Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Spendthrift Necromancer (89)

Antlion Pit (1)

After finishing his conversation with the President.

He headed to the auction house.

It was a place where Han Baekgil could easily approach him.

Sure enough, after waiting for a while.

The man eventually walked into the auction house and strode straight toward him.

“Good to see you, Mr. Kim Minwoo.”

Han Baekgil smiled brightly as though he truly meant it and offered a handshake.‘A clone.’As expected of someone with plenty to hide, he'd approached through a clone again this time.

“There's still some time left before the month is up.”

“A month is only an expression. I'd say you've had more than enough time to make your decision by now.”

Han Baekgil spoke firmly.

Apparently he was desperate to hear an answer as soon as possible.

“I refuse.”

“……

Why?”

“Because you're suspicious.”

“…….”

Han Baekgil fell silent at the blunt answer.

Only briefly.

Then he stared at Minwoo and spoke.

“What a shame.”

“If there's nothing else to say, I'll be going.”

Minwoo turned his back and left the auction house.

He'd rejected them so thoroughly there wasn't even room for persuasion, so they should start reacting soon.‘Time to prepare.’So they could all enter the Gate together like good friends.* * *At the place where Shadow's members had gathered.

Han Baekgil, seated at the head of the table, scowled.

“He refused.”

“Why?”

“Said we were suspicious. Seems he never intended to accept from the beginning.”

“Hah. Cocky bastard. Dragged it out all this time too.”

Nobody was particularly shocked by the rejection. Frankly, they were a suspicious organization.

Even they had doubted it at first.

What kind of bullshit was doubled experience? And they had to offer sacrifices and follow missions on top of that?

Anyone with a functioning brain would naturally feel wary.

The only reason the founding members had joined anyway was because their desire to become stronger had been that intense. Besides, when they'd first received the offer, none of them had been in particularly comfortable circumstances. They'd been desperate enough to grasp at straws.

Kim Minwoo, on the other hand, was fundamentally different from everyone they'd recruited until now.

He had wealth, fame, power, and strength. Looking at it objectively, refusing was the normal response.

That was why they remained calmer than expected.

Even while making the offer, they'd privately wondered whether he would actually join.

“……

We should deal with him, right?”

At someone's words, everyone fell silent. Then, one by one, they nodded.

He wasn't merely a variable.

He was a typhoon.

Better extinguish it before the whole house got ripped from its foundations.

The problem was how.

“Reality seems difficult, so we'll probably need to kill him inside a Gate…… but will he give us an opening?”

That was the problem.

Kim Minwoo had long since become a superstar. The moment he entered a Gate, countless people would follow him like a tail. Annoying reporters would swarm him first.

“Exactly. The government might even bring out a Gate detector.”

There was nothing better for stopping assassins.

Those things were expensive per unit, so usually only America provided that kind of service.

But for an Awakened of Kim Minwoo's caliber, it wouldn't be strange for Korea to do the same.

Government agents might even swarm around and escort him.

Han Baekgil spoke calmly.

“I've already requested support from the other national branches. The Chinese and Japanese branches agreed. They'll send at least one S-rank each.”

“That's good.”

“Ultimately, there are two possibilities. He enters a Gate, or he doesn't.”

“Right.”

“If he doesn't enter one, we eliminate him in reality. Even if we have to throw the trainees at him.”

Trainees.

The term referred to newcomers who were still carrying out missions without having received formal Baptism.

The Korean branch had quite a few promising ones.

If they tried eliminating Kim Minwoo in reality, all kinds of problems would bloom.

Starting with killing him and breaking through the perimeter, then escaping the tightening investigation afterward.

Shadow would have to accept considerable sacrifices.

The trainees would be offerings for that purpose.

“Of course, the trainees alone may not be enough. If that happens, some of us will have to sacrifice ourselves too.”

“…….”

Everyone fell silent.

“Do you agree?”

“……

Fine.”

“I agree.”

“We can't go soft. I understand.”

Han Baekgil nodded and continued.

“If he enters a Gate, we follow him in. After killing him, everyone escapes on their own.”

“Fine. But what if they use a detector too? There'll be Awakened everywhere…….”

“……

Then we'll have no choice but to break through by force.”

Han Baekgil's eyes turned chilling.

“……

He's too dangerous. Even if more than half of us have to die here, we need to kill him now. We cannot give him more time.”

“……

Whew.”

Someone exhaled nervously.

Entering the Gate itself wasn't a problem. Dealing with the people guarding the entrance wasn't difficult for Shadow.

The real problem came afterward.

They'd be swarmed like dogs once they emerged, and they were supposed to endure that?

Would it really end with only half of them dying?

They'd be lucky if even one or two survived.

Yet nobody could carelessly object.

Would a detector be used only once?

If the government tried it once, they could try twice, three times.

They might even start using one every time Kim Minwoo entered a Gate. If Shadow refused to attack because that was too burdensome, eventually the man would grow strong enough to devour them instead.

Even with double leveling speed, they couldn't keep pace with him.

Something about Kim Minwoo was fundamentally different.

He hadn't even been Awakened for three months, yet he already toyed with someone on Jo Pilwook's level. That said enough.

“The best scenario would be if he disguises himself again like last time.”

“True. Then public attention would stay quiet too.”

What if he disguised himself again like when he'd cleared Ulfawlu Forest?

If Shadow could discover it beforehand, that would be the ideal scenario.

Disguising himself meant avoiding attention, which meant they could intrude without any burden either.

“But would he really do that? He knows some shady bastard already approached him.”

Everyone subtly glanced toward Han Baekgil.

“……

I never revealed my strength. So he probably thinks I'm just some cult recruiter.”

“Then it might not be completely impossible. Look at how that bastard acted early after Awakening. He didn't want attention, remember?”A fastest clear of an F-rank Gate?

This was someone who'd slaughtered Lee Seoyoon at low level.

He could've cleared not merely an F-rank Gate, but E- or D-rank Gates too.

Yet he'd started from F-rank.

And when he went to Ulfawlu Forest, he'd even disguised his identity.

Back then he'd hidden himself because his level was low, but was Kim Minwoo's level high now?

Not really.

The chance that he would use a forged identity again?Not zero.

Just fairly low.

“For now, put someone on his mansion.”

Everyone nodded at Han Baekgil's words.

If the Japanese and Chinese branches sent S-rank personnel.

There would be seven, Numbers One through Seven.

Add Han Baekgil and the two reinforcements.

That made ten S-rank Awakened in total.

And that wasn't all.

The trainees weren't weak either.

They ranged evenly from B-rank to A-rank.

Kim Minwoo's skill in defeating Jo Pilwook had certainly been impressive, but.‘With this much, there's no way we fail to kill him.’Everyone was convinced.

That was how excessive the force being committed was.

But this was still wiser than sitting still until a spark burned down the entire thatched house.

“I'll open the Treasure Hall. Everyone, prepare.”

Everyone nodded.

Not every person gathered here was an Assassin, but that didn't matter.

The Treasure Hall contained plenty of stealth-related items.

At minimum, they could easily fool the people guarding a Gate.

He had slapped away the hand they'd offered.

Now it was time to hunt him.* * *Minwoo received a disguise.

Demon Castle.

He intended to go quietly.‘That way they'll intrude without feeling pressured.’He thought about Shadow's members.Stage 6 meant their composition might have changed.

Or perhaps not.

Either way.‘They've probably all passed Level 500 by now.’If the experience-doubling event Han Baekgil mentioned was real, the core members should be fairly high-level.‘Eight S-ranks at minimum.’Han Baekgil.

And Numbers One through Seven.

If the lineup remained the same, that made eight total.

Some miscellaneous people would probably be mixed in too.

Did Minwoo think he couldn't beat them?‘Not particularly.’Not all S-ranks were equal. From Minwoo's perspective, Shadow's members were hollow Awakened who merely had high levels. He'd long since become accustomed to killing people like that.

Of course, there could still be variables.

The being Shadow worshiped.

Perhaps that being had granted them something strange besides doubled experience.‘I need to account for that kind of variable.’That was also why he'd chosen Demon Castle.

The moment the hidden piece activated.

The map changed into something rather entertaining. Shadow would probably scream with joy too.‘And if they don't come, whatever.’He'd simply hunt normally.

If they came, he'd offer them as sacrifices, activate the hidden piece, and play with them. Either choice cost Kim Minwoo nothing.‘Wonder how many Achievement Points I'll get…….’Numbers One through Seven.

Their positions were higher than Lee Seoyoon's, but that was only true right now.

These hollow S-ranks would fall behind the competition as time passed. There was a good chance they wouldn't even qualify as supporting characters later.

Han Baekgil was different.

In terms of story importance, he was a villain important enough to aim for a main-character-level role.

He was the real catch.

If Minwoo killed Han Baekgil and triggered the Achievement Vending Machine too?‘Five hundred points, maybe?’Five hundred points meant an S-rank Bound Skill Book.

He'd already tasted just how incredible Land of Death could be.

If he gained even one more Skill like that, his heart would feel much more secure.‘Or I can buy something else.’There was no downside to earning points.

He summoned Cedric and Merhen.

“We're going to a Gate. The main hunt will probably be the bastards following us rather than the monsters.”―……

Like that Assassin from last time?

“Yeah.”―Understood.

Merhen nodded as well.

Minwoo had already confirmed what kinds of magic she could use.

Preparations were complete.

He left the house.

After getting into an ordinary car, he began traveling. Before long, he entered Incheon, where the Gate was located.

Soldiers and Awakened stood guard at the checkpoint.

There was practically no line.

To clear a B-rank Gate, Awakened of the same rank needed to form a party, and from this point onward the population dropped sharply.

He presented an A-rank forged ID.

It was an identity he'd obtained after speaking with the President. A-rank Awakened were rare, but the public didn't know every last one.

For S-ranks, people knew almost every face.

With A-ranks, they usually recognized only the famous names.

Perhaps because of that, neither the soldiers nor the Awakened found the unfamiliar name particularly strange.

“A-rank Awakened Han Jinwook. Confirmed. Live long.”

“Yes. Take care.”

He walked slowly forward and entered the Gate.[You have entered B-rank Gate, Demon Castle!]

Inside a pitch-black castle.

After entering, he waited for a while.

Messages began appearing one after another.[Warning!][There is currently 1 outsider inside the Gate…….][Warning!][Warning!][Warning!][Warning!]

Warning messages rang out like crazy.

The final message was.[Warning! There are currently 19 outsiders inside the Gate!]

“They brought a lot.”

A B-rank Gate allowed a maximum of twenty people inside each sector.

At this point, they'd practically stuffed every body they could inside.

He summoned Cedric and Merhen.

It was time to begin the hunt.