Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The True Culprit
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[First Floor Reception Room]
The man called the butler of this mansion limped over to the operations officer.
“Could we talk for a moment?”
“Speak.”
“You’re the operations officer from the Goblin Unit, right?”
“That’s right, so spit it out.”
“……Do you happen to know Kang Sueun?”
The operations officer’s pupils dilated.
He glanced around cautiously, then leaned in close to the butler.
“What are you?”
The butler whispered just loud enough for the operations officer to hear.
“Operations officer. If you help me escape this place, I’ll hand over the ‘Philosopher’s Stone,’ the product of my research.”
“……You made that thing?”
“Yes. Dr. Oh knows about it too. If you don’t believe me, give him a call.”
The operations officer fiddled with his cell phone in his pocket before continuing.
“Who the hell are you?”
“……Let’s just say I’m someone who worked on research with Dr. Oh in the past.”
“With Dr. Oh?”
“Yes. So, what do you say? Will you help me get out of this mansion?”
No Hyoman scratched his head and fell deep into thought.
Ma Jeongwoo, who had been watching the exchange, approached.
“What are you two discussing so intently?”
The operations officer’s expression hardened.
“……It’s nothing you need to know.”
“We’re carrying out this operation together. How is it something I don’t need to know?”
“It’s personal.”
“You’re saying you’re having a personal conversation with the culprit?”
“That’s putting it in a very unpleasant light.”
“Same here. If you don’t tell me what you discussed with him, I’ll report it to Major Kim Juncheol.”
No Hyoman frowned suspiciously.
“It’s nothing major. Why are you making such a fuss?”
“We’ll know if it’s major or not once I hear it. Tell me. What were you talking about?”
Tension crackled between Ma Jeongwoo and No Hyoman.
Ma Jeongwoo stepped closer, pressing him.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“…….”
The butler wedged himself between them.
“Please, wait a moment. I brought it up first.”
“……What did you say?”
“You all went to Major Kim Juncheol after finding evidence in this mansion, right?”
“That’s right.”
“When did you come to the mansion to find that evidence?”
Ma Jeongwoo clicked his tongue.
“What?”
“When did you take those so-called pieces of evidence from here? Or did you bring them from outside, make them up?”
“When? You messing with me?”
“Heh heh. The operations officer isn’t foolish enough to fall for a fabricated story. If you really came here, show me the evidence.”
Players doing this event for the first time can’t leave proof of visiting the mansion.
But we’re not first-timers.
Ma Jeongwoo sighed and replied.
“Want me to tell you which room on which floor?”
“Anyone from this village would know that. Even the girl at the bakery could tell you.”
“You’re saying since we’ve never been here, show proof. Is that it?”
The butler replied with a smug expression.
“Yes.”
Ma Jeongwoo nodded toward Yoo Sora.
Yoo Sora scanned the base of the reception room pillars, found something, and pointed to an X mark drawn in lipstick.
“Jeongwoo-ssi. Found it. Here, this one. It’s the same color as my lipstick.”
All eyes turned to the lipstick mark.
Yoo Sora pulled out her red lipstick.
Ma Jeongwoo crossed his arms and stared at the butler.
“See it?”
“……What about that mark?”
“What about it? We drew it this morning when we were here. You wanted proof we came, right?”
The butler shook his head.
“Heh heh…. How do I know if you drew it now or earlier? Lipstick that color is common as dirt.”
“Right? Then how about this? It’s a mark made by my boots—color no other shoe could make.”
Ma Jeongwoo showed the black mark he’d left on the floor. Not plain black, but a mix of brown and gray patterns.
The butler brushed it off again.
“Heh heh. Can’t you make that pattern right now? Should I stomp the floor with my shoes too?”
“……Sly fox. Fine, try this one—you can’t make it now. Michael! Where’s the gum?”
Michael looked around the carpet and pointed to a gum stuck firmly to it.
“Here it is.”
Ma Jeongwoo tapped the gum with his finger and continued.
“See? The gum’s hardened. Takes time to get like that.”
“Hardened gum—”
“Throw hardened gum? No, no. Look closely—hardened gum doesn’t stick like that. It has to stick when soft, then dry out. That’s how it gets this way.”
He peeled off the gum.
Tear.
Fibers from the carpet tore free with it. The operations officer glanced between Ma Jeongwoo and the butler, then clutched his forehead.
The butler’s lips trembled in flustered denial.
“N-No! You’re saying one piece of gum proves you were here? Proof it’s yours?”
“We got it. Put it inside the gum.”
Michael grinned, twisted the gum, and pulled out a spent shell casing.
“Here it is. Spent—shell—casing.”
All eyes turned to the butler.
Caught in his lie, the butler froze. The operations officer could no longer help him.
Beep.
Kim Cheonjae’s radio crackled.
-Bring the first-floor butler to the center.
“Got it.”
Beep.
* * * * *
Everyone in the mansion gathered at the center of the first floor.
Soldiers in Goblin masks surrounded the area, chatting.
-What’s that smell? Who farted?
-No. Huh? Isn’t that oil on the floor? Why…?
-What are these yellow powders? They were sprinkled in that room too.
-Huh? Oil’s on the stairs and upstairs too. Yellow powder was in buckets?
‘Li Kuolana prepared perfectly.’
As Kim Cheonjae and Kim Juncheol descended the stairs, everyone fell silent.
At the base of the stairs, the butler—bound with rope—hung his head in despair.
I looked at the butler and said to Kim Juncheol.
“This is the real culprit.”
“You damned bastard….”
“He used Jangyu funds for research expenses. Under the pretext of hiring housekeeping, he conducted human experiments. The records are in the book I gave you—take your time reading them.”
Kim Juncheol swung his palm hard, striking the butler’s head.
Smack!
“You won’t die easy.”
The butler pleaded pitifully.
“Please spare my life…. I’ll hand all my research over to Dr. Oh….”
“Shut up. As long as you’re alive, the vengeful spirits of those killed here can’t leave.”
“…….”
I squatted in front of the butler and said to him.
“I know who you are.”
“…….”
“You were kicked out of Dr. Oh’s lab for unauthorized research, right? Son Jaegun. Son. Jae. Geun. Right?”
The butler jerked his head up in shock.
“H-How do you know my name?”
“Who knows?”
[Dr. ‘Son Jaegun’ feels cornered.]
[Realizing he can’t survive like this, ‘Dr. Son’ prepares his final resort.]
Suddenly, a barrier formed around Dr. Son, keeping everyone away.
The NPCs just talked among themselves, not wary of him.
Kim Juncheol and the operations officer discussed the day’s events.
Our group gathered around me.
“Jeongwoo. Take Sora-ssi and Michael and get out.”
“Got it. You have a lighter?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
I pulled a lighter from my pocket and tested it.
Flick. Fizz.
“It works. Good.”
“Then be careful. If it looks impossible, just bail. We can try again.”
I grinned awkwardly and patted Jeongwoo’s back.
“Don’t worry, man. Who am I?”
“The success rate’s too low, that’s why. Difficulty’s ramped up here too…. And one death ends it. This isn’t a game.”
“……Got it.”
Ma Jeongwoo scratched his head with worried eyes, then led Yoo Sora and Michael out.
Dr. Son Jaegun, bound with rope, twisted his hands into his pocket and pulled out a syringe.
It contained purple liquid.
He scraped the ground to pop the cap, then carefully injected it into his ankle.
Hiss.
I reached out, but it was like hitting invisible glass—the barrier blocked me.
“Whew.”
He took a deep breath.
Success or failure in this event comes down to one moment.
Once the purple liquid was fully injected, Son Jaegun shuddered like he had chills.
Then he collapsed to the ground.
Thud.
Kim Juncheol approached to check his condition, prying open his eyes to inspect pupils, checking pulse and heartbeat.
“……What the?”
I just observed the NPCs’ actions.
The operations officer’s movements were off. Unlike the story I knew, he wasn’t focused on Son Jaegun, but on the discarded syringe.
Glancing at Kim Juncheol, he sneaked over and slipped the syringe into his own ration pocket.
‘……Bingo.’
Son Jaegun’s body suddenly began to swell. His tight shirt and vest tore as his upper body ballooned like a golem’s.
In an instant, Son Jaegun became a giant, matching Beach Jangyu’s size.
Drooling purple liquid from his mouth, he bellowed in a raspy voice.
“Grraaah! You damned bastards. Just a little more… just a bit more time, and I could’ve completed it!!”
[Dr. ‘Son Jaegun’ has been infected with the X Virus.]
[The second story branch of the main event begins.]
[Defeat Dr. Son Jaegun and bring peace to this village.]
‘…….’
I shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Everyone, get out of the mansion!!”
My sudden yell drew all eyes. I nodded to Kim Juncheol.
He checked my face, then ordered the other soldiers.
“Everyone, withdraw!”
At his command, the unit members swiftly evacuated the mansion.
Special forces pros— their movements were lightning-fast.
I walked toward Son Jaegun, opposite their exit, drawing Baby Dragon Fang.
“Son Jaegun, sorry, but you’re dying by my hand.”
“……Fool. The injection I took is a variant of the X Virus that amplifies natural physical abilities over a hundredfold. Right now, I could smash a tank barehanded.”
I shrugged.
“The people you used for bio-research—they’re all in the basement, right?”
“……So what?”
I placed my hand on the ground.
-Revive
[System Message]
▶Revive (Mana Cost: 3)
-Resurrects a number of dead equal to the caster’s level as undead.
Remaining Mana: 0
[Summon List]
-Park Gyuhwan (Soldier) 1/1: In Combat
-Zombies (Low-tier) 18/18: In Combat
Mana fully depleted, but 18 zombies were now mine.
Success.
Son Jaegun tilted his head.
“Revive?”
Rumble.
The ground shook like an earthquake.
-Grraaahhh!!
The zombies groaned in unison, charging up from below.
I slung Baby Dragon Fang over my shoulder, smiled brightly at Son Jaegun.
“Die.”
-Kieeeek!!!
Low-tier zombies burst from everywhere, rushing him.
“W-What!”
Son Jaegun swung his massive arms, swatting away three or four. More zombies latched onto his arms and legs.
-Kiek!
-Grraaak!
Thanks to Baby Dragon Fang’s buff, even low-tier zombies packed serious strength.
“You crazy bastards. Zombies out of nowhere…. What? Hajun? Dongcheol? All my test subjects—”
Crunch!
A zombie bit the monster-ified Son Jaegun’s ankle.
He resisted fiercely, lunging toward the back door.
I whispered as I watched him.
“Enter.”
The back door unlocked with a key-turn sound.
Clank.
Creeeak.
“One Stroke Two Cuts.”
Park Gyuhwan, in iaijutsu stance, swung his sword.
Slash—
Splurt!
The blade severed both of Son Jaegun’s wrists in a flash.
“Graaaahhh!!!”
I ordered the zombies to restrain him.
They clung like leeches, immobilizing him completely.
Mission complete, Park Gyuhwan exited and shut the door.
Bang!
Clank.
Son Jaegun tried the door but couldn’t grip the handle.
Without the zombies on his hands and feet, he’d have smashed it.
He screamed.
“Grraaak! Let go! Release me, you mongrels!”
I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it.
“It’s over.”
Flick. Fizz.
I walked slowly out of the mansion, took a deep drag on the cigarette in my mouth.
Siiiip—
Then flicked the butt backward.
Whoosh!
Flames ignited the oil on the floor, spreading like falling dominoes straight to Son Jaegun.
“Graaaahhh! Save me!”
-Kieeeek!
-Grraaak!
I exhaled white smoke, stepped out, and closed the door.
Thud.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Out front, nearly a hundred players had gathered.
As I walked toward them slowly.
Boom! Kablooom! Crash!
Flames erupted from the mansion, black smoke billowing. Explosions like artillery shells collapsed the building in roars.
Heat washed over my back.
‘……Done.’
I grinned brightly at Jeongwoo and raised my middle finger.
“Told you not to worry.”
[System Message]
[S+ Difficulty Main Event Success!]
[Hidden Quest First Clear!]
[Hidden Story First Clear!]
[Rewards distributed to all participating players.]
[The saga of ‘Kim Cheonjae,’ who showed legendary play, is newly recorded in the Book of the Lion of ‘Land of Ruin: Last Game.’]
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