Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 76
The joint investigation team returned to the assembly point under the protection of the Yellow Dragon investigation team.
"Th-thanks to you, we survived."
The investigators from each country who hastily set up a temporary resting place expressed their gratitude to Zhang Wei-an and Kang Jin-tae.
"AHEM. It's nothing. Protecting the investigation team is a natural duty."
Kang Jin-tae seemed to hesitate momentarily due to Kusanagi's testimony.
However, as if he had prepared for this, he used protective artifacts to help the exploration teams from various countries escape the cave collapse, instantly turning public opinion in his favor.
That public opinion, of course, was about forming a truth investigation team regarding the underground ruins of Taebaek Mage Tower.
So-yul initially didn't think too seriously about the truth investigation team.
After all, she thought any investigation would only prove Taebaek's innocence.
But her thinking changed a bit.
‘To go to such lengths and use various tactics to insist on a truth investigation means he's definitely set up a trap.’
GRIT-.
Han So-yul unconsciously bit her lower lip.
'Kang Jin-tae is a skilled specialist in barrier techniques.'
Moreover, since he was a former high-ranking researcher at Taebaek, he would know the security system of Taebaek Mage Tower inside and out.
Perhaps he had infiltrated the underground ruins of the mage tower and set up some tricks.
'Idiot, idiot!'
THWACK THWACK
So-yul hit her own head.
To fail to anticipate such a simple trap and accept the formation of a truth investigation team.
She was disqualified as a guild leader.
At this rate, she was just a prisoner waiting to be dragged to the execution ground, so she needed a clue to reverse the situation.
So-yul glared at Kang Jin-tae, who was surrounded by investigators from various countries and chatting cheerfully, and fell into deep thought.
'That man was affiliated with Taebaek, then abandoned his homeland and clung to a foreign country - an industrial spy.'
He was also a candidate who once competed with So-yul for the guild leader position, and they had a bitter relationship, clashing over research ethics at every turn.
There was logic to argue that his insistence on dispatching a truth investigation team wasn't a rational decision, but one based on personal grudges.
Moreover, his knowledge of barrier techniques and his career as a high-ranking official at Taebaek suggested the possibility that he had infiltrated the underground ruins of the mage tower and set traps.
'And that artifact.'
So-yul's gaze turned to the talisman-type artifacts held by the researchers of Yellow Dragon Mage Tower.
A large-scale defensive artifact that protected not only Yellow Dragon Mage Tower's investigation team but all the investigation teams from various countries... That could also be evidence that he was certain of the Great Cavity's mana disruption in advance.
'There are many elements to throw as suspicions.'
But there wasn't enough connecting material to link his evil intentions with the current situation.
'Decisive evidence that he infiltrated our mage tower's underground ruins. That's what I need.'
GNAW GNAW
So-yul was biting her nails and deeply troubled when it happened.
[Hey, can you hear me?]
A low, familiar voice was heard in her ear.
A voice she had been waiting for so desperately, yet never imagined she would hear at this very moment.
Han So-yul unconsciously opened her eyes wide and asked back.
"S-Seo-jin?"
[Yeah, how's the situation?]
She was happy enough to shed tears, but at the same time felt resentful.
"Wh-where are you right now! It's chaos here! Kang Jin-tae, that bastard!"
[I know. You've had a hard time.]
A calm voice with no emotion felt in it.
But right now, this voice gave Han So-yul more strength than any other comfort.
He added a word through the communicator.
[Oh, and I'm the one who dealt with the centipede and fought with Yamato Guild. You don't need to worry about my safety.]
"I-I wasn't particularly worried."
[Right, then listen carefully to what I say from now on.]
"Yes, please tell me."
[Kang Jin-tae should have an artifact in his chest right now. It's called 'Spatial Coordination Scroll', an item that was stored in the underground ruins of Taebaek Mage Tower.]
"Such!"
The underground of Taebaek Mage Tower.
The fact that an item from there was in Kang Jin-tae's hands meant So-yul's prediction was exactly right.
"As expected, that bastard..."
[Right, he secretly infiltrated the underground of Taebaek Mage Tower and stole the artifact. And he used it to freely cause mana disruption in the Great Cavity.]
"Then bringing the defensive artifact was also..."
Seo-jin continued.
[Right, it's all part of his plan. Now you know what you have to do, right?]
"Somehow steal that thing from him?"
[Right, after that I'll handle the rest.]
"But..."
Han So-yul gritted her teeth.
How could she steal the item Kang Jin-tae was keeping in his chest in front of all these people?
If she failed, the situation would obviously get worse.
[Don't worry about the others' eyes. You can do it. No, you must do it.]
Seo-jin's voice contained unwavering conviction.
She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve.
"Understood. I'll try somehow."
She couldn't keep relying on his help forever.
And he was right.
It's not about being able to do it. It's about having to do it.
Because that's the role of a leader.
[Right, and it would be more certain to steal it when there are many eyes watching.]
As Seo-jin said, to reverse public opinion, it would be better to clearly show in front of everyone that Kang Jin-tae had that item.
[If it seems too difficult, cooperate with the Yamato team.]
Seo-jin conveyed a few more pieces of information and then cut the communication.
CLICK-.
Han So-yul closed her eyes briefly and made plans in her head.
Forcibly stealing the scroll from Kang Jin-tae was nearly impossible.
Since it was key evidence in this incident, he would have hidden it thoroughly.
Moreover, even if the forced theft succeeded, if the process was unclear, it would be difficult to gain support from other research teams.
Then there was no choice but to go with a frontal approach.
'I can do it.'
So-yul, who clenched her fist tightly, called Team Leader Jung Hee-won and gave her orders.
"Team Leader Jung. I have something to discuss briefly. Please make contact with Director Kusanagi."
***
Near the temporary resting place.
"...therefore, I am in the position that dispatching a truth investigation team for Taebaek is necessary."
Kang Jin-tae was gathering with representatives from other guilds, passionately advocating to them for the formation of a truth investigation team for Taebaek Guild.
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Dr. Kang."
At Han So-yul's call, Kang Jin-tae looked at her as if annoyed.
"HUH, Guild Leader Han. Do you still have something to say? Or are you finally going to admit your wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness?"
Han So-yul spoke calmly, unfazed by his sarcasm.
"I have something urgent to tell you. Could we talk privately for a moment?"
Kang Jin-tae looked puzzled for a moment, but soon his eyes gleamed sinisterly.
"What do you mean privately? If you're confident, speak in front of everyone."
Kang Jin-tae demanded that if she had business, she should reveal it in front of everyone.
But this was what So-yul had intended.
‘That bastard always does the opposite of whatever So-yul does.’
"You'll regret it."
"HMM, it seems you still haven't grasped the situation. I have nothing to regret, so don't worry."
"...I have no choice then."
Han So-yul took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"AHEM, everyone please pay attention!"
At So-yul's shout, the gazes of investigation teams from various countries gathered.
"I want to tell the truth to Dr. Kang Jin-tae and everyone present here."
Kang Jin-tae glanced at Zhang Wei-an for a moment, then spoke with a feigned leisurely smile.
"HEH HEH, the truth. What kind of sophistry are you trying to use to get out of this situation now? I heard that Taebaek Guild is talking about some unidentified third party to avoid responsibility for this Great Cavity incident - surely you're not going to talk about that?"
A sly counter-question. But Han So-yul didn't waver.
"It's not sophistry, Doctor. Rather, the one telling the biggest lie right now is you."
Han So-yul slowly looked around at all those gathered and continued.
"This extreme mana disruption and ground collapse phenomenon that's currently shaking the entire Great Cavity, and the sudden rampage of the Yaogou Xuanchong that occurred on the Alpha route and the resulting disaster. None of this is a naturally occurring phenomenon, nor is it an accident caused by our Taebaek Guild."
"Then?"
"All of this is a disaster intentionally caused by Dr. Kang Jin-tae here! Using an artifact called 'Spatial Coordination Scroll' stolen from the underground ruins of Taebaek Mage Tower!"
"..."
The venue stirred at So-yul's bombshell statement.
"What's he talking about out of nowhere?"
"Spatial Coordination Scroll?"
"Stolen from underground ruins?"
Not only the representatives from various countries but also their subordinate investigation team members looked back and forth between Han So-yul and Kang Jin-tae with puzzled eyes.
Of course, they weren't seriously listening to So-yul's statement.
Rather, they were just puzzled by the sudden raising of suspicions.
It was a natural reaction, given Kang Jin-tae's continued gaslighting plus the fact that they owed a debt to Yellow Dragon Mage Tower.
On the other hand.
"...!"
The color drained from Kang Jin-tae's face.
'H-how the hell does that bitch know?'
A feeling as if all the blood in his body was draining out.
How could that bitch know about the existence of the Spatial Coordination Scroll?
It was the first moment when composure disappeared from his face.
But he could still manage the situation now.
Without evidence, Han So-yul's statement was nothing more than mere speculation.
Moreover, the other investigation teams in the Great Cavity still looked favorably upon Yellow Dragon.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Kang Jin-tae soon burst into loud laughter and pointed at Han So-yul.
"Guild Leader Han, are you now trying to frame others because you're cornered? Spatial Coordination Scroll? What's that supposed to be? Are you having delusions?"
He tried his best to maintain composure and dismiss So-yul's statement as delusion.
But Han So-yul calmly pointed at Kang Jin-tae's chest.
"What do you mean what? Doctor, it's that item you've carefully hidden in your chest."
"...!"
At Han So-yul's pursuit, Kang Jin-tae seemed speechless, only his lips trembling.
Cold sweats began to form drop by drop on his forehead.
Setting aside knowing about the Spatial Coordination Scroll, knowing that it was in his chest was definitely strange.
'Could there have been a traitor within Yellow Dragon? Or was there a spy in the mage tower ruins exploration team...?'
Kang Jin-tae turned his eyes to glare at Zhang Wei-an. But Zhang Wei-an only shrugged.
'They clearly said only specially selected personnel from the party participated! Why is this happening!'
While Kang Jin-tae was racking his brain, So-yul's eyes turned coldly serious.
"If you're so confident, please confirm what's in your chest right here and now. Compared to dispatching a massive truth investigation team for the mage tower's underground ruins, isn't this a very easy and simple method?"
"..."
"If that artifact is not in your possession, Doctor, I will take full responsibility and resign from my position as guild leader. I also promise all financial and legal compensation related to this incident. But if it's the opposite..."
So-yul didn't continue her words.
But everyone present could guess what would come next.
Cornered, Kang Jin-tae shouted loudly.
"HUH, that's ridiculous. Who gave you permission to search someone's chest? Are you all going to keep listening to this sophistry? Huh?"
"..."
He tried to seek agreement from those around him with an agitated voice.
But strong suspicion was already rising in the eyes of several representatives.
Han So-yul's claim was very specific.
From the exact name of the artifact called Spatial Coordination Scroll, to the claim that it was in Kang Jin-tae's chest.
If even one thing was wrong, the credibility of raising suspicions would greatly decrease.
Moreover, her attitude was too serious to dismiss her claim as mere lies.
Besides, checking according to her claim wouldn't cause any loss to the investigation teams from other countries.
Most importantly, foreign personnel weren't unaware of the bad blood between Kang Jin-tae and Han So-yul.
An industrial spy who betrayed his homeland was less trustworthy than the current association president's sister and daughter of the legendary climber Han Kyeong-cheol.
"..."
Just then, Zhang Wei-an, who had been quietly watching the situation, stepped between the two with a gentle smile.
"Now, now, everyone. Please calm down for a moment. Guild Leader Han's words do have merit, but publicly cornering someone like this without clear evidence seems excessive. Dr. Kang has long dedicated himself to the magical world. Would such a person really commit such a tremendous act? Perhaps there's some misunderstanding."
Zhang Wei-an positioned himself as a mediator with the unique atmosphere of Immortal Technique and the tone felt from his experience.
However, he only spoke with a nuance of defending Kang Jin-tae, not actively defending him.
He was even thinking of abandoning him like cutting off a tail if things went wrong.
Then.
An unexpected voice interrupted.
"Well, Director Zhang. I think Guild Leader Han's claim isn't completely unreasonable."
Everyone's attention turned to where the cold voice came from.
There stood Kusanagi Kenshin with his arms crossed, staring at Kang Jin-tae with cold eyes.
***
The heart of the Great Cavity.
Seo-jin was watching with interest Han So-yul's bold action and the chaos it caused through the Great Cavity's 'vision'.
'If things continue to flow like this, that side will sort itself out.'
A situation where Han So-yul cleverly expanded the game by even bringing in Yamato Guild.
If they could just get their hands on the fake that Kang Jin-tae possessed, all preparations would be complete.
When Seo-jin gave the signal, So-yul would infuse mana into the fake, and at that timing, he would just need to shake the Great Cavity briefly.
That would prove that Kang Jin-tae had been plotting sinister plans using the lives of the Great Cavity investigation team as collateral.
As long as he didn't get beaten to death, it would be fortunate.
It was then.
SWISH-.
A very subtle but sharp presence was felt from behind Seo-jin.
A chilling sensation as if a well-sharpened blade tip was grazing the back of his neck.
Seo-jin's expression hardened instantly.
There were extremely few who could approach this close while avoiding Seo-jin's eyes, who controlled the Great Cavity like his own limbs.
[...When did they?]
Hyeon-wol muttered with wariness.
Seo-jin slowly turned around.
A man revealed himself from the darkness where his gaze reached.
Tall with an upright posture. White hair neatly combed back.
Sharp eyes gleaming through small glasses and tightly closed lips exuded an unapproachable sense of intimidation.
On his back hung a long spear longer than his body, and a chilling aura flowed from its tip.
SWOOSH-.
One of the core forces of the top-floor strategy team, a man called a living legend.
When he opened his mouth, a familiar voice coldly pierced his ears.
"I am Divine Spear Lee Seo-mun."