Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Chapter 27 Bounty Hunter (1)
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If I had to nitpick, it was a message I was familiar with.
But seeing it right in front of me like this was truly after a long time.
Recalling the events from when this message had last appeared wasn't exactly pleasant.
'What the hell are you up to now?'
I couldn't shake off my suspicious glare.
The progress bar rose little by little, but unmistakably, at a speed like the second hand of a clock.
Compared to the update patch, this was considerably faster.
'At this rate, it'll be done in a few minutes.'
It was while I was staring down the progress bar, frozen in place.
"K?"
Team Leader Yang Jo-cheol called out to me again, drawing my attention.
With my eyes still fixed on the numbers, I replied.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
"......Yes, this way."
Step by step.
Every step I took made the rising numbers sharpen my nerves.
Like that, a minute passed, then two, as time dragged on, and I boarded the vehicle prepared by the NIS side.
It was the same car I'd ridden in from the airport to here.
I claimed one of the empty seats and glared fiercely into empty space.
The trait that had first activated starting from the Han Chang-sik incident.
It had changed from question marks to the name Capitalism, but whenever that trait activated, I always ended up suffering.
'There were rewards for the suffering, sure.'
But I hadn't done it because I wanted that hardship.
It was more like the system shoving me into it.
Maybe that's why watching the progress bar tick up every second made my heart tighten.
What the hell was that damn system going to make me do this time? What fresh hell was I in for?
As all the pent-up resentment and distrust boiled over to its peak.
[Progress Rate 100%]
[HIDDEN MISSION list is being updated.]
HIDDEN MISSION [Bounty Hunt (Italy-01)]
HIDDEN MISSION [Bounty Hunt (Germany-01)]
HIDDEN MISSION [Bounty Hunt (Kenya-01)]
....
"Son of a bitch."
The system had dumped half a year's worth of shit right on me.
Team Leader Yang Jo-cheol, who had just climbed into the driver's seat, stiffened at the sudden curse that slipped out before I could swallow it.
But right now, I didn't even register his reaction.
'I knew the Bounty Hunter title was only for me.'
Not only among the top players in the Player Association, but even in the community, not a word circulated about bounty missions.
They didn't even know bounty missions existed.
'So why the hell does it keep throwing this garbage mission at me—not once, but twice now?'
And unlike before, when it ended with just Han Chang-sik, this time there was more than one mission.
"One, two...."
The number of missions on the list: thirteen.
Just looking at it, it didn't seem like that many.
But once you grasped what it implied, no one would call it few.
The system was telling me to kill thirteen people right now.
"Hoo, ha."
I clenched my fists tight and squeezed my eyes shut.
If I didn't, it felt like I'd unleash a torrent of curses at the system, regardless of who was around.
What made me even angrier was that, at the end of this gut-wrenching emotion, the choice I had to make was crystal clear.
I swallowed down the forced rage and opened my eyes. Sure enough.
HIDDEN MISSION
[Bounty Hunt (Italy-01)]
A traitor who provided passage to the enemy. Eliminate them. (0/1)
- You can check the target's location via the map. (Location Check)
- If you fail the mission within the time limit, the Bounty Hunter's location will be disclosed to the target.
[Success Rewards]
• Fame 10
• Random Box (×1)
[Time Limit]
• 239:56:49
Just like with the Han Chang-sik incident, there was a timer attached.
'......Ten days, huh.'
I wanted to feel relieved that the timer wasn't just a day, but...
The country names in the mission titles stood out too much.
Not just Kenya, but Germany, Greece, Italy, and even Chile.
'What a ridiculously inefficient system.'
These weren't even in Korea—why dump events from other countries on me?
'How the hell am I supposed to cover the whole world by myself?'
I seethed with anger at the excessive workload.
The problem was, that wasn't all.
The targets scattered across the world meant I'd have to go there myself, which was absolutely impossible.
'Crossing borders with my real identity would be like turning myself in as K.'
Most were at the tail end of copper badges, and the quick ones had already hit silver.
Attacking a target player would inevitably lead to clashes.
Like when I subdued Yoon Ji-hye today, I'd probably have to use magic.
Even if I hid it with a barrier, traces would remain, and covering them up without anyone noticing was impossible.
Incidents related to the game popping up in various countries, each time with records of the same person's entry and exit?
If those countries shared entry-exit records after similar incidents, I'd be caught in no time.
'Player conflicts leaking to governments isn't the issue.'
The problem was my identity getting exposed in the process.
My insides boiled, but with the ten-day timer staring me down, I couldn't just keep fuming.
In the end, I sank into thought, racking my brain for a solution.
That's when Team Leader Yang Jo-cheol's back in the driver's seat caught my eye.
'Moving without getting caught on my own is tough.'
Crossing borders solo? Not hard.
But touring countries around the world in ten days that way? Unrealistic.
Damn it all, I even had to cross oceans.
'Plane's the only answer.'
I ended my brief deliberation and spoke up.
"Team Leader Yang."
He turned around from the driver's seat as if he'd been watching my reaction.
"Yes?"
This Yoon Ji-hye incident could be seen as me helping the NIS and the government.
Without Yang Hye-won on Yoon Ji-hye's level, they'd have struggled to contain it with just copper badges.
So maybe I could get some help this time?
I looked Team Leader Yang straight in the eye and got to the point.
"Any chance... you could get me a passport?"
Of course, my voice came out quieter than usual.
I was straight-up asking for help with something blatantly illegal.
"A passport?"
It must've been completely out of left field, because Team Leader Yang looked stunned.
Before explaining in detail, I chose my words carefully.
How much should I say?
Not long after, I leaned my head against the seat and spoke in a slightly subdued voice.
"It's similar to the Han Chang-sik incident."
That alone was explanation enough.
A player caused trouble, and I had to kill someone.
"But the incident's overseas... so I have no way to handle it quietly alone."
Team Leader Yang, who had been watching me, straightened up.
Then he stared straight ahead in silence for a moment.
Seemed like he was organizing his thoughts, so I waited instead of pushing.
After quite a long time.
"You have no intention of revealing your identity, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll have to agree to my proposal."
"Let's hear it first."
"It's not hard to lend you a paper identity set up for agent operations, but I can't just let K leave the country alone. So...."
"You're saying I have to accept an escort?"
"Yes."
Not a huge surprise.
I'd expected they'd attach a watcher-cum-escort.
That's why I'd asked for help, accepting that from the start.
'Honestly, shaking them off wouldn't be hard.'
I wasn't expecting them to handle cleanup either.
Players policing other players wouldn't hurt to have known.
Just hide the name Kang Hyun-woo.
I met Team Leader Yang's eyes through the rearview mirror and slowly nodded.
"Alright. Just not that guy from earlier."
"No need to worry. I'll accompany you personally."
"Personally? You can just up and leave like that?"
I'd already found it odd that he, closer to an executive than a field agent, had come all the way to Busan.
And now overseas too?
As I stared at him in bewilderment, Yang Jo-cheol gave a wry smile.
"Watching via video has its limits for grasping the scene. Confusion can arise in the reporting process."
That made decisions slow and imprecise.
'Fair enough. Being on-site beats sitting in an office for situational awareness.'
It didn't make sense that the NIS had secured player identities without a single clash so far.
With players firing off spells and tearing up the ground, relying on field agents' body cams must've had limits.
Hence, the decision-maker himself heading to the field.
'Whatever. If Team Leader Yang's coming along, it works for me.'
Familiar face, and someone I could trust to a degree.
Our goals aligned on basics too.
"So we're going together. Can we move out as soon as possible?"
With the sudden ten-day timer chasing me, I was in a hurry.
Fortunately, unlike at first, Team Leader Yang answered right away without hesitation.
"I'll arrange for you to board an international flight straight from Gimhae Airport."
"Thank you."
He immediately pulled out his phone and started making calls.
While he did, I reexamined the bounty mission window and rubbed my furrowed brow.
'A traitor who provided passage to the enemy....'
Safe to assume these were the ones who'd helped monsters enter Earth.
With my arms crossed, glaring at the mission text, my head tilted sideways on its own.
'It was quiet when I did it?'
I'd definitely brought monsters to Earth before.
Yet there were no targets in South Korea on this mission list.
'Maybe someone else is gunning for me?'
No, if so, the system wouldn't give me the bounty mission—it'd hand it to that guy targeting me.
'And no Maxim either.'
He'd brought monsters to Earth via holes too.
But no mission with Russia's name.
He's currently under military watch-and-protection, can't even go abroad.
So why no bounties on me or Maxim, but on these guys?
'No Yoon Ji-hye either.'
She just got knocked out, not killed.
Han Chang-sik killed one of our own, yet no South Korea on the list.
"What's the damn criteria?"
The mutter slipped out amid my tangled thoughts.
Team Leader Yang glanced at me via the rearview during his call, but it didn't register.
'Traitor, traitor....'
My brow furrowed at the negative connotation, but only briefly.
I pressed my throbbing head, considering the worst case.
'This list doesn't seem to have a mission targeting me.'
But I had to assume someone might be after me anytime.
'Can't go home till it's safe.'
I'd have to contact Jong-hoon separately, ask him to play dumb about my return for a while.
I let out a deep sigh and scanned the varied country names.
'A fair number brought in monsters.'
I'd expected some who'd figured out hole uses.
But no clue on the scale of trouble they'd caused.
'No way monsters are swarming those bounty-listed countries, right?'
Nah.
'If so, YouTube and SNS would be flooded already.'
So it probably hadn't escalated to the public encountering monsters en masse.
Just knowing monsters had crossed to Earth somewhere made the back of my neck prickle.
Some of us busting our asses closing holes to this damn system's tune.
While others exploit it to import monsters.
"Hoo."
"Angry" didn't even cover it.
Made me question why I'd suffered so much in Bihal.
Still, killing total strangers whose faces I didn't even know felt daunting.
Damn system