Chapter 231.

—…‘Plucas’? Already?

A voice flowed into my groggy consciousness . My eyes shot open, hearing the word I wasn’t quite ready to hear .

The current time was 5:45 a . m .

I was lying on the couch of the train’s special compartment, sharing my senses with Spartan . This was to keep a close eye on anything important happening inside the train .

—Yes, it seems he’s gone through the first awakening .

—Hm… so we finally get to see a devil with our own eyes . It’s earlier than I thought .

Kim Hakpyo and his loyal subordinate, Silasen, were talking .

The topic of their conversation was… a devil .

I bit my lips .

If the ‘humanoid monster’ was the third phase of the story, the ‘advent of the devils’ and ‘Earth’s Demon Realm transformation’ was the fourth and final phase . Judging from Kim Hakpyo’s remark, it seemed even the final phase was pushed closer .

—Do we have a place prepared?

—Yes, he is staying inside a temple we built . But he’s unable to leave it for now . By the looks of it, he’ll need more time to overcome the world’s rejective force .

Silasen answered as he typed a message in the air . Using Muninn’s eyes, I peeked at it .

[34°51’15 . 4”N 128°43’50 . 2”E]

It was likely the coordinates of the temple .

—…I see .

—What do you plan to do?

—Why even ask? I plan on simply following the Lord’s orders .

Kim Hakpyo leaned back on his chair . That was the end of the meaningful conversation, and I cut my senses with Spartan .

“Hmm…”

I fell in thought as I swallowed a sigh .

The first devil had already manifested, and I knew its location .

What I had to do was clear .

Kill it with the God-slaying Misteltein Bullet .

But there was one thing that worried me . Would just a single bullet be enough to kill him?

Even though the Desert Eagle was extremely powerful, especially with all the upgrades its received, the opponent was a devil, and the number of bullets I could use was limited .

…After thinking for a bit, I took out the Book of Truth .

[If the physical functions of Rank 50th Devil ‘Plucas’ falls under 15%, the God-slaying Bullet will be able to extinguish him . This percentage rises by 5% per 1 streak of Stigma used on the bullet . ]

This was what the Book of Truth said . At my full power, I would need Plucas’ physical functions to fall below 35% to kill it . Even if I used Overclock, converting my life force into Stigma, it would still have to fall below 50% .

It was understandable .

A devil wasn’t an existence that could be extinguished so easily . To devils, the concepts of ‘death’ and ‘being extinguished’ were separate . A dead devil could always resurrect . To completely extinguish its existence, a very special methodology or Kim Suho was needed .

“A helper… . ”

That meant that a helper was needed . Kim Suho and Boss were the first ones to pop up in my mind . However, the devils couldn’t find out about Kim Suho yet, as they would undoubtedly try to kill humans who could threaten them first .

I had to wait until Kim Suho got stronger .

But I couldn’t ask Boss either . Her magic power’s attribute was darkness, an ill-suited match for fighting devils .

“…Ah . ”

Mulling over my options, one individual popped up in my head . Not only was he individually powerful enough to suppress a devil, he was also well-suited to fight against one .

Even if he caught a devil’s attention, he had the ability to escape safely .

He was Chae Joochul .

Currently, I had a clear way to communicate with him . Through my Truth Agency . Because of the devil that had descended in Chae Jinyoon’s body, Chae Joochul would surely express interest in this matter .

If I could get Chae Joochul to make a move… .

Tiriring— Tiriring—

At that moment, the train’s alarm notified its passengers that it was 6 p . m . , and the train captain’s cheerful voice rang out loudly .

—Has everyone had fun? In 9 hours, we will arrive on the 24th floor! The 24th floor is a ve~ry big desert!

The 22nd and 23rd floors were part of a deep ocean, while the 24th floor was a desert as big as the Sahara Desert .

—It is full of tricky monsters of death, like scorpions, mummies, guards, Anubis, Sphinx, etc . , but it also has amazing opportunities for you Players! If you find a ‘Desert Oasis’, you will be given a hefty reward!

I got up and stretched .

The desert floor was a floor where Sannuri could shine . Of course, most horses would be useless in a desert, but Sannuri wasn’t a normal horse at all .

I knew how to locate oases, and Sannuri could take me there . Getting the 24th floor’s rewards should be a piece of cake .

Kiik—

At that moment, the door to my bedroom opened, and Jain walked in .

“Hi, Hajin~”

Jain seemed to have finished taking a bath, as she hummed and sat down on the couch with slightly wet hair .

“Did you hear the 24th floor’s explanation just now~?”

“Yes, it’s a desert . ”

“Right~? I wonder what the rewards are~”

Jain murmured quietly, showing interest . But since she detested the heat, she probably wouldn’t leave the train .

“It’s probably another skillbook . An ultimate skillbook, most likely . ”

“Mm~ I already have one, so I guess don’t need to go out~”

I grinned . It was just as I expected .

“You’re going, right~?”

“Of course, I’ll need to fill out my ultimate skill slot . ”

It was time for me to learn my ultimate skill .

“Oh right, did Boss finish learning all her skills?”

“Nope~ You know, Boss has trouble making decisions . You know Phiunel, right?”

“Yes . ”

“That old man gave everything he owned to Boss, but she’s still wondering what to learn . ”

“Hm . ”

It seemed I would need to help her pick out her skills .

“Ah~ Right~!”

Jain suddenly clapped her hands together and shot up .

“Hajin, are you going to continue your mercenary work once you leave the Tower~?”

“Mercenary work?”

“Yep, you got several licenses to kill, it would be a shame to waste them~”

To be precise, they were licenses to kill Djinns . But as part of the license, illegal activities carried out during the process of killing Djinns were accepted, as long as they were reasonable .

“I’m not sure . ”

I fell in thought . I only killed Djinns because I received requests . It wasn’t out of a sense of duty or anything like that . Doing so didn’t make the story progress any smoother either . The Djinns I killed were mere ‘extras’ that wouldn’t stand in the way of the main plot .

But the more I thought about it… .

“It doesn’t sound bad . ”

It didn’t sound like a bad idea .

Why didn’t I think about it until now?

I looked at the item in my inventory .

[Lv . 11 Directory]

Directory and the Book of Truth . With these two books’ abilities, I could do all sorts of wonderful things .

First, I could kill off Djinns who would play an important role in the future before anything happened .

Now, I had confidence . That a single magic bullet could kill even executive-ranked Djinns .

Second, I could kill of humans who would become hindrances to future plans . For example, I could assassinate the corrupt members of the National Assembly or corrupt executives of the Hero Association . Of course, this wouldn’t be done under Fenrir’s identity but under Black Lotus’ identity . If I used a gun to kill someone, even an ordinary child would suspect it was me .

“…I’ll continue killing Djinns . ”

At this point, killing someone with my gun or bow didn’t bother me . Like a machine without feelings, I carried out my murders calmly and coldly .

“But why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing much . ”

Jain suddenly put on a serious expression .

“But it’s about time that we Chaemeleon Troupe start getting serious . ”

“…Serious?”

“Yep . ”

The original goal of the Chameleon Troupe . Although a few settings had been added to make things complicated, its core mission didn’t change .

“It’s time to steal Pandemonium’s throne . ”

Jain talked about the original goal I set for the group .

“Pandemonium?”

“Yep . We, as humans, will rule over Pandemonium . Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“…Will that be possible?”

“Why not? Djinns will naturally submit to those that are stronger than them…”

Jain muttered while making a dangerous smile .

And at that moment, I received a message on my smartwatch .

—Jin Sahyuk escaped .

It was from GenphaGo .

“…Huh? How?”

—Someone helped her . We immediately issued a warrant for her arrest, but she seemed to have escaped to the 8th floor . Should we chase after her using ‘Floor Teleportation’?

“No, it’s fine . ”

Not only did Floor Teleportation use 100,000TP each time, my original goal was already achieved .

“Just prevent her from going beyond the 15th floor . ”

—Yes, understood .

Jin Sahyuk should now give up on climbing the Tower, since going any further would be impossible without passing through the 15th floor .

That was enough .

“Good work, GenphaGo . ”

**

[8-3F, a famous restaurant in Crevon]

As soon as she escaped with Bell and Rumi’s help, Jin Sahyuk ran straight to Crevon’s restaurant . Having gotten skinnier from being detained for so long, she sucked in food like a vacuum cleaner . Steak, pork chops, fried rice, spaghetti… they were godly dishes compared to the tasteless porridge she was forced to eat .

“Kuaaa~”

After emptying 13 dishes in just 20 minutes, she leaned against the back of her chair . She rubbed her stomach in happiness, then slammed her fist down on the table when she remembered the humiliating prison life she suffered .

“Why does that guy hate me so much?”

Jin Sahyuk knew Kim Hajin was behind the arrest . That was what Bell said . When she found out the Kim Hajin was also the owner of the space vessel, she almost fainted on the spot .

“You picked a fight with him first . ”

“… . ”

She didn’t have anything to say to that . Although it happened a long time ago, she was the one who started it, as he said .

Feeling wronged, Jin Sahyuk chugged a glass of water down her throat .

“So, what’s your plan from now on? Are you going to find Kim Hajin and try to fight him again?” Bell asked .

Jin Sahyuk shuddered the moment she heard this . Kim Hajin objectively stood at the top of the Tower . Not only was he strong, but he also had the authority to order NPCs and even administrators . Inside the Tower, he was like a king . As such, fighting him inside the Tower was out of the question .

“…Not inside the Tower . ” Jin Sahyuk murmured with a thin, quiet voice .

“So you’re going to fight him outside?” Bell asked in a teasing tone .

Jin Sahyuk glared at Bell . Her previous defeat outside the Tower became a trauma that she had yet to overcome . She thought it would weaken over time, but it had only gotten worse recently . She often had nightmares, and her body trembled at the mere thought of him .

“…You fucker . ”

“Haha . ”

Bell chuckled at Jin Sahyuk’s cursing . Hearing this, Jin Sahyuk shouted obstinately .

“Once, once I get stronger… I’ll f-fight him again . So d-don’t annoy me . ”

Kim Hajin was currently busy climbing the Tower . While he was gone, Jin Sahyuk planned to work hard in Crevon to earn TP, then strengthen her unique Trait through the Upgrade Center .

“With your current mindset, I don’t think you can beat him no matter how strong you become . Look, you’re even stuttering . ”

“… . ”

Jin Sahyuk glared at Bell with eyes full of resentment .

“Think about it as punishment for all the people you killed . ”

However, the words that followed were something even Jin Sahyuk found hard to ignore . She forced herself to smile and spat out .

“If this is my punishment for things I’ve done, then shouldn’t you die soon?”

Hearing this, Bell only smiled .

“I told you, you’ll be the one who kills me . I raised you knowing that . My punishment is raising the person who will kill me . ”

“…Like you raised me . ”

“Haha . ”

Bell laughed . Then suddenly, he turned his gaze behind Jin Sahyuk . His expression instantly stiffened . His serious and scared expression caused Jin Sahyuk to tilt her head .

“What crap are you pulling now—”

“Kim Hajin, why are you here?”

Immediately, Jin Sahyuk’s body froze . Her stomach churned, and cold sweat appeared on her back, and her politely cusped hands trembled .

Haa, haa, haa… . Fear engraved deep in her heart rose up, making it hard to breathe . Jin Sahyuk felt her vision blur and her head spin .

“Bell-ssi, geez . He’s just kidding, Sahyuk . There’s no one behind you . ”

Rumi let Jin Sahyuk know that Bell was kidding, but it was too late .

“Uweeeek—!”

Jin Sahyuk vomited out everything she had just eaten . Even Bell was surprised by her sudden puking .

Uweek, uweek, uweeek… .

After clearing her stomach in one go, Jin Sahyuk gave Bell the most ferocious glare possible . Seeing the tears and snot flowing down from her face, Bell was amazed .

“…You son of a bitch . ”

“Uh, sorry, I didn’t know it was this bad . ”

A waiter quickly arrived with cleaning tools, but Bell unleashed his magic power first and burnt up Jin Sahyuk’s vomit .

“I didn’t think you would be this scared… Want me to order you more food?”

“Screw off, bastard . I don’t fucking need it . You motherfucking piece of shit…”

Jin Sahyuk spat out all the curse words she knew . Bell listened through it all with a smile, then when Jin Sahyuk was mostly appeased, he suddenly raised his finger .

“Sh—!”

“Sh, my ass! Try that again, and I’ll really fucking kill you . ”

“Alright, alright, I won’t do it again . I promise . ”

Bell promised Jin Sahyuk . He wanted to pinky promise, but he kept the thought to himself as his finger would likely end up getting chopped off .

“…Fucker, bastard, son of a bitch, you crazy motherfucker . ”

Jin Sahyuk crossed her arms and grumbled . Though, in a way, it looked more like she was sobbing .

Bell sighed as he watched Jin Sahyuk .

“From now on, don’t get angry and don’t get scared . Just stay low and continue to grow . I promised, right? That my Gift was yours . ”

I’ll give my Gift to you . Demonstrating his Gift, Bell had said these words to entice Jin Sahyuk . This was the only reason Jin Sahyuk decided to follow him .

“So just wait . ”

There was only one way for him to pass on his Gift to her .

“Until you can kill me . ”

Clang—

At that moment, the restaurant door opened, and a new customer walked in . Bell looked up with a smile, but his expression quickly turned cold .

“… . ”

“Hah, you think I’d fall for that again—”

Bell quickly blocked Jin Sahyuk’s mouth . However, it seemed to have been too late as Bell frowned . The same went for Rumi, who was sitting next to him .

It was then that Jin Sahyuk finally understood the situation .

It’s real this time . Not even Bell would pull the same trick twice in a row .

Bell had even begun to activate Mass Teleport . His serious attitude caused Jin Sahyuk’s body to stiffen .

“Sahyuk . ”

“… . ”

Hearing his serious voice, Jin Sahyuk nodded faintly .

Bell looked into her eyes and continued .

“I’m kidding this time too . ”

“… . ”

“Pft . ”

Rumi burst out laughing .

That was the nail in the coffin .

Steam began to rise up from Jin Sahyuk’s pale face .

“You two pieces of shits—!”

…Soon, Jin Sahyuk leapt forward like a savage beast .

**

[24F, Desert]

3 p . m .

The train stopped on the 24th floor . There were still over a hundred people left in the train . As the train would stay for a week, Jain, Boss, Cheok Jungyeong, and Jin Yohan returned to Earth . Meanwhile, I set out to look at the desert floor .

“Let’s go . ”

—Hiing .

I rode on Sannuri for the first time in a while . After galloping through the field of sand for a bit, I took out the Book of Truth .

“Let’s see… . ”

The question I wanted to ask was simple: was there an oasis within 10km of my location?

[There is no oasis within 10km of your location . ]

“Hm, Nuri, let’s keep going . ”

—Hiing .

After that, I just repeated the same thing . Every 10km, I stopped, asked the Book of Truth, then continued if an oasis wasn’t found .

After about 50 kilometers…

[An oasis exists within 10km of your location . ]

[Location…]

“There we go . ”

With my luck, finding an oasis wasn’t too difficult . I only spent 1 . 5 streaks of Stigma as well .

I planned to head over to the oasis, when, suddenly, I felt the presences of people behind me . They were very familiar presences as well .

“… . ”

I turned around . There, I saw a man wearing a turban . His silhouette was all too familiar, and his face was even more familiar .

He was Kim Suho, my novel’s main character .

“Eh?”

Kim Suho also noticed me and widened his eyes . Then, he raised his arm and waved it cheerfully .

“Hajin~!”

He ran up while shouting .

I hopped down from Sannuri and waited for him . With his speed, he reached me in less than a minute . He then put his hand forward with a bashful smile .

“It’s been so long, Hajin . ”

“Yeah . ”

It was perfect meeting him here since I had to give him something .

“Suho, I have a present for you… . ”

“Hajin, this is for you… . ”

But Kim Suho seemed to have thought the same thing as he took something out from his pocket .

We paused momentarily and looked at each other . Then, we laughed .

I gave my present first .

“Take this first . ”

“What’s this?”

“A card that’s perfect for you . ”

“Ah, you bought a few cards on the 21st floor, too?”

Kim Suho accepted my card without much thought . But when he saw the card, his eyebrows twitched, and he put on a flustered expression .

“8, 8-star? H-Hajin, this is an 8-star card . I think you took out the wrong one . ”

“No, that’s the right one . It’s for a sword . Plus, it’s light-attribute . It’s practically made for you . ”

As I said that, I put my hand out .

“Now give me yours . You have a card for me too, right?”

“Huh? Oh, um, yeah but… . ”

Kim Suho hid the card he took out behind his back . I asked with a faint smile on my face .

“What are you doing?”

“Uh, it’s just that… there’s too big of a difference with what you gave me… . ”

“It’s fine so let me see it . ”

When I reached forward, he took a few steps back . Judging by his flushed face, it seemed he was extremely embarrassed .

“It’s fine~”

“… . ”

“Don’t be embarrassed and give it here . ”

I’m not embarrassed . I’m just sorry… Kim Suho murmured quietly as he handed me his card .

===

[Echo of Silence] [Active Card] [6-star]

○Applies the following effects on sharpshooting weapons .

●Silent Shot – Your weapon produces no sound on firing .

●Silence – Magic power of the sniped target becomes partially sealed .

===

“…H-How is it?”

Kim Suho asked nervously . I gave him a simple smile .

“Great . It’s perfect for me . ”

Hearing that, Kim Suho’s tense face finally loosened .

It was then .

Jiing—

A beam of light suddenly descended from the sky .

“What?”

Kim Suho and I quickly raised our weapons at the unexpected teleportation skill . However, we tilted our heads seeing the person who just appeared .

“…Senior Seyeon?”

Kim Suho muttered dumbfoundedly . The woman who suddenly arrived wasn’t an enemy . It was just Jin Seyeon .

“Hi . ”

Jin Seyeon gave Kim Suho a quick greeting before turning towards me . Then, she stared at my face fixedly as though I was hiding something underneath . After a brief moment, she held out her hand .

“Hello, Fenrir-ssi . ”

“…Ah, yes . ”

“I’m your fan . ”

“Excuse me?”

I was taken aback by her last words . My fan?

Jin Seyeon smiled, then showed me her nickname and the ‘community group’ she was a part of .

[JinSeyeon’sArrow] – Club Fenrir Member #3

“…Club Fenrir? What’s this?”

“It’s something like a fan club . A stylish, unique gunman has captured my heart . ”

I felt a strange sense of incongruity from her words .

What Jin Seyeon was telling me were half-truths and half-lies . But I didn’t know which parts were truths and which parts were falsehoods .

I hid my suspicion and asked casually .

“…Who’s the #1 fan?”

“Ah, it’s a Player by the name ‘CaptainBritain’ . Do you know who that is?”

“… . ”

CaptainBritain .

As I obviously knew who that was, I answered with an awkward cough .

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