Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Shadows of Doubt
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“Kim Ha-jun.”
“Yes!”
“Get some good rest? The game's been a total mess while you were out.”
“Ah, yes…… I saw.”
“Where?”
“Well…… at the game station……”
Ha-jun answered Ko Jun-cheol's question in a voice that sank lower and lower.
“Ugh, a manager hearing about the game from broadcasts. Real smart move.”
“……Sorry.”
“Kidding. Heard you took your resignation to headquarters?”
“Huh?”
Ha-jun's face stiffened.
“You punk. Who in this day and age goes all the way to HQ to quit?”
Ha-jun scratched his head awkwardly at Ko Jun-cheol's words.
“Not even telling your team lead first. And leaving the resignation right there with the system intact? That's just flipping us off.”
“N-no, it's not like that!! I…… I've known Director Han from way back……”
“Met with Director Han.”
“……Pardon?”
“Said to give you a shot.”
Ha-jun stared at him in bewilderment at the unexpected response.
“Honestly, when I heard Director Han had slotted you into management, I did see you through colored glasses.”
A parachute drop he'd never even heard of.
He'd even wondered if you'd screwed up in development and got shipped off to management.
“Stealing gear on your own, fixing bugs…… Thought, 'Great, a torturer's here.'”
“Haha……”
“But it was just you.”
“……?”
“There were managers watching Khan before you came along. Even while you were out, other team members kept eyes on him.”
Ko Jun-cheol looked at Ha-jun.
“Everyone else's take on Khan's play? Unanimously 'impressive.' But you?”
“……”
“Thought it was weird, right?”
Legendary class, Dragon Lord.
Master of the Phantom Beasts.
And evacuating citizens to face the black dragon alone.
His actions captivated everyone watching.
“Even the media hyped him as a hero, to the point where fans popped up in management?”
But Ha-jun was different.
Instead of falling for that amazing play, he sensed something off.
“So you went to Director Han? To quit as manager and play the game yourself.”
Ha-jun nodded slowly.
“In a normal game, staff playing wouldn't be an issue. But this is Evil Tail.”
Items in Evil Tail traded for tens, hundreds of millions—not thousands.
It had long transcended gaming.
“Hidden pieces known only to development…… Each one's worth a fortune.”
“……Even with NDAs, it's too lax. Plenty of info not reported up that only dev knows. If it leaks, who's gonna notice?”
“You know.”
“……Pardon?”
“That's why I want you to stay with the company.”
Ha-jun's heart grew complicated at Ko Jun-cheol's plea, delivered in that gruff tone.
“Truth is…… it's tough. Suspicion's there, but no hard evidence because…… he's doing things from the 2nd or 3rd scenarios way ahead of time.”
Elven Queen, Phantom Beasts, Dragon Lord……
All events meant for the 2nd or 3rd scenarios.
“Scenarios 2 and 3 were made by [Ethan], not dev. We can't decide if the system's glitching.”
[Ethan] had never flagged Khan's play.
Just an Easter egg.
Luckily stumbled on in-game data.
With [Ethan]'s call, management and dev had to let it slide.
Ko Jun-cheol gripped Ha-jun's shoulder firmly.
“Right. Like he's playing the future solo, pulling off stuff that hasn't happened yet.”
That's how those unbelievable plays were possible.
“But we have a way.”
“……A way?”
“Word is, Evil Tail's barely halfway through the first scenario. Right?”
Ha-jun nodded.
“The remaining half's intel.”
That would be their weapon.
“Khan's plays are abnormal but system-allowed. Key is [Ethan] permitting them. But [Ethan] won't greenlight us managers……”
Unlike the pointed Ko Jun-cheol, Ha-jun wasn't enthusiastic.
“You're right. Convincing [Ethan]'s crucial. So we'll investigate Khan inside and out.”
“Inside and out?”
“You track his abnormal plays using first scenario remnants. A singularity'll show eventually.”
Ko Jun-cheol paused for breath.
“I'll hunt his off-game anomalies from now on.”
“Off-game……”
“You know the initial logout fuss he caused?”
Ha-jun nodded.
“When the logout report came later, figured he was just an attention whore. Then the bug fix forced a disconnect.”
Ko Jun-cheol swiveled his monitor.
“But no logout traces after that.”
“What?”
“Common sense: Can a person stay logged in a month straight without rest?”
Gulp.
Ha-jun couldn't help panicking at the unforeseen point.
“You saying…… Khan's not human?”
“Who knows. No evidence yet. Just piles of weird.”
Blackout wiped resident ID, address—everything on him.
Even contacts he claimed knew him denied any Kim Woojin.
“Could be lying…… but how do all he says know him not know him?”
Like he never existed from the start.
A chill ran through Ha-jun.
“Asked security to trace capsule IP—denied, [Ethan] handles personal info. If we snag the IP, we could confirm if he's real.”
“……What about police?”
“Eh. Just media backlash. You know our security team's skill. If they can't crack it……”
Autonomous AI.
Praised as humanity's advance, its scariest trait: constant data collection and self-evolution.
“No one to breach [Ethan]'s security?”
“……One was.”
Ko Jun-cheol grimaced like he'd chewed sand.
“Dr. Choi Soyul.”
[Ethan]'s creator, Ko Jun-cheol's wife.
But she's gone now.
“Asked Director Han for special access. I'll delegate it to you.”
“Special access……!”
“Yeah. You know it lets direct [Ethan] access, even chats, bypassing reports.”
He emphasized his voice.
“From what we've seen, [Ethan] greenlights all Khan's actions weirdly. Like it's backing him.”
Why?
One hypothesis formed in their minds.
Khan might not be human.
“If Khan's [Ethan]'s creation, it won't spill easy. We investigate perfectly so [Ethan] can't hide.”
Like a game of Go.
Careful, move by move.
“Got it.”
Ha-jun clenched his fist, steeling himself.
“Hah…… hah……”
Feeling like his body might shatter, Woojin flopped onto his back spread-eagled.
The blood-mixed monster filth felt refreshingly cool instead.
“Whew…… Community said…… only 5 waves…… whew…… why 10……”
Woojin chugged a potion from his pouch.
“Next town…… gotta swap gear.”
The piranhas from the 8th wave had wrecked his armor.
Their teeth pierced his leather armor too easily.
His Mana-Infused Ancient Leather Armor, C-grade with good options, had served well till now, but high-level dungeon mobs exposed its limits.
“Ugh…… still manageable.”
Just 2 waves left.
Potions decently stocked, no breaks or snaps.
Fit to fight.
“As long as no bells, anything's fine.”
“Ah.”
Countless firefly-like lights of all sizes swarmed around Woojin.
Crackle…… crackle……
With a racket, the twinkling lights merged.
Fist-sized now, still hundreds.
Wisps, spirit kin without form, soul-like.
“Mouth got ahead of me.”
Woojin grimaced, gripping his sword.
Kaboomboomboom―――!!!
Lightning from the wisps sent Woojin diving sideways.
Kwang――!!
Kwaboom―――!!!
The blast hit Kelduan's gut wall, melting it with black smoke.
{Kuuuuaaaah―――!!!}
Kelduan's pained scream shook underfoot.
Splash……!!
While Woojin staggered off-balance, airborne wisps charged.
Clang―!!!!
A sea-urchin-spiked wisp grazed his cheek.
“Kuh!!”
Burning pain flared as Woojin spun, reflexively slashing at it.
Splat―――!!!
Then it happened.
The wisp touching his blade burst like a balloon.
“Huh?”
Even Woojin, the attacker, looked baffled.
That moment's alert.
'Right, the skill from the black mist.'
Skill: Soul Slash
▶ Slashes soul-type monsters' souls.
He vaguely recalled the unclear description—purify or erase?—and initial confusion.
Hadn't faced soul-types since, so forgotten.
“Yeah, erasure over purification.”
Splat――!!!
Woojin relentlessly smashed incoming wisps.