Chapter 168. Penalty Game
Near the entrance of the high-rise building, police officers had set up a cordon. They were controlling the crowd to prevent anyone from entering. The firefighters who arrived at the scene couldn't even enter the building. They could only stare helplessly upwards.
The main reason they couldn't get in was Ki-chan. Through the glass doors, they could see him standing in the first-floor lobby. He was calmly watching them.
Seeing one of the escapees reduced to a pile of flesh before their eyes, ordinary people had no courage to enter the building.
Puhhhhhhh!
- Kyaaaah! Explosions and screams echoed throughout the building. The 19th floor… The 15th floor… The 9th floor…
Finally, another intense scream echoed from the 3rd floor. Then, three men and a woman appeared in the first-floor lobby. The people gathered around the building began to retreat.
Several agents in black suits appeared in front of them. They simply watched, expressionless, without attempting to stop Seo-woon and his group from leaving the building. They simply blocked civilians, clearing a path for Seo-woon and his group to pass.
Seeing this, Seo-woon was certain Kim Chi-sang had been abandoned. "I thought they'd at least object even if they killed a dog whose hunt wasn't yet over." Instead of objecting, they simply prostrated themselves on the ground. They drew a clear line between themselves and Kim Chi-sang.
Even though Kim Chi-sang, the leader of Sergeant Guild, Asia's third-largest guild, and its top-ranking members had been completely wiped out, the expressions on the Japanese agents' faces remained unchanged. The group passed them and got into the car of an agent who had come from Sweden as an auxiliary.
"Is it over?" Unlike the tension they'd felt when they first met, Seo-woon's voice sounded tense. He watched his group take out the Sergeant Guild. "Yes. Take us to the airport."
The agent started the car without asking any further questions. He glanced at the blood-soaked Seo-woon in the rearview mirror. He gave off a completely different vibe than when they first met, and he possessed a powerful charisma.
When they entered the airport, which was empty except for the chartered plane they'd arrived on, they saw a helicopter. Several people in black suits were there. As Seo-woon's team approached, Karina stepped forward first to greet them.
"I've been briefed."
"Yes. But who are they?" She asked, glancing at the people behind Karina. A middle-aged man stepped forward and spoke. Karina translated the middle-aged man's words. "They say they're from Japan's counterintelligence agency. They say they're happy to meet you."
Seo-woon, unlike the other players who maintained their expressionless faces, curled his lips into a wry expression. He looked at the middle-aged man, who was smiling fawningly. "They're so happy to see you. You should come here often..."
"...I'm sorry I couldn't stop by the hot springs this time because I was in a rush. Please tell them I'll come back often in the future." Seo-woon didn't miss the moment when the middle-aged man's expression changed. Although they had provoked him first, there had been no physical provocation.
"...So the high-ranking player who came and destroyed the Sergeant Guild was unlikely to be welcomed." "He said he'd recommend a good hot spring next time.
And… he also mentioned that he hoped there would be no misunderstandings with the Japanese government regarding this incident. He added that this was entirely Kim Chi-sang's individual actions and had no connection to the Japanese government whatsoever."
"Tell him I understand. If there was even the slightest connection… I wouldn't just leave it at that." Seo-woon's eyes lit up as he emphasized the last part. The middle-aged man, who had heard the message through Karina, bowed his head in a cold sweat.
"He said he was thankful you didn't misunderstand."
"Then let's definitely meet again next time." With that, Seo-woon tapped the middle-aged man's shoulder and walked away. He tried to provoke the nearby agents by tapping his shoulder, but they didn't change their expressions. They didn't move an inch.
Realizing Seo-woon was provoking them, Lilingwei and Ki-chan came up behind them. They opened their mouths. "Why are they acting so docile?" In response to Lilingwei's question, Ki-chan replied in a playful tone, as if wanting to be heard.
"They're the kind of people who bow to the strong and exploit the weak."
"Their nature?"
"I mean, I'm talking about their racial characteristics." The middle-aged man, who bowed his head, kept his smile even as the group passed by with mocking smiles. He didn't break it.
Boarding the plane, Ki-chan looked out the window at the middle-aged man. He was still smiling and stuck out his tongue. "He didn't pay any attention. I'm sure there was at least one person among them who spoke Korean."
Karina countered his words. "If they were the type to succumb to such provocation, they wouldn't have come here. They're the kind that would even fry kimchi."
"They're not making any concessions to us." Everyone nodded in agreement at Seo-woon's words. After the plane took off, Karina handed him a tablet and said, "There are some things you need to know."
Seo-woon took the tablet and, after checking the screen with his friends, Karina continued. "First of all, the Korean Ministry of Internal Security, which has been in close contact with us, has released the original video that caused the controversy." It seemed that Jeong Su-hwa, who had learned of Kim Chi-sang's elimination in almost real time, had taken swift action.
-The truth of that day.-
-Jin Seo-woon. Trying to save a dying soldier…-
-Jin Seo-woon. Attempting to kill a non-commissioned officer…-
"Huh?" Ki-chan tilted his head, looking at the tablet Seo-woon was holding. "What's this headline…?" The provocative headline seemed to imply that Seo-woon tried to kill a soldier, so Ki-chan clicked on the article.
The article stated that Seo-woon had neutralized a skilled warrior who attacked a private. He handed him over to the National Security Agency.
-What's the deal with the headline?-
-Typical trash journalism.-
-It looks like Jin Seo-woon is going to catch the reporter.-
-The headline is too sensational.-
-… Ki-chan looked at the comments below and nodded as he leaned back in his seat. "So, everything turned out for the better in the end? The truth came out, and Kim Chi-sang was also taken care of."
"At least public opinion has changed. In fact, a new issue has emerged, and it's shifting in that direction."
"What issue?" Seo-woon asked, and Karina opened her mouth with a bitter smile. "During the Korean government's statements about diplomatic immunity, it was revealed that Jin Seo-woon is a Swedish citizen."
At his words, Seo-woon went to the portal site's homepage on his tablet. He saw his name on the real-time search list.
-Jin Seo-woon-
-Jin Seo-woon's citizenship-
-Swedish immunity-…
Seeing Seo-woon checking the real-time search list, Karina continued. "It seems the government wanted to make it clear that they didn't grant any unlawful powers to an individual. But instead, this point has become a problem and is causing a stir."
"What are they making such a big deal about...?" Seo-woon fell silent after scanning the articles and comments.
-Why did he choose Sweden?-
-Is the number 1 player's citizenship Swedish?-
-Did they kidnap him? Or did they let him go?-
-'It was a normal decision. We couldn't give him special privileges.'-
-An excuse for losing a top talent.-
The truth of Seo-woon's attack video, which had once caused such an uproar, had long since faded from public attention. The truth of that day no longer mattered to the public. The important thing was that Jin Seo-woon, the world's most influential player and number 1 ranked player, had gone to Sweden.
Online debates were raging over his decision to become a Swedish citizen. "There are two opposing camps: those who believe we should do everything in our power to retain such a talented player, and those who argue that we can't protect a player by granting him immunity. And…"
"There's also a public perception that I'm a bad person for changing my citizenship for personal gain," he concluded. He hesitantly glanced at Karina's tablet. "True. There are a minority who think that way, too."
"Whether someone changes their citizenship or not is none of our business." Ki-chan frowned and said so. To him, people who were so involved in someone else's business looked like idle fools. "The whereabouts of a player who has such a significant impact on national power, I think, is a matter of concern to everyone."
Coming from a world where a single skilled knight or mage could determine the outcome of a war, Ki-chan fell silent at Juriell's words. "You're absolutely right, Juriell. Jin Seo-woon's presence has a significant impact. His mere presence has drastically changed Sweden's diplomatic power."
Being a Swedish citizen gives the country a significant advantage in diplomacy with other countries. "Don't exaggerate. It's not that much…"
"No. With the sudden increase in item prices, the value of players has skyrocketed. Among them, Jin Seo-woon, whose name is widely known, has become almost incalculable."
The amount of items can be produced in any country, whether small or large. All you need are players. However, item quality cannot be produced without top-tier players. That's why so many countries put so much effort into bringing Jin Seo-woon here."
Seo-woon had no objection to Karina's words. He just felt a little strange being praised so much. "Huh? This guy's channel's been shut down." Seo-woon took the phone Ki-chan offered and frowned. The YouTube channel of the guy who originally posted the exposé video had been taken down.
It seemed he couldn't handle the flood of hate comments that had erupted in just a few hours. He shut it down. "That guy joined the Sergeant Guild, but now the guild is like this. Is this what they call being like duck eggs in the Nakdong River?" Ki-chan tilted his head as he looked at Karina, who was smiling.
"But isn't it the third largest guild in Asia? Is the guild going to collapse just because its master died? It must have a lot of members from other worlds too."
"They killed all the high-ranking members who were with Kim Chi-sang. The only ones left are low-ranking players and reserves."
"True. We don't have exact numbers yet, but I think the core forces of the Sergeant Guild have been almost completely wiped out. Soon, the remaining guild members will either join other guilds or leave to find their own paths." While they were discussing the Sergeant Guild and the situation in Korea, the plane landed.
When they got off the plane, Jung Soo-hwa and her subordinates were waiting for Seo-woon. "What's going on?" She had seen him frequently since the recent events. She followed the group and spoke. "There's something I need to discuss with you."
"Discussion?"
"A connection has been detected in the Sichuan region of China." Hearing her words, Seo-woon stopped in his tracks. Seeing Seo-woon's reaction, the woman continued. "We received a request for assistance in case of an emergency in China."
"How big is it?"
"Still unclear. Unlike previous incidents, the connection is quite stable, but its scale is so large that it's difficult to determine its exact size." Seo-woon immediately called Bai-lun.
"It's me. I heard."
—Yes. I was hesitant to reach you since you were in Japan.
"You said it was big. How big is it?"
-I haven't seen it myself, so I can't say for sure. It's linked through the mountain range, so even satellites can't determine its exact size. We're evacuating civilians nearby, but we'll need to go there to assess the situation.
"What's the situation with the monsters?"
-Nothing has been reported yet. The problem is, it's hard to control civilians… -
"Why?"
-Item prices have skyrocketed recently, and civilians… have been flocking to the linked area. It seems they're having a hard time controlling people flocking there with illegal weapons to hunt monsters. That's why it's taking longer to assess the scale of the situation.
"Even if the government stocks up on supplies or civilians catch monsters, they won't be able to obtain any items."
- The government announced and encouraged this, but… from Bai-lun's vague answer, it was clear that the situation had taken an unusual turn.
"I'll go to Sichuan first. Keep me informed."
-Are you coming yourself?
"I need to check on something. I've been getting some help lately." After saying that, Seo-woon turned to Karina, who was already preparing for her flight to Sichuan. "Are you leaving right away?" Jeong Soo-hwa asked, and Seo-woon looked at her.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"Yes. I heard that a lot of players have been experiencing a new map recently."
"A new map? Like Cheongye?" Seo-woon asked, and the woman nodded. "There's been reports circulating that siege maps are popular among players who've been visiting Cloyd lately."
"Siege maps?"
"Yes. Apparently, players are forced to form teams on Cloyd and engage in siege battles, but the rules seem to vary depending on the game. Since you're not in a guild, I wanted to mention it in case you're unfamiliar with the game information."
Seo-woon thought for a moment and then spoke. "I'll keep it in mind." Jeong-soo-hwa silently watched Seo-woon and his friends return to the plane. "But if they force teams, wouldn't that split up the four-man squads and guilds?" Seo-woon nodded at Ki-chan, who had asked this question when they boarded the plane.
"I think they'll try to team up with members from the same guild or four-man squad. We'll have to wait and see. Come to think of it, Cloyd's rules were usually different."
"To be honest, maps like Cheon-gye are really difficult. Normal maps are the easiest."
Seo-woon nodded at Gi-chan's words. "Maps like Cheon-gye offer more opportunities. On normal maps, there are clear limits to what you can obtain, and variables are predictable. Players become more skilled as they gain experience, which makes it easier to use special maps to create a skill gap compared to normal games."
Ki-chan nodded in agreement. "You're definitely ahead of other players in terms of gameplay and strategy. But in a siege war, do you divide the team into defenders and attackers?"
"Hmm, probably." Just as Seo-woon finished speaking, a notification appeared. It indicated that the game had started.
[Beep! A new game has been matched. Difficulty: Medium-High. Game version: S&Q. Would you like to join?] (Y) (N)
Just as Seo-woon was about to press Y, an urgent voice echoed.
- Damn it! It's me, Dump! -
-What's going on? -
-I've been dragged into a penalty game. -
-Me too! -
Seo-woon asked Dump and Lim. - Dump and Lim, are you in the same game right now? -
-Yes. There's only the two of us right now! -
-Is the game version S&Q? -
-Yes. -
After a moment's hesitation, Seo-woon spoke to everyone.
-Everyone who can join, join this game! -