Episode 81 [Incheon, Demon World, Black Market – 2]
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When a battle is imminent or in the midst of a battle, human nerves focus only on the enemy. People tend to focus on the weapons they have. Being keenly wary of the most threatening — that was a natural reaction.
“Why did my gun fire on its own…”
clank—clunk—
In other words, the moment when one’s own weapon was aimed at oneself was a perfect ‘exceptional case’.
As a result, my mind was temporarily dazed and my judgment was clouded.
And that wasn’t the end.
Kwaddeud——!
A strange phenomenon began in which the pistols floating in the air were crushed and stretched like clay.
“—Oof!”
The ‘metal rope’ that was created flew in and stuck to the robbers’ necks, filling it like a ‘restraint’, and the guys instinctively raised their hands and tried to tear it off… “No, don’t move.
”
Hyunwook Lee said that and pointed to a gun part floating in the air.
Twa—t——!
At that moment, it broke into pieces in the air, scratching the ceiling and walls.
Gulp—
Upon witnessing that scene, the robbers felt as if they had been turned into plaster statues and could not even move.
“Can you feel what will happen if I give mana to the dog collars around your necks?”
“So, from now on, you will become faithful guide dogs.”
As Lee Hyun-wook took one step forward, they took two steps back. I was already completely overwhelmed.
“Ooh, what on earth do you want from us!”
The one who seemed to be the leader among the nine robbers asked that question. They attacked first and then asked what they wanted… Lee Hyun-wook found the situation quite absurd, but it was true that he wanted something. “I want you to help me find someone
. ”
“What? Who is that?”
Lee Hyun-wook’s goal was to become a player who would become the best part of Laputa’s huge facility. However, he was currently being treated poorly deep down under the stigma of being an F grade,
and where he lived….
” I came to meet the owner of [Red Hall]. From now on, we are going to the village inside the gate.”
“What? “It’s a village inside a crab gate. What does that mean…”
At those words, the guys looked quite surprised.
‘What… What’s going on?’
The leader of the robbers’ mind had turned completely blank. He
was just trying to rob a foolish passerby.
But it was absurd that he was quickly overpowered by those guys…
‘This bastard already knows about us, right? ?’
However, it could not be said that these two men approached intentionally.
Because they clearly targeted them first.
‘But what on earth is this…’
It was a situation where I really couldn’t understand a single thing.
“…What? “Where? We don’t know anything about that place.”
Lee Hyun-wook snorted at the clumsy way of acting like a fool.
“Isn’t it time to realize that this is not the time to pretend not to notice?”
“…….”
“I know that there is an ‘abandoned gate’ underground here, and that there is a village inside it.”
A gate is a door that connects to the world called ‘dungeon’ where monsters live.
And after completing the strategy, if you destroy the ‘World Stone’, the gate will be closed.
But… what happens if you leave it as is without destroying it?
‘The gate does not close and erosion occurs in the area.’
However, it is not as fast or extensive as the ‘wave’ that the World Stone directly acts on the Earth’s land, and it just makes the surroundings of the gate a few hundred meters similar to the environment inside the gate.
‘After that… there’s nothing special. Nothing happens.’
Therefore, there were often cases in which the land inside was used without closing the gate.
In a way, I couldn’t help but be greedy as it was like acquiring a large amount of unclaimed land.
‘But this is agreed upon and regulated by the [International Players’ Federation] as an illegal act.’
It was because leaving the gate unattended for a long time was bound to be a major risk factor.
However, many countries have secretly abandoned gates, and
large terrorist groups have used them as their hideouts or secret garages.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a secret, but rumors have already spread around the world, right?”
“It’s just… like you said, just a rumor!”
Lee Hyun-wook tightened the restraints on the nape of the necks of those who endured until the end.
“No, I already knew that, so don’t be silly and quickly show me the way.”
“Ugh! Ugh damn it… Ah, okay!”
In the end, they had no choice but to take the lead and go down the steel stairs.
As each floor went deeper, the crowds gradually decreased, and by the time
they reached the 5th basement level, there was no one at all. Along the
quiet passage, with only the sound of water drops echoing from somewhere. We had to walk for a while.
Meanwhile, the robbers secretly exchanged glances.
But Lee Hyun-wook, who had acquired the [Insight Lens], caught every little movement in his eyes.
“…Here it is.”
The leader of the robbers said so and reached for a lever connected to a pipe. When he
turned it, a clicking sound was heard and the back wall began to open.
Koo-goo–!
In a secret space beyond a completely hidden wall, a purple gate was open.
And there were two guards standing in front of him, holding automatic rifles.
“No, brothers! “What happened!”
They seemed to have figured out the situation through CCTV and shouted and raised their guns.
But the next moment, the muzzle bent at a right angle with a squeak.
“Uh huh? What what!”
Then they hurriedly took out another weapon…
“Oh no! Don’t do anything stupid! “There’s something like an artillery bomb around our necks!”
The leader of the robbers shouted that and the guards eventually had no choice but to lower their weapons.
So, I finally came across a gate that had been neglected for 11 years.
“Okay… this gate here is our… village you’re looking for.”
Our village There was some anxiety in his words when he said that. When he attacked me with a pistol, he looked like a bully, but suddenly he seemed to be the head of the family… ‘Well, maybe he’s the right person to be the head of the family.
‘
The Red Hall Organization was clearly making a living through illegal means.
But there was a historical reason for doing so.
Since the world turned into a game, numerous incidents have occurred.
Among them, player oppression of players was common.
Especially in the early days . The player world was a very rough world, not as stable as it is now.
There were frequent battles for supremacy to control the ‘unknown power’ of players that appeared out of nowhere.
‘I was too young at the time to remember, but in reality, we were no different from gangsters.’
Those who were pushed out during that period of upheaval had no choice but to hide in the shadows.
In other words, in a way, the Red Hall organization was the unlucky people who were pushed out of the power struggle….
‘In any case, the reason it has now become an lawless group is It was true, so we need to be careful.’
Before entering the gate, Lee Hyun-wook approached Park Jun-mo and whispered,
“Park Jun-mo, you go in first. And remember the precautions when entering the gate, right?”
“…Ah yes!”
Park Jun-mo remembered the words to always look above his head when he entered Cheongdam Red Gate, his first attack operation. So, as he breathed in, he began to raise all his senses.
“Now, we will enter your village through the gate. If you do anything foolish…”
Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers and all 11 people flinched.
“You know what will happen, right?”
However, Lee Hyun-wook knew very well that these guys would definitely use that nonsense.
Soon, they entered the gate one by one, and Lee Hyun-wook was the last to enter.
Huuuu——
The first thing that greeted me as I entered the unfamiliar world was a harsh sandstorm.
This was a rugged wilderness area that looked like the Arizona desert in the United States.
“Um… it’s not a very nice neighborhood, is it?”
The leader of the robbers sneered at Lee Hyun-wook’s short impression.
“No, there is no better place for outsiders like us.”
It was a statement full of dissatisfaction with the world.
‘Well, if you grew up in a place like this, your perspective on the world would not have been the same.’
This man is in his early thirties, and probably came here in his teens. He must have developed hatred
towards the current large guilds that pushed them into this corner, and
towards the government, which failed to provide any protection in that situation. “ Okay,
then can you guide me to that nice village?”
So I started moving along the desolate canyon.
How much time has passed?
… ‘…So, what kind of trick are you starting to do?’
Lee Hyun-wook could feel it. The robbers suddenly exchanged more glances…
That’s why he put his entire body in rigid form early on and wrapped himself in a mana shield.
And just then one of the robbers stomped on a rock.
Clap—!
Then, with the sound of a machine engaging, both rocks opened and something that looked like a pipe came out.
That rock was a ‘foothold’ that set something in motion.
“-done!”
A robber’s delight. At the same time, a blue beam of light began to extend from the coffin.
Hold it——!
It was a trap containing lightning magic.
They activated it above their heads and planned to be swept away by the current along with Lee Hyun-wook.
So, if they all faint, their colleagues will come and release these restraints…
But…
“Ew——!”
Pa—ja—ja—ja—ja—— As Park
Jun-mo turned his eyes, a bundle of electricity coalesced into a ball, and when
he
raised both arms, the electric sphere shot into the sky far away and disappeared. .
“Huh…….”
“Well done Park Jun-mo.”
“yes!”
Lee Hyun-wook already knew that there was a trap like this here.
‘And there were quite a few of these. No matter how much Mana Shield you have, if you repeat it, you may be defeated.’
But this time, I was able to enter with confidence because there was a clear countermeasure called Park Jun-mo.
Meanwhile, those who believed that the electric trap would solve everything were dumbfounded.
They looked at Lee Hyun-wook with trembling eyes.
“I guess I forgot what I said…”
Lee Hyun-wook lowered his voice and looked back at the robbers.
“Kak—!”
The restraints placed around their necks began to buckle and strangle them.
“Knock knock—”
That was then.
Gu—gu—gu—gu——!
Some kind of vibration started to sound from beyond the hill in front.
It was like…
“This is the sound of horses’ hooves… Isn’t it?”
Even before Park Jun-mo’s horse stopped, a dozen horses, or cavalry, appeared over the hill.
Dungeon Coursers, commonly referred to collectively as such, were giant horses that grew up in dungeons.
And among them, a woman pulled out a great sword and shouted.
“Stop right there—!”
That woman was a face Hyunwook Lee knew.
This was Go Jin-hwa, the eldest daughter of Go Jun-cheol, the boss of Red Hall.
‘That woman is someone I can communicate with.’
Lee Hyun-wook raised both hands to express that he had no intention of fighting.
Then Go Jin-hwa pulled the reins and slowed down the horse.
“Damn it! Who are you here?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t trespass, but I came here because I had something to do.”
“What? What kind of bullshit is that! You know where you are and come in just like that!”
Lee Hyun-wook sighed and shook his head.
“Calm down and listen. “You were the ones who brought in the guns first.”
“…what? A gun?”
Her eyebrows twitched as she looked at Lee Hyeon-wook’s hold—probably his subordinates.
“No way, he’s going to rob me again… ha— so tell me.”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and turned his head to look at the dungeon scenery.
“Is there something spreading in this dungeon right now?”
Go Jinhwa’s eyebrows twitched at those words.
“…what?”
“It’s a black vine that eats trees.”
“How can that…”
“I can get rid of that.”
Go Jinhwa’s eyes trembled at those words.
Around this time, there was an ‘event’ that was taking a toll on the area.
‘It is a kind of self-purification effect that occurs when a player dominates a dungeon.’
Thus, thousands of people living in this dungeon were in danger of losing the place where they had lived for years.
‘The person who solved that problem was…Taesan Guild.’
Thus, this underground organization will be operated as the hands and feet of the Taesan Guild.
But today all that was going to change.
‘I am taking these people who are a major axis of the underground economy into my hands.’
Lee Hyun-wook intended to use this land as the last bastion against the villains.
For him, it was necessary to dominate every aspect, and this was one of them.
And above all, there was a ‘hidden stage’ in this dungeon.
‘Even the people who still live here don’t know that.’
It was an adamant mine where legendary metal was pouring out.
