Chapter 236: Fishing (2)
Tat-tat-tat-tat—
A loud noise echoed as three helicopters descended in succession onto the rooftop helipad. The powerful wind sent not just my hair but even my scarf whipping violently.
Personnel from the Achates Defense Bureau approached the helicopters. Among them were A-rank to S-rank guards, though they seemed to be there purely as escort forces. The ones who looked like high-ranking officials were mostly C-rank or lower.
‘It’s not like high-rank Awakeners are incompetent, so… did they deliberately block B-rank and above from holding high office?’
If someone with S-rank stats also gained political influence, they’d be hard to control. Still, it was unfair. It’s not like being born a high-rank Awakener was a choice. If they wanted to discriminate, they shouldn’t have let people awaken in the first place—using their power while treating them like this.
‘…Our city had Awakener discrimination issues too.’
Especially with standardized tests and civil service exams—D-rank and above Awakeners naturally had superior stamina, making it unfair to test them under the same conditions. There was a lot of controversy over that. The ban on minors awakening later on had ethical concerns, but the exam issue played a huge role. Even if the world were ending tomorrow, students would still be students.
The helicopter doors opened, and an S-rank guard was the first to step out. Then, that bastard appeared.
Ignoring the Achates personnel trying to speak to him, his golden eyes locked onto me instantly. As if he had known exactly where I was before even stepping off the aircraft, his gaze found me without hesitation.
I forced a smile. Sigma’s eyes curved slightly as well.
And then—
Bang!
“S-Sigma, sir?”
“What’s going on all of a sudden?!”
Startled voices erupted all around.
I didn’t make a sound. I was sitting on the ground in shock.
‘…That son of a bitch.’
A chain was embedded into the wall barely a meter above my head. Large cracks spread across the surface, and debris rained down onto my shoulders and hair.
The moment our eyes met, that golden chain had shot toward me, aiming directly for my neck.
‘If I were F-rank, my head would be rolling on the floor right now.’
He must have calculated it so that I could barely dodge, but that just pissed me off more. Was he mocking me?
With a scraping sound, the chain retracted, slithering back toward its owner. More debris crumbled and fell in the process.
That hurt, you bastard.
“There was a bug.”
“…Excuse me?”
The surrounding people looked bewildered at Sigma’s casual remark, though they quickly adjusted their expressions.
“Well, since we’re outdoors, yes. That’s possible. But rest assured, we have excellent pest control indoors.”
One of the Achates staff members tried to keep a straight face as they spoke.
I dusted the stone fragments off my clothes and stood up. When I glared at him, Sigma simply smiled silently.
That arrogant piece of shit.
‘Let’s talk.’
I mouthed the words at him.
He had SS-rank perception—he should be able to pick up on it. …Or would he? Auto-translation worked fine, but it’s not like he’d be using Korean.
“Would you like to check on Alpha first?”
“No, I’m exhausted from traveling all night.”
The Achates personnel promptly offered to escort him to his quarters. I quietly followed behind as they led him indoors.
As a VIP, Sigma was taken to a private suite on the top floor. Once inside, he dismissed everyone, choosing to rest alone.
Good. He had understood what I said.
I waited until the area was completely clear, then knocked softly. A moment later, the door unlocked automatically.
The first thing that caught my eye as I stepped inside was the glass-paneled wall. It offered an unobstructed view of the cityscape below.
With the lights on at night, it would practically be a beacon for monsters. Hopefully, it had some special coating to prevent light from leaking out.
‘Not that I’ll have time to enjoy the view anyway.’
What a pointless luxury.
They should’ve spent that money improving Alpha’s treatment instead.
Thinking about it pissed me off again.
“Hello, Sigma—”
I stopped mid-sentence, nearly cursing out loud.
What the hell?
That was me.
Sitting quietly on the sofa.
The Doppelganger Doll I had left behind at the Solemnise Defense Bureau was still intact, seated neatly like it was simply dozing off. It looked exactly like me, down to the smallest detail.
I hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but seeing it now… it felt disturbing.
“…The duration was supposed to be only one day.”
“I replenished its mana. That extended its lifespan.”
Sigma emerged from another room as he spoke. He had already changed into a light shirt and pants.
So the duration could be extended. But why had he bothered keeping it?
Was it evidence?
It would certainly be useful for issuing a bounty.
“Would you like a drink?”
Sigma set down a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table.
“Would you drink something without knowing what’s in it?”
“I don’t see the need for poison in this situation.”
Fair point. At this distance, there was no chance of escaping anyway.
He sat down first—right next to my doppelgänger.
They looked unnecessarily friendly.
Gross.
I took a seat on the opposite sofa.
“I didn’t expect you to show up so easily. Thought I’d have to search for days. This is surprising.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. You’ve already heard everything by now, haven’t you?”
I leaned back against the sofa, deliberately crossing my legs.
I also clasped my hands together over my knee.
Should I have taken off the scarf?
It didn’t really suit the look.
“I’ll compensate you generously. I’ll even return the items I took without any fuss.”
“They must be quite valuable.”
“SS-rank equipment? Compared to Alpha, they’re nothing more than scattered pebbles. No, that’s too much—let’s say glass beads instead.”
“Alpha, huh.”
Sigma smirked slightly as he poured wine into a glass. Given that he was SS-rank, he’d get drunk much slower than a certain S-rank someone, but he was still trying to set the mood.
“I received reports that a C-rank with a skill capable of calming Alpha has appeared.”
“It’s more than just ‘calming.’ It’s a skill that guarantees full control. Thanks to the Achates Defense Bureau making things nice and easy for me.”
I made sure my expression was as arrogant and confident as possible. I refused to think about my brother’s current state. This wasn’t about Han Yuhyun. This was about an SS-rank guard named Alpha—someone I’d never met before, whose face I never even knew, whose name I still didn’t know.
“So, please. Don’t interfere.”
I knew it wouldn’t work, but I lowered my voice as menacingly as I could.
“Alpha is mine.”
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Of course. The Achates people don’t know about my stealth skill. No one but Alpha, an SS-rank guard, could possibly detect me. That’s why pretending to cooperate while extracting Alpha was a simple matter—until you showed up.”
“Should I be apologizing, then?”
“If you’ve already blabbed about my stealth skill to Achates, then yes, please apologize.”
“They’re all tight-lipped, so you can rest easy.”
That’s a relief. Since inter-city communication was severely restricted, if Sigma was saying so, then my stealth ability hadn’t been exposed. Not yet, at least. Eventually, word would get out, of course. There were still people traveling by land.
“A C-rank trying to tame an SS-rank. It’s an interesting ambition, but I don’t see any reason why I should help you.”
“What do you want, then?”
I stared at him, my gaze heavy, as if to say, Name your price. If only I were taller—then I could look down at him with proper arrogance.
Sigma lightly traced the rim of his wine glass, his lips curling into a faint smile.
“A C-rank who has tamed an SS-rank… That could be enough to cover the damages.”
“‘Enough’? Have you lost your mind? You’re just an SS-rank yourself.”
Sitting there, thinking he could take both Alpha and me for himself. How greedy.
“Do you even have anything else you could offer me? I do have quite a lot already.”
“I have plenty. But what I’m proposing is information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. But first, let’s draft a contract.”
I held out my hand. Sigma stared at my palm. When he did nothing, I waved my hand impatiently.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have a high-grade contract. Hand it over. Preferably one with severe penalties.”
“You’re good at taking advantage, aren’t you?”
“If you’re not interested, we can forget it.”
“If we forget it, isn’t that your loss?”
“Funny coming from you. If I just give up here, wouldn’t that be boring? Our encounters have been brief, but have I ever disappointed you? No, right? I’d say I’ve built quite a bit of trust.”
“Your trust level is so high that it’d be entertaining to put a leash on you right here and now.”
“…You’re way too quick to get attached. Try being a little more hard to get.”
Sigma retrieved a contract from his inventory. An SS-rank one.
“The basic terms are: you won’t interfere with me until Alpha is freed, and in return, once I’ve secured Alpha, I’ll provide you with valuable information.”
“And if the information isn’t satisfactory?”
“Then you can have me and Alpha—wrapped up as a 1+1 package. Isn’t that a fantastic deal?”
Since we’d be binding this with a high-level contract, he wouldn’t be able to pretend it wasn’t good enough. And the information I had to offer? I didn’t even need to elaborate. Just revealing that this world wasn’t real—that it was merely a shell of a world left behind—would be more than enough to shake him.
…Though I did worry he might react too aggressively to that revelation.
The contract terms clearly favored Sigma, so he agreed without much hesitation. Best-case scenario, he’d get everything he wanted. It would be foolish to refuse.
We wrote out the finer details, primarily focusing on ensuring Sigma wouldn’t take any actions that could interfere with Alpha’s escape.
“You can’t just nudge someone else into dealing with Alpha, either. Any action that could influence Alpha in any way is strictly forbidden. If Achates requests your help, just make up an excuse about being too tired.”
Once all the details were settled, only the signatures remained. Sigma signed first.
What the—he just signed ‘Sigma.’
I mean, the act of signing was the important part, so a pseudonym wouldn’t have been impossible. Still, I just wrote down ‘C-rank’ for myself.
“What’s your name?”
Sigma asked as he examined the contract.
Oh, now he wants to ask?
Not that he even introduced himself properly. Besides, if he’d received information about me already, he should know my name. Did he just want to hear me say it myself?
“Han Yujin.”
“I see. Han Yujin.”
“…That thing you’re looking at is a doll.”
“I know, C-rank.”
You arrogant, insufferable SS-rank bastard.
His personality was awful.
Once both signatures were in place, the contract automatically split into two copies.
How convenient.
I took my copy and stood up.
“For my convenience, summon me here. Say you want to consult with a C-rank who has a special skill. Since the doll is here, it’ll be easy to make it look like I’m staying.”
“And besides that?”
“Nothing else.”
I cut him off firmly.
“Just sit back and watch while picking up whatever scraps fall your way, Sigma.”
Not sure if they even have rice cakes in this place.
[☆★ Hidden Quest Achieved!! ☆★]
As soon as I left Sigma’s quarters using my stealth skill, another quest notification popped up. They were handing these out like candy. Not that I was complaining.
[Successfully Struck a Deal With Just an SS-rank!
You’ve successfully made a contract with an Awakener far above your own rank! In celebration, your generous partner is emptying their pockets just for you! You needed more points, right?
Reward: 500,000P]
Holy—half a million points?
I did need them. I had a pricey item to buy, and I’d probably need at least two or three master keys to rescue Yuhyun. Much appreciated. This’ll make things a lot easier.
After returning to my quarters and waiting briefly, a Defense Bureau employee arrived, informing me that Sigma had summoned me. I readily accepted, then simply opened and closed Sigma’s door before slipping out of the Bureau entirely.
There were still a few hours before sunset, so the streets were bustling.
‘This is where things get tricky.’
To safely rescue Yuhyun, I first needed to eliminate the two S-rank guards connected to his engraving. I had a method in mind, but to lure them to the right location, I needed bait. I’d already decided on the bait—it was just a matter of finding it.
‘Maybe I should’ve gotten a little help from Sigma.’
No, it wasn’t worth getting entangled with him. He’d try to take more than what he gave, and keeping a proper distance was better. He was too unpredictable—if I had altered the contract to leave room for him to assist me, there was no telling when he might turn on me. It was wiser to block him off completely, leaving no loopholes for him to exploit.
I discreetly borrowed a scooter from a storage area, put on a mask, and dropped my stealth skill. I figured I’d start by heading toward the slums, so I followed the road.
[Wolves of Achates]
A quest window appeared.
[In Achates City, there is a group dissatisfied with the numerous restrictions placed on combat guards. Seek them out and learn more about their circumstances.
Route: Turn right at Trofogo Central Road, Zone 3 — Turn right at Pubei City Department Store — Follow the signs to the east entrance of Nabisae Park — Across the street, third grocery store in the shopping district.
Reward: 100P]
…Rookie, I’m touched.
How did they know exactly what I needed?
There was no way there weren’t people disgruntled by Achates’ strict treatment of guards. In fact, one of the people in this group was an S-rank guard—a wanted fugitive with a bounty, related by blood to an official Defense Bureau S-rank guard.
And as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Following Rookie’s directions, I rode off. Before long, I arrived in front of the designated grocery store. Parking the scooter, I stepped inside.
Ding-ling.
A bell chimed as the door opened.
“Hello~”
“Welcome!”
A man with a friendly demeanor greeted me warmly. There were no other customers at the moment. Since he was a non-Awakener, I removed my mask without concern.
His eyes widened in surprise. Though he quickly corrected his expression, there was no doubt—he recognized me.
I had found the right place.
“It looks like you recognize me, but just in case—I’m Han Yujin, a C-rank guard recently assigned to the Achates Defense Bureau. I have an interesting proposal. Would you like to hear it?”
“A proposal? I’m just a simple grocery store owner.”
“I find the conditions and treatment offered by the Defense Bureau… quite unsatisfactory.”
Leaning against the counter, I flashed a bright smile.
“I was thinking of turning the whole thing upside down. Would that interest you?”
“…That’s quite the dangerous statement. What you just said could be considered treason.”
“Oh no, what a shame. An opportunity like this won’t come again.”
“Then, let’s hear it.”
The voice didn’t come from the man in front of me—it came from the back of the store.
Without changing my expression, I turned to face him.
An A-rank. A middle-aged man.
There had been no bell sound at the entrance, meaning he had emerged from a room inside. And judging by his face, I had seen him before—on a wanted poster.
Bounty: Twenty million L.
“My stats are only C-rank, so please go easy on me~”
“If you’re a serious guest, you’ll be treated with proper courtesy.”
I followed the older man further inside.
If things went smoothly, this would all be over by tonight.
Just hold on a little longer, Yuhyun.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt