Echoes of the Reverse Planet

Chapter 101: Assault Warning

“…I plan to go on the mission alone.”

The answer Baek Woohyun came up with after a moment of thought was ‘Mission Execution’.

If he hadn’t been given Solo Operation Authority, he would have followed the story progression, but now he was in a state where he held the right to clear Reverse Worlds alone.

He saw no reason to wait around just to follow the flow. It would be better to act as he wished and dig into Reverse Planet.

‘Maybe even this is part of the story progression.’

Additionally, the reason he chose to go on the mission alone without going with Kim Hana was that he could read undeniable fatigue on her face.

In his heart, he was thinking of clearing at least three Reverse Worlds today, and dragging her along seemed far too harsh.

“Our junior is indeed diligent.”

“Thanks to you, other agents can catch their breath.”

Lee Yujin and Kim Hana accepted Baek Woohyun’s choice, who had Solo Operation Authority, rather than debating it.

However, Lee Yujin seemed about to say something with an expression like she had words, but she was stopped by Kim Hana grabbing her shoulder.

Kim Hana, lightly shaking her head and whispering “Not here,” soon looked at Baek Woohyun.

“I know junior’s skills well, so I’m not worried even if you go alone.”

“I know too! I know better!”

“—But, before going to the Reverse World, could you check your work smartphone? It’s nothing much, but there are some instructions related to work.”

“Understood.”

Baek Woohyun nodded without hesitation at Kim Hana’s words, who had cleanly ignored Lee Yujin again.

Although she seemed to speak of it in passing, he realized the look in her eyes directed at him was quite serious.

Lee Yujin, who looked like she was joking beside her, was also giving him a subtly serious look.

‘There’s something.’

“Then, good luck!”

“Let’s go on a mission together next time!”

“Yes, take care.”

Soon parting ways with the two and exiting the Otherworld Management Bureau headquarters, the first thing Baek Woohyun did was check his work smartphone.

Because it was something Lee Yujin and Kim Hana had almost earnestly urged—not directly said, but the atmosphere was like that.

On the work smartphone, a long message from Lee Yujin had already arrived.

[Sender: Lee Yujin

You remember those guys who attacked me and you last time, right? Choi Hyeongcheol and the other veteran awakeners. Those guys you dealt with.

Since you, the one who directly took the smartphones from them, obviously know, their target back then wasn’t me, it was you.

Probably the corporation behind them wants something from you. It seems related to the research facility side; I’m investigating that part separately.]

‘It seems the Otherworld Management Bureau here hasn’t grasped the true nature of the Corporate Alliance either.’

It wasn’t particularly strange.

Even ‘over there,’ the Otherworld Management Bureau only destroyed research facilities when discovered and never showed signs of noticing the Corporate Alliance.

Well, expecting a mere government agency to notice and respond to an organization secretly formed by global corporations underwater was an unreasonable hope.

‘Maybe they’re pretending not to know even if they do.’

[However, one certain fact is that those guys haven’t given up on you yet.

If they know you went to a Reverse World alone, they will definitely move to target you. Now or later.

Still, you don’t need to worry too much. We are also prepared to move anytime. Telling you this is just so you can be mentally prepared.

Them attacking again is only a worst-case scenario, and I believe the possibility of them actually attacking is very low.]

-They’ll definitely attack, no doubt.

-This is too blatantly a flag for an attack lololol

-Worst-case scenario = It’s definitely going to happen, agree?

-lol At this point, if it doesn’t happen, that would be the twist.

“I agree too. This is almost at the level of an attack warning, isn’t it?”

“An attack warning from an ally…”

-Almost at the level of a comrade saying ‘I took care of it next to you.’

-The Hunting Dogs who weren’t planning to attack are preparing immediately.

-This is why corporate scum are tsk tsk.

-Yep~ agent annual salary is like Hunting Dogs’ monthly wage~ lol

“……”

Baek Woohyun’s eyebrow twitched as he read the message.

Although he had spent ten years ‘over there,’ that didn’t mean he lost all his memories of reality.

Therefore, he also knew about clichés or flags, and he noticed the strong sign of an assault felt from this message.

Thinking that he would likely have to take time to deal with the Hunting Dogs along the way, he finished reading the rest of the message.

[Oh, and here’s a list of Reverse Worlds suitable for you to go to! I’ve picked out appropriate ones near Seoul!

Additionally, I’ve arranged a vehicle for easier movement, so if you go to the parking lot, you’ll meet someone to drive you!]

‘This… not bad.’

For Baek Woohyun, who was already thinking ‘Do I have to run there?’ or ‘Is it time to use public transport?’, this was very good news.

Putting the work smartphone back into his pocket, he headed straight for the parking lot, where he could meet the Support · Auxiliary team employee waiting for him.

The employee, who seemed to have been waiting in advance, approached him immediately upon seeing him and introduced himself: “I’m Jeong Jihun, who gets to serve you today!”

“Where would you like to go?!”

“Ah, please take me to the DMC area.”

“DMC… Ah, you’re going to subjugate that Reverse World near Sangam-dong. Understood!”

Whether he guessed which Reverse World Baek Woohyun intended to clear, Jeong Jihun nodded vigorously, left a word for him to follow, and started walking.

Following him, Baek Woohyun instantly realized he was quite a chatterbox. Not by choice.

He just found out by listening to him ramble about Baek Woohyun’s exploits, the difficulties of agents, preparations for large-scale berserk incidents, and being familiar with driving due to Support · Auxiliary work.

Even during that short time moving to the vehicle parked in the lot.

‘The ride won’t be boring. …No, I’ll get there quickly anyway, so maybe not.’

Getting into Jeong Jihun’s vehicle, Baek Woohyun recalled the Reverse World he had chosen.

The reason he chose the Reverse World in Sangam-dong was simple. Because it was a place he had cleared once ‘over there.’

According to his experience, nothing special lurked there, and the invading entities that appeared were also ordinary.

In the current situation, where the probability of the Hunting Dogs attacking is nearly 99%, it was a perfect place to clear.

Soon after he lost himself in thought, the scenery outside the window changed. They had already arrived, not even a few minutes after departure.

It seemed the game company’s small consideration for those who would get bored during the always-long travel time was in effect.

Well, no matter how much people who like the realism of virtual reality enjoy it, they wouldn’t want to ride in a vehicle for twenty, thirty minutes, or even several hours just for one mission.

“From here on, it will be difficult for the vehicle to enter. Oh, the documents for proving Reverse World clearance are on the back seat!”

“Ah, thank you. I had forgotten.”

“Ah! No! It wasn’t me; Agent Lee Yujin prepared them! I just loaded them into the vehicle as she instructed!”

Getting out of the car with the documents Lee Yujin had prepared, Baek Woohyun suddenly felt curious. A question about driving vehicles within Reverse Planet.

When following the story, it’s designed to get rides like now anyway, but he wondered how it worked when not doing that.

While moving around Seoul implemented in the game, he had seen people who clearly looked like users driving cars, but he didn’t know the process to get there.

‘Do I have to get a driver’s license and buy a car? Even inside the game?’

As Baek Woohyun moved while having such trivial thoughts, security company employees blocked his path.

If it were ‘over there’ or if he didn’t have the relevant documents, he would have had to avoid them, but now Baek Woohyun had the proof documents Lee Yujin prepared.

The security company employees, who looked like they wouldn’t let anyone in, quietly stepped aside before the documents he presented.

“……”

Standing alone before the Reverse World entrance, Baek Woohyun gazed at it for a moment, then slowly stepped inside.

Passing through the passage filled with a strange undulation and finally entering, the world uniquely gray of a Reverse World came into his view.

A world where the sky and ground were all gloomy, ashen, looking somewhat dead at a glance, still welcomed him with the same appearance as ‘over there.’

“……Ha.”

Looking up at the dull gray sky, Baek Woohyun rummaged through his pocket. Soon, the item that came into his hand was the Black Devil he had bought from the general store.

He hadn’t smoked it since buying it due to circumstances, but putting it in his mouth, he suddenly felt a familiar comfort about this situation.

It must be because being alone in a Reverse World without anyone else by his side felt like returning ‘over there.’

Flick.

“Inhale, …Phew.”

Smoking the Black Devil held in his mouth deepened the comfort even more. Because this was also something he often did ‘over there.’

Before starting work and after finishing work, Baek Woohyun would always smoke one Black Devil.

Not that he didn’t smoke during work either.

-He smokes so well lol I want a cigarette lol

-Ah, I started quitting today, damn.

-His smoking power is ㄷㄓ even as a virtual smoker.

-But what’s that cigarette? Is there a place that sells those?

“…?”

“What’s wrong, Miss Nayeon?”

“A-ah, nothing. It’s nothing.”

Swish.

Soon after cleanly smoking one Black Devil, Baek Woohyun took out Soul Eater from the <Shadow Storage>.

The greatsword boasting a two-meter blade exuded an undeniable viciousness just by being held.

It felt a chilling sensation, as if it would split everything it cuts in one go.

‘Conveniently, they’ve gathered.’

Looking around briefly, Baek Woohyun held a faint smile.

Black Devil is a cigarette with an especially strong scent among cigarettes. It’s because it’s combined with intensely strong ingredients, so to mask that, there was no choice, or so they said.

Even ordinary people would unknowingly smell a sweet chocolate scent if someone smoked a Black Devil nearby, so one can guess how strong it is.

Such an item being openly smoked in a Reverse World meant invading entities, with senses much sharper than humans, would smell it and gather—an extremely natural outcome.

Especially since the invading entities appearing here were beast-type.

Additionally, this also meant he could save the trouble of having to search for them.

-Ukeeek!

-Ukee ukeeekee!

Did they interpret Baek Woohyun taking out Soul Eater as an expression of hostile intent?

The monkey-base invading entities hiding in the trees, observing him, revealed their killing intent.

Of course, even if he hadn’t taken out a weapon, they would have waited for the moment he showed an opening to ambush him anyway.