Chapter 79
Chapter 79
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: ACT.15 Return of the Kings (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After that, I instructed the twins to start clearing gates on their own, without me.
Their daily target was a minimum of four.
While they could adjust based on their condition, the recommended number was six.
Considering that ordinary players formed groups of six or seven just to clear one gate a day, this was an overwhelming amount.
There was no way they wouldn't accumulate coins at that pace.
The fewer people clearing a gate, the higher the ticket drop rate, so it was best for their growth in many ways for me to step aside.
Meanwhile, I focused on negotiating with the scouts who came to see me.
“In the future, high-ranking players will be like celebrities.”
An intelligent-looking woman said, her eyes glinting sharply.
“They’re perfect for winning over the public. Heroes who protect people from monsters. And they aren't distant figures, either. You could easily run into them on the street. Their mere existence is publicity, and since they're irreplaceable, every word they say will carry immense weight.”
The woman watched my expression.
Seeing my indifferent reaction, she seemed to be contemplating how to capture my interest.
‘Celebrities, my ass…’
The reason for my indifference was simple.
It would never happen.
‘I guess it’s understandable to think that way, seeing how things seem to be stabilizing for now.’
I remembered the first time I cleared the Disaster of Verdure chapter.
The memory of letting my guard down, thinking I could finally play the game at ease as the atmosphere brightened.
Then I was hit with a harsh reality, and from that day on, I swore never to entertain the word ‘hope’ in this game again.
I glanced at the woman's face.
Scouts were generally not high-ranked, but it was a different story for team leaders like Lee Tae-hyeon.
She, too, was an A-rank player.
Since she was a scout, she must have stayed here like Kim Ji-hyeon and experienced considerable danger firsthand.
That’s probably why she had let her guard down during this temporary peace.
Even though all hell could break loose tomorrow.
“I heard Team Leader Lee Tae-hyeon from the Hongryeon Guild gave you a gift. We, too, would like to offer you something, though it may be modest.”
“I feel like I’m being bribed.”
“It’s business.”
The woman smiled brightly and, just like Lee Tae-hyeon, displayed a list of equipment.
I crossed my arms, pretended to browse, and then let out a dissatisfied groan.
“Is something wrong?”
“The previous offer seemed better.”
“I anticipated that, so I prepared something extra.”
“Oh?”
I suppressed a laugh inwardly while feigning surprise.
With the same gift, the first person to arrive always leaves a stronger impression.
So, to overcome that gap, one must prepare a better gift.
This would repeat with every guild that visited, and the value of the gifts I received would steadily increase.
It wouldn't be long before I received A-rank equipment—the kind Lee Tae-hyeon could only mention but not give—as a simple gift.
The problem starts now.
My stat limit was gone, but because my stats were already so high, it took a lot of coins to raise a single point, and I needed special items to break through certain thresholds.
In reality, it was safe to assume that raising my magic stat any further was impossible for the time being.
Therefore, the easiest way for me to power up right now was through equipment like this.
“I’ll consider it.”
I replied with a smile, and the woman smiled back.
‘I have other things to take care of.’
I placed the gifted items into my inventory and stood up.
***
“What are your thoughts?”
In the Jamryong Guild headquarters, on the top floor, in the guild master’s office.
Seong Woo-hyeon asked without looking up, clicking his pen.
“The frequency of gate appearances is abnormally high. This is unprecedented.”
A total of 78 gates had appeared across Seoul today alone.
An absurd number.
Thanks to this, players from every guild were busy dealing with monsters without a moment's rest, and civilians were forbidden from leaving the safety zones.
“Fortunately, all the gates are spawning C-rank monsters at most. Many are eagerly hunting for coins, so it hasn't become a major issue yet, but…”
Drip.
Ink leaked from the pen he had been pressing down on for too long.
“If the balance is broken, it will escalate into a major incident.”
“...Excuse me for asking, Master.”
Kim Ji-hyeon, who had been listening quietly, cautiously spoke up.
“What happened inside there?”
Seong Woo-hyeon, who had been staring at the table, slowly raised his head.
Though his eyes met Kim Ji-hyeon's, he seemed to have no intention of answering.
“No one is willing to talk about that place. They try to change the subject, even when it’s obvious, or awkwardly excuse themselves. Many just keep their mouths shut. It seems the guild masters have all agreed to enforce silence…”
“...Kim Ji-hyeon-ssi.”
Seong Woo-hyeon called her name softly.
It was a clear attempt to cut her off, but Kim Ji-hyeon continued without batting an eye.
“Hiding things won't solve anything. You were the one who taught me that.”
“...Hah.”
With a short sigh, Seong Woo-hyeon took off his glasses and placed them on the table.
He closed his eyes, and after a long moment, as if recalling something from long ago, he slowly began to speak.
“I don't know either.”
“...Pardon?”
“Even now, I can't find the words to describe what kind of place it was.”
A world of nothingness.
A dead landscape that seemed familiar, yet wasn't.
There were no monsters, nothing at all.
A desolate space so bleak it felt like the afterlife.
As their spirits gradually eroded and morale hit rock bottom.
After more than a week, they finally encountered a powerful monster of an unfamiliar type, defeated it, and returned.
That was the entirety of Seong Woo-hyeon's memory.
“We rushed into that raid based on reports of a giant monster surpassing S-rank inside.”
“But the monster wasn't there?”
“We did encounter something. But it was only about S-rank, not something that surpassed it. Looking back, it makes me wonder if it was all a ploy to quarantine us.”
“...”
A stifling feeling tightened around Kim Ji-hyeon.
Quarantined.
By whom, and for what purpose?
Although Seong Woo-hyeon added casually, “That’s just what I think,” the word kept echoing in Kim Ji-hyeon's mind.
“And yet, the monster that surpassed S-rank appeared here.”
Seong Woo-hyeon tapped the desk with his fingertip.
The Disaster of Verdure.
Kim Ji-hyeon recalled the pressure she felt when she first encountered it, and the corner of her eye twitched.
An S-rank monster alone possessed the power to annihilate a large city.
The S-rank monsters that had appeared in the past had demonstrated such power.
But the one called the Disaster of Verdure was different.
A power so immense that, if fully unleashed, it seemed capable of sinking an entire country into the sea.
That's why the news of its defeat was still something Kim Ji-hyeon found hard to believe.
And so, she was filled with questions. And at the same time, with awe.
Kim Se-hyeon. Just who was he?
“Coincidence, luck, and various other factors aligned, and in the end, it was defeated... That's what I heard.”
“I couldn't believe it otherwise.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It's just... I have a bad feeling.”
Seong Woo-hyeon's lips twisted.
“A very bad feeling that this is just the beginning.”
***
There's an important person in Yongsan.
Someone in the protagonist's supporter role, an individual outstanding in a specific field.
Normally, I wouldn't be meeting him this early.
But just as with Han Hyeok-jun, the faster I befriend important people, the more advantageous it is.
In my Ruler playthrough, I could have met him early by seizing central power, but since I didn't do that this time, I need to use another method to win his favor quickly.
“This place hasn't changed.”
A building in Yongsan.
On the outside, it looks like an ordinary seven-story building, but it hides a secret.
I smiled lightly and strode toward a secluded corner.
Since ‘End of Apocalypse’ was a single-player console game, there were hidden locations scattered throughout the map.
Special places that couldn't be seen or reached through ordinary means.
Normally, this was a place you could only find much later after someone dropped a hint, but now that this was reality, I could go there anytime as long as I knew how.
And my assumption was correct.
‘It was around here.’
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the wall, and I could feel a sense of incongruity in one spot.
Here it is.
Clunk.
When I pressed firmly on that spot, there was the sound of something moving, and the solid wall opened up.
[The ‘Devil Who Mocks the Heavens’ is amazed you knew how.]
Using a skill would trigger a mana detection and seal the passage.
A place designed to be inaccessible unless you knew the exact method.
The corner of my mouth twitched at the strange feeling of my game knowledge applying perfectly to reality.
I shook my head slightly and walked inside with practiced ease.
“What the. How did you know about this place?”
After passing through a corridor with an atmosphere so different it felt like I’d entered another building entirely, I reached a space filled with all sorts of high-tech machinery.
I could only see the back of a chair, but I could picture the detailed appearance of the person sitting in it.
“Interesting. I can count the number of people who know about this place on one hand.”
The man swiveled his chair around and observed me with interest.
The genius hacker and researcher, Min Gyeong-hoon.
He became a player in that state, making him somewhat similar to Park Seong-woo, the former Ruler of the West.
His defining trait was being an eccentric who hid away, belonging to no guild.
Not many people knew of Min Gyeong-hoon's whereabouts.
Perhaps only the masters of major guilds and their top executives knew.
And even among them, as Min Gyeong-hoon mentioned, very few knew the exact location and how to get in.
Min Gyeong-hoon had an exceptional talent for analyzing things and discerning their properties.
That was the reason I came to find him.
“The Crow told me.”
“The Crow? Is that old geezer still alive?”
Min Gyeong-hoon seemed surprised but immediately accepted it.
As expected, there was no better excuse than the Crow.
He was a legendary figure treated as if he knew everything.
“That makes it even more interesting. An unaffiliated player comes looking for me, he's met the Crow despite having just awakened, and the Crow was interested enough to give him information about this place.”
Min Gyeong-hoon's glasses glinted dangerously.
I couldn't help but give a wry smile at his reaction, like a mad scientist looking at a test subject.
“I see you already know who I am.”
“Kim Se-hyeon. A second-generation player who awakened recently, and the number one scouting target showing the most promise. Seems to have acquired a darkness-related trait and has connections with other rookies like Hwang Chan-jin, Han Hyeok-jun, and Jun Bo-ra. Became a role model for many by sacrificing himself to save others. Well, this is all information you can get with a little hacking.”
Min Gyeong-hoon snapped his fingers, and my profile appeared on one of the ten monitors.
The Silver Hawk Guild's mark was emblazoned at the top of the document.
Did he just casually hack one of the five major guilds to find this out?
Talk about guts. The Silver Hawk Guild's security team must be getting chewed out right about now.
“So, what's your purpose for coming here? I'm a busy man, you see. If it's something trivial, I'd like you to leave immediately.”
It seemed that mentioning the Crow had dispelled his suspicions about me.
All that remained was curiosity.
But his eyes showed he didn't have high expectations that I could satisfy his interest.
It was a sort of 'genius's sorrow'.
If I showed him something that could satisfy that interest, Min Gyeong-hoon would be the one clinging to me.
I took a dark blue stone from my pocket.
“I want to know what this is.”