Chapter 81

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When a battle is imminent or in progress, a human's nerves inevitably focus on the weapons the enemy is wielding. Being acutely aware of the most threatening thing is a natural reaction.

"My turn, why did the gun... move on its own..."

Click—click—

In other words, the moment one's own weapon turns against them is a perfect 'exceptional case.'

Thus, for a moment, his mind went blank and his judgment became clouded.

And that wasn't the end of it.

Bang—bang—bang—!

The pistols floating in the air began to deform, as if made of clay, stretching and twisting.

"—!"

The 'metal ropes' thus formed flew in, latching onto the throats of the robbers, binding them like 'restraints.' Instinctively, they raised their hands to tear them off...

"No, don't move."

Lee Hyun-wook pointed at one of the floating gun parts.

Squeak—!

In that instant, it shattered in mid-air, scraping the ceiling and walls as it passed.

Gulp—

Witnessing this, the robbers froze like statues, unable to move.

"If I infuse mana into the collars around your necks, can you feel what will happen?"

"So, from now on, you will be obedient guide dogs."

As Lee Hyun-wook took a step forward, the robbers took two steps back. They were already completely overwhelmed.

"What do you want from us!"

The leader of the nine robbers asked. After they had initiated the attack, to question what he wanted was... Lee Hyun-wook found the situation absurd, but he did have a purpose.

"I want you to help me find someone."

"What? Who, who is it?"

Lee Hyun-wook's goal was a player who could become the best component of the massive facility in Laputa. However, this player was currently branded with the F-rank stigma and was being treated poorly in the depths below.

And the place where he lived...

"I am here to meet the owner. I am going into the village inside the gate now."

"What? The village inside the gate, what do you mean by that..."

At this, the robbers looked quite surprised.

'What... what's going on here?'

The leader's mind was a blank.

They had only intended to rob some clueless pedestrians.

But to be subdued so quickly by these guys was absurd...

'This guy already knows about us?'

However, it couldn't be said that these two men had approached them intentionally.

Because they had clearly been the ones to target and approach them first.

'But what the hell is this...'

It was a completely incomprehensible situation.

"...What? Where? We, we don't know anything about such a place."

Lee Hyun-wook snorted at their feeble attempt to feign ignorance.

"Isn't it time you realized that pretending not to know isn't going to work?"

"..."

"I know there's an 'abandoned gate' here underground, and there's a village inside it."

A gate is a portal connecting the 'dungeon' where monsters live to the real world.

After a dungeon is cleared and the 'World Stone' is destroyed, the gate closes.

But what if... it isn't destroyed and is left abandoned?

'The gate doesn't close, and an erosion phenomenon occurs in the area.'

However, the World Stone doesn't act as quickly or extensively as the 'Wave' that directly affects the Earth's surface; it only makes the area around the gate, a few hundred meters, similar to the gate's internal environment.

'After that... nothing much happens. Nothing at all.'

Therefore, there are cases where the land inside an abandoned gate is used.

Considering it's like obtaining a large amount of ownerless land, it's hard not to be tempted.

'However, this is considered an illegal act and is regulated in the game.'

This is because leaving a gate unattended for a long time can be a significant risk.

However, many countries secretly possess abandoned gates, and large-scale terrorist groups use them as hideouts or secret garages.

"Frankly, it's not such a big secret; it's already a rumor in the public."

"That's... just a rumor, as you said!"

Lee Hyun-wook tightened the restraints around the necks of the stubborn robbers.

"No, I already knew, so don't try to outsmart me. Quickly, lead the way."

"Ugh! Damn... Alright!"

The robbers had no choice but to lead the way down the iron stairs.

As they descended floor by floor, the crowd gradually thinned, and by the time they reached the 5th underground floor, there was no one left.

They had to walk a long way down a silent corridor, where the only sound was the dripping of water.

During this time, the robbers exchanged covert glances.

But Lee Hyun-wook, who had gained the ability to see through their movements, caught every small action.

"...Here."

The leader of the robbers reached out to a lever connected to some pipes and turned it. A grinding sound was heard, and the wall behind them began to open.

Rumble—!

Behind the thoroughly hidden wall, a secret space was revealed, and a purple gate was open.

In front of it stood two guards with automatic rifles.

"Hey, guys! What's going on here!"

They seemed to have understood the situation through the CCTV and raised their guns.

But in the next moment, with a creak, the gun barrels bent at a right angle.

"What? What's happening!"

They quickly drew other weapons...

"No! Don't do anything! There's a bomb around our necks!"

The leader of the robbers shouted, and the guards had no choice but to lower their weapons.

Thus, they finally faced the gate that had been abandoned for 11 years.

"Right, so... this gate is the... village you're looking for."

Our village, his words carried a sense of unease. He had seemed like a complete thug when he brandished the gun, but now he seemed like a family man...

'Well, maybe he is a family man.'

The Red Hole organization, they were undoubtedly living an illegal life.

But there were historical reasons for this.

After the world turned into a game, numerous incidents occurred.

Among them, players oppressing other players were not uncommon.

Especially in the early days of the player community, it was a far from stable, rather rough world.

Fights for dominance over the 'unknown power' of newly emerged players repeatedly broke out.

'I was too young to remember, but they were essentially gangsters.'

Those who were pushed out during this tumultuous period had no choice but to hide in the shadows.

In other words, the Red Hole organization could be seen as unfortunate figures who were pushed out in the power struggles...

'However, they are now an illegal group, so caution is necessary.'

Before entering the gate, Lee Hyun-wook approached Park Jun-mo and whispered to him.

"Park Jun-mo, you go in first. Do you remember the precautions when entering the gate?"

"Ah, yes!"

Park Jun-mo remembered the instruction to always be wary of the area above his head when entering the Cheongdam Red Gate, the first dungeon he had cleared. So he took a deep breath and heightened all his senses.

"Alright, we're entering the gate, your village. If you try anything funny..."

Snap— Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers, and the 11 men flinched.

"You know what will happen, right?"

But Lee Hyun-wook knew that these guys would definitely try something.

One by one, they entered the gate, and Lee Hyun-wook was the last to enter.

Whoosh—

As they stepped into the unfamiliar world, the first thing they encountered was a rough sandstorm.

This place was a rugged wasteland, reminiscent of the Arizona desert in the United States.

"Hmm... not a very nice neighborhood, is it?"

Lee Hyun-wook's brief comment made the leader of the robbers snort.

"No, for outsiders like us, there's no better place."

His words were filled with resentment towards the world.

'Well, if you grew up in a place like this, it's no wonder you have a negative view of the world.'

The man was in his early thirties, and he probably entered this place in his teens.

He must have harbored hatred towards the current large guilds that pushed them into such a corner and the government that failed to protect them in such a situation.

"Alright, then, can you show me around this nice village?"

They began to move through the desolate canyon.

After some time...

'...Right, they're starting their tricks.'

Lee Hyun-wook could feel it. The robbers were exchanging more frequent glances...

So he had already fortified his body and surrounded himself with a mana shield.

And at that moment, one of the robbers stepped hard on a rock.

Click—!

A mechanical sound was heard, and the rocks on both sides opened, revealing some tubes.

The rock was a 'trigger' for something.

"Got it!"

One of the robbers triumphed, and at the same time, blue beams of light began to shoot out from the tubes.

Zap—zap—zap—!

It was a trap containing electric magic.

They intended to activate it above their heads, sweeping Lee Hyun-wook and the others with the current.

Once they all passed out, their comrades would come to release the restraints...

However...

"Yah—!"

Zap—zap—zap—zap—

Park Jun-mo's eyes rolled, and the electric beams coalesced into a ball.

"Kuh—!"

He raised his arms, and the electric ball shot into the sky and disappeared.

"Phew..."

"Park Jun-mo, well done."

"Yes!"

Lee Hyun-wook already knew about this trap.

'And there were quite a few of them. Even with a mana shield, repeated exposure could be dangerous.'

But this time, with Park Jun-mo as a reliable countermeasure, he could enter confidently.

Meanwhile, the robbers, who had believed this electric trap would solve everything, were stunned.

They looked at Lee Hyun-wook with trembling eyes.

"Seems like you've forgotten what I said..."

Lee Hyun-wook lowered his voice and turned to the robbers.

"Snap—!"

The restraints around their necks tightened, choking them.

"Ugh, ugh—"

At that moment...

Rumble—rumble—rumble—!

A vibration began from the hill in front of them.

It was like...

"Is that... the sound of hooves...?"

Before Park Jun-mo could finish, a dozen horses, known as dungeon steeds, appeared from the hill.

Dungeon steeds, commonly referred to as such, were large horses that lived inside the dungeon.

And among them, a woman drew a greatsword and shouted.

"Stop right there—!"

The woman was someone Lee Hyun-wook knew.

Ko Jin-hwa, the eldest daughter of Ko Jun-cheol, the boss of Red Hole.

'She's someone I can reason with.'

Lee Hyun-wook raised his hands to show he had no intention of fighting.

Ko Jin-hwa pulled on the reins, slowing her horse.

"Damn! Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Sorry, but we're not intruders. We have a reason to be here."

"What? What kind of nonsense is that! Do you know what this place is before barging in like this