Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Act 23. What is Hidden, What Must Be Hidden (1)
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Someone was hiding, trying to eavesdrop on our conversation.
It was a presence I’d been sensing for a little while now.
[What will you do?]
“Leave them be.”
Even if they wanted to listen, they couldn’t have heard anything.
The succubus had created a barrier around us when she appeared.
A barrier that not only blocked sound from escaping but also prevented anyone other than me from seeing her.
‘It was a familiar presence, so I was about to investigate further.’
The moment Alpha spoke, they vanished like a ghost, erasing all traces of their presence.
It felt less like they fled because of Alpha’s words and more like they left because they hadn't gained anything.
If they had stayed a little longer, I might have remembered who it was.
They disappeared like a phantom, as if they possessed an S-rank skill.
I glanced at the spot where I'd felt the presence before turning away.
If they bore me ill will, they'd reveal themselves and plot something soon enough. If they were friendly, they'd try to make contact.
There was no need for me to rush.
They weren't powerful enough to warrant my concern.
More importantly, I needed to focus on the residential area.
“...Of course.”
A suffocating tension had erupted in the residential area.
Two factions, perfectly split in half.
The awakened and the unawakened.
‘Their positions are different.’
To prevent any potential backstabbing, if a player attacks an unawakened person first, the angel immediately cuts off their sponsorship.
Not only would their growth be halted, but in severe cases, the daily usage fees could exceed the coins they earned, potentially causing them to lose their player status.
On the other hand, the unawakened weren't receiving 'sponsorship,' so they're not under the angel's scrutiny.
Actions taken before awakening have no effect on sponsorship, so they can gain abilities without any penalties.
Despite this, there's only one reason the unawakened can't make the first move.
They can't win in a direct confrontation.
So, both sides were busy watching each other.
‘Though it seems some have already left to proceed with the missions.’
Besides that, there was one more thing the succubus didn't mention.
Something that might be even more fatal than losing sponsorship.
One truly important detail, deliberately omitted for their own amusement.
“Who gives a damn! It's better than being the one who gets screwed over!”
A player, having made his decision, pushed through the unawakened and threw a punch at a politician's face.
He judged it was better to relieve the anxiety of not knowing when he might die, even if it meant taking a penalty.
“Guhk!!”
Even if he was only D-rank, his strength was immense against an unawakened person.
The politician, who took the full force of the blow, collapsed, his face caved in beyond recognition.
His body went limp.
It was an instant kill.
“Uwaaah!?”
“A-are you crazy?! You actually killed him!”
“You murderer!!”
“Then you shouldn't have been running your mouth!”
“Come on! If you want to take our power, fight for it!”
Chaos erupted.
Terrified, the unawakened backed away, shouting accusations, while the awakened responded with threats of their own.
Even among the awakened, opinions were divided.
“He hadn't done anything yet! Killing him is just murder!”
“How do you know when they'll stab us in the back? And honestly, that greasy pig deserved to die.”
The guild masters couldn't move rashly either.
They had witnessed everything and understood the gravity of the situation.
But they, too, were awakened ‘players.’
Nevertheless, someone was bound to step up.
“What do you think you're doing!”
Seong Woo-hyeon's face hardened as he stepped forward.
Those who had argued for attacking the unawakened first flinched, but they didn't back down easily.
“This time, I can't follow your lead! We're in danger right now!”
“Yeah! Are we supposed to just sit back and wait to get stabbed in the back and die?! If we lose our powers or get killed, are you going to take responsibility for everything?!”
“Don't be swayed by the devil's tricks. There must be another way.”
“I doubt *they* think so.”
“What way? Bring us a solution!”
“Fucking hell. You want us to just trust a hostile faction in a world like this? You're talking nonsense.”
Unable to watch any longer, Lee Min-hwa also stepped forward, but it had little effect.
It only fanned the flames of the hardliners' emotions.
As the words grew harsher, the unawakened showed anger on their faces and ground their teeth, but they continued to back away in response to the players' movements.
“Th-that's what happens when a nobody runs their mouth…!”
The man's breathing grew ragged, his bloodshot eyes glaring.
Seeing that he intended to preemptively kill a few more since things had already started, the unawakened, their faces pale, screamed and tried to flee. At that moment...
*Whoosh.*
A red aura enveloped the man's body.
“Watch closely.”
I didn't miss that moment, murmuring lowly to the twins and Choi Yeon-soo.
“That is what the devil didn't mention, the real problem of this chapter.”
“What is this…?”
Noticing the strange phenomenon, the man panicked and looked himself over.
Karma.
The true penalty for an awakened person attacking an unawakened one first.
[You have harmed the innocent. Karma is now active.]
[A bounty has been placed on player ‘Jang Jong-hoon’.]
[Bounty: 2000 Coins]
“A bounty?”
“A bounty, you say?”
This time, the players' gazes changed.
You could get a large amount of coins for taking down one person.
Not only do you instantly become prey for other players, but it's not just a bounty.
You also become an easier target for monsters.
If you don't think through every single action, you'll be the one who gets devoured.
That sense of alarm, combined with the greed for coins, spread through the crowd in an instant.
“Wh-what is this…”
Seeing this, Seong Woo-hyeon was momentarily speechless, but then, judging it a good opportunity, he immediately shouted.
“You all saw that! Attacking the unawakened is not a good idea! Control your emotions and calm down!”
“That's right. If things get any more heated, we will suppress you by force.”
The players hesitated and backed away.
The unawakened sighed in relief, but their expressions had changed.
A variable like a joker card, a bounty.
The situations that could arise from it were actually giving the unawakened a reason to smile.
“Never go anywhere alone. No, don't even travel in small groups.”
The twins nodded gravely.
Choi Yeon-soo would be sticking with the guild masters as my proxy, so I wasn't worried about her.
Should I persuade Jeong Ha-yeon to stick with the twins?
Given her personality, she'd probably agree readily.
‘…No.’
I couldn't entrust the twins' safety to someone else.
There was nothing safer than keeping them with me.
I should take them with me this time, to help them grow as well.
“…”
“Oppa?”
“Hyung?”
“It's nothing.”
For a moment just now, I felt that presence again.
I activated Extreme Eye and tried to find the source of the unease, but even after scanning the names on the hundreds of status windows that popped up, I couldn't find anything unusual.
‘That feeling was definitely…’
I could feel it more clearly because it was relatively close.
…Weren't they dead?
I was sure they were dead, so how were they alive?
If they'd suddenly appeared at this timing after being unseen for so long, this place was sure to become even more chaotic.
“Everyone, don't let the devil's words play you for fools!”
Just as I was about to move, someone stepped forward from the heart of the chaos and shouted.
An ordinary person, not a player.
An NPC who originally existed in the game, a character whose fate in this chapter would diverge drastically depending on the player's choices.
“There must be a way for everyone to live without having to go that far!”
“It would be nice if there were, but…”
“Do you know of one? What is it?”
“…No, I don't. Not yet.”
“Don't just spout hopeful words without any basis! That's the most irresponsible thing you can do!”
“That's right! You're not even a player!”
“Still, I'll find a way. I will. Somehow.”
When one of the unawakened pointed and yelled at him, he answered with determination in his eyes.
The firm reply made the accuser shrink back.
He then continued with a sad smile.
“To have to kill someone just to survive… that's just… too sad, isn't it?”
There wasn't a trace of insincerity in his eyes.
A truly good person, the kind you rarely see these days.
Lee Do-hyeon.
I remembered him because he was one of the few 'completely good characters' in the game.
“Senior…?”
Watching him, Jeong Ha-yeon, who was a short distance away, muttered in surprise.
…What was this situation now?
“Ha-yeon-ssi. Do you know him?”
“Yes. He was a senior, two years above me. And… he was a senior I respected.”
“If you respected him, Ha-yeon-ssi, he must have been a very righteous person.”
“Of course. He's the kind of person who makes you think that if everyone in the world were like him, there would be no fighting.”
He was indeed the kind of person Jeong Ha-yeon would describe that way.
Once again, the line between game characters and real people had blurred, but I couldn't solve that mystery right now.
I gave a slight nod and assessed the surroundings.
The guild masters in the 'strong and good' camp seemed to be listening to Lee Do-hyeon's words relatively attentively.
‘There are actually several methods like the one Lee Do-hyeon mentioned.’
There were many ways to survive without clearing a single mission.
The drawback was that the number of people who could survive using those methods was limited.
But for those who didn't know when they might die, the mere existence of a method was what was important.
The fact that Jeong Ha-yeon and Lee Do-hyeon knew each other… might be useful.
“Well then, let's go continue with the missions.”
“Huh? Us too?”
“Yes. It's been a while, so it'll be part of your training.”
“Yay!”
The kids' eyes lit up with joy.
I hadn't been able to look after them much lately with everything going on.
Plus, it was a good chance to check how much the two of them had grown.
Choi Yeon-soo pointed blankly at herself and asked.
“What about me?”
“You're staying here to continue gathering information.”
“You bastard. You damn leader. Don't I need to secure my survival first?! You want me to just gather intel until I run out of time and die?”
I treat her nicely for a bit and now she's getting cocky.
I briefly considered smacking her one, but shook my head slightly.
“Don't worry, I'll get your share.”
“No, it's not about the reward…”
“Trust me. As long as you do your part according to the contract, I won't let you die.”
“...Ngh.”
The terms of the contract were absolute.
When I made a promise by mentioning the contract, Choi Yeon-soo could only scratch her head and say no more.
I used a contract to keep her alive for her excellent information-gathering skills, despite not knowing when she might betray me. I might have to discipline her one of these days.
“Se-hyeon-ssi.”
Just then, someone else called out to me.
I was starting to get annoyed and turned my head irritably, only to find a completely unexpected person there.
“Ha-yeon-ssi? What is it?”
“…Could I go with you?”
Jeong Ha-yeon spoke, with a slight hesitation.
“Unni, are you coming too?”
“…”
I glanced at the excited Jo Min-ah before turning my gaze back to Jeong Ha-yeon.
What was with the change of heart?
Jeong Ha-yeon, who left me once, wouldn't return without a reason.
No, it was hard to even call this a return in the first place.
She might literally just be accompanying me for this one time.
‘However.’
In any case, Jeong Ha-yeon had walked into my fold on her own two feet.
I slowly raised the corners of my mouth.
Now that Jeong Ha-yeon possessed the power of ‘Judgment,’ it was true that I didn't want to let her go if possible.
“Alright. Let's go together.”