by Yoo Seong
“Free?”
“I heard a lot of people rushed to kill the chaotic users…….”
“Then why should we go to another dungeon?”
The rumour quickly spread among users. But there was even more.
“Hahaha, it is a jackpot!”
“I did well coming here!”
“It’s only been 2 days and I’ve gained 1,000 gold from the chaotic users!”
The news was also spread by the chaotic hunters!
“Yes, there is no reason to be afraid of the chaotic users.”
“If we have a few more party members then we can catch these guys.”
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that before? It is like that. Now those guys have got there before us! Catching one chaotic person is better than dozens of Thanatos!”
“If chaotic hunters are in the dungeon then there won’t be any problems hunting the Thanatos! Plus it is free! Let’s go!”
Pioneers once again flocked to S-20! Thanks to that, the population that had fallen to 1,100 increased to over 2,000 in just 3 days. There was 9 days left for the audit command.
‘Now I don’t have to worry about the population. I can apply for public facilities 2 days before the deadline. If I can buy the sector extension then all my problems will be resolved!’
……He wanted to be relieved……
However there were two problems with this. The first was the funds needed for the extension. He had 5,400 gold when the issues first started but he needed to refund a large amount thanks to the PK event. In addition, the population had grown again but he couldn’t get any money from the dungeon, sector or airfield. That’s why Ark dived in directly!
‘If I catch the chaotic users then I can earn some money. This is also relevant to me.’
Ark was also in a more favourable position compared to the other hunters. The Royal Guards were the ones who restored the dungeon after it collapsed so they knew it better than anyone else. Naturally they quickly found the chaotic people. Ark was able to find 7 chaotic people thanks to that. He obtained 9 equipment from them. Combined with the gallstones that dropped, he obtained a total of 1,500 gold. This meant the sector extension problem was okay.
‘The problem is that Bain knows of this situation.’
That was the second problem. Ark was worried about this the most. Bain already knew Ark needed to extend to sector to resolve the audit problem. If he made up his mind to remove the research centre then Ark’s plan would fail. He would be deprived of his sector administrator license. The research centre had already been almost completed. If it was dismantled then Bain would suffer a huge loss. Therefore the Laius company couldn’t easily remove it. But they would also suffer damages if Ark extended the sector. ‘Even if they lose money, their purpose is to obtain S-20 so they might judge that is better.’ But there were no signs of that. Rather than demolition, the construction of the research centre had continued.
‘It is one of those two options. They either can’t remove the research centre or there is another ulterior motive. It is imperative that I figure out what they’re thinking. If I figure it out then I can defend against it. In the worst case scenario, if they dismantle the research centre then I’ll have to sell the Silver Star!’
While Ark was busy thinking.
-Hyung-nim, I’ve found it!
Kalliben’s voice was heard from the Nymphe.
–A chaotic person is hiding in a corner of the middle layer.
“Okay. I’m coming so stay there.”
Ark smiled and replied.
“I’m lucky today.”
——————————————————————————————-
“Chief-nim, I’ve received a report that another one was killed!”
“You don’t have to keep on telling me things like that!”
Bain shouted in a raspy voice.
“That damn bastard Ark! Why does he keep on interfering every time? I’m different from a mere pioneer so I should be able to step on him! So why does he always embarrass me? But he is still a trivial pioneer! He’s mistaken if he thinks he can beat me with something like this. I’ll make him realize the difference between an elite executive of the Laius company and a pioneer!”
Bain bit his lips until it became bloody. Like Ark thought, the reason the research centre wasn’t demolished was because Bain had an ulterior motive. His conclusion was correct. Chaotic hunters had started to gather. Bain already had a premonition that things would turn out like that. He had intended to just dismantle the research institute.
‘But there is no guarantee the problem will be settled with that. Since he is trying to settle the audit order by expanding the sector, it is clear he doesn’t have a lot of funds. But there is no guarantee he can’t raise the money within the time limit. He had a spacecraft so he might be able to sell it. Removing the research centre isn’t necessarily the solution. And……’
The research centre had already been constructed. If he took it down then he would receive huge losses. Of course, Laius is one of the 4 big companies so that damage would only be a drop in their wealth. The problem wasn’t the Laius company but Bain.
‘A research centre had already been destroyed!’
What would happen if he caused enormous damage again?
Needless to say, it would be a dismissal! Even if Laius obtained S-20, Bain would still be finished.
‘I have to obtain S-20 in order to live! I have to do whatever it takes!’
In the end, Bain found a way. A way to deal an unrecoverable blow to Ark!
‘That Ark bastard, let’s see you think your way out of this. Yes, laugh while you still can. I’ll soon turn your laughter into tears. I’ll make him realize how stupid it is to mess with the Laius group.’
Bain smiled and asked a guard soldier.
“What is the progress?”
“It has almost been completed. We can start it at any time so you just have to say.”
“The necessary personnel?”
“We’ve failed to reach the target because we’ve had to gather them covertly. But I’ve contacted several organizations and the target number of personnel will soon be gathered.”
“That means we just have to wait.”
Bain looked down at S-20 and grinned.
“Just wait Ark. I’ll soon show you hell!”
——————————————————————————————-
“Hrmm……”
S-20’s main office.
Ark had a solemn expression on his face. Thanks to the chaotic hunters, the influx of pioneers had exceeded 2,000 for 6 days. Now he only needed to wait one more day to apply for a server extension. In the meantime he diligently hunted the chaotic users to ensure he had plenty of funds for the extension. He only needed 1 more day before everything would be settled. His concern had been that the research centre would be demolished. The already completed research centre was in front of the sector. Even if they started demolishing it now, they wouldn’t be able to remove all the facilities in one day. There was also a few days left for the audit command so he could sell the Silver Star to obtain the funds required. But Bain didn’t know this.
‘That’s the problem.’
Nothing had happened!
‘He must have an ulterior motive that I can’t think of……’
Ark had interrupted their plan by releasing the chaotic hunters. But he hadn’t detected any responses to his action.
“Perhaps they just gave up?”
Hegel carefully presented his opinion. But Ark shook his head with a resolute expression.
“That is impossible.”
If it was just the Laius company then they might give up. However Marquis Jyubel was associated with this business. It was a chance to deal a large blow to a rival politician so he wouldn’t easily give up. He probably negotiated to gain a stake in the research centre. But there were no visible actions despite only having one day lef
t.
“Is there really no movement?”
“Apparently.”
Ark replied curtly and looked at the research centre.
“What they are doing is unknown.”
Of course those guys wouldn’t be doing nothing. It just meant the thing they were planning wasn’t visible. He wouldn’t be able to figure out the reason from the outside.
“I need to go there directly if I want to find out the answer.”
“Huh? Go there directly?”
“Those guys won’t let us in!”
“So I have to hide.”
This was the reason for Ark’s serious expression. The thing Bain was planning definitely wouldn’t be small. Right now he had 1 day before he could get permission to extend the sector. Ark had to assume what Bain was planning would happen today. It wasn’t the time to be playing around. The final method Ark came up with was to sneak in! He had to enter the research centre directly in order to figure out Bain’s plan. Confusion appeared on the members’ faces as they heard Ark’s words.
“T-that is ridiculous!”
“Do you know how many guards there are in the research centre? You heard what Tori said when the research centre was being built. The centre has enormous security. Sneaking in is just suicide!”
“I also oppose it.”
Mellin jumped in and shook his head.
“We know better than anyone what a great pioneer you are. But something like this is reckless. You are the administrator of this sector. There is no telling what will happen if you caught. No, you’ll be caught before you even enter.”
“I’ve already thought of a way to enter.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Have you already forgotten? The research centre……”
Ark was replying when he suddenly flinched and shut his mouth. It was like a lightning bolt struck him.
“Oh my god! I had forgotten about that!”
“Forgotten? What do you mean?”
“If what I’m thinking is right……”
Ark muttered like he was spellbound.
“Kalliben, Beleol, have you seen any airships entering or leaving since the research centre was completed?”
“Yes, I saw several airships in the last few days.”
‘That’s it!’
Kalliben’s words combined everything in Ark’s head. Bain hadn’t acted even with the sector expansion time limit approaching. He had finally figured out why after remembering something he forgot. The answer was right in front of him.
“That is what he is planning?”
Ark muttered as he bit his lip.
——————————————————————————————-
“Can we trust him?”
A low voice said in the dark. Another man laughed.
“Who do you think I am?”
“Well, that….”
“Butcher. That is my nickname. I had to kill many people to get that name. That guy won’t be a problem.”
“But those guys aren’t to be trifled with.”
“You still don’t know.”
There were quite a few people in the darkness.
“Aren’t we criminals because we PKed?”
“We did it because monster hunting is boring. The battles were repetitive. This appeased our boredom.”
“Chaotic hunter? Kikiki, how funny. Those bastards don’t know what it means to be chaotic. We have the capabilities to catch those bastards. They’ll find out soon enough. They’ll be so scared that they’ll start pissing their pants.”
“Y-you are so reliable.”
“Then will we get the promised reward?”
“If we don’t get paid after the work is finished……”
The man’s pupils shone with an intimidating light.Then Bain shook his head and answered quickly.
“That will never happen. I’ll make sure you get paid at the end of the day. And I’ll stay here as a personal guarantee until you escape.”
“If you give us the promised fee then you don’t need to worry about anything.”
“Huhuhu, this is quite good. We’re getting paid to slaughter people.”
“I can soak up the taste of blood in a long time.”
‘W-what scary guys…..’
Bain sweated as he looked around. The people around him had malicious auras surrounding them. They were chaotic people who murdered pioneers. This was Bain’s plan. Ark had called in chaotic hunters. The countermeasure Bain came up with was easy. If Ark called in chaotic hunters then he needed to call in more chaotic users. Bain’s subordinates contacted every notorious organization to gather more chaotic users. The final number exceeded 2,000! That was S-20’s current population.
‘There might be 2,000 pioneers in S-20 but only a few hundred of them can take care of the criminals!’
It was clear what would happen if 2,000 chaotic users swarmed that place. The chaotic hunters were strong but the criminals were bad guys. It was like the chaotic hunters were chasing savage birds of prey! S-20 would instantly by turned into ruins. Of course he couldn’t send too many villains into the sector. It might give the federation a chance to intervene and there was a risk of backlash on Bain.
‘If the events take place in the dungeon then the federation can’t intervene.’
That’s why Bain and the criminals were gathered in a dark tunnel. The identity of this tunnel……
-This is a construction site for the Laius company.
Sorry for the inconvenience caused by construction noise.
Laius is going to build an underpass to Mt. Fargo so all pioneers are welcome to use the dungeon for free.
It was the tunnel Bain had advertised when the construction first started on the research centre. In fact, this tunnel had already been completed a few days ago. They didn’t disclose it for the sake of this moment!
‘Huhuhu, you diligently cleaned out the dungeon over the last 6 days? But I won’t let you extend the sector. You won’t be able to stop this.’
“How long do we have to wait in this place?”
“My body is itching to move.”
The chaotic users took out their weapons and started fidgeting. They might be creepy murderers but right now Bain thought they were very reliable.
‘The pioneers in this dungeon would be swept away in seconds. Ark will once again fail to expand the sector. And there is only 2 days left until the audit time limit. He won’t be able to maintain the population in time and he will be stripped of his administrator license!’
This was one of the reasons he didn’t move until the last moment. He wanted to gather more criminals as well as crush all of Ark’s hopes!
‘And now is the time!’
“It is time! Everybody get ready! Make an opening in the tunnel!”
Bain shouted like a general.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
At the same time, the end of the tunnel was torn down with a heavy sound. Dust fell as a cave spread out in front of them. It was Mt. Fargo’s dungeon!
“Enter and kill all the pioneers!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
The criminals cried out like beasts and poured into the dungeon. The yells rang through the dark cave……
“What? There’s nobody here?”
“Weren’t the pioneers crowding here? Where did they all go?”
“What? There isn’t anybody? Such a thing?”
The criminals were looking around in confusion at the empty dungeon.
Ku ku ku ku! Ku ku ku ku!
There was suddenly a loud roar as the tunnel shook. The roaring sound was coming from the rear of the research centre’s tunnel. Bain turned his head with shock as he heard the deafening roar. No, it wasn’t only Bain. The thousands of villains in the tunnel were also astonished. The source of the tunnel’s shaking was…….
“W-water!”
“Water is pouring into the tunnel!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
&
nbsp; They screamed as a giant river swallowed them. Bain lost his spirit as he was caught by the current. Bain and the criminals were swept by the water through the complex dungeon. How much time had passed?
Pepeng-!
Bain reached a sewage pipe and his body soared into the sky. He landed on stone earth and rolled dozens of metres before painfully lifting his head.
“Huh! It really worked.”
“I thought flooding the closed up mountain with water was nonsense……”
“And they are all chaotic. When I went looking they were hard to find. Are they cockroaches? There were that many guys hiding?”
People were buzzing around the criminals. Bain and the criminals had been spurted out of the dungeon by the water. A huge number of pioneers were now surrounding their drenched forms. And the person in front who was watching Bain…..
“A-Ark!”
Bain screamed.
“Isn’t that the director of Laius’ research centre?”
“T-this…..don’t tell me you…..?”
“As expected from the head of the laboratory, your judgement of the situation really is fast.”
Ark said with a smile. Once again, Ark hadn’t noticed Bain’s plan one day ago. Therefore he thought about sneaking into the research centre despite the risk. And he already thought of a way to sneak in.
‘I can enter the centre through the tunnel that Bain advertised would open for free. That means they are constructing that tunnel. If I use the tunnel then I don’t have to sneak past the guards at the door.’
Just as he was thinking that! Ark had forgotten the most important thing.
‘What if the tunnel has already been completed?’
That meant they could freely come and go from the dungeon without going through the sector. Furthermore, the tunnel was inside the research centre. In other words, Bain could send a large number of chaotic users through the tunnel. Kalliben’s testimony supported Ark’s guess. There were several transport ships that completed a few round trips to the research centre. It was already completed so there was no reason for the airship to come and go so often. Then there could only be one reason for the transport ships!
‘Collecting troops!’
It was a no-brainer. It was a rehash of the strategy to decrease S-20’s population with mass PK! But now the situation was different from before. Previously hundreds of people were killed in an instant but now there were people chasing after the chaotic users. Some of them were chaotic hunters who were experts in PVP.
