◈ Episode 111

Rattling!

The door began to open with a clanging sound. Light poured in, and noise from outside streamed in. On the other hand, the stench of maggot-ridden corpses escaped from inside.

'Have we finally arrived?'

Kim Yi-hyeon crouched down as much as possible, hiding behind the cover. The cover was the body of a medium-sized worm standing diagonally over the corpses. The slippery sensation was indescribably disgusting.

The carrier approached the cargo hold with a thump.

"The hardships start from here, ha. I'm already depressed."

Just behind them, a soldier with a rifle stands guard, ready to spot any monsters that may be still breathing.

The location is indoors.

You can see the shutters all the way up. It seems to be a warehouse somewhere. There are no other people living there, and you can't hear any movement of people besides the two people nearby.

'This should be fine.'

The decision has been made.

"Can't you at least provide protective clothing? I feel anxious every time I do that."

"Try to deliver it. Don't expect anything."

"Okay. Okay, then. Instead, please bring me a bottle of alcohol."

It was the moment the carrier put his foot on the threshold of the cargo compartment.

Bam!

A small electrode was fired from between the piled up corpses. The target was not the transporter, but the soldier. Without any time to react, the needle flew out suddenly and stuck in the soldier's thigh.

Wa-da-da-daak!

"Ahhhh!"

3-star special weapon [Pulse Waver].

There is a record of its use in Cilicia. It is a high-powered taser gun that can even knock down the tough Pecatum in one go. There is no way it won't work on regular soldiers.

"Rice, soldier sir? Why are you like this─"

The transporter turned his head at the sudden commotion. As a civilian, there were many openings to stab him. Kim Yi-hyeon ran forward while stepping on the corpse, and wrapped his forearm around the opponent's neck.

"Ugh, bike! Keuuuk…!"

The resistance was only momentary. The struggling limbs stopped and fell limp. The carrier, who had lost consciousness, was thrown into the cargo hold.

The soldier was also put in the same way. After closing the door carefully, he shook his hands thoroughly. The pus and blood that had been stuck to his gloves fell off.

"Oh, that was very humane."

In fact, it would have been better to have dealt with one of the two. For example, strangling the soldier and leaving the transporter alive. If it worked out well, there was a chance that a decent picture could be drawn.

But I didn't bother to do anything.

This doesn't affect the plan. Even though I've become accustomed to it, I don't want to kill people unnecessarily. I'm not a psychopath, to put it bluntly.

'I've been doing so many bad things lately. Is it because I've been hanging out with the mafia?'

Anything further off the mark here would be problematic.

'I have a feeling he's going to do something worse soon... ... .'

When necessary, he can pull the trigger without hesitation. He became that kind of person. In particular, the experiences in Bastitera helped Agent 'Kim Lee-hyun' grow mentally.

Very harshly, like striking a red-hot iron.

It seems that I am getting further and further away from normal social reintegration. If I were to carry out an operation alone with Leila, there might be frequent clashes of opinions.

I just imagined it and gave up.

'How could that happen?'

It was just a little worry.

'This is not the time to be doing this.'

There was a noise outside the warehouse. Kim Yi-hyeon leaned against the wall and quietly checked the outside. The workers, dressed in an active manner, were busy moving boxes.

'Is this a cargo loading area?'

There are probably between twenty and thirty people. There are more than you might think. Soldiers are also visible here and there. It would be difficult to escape without being discovered by anyone.

'I'd rather just cause a commotion.'

Kim Yi-hyun crouched down and turned his palms downward. Soon, a rectangular display and a small drone were created at his feet. Even a smoke grenade that he had become completely accustomed to using.

It seemed like I would have to take the beating of the truck again this time.

* * *

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of water echoed loudly through the walls. The wastewater was filled with unidentifiable sludge floating around. If it had been normal, the fishy smell would have been very unpleasant, but now it didn't bother me at all.

'It's like Evian compared to worm water.'

As soon as Kim Yi-hyeon left the loading dock, he entered the underground sewer. To use it as a hiding place? No. Surprisingly, this is a place where soldiers often come and go.

Maybe so.

'That's what the Hebollah guys who were originally in Kabarati were like.'

It would be no different from Ramaz. The underground sewer is a symbolic facility in Kavarati. It has been used for purposes other than its original purpose since ancient times.

Class relations within the city can be divided into three categories.

The top is the armed forces that rule the city. After driving out the existing organization, Ramaz led by Mithril took over this position.

Next, those in the middle are the workers. The natives who do not rebel and faithfully carry out their assigned duties, thus leading a relatively stable life.

The last are those who did not become workers, or could not become workers. They were branded useless because they were physically disabled, or had subversive thoughts, or were out of favor with the examiners… … .

A place where indigenous people who were forced out of the streets for various reasons gather to live. Like the sewage flowing down from above, humans are also abandoned here.

It's like a rat's den.

'It probably won't be that different here.'

How Mithril rules a city. We have seen enough examples in Atlanta. He is cunning and clever. He knows how to turn the arrows of discontent that come from absurdity.

'The split always tastes good.'

Commoners, rats, parasites.

Any way you call it is fine. People tend to be satisfied if there are people worse off than them, even if their own circumstances do not necessarily improve.

There was no reason to mess with such an elaborate system. And Kim Yi-Hyeon had someone he had to meet in this dirty rat hole.

Polaris is a world where jade rolls around everywhere.

As we went inside, the passage became wider. Occasionally, 'rats' began to appear. They were sitting or lying carelessly on the gravel, wearing rags. They barely moved, like corpses.

"...."

Only the gaze follows.

He came with only his face covered, leaving behind the cloak soaked in the monster's blood. He still stands out in just a loose T-shirt and pants.

'Doesn't it matter?'

If everything goes as planned, it's okay to attract attention now. The intruder's presence will soon be known due to the commotion in the loading dock anyway. As long as they don't show their faces, it's okay.

As long as Mithril doesn't realize that the intruder is 'Hyeon', this side has the advantage.

The sewer system was quite complex in structure.

Although it wasn't a maze, the path branched off here and there, and there were sunken spaces here and there. And in those places, as if they had promised, there were old tents spread out.

It is a kind of flag that announces that it is both a home and one's own territory.

"Hmm. Is this the right place?"

A tent of bright colors. Far from being of high quality, it was made by piecing together discarded fabrics. Upon closer inspection, I saw small letters written in the corner.

"Manoj, Priya, Assam's house!"

"맞네."

It was a time when I was amazed by the cute handwriting.

"...What is it? Who are you to be snooping around other people's houses?"

At that moment, I heard a voice and turned around. A man with a dirty face was there. He was carrying a basket filled with unidentified fruits and tree bark.

The man noticed her gaze and quietly hid the basket behind his back.

"If you have no business, go."

"If you have any business, would you mind if I excuse you for a moment?"

"I'm sorry, but you can see it. There's nothing worth taking."

No matter where you look, you can tell he's on guard. He seemed like a worthless character in the game, but it felt different when you met him in person. His attitude of not hesitating to fight is impressive.

The determination not to lose even a single grain of sand in his hand. Should we say that it shows the spirit of a bad guy? He is definitely better than the other guys who had dead eyes.

After all, people have to have responsibilities.

"Excuse me, excuse me, what's going on?"

A skinny girl hesitantly poked her head out from inside the tent. Then a boy of similar age came out carrying some gravel.

They were both young. They looked like they were in middle school. The one who was in the middle of puberty threatened Kim I-hyeon with a gravel stick.

"Who are you? Stop picking a fight and get out!"

"I didn't pick a fight, Inma."

"Is that so? Manoj, really?"

The boy asked, still nervous but with a calm demeanor. The man called Manoj looked back and forth between the children and Kim Ihyeon and sighed.

"...I was just talking for a moment. Let's put that aside."

"Uh… I said it wasn't Manoj, okay. Sorry."

As soon as the grass dies, he places gravel on the ground. As expected of his age, his emotions change rapidly. It was just like in the game, so Kim Lee-hyun couldn't help but laugh.

'Well, that's that.'

First, the main point.

It's a waste of time to explore here and there.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"A, a request? What's going on all of a sudden…."

"Don't worry about the salary."

He said, looking at the two little kids looking up at him.

"I'll give you a lot more than the 'things' you do in secret."

There was a brief silence.

There was no significant change in the children's expressions. It could be seen as a reaction that they did not understand what was meant. However, Kim I-hyeon did not miss even the slightest movement.

The girl was handing the boy a shard of glass. With an innocent expression on her face, as if she knew nothing about it. It wasn't a big threat, but it still felt eerie.

'What should we do with these guys?'

It was the moment when Kim Yi-hyeon's head turned crooked.

"Priya, Assam. Stop it."

Manoj, who had stopped the two, began to enter the tent. He turned his head back halfway through, looked at Kim Ihyeon, and nodded inward.

"Let's talk inside."

* * *

Twin sisters Priya and Assam.

These are the characters that appear in the event story set in Banjar. They are also characters that are different from Echidna in many ways.

On one side are the rich who eat three meals a day despite having abandoned their homes and businesses. On the other side are the poor who eat boiled tree bark. The contrast is extreme, but in the future, the situations will change 180 degrees.

While Echidna dies, the twins safely join the lab.

'It's only a 4 star though.'

To be honest, the performance is poor.

The spell itself is not suitable for combat in the first place. The production company just added it to match the plot development, but it is a non-combatant no matter where you look.

In the game, he was a character who cleaned the floors of the dormitory and other infrastructure… … .

'The setup itself is a scam.'

Inside the tent. Kim Yi-hyeon looked at the twins alternately and smiled. Whenever they stared at him intently, he would suddenly look away in surprise.

'The reaction is cute.'

The two are not cold-blooded assassins or anything. They just learned how to defend themselves because they lived rough lives. And they are just doing 'business' to make ends meet.

I'm interested in that business.

"I want to buy status."

"...Where did you hear that?"

"To a guy who's already dead."

Because the atmosphere at Manoj was serious, I added a word.

"It probably didn't reach Ramaz's ears."

"Are you not sure?"

"It didn't go in."

"How can you be sure...."

"Oh, that's persistent."

Kim Yi-hyeon forcibly cut off the end of the sentence. It's not something you can say you saw in the game. There's no way to prove it 100%.

But I know how to change the subject.

widely.

He took a crumpled bundle of papers out of his pocket and put it down.

"A deposit of 5 million won. Is that possible?"

"...."

The tent became as quiet as a mouse. The only sound was someone swallowing dry saliva. Maybe it was all three of them. It was an amount of money they had never touched in their lives.

"This, this, this huge sum of money, even if you stick your chin out… it's difficult."

"Manoz, what kind of crap are you talking about! I said I'd give it to you, so take it first! Take it and think about it!"

"That's what they say."

"That's nonsense. In our situation, if we suddenly had money, how would we spend it?"

The hand that pushed the bills back was shaking. It was as if blood was flowing out of the eyes. Even if it was an inevitable reaction, Manoj's words made sense.

The workers are documented and managed thoroughly. They know each other's faces and names. Even their meager salaries.

But what if, all of a sudden, a rat living in the sewers, who isn't even one of them, comes out onto the street and starts making a fuss?

'The soldiers will come and confiscate it and ask where you got it.'

It's a straight path to torture. A society where a soldier with a gun is superior to a commoner with a mountain of gold bars. The thicker your pockets, the thinner your lifeline becomes.

If you are just an ordinary commoner.

"There's nothing you can't do, right?"

"yes?"

"Just knock out any passerby and then borrow my face."

[Makeup]. Priya's spell named in the game.

She can replicate a person's face exactly, down to the last dot. She can also change her facial expressions freely. This is a differentiating factor from the innate abilities of the No Face guys.

Assam also has useful abilities that are not inferior to his. They are valuable talents who are not exaggerated in the slightest when they are called gems. They also have excellent synergy with Kim Yi-hyun's spells.

"It would be nice if you could help me with my work as well."

These two will be key people in this operation.