Assassination Threat? 3

While they would never believe it if someone said, “Coffee Tree champions justice!” those affiliated with it do believe they have their own sense of justice.

Some do it for minor material distribution profits.

Others do it for personal gain or revenge.

Those affiliated with Coffee Tree became anti-rebellion factions for their own reasons. Mostly, they were entrepreneurs who frequently moved between layers or high-ranking individuals who amassed wealth through capital, rather than members of the closed aristocratic class.

However, they all shared one common ideology.

‘Whether the rebellion succeeds or fails… the day their cause succeeds will be the last day of the Ark.’

While the high-ranking members of the Ruincrest layer shout for a ’cause’ to seize a more brilliant and shining future, Coffee Tree believed that the day their cause was achieved, humanity’s last Ark would turn into a bloody slaughterhouse.

In reality, that wasn’t far from the truth.

Look at the immense power of the Central Administration and the troops stationed in each layer.

Numerous Overseers and the Elite Executor Unit, even renowned hunters, swarm the outer walls.

Even if we concede that hunters are only motivated by money even if a war breaks out, how can they not know the danger of so many First-Class Overseers?

The families affiliated with Coffee Tree, who frequently moved between layers, couldn’t even dare to rebel because of that alone.

The core of the rebellion, including Arbentaine, knew this, so they were accelerating the preparation of an army and military force for the sake of their cause. But even if the rebellion succeeded, what fruits could they possibly bear in a ruined Ark?

For that reason, Coffee Tree opposed the cause.

It wasn’t an ideological issue of whether noble aristocrats should sacrifice themselves for the commoners, but rather a matter of humanity’s survival.

However, since the Arbentaine Family, a meritorious family, was leading the cause, how much power could the opposition possibly have?

Besides, most of them were petty individuals who were simply afraid of losing what they had, without any noble beliefs or courage.

No one would risk their lives to confront the meritorious family or risk their property to carry out terrorism in the layer.

For that reason, Alice, the new adopted daughter of the Arbentaine Family and the core of the rebellion, felt like a new opportunity to them.

Here, with a time multiplier of 240x, there was plenty of time to talk to Alice seriously. And Professor Bailak, who managed the virtual dungeon, wasn’t an active participant in Coffee Tree, but he was someone who refused the rebellion, so there was no chance of secrets being leaked.

“Where the hell did Gresus go?!”

Harma, a member of Coffee Tree, shouted, unable to hide her frustration.

Gresus Reikingdon had actively stepped forward and asked to be sent to talk to Alice, so they had even given him the source code and sent him.

However, even after a week of internal dungeon time, there was no sign of Gresus or Alice appearing. The students affiliated with Coffee Tree, including Harma, were starting to express their dissatisfaction.

Their goal wasn’t anything special.

To talk to Alice and understand her character.

If Alice’s nature was as violent as Dehite’s and her ideology didn’t align with Coffee Tree’s opinions, an order had been given to disable the safety devices in the virtual dungeon and kill her.

‘But Alice is from a commoner background. If we give her enough money and compensation, we can persuade her.’

Usually, those who have risen from the bottom have ambition, but no one tries to achieve their ambition by rebelling against the Ark.

So, they were trying to elicit cooperation from Alice by offering her appropriate wealth and compensation.

Ambition and success are good, but peace and life are also important to people, right?

“Haimon, don’t worry too much.”

“Yeah, we’ve set it up so that they’ll automatically transfer to us the moment the phase space is dismantled anyway.”

“But Gresus…”

Haimon and a few others knew that Gresus harbored somewhat sinister intentions.

However, it wasn’t that he was actively selling out his comrades or trying to join the rebels. They knew that at most, he had an inflated ego and a great desire or ambition to succeed.

“Besides, Gresus probably annoyed Alice by acting cocky.”

“Alice was originally a commoner from outside this layer, right? That arrogant young master is definitely likely to have done that.”

“I should have sent someone else. For some reason, he was so eager to do it himself…”

“What if something happens to Gresus? He’s still our comrade…”

“Hey, Gresus has the dungeon source code. With that, no attack will work, and even if Alice is stronger than expected, even if he dies here, it’s not like he’s dying outside, right?”

“…That’s true.”

Since they had plenty of free time, they hunted monsters that appeared in the virtual dungeon and raised their scores.

Although it was large in scale, activities and monster hunting in the virtual dungeon were strictly reflected in their grades, so even the Academy students who opposed the rebellion were diligently engaged in hunting.

That’s how a week passed, and on the eighth day.

“Ah, they’re here.”

“Haimon, the phase space has been released.”

“Did things go well?”

“Who knows.”

The members of Coffee Tree, who had received some of the dungeon’s source code in advance, realized that the phase dungeon where Alice and Gresus were trapped had been released.

However, the moment they saw someone walking out of the shattered space, the members belatedly realized that things hadn’t gone well.

“G, Gresus…!”

“What the hell? How could Gresus, who had the source code, be so horribly…!”

“This is insane!”

“Gresus!!”

Everyone witnessed the sight of Gresus, his limbs severed and his eyes gouged out, being held in Alice’s hand like a meat doll.

“Hmm?”

While everyone was in shock, Alice’s eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.

There are quite a few of them.

“Oh my, everyone looks like they’ve seen a ghost.”

“…!”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Alice spoke with a slightly surprised expression, covering her mouth with her hand like a refined aristocratic young lady.

It was the same gesture she showed to the ‘other students’ as the aristocratic young lady from a meritorious family.

However, as Alice looked around, she soon realized.

Shocked gazes.

Expressions of shock.

And all eyes were on Gresus, who was being held in Alice’s hand. She could also feel fear, hostility, and wariness directed at her.

She had heard that in the virtual dungeon, the secret hobbies and sadistic private lives of high-ranking aristocrats were commonplace. But they’re this surprised to see a guy who will be restored to normal when he goes outside?

Ah, so these are the guys who conspired with this pathetic young master?

“Then, I don’t need to pretend anymore, do I?”

Alice smirked, and numerous mechanical tendrils emerged from behind her.

The tendrils were equipped with blood-soaked thorns and sharp pincers, causing the students, including Haimon, to become frightened.

“Before I misunderstand, would you like to tell me?”

At the same time, sharp ice spikes began to form around Alice.

It was the Reikingdon Family’s frost magic that she had taken from Gresus.

It was shocking that Gresus, who had the source code, had been so brutally tortured, but the students were truly filled with shock and horror at the fact that Alice had used the Reikingdon Family’s magic.

Did she steal the ability?

No, copy? Imitate?

“W, wait, Alice! We’re not your enemies!”

Alice’s gaze turned to Haimon, who was the first to regain his senses.

“Not enemies? Oh, really? Would you like to explain a little more?”

“That’s right! We didn’t want to make an enemy carelessly, and we didn’t want to meet you for that purpose.”

“Oh, I see. So you’re the type who doesn’t consider someone you’re trying to kill an enemy?”

“What?”

Haimon was about to ask what that meant, but before he could, Alice grabbed Gresus’s hair, whose limbs were severed and eye sockets were empty.

“So, your name is… Ah, right. Gresus Reikingdon, wasn’t it? I don’t think you’ll believe me if I say it. Would you like to say it for me?”

“U, uh…”

Everyone swallowed hard at the sight of Gresus nodding miserably.

“I, I am… hic, sniff…”

“Are you stuttering? Do you not need your tongue?”

“Hic…! No! N, no…”

How could you torture a person to such an extent?

Gresus wasn’t a good person, but was he such a cowardly and miserable human being?

“I, I am. Alice’s…”

“Am I your master? Skip the honorifics and speak quickly.”

“I, uh… attacked Alice . If I killed her, who was a commoner, the Arbentaine Family would accept me. I thought that since I, who have the blood of the Breaking Family, killed the scoundrel Dehite, the Arbentaine Family, who value the strong, would definitely…”

“So, why did you attack me? What were you going to do by becoming an adopted son or joining the Arbentaine Family?”

“…That’s…”

-Stab!!

At that moment, one of Alice’s tendrils pierced the back of Gresus’s neck.

It accurately pierced the pain nerves, so the pain was felt clearly and intensely, but no scream came out of his mouth.

“C, cough…!”

“Don’t stall. Okay?”

“Cough… E… Ack…”

The students trembled with horror and fear at the sight of Gresus desperately nodding and spitting blood from his mouth.

“I, I also wanted to succeed… I never thought of Coffee Tree or those comrades as comrades. I just thought they were cowards. I just wanted to stand above others, and just according to my dad’s wishes…”

“Pfft, do aristocrats also say ‘dad’?”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Ah, I was just laughing. Don’t worry about it and keep going.”

“Yes, yes…! I just joined Coffee Tree according to my dad’s wishes, so I had no camaraderie. I didn’t want to interfere with the meritorious family’s cause either. Rather, I wanted to participate in the cause, so I thought that if I killed or broke Alice, the Arbentaine Family might take notice of me…”

“Okay, did you all hear that?”

As if the necessary story was over, Alice threw Gresus back to the floor.

However, the members of Coffee Tree, including Haimon, hardened their expressions at the betrayal of someone they thought was a comrade.

It wasn’t that there was a great reason, but the fact that he had taken such independent action for his own safety and self-preservation, and that if things had gone wrong, the personal information of all the members of Coffee Tree would have been leaked to Arbentaine.

“Okay, Gresus’s story is over. Now it’s your turn.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you, the guy who looks like the male lead in an Academy romance novel.”

Alice pointed at Haimon with her finger.

“You said I’m not your enemy? Tell me why I shouldn’t make you look like this guy.”

“…”

“Don’t even think about playing tricks. I’ve disabled all the safety devices with the source code, so if you die here, you die in reality too.”

Haimon tensed his body and quickly turned his head.

First of all, it was ruined.

The plan to contact Alice and make her a member of Coffee Tree or to persuade her how absurd the meritorious family’s rebellion was had been ruined by Gresus’s independent action.

However, Gresus, who had the dungeon’s source code and was immune to all attacks, including physical and magical attacks, had been so horribly defeated.

‘Does she have a special ability to attack ignoring the source code? Or does she have excellent electronic warfare capabilities to hack the source code? No, the Academy’s source code can’t be hacked unless it’s a First-Class Overseer with electronic warfare capabilities… No, no. Whatever the reason, if Alice broke through Gresus’s source code, she could bury me and all my comrades here. And it seems she’s also made Reikingdon’s magic her own. If I act rashly, my comrades and I will die…’

Since brainwashing magic wasn’t being detected, it was clear that she had purely tortured and interrogated Gresus to that state.

“First, let me introduce myself. I’m Haimon Adolian.”

“I’m Alice Arbentaine. You know, right?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. This layer is currently filled with sinister ideologies and a wind of rebellion.”

“Yeah, yeah. So?”

“It’s a rebellion. A rebellion. The Ark Central Administration is trying to start a rebellion in this layer. We just want to stop that rebellion.”

Alice tilted her chin as if to say, “Tell me more.”

“We originally wanted to contact you, the new adopted daughter of the Arbentaine Family, the core of the rebellion and a meritorious family of the layer, and make you our comrade. We didn’t know anything about Gresus’s actions either…”

“Oh, so you’re saying this?”

Alice said with a dazzling smile.

“This guy locked me in an outer space with no supplies or food for 24 days. He used the source code to create a monster wave near me every 30 minutes. And just when he thought I was exhausted, he came in person and tried to kill me.”

“That’s…”

“This guy had the source code to tamper with the dungeon system. And coincidentally, you guys have that source code now too?”

Haimon was about to say, “No, really, I didn’t know either…” but he had to stop when he felt Alice’s smile turn cold.

“So, you want me to believe you? You really didn’t know that this bastard Gresus was trying to kill me? You want me to believe that?”

“……”

Haimon closed his mouth.

Because even he thought it didn’t make sense.

‘No, but I really didn’t know…!’

Of course, he had nothing to say about not managing his comrades properly.

Naturally, he thought that since Gresus’s father and family’s policy were against the rebellion, Gresus would also have that mindset.

But how could he have known that Gresus, that damned bastard, would secretly imprison and try to kill Alice as soon as he received the code?

Who would have known that this damned guy’s heart contained not peace or opposition to the rebellion, but a damned desire for success?

But the situation was too bad.

No matter how much Haimon racked his brain, he couldn’t think of an excuse to give Alice. And it didn’t seem like Alice would believe them.

‘Is a battle inevitable…?’

Haimon secretly began to gather mana.

It was overwhelming that she had crushed Gresus so brutally, but there were several comrades with him in this place.

He refused a simple dog’s death, but if he resisted somehow, he might be able to save one or two of his comrades…

“Puhahahaha! Your faces are so funny. It’s the face of a determined suicide squad.”

However, Alice burst into laughter as if all the killing intent until now had been a lie.

“Ah, okay. Good. Good. You said you’re against the rebellion, right? Okay, I’ll cooperate.”

“What? What kind of joke is this?”

“I said I’ll cooperate?”

Alice spread her arms as if to say she was harmless and retracted her tendrils.

“Congratulations. You just lived.”

“…”

However, Haimon and the other Coffee Tree comrades were bewildered.

The new successor of the Arbentaine Family had declared cooperation so easily.

Why?

“Ah, will you know if you see this?”

With those words, Alice ran her finger across her neck.

What was revealed was a blue choker that looked like a dog collar.

However, the Coffee Tree comrades all realized at once that it wasn’t just a simple choker.

“T, that’s…!”

“Could it be?”

“Blue, choker…!”

A blue armband.

The symbol of a direct Overseer trusted by a certain administrator.

“Y, you are…”

“Yes, I am.”

“The legendary blue choker…!”

“…”

Alice felt that the word “blue choker” was great, but somehow the nuance seemed lacking.

No, it wasn’t just a little lacking, it straight-up sounded totally lame.