Chapter 133
Chapter 133
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: ACT.24 Hunters (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Our… mission… is… a success….”
He nodded, his eyes glazed over.
It was the Eyes of Bewitchment, the skill the Succubus possessed.
Its performance was certainly reliable.
I used the same method to implant false memories into the other men before releasing them from their restraints.
Their steps were so listless, you might mistake them for zombies.
Once they regained their senses after walking for a while, they would return to their base with the false memories intact.
Especially their leader.
I grabbed the arm of Lee Do-hyeon, who was still sprawled on the ground, and helped him up.
“Ah, th-thank you.”
“You were too complacent. In some ways, the inside of a residence is more dangerous.”
“I… I’m reflecting on my actions. I’m ashamed.”
Lee Do-hyeon bowed his head with an embarrassed look.
I lowered my voice and asked him a question.
“Lee Do-hyeon-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“By any chance… do you know a game called ‘End of Apocalypse’?”
It was an important question.
The strange situation I’d experienced several times now, where game characters and real people were connected.
The game and reality had merged. So, the appearance of NPCs wasn't an issue.
However, it was clearly bizarre for a connection to form between an NPC and a real person who should have no knowledge of each other.
Lee Do-hyeon was a character who appeared in the game, yet he was connected to the real person, Jeong Ha-yeon, as her senior from school.
If so, were the NPCs themselves aware of this?
“No? What’s that?”
“…”
Lee Do-hyeon’s eyes widened as if he had no idea.
With nothing more to say, I slowly shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
This wasn’t a simple materialization of a game.
Something deeper was at play.
There was definitely something going on, but I had no idea what it was.
Shaking off the very unpleasant feeling creeping over me, I wrapped darkness around Lee Do-hyeon.
It created an effect similar to stealth, so unless someone’s mana was exceptionally high, they wouldn’t even notice Lee Do-hyeon was there.
“Wear this mask and cloak.”
“This is…?”
“I can assure you that sticking with me is the safest option.”
When I gave a slight smile, Lee Do-hyeon also gave a wry smile and put on the mask and cloak.
They were pieces of equipment that lowered others' cognitive awareness of the wearer.
It was different from stealth.
It was similar to that feeling when you’re holding your phone but still ask, “Where’s my phone?”
You can see them, but you don’t recognize that you’re seeing them.
I got them back when the guilds were trying to scout me.
As long as he wore those two items, it would be difficult for anyone to notice his presence, even if he was standing right next to them.
“Let’s go. We’re about to get a little busy.”
Lee Do-hyeon looked like he had many questions, but perhaps sensing I had no intention of answering, he kept his mouth shut and followed.
Since I went to the trouble of saving him, there were many ways I needed to make use of him.
“First, the Hongryeon Guild.”
“The Hongryeon Guild? Ah, I see. You’re planning to start by relaying what I found out.”
“No. We’ll keep that hidden for a while.”
“What? Then why…?”
As I picked up the pace, the sound of footsteps behind me quickened as well.
Spreading that information would be most effective at a specific time.
I answered without turning my head.
“To make the deception convincing, we’ll need a plausible corpse to be sure.”
***
“…We must rise up. For our own protection!”
When I brought Lee Do-hyeon to the plaza where the kids would be waiting, a man in a mask was giving a speech.
It was a familiar sight.
It didn’t take long for me to recall.
“Here we go again.”
A nearby player grimaced, as if fed up.
“Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?”
“How could he? I heard he’s already hunted dozens of players.”
“At this rate, his faction will grow bigger and stronger, and he might just overthrow the guilds.”
“Nah, no way. You think it’ll go that far? Even if they awaken by killing players, they’re just E-rank, right? A hundred E-ranks gathered together won’t amount to much.”
Players were mostly showing their disapproval, while the non-awakened were confused.
The fact that they were confused was a problem in itself.
Right now, they were passively under protection, but there was no telling when they might turn into enemies.
Even knowing that, we couldn’t attack him to stop the speech because of the penalty.
It was a structure that was bound to frustrate players one way or another.
“You should be resting at our quarters. Why are you out here?”
“Ah, Oppa. That’s…”
“What do you think? It’s because of that guy.”
Choi Yeon-soo narrowed his eyes and pointed at the man giving the speech.
I had deliberately spoken to them, and as expected, no one noticed Lee Do-hyeon’s presence.
Lee Do-hyeon moved his arms around in wonder, then stopped awkwardly when he saw me watching him.
If he wanted to stay safe, he would be careful on his own.
I turned my gaze away from Lee Do-hyeon.
“It was the same at the stadium and in other places… There are always people who use their eloquence to win others over.”
“That’s just how it is. Either you’re a good talker, or you’re overwhelmingly strong. The world revolves around those two types of people. If you’re neither, you’re bound to fall behind. Well, if not that…”
Choi Yeon-soo glanced at me and gave a cryptic smile.
“You have to pick the right side.”
“Totally agree. Se-hyeon-hyung is the best.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“No, for real. If it weren’t for you, Hyung, Min-ah wouldn’t have gained such incredible power, and neither would I, right?”
Jo Min-woo grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head.
Perhaps feeling a greater sense of closeness to me after awakening, Min-woo often spoke to me casually.
It was a sign that his trust in me had grown, so it wasn’t a bad change.
It was a little surprising that Jeong Ha-yeon was still with the kids.
Had she really decided to come back to my side?
Or was it because she was worried about the twins who were with me?
If Jeong Ha-yeon was going to be part of my group, it was good for her to get along with the twins, but if not, it wasn’t good for them to get too close.
In the event that the twins ever left my side.
That was something that must never happen.
‘That aside.’
I watched the man delivering his speech, adjusting the rhythm and power of his words.
I might as well see what he’s planning.
“It seems we have quite a large audience for my speech today.”
The masked man looked around and paused his speech for a moment.
His gaze briefly stopped on me, and for a split second, our eyes met.
In that instant, I felt like the man had smiled.
“Trust is built when people talk face to face. Since so many are listening, I think I’ll take off this stuffy mask for today.”
The man slowly removed his mask.
Those who saw his revealed face let out short screams or gasps.
That was how gruesome his face was.
Due to a horrific scar, about half of his face was so mangled it was hard to look at.
However, it wasn’t difficult to guess what his original face might have looked like.
“Choi Nam-hoon!?”
The twins and Jeong Ha-yeon, who knew him from the stadium, cried out in shock.
“You were alive!?”
“No way…! Back then, he was definitely attacked by the monsters…”
Apart from their confusion about what had happened, the reactions of those who didn’t know the situation at the stadium were quite different.
When people feel ‘pity,’ their hearts tend to lean slightly in that person's favor without them even realizing it.
It was the same now.
Whether they were non-awakened or players.
After seeing Choi Nam-hoon’s face, the atmosphere had changed considerably.
“My face became like this because of players. That’s right. I was persecuted.”
“Wh-what did you say!?”
“To be so hideously disfigured…!”
The anger of the non-awakened surged.
He had attacked a powerless, non-awakened person and left them with such a gruesome appearance.
That one statement created a sense of solidarity and anger, as if it could have happened to them.
Provoked, Jeong Ha-yeon shouted at Choi Nam-hoon.
“Don’t lie! Last time at the stadium, you were inciting people and got caught in your own scheme and were attacked by monsters! And you’re a player yourself!”
For a moment, Choi Nam-hoon smirked.
As if he had been waiting for her to say that.
“Look, everyone! These powerful people are even making up stories to corner me! A player, you say? I have never been one. If I were really a player, why would I be here, speaking with such difficulty? Why would I be leading something like a ‘player hunt’? What merit is there in it for me?”
“There’s a limit to how shameless one can be…!”
We, at least, remembered what happened at the stadium.
Unable to listen to Choi Nam-hoon’s outrageous claims any longer, Jo Min-woo ignited flames on both his fists and tried to approach him.
But he was stopped shortly after when I grabbed his shoulder.
“Stop. If you do that, you’ll be playing right into Choi Nam-hoon’s hands again.”
“But, Hyung…!”
“Listen to Oppa. It’s not like I’m not angry either, but I’m holding back.”
“That’s right. Calm down. I’m angry too, but… if you let yourself get swayed, you lose.”
When Jo Min-ah and Jeong Ha-yeon also held him back, Jo Min-woo, though fuming, backed down.
Lee Do-hyeon… had a complicated expression.
There was a reason Choi Nam-hoon was speaking like that.
Only I could ‘see’ that reason, so I slowly considered the various possibilities.
“I can appraise him. Please wait a moment.”
A player from the Hongryeon Guild stepped forward.
She was quite famous for having a rare trait.
‘Was it something like a lesser version of Extreme Eye?’
An ability that allowed her to roughly gauge the power of a target upon contact.
It was too lacking to be compared to Extreme Eye, as it couldn't identify the exact power and required physical contact.
If things continued like this, it would go exactly as Choi Nam-hoon intended, but I didn’t bother stopping her.
“Whether you’re telling the truth or not, I can find out everything. You know that, right?”
“Of course. I’ve only spoken the truth, so please, feel free to inspect me.”
She approached Choi Nam-hoon and reached out her hand, then shook her head a moment later.
“He’s telling the truth. This man is not a player.”
“Th-that can’t be…!”
Jo Min-woo cried out in shock.
Choi Nam-hoon had definitely been a player back at the stadium.
But now, he wasn’t.
‘He’s in a state where he’s lost his player abilities.’
There were several possibilities.
Either he lost everything in a coup during his time as a Ruler, or he lost his powers because he couldn't pay the usage fee.
How he survived that situation was the biggest mystery, but the important thing was that he was here now, alive, and facing us as an enemy once again.
“To even frame a powerless person like me, the kind of people called players are truly selfish and vile. To all you non-awakened. Even after seeing this, will you continue to stay under the protection of players? Forever being protected? They call it protection, but in reality, it might be nothing more than domestication or neglect.”
The non-awakened exchanged nervous glances.
Once sown, the seeds of distrust do not disappear easily.
Choi Nam-hoon knew that all too well.
“We will always welcome you. If you happen to change your mind, please come and find us.”
With one last remark, Choi Nam-hoon instantly vanished from the spot.
“H-he disappeared!?”
“How!?”
It had been confirmed that Choi Nam-hoon was not a player.
And yet, he had moved so suddenly, as if he had teleported.
Confusion piled on top of confusion, leaving the people speechless.
‘He disappeared suddenly last time, too.’
The one who had been eavesdropping during my bet with the Succubus was none other than Choi Nam-hoon.
He was using the same trick again.
Jeong Ha-yeon furrowed her brow.
“He’s not a player, so how…”
“He received outside help.”
A mysterious display that made it seem like he was using a player's power despite not being one.
It was simple.
A third party had moved Choi Nam-hoon.
“It’s probably a player with a shadow trait. If a player with a shadow-type trait has high proficiency, they can hide within shadows to move around. It’s not teleportation, but the sudden disappearance of his form can create that illusion.”
There were a few traits that allowed for such movement without being teleportation.
One of them was shadow.
Thanks to that, I could figure out who from Paradise had been dispatched to help Choi Nam-hoon.
He was leaking information left and right; I should almost be grateful.
Among the members of Paradise, there was only one who could manipulate shadows.
‘Park Dae-jun.’
One of Paradise's key players.
Since Park Dae-jun wasn't among the six who attacked Lee Do-hyeon, it could be assumed that there were at least seven players from Paradise currently infiltrated in Seoul.
Additionally, the three who were coming here for support were one A-rank close to S-rank, and two regular A-ranks.
The fact that they were needed meant that the combat power of those already here wasn't that high.
Even if there were more, they would be B-rank at most.
‘This is actually good.’
Normally, there would have been more A-rank players or higher.
But because they had an orator like Choi Nam-hoon, it was easy to incite people to their side, so they had a relatively small force present.