Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Assault (3)
Translation: godtl
A heavy silence descended upon the area in an instant.
"Wh-what the hell...?"
A bewildered voice broke through the abrupt silence.
It was Gong Geol-ryun.
'Did the mutants really stop?'
Mutants that should have torn Si-mun to shreds right then and there—
At the very least, to create an opening for his own attack.
How could these creatures, who should have served as mere meat shields, freeze in their tracks at a single command?
Gong Geol-ryun wasn't the only one left dumbfounded.
"Th-that's impossible!"
A similarly stunned voice rang out from nearby.
Gong Geol-ryun immediately shouted toward the source.
"Im Wi-jeong! What the hell is going on?!"
"I—I don't know either! This has never happened before!"
A man with disheveled hair and glasses—Im Wi-jeong—frantically tapped away at the device in his hands.
Was it an item crafted from Arena byproducts?
The device emitted an inexplicable energy with every movement of his fingers.
"Move! I said move, damn it!"
Fssssss—
The Qi Waves from the device intensified.
But did it have any effect at all?
The grotesque beings called mutants didn't so much as twitch.
Instead—
"Ke... ke-luk?"
"Krrr..."
Like herbivores faced with their natural predator—
They trembled uncontrollably, their eyes darting around as if desperately gauging someone's mood.
"Kiiieee..."
"Krruk!"
As if even making eye contact was terrifying—
The mutants kept stealing glances yet couldn't even lift their heads properly.
And then—
"Y-you! What the hell are you?!"
Im Wi-jeong, who had been frantically fiddling with the device, screamed at the source of this impossibility.
"What the hell are you that these mutants won't even budge?!"
"Hmm. They stopped because I told them to?"
An answer so simple it was infuriating.
Was Si-mun's reply so absurd it left them speechless?
Or had they simply lost their minds trying to comprehend this impossible situation?
"Bullshit! Those things either go berserk or they don't! They've never been this docile before!"
His voice cracked with fury as he shrieked.
But Si-mun merely wore an inscrutable smile.
"Damn it! Gong Geol-ryun!"
In the end, Im Wi-jeong had no choice but to yell at Gong Geol-ryun.
"We have to take him with us! No matter what!"
"Stop talking crazy! Look at the situation right now—!"
"The crazy thing is this situation!!"
Im Wi-jeong's eyes were now bloodshot.
He glared at Gong Geol-ryun with a gaze bordering on madness.
"This is a project that's been ongoing for over ten years! It took years just to imprint basic attack commands into those things!"
"Im Wi-jeong, even so—"
"And now some bastard stops them with just a word? Without any specialized equipment?! We need to report this—!"
As if the words around him no longer registered—
Im Wi-jeong muttered to himself like a raving lunatic.
Then—
"Kyaaaaah!"
A woman's piercing scream rang out.
The battle unfolding nearby—
The fight between Go Mal-suk and Sing—had come to an end.
And the result—
"You told me to just cut off that guy's arm, right? Here, I'll return it as is."
"N-no! Stop!"
—was Go Mal-suk's victory, despite her being Silver-rank.
"Haah..."
Gong Geol-ryun let out a hollow laugh.
And who could blame him?
Before this mission even began—
'Does any of this make sense?'
Hadn't one unimaginable outcome after another unfolded?
'Am I dreaming right now?'
Gong Geol-ryun's severed arm hung limply.
Could a Diamond-rank Player look this pathetic?
And then, into his ear—
"Seems like it's all over."
The voice of the Grim Reaper itself whispered.
"Thanks to your failure."
At that—
"...You bastard!"
The lifelessness in Gong Geol-ryun's eyes was replaced by sheer murderous intent.
The root of all this chaos.
The cause of this nightmare-like reality.
"You—I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"
The nonsense spouted by Im Wi-jeong about needing to capture Si-mun had long been thrown far away.
Just as Gong Geol-ryun was about to muster his remaining energy and charge—
"Stop him."
A chilling, androgynous voice rang out.
"Grrrrugh!"
"Kuaaah!"
The frozen mutants moved all at once.
"They're moving! They're moving again!"
From behind, Im Wi-jeong's frenzied voice could be heard.
Gong Geol-ryun, now an enemy rather than an ally—
"Get out of my way!"
Swish!
—cut down every mutant blocking his path as he charged toward Si-mun.
"Kim Si-muuun!"
One.
Crack!
Before he knew it, white Lightning Qi was aimed at him.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Wave Annihilation Cannon.
And just like that, he was buried beneath it.
Crack!
Like shattered glass.
The S-rank Trait, Mirror Illusion's Barrier, shattered, and fragments of the illusion scattered in all directions.
The fragments turned to dust and vanished in an instant.
"Phew."
Returning to the heart of Gangnam, Si-mun breathed in the cold night air, awakening his lungs.
His gaze naturally shifted to the side.
There.
"Mal-suk, you okay?"
"Mm."
Go Mal-suk was trudging toward him.
Even though she had fought and defeated Sing, a Platinum-rank assassin, she should have been somewhat pleased, but—
"Ugh, this sucks."
Her expression remained stubbornly dark.
"Why?"
"Look at this. My clothes are completely ruined."
Torn and singed in places.
The expensive outfit Yu-jeong had given her had turned into rags before she knew it.
Si-mun let out a dry chuckle.
"You're worried about your clothes right now?"
"Well, yeah. It was... a gift... from someone my age."
She couldn't quite bring herself to say "friend."
Si-mun's lips twitched slightly at Mal-suk's awkward phrasing.
'Guess it's really uncomfortable for her. Well, she did say she didn't have any friends at this point in time.'
According to what the past-life Go Mal-suk had once said—
'You know what? You're the first person I've ever called a friend.'
She had said he was her first friend.
Which meant she had never had any same-sex friends at all.
So, friendships between girls must have been extremely awkward for her.
'What kind of upbringing did she even have?'
For a moment, he felt curious about it, but—
"Well, it was borrowed, and now it's like this. I'd be upset too."
"Exactly!"
Instead of questioning her, Si-mun chose to empathize.
"But Yu-jeong isn't the type to make a fuss over something like this. She'd probably just worry if you got hurt."
"Ugh! That's just as stressful in its own way."
Mal-suk shuddered slightly.
Si-mun's smile deepened at her unintentionally cute reaction, but then—
"Anyway."
His smile vanished completely as he looked in the opposite direction.
"What about that woman, Sing?"
"Dead."
Mal-suk spoke of death as if it were nothing.
"Dead?"
Si-mun's eyes widened slightly.
"Why the surprise? She was trying to kill you. Don't tell me you're about to spout some crap like 'Murder is wrong!'"
"No, it's not that."
Si-mun shook his head slightly.
"I don't care whether that woman lived or died."
Murder.
In his past life on Earth, there was hardly anyone who hadn't committed it.
Countless nations had fallen due to successive Outbreaks.
In that world, villains and criminals ran rampant.
Especially as a Level 1, Si-mun had been easy prey—whether as a slave or a test subject.
To survive as even the barest semblance of a human,
paradoxically, murder had been one of the necessary acts.
It's just—
'The situation now is very different from my past life.'
The official Arena hadn't started yet, and—
So.
"You okay?"
Si-mun asked cautiously.
This was before Go Mal-suk had become active as the Heavenly Demon or one of the Three Madwomen.
So she couldn't possibly be unaffected by killing someone.
"Me? I'm totally fine."
Surprisingly,
Go Mal-suk just shrugged her shoulders.
She genuinely seemed completely unfazed.
Si-mun blinked slowly.
"You're... okay?"
"Yep. It's not like I killed him directly anyway. That bitch told me to break all four of your limbs."
She glanced sideways at Sing's collapsed form in the distance.
"So I just did the same to her, and she kicked the bucket on her own. Guess magic types really are fragile, huh?"
At Mal-suk's casual remark, Si-mun let out a hollow laugh.
'She really is fine.'
A completely different reaction from his past self.
Si-mun easily deduced the reason.
'Her SSS-rank Trait—Celestial Slaughter Star.'
That's why she could remain so unaffected,
even in the face of someone's death.
"By the way..."
Mal-suk, arms crossed, jerked her chin toward the opposite side.
"What about that one?"
"That one?"
When Si-mun turned his gaze,
"This is truly revolutionary! If we can just figure out the application mechanism, we could create a whole new world—"
Rambling on and on,
like a paranoid madman,
Im Wi-jeong was clutching his messy hair and muttering to himself.
"Ah. That guy's still here."
"Doesn't look like an Awakened at all..."
With his white lab coat and glasses,
and having taken no direct part in the fighting,
Im Wi-jeong gave off no aura characteristic of an Awakened.
"But when I think about what that bastard's done, I just want to beat him to death right now."
What Im Wi-jeong had done was in no way less horrific than the assassins who came before.
Mal-suk's pupils tinged crimson.
Simultaneously,
Ssshh—
A faint murderous intent wafted through the air like perfume.
Si-mun stopped Mal-suk as she started striding forward.
"Why? Forget how that bastard treated civilians?"
"I know better than anyone. That's exactly why we can't kill him yet."
There was something they absolutely needed to extract from Im Wi-jeong.
As Si-mun stepped forward himself to block her path,
"Tch."
Mal-suk clicked her tongue in disappointment.
Si-mun glanced back at her.
The faint murderous aura and crimson tint in her eyes were gradually fading.
'Even after learning the Heavenly Demon Arts, she still can't perfectly control Celestial Slaughter Star yet.'
Unlike their first meeting, she hadn't completely lost her rationality,
but both when Sing died and now, Mal-suk still didn't seem to have full control over Celestial Slaughter Star.
'Need to keep an eye on her until she reaches higher mastery of the Heavenly Demon Arts.'
As the two reached Im Wi-jeong,
"Oh, you're here!"
Im Wi-jeong's eyes sparkled as he abruptly sat up.
"You're Kim Si-mun, right? You! Come with me to the Continental Star Guild! Just cooperate with our experiments, and we'll give you anything! Anything you want!"
Did he even realize Si-mun had just eliminated all his comrades?
"You want women? Money? Or maybe an SSS-rank item? We can even make you General Secretary if you want! We can give you literally anything!"
His bloodshot eyes burned with fervor as he ranted.
Si-mun gazed at Im Wi-jeong impassively.
'General Secretary... So they'd already extended their reach into the political sphere before the official Arenas began.'
China's General Secretary—a position equivalent to president in other countries,
especially in a nation like China, it would be a seat of unimaginable power.
And they'd offer it just for participating in experiments?
To a foreigner, no less?
'The Continental Star Guild's influence on the state runs deeper than I thought.'
Adjusting his past life's intel, Si-mun fiddled with the 'phone in his pocket.'
Then,
"Interesting proposition."
Si-mun's lips curled slightly as he spoke.
"A sudden assassin who turned civilians into mutants is now offering me the position of chief secretary?"
Kim Si-mun stared straight into Im Wi-jeong's eyes.
"You said your name was Im Wi-jeong, right? If you were in my shoes, how would you feel about this situation?"
"...You wouldn't believe it, right? Yeah, that's normal! So, so what should I do?"
For some reason,
Im Wi-jeong acted like a man being chased by something.
"Ugh! No! There's no time... no time left! I have to persuade him—quickly!"
Frantic, he bit his nails without restraint, unable to hide his desperation.
Though slightly puzzled, Si-mun didn't let this opportunity slip.
"Still, there's no reason to lie in a situation like this."
"R-right! Why would I lie at a time like this?!"
"So, everything—from trying to assassinate me to turning civilians into monsters—is all true?"
"That's what I'm saying!"
"Hmm..."
Si-mun rested his chin on his hand, pondering briefly.
Then, he asked very naturally,
"Since you've experienced it firsthand, I can't exactly disbelieve you. But there's one thing I don't understand."
"What is it? Spit it out!"
Im Wi-jeong eagerly seized the thread of conversation.
At that, the corners of Si-mun's eyes curved slightly.
"You're just a civilian, but you belong to the Continent Guild, right?"
"Of course! I can't tell you exactly where, but you'll find out once you come with us!"
"Then that means you're Chinese. And your colleagues too. How did you all enter Korea?"
Awakened individuals undergo stricter immigration screenings than civilians.
Naturally.
Their powers could spawn countless problems.
"If this many armed Awakened entered the country, it would've made headlines, no?"
Especially since they were members of the Continent Guild, one of the world's top guilds.
There was no way a group of high-ranking Players could have slipped in so quietly.
Im Wi-jeong readily provided the answer.
"That's because we entered illegally!"
"Illegally?"
"Yeah. Oh! Right. There's even a witness!"
As if he'd found the solution,
Im Wi-jeong clapped his hands, eyes gleaming.
"Kim Mu-yeol! Ask Kim Mu-yeol!"
"Kim Mu-yeol? You mean the president of the Korea Awakened Association?"
"Yeah! He suddenly backed out of this mission, but he was the one who smuggled us in—"
Then—
Beep beep beep!
A threatening mechanical sound emitted from Im Wi-jeong.
"Ah, damn! A forbidden word!"
His face turned deathly pale.
And then—
"N-no! Save me—!"
Before he could even finish his sentence—
Boom!
Im Wi-jeong's chest exploded.
Flick.
Si-mun, who had already flicked his fingers, transmuted the floor into a wall, shielding himself from the explosion and Im Wi-jeong's remains.
When Si-mun dispelled the earthen barrier—
"...Tch. What kind of bullshit is this now?"
Go Mal-suk scowled deeply at Im Wi-jeong's lower half, now the only thing left.
She turned to Si-mun standing beside her.
"Kim Si-mun, you okay?"
"Yeah."
His expression wasn't great either, but that was all.
'Those Continent Guild bastards—still pulling dirty tricks, huh.'
Having experienced the guild's schemes to the point of disgust, Si-mun shook his head.
Then—
'Still, I got everything I needed.'
Fiddling with the phone in his pocket,
Flick.
He transmuted the floor again, covering Im Wi-jeong's remains before turning away.
Tap, tap, tap.
Long fingers drummed against the polished wooden table.
"How long has the barrier been up?"
"Three hours."
A square-jawed middle-aged man, nearly two meters tall.
Tap, tap.
At the answer from the golem, Choi Chang-wook, the man resumed tapping the table.
Before long—
Ring ring.
The phone in Choi Chang-wook's pocket rang.
"...Got it."
After answering, Choi Chang-wook—a man as sharp as a blade—
Turned his gaze to Kim Mu-yeol.
"Association President, someone's here to see you. They're on their way up now..."
"Tch. What an idiot."
Kim Mu-yeol finally stopped tapping the table.
"Even if it's late at night, coming here directly is reckless."
Despite his sharp words, his expression brightened slightly.
Of course, it didn't last.
"Uh... they say it's not someone from the Continent Guild."
"What?"
The guest who arrived was—
"Uncle? I received your gift."
"...You! How did you—?!"
Because it wasn't the person he'd been waiting for.