Chapter 154: A Swarm of Bats in the Night
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154: A Swarm of Bats in the Night
As soon as the address—xx Gaegonneo-gil—was entered into the navigation, Juriel slammed on the accelerator.
Coming from a world where monsters were a common occurrence, Juriel knew better than anyone how dangerous they could be. Considering the current state of Earth, where the vast majority of the public was ignorant of the different types of monsters and how to deal with them, this could easily escalate into a major disaster.
While they sped toward their destination, Seo-un’s phone rang again.
“Speak.”
—The situation is deteriorating. Word has leaked to the public. Players active on various online platforms are swarming the scene.
“What’s the situation on the ground? Did the monsters appear with them?”
—It’s not certain yet. Our agents haven’t arrived, so a nearby military unit is currently controlling the site, but they’re struggling to maintain order.
It appeared Jeong Su-hwa hadn't reached the scene yet either. Once the call ended, Gi-chan thrust his own phone forward.
“Hyung, look at this.”
—News has just broken in the Player community that monsters have appeared on Daebudo! I thought this would be a great opportunity to show my subscribers what I’m capable of, so I’ve started a live stream. Everyone, I told you, didn't I? If you don't prepare in advance, you'll be left helpless. Danger can strike at any time! Even now, you should prepare... For inquiries regarding private lessons...
Seo-un turned off the video. “There’s more than just one or two guys doing this right now.”
“Well, they should at least be able to protect their own lives. It’s not like an Object-class monster is going to suddenly pop out. The real problem is why this is happening in the first place...”
“Maybe we’ll find some clues once we get there?”
“I hope so.”
A heavy silence settled in the car as Seo-un sank into deep thought, his brow furrowed.
Traffic in Seoul was congested, so by the time Seo-un’s group arrived, the scene was already as chaotic as a crowded marketplace. The narrow neighborhood roads were choked by numerous private cars parked haphazardly. Everywhere along the path to the site, civilians who had parked further away were seen carrying cameras, smoking, or sitting around grumbling.
Further inside, soldiers had cordoned off the area with yellow tape like a crime scene, standing guard with rifles.
“Agh! What the hell! I told you, I’m a Player!”
From within the perimeter, people were being forcibly dragged out by agents in black suits.
“Let go of me!”
A man in his early twenties—or perhaps even a minor—with arms covered in tattoos, shook off an agent’s hand and protested violently.
“Don’t you understand? You’re just a Stockpile acting all high and mighty because you’re on the government’s dime. I’m a Player! I’m different from you people!”
Jeong Su-hwa, looking exhausted, suddenly closed the distance and stepped in front of the man.
“W-what?! Do you know how many cameras are here? In this day and age, if you mess up...”
Ignoring the man, Jeong Su-hwa walked past him toward Seo-un’s group.
“You’ve arrived?”
“You look like you’re having a hard time,” Gi-chan remarked.
Jeong Su-hwa gave a bitter smile. While they were managing to keep things under control for now, it clearly wasn't easy to restrain Ability Users with such volatile personalities.
“What’s the situation?”
“No major anomalies have been discovered yet. However, we’re restricting access because we found organisms that are hard to believe originated on Earth. Furthermore, terrain that wasn't originally there has appeared in the middle of the mudflats.”
Looking into the distance, the forest illuminated by flares certainly didn't look like a natural part of the mudflats. As Seo-un’s group naturally followed Jeong Su-hwa past the restricted line, the crowd gathered nearby began to erupt in protest.
“Hey, why are those people allowed in?”
“This is discrimination! They look like Players too!”
“Are you only favoring specific Guilds or Players?”
“What is this! Hey!”
As the Players and Stockpiles grew agitated and began to push forward, the soldiers were naturally overwhelmed by their strength. Since they couldn't exactly fire live rounds at the crowd, the line began to buckle. Agents in black suits rushed to the barricade to help hold them back.
“What a mess.”
At Seo-un’s remark, the tattooed man—who had been caught trying to sneak past the line—scowled. Seeing Seo-un, who appeared to be around his age, receiving special treatment seemed to rub him the wrong way.
“Let’s go. Don’t mind them,” Jeong Su-hwa said.
Ignoring the commotion behind them, they turned to leave, but trouble finally erupted.
“Aaargh!”
At the sound of a short scream, they turned back to see a soldier collapsed on the ground, clutching his abdomen. The sudden incident caused the noise to momentarily subside.
Seo-un sighed and walked over, finding the situation more serious than expected. The soldier’s face was pale, and blood was trickling from his mouth, suggesting he had taken a severe blow to the vitals.
In an instant, Jeong Su-hwa’s expression turned cold, living up to her notorious nickname, the Ice Witch. She glared with murderous intent toward the area the fallen soldier had been guarding. Several people raised their hands and backed away, as if to show they weren't responsible. The surrounding agents shook their heads, indicating they hadn't seen exactly what happened in the chaos.
“Give me a Recovery Scroll if you have one. His internal organs are damaged.”
Seo-un, who was checking the soldier’s pulse while circulating his internal qi, spoke to Gi-chan. Gi-chan quickly pulled out a scroll.
“I don’t know if one will be enough. Hey. If you’re conscious, grab this.”
At Seo-un’s words, the soldier gripped the scroll tightly, nearly crumpling it.
“Now, tear it.”
As the soldier tore the scroll with all his might, color began to return to his face.
“How do you feel?”
“I-I feel better. Thank you.”
“Try to stand up carefully.”
“Ugh!”
When the soldier tried to stand and gagged, Seo-un shook his head.
“Go to the hospital immediately. You’ve received first aid, so it shouldn't be life-threatening... but just in case.”
“Thank you!”
Watching the Private, who was stiff with military discipline, leave in a vehicle with a superior, a look of pity crossed Seo-un’s face. Having not been discharged that long ago himself, Seo-un understood the Private’s feelings all too well. He knew how burdensome it felt to get injured and be pulled from duty, leaving seniors behind. He also knew that there was nothing more sorrowful than being sick or hurt in the military.
“Even if he’s a civilian, to cause a ruptured organ... that was a deliberate strike.”
His expression crumpled as his voice trailed off. When he turned his gaze, the people who met his eyes instinctively backed away.
“I-It wasn't me!”
“Not me either!”
“Are you all aware? If an Ability User threatens a civilian, it’s a prison sentence without trial,” Jeong Su-hwa said, her voice freezing the air.
One man quickly spoke up, pointing a finger. “It was that guy! I saw him. He squeezed through and threw a punch!”
The accused tattooed man flared up and shouted, “Bullshit! Do you have proof?!”
As Seo-un blurred across the distance and appeared right in front of him, the man flinched, stumbling back a step too late.
“Those two over there clearly specialize in magic. The guy next to them is a Martial Artist, but he’s trained in swordsmanship. You’re the only one here who’s trained in fist arts.”
The man protested, “Don’t make me laugh! Does that prove I did it? Bring me evidence!”
“There is no evidence. Unless someone was filming... and even then, it probably wouldn't have been captured clearly.”
The moment he finished speaking, Seo-un’s hand clamped onto the man’s tattooed arm. The man’s face filled with bewilderment; he hadn't even realized his arm had been grabbed.
“You use Fast Fist, don't you? And the nature of your internal energy is close to lightning. Quite unique.”
The man’s face froze as his internal power was read so easily. He tried to pull away the moment his arm was caught, but Seo-un’s grip didn't budge. Unable to even gauge the massive difference in their stats, the color began to drain from the man’s face.
Ignoring him, Seo-un turned to look at Jeong Su-hwa.
“He injured a soldier, not just a civilian. How long will he serve?”
“Under the Special Act on Ability Users, injuring a non-powered civilian is subject to aggravated punishment. It depends on the arresting officer’s discretion, but it’s a minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 15 years. Since he caused organ damage, it can be interpreted as intent to kill, so 15 years sounds appropriate.”
Suddenly facing 15 years in prison, the man swung his left hand toward Seo-un’s face while Seo-un wasn't looking. Small sparks erupted over his hand as it flew with considerable speed.
Thwack!
Without even looking, Seo-un batted the hand away and crushed the man’s nose.
“Gah!”
The man’s nose was flattened by the casual punch, and blood began to stream down his chin.
“Fuck! This is violence too! If you’re taking me, take this bastard too!”
Watching the man scream, Seo-un was reminded of the quintessential lowlife. “I don’t like judging people by their appearance, but you really act exactly how you look.”
Crack!
Suddenly appearing behind the man, Seo-un struck the back of his head. The man's vision flashed. A sensation of his nose being so stuffed it stopped the bleeding was followed by intense pain. It was a masterful control of internal energy—maximizing pain without dealing fatal damage. The divine skill Seo-un had learned from Nam Sa-gwang was now being displayed through his hands.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
What started as a brief commotion turned into a one-sided beating. As it passed the ten-minute mark, the area became deathly silent. Only the irregular sound of impacts could be heard.
The man was now curled on the ground like a turtle, covering the back of his head with his arms, but Seo-un’s strikes bypassed his guard and landed accurately on his skull. This was only possible because the essence of the Boundless Fist Penetrating Strike was contained within his palms.
“P-please, stop hitting me...”
The bravado was gone, replaced by the man’s naturally youthful voice. Only then did Seo-un’s hand stop.
“I know guys like you well. I know hitting you a few times won't reform you. That’s why you need to be hit more. A very wise man told me that once a person starts thinking they might actually die from the beating, that’s when they might finally change.”
With those words, the violence began again. Seo-un’s hands showed no mercy as he pummeled the man’s entire body. If he fell, he was stomped; if he tried to run, he was struck down. Every single blow vibrated through flesh and bone, a sharp pain that overstimulated the brain.
As the agonizing time continued, the man experienced a whirlwind of emotions. Anger gave way to a sense of injustice, which turned into fear, and finally, to total resignation. The moment Seo-un saw the last spark of life vanish from the man’s eyes as he gave up on everything, he finally drove a final blow into the man’s dantian.
Boom!
The sound echoed inside the man’s head, and blood surged up, spilling from his mouth.
“In the future, even if you can't live as a good person, don't live as a burden to others. You piece of trash.”
As the agents in black suits dragged away the man, who was clutching his stomach and weeping in despair, a heavy silence fell over the scene. Just as no one could break the silence, a man finally squeezed out a voice.
“T-that’s too much. Even if you’re both Players, how can you go this far?”
Seo-un turned around and replied with a smile. “I have legal immunity, so I can do this.”
The moment he turned away, the air around them shifted. Sensing a chilling presence, Seo-un instinctively lowered his stance and surged his internal energy.
Skreeee! Flap!
As the dark silhouette of a bird-like creature soared through the light of the flares, letting out a piercing cry, Juriel reflexively spoke.
“It’s a Giant Bat!”
Whoosh!
The bat, which had been far off, closed the distance in an instant, revealing its massive size. As it drew closer, a violent wind began to whip around the area.
Skreeeeeee!
Just as the creature’s massive wings were about to sweep through the nearby crowd, Seo-un blocked the wing and punched a hole straight through its body. Leaving the creature writhing and screaming on the ground, Seo-un’s group began to strike down the other bats that were starting to take flight.
As they were cleaning them up, magic began to fly in from behind as support. For the most part, the crowd was just finishing off the bats Seo-un’s group had already incapacitated.
“It’s an item!”
As soon as someone shouted, the crowd’s attacks intensified. Once all thirty or so bats were killed, another commotion broke out.
“That one was my kill!”
A Player who had crossed the line again beat his chest. “I have to go pick up the item! I’m just going in for a second! I’m filming all of this!”
“Sigh. This is getting old. Seriously.”
Just as Gi-chan sighed and was about to give the crowd a piece of his mind, Seo-un grabbed his shoulder.
“Wait. Why did some of them drop items while others just died?”
“Who knows? Seeing as they dropped leather pouches, it seems they’re subject to system calibration...”
At his words, Seo-un approached the restricted line. The noisy scene became deathly quiet just by his approach. Having witnessed his violence firsthand, Seo-un was now etched into their minds as a terrifying existence.
“Everyone here who is a Stockpile, raise your hand.”
At his command, people began to raise their hands one by one, hesitantly.
“Among you... that guy, that guy, that guy, and... you over there. Raise your hand if you got a last hit.”
At the mention of a "last hit," everyone lowered their hands.
“I’m not here to scold you, so just raise your hands.”
Only then did a few people raise their hands. Gi-chan, who had walked up behind him, snapped his fingers as if he finally understood.
“Ah! You’re saying items only drop via system calibration if a Player kills them!”
At Gi-chan’s words, the people who had swarmed the place as Stockpiles hung their heads. With the recent opening of offline item shops in department stores, the existence of items was a hot topic worldwide. The prices of these items were, of course, the center of attention. For those who couldn't access Cloyd, the appearance of monsters in reality was their only chance to farm such items.
That was why they had rushed here as soon as they heard the news. Their disappointment at being deprived of that sole opportunity was immense. Conversely, the morale of those who had come as Players soared.
“Um... could you distribute the loot?”
“Distribute?”
At Seo-un’s cold, informal response, the man who had spoken to him backed away.
“You want a share after just sniping the last hit from the back?”
At Gi-chan’s mocking tone, the man’s brow furrowed. While he was terrified of Seo-un, he seemed to find Gi-chan—who had been firing magic just like him—a bit more approachable.
“Listen, kid, you’re nothing without your teammates, so why don't you stay out of this?”
In response, Gi-chan smiled, and hundreds of Fire Arrows materialized beside him. The man had been focusing his attacks on the bats Seo-un had already downed, using only Fire Arrows and Wind Arrows.
“Gasp!”
The man, whose limit was firing maybe two or three arrows at a time, collapsed backward at the sight of the overwhelming number of arrows.
Seo-un looked at the leather pouches on the ground and spoke to Jeong Su-hwa.
“Distribute them appropriately and send them home. Hey, you lot. Honestly, at your level, even these pathetic flying monsters could get you killed if you mess up. I know you’re excited about a farming opportunity that doesn't cost coins, but you only have one life. You’d better think carefully. This isn't Cloyd.”
With that, Seo-un leaped toward the forest that had appeared on the mudflats in the distance. Jeong Su-hwa gave orders to her subordinates and followed Seo-un’s group. An agent gathered the leather pouches from the ground and began distributing them to the people one by one.
“Hey, Stockpiles should step back!”
Despite one man’s protest, the agent distributed the leather pouches fairly to everyone.
—They’ll probably just contain beef jerky or flying daggers anyway, so distribute them equally and clear the scene.
Following Jeong Su-hwa’s orders, the agent smiled as he watched the people open the pouches and their expressions turn sour.
“Now, everyone, please leave.”
“We’re fine as long as we don't go inside, right?”
Predictably, when people refused to listen, the agent used Seo-un’s name.
“In exchange for distributing the items, that gentleman requested that you all disperse.”
“Tsk. Who does he think he is? Just because he’s been through a few rounds, he thinks he can act all high and mighty.”
The agent, irritated by the people grumbling and insulting Seo-un behind his back, spoke up sharply.
“That gentleman is Jin Seo-un. Shall I pass your comments along to him?”
“J-Jin Seo-un?!!!”
It didn't take long for the crowd that had been congesting the area to vanish.
Jin Seo-un was a name that any Regular Player below the 10th round was bound to know. He was a man estimated to be below the 10th round, yet ranked 5th among Crown Rankers. It was common knowledge among most Players that the player named 'Suwon,' who was currently a hot topic in the US, was actually Jin Seo-un.
Having just witnessed a man with legal immunity crush another Player, no one there had the guts to cross him.