Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: ACT.15 Return of the Kings (7)
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“That is….”
Seong Woo-hyeon’s brow furrowed slightly.
I knew exactly what kind of data Seong Woo-hyeon possessed.
With the upper hand in information, there was no way I would lose a psychological battle.
“I do have something. However, it wasn't as significant as the photos I showed you earlier, so I didn't present it.”
“I understand. But there might be something you’ve missed. Especially now that the situation has changed.”
With a look of realization, Seong Woo-hyeon briskly walked over to his desk and brought back another file.
When he first saw that photo, he probably thought it was insignificant, but after hearing what I said, his perspective would have changed completely.
What I said to Seong Woo-hyeon was also a message to myself.
*Is there anything different?*
I had to thoroughly investigate, focusing on those differences.
“This is it.”
It was a photo showing the same purple smoke as the others.
However, there was one crucial difference.
I remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“There’s no gate.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Seong Woo-hyeon’s lips twisted slightly.
*Looks like he gets it.*
I clasped my hands and added an explanation.
“The gate hasn’t opened, yet the virus has spread. This can only mean one thing.”
“...The virus was spread intentionally.”
Someone was collecting the virus and spreading it further.
The only ones who could collect the virus were a group with the means to control it.
This confirmed that the enemy was not a monster, but a fellow human.
Following that, just as Seong Woo-hyeon had mentioned, one problem remained.
*How* were they controlling the virus?
I knew they were villains closely tied to the virus in the original story, but I couldn't very well tell that to Seong Woo-hyeon.
“How they figured out that method is the crucial point. If we can’t find that out quickly, things will unfold just as they wish.”
I nodded.
Even in the original story, ‘collecting’ and ‘transporting’ the virus was difficult even for the Dark Moon Guild.
Without a way to protect themselves from the virus and its toxins, it was possible, but casualties were inevitable.
This time, however, they seemed to have found a solution, as evidence of them intentionally spreading the virus had already been discovered.
To find out what was going on, I had to dig into this matter intensively.
Even more so than in the original story.
The story would be slightly twisted, but I had a plan for that.
“Very well. I suppose I can share this with you, Se-hyeon-nim.”
Seong Woo-hyeon stood up and retrieved a new file from his bookshelf.
“Those with the crescent moon emblem on their shoulders are from an unofficial guild, the ‘Dark Moon’.”
“An unofficial guild…?”
I widened my eyes, feigning surprise.
When I played the game, it was natural for my ‘character’ to hear this for the first time, so I didn't need to act.
But this was something I, the ‘player’ who knew everything, was experiencing directly.
I had to pretend not to know things I already knew.
Although I had gotten some information from Min Gyeong-hoon, it was always better to gather intelligence from multiple sources and piece it together.
“Guilds are organizations officially recognized by the government. Naturally, the players belonging to them have also gone through official procedures to have their ranks verified and receive their qualifications. However, there are those who have not.”
“So it’s a group of people who aren’t officially recognized.”
“Because they haven’t gone through the official procedures, they have no qualms about doing illegal things. They are people who can use the power of a player without the qualifications. The guilds created by such people are called unofficial guilds.”
*Shhhk.*
A document with four different emblems drawn on it was placed on top.
The first one that caught my eye was the crescent moon emblem.
It was the guild mark of the ‘Dark Moon’.
“The Dark Moon is one of them. And their scale is by no means small. They are scattered in cells everywhere, and some even masquerade as ordinary guilds.”
“I suppose they also get settlements and sponsorships.”
“It seems the devils are more likely to sponsor villains.”
The system does not distinguish between good and evil.
This power is not meant for heroes.
I recalled something I had overheard while playing the game.
Indeed, devils didn't care as long as they were entertained, and depending on their personality, some of them exclusively sponsored villains.
“These guys are the real virus. A virus spreading a virus. Isn't it ridiculous?”
He was smiling, but his eyes were not.
I turned my gaze from Seong Woo-hyeon to the documents.
As expected of a guild with the reputation of being one of the top five, they had a lot of information on unofficial guilds.
But most of it was information I already knew, and what I needed was just one thing.
“I’ll be borrowing this for a moment.”
I pinpointed and pulled out two sheets from the scattered documents.
A map showing the distribution of the Dark Moon Guild’s cells and their corresponding locations.
In the original game, fights against the Dark Moon Guild were always against the executives and the final boss.
I never had to deal with them from the bottom up, so to handle the rank-and-file members organized in cells, I needed data on their locations.
“Surely you don’t intend to do this alone?”
“If you get involved, it’ll turn into a war. The damage would be immense, and only the monsters would benefit from that. I know you can’t move carelessly.”
This time, it was Seong Woo-hyeon’s turn to be surprised.
“You understand the situation better than I thought.”
“I just wondered why an unofficial guild would still exist after so much time has passed since players appeared, and the answer came to me immediately.”
As I spoke with a grin, a sound of admiration escaped Seong Woo-hyeon.
In truth, this was something I had heard directly from Seong Woo-hyeon while playing the game.
This was the first time I was the one saying it to him.
“I feel reassured. In that case, we will focus on clearing gates and searching for the cause on our end. We’ll leave that matter to you, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. Those documents have already been scanned and exist as data, so you can just take them.”
Seong Woo-hyeon organized the documents and put them back in his bag.
I, too, carefully folded the two sheets and put them away.
“Ah, and this is the real main topic.”
Seong Woo-hyeon adopted a serious tone.
This was the conversation I had been waiting for, so I listened quietly.
“I heard you once refused to join our Jamryong Guild.”
“The situation was what it was back then. I couldn’t just jump into a place I knew nothing about, could I?”
“Then I take it your answer might be different now.”
Seong Woo-hyeon’s eyes glinted menacingly.
The sheer determination in his eyes, a look that said he would never let me go, sent a momentary chill down my spine.
I knew he didn’t give up on talent easily, but facing it directly like this was honestly a bit frightening.
“It could be.”
But I didn't avert my gaze.
On the contrary, this was a moment to smile.
That way, he would perceive me as a formidable opponent.
If I looked away or flinched here, he would see me as his subordinate and immediately start making various moves.
“That depends on what you show me.”
“Pfft, puhaha!”
As Seong Woo-hyeon burst out laughing, I took a sip of my tea.
I must not get confused.
I was the one with the upper hand right now.
Seong Woo-hyeon desperately wanted to hold onto me, but it didn't matter to me whether I joined anywhere or not.
I had to use that fact to my advantage, to shake him and exploit the situation.
“Ha, haha. You’re not an easy one, are you? Very well. Three B-rank pieces of equipment. How about it?”
“Five.”
“Isn’t five a bit too much? It’s not even confirmed that you’ll be joining Jamryong. If you do join, I can support you with seven. No, even A-rank is possible.”
“You’re suddenly making a big offer.”
“I believe you’re worth it, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. I’m certain of it. A conviction that the faction you belong to will stand at the top.”
“...You’re overestimating me.”
He was subtly trying to persuade me by offering items of incomparable value to what was originally discussed.
A-rank equipment. It wasn't that I wasn't tempted.
But it wasn't that urgent either.
More importantly, Seong Woo-hyeon's eyes were those of someone who had already accepted a certain level of expenditure.
His offer of three was likely not his true intention.
He probably planned to give more from the start.
I had intended to squeeze out more, but being overly greedy would inevitably bring disaster.
I decided it was time to back down a little.
“Then let’s make it four. How about that?”
“Understood.”
Just as I expected, Seong Woo-hyeon readily agreed as if he had been waiting for it.
He must have had four in mind from the beginning.
I had been thinking of that number as well, so I decided not to be greedy for more.
Even considering that, four B-rank items was a significant haul.
As expected of the top guild, they were generous.
“By the way, you have quite the knack for this. Do you happen to have a talent for business as well?”
“Who knows? I never asked for anything, but people seem to give things to me readily.”
We exchanged light smiles, and then I left the room.
When I moved to the lobby, a player told me they had been waiting and would guide me to the warehouse, so I followed them immediately.
“Here it is. After you choose what you want, you just need to have me confirm it.”
I opened the warehouse door, which was simply marked with a ‘B’, and went inside.
Even with a quick scan using Extreme Eye, I could tell that every item was overpowered for the current chapter.
I knew what kind of high-end equipment the Jamryong Guild possessed, but this was my first time actually entering their warehouse.
*I didn't bother memorizing anything below A-rank, so I don't remember the details.*
There was no time limit for choosing, so I could take my time and examine each one.
I began to slowly look through the twenty or so pieces of equipment and make my selections.
Choosing items for the twins was easy, but finding something suitable for myself wasn't so simple.
I planned to craft my own equipment later with rare materials, but I still needed something to use until then.
“This is….”
Then, as I checked the last few pieces of equipment, a smile naturally formed on my lips.
[Night Walker's Coat]
Agility +6
Dark-type ability efficiency increased by 10%
[Coordinate Recording Ring]
A device that, when used, accurately remembers the coordinates of the current location.
Once recorded, it is permanently preserved.
Can store up to 3 coordinates.
“I’ll take these.”
***
[Alright, I’ve gathered it. 3 billion!]
When I returned to my residence, the devil, who had been out of sight for a while, appeared with an exhausted face.
Then, bundles of cash rained down.
I picked up one of the bundles that instantly filled the room.
I wondered if it might be fake, but thankfully, it was all real.
This was the ‘Power to Covet Treasure,’ indeed. To gather 3 billion in just three days.
That was 1 billion a day.
If I had gathered this much before the world went to hell, I would have bought a building by now.
[I gathered this by using my weakened power to the point of exhaustion! Do you think this is easy?!]
“Yeah, you worked hard.”
[As long as you know. Phew. What are you even going to use this money for?]
“Donations.”
[Huh?]
The devil narrowed his eyes as if he had misheard.
[What did you say?]
“I’m going to donate it.”
[Sorry. One more time.]
“Donations. Is your Korean patch incomplete? Donation.”
[It’s not because I don’t understand human language!! What kind of crap is this!? You’re going to make donations with money a devil earned!?]
In a world like this, there were many places that needed money.
Orphanages. Medical volunteer groups. Volunteer corps…
In a situation where everyone was struggling, there was no easier way to build an image of ‘goodness’ than by readily giving away money.
“What does it matter what kind of money it is? It’s good if it helps the unfortunate through donations.”
[I’m a devil! A devil!!]
*Since you’re not earning me enough coins, I have to earn them from other sources.*
I barely managed to stop myself from saying those words out loud.
I couldn't ruin a perfectly good plan.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ smiles faintly and wishes you luck.]
[You have been sponsored 2000 coins.]
[You receive a ‘Blessing’. For 12 hours, you will have good luck in all endeavors.]
[The ‘Guide of the Sky Road’ nods, acknowledging that as one way to do it.]
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
Even if there were people willing to trade cash for coins, the efficiency was poor.
I had even seen tens of millions of won being exchanged for a mere 100 coins.
Besides, those with a lot of coins had no incentive to exchange them for cash.
By the time someone earned that many coins, they would already have plenty of money.
This way was a much more reliable and steady method of earning.
How convenient that angels only looked at the surface.
“So go earn more. A lot more.”
[I… I shouldn’t have made a bet with this guy…. This makes it feel like I’m doing a good deed…!]
[The ‘Devil Who Mocks the Heavens’ roars with laughter.]
[You have been sponsored 1004 coins.]