Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guest (2)
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"Fuck yeah, this is it."
Lee Woo-jin of Ace Guild thought that suggesting to the higher-ups that he patrol this quiet backwater neighborhood had been the best decision he'd made in the nearly one year since everything began.
It was a rundown corner of Seoul's outskirts where society's outcasts gathered, the stench of poverty ingrained down to their bones.
Compared to the Seoul city center, where battles had raged nonstop for two and a half straight days, this place was incomparably peaceful.
...No monsters. No players.
Just the occasional stray cat enjoying the moonlight. Otherwise, it looked just like the everyday scene before the incident—nothing had changed.
Of course. The people here, barely scraping by for three meals a day, weren't likely to have splurged on pricey VR gear to play Season Off Fantasy. So it was only natural there were no players who'd gone through the transformation process.
Besides, most people were busy defending crowded hotspots like Gangnam or Jongno. No one gave a damn about a decrepit neighborhood like this.
The joint government-player organization SPR, along with Ace Guild handling the capital region, had ranked it dead last in protection priority. So this eerie quiet was right in line with Woo-jin's expectations.
"No monsters. Perfect."
Still, with thousands—tens of thousands—of 'Light Rifts' tearing open across Seoul's skies, the complete absence of even a single monster was unexpected.
But who cared? Tonight was ideal—perfect—for executing his secret plan that no one else knew about.
"Hyung, it's just like you said."
Beside him, Kim Jin-ho—Ace Guild's famed high-rank Thief, nicknamed 'Panty Goblin'—muttered excitedly.
Woo-jin puffed out his chest even more proudly at his wide-eyed little bro.
"Obviously. Tonight, we're kings and gods here. We can do whatever the hell we want."
Woo-jin smirked at Jin-ho. Thinking about what they'd pull off tonight, he couldn't stop grinning.
...Both Woo-jin and Jin-ho were players over level 1000—solidly skilled.
Cops, soldiers, even most players couldn't stand against them. And in this neighborhood? Not a single player in sight. No one to stop whatever they did.
In short: Tonight, even if they looted, raped, or murdered here, no one could touch them.
This was beyond war. If they killed someone, just blame a monster. Perfect cover.
And they were from Ace Guild—the undisputed top dogs in Korea, personally tasked by the government to handle the capital.
Woo-jin himself had connections to Guild Master Yoon Sol—aka 'Sol-sol'—now climbing the ranks. Any slip-ups? He'd smooth it over with his network.
"So this place is our world tonight."
Here, with not a single guardian in sight, they could unleash every deviant urge, every desire.
A brief taste of being king. God.
Back before the incident, rotting in their rooms as friendless hikikomori, gaming 20+ hours a day in virtual worlds—they could've never dreamed of this heart-pounding thrill.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yeah, hyung."
Thus, Ace Guild's self-appointed 'ghetto patrol' dove into the neighborhood proper.
Woo-jin's class: close-range DPS 'Assassin'. Jin-ho's: support 'Thief'. The ultimate combo in Season Off Fantasy for infiltration and silent kills.
Both classes halved all noise by default. Thieves especially had 'Lockpicking'—unlocking any door or chest. Plus, alongside Scientists, they had a passive pinpointing valuables/items.
Jin-ho's role tonight would be crucial.
"......"
"..."
They targeted one of the neighborhood's slightly less rundown buildings, then picked the lock on a small first-floor room.
The sturdy iron door? Jin-ho reached out, activated his skill, and it became worthless scrap faster than an auto-door.
"..."
"..."
Inside someone's tiny one-room: Their eyes first landed on a middle-aged man deep asleep in just running shorts and underwear.
Snore— snore—
He was out cold, snoring so loud he'd never wake no matter what they did.
"..."
"......"
Confirming he was asleep, Woo-jin and Jin-ho signaled silently and began ransacking the room. Grab anything of value.
Poor folks like this carried more cash than cards—credit issues. Woo-jin spotted a fat wad in the guy's wallet on the desk.
"...Jackpot."
Day laborer payout? More cash than expected. Woo-jin grinned, pocketing it all.
Currency value was volatile now, but cash was cash. Felt good.
"Hmm..."
"..."
Turning, Jin-ho was trying on the man's priciest-looking watch.
"......"
Woo-jin carefully grabbed the smartphone by the guy's head. Not brand-new, but decent resale value.
Snore— uh, ugh...?
"...?!!"
"...!!"
Mid-theft, the man jolted awake—maybe choking on his own snore. His eyes locked right on Woo-jin's.
"......"
"......"
The man blinked around, piecing it together. Awkward, panicked silence stretched.
'Busted.' Woo-jin and Jin-ho froze reflexively. Then the man realized: Burglars!
"T-T-Thieves!!"
"H-Hey, shh, shut up!!"
Jin-ho and Woo-jin lunged to muffle him, but the middle-aged guy thrashed wildly, screaming in terror.
"Thieves! Burglars!! They've broken i—!! Gurk...!!"
His panicked yells cut off clean, vanishing into the air.
💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥 -INSTANT DEATH
Heart pierced by dagger
"Whew..."
...Woo-jin yanked his dagger from the man's heart. Precise stab—no scream, instant death on the spot.
"Fucking annoying bastard..."
Woo-jin glared disgustedly at the corpse. He'd blanked in the moment, but here, they were kings. Annoying? Just kill 'em.
"H-He dead?!"
"Yeah."
Woo-jin nodded curtly at shocked Jin-ho, then shrugged it off and exited the first house.
Cash, watch—got it all. Owner dead. No point lingering.
"W-Wait up...!"
Jin-ho scrambled after him.
"..."
"......"
Next house. In another neighborhood, that scream would've drawn players instantly. Here? Nothing. Good pick.
Lockpicking successful. "...Open."
Second house, bit farther from the first. Same drill: Skill unlock, sneak in quiet.
This one was twice as tidy—laptop, foreign books, papers. College student's place for sure.
"...Lucky us."
Then their eyes lit up brighter than that cash wad.
"......"
A pretty young woman, dead asleep, oblivious to the world. Woo-jin and Jin-ho swallowed hard in unison.
Yeah, maybe this was their real goal tonight. Basement-dwelling virgins like them—when had they ever scored?
But now, with superhuman strength? They could take it by force. No hesitation.
"......"
"..."
Nodded at each other. Action time. Woo-jin grabbed her upper body, Jin-ho the lower. Pinned her down.
"Wh-What?! Kyaa, kyaAAAAHHH!!"
Midnight assault by two players—she woke screaming. Thrashed to escape their grip.
"P-Please, spare m—!! Mmph...!!"
"Shut it, you bitch. No one's coming—quiet down."
No way a normie's strength beat two high-level players. Woo-jin clamped her mouth, ripped open her thin sleepshirt.
...Exposing her pale skin to the air.
"Nice..."
Woo-jin licked his lips, unzipping his pants. First taste of paradise, right there.
But reaching the peak? Not so easy. Just short, an unexpected obstacle crashed in.
"HiiYAHHH!!"
"...?!!"
"Wha...?!"
Kiai from the front door. Then something heavy slammed into Woo-jin and Jin-ho, pinning the girl. Impact hurled them through the wall into the dark street.
"Fuck..."
"What the fuck?!"
Superhuman bodies, though. Wall through, tumbled to pavement—they shook it off, looked up to ID the attacker.
"...You bastards. Heard the scream, came running—who the hell are you?! Looting scum from which guild?!"
Stepping through the gaping wall hole: Burly guy in thick armor, massive shield.
Woo-jin frowned.
"Holy Shield Knight...?"
Quintessential Season Off Fantasy tank class. Behind him, a peeking Priest woman.
"Fuck, players were here..."
Woo-jin dusted his knees, clicking his tongue. Figured this shithole had zero players. Two? Bad news.
Quick scan on the defiant tank ahead:
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: [???] Level: 821 Class: [???] In Season Off Fantasy, without skills/items, you only saw level and HP. Frustrating system—but enough here.
'Only 821...?'
200 levels below Woo-jin and Jin-ho. Priest hiding behind similar. B-grade monster tier.
"Fuckin' annoying..."
No match. Woo-jin drew his twin daggers. Tanky defense/HP irritating, but level gap meant easy win.
"Charging like that hurts, y'know..."
Jin-ho grimaced, drawing his dagger. Interrupted at the best moment—life-changing maybe. Rage boiled.
...Just kill these weak busybodies and finish the job.
"...Kill the Priest first—can't let her buff. I'll take the tank."
"Got it, hyung."
Basic Sio-pan: Eliminate enemy support first. Woo-jin assigned speedy Thief Jin-ho to Priest.
"Hmph, come at me."
Confident in his skills/class? Neighborhood guardian stood firm despite their visible high levels.
"Idiot."
This wasn't a respawn game. Foolish pride meant eternal sleep. Tank'd regret not running soon.
...Woo-jin gripped his twins and charged.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Shadow Slide Twin shadow blades launched
"Here I go!! Shadow Slide!"
Twins swung—shadow blades fired at the tank. He gripped his shield, activating:
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Defend Up Defense boosted (Tank common skill)
"Defend Up!!"
Orange aura enveloped him, boosting already sky-high defense. Tanked Woo-jin's opener easily.
"Die."
"Urk...!!"
Assassin speed closed in—powerful basic swing. Tank shield-bashed in time, but level gap made it grueling.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Silent Charge (Thief Exclusive) Ignore foes, rapid advance
"Whoop, comin' through! 'Silent Charge!'"
"Ah...!!"
While Woo-jin and tank power-struggled, Jin-ho Thief-dashed past toward the Priest.
Weak DPS support? Sure, but level gap meant easy Priest kill.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Howling Shield (Holy Shield Knight Exclusive) Redirect all enemy attacks to self (Duration limited)
"No you don't—'Howling Shield!'"
Level gap or not, losing Priest would suck. Tank knew—another skill up.
"Wha? Huh? My body's moving on its—?!"
...Tank's role: Soak all damage for team. 'Howling Shield' forced enemy attacks onto him for a time.
Jin-ho's dagger veered unwillingly toward the tank.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Song of the Shield Defense buff applied
"Song of the Shield!"
Perfect timing—Priest defense buff. Tank ate Woo-jin's, then Jin-ho's attacks fine.
"Annoying fucker..."
Priest plan foiled. Woo-jin scowled. Tank, locked in struggle, smirked.
"What, first Holy Shield Knight you've seen?"
"Cocky bastard..."
Woo-jin broke grapple, reverse-gripped one dagger, smashed at tank's face. Tank raised shield desperately.
Clang!
Shield up in time—blocked. But raised high, gut wide open.
...Exactly what Woo-jin baited.
"Hup...!!"
No mercy—spinning back kick slammed exposed belly. Assassin basics hit like trucks; tank rocketed into a wall.
"Urgh..."
No block—solid damage. But Woo-jin pressed.
"Jin-ho!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Steal (Thief Exclusive) 50% chance on disabled/afflicted foes (+20% if ≤ caster level) → 70% success
"On it. 'Steal!'"
Jin-ho targeted wall-stuck tank—Thief ultimate utility. Basically why pick Thief. 70% on equals/max; lower levels easier. Tank 200 under? Locked 70%.
"...Got it."
".........?!!"
Shield—tank's core gear, alpha and omega—vanished like mist.
"F-Fuck?!"
Tank's face hardened. Shieldless Holy Shield Knight? All skills gone. Game over.
No strong basics, no DPS ally. Just waiting to die.
"Dumbass. See high levels? Run."
"Fuck..."
"Level gap's a thing. Thought you could win? No DPS?"
"......"
Woo-jin advanced slowly, daggers ready to end the pest. Tank scanned for escape—dead end, walls everywhere.
"D-Dong-wook!!"
Priest yelled desperately. Useless here, though.
"You started it. Your funeral."
"Damn..."
...Holy Shield Knight Kim Dong-wook, 'Sin Sadong Masochist,' glared at smirking Woo-jin.
Thought they were just opportunistic looters—getting crushed one-sided. Panic and fury he couldn't hide.
No turnaround ideas. Cold sweat dripped.
"No time, so quick and painless."
"Sh-Shit...!!"
Assassin blade rose to Knight's throat. All Dong-wook could do: Pray his base defense tanked a 200-level crit.
"...!!"
Eyes squeezed shut. Braced for pain/shock.
......But instead of agony? Bone-chilling cold swept in.
"Hm...?"
Even Woo-jin paused mid-execution, glancing back at the sudden freeze.
"What the hell's that...?"
Jin-ho whipped around too, frowning.
"...Who're you?"
Alley end: A girl approaching amid inexplicable mid-summer chill.
"A girl...?"
"This late...?"
Not ordinary. Black mask hid her face; gray hoodie concealed everything.
Without that slender, curvaceous figure, even gender unclear.
Plus, ominous red greatsword floating behind: Player like them. Season Off Fantasy transform.
'Ice...?'
Each step: Frost rimed the ground, road icing over.
Chill intensified as she neared. She was the source.
"Hey, you two."
...The mysterious girl approached slowly, addressing the neighborhood's uninvited guests cautiously.
"......I'll assume you came prepared to die."
Through the mask slit, crimson eyes gleamed under the night sky.