The Traitors (4)
Sirenchium Mountains. These were rugged peaks with sheer cliffs and barren rock faces where no living creature could easily survive. Even seasoned climbers would struggle to ascend them, yet a group numbering around a hundred was making the climb.
"This is fucking steep."
At the front of the hundred-strong group, a curse spilled from the lips of a man with thick eyebrows. With his wild, unkempt hair and an aura like a feral beast, the man's name was Jeong Yong-chan, master of the Judas Guild.
"Heh heh. We're almost there, Guild Master."
Walking beside him, a goat-bearded man opened his mouth with a sycophantic grin. At his words, Jeong Yong-chan turned to glance back.
The hundred Judas Guild members followed in his wake, stepping carefully.
"No stragglers, I hope?"
Jeong Yong-chan growled the question. The goat-bearded man flashed a toothy smile in response.
"No way. Falling behind on this? They wouldn't even qualify as Summoners."
The terrain would exhaust ordinary people in just thirty minutes, but everyone here was far beyond "ordinary." Even mages or healers, classes not built for melee, saw balanced stat growth with levels. For Summoners over level 40, scaling these heights was far from impossible.
"Damn... Still, this thing is high."
Jeong Yong-chan muttered as he glared up at the Sirenchium Mountains piercing the sky like spears. Climbing wasn't impossible, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. Strengthened beyond human limits by the level system, they were still human at their core.
"Y-Yes, it really is."
The goat-bearded man, Kim Dae-gyu, forced an awkward smile and stole a glance at Yong-chan. Despite his constant grumbling about the hardship, Yong-chan showed not a single drop of sweat.
Of course.
Kim Dae-gyu eyed Yong-chan's muscles, sculpted as finely as a master carver's work. Jeong Yong-chan was level 99—a so-called Ranker, closest to the pinnacle among Summoners, wielding power in a league of its own. His class was a hidden one specialized in close combat. He wouldn't tire from mere mountain-climbing. If not for leading the guild, he could probably sprint to the summit solo.
Still, Yong-chan spat these complaints like pebbles from his irritable personality.
But without the Guild Master, we couldn't even dream up this plan. Better play along quietly.
Kim Dae-gyu sighed deeply and trailed after Jeong Yong-chan. Among the Tiriya faction Summoners, Yong-chan was top-tier. Without him, facing skilled parties like Yu-jin's or Park Cheol-tae's would be suicide.
"Speaking of, what'll you do once we capture Tiriya alive?"
"Hm?"
Kim Dae-gyu voiced the thought that had crossed his mind. Jeong Yong-chan smirked.
"Grab the Grace of the Archangel, obviously. With that, we can live like kings for life."
He said it like it was the dumbest question. Kim Dae-gyu stiffened slightly before continuing.
"But will the Elnot royals just hand over the Grace of the Archangel?"
"Kekeke. You think those idiots would? We'll trick 'em, naturally."
"Trick them?"
Jeong Yong-chan licked his lips.
"Infiltrate her into the kingdom. Have her play loyal dog for a few months, then order her to snag the Grace."
"...Will she obey?"
"Haha. With hostages, she'll have no choice."
Kim Dae-gyu nodded at that.
The effectiveness of holding hostages against Tiriya had been proven before.
What a tragic fate.
Kim Dae-gyu recalled Tiriya, once his guild master, with a bitter expression. He'd always been in Jeong Yong-chan's camp since joining Salvatore Guild, so betraying her had been inevitable—but he harbored no ill will. She was gentle and warm, like an angel descended to earth. Her leadership might lack a bit as a guide for all, but she treated others like family, a truly kind woman.
And above all, she was stunning.
"Heh heh?"
Kim Dae-gyu pictured Tiriya's radiant beauty, straight out of a fairy tale, and grinned like an idiot.
That was when it happened.
Kiririk. Kiririk. Kiririk.
"Hm?"
A strange metallic sound reached Jeong Yong-chan's sharp ears. A noise he'd never heard before.
Kiririk. Kiririk. Kiririk.
"What the— BOOM!!"
Before Jeong Yong-chan could even ask, a massive explosion engulfed the Judas Guild.
"Aaaagh!"
"We're under attack!"
The Judas Guild members drew their weapons, shouting in panic. Kim Dae-gyu's face twisted savagely.
"Ambush?! What bullshit! We had Mana Detection up the whole time!"
Mana Detection, the spell to pinpoint mana-wielding entities. Essential for large groups on the move to prevent ambushes. Trap skills or spells always left mana traces. Non-mana traps were primitive—arrows or rolling boulders.
No Salvatore Guild member has trap skills that evade Mana Detection!
Kim Dae-gyu knew all the intel on the remaining pro-Tiriya faction. None mastered traps to that degree.
"Quiet!"
Thud!
Jeong Yong-chan stomped, roaring ferociously. The confused guild members, reeling from the blast, focused on him.
"Damage report?"
No signs of enemy assault nearby, so he approached the guild members downed by the explosion.
"Five dead, fourteen wounded."
A quick assessment from one of the executives. Jeong Yong-chan looked down at his bleeding subordinates.
Good, no executives lost.
The dead were low-level grunts. He lifted his head.
"Healers, treat the wounded now. Executives, emergency meeting."
Healers swarmed the injured, casting spells. Executives gathered around Jeong Yong-chan and Kim Dae-gyu.
"Mana Detection caught nothing?"
"Y-Yes."
The mages handling detection nodded under his sharp tone.
"Traps that beat Mana Detection... Interesting prep work."
Jeong Yong-chan grimaced, muttering. He turned back to the lead.
"Once the wounded are patched, we move! More traps possible—stay sharp!"
The guild members nodded tensely at his shout. Treatment finished, they resumed, inching forward under the pressure of unknown traps.
About an hour later.
Kiririk. Kiririk. Kiririk.
"Traps!"
The familiar mechanical whir hit Jeong Yong-chan's ears at the front. He whipped toward the sound.
Five traps hidden in the ground met his eyes.
...Mines?
Unmistakably familiar. A game from his Earth days flashed in his mind. The mines detonated amid the guild.
BOOM!!
"Urk!"
"Aaaagh!"
Second attack—they blocked with defensive spells and skills swiftly.
"...Damage?"
"Two dead, eight wounded."
Far fewer than the first hit. But Jeong Yong-chan's face twisted anyway.
Can't keep eating these.
He stepped forward.
"Ditch the useless Mana Detection. Visual search from now on. Eyes on the ground—you miss one, you're dead."
He crouched low. The guild scanned warily.
"Hmph."
After probing with sharp eyes, Jeong Yong-chan grunted lowly. Far off, the ground bulged unnaturally.
He hurled a nearby rock at the metallic-scented spot.
BOOM!!
A smirk curled his lips as it exploded.
"Once you start looking, they're obvious, huh?"
He cackled. He didn't know how Salvatore made modern weapons, but if traps were this blatant, no worry.
"Find the bulging spots!"
He shouted, advancing.
That was when.
◇◇◇
"They're starting to disarm the mines."
Yeong-sik muttered lowly, confirming the Judas Guild's advance via drone from high above. Beside him, A-ra's face hardened.
"Plan failed, then?"
"No. Don't worry—everything's on track."
Yeong-sik replied calmly. A-ra frowned, unconvinced.
"Them disarming mines is 'on track'?"
He nodded flatly. She looked baffled.
Yeong-sik chuckled softly.
"Remember the ogre hunt?"
"...Yeah. What about it?"
"That ogre chased the drone like mad, exhausting itself."
"Right..."
A-ra nodded, puzzled by the tangent.
"You don't need to rampage to burn stamina. Constant tension from hidden mines—no rest."
"But what if they detour around the minefields?"
"They won't."
Yeong-sik said firmly. A-ra stared, more confused.
"How can you be so sure?"
His lips twisted into a grin.
"I can see it."
He continued.
"The mines will be visible. They'll follow them while disarming."
Along the mine paths.
Yeong-sik laughed.