episode_0419
by admin
‘… ‘Can I play a game?’
It was a fact he had completely forgotten since he had not had anything to use his power since bringing Maria back to reality.
‘If you have Maria, you don’t have to endure it.’
The reason why I was reluctant to use force directly in real life was not a big deal. The mixing of reality and the way of thinking at the travel destination was a secondary issue. This is because I knew deep down that the more power I had, the more suppressed it would be.
It’s all about having fun, but what fun is it if you just endure it?
‘what… ‘Thinking like this may mean that your way of thinking is already slightly mixed.’
The real problem was the shock reality had to endure when I exerted myself.
To me, reality seemed like a fragile artifact.
Reality is a world that becomes my roots, unlike travel destinations where I can leave at any time and choose another work.
I didn’t know what to do if something irreversible happened while I was spreading my strength to my heart’s content. Even if I could find something that could be returned from my travel destination, it was clear that what had already happened would not be forgotten from my memory.
But now it was a different story.
By founding Awaken MCN and Glitch, Maria proved that her abilities are well suited to reality. Her ability to collect information and establish a company through legal and illegal methods was an achievement that exceeded what was initially expected of her. .
‘… Maria wasn’t the original reason I joined New Kind.’
Originally, I wasn’t planning on taking Maria out like this and using her as my secretary. Rather, I was simply planning to acquire a future hacking tool and use it in real life.
This was to prepare for the risk of my identity being revealed online after Olivia’s kidnapping in San Francisco.
‘But Maria’s abilities were more than just hacking. So I was leaving a lot of it up to her.’
I thought about this when I first heard about the secret society from Raymond.
I wish there was a group for me, like a secret society with different interests.
‘And now there is such an organization.’
Awaken and Maria. Although they were enemies when they first met, they have now become indispensable to each other.
Because I got convenience, and they got a world where they could live as humans.
Maria is a safety net.
Not for me, but a safety net for a reality where supernatural elements do not exist, like travel destinations.
As long as there was a strong safety net called Maria, there was no need to take an overly cautious approach due to the ramifications that would arise in reality like before.
After gathering my thoughts, I asked Maria with a flawless smile.
‘I knew who the client was. Can you find out who accepted the request?’
-yes. Everything has already been figured out.
‘okay? Then tell me where to go.’
I took the key out of my inventory and took it anywhere.
‘At this point, I guess I should go on a trip around the world.’
***
Nevada, USA.
There was a warehouse located a few steps away from the downtown area of the city. From the outside, it looked as if it had been abandoned for decades due to its rusty, worn-out iron doors and cloudy windows.
Buzzing~
A car stopped in front of it, scattering dust around it. It was the car of Jack, one of the warehouse users.
“It’s hot today as always.”
Jack, who was grumbling like that, pressed the remote control he had taken out of his pocket, and the warehouse door began to open making a noise.
Jack drove through the old iron gate and into the warehouse.
The moment the old iron door closed behind him again, the light came on in the dark interior. And a completely different world unfolded than what was seen from the outside.
Unlike the exterior, which was worn out and almost completely falling down, the interior was neatly organized and there was a large oak table in the center.
Maps of various cities and complex blueprints hung on the walls, as well as high-end equipment and multiple monitors lined up next to them, creating an atmosphere like the office of an IT startup.
Jack shouted at the woman who was sitting in front of the computer, tapping away at the keyboard.
“Alexa! It’s out!”
“Good morning. Jack.”
Swish!
The woman named Alexa threw a beer can at Jack. After receiving it, Jack immediately opened the can and emptied half of it.
“Kya! How do you know that I am thirsty? After all, it’s Alexa.”
“You take my drink away every time you come in.”
“To be honest, the cherry taste was a bit bad. Of course, cold beer is the best in weather like this.”
“… Is that what the person who steals has to say?”
Jack smiled slyly at Alexa’s bewildered expression and approached the oak table in the center of the warehouse.
In fact, the identity of this place was not an ordinary warehouse, but the hideout of ‘Phantom’, a famous group of thieves who were gaining fame in the back world.
It looked like an abandoned warehouse from the outside, but the inside was secretly protected with a state-of-the-art security system.
The oak wooden table in the center was not an ordinary table, but a table used by team members to make plans and share information.
‘Of course, it is also used to place tools or eat.’
The high-end equipment and monitors were prepared by Alexa, the team’s hacker, to collect the necessary information.
But that wasn’t what Jack liked most.
Write… ha.
Jack quietly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The warehouse, where several cars in the process of disassembly and assembly were lined up, had a faint, unique smell of oil.
Jack liked the smell. For Jack, the team’s driver and car enthusiast, there was no place that made him feel more at ease than here.
He drank the remaining half of his beer and approached the other team members who were discussing something together in the center. Ethan, the leader, and Marcus, the security expert, were talking with serious expressions.
“Ethan, Marcus.”
“Jack.”
“Welcome.”
Two people welcomed Jack.
“What did you call me for? Have you come across anything new?”
Jack asked, rubbing his palms together. Ethan was a trustworthy leader. His strategy never goes astray, so as long as you trust and follow him, you can make a lot of money from each operation.
In addition, the targets of their team, Phantom, are mostly people who have accumulated wealth through heinous crimes. Since there was no need to feel any remorse, Jack could always engage in operations with excitement.
But surprisingly, Ethan shook his head.
“I didn’t sing it.”
“Yes? then… ”
“Me neither. Vincent called. I heard there is a big problem.”
“… Are you Vincent?”
Jack’s smiling face cracked at Marcus’ words.
Vincent. He was in charge of the team’s strength, and at the same time, he was a man whom Jack felt uncomfortable with.
“Why on earth is Vincent…? ”
Just as Jack was about to ask the reason, the warehouse door opened and a new person entered. The identity of the person walking with a cigarette in his mouth and a lot of strength on his shoulders was none other than Vincent.
He, who was the one who gathered the Phantom’s personnel, exhaled cigarette smoke and laughed heartily.
“Everyone is already gathered! Nice to meet you all!”
“… They say even tigers will come if you tell them to.”
‘That bastard… ‘You’re smoking again.’
Jack crossed his arms and looked at Vincent with disapproval. It didn’t matter if I smoked. He also smokes sometimes.
The problem was where Vincent smoked. Vincent had no qualms about smoking indoors in his sacred hideout. And above all, the guy who smoked always had a strange gunpowder smell coming from his body.
Jack frowned at the smell of cigarettes penetrating through the oil.
“Vincent! I told you to smoke outside!”
“Hehe… Nice to see you too, Alexa, after a long time.”
Alexa, whom Jack secretly cared about, also hated cigarette smoke. It has a negative impact on the lifespan of the equipment. Jack, who knew roughly how much money Alexa had spent on equipping herself, could understand her frustration.
“I wasn’t that kind of friend to begin with… Tsk.”
Marcus clicked his tongue as he watched Vincent flirt with Alexa. Marcus was the oldest member of the team. But the reason Marcus clicked his tongue was not because he was an old man.
When he first joined the team, Vincent was a dependable guy who valued trust and teamwork.
However, after successfully stealing a few times and experiencing large sums of money, he lost his original intention and began to become a little crooked. While Jack was driving recently, he caught a glimpse of Vincent hanging out with a group of guys who didn’t seem very good at the casino.
“I’m not happy to see you!”
“To be picky. You see, I recently found an awesome bar… When this is over, why don’t you go together?”
“Hey, Vincent. So why did you call the team?”
Jack, who couldn’t see Vincent’s moves, joined the conversation. Vincent frowned slightly, then approached Jack with a smile on his face again.
“Ah, who is this! jack! You didn’t recognize who it was! Have you been exercising at all?”
Vincent threw the cigarette butt everywhere and hugged Jack as he said that.
“Hmm… is not it? I’m not sure about this. Anyway, don’t push yourself too hard. It would be difficult if my driving was hindered by muscle pain for no reason. Leave the hard work to me.”
“Ha… okay. I understand, so let go of this.”
Jack, who looked as if he had been hugged by a bear, sighed. Vincent had a habit of showing off his manliness in these foolish ways.
“That’s enough, Vincent.”
“Of course.”
Vincent obediently lets go of Jack at Ethan’s words. He greeted Marcus next to the table. No matter how young he was, he didn’t show off even to the leader, Ethan, and Marcus, who was almost as old as his father.
“Let’s get to the point. Ethan said this meeting was requested by you. What did you call us for?”
Not only Jack, who spoke, but also Ethan and Marcus quietly looked at Vincent and gave him silent pressure.
Alexa suddenly stopped tapping on the keyboard and came to stand next to the table.
Vincent seemed to enjoy the gaze for a moment, making eye contact with each of them and speaking.
“I received a request from the darknet.”
And as soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings turned upside down.
“What? Darknet?”
“Vincent. Are you crazy?!”
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