As the truck crossed through space, they found themselves inside a building similar to the factory-like one they had entered earlier.
Elena drove the truck forward.
Yonghoon looked around the factory. This Warp Zone was almost identical to the previous building.
In the center of the large factory was a circular structure, and behind it was an empty clearing. It seemed they had come out from there.
Most likely, the circular structure was the entrance for spatial movement, and the clearing was the exit.
Elena had her documents checked and exited the building. Fortunately, they weren’t verifying personnel here.
Outside the building was an old-fashioned city surrounded by high walls. There were old buildings, wide streets, and many people and cars moving about.
However, the sight of monotonous concrete buildings among the old-fashioned structures gave the atmosphere a strangely gloomy feel. The concrete buildings seemed to be newly built.
Elena drove the truck along the main road.
“Once we deliver the truck to the Association, our job is done. The rest will be handled by the Association, moving the beast to the large Warp Zone.”
This time, Elena took the initiative to explain.
“Where’s the large Warp Zone located?”
“If you exit through the city’s eastern gate and go about 10 kilometers east, there’s a massive dome-shaped building. That’s the large Warp Zone. But that area is restricted access. Even if you’re curious, don’t go there. The defensive facilities are overwhelming, and it’s crawling with terrifying Awakened.”
Elena answered Yonghoon’s question in detail. It seemed she was no longer as afraid of Yonghoon. Rather, she seemed more worried he might cause trouble.
After driving for a while, the truck stopped in front of a large five-story building. Many trucks and vehicles were gathered there. It was the New Berlin Hunting Association building.
Yonghoon and Elena got off the truck.
“This is really goodbye now.”
Elena knocked on the iron bars at the back of the truck.
“Grrr.”
The stray dog inside the cage growled at Elena. The stray dog looked almost fully recovered now. It definitely seemed to be a monster. Its regenerative ability was amazing.
Elena went inside the building to complete the handover, while Yonghoon gathered his belongings and waited for her to return.
After a short while, Elena came out with a man, and they checked the truck and the monster.
“No issues.”
The man signed the documents he was holding and handed them to Elena. Elena gave a satisfied smile.
The man drove away with the truck, and Elena sighed as she looked at Yonghoon.
“You’re going to keep an eye on me anyway, right? Might as well come to the living quarters with me.”
Carrying her luggage from the truck, she walked ahead.
Yonghoon hesitated for a moment, then followed her. There was no need to stand out in the night dew when there was a place to stay. Besides, he needed to know where she was staying.
Next to the Association building seemed to be a commercial area. Restaurants, bars, and shops lined the streets.
The day was gradually getting darker. The shops were preparing to receive evening customers.
Yonghoon walked behind Elena, taking in the sights.
These people were living their lives too. They were villains who attacked and destroyed other dimensions, but the ordinary citizens didn’t seem much different from those in other worlds. The only difference might have been their gray eyes.
If Yonghoon hadn’t spent many years in the military, he might have felt conflicted inside.
After passing through the shopping district, they came across lodging facilities. Hotels and inns lined the streets. Elena entered a cozy-looking inn.
She rented a room with two beds from the innkeeper. Entering a room tucked away in a corner on the second floor, she threw her luggage onto one bed and sat down on it.
She stared intently at Yonghoon as he entered the room.
“So, what now? I’m going to eat, take a bath, and get some rest.”
From what Yonghoon saw, she was a mess. Her injuries had turned into bruises, her hair was dusty and brittle, and her face looked utterly exhausted.
“Go ahead. I have some things to do.”
Yonghoon tossed his backpack onto the other bed and then disappeared from the room. He had used spatial movement.
Elena, who had been staring blankly at his departure, sighed.
“Yeah, let’s just think of it as repaying him for saving me.”
She dragged her tired body downstairs. It had been an exhausting day. She didn’t want to think about anything else-she just wanted to rest.
It was a building that looked like a dome stadium. Standing tall among the ruins of destroyed buildings, it was impossible to miss.
Yonghoon stood on the rooftop of a half-destroyed building nearby, staring at the structure known as the large Warp Zone.
Night had already fallen.
After leaving the inn, Yonghoon created a dimensional tunnel and exited through the eastern wall of the fortress city. Following Elena’s directions, he continued moving east.
Although his Dimensional Power hadn’t fully recovered yet, Yonghoon was able to reach the building Elena had mentioned after a long journey.
Just as Elena had said, the security was intense.
The building was surrounded by barbed wire fences, with guard towers stationed here and there. Searchlights swept across the area in front of the fence.
In addition, soldiers armed with guns patrolled frequently in front of the barbed wire.
Yonghoon found it a bit odd.
It was clear the location was important, but he didn’t understand why it needed such heavy security.
Judging by the defensive posture, it seemed they were trying to prevent terrorism. Which meant there were terrorists.
‘Have the Raiders become a proper force?’
Yonghoon thought he should ask Elena about it.
Yonghoon drew his sword. Tonight, he planned to conduct reconnaissance first. Honestly, he wanted to destroy the building, but he didn’t have enough Dimensional Power yet.
Yonghoon decided to leave destroying the Warp Zone for after his Dimensional Power recovered and focus on scouting the interior for now.
Yonghoon needed more information. What he had heard from Elena was at a civilian level. Some of it was even inaccurate. He needed proper intelligence.
The Warp Zone building had a huge main entrance and a smaller side entrance.
The main entrance looked like it was used to transport monsters inside. It was massive. It seemed any size of monster could fit through.
But now, in the middle of the night, all the doors were firmly closed.
Only a few windows could be seen on the building. Among them, one window had a light on. It was located on the first floor.
Yonghoon opened a dimensional tunnel toward that window.
As the dimensional tunnel opened, a faint spark flickered in the air.
However, despite the spark, the dimensional tunnel remained stable.
Yonghoon tilted his head at the sudden spark but jumped into the dimensional tunnel.
The lit office inside was quiet. Yonghoon, who had been tense in case someone was there, found the quiet office puzzling.
‘Are they out on patrol?’
Either way, it was fortunate. Yonghoon minimized his footsteps and crossed the office. The office was ordinary. He quietly opened the office door.
Outside the office was a long hallway. Unlike the office, the hallway was dark. Emergency lights were on here and there, but it was quite dim.
Yonghoon quietly exited the office.
This office was the last one along the hallway. To the left was a staircase, and the hallway continued forward.
On both sides of the hallway were darkened offices, and at the very end of the opposite hallway was a metal door. A faint light was leaking through the gap.
Yonghoon cautiously walked down the hallway.
Upon reaching the end, Yonghoon placed his hand on the door. Unexpectedly, the door opened quietly. Yonghoon, puzzled, stepped inside.
Once inside, Yonghoon froze.
There was a Dimensional Beast inside. It was only about ten meters away from Yonghoon.
Fortunately, the Dimensional Beast wasn’t moving at all.
Yonghoon calmed his startled heart.
The Dimensional Beast looked as if it were asleep. Yonghoon didn’t move, only shifting his eyes to survey his surroundings.
This place was the interior of an enormous building, like an airplane hangar or a dome stadium.
Yonghoon was standing in front of a door set into the building’s wall.
Around him were many machines, and inside, three Dimensional Beasts were stationed.
‘Good grief, are they sending Dimensional Beasts from here?’
Yonghoon’s face turned grim.
As things stood, there was nothing he could do about the Dimensional Beasts. Yonghoon decided to retreat for now. With his Dimensional Power still low, he couldn’t take action.
That was when it happened.
Papapapap!
A bright light was shone toward Yonghoon. Blinded by the sudden light, Yonghoon raised his hand to shield his eyes.
A loud siren echoed throughout the building.
“Don’t move! You are surrounded! Move and you will be shot immediately!”
Along with the bright lights, a loud voice blared through the loudspeakers.
Footsteps echoed from all directions.
As Yonghoon’s eyes adjusted to the light, he squinted and looked around.
Soldiers were aiming their guns at him. And more soldiers kept pouring in.
Dimensional Power began to surge from various places.
Yonghoon clicked his tongue. It seemed he had done something foolish. There was no way the security of such an important facility would be weak. Moreover, he had never received spy training. Yet he had recklessly snuck in.
‘But when was I discovered?’
Yonghoon wondered when exactly he had been spotted.
Either way, it seemed he had to run. There was no need to invite danger when he hadn’t even fully recovered his Dimensional Power.
Yonghoon reached his hand forward to open a dimensional tunnel.
Bang!
The distorted space suddenly shattered.
“You idiot, the warp blocking device is active. Did you really think you could escape with your pathetic warp?”
A voice from the loudspeakers mocked Yonghoon.
Only then did Yonghoon realize that the surrounding Dimensional Power was completely tangled. Spatial movement was impossible like this.
‘Then was the spark when I entered because of this?’
If so, it was clear he had been detected when entering through the dimensional tunnel. This world had been using Dimensional Power far longer. It was obvious they would have spatial movement detection devices.
Soldiers began approaching Yonghoon.
Yonghoon sighed and reflected on his mistake. He had been too reckless, relying on his ability. It was something he would be scolded for over and over.
Yonghoon looked around. Behind the soldiers approaching with guns, he also saw high-level Awakened emitting Dimensional Power.
Yonghoon immediately turned around and kicked open a door. If spatial movement wasn’t possible, he had to flee somewhere he could.
“Fire!”
A firing order was given from behind Yonghoon, and bullets rained down toward him.
Bullets shattered the hallway walls and windows, bouncing off Yonghoon’s body.
He heard surprised voices at the sight of the bullets bouncing off, but Yonghoon ignored them and kept running forward.
Yonghoon dashed past the hallway and burst into the office he had entered through spatial movement. The office was brightly lit by searchlights shining through the windows.
Yonghoon ran toward the bright window of the office.
Ratatatata!
Bullets poured through the window. The firepower was tremendous. The large-caliber machine gun turned the office into a beehive.
But Yonghoon ignored the bullets raining down on him and hurled himself through the broken window.
Rolling on the ground, Yonghoon started running outside the building, ignoring the searchlights pouring down on him.
The searchlights illuminated Yonghoon running across the parking lot, and countless bullets rained toward him, but he ignored them and kept running.
A moment later, Yonghoon’s figure disappeared right in front of the barbed wire fences.
He had performed spatial movement.
Two Awakened arrived at the barbed wire fences right after. One of them picked up a radio.
“We lost him. He performed spatial movement outside the blocking zone.”
[We pumped him full of bullets and he escaped unscathed?]
An angry voice came through the radio.
“It seems he also has defensive capabilities.”
[Bullshit! Are you saying he’s a Linker? No way. Another Linker capable of spatial movement? And a traitor at that? Get back here! We have to report to the higher-ups immediately.]
The two Awakened exchanged glances and started walking back toward the building.
The sirens around the building kept wailing, and the searchlights continued sweeping everywhere.