Chapter 167
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Italy, Mafia, Hijacking - 2
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Before long, the Mediterranean Sea was unfolding outside the window.
'We're about halfway to Rome now.'
Huuuuuu—
But even then, the Red Player and the escorts showed no signs of movement.
The cabin had been quiet for some time, gliding smoothly through a crystal-clear sky without a single bout of turbulence.
The occasional gentle rattle of the passenger jet was like a rocking chair, and in that serene peace, most of the Players had their eyes closed.
But this was the calm before the storm...
'It's almost time for them to make their move.'
With his eyes closed, Lee Hyun-wook was closely monitoring their actions by hacking into their Mana Messenger.
Behind two walls, in economy class, were the ticking time bombs... eleven terrorists.
Worse yet, eight of them were Italian officials wearing escort name tags, so no one suspected their true intentions.
'They're probably waiting until we enter international waters to make their move...'
An incident over the sea would be difficult for nearby countries to respond to, making it the perfect moment to carry out a secret plot.
- ...Where are we now?
The voice of one of the escorts reached his ears.
- Let's see, ah, we're approaching Point A.
- Then we have about 15 minutes until Point B. We should start getting ready, right?
'Fifteen minutes...'
Click—
That sound... it was like someone opening and closing the magazine of a pistol.
They were subtly checking their weapons, preparing to move.
'Then I guess I should get started, too.'
Lee Hyun-wook opened his eyes.
Turning his head, he saw his companions, disguised with unfamiliar faces, with their eyes closed.
But they weren't asleep. Lee Hyun-wook had warned them of the situation in advance, and they were tense, preparing for battle.
As Lee Hyun-wook stood up, Kim Se-hee opened her eyes.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
"...Is it almost time for the big signal?"
At a glance, it sounded like a simple comment about the restroom, but it held a hidden message.
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and headed for the lavatory.
Click—
He locked the lavatory door and closed his eyes. Then, he hacked the nearby 'Mana Detectors' and quickly switched them to OFF.
Normally, using more than a certain amount of mana in the cabin would immediately trigger the alarms of the Mana Detectors placed throughout.
And using active skills on an aircraft was a serious crime in almost every country.
'Still, using a small amount of mana for something like a Mana Connection won't be detected.'
This was because the essential magical equipment in the cabin emitted small amounts of mana, so a minimum threshold for detection was set to filter that out.
And Lee Hyun-wook's Mana Connection didn't exceed that threshold.
Just then, a flight attendant's voice came from outside the door.
"...Huh? Why did this suddenly stop working?"
It seemed a warning message was sent to the crew the moment the Mana Detectors went offline.
Meaning, it would be fixed soon... Lee Hyun-wook quickly summoned an item from the engraving on his wrist.
Shiiiii—
It was a metal box containing a small 'Subspace Generator'.
The AD-2 he usually used for item storage was quite bulky, so he had separated the Subspace Generator from it to create a portable version.
Lee Hyun-wook took out a few items from it.
Among them was the 'Ring of Gyges'.
[Item Information]
- Name: Ring of Gyges (Heroic)
- Effect: Becomes invisible for 30 seconds when infused with mana. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)
It was Heroic-grade despite only providing invisibility for a mere 30 seconds.
That's how rare stealth-related skills were, an ability that even assassin-class Players couldn't easily obtain.
'And yet, on this plane, there's the Kynee, which grants invisibility for 15 minutes.'
Of course, the Ring of Gyges, in exchange for its short 30-second duration, completely concealed one's 'presence' as well.
However, since a skilled individual could suppress their presence with a little effort, the performance of the 'Kynee' was overwhelmingly superior.
Lee Hyun-wook shoved the 'Ring of Gyges' deep into his inner pocket, re-engraved the Subspace Generator on his left wrist, and closed his eyes again.
Chiiii...
The floor began to melt, creating a large hole. He dropped a 'Fly Eye' into it, then covered it with a thin metal plate.
'This will create a path to the cargo hold.'
After finishing his preparations as planned, he stepped out of the lavatory.
"Phew— Done."
"Didn't we just replace this a little while ago?"
"I know, why is it already...?"
Just then, two flight attendants seemed to have successfully fixed the Mana Detector on the ceiling.
'...That was close.'
The two of them nodded to Lee Hyun-wook without any suspicion.
Lee Hyun-wook nodded back, then glanced over toward the economy class section.
His eyes met with a large escort sitting in the very last row.
The man muttered to the bald man next to him.
- ...We move once that bastard sits down.
- Okay. By the way, what did they say was the highest level among the Players on board?
- I think it was 41. And they're a Priest-class, so we can assume there's no one who'll be a problem.
- So, basically, it's a plane full of weaklings, huh?
Of course, Lee Hyun-wook's party had boarded with fake identities, concealing their true levels.
- Well, it doesn't matter. No matter how high their level, they'll be easy to subdue without any weapons.
Lee Hyun-wook returned to business class and sat down. He then handed Kim Se-hee a ballpoint pen.
[Item Information]
- Name: Ballpoint Pen (High-grade)
- Effect: Unknown
A strange item whose function remained unknown even after checking its details—its true identity was a weapon disguised as a pen.
'Infuse it with mana, and it turns into a dagger.'
Kang Jeong-du had developed it long ago for emergencies like this, but there had never been a need to use it until now.
Meanwhile, the escorts began to move.
They first approached the armed flight attendants, claiming there was a problem with the escort mission. They lured them into a rear corridor, then pointed their guns at them and disarmed them.
- ...Wh-what is the meaning of this?
- First time? Just keep your mouth shut, and this will all go smoothly.
- Mmph! Mmph!
Next, two other escorts passed through business class and headed for the cockpit.
Lee Hyun-wook sensed the enchanted automatic weapons hidden in their jackets and, just in case, used his ability to melt and warp the internal 'bolt carrier' and 'firing pin' of each gun.
'Good. Now they won't fire.'
Crack—
A sound was made, but the men didn't seem to notice. They subdued the flight attendants in the staff room at gunpoint and threatened them to open the cockpit door.
In a swift and stealthy operation, they subdued the entire cabin crew.
- Ray-Bees, I'm going to release your restraints, so please try not to go crazy.
Next, they proceeded to release the restraints on the three Red Players.
It was then.
"...Damn it, what do you think you're doing?"
The shout of a passenger who witnessed the scene carried over the wall and into business class.
- Huh?
- I'm a Marksman-class. Who do you think you're fooling—
- Hey, you'd be wise to just shut your mouth.
- Wha-what? You bastards, who the hell are you!
- I told you to shut— the fuck up, you son of a bitch!
Thwack!
A variety of screams erupted for a moment, but they soon died down. Instead, an alarm began to blare from the ceiling.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
It was the alarm from the Mana Detectors. It seemed one of the escorts had used an attack skill, likely aimed at the people in economy class.
- Argh, tell them to turn off that damn noise!
The alarm soon went silent, and two escorts entered business class, aiming their guns in all directions.
Besides Lee Hyun-wook's party, there were four other passengers here, and they flinched back with startled eyes.
"Everyone, hands up—!"
"Fuck, hands up! You want to die?"
As Lee Hyun-wook raised his hands, he turned his head and gave a subtle look to the two black men—the dark elves—signaling them to stay calm.
He hadn't briefed them on this situation yet.
"Hey! Don't look away! You think this is a joke?"
"N-no, sir..."
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head and spoke in a subservient voice.
"Holden, should we move all these people over there? It'd be easier to watch them if they're all in one place."
"No, they're still Players. It's dangerous to let them move. For now, just make sure they don't move an inch."
Just then, a voice shouted from the economy class section.
"Alright— everyone, please quiet down and listen to the sound of my voice."
This was the voice of Marvin Cater, the escort team leader, whom Lee Hyun-wook had identified earlier through his eavesdropping.
"Now, as you can see, we've had a bit of a situation on board. I'll explain everything."
"......."
"The problem is that this plane... uh... has been hijacked by escaped Red Players. Look over there. See those madmen, now free. Don't they look vicious?"
He chuckled as if something was funny and continued.
"But there's no need to worry. We've spoken with them, and it turns out they're surprisingly gentlemanly."
"Damn it, what the fuck are you talking about? Are you— what the—"
Bang!
In that moment, an explosion and a scream rang out.
It seemed the passenger who had been complaining—the man who had earlier identified himself as a Marksman-class—had been hit by a magical attack.
Soon, the smell of burning fabric and cooking flesh wafted through the air, followed by the sound of a fire extinguisher.
"Ahem... we just had a small incident... Now, I know you're all skilled Players, but it's impossible to fight a fully armed Red Player with your bare hands. One wrong move, and this plane will crash right into the Mediterranean."
"......."
"So, I suggest you all act wisely. Go on, get back to watching your Netflix. I promise you, we may not land at our scheduled destination, but we will get you down safely in some remote place."
That was obviously a lie. Who in their right mind would leave witnesses at the scene of such a major crime?
Next, the entire flight crew was dragged to one side in a line.
"Now, to our proud flight attendants, I have just one question. The... safe in the cargo hold, the item safe containing all our passengers' valuables. Who has access to it?"
All passenger items were collected during boarding and stored in the 'item safe' in the cargo hold.
And the only people on board who could open it were the captain, the first officer, and the chief flight attendant.
"...I-it's me."
A middle-aged woman raised her hand, and they began preparing to take her down to the cargo hold one level below.
- Ray-Bees, we'll have your toys for you soon, so just wait patiently.
- ...The way you say that, anyone would think I was some crazy bitch.
- Hmm, aren't you? Then why did you not only slit the throats of all those old politicians but also go out of your way to pull out their eyeballs and tongues? Don't you know what an uproar that caused?
- That's just a little hobby of mine, so don't connect it to my personality. By that logic, is everyone who enjoys martial arts violent? I just happen to have an interest in anatomy.
- Hehehe— you know that sounds even crazier, right? You lunatic...
With that conversation, he sensed three people heading down one level to the cargo hold.
'Time to follow them.'
He had to wait for the moment they opened the safe and took out the Kynee.
Using his metal control, Lee Hyun-wook took an adamantite steel ball from his pocket and dropped it on the floor.
Tak—
At the same time, he flinched, bending over slightly—
"Hey, fucker— Don't move!"
An escort shouted, shoving his gun forward.
"...S-sorry. Something fell."
Lee Hyun-wook said, deliberately acting timid.
"What? You bastard, what did you drop?"
"It was... just a teaspoon."
"Hah— what's your level?"
"I-I-I'm level 21."
When Lee Hyun-wook stated his fake identity's level, the escort scoffed.
"Seriously, a level 21 is this clueless? How can you think about picking up a teaspoon in this situation? Are you an idiot?"
But the man's scolding didn't last long.
Thwip— Thwip—
Lee Hyun-wook had transformed the dropped steel ball into thin needles, which he shot up at high speed, piercing the napes of both men.
In that exact moment, as if waiting for the signal, Park Jun-mo sent a current of electricity through the floor, electrocuting the two men.
Bzzzzzt—
Their muscles stiffened, preventing them from falling over. In that instant, Lee Hyun-wook used Metal Creation to form long rods and splinted their joints.
'Done. This way, I can prop them up like mannequins, so it'll look like nothing's happened from the economy class side.'
Thankfully, during this entire process, the others didn't seem to have noticed.
'If I launched a surprise attack now, I might be able to wipe them all out at once, but...'
The risk was too great.
'No matter what, Ray-Bees won't go down easily.'
That woman was level 81, and a very durable Warrior-class Player.
'At that level, even I would have no chance of winning in a confined space... and this is an airplane.'
In other words, one small mistake and the entire plane could be destroyed.
'So, I'll get the Kynee first, and use it to assassinate her.'
Lee Hyun-wook took the Ring of Gyges from his pocket and whispered to Kim Se-hee.
"Well, I'll be back in a bit. Stay safe."
In that instant, Lee Hyun-wook's form vanished.
Then, the lavatory door in business class opened and closed ever so slightly.
***
At that moment in the cargo hold, a massive black safe was installed in the far back.
The object was protected by a powerful magic barrier, making it impossible for even a Player to break it open with their bare hands.
However...
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Ah, uh, yes! Yes!"
With two gun barrels aimed at her, the chief flight attendant had no choice but to place her hand on the safe.
Woooong—
And just like that, the item safe, which boasted top-tier security, was opened with ease.
"I-it's open—"
Shhhk—
In that moment, blood began to gush from the chief flight attendant's neck.
She clutched her throat and collapsed as the long-haired man who had withdrawn his knife gestured to his subordinates.
"Alright, Paul. Go in there, find the gray box, and drag it out. You know what it looks like, right?"
"Yes! But, uh... can I grab some of the passengers' stuff?"
"Hah— you bastard. Look at those greedy eyes."
"Haha— when will we get another chance like this? It's tough gearing up with our meager salaries, you know?"
"Yeah, whatever. Just get the box first."
The escort named Paul then excitedly jumped into the safe and soon found a gray metal box.
"Hey, Team Leader, is this it?"
"Yeah, hurry up and bring it out!"
The items they had brought for Ray-Bees were stored inside.
But...
"Ugh— Whoa, this is heavier than I thought!"
He tried to lift the box but failed.
"Of course it is. It's a box containing a Legendary-grade item, so it's bound to be sealed in multiple layers. But it should only be thirty or forty kilograms at most. Stop whining."
"Ugh— It's— huff! It's not— pant! It's strangely not budging! A little help would be— appreciated!"
"Hah— look at this idiot... Olinic, you help him. Come on."
In the end, another man went in and lifted the box with Paul.
"Kuh!"
"Hah!"
Even with both of them pulling, the box strangely wouldn't lift.
"What the hell are you two doing?"
Seeing the two struggle, the team leader's face began to flush red.
"This thing... it seriously feels like it weighs several tons."
"O-or maybe it's stuck to the floor? It's really not moving!"
It was then.
"...Shall I give you a hand?"
A strange voice echoed through the space, and the team leader spun around, his finger on the trigger.
Suddenly, a Latino man was standing behind him, between the cargo containers.
"...Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just a passenger. You looked like you were struggling a bit."
He looked at the gun barrel and slowly raised both hands above his head.
"I don't know how you got in here... but the moment you try to use any kind of skill, you're going to be full of holes."
But just then—
"Uh..."
"Wha-what the!"
The two escorts inside the safe screamed simultaneously.
And for good reason. The metal box that wouldn't budge was now floating—poof—into the air.
And—
"T-Team Leader—!"
Thwack—
It shot through the air and slammed into the back of the team leader's head before falling—thud—in front of the unidentified man.
"Uh..."
Then, with a snap of his fingers, the box cracked open, and a black helmet slowly rose into the air.
Woooong—
It was plain, without any markings, but it exuded a certain class that only a Player could feel.
It settled onto the man's head of its own accord,
"From now on, I'm 'it'."
And his figure vanished before their eyes, as if he had evaporated.