Chapter 222

Chapter 222. The Kidnapper and the Swindler (7)

‘I’d rather be a stubborn fool than let them take this away.’

I had taken two items from my body.

One was a pair of disguise earrings I usually wore.

The other was a necklace consisting of a thin gold chain and a pendant the size of a fingertip.

‘Thank goodness these magic tools activate just by being worn.’

If not, I would have inadvertently advertised my true self everywhere.

The player’s body could withstand the clash with foreign objects within it to some extent.

Even when the Hamas thugs stabbed through the muscle layer several times during their assaults, it didn’t become a major issue.

I washed the blood-soaked earrings with bottled water and wore them.

As I pondered over the remaining necklace for a moment.

‘Agnotia must have realized by now that they couldn’t touch me anyway.’

There was no point in hiding it any longer.

I washed the relic that Gretman had given me and hung it around my neck.

When I ascended the spiral staircase to the surface, I couldn’t proceed any further and stopped.

“Rashar?”

I found myself face to face with Rashar who was approaching the stairs.

I tried to maintain my composure, but it was difficult.

‘Why is she here…?’

Her name wasn’t on the list of mobilized personnel this time.

Clenching my jaw tightly, I nodded a little to Rashar in greeting.

I intended to pass by her, but then, “…… I heard that they found part of your body at the place you were detained.”

Before I could take a step, Rashar spoke to me.

“Are you okay?”

I seemed to understand why someone not on the list was here.

It was similar to when she had accompanied Gretman last time.

‘She came because she was worried.’

She wanted to confirm with her own eyes that I was alright.

Should I just ignore her and leave? Or respond? It wasn’t a long deliberation.

“As you can see.”

“…… It’s the second time you’ve been rescued since you were kidnapped.”

“Honestly, it’s questionable whether it can really be called a kidnapping.”

Both times, I had willingly followed.

“…… Don’t you think there might have been another way to resolve things both times?”

What Rashar said wasn’t that unexpected.

While I drew a shallow breath, Rashar continued.

“Do you think it’s right to keep throwing yourself as bait?”

I replied to her question without any hesitation.

“It’s not about right or wrong; it’s about efficiency.”

If I could use myself to eliminate the bothersome issues at once?

If using me was more efficient than not using me?

‘Then, of course, I should use myself.’

The ultimate goal of Agnotia’s radicals was to use me as a sacrifice.

Given the cultural structures of this world, living sacrifices were perceived as more effective.

Indeed, during the recon, Agnotia had emphasized to the Hamas clan to bring me back alive.

That’s why I was confident I wouldn’t die.

As long as I didn’t die, there was no reason not to use myself.

Even if problems arose during the process, I could solve them.

‘Now that I can use Karlos’s authority without limitation, why save it?’

Even if I was tortured and gained some disability, I could restore myself, so what’s the issue?

The fact that I’m the one to endure hardships after being kidnapped?

‘I wouldn’t have killed people indiscriminately if I planned to keep things half-hearted.’

To protect the land where my family lived, I had resolved to use any means necessary.

And one of those means couldn’t be discarded just because it concerned my well-being.

Therefore, I was cold to the person who came out of concern for me.

“Whatever I do with my safety as collateral, I don’t need your permission.”

I wasn’t pleased with Rashar, who kept making me reconsider my decisions.

“So, stop following me around with unsolicited advice.”

“……”

“I will never let my world get pushed to the brink of ruin by debating right and wrong.”

With those cruelly sharp words, I passed Rashar.

“Ugh, um, uh, wait, wait, I’m coming too!”

Behind me, Kim Yul hurried to catch up, looking anxious and uneasy.

Even though my insides churned, I had no intention of lingering on and pleading.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Without glancing back, I ran.

* * *

Crackle, crackle,

Smoke rose from sparks that had spread everywhere in the room.

Mixed with the smoke was the odor of burning human flesh.

“Cough, cough!”

The stench made it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, as he caught his breath amid the thick smoke, Mayak muttered.

“This son of a bitch…”

His slack voice was as precarious as a candle flickering in the wind.

But it wasn’t enough to earn the sympathy of the person responsible for this situation.

“So what?”

As a testament, K’s voice falling from above Mayak’s head was indifferent.

“Still awake? Want to say something?”

His tone was as casual as making small talk about the weather.

Looking at his severed leg lying uselessly aside, Mayak gritted his teeth.

When K, whom he had played with before selling to Agnotia, returned unharmed.

Mayak realized what awaited him.

Hence, the situation wasn’t that surprising.

‘They must have planned this.’

A few hours earlier, over fifty people with the Gold rank participated in an assault with K.

Among them, more than half possessed attribute mana.

Most of the Hamas clan members were of Silver rank and couldn’t properly resist.

To be honest, more than half surrendered without much resistance.

‘Most of them were normals.’

It was evident that those with regular mana had been colluding with K.

Thus, K’s assault ended successfully.

The clan base was nearly destroyed.

Key members were dragged into the office, had their limbs severed, and the ends were treated with potion immediately to prevent reattachment.

All that had been achieved in months was lost in mere hours.

Just as had been predicted when seeing K return unharmed.

But just because the scenario was foreseen, it didn’t mean he wasn’t enraged.

Toward Agnotia, who let K slip through their hands after turning him over.

Toward K, who returned alive and now held a sword of vengeance over him.

“You damned bastard…”

It had been K who first picked a fight with Hamas.

Had he not meddled, this horrid cycle of mutual animosity wouldn’t have begun.

Then why did it have to be them who met such a miserable end?

Unable to suppress his anger any longer, Mayak grinded his teeth and shouted.

“Just what grudge do you have against me to go this far!”

He didn’t expect an answer.

He was genuinely indignant and couldn’t believe things had escalated this much.

And he had nowhere to vent his rising anger, so he simply poured out his grievance.

But perhaps K had a change of heart?

For the first time, breaking away from his matter-of-fact demeanor, K crouched down.

He grabbed Mayak’s hair, pulling his head up.

Locking eyes with the venomous Mayak, only for a brief moment.

K released a breathy chuckle and spoke.

“You were just in the way.”

“What…?”

“The antics you guys were up to were hindering the future I wanted.”

The reason for starting and ensnaring him in a trap and pushing to near obliteration – had there been more?

“That’s all there is to it.”

Ending his brief speech in a monotonous voice, K let go of Mayak’s hair.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m not going to kill you. You know that’s not a problem, right?”

With a dull thud, Mayak’s body hit the floor and started to tremble.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Then, with a final outburst, he let out a terrible scream.

But K had already stepped back a few paces by then.

Not stopping there, he threw something in the direction of the unconscious Samazal, the executives, and Mayak.

The mana, forming into black smoke, enveloped those who were Hamas clan’s executives.

Once the smoke dispersed.

“Hi-hi, heh…”

A foolish giggle escaped from Mayak, who was the only one conscious.

Witnessing this, K supported Mayak against a wall and asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Na-name… Maayak…hi-hi.”

“Age.”

“Hehehe, forty.”

He asked a few more questions.

As if confirming something, he spoke while glancing back.

“Check if there’s any confidential information only this guy knows.”

Standing at the end of his gaze was a man in his mid-thirties.

“Better not be caught off guard and blocked in the future.”

“Yes, yes!”

Kamal, who had been his deputy until a few hours ago, replied, noticeably tense.

Around his neck was a shackle-like device.

A restraint magic tool capable of inflicting pain at the owner’s discretion.

Responding nervously to the question, Yang Taeho at the door asked.

“Are we just gonna let him be?”

“I’m not sure. They say he might come to his senses once the mana’s effect wears off, or he might not.”

“And if he does regain his senses?”

When Kim Yul followed up with his question, K smiled with a wry grin.

“No way.”

“Then?”

K calmly spoke while playing with the same magic stone he had used earlier, tossing it in the air before catching it.

“We’ll keep using them until they never regain their senses.”

Honestly, they’re more beneficial when they’re not in their right minds.

The moment K’s words ended, Mayak started giggling again, drooling profusely.

“Hehehe, he…”

While observing the scene, K soon turned around.

He patted Kamal, the only surviving executive of Hamas, on the shoulder and warned.

“Make sure not to end up like that. Got it?”

“Y-yes, I’ll make sure…”

Behind his trembling voice came a clear *ting* sound.

It was the sound of K flicking the restraint magic tool with his finger.

Knowing the pain the tool could inflict, kamal froze like a statue.

Leaving him behind, K addressed his party members.

“Then, I’ll head out first. Please wrap things up here.”

“Don’t you worry, take care!”

“Have a good one!”

Leaving the cleanup to his party members, K departed.

* * *

It happened as I emerged from a building with a collapsed wall, allowing full view inside.

“I thought you were going to wipe them all out?”

Sniper, crouching on the debris-covered ground, spoke to me.

The reason he was in Bihar instead of Earth was simple.

To grant the authority to recruit bounty hunters, he needed to meet me directly.

‘Ethan, handling human hunts, had already been here.’

Sniper, responsible for the drug sector, had just visited me a few days prior.

Since I couldn’t leave Bihar at that time, he had no choice but to come over.

Yet, after granting him authority, rather than returning immediately, Sniper volunteered to assist with this matter.

‘He’s a player with substantial experience in human combat.’

He was easily ranked among the top of those proficient in interpersonal battles.

I had no reason to turn him away, so we proceeded with the operation together, and his contributions during the combat were indeed noticeable.

I casually sat beside Sniper and remarked.

“I thought about it, but decided against it because I’d feel regretful.”

“Regretful?”

“Well, because of the oil.”

“Oil all of a sudden… Aha.”

Sniper seemed ready to question more but halted and kept the words to himself.

While touching his beard, he muttered as if he had found the answer himself.

“Ah, trying to put leashes on them, are you…?”

He hit the mark.

I intended to put a leash on the Saudi royal family through the Hamas clan.

‘Oil supply is an issue that can’t be overlooked, especially when war is approaching.’

Although the dependency on oil has lessened compared to the past due to advances in renewable energy.

‘The U. S., for instance, has invested heavily in shale gas.’

As a result, the share of alternative energy has increased across various industries over the past few years.

And this transition will undoubtedly continue.

Calls to reduce fossil fuel use due to recurring abnormal weather patterns are gaining strength.

But that doesn’t mean oil has become worthless just yet.

Industries that rely on oil remain significant, too substantial to ignore.

If a war breaks out and Saudi gear up to weaponize oil as a negotiation card on an international stage?

Damned System

TL’s Corner:

All roads lead to oil.