Chapter 421: A Difference in Class (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 421: A Difference in Class (3)
Unlike the initial plan, which was to overwhelm the enemy as quickly as possible, everyone had agreed that the operation to conquer the upper floors would proceed slowly and steadily over time.
There were several reasons for this change, but the biggest was probably time.
When we launched the first operation, time was our enemy.
We didn't know when the enemy would grasp the full extent of our movements, so we had to launch a swift surprise attack to deal a major blow before they could figure us out.
Unlike then, time was now on our side.
We had seized control of all passages, large and small, leading to the Black Market.
The key figures of the Black Market, including Hexagram, were holed up on the upper floors.
No matter how thoroughly they had prepared, there was a limit to how long they could hold out in a sealed-off space.
We, on the other hand, could procure anything we wanted from the outside. Weren't we in a much more comfortable position?
In the end, we didn't have to force our way in and increase our own casualties. If we just kept poking at them and applying pressure, the gates would eventually open.
“…And that’s the summary of the operation.”
I wasn't so sure.
On paper, it seemed like a very rational approach.
“But something about it doesn’t sit right with me.”
The first thing that stoked my anxiety was the fact that Han Ju-hee had so readily agreed to this plan.
“Why did that woman even come along?”
She hadn't done anything particularly noteworthy, nor had she done anything to help the other side.
If I had to describe her current position, it would be neutral.
It was as if she didn't want to help or belong to either side, be it Hexagram or the allied nations.
“…Or maybe she has no other choice?”
My gaze fell on Seo-yeon, who was sitting and talking with the other team members.
Perhaps Seo-yeon’s presence was hindering her actions.
If she tried to help Hexagram, she’d have to worry about her disobedient, rampaging daughter getting hurt.
But if she sided with us, she would be branded a traitor by them.
“That makes sense.”
I hoped my guess was correct.
If it was, I could worry about her a little less, at least for this operation.
In any case, putting that aside…
That wasn't the only thing bothering me.
The fact that the walls and barriers surrounding the upper floors were excessively sturdy was also a concern.
And the enemy's response was far too relaxed.
And one more thing.
“Uh… there’s one here, too?”
“Over here as well, Pup… no, Do-jin!”
“I found one, too.”
Our operation wasn't limited to simply hammering away at the upper floors.
While many villains had died in the process of capturing the Black Market's key locations, just as many had escaped.
Part of the operation was to search potential hideouts and root them out.
And in the process, we began to discover some very strange corpses.
“Hmm… this body doesn’t have a single drop of blood left either.”
“It’s a mummy. Completely.”
“Gross…”
The blood that should have been in the bodies was gone.
The common trait among all the corpses was that they were shriveled up as if their blood had been forcibly drained by something.
And…
“Ah, all of these bodies were stabbed in the heart.”
There were marks on their chests, indicating that their hearts had been deeply pierced by something.
Judging by the depth and width of the wounds, I guessed it was a dagger or a similar weapon…
It was a fatal wound, enough to take a life, but it wasn't the cause of death.
The reasons they died were all different.
In other words, someone had driven a blade into the hearts of already-dead bodies and drained their blood through some method.
At first, I thought a Hunter with blood-related abilities was part of our operation.
So I had asked Ju-yeon to look into it.
“Ju-yeon. Did you find out about what I asked?”
“Yeah… I checked not just Korea, but Japan and China, too. They said there are no Hunters with blood-related abilities.”
Surprisingly, the answer came back that there were no such allies among us.
“Hmm…”
None on our side.
That meant I couldn't rule out the possibility of an enemy or a third party.
“This is getting complicated.”
If it wasn't an ally, there was a high probability they would function as an obstacle to us in some way.
The worst-case scenario was a third party or group intervening and operating in the shadows.
Or I had to consider the possibility that they were reinforcements for the Hexagram members isolated on the upper floors.
“This won't do…”
More and more unsettling factors kept popping up, making a leisurely, time-consuming operation feel dangerous.
One wrong move, and we might be the ones getting worn down, not the enemy.
After one last glance at the shriveled corpse, I stood up.
“Let’s head back.”
It seemed the time had come to settle this.
* * *
Saintess Sophia had been a great help to Kim Do-jin throughout this operation.
She relayed his opinions in strategy meetings he couldn't attend and gave him detailed descriptions of the atmosphere at the time.
She had continuously provided him with invaluable assistance.
So this time, I had planned to convey my opinion through her again, but I changed my mind.
I would borrow her power to gather the leaders of the various nations and speak to them directly.
“You said you had something urgent to tell us… What is it?”
At the question from Minister of National Defense Chen Lao, I stood up and answered.
“I would like to propose a change to the operation.”
“A change to the operation…?”
A murmur went through the room.
At that, Han Ju-hee, who had been glaring at me with a displeased expression the entire time, asked in a sharp tone.
“What is this all of a sudden?”
Her tone and expression clearly said, Go on, talk all you want. But I won't follow a single word you say.
It didn't matter.
I had already written her off as a non-factor before this even began.
“The reason we need to change the operation is… first, it’s taking too much time.”
The hardness of the walls and barriers surrounding the upper floors.
I calculated the time it would take to analyze them thoroughly and break through.
“At this rate, it will take at least a month.”
A month.
A long time if you think it's long, a short time if you think it's short.
It might seem short for the time it takes to eradicate Asia's largest Black Market, but we had to be prepared for any contingency.
“We cannot ignore the possibility of enemy reinforcements arriving from the outside to strike at our rear.”
This was a situation that demanded suspicion, especially because we were in China, not some other country.
The land is vast, and the population is large.
That means there are more public officials managing them compared to other countries, and the majority of them are corrupt.
If you grease the right palms, setting foot in China isn't all that difficult.
After planting a reasonable seed of doubt in the minds of those gathered here, I brought up another danger.
“And recently, peculiar corpses have been discovered in the Black Market.”
“Peculiar corpses… you mean the shriveled ones that were reported earlier?”
“Yes.”
It was only a possibility.
That they could be a third faction, or a support force for Hexagram preparing to ambush our allies.
But a mere possibility wasn't enough to move them.
“I am convinced that they are members of Hexagram. I believe the shriveled corpses are a sign that they are gathering strength in preparation for a full-scale battle.”
It might be a leap in logic, but it wasn't an issue to be taken lightly.
As of today, the number of shriveled corpses discovered was over a hundred.
Considering the bodies we hadn't found yet, that number was likely just the minimum.
With that much blood, it was certainly enough to consider the involvement of a group.
“For these reasons, I’ve come to think that time may not be entirely on our side. That is why I proposed a change in the operation.”
“You’re saying it might be better to press hard and finish this quickly.”
“That is correct.”
Heads nodded in agreement.
No one gathered here wanted to stay for long.
Now that the possibility that time wasn't exclusively on their side had been planted, that was even more true.
Just as the flow of the meeting began to shift in the direction Kim Do-jin wanted…
Han Ju-hee, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.
“I understand what you mean. It’s a perfectly reasonable argument.”
“Thank you.”
“But… isn’t there one fact you’ve overlooked?”
“Overlooked?”
When Kim Do-jin asked back as if he didn't understand, she continued, one corner of her mouth twisting into a smirk.
“The passage to the upper floor.”
“Ah…!”
“Right, there was that.”
People sighed in realization.
Sensing the momentum shifting back to its original course, Han Ju-hee finished her words in a relaxed manner.
“If we can’t open that passage, we have no choice but to continue this sluggish war of attrition.”
There was only one passage to the upper floor.
A single door that would never open unless a preset mana pattern was entered.
The original key cards that opened the way to the upper floor had long since become useless.
It was because they had changed the door's mana pattern, as if they had anticipated this very moment.
The number of possible patterns was nearly infinite.
If you were unlucky, you could try inputting them one by one for years and still not open it.
“In that case, it would be better to continue pressuring the enemy through a war of attrition like we are now…”
That would be better.
That was what she was about to argue.
“That pattern… I already know it.”
“……?”
Until Kim Do-jin made his claim in a tone filled with conviction.