The Key and the Cost

A key that can withstand the force of a lightning strike strong enough to reduce a superhuman as powerful as Beck to ashes. 

I don't know what it's used for, but it might be something needed to open something very precious. 

Leo, who had put the keys he had obtained and Beck's broken cell phone into his pocket, slowly got up from his seat and headed towards the back of the collapsed train station. 

"Hoo…!" 

I sat down with a thud, looking at the slowly rising morning sun. 

The heat from the lightning strike has subsided, and the chilly morning air is back in. 

As the sunlight poured down, he took out a crumpled cigarette from his arms and put it in his mouth with difficulty. 

It was a tough fight. 

I never imagined that I would meet a powerful person like Beck Clinton in this place and in this way. 

But somehow Leo ended up winning a battle that no one expected. 

Since we've caught one of the cigar bangs here, the crisis that was predicted to lead to the failure of the operation will instead turn into a great blessing. 

That's enough. 

But honestly, the feeling of sitting alone in the ruined train station and greeting the morning wasn't all that great. 

Because Leo still knew nothing about the truth of this world. 

The heat running down his cheeks, the pain in his stomach, his time gradually getting shorter. 

Even though I knew I had to find answers to all those questions, I turned away from them because I was caught up in the urgency of having to live each day. 

As if he had forgotten even the earnest wish he had buried deep in his heart. 

Is it because I am left alone in the middle of a quiet ruin? 

A choked soliloquy flowed from Leo's lips so naturally. 

"…..This can't go on." 

Leo realized what he wanted only after he had said it himself. 

What he wants is not simply to survive in this bleak and dry world. 

I want to dig into the truth of this absurd miracle that happened to me and finally know it. 

I still remember the series of conversations I had with Cheon-Gyeon. 

The world of tail-biting. The story of the ascendants. And Alkaid. 

If this world was really meant to be the worldview of WORLD 3.0, then wasn't what he heard then a clue to the mainstream? 

Rather than just leaving it to others and forgetting about it, I had to go out and find it myself. 

It won't be easy. 

But until the outline came into view, Leo intended to climb towards the top of the city. 

His head began to spin busily as he put a cigarette in his mouth. 

Because there was so much to do and so much to do. 

The promised price 

"….Okay. Got it." 

Eden took the phone from her ear and closed her eyes quietly. 

As soon as I finished the call, I turned over my phone, which started beeping loudly at the same time, and got up from my seat. 

The grim-faced man who had been watching him carefully asked. 

"Boss, I keep getting calls from other arms dealers. What should I do…?" 

"Leave it alone." 

A sharp voice echoed through the dark room. 

"I'm not calling to ask about future plans. I need some justification for giving you at least the bare minimum of hospitality before turning your back on me." 

Eden slowly got up and said as she picked up the coat hanging on the wall. 

"People who are calling right now, leave a record of all the calls and make a list." 

"Are you talking about a list?" 

"okay." 

As soon as he left the room, Eden's face was revealed under the soft light. 

Sharp eyes and a cold mouth. A strong jawline and broad shoulders. 

He has the appearance and impression to be a self-proclaimed gang boss. 

Eden smiled faintly, pressing her index finger against the vein on her forehead. 

"Then wouldn't it be possible to return the favour later and repay you? Traitors deserve to be treated accordingly." 

"Oh, I understand!!" 

Despite hearing those chilling words, the gang member's face brightened. 

In this situation where everyone is in a state of confusion both inside and outside the organization, the composure that the head shows is reassuring the members below. 

Eden was neither too naive nor too incompetent a boss to not know this. 

I was lost in thought as I walked down the empty hallway. 

'Where did it start?' 

It is clear that until just a month ago, they were taking control of the weapons business in the 40s area, while at the same time opening up new trading networks and stabilizing the supply of weapons. 

Now he has lost many of his close associates and even the gang's sources of funding have been cut off. 

The opportunity to reverse the mistake was lost so quickly, and the betrayal of those who had been in league with the organization was just as fleeting. 

And the starting point was probably the fact that others had also noticed the death of Beck Clinton, which he had just heard about. 

It would have been better if the trading route with the retired soldiers had ended with them being cut off, but with the death of the person in charge of the new trading partner, both trading networks disappeared at the same time. 

It's fatal. 

And it was extremely dangerous. 

'It took so long to build it up… and it all comes crashing down in an instant.' 

How long have you been searching for a means to achieve your own goals since leaving the Tower? 

I was just now trying to establish myself and build up my power, but it was all on the verge of going up in smoke overnight. 

I can feel myself standing on the edge of a cliff. 

Even to the point where it's already too late to turn back. 

But if that was the case, I had to salvage whatever I could get my hands on. 

The death of Beck, his confidant and business partner, hastened Eden's decision. 

I hesitated and then pressed the button on the phone. 

To that number, from which I had made just one call, and never heard back again. 

The other person answered the phone twice, as if he had been waiting for it. 

Eden muttered in a trembling voice. 

"Juice Master, I would like to make a deal with Bokmajeon." 

# 

A fierce and intense battle. 

It was a chaotic battle due to the unexpected intrusion of a strong enemy along the way. 

But ultimately, the team succeeded in the operation while minimizing damage. 

Although most of the credit goes to Leo, who single-handedly took on Beck and killed him. 

In any case, when conducting an operation with a proper team, it clearly showed everyone how far the wizard Ban could go. 

And the reaction was equally violent and tumultuous. 

Beck Clinton was a gangster who had been around long enough for Jenny to know his name, and although his prime was behind him, he was once the kingpin of the 48th District. 

There were rumours that he had abandoned his old name and started anew by creating a gang called Cigar Bang, but it is hard to imagine that his reputation would disappear so easily. 

The news that such a seasoned fighter had died in battle with only five freelancers was shocking. 

Even the guests who visit Jenny's bar talk about it so much. 

"You touched the cigar bang? You're out of your mind…." 

"It's not just a matter of touching it. I heard it was a total mess." 

"Your gang was known for using the Panama Railroad Station as a trading post, but now the station is gone. That says it all." 

"Isn't this a bit dangerous?" 

Jenny let out a secret sigh as she watched the guests frolicking around, not even trying to hide the sound of their voices leaking out. 

Is it rare for conflicts between vested interests to occur in this world? 

It's a place where gunfights break out of the blue, and corpses are piled up in one corner of the sewer, but as long as the unwritten rules are maintained to some extent, no one will easily interfere. 

Strictly speaking, the recent attack on the Cigar Bang gang should be considered just another incident. 

But it doesn't stop there. The reason why these rumours keep going around is probably because there is a certain sense of anxiety about the arms business that Cigar Bang had been supplying being cut off. 

If there is a problem with the current business district that sells firearms that match military equipment at low prices, the freelancers in this area will have to wander the alleys again in search of a decent gun shop. 

There was no need to even consider how many hyenas would rush in to seize new interests in the process. 

"The boss of Cigar Bang must have been furious. If there was even a slight hitch in a business of that scale, the loss would be huge." 

"In fact, it says a lot that he has used that capital to grow his power up to this point." 

"I heard the leader of that gang is a great sorcerer. Is this your chance to find out?" 

"I'm also looking forward to that. There was a lot of talk about what kind of magic spell he uses that makes Plato and Scavenger immobile. There's also a rumour that he has a huge backer behind him…." 

"Make sure the bar isn't damaged." 

Jenny suddenly turned her head at the familiar voice coming from right next to her. 

Before she knew it, Leo had come inside the bar and was looking in the same direction as her, listening. 

Although his face was still expressionless, Jenny read a faint sense of worry in his words and snickered. 

"Do you think this is the first or second time something like this has happened in this world? Take care of yourself. There's no crazy guy who would mess with a broker over something like this." 

Now that I'm facing him like this, I realize that he's not someone familiar with this city. 

Although he seemed very indifferent and unresponsive to external stimuli, Jenny had guessed that this wizard was more compassionate than she thought. 

He has a personality that makes him extremely cold-hearted and cruel when he thinks it's necessary, but when it comes to dealing with old people like Jordan, he's so clumsy that it's visibly awkward to the point where you can tell he doesn't know how to deal with them. 

And Jenny didn't seem to mind that class appearance. 

"I got a call from Dyke. He said that if you want, he'd like to come and pick you up. What do you think?" 

Although he has only worked with them on two missions, Leo's status has changed dramatically since then. 

The world may not know for sure that he killed Beck Clinton alone, but rumours are quickly spreading that he came out of two clashes with the gang alive and well. 

As if to prove that fact, some of the many customers in the bar who had previously ignored Leo were quietly chatting with him while looking at him. 

"...…" 

Making a name for yourself in this world isn't necessarily a good thing. 

The more people recognize him, the more people will hate him. 

Jealousy and hatred. It is natural that envy and resentment follow the flow of money. 

Only now have I taken one step on the staircase of glory and shame. 

I had no intention of being satisfied with this. 

Jenny must have felt something from his calm expression too. 

She continued speaking without even thinking about erasing the smile that naturally appeared on her face. 

"I've heard rumours that the Dyke board of directors were quite surprised by the success of this operation. It's surprising that a project that was thought to be creaking all along has suddenly gotten back on track. If you make an appointment right now, I'm sure you won't be disappointed." 

"...Okay. Tell him to meet me tomorrow." 

"That's just right. It seems like that woman Panoa has something else to say, so just listen to her and let it go. We're not going to work together forever." 

Although they didn't say anything separately, it seems like Jenny also felt something while watching the series of events. 

Even considering her relatively small role in this collaboration with Dyke, it's still a sharp insight. 

Leo nodded, reminding himself yet again of how good of a broker she was. 

"Oh, and I managed to track down Beck Clinton's cell phone address as you requested." 

The key that was taken from Beck's body was in Leo's possession, and just in case, he gave the cell phone to Jenny, but it seems that it was fruitful. 

"What's inside?" 

"The data was all corrupted, so I couldn't check the proper messages, but the call records were still at the base station, so I was able to check who the last people I contacted were. Don't be surprised to hear that." 

Jenny quickly lowered her voice and whispered. 

"It seems like he was in contact with Pandemonium's contact person." 

"...…" 

"It could be an attempt by the gang to establish a connection with Bokmajeon. You have to make a good decision." 

"I get it." 

Although it was unexpected information, it was a great achievement just to have found out this fact in advance. 

"Then come back tomorrow." 

"Okay. Take care of yourself. Okay?" 

"...…" 

For a brief moment, Leo's steps stopped. 

Jenny looked at his back and spoke quietly. 

"The most important thing in this world isn't money." 

"…..yes." 

"I trust you'll do well. I was just talking nonsense." 

She ends the conversation neatly as always. 

But as Leo walked out of the bar, a bitter smile appeared on his lips that he didn't even realize he had.