RTN 49

Chapter 49

Was this State Window’s doing?

Kim Do-woon immediately dismissed the first assumption that came to mind.

If State Window had intervened, it would have done so already. For example, when Phantom attached to the reconnaissance drone—it was already dangerous then.

Moreover, the method didn’t fit. If State Window had stepped in, it would have been far more drastic.

The first time Kim saw State Window, it obliterated a 100 km radius. Truly extreme.

A State Window of that nature wouldn’t go through such a cumbersome procedure connecting Seol Ah-yeon and Phantom with a sword. It could have just destroyed Phantom outright.

Therefore, this was Baek Yi-hyun’s judgment.

Thinking this far, Kim Do-woon recalled the butterfly chase. When all the team members were lost in an instant, leaving only him and Baek Yi-hyun.

The water had long run out, and food was scarce. Baek Yi-hyun had lost his watch; Kim Do-woon’s weapons were destroyed, and the intercom couldn’t pick up any signal.

In that hell, Baek Yi-hyun became increasingly sharp. She discarded not only emotions but also her sensitivity, using every enemy she encountered for survival.

Watching her, Kim Do-woon knew she would survive. But at the same time, he felt a chill.

If he weren’t on the same side…

Just imagining it sent shivers down his spine. Back then, Baek Yi-hyun ruthlessly used enemies for survival—what if she did the same to Seol Ah-yeon now…

No.

Kim Do-woon gritted his teeth.

Baek Yi-hyun wouldn’t kill Seol Ah-yeon.

This wasn’t instinct. He had solid reasoning.

Using Seol Ah-yeon to harm others would be as disadvantageous to the Empire as being wiped out by Phantom. Baek Yi-hyun wouldn’t choose that.

More importantly, Seol Ah-yeon was a Coordinator. Protected by the State Window, she wasn’t someone anyone could exploit carelessly—not Baek Yi-hyun, not anyone.

So, clearly, there must have been communication between them before this. Intent existed.

Kim Do-woon switched the console’s radar screen to camera footage and zoomed in on Seol Ah-yeon.

Her pupils were wide, her lips slightly parted under the mask, and her gaze traced down her elongated neck to her chest.

The ribbon Kim Do-woon had tied just a few hours earlier had loosened atop her chest, rising and falling with her breathing.

He looked back up to confirm the mask pressed firmly against her mouth.

She wasn’t dead. She was conscious, breathing steadily through the mask, her awareness intact.

Hastily, he slid his fingers across the monitor to check her eyes. Her round pupils were fixed on Baek Yi-hyun, unmoving.

He then zoomed out to get both Phantom and Baek Yi-hyun in the frame.

Baek Yi-hyun was pressing the sword’s hilt firmly, driving it forward. The sword pierced Seol Ah-yeon and Phantom in sequence, forming a single dark, massive entity.

What the hell was happening?

He frantically studied the monitor, tracking the flow of light enveloping the three. Mostly transparent, the radiance shimmered with multicolored hues, emanating from Seol Ah-yeon—or rather, from the chest pierced by Baek Yi-hyun’s sword.

Kim Do-woon first checked Baek Yi-hyun’s sword. Judging by its design and the serial number on the hilt, it was an ordinary sword made without a Sphere.

Then this light must be coming from Seol Ah-yeon.

He checked Phantom again. Its empty eyes, capable of sucking in and throwing anything into hell, were just disgusting to look at but posed no threat.

Above those hollow eyes, a layer of light flickered. Flashes emanating from Seol Ah-yeon’s chest flowed along the sword, surrounding not only Phantom but also Baek Yi-hyun.

Ah.

His fingertips slipped slightly across the monitor.

He seemed to understand the situation.

Baek Yi-hyun had used Seol Ah-yeon as a conduit to open another dimension.

It was possible because Seol Ah-yeon was a Coordinator. Coordinators govern dimensions, freely manipulating space and time.

Even before fully awakening, Seol Ah-yeon could perceive divinity through the State Window. Her power was inherent, functioning like a living Sphere.

If a Sphere is damaged, the light it emits distorts surrounding space-time, creating a different dimension. In the same way, Baek Yi-hyun had pierced Seol Ah-yeon’s chest to open another dimension through that gap.

So Phantom existed in this space, but its eyes, engulfed in Seol Ah-yeon’s radiance, were seeing an entirely different world.

That’s why Phantom seemed unaffected by anything it saw. But…

He urgently checked the instrument panel: 5 minutes until Awakening.

Even confronting Phantom now would cause no damage. So the upcoming Awakening in five minutes would also be safe.

However, there was a problem.

The Nightmare still affected Seol Ah-yeon and Baek Yi-hyun.

They were completely enveloped in the radiance flowing from Seol Ah-yeon’s chest. Unlike the safe Kim Do-woon, they were inside the veil of light, in the same dimension as Phantom.

Thus, they would directly face the Nightmare.

Even if Baek Yi-hyun’s stoic endurance could be credited to mental strength, if Phantom truly Awakened, surviving recklessly as he was now would be impossible.

Seol Ah-yeon wouldn’t die—State Window would protect her.

But Baek Yi-hyun? There was no guarantee the dormant State Window would protect him.

Facing Phantom like this, capturing it would be suicidal.

-…What?

A dazed voice came through the intercom. It was Choi Jae-hyung. Immediately followed a sharp, clear command—Sergeant Lim Eun-ha.

• All units, mobilize! Provide cover immediately!

Seven fighter jets, hovering near the Light Wing, shot toward Baek Yi-hyun like a spear. Accustomed from long practice, Kim Do-woon instinctively adjusted his controls.

Baek Yi-hyun had repeatedly emphasized returning to him. Acting now would defy orders. Yet he didn’t want to go back to the battleship either.

The squad functioned flawlessly, every member perfectly synchronized. If even one was missing, balance would be lost.

• Damn it, what the hell’s going on?

Choi Jae-hyung’s curses crackled through the intercom, probably set to reach only his subordinates.

Kim Do-woon immediately responded.

“Squad leader, Seol Ah-yeon is a Sphere!”

• What nonsense is this?

Choi Jae-hyung snapped. But Lim Eun-ha immediately understood.

• Got it. All units, slow down and provide cover! Avoid touching the flash!

The jets curved smoothly, forming a protective circle around Baek Yi-hyun. Lim Eun-ha’s voice continued.

• Lieutenant, return. Follow the battalion commander’s orders.

Following orders, Kim Do-woon adjusted his controls toward the battleship but maintained maximum caution, keeping an eye on the squad providing cover around Baek Yi-hyun.

Sure enough, one aircraft tilted sideways. Without checking, he knew it was Choi Jae-hyung’s. He called him directly.

“Choi Jae-hyung, you’re veering left!”

• Damn, giving orders even here?

“Fly straight!”

Suddenly, a sharp flash streaked across his vision. Reflexively, he squeezed his eyes shut; the world went black for a moment. He cursed.

Choi Jae-hyung had deliberately fired a laser at him. Kim Do-woon was furious. Even in this situation, the man argued. Insane.

He parked the reconnaissance drone right before the battleship entry. Seeing Choi Jae-hyung’s antics, he couldn’t return.

He adjusted his controls carefully, ready to join if needed.

Instrument panel: 1 minute until Awakening.

Phantom had its eyes open longer than closed now, yet Baek Yi-hyun still issued no orders. He just gripped the sword, piercing Seol Ah-yeon and Phantom, and held firm.

Seven squad jets circled closely. Lim Eun-ha’s urgent voice rang out.

• Fall back! We’ll push it entirely into the track!

• Stand by.

Baek Yi-hyun’s short reply came.

Phantom twisted, the sword shook violently, and Baek Yi-hyun’s forearm veins bulged, but he had no intention of putting Phantom into the track.

He didn’t avoid Awakening; he faced it strangely, as if waiting.

Lim Eun-ha’s voice was sharp.

• Commander, is the State Window up? If so, we can’t move recklessly…

• There’s something to check. Stand by.

What on earth was he checking?

Kim Do-woon gritted his teeth, watching the panel: 10 seconds to Awakening.

• Commander, close your eyes! Eyes!

• Phantom can’t escape. It’s properly pierced. Just close your eyes and endure!

Phantom struggled, but Baek Yi-hyun pushed the sword in tighter, and Phantom froze again.

• Can’t hear me, huh!

• He’s in the Nightmare. Of course he can’t hear after all this conversation…

• Squad leader, I’ll go fetch him myself!

• Stand by! Everyone, do not move!

Baek Yi-hyun didn’t answer. Whether monitoring Phantom or entirely absorbed in the Nightmare, it was unclear.

One thing was certain: he hadn’t fainted yet.

How could he endure so long?

Even watching, Kim Do-woon couldn’t believe it.

What was he seeing?

He zoomed in on Baek Yi-hyun on the monitor. The full body held perfectly still, gripping the sword, face incredibly calm.

Zoomed further. Half-lowered, unmoving pupils, faintly red.

Even further. Something like flames flickered above the black pupils.

Baek Yi-hyun saw nothing red in reality. He was hallucinating.

Kim Do-woon instinctively switched to Seol Ah-yeon and zoomed in. Almost by instinct.

Seol Ah-yeon’s upper body, face, eyes—those wide-open eyes—he zoomed roughly. Deep in her pupils, red surged.

No way.

His hand trembled over the monitor. He quickly compared Seol Ah-yeon’s and Baek Yi-hyun’s pupils.

Through Seol Ah-yeon’s wide-open pupils and Baek Yi-hyun’s lowered ones, red energy surged. They were seeing the same thing.

Seol Ah-yeon moved then.

The once-limp Seol Ah-yeon suddenly stretched out her hands fully, gripping the sword hilt atop Baek Yi-hyun’s hands.

She pulled toward herself.

The sword sank deeper into her chest, the cool blade extending behind Phantom.

Baek Yi-hyun moved closer, finally stopping pressed fully against her.

Their hands tangled around the hilt, pressed against Seol Ah-yeon’s chest.

Then Seol Ah-yeon released the sword and cupped Baek Yi-hyun’s cheeks, pulling him into a strong embrace.

Baek Yi-hyun’s cold face, half-lowered pupils, was perfectly buried in Seol Ah-yeon’s chest, disappearing from Kim Do-woon’s view.

Before exiting the reconnaissance drone, Baek Yi-hyun had emphasized to Seol Ah-yeon: if encountering Phantom, it’s dangerous—bury your head and don’t move rashly.

Seol Ah-yeon was now doing the same for him. Hugging the larger opponent like a fragile feather, pressing her cheek against his black hair.

Her unfocused gaze looked far away, faintly glistening with moisture.

The instrument panel’s timer sounded an alarm.

Phantom Awakened explosively.