Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: How to Eliminate Variables (1)
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I let out an irritated sigh.
It was obvious. He must have been the one who raised the difficulty again.
“Didn't you say you wouldn't do this kind of thing?”
[I never explicitly said I wouldn't.]
“Are you trying to play word games?”
[Whoa, don't get angry. The higher-ups are watching you right now, so even I can't let you die.]
“...The lords of hell wouldn't be interested in every single human this early on.”
[You never know. Your performance has been quite exceptional, hasn't it?]
I feigned indifference and tried to change the subject, but I had managed to obtain a significant piece of information.
The fact that the 'higher-ups' were watching held several implications.
Whether gods or devils, to them, players were pawns to be moved at their whim to prevent the world's destruction.
Catching their eye meant that I had, at the very least, been selected as a talent capable of stopping the apocalypse.
If I were to die, it would be this devil in charge of managing the current story who would be in trouble.
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
I could probably use this to my advantage at a crucial moment.
[By the way, I wasn't the one who did this.]
“What?”
[I was just watching you, and when things got interesting, I decided to chime in. I haven't touched anything. I'm just telling you because I don't want to be misunderstood.]
With that, the devil's voice fell silent.
My head began to throb.
The devil wasn't involved?
Then this change in difficulty must be...
“...This must be it.”
I examined the object I'd picked up where the gate had disappeared.
An unusual dimension stone.
An item that didn't exist in the original game, one that suspiciously appeared after the gate vanished.
If it wasn't the devil, this was the only other possibility.
The variables keep piling up.
A wave of displeasure washed over me, like being served a different dish than the one I ordered.
‘I can't just let these variables multiply.’
I can't stop them from appearing altogether.
In that case.
I have no choice but to eliminate every variable that comes into my sight.
“That aside...”
I checked the faces of the remaining survivors.
My companions were fine.
But the rest had met a gruesome end.
“...Less than half of them are left.”
A heavy silence fell.
Despite my words, I didn't feel the slightest bit sad.
I recalled the faces of those who had so easily betrayed us at Dongdaemun, then erased the thought.
In the end, they had simply met the fate their choices had earned them.
I contorted my face in grief and lowered my head.
“I'm sorry. If I had just done a little better, there might not have been a single casualty...”
[The 'Angel of Benevolence' wipes away a tear.]
[You have been sponsored 300 coins.]
[The 'One Who Covets Treasure' slaps their forehead in admiration.]
[You have been sponsored 200 coins.]
[The sponsorship has been canceled.]
[You have been sponsored 100 coins.]
...That cheapskate devil.
“It's not your fault, Hyung!”
“Yeah. They were trash anyway. No need to look out for people like that. It's a shame for those who didn't betray us, though.”
Go Yeong-jun's reaction was cold.
I'd felt it since I rescued him at the school, but his values were certainly firm.
I used Extreme Eye to check Go Yeong-jun's stats again.
Not bad. If he developed well, he could even become the party's main damage dealer.
Still, he was a time bomb I didn't want to carry.
‘Is it time to split the party in two?’
Nam Sang-jin didn't look particularly sad.
He seemed troubled, but that was all.
I'm curious about who the new ruler is.
Knowing about the third basement level of Sinseol-dong Station meant they were someone who had gotten past the dreaded Chapter 3.
But since they didn't come in person, it seems they don't know about that particular characteristic.
I needed to figure out what kind of person he was.
“Let's head back for now. Ah, what will you be doing?”
“I have to return to Cheongnyangni Station as well. I have to make a report...”
“Then shall we part ways at the entrance?”
We passed through the quiet passage as if no battle had ever taken place and went up to the first basement level.
Goblins that seemed to have wandered in from outside blocked our path, but perhaps because we had just faced a greater danger, no one was tense as we passed them.
The problem came after that.
“We were only in here for a little while, but I already miss the light...”
“Doesn't it feel like a whole day has passed?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“Come to think of it, this whole area turned into a forest. Is this also an effect of the gate?”
The twins talking up ahead suddenly fell silent.
I was right behind them, and as I moved forward to see what was wrong, I too was silenced.
The exit was blocked.
Large and small boulders blocked the wide passage, with only a little light seeping through the cracks.
“It was fine when we came in, wasn't it?”
“Don't tell me the goblins tried to trap us...”
All sorts of speculations flew around.
But I, who was looking beyond the blockage with Extreme Eye, easily identified the cause.
Im Gyeong-jun.
The man who had completely betrayed us at Dongdaemun and sided with them.
“Thank you for taking care of the goblins, everyone.”
“Is someone out there!? Please, help us!”
“Why should I?”
“Huh? What do you mean, why...”
“We did this on purpose. Why would we clear it?”
His characteristic taunting was indescribably grating.
Since the path was blocked, his voice was faint, making it all the more annoying, like the buzzing of a mosquito.
I should have known.
When one's own survival isn't guaranteed, first impressions usually turn out to be right.
“Wh-what does that mean...”
“Wait a minute! That voice... It's him! The one who didn't follow us to the end!”
As Jo Min-ah shouted, gasps of realization came from all around.
“Didn't you promise? That you would accept us if we took care of the goblins!”
“It would be dangerous to accept a group powerful enough to clear this place out. What if they staged a coup?”
The answer came from someone else.
This wasn't something Im Gyeong-jun did on his own. He couldn't have.
This was likely a plan Im Gyeong-jun proposed to Yang Gyu-hyeok, who then provided the manpower.
“...So they're casting us aside.”
Jeong Ha-yeon gritted her teeth and glared at the boulders.
I let out a smirk.
Im Gyeong-jun wasn't a character in the original game, but when I saw him go off to negotiate with Yang Gyu-hyeok, I had a feeling something like this would happen.
Since his relationship with our side was already completely ruined, there was no better way for him to ensure his own safety.
And since he conveniently had an earth-manipulating ability, he must have chosen this method.
“What should we do? Should we look for another way out?”
“If they planned this, the other exits are probably in the same state. It would be meaningless.”
“...If I, Lee Seon-yul, and Nam Sang-jin over there combine our strength, we can break through. But we'll be exhausted afterward.”
Breaking the rocks wouldn't be a difficult task for the two of them.
However, the subway stairs were both wide and long.
On top of that, they had already used up a lot of stamina in the recent fight.
It would be too much to smash through all those rocks, packed so tightly there wasn't a single gap, with brute force alone.
Even if we forced our way out, enemies in perfect condition would be waiting for us.
It wasn't a good option.
“I'll do it.”
“Kim Se-hyeon?”
I had considered the possibility that Im Gyeong-jun might stab us in the back.
And just as I'd expected, it happened.
We had entered a basement with only one entrance.
So, from the perspective of someone planning a betrayal, what would be the best way to eliminate those who went inside?
Simple.
‘Block the entrance.’
I had something I bought from Old Master Wang just in case, but it didn't seem necessary to use it.
I approached the rocks blocking the path and reached out my hand.
Then, slowly, I drew upon my magic.
Swoosh.
Darkness slithered up from the floor, gradually coalescing into a single point.
When it took the form of a spear, I gripped it with all my might and threw it.
BOOOOM!!
With a sound like an exploding bomb, a path was instantly cleared.
A hole large enough for several adults to pass through easily.
“They'll be waiting! We have to take them down quickly!”
Snapping my companions out of their shock at my new power, I instantly accelerated.
I rushed outside and saw a stunned Im Gyeong-jun.
Not just Im Gyeong-jun, but also those presumed to be Yang Gyu-hyeok's subordinates.
“Wh-what is this...!?”
I quickly scanned their stats.
Their overall level was D. Only the one who seemed to be their leader was C.
But the fact that they were all armed with guns was significant.
If Kim Ji-hyeon and Lee Seon-yul had exhausted all their strength to break through the passage as they'd planned, it would have been difficult.
“Rise.”
“Kh, khuaargh!?”
Darkness shot up from the ground, instantly binding the enemies' limbs.
Even though they had their guns aimed at me, they couldn't move their fingers to pull the triggers.
‘One person is missing.’
A familiar face was nowhere to be seen.
I glanced around and spotted Im Gyeong-jun fleeing without a backward glance.
He had already betrayed us twice.
He knew better than anyone what would happen if he were caught this time, so he must have sensed the danger.
But it was a futile struggle.
Not with an agility stat of less than 20.
“Did you think you could escape?”
“Gasp!?”
Smash!
I easily caught up, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it into the ground.
Stunned by the impact to his head, Im Gyeong-jun trembled in agony before barely managing to speak.
“J-just kill me if you're going to. You monster.”
“Kill you? Why?”
I smiled and grabbed Im Gyeong-jun by the collar.
If you thought I'd let you die that easily, you were mistaken.
“Thanks to you, things are about to get easier. I have no reason to kill you.”
***
“We're back! Open the gate!”
As the man shouted, a guard who had been yawning languidly atop the high wall reacted with a start.
“You're back already? Huh, but the guy next to you...”
The guard tilted his head as he looked at my face.
He probably couldn't understand why I was with this group.
“Faced with death, he dropped the act and betrayed them. He's one of us now.”
“Pfft, is that so? After acting all high and mighty before, he's no different from the rest of us when his life is on the line.”
The guard chuckled at the man's answer.
“So, was the mission a success?”
“They're all dead. Only the two of us made it back alive. You should have seen the looks on their faces when this guy betrayed them! It was a masterpiece! Look at his expression. So cold, right?”
“Kyah, I can just imagine it. Hard to believe he's the same person. Just a moment.”
With a creak, the gate slowly opened.
The streets of Dongdaemun could be seen inside.
An environment that was somewhat similar to how it was before this whole mess started.
The faces of the people I could glimpse also seemed relatively at ease.
Hmph. He's a good actor.
Then again, you have to be a good actor to make a living off betrayal.
“Good. Well done. Go in just like this.”
“...”
Im Gyeong-jun flinched and nodded.
The other man did the same.
The leader of the group that had helped block the entrance to Sinseol-dong Station, Cheon Man-gi.
He was acting nonchalant, but he couldn't hide the cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.
“Don't even think about shouting the moment we get inside. Your throat will be pierced faster than you can do anything.”