Chapter 129: Hunting Mad Dogs (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Hunting Mad Dogs (1)
Karina, who had been handpicked by Seo-un from a sea of competitors to recruit him for Sweden, had found herself unable to leave South Korea lately.
The world was shifting so rapidly that many were calling it the greatest upheaval since the Industrial Revolution. Every time she woke up, fresh information about Cloyd was being released to the public.
The player community, which once operated behind the high barriers of the Deep Web, was now migrating to ordinary web portals. Map data and monster item drops, once guarded as top-secret intel, were spreading to the masses. There was even a crowdfunding group for those suffering from hair loss, raising funds to procure "Defective Skin Medicine."
In this climate, Sweden had no choice but to keep Karina—who maintained the most amicable relationship with Seo-un—stationed in Korea to communicate with Seo-un’s Quad and build rapport.
Having finally adjusted to the unfamiliar land and just as boredom was starting to set in, she snatched up the phone the moment Gi-chan called.
"Mr. Gi-chan?"
"Russia? Why there...?"
Trailing off, she began tapping away at the laptop in front of her.
"I can have a private jet ready instantly. Is it urgent?"
Even as she spoke, the mention of Russia weighed heavily on her mind. Russia was one of the nations as aggressively obsessed with the Cloyd business as Japan. It was notorious for player assassinations and its thriving black markets for item trafficking. Even now, the majority of illicit items on the global market passed through Russian hands.
At those words, her hands, which had been mid-application for flight authorization, froze over the keyboard.
"What did you just... You don't mean the Arseny Brothers... do you?"
Karina’s heart sank as she heard the names Gi-chan listed.
"N-no, you can't!"
She jumped to her feet, shouting so loudly that Seo-un, who was standing nearby, took the phone from Gi-chan. Realizing she had overstepped, she sank back into her seat weakly as Seo-un’s cold voice came through the receiver.
At the icy tone clearly drawing a line, Karina spoke up hurriedly.
"I-I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry if I offended you. But they are dangerous. They are completely different from the Japanese players you've faced."
When the faint edge in Seo-un’s voice didn't subside, she let out a weary sigh.
"Did they do something to you?"
Karina’s brow furrowed deeply.
"Mr. Seo-un. Please, just listen to me once. Among the players they’ve killed, there were many who were objectively stronger than them. They aren't the type to show themselves and pick a fair fight. They will use any means necessary—no matter how vile—to kill their target."
She clenched her fist. The memory of a promising Swedish alchemist being slaughtered, and even the superior she had trusted and followed being murdered, was a grudge she still couldn't forget.
Karina’s expression went blank. Her reaction was born from her total ignorance of his true playstyle.
However, Gi-chan, who was listening nearby, nodded instinctively.
In reality, Seo-un seemed a bit slow and naive when his "switch" was off, living a normal life. But the true Seo-un, with the switch flipped, was a master of the dirtiest plays imaginable.
I only feel safe because he’s on my side. If I met him as an enemy, I’d be cursing my luck every single day.
That was Gi-chan’s assessment of Seo-un, having experienced him as both a foe and an ally.
"This is different from a game... Sigh. Fine. Entry into Russia won't be a problem. However... they are players backed by the Russian intelligence services. The Kremlin denies it, but they are definitely in close contact. The moment you enter Russia, you will be under their scrutiny."
"Is the whole team going?"
"Understood. I'll see you at the airport."
*
After hanging up, the two of them hurried down to the house built at the foot of the mountain, their expressions grim.
"I'm going too."
Once the situation was explained, Li Lingwei spoke with a cold, sharp gaze. Naturally, Juriel stepped forward to join her.
"Let's go together. If they're that kind of people, it's better to be certain of the outcome."
Seo-un shook his head. The two women were about to protest, but they fell silent when they saw the cold, sunken look in Seo-un’s eyes. That look, which occasionally appeared during critical moments in the game, carried a weight of command that the two could not resist.
"You two have people you need to protect here."
A look of realization flashed across their faces.
"You must protect my parents and Gi-chan’s sister."
Swedish agents were already watching over them in secret, but since the enemy was an expert in that specific field, they couldn't rely on agents alone.
"Leave this side to us. We'll protect them with our lives."
"Yeah. You don't have to worry. But... will you be okay?"
Seo-un looked at Li Lingwei silently as she continued.
"You've... never actually killed anyone before."
As the daughter of a martial family who had lived her whole life as a warrior among warriors, she could distinguish between someone who had experienced killing and someone who hadn't just by looking at their eyes.
In Cloyd, he might have killed enough people to receive the maximum kill rewards, but that was a digital world. This was different. That was why she wanted to follow him. She wanted to be the one to get blood on her hands so he wouldn't have to.
The more she grew accustomed to life on Earth, the more she realized that murder could not be part of a normal life here. She didn't want him to be stained.
"Don't worry. I don't think of them as human. I'm not going there to kill people. I'm going to put down mad dogs."
Seeing his firm gaze and hearing the conviction in his voice, Li Lingwei’s worry melted away.
"Then... be careful. We'll head to the families right away."
"I'm counting on you."
The four of them parted ways in Wonju, heading in different directions.
When Seo-un and Gi-chan rode their bikes to the airport, agents were already waiting for them at the parking entrance.
"Leave the bikes to us and go ahead."
The two were ushered through a "free pass" to where the private jet was waiting. As they boarded, Karina greeted them.
"Are you coming too, Karina?"
At Gi-chan’s question, she nodded with a stiff expression.
"I figured you'd need someone to help you navigate the local landscape. Let's set a plan while we're in the air."
Once the plane took off, she looked at Seo-un.
"What's the plan?"
"Find them... and take them out quickly. That's it."
"..."
Gi-chan was used to this and didn't think much of it, but Karina was profoundly shocked.
"You're just... going to go find them and kill them?"
"What else is needed?"
"No, I mean... what you said about a dirty fight..."
"I said I liked them; I didn't say I'd fight them that way. I'm not going there to duel a powerful enemy. I'm going on a mad dog hunt."
Only then did she realize that Seo-un didn't even perceive the Three Mad Dog Brothers as "enemies." To him, they were pests.
"If you underestimate your opponent..."
"Karina. Do you know how they were able to kill so many players?"
Seo-un interrupted her, looking her straight in the eye. She racked her brain. She had read countless reports on the incidents they had caused. She knew their methods.
However, she shook her head while looking at Seo-un.
"It's nothing special. It's because they were always the ones to pick the target, plan the operation, and strike first. They've only ever been the ones attacking; they've rarely been on the receiving end. They must have felt safe in their own country. The first strike wins the game."
He spoke simply, but his words cut to the core of the matter. She found herself nodding involuntarily. Of course, she knew that simple logic. The problem was that many players had been killed despite knowing it.
"Russia is a big country. Its landmass is enormous. Finding their location within it is—"
Her words were cut short as Seo-un pulled a document out of his Subspace and handed it to her.
Surprise was written all over her face as she opened the file. Even as a member of the Ability User division within Swedish intelligence, she had never seen such granular information.
The locations of the safe houses where the three usually stayed and their daily routines were recorded in meticulous detail—information that was nearly impossible to come by.
"It seems South Korea’s Department of Homeland Security has normalized, contrary to the rumors."
"That information was handed over by China."
At those words, she nodded.
"I suppose they were quite wary, given they share a border. To dig this deep... then again, China suffered painful losses because of those three brothers."
She tucked the documents away and handed them back to Seo-un.
"I'm telling you this just in case, but if you take care of the three of them for sure... the bounty you'll receive will be a little over ten billion won."
"A bounty? How much did you say...?"
"Ten billion. The unofficial bounty Sweden alone put on their heads is three billion. If you add up the bounties from China, India, and other Middle Eastern countries, it's about twenty billion. Out of that, the bounty you can receive without their bodies is about ten billion. Sweden will guarantee their deaths. You won't have to worry about collecting it."
Seo-un’s eyes narrowed. He could earn a profit he hadn't even reached through item sales just by taking out some trash.
"Do normal countries put bounties on people's lives?"
"Of course, officially, we can't put a price on a life. But unofficially..."
"I see."
Upon arriving at the Russian airport, the three of them bypassed immigration and exited via an express "high pass."
"That was easier than I thought. I expected at least some local agents to try and interfere."
At Karina’s remark, Seo-un curled his lip.
"I guess we looked easy to handle."
The three checked into a shabby hotel in Moscow. As soon as they entered the room, Seo-un spoke.
"From now on, wait at the safe house. The two of us will move from here."
"But..."
Seeing the two already pulling Cloaks of Stealth out of Subspace and putting them on, she couldn't say another word. She realized she would only be a hindrance to the two who had entered combat mode.
"Understood. Please contact me whenever there's a change in the situation."
As soon as she finished speaking, Seo-un pulled out the paper she had given him on the plane.
"Here. Here. And here. Remember them."
Gi-chan nodded.
"You're saying if we cut these, the power to this area will be severed. I've already memorized it."
"Check again anyway. Even a small error could be a problem."
"Got it."
Having finished their conversation, the two threw the hotel window wide open.
"It's too bright, probably because it's the capital."
"Doesn't matter."
Seo-un leaped out the window, and Gi-chan followed close behind. They stepped onto the hotel wall and moved to the rooftop.
Although the Cloaks of Stealth didn't provide perfect invisibility because of the city lights, the two figures cloaked in pitch-black, cutting through the night sky, were not something an ordinary person would ever notice.
At Gi-chan’s clumsy Voice Transmission, Seo-un turned at a right angle. The tablet Gi-chan held displayed their destination and current location.
When Seo-un spoke while looking at the top of the high-rise building ahead, Gi-chan shook his head.
The two figures scaled the exterior wall of the high-rise like shadows. Seo-un’s Lightness Skill, in particular, was faster and more stable than Gi-chan’s, allowing him to glide up the building without the slightest tremor.
Once they reached the rooftop Sky Park, Seo-un closed his eyes and began to spread his sensory aura.
*
"So you just came back?"
At Arseny’s question, Andrei gave a smirk.
"As if. While I was drawing attention, I had the kids infiltrate. Six of them whose faces aren't known. They'll be approaching his family soon. I'll leave tomorrow and sneak into Korea through an unofficial route. You guys come in slowly. I'll have everything prepared."
At the words of Andrei, the youngest of the fraternal triplets, Arseny picked up the barbell he had briefly set down.
"We shouldn't draw any attention until we get there."
"I know. It's not like we haven't done this before. More importantly, where's Boris?"
"With a woman again, probably."
"That guy seems to get worse whenever there's work to do. Tell him to take it easy. Last time, he killed three of them, and the higher-ups were pissed. We came out of the same womb at the same time, so why is he the only one like that?"
Arseny shook his head as he lifted the barbell.
"Who knows? More importantly, the higher-ups seem very interested in his abilities. Especially Subaru’s items—they seem greedy for those."
"We can't give those up. We'll just make some excuses and fill the gap with a few other things. Those old farts are just getting greedier."
"It's thanks to their greed that we're living like this."
The two continued their conversation for a while. Most of it revolved around how they would divide the items from Seo-un’s squad.
In the midst of it, Arseny’s phone rang.
The screen showed the name Boris, and he answered the call.
*
"Guh... S-stop..."
Strained words escaped the mouth of the naked woman being strangled, but Boris’s hand around her throat only tightened.
Bzzzt.
The strength drained from Boris’s hand, which had been gleaming with madness just a moment ago.
At the sudden blackout, he released his grip on the woman’s neck and scowled deeply.
"Cough! Cough!"
Leaving the woman behind as she clutched her throat and coughed in terror, Boris stood up from the bed.
"What the hell?!"
He irritably pulled back the blinds of the floor-to-ceiling window.
The moment he saw the bright city nightscape and his expression soured further, he felt leather wrap around his body, and he was yanked backward.
[Ding! You have been caught in an Irresistible Capture. You cannot resist until the whip is broken or the movement to the skill user is complete.]
His eyes narrowed at the notification that rang out simultaneously.
Squelch.
"Urgh!"
A groan escaped Boris’s lips as a hand pierced through his chest.
Boris opened his mouth at the voice translated through a phone.
"W-who are you? To do this to me, urgh!"
Boris couldn't say another word to the black-cloaked man in front of him, who had thrust a hand into his chest and was squeezing his heart with his bare hand.
Again, a translated voice came through the phone.
Boris, who had never once imagined in his life that someone would grasp his heart with their hand, nodded frantically.
Only then did the hand gripping his heart loosen, and his thumping heart began to beat normally again.
Tap, tap!
As the man’s fingers tapped Boris’s Dantian twice, Boris felt his Qi Channels being blocked tight, and he realized he had messed with the wrong person.
"Where's the phone?"
At the man’s question, Boris painfully turned his head. Following his gaze, the phone on the nightstand next to the bed was clearly visible even in the dark.
Gi-chan went to the bed where the woman was shivering, covering herself with a blanket in the sudden situation, and picked up the phone.
The woman nodded frantically at the translated phone voice.
Even though a hand had pierced through his ribcage and was clutching his heart, not a single drop of blood flowed onto his skin. Seeing this, Boris couldn't even twitch a finger.
As the terrified woman grabbed her clothes and rushed out of the room, the power that had been cut returned shortly after.
Boris nodded instead of answering. At the same time, he focused his gaze, trying to see the face of the enemy hidden under the cloak.
He's a pro.
Boris instinctively made that judgment.
In that moment, Boris quickly weighed his brothers' strength against the enemy's. And with a hidden smirk, he placed the video call.