Chapter 201: Iron Master

Episode 201

Kim Jinsung casually picked up the tax statement lying on the table next to Finlay.

He frowned after checking it.

“This bastard is taking over 50% in taxes. What is this, medieval serfdom? Does he still not understand why the B Zone, where there are no taxes, is so crowded?”

Finlay didn’t respond to his taunts.

He just glared at him with burning rage, ever since he realized he was Ukobachi.

“I’ve been doing a lot of research lately, through Celeponet, the Central Library, and other sources. You guys are rotten to the core.”

Kim Jinsung continued his tirade, ignoring Finlay’s glare.

“The original goal of clearing the highest level portal and saving the world is long gone. Now you’re just obsessed with monopolizing key dungeons and making a fortune.

And you’re doing it illegally. You’re even bribing officials like him to turn a blind eye to your crimes.”

“…You’re talking too much.”

Finlay finally spoke, refuting him. Kim Jinsung chuckled.

“You’re not denying it?”

“There’s no need to deny such a pathetic argument.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know that the last day of every quarter is bribe day?”

“……!”

“Finlay.”

The smile disappeared from Kim Jinsung’s face, replaced by a cold expression.

“I’m Ukobachi. The largest ‘anti-government organization’ in the history of the New Continent, with spies planted in Major Clans and government agencies.

Even at this moment, information from our spies is being sent to my hideout.”

“……!!”

Finlay’s eyes narrowed.

He had suspected it. There was no other explanation for how Ukobachi had managed to evade Major Clans and Paladins during their prime.

But this was the first time he had heard it directly from a Ukobachi member.

“Surprised? That I openly admitted to planting spies?”

“…You’re very arrogant.”

“I can afford to be. We’re fully prepared to execute Operation ‘Red Moon’.”

“…What?”

Finlay asked, confused.

Naturally, he, a mere government official, wouldn’t know about Operation ‘Red Moon’, a secret known only to key Ukobachi members.

“The launch of Operation ‘Red Moon’ is today. And what better way to celebrate than by wiping out this Celcecheong, including you, Finlay!”

As soon as he finished speaking, figures identical to Kim Jinsung emerged from the ground, surrounding Finlay.

They were Kim Jinsung’s clones.

Finlay, completely surrounded, didn’t panic. He just glared at Kim Jinsung’s main body, unmoving.

“Do you remember what happened in June last year?”

He spoke, his body surging with Mana. He was activating his Mana at full power.

“Back then, all the members of Ukobachi gathered to destroy this place. But they failed to defeat me.”

The basement started shaking as he spoke.

The tremors intensified, feeling like an earthquake.

“And you dare to come here alone to kill me?!”

He raised his voice, shouting at Kim Jinsung,

“Let me show you why all those Ukobachi members failed to kill me!”

As soon as he finished speaking, small orbs shot out from the six walls, flying towards the clones.

Countless orbs were fired from all directions: the walls, the ceiling, and the floor.

The clones couldn’t possibly dodge them all.

They created shields and bulletproof barriers, but the orbs pierced through them all.

**Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!** The orbs struck flesh, creating holes.

The clones, riddled with hundreds of holes, collapsed, green blood oozing from their wounds.

“As expected.”

Kim Jinsung, the only one still standing, nodded, watching his clones rapidly decay.

“I knew this Celcecheong was the perfect environment for ‘Iron Master’ Finlay to operate in, but this is even more impressive than I imagined.”

Iron Master.

It was Finlay’s nickname, referring to his ability to manipulate iron.

He could control any iron within his Mana range, even firing them like bullets, as he had just demonstrated.

“This doesn’t seem like ordinary iron.”

Kim Jinsung looked at the iron orb in his hand.

“It’s Mana Suppression Steel.”

Finlay answered his musing.

Mana Suppression Steel was the main material used in hunter bracelets, which restricted Awakened individuals from using Mana.

Kim Jinsung was slightly surprised.

“Mana Suppression Steel? You built the entire Celcecheong with it?”

He had confirmed, before entering the basement using Ghost Form, that the entire Celcecheong building was made of the same Mana Suppression Steel.

“Isn’t Mana Suppression Steel quite expensive?”

“Do you think the Celcecheong can’t afford it?”

Finlay replied calmly.

“…So that’s why Ukobachi couldn’t do anything last year.”

“That’s right.”

Finlay grinned at his words.

“All their skills, abilities, and equipment were rendered useless by the Mana Suppression Steel that makes up these six walls.”

He remembered the scene from last year.

Countless Ukobachi members, surrounding him in the lobby, had been helplessly struck down by the various Mana Suppression Steel attacks fired from the building.

“It’ll be the same for you.”

His smile turned menacing.

“You should have run away when I discovered your identity. You might have had a chance of survival then!”

“So I can enter as I please, but I can’t leave?”

“Hehehe, that’s right! You won’t escape from my home ground!”

He shouted and activated his ability again.

Hundreds of iron orbs formed on the six walls and shot towards Kim Jinsung like bullets.

“Didn’t you notice why I was the only one who survived earlier?”

Kim Jinsung said as the orbs approached.

The orbs struck him before he could finish his sentence.

They passed through his body without any resistance.

But that was it.

None of the hundreds of orbs caused him any harm.

“I had a feeling.”

Finlay said, as if he had figured it out.

“You must have a transparency-related ability, since physical attacks don’t work on you.”

“That’s right. You’re quick.”

Kim Jinsung answered honestly. Gian’s ‘Ghost Form’ trait could be broadly categorized as a ‘transparency’ ability.

“Mana Suppression Steel? Sure, it’s good. But isn’t transparency the ultimate counter to metal ability users?”

As he spoke, clones started appearing around him again.

“This time, all my clones will fight in Ghost Form. Let’s see how you handle that.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the clones charged at Finlay.

They were all unarmed, attacking with their fists.

Knowing that Finlay was an ‘Iron Master’, he had come here without any metal weapons.

His clones were also unarmed, so they could only attack with their bare hands.

**Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!**

The clones reached Finlay and unleashed a barrage of punches.

Each punch dented his body, as if it were made of clay.

But Finlay, despite his visibly deformed body, didn’t seem to care. He even laughed.

“Hahaha! This is my home ground! I’m invincible here!”

He shouted, and iron dust erupted from the six walls, being absorbed into his body.

His deformed body instantly returned to its original shape.

He seemed to be using the iron from the walls to repair his body.

“See? It’s useless no matter how much you attack me!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the clones changed their attack pattern.

Instead of physical attacks, they started using various elemental attacks and laser skills.

Finlay was bombarded with elemental magic, Demonic Energy, and Heavenly Energy attacks.

“You fools!”

He scoffed and extended his right palm towards a clone on his right.

A giant fireball shot out from his palm.

**Boom!**

A powerful explosion erupted from the right wall, engulfing more than half of the basement.

Several clones on the right side were incinerated, turning to ash.

“I told you, it’s Mana Suppression Steel! Mana-based attacks can’t harm me!”

He explained smugly and extended his left palm towards the left side.

Another explosion erupted, and three more clones were incinerated.

“It’s called ‘Smelting Cannon’! Did you think I wouldn’t know that those in Ghost Form are weak to elemental attacks?”

He grinned triumphantly and turned his palm towards Kim Jinsung’s main body.

Just as he was about to fire another ‘Smelting Cannon’, one of the clones charged at him.

He chuckled as he saw the clone throwing a punch.

“You idiot! The result will be the same no matter how many times you attack…!”

His eyes widened in shock before he could finish his sentence.

The clone’s fist, covered in purple energy, pierced through his side, creating a gaping hole.

‘What?!’

Just like the iron orbs had passed through Kim Jinsung’s body without resistance, the clone’s fist had also penetrated his body effortlessly.

He saw the clone preparing to attack again.

‘Damn it!’

He instinctively twisted his body to the left.

The clone’s other hand narrowly missed his neck, only managing to slice through two-thirds of it.

If he had activated ‘Flash’, Henrique’s unique ability, his neck would have been completely severed.

He narrowly escaped death and retreated into the wall.

His face, with its eyes, nose, and mouth, was now embedded in the wall, a grotesque sight.

“You… could you be…”

His expression turned serious as he stared at Kim Jinsung.

“Are you that Triunfo Clan prospect, Alopsky?”

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