Chapter 239 - Han Yoohyun’s World (1)

I stared at the search window without stopping my run. Setting aside everything else, what happened to the 830 points?

"Look, buddy-ssi. Aren't you being too stingy with the points? Why did you skip your birth year? Give me the value of 8 digits!"

That would be about 20 million points. I had emptied my wallet and had no points left. Forget it, being connected to the system was one thing, but how did it give out points and items?

‘I can earn points by killing monsters, and there's the point store for items, but...’

Things like wine, champagne, and the pass weren't in the Point Store. Could it be that I was personally shopping in Medsang City? In any case, they sure were something. First, I accepted the reward for the SS rank bait.

[Broad-spectrum bait - SS rank

A set of bait pieces that can attract all SS rank and lower monsters within a 200 km range in each direction.

Single use]

‘Exploit this!’ was written on the lid of the small box. Inside were 10 soft, round beads. Just how much exactly was 200 km in each direction? I heard there were about 400 km from Seoul to Busan, so wasn't it practically as big as Korea itself? They weren't a joke. They could probably even attract monsters from outside the city. If I break one, chaos will ensue. However, I didn't need to use them now, so I carefully stored them away.

The champagne I was able to get after rescuing Yoohyun, and the scarf... seriously, what was this? Still, for now, I decided to accept it, and the moment I accepted the reward...

"Ugh, what kind of silencer is this!"

Too long!

I almost lost my balance and fell to the intense pink wave covering my field of vision. If it weren't for the Leopard Cat shoes' ability, I would have fallen, damn it!

"How many meters long is this?"

It easily exceeded twice my height. Looking at the scarf, I was even more convinced that the idiot giving me this was Sung Hyunjae. Its pattern was exactly the same as the scarf that guy was knitting before.

...It bothered me even more because it was needlessly well-made. The monstrous byproduct I had invested so much in felt good and looked luxurious. Although it was intense pink.

For now, I stored in my inventory the scarf that went from filling my arms to overflowing them.

"I get it, so don't send me any more of these useless things!"

As I shouted into the air, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine.

Wait a minute, did that mean Sung Hyunjae had been watching me this whole time?... I got goosebumps not only on the back of my neck but all over my body. Did I say something weird? I didn't think I said much.

Exactly how long had he been watching? When I went to Sigma, thinking it was Sung Hyunjae, and got kicked and tied up... ugh, damn it! Although I didn't think I had done anything p-particularly weird...

"...We won't be seeing each other for a while."

Don't look! Turn off your screen! If you're going to watch, give me a decent amount of points! ...Don't tell me those 500,000 points were some kind of subscription fee or something. The wave of embarrassment subsided, and now I had more practical concerns.

'...What if he also saw my status window?'

I checked my status window when I landed here for the first time. Aside from the modified Sprout ability, I hadn't opened the detailed description windows, but he would have been able to see the names of all my abilities and titles. No, if he really was in the system, he could review them all even without me opening them.

Setting aside everything else, that keyword (damn it) could be a weakness. I wasn't such a stingy person, but... if he had seen it, did that mean it was permanently impossible to apply the keyword to Sung Hyunjae? I had given up on him, but still, it was a bit disappointing.

"I must be careful from now on."

But seriously, where was he and what was he doing? I was curious.

I ran from rooftop to rooftop and soon saw the only building in the nighttime city that was lit up. They usually blocked out light leaks to keep from being invaded by monsters, but perhaps because there was an emergency situation at the moment, the lights were moving here and there.

I pressed myself against the wall of a building near the Defense Agency and adjusted the two-way radio channel again.

"I'm around the corner. Report on the situation, please."

[Five minutes ago, most of the Guards left the Defense Agency, from ranks S and A to ranks B. Nothing has been heard from the S rank Guards who faced SS rank monsters, and they are presumed dead. Their plan is to last as long as possible without suffering any damage using all their mobilized skills and support items.]

The S ranks that fell into our trap wouldn't have been able to resist because they were attacked while defenseless. They knew how to deal with a fellow S rank, so they came without a single support guard. But if they established a proper system, it was possible to prolong things. Even in my world, if you gather a team of A ranks with experienced people, they would be good enough to attack a low-grade S rank dungeon.

"You said there were 9 S rank Guards affiliated with the Akates Defense Agency, right?"

[Yes. One is injured and has not recovered, three are presumed dead, so five remain. I thought the five would go, but one decided to stay behind.]

"We also have an S rank Guard on our side, so it should be fine. As I said before, get moving as soon as you receive the signal."

I turned off my communicator and looked back at the Defense Agency. The Akates Defense Agency was formed by a central building surrounded by four more buildings. Naturally, the center was where the Mana Hall was located.

Around the four buildings were smaller structures, and the passages connecting them were layered, so it would be difficult to head directly to the center. Without a high-ranking stealth ability like mine, you would have no choice but to take your time to enter. And they had said there was only one S rank left, but there should still be plenty of A and lower ranks.

After replenishing my mana with a mana potion, I entered the Defense Agency. Thanks to the map, I was already familiar with the interior of the buildings and easily made my way to the central building. Standing in the empty lobby, I searched my inventory and pulled out a remote switch.

[♪ Fireworks must be lit at night ♬]

A new mission appeared as if it had been waiting. He was the most excited one, anyway.

[Let's bring down two or more buildings of the Akates Defense Agency! If they explode consecutively, it's twice the fun! Be careful not to get caught in the explosions~♡

Rewards: 10,000P, Over Here (SS)]

The points reward had increased. Had he filled his wallet? And what was 'Over Here'? The heart... um... Anyway, I felt a little better seeing the "SS rank" added. Okay, maybe I could take a look. Just don't scroll through my skill window, please.

"Here's the signal."

I pressed the switch and covered my ears. Almost at the same time...

Boom!! Boom!!

A colossal explosion occurred on both sides of the central building. A dragon's breath bomb per building. Smaller bombs than my fist exploded in a display of tremendous force.

Brrrrrng! Brrrrrrrrrrng!

The alarms rang loudly to signal the emergency. But even louder than that was the sound of the buildings collapsing. Thunderous crashes and explosions kept reverberating as if we were standing in the center of a cyclone.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Bombs! It's a bombing!"

Who knew if there would also be bombs installed in other buildings? Fearing that, people evacuated the building. Those who evacuated proceeded through the other buildings instead of the ones that collapsed on both sides. Meanwhile, I heard the loud and thunderous roar of falling debris. Both the ground and the central building itself trembled as if there was an earthquake.

I felt slight chills down my spine. My heart was also beating slightly.

As the roars and tremors gradually subsided, I released my hiding ability. I asked through the slightly static radio.

"Could you come in?"

"With great ease."

A response came from the lobby entrance. It was Vitera, Gnosi, and the other A-B rank guards. Vitera approached me with a bright face.

"First of all, let me express my admiration. That was really amazing."

"Thank you, but this is not over yet, so let's get moving. Please follow me."

If any of the S rank Guards found out about this and returned, it would be problematic. It wouldn't be easy to escape in front of SS rank monsters, but you never knew.

We quickly moved along the route I had memorized after looking at the map.

"What!"

A party, a B rank guard, who was surprised to see us, received an instant blow to the stomach and lost consciousness. The same happened with the rest of the Defense Agency staff. They passed out without having time to report that they had found intruders.

Many people had fled from the bombing, but it seemed that there were still quite a few left. And not evacuating the basement floor with Mana Hall would be safer, given that the place became sturdier thanks to the power of Mana Hall.

"It's good that the elevator is large."

The whole group, just over 20 people, could comfortably fit in it at once. I opened it with the master key I had bought in advance and pressed the button for the lower floor. With a smile, Vitera said it was her first time going to the Mana Hall this way.

"The floor has been specially treated, so it was difficult to dig underground tunnels."

"I heard that the walls around Mana Hall are hard to reach for an SS rank. According to my map, the superiors are on the upper floors that can be reached from Mana Hall."

"The S rank Guard is probably also defending the Mana Hall."

"Then let's split in half."

The elevator stopped. I drew my weapon. As soon as the door opened, I shot the rank A guard on watch. Even faster than a magic bullet, Vitera faced off against the rank A Guard on the other side. Then, with a kick, she shattered the closed door.

"For something like this, we don't even need the key."

If I could save, I was happy.

We ran down the hallway. With each step, my heart pounded hard. There wasn't much time left. Almost all obstacles had been cleared. Soon, with my own hands, with my own strength, I could save my brother.

I was glad for that fact.

The mere fact that Yoohyun was captured made me tremble, and every time I thought about how they were treating my brother, my guts burned. But even then, my heart hadn't raced as much as now. A burning feeling of satisfaction spread through my body.

"Stop... ghk!"

Where, the closed door crumpled and flew backward. Even when there were forks in the road, I took a direction without hesitation. It was a path I had visualized several times while examining the map. When I closed my eyes, I could imagine it as clearly as if I had photocopied it.

"This way."

Giving directions, I rounded a corner. Shortly afterward, another fork appeared, and I briefly stopped.

"Vitera-ssi."

"We should probably split up here."

Vitera looked in the direction of the Mana Hall with cold eyes. She gripped her long, flat sword tightly.

"The only remaining rank S Guard will surely be closer to the Mana Hall. I can feel it from here, my unni."

So the Guard who stayed behind at the Defense Agency was her unni. I didn't ask if she would be okay. Rather, Vitera had a smile burning with fighting spirit.

Three rank A guards, including Gnosi, remained by my side. Though few, they were the most capable fighters aside from Vitera. Anyway, our side wouldn't need support.

"Here's the master key; it has 2 uses left. The doors near the Mana Hall will be difficult to break."

"Thanks."

Vitera's group left first, and we advanced in the other direction. There weren't many people blocking our path. Now, instead of Vitera, Gnosi stepped forward and snapped the neck of the rank A Guard. As a veteran with a long career, he quickly subdued his opponents with efficient movements.

I looked at him with slightly cold eyes. We agreed to cooperate with each other.

"But there's no way they'll passively hand over Alpha."

Even if the rebellion were to succeed and destroy the Defense Agency, they had to think about what would come next. Of course, they couldn't pass the only rank SS guard in the city of Achates to a stranger. Unless they planned to abandon the city itself, they couldn't afford to lose Alpha.

"There's a chance they'll tell me they want me to stay in Akates with Alpha."

They had been suffering under a dictatorship. What were the chances they would wait and see how this person (and a stranger, moreover) treated Alpha? It was very likely they would try to hold me hostage. I would be easy to subdue, being a mere rank C.

Once I unlocked Alpha's bindings with a key, they would attack me immediately. Or perhaps they would try to capture me before that. They would probably grab me to prevent Alpha from attacking and then, at the very least, force me to draft a contract.

"If it's a rank A or lower contract, I'll obediently complete it."

Or I could tell Yoohyun that he had 5 lives, so not to worry and just attack… But even though it would be fine, I was afraid my brother would hesitate. The last option was to detonate one of the bombs I had left. After parting from Yoohyun, of course.

"They were here."

The mana absorption room where Yoohyun was locked up. Once again, I stood in front of it. I opened the door with a newly purchased key. The moment we entered the room, a familiar name caught my attention.

[Rank C Moas]

The last person remaining tied to the engraving. Without hesitation, I shot immediately. With no chance to speak, the head of the rank C flew off.

"People who can turn off the mana absorber, step forward. If you don't want to die."

Uncertain of what to do, a rank B stepped forward. Just in case, we eliminated the other two. I dragged the rank B affiliated with the Defense Agency into the inner room. I could see the mana absorption engraving, glowing brightly blue, and at its center, my sleeping brother.

My heart ached and, at the same time, I was overwhelmed.

The mana absorption engraving stopped functioning, and I ran to Yoohyun-ie. The kid is tied up, grab me once I release him. Wait one more minute.

"I'll get you out in a second."

It's okay now. Meanwhile, those damn bastards had tied his legs. After pulling out the intravenous needle and tossing it aside, I immediately used the key to undo his arm and leg restraints. As they released automatically—click-clack—I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I also unfastened the blindfold over his eyes and the gag covering his mouth.

"...Hyung."

Yoohyun called me, with a voice so weak it was hard to hear even for me, right in front of him, maybe because his throat was dry. Though he couldn't properly steady his body, he grabbed onto my arm. A smile appeared on his upturned face.

"I was waiting for you."

"…I know. You did well."

He was a good kid, my brother. I went to get a mana potion to help Yoohyun recover, and just then, a message window abruptly appeared before my eyes.

[Yoo Jinah]

Scattered letters. And almost simultaneously.

Boom!

A gunshot rang out. Heat burned my back. Yoohyun's eyes widened and opened. Through my confusion, not understanding the situation, a kind voice reached my ears.

"Now you're free, Alpha."

Gnosi spoke. To Alpha. Saying everything would be okay now. I felt violently taken by surprise. And I was.

I wasn't thinking about "Alpha."

Only the body Yoohyun was in. I hadn't given any more or less thought than that. I prioritized my brother so much that I hadn't thought about the relationship between Alpha and those around him.

If only I had asked Gnosi and Vitera about Alpha at least once. If they felt affection for Alpha and had planned to save him, I would have spoken differently. Saying Alpha's treatment was outrageous and that I wanted to save him because I felt sympathy for him. But it was already too late.

"…So…"

I had to tell him it was okay. Instead of my voice, blood dripped from my mouth.

"Hyu-Hyung…!"

Yoohyun, who had frozen, struggled to get up and wrap his arms around me. I pulled out the potion, but it would be useless.

It would really be okay. Just wait a little longer.

I couldn't say a single word to my little brother before losing consciousness.