Chapter 141

Gemini, who climbed onto the table, swung her legs and said:

“Can’t we just finish quickly and leave?”

“Is there any need to finish quickly? This is a real gold mine.”

Greed, that damned greed was the problem. Assembler and Cube were ransacking the armory. I knew they had their eyes on this place because they’re such collectors, but to think they’d do petty thievery while here for terrorism.

“Hmm.”

Gemini glanced sideways with a displeased look, but she didn’t stop Cube. Trickster also helped Cube.

“When else would we get to ransack Sirius’s heart? Don’t you think their faces will be worth seeing when this place is completely cleaned out?”

“Urgh! It’s boring! I want to just kill them all quickly!”

“We’ll kill them. Just drag out the time a bit more.”

At Trickster’s words, Gemini rolled her eyes. Her face showed she didn’t understand why they had to drag out time.

“So that the humans over there will feel sufficiently desperate.”

The hunters who came outside to try to save the hostages captured by them. They won’t be able to save any of those here. Only then did a smile spread on Gemini’s face.

“Aha! You had thiiis much time but you couldn’t save even one person, something like that?”

Just because they’re villains doesn’t mean they have no emotions. Rather, they were more emotional than anyone. They also knew many ways to stab someone’s heart.

“Right.”

They had no intention of letting anyone here leave alive.

“So wait just a bit longer.”

“Okay.”

Gemini nodded obediently. I thought she was waiting quietly well, but that was only for a moment. Her eyes turned to a man trembling in the corner.

Unlike the others who were blankly staring into space, caught in Trickster’s illusion, the guy in front of her was fine.

“Park Chun-tae.”

“My name is, th-that’s not it…”

“Who cares. If I call you Park Chun-tae, you’re Park Chun-tae.”

Gemini looked closely at that guy’s face. The sight of him trembling and unable to even meet her eyes properly wasn’t even funny.

“Laugh, I said laugh.”

Gemini poked him. Each time, Kim Chun-tae trembled like an aspen.

Assembler, who was watching that sight, casually threw in a word:

“Why are you bullying that?”

“Just looking at his face makes me angry. Don’t you feel the same?”

Assembler shrugged at Gemini’s words. He felt the same way about not liking Kim Chun-tae. No matter how usable his talent was, he just couldn’t bring himself to like him.

That’s why they threw him in with the hostages instead of treating him as a team member even though he came this far. Assembler ignored Gemini poking Kim Chun-tae and went back inside the armory.

“Gemini, look at this.”

At Trickster’s words, Gemini made a disinterested face. A necklace with a fist-sized ruby embedded. It looked pretty, but it wasn’t Gemini’s taste.

“Not all women like sparkly things, you know?”

“Look closely, what is this?”

Looking closely, what made up that necklace was top-grade magic stones. Only then did Gemini’s eyes light up.

“With this, wouldn’t your favorite fireworks be possible?”

“Oh my.”

Only then did Gemini smile brightly. Gemini’s eyes sparkled as she took the necklace.

“I’ll give you this, so be patient a bit longer without doing anything unnecessary.”

At Trickster’s words, Gemini smiled brightly and said:

“Okay!”

Just wait, just wait a very short while.

* * *

“My, my daughter is in there right now!”

“I understand the situation, but approaching inside there is impossible right now.”

“Then what am I supposed to do! My child might be suffering who knows what in there! Are you telling me to just endure it?”

Kim Yong-won frantically blocked people trying to enter the department store. It wasn’t just that one woman. Voices crying out to save their daughter, son, sometimes friend, loved one filled the outside of the department store.

Due to people rushing in from all directions, the outside became an uncontrollable chaos.

The Awakener Crimes Department that arrived belatedly started controlling the area, but the Awakener Crimes Department’s personnel were insufficient to block all these people. Police officers mobilized from the surroundings also lent their hands and feet to control the crowd.

“Ah, ma’am!”

When a middle-aged woman who had been wailing in front collapsed, Kim Yong-won cried internally.

‘Team Leader, I miss you.’

Kim Yong-won, who was terrible at dealing with people, was screaming between the cracks of people.

‘If Team Leader were here, she would have controlled the situation firmly.’

“Excuse me, don’t push! You’ll get hurt there, if you come any further…”

The moment he saw someone cross the controlled line, Kim Yong-won could only stiffen up.

The woman wearing a worn-out hoodie pushed Kim Yong-won aside with just one finger. Though he could have easily ignored the gesture of a small woman who wasn’t even an awakener, Kim Yong-won was pushed back helplessly.

Kim Yong-won bit his lip with a pale face as he recognized the faces of the people following her.

With the appearance of Jin Yeon-hwa and Sirius guild members, a path opened between the crowds like Moses parting the Red Sea. The reporters spread all around this area became busy at her appearance.

Someone blocked her front. It was to keep the order that entry into the department store was not allowed for anyone.

“W-what business do you have here?”

“Hmm? Are you asking why I came here now? How could I just rest at home when there are villains who dared to set foot in my territory? I should at least see their faces.”

Jin Yeon-hwa’s face was chilly as she said that while pushing up her glasses.

“So move aside, so I can resolve this.”

“I-I’m sorry, but entry into the controlled area is not allowed.”

“I don’t understand why I need someone’s permission to protect my territory.”

As Jin Yeon-hwa said that, the Sirius hunters standing behind her all started glaring at the policeman in front. Since they had been resting from conquests since the Serena’s Ice Palace incident, all the hunters who could be called Sirius’s first string were present here.

Among them was also Yoo Seon-je, who is considered the most promising rookie recently.

Hope rose on the faces of the hostages’ families and acquaintances seeing Sirius’s guild members.

Maybe Yoo Seon-je could resolve all of this!

But there was someone who blocked her once again.

“Well, that’s because there are hostages inside. What if the hostages are sacrificed due to a rash entry?”

Park Cheol-wan, who stepped forward with a smooth face, tried to appease Jin Yeon-hwa.

“You don’t want to see articles saying damage was increased by rashly sending hunters in, do you?”

Though his tone was soft, it was a threat.

Jin Yeon-hwa’s eyes narrowed.

“So you’re telling me to just watch?”

“Our Awakener Crimes Department is also trying hard…”

“How was the great Awakener Crimes Department’s strength? I think it was terribly pathetic.”

Park Cheol-wan’s face reddened at Jin Yeon-hwa’s words. But in front of the great Sirius Guild, he couldn’t say it wasn’t true.

If Yoo Seon-je standing right behind Jin Yeon-hwa’s shoulder stepped forward, he could subdue the personnel here instantly.

“We need time to grasp the exact situation and negotiate with the criminals.”

But he had to prevent a rash entry at least.

That was the order given to Park Cheol-wan today.

-To drag out time as much as possible.

* * *

I frowned at Yoo Seon-je’s appearance as I observed the situation from a nearby rooftop.

“What, why did that bastard come here?”

Well, since it’s a department store built by Sirius, I guess it’s natural for that guy to come here.

It was a sudden appearance, but he wasn’t a person who would interfere with my plan. No, if I handle this well, he could be quite helpful.

Han Seo-hyeon asked as I fell into thought while stroking my chin:

“What are you thinking?”

“Since we saved that guy, we should use him once.”

“How are you going to approach the person over there?”

Even Han Seo-hyeon isn’t omnipotent. It would be difficult to approach in a place with crowds like that. Well, if it’s difficult for us to approach, we just need to make them come to us.

I tapped my mask to change my face. It was the face of ‘Smith’ who was active in Serena’s Ice Palace.

“Why did you suddenly change your face?”

I smiled broadly at Han Seo-hyeon’s question.

“He’s a valuable talent, so I should go invite him.”

“What?”

“Just wait here for a moment.”

I came down from the rooftop, leaving Han Seo-hyeon and Kim Jae-ho behind.

—Eek! Don’t suddenly jump down like that!

He’s making such a fuss even though it’s not his body. I won’t even get hurt if I use the wind anyway. I clicked my tongue at Ray’s voice resounding in my head. Really, he’s such a scaredy-cat.

After going down to the bottom of the building, I waved at Yoo Seon-je from the opposite sidewalk.

With S-rank potential, he should be able to recognize me even from far away.

—Didn’t you say you’d never meet that bastard again?

‘Since we’re going to run into each other anyway, isn’t it a waste not to use such strength? Moreover, if we use that guy, we can also hide that Weltschmerz interfered in this incident.’

My plan needed firepower.

Originally I was going to use Han Seo-hyeon’s sand to cause havoc, but in that case, there was the disadvantage that Han Seo-hyeon’s sand would be revealed to everyone.

But if I use Yoo Seon-je, I can at least keep it secret from the public.

—Will that ill-mannered bastard listen to you obediently?

‘If I tell him to repay the favor of saving him last time, wouldn’t he move?’

No, strictly speaking, it’s not even repaying a favor. From Sirius Guild’s standpoint, they would want to handle this catastrophe as well as possible too. It ends up being me helping that bastard again.

Yoo Seon-je, who recognized me standing across the street, whispered something to Jin Yeon-hwa standing next to him.

I thought about what to do if he walked straight towards me like that, but fortunately, the guy disappeared into a corner avoiding people.

“Okay, I should meet him in a suitable place.”

It was when I was thinking that and moving my steps.

“What business do you have here?”

“Eek!”

Goosebumps rose at the voice from behind.

“W-what! Wh-when did you come behind me?”

“I recently figured out how to use lightning in a different way.”

Yoo Seon-je, who bounced lightning, instantly moved his body there.

“Huh.”

Is he using lightning as a medium to transmit his body? That’s completely cheating, isn’t it?

Yoo Seon-je’s weakness was that his body was glass. But if he uses a technique like this, the weakness of being a glass cannon would be offset to some extent. If he doesn’t get hit in the first place, having poor defense isn’t much of a problem.

How much of a monster has he become in the meantime?

Well, in the past he died without even fully exerting his potential…

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop staring at me and answer my question.”

Really, he knows how to make people embarrassed. I clicked my tongue internally and answered.

“Of course I came to stop the terrorism.”

“You?”

“The ones inside are the villains of the Top. It’s those three who made us eat dirt at ‘Serena’s Ice Palace’.”

Yoo Seon-je’s expression hardened at my words.

“How do you know that?”

“I have my ways of knowing everything.”

“Well, you said you were chasing those guys…”

Yoo Seon-je nodded and muttered:

“Did you come to help me again this time?”

Goosebumps rose all over at those words. Me, help you? Really, there’s a limit to delusions! But if he misunderstands like that, there’s nothing bad for me.

“Well, that’s right.”

I needed that guy’s cooperation anyway.

“As long as Trickster is in there, rashly entering is suicide. You should know since you’ve been caught in that guy’s illusion too.”

Trickster’s illusions are like reality. His illusions were perfect enough to deceive even high-ranking hunters. Illusions alone can’t harm anything, but that’s why Trickster always moves with other guys.

If you flounder trapped in an illusion, you’ll die with your insides and outsides reversed, or burn to ashes.

The three were a trio with quite good compatibility.

“And as you know, illusions don’t work on me.”

To break that illusion, you had to attack Trickster directly. I was the only one capable of that.

“When I go inside and send a ‘signal’, enter then.”

“The hostages?”

I was surprised at Yoo Seon-je’s words. This guy, did he change a bit when he only cared about himself?

“It would be troublesome if the hostages die.”

Ah, I was a fool for expecting. Yoo Seon-je was still Yoo Seon-je.

“I’ll protect them from this side so don’t worry and come in.”

“Alright.”

Yoo Seon-je nodded obediently without any other words. How can I trust you, what method will you use. It was such a clean agreement that I, who had been very tense expecting such questions, felt deflated.

Is this really the Yoo Seon-je I knew? Still, I guess it was worth having holes punched in my body.

“I’m counting on you.”

I gaped at those words. What? Counting on me? Before I could answer, there was a flash of light and Yoo Seon-je’s figure disappeared.

“What the hell.”

Was the person I just talked to really Yoo Seon-je? Is it not an illusion? Or a doppelganger?

I should stop this nonsense.

Still, I thought Yoo Seon-je would be self-centered for life… I felt strange somehow. That bastard can change too.

“Hmm.”

Anyway, I’ve secured Yoo Seon-je’s cooperation too.

I muttered looking up at the department store:

“Then, shall we go save the people inside now?”