Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Chapter 35: The Traitor (6)
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There had been mana reactions from even deeper below the underground parking lot during the preliminary investigation.
That was why, as soon as the barrier was breached here on the top floor, players had also entered from that direction.
"Children were making cretol."
Even though I'd half-expected it, the story left me speechless.
I forcibly swallowed a sigh and asked flatly in return.
"What's the status on cretol recovery? May I ask?"
This was entirely funded by the U.S. national budget.
I gave him a chance to refuse since prying might be rude.
"We're burning it on sight, but there's no end to it. The distribution network will probably only widen. Drugs are like that by nature. Once they bloom, they're flowers you can never fully uproot, shall we say?"
Now even a sigh wouldn't come out.
The bounty hunts were endless for the same reason as cretol.
Even after recovering some divinity used to break through gates and allocating it to more bounty hunters, everyone was still too busy.
I pressed my temples hard to push away the renewed headache.
"By the way, you mentioned the Chapter 6 scenario earlier."
"Somal Castle reconstruction is finishing up. Now the main garrison relocations will begin in earnest."
Lily Evans methodically relayed the details of the meetings between the Association and the Church.
"With the new forward defense line established, all nearby contamination zones need to be purified first..."
"And that's where they'll deploy us."
The contamination zones scattered between the forward defense line segments had been left untouched for years.
It wouldn't even be surprising if every inch of land there was infested with maseo.
If we boiled it down to essentials, it felt like outsourcing a tedious, labor-intensive chore to a contractor.
Not a pleasant role, but in terms of benefits...
"It's not bad for us either. It'll be a chance to promote our silver badges to gold."
Yeah, no downside.
Promoting the growing number of silver badges to gold was essential.
The moment a silver badge encountered a general-grade, survival odds plummeted.
'Generals and up are for gold badges.'
Trying to take them down as silvers caused exponential casualties.
'I need to increase gold badges before we face more generals.'
A gold badge could match upper knight-class in Bihar.
'Weapon proficiency is lacking, but my body itself doesn't fall short.'
Step by step, Earth's forces were being built up according to the System's design.
I received external info from Lily Evans that I'd missed amid the investigation team's busyness that day.
A few minutes later.
Having achieved my purpose in coming to China, it was time to head back.
Unlike me, Lily Evans was staying for cleanup.
To exit a barrier, you needed physical contact with the manifester or the focal point.
Lily Evans escorted me all the way out of the barrier.
The double barrier I'd created had been broken; the one isolating the officetel now was hers.
"One last question before I go."
Before leaving, I looked straight into Lily Evans's eyes and said.
"If securing those contamination zones I requested conflicts with U.S. national interests, what then?"
She gave a wry smile in response.
"You're asking a foolish question, uncharacteristically."
"..."
"Earth has to exist for my country to thrive."
Hearing Lily's answer, with its clear priorities, lightened my steps as I departed.
* * *
Right after Lily left to see Hyun-woo out of the barrier.
A small trickle of stone dust fell from the cracked wall, pattering down.
Almost simultaneously, ripples spread across the barrier's surface again: plip, plip, plip.
No sooner had a hole punched right through than space slowly—very slowly—split open not far from Jang Cheon-yu's corpse.
It was noticeably smaller than before.
Beyond it, red eyes darted busily.
Scouting, or searching for something.
"Kikkit, feather...? None? Yeah, none."
The childish voice from beyond the hole carried a strangely excited lilt.
After peering around for a moment, rolling its eyes, the monster suddenly shoved its hand through the narrow gap.
Once, twice, several times.
The monster's hand groped steadily across the ruined marble floor.
Finally, it stopped atop Jang Cheon-yu's corpse.
The hand climbed from the waist, up the torso and neck, precisely grabbing a fistful of hair.
Swish, swish.
Then the corpse began dragging toward the hole.
A red trail smeared across the marble in its wake.
The hand pulling the corpse vanished smoothly beyond the rift.
The head seemed about to follow—then it caught with a thud on the forehead.
The gap was too narrow.
"Kit? Uh, what now?"
It muttered about how enlarging it might get noticed.
Moments later, as if yanking hard from inside, Jang Cheon-yu's corpse jerked.
Then plop.
Like uncorking a bottle, the head slipped neatly into the hole.
Followed by a ripping tear of flesh and skin, the body went limp.
As the rift sealed shut, all that remained was Jang Cheon-yu's headless corpse.
* * *
While sharing info with Lily earlier, I'd changed into spare clothes I'd brought and wiped off the blood caked on my body.
No issues walking the streets after leaving the officetel.
Instead of invisibility, I moved openly, in plain sight.
Late night in an emptied city—my mind was a whirlwind as I walked.
Above all, cretol kept nagging at me.
'Right in the heart of a major city, openly bringing in monsters to manufacture drugs.'
Using kids under ten, no less.
It sat heavy in my gut like indigestion.
Cretol issues weren't limited to Beijing.
Over the past month, incidents had erupted repeatedly in Mexico and South America.
Doses had hit the streets several times.
'Sniper and Aisa are practically glued to bounty hunts.'
Even so, couldn't fully stem it.
- Sniper: Looks like some slipped through. Mexican news is airing footage of users right now.
- Sniper: New cartel popped up in Colombia.
- Sniper: How the hell did they scale up this fast?
Messages from Sniper piled up with all sorts of rumors.
'Plagues, doomsdays—quite the spectacle.'
Player-related commotions weren't just cretol.
Some still lingered on video sites.
Aliens, supernatural phenomena—bizarre titles.
Fortunately, most drew brief attention before sinking.
Incident countries buried them under politics or celeb scandals.
World leaders wanted this game hidden.
I entered a deserted alley, thoughts continuing.
'Natural, really.'
Couldn't announce Earth under attack by unknown outsiders.
Instant global pandemonium.
'No country could handle the chaos of full disclosure.'
Cults would be minor; full-blown doomsday cults spark riots, protests, looting.
'Crime rates would skyrocket.'
Crowds don't act rationally.
One panics and bolts—others follow in frantic fear of being left behind.
Tomorrow's dread numbs patience; "live for today" illusion fuels impulses.
Anticipating that, governments worldwide suppressed game info in unison.
'Damn near perfect coordination.'
I sighed deeply in frustration.
"Hoo."
As if waiting, an unfamiliar voice called.
"Hey, K."
Not particularly startled.
'They tried hiding their presence... sort of.'
Without stealth magic, pointless.
I'd sensed them before they even spoke.
Sure enough, turning revealed a man approaching me.
Early to mid-30s.
'Was wondering if they'd chicken out.'
Satisfying, striding openly without stealth or invis.
"Hope business went well?"
His friendly face matched his words perfectly.
Korean.
Expected, but confirming twisted my lips.
'Was planning to avoid altogether.'
Changed my mind on the ship to China.
Kim Yul's words nagged.
'New unit's atmosphere is off.'
It lingered, so I deliberately left an opening.
And he took it textbook-perfect.
No anxiety facing this mystery stalker.
Too much time and effort invested to flinch at this level.
Irritation, not fear.
'Already swamped as is.'
Hurry up if you're coming.
Ten minutes since I entered the alley.
'Slow as molasses.'
I glared irritably at the dawdling intruder.
Oblivious, he casually monologued.
"At least answer. Nah, no need. If it hadn't gone well, you wouldn't be here."
Ignoring me, he closed in, offering a hand.
"Self-intro first? I'm Kim Mu-won, recently joined the new Defense..."
"Got the gist. Attack already."
I cut him off mid-sentence.
"What...?"
Frowning at his echo, I snapped sharply.
"Deaf? Skip the intro, straight to the point."
Clear signal: limited time for trash like you.
Kim Mu-won's face darkened.
"Rumors say you're a cocky brat. True."
Absurd.
'This guy's half-mal on first meet, whining about manners?'
He came ready to kill.
Yet lecturing personality?
Not proud, but I had talent for provocation.
Instead of listening, I fired back.
"You're no saint either. All talk when I say fight? Scared? Stay back again, and I'll come to you."
Grinding his teeth, Kim Mu-won flicked his hand lightly in the air.
A dagger sprang out in sync.
Would've been fine stopping there.
But he reversed grip, swishing it through air in a weird pose.
"Arrogant punk, you'll beg forgiveness too late."
Raising dagger overhead, empty hand forward—speechless.
Not tension, just bafflement.
'...Flanks wide open.'
Hundreds of spars screamed it.
Stab the side, shatter ribs, pierce heart—done in five seconds.
How's that sloppy pose even possible?
'Baiting carelessness?'
Grip on dagger hand looked off too.
Flick the wrist, blade flies.
Blinking in confusion briefly.
Calm thought: not surprising.
'Of course.'
Sent by Colonel Kim Jong-hwa or his line.
How elite could a lackey's errand boy be?
I sighed deeply, assuming basic stance.
No weapon drawn.
Narrow alley, spear impractical.
Wasting Brata dagger arts or early-game practicals on this? Nah.
"Taste life's bitterness!"
As I raised guard, eyes flashing, he lunged fast.
Two minutes later.
"P-ple... mercy, mercy..."
Front teeth gone, left cheek swollen double, Kim Mu-won head-planted on concrete in penalty stance.
Gold badge, but no basics—easy picking gaps.
'Rookie, total rookie.'
Using him as a sandbag vented some stress.
Unplanned, but head clearer now.
Just then, his penalty form sagged.
Abs probably ruptured; couldn't hold his weight.
Not my problem.
"Waist dropping."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Cold word, and he straightened.
While he strained to hold, I leisurely sorted thoughts.
'Kill him, they'll send another.'
Kim Jong-hwa's side hadn't heeded my warning.
Not unexpected.
Some never learn without experiencing—cognitively impaired types.
'No choice.'
To preempt bigger hassles, handle personally.
"At ease."
"Sir!"
He snapped up to attention, sniffling.
Not just snot—blood, spit, tears smeared his face messily.
Scanning him, I sighed involuntarily.
Shoulders slumped further, shrinking.
'Bluster, arrogance, full of hot air.'
Still, water attribute advanced grade 4—sulfuric acid, no less.
Checked his status window earlier.
Fix the head, recyclable.
'No backing out with Yul now...'
Might as well mold a government pawn to my will.
"From now on, I'll teach you your one way to live."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Strip."
"...Pardon?"
Ignoring his dazed echo, I pulled out the phone I'd taken from Choi Seong-woo.
Damn System