Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Alibi Scheme
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“We’ll record your statement, film the video, erase that memory from you, and then sell the footage.”
“…Will that work?”
“That’s the ‘scenario’. In this day and age, isn’t it harder to come up with something that won’t fly? Or we could tweak the memory wipe part and say we’ve got you locked up instead?”
“Mm~ Anyway, you’re proposing we team up on this. Sounds good to me.”
Being hunted was being hunted either way, and antagonizing the Association would leave him with nothing but Scavengers as an option. So Yoo Seongwon decided to go along with her plan.
Selling the intel was profitable, and more money was always better for building his own place.
“I was planning to go off-grid for a while anyway—no dungeons, no nothing.”
“Off-grid… Nice. Then we can say we’ve got you stashed in the wild mountains. As for a guard… Mm~ Ayoung, how many days can you skip class? You’re E+ rank, but with valuable info like this, I think the B-rank you needs to take point.”
“You got it! Hehe!”
She was ready to beat the drum and play the cymbal too.
But with Baekya Guild’s top fighter being Ayoung, there was no choice.
Plus, having someone of her caliber on watch would make it believable that they really had the goods.
“The real issue is crafting the scenario for that intel… Got any ideas?”
“We’ll need to mix in some legit info too, so you don’t raise suspicions.”
“Legit info, huh. Basics like ‘the guy’s an Abyss Knight named Gault’ are a must… Feels like writing a damn novel. My head’s spinning.”
“We’ll throw in some noble cause too, based on what you said in the video. Let’s fabricate something about the Golden Demon Knight. Time’s short—we’ve got filming to do, so let’s decide quick.”
Yoo Seongwon agreed right away and started piecing together intel laced with truth and lies, perfect for peddling to the Association.
They whipped up a simple script, filmed it, and even tossed in an emotional rant against the Association to wrap it up fast.
The scenario went like this: He got in the car after the guild master’s persuasion, gave his statement under her coaxing, but got betrayed and subdued at the end, dragged off to captivity.
『…That’s everything. Sure, it pisses me off, but I can’t run forever, so I had to spill. Haah~ Still makes me mad, though. They don’t give a damn about the people locked up there—dead or alive—but Chairman Bae kicks it and suddenly it’s chaos. Makes my blood boil. Anyway, if anything shady pops up, I’m heading straight to Scavenger work, so heads up… Ugh! What the hell?! Let go! This betrayal! How can you do this?! Uwaaa!』
“Mm… Came out great. That emotional acting at the end was super convincing.”
“Gotta have skills like that to scrape by at the bottom. Anyway, I just follow Ayoung from here, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll handle the negotiations. Contact her if anything comes up.”
With filming done, Yoo Seongwon let Ayoung “drag” him out of the trailer alone.
A twinge of unease hit him as he eyed the vehicle where she’d taken on the real risk in his place.
“Nothing’ll go wrong, right?”
“What if it does?”
“Then I step in and save her. Even a selfish bastard like me repays his debts.”
Yoo Seongwon believed you shouldn’t sink to human trash, no matter how desperate things got.
If he became trash himself, he couldn’t even curse the real trash out there. So despite the hassle, he’d help.
Pleased with his answer, Ayoung beamed and stuck close.
“But I’m supposed to be getting dragged off, so tone down the grinning?”
“Psh~ Whatever. An E+ Hunter isn’t gonna overpower a B-rank anyway.”
“Fair point. Anyway, I’m holing up in the mountains. What about you?”
“Mountains? Why?”
Yoo Seongwon calmly explained his plan.
Now flush with cash and armed with an alibi, he was free.
Sticking around people meant risking more conflicts, so he’d build a cabin in the mountains for a semi-natural life.
“I’m not stopping my leveling just ‘cause I’m in the mountains. Just want my own nest. Post-dungeon mess, wild mountains and national parks are shut down by feral monsters—prices have tanked. I can snag something cheap with my funds~”
“Ooh… Mountain training ground. Total guy dream.”
“Oh, but a captive buying land? Total BS. Guess I’ll just crash wherever I planned to buy.”
“Just squat somewhere unclaimed. Like old North Korean territory. Deep mountains, monsters and Scavengers won’t touch it, plus minefields—nobody goes there.”
No need to buy or worry about cash there.
Grab building supplies and tools, stock up on food runs now and then, done.
Her sharp idea lit a fire in Yoo Seongwon’s eyes—he was genuinely impressed.
“You a genius or what?”
“Looks can be deceiving—I’m Heaven Class! Top of my ass at the academy?”
“Nah, high stats get you in anywhere.”
“That’s why they drill us harder. Dean’s orders—brutal. Spouts movie lines like ‘great power comes great responsibility,’ so study more?”
“Fair from him. He walks the talk~ Though guys like me deny it outright, he’s still got the right of it.”
Sometimes wrong answers make life happier as a human.
Truth demands a price, and harsh realities get rejected.
Per the “captive” scenario, Yoo Seongwon couldn’t shop himself, so he handed it to Shin Ayoung.
“Then stay put nice and quiet~ I’ll grab lots of tasty stuff.”
“Don’t overdo the food—just get the gear right.”
“Lots of tools, got it!”
Buzzing with camping excitement, Shin Ayoung dashed to the mart.
Sighing as he watched, Yoo Seongwon checked his status window for enemies or watchers while waiting.
‘Come to think of it, what happened with Chairman Bae’s case?’
He’d handled it, but wondered how the guy’s underground human zoo story played out. He searched news.
No hopes for punishment or scandal—just curious about the captives’ fates.
‘Why’s there zilch?’
All coverage on Seoul Guild and Golden Demon Knight—no Bae or victims.
Searches turned up nothing relevant.
“Goddamn hack journalists!”
After clicking clickbait and digging, he found something.
[For victims locked in Chairman Bae’s home basement, the Association contacted families and plans to send them to proper treatment facilities. However, with treatment costs and mental compensation issues: Chairman Bae’s family is wiped out. Relatives exist but claim no involvement in crimes and prepare legal action.]
“…That’s it?”
No word on unreachable families.
He knew their fates all too well from years in the “protection facility.”
‘Yeah, strapped to beds till they die or dumped somewhere. Unlike me aging out, they’ve got massive trauma—rehab costs insane…’
He’d seen it plenty as a kid there.
Monster and dungeon crises left soldiers fighting hard, then abandoned by family and country.
Kids like him watched their ends.
Somehow survived to the facility, but state and facility “couldn’t afford” them—pushed to death deliberately.
‘W-water… Water please… Please…’
‘It hurts… Hey… Anyone? My arms and legs hurt.’
‘Ahh, so this is dying.’
To young Yoo Seongwon, it was hell.
Not just protected—kids worked too, hauling small stuff, food, water. Saw the brutality early.
“Patient 302, tough bastard. No food or water, still going two days? Man, stringy.”
“Wife and kids ditched him, but he cries about going home? Pathetic…”
“Ugh~ Four more tomorrow… How to clear beds?”
“Dunno. Figure it out. Seongwon! What’re you doing? Wanna skip dinner? Get to work!”
“Same old shit. But gotta do something.”
He couldn’t just leave it, but pondered how.
Half-assed help could worsen things, risk himself—he mulled.
‘…Nah, overcomplicating. Just hit Golden Demon Knight style again.’
After smashing Seoul Guild and Gangnam Ace head-on, fear of the Golden Demon Knight peaked.
Tonight, visit Chairman Bae’s relative closest to power—light chat.
‘Gotta shake this off.’
The woman across from his cell haunted him.
Devouring dog food and bugs in misery. Unresolved, it’d scar him like childhood wounds.
“I’m back! Ta-da! Loaded up, right?”
Mid-planning, Shin Ayoung returned, arms full of bagged goods.
Awakeners used inventory for weight, but whatever—mood booster. Yoo Seongwon stowed them.
“Oh yeah, after Chairman Bae croaks, who cleans up his company?”
“That? Quick search’d say, but why?”
“Post-mortem stuff. Listen—while I was locked in the basement…”
He shared Bae’s secret hobby—already leaked once—and victims’ ordeals. Ayoung fumed quick.
Then dug up what he wanted fast.
“So, interim chairman’s his brother Bae Jung-su, in-house director. Handling cleanup, funeral, legal. Lives in…”
“New Gangnam, duh. Brother and interim chair—probably at Bae’s funeral now.”
“Yeah, likely. Funeral’s at Jeongun Hospital in New Gangnam. Rich folks’ spot felt off, huh.”
“Perfect. I’ll crash it. Alibi says you nabbed me—no issue. Get outta Seoul, camp in mountains.”
Memorizing the spot from her, Yoo Seongwon headed out.
To banish the basement woman and facility abandoned’s ghosts, he hurried.
Still ordinary inside, he didn’t want more scars—wanted it settled ASAP.