Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Those Annoying Guys (2)
“So we can’t go inside, right?”
-Yes. The level of security and surveillance is hard to believe for a religious facility.
“I told you. I said it stinks. Anyway, keep investigating and let me know if anything comes up.”
-Yes.
After a short phone call with Shin Tae-gil.
Shin Seong-a, sitting next to him, looked at Kang Hyeon.
“What did they say?”
“We’re cut off at the entrance.”
“Hmm…”
“They say they don’t accept outsiders?”
“It’s more closed off than I thought. This is getting more and more suspicious.”
“Bro, what are we going to do now?”
An Yu-seong, who was playing a mobile game, asked.
“What do you mean what are we going to do?”
“I think it might be faster if we investigate the place ourselves. I have a feeling we shouldn’t delay.”
An Yu-seong’s feelings were different from others.
If he had such a thought, there must be a reason for it.
“Then it’s decided. Let’s go there first.”
“And after that?”
“We knock on the door. We shout, ‘Who’s in charge here!’“
An Yu-seong and Shin Seong-a nodded at Kang Hyeon’s words.
‘What nonsense is this?’
Yoon Na-rae, who was listening from the side, was dumbfounded, but she decided to stay quiet, fearing she might get hit if she spoke up.
“Kang Hyeon, what do we do after that?”
“When we do that, the person in charge will come out, right? Then we grab them by the collar and interrogate them.”
“Ooh…”
“We ask, ‘What are you guys up to?’ and they’ll spill everything, won’t they?”
“That sounds like a good method.”
“It certainly does.”
Shin Seong-a and An Yu-seong nodded in agreement.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Yoon Na-rae exploded.
“What nonsense is this!? Think rationally!”
“You’re making a fuss again when we’re trying to be quiet! Got a problem with society?”
“The problem is with that stupid plan. Did something happen to all your heads? You’re nodding along to that?”
“The only thing that’s happened is your fashion sense destroying common sense, you loli otaku.”
“This is individuality!”
“Wait, you’ve been speaking informally this whole time.”
As Kang Hyeon’s brow furrowed, Yoon Na-rae sprang to her feet.
“Oh? Are you going to hit me again? Again! People! Look here! This ogre is hitting people!”
“You’re dead!”
Yoon Na-rae never seemed to realize that she always did things to deserve being hit.
“Huh?”
While Kang Hyeon was in the middle of chasing Yoon Na-rae, his phone rang.
-Is this Kang Hyeon?
“Ahem, yes, it is. Who’s this?”
-My name is Na Dae-su.
“Na Dae-su?”
-I’m someone related to Jo Yu-sik.
At the mention of Jo Yu-sik, Kang Hyeon’s attitude became serious.
“Can I hear more details?”
-It’s difficult to talk at length. Let’s meet at 2 AM tonight. In front of the pond at Hayang Park.
Na Dae-su hung up abruptly without waiting for a response.
“What’s this now?”
Kang Hyeon’s expression crumpled.
“Bro, who was that?”
“Says he’s related to Jo Yu-sik, but he just said to meet and hung up out of nowhere.”
“Is there a possibility it’s a trap?”
Kang Hyeon shook his head at Shin Seong-a’s question.
“When have we ever worried about such things?”
“That’s true.”
“It’s late now, so let’s sleep and move early tomorrow morning.”
***
Ippotranslation
***
“What time is it now?”
“2:30 AM. Are you sure we were supposed to meet at 2?”
An Yu-seong said, throwing a stone into the pond.
“I’m sure.”
“Your memory is bad, brother.”
“What do you take me for?”
“Hmm… A fun but not so smart brother? No, a very not smart brother?”
“I’ll have to discipline you again soon. Get ready to die when we get to Seoul.”
Kang Hyeon growled in a low voice, adjusting his sunglasses.
“See? Your memory is this bad. When have I ever been hit by you?”
“Seeing as you can’t remember, I guess your head got messed up when I beat you before. Got insurance?”
“Wow, brother. You’re not talking about the Jeong Ui-hyeon incident, are you?”
“That’s right.”
“That was so long ago… You’re really persistent.”
“What the hell!”
The banter between Kang Hyeon and An Yu-seong continued for a while.
But even they started to get tired as it passed 3 AM.
“Do you see anything?”
-It’s quiet. Being in the countryside, the scenery seems nice.
Shin Seong-a’s voice, sounding a bit excited, came through.
“What can you see at this hour?”
-Occasionally, I see some secretive couples.
“Isn’t that a crime…”
-It’s not like I want to see it.
“Forget that scenery, where’s that Na Dae-su or whatever his name is? Why isn’t he here!?”
-Could it be a trap after all?
“If it’s a trap to make us die of anger from waiting, it’s almost successful.”
-Shall we withdraw?
“Withdraw what? We’re going by ourselves.”
Shin Seong-a was surprised at Kang Hyeon’s words.
-What? You mean we’re going after this Na Dae-su person directly?
“Yeah. We’re going into the cult’s headquarters.”
-There will be many civilians. And we don’t have solid evidence that Na Dae-su is related to them.
“It’s fine. I’ll take responsibility, so bring Yoon Na-rae down. We’re moving immediately.”
-Understood.
After hanging up, Kang Hyeon immediately moved to the vehicle.
“Brother, what are you planning to do?”
“What else? Just crash in. If we go there and start smashing buildings and stuff, won’t they come out on their own?”
“Pfft. That sounds fun.”
“It might look like I’m barging in recklessly, but I have my own thoughts.”
“Oh… What are those thoughts?”
An Yu-seong grinned as Kang Hyeon mentioned having thoughts.
“At this point, it’s 100% certain that these guys are up to something, right?”
“But we don’t have evidence.”
“That’s why we’re going to find it now. If the result is good, isn’t that all that matters?”
This was a miraculous logic that was only possible because it was Kang Hyeon putting it into practice.
“Sigh, let’s go for now.”
Just as Kang Hyeon was about to leave after wrapping up the situation, a man in shabby clothes with a hood pulled over approached.
“Mr. Kang Hyeon?”
“What? Are you possibly Na Dae-su?”
“That’s right. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“You said 2 o’clock. What were you doing to show up now?”
“I installed a recording device here to eavesdrop on you all. I needed to be sure before I could come out.”
“You’re admitting to a crime quite boldly.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ah… Forget it. Let’s get straight to the point. Time is precious.”
***
Ippotranslation
***
After listening to Na Dae-su’s explanation for a while, Kang Hyeon stroked his chin in thought.
“So, you were forcibly put in a position like a religious leader, and the bosses there are occupied by skeletons. These skeletons appeared suddenly from somewhere?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
About two months ago.
They appeared without warning and quickly increased their numbers.
Using all means including powerful magic beyond common sense, brainwashing, bizarre insects, they gradually drew local residents to their side.
“Then what about those goblins? I saw them holed up in a cave on the way here.”
“They basically worship dungeons. They think they’re an army sent by the absolute being to purify the world.”
“That’s quite a crazy ideology.”
“That’s the superficial reason, but in reality, it’s an experiment in monster idolization.”
“Monster idolization?”
“I don’t know the details either. Although I’m called the leader, I’m just a puppet…”
“I understand for now. Thanks to you, I’ve learned almost everything I was curious about.”
Na Dae-su’s expression brightened for a moment.
“Then about my request for protection…”
“That’s not possible yet.”
Na Dae-su’s face fell as if it had never brightened.
“Why not…”
“What should I trust you on? What if you’re a spy for those skeleton guys?”
“If I were a spy, why would I spill information so freely!?”
“Honestly, the information you gave wasn’t particularly important. It was only a matter of time before we found out anyway. Am I wrong?”
“Even so…”
Na Dae-su was at a loss for words.
Honestly, Kang Hyeon’s words weren’t entirely wrong.
There was no core information about the apostles in what he had said, and all Kang Hyeon had gained was the location of the cult’s base, which could be found out just by looking around a bit.
And his identity and what had happened so far.
“But I came here and gave you information, didn’t I? This can’t be right!”
He knew it in his head, but for him, it was a matter of life and death.
Na Dae-su desperately pleaded with Kang Hyeon.
“Please, I beg you… I want to live.”
“Instead, I’ll take in your family. Taking you in comes after that. I’ll visit the cult this evening, so be ready.”
“Then…?”
“I promise that after I finish off the skeleton guys there, we’ll protect you too, Mr. Na Dae-su.”
“I understand!”
Na Dae-su was relieved.
No matter how strong the apostles were, Kang Hyeon already had a record of crushing an apostle.
“But make sure to clear out the people inside. They might get hurt if the fight gets intense.”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
***
Ippotranslation
***
Late evening.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Kang Hyeon and his group were standing in front of a plain-looking box-shaped concrete building.
Kang Hyeon frowned at the sight that looked like a huge factory.
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
“This is the address Mr. Na Dae-su mentioned.”
“Hmm, alright. We’ll see when we get inside.”
It was easier to move than to think.
Kang Hyeon, who got out of the vehicle, headed straight for the building.
There were large, intimidating-looking men standing there.
“This is private property. Please turn back.”
The men immediately held out their hands to stop Kang Hyeon as soon as they saw him.
“Private property? I heard there was some kind of religious group here.”
“No, there isn’t.”
“I came here knowing all about it.”
“I’ve clearly told you it’s not. This is private property. If you enter, it will be considered trespassing.”
The men were adamant.
“Sigh, do you know who I am?”
“Yes. We do.”
They couldn’t not know.
Currently, Kang Hyeon is more famous than most celebrities.
“Do I look like someone who would turn back just because you told me to?”
The men shut their mouths at Kang Hyeon’s words.
‘What a thug-like bastard…’
Usually, they would subdue such people by force and send them back, but unfortunately, that wasn’t a possible option right now.
“Let’s not make this tiring for each other and do this the easy way. You know what I mean, right?”
“…”
“I’m telling you, I know this guy named Na Dae-su well. We agreed to meet today, so step aside.”
“You mean the leader…?”
“Yes, yes. That leader guy said he wanted to meet me.”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll contact the inside.”
“Ah! This is frustrating!”
Just as Kang Hyeon was beating his chest in frustration,
Suddenly, the huge door of the building opened, and people came pouring out.
They all had expressionless faces.
“I’ve come to the right place.”
People who had turned into dolls.
This was quite familiar to Kang Hyeon.
“Mr. Kang Hyeon. Welcome.”
A middle-aged man dressed in very fancy clothes, Na Dae-su, approached Kang Hyeon.
“You look like a completely different person here.”
“Is that so? Haha.”
“Didn’t you tell them at the entrance that I was coming?”
“Oh my, I forgot. How about we go inside and talk?”
“There are a lot of people here, aren’t there?”
“Pardon?”
Na Dae-su was taken aback by Kang Hyeon’s sudden remark.
“I said, there are a lot of people.”
“Ah, yes. It’s thanks to our zealous proselytizing efforts.”
Kang Hyeon smirked.
‘Does he think I’m a fool?’
The man in front of him right now is not Na Dae-su.
Although he has the same appearance and voice, Kang Hyeon was certain.
This man is not Na Dae-su.
Seeing that he didn’t even know about the order to evacuate people beforehand, it was almost 100% certain.
‘Should I play along with this?’
Usually, he would have just smashed everything.
But there were ordinary people here, not just ability users.
Most of the people around now were probably ordinary people who had fallen victim to the ‘bugs’.
Even if they were destined to become idiots, he didn’t like the idea of harming innocent people recklessly.
“Let’s do that. You guys wait outside.”
“Are you trying to have all the fun again, brother?”
“Fun my ass. If something goes wrong, it’s better to be outside than inside. It’s safer too.”
Kang Hyeon’s companions nodded at his words.
They too had noticed that something was off about Na Dae-su.
In the past, they might have refused, but now they knew Kang Hyeon could revive.
There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
“Shall we go inside?”
“Sure.”
And so, Kang Hyeon disappeared into the building with Na Dae-su.
Shin Seong-a, who had been watching the scene with anxious eyes, called out to An Yu-seong.
“Mr. An Yu-seong.”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t you follow them?”
“Because brother told us to stay, so I stayed.”
“Given your usual personality, Mr. An Yu-seong, I would have expected you to ignore that and go inside.”
Shin Seong-a’s question was reasonable.
At a glance, An Yu-seong seemed to follow Kang Hyeon’s words well, but from what Shin Seong-a had observed so far, it was different.
From her perspective, there were two conditions that needed to be met for An Yu-seong to listen to Kang Hyeon.
His safety must be guaranteed.
It must not interfere with his fun.
While this might not be absolute, it was generally the case.
The two criteria she had in mind became even more accurate when it came to combat situations in particular.
“Why didn’t I follow… There’s no particular reason. It just felt right?”
Shin Seong-a’s expression darkened at An Yu-seong’s words.
“Is it… Very dangerous inside the building?”
At those words, An Yu-seong grinned.
“Sister, you surprise me sometimes. That’s why it’s interesting.”
“Please answer my question.”
Shin Seong-a asked seriously.
“Yes. It’s very dangerous. And we not following is the way to keep everyone safer.”