SHOWR 23

Chapter 23

^[‘Kang Jinseo Part-timer’ Mana Addiction Progress: 78% (Danger Zone)]^

After finishing the conquest of twelve Asian countries, including Mongolia, Jinseo finally boarded a flight to Korea.
Out of habit, he opened his status window.

Despite pouring enormous amounts of mana into the gates during the conquest, the progression of his mana addiction had actually decreased.
The excruciating headaches had long disappeared, and the paralyzing symptoms that always struck after using mana were gone as well.

Jinseo habitually clenched and unclenched his right fist. The hand that had been stiff now moved smoothly, as if oiled.

He leaned his head back against the seat.
Exhaustion peaked after a week of nonstop gate closures, yet releasing the vast mana that had clogged his veins and energy made his body feel lighter instead.
It felt as if time itself were flowing backward.

The days when he faced death daily due to worsening mana addiction now felt like a distant, hazy past.
“Feels like I’m alive again.”

Jinseo gazed at the sky outside. Even though he had seen the same sky hundreds, thousands of times, today the blue felt unusually vivid.

“Hyung.”
Ian approached and handed him a recovery potion.

Jinseo accepted it but did not drink. There was no need; his condition was fine.

Ian handed Jinseo his phone, which he had been looking at.
Isn’t Jinseo going to die from mana addiction? He closed fourteen gates, the addiction must be pretty bad by now.

└ I know, right? After finishing the remaining gates within the time limit, he could just retire immediately.
└ Seriously, what are the other rankers doing? Jinseo hyung is going to die from overwork, sob sob.
└ What’s Ed hyung doing? Even if not the others, the world #1 should close at least one.
└ They should just give up ranks 1–4.
└ Don’t you watch the news? The #3 and #4 rankers got trapped in their gates, lol.
└ #1 and #2 must be scared, haven’t entered yet. That’s why they’re getting cursed out now.
└ No need for a ranking battle, just let Jinseo hyung be #1 in the world, go go.

“Basically, that’s the situation. The other rankers still haven’t closed their gates. At this rate, hyung might end up closing all 22 gates himself.”
“Even in the U.S.?”
“Yeah, Edward was supposed to enter with a U.S. exploration skill hunter, according to yesterday’s news, but I guess he hasn’t entered yet.”
“I don’t want to go as far as the U.S.”
“Exactly. I don’t even want to see that two-faced guy’s hair.”

Even while speaking, Ian carefully watched Jinseo’s expression.
He said he was fine, but how could Ian not worry?
Excluding flight time, Jinseo had closed 12 gates in almost four days straight—a ridiculously insane schedule.
Even as an S-rank and world #5 ranker, no one would push their body this hard.
And even if he had no injuries or stamina issues, continuously entering gates is a stupid way to accelerate mana addiction.

That’s why Ian was extremely worried about Jinseo.
Even though Binna’s skill lowered the addiction progression, if Jinseo hadn’t expended mana closing gates, his condition would have been even better.

“Hyung, you’re really okay?”
“78% right now.”
“…It decreased since yesterday? That’s really incredible.”
“Yeah, I just tried using half my mana in the gate for an experiment, and it still went down.”
“I told you not to overdo it. Professor Seong said even if the physical symptoms improve, mentally you could still be affected.”

Ian let out a soft sigh.
Does he think he has ten lives? There’s a time for experiments.
“You’re the most disobedient patient I’ve ever had.”

At that moment, Professor Seong, who had also boarded the flight, approached Jinseo. She had taken time off just to join the schedule and check his health.

“Let me check your pulse.”
Jinseo obediently extended his wrist, and she activated her skill.

“Your physical condition has really improved, but the mana flow in your brain is still unstable. You could even say it’s worse.”

Hearing this, Jinseo snapped his head away.
He didn’t want to hear it.
Who would believe that the immature person acting recklessly is Korea’s #1 ranker?

Ian shook his head.
“Try to sleep. It’ll still be eight hours before we reach Korea.”
“Right. No matter how good your condition is, the fatigue has accumulated.”

Jinseo silently gathered his eye mask and blanket.

“Oh, right. They asked which continent you want to go next. But since it’ll be your decision anyway, they said just pick yourself.”

Jinseo closed his eyes briefly and spoke vaguely.
“Where was #20?”
“…New Zealand.”
“Let’s go there.”
“…Yeah, do whatever you want. If a war breaks out later, I won’t care.”
“Mm.”
“Do you think you’ll change your mind after resting a bit in Korea?”

Jinseo said nothing.

“Yeah, get some proper rest?”
‘If anyone can survive the mana limit, it’s not hyung—it’s me.’

Ian finally gave a faint smile and turned his body.
Or rather, he was about to turn when a piercing alert sounded from both their phones.

Their expressions froze instantly.
They quickly grabbed their phones and furrowed their brows as if on cue.

[Emergency. Maze Gate Time Limit Reduced by 100 Hours…]

Ian sighed, checking Jinseo’s expression.
“Looks like you won’t get proper rest in Korea after all.”
“What’s the nearest country?”
“From here… France or Germany.”
“Change the route.”
“Hyung, are you really okay with this?”
“Go heat some milk.”

That was Jinseo’s way of answering affirmatively.

Maybe it was from sleeping uncomfortably in the workshop.
I had been plagued by nightmares for several consecutive days.
Even though it was a dream I’d had since childhood and should be used to it, I always woke drenched in cold sweat.

Today was no different.

Beep! Beep!

While running along a road engulfed in flames in the dream, a sharp disaster alert woke me.

“Gah!”

I gasped and bolted upright, my heart pounding like it would burst.
Grabbing my hair, I exhaled deeply. I needed time to escape the pain I could never get used to.

“It’s a dream… it’s a dream… it’s a dream…”

After repeating that I was safe and that it had already passed, I finally checked the alert.

“The gates…”

I was about to read the message when…

“Mi, Mimiya!”

Mimi, who hadn’t moved for a week and had only slept, finally woke up.
Tears welled up as I called his name.

Mimi stretched and fixed his yellow eyes on me.
His usual cold gaze brought me relief. I had feared I might never see those eyes again countless times.

“You okay? Huh? Does anything hurt? Why did you get hurt? Did you get into a fight or something?”
“Look at the message.”

After a week, Mimi’s voice was really curt.
He tugged at the phone with his nail, as if my worried questions didn’t exist. I was dumbfounded.

I wanted to scold him for not knowing how worried I was, but I couldn’t. The disaster alert was serious.

The time limit for the gates had been drastically reduced.
I opened my status window to check the quest: the limit had been reduced by a whopping 100 hours.

^[Time Limit: 170 hours 5 minutes 13 seconds]^

Three weeks wasn’t exactly a generous limit, but with my items and Jinseo hyung’s ability, Mimi had assured me completing the gates within the time limit was no problem.

Thanks to that, I stayed calm despite the reduction. Jinseo had cleared 12 gates in just a week.

But suddenly losing 100 hours…
‘This could be dangerous.’

Why was the limit suddenly reduced? I looked at Mimi, who seemed to know the answer.

Checking the message, Mimi wrinkled his small nose and muttered fiercely,
“These guys… really…”