Chapter 116
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Auction House, African Civil War - 2
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Lee Hyun-wook walked quickly through the back alleys of the black market, following the HPA agents.
- ...Right alley, all clear.
The voice of her colleague, David, came through Sophie Green's Mana Messenger.
He was currently far ahead, acting as a scout.
“Even if this neighborhood is a lawless place, something like that is bound to cause an uproar. Even the stray cats that rule the alley dumpsters have their own rules about when to use their claws.”
Sophie Green whispered.
The common image of a black market is a lawless place teeming with violent crime, where even murder is taken lightly.
But the Chennai black market was a little different.
Lee Hyun-wook remembered the armed Players stationed like guards throughout the market.
'They're members of the <Indra's Spear> Guild, which controls this place. The so-called market managers, the Market Keepers...'
With a single guild holding dominion, a certain order maintained by force prevailed.
But just moments ago, Lee Hyun-wook had killed William Peel and his assailants without exception.
In other words, a brutal massacre had occurred within the market, which meant the 'Market Keepers' would soon be on the move.
"What's more... it's highly likely those 'N'doze Federation' bastards have ties to the guild."
It was inevitable. The 'N'doze Federation,' the military junta of the CAR, was currently under international economic sanctions, making it impossible for them to import or export weapons through normal channels.
Thus, they would have to procure necessary supplies through illegal routes like the black market, which naturally meant they would maintain a close relationship with the market's operators.
Just then, unfamiliar voices reached Lee Hyun-wook's ears.
- ...So the guys who died over there were those arms dealers from Africa?
- Yeah, that's what I heard. They were loading a bunch of Living Armors onto a ship. Why'd they all suddenly drop dead?
- Dammit, if they're going to fight, they should do it on their own turf. Why drag us into their mess...?
Lee Hyun-wook had Huginn in the sky, 'eavesdropping' on every Mana Messenger in the vicinity.
That conversation was coming from one of them.
'Based on this conversation, they must be Market Keepers.'
He slowed his pace and grabbed Sophie's shoulder.
"Sophie, we need to go left at the next fork."
Lee Hyun-wook had been formal with them ever since they introduced themselves.
At his words, however, Sophie showed a puzzled expression.
“What? What do you mean? Our safe house is—”
“—Market Keepers will be entering from the right shortly.”
A moment later, David, who was scouting ahead, reported the same thing.
- Right alley, Market Keepers spotted. Going left.
Sophie couldn't help but look astonished.
He had detected them from a considerable distance, even before David, who was ahead...
"Huh? What? How did you know first?"
"That would be... a skill."
It was a perhaps obvious answer, but Sophie still looked puzzled.
"Oh, in that case, was it also thanks to a skill that you figured out the true nature of that potential item?"
The potential item she was referring to was 'White Lotus Painting Fragment No. 8,' and she seemed to believe that Lee Hyun-wook discovering it was a key component for a Hidden Stage was also thanks to some skill.
Lee Hyun-wook didn't answer, merely shrugging his shoulders. It was a silent affirmation.
“Wow... You seem to have skills from a wide variety of systems. But how is that possible?”
Player skill acquisition is usually limited to a single 'system.'
For example, those in the warrior class with holy power attributes are often called 'Paladins,' and the skills they can acquire are mostly related to close combat, defense, and divinity. In other words, they grow along a 'system map,' commonly called a 'tech tree.'
In that sense, it was rare for a Paladin to acquire skills related to 'information gathering,' and the same was true for builds like Lee Hyun-wook's, which were focused on 'firepower.'
'That's what she finds strange.'
In reality, many of Lee Hyun-wook's skills defied such common sense.
That was because he had 'transferred' their effects by absorbing metal items.
'In that respect, my Metal Absorption ability is downright broken.'
Forming skills by absorbing the abilities of items, monsters, and Players, like Lee Hyun-wook,
such a growth method would later be called a 'Predatory Growth Trait.'
Among the non-level-based growth methods, it was the best trait, possessing an unparalleled growth potential.
'And the most horrifying among them... was undoubtedly the Necromancer.'
That bastard... acquires new skills by 'cannibalizing' Players.
And he had to eat the hearts of Players who were either level 80 or higher, or who possessed a non-level-based growth trait.
'...Countless S-rank Players became his prey.'
That was one of the reasons the Necromancer was so monstrously strong.
After a brief moment of thought, Lee Hyun-wook spoke.
"Well... I have few skills from my own trait. Most are item skills."
Since Predatory Growth Traits were unknown in this era, Lee Hyun-wook gave a plausible excuse.
"Ah... You must have a lot of incredible items."
Since most items with skills were 'Hero' grade, that in itself was quite remarkable.
“Well, that's why I'm aiming for Hidden Stages, to get more high-quality items like that.”
"I suppose... that's the easiest way to increase your power. But you're very diligent, aren't you? To decide on a whim to go all the way to Africa to 'farm' for items..."
That one sentence seemed to make her understand why Lee Hyun-wook was so keen on conquering the Hidden Stage.
A short while later, they entered an old hotel.
Room 311 on the third floor. Sophie knocked on the worn door twice, three times each.
*Click—*
“Hmm, Sophie... You didn't bring any rats with you, did you?”
A Black man asked through the slightly ajar door.
From what he'd heard earlier, this man was a liaison for the HPA's Western India branch.
"Yeah, I made sure we weren't followed, so don't worry."
"And this must be him, Lee Hyun-wook... Yep, I can tell just by looking at his face."
He must have been contacted beforehand, as he recognized Lee Hyun-wook and offered a handshake with a grin.
"It's a real honor. That steel fleet you showed off recently was truly magnificent."
"Ah, thank you."
"I'm dying to ask where you got something so amazing, but I'll hold back for now."
Even after entering the room, they remained quiet for a while, staying vigilant.
Only after concluding they didn't have to worry about an immediate attack did Sophie speak up.
"Mr. Lee Hyun-wook, about the rights to conquer <Vishnu's Labyrinth>..."
She hesitated for a moment, then continued as if she had made up her mind.
“...Instead of just 10%, we can give you the full 100%.”
Lee Hyun-wook had been waiting for this offer.
And he had already anticipated the condition.
"Hmm, full rights... That's quite a generous offer. I assume it's not for free?"
"That's right. In exchange, we'd like you to help us in a big way."
Perhaps thinking it was an unreasonable request, Sophie avoided his gaze.
"So... you want me to fight on the side of the resistance in the Central African Republic's civil war? Is that what you're saying?"
Lee Hyun-wook asked bluntly, and Sophie met his gaze with a hardened expression.
"Yes, that's exactly it. Please, crush those bastards from the 'N'doze Federation,' the tyrants of the CAR."
Everyone in the room was now looking at Lee Hyun-wook with tense expressions.
The firepower he had displayed so far was enough to rival an African Player military junta.
In that sense, he must have seemed like a sturdy lifeline that had suddenly appeared from the heavens.
Sophie continued, her tone pleading.
“...Our strength—the resistance and the HPA alone—isn't enough to defeat the N'doze Federation. That's why we were trying to sell the Hidden Stage rights to get help from the <Old Peace> Guild.”
"Hmm... But why choose me instead of a massive guild like that?”
"Hah, because their recent moves have been suspicious. At first, they said they'd help us push back the N'doze Federation, but then they suddenly started spouting some bullshit about peacekeeping... That's when you showed up.”
Words can have subtle but crucial differences. And 'reinforcements' are completely different from 'peacekeepers.'
In short, they decided to trust one man, Lee Hyun-wook, over the suspicious Old Peace Guild.
Hearing this, Lee Hyun-wook slowly nodded.
"Alright, very well. I'll help the resistance."
His ready acceptance was so unexpected that the HPA agents couldn't hide their surprise.
"A-Are you serious?”
"Hah— Steel Rain is on our side..."
"My god, thank you, Lord.”
They each exclaimed in their own way.
"But let me be clear about this. I can't stay on the battlefield for long.”
"What? Uh... a war can't end that quickly, can it?”
"I will neutralize the enemy's core forces in a short period, rendering them incapable of continuing the war.”
In essence, he would cripple the N'doze Federation's military power and then leave, letting the resistance handle the rest.
In fact, that was a welcome condition for the resistance.
After all, the biggest concern when bringing in outside forces was their interference in domestic affairs after victory.
"Right. Whatever it takes, as long as you can turn the tide of the war so the resistance can win, that's all we need.”
Lee Hyun-wook had no intention of dragging this out.
'Two days after arriving in the CAR should be enough.'
The CAR civil war was just a stepping stone; the real event was <Vishnu's Labyrinth>.
***
Lee Hyun-wook called Go Jin-hwa and told her that something had come up and she should return to Korea first.
She couldn't hide her bewilderment, but since it was Lee Hyun-wook's decision, she complied without another word.
Thirty minutes later, Lee Hyun-wook and the HPA agents left the hotel and exited the black market.
"We still need to be careful. The Indra's Spear Guild has influence all over Chennai."
They got into a pre-arranged van and headed for a safe house at the docks.
On the way, Sophie began to explain the current situation in the CAR—the Central African Republic.
The CAR, a landlocked African nation that had been plagued by civil war even before the world turned into a game,
was now under the control of a Player military junta, the 'N'doze Federation.'
"......Those bastards, they're devils.”
That was how Sophie defined the N'doze Federation.
They rounded up all their nation's Players and forced them into labor as miners in a 'Dungeon Steel Mine.' Those who resisted had their hands and feet cut off before being sent to a 'Mana Extraction Facility.'
Just how cruel was it...
'A Mana Extraction Facility. They restrain a Player and drain mana from their body.'
And every time the mana naturally regenerated, they would drain it again and again... until the person died.
It was, in essence, turning a living human into a mana generator.
These inhumane acts became known to the world, drawing condemnation from nations across the globe.
But that was all. In the end, it was someone else's problem. The world was outraged for a moment, then quickly forgot.
“Hah... A literal hell on earth, where every imaginable atrocity is committed, is being left to fester.”
Still, the Player Humanitarian Alliance refused to stand by and watch.
But they were, at their core, a 'human rights organization' and lacked the military power to turn the tide of the war.
The best they could do was support the resistance from the outside, just as they were doing now.
"Ah, but if possible, I'd prefer not to reveal my identity until a decisive moment.”
As the van stopped in front of a warehouse at the docks, Lee Hyun-wook said this, putting on a mask.
"Uh... does that mean we shouldn't tell our side either?”
“Yes. There's always a risk of information leaking, isn't there?”
"Ah..."
"Sophie, if that were to happen, the enemy would prepare ways to counter me.”
Revealing that Lee Hyun-wook was here now would be disadvantageous in many ways.
'It would also be like announcing to the Villains that I've left Laputa empty...'
Of course, if something happened in Seoul, he could use Prydwen's 'Emergency Return.'
But even so, moving stealthily was the safest approach.
"But, we... we have to report to our superiors.”
Their original mission was to win the bid for 'White Lotus Painting Fragment No. 8' at the auction.
Once that was secured, their contract with the <Old Peace> Guild would be fulfilled.
In other words, choosing Lee Hyun-wook over the Old Peace Guild required consultation with their superiors.
Lee Hyun-wook summed it up in one sentence.
"Sophie, for now, report that you failed to secure the item.”
She looked at him with an expression that said, "What do you mean?"
"If we do that, won't the contract with Old Peace be automatically terminated?”
“Well, yes, but..."
"After that, I'll arrive and reveal myself directly to the resistance leadership.”
She looked troubled, but in the end, she had no choice but to follow Lee Hyun-wook's wishes.
To borrow the aid of such a heavyweight, taking a little heat from her superiors wasn't a difficult price to pay.
A moment later, as Lee Hyun-wook had instructed, Sophie reported the mission failure to her superiors.
But... right after that, an unexpected problem arose.
"Hah, this complicates things. We just received new orders. Since we failed to secure the item, there's no need to return... so they've ordered us to support a nearby operation.”
It was an operation to attack the N'doze Federation's 'container ship,' which was about to depart from Chennai Port, at sea.
Lee Hyun-wook was aware of this, having overheard something about it when William Tell appeared.
"Dammit, what kind of support can the three of us provide for that mission? Why are they sending us there?”
“Hey, what do you think this means? We failed an important mission, so they're screwing us over, that's what!”
They grumbled resentfully at what was clearly a demotion or a punitive assignment from their superiors.
It seemed that even this noble human rights organization wasn't so different from a regular guild when it came to internal politics.
"Ah, this... Mr. Lee Hyun-wook, will this be alright? It seems we have an unexpected stop to make.”
They glanced at Lee Hyun-wook, but his expression was one of indifference.
"Didn't I tell you from the beginning?”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
"That I would take care of that troublesome ship.”
He had said that in the black market alley, right after dealing with William Tell.
But they never would have imagined the situation would actually turn out this way.
Sophie, looking relieved, began to explain the situation.
"Alright, the ship is filled with 'doll weapons' to be supplied to the so-called 'Puppeteer.'”
"The Puppeteer... Is that famous war mercenary involved in the CAR civil war?”
"Yes, the N'doze Federation hired him four months ago, and the resistance has been suffering defeat after defeat ever since.”
There were two reasons for the N'doze Federation's overwhelming advantage in the current CAR civil war.
'As far as I know, it's the Enchantress Twins and the Puppeteer. Those two forces.'
Among them, the 'Puppeteer' was an unidentified mercenary Player who had never once revealed his identity.
He was famous for always sending a 'Clockwork Doll,' a sort of avatar, to the battlefield in his stead. And he commanded a doll army of sorts, using monsters like 'Living Armors' and 'Combat Wax Dolls' as his minions.
"He's a real pain in the ass. His main body is never on the battlefield, but he commands his army to overwhelm us.”
In the last battle, he deployed 65 Combat Wax Dolls and 40 Living Armors, forcibly breaking through the resistance's firepower—in a single day, seven villages occupied by the resistance were captured.
Since they weren't living beings, they charged forward fearlessly and recklessly, providing proper 'tanking.' After they disrupted the lines, the N'doze Federation's Player units would follow up...
“...Even knowing it's coming, we can't stop it. We're just absolutely outgunned.”
The three HPA members, who had witnessed it firsthand, shook their heads in unison.
"Hah... He's already a handful, but if those Living Armors packed on the container ship leaving Chennai today reach the CAR, it'll truly become... an irreversible disadvantage.”
In Lee Hyun-wook's memory, the 'Puppeteer's' forces were indeed quite formidable.
Of course, he was no match for the Necromancer, and even inferior to Kang Hee-seol's 'Magi-tech Corps.'
Still, it was certain that he had enough power to be called a one-man army.
The most ideal way to deal with a Player who commands 'minions' like that is...
‘...It's too simple. Cut off his ability to increase his minions.'
The Puppeteer has a limit to the number of dolls he can create himself.
That's why he had to seek out monsters like Living Armors, where 'mastery rights' could be secured.
In other words, attacking the container ship to cut off his reinforcements was the correct answer.
"Um... but if you wish to keep your identity hidden as you said, Mr. Lee Hyun-wook, it might be difficult to ask for your help in this operation. Your identity would inevitably be revealed when we attack that ship.”
Sophie said with a bitter expression.
She went on to say that the container ship was heavily guarded. A surprise attack at sea would be met with strong resistance, and in the process, it was highly likely Lee Hyun-wook's identity would be exposed.
But Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"Ah, that's fine. I can attack more stealthily than you think.”
“...Even so, people will recognize you by your signature metal boxes, won't they?”
To an outsider, Lee Hyun-wook's firepower was immense, but it was anything but subtle.
"I won't be attacking from the outside.”
“...What?”
“I mean, I'll shake them up from the inside.”
"Don't tell me you're planning to infiltrate the ship?”
"No, that's not it either.”
Lee Hyun-wook's continued denials left the three of them with puzzled expressions.
"Are you certain that ship is loaded with Living Armors?”
"What? Ah, well, they're the most suitable 'dolls' the Puppeteer can acquire.”
Lee Hyun-wook's final words were even more profound.
“If I manage to take down that container ship... you'll give me a portion of its cargo.”
***
A few hours ago, an incident occurred where William Tell's group was massacred in the black market.
Nevertheless, the N'doze Federation's container ship, the 'Black Factory,' docked in Chennai, departed as scheduled.
It needed to reach the CAR as quickly as possible to reinforce the Puppeteer's forces.
And as the ship entered international waters, five rubber boats were blocking its path.
“Whew... I see the Black Factory over there. But will they really not spot us?”
"It's fine. We have a stealth spell on us, so they won't see us.”
They were also HPA agents, tasked with attacking and seizing the Black Factory.
They watched the massive container ship approaching from the horizon through binoculars.
"Hmm... Team Leader, I have a bad feeling about this. Its defenses are much stronger than we expected.”
At those words, a middle-aged man raised his binoculars.
Indeed, even at a glance, the ship was far more heavily armed than they had anticipated.
There were about twenty guards on deck alone...
And there were plenty of support-weapon-type items installed as well.
If they approached that ship carelessly, they'd be reduced to ashes without a trace.
"Dammit, I heard there was a commotion in Chennai. This must be because of that..."
"Yes, that's likely the cause. This is going to be difficult, isn't it?”
The armament was beyond imagination. With only 26 people here... it seemed impossible to break through.
Just then, a voice came through their Mana Messenger.
-*Ksshh*— Ah, this is Sophie Green.
"Hey, I heard you're here to support our operation. Where the hell are you?”
- We're nearby.
He looked around, but there was nothing to be seen.
"No, but what happened in Chennai? The target's defenses have been beefed up significantly!”
- Hmm... First, let's discuss the operation. We're planning to strike first—
Hey! What are you talking about? Hey, Green, you know we're in command of this operation, right?
- ...We'll give the signal, so be ready to board the ship.
"Dammit, what the hell does that mean! Are you trying to ruin the operation?”
- Sorry, but it's too long to explain... I think it'll be faster to just show you.
"What?"
- Now... would you mind taking a look at the deck?
The operation team leader raised his binoculars as she said...
“...Huh?"
An incomprehensible scene was unfolding on the deck.
The containers stacked on the ship held the dolls meant for the Puppeteer.
But something was ripping open the doors, breaking the chains, and walking out.
"Those are... Living Armors, aren't they?”
"But why are they moving now?”
The giant suits of iron armor—the magic circuits engraved on their bodies glowed with an eerie blue light.
And they began to strike down the unsuspecting deckhands.
A mutiny on board, one that no one could have predicted, had begun.