Beneath the Han River – Part 1
The first step was the eradication of the Dark Jaguar Cult.
The proper way to enter the Forbidden Zone was through the Han River.
In game terms, it was the standard dungeon strategy.
With just basic scuba gear, one could enter easily.
‘But the difficulty is another story.’
It was a frontal assault, after all.
The cultists of the Evil God would be fully prepared and waiting for my arrival.
‘Stealth is an option too.’
The second method was to infiltrate through the Forbidden Zone’s emergency exit.
As long as I wasn’t detected, I could clear the place with ease.
I’d also get my hands on classified documents and various treasures.
Originally, these were items the Dark Jaguar Cult had discarded.
But after thinking it through rationally, I decided to abandon that approach.
I wasn’t an assassin.
The only assassin-related traits I had were [Stealth] and [Feign Death].
With just these two, remaining undetected was nearly impossible.
At some point, I’d inevitably be caught, chaos would ensue, and I’d end up losing both my loot and my chance to complete the mission.
‘I really want to secure those documents, though.’
The treasures didn’t matter much.
There wasn’t a single piece of magical equipment worth coveting.
But the classified documents—I needed to confirm what was in them.
In the game, they only appeared as “Documents written in code” or “Unreadable,” but who knew?
Maybe the experts at Geumo Group could decipher something.
‘The third method.’
A method that wasn’t available in the game.
I would use a strategy that only lore-obsessed veterans on the forums had speculated about.
“The Chairman has something to help with.”
“What is it?”
“You’ve heard where the Dark Jaguar cultists are, right?”
“Yes. Under the Han River. Seems like they’ve set up a Forbidden Zone.”
“That’s correct. That’s where I’m starting.”
“Would you like me to provide a magic chip for fish transformation? Or an underwater breathing chip?”
That was the standard approach, but if I had only needed that, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.
I fanned my open palm as if cooling myself off.
“I’m going to dry up the Han River.”
“…Excuse me? What did you just say?”
“There are about twenty dams along the Han River, right? Contact them and have them halt all water discharge. A few days from now, once the water level has dropped sufficiently, we’ll set up large-scale moisture-blocking barriers and evaporation spells to expose the riverbed. Then, we’ll fire an Interdimensional Shock Bomb at the Forbidden Zone’s entrance to force them out.”
In the real world, the Han River had about fifteen dams.
More or less. But in this world, there were a few extra.
Seong Huiyeong looked at me, utterly dumbfounded.
“Wait… Black Tiger Swordmaster, do you have money to burn? Do you even know how much an Interdimensional Shock Bomb costs?”
“It’s a warning.”
“A warning?”
“A standard infiltration of the Forbidden Zone would be efficient, sure, but it wouldn’t serve as a proper example.”
“An example…”
“Chairman, look around.”
I pointed outside the window with my finger.
Then I gestured toward the hallway outside and the ceiling above.
“This matter is already all over the news. By tonight, there won’t be a single person in the country who doesn’t know about it. And it won’t just be our country—people overseas will know too.”
“My apologies, Chairman.”
Kim, the aide, bowed his head unnecessarily.
Seong Huiyeong seemed to grasp my point.
“So you’re saying we need to utterly crush them?”
It was the same reason I had overturned Guro Stronghold.
A display of power. Relentless retribution.
A declaration that anyone who crossed me would regret it.
“At the same time, we won’t give them any time to clean up their base. They don’t yet know I’ve discovered their hideout, but the moment I enter the Forbidden Zone, they’ll realize it.”
“Aha. So you’re planning to mix something into the Interdimensional Shock Bomb? Not outright destroy the place?”
“We can’t destroy it. Who knows what’s inside?”
A grass-cutting operation, a rabbit-hole burning strategy.
To pull it off, I had to move like lightning.
Before they could even grasp the external situation, I had to drain the river and launch the bomb.
Seong Huiyeong tapped the bedside railing.
“Hearing you out, it makes sense. It’ll cost a bit, but the results will be clear. However, there’s one issue.”
“Go ahead.”
“The moisture-blocking barrier and large-scale evaporation spell—where are you planning to set them up? If you place them the way they do for bridge construction, the cultists will notice and escape first.”
In this world, bridge construction was incredibly easy.
With the right magic, you could completely drain the water.
In the real world, the Han River Bridge was built in 1917.
But in this world, magic had allowed it to be built as early as the Joseon Dynasty.
It had burned down during the Imjin War, though.
“I’ve got a way.”
I grinned at Seong Huiyeong.
A meeting of the minds.
She caught on, a glimmer of realization flashing in her eyes.
“Skidbladnir?”
“Correct.”
“Haha! Alright, I understand your plan, Black Tiger Swordmaster. Let’s do it. I’ll cover all the costs. Just make sure you get results. Though I doubt I even need to say that.”
“You can count on it.”
I moved immediately.
Seong Huiyeong, still lying down, made a call. Meanwhile, I retrieved the Sky Ship from a remote mountain village in Gangwon Province.
I summoned Choi Sunsoo, called for Kim Chulkwon, and placed an order with Kim Mabeob through the Sun Mage Tower.
“Whoa! So this is it? This thing is amazing!”
Kim Mabeob, seeing the Sky Ship for the first time, couldn’t hide his excitement.
I thought he was only obsessed with flying cars, but apparently not.
He ran his hand over the golden surface, fidgeting like he needed to pee.
“Hyung! Hyung! Can I take this for a test flight just once?”
“No.”
“Ah, come on! You wouldn’t even let me borrow the Red Cougar!”
“If I let you, the magic spirit would cry and beg for death. I’ve never seen a magic spirit cry before, but it did.”
“That was just an act! An act!”
“The Tower Master also specifically told me never to let you borrow it.”
“Ah, that old geezer!”
Kim Mabeob looked like he was about to turn into a villainous rebel son, burning with filial betrayal.
I lightly jumped onto the deck.
Up top, ship modifications were in full swing.
“Hey! Handle that carefully!”
The one overseeing the modifications was none other than Seo Woojin.
He was shouting, veins popping in his neck.
“The angle is off! Follow the blueprint exactly! Precisely!”
“It’s just a slight misalignment, what’s the big deal?”
“It’s magic! Magic! If it’s not assembled correctly, the whole thing will explode! Do you have any idea how much this ship is worth? 1 billion dollars! Not won, but dollars! If this thing blows up, even if we strip you of your mana circuits, mana heart, and mana-infused spinal fluid, you still wouldn’t be able to repay it!”
“Damn. Alright, alright!”
Even the workers were all superhumans.
They wore magic-enhanced sunglasses, aligning components according to augmented-reality blueprints.
A grand magic barrier, a high-grade magic activation array.
Mana cannons, magic gatling guns, automated missile launchers, and more.
Thanks to the superhuman workers who moved as if they were flying, this legendary magical ship was steadily taking on the form of a modern magitek battleship.
“You’re all working hard.”
“Teacher!”
Seo Woojin greeted me with a bright smile.
“The modifications are going smoothly! Give us a few more days, and we’ll be done.”
“I knew you’d pull it off.”
“Haha. It won’t be perfect, though. This is just a temporary armament. If we want to do it properly, we’ll need to dedicate more time.”
“I’ll count on you then too.”
“Of course! Just leave it to me!”
That was Seo Woojin for you.
He had already proven himself by constructing a land battleship in the game, so leaving it in his hands should be fine.
“Director Kim! No, Black Tiger Swordmaster!”
Vroom!
Dozens of SUVs roared onto the scene, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A man with a gleaming, bald head leaped out.
Every time I saw him, he seemed balder.
The President of the Hunter Association.
I hadn’t seen him since the Monster Village Chameleon Incident.
“I came as soon as I got the request. You need long-range support?”
“Yes. It shouldn’t be too difficult. You just need to attack from the deck of my ship.”
“Haha! Easy! Too easy! Hunters! This is practically free money! Didn’t I tell you? Just listen to our Black Tiger Swordmaster, and good fortune will follow!”
“Ahahaha!”
The hunters burst into laughter.
Most of them were Level 3 or Level 4.
That was more than enough.
With my command and leadership traits enhancing their attacks, their firepower would surpass that of the ship’s main cannons.
“Hello, friend.”
The Hunter Association wasn’t the only one that had arrived.
A woman, oddly dressed in a bright yellow dress, came running in with a group of mutants.
A humanoid entirely composed of electricity.
A three-eyed being with an additional eye on its forehead.
An Asura with three heads and six arms, an owl-headed human, a bird that carried thunderstorms, and more.
“Huh?”
“M-m-m-mutants?”
The only ones startled were the workers.
Ah, and Kim Mabeob too—he instinctively spewed fire in shock.
But I simply waved my hand nonchalantly.
“Been doing well?”
“Thanks to you. Who’s this human? A half-mutant?”
“He had a Phoenix Circuit implanted. That’s why he looks like that.”
“What a strange human.”
The woman—Skull Serpent—stared intently at Kim Mabeob, who hesitated before lowering his hand.
“I-I thought they were mutants.”
“That’s rude.”
“I apologize.”
From where Kim Mabeob stood, the hunters and mutants were casually exchanging high-fives.
“Hey, do you still fart like crazy when you’re drunk?”
“Hmph! That was because I overexerted myself hunting down terrorists! I could take you on anytime now!”
“Yeah, right. You passed out before midnight last time. How about a drink after this job?”
“Deal! You damn human!”
Still on good terms, it seemed.
Seeing all the mutants that had shown up, I nodded to myself.
It wasn’t just the long-range specialists who had come—they had brought anyone who had free time.
That was fine.
We could make use of the mana cannons.
“Greetings, Black Tiger Swordmaster.”
“Oh, a mage.”
A magician from the Sun Mage Tower approached.
An elderly man with snow-white hair.
What was his name again?
Yu… something.
The very same mage responsible for high-level magical realization and the one who had invited me to the Sun Mage Tower.
I had known his name back then, but I had forgotten it since.
“The barriers and magic arrays are fully set up. But are you really going to use them as disposable assets? That seems like such a waste.”
“I won’t be using them for deep-sea diving, so there’s no need to keep them.”
“Well… that’s true. In that case, you should install something else in their place.”
“I’m considering my options. I’ll leave it to you once I decide.”
“Hahaha. Very well. I’ll make sure they’re engraved to perfection.”
The fundamentals of a mobile stronghold.
Climate control, environmental regulation, durability enhancements, artificial Forbidden Zone creation, defensive barriers—these were all things I could install.
The issue was money and materials, not feasibility.
I could always commission the Sun Mage Tower for it.
I ran my hand over the Sky Ship.
Its armaments, painted silver to match the hull, gleamed.
We didn’t have enough time to install massive turrets or large-caliber main guns, but this was still more than enough.
Honestly, it was overkill.
For wiping out a mere cult, this level of firepower was excessive.
Even without the Hunter Association or the Monster Village joining in, we would’ve had more than enough firepower.
“Impressive.”
After all preparations were complete, Seong Huiyeong spoke from the ship’s bridge.
Vrrrm, vrrrrm.
The bridge had also undergone some changes.
Especially the seat where the Red Cougar was stationed.
The tangled mess of haphazardly connected wires was gone.
A magic ring had been installed in the captain’s seat, and smaller magic rings had been embedded into various parts of the Red Cougar, linking them together.
A bright halo of light connected them, like a bridge of rainbows.
[Master. Launch preparations are complete. The Han River water level has reached its lowest point. Upon arrival, we can fully evaporate the water in the target area within one minute of activating the magic array.]
“Good.”
I sat in the captain’s chair.
One of the best things about the modifications was how comfortable it was to control the ship, even while Red Cougar was connected.
Before, Red Cougar had obstructed my view, but not anymore.
The controls had also changed.
Instead of an old-fashioned ship’s wheel, I now had a state-of-the-art fighter jet joystick fitting snugly in my hand.
“The operation begins now.”
[Sky Ship launching. All passengers, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Launching in 3, 2, 1… Sky Ship, launch!]
The Sky Ship was the size of an aircraft carrier.
Naturally, it moved sluggishly.
That is, only when I wasn’t directly piloting it.
[Boarding] [Piloting] [Synchronization]
[Mana Burst] [Air Raid] [Mobility]
But what if I was the one piloting it?
And what if I optimized it with my trait set?
Kwaaaaa-boom!
Lightning struck.
The massive ship shot up like a cannonball.
The large clearing where it had been docked flipped in an instant.
The shockwave from the launch blasted apart trees, ground, and boulders like a bombing run.
“Mother of—!”
Seong Huiyeong, who had been arrogantly lounging without fastening her seatbelt, let out a scream.
She wasn’t the only one.
Wails erupted from all around.
I checked the passengers’ conditions through Geumo Vision, then lost interest.
They were all superhumans—no one was actually injured.
A little shaken, maybe.
Kuuuuuuung! Kwooooom!
A mana explosion propelled the Sky Ship forward in earnest.
It tore through the clouds, flying like a monstrous wolf.
Fast.
The journey, which would have taken two and a half hours, was completed in just thirty minutes.
That was impressive, but it didn’t quite satisfy me.
‘Still slower than Red Cougar.’
Red Cougar was a supersonic flying car.
The Sky Ship was huge, so reaching supersonic speed was tough, but shouldn’t it at least hit half the speed of sound?
I should create a few more traits.
Just doubling the speed here would be a good start.
“We’re approaching Yeouido!”
Seo Woojin, seated in the tactical chair, called out.
I nodded and rose from the captain’s seat.
“All hands, combat positions.”
“All hands, combat positions!”
The superhumans who had been seated moved to their stations.
Melee specialists took their seats at the mana cannon turrets.
Ranged attackers positioned themselves at the firing ports lining the deck.
The Hunter Association President flexed his right hand, summoning a magic crossbow.
On the other side, Skull Serpent ripped off one of her own finger bones and loaded it as ammunition.
“Uh…?”
“A ship? A ship is flying in the sky!”
“Is this a civil defense drill?”
“There weren’t any alarms, though…”
At the Han River Park in Yeouido, citizens out enjoying a spring picnic looked up at us.
The newly installed detection system was so precise that if I wanted to, I could even eavesdrop on their conversations.
Vrrrm. Vrrrrm.
We reached our target area.
Just northeast of Yeouido.
Between Mapo Bridge and Wonhyo Bridge.
The Forbidden Zone entrance that had been secretly investigated.
To be exact, the entire stretch between Bamseom and Nodeul Island was the entrance.
Which meant all the water between Bamseom and Nodeul Island had to be drained.
“The operation begins.”
“Operation start!”
“Deploying grand magic!”
Wuuuuuuung. Wuuuuuung.
The barriers and magic arrays activated.
The sky-darkening Sky Ship.
The magic engraved on its deck.
All of it projected downward, piercing into the Han River.
Paaah!
The river water began to evaporate rapidly.
At the same time, it receded.
This wasn’t just a simple moisture-blocking barrier.
Per the chief mage’s suggestion, a human-restriction spell had been added.
To prevent the Dark Jaguar Cult members from escaping the Forbidden Zone.
Swaaaaaaah.
One minute.
The riverbed was laid bare.
Next, the concentrated illumination activated.
A shimmering distortion appeared in the air.
Like scattered shards of metal, light bent unnaturally, forming long, wide cracks.
“Fire the Interdimensional Bomb.”
“Firing Interdimensional Bomb!”
Thunk! Thud-thud!
Missiles launched.
Their thrusters ignited, carrying them forward with black-flame catalysts and interdimensional vibration payloads.
They weaved through the air like writhing serpents before plunging into the Forbidden Zone.
Silence.
The moment before battle.
The air was charged—not overly tense, but perfectly focused, locking onto the exposed riverbed.
And then, at last—
“Uwaaah!”
“Kkgh…!”
“Cough! Kuhack!”
People in diving suits burst out.
Coughing into their oxygen masks.
They blinked in confusion, scanning their surroundings.
“What the hell? What’s going on?”
They had thought they were still beneath the Han River.
But they were wrong.
The moment they emerged in their diving suits, unarmed and unprepared, their fate was sealed.
I brought my lips to the captain’s mic.
Activating [Command] and [Leadership], I spoke a single, short order.
“Commence bombardment.”
–TL Notes–
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