Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Storming Jang Yu's Mansion
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After finishing lunch, I headed to the mission supply station with Yoo Sora in tow.
“Sora-ssi. Just like I said earlier, pick your mission and come on out.”
“Yes.”
Since lunch hour had just ended, there weren't many players in front of the supply station.
Only three people waiting ahead of us.
The white-haired old man with the staff I'd seen that morning, and the two knights I'd spotted yesterday at the 'Zombie House.'
I figured there was no need to act like I knew them, so I stood there quietly with Yoo Sora.
The white-haired old man seemed to hesitate for a moment before reaching out and tapping Jonghyeon's shoulder.
“Hello there.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“Sorry to bring this up on our first meeting, but... is there a spot open in your group?”
“Yes? Ah.... We've got one spot left right now.”
The old man beamed.
“Mind if I take it?”
The knight looked the old man up and down, then rubbed his chin.
His expression wasn't great.
“Sorry, but we're gearing up for the main event, so we need someone in an attack role. What's your job?”
The way he followed 'sorry' with conditions made it clear he wanted to turn the old man down politely.
He didn't strike me as ordinary at all, but they were planning to reject him?
The white-haired old man curled up the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“Perfect timing. I'm an attack role myself.”
“What's your job?”
The old man gripped the handle of his staff and drew it out long.
The blade that emerged from within gleamed.
“I'm a Swordmaster.”
Swordmaster.
A rare job that almost no one went for due to its brutal requirements.
You had to hit level twenty or higher with no job at all, and without deep sword mastery, switching was impossible.
To think someone had already cleared those conditions.
What surprised me most was that this old man's level was already over twenty.
Jonghyeon's eyes went wide at the white-haired old man's response.
“A Swordmaster?”
“That's right.”
“No way.... If you're a Swordmaster, your level has to be high. Why are you still stuck in the third round?”
The old man smiled brightly as he replied.
“Got my reasons.”
“...... We'd welcome you if you joined the group, but... is there some reason you want to team up with us specifically?”
“Well now. I just took a liking to you.”
* * * * *
Jonghyeon and the white-haired old man formed a group. After grabbing their mission, they left the supply station in a hurry.
I picked up a mission with her, then led Li Kerana and his crew toward the area near 'Jang Yu's Mansion.'
Nearly thirty people moving at once had the other players murmuring.
On top of that, Li Kerana's gang's outfits were bound to draw eyes.
Bald heads wrapped in black hoods covering their faces—impossible not to stare.
“Li Kerana. What's with the hoods?”
“You see the inverted cross emblem on them?”
“...... Yeah.”
“We made 'em to show our loyalty following Brother Kim Cheonjae. Kim Cheonjae number one.”
Don't waste your precious jenny on crap like that....
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
When we reached the mansion, I asked Li Kerana,
“Preparations all solid?”
In response to my question, Li Kerana shook a large brown sack.
“Just like you said, we cleaned out the general store for oil and sulfur.”
“Good work. Stay near the entrance until I radio. Keep any other players from getting in too.”
“Got it.”
I handed Li Kerana one of Michael's radios.
[System Message]
[Proceed with the third round main event?]
From a distance, I spotted the Goblin Special Forces approaching at a brisk pace.
Glossy black suits with goblin masks. Long swords and K-1 rifles.
A powerful aura radiated from them, like it was spilling out from behind.
Kim Juncheol, who was leading them, asked me,
“Shall we move in?”
As he spoke, the selection screen popped up.
[Start the event?]
[YES] OR [NO]
Everything was ready.
Without a second thought, I tapped the YES button on the hologram screen.
Piiiieeeuuuuu-!
Fireworks burst from the center of the mansion. Right after, a system message appeared for every player in the round.
[All-System Message]
['Kim Cheonjae' player's group has begun the third round main event.]
[Players who wish to participate, please gather in front of 'Jang Yu's Mansion.']
The moment the event kicked off, Li Kerana's group sent a join request.
['Li Kerana' player group's join request for the event.]
-Accept / -Decline
“Accept.”
['Zhang Chuyifeng' player group's join request for the event.]
['Wei Xierang' player group's join request for the event.]
['Shi Zuanping' player group's join request for the event.]
I accepted every request that came in. I wanted as many players as possible to make it to the next round.
The total participating with us came to about a hundred people.
That included our group adding four more.
Major Kim Juncheol bellowed,
“Move in!”
With his shout, the Goblin Unit members kicked down the mansion's iron gate and charged inside.
I'd figured they'd at least ring the bell once, but they were seriously pissed.
Bang!
They smashed through the mansion door and stormed in, startling the butler guarding the entrance into stumbling back.
“W-what is this!”
Kim Juncheol grabbed the butler's collar and yanked.
“Where's Jang Yu.”
“H-how did you get in? Do you have a warrant?”
“Warrant my ass. Tell me where that bastard is unless you wanna die.”
Kim Juncheol drew a knife and pressed it to the butler's throat.
Blood trickled from the shallow cut. The terrified butler spilled Jang Yu's location to Kim Juncheol.
“Ah...... He's in the bedroom. Said he was tired and taking a nap.”
“Yeah? Got it.”
Kim Juncheol pulled his pistol and aimed at the butler's thigh.
Bang!
The butler collapsed with a scream.
Yoo Sora tugged at my clothes and pressed tight against my back.
Kim Juncheol kicked the butler's gut, then turned to me.
“Coming along?”
[YES] OR [NO]
A story progression fork.
I chose YES.
Jeongwoo, Sora, and Michael chose NO.
The main event counted as cleared for everyone once the boss went down anyway, so no need to stick together.
[YES]
Once everyone made their choices, Kim Juncheol nodded and split up his unit to search the mansion.
“1st Platoon, follow me. 2nd Platoon, stay on the first floor and block any escape routes. Let's go, Cheonjae-ssi.”
“Yes.”
I nodded to my group members.
Jeongwoo led Michael and Yoo Sora toward the reception room.
I followed Kim Juncheol to the bedroom where Jang Yu supposedly was.
Da-da-da-da-da-!
Less walking, more sprinting.
When we reached Jang Yu's bedroom door, Kim Juncheol front-kicked it like a SWAT breach.
Bang!
It was a thick door—didn't budge.
Bang! Bang!
He kept kicking until Jang Yu's groggy voice came from inside.
-Who is it.
Slow reaction even for someone rolling out of bed.
Kim Juncheol answered in a firm tone.
“Open the door.”
-Who are you? Did the butler say it was okay?
“Telling you again. Open the damn door. Now.”
-......
“Last warning. I'm counting to three. Open it.”
One.
Two.
Three.
No reply. Door stayed shut.
Kim Juncheol drew an enormous two-handed sword from his back—too big to swing easily—and hefted it high.
Whoosh-
Bang!
The door split in half, revealing the inside. Two waiting spec ops kicked away the splintered remnants.
We pushed in, but Jang Yu was nowhere to be seen.
At the far end of the room, a strong wind blew through an open window, flapping the curtains.
“Damn it! He ran?”
No.
He hadn't run.
If Jang Yu—bigger than an ogre—had jumped out that window, the ground would've shaken like thunder.
I grabbed Kim Juncheol's shoulder.
“No.”
“Yes?”
“Jang Yu's right here.”
“...... Where?”
I walked over beside Jang Yu's bed and pointed down with my finger.
“Right below here.”
“Under the bed?”
Kim Juncheol and his men shoved the bed aside.
Stairs led down underneath.
“Stairs...? Why the hell are there stairs here?”
“Guess he escaped through 'em.”
“...... Cheonjae-ssi, how'd you know there were stairs here?”
I flashed a grin.
“Found 'em when I scouted the place earlier. Didn't know what they were for back then, but looks like his escape route.”
“...... I see. You're something else, Cheonjae-ssi.”
['Kim Cheonjae' player's trust level with Kim Juncheol has increased.]
[From this moment, Goblin Unit members will heed your opinions without question.]
‘...... Nice.’
Better results than expected.
That system message would hold even into the next round.
Kim Juncheol glanced down the dark stairs, then grabbed a flashlight and gave chase.
Before following, I radioed Li Kerana.
Beep.
“Move in. Spray sulfur on every floor.”
A brief silence, then the radio crackled back.
-Understood. Commencing.
Beep.
“...... Oh ho.”
That's when I spotted something on Jang Yu's desk—perfect for cheesing this game.
‘With this ball......’
After the radio, I followed Kim Juncheol down the stairs.
* * * * *
The stairs started by going down but twisted sideways in coils, eventually leading back up.
I knew exactly where they were headed.
Close, yet far.
The room right next to the bedroom.
At the end of the stairs loomed a massive iron door overhead, blocking the way.
Kim Juncheol reached up with both hands to push, but it wouldn't budge—like something was holding it shut from above.
“Damn. Looks like he blocked it with something up top?”
Three Goblin soldiers joined in, all pushing together.
No dice, of course. Jang Yu was standing on it.
I stepped back and called to Kim Juncheol.
“Come over here.”
“Yes?”
“Everyone, over here.”
He met my eyes and nodded.
“Got it. You got a way up there, Cheonjae-ssi?”
['Kim Juncheol' major looks at you with expectant eyes.]
I asked him calmly right back.
“...... Think you can swing that sword in here?”
Kim Juncheol set the sword slung over his suit's shoulder down on the ground.
Thud.
“You mean this one?”
“Yes.”
Less a sharp blade, more a massive slab of iron like a hammer.
That weapon could definitely do it.
No—it would.
“Swinging's no problem even in this space.”
“Perfect. Mind swinging it at this spot?”
My finger pointed to the cement ceiling beside the iron door.
From down here, it was the ceiling.
From up top, the floor.
The door and ceiling lay level on the horizontal, meaning the room above wasn't far.
Kim Juncheol ran his palm over the ceiling, then asked me.
“You want me to smash through this ceiling?”
“...... Yes.”
Kim Juncheol nodded.
He extended his sword to gauge the height to the ceiling, then replied.
“...... Understood. Everyone, fall back!”
His men retreated, and Kim Juncheol drew the greatsword long behind his back, closing his eyes like he was focusing.
Like waves rippling over the sea, like heat haze dancing under blazing sun.
A silvery-white tangle of threads—what martial artists called aura—shimmered behind his back.
He was no ordinary NPC.
“Heaven and Earth in One Strike.”
The blade arced in a curve.
Whoosh-
And slammed into the ceiling.
Kwaaang!
Shattered stone chunks rained down.
Ruuuumble.
Through the gap, I caught sight of Jang Yu's face.
No armor on him—and a face hard to call human.
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