632

 [Chapter 167]

[Harbinger of Destruction (2)]

One month from now, Gangbuk will collapse and people will face an unprecedented calamity.

Many people will die, and just as many will lose their families.

There's no way I could forget that day.

For three days, we had to fight monsters without proper sleep.

Eun-ha clearly remembered that day.

Before the regression, he had to fight monsters right after graduating from the academy, without proper field experience.

He fought desperately without sleep.

It was so bad that he distinctly remembered the day Gangbuk fell.

I've already gathered enough strength.

Now all that's left is to minimize the damage in preparation for that day.

It would be troublesome if Gangbuk was completely destroyed.

If that happens, there will be noise when Pandora Clan operates in Yongsan-gu later.

Moreover, the calamity a month from now will inevitably lead to considerable criticism of the Fairy Government.

So while minimizing the damage, we need to reduce the criticism Fairy Im Ga-eul will receive, and create a standard for Pandora Clan to gain many benefits.

Gangbuk's collapse was predetermined from the start. The said so before the regression.

He recalled his memories from before the regression.

At that time, Song Yun-seo, the who was one of the Twelve Seats, told Eun-ha that her prophecies could never be changed.

The appearance of the Kraken and the collapse of Gangbuk were all predetermined events.

Eun-ha didn't want to believe in fate, but he was aware of how powerful her Gift was.

Gangbuk will definitely collapse.

So it's best to prepare assuming it will collapse.

The calamity of monsters invading Gangbuk, starting with the collapse of Cocoon.

Eun-ha decided to struggle as much as possible within the predetermined calamity.

With this, Eun-ha finished his thoughts.

[Yes, this is Pandora Clan Administrator Han Seo-hyun.]

"Yes, Seo-hyun. It's me."

[Yes, what is it?]

In the Clan Lord's office.

He, who had been lost in thought alone in the still unfamiliar office, contacted Han Seo-hyun through the internal phone.

Soon, Han Seo-hyun, who would be in the room right next door, asked in an indifferent voice.

"Can you contact the Mana Management Organization? I'd like to contact the working-level officials among the high-ranking officials..."

[You could just ask your father.... Why do you want to contact high-ranking officials?]

"I have something I want to tell them..."

[Tell me. I need to know first.]

"Well.... As far as I know, the lifespan of the Cocoon installed in Jongmyo is almost over, so I think we should check it in case of an emergency."

[Hmm....]

Han Seo-hyun questioned gruffly.

Eun-ha explained indirectly.

It must have been an out-of-the-blue explanation for her.

So Eun-ha could tell that she was pondering over the phone.

[─You're saying something out of nowhere. But okay, I'll try talking to Father.]

"Okay, thanks."

[But even if I pass on the message, they won't try to inspect the Cocoon. I'm just baffled after hearing it, how do you think the higher-ups will think?]

"Still, we should try at least."

Han Seo-hyun's stance was skeptical.

Eun-ha shrugged his shoulders.

In fact, Eun-ha was thinking the same thing as her.

But that didn't matter.

─If they say no, I can just ask the Fairy directly to inspect the Cocoon.

It was an unexpected development.

Eun-ha had unintentionally formed a friendship with Fairy Im Ga-eul.

If high-ranking officials neglect to inspect the Cocoon due to safety insensitivity, then he could just tell an even higher official.

Fairy Im Ga-eul, her.

And that would give her an excuse to pressure the officials.

They'll work as if their feet are on fire if they don't want to be pressured by the Fairy.

After finishing the phone call with Han Seo-hyun,

Eun-ha sank into the chair.

The chair provided by Luminous Group was very soft.

Anyway─

Soon Eun-ha was lost in thought.

It could be said that this was the end of what needed to be told to the Mana Management Organization.

However, there was one problem.

"─How do I prevent the death of the leader of the Twelve Seats..."

On the day monsters invade Gangbuk, Moon Jun, the and leader of the Twelve Seats, dies while creating a huge barrier in Gangbuk.

That was the starting point.

With Im Ga-eul's strong shield gone, condemnation pours out against the Fairy Government.

"The only answer seems to be helping the Player not to break his body as much as possible."

There's no use worrying.

There was no other way.

All we can do is our best.

☆

After the ,

Exchanges between countries were almost cut off for a long time.

As a result, foreigners left in other countries at that time had only one choice left.

It was to live their lives as citizens of the country they were left in, making a foreign country their homeland.

It couldn't be helped.

On land, sea, and in the sky... Monsters appeared everywhere, completely blocking long-distance travel.

In a world chaotic from destruction,

In a world where law disappeared and power became justice, people cried out for the safety of their own citizens first.

It couldn't be called a selfish choice.

Because it was seen as natural at that time.

Thus, the people who cried out for the safety of their own citizens pressured foreigners who decided to naturalize.

No, they chose for themselves.

"─Kaede, you said your grandfather fought alongside Players back then too, right?"

"Yeah. He told me he fought hard with people around Itaewon. The location was probably... around here."

To be recognized as citizens,

Foreigners voluntarily decided to fight monsters.

Many died.

In exchange for their deaths, foreigners could be recognized as citizens in the midst of destruction.

They were only recognized.

Initially, they were deprived of voting rights... and had no freedom of residence and movement, right?

People who survived in the midst of destruction became mentally ill.

Due to their fear of monsters, they developed hatred towards Ain born later.

Also, those who lost loved ones felt a sense of loss seeing foreigners who seemed to have survived in place of their loved ones.

Above all, foreigners who couldn't speak Korean well had to suffer from communication problems and exploitation by people.

For people to live... they need hope.

There needs to be confidence that even if my life is so unhappy now, it can be happy tomorrow.

Discrimination, exploitation, exclusion, etc.

People who were mentally cornered despised those foreigners to protect their own hearts.

'At least I'm not in as unfortunate a situation as those people.'

'Those people are worse off than me. If they can live, why can't I?'

'Those people will live worse than me. They have to live worse. They should live worse. Otherwise, it's too unfair.'

'You're telling me to live with those guys from now on? Why should I live with those guys?'

People tend to feel reassured that they are average.

They hope they're not at the bottom.

The destruction maximized the ugly feelings underlying them, and eventually gave birth to an invisible class system.

Naturalized foreigners continued to be objects of contempt to them like that.

No, not just them.

Even those born under them, for whom Korean became their mother tongue.

They were still objects of discrimination.

The discrimination that became fixed over time continued to drive them into the darkness of Itaewon.

"Hey! Don't go there, come this way. This is a shortcut." "Pa-rang oppa will know the way well. He said he comes here whenever he has time to give food to the kids." "Hey, Jin Seo-na! I told you not to tell that story! That was just between us, why are you telling them..."

"Are Rang and Dambi us, but Eun-ha and Kaede not us? The clan people should know now too." "I already knew long ago. Stupid hyung, of course you'd do that."

"Huh? What, how did you know? But is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Never mind, just guide us."

In the alleys of Itaewon.

Even neighborhoods that seem flashy at first glance tend to reveal darkness when you enter the alleys.

Itaewon was even more so.

Eun-ha moved his feet into the deep darkness while being guided by Jin Pa-rang.

"...They seem to be on guard."

"They would be. How do you think people would view us entering the alley in fancy clothes?"

"How many do you think there are?"

"7 people. And one person quietly following us from behind. One person just left. Looks like they went to report..." "Well done. You're right." "Don't test me." "I wasn't testing you."

"If it wasn't a test, then what was it?"

"Actually, it was a test." "Don't play with words..."

Don't play word games....

It was a narrow alley.

An alley where only one person could pass.

Eun-ha chatted with Hoshimiya Kaede while feeling the presence of people seemingly exploring them.

And soon─

"─They're coming."

Kaede's voice changed.

Eun-ha sensed it too.

At the point where the straight path split into three directions,

People exuding hostility appeared from each direction.

"This is not a place for you to come."

"Leave while we're asking nicely."

"Shit! Hey, get lost."

""""...."""

Foreigners with knives at their waists.

Eun-ha looked at the foreigner who walked out from the left path among them.

Dark skin.

The black man who mixed English in his speech had dreadlocks.

To think I'd see him here. He was called , wasn't he? His name was Dominic?

A man who had made a name for himself to some extent before the regression, calling himself the cleaner of Itaewon.

Eun-ha recalled his memory seeing the man spinning a knife on his finger.

"I said, get lost. If you come any further, I'll have no choice but to use force." "Force, huh..."

A Player rated A-grade by Mana Management Organization standards before the regression.

Eun-ha snorted seeing the man pull out another knife.

"If you're going to act like this when we're coming to meet peacefully, I have no choice either."

They showed hostility first.

They drew weapons first too.

Eun-ha spoke to the three people.

"Pa-rang hyung." "Yeah."

Then he called Jin Pa-rang.

As if he had been waiting, Jin Pa-rang was already manifesting his internal mana.

"Clean them up alone, hyung. You can do it, right?"

"Who do you think I am? I'll clean them up in 10 minutes." "5 minutes. 10 minutes is too long." "How stingy! Alright!"

"""...!!!"""

"You're all dead now!"

With a whoosh,

Jin Pa-rang, who was behind Eun-ha, suddenly stepped on the walls facing each other and leaped over Eun-ha.

Landing and charging.

The three people were surprised by the sudden situation and had to deal with Jin Pa-rang.

But the path was too narrow to fight as a group.

Jin Pa-rang used this point to deal with them one by one.

Right then─

"─Kaede."

"I know."

An attack falling from above.

Foreigners who had been watching from the rooftop joined in when the fight broke out.

Eun-ha ordered Kaede.

Even before receiving his order, Kaede had already drawn her bowstring.

Kaede, who offset the falling attack, immediately sniped the people above.

And another one from behind─

"─Jin Seo-na."

"You're the only one comfortable, what is this?"

A fox complaining that Eun-ha wasn't doing anything.

But Jin Seo-na avoided the attack of the rushing person and dove in to strike their vital point.

The man's expression changed painfully as he collapsed on the ground.

And by that time─

"─P, Please! Stop, please stop...!" "...Kuhek...!"

"Cough!"

The people Jin Pa-rang had been dealing with were all collapsed too.

Eun-ha approached Dominic among the fallen people.

He grabbed his collar and lifted him up.

"Tell me, where is your boss?" "Just kill me instead!"

"Oh really?"

Dominic shouted.

Eun-ha picked up the fallen knife and held it to his neck.

"..."

"Speak."

Dominic, who hadn't become a Player at this time.

He was still just a novice.

So Eun-ha threatened him without using much force.

"Kill... me."

"Just take a hit."

"...Kuk...!"

But Dominic's will didn't back down from the threat.

His wavering gaze found composure and looked up at Eun-ha.

To this, Eun-ha clicked his tongue.

There was no way Eun-ha, who needed to bring in the forces of Itaewon, could really kill him.

Eun-ha, who punched his face, stood up from his spot.

"─Anyway, even if I don't ask you... it seems they've come to greet us from over there."

"...Fuck...!! My, my stomach, aagh...!"

The reason Eun-ha hit Dominic.

Eun-ha stepped on Dominic's stomach and turned his gaze in the direction he had come from earlier.

""""...."""

Thump thump.

A woman passing through a puddle.

Braided hair.

The woman with skin tanned by the sun wore a translucent veil over her mouth and a long skirt.

Overall, she had an appearance reminiscent of an Arabian dancer.

"─Father is calling. Please stop now and follow me."

Glancing at Dominic,

The woman spoke in a polite tone.

"Father has invited you, Pandora Clan members, as guests."

""""...."""

The woman's words were a clue.

The people deep in this alley knew they were from Pandora Clan.

Yes, this is how it should be.

They're not just neighborhood thugs.

Douglas Kim, the man formerly known as the , whom the foreigners in Itaewon trust and follow.

Eun-ha raised the corners of his mouth.

☆

The woman led the way.

Eun-ha and the clan members followed her deeper into the alley.

Behind them, the foreigners who had taken a few hits were following.

"It's here."

""""...."""

Soon after,

Eun-ha came out to a small open space.

Then Eun-ha and the clan members were overwhelmed by the gazes of people looking at them from all directions.

As if they could kill them at any moment.

They threatened by revealing their killing intent.

Their attitude was so fierce that even the clan members naturally tensed up.

"It's too fierce for an invitation. Did we come to the wrong place?"

""""...!!""""

Stygian Eye

But Eun-ha was different.

His eyes flashed for a moment.

People who momentarily made eye contact suddenly retched and collapsed.

People who were on top of the walls fell down twitching and convulsing.

"They're weaker than I thought. Seeing them collapse just from making eye contact."

While the clan members were frozen,

Eun-ha lamented quietly while assessing the foreigners' skills.

Then the foreigners' aura became even more fierce.

They now tried to pressure Eun-ha by manifesting their mana.

Right then─

"─Enough."

Sitting on a high platform,

The man who had been just watching until now opened his mouth.

  Douglas Kim.

At his words, the foreigners withdrew their internal mana.

Eun-ha looked up at him.

"You're more arrogant than I heard."

"The arrogant ones were you first."

The 's statement.

His words carried weight.

Douglas Kim's aura pressed down on everyone present.

Yet Eun-ha remained calm.

This is nothing compared to the aura Armageddon emitted.

Proudly, even amidst the sharp aura.

Unlike others, Eun-ha looked straight into his eyes.

"Hmm."

The 's gaze changed.

He showed interest in Eun-ha.

Withdrawing his aura, Douglas Kim spoke to Eun-ha in a different atmosphere than before.

"So, Pandora Clan Lord. What brings you to meet me?"

"Let's do some business together."

"Business?"

"No, maybe not business."

Eun-ha grinned.

Then he proudly shouted.

"─I'll put it briefly. Come under me." """"...!!""""

Those words once again caused a stir.