◈ Episode 118

First day of April.

After a long break, Nuova Era left Cavaratti. What was surprising and funny was that there were a lot of citizens who came out to see them off when they left the city.

"Well, it's still strange when I look at it again."

Kim Yi-hyeon glanced at the rearview mirror at the words heard from the backseat.

Edwin turns his head and looks behind him. The civilians are already so far away that they appear as tiny dots.

"A mafia welcomed by civilians? This defies my common sense."

"Because we tried our best to integrate it without any problems. We also have to take into account the special characteristics of that place."

That was Antonio's answer.

Kim Hyun, Edwin, Antonio, and one more member of the organization were riding in one vehicle, four people. Antonio took the wheel as if it was a given.

'Just take it easy, I'm telling you I'll catch it.'

Is he the type of person who takes the lead? That could be the case. Kim Yi-hyeon agreed and added his own opinion.

"There must have been some calculation involved."

"What is the calculation?"

"Think about it," he explained.

"The Kabarati people are extremely afraid of Naraka. They even use the unrealistic expression 'curse'. If they were truly concerned about our safety, wouldn't it be normal for them to capture him?"

"...Hmm. Then does that mean it's hypocrisy?"

"No, it's true that I feel sorry."

Kim Yi-hyeon rested his elbows on the armrest and his chin on his fist.

"The problem with Kabarati is that they can't defend themselves. But we protected the city with only the bare minimum of food, clothing, and shelter. How peaceful they must have been."

"But why didn't you try to stop him?"

"Even if we tell them, they won't listen, and more than anything, there are too many of them to keep feeding and housing them. We don't know when they'll show their true colors and try to exploit us."

"Is that what you mean, it would be best if we could come back with a moderately reduced number of people?"

Antonio smiled bitterly.

"That's just my personal opinion."

"I understand, but isn't your perspective on the world too crooked?"

"It wasn't like this originally. The world made me this way."

Polaris's harshness made my brain freeze. Of course, there are some people who are genuinely worried. For example, the two twins.

'Hmm. What about those guys?'

It's ambiguous to accept in Dustborne. Unlike the game, he doesn't even have the minimum combat power as an agent. He's better suited to be a non-combat agent in the lab.

'Should I take it before I return?'

Their spells are useful in many ways.

As long as Kushan's brain doesn't get sick, I won't refuse. Including Manoj. I'm not the type to spurn a new agent's family.

'I feel like you're going to nag me... ... .'

So what? I'm used to it now.

Brrrrrr!

Dozens of vehicles raced up and down the sand dunes.

As I got closer to Naraka, there were two major changes that I felt. First of all, the visibility got worse. Sandstorms that were big enough to roll around fist-sized rocks blew in from time to time.

Next is that it is getting quiet.

"It's already been two hours."

Antonio frowned as he held the steering wheel.

"I don't want a monster to come out, but… it's eerie and desolate."

"I see. When I first arrived in Banjar, I was surprised to see so many monsters in the desert."

"There are so many surprising things."

Edwin may seem emotionless at first glance, but he was actually quite curious. It was just that he didn't express his emotions easily during the process of getting blood on his hands unintentionally.

'In some ways, it's similar to Astrang.'

I imagined it.

If I had fallen about 10 years earlier than the tutorial, and if I had brought Edwin earlier, just like I had protected Ast from the Pavoni family, would I have ended up like Asterike?

'It's disgusting.'

I hate seeing it even in my imagination.

"By the way, how did you come to Kavaratti?"

"I asked for a guide in Timorta. After leaving the city and moving around for a while, he tried to steal my money. Thanks to him, the car was mine."

Thanks to you. Should I say this as a positive thing?

"What about that car?"

"I ran into a sandworm near Kavaratti. The bonnet was damaged beyond repair and I couldn't drag it any further. I ended up having to walk for quite some time."

"Haha, you look like a beggar. You must have had a hard time."

Antonio, who had been listening silently as if he had turned on background music, burst into laughter. The small talk relieved the tension appropriately. Edwin's slightly misaligned emotions were the main source of entertainment.

The journey was smooth.

There were monster attacks, but at most, once every two or three hours. The further you went inside, the less frequent they became, so you could sleep out at night with some peace of mind.

Around noon the next day.

Nuova Era has reached the yellow dust zone.

"…Is this where Naraka begins?"

Antonio muttered as if talking to himself.

The sand and dust that never settles, as if protecting or isolating Naraka, and inside, an unidentifiable silhouette seems to be rippling.

He was closer to the citizens of Kavarati than anyone else in the organization. It was entirely due to work, but he naturally had the opportunity to hear various rumors about Naraka.

Most of them are like ghost stories.

Stories that I had heard with one ear and let out the other came back to life in my brain. Fear began to take shape. I even had the illusion that I was entering the stomach of a monster.

I was so nervous that I didn't notice.

"...."

Kim Yi-hyun and Edwin exchanged glances through the rearview mirror. Their eyes were dry and indifferent, as if they had been immersed in all sorts of worldly events and had become a part of them.

Soon the lead vehicle took off.

One by one, the cars disappeared into the sandstorm. Antonio also stepped on the pedal, steeling his resolve. Not a word of conversation was exchanged between the four of them, as if they had reached an unspoken agreement.

Phew!

The wind howled outside the car window.

It was like the sound of a ghost's lament. Gravel was constantly knocking on the window, and the radio was making noise. It was the static electricity generated by the friction of sand particles.

'Damn. I can't see anything.'

Antonio's posture became stiff. The dust was thick, so it was difficult to measure the distance between him and his colleagues. If he groped around little by little, it would only make things harder. He drove the car while maintaining the speed he had set in advance.

… … And, I pretended not to see it as much as possible.

A shadow swaying in the sandstorm. It was like a remote island hidden in the mist, and when I tried to focus on it, it disappeared as if it were an illusion.

'Those are, yes, a fantasy.'

Antonio repeated to himself. Ghost stories are usually shallow. They are just things that make you feel uneasy and you see and hear things that don't really exist.

Kikrik, kirrik!

The sound of gravel scraping against the window was eerie. I had to suppress the urge to cover my ears. My eyes were feeling heavy because I hadn't blinked for a long time.

It was a time of suffering.

"...Haaah!"

As my vision cleared, so did my breathing.

When he emerged from the shitty sandstorm, Antonio's whole body was drenched in cold sweat. He thought it was disgusting, but a sense of relief welled up in his stomach.

"It's so noisy."

The wipers swept back and forth, wiping away the dust. The scratches on the window felt like the claw marks of a monster. The next time would be less scary, but it was an experience I didn't want to experience twice.

The first vehicle to arrive was parked at an appropriate location. Antonio also parked his car and waited. The last vehicle, which had been out of sight for some time, showed up after about ten minutes.

"Okay. Everyone is safe."

Echidna, who had been outside, nodded. Its existence is uncertain, but if it does exist, fortunately, the monster seems to have a generous nature.

"It's finally Naraka. You never know what's going to happen from here. Come to your senses."

The excited look she had immediately after leaving Timorta was nowhere to be found. Even though she didn't show it, Echidna's nervousness was evident on her skin.

It had to be that way.

From now on, she will be tested. Whether she is worthy of challenging Naraka's hegemony and whether she will be able to accept the results when they come out.

Of course, not being convinced doesn't change the result.

The landscape itself was similar to the areas we had passed through so far. The desert was still a desert. Wherever you looked, everything was covered in sand and rocks. Here and there, there were only trees that looked like quartz artifacts.

But the 'rock' was different.

"That's the 'Lactneedy' I've only heard of."

Laktnidi, the red treasure of Naraka. A mineral that possesses both elasticity and hardness. A fantastic material that can be transformed into an outrageous weapon if supported only by the skill of a craftsman.

There are materials here and there that will make Tamtam's eyes pop out. In the game, it is an item that can be purchased in small quantities by paying a large amount of credits at the 'Exchange'.

"If I mine that, how much will I get…?"

The member of the organization who had kept his mouth shut the whole time swallowed his saliva, perhaps because he was impressed by the members of the group. It was not unreasonable. The gold nuggets were rolling around carelessly.

However, Kim I-hyeon had no interest in Lactneedy.

'If that were possible, someone would have taken it away a long time ago.'

He prepared himself so that he wouldn't be seen. He would be ready to move his body at any moment. From now on, he couldn't let his concentration go for even a second. He had to react faster than anyone else.

however.

The change came in an unexpected way.

- Stop.

The noisy voice had a strangely cold tone. As Kim Yi-hyeon felt a sense of discomfort, the car stopped on the sand dune as if they had made a promise.

It wasn't just one.

All the cars stopped in their tracks. With a slam, the car doors opened one by one. Next to Kim Yi-hyun, Antonio took his hands off the steering wheel.

Next, he lifted the pistol and aimed it.

"...What are you doing?"

"I'm just following orders."

"Of course, without making a sound."

Antonio didn't give Kim Hyun the answer he wanted. Instead, he pointed the gun at his head and gestured outside. It was a gesture telling him to go out.

I thought about it for a moment.

'Should I just throw it over?'

Here is Edwin. Edwin and himself as an agent. This is by no means a weak formation. I am confident that the two of them alone can sweep away all of Nuova Era.

On hold for now.

'I'll have to see what happens.'

It's a short patience. The time to move will come soon.

"I get it."

Kim Lee-hyun opened the door and went out as if he had no other choice. Outside, the organization members had already taken out their guns and were surrounding him.

Movements were coordinated. It was definitely planned in advance.

'I thought I'd get hit in the back of the head first.'

If I said I had no idea, I would be lying.

Echidna has never been in the same vehicle as Kim Yi-hyeon. Not even once since leaving Timorta. In other words, she was always aware of Kim Yi-hyeon's betrayal.

It was a difference in order.

They were preparing to hit each other in the back of the head, and Kim Yi-Hyeon was just one step late. Rather than feeling betrayed, it was refreshing.

"You don't seem that surprised."

Echidna approached, brandishing a pistol.

"I wonder what the mafia is like."

"That's true. But don't feel wronged."

Don't make the distance closer than necessary. Ten steps. It seems like the 'safe distance' he thought of was those ten steps.

"We're just going to use you, just like you used us. If you had truly become our family, this wouldn't have happened. We can't just leave a reactionary who's obviously going to betray us alone."

"You're going to kill me before I get hurt?"

"I'll give you a chance to choose."

Bam.

Something was thrown at his feet. Kim Yi-hyeon lowered his gaze and looked down. A ring was gently raised on the sandy floor. It didn't look good at all for an accessory.

I know what it is. I've actually seen it.

"Ishrad's restraints. You did a great job finding these."

"All kinds of things come into Timorta."

The form is a necklace. When using a spell, it reacts to a special substance secreted from the body and injects poison into the prisoner. It is both a restraint tool and an execution tool.

"If you're going to take it, I'll spare your life."

You won't be able to use spells at all. Echidna will have a controller. You can just turn off the function when you need Kim Ihyeon's spells.

'Timortara. So you were prepared from the beginning.'

As expected, he was not a person to be laughed at.

"Decide in 10 seconds. Become a family or die."

"How can this be considered family? It's not a dog."

"This might be a bit controversial. Don't you know the word companion animal?"

As usual, he joked around, but the gun did not go down.

"10, 9, 8."

The countdown began quietly. There was no noise to interrupt Echidna's voice. The world beyond the sandstorm was eerily quiet.

The number dropped to 5. At that point, Echidna's eyes crumpled. She, who had been counting the seconds like a machine, spoke in an irritated, yet also pleading tone.

"…don't let me kill you."

Four seconds again, three seconds.

Kim Yi-hyun closed his eyelids slowly. Now was the time to decide. Should he at least pretend to accept it? Or should he get blood on his hands?

It was the moment he bent his knees.

─Koosh!

A heavy crash broke the silence of the desert.

The sudden commotion drew attention. The bonnet of the leading car was dented and the body of the car sank forward. There was a shadow of a person sitting on top of the car for some time.

No, it would be a bit of a stretch to call it a person. The ivory cloth wrapped tightly around its body and the limbs visible outside the hood. The left arm and right leg were deformed and swollen.

Shadows began to appear one after another over the hill.

Hasashin (Hasashin). Ghosts living in Naraka.

The second unexpected and expected development.

It was ideal timing for Kim Lee-hyun.

Choaaaak!

A large amount of sand shot up and then poured down like a waterfall. With just one hand, a phenomenon similar to a small natural disaster occurred.

It wasn't like there was any special process.

It may have been some kind of spell, but on the surface it looked simple. He just swung a sword. A strangely shaped sword that looked like it was made from a part of a guillotine.

The sound of destruction continued as the view was blocked.

"Why now of all times…!"

A look of despair appeared on Echidna's face. The direction the gun was pointing turned. The moment he confirmed that the organization members' vigilance had completely shifted, Kim Yi-hyun moved quickly.

[Static Tower] was held in my left hand. I twisted my arm back to brace myself for the bullets flying towards my back. I made [FE-7 Riot Shield] in my right hand and held it forward.

thud!

"큭!"

It was a light collision, but the impact was heavy. Antonio fell and dropped his gun. Kim I-Hyun threw himself into the driver's seat, the door wide open.

When I turned my head, our eyes met. Antonio had a bitter smile on his face. The feeling of regret that he couldn't express in words was completely conveyed.

But there was no reason to accept it. Since they crossed the line first, Kim Lee-Hyeon ended up being the 'victim'.

Finally, I saw Echidna's empty expression.

widely!

The door was closed immediately.

The key was in the ignition and the engine was running. There was a "woof, woof" sound from the back seat. Edwin knocked out the gang member he was riding with and pushed him out.

"Go."

"yes."

The car started.