Chapter 72

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Author's Note: In the previous chapter, before Okita Kaito fled, a scene was added where he put the 'Fly Eye' in his pocket.

In the years to come, the entire world would fall into the clutches of the villain organization. After a long period of covert operations, they had taken control of politics and economics, monopolizing players and items.

At that time, no one could stop them, and they would pull out the Necromancer card, a world-conquering strategy.

'But... not yet.'

At this point, the villain organization was not ready to challenge the entire world.

Heroes were still active, and countries around the world were working to maintain order.

Therefore, they were focusing on building their strength in secret.

'The best thing I can do now... is to stop their growth.'

Rushing to expose the existence of villains without solid evidence, just because I've gained a bit of fame, would be a foolish gamble. For now, the best approach is to use every possible method to contain them and gather evidence to unveil their true nature—this is the right answer.

'For that, I can't do it alone. I need a powerful force.'

Given that the villains are gradually eroding the world in various ways, no matter how hard I try, I have my limits. Thus, assistance in economics, politics, combat, and intelligence is necessary.

That's why I am building my influence and forming connections with reliable people.

Notably, there are heroes like Kim Gang-seok and Choi Jung-chul from the AMT, who have dealt with villains in the past, and further, the master of Jumoonarae, Kang Se-yoon, and the top-ranked government player, Woo Sung-moon.

'But pulling them into my plan is still premature in many ways.'

I expect that for a while, I will have to act alone without strong support.

However, an unexpected and very powerful move appeared.

The Holy Maiden, Emilia Mueller, a woman who was not part of my plan...

I proposed the creation of a 'secret organization' to her, and after the situation was somewhat resolved, we met again in the VIP room.

"The team you suggested just now... you mean to deal with the villains, right?"

At her question, I nodded.

"President, as you know, the conspiracy of the villain organization, this is not the last time."

"Ah, that's right... of course..."

Her expression darkened again.

This moment could be overcome thanks to my efforts.

But if a similar moment comes again, what then...

Her life is still in grave danger.

"Ha—We managed to cut off the rotten branch, but the situation is still a mess."

"..."

"There, can you pass me some whiskey?"

"Please bear with it for a little longer."

"Ah—"

She sighed and drank a large gulp of water.

"K—Then, can you... stay by my side... hmm, no, you can't, right?"

Her eyes showed a subtle hope, but I shook my head firmly.

"......I can't. That's why I'm suggesting we create an organization to deal with them. So... President, tell me what you know about the villains."

She knows something about the villains. Nicholas Steele told her something, and because of that, the villains are desperate to kill her...

She looked into the air and slowly nodded.

"......This is something I've never told anyone before."

Emilia carefully revealed the secrets she knew, like opening Pandora's box.

However, it was a story I already knew.

The core figure of the Guardian organization, Gordon Price, was actually the leader of the villains, hindering the Guardians.

In any case, sharing this fact earned me her complete trust.

"Ha—Even the Guardians... I'm glad I didn't take the Guardian quest."

Of course, I had to pretend to hear it for the first time to maintain trust.

"Yes, that's right. In fact, I approached you to gather information, but this seems much better. If you're going to form a team... I'll definitely join."

She said this with a determined expression.

"Surprisingly... you're agreeing so easily?"

At that, Emilia smiled and reached out to take the whiskey next to me.

"From today, you, Hyun-wook, are the person I, the Holy Maiden, trust the most."

"Isn't that a bit sudden to give such a grand title?"

"It's because you're the reason I'm still alive, isn't it?"

Emilia shrugged and pointed to my left arm.

"So, besides healing, I trust you enough to be pampered in other ways."

"......"

"What, that expression... I'm joking. Anyway, what are you going to do with the team?"

I shrugged.

"I don't have a grand vision yet. As you said... gather people we can trust."

At that, Emilia nodded. For her, the most lacking thing was trustworthy allies, so this was a fitting first step.

"Of course, we can't start grandly from the beginning. Ah, and if you need anything, just let me know. I may look like a brat, but I have a lot of money. I'll provide whatever you need."

Indeed, her influence was formidable.

While she receives support from the Chad Republic, she is, in a strict sense, an independent organization.

And Saint Dome is known for making as much money as a major corporation, earning significant income from selling holy relics and dispatching holy knights and priests.

From what I heard, the 'Holy Field' just now was a 900 billion won magic spell...

In other words, Emilia Mueller was the leader of a massive organization with many people and a lot of money.

Of course, she is a symbolic figure, and the practical work is handled by others, but her influence within the organization is undeniable.

'As she said, I now have a proper funding source.'

My plans are likely to gain momentum from now on.

And right now, I decided to complete one plan.

"Ah, and... there's a special favor I'd like to ask. It's a bit difficult, but..."

"Sure, just tell me, and I'll take care of it."

I paused for a moment and then spoke with a serious expression.

"I want to recruit the magic engineers of the Chad Republic for the guild I'm raising."

The Chad Republic is a leader in the magic engineering industry, so it has the best talent. With 'Laputa' appearing over Seoul, a seismic shift in the magic engineering industry is expected.

I am now showing my intention to ride this seismic shift.

Emilia tilted her head.

"Ah... It's a sensitive issue to poach specialized personnel... What's the reason?"

Instead of answering, I took something out of my pocket.

It was a key.

The item information appeared before my eyes.

- Name: Master Key of Ancient Heritage

- Effect: Unknown

* This item becomes yours upon acquisition.

I examined the content again and looked at Emilia.

"This is... the master key to the floating magic engineering city, Laputa, over Seoul."

At this, Emilia frowned as if she hadn't heard me properly.

"Wh-What did you just say?"

"I said, the master key to Laputa."

Hearing this again, she couldn't help but stand up with her mouth open.

"No, are you... saying you're the administrator of Laputa—?"

"Yes. I got it as a reward for the 4th Wave."

She was speechless for a moment before collapsing onto the sofa.

"Ah, wow... You're even more impressive than I thought... Then..."

"I haven't been to the magic engineering city yet, but I plan to use it soon."

"Ah... Our secret organization seems to be bigger than I imagined."

It was obvious that Laputa would bring significant advancements in magic engineering.

I intended to be at the forefront of this future technology, and for that, I needed 'talent.'

Emilia took a sip, no, two sips of whiskey, with a dazed expression.

"Huh—Alright, I understand. If it's that big of an issue... I'll have to put in some effort."

Indeed, as the head of Saint Dome, it was a problem she could handle without much difficulty.

"Huh... There are so many heart-pounding moments today... What else can I do?"

"Just... don't leave Saint Dome until I contact you."

"Hmm... That's what I do best. But, you don't mean I shouldn't do anything, right?"

"Yes. For now, don't accept any new members... conduct an internal inspection. Emilia Mueller's top priority is survival. Keep that in mind, and drink moderately for a clear mind."

Emilia smiled and took another sip of whiskey.

"K—Thank you for giving me such a goal. I'll work hard."

I shook my head and stood up.

"I've been here too long. I should go now."

"Sure. I'll set up a secret communication network, so let's keep in touch."

"Sure, I'll ask for that too."

At that moment, she took something out of her inner pocket and handed it to me.

"Here, take this."

- You have obtained the Golden Leaf of the World Tree (Special).

- Name: Golden Leaf of the World Tree (Special)

- Effect: Grants 10 seconds of 'Invincibility' once.

This time, I was the one who was surprised.

"No... This is an item that the Chad Republic strictly prevents from leaking, isn't it?"

The Chad Republic monopolizes various byproducts of the World Tree—leaves and branches—and exports them as specialty goods. The export revenue from this is in the tens of trillions of won annually. Therefore, the government manages these products at a special level, and illegal smuggling is strictly prohibited.

"I have to give you something, or rumors will spread, and we can naturally make contact later, right?"

Emilia smiled.

I took it without a word.

This was an extremely rare item, difficult to value.

'Emilia... I've gained an unexpected and powerful ally.'

Of course, the villains will continue to target her, but if I can protect her and work together, she will undoubtedly be a significant asset.

***

Two days have passed since the demon summoning thwarting and the assassination attempt on the Holy Maiden.

Seoul, which had overcome another terrifying crisis, is now regaining stability.

The Holy Maiden and her party safely returned to Saint Dome, and I also returned to my unit.

The news continues to cover the issue, but it will soon die down.

However, the government's counterintelligence agency, led by Woo Sung-moon, is busier than ever.

The terrorist group that attacked Seoul has not been identified, so there is no time to rest.

Woo Sung-moon was sitting in his office, receiving reports from department heads.

"......The terrorists' entry routes still cannot be traced. As expected, it seems they all used the Shadow Baron's skill, and there is virtually no way to track them."

"Also, the terrorists we captured on the scene all died due to latent spells. We checked their identities, and they were all low-level members of the South American player cartel."

Whatever group it is, they have taken extreme measures to prevent their identity from being revealed.

"We have requested cooperation from South American countries, but only two have responded so far."

Whenever Woo Sung-moon received such pessimistic investigation results, he thought of someone.

'Hyun-wook... '

Whenever he faced a difficult situation, he found the right answer with his remarkable ingenuity.

Thus, he saved Seoul three times.

This is an undeniable fact, as he witnessed it himself.

'He even defeated Okita Kaito... in a one-on-one duel.'