Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: A Strategy That Never Existed (4)
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“Min-ah. Instead of arguing, shouldn’t you be thanking him first?”
The suffocatingly tense atmosphere was broken by the appearance of a man.
“...Choi Dae-han-nim. I believe I’ve asked you not to call me that. Especially in a professional setting.”
“Haha. Why? I like calling you Min-ah.”
Choi Dae-han, the master of the Donghae Guild.
Seeing him in person, he looked more like a friendly neighborhood guy.
But despite his appearance, he was a former Taekwondo world champion.
Most importantly, though she treated him brusquely, he was like a second father to Lee Min-hwa.
It wasn't that Choi Dae-han was unaware of the relationship between Lee Min-hwa and Choi Seo-hee, but he must have decided this wasn't the time or place to address it.
Lee Min-hwa stared at me in silence, her lips sealed tight.
She had no intention of just letting this go.
“She and I are currently under contract. She will cooperate in every way possible to bring about the Dark Moon's collapse, and until then, she cannot attack anyone without my permission. In fact, I’d like to ask you something. Why are you suddenly showing such hostility toward me?”
‘Normally,’ I wouldn’t know much about the person named Lee Min-hwa at this point.
Let alone something like her family history.
So, I chose to act as if I knew nothing.
“That’s…”
Lee Min-hwa, about to say something, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“...Fine. We’ll set that matter aside for now. But you must answer this.”
From behind, I faintly heard someone click their tongue.
Choi Seo-hee was different from Choi Yeon-soo.
Choi Yeon-soo didn’t care about the contract at the moment, having judged that helping me gave her the highest chance of survival. Choi Seo-hee, on the other hand, was constantly looking for a way to nullify the contract and stab me in the back.
The old saying that a leopard can't change its spots came to mind.
“I understand that cylinder has some sort of effect. But I’d like you to tell me how on earth you found that out, and how you have so many of them.”
“It was Se-hyeon-nim’s secret mission. You can think of it as being related to an unofficial guild. It seems you’re handling it well.”
Seong Woo-hyeon appeared and said, looking as if he had just arrived.
Next to him was Choi Yeon-soo, who was sweating.
It seemed they had moved quickly after I contacted them.
Right, they were supposed to have a meeting.
It looked like they had rushed over while preparing for it.
“An unofficial guild…? Are you saying those bastards are siding with the monsters?”
“It’s closer to them using the monsters, rather than siding with them.”
Lee Min-hwa let out a long sigh.
With the virus and the gate already causing enough stress, now there was another headache.
I felt the same way, so a bitter smile formed on my lips.
The members of the Jamryong Guild who followed Seong Woo-hyeon began placing boxes filled with cylinders on the ground one by one.
These were all obtained after destroying every ‘leg’ and ‘torso.’
“Even with these, we can’t hold back the virus for long. A cylinder can only stop the virus for a few minutes at the shortest, a few dozen minutes at most. Once its effect wears off, it’s destroyed. We still have many spares, but once those run out, we’re back to square one.”
“Then…”
“We need to solve the fundamental problem.”
Choi Dae-han’s lips stretched into a thin line as he crossed his arms.
“Clearing that suspiciously powerful gate… I presume.”
“That’s right.”
If we don't clear the Ark Gate, another gate like this could appear within the residential area.
We can manage one, but a second one would honestly be too much.
While I could destroy it with my ability, I couldn't just stand next to a gate all day.
“Then it’s decided.”
Seong Woo-hyeon clapped his hands with a sharp sound.
As everyone’s attention gathered, Seong Woo-hyeon continued.
“Let’s begin the guild meeting immediately. Se-hyeon-nim…”
“I still have something to do, so I’ll join after I’m finished.”
“Understood. Lee Min-hwa-nim. The Hongryeon Guild building should be close by. How about we move the meeting there?”
“Alright. The conference room is ready.”
Leaving behind a few people to replace the cylinders, the key figures from the major guilds quickly dispersed.
Handling the cylinders didn't require any special knowledge.
I told the remaining people that a cylinder was spent once it was destroyed, and that they should replace it with a new one then, before leaving the area.
“Choi Seo-hee.”
“Hm? What is it?”
Choi Seo-hee answered nonchalantly.
Jun Bo-ra, standing next to her, had a bewildered expression, seemingly unaware of the relationship between Lee Min-hwa and Choi Seo-hee.
“Why did you deliberately show yourself to Lee Min-hwa?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I had my face covered with my hood. What could I do if she recognized me anyway?”
A shameless smile.
…Right. Choi Seo-hee wasn't the type to submit so easily.
It was my mistake for thinking, even for a moment, that this would be simple.
But it was fine.
This misunderstanding would be cleared up soon enough, and more importantly, I had allies in the Hongryeon Guild.
Jeon Do-jin and Cha Eun-ha.
If those two strongly supported me, even someone like Lee Min-hwa would have to reconsider.
“Be careful from now on.”
I didn't say much more and backed off.
At that, it was Choi Seo-hee who narrowed her eyes.
She probably hadn't expected me to back down so easily.
‘It won’t be long now, anyway.’
I do have a conscience.
That's why I had intended to treat her with some degree of human decency until the fight with the Dark Moon's main force, but now, even that last shred of sympathy had vanished.
“Anyway! What on earth is that?”
Seizing the opportunity, Jun Bo-ra awkwardly interjected, changing the subject.
“There was never an item that could control the virus like that, was there?”
“That’s right. It wasn’t in the original game. I found out about it by chance.”
“Then…?”
“A huge variable has appeared.”
Jun Bo-ra stared at the people moving the cylinders with a look of bewilderment.
But it wasn't long before she clapped her hands and said.
“Then can’t we use that to enter the Ark Gate?”
“That was my original plan.”
With Gong Yeong-hoon gone, the most crucial problem was entering the Ark Gate.
I had thought of it too; the cylinders could serve as a partial substitute.
However, that was no longer possible.
“All the cylinders I had have been used to block that gate.”
“Ugh. Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
If only that gate hadn't appeared, things might have turned out differently.
But because of that one thing, we had to use up all the cylinders.
I stared silently at Choi Seo-hee, who was feigning indifference.
‘To deal with both the Ark Gate and the Dark Moon, cylinders alone won’t be enough.’
Mobilizing all the guilds to quickly take down the Dark Moon first was also impossible.
We couldn't just retrieve the cylinders being used here.
Besides, it would be a matter of using cylinders to get more cylinders, so the shortage problem would remain.
‘But.’
I let out a slight smile.
I have a Dimension Stone.
Just as the Dark Moon created the cylinders, I can process the Dimension Stone to create something with a powerful effect, and that will solve the problem.
I have two Dimension Stones.
One is to block the virus here, and the other I must take with me to the Dark Moon Guild’s headquarters.
I need to use a Dimension Stone as a countermeasure to the virus so I can focus my abilities entirely on offense.
Giving the processed Dimension Stone to the Ark Gate entry team is tricky.
There will be over a hundred people going in, and a single stone can't protect all of them.
It's better to give each individual a high-performance cylinder.
If need be, I can quickly take care of the Dark Moon, grab their cylinders, and deliver them.
‘…Huh?’
One of the two Dimension Stones had a strange pattern etched on it.
I thought it had been perfectly smooth, like an unprocessed gemstone.
[This Dimension Stone is ‘Imprinted.’]
[It cannot be transferred to others or destroyed.]
…Imprinted?
I wracked my brain, but I couldn't remember when that might have happened.
I also didn't understand why only one of my two Dimension Stones was imprinted.
Could it be some kind of system where it becomes bound to you if you hold it for too long?
After pondering for a while, I returned the patterned stone to my inventory.
“Jun Bo-ra. I need to ask you for a favor.”
“What is it?”
“Take this to Min Gyeong-hoon.”
“Min Gyeong-hoon? Ah, that shut-in NEET?”
“...He really hates being called that, so don't say it to his face. Anyway, just tell him to process this. It shouldn't take long, so come back when it's done. Now that Gong Yeong-hoon is dead, we need that to clear the Ark Gate.”
“Got it.”
When Min Gyeong-hoon gets fixated on something, he shows incredible focus.
The moment he sees the Dimension Stone, he'll be captivated. The processing should be done in an hour, at the latest.
“How are you doing it?”
Jun Bo-ra, holding the Dimension Stone, hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Doing what?”
“None of this ever happened in the original game. Yet you’re so calm, creating new solutions. It’s like you’re clearing a game in real-time where a single mistake is irreversible. And you're doing it with a strategy that never existed.”
Jun Bo-ra’s eyes were fixed on me.
She had been posing as the Strategy King using her knowledge of the original game.
Now that a different development and strategy had emerged, she must have been having all sorts of thoughts.
She was acting like nothing was wrong on the surface, but she couldn't hide the slight tremor in her eyes.
“You’re the one who calls yourself the Strategy King, so why are you asking me?”
“I was just asking because it’s amazing! That’s all!”
Flustered, Jun Bo-ra made an excuse and then vanished using teleport.
A strategy that never existed.
What a strange thing to say.
Isn't it natural for all strategies to not exist at first?
I've played plenty of games where a single failure was not an option.
Right now, I'm just playing a slightly more difficult game.
What I have to do doesn't change.
‘Now then, while the Dimension Stone is being processed…’
Two things came to mind.
It was time to do some prep work to lower the probability of failure.
“Choi Yeon-soo.”
“Yeah?”
I walked over to Choi Yeon-soo and put my arm around his shoulder.
Choi Yeon-soo, quick on the uptake, lowered his head slightly and focused on what I was about to say.
Choi Seo-hee yawned, seemingly uninterested in what I was doing.
“You go home and keep an eye on Choi Seo-hee. She’s bound to me by a contract, so she won't try anything.”
“...Couldn't she still run away?”
“That’s why you’re going to disguise yourself as me.”
Choi Yeon-soo’s eyes lit up.
He seemed to have figured out what I was asking of him.
“Then what about my alibi?”
“You’ll attend the guild meeting in my place.”
“That should work.”
Choi Yeon-soo grinned and removed my arm from his shoulder.
Choi Seo-hee wouldn't run away, either.
Even if she did, her seal was still in place, and she was bound to me by contract.
She wouldn't want to live her life shackled by two restraints.
“Alright, disguise yourself as me now and take Choi Seo-hee back home. I’m going to the meeting.”
“Leave it to me.”
Choi Yeon-soo lowered his head and covered his face with both hands.
Then, as he wiped his hands upwards as if washing his face, he transformed into my exact likeness.
It wasn't just his face.
Even his body shape was so similar it was hard to find any difference.
“It's perfect.”
“Well, I’ve familiarized myself with the leader’s usual habits, so you don’t have to worry about me getting caught.”
“Even my habits?”
“The most important part of a disguise is knowing the person’s quirks and habits beforehand.”
I didn't think that level of detail was necessary since it had been less than half a day since he met Choi Seo-hee.
But there's no harm in being perfect.
“Good. It won’t take more than a few hours, so just for that time…”
I was about to pat Choi Yeon-soo on the shoulder and walk away.
Just then, I saw a familiar silhouette entering the Hongryeon Guild building.
“...Hwang Chan-jin?”