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Chapter 295: Star, the Source (4)
Chapter 295: Star, the Source (4)
Chapter 295: Star, the Source (4)
Beep.
?We can’t find the target!?
?Sector A clear!?
?Sector B clear!?
?Sector D clear!?
?Sector C… I have discovered traces of combat, but the target is not in the area!?
Beeeep.
?What in the world is going on?! Why isn’t the Tyrant here? Are you sure you searched properly??
?No mistake was made during the sea—!?
?Are you kidding me, you dipshit? Find him! Now! If he hauled his ass out of here, track him down!?
Ordinary electronics often malfunctioned inside Dungeons, so the allied forces of the White Tiger Clan, Jaynix Company, FBI, Illinois state government, and Council used communication artifacts that Cha Ye-Eun made.
For the first time, Ye-Eun wondered if all her artifacts had broken down. The allied forces all made the same report—Chang-Sun wasn’t here.
“Seonbae…?”
“He already left. Yeah, He was probably already in there for some time. Maybe we should have gone in earlier.” Ye-Eun spat out her cigarette and extinguished it with her foot. She looked noticeably irritated.
Jin Seok-Tae scratched the back of his head. “…Seonbae.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you at least cover your mouth?”
“Oh.” Ye-Eun lightly chuckled as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Was it that obvious?”
“Please never consider acting as your future career.”
“I know I’m not talented in that area.” Ye-Eun pulled out another cigarette from her cigarette case, which was in her inner pocket. “Look at them. They have to be involved, haven’t they?”
“… Yeah, definitely. How can they be that obvious?”
Chang-Sun wasn’t aware of it, but he was on the verge of getting labeled as a demonic being, so the team of FBI and state government agents wanted to get physical proof that Chang-Sun was involved with the recent series of terrorist attacks. However, just when they thought that they had successfully driven Chang-Sun into a corner, he vanished into thin air.
Hence, their reaction was completely understandable. Peter Mason and Sophia Allen, the regional manager of the FBI and counterterrorism bureau of the Council, were especially bewildered. This was what Ye-Eun wanted to see.
Upon discovering that Chang-Sun disappeared, the White Tiger Clan, Jaynix Company, and Council members also seemed very baffled. After all, they wouldn’t be able to execute their plan of labeling Chang-Sun as a demonic being.
“They’ll try to find evidence related to the Tyrant using any means necessary, but they'll get nothing. The Lee Chang-Sun I know isn’t that sloppy.” Ye-Eun shook her head.
“You’re right. What are you going to do now, then?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I got my circumstantial evidence, so I need to find physical proof.”
“So…”
“The investigation has already started.”
“… Huh?”
“Why do you think I dragged out these people all the way out here?”
“Hmm? Wait…” Seok-Tae narrowed his eyes.
“It’s obviously to lower their guards. How long has it been?” Ye-Eun chuckled after looking at the wristwatch on her left wrist. “By this time, they have probably finished searching the Jaynix headquarters, the White Tiger Clan’s United States branch, the FBI’s office in Illinois, and the Council’s counterterrorism bureau from top to bottom.”
“Oh, my god…” Seok-Tae gasped. Predicting what was going to happen, Ye-Eun made every possible preparation, even securing a search warrant in advance. How did she do all this without telling Seok-Tae, her partner?
James Smith, Peter, and Sophia likely lowered their guards and thought nothing would happen since Ye-Eun was with them as well, but they ended up getting backstabbed. They would probably have to forget about labeling Chang-Sun as one of the Nine Evils and focus on coming up with a way to not get arrested first.
“… Who is leading the search?” Seok-Tae asked.
“The higher-ups.”
“The people in the Council’s central headquarters?”
“Higher,” Ye-Eun said.
“… Wait, our president?”
“Bingo.”
“H-he’s actually taking matters into his own hands?”
Ye-Eun nodded.
“Woah, the world will turn upside down…” Seok-Tae grunted.
The Thousand-Eyed Overlord, the president of the Council, was a judge who specialized in worldwide Player crimes. He had been in charge of so many crimes committed by Players that it had been said that he had a thousand eyes and hands. When Dungeons and Gates suddenly opened up and threw the world into chaos, the Thousand-Eyed Overlord was one of the first-generation Players who quickly brought peace to the world.
He was a respectable man. When he grew old, his public appearances became rare, saying that the world now belonged to the younger generation. The last time he showed himself in public was to recruit a talented woman named Cha Ye-Eun. He was essentially living in seclusion, which meant that the news about him leading the search… would turn the whole world upside down.
“Do you know how much I busted my ass to get that old man moving?” Ye-Eun frowned.
“… You must be the only one who can call the president that way.”
“As the old saying goes, even kings become subjects of gossips[1].”
“If the people in the central headquarters find out about this, they might try to hunt you down.” Seok-Tae raised one of his eyebrows.
“Let them do what they want. No, that’s actually good for me. I can throw my resignation letter in their faces.”
Even the Ten Overlords were reluctant to be directly involved with the people from the Council’s headquarters, but Ye-Eun didn’t even blink.
“Sure, sure, okay.” Seok-Tae shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t help zoning out for quite some time afterward, unable to fathom the size of the storm that Ye-Eun started. He could forget about the United States government, but the White Tiger Clan and Jaynix Company were part of the Three Axes. If the Council initiated a fight with those organizations…
Seok-Tae shuddered upon realizing that Ye-Eun was playing with everyone on her neat, dense spiderweb. In his eyes, Ye-Eun was a witch bursting into manic laughter as she watched her idiotic prey voluntarily entangle itself in her web.
“You’re definitely a wi—!” Seok-Tae said.
“If you finish that sentence, you’ll get a first-hand experience on learning how big a hole my magical bullets can leave.”
“I’m sorry!”
“You know how I’ll respond, and you’re scared of me, yet you never stop getting cheeky. You’re truly something.” Ye-Eun put her hand on her waist.
“Hehehe, I’m adorable, aren’t I?”
“Do you really want a magical bullet in your head that badly?”
“I’ll stop, ma’am!” Seok-Tae saluted.
Ye-Eun shook her head and let out a sigh.
After studying her expression to determine if she was too angry to answer his question, Seok-Tae said, “The fact that the Tyrant went off elsewhere evidences that he knew we were going to be here, right?”
“So?”
“Where could he have possibly gone to?” Seok-Tae asked.
Today’s search and seizure would be the starting point to knock down the cartel of the White Tiger Clan, Jaynix Company, Council, and state government. However, it didn’t mean that Chang-Sun’s name had been completely cleared, so one wrong exposure of the current situation to the public could make things complicated.
“He’s in ‘Doomsday City,’” Ye-Eun answered as if she already knew about it.
The thick white smoke from her cigarette spread in the air.
“Huh? How do you know that?” Seok-Tae tilted his head in confusion.
“You can’t even answer that yourself? That wandering mana trace in the sky should be enough to tell you the coordinates of his location.”
“… You’re the only one in the world who can say that, seonbae,” Seok-Tae said quietly.
The mana trace that Ye-Eun mentioned had faded away enough to be almost nonexistent. Using it to locate a coordinate was preposterous. It was the same as deducing from a small scratch on a building floor that a ninety-one-kilogram man with a height of one hundred eighty-five centimeters headed to Seocho-gu, Seoul about two hours and fifteen minutes ago.
Seeing this side of Ye-Eun never failed to shock Seok-Tae. During moments like this, she didn’t even seem human.
“Phew! I’ll prepare to move, then.” Seok-Tae let out a long sigh.
“Wow, you really think I’ll go there?”
“Where else would you go? Taking your personality into consideration, you probably want to finish the investigation on the Tyrant and smash the White Tiger Clan and Jaynix Company executives’ heads.”
“So you are capable of becoming better after all, huh?” Ye-Eun nodded.
“I’m just trying to survive.” Seok-Tae pursed his lips and brushed the dust off his clothes. “… I heard that ‘Doomsday City’ is an inescapable hell.”
Some even called this uncleared Dungeon a devildom.
Remembering how dangerous it was, Seok-Tae let out a long sigh again. “Phew! Whatever happens, happens."
Just like always, Seok-Tae refused to think any deeper.
* * *
“Wait.”
?Yes, master,? Wait answered, no longer joking around due to how serious Chang-Sun sounded.
“How many weapons can we use right now?”
?I currently have access to fourteen satellites, sixty-nine humanoids of the Sentry Battalion that survived the battle with the <Troop>, three hundred forty-four surface-to-air missiles, fifty-one moving supervibration bombs, and more.?
“We’re going to…” Chang-Sun trailed off.
Lie Si and the other <Troop> members weren’t Chang-Sun’s priority anymore. All his attention was on the White Tiger Clan and Jaynix Company.
Chang-Sun’s original plan was to lead the weakened <Troop> group to the White Tiger Clan and Jaynix Company for mutual destruction. Using the confusion of the moment, Chang-Sun would then break into their battle and get the brilliant lights and cryptical books. Using those items, he would put an end to his feud with Heoju and wipe out the rest of his opponents, but he changed his mind because Chanaz, Ithaca’s daughter, was suffering right now.
“... deploy all of them,” Chang-Sun commanded.
?Roger.?
[As ordered by the mayor, all available weapons in Neo Soul have been activated!]
?Please designate a target, master.?
“This one.” Chang-Sun pointed at where Munseong and the White Tiger Clan elders were. “Fire the weapons now.”
?Initiating assault.?
[Commencing attacks!]
Woosh, woosh, woosh…!
All the screens and holograms turned red due to the fire from the explosions.
“What about the antimatter cannon? When can we use it?” Chang-Sun asked.
?Taking our progress speed into consideration, I believe it will be available in about ten minutes. However, we’re currently low on electricity reserves.?
“We have emergency generators. Activate them all.”
?Roger. In accordance with the Code Red Provisions, we have gone past the grade-one state of emergency and entered a state of war. Starting the conscription of all the materials within the city.?
“Activate the cannon as soon as it’s ready to be used, and…” Chang-Sun’s eyes glowed blue.
Woosh!
His Inferno Sights opened. “... send me and all the Gray Elves to that place.”
[Initiating ‘Spiritual Particle Phase Shift’!]
Woosh, woosh, woosh…!
A teleportation portal emitted the same blue light enveloping Chang-Sun. He slowly drew up his mana, but he was using way more than just that now.
Pzzz, pzzzz!
[The dormant ‘Brilliant Vermillion Light’ and your various Divinities, including <Darkness>, have merged into one!]
[Your already completed Legend has been awakened.]
[All your Divinity attributes have been merged with your Legend.]
…
[A part of your old destroyed Myth has been restored, adding a new attribute.]
…
[A new Myth has awakened from your Legend!]
A <Myth> was essential in becoming a Celestial. Through a Celestial’s <Myth>, their followers learned about their epic and compiled doctrines. And with those doctrines…
[Your Faith has awakened!]
… followers could make wishes to their Celestials.
The Crna Ruka, Illuminati, Himavat, and White Tiger Clan, which Chang-Sun had already taken over more than half… since everyone on this Earth knew who Chang-Sun was, he received immense Faith. With it…
[Your Divinity has awakened!]
… he acquired his personality as a Celestial.
[Your Divine Rank has awakened!]
He also reestablished himself as a Celestial.
[Your Divine Class has awakened!]
Lastly, he acquired a fitting Divine Class.
<Myth>, Faith, Divinity, Divine Rank, and Divine Class were the five requirements to becoming a Celestial.
[Level up!]
[You have reached Level 100!]
[You have to pass the third class acquisition quest to get your next class. Complete <Exuviation>.]
[You have already completed your <Exuviation>!]
[You have successfully completed the third class acquisition quest.]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
…
Upon acquiring all five requirements to becoming a Celestial, they would no longer be a mortal. Having <Molted> four times, Chang-Sun had already surpassed the level of a demigod, but since he hadn’t reached level 100 yet, he couldn’t complete his <Exuviation>. However, as soon as he met that requisite, he completed it in a flash.
[Your history and new achievements have been reflected on the list of your third class choices.]
[Revealing the list of your possible third class choices!]
1. Kvasir
Just like when Chang-Sun had become an Einheri, he only had one option.
[Kvasir.]
When the great Aesir and holy Vanir signed a peace treaty, the Celestials from the two factions shared their knowledge to create this wise warrior. With their wisdom and bravery, Kvasirs are powerful enough to be a threat to Celestials.
[Choose 'Kvasir' as your third class? Y/N]
…
[You have chosen ‘Kvasir’ as your third class!]
[You have become a ‘Kvasir’!]
[Your Agility has increased by 30.]
[Your Mana has increased by 30.]
[Your Intelligence has increased by 35.]
…
[Your Class has increased!]
[You have acquired the right to regain letters of your revoked Divine Name.]
[You have recovered 4 letters.]
[‘I, G, H,T’]
Paah!
Chang-Sun’s fire and lightning energy created a set of Jigwi wings, which he immediately spread open. He then entered the teleportation portal and found himself standing in the middle of enemy territory. Looking down at the excavation site, which the non-stop bombardment had destroyed…
[The ‘??ne Twilight’ has descended!]
… Chang-Sun appeared before his foes.
1. The raw is ??? ? ??? ???? ???? ? ? ?? ??. It’s a Korean idiom. ?