Chapter 81
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Incheon, the Demonic Realm, the Black Market - 2
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When battle is imminent or already raging, one's attention naturally fixates on the enemy's weapon. To be acutely wary of the greatest threat—that was a natural reaction.
"My g-gun, why is it moving on its own..."
*Click—clack—*
In other words, a moment like this, when one's own weapon turned against them, was a complete 'exception'.
That's why their minds went blank for a moment, their judgment clouded.
And that wasn't the end of it.
*Crrrrunch—!*
The pistols floating in the air began to twist and stretch like clay, a bizarre phenomenon.
"—Gah!”
The 'metal ropes' formed from the guns flew out and wrapped around the robbers' necks like 'restraints'. They instinctively raised their hands to tear them off, but…
"No, don't move."
Lee Hyun-wook said, pointing to a single gun part floating in the air.
*Cra—ack—!*
In that instant, it shattered in mid-air, the fragments scraping against the ceiling and walls.
*Gulp—*
Witnessing the scene, the robbers froze like statues, unable to even twitch.
"You get the feeling what'll happen if I infuse mana into those dog collars I've put on your necks, don't you?"
"So from now on, you're going to be faithful guide dogs."
As Lee Hyun-wook took a step forward, they took two steps back. They were already completely overwhelmed.
"W-what the hell do you want from us!"
The one who appeared to be the leader of the nine robbers asked. To demand what he wanted after they were the ones who attacked first... Lee Hyun-wook found the situation quite absurd, but it was true that he wanted something.
"I need you to help me find someone."
"What? Who, who is it?"
Lee Hyun-wook's objective was a Player who would become the best component for the great facility of Laputa. However, he was currently being mistreated deep down below, under the stigma of being F-rank.
And the place where he lived was...
"I've come to meet the master of <Red Hole>. We're going to the village inside the gate now."
"What? A v-village inside the gate? What are you..."
At his words, the men looked quite surprised.
*'What is... What the hell is going on?'*
The robber's leader's mind had gone completely blank.
He had only intended to rob a couple of clueless passersby.
But to be taken down in an instant by these guys was baffling enough...
*'This bastard, he already knows about us, doesn't he?'*
Still, he couldn't say that these two men had approached them intentionally.
Because they were clearly the ones who had targeted and approached them first.
*'But what the hell is this...'*
It was a situation he couldn't understand at all.
"...What? Where? W-we don't know any, any place like that."
Lee Hyun-wook scoffed at his clumsy attempt to feign ignorance.
"Isn't it about time you realized this isn't a situation where you can play dumb?"
"..."
"I know there's an 'abandoned gate' in this basement, and that there's a village inside it."
A gate is a portal connected to a world called a 'dungeon', where monsters live.
And after a conquest is complete, destroying the 'World Stone' closes the gate.
But what if... what if you don't destroy it and just leave it be?
*'The gate doesn't close, and an erosion phenomenon occurs in the surrounding area.'*
However, it's not as fast or widespread as a 'Wave', where a World Stone directly affects Earth's terrain. It merely makes the few hundred meters around the gate similar to the environment inside.
*'After that... nothing much. Nothing else happens.'*
For this reason, there were occasional cases of people using the land inside a gate without closing it.
In a way, it was like acquiring a large amount of ownerless land, so it was only natural to be greedy.
*'However, this is considered an illegal act by the <International Player Federation> and is regulated accordingly.'*
This was because leaving a gate open for a long period was inevitably a significant risk factor.
However, many nations secretly possessed abandoned gates,
and large-scale terrorist groups used them as hideouts or secret bases.
"Honestly, it can't be that big of a secret. Rumors have already spread, haven't they?"
"That's... like you said, it's just a rumor!"
Lee Hyun-wook tightened the restraints on the necks of the men who were holding out until the end.
"No, I came here already knowing, so stop trying to be clever and just lead the way."
"Gah! Kgh, damn it... F-fine!"
In the end, the men had no choice but to lead the way down the steel staircase.
As they descended floor by floor, the crowds gradually thinned,
and by the fifth basement level, there were no people at all.
They had to walk for a long time down a desolate corridor, where only the sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere.
During that time, the robbers secretly exchanged glances.
But to the eyes of Lee Hyun-wook, who had obtained the <Insight Lens>, every little movement was captured.
"...Here, this is it."
The robbers' leader said, reaching for a lever connected to a pipe,
and as he turned it, the sound of gears engaging was heard, and the wall behind them began to open.
*Rumble—!*
A secret space completely hidden behind the wall. There, a purple gate stood open.
And in front of it stood two guards, holding automatic rifles.
"Hey, sirs! W-what's going on!"
It seemed they had grasped the situation through CCTV, as they shouted and raised their rifles.
But in the next moment, with a *screech—*, the barrels of their guns bent at a right angle.
"W-wha? What the!"
They hurriedly tried to draw other weapons, but...
"N-no! Don't do anything stupid! There are b-bombs or something on our necks!"
The robbers' leader shouted, and the guards had no choice but to lower their weapons.
And so, they finally came face to face with the gate that had been abandoned for a full 11 years.
"Right, well... this gate here is our... village that you're looking for."
Our village. As he said those words, his voice was laced with a hint of anxiety. When he was threatening them with a pistol, he seemed like a total thug, but now he suddenly sounded like the head of a household...
*'Well, maybe he is the head of a household.'*
The Red Hole organization. They were clearly making a living through illegal means.
But there was a historical reason why they had no other choice.
After the world changed into a game, countless incidents occurred.
Among them, cases of Players oppressing other Players were commonplace.
In particular, the early days of the Player world were far from stable like now; it was a much rougher world.
Power struggles frequently broke out to seize the 'unknown power' of Players that had suddenly appeared.
*'I was too young to remember it well, but they were practically gangsters.'*
Those who were pushed out during that tumultuous period had no choice but to retreat into the shadows.
In other words, the Red Hole organization could be seen as unfortunate figures who lost in a power struggle, but...
*'In any case, it's a fact that they've now become a lawless group, so I need to be careful.'*
Before entering the gate, Lee Hyun-wook approached Park Jun-mo and whispered.
"Park Jun-mo, you go in first. And you remember the precautions for entering a gate, right?"
"...Ah, yes!"
Park Jun-mo remembered being told to always watch his head when he entered the Cheongdam Red Gate, his first conquest mission. Thus, he took a deep breath and began to heighten all his senses.
"Alright, we're entering the gate, your village. If you try any funny business..."
*Snap—* Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers, and all 11 men flinched at once.
"You know what'll happen, right?"
But Lee Hyun-wook knew full well that these guys would definitely try some funny business.
Soon, they entered the gate one by one, with Lee Hyun-wook entering last.
*Whoooosh—*
The first thing that greeted him upon entering the unfamiliar world was a harsh sandstorm.
This place was a rugged wasteland, like something out of the Arizona desert in the United States.
"Hmm... not a very nice neighborhood, is it?"
The robbers' leader scoffed at Lee Hyun-wook's brief comment.
"No, for outsiders like us, there's no better place than this."
His words were filled with discontent for the world.
*'Then again, if you grew up in a place like this, your view of the world wouldn't be very rosy.'*
The man was in his early thirties, meaning he probably came here as a teenager.
The giant guilds of today that had pushed them into this corner,
and the government that had failed to offer any protection in that situation—he must have fostered a deep hatred for them.
"Alright then, would you mind guiding me to that wonderful village of yours?"
And so, they began to move along the desolate canyon.
How much time had passed...
*'...Right, they're starting their little trick.'*
Lee Hyun-wook could feel it. The robbers were exchanging glances much more frequently...
So, he had already cast Body Hardening on himself and wrapped himself in a mana shield.
And just then, one of the robbers stomped hard on a stone.
*Clank—!*
With the sound of machinery engaging, the rocks on both sides opened up, and some coffin-like objects shot out.
The stone had been a 'pressure plate' that activated something.
"—It's done!"
One of the robbers cheered. At the same time, streaks of pale blue light began to shoot out from the coffins.
*Bzzzzzt—!*
It was a trap containing lightning magic.
They had activated it above their heads—intending to be swept up in the current along with Lee Hyun-wook.
Then, once they were all knocked unconscious, their comrades would come and remove these restraints...
However...
"Hyaaa—!"
*B-z-z-z-z-z—*
As Park Jun-mo shifted his gaze, the bundle of electric currents gathered into a ball,
"Grrr—!"
and as he raised both arms, the electric sphere shot far away into the sky and vanished.
"Hoo..."
"Park Jun-mo, well done."
"Yes!"
Lee Hyun-wook already knew there was a trap like this here.
*'And there were quite a few of them. No matter how strong my mana shield is, I could be overwhelmed if they kept coming.'*
But this time, he had a reliable countermeasure in Park Jun-mo, so he could enter with confidence.
Meanwhile, the men who had believed the electric trap would solve everything were dumbfounded.
They stared at Lee Hyun-wook with trembling eyes.
"It seems you've forgotten what I said..."
Lee Hyun-wook's voice dropped low as he looked back at the robbers.
"Gak—!"
The restraints on their necks buckled and began to choke them.
"Kgh, gack—"
It was then.
*Rumble—rumble—rumble—!*
From ahead, beyond the hill, a vibration began to sound.
It was just like...
"Is that... the sound of horse hooves?"
Before Park Jun-mo could finish his sentence, a dozen or so horses—a cavalry unit—appeared over the hill.
Dungeon steeds, as they were commonly called, were massive horses native to dungeons.
And from among them, a woman drew a greatsword and shouted.
"Halt, right there—!"
The woman. It was a face Lee Hyun-wook knew.
She was Go Jin-hwa, the eldest daughter of Go Jun-cheol, the boss of this place, Red Hole.
*'That woman is someone I can reason with.'*
Lee Hyun-wook raised both hands to show he had no intention of fighting.
At that, Go Jin-hwa pulled on the reins, slowing her horse.
"Damn it! Who are you to come in here?"
"I apologize, but we didn't trespass. We came here on business."
"What? What kind of bullshit is that! Do you have any idea where you are, barging in like this!"
Lee Hyun-wook let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Calm down and listen. Your people were the ones who pointed their guns at us first."
"...What? Guns?"
Her eyebrow twitched as she looked at the men captured by Lee Hyun-wook—her subordinates, presumably.
"Don't tell me they were robbing people again... Hah— Fine, go on, talk."
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and turned his head, taking in the dungeon's landscape.
"There's something spreading through this dungeon right now, isn't there?"
At those words, Go Jin-hwa's eyebrow twitched.
"...What?"
"The black vines that are eating the trees."
"H-how do you know about..."
"I can get rid of them."
At that, Go Jin-hwa's eyes trembled.
Around this time, there was an 'event' that was eating away at this region.
*'It's a type of self-purification process that appears when Players dominate a dungeon.'*
As a result, the thousand or so people living in this dungeon were in danger of losing the home they had lived in for years.
*'The ones who solved it, of all people... were the Taesan Guild.'*
And so, this underground organization ends up being used as a pawn by the Taesan Guild.
But today, all of that was scheduled to change.
*'I will take these people, a major pillar of the underground economy, into my own hands.'*
Lee Hyun-wook planned to make this land the final bastion against the Villains.
To do that, he needed to seize control of every facet, and this place was one of them.
And above all, there was a 'hidden stage' inside this dungeon.
*'It's something even the people living here probably don't know about yet.'*
It was an adamantite mine, overflowing with the legendary metal.