Chapter 237 - Fishing (2)

Whoosh-

A loud noise echoed. A total of three helicopters landed one after the other on the rooftop helipad. The strong wind not only tousled my hair but also my scarf.

People from the Akates Defense Agency approached the parked helicopters. There were A and S rank guards, but there also seemed to be an armed escort. Most of those who appeared to be high-ranking officials were also rank C or lower.

"There's no way the abilities of high-ranking Awakened individuals are inferior to theirs, so was it decided that B-rank or higher Awakened individuals cannot take high-ranking positions to begin with?"

If a person around S rank were to gain political influence, it would be difficult to handle them. Still, that was really unfair. What could they do about being born as high-ranking Awakened individuals? If they were going to discriminate, they shouldn't Awaken them; they could use that power.

'...Although it's not like in my world there aren't issues of discrimination against Awakened individuals.'

Especially for the CSAT, many people said that D-rank and higher Awakened individuals had a completely different level of endurance, so it wasn't reasonable to test them under the same conditions. Later, ethical concerns arose around the prohibition of Awakening minors, but the issue of the CSAT was also important. Even if the world were to end the next day, the exams were there.

The helicopter doors opened, and the S-rank guards descended first. Then came that guy. Ignoring what the people from the Akates Defense Agency were saying, his golden eyes stared straight at me. As if he had known I would be here even before descending, his gaze went directly to me without having to look around.

I smiled at him. Sigma's eyes also curved. And.

Boom!

"S-Sigma-nim?"

"What is this all of a sudden?!"

Surprised cries came from all around. Unable to make any sound, I dropped to the ground.

'...That damn bastard.'

About a meter above my head, there was a chain embedded. A large crack ran through the wall, and splinters fell on my shoulders and head. As soon as that bastard's eyes met mine and he smiled, the gold chain shot terrifyingly toward me. Aimed precisely at my neck.

"If I were an F-rank, I would have lost my life."

He may have only attacked up to a point I could barely dodge, but that only angered me more. Was he mocking me?

Impressively, the chain released from the wall and returned to its owner. As a result, more debris fell. That hurt, you damn bastard.

"There was a mistake there."

"…Yes?"

At Sigma's words, those around him seemed stunned before quickly wiping the expression from their faces.

"We're outdoors, so yes. There may be some. We've made sure none get in."

Struggling, one of the Akates men spoke calmly. Brushing the stone dust off my body, I got up from my seat. When I looked at that guy, he chuckled silently. Oh, that disgustingly exasperating son of a bitch.

"Let me go see you."

Look. His sharp SS-rank eyes would probably understand more or less. ...Would he? For starters, everything was automatically translated, because they wouldn't use Korean.

"Do you want to check on Alpha first?"

"No, I'm tired from staying up all night traveling."

Saying, "Then we'll show you where you'll be staying," the people from Akates took the lead. They went down inside, and I followed them in silence.

As a VIP, the accommodation they guided him to was a separate house on the top floor. Sigma bid everyone farewell, saying he wanted to rest alone. It seemed he had understood me. He entered the house, and I waited until there was no one around before silently calling out. Shortly after, the door opened automatically.

The first thing that caught my eye upon entering was the glass wall on one side. The cityscape could be clearly seen from there. If you turned on the lights at night, it seemed it would become a monstrous and eye-catching beacon; had they made it specially to keep the light out?

"Anyway, you wouldn't be able to see the night view."

What a useless luxury! Use that money to treat Alpha better. Suddenly, I was getting angry again.

"Hello, Sigma-ssi-ugh!"

When I saw what was sitting on the sofa in the spacious living room, curses almost escaped my mouth. What was that? Wasn't it me? Hell. Why was that thing still around?

The Doppelgänger doll I had left at the Sollemnis Defense Agency was quietly sitting on the sofa. With its eyes closed, it looked as if it had fallen asleep. And it looked exactly like me... I hadn't thought much about it back then, but seeing it like this felt unsettling.

"...It was supposed to last a day."

"If you provide it with more mana, its maintenance time increases."

Sigma said, coming out into the living room. Meanwhile, he seemed to have changed his clothes, wearing a light shirt and pants . Even if its maintenance period could be extended, why the hell would he preserve it? Was it like a test? Moreover, having that doll would make it convenient to post a wanted notice for me.

"Would you like a drink?"

Sigma said, placing wine and glasses on the table.

"I'll accept if you don't put something in it and drink it yourself."

"This isn't a situation where I would drug you for no reason."

True; at that distance, I couldn't run. First, he sat down on the sofa. Next to my Doppelgänger doll. They seemed overly close. My mood was terrible. For now, I also sat on the sofa opposite.

"I didn't think you'd show up so easily. I thought I'd have to search for a few days; I'm surprised."

"Don't say things you don't mean. You must have heard everything, more or less."

Crossing his legs to look arrogant, I reclined on the sofa. I also interlaced my fingers, resting my hands on my knee. I should have taken off the scarf. It didn't sit well on me.

"I'll compensate you enough for the damage. I'll even peacefully return the items I stole."

"Even though they're worth a considerable amount?"

"Some SS-rank equipment pieces like that? They're just pebbles compared to Alpha. No, calling them pebbles is too much; should I say they're glass beads?"

"Alpha, you say."

Sigma's mouth corners lifted as he filled the glasses with wine. As an SS rank, he wouldn't get much more drunk than a certain S rank, so this was just to set the mood.

"I received a report that a C rank with an ability to calm Alpha has appeared."

"He doesn't just calm him. It's an ability that will surely have him in the palm of my hand. Thanks to the people at Akates Defense Agency who softened him up for me."

I wanted my expression to seem proud and self-assured. Don't think about the state my brother was currently in. It wasn't Yoohyun-ie, but Alpha, the SS rank guard I had first met. A stranger whose face I didn't recognize and whose name I still didn't know.

"So, I ask you not to get in my way."

It might not work, but I lowered my voice as menacingly as possible.

"Alpha is mine."

"You're full of confidence."

"That's natural, isn't it? The people at Akates don't know about my ability to hide. Besides the SS rank Alpha Guard, there's no one who can track me. So pretending to cooperate and bring out Alpha wasn't a difficult matter. Until you showed up."

"Should I apologize for that?"

"If you've told the people at Akates about my stealth ability, then apologize."

"I can tell you that my lips are sealed, so you can relax."

That was a relief indeed. Communication between cities was extremely limited, so if Sigma gave his assurance, I could be sure he hadn't mentioned my hiding ability. Although it would eventually come out over time. It wasn't like there was no one traveling by land.

"Your plans for a Rank SS to be tamed by a Rank C are interesting, but there's no reason for me to cooperate."

"What do you want?"

I stared at him with a look that said name what you want. If only I were a bit taller when I was sitting, so I could look down on him arrogantly. Tapping the edge of his wine glass lightly, Sigma opened his smiling mouth.

"The C rank who subdued an SS rank. That should be enough to cover the damages."

"Just enough? Have you lost it? You're just an SS rank."

To think he wanted to do nothing and catch both me and Alpha at the same time. It was too greedy.

"Is there anything else you can give me? Regardless of why you take me, I possess quite a bit."

"I can offer you information."

"Information?"

"Yes. First, let's draft a contract."

With that said, I extended a hand to him. Sigma stared at my palm. I waved my hand as if to ask him what he was doing.

"Don't tell me you don't have a high-rank contract? Carry it out. One with a strong penalty, since you're at it."

"I see you're bleeding me dry."

"If you're not interested, then give up."

"If I give up, wouldn't you be the one losing out?"

"Look who's talking. If I simply gave up here, wouldn't it be terribly boring? We haven't known each other for long, but have I ever disappointed you? Hmm? I think I've gained enough credibility."

"Your credibility is so high that I think it would be interesting if I put you under control here and now."

"...That would be conceding too easily. I should make it a bit more challenging."

Sigma took out a contract from his inventory.

Which was SS rank.

"The basic condition is that you don't interfere with me until Alpha is released, and once I have Alpha, I'll hand over important information to you."

"And if I'm not satisfied with the value of the information provided?"

"Then you'll get the Alpha package and me as you wanted. Aren't those terms really excellent?"

While confidently completing the mana-charged contract, he couldn't pretend he wasn't pleased. And despite the importance of the information he could provide, it wouldn't take him long to say it. Simply telling him that his world wasn't real, but just a forgery built from leftover data, would be shocking enough.

...But I was worried it would be so shocking that he would attack me.

The terms of the contract were clearly in favor of Sigma, so he agreed to draft the contract without saying much. He could just sit back, having lucked out, and enjoy. He would be a fool to refuse.

In addition to that, I included some other detailed terms. They mainly referred to Sigma's actions until he was sure Alpha was free.

"You can't get other people to bother Alpha either. Anything that might affect Alpha is completely prohibited. Wait for Akates' request with the excuse that you're tired."

After drafting the contract details, only the signing remained. Sigma signed first. What, just 'Sigma'? But the important thing was the act of signing, so using an alias wasn't ruled out. I just wrote "C rank".

"What's your name?"

Sigma, studying the contract signatures, asked. You didn't reveal yours. Besides, if he had been briefed about me, he would know my name anyway. Did he want to hear it from my mouth?

"I'm Han Yoojin."

"I see. Han Yoojin."

"...That's the doll you're looking at right now."

"I know, C rank."

Hey, you... seriously crazy SS rank. His personality was really something. Once we both signed, the contract split automatically into two copies. How convenient. Taking one of the contracts, I got up from my seat.

"To make it easier, call me here. Let's say you want to talk to the C rank with special abilities. The doll is here too, so if you can pretend I'm staying here, that would be good."

"Anything else?"

"No."

I spoke firmly.

'Keep looking and enjoy your slice of the cake, Sigma-ssi.'

‘I don't know if they have cake in this world.’

[☆★Hidden Mission Completed!!☆★]

As soon as I used my stealth ability and left Sigma's accommodation , another mission notification appeared. Were there too many hidden missions?

Still, I appreciated it.

[Successful Deal with an SS Rank!

You have successfully signed a contract on equal terms with an Awakened person with a much higher rank than you! Congratulations, your kind partner will fill your pockets! You need lots of points, right?

Rewards: 500,000P]

Wow, 500,000 points? I needed points. I had to buy expensive items and, to rescue Yoohyun, I wanted to have two or three master keys. I was deeply grateful. Thanks to this, I had secured my life.

When I returned to my accommodation and waited for a while, an employee from the Defense Agency came and said that Sigma-nim was looking for me. I agreed to go, opened and closed that guy's accommodation door again, and left the Defense Agency.

There were still several hours until sunset, so the streets were quite crowded.

"From here on out is the problem."

To safely rescue Yoohyun, I first had to take care of the two Rank S Guards linked to his trail. It wasn't that I didn't have a way to do it, but I needed bait to lure them to the places I wanted. And I had already thought of the bait. The problem was that I didn't know where it was.

'Should I have gotten help from Sigma?'

No, there was nothing good about unnecessarily involving him. He would probably try to take more than he received, so it would be better if I kept a proper distance. Plus, if I clumsily changed the contract at will to be able to get his help, who knew when or how he might stab me in the back. It would definitely be wiser to keep him under control without touching him to prevent him from seeking loopholes in the contract.

Secretly taking out my scooter from the storage room and putting on a mask, I abandoned my ability to hide. As I headed down the road to the slums,

[Akates Wolves]

A mission window appeared.

[There are groups harboring discontent towards the various restrictions imposed on combat guards by the city of Akates. Visit them and hear their story.

Turn right at Tropogo Central Road Zone 3 - Turn right at the Pubei City department store - Confirming with the signs, arrive at the east entrance of Nabisae Park and go to the third grocery store on the central street of the commercial district crossing.

Rewards: 100P]

...Oh, wow, Newbie! I was touched. How did it understand my thoughts and give me a mission like this?

It was obvious that there would be no one dissatisfied with the harsh treatment that Akates gave its guards. Moreover, this group even included a Rank S Guard. She was a wanted person with a bounty on her head due to her family ties to a Rank S Guard affiliated with the Defense Agency.

As they say, the enemy of my enemy is on my side.

I ran down the streets following Newbie's guidance. Shortly after, I arrived in front of the grocery store that was my destination. I parked my scooter and entered the store.

Ding-dong

The doorbell rang.

"Hello."

"Yes, welcome."

A friendly-looking man greeted me warmly. It happened that there were no other customers. The other man wasn't awake, so I took off my mask without worrying. Seeing my face, the man's eyes widened. He straightened his expression immediately, but he had undoubtedly recognized me.

So I had come to the right place.

"It seems you recognized me, but I'm Han Yoojin, the Rank C Guard who just joined the Akates Defense Agency. I have an interesting proposal for you; would you like to hear it?"

"Proposal? I'm just a grocery store owner."

"I don't like the terms and the deal offered to me by the Defense Agency."

Leaning on the counter, I smiled broadly.

"I'm going to turn everything upside down. Maybe you're interested?"

"...Those are dangerous words. What you just said amounts to treason."

"Well, you'll never get a chance like this again."

"Then let's hear it."

A voice sounded, not from the man in front of me but from behind me. I turned my smiling face there. A middle-aged man of Rank A. I hadn't heard the doorbell ring, so he had come out from inside. Moreover, his face was the one I had seen on the wanted poster.

A reward of 20 million L.

"My stats are Rank C, so treat me carefully."

"If our guest is so sure, I'll be polite."

I followed the middle-aged man inside. If all went well, it should be over tonight. Just wait a little longer, Yoohyun.