Chapter 197
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Round 12 Begins
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At the end of every month, players get on edge.
The moment they cross over to the other world, their real bodies become defenseless.
All they have to protect their narcoleptic selves is a well-secured house.
That was the situation right now, with thirty minutes left until midnight on December 1st.
"Hire civilian bodyguards, then."
As Jang Chen, the junior, chimed in after hearing the explanation, he got smacked on the back of the head right away.
"Hey, you idiot. Do you think players—who can only trust themselves—would hire outsiders? What if they get backstabbed like this?"
"Come on, no bodyguard would target a sleeping player, right? They wouldn't get paid if they kill them."
The senior raised his hand again, making Jang Chen flinch.
"They'd still get paid, you punk. Some other player commissioning the hit would cough up the cash."
"Now bodyguards are getting bribed for assassinations?"
"That's right. In times like these, you can't trust anyone. You're way too naive, always trusting people like that."
"Heh heh..."
Jang Chen rubbed the back of his head with a dumb grin.
"Now I get it. That's why that Black Scythe guy doesn't have any bodyguards."
"Exactly. No matter how strong you are, if someone slits your throat while you're asleep, you're off to the afterlife. Who'd want people around in that situation?"
"But that villa seems too flimsy for someone like that, doesn't it? It's so rundown, it'd be easy to break into."
"Players all live in high-security places. He probably thought a spot like that was safer."
"Ugh, that makes sense. As expected, big bro's got sharp insight."
"Don't suck up. Think that'll make me like you?"
The senior replied curtly, but the corners of his mouth were already curving up.
He didn't love having such a soft-hearted junior, but that very trait made him reliable.
His knife skills were top-notch, and these moments of flattery made him seem kinda cute sometimes.
"But how long do we have to wait? It's been an hour already."
"Ugh, you whiner. So many complaints? Shut up and wait, punk."
Cute? Scratch that.
When he acted this brainlessly, the senior's hand automatically went to the back of his head.
Prompted by the words, the senior glanced at the black society juniors crouched around him.
Five in total, including himself.
More than enough for an ambush.
If anything, it was too many.
One person was plenty to slit throats.
"Just a bit longer. Still twenty-five minutes till midnight."
"My legs are numb, but I'll endure. You said there'd be a fat bonus after this..."
"Don't worry, punks. Our boss takes good care of that stuff."
Grinning, they patiently waited for midnight.
And time passed. The moment arrived.
"Huh? Lights went out."
The villa's lights, which had been on the whole time, flicked off.
The clock showed five minutes to midnight.
"Target's probably prepping to head to the other world."
Of course, they knew exactly which room Black Scythe was in.
They'd gotten the info from Yang Quiwen and confirmed it with their own eyes.
Seeing Black Scythe opening and closing the window.
"Should we move now?"
"Wanna die? Boss said exactly at midnight."
"Exactly at midnight?"
"Yeah. Narcolepsy hits like clockwork. Even if we move then, it's not too late. No need to be sneaky. A bomb going off right next to him wouldn't wake the guy."
"Aha."
Jang Chen nodded and checked the time.
Tick- tick- tick!
Exactly midnight.
"Alright. Time to move..."
The senior, about to launch the operation, lost his words in an instant.
Stab- stab-
Jang Chen was blocking his comrades' mouths while plunging a knife into their throats.
Thud- thud-
"You bastard...!"
The senior tried to react to his falling juniors, but Jang Chen's sashimi was faster.
Stab-!
"Gahk!"
Stab- stab- stab- stab-!
The senior, stabbed dozens of times in the gut, glared in disbelief.
His eyes seemed to ask how Jang Chen could betray them.
"No need to glare like that. I have a different master."
Jang Chen looked down at the senior's corpse with soulless eyes, then raised his head.
Four bodies excluding his own pooled blood around him.
"Time to head back."
The slaughter wasn't over yet.
One more mission remained.
Jang Chen glanced at the villa and turned in the opposite direction.
* * *
Ryu Min opened his eyes and knew right away upon seeing the colorless space.
Round 12 had begun.
And a few minutes later, seeing his unharmed body, he realized.
Jang Chen had killed his comrades as planned.
'Yamtti's ability is so damn useful.'
Foiling Yang Quiwen's plan hadn't been hard.
He dominated one of the black society members who'd entered Korea, then made him betray them on the day of the operation.
'He even showed himself to prove I was in the villa. They had no choice but to buy it.'
In fact, to make them believe until the very end, Ryu Min had really stayed in the villa.
He'd even told his little brother he'd be out for a week.
'It caused some misunderstanding that I have a girlfriend, but whatever. As long as Won is safe.'
To avoid any risk to his brother, he left the real house alone and made the villa look like his main residence.
They might come looking for revenge on Black Scythe later, but since it was Lost Ark's old place, there'd be no loose ends.
'That wasn't the only order I gave Jang Chen.'
By now, the guy who'd killed his comrades was probably heading back to China.
To carry out Yamtti's order to assassinate all the black society members.
'Same side, so assassination shouldn't be too tough. Most of the organization will probably end up dead.'
When the round ended, Yang Quiwen would find out.
That he'd been backstabbed.
And royally so—it'd sting bad.
Imagine returning to reality to find all your men dead. How crushing would that be?
Plus the operation failed, so Yang Quiwen's gut would be boiling.
'Why poke a sleeping lion?'
Ryu Min's lips curled up.
With Yang Quiwen's plan failed, they'd have no choice but to follow the swingman plan he'd proposed.
'John Delgado's probably figured it out by now. That Yang Quiwen's op failed.'
He'd searched Black Scythe's name as part of tracking and realized he was still alive.
'No doubt he's sighing right now. Having to apologize to the Black Scythe he hates so much.'
John would have to seek out Black Scythe per the swingman plan.
'Will John Delgado swallow his pride and come find me?'
It was more likely he wouldn't, but Ryu Min decided to wait.
After standing with arms crossed for a few minutes, someone else showed up instead.
"Black Scythe!"
His inseparable ally, Min Ju-ri.
"Long time no see! So glad to see you!"
"It's only been two months. Long time?"
"Only two? Felt like years."
The last time Min Ju-ri saw Black Scythe was in Round 10.
She hadn't met him in Round 11 due to Ryu Min's prophecy forbidding it.
"You'll let me join your party this time, right? My buffs are helpful."
"Party? You sound like you already know the round's mission."
"N-No way! I just mean if it's a party mission, let me in. Haha..."
Min Ju-ri tried to hide her fluster from his teasing, which struck him as oddly cute.
'As Min Ju-ri said, this round's a cooperation quest. Five-man parties.'
He already knew who to pick for his party.
'Min Ju-ri's a given.'
Her mentioning joining was due to Ryu Min's prophecy, but he pretended not to know.
"If I end up forming a team, you're in. Buffers are useful."
"Really? Thanks! Just say the word, and I'll buff you up big time!"
"Appreciated."
Then another group arrived looking for Black Scythe.
Not John Delgado.
It was Seo Ah-rin, Ma Kyung-rok, and Ahn Sang-chul.
"Hello, Black Scythe."
"......"
"......"
Seo Ah-rin greeted brightly, but Ma Kyung-rok and Ahn Sang-chul didn't.
Just last round, they'd ended with zero points because of Black Scythe.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't his fault, but still.
"Hello, Democracy."
"Hello, Seo Ah-rin, Ahn Sang-chul, Heavenly Demon."
They exchanged greetings since they knew each other, but Ma Kyung-rok's gaze on Min Ju-ri was different.
'That guy's got the hots for Min Ju-ri.'
It was inevitable.
After a few buffs, he'd realized firsthand how useful they were.
"I've noticed before, but you three are always together?"
Seo Ah-rin answered Min Ju-ri's question.
"Ah, we're from the same agency."
"So you've been teamed up since Round 1?"
"Something like that."
But Ma Kyung-rok and Ahn Sang-chul didn't notice Seo Ah-rin subtly distancing herself.
They were just thinking of stealing Min Ju-ri from Black Scythe.
"Where do you live, Democracy?"
Min Ju-ri hesitated at Ma Kyung-rok's sudden question before answering.
"......Seoul."
"Oh, really? Which part?"
"Yeonhui-dong."
"Oh, that's close. I live in Gangnam. Wanna meet up sometime? I can introduce you to my company and agency."
"Your company?"
"You heard of PlePle Market? I'm the CEO there."
"Huh? Oh."
Ma Kyung-rok looked puzzled at Min Ju-ri's surprised expression.
"Why? You don't know it?"
"No, I do. I've browsed it a few times."
She spoke calmly, but her surprise was for a different reason.
She knew Ryu Min was a joint operator of PlePle Market.
'So this guy's working with Min...?'
Having figured out Heavenly Demon's identity, Min Ju-ri went quiet.
She didn't want to accidentally spill info about Ryu Min.
"You just browsed? Never used it?"
"Uh......"
"Why not? You could trade for cash, get items you want. Even gold trades, and we're thinking of adding point trades lately."
"Oh, I see. But I don't really have anything to buy or sell."
That was true, but really it was because of what Ryu Min had said beforehand.
'Min said never to join PlePle Market.'
She didn't know why, but she'd kept that promise so far.
Ma Kyung-rok could only smack his lips in regret.
'Tch, I was gonna check Yeonhui-dong members if she joined.'
That way, he could've easily found her real address.
As Ma Kyung-rok eyed Min Ju-ri with regret, an angel appeared.
[Hello, humans? Welcome to Round 12. First, let's check numbers.]
The angel manipulated the air with its fingers, then hummed.
[39,402 survivors—a drop of 619. But what to do? This round's a quest where you need five-per-team. Divides by five leaves two extras. Hmm......]
The angel seemed troubled, but Ryu Min knew.
It was all calculated theater.
How to handle the two leftovers was already decided.
[No helping it. Form five-man teams; the leftover two auto-delete.]
"What?"
"No way!"
[Forming a team quick is a skill too. Can't be helped.]
The angel said so, but it truly couldn't.
The system was set from the start for unteamed players to vanish.
[To avoid being one of those unlucky two, better team up fast? Now, for the 12th round quest everyone's curious about?]
Soon after, a quest window appeared before everyone.