Chapter 126

You’re free on the way in, but not on the way out.
It’s a rumor about St. Kitts. At first glance, it may sound sinister. It’s not uncommon for people to believe that the government controls the departure of tourists.
However, the reality is completely different.
Tourism in St. Kitts is thriving, even in the modern era of less interaction between countries. This is because most of the tourists who visit the casinos are not wealthy.
You hire a bodyguard to protect you from the monsters. After a relatively safe journey, they are free to enter the country. With a fortunate fortune not unlike Chelsea’s.
But there are very few winners.
Even if you’re lucky enough to hit your initial goal, human greed knows no bounds.
Everyone starts out the same.
One game, two games. Ah, I lost a little.
Should we stop here? No, if we were going to, we stopped earlier.
I lost three times in a row, so it’s normal to win by chance.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s the real deal….
Damn! Four pairs in a row makes sense? Ha, no, but it’s a hundred percent hole next time. D’Gaziat! Please, Hall. Please Hall… Please, please, please, please, please! This is rigged!
That’s pretty much it for the most part.
The world of competition can be brutal.
You wake up and realize your money has dried up. All you have left is enough money to get home. It would be nice to leave, but the problem is that St. Kitts is too friendly to tourists.
Loan sharking is as big a business here as casinos.
The moment you touch other people’s money, the ending is predetermined. Corporations and nations do not lose sight of their debtors. Slums are formed by people who were once entrepreneurs, who are now heirs to inheritances.
Casinos and slums. Light and darkness in St. Kitts.
On a street that clearly belongs to the dark, an out-of-place luxury car pulls up.
Click!
As soon as the car stopped, Chelsea opened the door and jumped out. Her eyes scanned the area like a hawk on its prey, and soon she was calling out to her companion, who was still in the car.
“Don’t be aesthetic, move, move, move!”
“I guess I’m just passionate about …….”
“Me?”
Chelsea snorted and denied it.
“No way. Labor is crap.”
That’s quite a statement. Edwin muttered to himself.
“I’m the type of person who wants to be scratching my ass 360 out of 365 days a year.”
“You seem very motivated for something like that.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
There was a chuckle.
“Two hours! They’re going to pay me to play for three years for two hours of work, and I’m going to do it while I can!”
“How do you play and eat for 3 years on 2.5 million?”
A request to eliminate a chapter of the Black Society.
Instead of doing it herself, Kim sent two people to do it. Naturally, there was a backlash. Chelsea freaked out like a dog with its tail between its legs… but when Kim promised to pay them separately, they were happy to oblige.
If we finish in 2 hours and come back, we’ll each get 2.5 million.
It was a sight to behold.
“You know one and you don’t know two.”
Chelsea clucked her tongue at him for not knowing.
“Where are we, St. Kitts, it’s a gambling town.”
“So what?”
“It’s not just $2.5 million, it’s seed money.”
“Seed money… I mean, what?”
“I’m ten times the daughter I am, so what do you mean-”
Drool dripped from her mouth.
“In effect, that means I’m getting paid at least 25 million, kyaaaaah!”
“…….”
“Okay, just get off the plane. I’m one minute late because of you. Mr. Chop. I’ll smash you in the back of the head every time I see you.”
Edwin shook his head as he walked out the car door. He was nervous that he might be one of Kim’s coworkers.
As soon as I stepped out onto the street, I felt eyes on me. Not favorable ones. The vehicle provided by Asus General Trading Company, which doubles as a guide, must have caught their eye.
“I’ll take the lead.”
“Well, thank you, I’m good at that.”
Chelsea tapped my waist.
There are three pistols in it. All of them were made and handed over by Kim.
At first glance, it didn’t seem to be very good at melee combat.
“That’s why you sent me.
Edwin’s guess was close to the correct answer. To dig deeper, it’s a combination of a tank and a dps. It’s a classic composition, and the intention was to give the team a chance to breathe beforehand.
We didn’t know that, but one thing was for sure.
That Chelsea would be a pain in the ass if she had a potty break.
“I’ll have to be careful.
Edwin sighed inwardly and started to walk away.
He stopped before taking five steps.
“Hmm.”
“What are you doing, don’t go.”
He scratched his head coolly.
“Where should I go?”
“You got the tablet, just look at the GPS.”
“I’m not good with newspapers like that.”
“How old are you, how is that a newspaper?”
“…I’m actually kind of weak against machines in general.”
Chelsea’s impression has been tarnished.
“starfuck…….”
I don’t know why there is only a closed paycheck.
* * *
Only three people remained in the business room. Raonis, his assistant, and finally Kim. The two who had gone to the field were shown to their hotel rooms.
There was an eerie silence.
“Isn’t that overkill?”
“You mean me, I don’t know.”
“I suggested one day because that’s a lot of agenda, and that’s assuming you all do your share, and I think one day is a lot, but two hours, two people?”
Raonis was almost visibly displeased.
“If that’s not all-encompassing, I don’t know what is. I don’t guarantee your life.”
“Do you think I’m looking down on my black friends?”
“At least you don’t know what kind of organization they are.”
“Isn’t that a pitch?”
When I asked him what he meant, he said, “I don’t know.
“You may know the Black Society, Mr. Laonis, but you don’t know us. I don’t know the Black Society, but I know us. No, during our conversation, I got to know the Black Society a little bit. Not the headquarters, just a chapter. It’s even starting to take hold recently….”
His jaw set in a grim line.
“Two will do.”
“…….”
“Let’s talk about something more productive. You’ve made your bet, but you haven’t decided what you’re actually betting on yet, have you?”
“So does he.”
Raonis shrugged.
“But I don’t really want to ask for much from you, other than money, weapons, or a spell suppressor from Celbrosix Labs.”
“Want something rare?”
“Preferably, yes.”
It was a no expectations attitude.
He’s an asshole, according to Tatalia. But there was something in Kim’s hand that would interest any target.
“How about this.”
He flicked the small pouch from his arm. The pouch slid across the table and landed in front of Raonis.
I would have been embarrassed if I’d stopped awkwardly.
Raonis reached into his pocket and shook it out in his palm. Protruding from it was a piece of reddish mineral. He stared at it for a moment, frowning, then his eyes widened.
“Ra, laktnidi?”
“You’re very knowledgeable.”
“How can I do this…!”
Cub. Now you’re a familiar face.
“I’ll give you a little more than that, if you win the bet, of course.”
“…….”
He calms his ragged breathing. Raonis returns the Lactnidi to his pocket.
“I guess it’s not a small bet after all.”
“The value of an object varies from person to person.”
“Is there anything else you’d like me to do?”
“Yeah, well. It’s not a big deal.”
Kim raised a finger and pointed to the tablet on Raonis’s left. You have about 90 minutes left. They’ll contact you as soon as they’re done.
“Do you remember the mulleted man who walked out earlier?”
“His name was Edwin.”
“Get him something he can use.”
“Equipment…?”
The pale pigmented eyes looked puzzled.
“Is that it?”
“It just has to be indestructible, because for people like us, the quality of our equipment is a matter of life and death, and he’s a little bit of a rough-and-tumble guy.”
It was an unasked-for request. No matter how you look at it, it was a deal in Raonis’ favor. High-quality equipment isn’t cheap, but it’s cheap compared to Laktnidi.
That’s why it won the award.
“…I don’t know, and as a businessman, my advice would be to think more in terms of balance, whether you’re trading or betting, no matter how confident you are that you’re going to win.”
“It’s like I said. Things are worth different things to different people.”
Kim smiles.
“Dill, are you in?”
“There’s no reason to say no.”
His smile turned wicked when he got the answer.
“You’re going to want to bring some very sturdy gear.”
And exactly 58 minutes later.
With more than 30 minutes to go, the screen flashed.
“Looks like it’s done. Let’s check it out.”
Raonis watched Kim wave lazily, then grabbed his tablet. A message had arrived. The message was very simple.
Deposit
Three letters and a video. When I touched Chapter, a short video played.
The setting is a dimly lit warehouse somewhere. A white light illuminates the screen. In the spotlight, dozens of gang members are milling around, dripping blood.
Bokmyeong Bokchang.
A woman’s voice came through.
You’re out of St. Kitts within the day.
Off, I’m off! So spare me just once…!
Hey, you stupid gangsters, who’s doing the Bokmyeong Bokchang?
Down on the screen, the shooter waved his hand, and the man who stood like a guard next to the black community organizers sighed and swung his fist.
─Quang!
The stone wall collapsed like Styrofoam. Then my fist slipped through without a care in the world.
Oh, oh, not today! No, I’m out right now!
You. Name and affiliation.
I’m Wonju Geum, the action leader of the St. Kitts chapter of the Black Panther Party….
Yeah, it’s a circumference. If you see it, you’re gonna look for it.
Ah, I see, black. Ugh…!
…… What is this?
Raonis was speechless. The video ended with the sound of a group of men huffing and puffing. Even then, he couldn’t shake the embarrassment.
Mate!
The sound of clapping hands jolted me out of my reverie.
“Okay, that took longer than I thought it would.”
“Maybe it’s not a manipulation of something….”
“Bullshit.”
He gave me a murderous glare that told me he would never let me off the hook.
“A piece of equipment that won’t break if he just used it. Take care, Mr. Raonis.”
错误。
* * *
Raonis has agreed to visit the Celbrox Labs in the near future. Once the deal is finalized, a familiar NPC from the game will bring various items to the lab.
It would be a stretch for Kushan, but he wouldn’t say no. It’s a time when the lab is growing inside and out. There are certain ingredients that are hard to come by in the fallen land of Shalem.
Plus Edwin’s gear.
“I tried it, just in case, and it worked.
From the sounds of it, Raonis was paying dearly for seeing Edwin as water. Few machines could withstand Edwin’s strength and unerring skill.
But a promise is a promise. I’m not the kind of person to break them.
‘I’m sure they’ll find a way to get it.
At that point, it’s comparable to a 4-star or lower special weapon.
I’ll be able to arm myself with Kim’s spells when needed, but I basically had to come up with a [Vibranium Composite Sword] for Asterique to use.
“I could give it to multiple people.
Conversely, you can also give one player multiple special weapons. Like Chelsea’s pistol this time. After reaching 4-star, it even lasted longer when off-hand.
But that was separate from the concept of ‘wearing’.
* Enhanced by the effect of AP-116, you can equip one person other than the caster with special armor. In this case, SP is consumed twice as much as usual.
Apparently, stat modifiers only apply to the first piece of gear you equip on a person, while unmodified secondary gear is unrestricted.
It’s not even half as good as I am.
“I’m exhausted in the first place.
Unless it’s a special case like Asterique, it’s better to bring your own equipment. Chelsea is a guaranteed low hitter with any gun, so there’s no need to bring your own.
It was worth it to come this far on purpose.
Now it was time to really enjoy the vacation.
“Hyun, they say the burgers at that intersection are that good.”
“From breakfast? Can’t we just have hotel breakfast?”
“You don’t have a romance, romance. I’ll buy you one. Let’s go, okay?”
“I know it’s not about money, but….”
Still, I feel like I’m getting a good deal for free.
“It’s been a while since I’ve pulled that.”
“Right? Milkshake and fries, yum, already delicious!”
“It’s delicious, isn’t it? It sounds like a calorie….”
“I starved a lot in the past, so there’s still time.”
“Calories per decade or something.”
What a miracle math.
Kim turned her head and looked at Asterike. They walked side by side, within arm’s reach. The distance was so close, yet it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
A look of excitement. A light step in the snow.
At some point, I stopped thinking, “I have to take care of him. It’s just being together. While Asterique’s feelings may not be the same, Kim also has a favorable opinion of her.
I’m also grateful. I’ve done a lot of terrible things and you still laugh.
“By the way, where’s Chelsea? I didn’t see her at the casino yesterday.”
“She came in at dawn, face in her pillow, crying.”
“Quickly…….”
I’m pretty sure I wrote a big check, including my own money. That’s what you get for underestimating St. Kitts. Now that your wallet is thinner, you’ll have to work hard to fill it back up.
Think of it as extending your contract to 2.5 million.
Kim smiled and looked straight ahead again.
Instantaneous.
“That’s right, we should pack something for Arya to eat.”
Asterike’s words sounded slow.
“I think there is-”
A hallway on the fourth floor of a hotel, on a shelf with expensive ornaments.
There sat a doll smaller than a child’s fist.
It didn’t fit in with the vibe of the hotel.
Military uniform and gas mask. It holds an unusually sophisticated rifle with both hands. The doll’s arm moved almost simultaneously with Kim’s discovery.
The rifle is pointed.
“What the fuck…!”
Gunfire, and a crash.
Asterike felt the weight and warmth of his arms around her. Their bodies were so close they could hear each other’s hearts, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit excited.
I couldn’t get excited.
“…Huh?”
Very slightly, the timing of the shield appearing was late.
Kim’s upper body jerked as the impact was felt.