Chapter 114

A courtesy message was printed as promised.
[ERROR!]
[An unexpected error occurred].
[confirms the death of the character ‘Mithril’].
[Calculate the damage rate for the scenario].
[Now Loading…….]
“Whoa.”
A huge sigh escaped my lips as I realized I had achieved my goal. I’m exhausted without even putting up a fight. The beads of sweat that had formed on my skin cooled in the night air.
“I thought it would have died if I left it alone.
From the start, the damage was beyond Banjar’s medical capabilities. In a country with extremely advanced medicine and mechanical engineering, it would be hopeless in a city in the middle of the desert.
But we couldn’t let our guard down.
‘Because we don’t know what kind of talent they might have.
I might have a subordinate with a healing spell. They were as rare as pearls in the sand, but I had to keep my options open. If I was going to get rid of Chapter, I needed a clean finish.
[Loading Completed!]
This was followed by a message informing me of the corruption of several episodes.
I skimmed it and turned off my interest. Now I’m hearing that the scenario has been twisted and I’m not impressed. I’m not impressed with the lack of merit or the agent rating.
“I wonder if there are any episodes left on the schedule.
Mithril had long ago gone against the grain and died without any contact with the player’s faction. If I had known the normal future, I would have felt quite unjust.
It was a bittersweet ending.
Without Helixivir, Kim has no combat advantage against Mithril. It was Mary’s presence in Kilikia that gave her confidence.
“You can’t die alone, you can’t wake up alone.
Absurd levels of physical and magic immunity. The perfect counter to elusive dealers. Enemies that require Ast-class Chapter power or a fixed damage type of offense.
I can’t even bring out the [Crippled Index] I used on my godmother again. I don’t have the same circle of friends around me to lean on, so I can’t take the gamble of uncertainty.
So we baited and ambushed.
If you can’t win a battle, don’t have a battle at all.
“That was a close call, too.
I thought it was going to end with the first shot, but it’s amazing how a man can be honeycombed with bullets and still be so unharmed. I should have shot him in the head instead of aiming for a larger area to avoid.
“That’s it. Recover later.”
I removed the [garland] from my hand. I picked up the [Tactical Hook] that I had used to climb over the building and then set down on the ground. Relying on the wire, he quickly climbed down from the building.
This is the sound up here…….
If you see anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to open fire!
It’s time to let go.
* * *
“What happened last night…?”
After dozing off, Kim rubbed his eyes. He yawned to shake the sleep out of his eyes, then stared at Manozu with renewed intensity. The look of despair on his face was understandable.
“Why, what’s the commotion outside?”
“It’s not that there’s a ruckus…! It’s just that the atmosphere is freaky… I used to be tolerant of citizens, but now they’re dragging me away because they think I’m suspicious if I don’t cover my face.”
“You’re not being generous, you’re being disciplined.”
“That’s not what you meant!”
Apparently, the city had turned ugly overnight.
“I’m sure there’s more than one person who’s seen Hagiya’s body.
You can’t claim illness as an excuse to go into hiding. The binge drinking and gunfire must have been deafening at night. By now, Mithril’s death in Ramaz was a foregone conclusion.
It’s news that will soon be spreading across the city.
It’s okay to share information that you’ll soon learn.
“The leader of the Ramaz is dead.”
“What, what, are you serious?”
“Don’t play tricks on me. If you don’t believe me, wait and see.”
“……Huh.”
The facial muscles relax and the expression becomes blank. There’s no joy or exhilaration, just confusion. It’s as if he’s having a hard time accepting the situation.
“No way, you’re….”
“Me what?”
Kim shrugged his shoulders and let it go. Thankfully, Asam had kept his secret. Asam was sleeping sprawled out on his stomach next to him.
I thought he was just being carefree, but then I realized he could be. I told him to be careful and return to his tent if his spell broke.
But it’s unlikely I would have fallen asleep with my feet stretched out. I’m sure I tossed and turned all night.
“Oh, and I have an additional request.”
“…What else?”
His eyes are alert.
Though he couldn’t confirm it, Manoj had a hunch. The mysterious man in front of him was revolutionizing this Kabarati.
I had to think. If the leader of the Ramaz is indeed dead, the chaos is just beginning. He wondered how he and his family would survive the rapidly changing situation.
Kim then spoke up.
“No big deal, I just want to buy a new identity again.”
It was a statement that solidified my intuition into conviction.
* * *
The rest is history.
Ramaz’s predecessor was the unit Mithril was given during his time in the Legion. It was said to have undergone changes between Atlanta and Kavarati, but the core remained the same.
Mithril’s favorite detectorist, Mantra, had already been killed in Atlanta.
It was obvious what would happen to a group that lost its center of gravity.
“아아악! 저, 저는 아니에요! 내내 일하다 숙소에서 쉬고 있었는데……!”
“Shut up, we’ve got a report. We’re going to find out if it’s true, so just play nice and cooperate.”
“Cooperation, eek, eek…!”
“You’re being a bitch, you bitch. You’ve been acting like-”
Pull.
In a shadowy alley, a soldier who had been pouncing on a civilian fell like a rag doll with a broken thread. A sobbing woman pushed the soldier off of me, draped over my body, and then I saw it.
A windhole was drilled into the soldier’s neck.
“Heh, heh, heh…!”
Horrified, the woman pressed her palms to the ground and stepped away from the body. No, it didn’t seem to be dead yet, its shallow, hissing breaths proving its life.
But it was only a brief reprieve; she hurried away. Her legs gave out and she wobbled several times, but somehow she managed to get away from the scene.
Similar incidents occurred several times a day.
The Ramaz have lost their identity as a group. They’ve become a bunch of assholes, a bunch of horny guys, a bunch of guys who lock themselves in their rooms for fear of their turn, and a bunch of guys who play politics for the vacant leadership position.
In short, it sucked.
“I wonder if that’s enough.
Five days to stir up the city.
In that time, I’ve changed identities four times with Priya’s power. It was definitely convenient to be able to add them without having to wait for the duration to end.
Soldiers searched the sewers, but nothing came up. Ramaz was losing control of the city. The people’s discontent was rising like wildfire.
And around 12 o’clock, when the sun was high in the sky.
A man walks into the government building that serves as Ramaz’s main base. He was carrying a box, and it stood out like a sore thumb.
He was walking through a cluttered office building.
“You, stop.”
“Did you call for me?”
“Who would that be. What’s that thing you’re holding?”
The soldier examined the man’s attire. He wore the dark green coat issued to the Ramaz. A face that was familiar, if not close. His black hair was cropped at the ends.
A nonchalant reply came back.
“Oh, that’s the foreclosure we just picked up.”
“Foreclosures? Where.”
“Hey, there’s a report of someone who saw a guy go into a restaurant called Mayabay.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“You’ve been in quite a bit of trouble lately.”
Neither does he.
The guy who was called in is causing trouble again. The situation is shaky, and he doesn’t have the talent to stabilize the organization. As a result, the soldier is suffering from terrible fatigue.
“If there’s something wrong, would you like to check it out?”
I stare at my subordinate, who asks innocently. The gesture of holding out the box was unnatural. After a moment of silence, the soldier shook his head.
“Get in there. We’re in trouble.”
“No. You’re working hard, so I should be working hard too.”
He was more tenacious than he looked. I felt bad for being so sensitive.
“But did he always sound like that?
We hadn’t talked much, so I couldn’t remember. The soldier patted the man on the shoulder and walked away.
After a moment, the man’s face became expressionless.
He checked the structure of the building without being obvious. Next, he went into the supply room and set the crate down.
I squatted down and opened the box. He reaches in and finds a bunch of cylinders and a frog-shaped toy inside.
“Fifteen minutes should be plenty of time.”
Kim muttered, disguised as a soldier. The original friend is probably chained up in a corner somewhere right now, screaming “Uh-uh-uh.”
This was only possible with the full cooperation of Manoj and the twins. Manoj understandably hated Ramaz for oppressing him and his family, and Kim had the power to free Han.
We’re on the same page.
He finished his work and left the building in a leisurely fashion. Kim frowned and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining, so the smoke should be visible from outside the city.
“Phew, this is what it comes down to.”
I tried to get out humanely, but it was still a futile endeavor.
You are too weak to be merciful.
* * *
The highlands near Kavarati.
“Look at me, I’m an asshole.”
Ekidna looked through the binoculars and grunted. She could see the city now, even without Ravi’s spell.
The physical distance was close.
The boundaries have become so porous that spying in the neighborhood doesn’t get you in trouble. The change had begun a few days ago. The forces that had been spread out seemed to be converging on the city.
Something is definitely happening, but I can’t quite figure out what’s going on, and I’ve been freaking out for five days. It wasn’t until today that I got a clear signal.
Gray smoke was rising over the city.
“What would you like to do?”
Antonio asked for your intentions. Only borrowing the form of a question, he was asking for an order. Whatever Ekidna chooses, I will accept it without question and carry it out faithfully.
“Hmm, well….”
Ekidna put down the binoculars and touched her lips. She’d been waiting for the signal to come, but she couldn’t just rush in blindly.
I looked back.
Four vehicles are stopped on a hill. They’ve come out to escort you.
The rest of us are waiting to hear from the village. Enjoying a vacation that isn’t a vacation.
‘You’re going to die a lot.
There’s a good chance this won’t end with one or two losses. Kim Yi-hyun is doing a lot of things, but he can only do so much with his short stature. Bloodlessness is not realistic.
Ekidna slowly closed her eyes. In the silence, Antonio remained silent, letting her think it over.
The red eyes that had been hiding between his eyelids opened to face the world again.
“We’ll bump it. Bring them all in.”
No running away, no looking the other way.
By the time Timothy came out of Timorta, the jury was already out.
Shattered, bloody, or victorious.