Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Request
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This is the first reason this request is doomed to fail. Holistic pretends to be a respectable corporation on the surface, but it's one of the sinister black幕 organizations steeped in Cthulhu mythos madness.
Getting tangled up with them won't cause immediate problems, but depending on the route, you might end up fighting them all the way to the end of the game.
"A request from a corporation means they're not just chasing him with one or two people, right? When did the bounty get posted?"
Here's the second reason Lee Chang-hyuk is a bust.
This second reason is the real killer—Lee Chang-hyuk is just a pain in the ass to track down.
If luck's not on your side, you could waste days searching fruitlessly.
Plus, this quest has a time limit.
The bounty goes up, and after about 15 days, he successfully sneaks out of the country via Incheon.
'No, wait—normally the time limit starts when you accept the request, right? What kind of quest has a timer running before you even take it? No wonder people call this a trash game.'
That's why depending on what day it is today, there might be no way to solve it at all.
"No one's quite like him, so he's still managing to evade capture. It's been exactly two weeks since he bolted today."
Damn it all.
"Exactly 14 days? Or just around there?"
I craned my neck and asked again, and Tudor gave me a baffled look. Well, yeah, he wouldn't think there's a time limit.
Tudor paused, rifling through his papers.
"Hmm... Exactly 14 days as of today. It'll be day 15 at midnight tonight."
'What now?'
If I back out and ask for something else now, Tudor will lose interest in me.
He'd still give me work, but it'd be the scraps left over after everyone else picks the good stuff.
To keep things stable with Tudor, pushing forward like this is the better play.
"The reward?"
Honestly, nothing else piques my interest anymore. The reward will be the same as in the game anyway.
But I can't skip asking about it.
If a rookie fixer on their first contract knows every detail about the request, it'll raise unnecessary suspicions.
Tudor glanced at my mask for a moment before continuing.
"Five million for Lee Chang-hyuk's head. Another twenty-five million for retrieving the artifact he's carrying."
"A bit on the low side."
And the payout balance is laughable too.
"They don't want to shell out big bucks for small fry like him. That's why he hasn't been caught yet. Bump it up by just two mil, and pros would swoop in and nab him easy."
Straight out of the in-game dialogue. In the game, it's just text without voice acting, but hearing it in Tudor's lazy drawl feels fresh. High charm really makes a difference.
"Alright. I'll take it."
[Quest accepted!
[Bounty Quest: Hunt Lee Chang-hyuk]
Capture 'Lee Chang-hyuk,' who stole a sample destined for a Holistic subsidiary lab, and recover the 'Artifact: Secure Bag Containing Test Subject' he took.
! Time Limit: Lee Chang-hyuk will flee Korea via Incheon in (1) day!
Reward: 50,000 XP (+Broker's promised cash separate.)
Failure: Tudor will be disappointed.]
'Bounty requests pop up a quest window too, huh.'
I remember hovering over the reward said something like, 'Gain the broker's favor for more rewards.'
"Hey, Tudor—can you see this?"
Just to check, I asked if the message window was visible to him.
"You... Any other symptoms?"
No, that's not...
I tried explaining to clear up Tudor's misunderstanding, but it didn't work.
In the end, I gave up on dispelling Tudor's misconception and left his office.
But I couldn't head out right away.
I had some prep to do.
I borrowed a pair of scissors from Orb and claimed a corner table at the cafe.
Tudor plopped down right across from me, watching like it was a show. Hands clasped, chin propped up—totally relaxed. That interesting, huh?
"What if you suddenly have a seizure or something?"
Tudor gave me a warm, understanding smile. Understand what? You're a witch yourself.
Thanks to Tudor, I'd drawn the stares of the other fixers loitering in the cafe too.
Ignore them, ignore.
I pulled the straitjacket I'd been wearing out of my backpack.
Then, using the scissors, I cut off all the belts dangling from it.
Does handiwork scale with agility? My measly 8 agility wasn't helping, so it took longer than expected.
Tudor burst out laughing when one belt turned into a ragged mess halfway through.
Ha... deep breaths...
Anyway, after some effort, I ended up with six intact belts and two ragtag ones.
The straitjacket was rags now too, but I stuffed it back in the backpack.
"Whoa—weren't you gonna lasso him or something? You're a wizard, right?"
"...That'd wreck the artifact."
Lee Chang-hyuk's a superhuman who gained abilities from mana hypertrophy.
He has a few special powers plus decent magic resistance thanks to it.
If the request was 'capture and kill,' I'd just walk up and squash him in one hit, no sweat.
But those spells usually come with flashy effects. To recover his artifact intact, I needed a plan.
Thought about buying rope somewhere, but why waste cash? Plenty right here.
Tudor giggled again, saying he'd be looking forward to whatever state I returned in, and saw me off.
Yeah, laugh it up. This is the last time you'll see me looking this pathetic.
I started combing Geumchon-dong on foot.
I've cleared countless bounty quests, and no mark has ever slipped my grasp.
Would've been nice if it was one with a fixed hideout, but Lee Chang-hyuk's a roaming bounty designed to keep veterans on their toes.
Not fully random wandering, though. That'd be too much—I'd quit.
He pops up randomly at one of six spots instead of sticking to a base.
Spawn patterns shift by time of day, so he could reappear at places you've already checked. Total pain in the neck.
'Ugh, hate walking!'
Once I cash in this bounty and stabilize, I need to get a vehicle. This penalty trait [Stamina Down] makes my body drag even after a short walk.
First spot's close, at least.
I looked up at the dingy building. A signless dive bar in Geumchon-dong's back alleys.
Lore says it's Lee Chang-hyuk's regular joint, packed with his thug buddies.
Going in means a brawl either way, whether he's there or not.
'Lucky I don't need to.'
I pressed a hand to the bar wall and channeled mana.
[Mana Detection]
Bright green mana lines snaked from my fingertips, seeping into the building.
Like neon tree roots burrowing in.
'No sign here.'
Lee Chang-hyuk's got mana hypertrophy. No other espers show up with him at his hideouts, so this simple detection spell skips most busywork.
Gotta visit in person, though...
Anyway, it's just a race against time.
Daylight's fading fast.
'Gotta wrap this up quick.'
Cthulhu dimension-hopping aside—deal with that later.
Need a place to wash, eat, and sleep to keep my condition up.
Grab Lee Chang-hyuk and collect my pay before sunrise.
* * *
Bingo.
Third try.
Not bad luck.
The spot pulsing with mana hypertrophy's telltale warped mana was a motel on Gwangtan-dong's outskirts.
If he wasn't here, I'd have to trek way farther—dodged a bullet.
Once the location's pinned, the rest is mine.
He's in room 304. Entry options: bust the door, negotiate with the owner, climb through the window, or...
"Delivery~."
Simplest method, and perfect timing.
Stake out a motel, and he'll poke out eventually for his food order. Strike then—easiest play.
Delivery guy's here, but Lee Chang-hyuk just calls out without opening.
"Leave it."
"Yes, enjoy your meal."
What'd he order? Soup, by the looks. I'm starving—maybe eat it after I clean up?
Delivery guy drops it and leaves, but the door stays shut awhile. Being cautious, I guess.
[Mana Detection]'s still active, so I see exactly what he's doing.
Plastered to the door, ear pressed, listening outside.
Yeah, I'll stay quiet. Come on out.
Click.
Lock turning. Now. I sync a spell to the sound.
Creak...
'Perfect. Hit it!'
[Mana Bolt]
I fire a mana orb through the cracked door.
Crunch!
"Argh!"
Door shatters on impact, knocking Lee Chang-hyuk ass-backwards.
Crash!
He rolls inside the room. Ah, grabbing the bag?
"Heyyy~, Mister Leeee Chang-hyuuuk~!"
I sauntered in slow on purpose.
Dashing in heroically would just look lame with this body—might even get underestimated.
Better to instill dread nice and leisurely.
As expected, Lee Chang-hyuk clutched a big metal-reinforced silver bag in one hand.
That must be the secure bag with the test subject. In-game, it's just quest junk—no peeking inside.
Other hand tucked in his clothes. Hiding a pistol.
"Wh-what the hell? Who're you!"
"What else? Obvious, right? Hand over the bag, and I won't make it hurt."
"Damn... hss..."
He cuts off, sucking in a breath.
His chest and torso ballooned twice a normal person's size.
Weird, right? That's his attack stance.
Predict it, and it's easy. Ready... and...
'One, two...'
His mouth opens. Right now—three!
—RAAAAAAGH!
An inhuman roar erupts from him.
But I'd finished my spell the moment his jaws parted.
Whiiiirrr!
A glowing magic circle appeared before me.
It twisted his sound right back at him.
My custom spell, modded from 0th-circle telepathy.
Call it [Sound Wave Distortion]?
Ignores physics, warps the sound's direction.
Even with mana-infused sonic attack from his hypertrophy, zero damage to me!
Boom-crash-bang!
Motel walls left, right, up, down—shattered.
"You bastard! What the hell was that?! What did you do?!"
Furious his attack whiffed, he bellowed, yanking something from his coat.
Click.
Gun.
"Die!"
Lee Chang-hyuk fired without warning.
Damn, quick on the draw! Lived on these streets, huh?