Chapter 345. To Do List (4)
Really full of questions.
‘Is it possible to concentrate forces like that?’
Since entering this place, he had done only one thing.
Hiding by a pillar near the entrance and killing time.
He hasn’t even hit anyone yet. There’s no way he could threaten the enemy’s camp.
So if you look at it calmly, honestly, one should be more wary of Kim Gi-ryeo who sprinted inside than of himself guarding the entrance.
Then why has such a result occurred?
“No, this is a bit…”
Before long, something strange caught the reptilian eyes, increasing in size.
Most of the Top-Ranking Awakened in this room were moving toward the entrance in bulk.
Realizing such collective behavior, Kang Chang-ho could no longer hide his confusion.
“Why me?”
Unfortunately, he was in a situation where he couldn’t even solve the questions swirling in his mind properly.
Their forces had reached right in front of him.
Kim Gi-ryeo’s request was to not let anyone leave this place.
But with that level of super-powered forces, normally, the gatekeeper should be worrying about becoming a corpse…
In that moment, Kang Chang-ho felt the temptation to surrender.
It was a moment he couldn’t avoid.
The enemies were getting closer by the second, but the questions just wouldn’t leave his mind.
Why was the entrance being so openly on guard like this?
*
Meanwhile, at the same time.
tap tap, tap tap…
Underground floor 2 of an unknown building.
The cheerful sound of typing was heard.
If this had been an Ordinary Workplace, they likely wouldn’t use such a noisy mechanical keyboard.
But the person typing didn’t seem to care about that.
Beyond this room was a massive bunker, informally dubbed a “factory,” and it was completely his.
【Central Server Room】
“Hmm.”
Someone wearing glasses couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.
[41.40338-2.17403]
[78.45222-57.68550]
On the wide monitor, numbers that seemed meaningless were flowing like a stream.
“No matter how I look at it, it seems like another S-Class has been born in China…”
But whether it had meaning or not, the person sitting there soon muttered.
“I should buy some Chinese liquor soon.”
Enzo Chiano, a top domestic Hunter, casually uttered such words while being the leader of a powerful organization that had disguised itself as terrorists.
The chat room he was in, seen objectively, was nothing more than a selfish and malicious group.
Yet this criminal, who aimed to stain the capital of a nation with blood, was showing an unruffled daily life.
Sometimes, he browsed Y-Tube and watched algorithm-suggested videos.
And when he had time, he played a VOD movie he had kept on one corner of the screen.
But just as he was killing time.
Suddenly, a red warning light lit up on the corner of the wide monitor.
[Detection: Entrance Open]
For the record, there was no item coming in today.
Nor was there anyone entering.
So why had the only passage that should have been tightly closed suddenly opened?
‘Is it an error?’
The bunker’s owner naturally thought.
Maybe the program malfunctioned.
But when he switched on the surveillance camera video to find out the truth behind the warning message, his suspicion was quickly proven wrong.
‘This is…’
He belatedly realized that the entrance had been destroyed.
As if a giant elephant had crashed into it, the entrance was completely torn apart.
If the spot where the door used to be was that wide open, then the visitors were definitely not ordinary guests.
‘Who are they?’
But the real problem was what the identities of those abnormal individuals were.
One had dark, thick hair, and the other had light-colored hair, with quite a bit of freckles for someone so young.
He looked briefly at the outsiders captured by the surveillance camera.
‘Both have ordinary looks that seem familiar…’
In that moment, he had the absurd impression that he had met them several times somewhere.
‘Their appearances are unremarkable. Does that mean they are likely using disguise artifacts?’
However, the person staring at the monitor had a surprisingly narrow social circle.
[Warning: Face Not Recognized.]
[Warning: Face Not Recognized. (2)]
[Recommendation: The identity of the entrants cannot be verified due to the use of items. It is advised to call an administrator for verification…]
Then the computer program also confirmed this.
The two outsiders who had just entered were definitely faces he didn’t know.
‘Originally, this was a system I developed to hand over to the FBI. It still has many bugs, but it’s quite responsive.’
A high-resolution camera that could enlarge human faces up to the finest detail.
And a program that analyzed the information obtained from that camera in three dimensions.
By the way, he had a sudden thought; how convenient is computer civilization?
‘Hmmm.’
Some people in this world describe the powers used by Awakened as magical.
But the person staring at the monitor thought differently.
‘Superpowered individuals…’
Indeed, the knowledge humanity has built over the ages is magical, isn’t it?
Something far more valuable than gold, without a half-life, is this technology and the future. Why do some people blindly worship awakening?
Like the beasts captured by this camera, why do they resort to such primitive displays of strength?
“Starting off violent, huh. How charming.”
The truth behind the Beast incident was finally revealed.
Andy Oliver quickly took action.
click.
He pressed three specific keys at the same time.
Then, words with roughly the following meanings appeared on the screen.
[Magic Power Captured]
The Fellow Countrymen down there had no idea about the content.
In truth, the man seated here was perfectly skilled in most technologies used in Pixie.
For that reason, he could immediately use the new analysis function that had come out this year from where he was sitting.
He could measure the amount of mana a person had within their body down to very detailed numbers.
“Hmmm!”
With just this precise capture measurement, incredible searches could begin.
The magic power information of an Awakened is actually akin to a fingerprint.
Though they might appear similar on the outside, the numerical values beyond the decimal point are entirely different for each person.
Therefore, if these unique numbers were cross-checked with a database of Hunter information, astonishingly, one could narrow down who the person was…
[Verification Needed]
[Case 1. Comparison Inspection Error]
[Case 2. Comparison Inspection Error]
…It should’ve been like that, but why was it suddenly not working?
“What’s going on?”
The man named Oliver rested his chin on his hand and gazed at the screen for a moment.
Just when he was about to identify the identities of the intruders.
Suddenly, two errors occurred.
Fortunately, the reasons for such problems had already been somewhat established.
First.
The magic power of the Awakened had never been registered in the system.
‘To put it in terms used by Eastern countries, it’s like a Hunter who didn’t “register for a license.”’
And second, there had been a change in the awakening level so that the numbers in the system had diverged.
‘The most famous example to think of is Choe from Korea, who acquired the Dragon’s Heart.’
But the problem lay with the skills of the Awakened who had entered this location.
When he took a shot with the spherical scanners installed throughout the bunker, the intruders appeared to be two powerful individuals reaching S-Class, but where could one find such superpowered beings in this world?
Moreover, if they were utilizing the dragon’s organ?
‘Not many cases exist.’
A good idea suddenly struck him.
So, Andy Oliver moved his fingers to operate the keyboard.
[➭To: Security Room: Can you check if the two people that just entered are using any dragon-type organs with the item scanner?]
At this point, the anticipated results came back.
[➭From: Security Room: Confirmed! The Awakened near the entrance is wearing ‘Dragon’s Eye’!!]
The loot given by dragons is generally more likely to be acquired by strong individuals.
However, due to its inherent rarity, surprisingly few people have that actually worn it.
An S-Class superpowered individual wearing the Dragon’s Eye could only be about two people in the world. Thus, the suspects narrowed quickly.
‘One is my subordinate, then the other must be an S-Class Hunter from South Korea…!’
Kang Chang-ho appeared.
The dark underbelly of Pixie and its secret cartels formed among the heads of massive Guilds in various countries were, in fact, cowardly.
Fearing death, he had sacrificed many just for the sake of his youth, revealing his characteristics through that action.
So upon hearing that Kang Chang-ho had shown up, Andy Oliver immediately made a decision without a shred of hesitation.
Summon all Awakened within the bunker.
‘This Awakened can truly use some trick to get in here. He surely must have set up traps ready to kill but managed to come through.’
Additionally, at this moment, the information held by Andy Oliver started to shine.
[➭From: Security Room: The Awakened who entered is also using an organ artifact. It’s the ‘Lung’]
Honestly, this latest message was a little confusing.
‘An S-Class Awakened using a useless lung?’
In this case, a figure who hadn’t even shown his face in the news might as well be a Hunter from South Korea.
Andy Oliver figured that such a person would also be a Hunter from South Korea.
Despite the fact that Kang Chang-ho had the peculiarity of his grandparents being foreigners, he didn’t often venture outside his country, and thus, his connections tended to be limited.
‘Could it be…?’
But wait, this third S-Class hadn’t frequently accompanied any Hunters over the past year, had he?
‘Is it possible that the blond Asian one running this way…?’
The bunker’s owner instantly realized the identity of the other intruder.
33Aw.
Simultaneously, that number flashed through his mind.
Before, he had underestimated that Awakened only because of that ridiculous number.
‘As he is entering alone, this man must also have some peculiarity. And at the very least, it must be enough to fake being S-Class in front of others.’
He promptly made up his mind to change his thinking.
Although he roughly guessed that the person accompanying Kang Chang-ho was Kim Gi-ryeo, he maintained his tension as if he were facing an ordinary F-Class.
‘I must deal with both.’
However, there was a slight problem.
Even so, he couldn’t put the Hunter with the purple hair on the same level as 33Aw…
‘I’ll send all the usable forces within the bunker to the entrance to finish off Kang Chang-ho. And well, I can hold Kim Gi-ryeo with just about two S-Class to buy some time.’
This was the power of the subconscious.
Unconsciously, he had rated Kim Gi-ryeo as a lower-level individual and, moreover, was intimidated by Kang Chang-ho who had managed to break through what seemed an impossible trap alone, hence resulting in this outcome.
With the risk ranking entirely established in his mind.
How could he evenly allocate the bunker forces?
‘Still, I’m genuinely surprised. How did those Hunters know that I was here and came looking for me?’
Andy Oliver drafted a group message urging vigilance against the Awakened near the entrance.
‘What on earth is their purpose in coming here…’
bang.
And after sending the message, he began actions unbecoming of someone facing a crisis.
“Such a hassle.”
He suddenly began tidying up his desk.
Gathering the scattered pieces of paper here and there. And then unexpectedly turning off the computer which had been running smoothly, he began tearing away objects that seemed to be storage devices.
But as he immediately grabbed the SSD, it was clear this was a precautionary measure he had been practicing long before.
“Everyone, get ready.”
Though he still didn’t have a clear grasp of who the intruder stirring up trouble in the bunker was.
Sending assassins wielding such phenomenal powers? Well, that much was acceptable.
However, no matter how strong a person might be, if they didn’t run into each other, that was that, right?
‘It’s a shame, but since the bunker has been discovered, there’s no point in holding back.’
One of the dream items every coward in the world yearns for. Teleportation Stone.
It was a light and fragile object that, if shattered with just a bit of force, would instantly teleport the user to a stored location.
What had been considered an extremely rare method of teleportation had, in fact, already existed for Andy Oliver.
‘Whether Kang Chang-ho is properly handled or not doesn’t matter; let’s just run away.’
But before fleeing, just as he was about to dispose of the impure information left behind,
clack.
“Aaaaahhhhh!”
At the exact moment he pressed the format button on the central computer, a scream erupted from behind him.
For reference, aside from Andy Oliver, only a few bodyguards standing behind him were present in the room.
But why would those bodyguards suddenly scream such a heart-wrenching scream?
As he turned his head back, this is the scene he encountered.
Sand-colored hair.
Fair skin.
And of course, the familiar facial blemishes.
“A!”
However, the most overwhelming feature was those blue three-hued eyes.
The man with relatively small pupils suddenly opened his slightly drooping eyelids and said,
“What do you mean sending two S-Class Hunters suddenly? I was surprised and ran here.”
His face was Western, yet he spoke in Korean.
Moreover, even though this man had his face pushed so close, there was not a hint of magic power sensed about him, which heightened the feeling of strangeness.
He looked like that unremarkable nerd from some classroom during his school days, even if he couldn’t remember his name, now exerting pressure on him.
No response came back.
crunch!
As soon as Andy Oliver realized that someone had appeared behind him, he crushed the Teleportation Stone he was holding.
And closed his eyes.
Originally, when he opened the eyelids that had been closed just now, he should have been shown another hideout he had set up in advance.
‘Perhaps I shouldn’t leave this country hotel for a while.’
But the reality was different.
“…?”
whirring, whirring, whirring.
The sound of the ventilation ducts rotating in the bunker.
For some reason, it continued to echo, making him feel odd as he opened his eyes.
“…?”
The surrounding scenery remained unchanged.
Sand-colored hair.
White skin.
And a familiar young man with facial blemishes.
Still standing in the dark shadows of the bunker.
