Yeonseok, the leader of the Daehan Clan hunter team, and instructed him quietly,

“Proceed as planned. I’ll say it again, we must not be noticed by the Colosseum production crew.”

“Don’t worry, Master.”

Hong Yeonseok responded before rushing toward his teammates.

Yong Hangil glanced at the receding plane and turned away from the portal.

(TLN: FFS cant you just let this fucking mc be gosh)

* * *

Kim Jinsung, falling through the black portal, looked around at the changed environment.

‘This is…’

A wide, artificially-constructed passage stretched before him.

There were no windows, and if not for the luminescent stones embedded in the walls, it would’ve been pitch black.

‘It’s like an underground passage. But…what’s this comfortable feeling?’

He strangely felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and coziness in this unfamiliar space.

He wondered if being cradled in his mother’s arms felt like this. As an orphan, it was a feeling he’d never experienced, but somehow, he couldn’t find a more fitting description.

– Uh, uh, can you hear me?

Then, a familiar voice came from the bag on his back.

It was Jang Seungwook.

He checked the bag and realized the voice was coming from a walkie-talkie tucked into a side pocket.

He immediately pulled the walkie-talkie out and waited for the announcement.

– You have all fallen into the ‘Demon World Dungeon,’ one of the landmarks of the New Continent.

‘Ah…!’

The Demon World Dungeon.

He had heard of this infamous place through various media.

‘A place where they say monsters, demon kings, and even demon gods from the demon world appear…’

Just as he was thinking this, Jang Seungwook’s voice continued.

– This area used to resemble an ordinary cave system. But, our production crew has transformed it into a new type of labyrinth over a long period, specifically for the finals.

‘Labyrinth …?’

– Now, we will announce the rules for the final competition of Colosseum Survival Season 12.

Kim Jinsung listened intently to Jang Seungwook’s announcement.

– By any means necessary, escape the labyrinth. There is no time limit, but…

He paused briefly and continued,

– There’s a limit on the number of contestants who can pass.

“…..!”

Kim Jinsung’s expression shifted, his eyes hardening.

—