Ch.233Chapter 9. The Syndicate Prepares for All Situations (3)

5 AM.

After leisurely finishing our shower together, Yoon Hye-ra and I used our abilities to tidy up the room and opened the window.

“Knock knock knock. Excuse me.”

“…Ah!”

Then we opened the window of the adjacent room and entered.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Why? Could you hear us?”

“What? Oh, no. I was just nervous and worried…”

Nguyen Ong Bac seemed to have tossed and turned all night, as he looked somewhat tired even though he was awake.

Still, he must have woken up earlier than our 5 AM operation start time and finished getting ready, as he had even done some home training exercises in his room to thoroughly warm up his body.

“You two…”

“We got a bit of sleep. About… 2 hours?”

“Then until now, were you perhaps preparing for the operation…? If that was the case, you should have called me.”

“Absolutely not.”

Yoon Hye-ra, who had closed the window after entering, snorted.

“If you’re ready, let’s move out now. You must have made your decision by now. Where do you want to go?”

“…I’ll go to the Divine Sanctuary first.”

Nguyen had decided.

“I’ve been considering various options, but I think those at the Divine Sanctuary are suffering more right now than those on the succubus island. We need to ‘liberate’ them as soon as possible.”

“Are you prepared?”

“…Even if blood is shed, I must steel myself when I think about the blood that will flow and the people who will die in the future.”

Nguyen had already firmed his resolve.

He seemed to have been struggling with his decision until we came through the window, but as he answered us, he was once again strengthening his determination.

“Good. Then from now on… let me formally greet you once more.”

I checked the curtain spread behind me once more, then summoned my magical power and pressed my mask on.

Whoosh.

With black mist, my clothes instantly changed to a black suit, and my vision changed to what I could see through the mask.

[I am the Goblin of the Syndicate.]

[I am Qiongqi of the Syndicate.]

Do Ji-hwan and Yoon Hye-ra were set aside; it was time for Goblin and Qiongqi to officially take action.

“…A-rank hero, Syndicate acolyte candidate, Nguyen Ong Bac. But…”

Nguyen pointed at Qiongqi.

“That appearance…?”

[My 2025 form. Even executives don’t always avoid fighting.]

Qiongqi, dressed in a dress with an appropriate mix of black and red, wore a mask on her face.

That mask was completely different from mine—it was the kind people wear at masquerade balls in Europe.

The unique point was that there was a face covering attached below the eye mask.

Originally there was no face covering, but perhaps due to Ymir’s influence, Qiongqi covered her lower face with it.

[In reality, this gets added too.]

Whoosh.

Dark red flames enveloped Qiongqi, and in an instant, she was covered in a dark red robe.

Though her appearance was somewhat concealed, anyone would know she was Qiongqi.

[If we go out like this, everyone will know the Syndicate is openly involved, and even that an ‘executive’ has appeared. You have one role to play.]

I extended my fist lightly toward Nguyen’s solar plexus, tapping his chest.

[As a hero, do what you want to do.]

“……”

[We will handle all situations. Darkness with darkness, light with light. You are a collaborator and acolyte of the Syndicate, but after Laplace disappears, you will become the light this country needs.]

Nguyen needs to become a hero.

[What this country needs is heroes, not villains. No matter where you go in the world, only heroes can clean up the chaos that follows when a system created by villains collapses.]

[Remember that villains are the ones you should be raising your fists against, Hero Nguyen.]

Qiongqi took my hand and waved lightly at Nguyen, who bowed his head heavily with a solemn expression.

“If you ever come to Thailand again, I will treat you with the utmost hospitality.”

[Saying such things before battle is a death flag, you know.]

“Ah!”

[I’m joking.]

I patted Nguyen’s shoulder, then headed toward the window with Qiongqi.

[Today. As the sun rises, this country will undergo a dramatic change.]

There will be great chaos.

Flutter.

Spreading the curtain, Qiongqi and I immediately jumped out the window.

In the gradually brightening dawn, when people had not yet come out onto the streets.

[It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a mission together like this.]

[Has it really been that long? We’ve done this a few times, haven’t we?]

[Well, you only became strong enough to run alongside me like this in the latter half of last year.]

Qiongqi and I jumped onto the hotel roof and ran quickly across the building tops.

[Do you understand what it means that the Chairman assigned me to carry out this operation with you?]

[Of course.]

The Syndicate is a villain organization.

And they don’t discriminate between means and methods.

[Hey, there are already people crossing the bridge at dawn?]

As we reached the edge of the island while running across the rooftops, we could see cars starting to move back and forth on the bridge leading to the Divine Sanctuary in the distance.

Mostly staff “returning” from the sanctuary.

Whether they’re Laplace’s minions or soldiers under General Akrang, this is the time when the “day-night shift change” occurs.

[There might be supervisors on site, but basically among those who come and go to such places, there are bound to be supervisors commuting.]

Only low-level workers live permanently on the slave island to manage it.

Even if that’s not the case, controlling the entrance first makes things much easier.

[Qiongqi. Let’s go.]

[Since the Syndicate is getting involved anyway, should we make it definitive and flashy?]

[Of course.]

We jumped from the last building’s rooftop, landed toward the bridge, and immediately ran forward.

“Huh, what?!”

“Did something just pass by—AHHH!”

I chased after a car that was about to cross the bridge, forcibly tore off the driver’s side door, pulled out the man in a suit who was sitting inside, and took the driver’s seat.

Thud!

Qiongqi landed on top of the car, and I stepped hard on the accelerator of the slowing vehicle and drove forward.

The speed quickly exceeded 100, and I sent my magical power through the steering wheel to reinforce the car body.

And then.

KABOOOOOOM!!

Behind us, a chain of dark red flame explosions began.

[Ahahahaha!!]

With Qiongqi’s clear laughter, the entire bridge leading to the island shook.

And.

KABOOOOOOM!!

With a massive explosion, the middle of the bridge began to collapse.

EEEEEEEEE!!

[E-emergency situation! We’re under attack!!]

A startled voice came through the radio installed in the car.

[W-what’s happening! Someone confirm!!]

[No need to confirm.]

[What…?]

[I have arrived.]

I spoke directly into the radio.

[If you know my voice, abandon hope.]

[……Goblin?]

[Yes, I am.]

KABOOM!!

Forcibly pushing through the cars in front of us, I extended my goblin club through the open door.

[We’ve come to kill villains.]

* * *

EEEEEEEEE!!

The villain attack alarm began to sound throughout Phuket.

Clearer and louder than ever before, the alarm rang not only through street sirens but also on everyone’s electronic devices without exception.

“……Insane.”

In a dark room, Rai Chai, who had been having a light breakfast of morning coffee and toast, dropped his toast when he saw the breaking news.

-Breaking news! The bridge leading to the island southeast of Phuket… has been bombed! The attackers are a masked duo, and the Hero Association has… identified them as ‘Goblin and Qiongqi’!!

“Goblin and Qiongqi? The Syndicate? Heh heh, heh heh heh….”

The toast magically fell peanut jam-side down, but Rai Chai collapsed into his chair without even thinking of picking it up.

“Nguyen alone was bad enough, and now two Syndicate executives have shown up.”

The moment he thought this, Rai Chai frowned while drinking his coffee.

“…Logically speaking, it can’t just be two executives, right?”

That would be logical.

One of the Syndicate’s Four Executives has appeared, along with Goblin, who could be considered executive-level.

And just the day before, they had traveled all over Phuket in his taxi.

With Nguyen.

“…Are they really going to do what was written here? Seriously?”

Rai Chai turned his eyes to the remains of a USB drive he had smashed with a hammer.

“Are they truly trying to clear away the darkness of this country?”

If they’re trying to burn away deeply rooted darkness, that flame would begin with the dawn’s light.

“…I thought they would start their work at midnight, but apparently not.”

A villain attack occurring at dawn as the morning sun rises.

If villains had appeared at night, people who woke up half-asleep would have fallen into even greater confusion.

[The Syndicate has appeared! All citizens please follow the government’s instructions….]

“The government, huh.”

Rai Chai twirled his coffee cup once with his hand.

“Will people really follow the government’s instructions?”

“LET’S GOOOOOOO!!”

An unidentified roar echoed from beyond the window.

Rai Chai turned toward the outside in surprise, and there was a young man who had come out of his house, excitedly shouting something while waving a flag.

“Death to those villain bastards!! Hahahahaha!!”

“Hey, what are you doing!! Come back inside!!”

Family members rushed out to calm down the rampaging young man, but he wasn’t the only one going wild.

“Kill all the bad guys!”

“The Goblin God has descended upon Thailand! Now, all evildoers will have their heads cracked open!”

“…….”

The beginning of chaos and disorder.

“When someone worthy of death is found, the Goblin appears, they say.”

Since he has appeared to kill villains who deserve capital punishment, someone will definitely die today.

The list of those who should die was contained in the USB he destroyed, and also in his own head.

“……Those who deserve to die, huh.”

Rai Chai sighed deeply and pulled out an album from a dusty bookshelf.

“It’s frightening. How anger and the desire to kill can gain sympathy and support.”

[Where did all that mana powder come from?]

A faded newspaper article.

The last article written by a deceased acquaintance.

The dark truth that disappeared from the world with the death of his acquaintance, which he could no longer find even if he wanted to.

“I wish they would all die. Really.”

The terrible truth he had been seeking would now be revealed to the world.

The reality of the “human farm” that had only been considered a rumor.