Ha Hee-Jeong was right—I had dropped the lockpick. Awkwardly reaching through the iron-barred window made it tough to keep a steady grip. I had lost grasp of the pick while trying to hold the tensioner in my other hand.0

Momentarily speechless, she quickly regained her composure and reassured me calmly, “It’s fine. I can manipulate my mana to retrieve it. And if we really can’t lockpick the door, we can always break it down with the crowbar. We can deal with the test subjects if necessary.”0

She was probably trying to ease my nerves, thinking I was panicking, but I had already figured out a solution.0

“No need for that.”0

“Huh?”0

“I’ve got Master of Shadows, remember?”0

A shadowy arm extended from my back and reached down to retrieve the fallen lockpick. Keeping the arm summoned, I realized I could keep the lock in place while adjusting the picks with both hands. 0

It was much easier than before, and stubbornly insisting on solving the room the “normal” way had only made things harder. I had wanted to prove my ability after struggling so much in escape rooms on Earth. That awkward angle was more trouble than it was worth, though.0

“Geez, you gave me a heart attack! I thought we’d have to...0