Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Secret Routes in the Slum
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Dirty, filthy streets.
Rough and dangerous. A lawless zone.
That was the slum.
In other words, a neighborhood where a few people vanishing each day wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
That was probably why.
The city residents had built passages leading into the slum, exploiting that very fact.
A total of four zones.
To grab living people there and use them as test subjects.
'A place to secretly procure test subjects smoothly.'
Here.
It had to be here.
The slum.
What could be more perfect?
'Yeah, slum dwellers wouldn't blink at corpses in the streets. No way they'd question a few missing people.'
They'd just shrug it off.
'And this is the darkest corner of the slums.'
That's why the secret passages were hidden deep inside.
Designating zones.
To steadily harvest test subjects.
Thud thud!
Footsteps echoed.
Luke swiftly used Parkour to scale a rooftop.
'Those guys...'
Men in robes like his own approached.
Ugh, ugh!
Hauling large sacks.
'Already kidnapped one, huh.'
A sturdy man.
Matched the note's criteria for test subjects.
Likely a slum dweller stuffed in that sack.
With this, he'd mapped the route for securing and transporting test subjects.
And he'd witnessed it firsthand.
No longer suspicion—pure certainty.
'Multiple secret passages, from the looks of it...'
Proof: they scattered right after delivery.
As if the passages split off.
'Test zones in the slum. Multiple passages in. That's the setup.'
Maybe every house of those note-holding residents had one.
'But where do the experiments happen? Not in their homes.'
At best, temporary storage.
The real issue: the lab site.
'Need a way to sneak people there too.'
Unknown.
Couldn't say yet.
More digging required.
Tailing.
Tracking.
'And keep swiping those logs and reports.'
Step by step.
The thief's way.
A short while later.
Following Scout, his Steal skill hit level 2.
Thanks to never slacking on thefts amid intel gathering.
StealType:ActiveLevel:2
Description: You can now Steal scouted targets from greater distances. Certain stats will also influence steal success probability.
Increased range.
And stat-boosted steal odds.
Like Scout, exceeding expectations.
'About one step apart, roughly.'
Considering Scout's two-step range, a solid leap.
Previously, thefts required near-contact.
And that wasn't all.
Specific stats.
Boosts tied to their values.
Major gain.
[Currently applied stats: Agility, Luck]
Past variables like situation, gaze, location—now expanded.
With level-uppable stats, no less.
'Bet Dexterity gets added later.'
Dexterity.
Hand skills.
Delicate tasks.
A special stat buffing all handiwork.
Proficiency only.
Thieves and archers nabbed it early-mid game.
'Got mine around level 100 pre-reclass.'
Might snag it sooner this time.
Steal daily, non-stop.
'Anyway...'
Theft just got way easier.
Luke summed it up and turned.
Neigh!
A carriage rolled into the street.
Halted before a building. They began loading cargo fast.
'Didn't peg them for merchant company runners.'
Merchant company.
Merchants banded for profit.
This carriage screamed company gear.
A familiar resident soon appeared inside.
City folk running secret experiments.
Most tied to the company.
"Come on, next!"
"Heave-ho!"
There.
Sacks from secret passages.
Loaded onto the company carriage.
Slum residents inside, bound for lab tables.
'Yeah. Stash test subjects at home, disguise as goods, cart 'em out.'
Now: destination?
'Got a hunch already.'
No idle wandering.
Company staff, members.
Goods handled.
Known trade spots.
Decent intel on company and residents.
Plus human experiments?
Typically black magic territory.
'Black mages.'
Necromancers, to some.
'Strutting openly in the city.'
Disguised as residents. Secret labs.
Blended seamlessly into Parten.
Neigh!
Carriage off.
Luke rooftop-hopped, keeping pace.
Soon, it braked before a massive building hugging a long wall.
'Kinda figured...'
Luke peered up.
A colossal mansion. Five stories easy.
'Lab's in the lord's mansion.'
Yep.
Valkins Baron's pad.
Parten's lord himself.
'No wonder the slums fester unchecked.'
Muttering inwardly, eyes locked on the carriage.
'Huh?'
A message floated before his eyes.
That same moment.
Rover Company headquarters.
Departments handled overall Agas ops, briefed by dev Yong Hoseop.
Operations HQ.
Team leader Park Gwangho's Op Team 1 bore a crushing load.
"What about yesterday's report?"
"Ah, fetching it now!"
"Yes, Op Team 1 junior Choi Miri here. Got the call."
"No, the signed docs..."
Early morning bustle everywhere.
Amid them, a bushy-haired man strolled, sipping mix coffee.
"Commonsense."
"Ah, team leader."
Op Team 1 leader Park Gwangho.
"Got yesterday's summaries?"
He approached subordinate Kim Sangsik casually.
"Ah, the undiscovered hidden quest ones?"
"Yeah."
"One sec."
"No rush."
Gwangho jiggled his leg.
Soon enough.
Sangsik displayed his table.
"Here."
"Thanks. Gotta review 'em again for submission."
"All of 'em?"
"Yep. Drives me nuts. Stomach's flipping already."
Gwangho scowled.
Main-quest linchpins: hidden quests.
Uncovered months back. Users probing hard, but discoveries scant.
Undiscovered list? Bottomless. Some glared especially.
"Highlighted ones all trigger level 3+?"
"Yes, sir. Marked per your orders. Did I screw up?"
"Nah, spot-on. Just baffling."
"Baffling how...?"
"No clue why design 'em like this. Thought fine at first, but difficulty's insane now."
Trigger level 3.
Peak hell.
"True. Ruin Empire and Eight Forbidden Zones? Mind-blowing."
"That's bad, but this slays me."
Gwangho jabbed one.
South tip trigger.
Spot: Small City Parten. Mainland starter.
"Joining royal secret Hayes? Nuts. Then 10 perfect missions? Structure's impossible."
"Parten probes scale by user level too."
"Told ya. Undiscovereds stack cuz of it. Yong Hoseop's a mystery."
"Silver lining, though?"
"Shoot."
Sangsik scratched his head.
"One triggers, we're all OT zombies."
"OT's the least. Daily emergency meets too."
"Ugh!"
"Fair. Quiet's a blessing."
Agas.
Story-shakers.
Ops nightmare.
"Just popped in mind. Don't dwell."
"Got it."
"Alright, those files then..."
Then.
Realtime record monitors flared.
"T-team leader!"
"What?"
"Disaster!"
Staff bolted up, hollering. Pointing codes.
"What's the panic?"
"RMT-1004!"
"Hold up, RMT..."
Hidden quests.
Level 3+ triggers.
Dawning realization. Gwangho whirled to Sangsik's screen, stone-faced.
RMT-1004.
The one just checked.
-Parten Lord and Black Mages
"Holy shit!"
What odds.
Quest they mocked as impossible? Live.
"Trigger time?"
"One minute forty seconds ago, precise!"
"Crap. User code first."
"Y-yes s—"
Mid-sentence.
Record room staff flinched. Eyes up.
"...Team leader."
"Now what?!"
Gwangho barked.
Staff blank-muttered.
"User rejected the quest."