Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Chapter 168: One Strike, Two Birds (1)
Translation: godtl
Muuido Island, next to Incheon International Airport.
A black car pulls onto the island.
Was it because of the dimming light?
Or the torrential downpour?
Despite being a popular coastal tourist spot near the capital, the area was unusually quiet for early summer.
The car drove along the deserted road by the shore before coming to a stop at a beach.
"Quite the turnout."
A man stepped out of the car.
Whoosh—
Quickly opening an umbrella against the pouring rain, the man made his way toward the shoreline.
Perhaps it was high tide.
Along with the fierce rain, rough waves crashed violently against the shore.
Yet, undeterred, the man approached the treacherous coastline without hesitation.
"It should be around here......"
Whether it was the relentless raindrops that rendered his umbrella useless—
Or the way his pants were soaked up to his waist—the man grimaced.
"Dr. Choi Woo-seok, I presume?"
A voice cut through the clamor of the rain.
Choi Woo-seok quickly lifted his head.
Surprisingly, there was nothing but the dark curtain of rain and waves.
No human figure in sight.
Swish.
His free hand instinctively slipped into his coat pocket.
"Ah, no need to be alarmed. I'm Kang Wi-hang. I've come under the orders of the Chang King."
"So you're from the Continent Guild. A pleasure."
Withdrawing his hand from his pocket, Choi Woo-seok smiled faintly and offered a greeting.
But—
"Though... where exactly are you?"
His gaze still met nothing but the stormy scenery.
Choi Woo-seok couldn't help but furrow his brows again.
"My apologies. It's been a while since I've escorted a non-Awakened."
A sly voice echoed.
And then—
Swoosh.
As if an invisible curtain had been drawn aside, the space before him parted.
Choi Woo-seok's eyes widened briefly in surprise.
Regaining his composure, he stepped into the newly revealed space.
It was as if he had entered another world.
'The rain... it's gone?'
The deafening sound of rain had abruptly ceased.
Perplexed, Choi Woo-seok glanced around—
"My god......"
His mouth fell open.
And for good reason.
The rain, which had been pouring so heavily that even an umbrella was useless, was still falling.
Only now—
Plink, plink, plink.
It was being diverted by a transparent barrier, streaming down its sides.
Perhaps amused by Choi Woo-seok's reaction—
A lean man who appeared to be in his thirties smiled slyly.
"Given how highly esteemed you are, I took the liberty of preparing for your comfort."
Presumably Kang Wi-hang, the man gestured forward with a self-satisfied grin.
Beneath that smug smile—
'Tsk. These Awakened. Judging by his demeanor, he must be quite high-ranked. Pathetic, flaunting his power like this.'
Choi Woo-seok inwardly clicked his tongue, recognizing the condescension and arrogance laced in the man's tone. But outwardly—
"Truly befitting a player from the world's top guild. I've never witnessed anything like this in my life."
Contrary to his disdainful thoughts—
His face remained the picture of a composed elder, exuding nothing but admiration.
Was it due to his youth?
Or simply his nature?
"Hah! You flatter me. For a Diamond-rank Magic Class, this is child's play."
Kang Wi-hang let out a hearty laugh.
Naturally, Choi Woo-seok didn't miss the subtle emphasis on the word "Diamond."
Kang Wi-hang reeked of arrogance.
Perhaps stroking his ego with words was the right approach.
"Ah, you're completely drenched."
With a feigned look of concern, Kang Wi-hang muttered before extending a hand toward Choi Woo-seok.
"We can't have someone as valuable as you catching a cold, now can we?"
"Hmm..."
A dark blue energy ripples from Kang Wi-hang's fingertips.
Then, as if shaking something off—
When his hand moves sideways,
Swish.
The rainwater that had soaked Choi Woo-seok's clothes is flicked away onto the ground.
"Hoho..."
Choi Woo-seok lets out a disbelieving laugh at the sensation of his nearly dried clothes.
"Then, allow me to escort you this way."
Seemingly satisfied with the reaction,
Kang Wi-hang guides Choi Woo-seok with an even deeper smile.
With each step they take,
Pitter-patter.
The sound of heavy raindrops striking against an invisible barrier gradually grows louder.
As Choi Woo-seok walks along the shoreline following Kang Wi-hang, his eyes ceaselessly scan their surroundings.
'Given that there was no such transparent barrier outside... This must be inside a Barrier.'
Creating another space within the same space.
Though its principles were difficult to explain scientifically,
Choi Woo-seok was at least familiar with Barrier-related traits to this extent.
'But that's not all.'
Choi Woo-seok's gaze shifts toward the sandy path leading to the island ahead.
'Earlier, the tide was clearly in, and the path to Silmi Island wasn't visible.'
The shoreline before entering this place.
Outside the Barrier, the sea level was unmistakably at high tide.
Naturally, the sandy path to Silmi Island had been submerged underwater,
with storm-driven waves raging fiercely.
Yet here, there's a sandy path leading to Silmi Island?
'Manipulating the environment within the Barrier... So, there must be a Barrier Awakened of at least SS-rank.'
Originally, to alter the environment of an area enclosed by a Barrier,
one needed a Barrier-related trait of SS-rank or higher.
Choi Woo-seok lets out a hollow laugh.
'Sending a Diamond-rank Magic Class and an SS-rank Barrier Awakened just to escort a single non-Awakened?'
And that wasn't all.
'Those robed figures around us—each one's presence is anything but ordinary.'
The sandy path they walk along, following Kang Wi-hang.
At regular intervals along the way, figures in deeply hooded robes stand guard,
positioned as if providing an escort.
The distance from Muui Island's shoreline to Silmi Island wasn't particularly long,
but neither was it short.
'We've only covered half the distance, and there are already over 50...'
Choi Woo-seok, who had been counting the people since stepping onto the sandy path, stops tallying.
Since the spacing between the stationed personnel was nearly uniform,
by the time they reached their destination at Silmi Island, there would likely be around 100.
'Incredible. Is this truly the Continent Guild?'
The Continent Guild, ranked among the world's strongest alongside the American Dream.
This escort was truly befitting of their towering prestige.
Just as Choi Woo-seok loses himself in these thoughts,
"How does it feel, Dr. Choi?"
Kang Wi-hang's voice snaps him back to attention.
Choi Woo-seok raises his head, meeting the gaze of Kang Wi-hang, who continues walking while looking at him.
"What do you mean?"
"This escort, of course."
Without halting his steps, Kang Wi-hang spreads his arms wide.
"Doesn't it feel like you're some kind of king?"
"A king?"
Choi Woo-seok tilts his head in confusion at the sudden remark.
Then, a small movement catches his eye.
The hem of a robe from someone who had just passed by.
His gaze naturally follows it, turning backward—
"......"
His face stiffens.
It couldn't help but stiffen.
Because—
'Wh-when did they—?!'
The robed figures he had passed earlier.
Nearly 60 of them had silently fallen into formation behind him, following without a sound.
'Even if I'm a non-Awakened, how could I not notice such a large group tailing me?!'
A full 60 people.
How could he have failed to detect even a hint of their presence?
This wasn't just a matter of the difference between an Awakened and a non-Awakened.
'If Gold-rank is the threshold separating proper Players...'
Sixty individuals who had completely deceived his senses and followed him in perfect stealth.
And with the thirty or so remaining ahead, that meant nearly a hundred people—all of them Gold-rank.
Only when his thoughts reached that point did it hit him.
"So, does it meet your expectations?"
Choi Woo-seok finally grasped the meaning behind Kang Wi-hang's sly grin.
An escort of over a hundred Gold-rank Players.
And not just that—a Diamond-rank Magic Class and an SS-rank Barrier specialist to boot.
"Hoho! Might as well be a king. No, this feels more like being an emperor."
For an Unawakened, this was luxury even an emperor wouldn't scoff at.
Perhaps amused by Choi Woo-seok's reaction—
"Calling this mere escort 'emperor-like'... You must've lived in too small a world to throw around the word 'emperor' so lightly. Hah!"
Kang Wi-hang's tone carried a subtle mockery, as if looking down on some country bumpkin fresh off the boat to the big city.
Yet despite his words—
"Tsk. You should watch your step."
Tap.
The man even used his abilities to personally clear away a single pebble in their path, and seeing this, Choi Woo-seok finally understood.
Putting aside the condescension toward him as an Unawakened—
Why Kang Wi-hang had been needling him while simultaneously treating him with such peculiar deference.
'I see. They're trying to recruit me.'
It wasn't surprising.
'The Continent Guild may have similar research underway, but their direction is different from mine.'
While they shared the same foundational approach of utilizing Dragonkin essence—
Their end goals were fundamentally distinct.
'I research Dragonkin for medical purposes—to replace stem cells...'
His focus was on how to transplant the Dragonkin's superior physical capabilities into humans.
And more crucially, how to ensure the mind remained intact despite bodily transformations.
At its core, his research aimed for a better future for humanity.
That's why he had strictly experimented only on Awakened confirmed as Villains—never civilians.
But—
'They research for the sake of military might.'
The Continent Guild was different.
Or more accurately, this was the research of Jong-ri Chu, the Fist King who ruled half the guild.
A man who devoutly adhered to Survival of the Fittest.
For him, no means were off the table if they led to greater strength.
'So of course he'd pursue research to forcibly Awaken civilians.'
Though "Awakening civilians" was just a euphemism.
'Their real goal is to Dragonify them—to increase combat-capable personnel.'
It was nothing more than an experiment to expand their private army.
Hadn't they already rounded up every civilian who wouldn't cause backlash for their experiments?
That's why, for years—
Choi Woo-seok had refused Jong-ri Chu's endless courtship and extravagant offers.
But now—
'I don't have a choice anymore.'
If he accepted the Continent Guild's help to escape to China, only one path would remain.
At first, they'd coax and flatter him.
But if he kept refusing, they wouldn't hesitate to resort to force.
In the end, accepting their terms while they were still playing nice would be the wisest move.
Not that it was all bad, of course.
'Well, my research has hit a wall anyway. Our fields overlap—this could give it the boost it needs.'
The difference in scale alone—
Every time he'd exchanged research notes with them, he'd seen firsthand the staggering progress they'd made.
As they followed the sandy path to Silmi Island—
"Kang Wi-hang! Over here!"
Beyond the personnel stationed along the shore—
A group of ten or so greeted Kang Wi-hang.
And seeing them, Choi Woo-seok realized—
'Every single one of them... must be at least Platinum-rank or higher.'
Their absence along the route made sense now.
"What took you so long to fetch one guy?"
"We were about to die of boredom waiting."
"Typical Magic Class. Painfully slow, every damn time."
Just the way they cynically received Kang Wi-hang, a Diamond-rank mage, made it obvious.
Of course, Choi Woo-seok's astonishment didn't end there.
"Is that the subject?"
Though clearly a voice, it didn't sound human.
The figure draped in a bedsheet-like robe, standing nearly three meters tall, was anything but ordinary at first glance.
And then—
"Yes. My apologies for the delay. Since Dr. Choi is a non-Awakened, we had to handle him with extra care, which took some time."
Kang Wi-hang bent at a perfect 90-degree angle, offering a deeply respectful bow.
"Understandable. Even you Players are lacking, let alone a non-Awakened."
The towering robed figure exuded an arrogance incomparable to Kang Wi-hang's.
And then, such a being—
"We understand. The limitations of lesser beings are inevitable."
"Heh heh! Let's hope the research is completed soon."
—wasn't alone.
Two more stood with him.
The foremost robed figure, who had been receiving Kang Wi-hang's report, turned his gaze toward Choi Woo-seok.
Just from that single look—
A chill.
'Wh-what the—!'
As if a wild beast had appeared before him.
Choi Woo-seok's hair stood on end.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no hostility.
"Choi Woo-seok, was it? Come here."
The robed figure jerked his chin toward the nearby sandbank.
Choi Woo-seok nodded and stepped forward.
Crunch.
As the distance closed, strange patterns and formations became visible on the sandbank beside them.
Choi Woo-seok recognized them instantly.
'Must be a teleportation circle.'
Using that, they'd be transported straight to China.
Just as he was about to step into the circle—
"Wait."
A growling voice, like that of a beast, rumbled from above.
Choi Woo-seok froze.
"Kang Wi-hang. You said this man is a non-Awakened, correct?"
The robed figure's voice lowered slightly as he questioned.
"Huh? Ah, yes! That's correct! Dr. Choi is definitely a non-Awakened."
From behind, Kang Wi-hang's flustered voice rang out.
"Then why does he smell of death?"
The robed figure sniffed the air like a beast catching a foul scent, his displeasure evident.
At that—
"Huh? He really does."
"Choi Woo-seok. You're not an undead, are you?"
The two other robed figures also sniffed and took a step forward.
Naturally—
"Wh-what nonsense is this?!"
Choi Woo-seok, unnerved by the approach of these inhuman beings, took a step back in panic.
"Or perhaps he's carrying an artifact related to necromancy."
"I-I do have a defensive artifact! But it has nothing to do with necromancy!"
Choi Woo-seok hastily rummaged through his coat and pulled out a rod-shaped artifact.
"See for yourselves!"
"Hmm......"
The robed figures scrutinized it carefully.
"Indeed. No Death Energy is present."
"It contains a single-use spear-type spell. Clearly just a defensive artifact."
They nodded among themselves as they examined Choi Woo-seok's artifact.
Then—
"I see."
The foremost robed figure turned his gaze back to Choi Woo-seok.
Or rather—
"Choi Woo-seok. The smell wasn't coming from you."
—to the vast sandbank behind him.
At that moment—
"Sharp nose, aren't you?"
A clear, youthful voice rang out.
The space the robed figures had been watching rippled.
Then—
Whoooosh.
A necromantic gray mist seeped forth.
"For Dragonkin, I didn't expect you to have a better sense of smell than dogs."
A handsome man, removing a bizarrely shaped crown, materialized.
His semi-transparent, ghostly gray form shimmered like a specter.
"Th-that guy—!"
"Kim Si-mun! It's Kim Si-mun!!"
The moment they recognized Si-mun's face, the Continent Guild Players immediately drew their weapons and charged.
Si-mun didn't even spare them a glance.
Snap.
He flicked his finger.
And then—
BOOM!
A deafening thunderbolt tore through the transparent barrier shielding them from the rain and came crashing down.