Declaration of War (2)
The president was deeply uncomfortable.
He'd secretly wiped out his rivals in the opposition party, and that had been fine.
But it had created a glaring political weakness.
Given the Sword Saint's personality, she's not the type to exploit something like this... but who knows. No point stirring up unnecessary trouble.
Ryu Ga-eul was the top player in all of Korea. No one could match her skill.
"Is the special task force ready, Director?"
"At your command, Your Excellency, we can drop them on Ryu Ga-eul's residence anytime."
"How many personnel?"
"Two."
Two LV70+ players, no less. Even with a level gap, they weren't an opponent you could take lightly.
"But Mr. President, to capture or kill Ryu Ga-eul, we'd need at least seven. You sure about just two?"
"More than enough. That'll force the Sword Saint to bring out her real strength. She won't be able to take them down without killing them."
Subduing an opponent implied an overwhelming skill gap. Even for Ryu Ga-eul, she couldn't pull that off against foes who weren't drastically outclassed.
"There's that saying about not picking at scabs. Messing with Ryu Ga-eul now might be just that. But I'm not leaving a malignant tumor alone because it's small."
Now that political power had proven useless against her, she might meddle again down the line...
The birth of a power transcending the nation itself. Players barely aged, so she'd stay young and strong forever.
Can't let that happen. Absolutely not.
The old proverb went: after the hunt, stew the dog. A vicious mutt like Ryu Ga-eul would be tough to chew, though.
Lately, every time he flipped on the news, it was the same crap. Player crime rates were high—especially per capita in Korea, blah blah blah.
It felt like a sniper shot at someone specific.
"Lame-ass bullshit. Trying to wage a soft media war on me? As if."
The station hammering player crimes hardest was the one she'd personally stormed last time.
Acting like they'd been personally decked by a player. Well, they had—enough to land in the hospital for months.
"These nobodies yapping away... So damn annoying."
Everyone expected a massive player purge, and sure enough, it happened.
A pointless tax audit farce. Players barely paid taxes on item sales—that's what made it lucrative.
The public didn't know, and the media framed it like outright crime.
"Think of it like pro wrestling. Hardly anyone gets hauled off for real. Can't snag key players without tanking the economy anyway."
Spot on. Jailing high-level players was like tossing essential tech workers in jail willy-nilly.
As expected, few from the top guilds got nabbed. So why bother?
"Sounds like they're gearing up for something annoying."
A few days later, Master lit a cigarette while watching TV. She didn't smoke much because I complained about the smell, so if she was doing it now...
Sure enough, serious shit hit days later.
"Tax audit? Why would you get one of those, Master?"
"They're being petty assholes. Probably sending a couple over. Fuck, this pisses me off."
If that was it, no big deal. The real kicker? Guests at our house.
And sure enough, soon after, two suited players showed up. Strong enough to see through concealment gear.
LV75 and LV77. Weaker than Master, but way above me.
"Hello, Senior. I'm Seo Ha-neul, LV75."
"Ha-neul, you wanna die?"
"...I get how you feel, Senior. But rules are rules. Mind showing us your tax returns or ledgers?"
"Ha-neul, asking if you really wanna die."
Master glared, pissed at them barging in with shoes on.
"Not content with tracking dirt in my house, now you're wearing gear too?"
"You're wearing some yourself..."
"My house, my rules. Naked or geared up—your business? You little shits?"
The vibe turned ugly fast. Any second now, fists would fly.
What if they fought? I shot Master a worried look.
"Obstructing official duties. Cooperate nicely."
"Third time asking, Ha-neul—wanna die?"
"If you insist..."
That's when it slithered in from the side—something soft and slimy.
Not aiming for Master. Me. Taking a hostage?
No way I'd let that slide. Good thing I was geared up too. I twisted away on reflex, grabbing the incoming tentacle with my left hand.
"Huh...?"
"What the hell?"
Thin like a jellyfish tentacle. Barely any presence—had to be a trait construct.
Silent Jellyfish's deadly poison is nullified by the Necromancer King's Helmet.
Coated in poison, too.
"Was just gonna prick you with a bit. This complicates things. Your fault."
I played along, dropping to one knee like I'd been hit. Meanwhile, the task force closed in slow.
"Valhalla."
Valhalla
Got 'em good and cocky.
Sealed one trait with Valhalla, then swung my scythe wide, lopping off his arm. Even against higher levels, my ambushes worked.
"Kuh!"
"Ooh, Hyun-woo, you chopped his arm off? Rip his throat out."
"Was gonna, but he blocked with a trait."
Straight fight, and it'd be my arm flying. The guy—LV55 prey to a scrub like me—sweated bullets, freaked out.
"Tables turned, huh? You fucking bitches."
"Y-you'll regret this."
"Ambush fails, so now it's regrets? You wanna die that bad? Parents die young, no manners?"
Never drop guard against strong players, even minus an arm. I slipped behind Master.
Two of 'em might've held against her. Now? One-armed? Tough.
"...We'll withdraw for today."
"Yeah?"
Master's hand flashed like lightning. By the time I registered, her jade fingers clutched a gouged eyeball.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Polite to leave an eye behind, no? Now fuck off."
They must've been tense as hell... and she plucked it without a twitch.
Insane skill. I could never move like that.
"Our apologies..."
And just like that, the commotion ended.
"I'll probably get a bounty now."
"Huh?"
"Not public. Dark web shit. Those underground cunts'll swarm."
Couldn't let that happen. Even to Master.
"Don't sweat it. Worst case, Babel."
"Master..."
"Hey, Hyun-woo. One favor from your big sis?"
She washed up at the sink, then fetched a school uniform from her room.
"Fuck me in this."
"Master, this isn't the time."
"I nearly had my womb drop from shock. Need your dick to soothe it."
"M-Master, I'm dead serious."
"Me too. Super serious."
...Worried for nothing. You evil woman. Toying with my heart!