TRPM 136

chapter 136

After completing their operation, Albatross PMC attempted to leave New York in the vehicles waiting at the rendezvous point.

However, things weren’t going to be that easy.

“(Temporary checkpoint, 200 meters ahead.)”

“(Of course…)”

Unless their intrusion into the Association’s headquarters had gone unnoticed, it was natural for checkpoints to be set up throughout New York once they were discovered. Still, the inspections wouldn’t be too strict.

“(It should only be a formal checkpoint.)”

The authorities wouldn’t expect individuals capable of breaching the Association headquarters to be traveling in ordinary vehicles. The order was likely just a formality—enough to show that some action was taken, but not enough to actually stop them. And a simple inspection like that wouldn’t be enough to identify them.

“(What’s our cover story again?)”

“(We’re a group of tourists from Japan. Currently sightseeing at Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, on our way to the hotel. Just in case, we prepared a receipt from Times Square from a few dozen minutes ago, showing souvenirs we supposedly bought.)”

They had thoroughly prepared for any unusual situations. One of their objectives was to film Oracle recruiting other gifted individuals. On its own, that wasn’t particularly dangerous, but since the organization involved included the prophet Oracle, they couldn’t predict what might happen, so meticulous preparation was essential. They didn’t anticipate any problems from Oracle’s side, but they couldn’t be certain about the extra mission to seize the data.

Regardless, ordinary police officers wouldn’t have an easy time identifying them.

“(Alright, everyone act like you’re looking at the pamphlets or sightseeing.)”

The person playing the driver’s role said this, and in the next moment, the Albatross PMC team had transformed into ordinary tourists visiting the United States for the first time.

Knock, knock.

“(Sir, could you roll down the window, please?)”

A short while later, a police officer tapped on the car window. The driver rolled it down as if expecting this and handed over their forged ID. Given the circumstances, the officer could easily tell that this was just a checkpoint, so the driver’s behavior didn’t seem suspicious.

“(Where was this car about an hour ago?)”

“(Uh… an hour ago? Probably… Times Square.)”

The driver answered in slightly awkward English, while the others in the car glanced at him as if to say, Is everything okay?—of course, it was all an act.

“(Do you have any way to prove that?)”

“(Well… whoever bought souvenirs would have kept the receipt… Ah, thanks.)”

The driver naturally took the receipt from another passenger in the back seat and showed it to the officer. The officer nodded, returned the ID and receipt, and said,

“(Thank you for your cooperation. You may go.)”

“(Yes. Oh, and the two cars behind us are part of our group.)”

“(I see. Thanks for letting me know.)”

The checkpoint completed, the vehicles smoothly passed through, and the two cars following quickly fell in behind. They had successfully passed the checkpoint.

“(That was the tough part.)”

“(Shall we head to the airfield where our helicopter is, boss?)”

“(Yes. Tell the vehicles behind us the same. We’ll take the helicopter back to our base.)”

The boss leaned back in his seat and said,

“(I’m going to sleep. Wake me up when we arrive.)”

“(Understood.)”

Though the car was moving at a decent speed, it would still take at least six hours to reach the airfield. Knowing this, the Albatross PMC members prepared to rest—everyone except the driver.

“….”

Having confirmed through the puppet that Albatross PMC was leaving New York for a distant location, I got out of bed. In the U.S., where my puppet was, it was getting dark, while in Korea, where my main body was, the sun was rising.

“… As I felt in the U.K., it’s strange seeing night and day simultaneously.”

It wasn’t enough to strain my brain, just a small sense of dissonance. My mental defenses were strong enough that I could handle viewing things across dimensional cracks without issue.

“The puppet on their car can just move again if the car stops.”

I took out my smartphone and sent a message to Yeon Mirae, asking her to tell Alex not to wait for me at the airport but to board the plane. Judging from the situation, my puppet would be moving with Albatross PMC for some time, so it wouldn’t be able to return with Alex.

“It might be a bit troublesome to retrieve my puppet in Korea after Alex returns alone, but it can’t be helped.”

I had originally charged my puppet to operate for up to a week in New York, so it should be fine for now. I sent the message through Yeon Mirae because I didn’t have Alex’s number. She’d check it once she exited the dungeon and forward it.

“Enough about the puppet… time to focus on myself.”

I started my usual routine: absorbing magical energy from the air through a magic circle in my room and converting it into inner power.

“… My inner power is finally more than it was before the regression.”

My physical abilities, inner power quality, and skills had long surpassed my pre-regression self, but the quantity of inner power had only now caught up. Even though the quality was good, the accumulation speed was slow, so it naturally took time.

“Phew…”

After absorbing enough magical energy overnight and exhaling some impurities from the air, I tried to open the window.

Rumble…

“?”

I realized the sky outside was darker than expected. Until yesterday, it had been sunny, but overnight, a thunderstorm had rolled in. I only noticed now because my focus had been on the puppet all night.

“… Purification, cleansing.”

Instead of ventilating, I used a spell to remove the air contamination. It wasn’t good to leave it unattended. I then noticed the suitcase by my bed and remembered what day it was.

“… Wait, today’s the school trip departure. What if there’s thunder and lightning?”

The flight wouldn’t be canceled; modern airplanes can handle thunderstorms, and protective wards also shield them. The real issue would be at the destination: poor weather could trap them in the accommodations and ruin the trip.

I took my suitcase and headed to the kitchen, where my mother was rolling kimbap.

“Son, you’re up?”

“Yeah. Mom, what are you doing? Rolling kimbap?”

“I’m making kimbap for you to eat on the plane.”

Why? According to the school, lunch was scheduled at a restaurant in Jeju. I didn’t ask, seeing she had already gotten up early to prepare.

“If I had my A-Space artifact, I could store it there, but it’s currently on the puppet’s arm in the U.S. Maybe put it in the suitcase.”

I could seal it magically to prevent spoilage and stop the kimbap’s time. Others might find it strange, but I couldn’t waste the kimbap my mother had prepared at dawn.

“Uh…? What’s wrong?”

She noticed my fleeting expression and asked. I made a quick excuse.

“Nothing, just… don’t cut the kimbap.”

“Hmm… then it won’t fit in the lunchbox. Where’s the foil?”

She searched for foil while trusting my excuse. I turned on the news in the living room, and soon, she had wrapped a few kimbap rolls in foil and prepared the rest with kimchi on a tray.

“Suitcase packed?”

“Yes.”

“Clothes packed?”

“We did it together yesterday.”

She still seemed to think I needed help with everything.

Buzz…

My phone vibrated. A message from Ryu Ah-Young:

[(Ryu Ah-Young): Are we really flying to Jeju despite the thunderstorm?]

It seemed directed to the class chat rather than me specifically. The homeroom teacher would also be concerned. Until yesterday, the weather had been fine, but now there was a sudden storm with no forecast. The trip couldn’t be canceled.

[(Homeroom Teacher): Come to school on time. The trip will proceed as planned.]

The school had a plan. From a teacher’s perspective, the trip was an annual event, so there must be a manual for rainy conditions.

“Trip will proceed normally?”

“Yes, look.”

I showed my mother the message and finished breakfast. After washing, I took my suitcase and headed to the front door.

“Son? Umbrella?”

“No need. You go to work safely too.”

I used inner power to create a barrier against the wind and rain and stepped outside.

Han Jae-Hee, watching her son leave, took out her phone and posted in a chat with her acquaintances:

[(Han Jae-Hee): Is my son in puberty? His responses are short, and he seems bothered by my involvement in his affairs… What should I do?]

Soon after, responses began pouring into the chat.