Chapter 80
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Incheon, the Demon Realm, the Black Market - 1
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- Having met a special condition, you have been granted a new ‘skill’.
Lee Hyun-wook stared blankly at the message before sitting up. His entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. It was the result of sleeping for dozens of hours with his ‘Internal Furnace’ running at maximum capacity.
He checked the details of the new skill he had acquired.
[Skill Information]
- Name: Insight Lens
- Rank: D
- Effects
1) System Analysis: Allows you to interpret hidden ‘system information’.
2) Clairvoyance: Drastically improves your eyesight. (+300%)
* The skill’s rank will improve upon meeting hidden conditions.
Having possessed this skill in his past life, Lee Hyun-wook knew its functions very well.
‘This was the best of all the utility skills I had in my past life.’
Utility skills were non-combat skills, but the term referred to a class of skills with a very wide range of applications.
Lee Hyun-wook slowly pushed himself up.
“...Talos, how many hours was I out?”
「It has been 28 hours and 48 minutes since you initiated the process.」
“Twenty-eight hours...”
Lee Hyun-wook looked up at Talos, the spherical mechanical device descending from the ceiling.
Just then, a system message appeared before his eyes.
- Talos: Non-Combat Mode (LV. 130)
* This NPC is friendly towards you.
Information that wasn't easily obtainable, like an NPC's name, level, and disposition.
<Insight Lens> was an ability that allowed him to see basic information about monsters and NPCs like this.
‘Still, Talos is level 130... That’s much higher than I thought.’
While ‘level’ wasn't the absolute measure of strength, it was the most common standard.
In that respect, Talos, at a whopping level 130, could be considered very strong.
Especially considering the Orc King Stronox was level 175, and dragons were between levels 180 and 200.
‘Of course, without the bronze colossus, its body, it won’t be able to exert its full power.’
If he could one day activate the machine’s ‘Combat Mode’, it would become a formidable weapon.
Just then, the door to the Order Tower opened and Park Jun-mo trudged in.
For some reason, his hair was a bit curlier than usual.
"Ah! Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, you're awake?”
"Park Jun-mo, how was it? Did the lightning strike well?”
"Ah... yes... It struck a lot, a whole lot more than I expected.”
A hint of resentment laced his voice.
He went on to explain that while Hyun-wook was asleep, he had been struck by lightning a staggering eleven times.
As a result, he had experienced exponential growth, reaching five times his original stats.
"Really? That's great. You should come here whenever you have free time, then.”
"......."
At that moment, something caught Lee Hyun-wook's eye.
- This item can be 'interpreted'.
It was a black wand hanging near Park Jun-mo’s waist.
While he couldn't check a ‘Player's profile’, he could see ‘item information’.
‘Interpret.’
- Interpreting item information...
A moment later...
[Item Information]
- Name: Dark Wood Wand (Rare)
- Effect: Total Mana (+100), Magic Casting Speed (+10%)
Just like that, he could learn about an item someone else possessed without even touching it.
‘...More than anything, it will be a great help in protecting myself.’
The ability to know the function of an opponent's item just by looking at it—this was invaluable information that allowed him to predict, to some extent, what a potential adversary was planning.
It was Lee Hyun-wook's own secret defense system that had allowed him to fend off numerous assassination attempts.
“...But where’s Team Leader Kim?”
“Ah, if she’s not here, she’s probably at the surreal training facility.”
It seemed Kim Se-hee had been training nonstop while Hyun-wook was asleep.
‘Kim Se-hee... She’s not just talented, she’s a hard worker. As long as she has the right environment, she’ll grow on her own.’
Lee Hyun-wook drank the cold water Park Jun-mo brought him and walked over to the window.
Looking down at the world from the summit of Laputa offered a first-class view that no hotel could rival.
Just then, he felt a vibration from his pocket.
- Mana Messenger (Encrypted Model): Receiving...
This Mana Messenger was connected one-on-one with another that shared its encryption key.
The other party was, of course, the Saintess, Emilia Müller.
- You finally answered! Why weren't you picking up? I thought you got assassinated before I did!
Her words were slurring all over the place. As expected, she hadn't managed to quit drinking.
"I don't think I set up a secure line for you to drunk-call me.”
- My, what a huge misunderstanding. This is purely business.
"Is that so? What's the matter?”
- I found those magical engineering people you mentioned before. There are about nine of them.
As Hyun-wook had requested, she had been searching for researchers in the field of magical engineering, and it seemed she had finally found them.
Of course, Hyun-wook planned to meet them himself to judge if they were trustworthy.
“Hmm, perfect timing. I was just looking over the place where they’ll be working.”
- What? Hmm— Don’t tell me, Laputa...?
Knowing that Hyun-wook was the administrator of Laputa, she caught on immediately.
"That's right. I came up for the first time yesterday, or was it the day before?”
- Wow... I really want to go there someday. It’s as safe as it is here, right? Right?
“Yes, you might not be able to visit now, but you will be able to someday.”
Hyun-wook considered the possibility of moving the ‘Saint Dome’ itself to Laputa.
‘If the Saintess came to Laputa instead of the Saint Dome in the Republic of Chad... it would be a huge advantage.’
Of course, if that were to happen, the Republic of Chad would be in an uproar. It would be tantamount to stealing one of the elements that gave their land value, inevitably leading to political conflict.
In other words, it wasn't a decision to be made hastily.
'But I'll make it happen someday. This country will eventually become humanity's last bastion...'
His plan was to gather all the power capable of fighting the Villains into this single point called Laputa.
Two hours later, the group was ready to descend to the ground.
「(^_^) You can use the wide-area descent device on floor B49!」
Laputa's ‘jurisdiction’ covered the entire massive city of ‘Seoul’. Therefore, by using one of Laputa’s convenient features, the ‘wide-area descent device’, they could ‘teleport’ anywhere in Seoul.
The group took a high-speed elevator down to Laputa's lowest level, B49.
The entire floor was completely empty, with no objects or walls to be seen.
「Now, I will activate the wide-area descent device!」
Whoooosh—
The entire floor of B49 turned transparent, offering a panoramic view of Seoul below.
A massive magic circle formed on the central floor and began to emit a cerulean light.
- Wide-Area Descent Device: Set teleportation coordinates.
From Laputa, one could quickly travel to any area in Seoul via teleportation.
Lee Hyun-wook chose a quiet spot on the outskirts of Seoul, and they were soon teleported down to that location.
"Alright—it goes without saying, but where we've been is a secret.”
"Um, but are you... planning to keep the fact that you're Laputa's administrator a secret?”
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head at Kim Se-hee's question.
"No, I'll be revealing it soon.”
He needed to disclose this fact to Woo Seong-mun, at the very least.
‘And through that, I’ll secure all the resources needed to develop Laputa.’
But before that, there was one thing he had to take care of.
"By the way, Team Leader Kim, you said you had something to do today, right?”
"Yes, I'm going to introduce my former squadmates to the Hope Guild.”
Kim Se-hee's former A.M.T. squadmates had decided to join the Hope Guild.
As she had once commanded them as a squad leader, they would become key personnel when the Hope Guild formed its ‘Raid Team’.
"In that case, Team Leader Kim, you go take care of your business. Park Jun-mo, you're coming with me.”
"Huh? W-where are we going this time...”
Park Jun-mo couldn't hide his reluctant expression.
Lee Hyun-wook looked up.
“Today, we’re going to scout an employee to manage Laputa.”
“...What?”
"We can't just leave that magnificent thing sitting there, can we?”
Operating such a massive facility required a large workforce.
And at this point in time, countless talented individuals and potential items were buried in the shadows.
Lee Hyun-wook planned to pull them out a little early and raise them to the sky.
***
The city of Incheon had long been called the ‘Demon Realm’.
It was a nickname given half in jest, likely due to the frequent violent incidents that had occurred there since long ago.
But now, that childish nickname had become a reality.
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook... who exactly is this person we're looking for in the Demon Realm?”
Park Jun-mo nervously scanned an alley in Namdong District, Incheon—the heart of the Demon Realm.
"If they're in a place like this... they must be a scary person...”
A half-crumbled, gray cityscape, alleys littered with all sorts of trash, roads cracked and upturned like a spider's web...
And thugs armed with items, guns, and knives stood in the alleys, eyeing passersby. The weapons they held were by no means for show and were likely used on people from time to time.
Faced with a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie's depiction of a slum, Park Jun-mo instinctively shrank back.
"And I heard that even the Player police still don't come here...”
The old downtown area in southern Incheon had turned into a lawless zone.
In the early days when the world changed into a game, a whopping four gates had opened here simultaneously.
At the time, there wasn't enough manpower to handle them, making suppression difficult. In the end, a drastic measure was taken: a ‘cordon’ was established around the periphery, isolating the entire area.
A full two years later, a few guilds succeeded in clearing it, but...
‘The area had already suffered irreparable damage and was left in ruins, forgotten by everyone.’
And the types of people drawn to such abandoned places were limited.
Criminal organizations, vagrants, Red Players—people like them began to take over.
As a result, the area became what was commonly known as a ‘slum’.
"Strangely... they're all staring at us.”
"Don't mind them. This is just how this neighborhood is.”
Park Jun-mo felt like he was surrounded by the glares of predators deep in the mountains, but Lee Hyun-wook walked on without hesitation.
About ten minutes later, they stopped in front of a building.
<Baekje Sundries>
It was a five-story commercial building with that name, and from the outside, it looked like an ordinary ‘sundry shop’.
But it was actually one of the ‘secret passages’ leading down to a hidden facility in the basement.
"Wait here for a moment.”
After saying that, Lee Hyun-wook stood still and began to glance at the building's entrance from the corner of his eye.
Park Jun-mo was puzzled but waited silently, assuming, as always, that there was a reason for it.
In truth, however, Lee Hyun-wook's senses were already inside the building.
- ...How can I help you?
To be precise, he was listening to the sounds inside the building. He had established a ‘mana connection’ to someone's Mana Messenger beyond the wall and was eavesdropping on the surrounding sounds.
- Um, I'm looking to get some green adamantite ore.
- I'm sorry, but we don't have anything like that.
- In that case, I'd like to get a 'curation' for something else.
“Alright, that’s enough... Let’s go in now.”
"Huh? Y-yes? Ah, yes!”
Jingle—
"Welcome.”
A male employee with a mustache greeted them with a bright smile that didn't quite fit the area.
But Lee Hyun-wook sensed a shotgun propped up at the man’s feet.
Lee Hyun-wook casually approached the counter.
"Hello. I'm here to get some green adamantite.”
At those words, the smiling employee's face hardened instantly.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but there's no such thing as green adamantite ore.”
"Ah, I'd like to see something similar, though. Could I trouble you for a ‘curation’?”
"Hmm... I'll show you the way.”
He then turned his head toward a man in a black hat standing nearby.
The man gestured for Lee Hyun-wook to follow.
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, what was that just...”
“Shh— Don’t open your mouth for a while.”
Everything Lee Hyun-wook had just said was a kind of password, a rite of passage to descend into the hidden facility here.
The password changed every hour on the hour and had to be obtained through a secret route, but Lee Hyun-wook had figured it out by hacking—eavesdropping on—a Mana Messenger.
Click—
The man in the black hat opened a door, revealing a staircase leading down to a basement.
“...When you come back out, don't use this way. Use exit 8 or elevator 11.”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and began to descend the narrow stairs.
"W-where does this lead?”
"The Incheon Demon Realm, this slum, is actually just a facade.”
"What? Are you saying this city is hiding something?”
“Yes. Its real purpose is to house a black market.”
A city turned into a slum, beyond the reach of law enforcement. Beneath that facade lay a massive underground city.
And in that place, a huge black market where all sorts of illegal items were traded was thriving.
Creak— Creak—
After descending the old stairs for about ten more meters, a steel door appeared.
Clank—
When he opened it, a rather wide, tunnel-like space unfolded.
"Whoa......."
A huge crowd was moving through a dark, acrid passage that felt like a massive coal mine.
The scene was somewhat chaotic, reminiscent of a night market in Southeast Asia during the summer.
"Hey, get your lizardman tail aphrodisiacs here! Boost your stamina!”
"Hey you handsome fellas— how about a hit of Swamp Hallucinogen before you go?”
And as befitting a market, enthusiastic hawking echoed from all directions.
Faced with the unfamiliar scene, Park Jun-mo stared blankly, his head turning this way and that.
"Wow... I can't believe a place like this existed in our country...”
As he was distractedly looking around, he bumped into someone.
"Ah, shit— what the hell!”
Two men, hulking figures covered in tattoos, glared at him.
At the sight, Park Jun-mo flinched without realizing it.
“—Gasp! I’m so sorry!”
"Ah! I-I wasn't paying attention... I'm sorry!”
Park Jun-mo bowed his head repeatedly to the two brutes, then hurriedly followed after Lee Hyun-wook, who was walking ahead.
"Park Jun-mo, that was a mistake.”
“...Huh?”
“In a lawless place like this, showing such a dazed look is like telling everyone you’re easy prey.”
"Uh, th-then how should I have handled it?”
"Instead of stammering like that, it would have been better to just discharge some electricity and knock them out.”
Park Jun-mo slowly turned his head with a grim expression.
"No, don't look back. Showing any sign of urgency means you're weak...”
But it was already too late.
"......!"
The moment he turned his head to look back, he made eye contact with the hulking men.
"S-S-Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook... I think those guys are following us.”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded silently.
‘Well, this is a pain.’
From that brief collision alone, the men seemed to have marked the two of them as prey.
As Lee Hyun-wook moved through the crowd, he scanned the metal—the weapons—they were holding.
Two pistols, four daggers, and a few other things...
Among them was a ‘Mana Messenger’.
Lee Hyun-wook attempted to hack into it via a ‘mana connection’.
They happened to be communicating with someone.
- ...Yeah, it's the two guys heading your way. They look totally lost, probably their first time here, right?
- Really? They’re wearing masks, so I can’t see their faces... You sure we’re not messing with the wrong people?
- Nah. They bumped into us, total rookies. And I got a quick look, the wand on his hip, he’s got some stuff on him. Looks like we can make some pocket money. Let's make a score, it's been a while.
Just as he thought...
This place was a lawless zone, teeming with scum like them. If you couldn't protect yourself, you'd be stripped of everything you had, and it wasn't uncommon to lose your life.
- Jeong-gyun, the Gatekeeper can't know we're doing these side jobs, so let's handle this quietly, okay?
- Yeah, don't you worry about that.
However, the words ‘Gatekeeper’ in their conversation stuck in Lee Hyun-wook’s mind.
‘Mentioning a Gatekeeper means they’re members of the <Red Hole> organization.’
Red Hole was one of the three major factions that ruled this place, an item smuggling brokerage.
‘In that case... this is actually for the best.’
The person Lee Hyun-wook was looking for was a member of Red Hole, and he had been planning to approach them to make some kind of deal.
But if this was how things were playing out, he wouldn't have to go to the trouble of searching for them.
Lee Hyun-wook continued walking, pretending not to have noticed they were being followed.
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, where... should we go?”
"Park Jun-mo, can't you tell just by looking? There's no safe place here.”
“Ah, in that case...”
Right, in the end, they had no choice but to subdue them by force.
“...For now, we keep walking.”
This underground city was quite vast. It had expanded continuously since its creation more than a decade ago.
As a result, it had winding streets like an old city center, as well as dark, damp alleys.
Thud— Thud—
Lee Hyun-wook intentionally turned into a deserted alley.
As if on cue, three large men appeared from the front, blocking the path.
And behind them, six more men were approaching, filling the narrow alley.
"......."
Lee Hyun-wook and Park Jun-mo were forced to stop in the middle of the alley.
"Hehehe... Hey, friends? We met earlier, didn't we?”
In total, nine men had appeared from both ends of the alley.
“These guys look new to the neighborhood. How about we give them a guided tour, cheap?”
"Yeah, let's! This place is so dangerous, fragile little guys like them could die at any moment.”
Lee Hyun-wook slowly scanned the weapons they were carrying.
‘Judging by their possessions, there are at most two Players. The rest are ordinary people.’
But that didn't mean they weren't a threat.
“Now, I’m warning you, don’t try anything funny. This doesn’t look like just any gun, does it?”
One of the men said, holding up a pistol.
Come to think of it, all of them were holding pistols. Colt M1911s, clearly ‘ordinary’ firearms made with human technology.
‘But the bullets are probably made of magical metal and enchanted.’
In other words, they could pierce the ‘barriers’ surrounding monsters or Players. With weapons like that... they could at least threaten a C-rank Player.
Of course, the ‘mana shockwave’ upon firing would likely ruin the guns after a few shots, but it was one of the few effective ways to deal with Players.
However, Lee Hyun-wook stepped forward with a smile.
“...Huh? Boss, I don’t think this bastard gets it.”
"Tsk, really? A shot to the leg usually makes them understand real quick.”
As someone said that, the bald man in the lead pulled the trigger, aiming at Lee Hyun-wook's leg.
But...
Click—!
“Huh?”
Click—click— Click—click—!
Nothing happened.
"Huh, why isn't this—”
"Hey, what are you doing! Move it!”
Click—click—click—click—!
Another one of them pulled the trigger repeatedly, but the hammer wouldn't cock back at all.
“...Seems like the slide won’t rack. Mind if I take a look?”
It was Lee Hyun-wook who spoke, his voice deceptively casual.
He had, at some point, raised his left hand to chest level.
“—Wh-what the hell, you bastard?”
In that instant, the magazines dropped out of the thugs' pistols.
“...Huh?”
Snap—
Then, Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers.
Shhh-k-k-k-k—!
The nine pistols completely disassembled as if they were crumbling apart, their components scattering into the air.
"......."
Staring at the bizarre scene, the thugs' faces went blank for a moment.
Faced with something so unimaginable, they seemed to have forgotten they should even draw their other weapons.
"Right, as you can see, we're new to this neighborhood, so...”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled pleasantly as he approached them.
"......Could I ask you to be our guide? We need to go a little deeper."
The thugs didn't answer, but they had no choice but to raise their hands and slowly nod their heads.
Click—clack—
The nine guns had reassembled in mid-air and were now aimed at their own heads.