Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: The Chessboard in Hand (4)
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There was a small playground nearby.
It wasn't a suitable environment for children to play in, having been hit by various aftershocks, but that made it a decent place to sit quietly and think.
Han Hyeok-jun was there.
“I don't think this is exactly educational material for children.”
As soon as Han Hyeok-jun saw me bring the twins, he made a strange, uncomfortable expression.
It would be torture, at most, just to get information.
In a post-apocalyptic world like this, I wasn't sure if such concerns even mattered anymore.
I told the twins to wait here for a moment and approached Han Hyeok-jun.
“I killed Cheon Jin-ha.”
“Even so, he'll be stuck in the hospital for a while… what?”
The abrupt conclusion left him dumbfounded.
“Why did you kill him?”
“Isn't it obvious? The guy had ties to the Order.”
Han Hyeok-jun tilted his head as he replied.
A pure reaction, as if he genuinely had no idea what the problem was.
I pressed a hand to my forehead.
I should have expected this.
Han Hyeok-jun, the guy who turned into a psycho beyond comparison to Hwang Chan-jin whenever the Order was involved—of course he wouldn't have let Cheon Jin-ha live.
Noticing my expression, Han Hyeok-jun spoke again as if to reassure me.
“Don't worry. I made sure to extract all the information before I killed him.”
“…That's good enough.”
It would have been better not to kill him just yet.
But I suppose it was too much to expect that from Han Hyeok-jun.
Even if he did get information from Cheon Jin-ha, I already knew most of it.
The important thing was the fact that ‘information was extracted’.
If I testified from the start using the Crystal of Truth, my words would inevitably carry significant weight in the meeting.
“First, about the factions connected to Paradise.”
I listened silently as Han Hyeok-jun laid out the information.
The world had changed.
The factions appearing and the timing of their movements had all shifted.
There could have been something new, different from the original timeline, but it seemed there was nothing of the sort among what Han Hyeok-jun had found.
“…That's about it. The information is solid, right?”
“Good. It looks like you got all the important stuff.”
Cheon Jin-ha was more of a strategist than a fighter.
To make a guy like that spill such critical information without a single lie mixed in… what kind of torture did he use?
Thinking about the monster hiding behind that seemingly gentle impression, I was once again reminded that I couldn't afford to get on Han Hyeok-jun's bad side.
“There's going to be a war with Paradise soon. I need you to aim for that moment.”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
With a chilling smile, Han Hyeok-jun waved and disappeared.
Remembering how he'd just been talking about the children's education, a bitter smile formed on my lips.
“Let's go. It's a meeting, so it might be a little boring.”
“It's okay! I was curious, too.”
“If I fall asleep, you wake me up.”
“I'll pinch you as hard as I can. Right under your armpit.”
“Ugh, that's a bit much.”
I watched the twins bicker.
Now that I'd driven a wedge between Taegeuk and Bonghwang, it was time to move on to the next step.
***
The Taegeuk Guild was, in essence, a faction of Bonghwang.
A guild created from the very beginning to swallow up Korea.
Secretly receiving continuous support from mainland China, its growth was inevitably exceptional, and thus, the Taegeuk Guild succeeded in becoming one of the top five guilds.
Here was the crucial point.
Bonghwang, Paradise, Pentagon. While we had to fight these three, the aftermath of the simultaneous great destructions across the world meant that neither Bonghwang nor Pentagon Eagle could receive much support from their home countries.
Naturally, the Taegeuk Guild had to take on the role that the Bonghwang Guild was supposed to play.
In other words, the Taegeuk Guild and Paradise were effectively in a cooperative relationship.
‘Although, looking at the victims of Paradise's recent player hunt, the number from the Taegeuk Guild was overwhelmingly high.’
That was a smokescreen.
Statistics that could easily be misinterpreted to mean Paradise particularly disliked or was hostile towards Taegeuk.
Thanks to the trust the Taegeuk Guild had built up over time, the other four guilds had no idea it was a fake.
In reality, most of the victims were D-rank players, essentially disposable.
In short, they had used suitable sacrificial pawns.
‘Though they are on bad terms with the Silver Hawk Guild.’
It didn't mean much.
A petty squabble between guild masters.
Their personalities didn't mesh well, but it was more of a simple bickering relationship, with some minor, almost non-existent trouble.
Kim Hyo-jong would never dream that Seon Woo-jin was acting that way on purpose.
By making it look like they were bickering, he ensured no one would notice his usual behavior was an act.
‘Do you remember what happened at the last meeting?’
‘When Seon Woo-jin and Kim Hyo-jong fought?’
‘I deliberately steered the situation, and just as I thought, Seon Woo-jin openly picked a fight, unlike usual. He's starting to sow discord between the guilds. That side is probably progressing faster than in the original story, too.’
‘Makes sense. We're moving quickly, so things are adjusting accordingly. Especially since it didn't seem like there was a Progressor in Taegeuk.’
‘Unless a foreigner infiltrated, there certainly isn't a Korean one. And a foreigner wouldn't bother infiltrating the Taegeuk Guild.’
‘Bonghwang or Pentagon Eagle might make additional moves, but we just need to strike first.’
I recalled my conversation with Hwang Chan-jin.
His way of speaking was always like that, but I'd thought he was being overly aggressive. So that was his intention.
I looked at Seon Woo-jin, who was sitting with a sour expression, quietly listening to the meeting.
The specific expression he made when he had a headache.
Seeing his face, I knew things with Xiao Hui had been a success.
‘It's not over yet.’
He was the type to backstab you if you let your guard down.
It was better to strike first than to be struck.
From now on, Seon Woo-jin would have no reason to smile.
“The anti-player alliance, Paradise, appears to be advancing from the south. Their numbers are approximately 5,000. At this point, we should consider it their entire force.”
Seong Woo-hyeon continued his explanation based on the data.
It was practically a war.
I noticed the twins, their faces tense with nervousness.
Even adults were frightened by the word 'war'; it was no surprise the children wouldn't be okay.
‘It won't be that difficult, since I already eliminated many of their key forces during the bounty hunter incident.’
Paradise, based in Daegu, was in the south.
Bonghwang wouldn't be sending support.
The only other possibility was Pentagon Eagle.
For now, they were tied down by Jeon Do-jin, but there was a good chance a small, elite detachment could arrive, just like with Jacob.
‘I can be sure they'll come.’
Knowing Graham's personality as I remembered it, he definitely would.
The only difference would be whether the enemy was an NPC I knew or a Progressor like Jacob.
If it was the former, I already knew how to beat them. If it was the latter, their stats couldn't possibly be higher than mine, so I could win.
As I nodded to myself in understanding, my eyes met with Hwang Chan-jin's, who was sitting a short distance away.
‘What are you doing?’
His voice flowed into my mind.
I subtly averted my gaze and replied.
‘Just running simulations on how to block any move Pentagon Eagle might make.’
‘I contacted the Hongryeon Guild through Jun Bo-ra and had the message passed to Jeon Do-jin. They've strengthened their watch, so it will be difficult for a detachment to slip through. We've definitely bought some time on that front.’
‘You were vague about the strategy for the King of Disease, but you're quite knowledgeable about this sort of thing.’
‘I'm only human. It's possible to miss things. You're the weird one for memorizing every single detail.’
To say something like that without batting an eye.
I gave a faint smile and waved my hand dismissively.
‘Alright. Let's just say that.’
‘Wait. If you end it like that, I won't accept—’
‘Shh. It's almost time.’
I cut off Hwang Chan-jin, who was about to flare up.
Then, I focused on Seong Woo-hyeon's words.
The explanation of the situation and preliminary information was over. It was time to assign roles.
This was where I would step in.
“…Therefore, I believe it would be best for each guild to take on one task and act accordingly. The priority should be selecting a guild to halt Paradise's advance.”
“I think the Taegeuk Guild should be the one to handle Paradise.”
I spoke up quickly before anyone else could.
Seon Woo-jin's face crumpled.
It was only for a moment before he returned to his usual expression, but I didn't miss it.
“Is there a specific reason you're singling out the Taegeuk Guild?”
Lee Min-hwa asked, her gaze suspicious.
I, who had been about to launch into an explanation as if I'd been waiting for the question, momentarily shut my mouth at this unexpected situation.
It was natural for such a question to be asked.
But why was Lee Min-hwa asking it, and not Seon Woo-jin?
‘Is she still holding that much hostility from back then?’
Just in case, I had even seated the twins, whom Lee Min-hwa was usually fond of, next to me.
She was so openly hostile as to ignore even that.
No, it wasn't just Lee Min-hwa.
Even Seong Woo-hyeon, who usually looked at me as if to say, ‘He must have a good reason,’ had a strange look in his eyes.
Even Kim Hyo-jong, who was on bad terms with Seon Woo-jin, was sending me a harsh glare rather than teasing him.
Why?
Could their attitudes change so suddenly?
‘Kim Se-hyeon.’
Hwang Chan-jin's telepathic call snapped me back to my senses.
Figuring out what happened would have to wait until after the meeting.
Right now, I had to steer this conversation according to the original plan.
“Yesterday, there was a clash with Paradise, and in the process, we captured one of their executives. His name is Cheon Jin-ha. He's one of the ‘Guides’ who lead Paradise.”
“…Continue.”
A low hum of contemplation went through the room.
Seon Woo-jin was one of them, but his expression didn't show it.
His eyes were a mix of bewilderment and irritation.
The fact that it was Cheon Jin-ha who was captured must have been a huge factor.
He was effectively the second-in-command, and he held more information about Paradise than even the leader.
“Upon investigation, I found that many of Paradise's executives were former members of the Taegeuk Guild. Kim Jae-woo, Oh Jin-hyeok, Gu Ha-won…. They held fairly high ranks back when they were in Taegeuk, so I'm sure you haven't forgotten them.”
“…I do recall.”
He couldn't deny it here.
Though reluctant, Seon Woo-jin had no choice but to affirm it.
But he couldn't just accept it, either.
Seon Woo-jin immediately voiced his suspicion.
“But can you be certain that's the truth? The possibility that this is a ploy to create division among us is not insignificant.”
“He's right. In times like these, we must stand united.”
Even Choi Dae-han wasn't easily taking my side.
A frustrating feeling, as if I'd eaten something bad, welled up inside me, but it was only for a moment.
The fact remained that he had taken the bait.
He wasn't the type to fall for something like this easily, but having his mental state shaken by the Xiao Hui incident must have played a large part.
As if I'd been waiting, I took out the Crystal of Truth.
“I used the Crystal of Truth to verify the information extracted from Cheon Jin-ha. And I declare now that what I am saying also contains no falsehoods.”
Seon Woo-jin grimaced as if realizing his mistake.
I turned my gaze to the others and continued.
“Since they once broke bread together, it should be easier for Taegeuk to deal with them than any other guild. You could exploit old friendships. It's a fact that there are more avenues to exploit than if they were complete strangers.”
“Mmm….”
Seon Woo-jin grunted and crossed his arms.
Taegeuk and Paradise were secretly maintaining a cooperative relationship.
Even if they went to the front lines, the two sides would never actually fight.
Seon Woo-jin must be thinking the same thing.
“You don't need to worry about the difference in military strength. I was also going to suggest that the Donghae Guild go with you.”
“Hmm. Sending the Taegeuk Guild alone would be risky. And it's true that our guild and Taegeuk cooperate well.”
Choi Dae-han stroked his beard and nodded in agreement.
Perhaps the Crystal of Truth had some effect after all.
Seong Woo-hyeon's expression had softened considerably, and Lee Min-hwa and Kim Hyo-jong remained silent.
Seon Woo-jin's face visibly relaxed.
Just then, Hwang Chan-jin sent a single, sharp message.
‘He's hooked.’
‘Hook, line, and sinker.’
If he had stubbornly refused to go, with the Donghae Guild or otherwise, I had other, albeit petty, plans, but with his head already aching because of Xiao Hui, Seon Woo-jin surprisingly agreed easily.
He was probably thinking that if the Donghae Guild went with them, they could afford to be passive in battle.
I didn't miss that point and continued speaking.
“The Donghae Guild, with its strong combat focus, will likely handle most of the direct fighting. In the meantime, there is one more thing the Taegeuk Guild needs to do.”
“A division of roles on the front line…?”
“You must have heard about what happened at Gyeryongsan.”
Seon Woo-jin gave a slight nod.
While I was in Hell, Hwang Chan-jin would have quickly spread the news to the other guilds, so there was no way Taegeuk wouldn't know.
No, even if that weren't the case, they would have been contacted by Paradise.
“To locate additional Stigma mines owned by Paradise. We estimate there are at least two more. The Taegeuk Guild has many players with excellent mobility, so while the Donghae Guild distracts Paradise, I'd like you to focus your movements on that.”