Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Searching for the Master (1)
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[15 minutes ago, a high-rise building overlooking some officetel.]
"Indeed, my prediction was spot on."
Kim Chung-sun, one of the National Intelligence Service's black agents, crammed the remaining half of his hamburger into his mouth and picked up his camera.
The lens stretched out long like a cannon barrel—a tool straight out of a journalist's kit.
Inside that camera were images captured from multiple CCTVs.
"The guy living near the first sighting. The one whose trail suddenly vanished. A dude who looks primed for a Granada Impact replay. A man whose personal credit card use dropped off a cliff recently. Someone who traveled from Seoul to Mungyeong on the day it got cleared... just the one."
No clear face on the guy, but one older photo showed a blond, blue-eyed man—the U.S. President's aide—escorting a certain young man.
"Wonder how many folks know but play dumb. Heh."
And the latest shot: a single black limousine.
Tinted windows hid the interior, but in this line of work, a limo pulling out of a place like this officetel was bound to turn heads.
"What's the use of scrambling five decoy cars elsewhere? Criminals always circle back to the scene."
Doesn't that sound like you're just talking to yourself? "That's why I'm talking—'cause you're listening, Belovsky."
Oh come on. White Deer River. Kim Chung-sun smirked, twisting the corner of his mouth at the voice coming through speakerphone.
"So, what's the payout?"
20 billion. "20 billion won? Damn, that's generous for just tipping you off."
20 billion rubles. "........"
Kim Chung-sun furrowed his brow.
"Hold up. You guys aren't scheming something shady, are you?"
We're just trying to suss out the Master's 'preferences.' "......."
Whether the maid's cosplaying a game character... or if he's the miracle-worker our agency imagines. "Miracle, huh... Yeah, so to you game nerds, she really passes for the real Elaine?"
That's our assessment. "You seriously buy that a game character gets summoned into real life?"
Hunters popped up, Towers appeared, the System's aiding folks—why not? The U.S. is already leaning that way provisionally. "......."
A game entity in the real world.
Kim Chung-sun still couldn't swallow it, but they sure seemed dead serious.
"One question before I cash in those 20 billion rubles. I pegged the guy 'cause the bodyguard tailing the President's aide is an old buddy of mine—but what's your hard evidence it's a legit game character?"
No records on anyone born in West Virginia, no matter how deep we dig. U.S. starts dumping cash into game devs outta nowhere. And the clincher... "The clincher?"
Our team's weeb buddy swears the voice matches the VA's—like a Japanese seiyuu spitting fluent Korean. "......."
I legit thought that VA awakened as an S-Rank. Nope. That's how we pieced it together—and your tip sealed the cross-check. Your side? "Our side..."
Kim Chung-sun gave a wry smile at the smartphone's response.
"They know, but they're in denial. Still peddling the line that 'America's S-Rank Hunter's just screwing with Korea.'"
Spooks with minds that stiff? "Eh... honestly, who cares at this point."
Kim Chung-sun rose from his seat.
"No clue what you're plotting against a Master wrangling an S-Rank Hunter with U.S. backing now, but count me out. I just did my damn job."
Selling intel to foreign powers? "Hey now. Selling? You peg me for a traitor? Nah, some hotshot Russian hacker jacked the neatly sorted files off my personal laptop without asking—and force-fed 20 billion rubles into my secret account to frame me."
Sure, let's roll with that. The call... "All good. I'm ditching it now, so chill."
Roger. Evac the site, stat. Beep.
The call cut off.
Kim Chung-sun hefted the camera again, zooming toward a certain officetel room where figures were closing in.
"Man, you'd swear I was a real NIS spook... Whoa, what?"
The black-suited operatives looked like NIS agents ripped from a flick—some straight-up authentic, others disguised.
"Why the hell are actual agents in the mix... Damn, those too."
A few screamed Russian; others were Korean through and through, disguises be damned.
"This is off. Director must've lost his shit. Team gone rogue? Ha, Moscow trip later might get awkward with those clowns."
Kim Chung-sun chuckled bitterly and grabbed his smartphone.
"Sigh. Dad named me to stay loyal to the country, and now that loyalty's peddled off to—"
Bang.
Gunfire.
For a split second, he wondered if some idiot had speakers cranked—but no, it was real.
"These lunatics...!"
Kim Chung-sun dropped low fast.
At the same time, he swung the camera toward the officetel.
Thud. Thump.
Sounds carried.
With every flicker of black shadow, agents dropped one after another.
NIS grunts, sure—but those KGB elites? Subdued and floored by the shadow.
What the—?!
What the hell's that noise?
Movie shoot? Shit, what... Aaaagh!!
Civilians startled by the shots freaked out, screaming.
"Ah, we're fucked."
Targeted on purpose?
Leaking the op to civilians to sow chaos?
If so, U.S. intel—CIA, FBI—would catch hell later.
Bang!
"!!"
Kim's hideout window shattered; a bullet lodged in the ceiling fluorescent.
Glass rained down behind his head. Kim nearly blanked out but hurled himself sideways.
Ding. Text from a familiar number on-site: [Handle it yourself^^] "......."
Handle what, exactly.
Fail to get it, and this phone probably goes boom.
"...Not U.S. agents."
Had to be. His earpiece wiretap picked up nearby U.S. intel scrambling in panic, yelling back and forth.
"......Ha, shit."
Kim Chung-sun wiped the camera clean, yanked the memory chip, and dropped it in a beaker of gray solution.
Sizzle...
The chip dissolved. Another text pinged.
[Good.] "......."
What the actual fuck.
Kim Chung-sun opted to blank his mind.
Think too hard, and whoever mulched those dozen-plus agents puts one in his skull.
"Going full rogue, huh."
He slumped his head.
"Damn... how the hack did they crack it...?"
Kim let out a hollow laugh at the bluescreen glow on his smartphone—not some random app, the whole damn thing.
"Not like anyone's getting pranked. Hack like this. Ha... Tsk."
He fished out something else from his pocket—not the phone.
A notebook.
"......Second underling: elite hacker. Terminator...? RoboCop?"
Hand hovering to jot it down—
"Nah, screw it. No bonus pay."
Notebook tossed aside. Eyes shut.
"...Man, I wanna awaken too."
Ambulance sirens wailed from below as Kim Chung-sun blacked out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Sorry. Looks like we picked up a tail."
"Nothing to apologize for."
Patrick stared at his smartphone in a fluster, but I just breathed relief at the message on mine.
[Processing complete☆] What got processed?
For one: the NIS tail on our limo.
For two: foreign gov agents sniffing around my place on the sly.
"Patrick. Can you relocate my stuff from home to somewhere secure?"
"...Within Korea? We can shift it to near Pyeongtaek for starters."
"Make it happen."
"Um..."
Patrick eyed me like he had a question burning.
"Did you 'recruit' some other Awakener we don't know about?"
"......."
"Ah, if that's offensive, my bad. But an agent popping outta your house and trading shots with the outsiders... that's..."
"Yeah. Recruited."
Summons, technically—but can't blab that, official or not.
Not unless I'm dropping an aircraft carrier, kaiju robot, or planet-busting super battleship someday.
"Info warfare whiz. Handled my six. I needed backup..."
Beep.
Text inbound.
"...Rockefeller?"
I muttered the name without thinking. Patrick's eyes hardened.
"...Apologies, Master. Our intel must've leaked. Won't happen again."
"Don't expect zero leaks. I'm East Asian; America's white man's land."
Hits home again: no safe havens.
Just safe nests.
Planning to hole up, summon minions, game it out—but missiles or hitmen? Pass.
"Gimme my own private bubble. Full support from this list, privacy locked down."
I showed Patrick the pre-vetted roster from my partners.
Your classic internet meme fare: 'Pick 30 perks for a decade of bliss'—the works.
"Got it. We'll double down on your safety and opsec too."
"Cool. Then... Hold up."
Another text check.
"Yeah, Elaine."
[Reporting from Yeosu. Hunters who climbed Jeju Tower aren't coming back down. Can't seem to relay that I'm here to the raid party.] "Really? Iron Blood too?"
[Yes. Even turning back now...] "Unless they're boss-dipping off the Tower, descent'll take longer. Perfect—let's raid while they're tied up."
I thumbed the summoner app quick.
"Patrick."
"Yes, Master."
"Know but act clueless. See but unsee. Capisce?"
"Memory-wipe pen at the ready."
Patrick donned shades, arm over one eye.
Click. Click.
Fwosh.
White light erupted from me.
"Greetings again, Advisor Patrick."
"......."
Elaine materialized.
Plopped right on my lap.
"Problem?"
"...Nope."
Patrick shook it off smooth.
"Key thing: Dokdo-bound."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And soon enough.
A freighter hauling the black limo rendezvoused with the carrier, closing on Dokdo.