Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: ACT.16 Virus(3)
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“What is this thing?”
“I don't really know what it is. I just carry what I'm supplied with. We don't want to be exposed to the virus either.”
“Just supplied?”
“Ye-yes, it's true! I swear!”
He didn't seem to be lying.
It was believable, too, since they wouldn't tell a mere grunt about the existence of Dimension Stones.
I looked down at the fragment in my hand again.
I hadn't been mistaken.
This was definitely a fragment of a Dimension Stone.
‘Is the Geumeumdal Guild using Dimension Stones to control the virus?’
I had my suspicions when the breath attack avoided me earlier.
There was something strange about the information Min Gyeong-hoon had given me.
Their actions were a clear departure from the original story.
More aggressive, more active, and with a sense of conviction in their movements.
These guys, who should have been moving cautiously while keeping an eye on the five major guilds, were operating almost openly, as if certain of their victory.
‘An item that can weaken, strengthen, or even control the power of an external dimension, depending on how you use it. Unbelievable.’
How absurd.
I wondered what would have happened if something like this had existed in the original game.
From the looks of it, the main villains already had their hands on this.
I could handle it easily now since my stats had no limit, but if this were the game where that was impossible, I’d have been at a loss for how to beat them.
‘So this is how they can act so boldly.’
The Geumeumdal Guild would likely spread the virus, taking advantage of the fact that only they were safe.
They were the ones who tried to spread a virus in the original story, after all.
Even then, in the original game, it was a mutual destruction plan, a "if I die, you die with me" kind of deal.
Now that they unilaterally possessed a safety measure, they must feel like there’s nothing holding them back.
“But… what the hell are you? The virus should have spread by now, so how are you okay?”
“I have my own methods.”
“What!?”
I can annihilate any harmful substance that approaches me by shrouding my body in darkness.
As long as my concentration isn't broken, I can block anything detrimental to the human body, like poisons or viruses.
On the other hand, the item that had been protecting the man was now destroyed.
He no longer had any means of defending against the virus.
It might be a different story if his health stat was over 100, entering the ‘superhuman’ stage, but his stats weren't that high, and he had no such trait. There was no way he could endure it.
“Damn it…!”
The man’s body vanished as if erased by a ghost.
An invisibility skill.
When combined with the ‘Presence Erasure’ trait the man possessed, it made him as difficult to find as if he had ceased to exist, but…
*Thwack!*
“Kugh!?”
The man didn't get far before he was struck in the back and collapsed.
The invisibility skill was canceled as a bonus for taking a hit.
No matter how good his stealth was, he couldn't hide from my Extreme Eye.
“You shouldn't have crossed the line. Trying to use a child? Using her parents as an excuse? Lee Chang-jun. Did you really expect to get away with this?”
“Kugh… How do you know my name…”
“That's none of your business.”
I grabbed him by the collar, and he gasped for breath.
Lee Chang-jun glared at me, his body barely able to support itself.
“You, you know I’m a member of the Geumeumdal Guild and yet you still…”
“I told you.”
I pulled the arm that had the crescent moon emblem on it toward me.
The guild's insignia, engraved in a special way.
Another villain of this story, the ‘Geumeumdal Guild’.
“I have business with you guys.”
I needed to retrieve all the Dimension Stones they possessed.
Part of it was to eliminate variables, but it was also because I’d learned of a new use for them through Min Gyeong-hoon.
‘With this, it might be possible.’
Among the S-rank powers, certain ones could evolve one step further.
Naturally, the conditions for evolution were demanding, as it granted even greater power.
Even I didn't know all the conditions.
However, I did know the method to awaken the ‘Lord of Darkness’.
In the original game, it was practically impossible due to a ‘single constraint’, but using a Dimension Stone might just make it feasible.
“Do you think you can mess with us and get away with it…? We've all been treading carefully to avoid a war. If you do this, it’ll be a war with all the unofficial guilds!”
“…There are always guys who have nothing to their name but act like their group's power is their own.”
I sighed and threw Lee Chang-jun to the ground.
The impact must have been greater than he expected, as he coughed and struggled to breathe.
“No one’s going to care if a grunt like you suddenly disappears. They’ll just think you were stupid enough to get caught.”
Just as I raised my foot to break his wrist, I stopped, remembering Jo Min-ah.
It was true the twins relied on me heavily, but that was because I had shown them an altruistic and self-sacrificing side.
If I suddenly started showing a cruel side repeatedly, the dissonance might create a rift in the relationship I’d worked hard to build.
“How many children have you used so far?”
But Jo Min-ah’s reaction was unexpected.
With a hardened expression I’d never seen before, she continued, her voice filled with fury.
“Why… why would you do something like that…”
Jo Min-ah bit her lip, her body trembling.
I immediately knew why.
She was furious because their situations were similar.
The feeling of being unwillingly separated from one's parents, unable to shake off the anxiety.
Lee Chang-jun’s face turned pale, and he couldn't even answer.
Jo Min-ah’s low stats were only by my standards; there was no way an ordinary player like Lee Chang-jun could withstand her pressure.
‘And it’s not like they’re only doing this at this branch.’
Their organization was divided into dozens of cells, likely to make it easier to escape when necessary.
To get to the top, I had no choice but to start from the bottom and work my way up.
However, they could intentionally spread the virus.
They could threaten to release it if we messed with them.
They were like stink bugs or skunks.
I had to resolve this problem first.
“Min-ah. I'm going to have to move on my own for a while.”
“What? I can fight too! I was helpful earlier, wasn't I?”
Jo Min-ah ignited a flame as if to plead her case, menacing Lee Chang-jun with it.
He let out a sharp gasp and began to tremble.
Jo Min-ah had a point, but this wasn't an issue of combat power.
I looked at her faintly trembling hand and said.
“It's because it's dangerous. If a situation comes where you have to kill someone, can you do it without hesitation?”
“Th-that’s…”
As if at a loss for words, Jo Min-ah’s eyes darted around before she lowered her head.
She could threaten him, sure.
But given her personality, she wouldn't be able to go as far as killing.
“No…”
“I’m going to raid an enemy base. I’ll have to fight people. People who are trying to kill me. Do you understand what that means?”
“…Yes.”
I felt a little bad for the dejected Jo Min-ah, but it couldn't be helped.
Forcing her to bloody her hands at her age, even in a world like this, wasn't a good thing.
“You're worried about Min-woo, right? If you got hurt too, I'd feel terrible.”
In the end, Jo Min-ah nodded.
As she withdrew her aura, Lee Chang-jun, finally able to breathe, gasped for air.
I could sense soldiers returning from not too far away.
It took longer than I thought, but nothing had gone wrong.
I stepped away for a moment and called Seong Woo-hyeon.
“Seong Woo-hyeon-nim. Do you have a moment?”
-Yes, I was just about to contact you. A child came to us saying they might be infected with the virus and mentioned your name, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. I was skeptical, but I was convinced when I saw the darkness surrounding the child, preventing the virus from spreading. Fortunately, it's in the early stages, so I think we can control it.
“That's a relief. I plan to move things along a bit faster, so I’d like your cooperation.”
-Cooperation, you say…?
“There’s a possibility they’ll spread the virus in the residential area as a countermeasure. They seem to be cautious for now, but if they think they’ve been caught, they’re likely to resort to extreme measures.”
-…They must know that would truly start a war.
Seong Woo-hyeon’s voice turned grave.
“Yes. So if it does spread inside the residential area, it would mean they’ve found a way to win that war. It’s also possible they’ll hold people’s lives hostage by claiming they’re the only ones with a cure.”
A long, heavy silence came from the other end of the phone.
Even without a cure, they had a means to hold out for a short time.
In any case, fighting after the virus had completely spread would put us at an absolute disadvantage.
-After spreading the virus, they could just leave the residential area and settle somewhere new… We need to act fast. I understand. I’ll discuss this with the other guilds and handle it.
If the virus spread through the residential area, the situation would become even more difficult than before.
We would have to fend off monsters while not only ordinary people but also players were incapacitated.
Even if we knew Dimension Stones could counter it, if mass production wasn't yet possible, we had no choice but to be wary of an indiscriminate terror attack.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
Before hanging up, I relayed one additional piece of information.
Seong Woo-hyeon seemed taken aback by what I said, but he agreed to do as I asked for now.
“Min-ah, you should go back home. You can take the day off.”
“N-no! I’ll go around by myself. I need to work hard too.”
Jo Min-ah clenched her fists in determination and then jogged away.
She was probably trying to give me some space.
It seemed she had some awareness that I was being considerate of her.
“Let go, let go of me, you monster!”
“Ugh, ughhh…”
The Dark Soldiers who had gone to catch the runaways returned at just the right time.
At my nod, the bruised men were thrown to the ground.
It looked like they had been captured quite physically.
I told them to capture them without killing them, and it looks like they took that literally.
“Ugh…”
“Wh-what are you going to do to us…”
“Listen carefully.”
Without any specific command from me, the soldiers surrounded them.
The men trembled as if they were about to piss themselves, perhaps suffering from PTSD.
I felt like I was becoming the bad guy here.
“Among you, only those who sincerely help me will get their chance.”
“…And if we don't?”
“Curious?”
I gave a grim smile.
I could see the men's faces turning ashen one by one.
That single action must have made it clear they had no other choice.
“But if you help me, I’ll tell you one thing for sure.”
I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial tone.
The carrot and the stick were crucial in persuading people.
Now that I’d swung the stick, it was time to offer the carrot.
“How long are you going to live as grunts?”
I cast the bait.
Bait they absolutely could not refuse.
Just as I expected, the men’s eyes wavered.
“What do you mean by that…”
“I'm saying I'll create an opportunity for you to fill the empty executive positions.”
“H-how could you…?”
Hook, line, and sinker.
A deep smile spread across my lips as I finished my sentence firmly.
“Don’t ask. Just decide. Are you going to help me and take a shot at changing your life, or are you going to get beaten to an inch of your life, go back, report your failure, and get beaten again?”
The men's gazes met.
I was, in effect, asking them to betray their own.
They knew full well the consequences of betrayal in the underworld.
They were probably furiously calculating which option was more beneficial, but it didn't take long.
Lee Chang-jun was the first to raise his hand.
“I-I'll help.”
“M-me too!”
“Damn it, whatever happens, happens…!”
Once one person stepped forward, the others who had been hesitating followed suit as if a dam had broken, raising their hands one after another.
Domination through fear alone cannot erase defiance.
However, one cannot deny the efficiency of using fear.
When these men, who now feared me, realized that following me would bring a definite reward, two control mechanisms that would prevent betrayal were completed.
“Then lead the way to your hideout.”