Chapter 209: Whose Palm Is It?

Episode 209

The next afternoon,

two men were talking inside the Paladin Director’s office.

Director Graham stood behind his desk, looking down at some documents.

“…You got everyone’s approval, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

Captain Lee Sung-choon stood in front of the desk, answering his question.

“All Major Clans have agreed to temporarily assign at least 20 members to the task force, including at least one team leader-level executive.”

“What’s their average skill level?”

“Mostly the lowest among Major Clan members. And only one executive on average.”

Graham chuckled wryly at Lee Sung-choon’s answer.

“As expected. Those selfish bastards wouldn’t give up their main forces.”

Lee Sung-choon, also making a similar expression, said,

“But the Alpha Clan assigned their entire Team 3 to the task force, including Team Leader Jackson.”

“I know.”

Graham replied immediately.

“The Alpha Clan has to contribute at least that much. There’s no point in forming a task force if they don’t.”

Even without a powerful force like Team 3, the Alpha Clan’s overall strength wouldn’t be significantly affected.

They were far ahead of other clans in every aspect, including individual strength, numbers, and technology.

There was a reason why Hemingston, the Master of the Alpha Clan, was the undisputed leader in the dog-eat-dog world of the New Continent.

“It’s a relief that they all approved. With this much cooperation, we can at least buy some time to prevent Ukobachi from escaping after they launch an attack.”

“Just buy time?”

“The troops provided by the Major Clans aren’t enough to stop even Kim Jinsung alone.”

Graham was being realistic.

“Even Finlay, with all his power at the Celcecheong, couldn’t defeat Kim Jinsung. What can those ‘small fry’ in the task force do?”

“……!”

“The task force is just a stopgap measure until the Major Clan Masters join the fight. The only way to capture Kim Jinsung now is for the Masters to personally intervene.”

His long experience told him that

it would take at least three Masters to subdue Kim Jinsung.

“I’ve already told all the Clan Masters to be prepared to assist at any time, until the martial law is lifted.

I know they won’t listen, but it’s better than doing nothing.”

“……”

“Did you spread the fake news throughout the continent?”

Lee Sung-choon nodded at his question.

“Yes, sir. We instructed Paladins disguised as Major Clan members to be filmed moving out of the capital and broadcasted it on the news.”

“What was the effect?”

“The crime rate in the four ports has dropped sharply, and the number of vehicles leaving the ports has surged.

It seems that illegal immigrants are trying to escape the ports before the Major Clan members arrive.”

“Good. If those lowlifes are reacting that way, Ukobachi must have fallen for it too.”

“What if the plan was leaked by the spy?”

“That’s why I only informed the Masters this time. If the information spreads again, it means there’s a spy among the Masters.

If the spy is really a Master… I don’t even want to think about it.”

Lee Sung-choon made a sympathetic expression, seeing Graham’s grim face.

If one of the Major Clan Masters was a spy, they wouldn’t even be able to hold an Emergency Meeting.

And the entire Center Zone, where Major Clans were concentrated, would be thrown into chaos.

“Is that all?”

“No, sir. There’s one more thing.”

Lee Sung-choon walked towards the door and knocked.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a hunter, carrying a high-tech armor, entered the office.

“What’s that?”

Graham asked, watching him place the armor on the table.

“It’s a new armor developed by the Alpha Clan. They sent one as a gift to everyone who attended the meeting, including you, Director.”

“Who sent it?”

“Team Leader Jackson brought it himself.”

“…Hmm.”

Graham fell silent, hearing that it was Jackson, who was part of the task force.

He examined the armor on the table but quickly looked away.

“If it’s from the Alpha Clan, I trust it without even looking.”

“Hahaha…”

“Was there anything suspicious on Jackson?”

“No, sir. He only brought a sword, to avoid suspicion.”

“It’s useless. Keep Jackson on the spy suspect list until the martial law is lifted. We can’t trust anyone in this situation.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Lee Sung-choon answered,

the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

Graham immediately pressed the speakerphone button.

“What is it?”

[Director! There’s been a massive explosion at the Alpha Clan’s Weapon Science Research Institute!]

Graham and Lee Sung-choon instinctively exchanged glances at the staff member’s urgent report.

“Understood.”

He hung up the phone and instructed Lee Sung-choon,

“Mobilize the task force immediately! And bring as many firefighters as you can!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Assess the situation upon arrival and report back to me immediately. You understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

Lee Sung-choon turned and quickly left the office.

Graham muttered to himself, listening to his footsteps fading down the hallway,

“They fell for it, those bastards.”

Ukobachi had walked right into his trap.

They had mistaken the troop movements and launched an attack on one of the key facilities.

‘The Alpha Clan’s Weapon Science Research Institute is one of the most secure facilities in the New Continent. It won’t be destroyed easily.’

He was confident that, even if they managed to destroy the outer buildings, they wouldn’t be able to destroy the main building, where the latest weapons and technology were stored, before the task force arrived.

He knew the Weapon Science Research Institute better than anyone.

‘Unless Kim Jinsung is stronger than I thought…’

He realized that a sense of unease was creeping into his heart.

Kim Jinsung.

The one who had become the New Continent’s most notorious ‘villain’ in just a few months, utilizing his absorption ability to the fullest.

They had only been able to estimate his current power level based on his past actions. No one knew his true limits.

That was why Graham was uneasy. He was afraid that this terrorist attack, which had less than a 1% chance of success according to his calculations, might succeed because of Kim Jinsung, the ultimate wildcard.

‘I hope I don’t have to go there myself.’

He planned to stay in the office until Lee Sung-choon arrived at the scene and reported back.

Because there were very few skilled hunters left at the Paladin headquarters.

Most of the troops had been deployed to the four ports to maintain order, and the remaining troops were scattered throughout the capital.

If he left his post too, there would be no one left who could handle Kim Jinsung in case of an attack.

‘But if Lee Sung-choon reports that the situation is urgent, I’ll have no choice but to go…’

His gaze drifted towards the armor on the table.

He walked towards the armor, thinking,

‘I should try it on. It looks like the previous model, so the usage shouldn’t be different…’

He picked up the armor and examined it.

It was currently in the form of a chest plate, but once he wore it and channeled Mana into it, it would instantly transform into a full-body suit.

The Alpha Clan’s Weapon Science Research Institute always strived for both defensive efficiency and portability.

He was about to put on the armor when

“……!”

His instincts screamed at him.

This armor is going to explode!

**Boooom!**

A massive explosion engulfed the Director’s office.

The room was engulfed in flames for a moment, and then the fire vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Graham had used his personal ability to erase the aftereffects of the explosion.

“Damn it…!”

He gritted his teeth, his body covered in minor cuts and bruises.

His eyes, burning with rage, were fixed on a specific spot.

“Did you sneak in here disguised as the armor…!”

“That’s right.”

A voice answered from the wall.

A man materialized from the wall, as if phasing through it.

It was Kim Jinsung.

“Iron Master, was it? Finlay’s ability. I borrowed it.”

He replied nonchalantly, meeting Graham’s murderous gaze.

Despite his outward appearance, Graham was deeply shaken.

‘He shouldn’t be here…!’

He had assumed that Kim Jinsung would be at the Weapon Science Research Institute. Because the security there was top-notch, even Kim Jinsung would need to go all out to have any chance of breaching the main building.

But his prediction had been completely wrong.

‘And at the worst possible time, when we’re short on manpower…!’

The Paladin headquarters currently had Graham, their strongest asset.

The problem was that, besides Graham, there was no one who could hold their own against Kim Jinsung.

It was practically the same situation as the Celcecheong, where only Finlay had been present.

‘Did he plan this from the start?’

As he was thinking,

“You played your cards well.”

Kim Jinsung said.

“You disguised Paladins as Major Clan members and made it seem like most of the forces in the capital were deployed to the four ports.”

“……!”

“It was a brilliant move to lure the Ukobachi teams into targeting key facilities in the capital.”

He continued, seeing Graham’s slightly widened eyes,

“If I hadn’t known about your plan from start to finish, it would have gone down as one of the greatest operations in history.”

‘…What?’

Graham’s heart sank.

Kim Jinsung’s words could be summarized in one sentence:

– There’s a spy among the Major Clan Masters!

‘…Or is it Jackson, that bastard?’

Whoever the spy was, it was disastrous news for those who controlled the New Continent.

Even Jackson was considered to be as strong as a Vice Master of a Major Clan, if not for the Alpha Clan.

“But I saw through your plan and turned it against you. And now, we’re in this one-on-one situation.”

As he continued, Graham felt the air in the office changing.

‘…The dimension is shifting.’

It was a familiar sensation. He had experienced it before, when he fought Finlay.

“Today, the Paladin headquarters will disappear forever, along with you. And with it, order in the New Continent will crumble.”

Kim Jinsung grinned and took a fighting stance.

—