◈ Episode 177

Perhaps because he judged that there was no way to overcome the crisis, Villa acted cooperatively. First of all, he confessed that this was the third time he had participated in the purification operation.

"Actually, except for the two people I mentioned earlier, they are all experienced."

Inevitably, Kim Yi-hyeon recalled what he had heard from the woman earlier.

"I heard that you seemed to know each other from the beginning. Were you in the same group before?"

"No, that's not true. The times that came out before were all different."

"then?"

"Can't we meet inside the city, even if we don't have to go outside?"

This means that there is a kind of community among those with experience.

It wasn't a lot. The compensation for the purification work was pretty generous, as it was almost like a life allowance, and it was natural to brag a little when the money came into one's hands.

'Some people may wonder what a septic tank actually is.'

There is no reason why we can't gather if we put our minds to it.

The tricky part is why they came together.

"You met? For what purpose?"

"...When I first came out, the group I was in wasn't ordinary. Even though it was the first week, everyone acted like they knew everything, and some of the people, including the group leader, seemed very friendly."

"Like you guys?"

Villa nodded her head in agreement.

"I was lucky back then. There were five people in the group, and four of them didn't know anything. I guess it was burdensome to sell them all out. The group leader used two of them as 'products' and persuaded the other two."

"So you were one of the two who were persuaded?"

"Yes, well. Thanks to you, I learned a lot of things."

This time, all of Villa's crew members, except for two, had similar experiences. They had formed a group of like-minded people in the city and applied to the purification tank, and were easily selected because of their experience.

Unfortunately, the two men and women were decided as prey from the beginning. If Kim Yi-hyun hadn't shown up, it would have definitely happened. If they disguised it as a suitable incident, whether it was a monster attack or something else, it would be over.

It would have ended up as one of those common missing person's cases.

"I kind of understand it. But."

There are some elements that I don't understand.

"What do you get in return? If you're a group living outside the city, your finances don't look so good. Can you afford to pay the kind of compensation that would allow you to engage in human trafficking without hesitation?"

"Uh, um."

Biya seemed hesitant to speak. He didn't threaten me by sticking a gun in my mouth. As I stared at him, the guy started to sweat profusely.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm going to tell you. I'm scared to death."

I left him alone because he said he would confess on his own.

I don't know what or how they saw it and what caused the uproar.

"First, I get some cooperation in working with them. Like directly delivering the larvae to them. Since they are already infected, I guess they don't feel much resistance."

You can just take a video while playing and eating comfortably and burning the larvae. It is a dangerous job with a high reward, but the risk factor is completely eliminated and you can just take the money and go.

I understand. It's tempting, but...

"Hey. Make sure your attitude is clear."

"예?"

"If you decide to cooperate, do it to the end."

"It's true. If you have any questions, ask other people. You'll get the same answer."

"Yeah, I guess it's not a lie. But I don't think he told everything."

Kim Yi-hyeon's eyes turned cold.

"No matter how trashy it is, no, the more trashy it is, the more meticulously we calculate the profits and losses. It's kidnapping innocent civilians. The pay is excessively low compared to the importance of the work."

"...."

"Speak straight. I don't want to get a hole drilled in my head after talking this far."

"That's it, ha."

Biya scratched his head and spoke as if he had made up his mind.

"There is another thing besides human trafficking."

"Keep going."

"It's like taking larvae to the city… that kind of thing."

He added his explanation hesitantly.

"I introduce people who need it. I don't know how they contact each other, but if you just put it in a 20mL bottle, you can easily get 5 million. I guess that's a lot...?"

The more I spoke, the more my voice became hoarse. It was because Kim Yi-hyun had a fierce expression on his face, and because Biya herself vaguely knew how serious the problem was with what I was about to do.

"These crazy kids."

Something crazy was happening in Cilicia without me knowing.

* * *

The truth revealed through Q&A was shared with the group.

"Human trafficking? What are the infected people trying to do by buying ordinary people?"

"I don't know that much. It's not something the middleman needs to know."

"…I thought it was just a fancy city. Is this what was happening behind the scenes?"

Leone was horrified by the fact that such heinous crimes were being committed so brazenly. She had seen human nature in the isolated school, but had been an ordinary student until the Parasite incident.

On the one hand, Chelsea objectively assessed the seriousness of the situation.

"No, this is not an ordinary thing."

Compared to the smuggling of larvae, human trafficking was a relatively minor issue.

"Shouldn't this be caught at the quarantine station?"

"They say it hasn't been detected yet. This is my first time hearing about it, too."

If it had been detected even once, information would have been received by Dustborne. Given the level of danger, it would have been normal for it to have been relayed to Kim Yi-hyun as well. There is no way Bryce would have intentionally omitted it.

"Maybe it's the volume that's the problem."

"Are you saying it's too small to get caught?"

"The quarantine measuring devices are basically devices for humans. So they might be difficult to detect. If they bring them in in large quantities, then they say they will determine the distribution amount separately…."

"You're leading the way in your own way."

"I'll have to investigate this properly as soon as I get back."

It was an event that could, without exaggeration, determine the fate of Cilicia. Parasites within the city. If not suppressed early, the city would collapse in the blink of an eye.

'I can't leave it like that.'

It is not something that can be done in vain. In addition to the practical loss, there is also an attachment to Cilicia itself. There is no need to give various reasons, as it is the place where I have been active the longest.

"Anyway, I'm glad you noticed it now."

"That's right. It could have been an irreversible situation."

Chelsea's face was trembling with emotion. She could tell what was on her mind. If Gemma Putty hadn't come to her immediately, she wouldn't have even dreamed of it, so her feelings were bound to be complicated.

"That doesn't mean I should be grateful to the client."

"Who said anything? I would never think of something like that."

Chelsea frowned, as if it was a hit.

"It's not my personal problem anymore."

"Shouldn't I go back and tell you first?"

It was one of the viable options. Returning to the city, contacting the council, and starting the investigation as soon as possible. It was the least risky option I could think of.

But it's not the best option.

"If that happens, there's a high chance that the infected group will hide themselves. It seems there are collaborators in the city, and if Villa doesn't show up at the trading location, that will also look suspicious."

"I'm also concerned about what the trainee said. Where are they gathering these people for?"

"Then what are you going to do?"

Leone looked anxious as the situation grew bigger. I brought him here with a light heart, but I didn't expect this to happen. It was an unexpected turn of events for Kim Yi-hyun, but that was it.

Actually, I think it turned out well.

If you roll properly while rolling, wouldn't you gain experience?

"Just like we used to do."

It's time to instill the Dustborne way into your trainees.

* * *

While driving, Biya glanced at the rearview mirror from time to time. The relaxed attitude from their first meeting was nowhere to be found. All he felt was a sense of discomfort towards Kim I-hyeon.

"...Hey, is this really okay?"

"No matter how it goes, you won't suffer any losses."

"That may be true, but…."

Rather, Biya was in a position where she had to wish for Kim I-hyeon to die. In order to keep his mouth shut. If they returned safely, Biya and his crew's crimes would be clearly revealed.

Evidence? Just make it.

He had no faith that his opponent was a messenger from an unknown small business called Colossus Company. He had no idea what their identity was, but he could guess.

'The special investigation team of the police force, or... ... .'

It might be the Dustborne Corporation that I had only heard of. Rumors of Dustborne were common even among the poor. They were especially interested in hearing about them because they were a class close to crime.

The Dustborn rumored to be a ghost was truly a thing.

A special group that uses all kinds of illegal means to drive out criminals. The legitimacy of the National Assembly and the police is guaranteed. They are considered the natural enemies of the underworld, operating freely with a strong backing.

'Among them, they say that the guy named Hyeon is crazy. Can it really be?'

The current plan was not normal either.

The trio, suspected of being Dustborne agents, have volunteered to be the prizes. The two women are in the trunk, while the man is tied up with rope in the backseat.

-Proceed with the transaction as scheduled.

-Take us to them.

An operation to infiltrate a group of infected people of unknown size and purpose. That was Villa's judgment. The infected side prefers young people regardless of gender, so the three were a pretty good deal.

It is judged that infiltration may not be impossible.

But it's something that no one in their right mind would ever think of doing.

'I have about fifteen lives.'

Although it was absurd, it was not an offer I could refuse.

Since the work had failed, the situation was already at its worst. Depending on their actions, there was a high possibility that Villa would become an outlaw. That was why it was necessary to somehow prevent them from going to the city.

But I'm going to go in with my own feet.

I was in a position to be happy and even clap my hands.

'Well, I'm fine. It's all over.'

What was about to happen, I had no idea until then.

* * *

The place we arrived at was an abandoned factory with its outer walls torn off and its frame exposed. Even though we had taken a car, it was less than a 10-minute drive from Area E.

Even if it was just a place for trading, their base wouldn't be far away. They were quite bold guys. Maybe they kidnapped some of the missing people themselves.

"Here he comes."

A man was sitting on a pyramid of aluminum pipes. Of course, he wasn't alone. A total of 12 people were lined up in a circle, naturally surrounding him.

Wherever you look, he looks like a vagrant.

Exposed skin is undergoing crystallization.

"Let's see. Is this the only one?"

"There's more on this side."

"Aha, trunk."

The man checked inside the trunk and whistled.

"Oh, pretty much. The kids will like it."

He chuckled and took something out of his pocket. It was a plastic pill bottle that looked like a lighter. Biya stared at him as he popped a couple of pills into his mouth.

"Why? Do you want to try it?"

"No. I was just curious…."

"It's nothing special. It's just a tablet of the disinfectant used in city quarantine."

"Huh, is that okay?"

"I don't know. But if you eat this, your mutation will slow down."

After a few gagging fits, he chuckled.

"Isn't it amazing? How did the Self-Somethings make all these things?"

"Yeah, that's right. Haha."

"I didn't say that to make you laugh, kid."

He tapped Biya on the cheek. The crystals on his palm brushed against his, causing a small scratch. Meanwhile, the man's colleagues dragged the three out of the car.

Only then did the man approach Kim Lee-Hyeon.

"What do you think? Do you think I look funny?"

"...."

"It's like a monster, isn't it?"

Even when there was no answer, he continued to talk.

"I didn't want to end up like this. And neither did you."

The reddish brown eyes flashed. They exchanged signals with their eyes. The four infected surrounded Biya as if they had been talking about it from the beginning.

"What, what is it? Why are you doing this?"

"Ah. I was thinking I should be a little more careful. It would be dangerous if the police smelled it."

The man smiled broadly with a grim expression.

"Two girls, two guys. That's perfect. Who should go first?"

"Let's start with that little brat. I didn't like him from the beginning."

"That's true. They look at people like fucking filth."

"No, when did I… Ugh!"

Biya was forced to kneel with both arms held. The man walked towards him again. He rummaged through his arms and this time took out an opaque bottle the size of a finger.

It was something familiar to Villa too.

When the lid was opened, larvae wriggled inside.

"Ah- yes. It's delicious and secretly edible."

"Uuuup! Uuuup!"

The infected people forced open Biya's mouth. Half of the larvae crawled out of the bottle right in front of her nose. Biya was struggling with tears and snot.

A human silhouette suddenly stood up behind the man.

"Hey, why is that thing moving…!"

The infected people who were watching had no time to stop it.

Wow!

The axe blade was stuck in the back of the man's head.