Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 319
Chapter Title: 128. Tower (5)
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Even with changes in environment, circumstances, and status, Kim Daram's appearance hadn't shifted much from the last time we'd met.
Of course, our relationship was the same.
In a way, we were the most successful senior-junior duo there ever was.
Yet, as the cheap fruit tea laced with synthetic flavors was served between us, neither of us said a word.
To a third party, it might have seemed strange.
Both sides clearly wanted to talk, but now that we were face-to-face, not a single exchange passed between us.
I didn't think our relationship had soured.
From the start, there had always been an unbridgeable distance between us.
That gap would widen or deepen depending on the moment, but the core of our school senior-junior bond had never once broken.
We just needed time to sort things out.
I knew that, and so did Kim Daram—we both had personalities that tolerated no mistakes.
"Did you side with Woo Minhee?"
It was I, the senior, who first gathered my thoughts and spoke up.
"Yeah."
Kim Daram sipped her tea and answered.
"Your husband and kid?"
"They're doing fine."
"Good to hear."
"Thanks for caring."
Dry, hollow conversation, nothing but shells.
That wasn't what either of us truly wanted.
"What are you doing here?"
My junior, Kim Daram, fired the second shot.
She shot me a sharp gaze, like she was aiming at a monster, trying to read my intentions.
"You know what kind of place this is, don't you, Senior?"
"I do."
"I came to send a warning and check the situation. Just as I expected, the Legion faction remnants couldn't even scratch the door. But if they mess with anything inside, Woo Minhee will show up."
"So Woo Minhee knew about this place?"
"Yeah. She did."
Kim Daram pulled out her phone from her pocket and showed me a blueprint.
It looked like the underground warehouse layout.
As I tried to scan it with my eyes, she quickly pocketed the phone again, let out a shallow sigh, and glared at me.
"......"
She was on high alert.
Guess that's how it is when you're one of their people.
I gave a wry smile and tried to read her mind.
Nothing came through.
A Kim Daram with no room to spare was no easy opponent.
She was the same Kim Daram, but cornered to the floor like this, she brought out 120% of her ability.
She was qualitatively different from that Beatty auntie I'd dealt with before.
Time to change tactics.
Honestly, Kim Daram was a pain to deal with, but in terms of skill alone, no one matched her.
We had a few hunters in our territory, but only Cheon Youngjae and Bang Jaehyeok could keep up with me as support. The rest? Honestly, they were at a level I'd have kicked out of the team in my old days.
There was a lot of bad blood between us, but I extended a hand to her anyway.
"How's it over there? Comfortable?"
"No."
Kim Daram answered instantly.
"I've put together a group recently. All school alumni hunters."
"I'm not going there."
"?"
I tilted my head in a way that wasn't like me.
To flat-out reject a scout from our territory—the safest spot in the world, with everything you could want?
She'd turned down our bunker before too, but her situation now was worlds apart from back then.
I glared at her, probing for a reason.
Kim Daram held up three fingers.
"One: your bunker. It's crappy."
"We just renovated my bunker. Installed toilets everywhere. Oh, and we've got foreigners who speak English as their first language. It's like a foreign language kindergarten."
"Two: school alumni hunters. Can't have hunters around."
"Why?"
"They all hate me."
She'd always had a firm grip on self-objectivity, but was that it?
From badmouthing girls prettier than her.
If she'd been a lifelong princess like Woo Minhee, she wouldn't have wasted her heart so carelessly.
I stared at her last remaining finger as I thought that.
"And the last one."
Kim Daram smirked.
"You don't like me, Senior."
"How'd you know?"
"I've got a conscience. I know what I've done. But what can you do? That's how I've lived."
Kim Daram sighed and finally relaxed her posture for the first time.
Straight talk, no more, no less.
"With your personality, I doubt you'd let our Dongtak run wild."
"How'd you know?"
"You've gotten weirder lately. That's another reason I absolutely can't go there."
"Other people say I've become a nicer guy."
"Above all, Woo Minhee. She's got power."
Kim Daram gazed languidly at the entrance leading to the gaping underground parking lot below.
"I knew she was strong, but seeing it firsthand? Lost for words. She's a god. A god."
Clear fear etched in Kim Daram's eyes as she stared into the distance.
I knew well that she didn't scare easily.
"......Saw her take down five mid-sized monsters solo and made up my mind. Even if she's annoying and I hate her, staying under her is the best way for me and my family to survive long-term."
"Does she make you do dangerous stuff?"
"Danger's everywhere. Plus, she's still got real power, right? Rumors she got chased out of Jeju? Bullshit. Probably made it up herself. She's still a big shot. In my eyes, she just hates Jeju and stuck around here."
Kim Daram sighed and slumped her shoulders.
"Senior. We're dinosaurs. Old school. No denying it—they're better than us, fact."
"......"
I got the picture.
Kim Daram still hated and despised Woo Minhee.
Every time she mentioned her, revulsion poured out from every pore.
As she said, she was just enduring it for her family, no choice.
I couldn't recruit her, but I prided myself on knowing Kim Daram better than most—maybe even better than her husband.
"......You birthed it."
Icebreaker, was it?
The art of easing tension.
"What?"
"You gave birth to the kid."
"Senior. Not in the mood for jokes."
"Whether Woo Minhee birthed it or you did—I can say with confidence it was you."
"Senior, you on drugs or something?"
"Still, I don't hate Minhee."
Kim Daram's eyes sharpened.
"Why? She's a cute junior. Even past thirty."
"Don't you think about your age, Senior? You're in your thirties too. Mid-thirties now? Almost twice our age?"
"My heart's still that of a boy. My internet age is officially sixteen, too."
"What bullshit is that?"
"My honest goal is to screw over Woo Minhee."
Kim Daram snorted.
"How? Gonna raid this place?"
"Yeah."
"Even for you, Senior, that won't be easy."
"I've got a way."
I trusted Kim Daram.
No— I trusted her hatred for Woo Minhee.
I laid out my plan for her.
For the first time, emotion flickered across Kim Daram's usually flat expression—surprise.
"Senior."
She looked up at me with a docile face that reminded me of our old junior days.
"You're not seriously going with that plan, are you?"
"I am."
"There are surveillance devices. They react instantly if people come and go."
Kim Daram turned on her phone and showed me the blueprint she'd withheld earlier.
I couldn't grasp the full details, but it was clear the massive warehouse was guarded by eyes as vigilant as Argus's, blocking our path like a dragon.
At the center was probably something simple yet reliable: motion sensors, amplified in frequency to warn users effectively.
"Even if you destroy the defense system, stepping one foot inside will bring Woo Minhee. Find and smash the comms? Same deal. If comms cut out, she'll come."
"Yeah?"
"You know what happens if Woo Minhee shows up."
"......"
"It won't end with one or two deaths. And these guys here? Legion faction. Kim Byungchul, the one who pissed off the Assembly?"
Yeah, if Woo Minhee came, blood would spill for sure.
Even if I tried to stop her, would she even see someone like me in her rage?
As I stayed silent, Kim Daram sighed and continued.
"Your plan's impressive, but even neutralizing the defenses, you can't take the stuff inside."
In other words, slay the warehouse dragon, but no touching the treasure.
The moment you did, a witch scarier than any dragon would come flying.
But one thing was clear.
I grinned at Kim Daram.
"Daram."
"What? Suddenly?"
"You really hate Woo Minhee, huh."
"What are you talking about."
She denied it vehemently, but if she didn't hate Woo Minhee, she wouldn't have detailed the warehouse security to me like this.
So, our Kim Daram wanted me to screw over Woo Minhee too.
"Starting tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"So head back first."
"I won't stop you, but I warned you. And Woo Minhee? She's even less forgiving now. Won't spare you just 'cause you're her senior."
"I know. Say hi to your husband and Dongtak for me."
Kim Daram snorted, gave a light wave, and left.
"If you're really gonna die, pray your ass off. Who knows? Maybe Woo Minhee changes her mind?"
Moments later, the car carrying Kim Daram vanished beyond the city.
Our last remaining hurdle was Kim Byungchul's decision, but I wasn't too worried.
"Why the hell should I listen to Awayken?"
Kim Byungchul was the type who ran on ambition as his fuel.
He dreamed bigger than most and hustled to make it real.
To him, minor details were irrelevant.
"If I was gonna fold to some piddly threat, I wouldn't have started."
With his permission, we headed straight to the site.
Everything was prepped.
The tools: one robot vacuum and a capsule precariously balanced on top.
Just slip it into that gap.
"Alright, she's all yours."
"Okay~."
Hong Dajeong operated the robot vacuum.
Whiiiirrr—
The robot advanced.
I instructed Cheon Youngjae and Defender to prep follow-ups, then checked my weapon.
Clank—
Kim Byungchul had loaned me a hunter weapon.
A one-shot large shotgun called Hotshot.
More like lugging around a massive Claymore.
Like most hunter gear, it had enough firepower to obliterate small monsters in one hit. The issues? Cursed weight, fucked-up balance, and insane recoil.
Common traits of weapons that killed more people than monsters.
Guess that's why he gave me one from his stockpile.
Be grateful he didn't hand me a junk Blader.
Whiiiirrr—
The drone was now inside the gap.
Wait the promised 3.5 seconds.
One, two, three... and a half.
"It's go time."
No sooner had Hong Dajeong spoken than gunfire erupted from beyond the gap.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Judging it non-threatening, maybe?
The A.I. responded with just three bursts.
But it didn't know yet.
That a being bent on destroying our world—and everything humans made—had arrived.
Thud!
Another promised sound echoed from beyond.
Thud!
Shockwave.
Monster's heartbeat.
Humanity's machine responded with...
Rat-tat-tat! Tat-tat! Bang!
A devastating barrage that swept Ji Changsu's men and shredded Kim Byungchul's tank.
But such attacks...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ping! Crack! KABOOM!!
...shattered against the monster's reflective barrier shield.
Rat-tat-tat! Boom!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gunfire and shockwaves.
We couldn't see the machine-vs-monster showdown, but their fight's end was clear from the sounds.
Soon, familiar silence fell beyond the gap.
I ordered Hong Dajeong to send in recon drones.
Stunning result.
Machine victory.
The monster had reflected most attacks with its barrier, but the dense, overwhelming defense system overwhelmed it, piercing the limit and felling the beast.
Pyrrhic victory.
The defenses were nearly obliterated.
Monster and machine, both exhausted.
"How'd it go?!"
Kim Byungchul came rushing up from behind.
"You used the monster to wreck the defenses?! Ha! No way! I live to see the day I get monster help! Haha!"
I replied calmly to the ecstatic general.
"General. One more step needed."
"One more?"
I smiled at his question.
"Gonna hack the surveillance system."
"Surveillance?!"
"Yes. If we can hack it, no need to lure tough customers like Woo Minhee here."
Truth be told, it was a lie.
No way to disable surveillance.
I just needed three days.
Gaze at the barely ajar door beyond the fallen dragon in the warehouse, handled via drones.
Main warehouse.
Broadcast gear we wanted lay beyond.
My plan: no need to extract vehicles. Power it up inside, broadcast Necropolis's voice right here.
"It's possible. Yes, doable."
Even Valentin gave a positive nod.
The issue remained surveillance.
"But we need to run the broadcast gear for three days. Possible?"
I explained my plan to Valentin's worried face.
"Only you go inside, Valentin. Run Necropolis for three days."
Per Kim Daram's intel, the government crammed the warehouse with motion sensors.
Every movement inside recorded flawlessly.
In and out.
My countermeasure? Simple.
"Absurd, but don't come out after entering."
"Pardon?"
"Live inside till Necropolis connects. Minimal movement. They focus on entry/exit data, less on internal changes."
Valentin nodded, mumbling.
"Hm. Could work."
He looked up.
"But if I enter, won't that be recorded?"
"Probably."
"Then won't that Woo lady come? Ruins everything?"
Spot on.
If I were government, spotting someone enter? No overlooking it.
Woo Minhee especially would rush over.
But I knew Woo Minhee well.
No brag, but I'd been a top Korean hunter.
"I've got an ace."
"Ace?"
My confidence must've shown; Valentin smiled awkwardly and probed.
"M-May I ask what?"
To his stunned question, I grinned.
"Eom Chang-i."