Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Kim Yi Hyun?”

A long-haired man with a neatly tied back haircut looked out of the corner of his eye. In his hand he held a sheaf of papers with words scrawled across them.

The report was just submitted.

An unfamiliar name was mentioned repeatedly in the report. An unidentified, purposeless, self-proclaimed “bum.

“He seemed to know several of the warden’s names, and didn’t react when Mr. Ghost called him by the wrong name to check.”

Leila explained as best she could remember. It had been nearly two weeks, but she had no trouble remembering.

“So I did… and I guess you didn’t have anything to do with it either, ahaha.”

Leila scratched her cheek with an awkward laugh. So far, nothing had been revealed about this man, Kim Yi Hyun.

“……You do realize that’s no laughing matter, right?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry.”

The lab director. The man known here as Kushan pressed his hand to my forehead. The more I read the report, the more his anguish deepened.

“A spell that makes weapons, or rather, that can make ‘weapons’. Spellcasters themselves are not uncommon, and there are many who know my identity. It’s not uncommon for me to pose as a tramp to explore closed areas.”

Then, as you’re doing it, you slap the report.

“It all adds up and it’s not so weird after all. Pablo, Ghost. How about you two?”

“Mr. Pablo says to himself every once in a while, ‘He’s not dead, is he?’ Mr. Ghost doesn’t say it out loud, but he secretly wishes he had.”

Leila chose her words and then spoke.

“He’s very motivated to see if you’ve been affected. I’m actually worried about him, too.”

“I’m more worried about you guys. Have you been brainwashed as a group?”

“Ahaha….”

Hahaha.

Kushan sighed. Even though he knew the temperament of his men, it was times like this that he felt as if a stone had settled in his chest.

“……That’s nice of you, though.

By all accounts, Leila’s situation was dangerous. If Kim hadn’t stepped in… someone would not have survived.

‘Maybe the ghost was trying to stay.’

It could have been a huge loss.

The Ghost is the mental anchor for the agents. If the Ghost had died instead of the Professor returning, they would have been in trouble.

Yi Hyun Kim. I wonder if we’ll ever meet.

To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Despite not even knowing her face, Kushan had already determined that Kim was quite the troublemaker.

His head was already aching from the information he’d recently gotten. Kushan sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be any more annoying.

“Anything else, besides that self-proclaimed bum, that I should be aware of?”

“Caribbean.”

Leila sucked in a breath. The image of a mutilated corpse was etched behind her eyes.

“The spell of the one Mr. Hyun called Caribe was unusually strong, and it seemed to have some kind of connection to you…is it…related to your research?”

“…….”

Kushan took a heavy breath. Old memories rose to the surface in his mind.

“Leila. Bring me the elite agents.”

Now that the Legion is in motion, there’s no point in hiding it.

* * *

Polaris has very uneven levels of civilization across its regions.

Some regions have regressed to pre-modern times, while others have moved beyond modernity and into the near future.

The source of the bias is in the catastrophe.

The first instance of a catastrophe is said to be more than 300 years old. But that’s just in the literature. The year it started in earnest was 2000.

The year is currently 2042. More than 40 years ago, a catastrophe wiped out every city and nation on Polaris.

Collapse of infrastructure. Loss of historical buildings. The devastation of the granaries. Mutant beasts in large numbers.

The human habitable zone becomes extremely narrow.

‘It’s not practical to restore, so many countries have abandoned the affected areas.

Cadillac was a good example.

The standard of living in Ullandz is more akin to the American Wild West. The capital city of Babenburg, on the other hand, remains entirely modern.

The shrinking of living space and the concentration of infrastructure. In response to the catastrophe, the placenta countries are taking similar measures. There are only differences in degree.

And.

Kilikia’s rulers have adopted an unusually extreme “pick and choose” approach to survival.

By abandoning all provinces except the capital, they reorganized into a city-state.

“Huh. I’ve heard about this, but this is… awesome.”

Roscoe stopped in his tracks and spat out an exclamation. He wasn’t exaggerating. Even Kim was momentarily mesmerized by the cityscape.

“It’s pretty powerful in person.

A city of skyscrapers. Neon billboards lining the streets cast a dreamy glow, and patrol drones float through the air.

To say it was a different world would be an understatement. Tulavia was completely closed, and Ulantz was a backwater with few vehicles.

“For the first time in ten days, I thought it was a good idea to follow you, and now I’m glad I did, even if it means being thrown in jail.”

“I’m glad you like it, but don’t commit a crime. Unless you want to get deported.”

Kim rolled up the sleeve of his right arm. On his wrist was a titanium bracelet. It had been given to him as part of his immigration process.

Kilikia accepts immigrants without question, as long as they are not international criminals.

The reason it hasn’t become a lawless zone is because the city keeps a tight rein on those who set foot in it.

“The bracelet is an ID card, and whatever you do, it’s recorded, so maybe I’m not so different from Ulantz in that way.”

“I don’t see how that’s the same thing. You can’t denigrate law enforcement. You don’t think the mafia is going to come after you for touching some money, do you?”

“Nogorani…….”

Kim glanced at Roscoe. His fierce-looking face was loose. Kilikia’s first impression was better than she thought.

“Why is the young lady speechless… what, is she okay?”

Roscoe’s words drew my attention back to Asterike’s condition. She was pacing around uneasily, her body flailing about.

“…… is not okay.”

“What’s wrong with you? You were fine before.”

“Oops, too many people. I think I’m going to throw up.”

His complexion turned earthy and he clutched the hem of Kim’s robe. A foul odor stung his nostrils that had grown worse during the ten-day journey.

Of course, Kim Yi-hyun couldn’t say anything. With three beggars standing in the street, it was hard to stand out.

I feel like a monkey in a zoo. Asterique’s trembling intensified as more and more eyes turned toward the group.

……I didn’t realize there was such a thing as mass hysteria.

“Let’s get a place to stay first.”

* * *

Needless to say, we didn’t stay in a fancy hotel. The group’s belongings totaled 1.35 million credits. Of that, 1.3 million was Roscoe’s.

It’s not a lot of money, but it’s not something I can afford to splurge on. I needed to save as much as I could until I had the funds.

I found the cheapest accommodation near the red light district. It was a shabby neighborhood compared to the center, but it was still better than Ulanz.

“Fifty thousand a night is cheap. The cost of living in the city is scary. I’ll have to sleep in my car if I’m broke.”

“I’ll pay you back three times what I earn.”

“Haha. Thanks for the kind words, miss.”

Roscoe responded with a friendly smile, but inside he was frying an abacus.

He has no connections in Kilikia. He has no skills, and he can’t kill a monster on his own.

Sooner or later, the current arrangement would be reversed. Inevitably, the roles of giver and receiver would be reversed.

‘It’ll take another three months to settle in, so let’s be gracious while we can, Cancer.

Of course, Roscoe’s subtext was clear to Kim.

But Kim didn’t draw the line. She was actually feeling grace.

“At the very least, it would have shaved two weeks off my time.

We arrived in Kilikia much earlier than expected, and this is precious time. Sightseeing wasn’t Kim’s purpose in coming here.

“What’s the next three months?

Sooner or later, Kilikia will be engulfed by the Chapter. It is unknown how Shadow’s death will change things, but the event itself will not go away.

A catastrophe of such magnitude that the previous 0-5 stages look ridiculous. No matter what Kim does, there’s no way he’ll escape unscathed.

“The question is how much damage can be done.

Defend people and organizations on a small scale, and cities on a larger scale. At the very least, you must prevent it from becoming a Legion stronghold.

And apart from the episode, there’s something to be gained from Kilikia.

“Let’s split the roles.

Kim glanced at Asterike. She finally looked a little more like a human being, cleaned of grime and dressed in new clothes.

“A bed, it’s been a while!”

Squeak, squeak.

The springs screamed every time I plopped down on the bed, not because of my weight, but because of the age of the bed.

‘He’s a little guy… but he’s got a lot of talent.

I shook off the anxiety that was rearing its head. A six-star agent. Someone so powerful that she couldn’t even compare to him.

There’s no one else to trust.

“Asterike. There’s something I need you to do.”

“Huh? Me?”

“This is important work that only you can do.”

Asterike made a dumbfounded face. She needed time to process what she’d heard, and soon the corners of her mouth twitched.

“Well, if you put it that way, what is it? Pickaxing? Cleaning sewers? I’ve done it all.”

“I wouldn’t put you to work mining if you were crazy.”

“I did it! I did better than you guys, and I got my ass kicked… but that’s okay, because I’m not going to be treated like an asshole anymore.”

“That’s not what I meant…….”

You’re saying all the right things.

Kim swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth, but didn’t offer any consolation: his loser mentality would be fixed soon enough.

I’m just worried about being too cocky.

“Well, it’s good to see you’re motivated. I’m going to sign you up as a free agent, and you’re going to play.”

“Oh, she’s going to the ‘league’!”

Roscoe bit down on his own behalf; he knew little about Kilikia, but had heard the rumors of the League.

An extreme sport in which athletes compete in various events, such as duels and monster hunts. Athletes compete against each other each season.

The so-called big matches attract thousands of spectators. Tickets even command a premium.

The league is Kilikia’s signature pastime and a huge business.

This is the setup.

“Although it’s not in the game.

In fact, Kilikia itself is going to suck, and before long, the league will be gone.

As an alternative, a content called Skirmishes opens up after the city falls.

The initial reward for this battle is sweet.

“Money aside, I’m going to have to pack a specialty bag.

An important item used to train Agents. The item description reads “Originally given to the top players in the League”.

Kim needed it somehow. She would have preferred to take it herself, but… if it was for the League, it would be okay to leave it to Asterique.

‘It’s an official match, it’s going to be head-to-head. He might even be better than me.

By design, leagues are commercial entertainment. The focus is on audience enjoyment, so there are limits to what individuals can do.

If so, Asteriske is a great choice for you because of its physical prowess and spellcasting prowess. It’s also a great way to familiarize yourself with the use of spells.

“If it’s Asterique, they’ll get a sponsor in no time, so I’m a little nervous… Roscoe, I’m sorry, but can I ask you to be my manager?”

“Oh, sure, just leave it to me.”

Roscoe had no reason to refuse. If Asterique succeeded, the beans would run out.

You can also look for connections with various companies. It seemed much more appealing than Nogada.

“Tomorrow, no. Why don’t we go register today? Haha, I need to study this and that.”

“I don’t know… I’ll try my best!”

“If you’re a girl, you’ll be fine, but…….”

After encouraging Asterike, Roscoe’s eyes shifted to Yi Hyun Kim.

“What are you going to do?”

“I have to work. I can’t be the only one playing.”

“So you had it all planned out. Are you going to play in the league with me?”

“No. I’m going to move separately from you guys.”

As important as the League’s reward is, or perhaps even more so, there are other things that must be prioritized. Kim lifted his heel and tapped the floor.

“I’m going underground.”

There’s a dragon in MetroCity.

* * *

Kilikia’s basement was brighter than the surface. Instead of neon, daylight and off-white incandescent lights illuminated the enclosed space.

At the center of the light stood a massive pillar, like a tower. Nine stories built around the pillar gave the underground city its grandeur.

MetroCity.

It is the center of all commercial activity and is the heart of the city, as important as the earthly capitol.

“Maybe I should have taken the elevator.

Yi Hyun Kim was heading down the escalator. He was curious to check out MetroCity.

Five commercial floors. The first two basement floors are for tourists, while the fifth floor houses offices for various companies.

From the sixth floor down, the number of lights decreased. People became less and less visible. Until the eighth floor, it was a warehouse for storing Chapter.

9th floor.

It wasn’t until we reached the bottom floor that Kim stepped off the escalator, his gaze shifting to the side instead of walking straight ahead.

I could see the bottom of the pillars supporting the underground city. The columns were octagons, not circles, with railroad tracks running through each vertex.

“It’s like a mind map.

All the railroad tracks were connected to dark, deep tunnels.

Unlike modern subways, it was sparsely populated. There were less than a hundred people moving around in this large space.

‘Well, it’s not for people to ride on.’

Most of the vehicles traveling to and from Kilikia’s underground railroad are freight cars. It is rarely used by civilians, although prisoners are sometimes transported.

Because of Outlaws and Beasts.

Citizens who commit crimes on the ground are punished severely. We don’t let them suck up tax dollars in prison for long.

Banishment, death. They are also forced to play in leagues like the slave gladiators of old. Naturally, they are not treated as well as free players.

“You don’t get paid if you win, they don’t treat you if you get injured on the field… you’re literally a slave.

In some ways, it’s a punishment worse than death.

They don’t want to be, so they flee underground, where they live and cause trouble by raiding freight cars.

In response to the Outlaws, the Kilikia Council chose to take a different tack, instead of sending in the police.

You decide to put a bounty on the missing criminal.

If a player in the league is on the ground. There are bounty hunters underground.

“After the bum, there’s the bounty hunter.

I chuckled at my own awkwardness.