Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: ACT. 46 Father and Daughter (4)
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“The reason was, quite literally, an accident. The gate suddenly turned into a Red Gate, making it difficult to receive outside support, and she suffered a fatal blow from a monster. They said she was beyond saving when they found her. My daughter just wanted my approval, you see. By proudly taking first place in the monthly event hosted by Jamryong.”
“That's...”
“I know. I know it wasn't Jamryong's fault. But, you see... even knowing that, as a parent, you can't help but blame someone. Jamryong promised me nothing would happen to my daughter, yet they let her die so senselessly.”
“Ah, so that's why the atmosphere with Kim Ji-hyeon-nim was so tense earlier...”
A heavy silence fell.
Sensing the somber mood, Jeon Do-jin forced a smile and spoke.
“Then one day, I met Eun-ha, who was lost after losing her parents, and we've been bickering like this ever since. I've never really told anyone this story besides that kid, Choi Dae-han. Haha. I don't know how I ended up telling you. It was a long time ago, so don't you worry about it. Now, you must be tired, having to jump into a mission right after arriving. Go and get some rest.”
Perhaps to give us space, Jeon Do-jin left first.
He headed in the direction Cha Eun-ha had gone.
***
Two days passed.
Contrary to the expectation that we would quickly overwhelm them—having rooted out the spy, weakened the enemy team, and received hefty reinforcements—Team A held their ground, refusing to be pushed back.
It felt like for every blow we landed, they recovered just as much.
As a result, we were the ones growing impatient.
“Something about this is strange!”
“Could it be that Pentagon Eagle is continuously sending support?”
“That's impossible! It's not feasible for that many people to cross the Pacific. Even if they succeeded, they'd have to do it covertly, and there's no way that large a group could slip past our surveillance undetected!”
“But according to the confessions of those we captured, they claim to be players from Pentagon Eagle! We even verified it with a lie detector!”
A heated debate erupted in the conference room.
No one could reach a clear conclusion, and the confusion only mounted.
Jeon Do-jin and Cha Eun-ha watched the situation in silence, while Kim Ji-hyeon was lost in thought, her arms crossed.
‘We've certainly made progress so far.’
We captured members of the drug cartel and confiscated a large quantity of narcotics.
Normally, a blow this significant should have produced a visible change, but it hadn't.
One reason might be that after the B.G. Guild's spying was exposed, a fair number of small and medium-sized guilds had been joining their side, but...
‘But that's not the root cause.’
Just as someone confirmed with a lie detector, the support from Pentagon Eagle's headquarters was the biggest factor in this change.
Pentagon's reinforcements were arriving far too quickly.
What method were they using?
The moment my suspicion turned to certainty, a possibility struck me.
‘A warp gate.’
It shouldn't have appeared yet, but if someone had information about warp gates, activating one ahead of schedule wouldn't be impossible.
If a member of Salvatio, lurking within Pentagon Eagle, had exploited that knowledge...
It would explain everything.
“Min-ah.”
“Yes?”
“Could you use your Detection skill? Try to focus on the Centum City area if you can.”
Jo Min-ah nodded and immediately used Detection.
An abnormally high talent for mana that couldn't be seen through stats alone.
And a high proficiency from frequent use.
A request like this was no challenge for the current Jo Min-ah.
“...Huh?”
“Do you feel something?”
“Yes. There's a strange... an unnatural distortion of mana. Or maybe it's a flow... It's a little hard to describe.”
“Does it feel similar to the mana wavelength of a gate, by any chance?”
“That's right! It's similar to a gate! But it's not a gate. I'm sure of it. Oh. People. People are coming out of it!”
So it is a warp gate.
I gave Min-ah a thumbs-up, telling her she did well.
Right. That's how they're replenishing their forces at such an absurd speed.
The problem is, that warp gate is theoretically impossible to create at 'this' point in time.
‘What trick did they use?’
My train of thought stopped when I realized all eyes were on me.
They must have heard our conversation.
Which was just as well.
“Kim Se-hyeon. Could you explain what just happened? What did Jo Min-ah detect?”
“I think I've figured out how they're replenishing their forces so quickly.”
“Is that true?”
“I'll explain on the way. For now, our priority should be to eliminate that means.”
“Mm. You're right. That 'means' must be in an important location for them, so to be safe, let's take about 70% of our forces. They must have it heavily defended.”
Jeon Do-jin gave the order swiftly.
Many nodded in agreement, but I raised an objection.
“How about we go with only an elite team?”
All eyes turned to me.
Meeting Jeon Do-jin's questioning gaze, I voiced my thoughts.
“This isn't the first time I've had Min-ah use her Detection. Even if we've pinpointed the location, for something emitting that much mana to go unnoticed until now, only to suddenly be detected? I believe it might be a trap.”
“How good can a kid's detection possibly be...”
“Watch your mouth. That child had enough talent to surpass me in mana detection even when she was just an E-rank. I can vouch for her.”
At Kim Ji-hyeon's sharp remark, the person who had been muttering in discontent looked startled.
Kim Ji-hyeon was an A-rank, and a high-ranking one at that. As a well-known public figure, her words carried weight.
Of course, her unique personality also contributed to her fame.
“Are you saying they're waiting for us?”
“That's what I believe. If we assume it's a trap, a small elite team will suffer fewer casualties and be more adaptable.”
['The Devil Who Mocks the Heavens' nods at your prudence.]
Jo Min-ah, perhaps embarrassed by the sudden praise in front of so many people, had a slight blush on her cheeks.
Finding her adorable, Cha Eun-ha pinched her cheek.
“If you say so, we'll revise the plan accordingly.”
Before long, Jeon Do-jin accepted my proposal.
No one objected.
‘They were so openly dissatisfied at first.’
I chuckled inwardly.
Many had looked askance at Jeon Do-jin for fully trusting and supporting my words.
While I might be famous in Seoul, the poor communication infrastructure made it difficult for my name to spread to other regions.
From the perspective of those who had only stayed in Busan, it was natural to wonder, 'Who the hell is this guy?'
But even that discontent vanished after I demonstrated my overwhelming capabilities over just two days.
“Then let's depart in thirty minutes. Eun-ha, you'll stay here and command the headquarters.”
“What? I'm going with you.”
“No. I trust you understand why.”
Perhaps because Jeon Do-jin's voice was firm, Cha Eun-ha agreed, though her expression was one of displeasure.
The last time I checked before coming to Busan, she was around C-rank.
Now, she was at the upper B-rank level.
While she would be helpful as part of our forces, she certainly wasn't qualified to be part of the 'elite' team.
“I know I suggested we go with only an elite team, but taking all of them would compromise the headquarters' security. Kim Ji-hyeon-nim, could you possibly take charge of the base's defense?”
“That's not a problem. But why me, specifically?”
In response to her question, I glanced at Jeon Do-jin and gave a faint smile.
The perceptive Kim Ji-hyeon seemed to understand my meaning immediately.
“...You don't have a very nice personality either, do you.”
“I believe I've said it before. I'm not just a nice guy. Besides, you're excellent at giving clear commands, aren't you, Kim Ji-hyeon-nim? The Jamryong players follow you well, too. I was simply taking that into consideration.”
“Enough. No need to sugarcoat it. As you said, if someone has to stay behind to defend the base, I'm the most suitable choice. That much is true.”
Kim Ji-hyeon shook her head lightly.
Kim Ji-hyeon knows why Jeon Do-jin is wary of the Jamryong Guild and what his relationship with Cha Eun-ha is.
She may seem cold on the outside, but just as she was when Lee Seon-yul died, she's a very warm-hearted person deep down.
Even now, she must feel guilty about what happened to Jeon Do-jin's daughter.
Recalling her actions up to this point made me even more certain.
“I thought I'd gotten a lot stronger... but I guess I'm still not good enough to be acknowledged.”
Leaving Cha Eun-ha's lonely mutter behind, I left the conference room.
***
Centum City is one of the few residential areas left in Busan.
They couldn't reclaim the entire vast area; the designated safe residential zone was effectively only half of it.
It was also the only place with any light, thanks to the sole surviving massive generator.
The other half, beyond a massive barricade that served as a wall, had become something of a slum.
“To think they were based in Centum City...”
The guild master of a guild that operated out of Centum City grimaced.
Even though information had been intentionally cut off by spies, he seemed shocked that they hadn't noticed anything until now.
“It's understandable. No matter how much you investigate the slum areas, there are always too many hidden secrets.”
We crossed the wall and walked through the unsecured slum.
It had been the main territory for unofficial guilds even before Team A established itself, a place with zero stability where monsters occasionally roamed. But the group gathered here now was an elite team composed entirely of A-ranks and above.
Those presumed to be members of unofficial guilds flinched upon seeing us from a distance and scrambled to hide.
“If it weren't for more pressing matters, we'd round up those guys too...!”
“Like you ever do it normally.”
“Ahem. I've been a bit busy lately...”
“Quiet. We're almost there.”
A place with a dome-shaped hole in the ceiling.
It appeared to have once been a building, destroyed and never repaired.
‘Why is no one here?’
Even when I spread my mana out wide, I couldn't detect any players.
There's no way a warp gate would be left completely unguarded.
But there were no traps like bombs set up, either.
What on earth were they plotting?
“Let's head inside for now.”
I ducked and passed through a half-crushed doorway.
There was nothing inside.
Except for a 'gate' floating silently in one spot, amidst patches of overgrown weeds.
“To think something like this exists. I can't believe it even as I'm looking at it.”
“Other than the color, it doesn't look much different from the gates that monsters come out of.”
Everyone who saw the warp gate had a stiff expression.
Is this how someone from the Bronze Age would have felt upon seeing an enemy wielding iron?
Before starting my work, I scanned the surroundings one last time.
Still no other players detected.
I sharpened my senses and approached the warp gate.
“Min-ah. Keep detecting.”
“Okay!”