Chapter 348: Bunker (2)
I decided to save the Earthling in front of me under these conditions.
On one hand, it was an unavoidable choice.
No matter how capable my informant was, tracking down all the lackeys of PIXY existing on Earth was simply impossible.
“Kang Chang-ho declared that aside from Andy Oliver and Spectrum, he couldn’t identify any other relevant individuals. Realistically, that’s the situation.”
If I managed to spot Andy, who seemed to hold the highest position among a specific faction, that would be sufficient.
With the [Knight’s Pact] placing specific conditions, I could manage the lackeys by controlling just one leader.
There was no need to chase after the remnants hiding in several countries, scolding them individually.
From now on, that foreigner, who holds information about my organization, would take care of warning his friends.
“Uh, yeah.”
But at that moment…
The other party appeared to have some discontent.
“……Everyone, get a grip! I might die! And you still want to laze around?”
Wait, let me correct that.
To be precise, Andy Oliver had something to convey to the fallen bodyguards.
That’s why he shouted such a sharp statement.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
It was peculiar.
Did that foreigner’s voice possess some kind of summoning function? Suddenly, one of the Awakened who had been lying down sprang up like a spring and rushed at me.
However, their frantic struggle was swiftly suppressed in the blink of an eye.
“What the…?”
It was no other than an SS-Class Hunter who still had the effect of body enhancement magic. There was no way a surprise attack would succeed here.
Bang!
I snatched the ankle of the enemy attempting a flying kick.
While the grabbed limb was still in mid-air, I exerted force with both hands and slammed my opponent down.
Since I have no knowledge of Earth’s martial arts, such a simple action came forth instinctively.
“Was the damage insufficient with just water…?”
That attack must have broken quite a few of my opponent’s bones.
Perhaps due to that, one of the bodyguards began to sweat coldly and shed tears.
“Don’t kill him!”
Wait. I really might have misjudged the reason.
“Please don’t kill him!”
The foreigner with braided hair displayed an oddly desperate attitude.
And in this state, they only shouted one line. A phrase I could easily interpret with the information stored in Kim Gi-ryeo’s brain.
‘They’re asking me not to kill him.’
Andy was staring in shock at the subdued bodyguard within three seconds.
Maybe that’s why he quickly gave up all hope and said, “Among the high-ranking Awakened in this bunker, there are a few individuals who have agreed to contract that they will die along with me if I die.”
How did they establish such a contract?
“The ups and downs of life vary greatly. So if the Awakened has a desperate situation, like treating a child’s incurable disease, it’s surprisingly easy to persuade them.”
Well, that’s quite a talent.
‘Oh ho.’
I knew there were many who had contracts within the bunker, but I never imagined there would be such conditions.
Finding out the detailed content of a bond already in place isn’t exactly a simple task, even for a Great Mage.
But would that even be a problem?
In any case, I hadn’t killed Andy Oliver yet.
I had already realized that he was tangled with curses, so even if I hadn’t received this information, I wouldn’t have twisted him immediately.
“If such a contract exists, then for sure, I can’t just recklessly touch you to ensure that no innocent party is hurt…”
The eyes of the PIXIS stakeholder momentarily turned upwards.
It seemed he had no intention of hiding his emotions.
“But fortunately, I have a good method.”
His joy wouldn’t last long, however.
“By good luck, I know how to keep people alive for a very long time.”
“What?”
“I’m not joking. In this field, I’m practically an expert.”
“….”
“So from now on, I’ll let you live like a vegetable for about 100 years…”
This was a space without [Justitia].
But instinctively, Andy Oliver must have sensed something.
“Wait!”
The moment his sentence ended, he shouted.
“I just conveyed the fact that such a contract exists within this organization. That’s all! It’s enough now! I have no intention of using that as a weapon. I surrender.”
“Really?”
“Besides, we lost key personnel in the last incident, including Enzo Chiano. What can I accomplish now?”
“Rebellion?”
“With Poseidon, who just performed a miracle right in front of me? I can no longer do that.”
I didn’t like how he was becoming eloquent all of a sudden.
“I will accept your conditions. I’ll handle the aftermath of the Beast situation. The seeds I’ve planted, I shall definitely harvest.”
However, the fact that the Fairy’s Promise was not activated meant those words were at least not entirely lies.
It seemed that the Awakened who had just been slammed against the wall was his last bastion of belief. The moment the guard became incapacitated, Andy quickly changed his stance.
It really felt like he valued his own life greatly.
‘Well, considering such traits, it makes sense he poured so much effort into the elixir of youth.’
Though not yet accustomed to his Western features…
Looking back now, his youthful face seemed much younger than the information I had acquired beforehand.
‘But anyway, it’s cheap medicine that can come out of a Gate, even if he obtained it. Its appearance would only remain appealing while his body was likely to wither and die due to aging.’
I took a moment to admire Andy Oliver’s traits.
This moment didn’t last long.
“Hurry, give me the contract document.”
“Sure, will do.”
Anyway, this guy had to work for me for at least three more years.
The scroll indicated that there was still a whopping three years’ worth of future Gates left.
I planned to utilize the other party as a countermeasure against the scroll collectors spread out overseas.
At the very least, I wanted to prevent any new terrorists from emerging.
‘His formal punishment could wait until later. For now, I’ll just keep him alive, having felt the danger of life disregarding through the Sunwoo-yeon incident, and focus on keeping him breathing for now.’
But what on earth was this?
Just seconds ago, the foreigner who was pressing for the contract suddenly went quiet.
“Hmm?”
Curious about what was happening, I glanced over, and the other party promptly spoke.
“Wait a moment. But looking at it again, the content written on this artifact seems to need slight modifications.”
Now he wanted modifications?
Did he still have any energy left for tricks?
“I’m not trying to think anything suspicious. There’s simply one troublesome issue….”
“What issue?”
“I have a hobby of searching and collecting. Therefore, I know most of the people related to this, but there’s just one person whose details I cannot clearly grasp.”
“What?”
“I assure you, it’s not that I’m trying to hide something. The ones who allied with me include the heads of Spectrum and the 333 Guild in the Middle East.”
The Earthling hastily continued his explanation.
Since there was no electric shock triggered, this didn’t appear to be a lie either.
“The problem lies with the owner of the lone Cheongchun Guild.”
“Oh, really?”
That’s a guild name I hadn’t heard easily in South Korea.
“But I must ask at this point: how on earth did you find me, Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo?”
And then this sudden surprising question made me wonder what had caused such a change of heart.
I decided to intimidate Andy Oliver, making sure I was the one asking questions.
But the foreigner in front of me rare did not back down.
“I am in a position where I am apprehended by you, waiting for punishment! There’s no room for a counterattack. So please, I implore you for leniency. Also, receiving an answer to this would be essential for me to convey other information to Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo.”
In plain sight, this coward suddenly turned mighty and spoke with a panicked expression on his face.
Convinced by his desperation, I revealed a bit of information.
After all, blending in some lies wouldn’t hurt.
“Well, when Enzo was still alive, I asked about you…”
As soon as this line came out, the other party rapidly retorted.
“What nonsense! The Hunters I sent to Korea back then had contracts set that they would die if they revealed my information!”
He was unnecessarily thorough.
Yet, surely, as the conversation progressed, I began to feel that something was off.
“Oh, really? Then what? The truth is I caught sight of you and the Male Beast meeting.”
“Huh.”
“And that’s how I easily realized you were Enzo’s boss. As for the location of this bunker and other information, I recently hired someone to…”
“That’s still puzzling.”
“Um?”
The organizer of a large faction grimaced with his eyebrows furrowed.
“I’ve spent a full three years in this bunker.”
I looked at him without changing my expression.
“It’s not just the nature of the Cheongchun Guild to be cautious and fearful. I too have made sure my actions wouldn’t be exposed. For the past three years, I’ve solely operated through an agent. I’ve never stepped out personally.”
“What the…?”
“I only faced Enzo Chiano once, and that was just a few years ago. People don’t know who I am. That applied to both Cheongchun and myself; we maintained our disguises except in front of people we could trust. Everyone has been careful about hiding.”
“Can a person survive without seeing the sunlight like that?”
“Did your informant utilize the only record of my activities available online?”
Andy Oliver was screaming like a wrongfully accused person.
“If so, doesn’t that seem strange? How could someone using the alias P not be the current operator of PIXIS but rather myself, who has been dormant for a long time?”
These were his outright questions, devoid of deception.
“If your informant had discovered the position of the Cheongchun guild leader, please give that information to me. Then, I can ensure you finish neatly with the cleanup you requested.”
“Hold on.”
“But if that informant claimed to know nothing about Cheongchun, it would indeed be quite odd. The guild leader has left more traces online than I have.”
Oh my gosh. Then what Andy was trying to say was…
“So, did you understand what I’m saying? I’m having strong doubts about who conveyed that information to you, right now.”
Finally, the mammal in front of me completed his sentence with a trembling voice.
“In fact, could it be that the person who provided you the information is none other than Cheongchun themself?”
