◈ Episode 110

We stopped at several villages as we passed through the desert.

Compared to Timorta, it was a small, cramped, and extremely poor environment. There was a force that controlled the village everywhere, but we were able to get past the entrance without any major conflict.

Because they were too small to stand against the Nuova Era. They were coming with dozens of armed vehicles, and it would be suicidal to fight them with less than 30 people at most.

"We've gotten here smoothly, but the problem starts from here."

Echidna pressed her temples against the floor of the rented bar. Instead of food, a map of Banjar was spread out on a rough wooden table.

Four regions surrounding Naraka.

She had marked off each area with a different colored pen. The boundary lines extended beyond the city limits, creating a seamless division of the districts.

"Kuni-Barg. That's what we call this area. As you can see, there are four cities... and each city is occupied by a large single force."

"Are you saying that I have to drill a hole somewhere?"

"That's right. That's why it's a headache."

Knock, knock.

The pen struck the table rhythmically.

"Just from the information we have, they are all vicious. They can't even compare to the Ricardo Family. Their numbers, equipment level, and soldier proficiency are all superior to ours."

"Are you all aiming for Naraka?"

"Well? I guess it was like that at first, but I'm not sure now."

Naraka is rumored to be not only a place with historical sites, but also an abundance of rare minerals. It is rumored that you can make a lot of money by selling just a little bit of them. It has been a famous story for a long time.

'But it's not in circulation at all now.'

The cause lies in the group currently settled in Naraka.

Because of their extremely exclusive nature, they usually do not leave their region. There is no room for spies to hide, and information is almost completely blocked.

'But there's no way the resources would have been depleted in the meantime.'

There is something there that is greedy, not just for the minerals. The four regions of Kuni-Barg have long been considered forward bases for advancing to Naraka.

But you never know. It wouldn't be strange if there were an organization that gave up its greed. It might have chosen to live a life of luxury in the city rather than shedding blood for no reason.

'I guess it's good.'

Whether you changed your mind or not, the fact that you were bothered remains.

"Of course, it's not like we can't break through. We just have to find the part with the least amount of surveillance and get through it in one go. But if we do that, we'll run into another problem."

"It's a bit isolated in terms of location."

"That's right."

There is no escape unless you occupy Naraka. You have to roam around small villages and pillage to get food, and it is impossible to even properly maintain them.

It's like striking the truth of a drain.

"Ultimately, it would be ideal to take over one of these four places."

Ladakh, Kavaratti, Tamirdu and Pinakadimi.

It is much more realistic to advance after occupying a certain place and making thorough preparations. It takes time, but it is much more realistic. Many forces that have reached Naraka have gone through this process.

"Where are you going?"

"We have to decide that now. You give your opinion too."

Echidna winked at Antonio, and Antonio handed Kim I-hyeon a thick wad of paper. Kim I-hyeon let out a sigh as he looked through the contents.

"You did a good job researching it."

It was a document containing information about the groups that had settled in each city. It included a rough outline of the members, photos of the executives taken from afar, and even their past activities.

It was more detailed than I thought.

"Then did I just waste my time? Since they are people who passed through Timorta in the past, if you pester old informants, you'll always get at least one useful piece of information. And..."

Echidna clicked her tongue.

"There are children I have seen with my own eyes."

"뭐?"

"What do you mean, it's literally like that?"

"Tell me more."

"Well, I don't know. They just left as soon as we arrived in Timorta. There were quite a few of them, so there was some trouble... Honestly, they were guys I didn't want to mess with. I guess you could say they were a bit creepy."

She added her explanation at the look in her eyes that urged her to continue talking.

"It hasn't even been a few months, but I feel like I've eaten kabarati in that time."

It was an unfamiliar story.

Kim Yi-Hyeon quickly turned the page. An armed force comprised of pure-blooded Banjarians, a large-scale mafia group, and a mercenary group that was infamous across the continent in the past.

Up to this point, it was exactly as I remembered.

And the remaining one, Kavarati.

In the game, it was an area ruled by a terrorist group consisting of various mutant races, including the Pecatum. Compared to the other three, it was a place with many internal vulnerabilities.

'It was a city that Rap and Nuova Era took over through collaboration.'

After their hardships in Timorta, the professor and his party head to Kavarati and become entangled with Echidna. Furious at the inhumane cannibalism taking place in Kavarati, they have no choice but to cooperate with the mafia.

However, the information written in the data was completely different.

'Ramaz?'

The history before Timorta is unknown. The original members were around 50, but the number is increasing by the minute. They use firearms of unknown origin, and in particular, the leader is presumed to be… … .

The eyes that were scanning the letters stopped.

Kim Yi-hyeon's expression didn't change much, but his atmosphere was different than usual. He was showing seriousness beyond bluntness.

"What, why are you doing that?"

Echidna's voice didn't even reach his ears. Kim Yi-hyeon just stared at the paper as if it was going to burst. A photo of a man with a blurred side profile.

It was a face that was unrecognizable.

'Mithril.'

A person I met in Atlanta.

A man whose fate was completely twisted by Kim Yi-Hyeon's actions. I wondered what would happen if he split up with Legion, but it seems he ended up flowing into Banjar.

"Do you happen to know this person?"

A sharp gaze was shot at him. There was nothing he could do since he had shown it so openly. Since it was something that didn't need to be hidden in the first place, Kim Yi-hyun easily admitted it.

"There is some bad luck."

"I want to hear the story."

"There's nothing I can't say. But I have a condition, no, a request."

He laid the material down on the map.

Then he poked Mithril's picture with his index finger.

"This kid. Can you leave him to me?"

A past long enough for the dust to settle.

I thought back to the promise I made the day I left Atlanta.

There is no second time.

* * *

Near Kavarati.

A closed-top truck runs through an old historic site. It follows the same route as usual. It is a continuation of daily life, driving on a set route at a set time and performing a set task.

"Phew. This is boring."

A man with a shaggy beard puffed out a cigarette smoke from the driver's seat. A cigarette. I had been so happy that I trembled when I first got it a few months ago, but not anymore.

It's easy to get used to anything quickly.

It's not just the stimulation, but also the work. On the first day, I felt sick and threw up several times while working, but before I knew it, it ended up just making a face.

In the future, it will become even more calm than it is now. If you keep repeating it, you will eventually be able to work like a machine. Even as you become more and more dull, the doubts only grew bigger.

"Sir, I've always wondered, what do you use all this for?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The things you just threw into the trunk."

Earthworms, raccoons, scorpions, lizards, bats.

Mutations of various animals.

The cargo hold is filled with monsters hunted by Ramaz's soldiers. Shahrukh was a contractor who collected monsters while going around a set route. It was an unintentional turn of events.

The reason I didn't say corpses is because sometimes I had to transport living ones. At those times, I had to be prepared. There were more than a few colleagues who became disabled while loading and unloading.

The natives of Kabarati are used as workers of the Ramaz. It is a long time ago. Before the Ramaz came, they were workers of another group, and before that, they worked under others.

It's full of irrationality and absurdity, but there's nothing we can do about it.

They don't know what's outside the well. Some people can only survive where they were born. Few people are willing to risk their lives to escape the city.

Since I have neither the strength nor the will, I have no choice but to follow obediently.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"Huh? Hey, just give me a hint. I won't tell anyone where I'm going."

"I'm not trying to be vague, I really don't know."

The soldier sitting with his rifle in his arms sighed deeply. He was someone I had been working with for two months. He was a colleague, but thanks to him, I had saved my life.

We are on good terms. We even chat about trivial things during work.

"I'm just a low-level employee. I just do what I'm told. If I put it in the warehouse as instructed, someone else who receives another order will come and move it, and the higher-ups will use it somehow. We don't have to think too deeply."

"So, you're telling me to keep my mouth shut and drive."

"You know a lot."

It was around this time that the conversation stopped again and silence fell.

CLANG!

"Oh, shit. What is it?"

The car seemed to shake, then stopped. The body of the car veered to the left. While Shahrukh pressed the accelerator irritably, the soldier stuck his face out the window to check the front.

"It's a hole. Maybe a worm passed through it."

"Oh, my. I think I need to touch up the tires."

"I'm on guard against my surroundings."

The two got out of the vehicle.

While Shahrukh was deflating his tires, a worm attacked and a brief skirmish ensued. It was rare, if not the first time this had happened.

Even in a desert that appears to be empty at first glance, all sorts of things can happen. It is difficult for a transporter to travel alone, so soldiers accompany him as watchmen and bodyguards.

But if risks are repeated, they become routine.

It was a day no different from any other day.

At least in their judgment.

* * *

Before we knew it, the truck had arrived at Kavarati. The checkpoint, with its densely built barbed wire and barricades and dozens of armed soldiers, was no exaggeration to call it a fortress.

"The pass, ah, is here."

"Shahrukh Hamdamov. What is your pass?"

"This is number 0136."

The soldier at the checkpoint checked the records. A one-time number issued when leaving the city. If you make a mistake, you may not be immediately punished, but you will be subject to persistent interrogation.

0136, carrier, Shahrukh Hamdamov. The soldier nodded only after thoroughly checking the identity of his companion.

"That's certain. Let's inspect the cargo hold from the inside."

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."

It was extremely troublesome to have to go through the process twice or three times every time. Shahrukh couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, but he thought it was really unusual.

The cargo inspection was relatively simple.

"Tsk, it's annoying no matter when I smell it. You can just pass by."

It seems that he thoroughly checked other items. However, he did not want to touch the monster corpse that was rotting in real time without being frozen. After all, it is a difficult task when you are sober.

So, to put it another way,

The reason they didn't notice was because they were sober. No one realized it. Who would have thought that there would be a man hiding his body buried in the monster's corpse?

"Ugh, fuck...."

Kim Yi-hyeon endured by forcibly swallowing the refluxing stomach acid.

He figured out the route the carrier took, caught the worm, and threw it away. While his attention was drawn, he hurriedly hid, and with Echidna's help, he returned the lock to its original state.

It's an infiltration that takes time and effort.

I couldn't get caught for making such an absurd mistake.

'Look at it again.'

I have tormented myself to this extent, both physically and mentally. I cannot go back empty-handed, even if it is because I feel wronged. It would be difficult to escape quietly in the first place, so I have no choice but to succeed somehow.

If it's a plan, it's already been made.

'There's no need to use Helixivir.'

Even in this current state, I am confident that I can take Mithril's neck. It is a somewhat cowardly method, and if things unfold as expected, Mithril will meet a rather vain ending for a boss...

'I know. It's better to take it easy.'

Kim Yi-hyeon waited breathlessly for the tightly closed door to open. He used the monsters with their entrails hanging out like sausages as a blanket.