◈ Episode 056

There was nothing special to do in the morning. The execution was three days away. Every second counted, but Kim Yi-Hyeon was not in a position to act as he pleased.

And around 2pm, the outside suddenly started to get noisy. Kim Yi-hyun left the hotel to see what was going on.

A crowd was gathering in the square.

A neatly organized white background with a fountain in the center. It would normally be a perfect place for children to run around and for couples to spend time together.

Despite the beautiful scenery, the faces of the people passing by were very dark. Despite the hustle and bustle of hundreds of people passing by, it didn't feel noisy. The citizens were each careful about what they said.

A platform was set up in the square. There were thirteen wooden pillars on the platform. One person was tied to each pillar.

'Ishmael.'

Ismail was positioned exactly in the center, naked, with his head bowed, as if for all to see, and with the scars of whipping engraved all over his body.

'… … This is the first time I've seen something like that.'

Ismail's personality in the game was cynical.

He was naturally gentle-natured, but the destruction of Atlanta had a great impact on him. He was also depicted as a sharp-faced, handsome man in the illustrations.

But now, he was just as haggard as a corpse. Some citizens near Kim Yi-hyeon turned their eyes away because they couldn't bear to look at him. It means that he was such a beloved person.

Then a man standing on the stage shouted.

"These are high treasonous criminals who have threatened national security!"

He was not a legion. Instead of a military uniform, he wore the traditional Atlanta regalia. His skin was also dark. Unlike Ismail, he wore clean clothes and his face was oily.

"Three days from now, on September 23rd, at noon, I, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ruhollah Al Hakim, hereby declare that the executions of the criminals will be carried out, and Atlanta will become a better..."

It was in the middle of a loud voice ringing out.

Cock.

Kim Yi-hyeon felt the sensation of iron pressing against his back. The distance was very close. The shape of the gun extending from the muzzle was clearly pictured in his mind. A short-barreled automatic pistol.

"...That piglet joined the Legion as soon as the incident broke out. He revealed the President's exact location."

It was a familiar voice. It was the woman named Rabiya, with whom I had exchanged a few words in the hideout. This time, it wasn't Darun.

The Darun in the game is the type that moves on his own rather than controlling his subordinates with gestures. However, he does not step forward himself. The reason for this is easy to guess.

'It must be because of the mantra.'

It's more annoying than direct surveillance.

Of course, Mantra can't track 15 people in real time. There is no ability that is only convenient for Polaris. There is bound to be a flaw somewhere.

Even if you look at Kim Lee Hyun himself, there are many restrictions. The number of mantras that can be marked is also quite limited.

But among those few, Darun must surely be included.

'I don't think Darun knows the spell of the Mantra, but... I can tell he's being watched by some means.'

It wasn't just Darun. There was a high possibility that Kim I-hyeon himself was being tracked.

'It looks like Mithril is keeping an eye on it anyway.'

Rather than untrained civilians, they would rather recruit spies from other countries whose skills were proven… . It was a method that was understandable, but hard to sympathize with. It seemed like they were planning to form a spy unit.

'Is it that urgent?'

But is independence from the Legion as easy as it sounds?

They are an organization that does not tolerate traitors more than the mafia. Especially if they are high-ranking officials, they will know all sorts of secrets, so if they are caught, they will be punished immediately.

It's a race against time for Mithril as well. They may be trying to gather as much money and manpower as possible before the Legion comes out and then disappear.

Anything is fine. The important part now is something else.

"Is that the case for you too?"

The pressure on my back grew stronger. It was as if he was going to shoot me at any moment. Of course he was bluffing since there were legion soldiers around him… but it didn't feel good to be on the receiving end.

"Let's move first."

"If I follow them, they'll catch me."

"Oh, stop talking nonsense."

There is no reason to kill someone in such a public place. You wouldn't want to take that much risk when the execution date is just around the corner.

Al Qamar also hopes for help in the end.

"...All right."

As expected, Rabiya lowered her gun. Kim Yi-hyeon sighed inwardly and walked away from the square. Acting as if he was tired of the crowd, he went into a nearby park and sat on a bench.

There were two benches back to back. After waiting for a while, the seat on the opposite side was filled.

"Let me just say this: We don't trust you."

"I guess so."

The situation at that time was quite coincidental. The Legion suddenly appeared during the contact. I even had a separate conversation with Mithril. It wouldn't be strange to think that I had already been recruited by the Legion.

'Now that I think about it, I wonder if they were aiming for this too.'

Mithril is leaving Al Qamar alone.

There may be a problem with the rent that was heard at that time, but it may be that it is intended to be used in various ways. In fact, distrust arose between Kim I-Hyeon and Al Qamar.

He is a cunning man, despite his size.

"First of all, let me say this: we intend to help you. We have our own reasons for coming here… and it's better for us to stick with you."

"What can't be done with words?"

Rabiya snorted.

"What can you do in the first place? I heard that your belongings were confiscated by the management office once, but you still have a weapon?"

"That's true, but...."

Kim Lee-hyeon twitched his ears.

"So what? If you really didn't expect anything from us, you wouldn't have come to see us like this. Stop whining and get to the point."

There was silence. While waiting for the next words, Kim Yi-hyeon looked around the park. At that moment, his eyes met with a girl who looked to be five or six years old.

He stares at me while sucking his thumb. When I wave at him, he smiles bashfully, and then leaves, led by his mother.

As soon as the girl turned her back, Kim Ihyeon's expression became emotionless.

'Now even that kind of kid looks suspicious.'

If it were normal, I would have just thought that foreigners were strange and let it slide, but now, they only seemed like trolls from the Legion or Al Qamar.

My head was filled with doubts and dark thoughts. I was thinking that I should leave Atlanta as soon as possible, if only for my own sanity.

"...I have no intention of sharing the plan. I will proceed with the rescue on my own."

"Are we not supposed to do anything?"

"no."

Rabiya spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

"A minute, no, even 10 seconds is fine. Just grab my attention."

"Is that okay?"

"Yes, that's enough. I'll leave the timing and method up to you. You can pretend to fall down, cause a scene, or whatever... as long as it gets your attention, it doesn't matter."

Kim Yi-hyeon thought about it for a moment and then came to his senses. If he used Darun's spells, it wouldn't be impossible. It would be possible to save someone during the commotion.

The key is to take action first.

"So, you're asking me to be the bait?"

For Al Qamar, if the situation was not favorable, he could just back out. With limited information exchange and no mutual trust, it was the only role he could delegate to others.

"Can't you do it?"

It was a cheap provocation. Kim Yi-hyeon snickered softly.

"No, I will."

Agro has its own unique perspective.

* * *

September 23, 11:21 AM.

About 40 minutes before execution.

A large crowd had already gathered in the square. Most of them were Atlanta citizens with the same skin color. In their eyes, Ismail had become even more worn-out over the past few days.

Dry and torn lips. Pus and blood dripped from his entire body. His bushy beard looked completely different from Ismail's usual self-care.

And on top of the seven-story building, there was a figure looking down on the people.

- Turkam, what about tailing?

Kim Yi-Hyun's voice was heard from the miniature communicator. They each put it in their mouths, so it was not detected upon entry. It was also the only item that could be used among the equipment they brought with them.

"It doesn't seem to be there. Surveillance has become lax."

Even when I reached the rooftop here, there was no sign of anyone following me. Currently, the Legion's personnel were concentrated in the execution grounds.

- Yes. Do you remember the target location?

"Yes. But… can I do it?"

- You told me. You said we had to do something.

"That's true, but I didn't know I would be entrusted with such an important task."

The plan was communicated to me more than ten times. I simulated it in my head many times, and all the preparations were done in advance.

But as the time approached, I started to get incredibly nervous. I had been sweating profusely for a while now.

The feel of the gun in his arms was extremely uncomfortable. A semi-automatic rifle [Galand]. It was the weapon that Kim I-Hyeon had given to Turkam.

Of course, I couldn't just bring it as is. I disassembled it and carried it in my backpack. It was worth practicing at the hotel for three days, so it didn't take long to put it back together.

The problem started from here.

"I think it would have been better if the team leader did it himself…."

- I explained all that. What did you hear?

"...That's what it was."

Among the three, Turkam was the one with the least restrictions on his actions. Kim Ihyeon guessed that there must be someone in the Legion who possessed a tracking spell.

"But that's just a guess, isn't it? There's a limit to the number of people who can be located at the same time, and I'm not included in the surveillance network."

-Then what? Since you're not sure, why don't you do it?

"That's not it…."

Kim I-Hyeon and West Creek, who had encountered Mithril directly, quietly headed to the execution ground. Turkam's sniping became the core of the operation. The responsibility was enormous.

"How can you trust me? What if I make a mistake? I know it's a bit odd to say it myself, but my shooting skills aren't as good as yours, Chelsea."

- Of course. Who are you rubbing it on?

There was a snort of laughter.

- Anyway, you can do it too. If you can't hit it with that, cut off your wrist.

"Huh…?"

- You'll know when you try it.

Turkam looked down at [Galand] and frowned. He couldn't understand it at all. A gun is a gun, so how different can they be?

- Look for it slowly.

"All right."

I thrust my gun over the railing. I scanned the area with the scope. There were few tall buildings in Atlanta, so even this height allowed me to see the surroundings at a glance.

Kim I-Hyeon predicted that the Legion's 'tracker' would be near the square.

It would be impossible to detect an infinite distance. From a position overlooking the square, I would be observing the movements of those marked with a spell… … .

He had already noticed several buildings. Turkam examined each point he had heard of beforehand. Then his eyes fell on the fourth point.

For a moment, Turkam swallowed his breath. A chill ran down his spine.

"...I found the car."

A little away from the square. A person was found at the window on the 4th floor of a shopping complex. Just by looking at the person's appearance, you could tell that he was the target.

"There are three of them. Two are regular soldiers. One of them, uh, has his face covered by a coat… and he's small in build. He looks like a woman or a teenager."

- Good job. I'll give you the signal. Take cover and wait.

"예."

The voice that answered trembled slightly. Turkam was so shocked.

'How did you predict this?'

There was no definitive information. To be honest, Turkam thought it was a bit of a leap of faith.

From the beginning, Kim Yi-hyeon had also assumed that his judgment was wrong. The order was to shoot any enemy soldier if they were not found. It was a prediction with such a low probability of success that even he doubted it.

But in the end, it turned out just as Kim Lee-hyun said.

'He's crazy.'

At that moment, I understood Pablo's reaction the other day. That prickly and proud person had been paying attention to the people around him when Kim Yi-hyun's gossip came out. At that time, I thought it was really unusual… .

I made a sincere promise to myself that I would be more careful in the future.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kim I-Hyeon and West Creek also arrived at the execution grounds. They were planning to hide in the crowd as planned, but a soldier from the Legion guarding the area suddenly approached them.

"Oh, you two are here too."

It was the man who guided Kim Lee-hyun right after he entered the country. He acted friendly, but he kept his distance from her more than necessary, as if he was pressuring her.

"It's too crowded and you must be uncomfortable. Please follow me. I'll show you a better seat."

It was as if he had reserved a spot for flower viewing. Kim Yi-hyeon exchanged glances with West Creek and then nodded.

"…Yes. Please."

It must have been a coincidence that I ran into someone I knew. However, it was right to assume that information about me had spread among the soldiers. I would also be receiving real-time location information through the mantra.

The location they were led to was right below the platform. Mithril was nowhere to be seen, but the Legion soldiers were gathered there. Their sharp eyes were directed at Kim I-Hyeon and West Creek.

"I'm sorry, but I need to check your belongings."

Without even listening to the answer, he started feeling around her body. A simple check to see if she had hidden a gun or something. Since there was no corner where he could be seen, he could act confidently.

"Excuse me."

"No, what."

If it was a communicator, it was already abandoned. Even if there was no exchange of words, a signal could be sent. Kim Yi-hyeon calculated Al Qamar's actions and devised a plan.

'I can roughly guess how Darun will move.'

Kim Hyun-ah has information. He is the only person who knows the spells of the 'characters' currently gathered in Atlanta.

The problem was that even if there was a fuss, Al Qamar might not move. West Creek pointed this out, but it wasn't something to worry about.

'You just have to create a situation where you have no choice but to move.'

The one who uses it is this side.

It was noon in a gloomy atmosphere.

Before the execution began, the fat Chief Justice of the Supreme Court came up to the podium. As he gave a long speech, some of the soldiers snickered.

A soldier lowered the criminal from the wooden pole. Without any need to delay until the end, Ismail was the first to be taken. Ismail, who could not even control his body, was forcibly lifted up by the soldier.

The method of execution was hanging. Ismail was placed in front of the noose.

"Execute the sentence!"

After listing the charges one by one, the Chief Justice shouted.

Boom, boom.

Sweat dripped from his wet hair. Ismail let out a ragged breath. When he raised his head, he saw the crowd with his blood- and sweat-soaked eyes.

They were familiar faces. There were many familiar faces among the Legion soldiers. They were armed with guns, and they threatened their fellow citizens with glaring eyes.

'father.'

Not long ago, my father was executed. It would have been no different then. The people would not have been able to express their sorrow, but would have laughed and mocked.

Something that shouldn't have happened was happening blatantly.

Ismail's loosely clenched fists trembled uncomfortably. His anger had no power. His eyes, filled with despair, made it clear that death was coming.

And, and… … .

One. There was a stranger among the people.

'... ...Who is it?'

Yellow skin. Black hair and black eyes. He was a strangely striking figure. Ismail stopped for a moment, locking eyes with him. For some reason, it was hard to look away.

That's why I could see the stranger grinning.

- Chiiik!

Smoke began to billow out.