Chapter 93
Tadadak-
Susanoo ran through the smoke-filled corridor, engulfed in flames, with his mouth tightly shut.
"Heok... Heok..."
Behind Susanoo, who was running down the corridor, was only Oowada, who was panting for breath. The man from the research institute who was wearing glasses couldn't keep up with their speed and was abandoned in the middle.
-You seem better than that idiot. It doesn't matter if you guys run away or not, as long as that guy is left behind.
Yagyu was caught by Yeonhwa and was desperately swinging his sword.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'
This mission was supposed to be a mission to show off their power. To clean up the trash that dared to interfere with [Dawn]'s work and use them as a sacrifice to raise his own voice within [Dawn]. That should have been the purpose of this job.
'But why did this happen!'
It wasn't that Susanoo was just running away without doing anything. They had launched an all-out attack on Yeonhwa with the combined power of the three, but it had failed. Yeonhwa's strength far surpassed the power of the three of them. As a result, Susanoo was now running away like a dog with its tail between its legs, having given his subordinate as a sacrifice to the enemy.
Grind-
His face turned red with shame. But nothing changed, and Susanoo did not stop his steps. Rather, Susanoo quickened his pace even more.
'I just have to avenge Yagyu! If I return to my home country with this information and prepare properly, I can easily defeat that guy from before!'
By repeating that to himself, Susanoo changed his action from a cowardly escape from a stronger opponent to a life-threatening escape.
'Yes, anyway, that Yagyu guy is an attendant that [Dawn] assigned to assist me. That guy just did his job.'
He changed his action of abandoning Yagyu and running away to Yagyu just doing what he was supposed to do. Susanoo, who had protected his pride by justifying his actions in this way, opened the door of the emergency exit that had been made for emergencies and went inside.
This building was built from the beginning for people in the underworld. Of course, there was an escape route for emergencies. It was high-class information that only the important people of the shop knew, but it was not so secret that Susanoo, one of the executives of [Dawn], would not know.
'If I go out through the entrance confidently, I'll definitely be tailed. I have to use the escape route to go out the back, then secretly return to my home country. And I can just dump that Oowada guy in the sea.'
Susanoo had no intention of letting Oowada, who had witnessed his disgraceful act of bowing down to Yeonhwa, live. He was only letting him live now because he had a little use.
Susanoo, who had perfectly organized his future plans in this way, came out of the secret passage with Oowada.
"Oh? You came earlier than I thought?"
There, the ten people who had escaped from that room a step faster than the two were lying on the floor, covered in blood and unable to breathe properly.
"Ah, these guys? You know them too, right? I saw what these guys have been doing, and it seemed a bit much to just kill them easily, so I was playing with them a little. I was also bored until you guys came."
The man in the black mask said, and approached where they were. As he walked towards the two, the man lightly pierced the hearts of the fallen men with the tip of his spear, as if he were tapping the ground with a cane. At the pain of their hearts being pierced, the people lying on the floor were relieved, thinking they could finally die.
At that abnormal sight, not only Oowada but also Susanoo froze.
The man in the mask, who had approached the two frozen people, lightly tilted his head.
"Hmm, your expressions are a sight to see. You must have been really scared of that guy, huh? To the point of being anxious even while running away?"
"You, who the hell are you...!"
Oowada, who noticed that he was being overwhelmed by the momentum, shouted and swung his fist at the man in the mask.
Hwoong-
The man in the mask kicking Oowada's temple was faster than Oowada swinging his fist. Oowada hit his head on the wall next to him and lost consciousness.
"Ah, I wonder if he's okay? I was told not to kill him, but I couldn't control my strength a little. I'm a little excited because I just had my first kill. Please understand."
The red-haired man, who had subdued Oowada in a single move, said to Susanoo in a voice mixed with laughter. It was as if the mask itself was talking, not the man wearing the mask, and Susanoo felt goosebumps all over his body.
"You're Susanoo, right? The Thousand from Japan who wields a sword imbued with lightning. Play with me for a bit. I want to know to what extent my skills can work. I'm also interested in your martial arts."
Listening to the man in the mask, Susanoo gripped the sword at his waist.
-But you might run into a pretty crazy guy, so I recommend you just die by my hand here.
Susanoo, desperately denying Yeonhwa's voice echoing in his head, swung his sword fiercely. At that, the man in the mask, Lee Shin, smiled and thrust the spear he was holding.
Pajijijik--!!!
Lightning and lightning clashed.
***
"Thank you for your help."
-What, I just interfered a little in the game you guys set up.
At Kim Jae-hyun's words, the chairman of the Player Association chuckled. A hearty laugh flowed from over the phone, letting him know that he was laughing cheerfully. He was known as a lover of alcohol, so he might be having a glass of the liquor he had saved.
'Well, he must be in a good mood. He got the results he wanted, and he got the fame he wanted.'
As if in response to Kim Jae-hyun's thoughts, he said.
-Kekeke, I feel so refreshed. I knew that place was a gathering place for cockroaches, but it was a difficult place to handle because various things were entangled.
"I understand. Even if you, the chairman, tried to prepare to strike that place, you wouldn't have been able to move easily due to various checks."
Because he knew that fact, Kim Jae-hyun and the chairman had borrowed each other's hands. As a former soldier loyal to the country, he had always been looking for an opportunity to strike that place.
-That's right. It's what they call politics. The world doesn't run so easily that you can handle things with just simple force.
"Yes, I know. That's why we created an organization to break through such a situation."
At Kim Jae-hyun's words, the chairman burst out laughing as if he were amused.
-Kehahahat! That's right! To think I was just spouting off to someone who was already moving on their own! This is the problem with getting old! Kehahahat!!!
The chairman burst out laughing cheerfully, and while listening to that laughter, Kim Jae-hyun continued with his usual paperwork. He was now so used to it that he could even make a phone call like this while processing more than ten contracts at the same time, which he himself found amazing.
Next to Kim Jae-hyun, the news was playing at a low volume.
-Today, a large explosion and a huge fire occurred in a building in Gangnam.
A video played behind the reporter who was delivering the breaking news.
Kuuung-
From the splendid building that was decorating the night street, an explosion sound like a bomb going off spread, and at the same time, the building cracked and the windows broke. People who were walking on the street normally were surprised by the sound and screamed, creating a distance from the building. The building, which had been shining with neon signs until a moment ago, was now engulfed in flames and shining even brighter.
Players with water-related superpowers tried to do something about the burning building, but seeing the cracks on the outer wall of the building getting bigger, they lowered their hands and just stomped their feet.
Thump-thump-thump-
"Just a moment!"
"We're coming through!"
"Please step back a little more!"
Just then, people in uniform appeared from somewhere, moved the helpless people far away from the building, and entered the building that was emitting black smoke without hesitation.
-In a chaotic situation where it was unknown what would happen to the building as time passed, people from the Player Association who happened to be having a company dinner nearby appeared.
-They showed a heroic appearance by protecting and calming the people and entering the building to rescue the people inside.
The people outside raised their cell phones and captured the back of the employees entering the orange-burning building. Hoping that the people from the association would safely rescue the people inside and come out.
In conclusion, they succeeded in safely rescuing the people inside. However, it was achieved in a completely different form than people had expected.
Clank-
"Wanted man Choi Doo-sik! Arrested!"
"Wanted man Lee Moo-seok! Arrested!"
"Wanted man Jo Pan-chi! Arres..."
"Wanted man..."
"Wan..."
The employees of the Player Association who came out of the building were carrying several human-sized giant kimbap-like things. No, they were humans. They were just tied up with something that looked like black rubber. It was a full-body handcuff that alchemists had newly created to completely subdue players.
Since the news had shown several times the scene of criminals wriggling like worms and struggling with their mouths gagged, there was no one here who did not know the identity of the object that was wrapping the people's bodies. Some said it was a measure that ignored human rights, but in a world where nine out of ten people would answer yes if you grabbed a random person on the street and asked if they were a player, handcuffs could only play the role of an accessory.
"Mmm-mmm!!!"
They flapped and struggled like fish out of water, but when the martial artists who had learned martial arts poked their pressure points a few times, they quickly became quiet.
-...As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that the building was a place where Black Guilds held secret meetings and made deals.
-The Player Association and the police are speculating that it was an accident caused by the explosion of something of a weapon type during such illegal transactions...
Kim Jae-hyun, who had finished checking the news that was flowing without any deviation as designed, focused on his conversation with the chairman again.
-Come to think of it, is your guild leader still away?
"No. I received a call this morning that she had returned to Korea. Although she hasn't come to a guild yet."
-Is that so? She seems to be still busy running around. Well, you have to work hard like that when you're young.
He said, and laughed lightly.
"And the guild master had a message for you."
-Hmm? What is it?
At Kim Jae-hyun's words, the chairman showed interest.
"She said that when the LV.3 dungeon appears, a confusion incomparable to the present will be created, so you should prepare in advance."
-...Is that all, without any more details?
Because it was such an obvious statement, the chairman was a little flustered and asked back.
"Yes, that's all. She didn't give me any detailed explanation either."
-Hmm, is that so? Well, since it's the word of the guild leader of [Wonderland], it wouldn't be a useless statement. I was also thinking that I should start preparing for the newly appearing dungeon.
The chairman asked Kim Jae-hyun various other things after that, and Kim Jae-hyun answered sincerely while signing the documents.
-Ah, I'm sorry. Did I hold you up for too long? When you get old, you talk a lot.
"Not at all. It was a pleasant time."
-Kekeke, even if it's an empty compliment, it feels good. Then I'll hang up now. I'm busy, but you must be busy too.
It was a meaningful statement, but Kim Jae-hyun nodded calmly.
"Yes, I would appreciate it if you would let me know as soon as you get any useful information."
Beep-
After hanging up the phone, Kim Jae-hyun, who had processed all the documents, stood up from his seat and walked towards somewhere. To meet the four people who could be said to be the cause of this incident.
(End of Chapter)