Chapter 154
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Great Cleanup - 3
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Immediately after, Commander Jeong Sang-sik retrieved something from his personal safe.
"Ahem— This is it. The device that creates a portal to the Yeonhui-dong panic room…"
It was an object that looked like a car key. Holding it, he wore a bewildered expression once more. He knew that the moment he handed it over, everything would be over.
“Commander, surely you haven't failed to make up your mind yet, have you?”
"Ah, no! It's just that this only opens by recognizing my unique mana pattern…"
As Lee Hyun-wook asked, Jeong Sang-sik cleared his throat and infused mana into it.
- Beep—
A blue beam of light shot out from it, illuminating the wall, and a portal formed there.
Woooong—
"So this is the den those rats were so fond of? They'll all be exterminated today."
The one who spoke was not Lee Hyun-wook, but Lee Kyo-jun. Immediately after receiving Lee Hyun-wook's call, he had mobilized the entire Bihyeongrang Team and stationed them throughout Seoul. The plan was to seize control of the panic room and then simultaneously carry out emergency arrests of the 'members' who frequented it.
"The more I think about it, the more absurd it is. We knew those bastards were having secret meetings, but to think they were plotting something this insane. I ought to kill them all today…"
As Woo Seong-mun's closest aide, Lee Kyo-jun was considerably enraged by their conspiracy.
It wasn't that they were unaware of the movements of the secret organization known as the 'Yeomyeonghoe'.
However, with so many incidents breaking out recently, they hadn't had the capacity to conduct internal operations, and since they couldn't find any conclusive evidence, they had been unable to take preemptive action.
But once again, it was Lee Hyun-wook—the one who should have been busier than anyone—who had brought the evidence.
Lee Kyo-jun was once again reminded of what a tremendous asset an ally like Lee Hyun-wook was.
"Team Leader Lee, I'll go in first and assess the situation inside. It'll be a headache if we just barge in and they notice and react."
And before entering the portal, Lee Hyun-wook placed a metal collar around Jeong Sang-sik's neck.
"You know what this is without me having to tell you, right? Be careful with every single move."
Jeong Sang-sik felt the cold texture of the metal and nodded stiffly.
"Alright, you go in first. I'll be right behind you."
Jeong Sang-sik stepped into the portal, and Lee Hyun-wook followed immediately after.
Woooong—
Immediately, the entrance to the panic room that unfolded before his eyes was much larger than he had expected.
'Damn, they've decorated this place like a hotel.'
The interior was even more luxurious than that of a top-tier hotel lobby, with statues lining the sides and a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.
"Tsk— You've been playing a rather extravagant game of house, haven't you."
It was truly a sight that made one click their tongue. What kind of acts had they committed in a place decorated like this? It was likely some depraved pleasure not tolerated by society.
'I've only seen what this place looks like through evidence photos.'
Right after its existence was revealed to the public, an extreme destruction of evidence took place. They had gone so far as to blow away the entire mountain where this place was located using the 'Hellfire' skill.
There must have been something they desperately wanted to hide, which meant it could become the 'smoking gun' to catch them.
"A few of the 'resident managers' should be out shortly. I'll talk to them…"
Just then, the door ahead opened, and large men in suits came out.
"Oh! General Jeong, what brings you here?"
- Player (LV: 61)
Two more could be seen behind him.
- Player (LV: 48)
- Player (LV: 41)
They seemed to be the 'managers' who, as Jeong Sang-sik had mentioned, were always on standby here.
"So, are these people all the security you have here?"
"Ahem, there aren't many, but there might be one or two more in the security office…"
As Lee Hyun-wook asked so bluntly, Jeong Sang-sik nodded with a somewhat perplexed expression, and the guards watching them sharpened their gazes.
"General Jeong? You know unauthorized guests are not allowed inside, don't you?"
"Ah! Manager Kim, it's just… it'll only take a moment. Could you look the other way?"
Jeong Sang-sik spoke with an awkward smile, but the other man shook his head firmly.
"This is a top-priority rule decided upon in the VIP meeting, so you must adhere to it. The very act of bringing him here is… not a matter we can simply overlook. And I don't know who that man is, but just silencing him won't be enough."
Because he was wearing his hat pulled down low, they didn't recognize Lee Hyun-wook.
But as if sensing a threat instinctively, their hands crept toward their waists.
'Pistols, and they're armed with anti-Player pistols at that.'
And considering their high levels for managers, they were likely Players with quite the decorated past, probably hunting dogs who handled Hwang Yeon-su's dirty work.
"—Hey, don't come any closer."
As Lee Hyun-wook took a step forward, they prepared to draw the pistols from their waists.
"Hold on, there's something I want to show you."
"…Yes?"
"It's very important. Please take a look at this."
Wary of Lee Hyun-wook, they slightly lifted their jackets.
A pistol—one made of adamant, no less—was briefly visible.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook opened his palm—
"Huh?"
The four guards failed to react in time to the non-threatening gesture.
Th-th-th-thwack—!
"Ugh......."
Steel beads had flown in an arc and struck their jaws. They flew at such a high speed that it was like taking a heavy hook straight to the chin, causing them to lose consciousness for a moment.
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook exerted his metal control on the doorknob in front of him—and pulled.
Clang—
As the door swung outward, a single steel bead shot through the gap.
A man standing behind it was staring this way with a dazed expression. Before he could even process what had happened, a steel bead slammed into his temple.
Next, a steel door about 30 meters further inside was forcibly ripped from its frame.
"Uh…."
Inside seemed to be the panic room's situation room, where two men had drawn their pistols.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Orichalcum-plated bullets were fired, but Lee Hyun-wook blocked them with the ripped-off steel door.
"Damn it, contact the Host immediately!"
The Host, meaning Hwang Yeon-su, the representative of the 'members' who used this place.
If the situation here were to be reported, it would inevitably cause problems for the upcoming emergency arrest operation.
However…….
Cra-a-a-ack—!
With a single gesture from Lee Hyun-wook, all the electronic equipment in the room was crushed, and even the mana messenger they pulled out as a backup crumpled like paper in their hands.
"N-No way…"
The steel door, now crumpled into a ball, flew toward them as they stood there bewildered.
CRASH—!
'Five of them, that's it?'
Since no moving metal could be detected inside the building, it seemed the cleanup was complete.
Lee Hyun-wook 'generated' metal from his arms and bound the limbs of the unconscious managers.
"Ugh… You bastard, who are you?"
Just then, Manager Kim—the one in charge of the panic room—who had regained consciousness, asked.
"—General Jeong! What in the world is going on! D-Don't tell me you've betrayed us?"
"Ahem........"
"If they find out about this, you… you will absolutely not be able to handle the consequences!"
Lee Hyun-wook smirked and raised a hand.
"It seems none of you, superiors or subordinates, can grasp the situation."
"…What? Who are you?"
"Do you still not realize who it was that did something they couldn't handle in the first place?"
Lee Hyun-wook took off his hat and looked at Manager Kim. The man's eyes went wide in shock.
"L-Lee Hyun-wook… W-Why are you here…"
"And you all are going to have a little chat with me."
"Hah— If you think you can win us over, you've got another thing coming!"
"Yeah, that's what they all say at first…"
Just then, Lee Kyo-jun and the Bihyeongrang Team entered the panic room.
"Team Leader Lee Kyo-jun, I'm sorry to ask, but could I request one thing?"
"Yes, ask anything. All of our teams are on standby."
"Could you call in a bunch of healers? Enough to bring back the dead."
Since time was short, he planned to make their conversation short and intense.
***
Meanwhile, the members of the <Yeomyeonghoe> were all trembling with anxiety. After Lee Hyun-wook had thwarted their assassination attempt and taken the hitman, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
- Director Hwang, are we… really going to be okay?
"Hah… Assemblyman Park, do you think I wouldn't have prepared for something like this?"
In response, whenever members called, the Yeomyeonghoe's Host, Director Hwang Yeon-su, would strongly urge them to just stay quiet, insisting that what they feared would never happen.
However…….
"Uh… Director, would you take a look at this?"
His trusted subordinate, Deputy Director Park, held out a smartphone.
- [Breaking] Lee Hyun-wook names influential domestic figures as masterminds behind Paldalsan terror incident (1st Report)
Cracks began to form on Hwang Yeon-su's face, which had shown displeasure but not anxiety.
"...Huh? What's this all about?"
At 8:30 PM, such news stories were posted simultaneously across various media outlets.
A case like this meant that a specific faction was intentionally carrying out a media campaign.
"Hoo— Deputy Director Park, this seems like a ploy to shake us. First, look into it carefully."
And…….
- [Breaking] President orders strict response to Lee Hyun-wook assassination attempt, commands search for masterminds
The fact that the president's name was mentioned and public authority had been mobilized meant…
"Director, it seems Chief of Staff Woo Seong-mun has caught wind of it and is taking action himself."
At Deputy Director Park's report, Hwang Yeon-su swept back his hair and let out a smirk.
"Ha, that old geezer. He's taking Lee Hyun-wook's word at face value and making a huge blunder, isn't he?"
However, a strange confidence still lingered on his face.
"Even if they suspect we're behind it, they won't have any proof."
"Yes, all conversations and deals have been conducted in the panic room until now."
No matter how bad the circumstantial evidence was, without proof, they couldn't be seriously harmed. Besides, who were the figures involved in this? This situation would be resolved soon enough.
"Right, so tell the members to just keep their mouths shut. It looks like the other side is trying to fan the flames, but we just need to lie low quietly and get back up once the fire dies down."
But…….
"D-Director, we have a huge problem!"
Another subordinate burst through the door.
"…The members, they're being arrested simultaneously in emergency operations!"
"What? That bastard Chief Woo… He's acting this recklessly without any evidence?"
Hwang Yeon-su roughly guessed what this ploy was. It was a scheme to tarnish the image of the next presidential candidate, Oh Tae-mun, by cornering them without any evidence.
"It's a good thing you came here. It seems they're determined to cause chaos."
Still, after the failed assassination of Lee Hyun-wook, Hwang Yeon-su had taken refuge in a safe house.
"Hoo… Woo Seong-mun, how does he plan to handle the fallout from being this reckless?"
However, in the face of the next piece of news, Hwang Yeon-su's composure was bound to shatter completely.
- [Breaking] 'Yeonhui-dong' hideout of masterminds behind Lee Hyun-wook assassination attempt confirmed, currently being searched
And a photo was attached. It was… a picture of the panic room's entrance.
Somehow, Lee Hyun-wook and Woo Seong-mun had already raided the place.
"W-What is this! Management team, have you heard anything from Manager Lee?"
"Uh… no, sir."
"What the hell happened! Why was the panic room breached so easily!"
He snapped and blasted the TV with a fireball.
"Shit! This can't be happening… Deputy Director Park, are all the ledgers in the secondary vault?"
The ledgers. Inside, all sorts of corrupt acts committed by the members were recorded.
Bribes, sexual favors, contract killings… They were materials he had steadily accumulated to control and manage the members who might one day turn against him after he seized power.
Realistically, the panic room was safer than anywhere else, so naturally, he had stored them there.
But… if that panic room was breached, they would become conclusive evidence.
"Damn it, which bastard's portal got compromised! This makes no sense!"
"Still, since they're in the secondary vault, they won't be discovered right away."
At those words, Hwang Yeon-su forced himself to nod.
"Right, that's true…"
He had prepared another secret space within the panic room for a time like this.
Perhaps… even Woo Seong-mun's side wouldn't be able to find it in the end.
"And that 'item' we were supposed to send to America is also in the secondary vault."
"What? You stuffed everything in there. How am I supposed to know what you mean by 'that item'?"
"The… greatsword whose information was only partially revealed when viewed with a B-rank appraisal skill."
He finally recalled what the man meant and wiped his face.
"What? Fuck, why is that in there? Weren't we supposed to send it to America to get it appraised?"
"As you instructed last time, the plan was to move it after dealing with Lee Hyun-wook first."
A while ago, Hwang Yeon-su had received an item as a bribe from a major guild master. It was a sword a full 2 meters long, but its performance was utterly pathetic compared to its ridiculous size.
However, the other party claimed that it was presumed to be a 'potential item'.
So, after much difficulty, he obtained an expensive 'B-Rank Appraisal Scroll' and used it, and the result was…
'…A legendary, a legendary-grade item.'
But only that much was revealed; he still didn't know the detailed information.
'No matter what, I have to retrieve it. With that alone, I can survive anywhere, even if not in this country. It's an item everyone in the world would covet…'
A legendary-grade item, often said to be comparable in price to an aircraft carrier—he absolutely could not lose it.
"Deputy Director Park, first, arrange a way for me to get out of the country. Hah— I need to lay low for a while."
He then picked up his jacket from the sofa and stood up.
"…I'll hide abroad for a while, and then I can send my guys to retrieve it, right?"
"Yes, that's right! The entrance to the secondary vault is well hidden, so they'll never find it."
***
Meanwhile, deep inside the panic room, Lee Hyun-wook stood before a tunnel with Jeong Sang-sik.
"This is the passage to Director Hwang Yeon-su's personal vault. If someone with an unregistered mana pattern enters… those things will awaken and attack, so be careful…"
A high ceiling and antique-style decorations that looked like they belonged in a European castle came into view.
Among them were several large stone statues in the shape of bizarre monsters.
Lee Hyun-wook was able to check their information through his 'Insight Lens'.
[Object Information]
- Name: Gargoyle Statue (Rare)
- Effect: 'Monsterizes' upon detecting an intruder.
There were 12 of them in total, a considerable security measure.
'…But what's that thing stuck to the ceiling?'
Meanwhile, something else was detected by Lee Hyun-wook's eyes.
It was in a corner of the high ceiling, behind intricately intertwined decorations.
[Object Information]
- Name: Synesthetic Mirage Veil (Heroic)
- Effect: Disguises a certain area with a 'Synesthetic Mirage'.
A Synesthetic Mirage didn't just create a visual illusion.
It was a magic that could disguise everything, including smell and touch.
In other words, using it could deceive all the senses of most beings.
However, it could not evade the legendary-grade Eye of Horus.
'Seeing how much effort they put in, they must have hidden something pretty amazing.'