Swoosh!
He launched himself through the spray of blood.
A hail of bullets swept through the spot he had just occupied.
Lee Gang-san ducked behind a statue and pulled out his phone.
Out of service range.
He had prepared well enough.
He looked up at the statue, which clearly looked ancient and historic.
He hadn't wanted to sightsee like this, but it couldn't be helped.
Crash!!
Before he could catch his breath, an anchor came flying in.
It smashed through the statue and fell toward Lee Gang-san.
It seemed they had no intention of preserving cultural heritage.
He kicked off the ground and dove through a nearby window.
Click. Click. Click.
The enemies were troublesome enough with their awakened abilities, but they were also wearing strange armor.
He couldn't help but wonder where they got such things.
"You damn rat... Gurk!"
A few soldiers entered, but he cut them down immediately and ran down the corridor.
Lee Gang-san's ability was cognitive disruption and manipulation.
Since the range of his ability was limited, he had to avoid fighting in open areas.
Outside his range, he was just an ordinary person with good physical abilities.
Squeak!
He used his ability again on the enemies appearing before him.
Their perception was disrupted, and they couldn't even pull the trigger.
He slipped through them and slit their throats with minimal movements.
He didn't know how many there were, so he had to conserve his stamina as much as possible.
'Did they bring everyone here?'
He checked his communication device intermittently as he climbed the stairs.
This place had been a tourist attraction open to the public until recently.
Even if they had turned it into a temporary headquarters, they couldn't have covered every spot in such a short time.
He had to find that gap.
Crunch! Crack! Slash!
'There are damn many of them.'
He had only climbed two floors, but his eyes were already stinging.
Just as he was about to head for the next set of stairs.
Whoosh!
Several projectiles flew toward him.
He reflexively dodged, but these weren't ordinary projectiles.
They changed direction like homing missiles and drove into his side.
He deflected the rest with his knife, avoiding further injury.
"Tch."
He surveyed the tightening encirclement.
Having been a soldier himself, he recognized it immediately.
These weren't ordinary Hunters.
This was the military's strangulation tactic, slowly cutting off the enemy's air supply.
And the language he occasionally heard wasn't Polish—it was Russian.
Perhaps more than one country was involved in this.
Click.
He took a breath at the sound of approaching footsteps.
He threw the pistol he had picked up upstairs while simultaneously diving downward.
Dozens of gun barrels and various abilities shifted downward, destroying the pistol.
But he was a step faster.
His ability activated, and the enemies were instantly swallowed by cognitive disruption.
Blood flowed from his eyes because he had to hold so many people, but there was no time to hesitate.
Slash! Thud! Thwack!
With concise movements, Lee Gang-san cut off their lives one by one in the middle of the enemy formation.
Step.
He turned his head at a sudden presence.
But this time, he was too late.
A bright light flashed, stealing his vision.
And before he could register anything, a tremendous impact struck the right side of his face.
Boom!!!
Lee Gang-san's body flew through the air and slammed into the corridor wall.
'What... speed...'
He tried to hold onto his fading consciousness, but it was futile.
His body shut down regardless of his will.
Rustle.
Before him, bright blonde hair swayed.
A woman looked down at her fist after confirming Lee Gang-san had passed out.
There was blood on it.
"Disgusting."
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Her emotion-laden fists rained down on Lee Gang-san.
Her speed was so fast that, except for the momentary flashes, it was impossible to track with the naked eye.
"General Anastasia, that's enough."
"Huh?"
Anastasia's eyes widened as she slapped the man across the face.
"Do you want to die? How dare a subordinate give orders to a general?"
The pain was considerable, but the man's expression didn't change at all.
He continued speaking with the same expression as before.
"The client ordered us to bring him back alive. He said he'd use him as bait to break the enemy's shield."
Anastasia gritted her teeth and grabbed the man by the hair.
"Sergeant Alexei. I've told you before, fix that arrogant tone. Next time, I might actually kill you. Got it? It doesn't matter how much longer you've been in the military than me. Our ranks are worlds apart."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll keep that in mind."
Grit.
Even this immediate acceptance irritated her.
It was obvious he was pretending to obey while not acknowledging it on the inside.
"Disgusting bastard."
Anastasia let go of his hair and turned around.
Being dragged to this corner of Poland was annoying enough, but having to deal with that insufferable Alexei as well.
This was truly the worst day.
Swish.
Alexei wiped the blood from his mouth and watched Anastasia walk away.
Major General Anastasia Krasova of the Russian Army.
Though she had never been exposed in official settings, she was called Anastasia the Flash and had risen to the top of Russia's unofficial player rankings.
She was also one of Russia's hidden ultimate secret weapons.
Crackle.
"This is Alexei. Major General Anastasia has captured the bait."
# Oh, really? You didn't kill him, did you? I specifically asked you to keep him alive.
"He was subdued and took some additional hits, but he's still breathing. Regardless of his awakened ability, he's far from being an ordinary person."
# That's a relief. Good work. Lady Anastasia has a habit of killing people too easily. I'll arrive in two hours.
"Yes, sir. We'll be waiting."
Alexei hung up and looked at his subordinates.
They were men who had undergone high-intensity training, yet they had been so helpless.
A troublesome ability.
"The client will arrive soon. Restrain his hands and blindfold him until then. That will prevent him from using his ability."
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
Alexei took a breath and turned his gaze out the window.
Inside the silent Babel.
A star would soon fall here.
The star of a country unlucky enough to be the first to fall into the trap.
* * *
The Ducati dealership in Hannam-dong, which I hadn't visited in a while.
Maybe it was because I had made a name for myself as a big spender with my last purchase.
"Welcome!"
As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted by the enthusiastic voices of the staff.
I quickly bowed my head and swallowed dryly.
I should come without making a reservation call next time.
'Or maybe not?!'
I wondered if that would be even more of a nuisance.
While I was lost in thought, Oh Jun-tae, the man who had sold me the motorcycle, approached.
"Hello! VIP customer Yoo Jin-hyuk!"
"Hello! Oh! You got promoted to manager. Congratulations!"
"All thanks to you, sir."
"I don't see that other person from last time."
Oh Jun-tae looked out the door with a wistful expression.
That probably meant he had been fired.
Soon after, the branch manager, who seemed to have chased out the troublemaker, approached.
Looking at her again, she reminded me of a strict school guidance counselor.
"Thank you so much for visiting our branch. I'm Lee Mi-young, the branch manager."
"Hello!"
"I'm truly sorry for the delay in delivery. Even though we placed the order the day you called, it took a while. Since it's such a high-value item, the import process was a bit complicated."
"Oh, this is actually fast."
"Manager Oh Jun-tae."
"Yes! Please follow me!"
I followed Oh Jun-tae and Lee Mi-young to the very back of the store.
I glanced around.
Last time, the motorcycle was displayed in the prime spot, but this time, I couldn't see it anywhere.
Maybe I was looking around too much, because Oh Jun-tae smiled.
"The motorcycle is behind that door. Since it's a very high-value item and was already reserved, it's being stored in a place that only the branch manager can access."
"Oh, I see."
After going through two authentication procedures, the door opened.
It felt more like a secret base than a motorcycle dealership.
Through the open door, my new motorcycle finally revealed itself.
Oh Jun-tae walked over to it, wearing white gloves.
"The model is the Ducati Desmosedici NCR M20. Most of the parts are made of carbon fiber for weight reduction, and the bolts are made of titanium, which is used in large aircraft. It's stronger and much lighter than your previous motorcycle."
My eyes sparkled with excitement.
Carbon fiber and titanium were great, but what I liked most was the color.
Matte black.
A color that strikes a chord in any man's heart.
"The price is $400,000, which is currently about 590 million won. Like the previous model, it's a worthy addition to your collection, VIP customer."
I closed my eyes at the mention of Duram-1.
Hearing him call it a "collection," he probably had no idea it had been run over by a car and turned into a pancake.
I'd just consider it a collection in my heart.
I examined the motorcycle while listening to Oh Jun-tae's additional explanations.
Then I readily pulled out my card.
"One lump sum, please!"
"Thank you as always!"
Oh Jun-tae took the card with his white gloves on.
Watching the two of them, Branch Manager Lee Mi-young bit her lip.
She almost couldn't contain her joy and let her lips curl up.
A customer who had bought two of the highest-end models, which might sell only one every few years, within a few months.
Since he was likely to buy more in the future, Branch Manager Lee Mi-young made a firm resolution at that moment.
She would hold onto this customer's heart with the best service ever, even after the sale!
Beep. Ding.
After completing the payment and necessary paperwork, I wheeled the motorcycle out.
As soon as I hit the road, people's gazes focused on me.
It couldn't be helped.
It wasn't just because the motorcycle looked expensive, but because the branch manager and all the store employees had come out to see me off.
Time to make a quick escape.
"Well, I'll be off! Thank you!"
I started the engine, and a pleasant rumble vibrated through me.
'From now on, your name is Duram-2.'
After naming it, I slowly twisted the throttle.
Duram-2 glided across the road, showcasing both power and smoothness.
Now that the crazy bastard Ryu Seung-kwon was gone, there was no chance of it becoming a pancake, right?
As I was gradually increasing my speed, something climbed onto my back.
"Kancho?!?!"
"Kang-sung! Kancho, deputy leader of the Yodel Rangers! I have manifested to participate in the test ride!"
Maybe it was because I had been thrown off once before.
He clung tightly to the back of my neck.
His fluffy fur tickled me.
"I beat up Momotari and put him to sleep because he insisted on coming too."
"You did well. Momo can't turn invisible."
Here I was, riding with a chubby little kid without a helmet.
I'd definitely get reported.
"That's right! Then please go at maximum speed!"
"Okay. Then let's just— Huh?"
The buzzing phone made me pull the motorcycle over to the shoulder.
It was Yoon Mi-ri from the Player Hunter Agency.
"Hello, Mi-ri."
# Hello! It's about Ryu Jin-soo, the chairman of Jae-woong Construction. His condition has worsened significantly. It doesn't look like he'll make it through the day.
I had made a request earlier.
I asked them to call me if Ryu Jin-soo was on his last legs.
I smiled as I spoke.
"I'll be right there!"
I hung up and twisted the throttle again.
My first destination for this test drive was set.
Let's go.
Time to extract some information.
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T/N:
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