Spot! Papapapat!
Kosak sped off toward Beijing.
Advance reconnaissance is extremely important.
Even more so for a rescue operation like this.
Summoner Bong had given the order.
Save as many people as possible—bring them out alive.
Then that's what would happen.
No matter what.
At all costs.
A wide highway stretched out before his eyes.
And beyond it, a vast metropolis of towering skyscrapers.
It was Beijing, the capital of China.
From here on, slow and steady.
He attached an interference module and reduced his speed.
There was plenty of time.
He had already said in advance that he was leaving work early.
The words Xiao Jun had spilled before completely losing it—
The player detention facility was in a building behind the Forbidden City, in Zhongnanhai.
Not just the address, but the building's appearance and the method of entry had all been identified.
First destination: the tallest building in Beijing.
To grasp the overall layout, a high-rise was ideal.
Conveniently, there was a tower in the city reminiscent of Namsan Tower.
As a tourist attraction, it was crowded with people.
Kosak blended into the crowd and climbed to the top.
The city spread out below in a single glance.
The Forbidden City, and the buildings behind it, came into view.
'Over there.'
Location confirmed.
Every route was stored in his head.
Now for the on-site survey.
He left the tower and walked leisurely.
Passing a wide plaza, circling the pond beside the Forbidden City, he soon arrived at the target area.
This was a restricted zone—off-limits to civilians.
From here on, stealth mode.
Move too fast, and stealth breaks.
Carefully. Patiently.
He infiltrated the building Xiao Jun had mentioned.
The interior layout was complex.
Guards were posted everywhere, and every tightly sealed door had fingerprint scanners, iris scans, and facial recognition.
'Doors, huh.'
He lightly placed a hand on one.
With sword energy, it would slice right through.
Chinese steel doors were all like that.
Of course, there was no need to cut it now.
Just wait for someone to come and slip in behind them.
'This is it.'
A prison.
Or something like a psychiatric ward.
Along a stark white corridor, rooms lined both sides, with people who looked like players locked inside.
Mostly Southeast Asian individuals, all wearing identical clothing.
About eight of them.
'Escape routes…'
His mind worked rapidly.
The fastest paths, the number and placement of guards to neutralize, the locations of emergency stairwells.
Kosak exited the building again.
Surrounding structures, connecting roads, guard posts.
'Got it.'
He remembered everything.
But there was still a lot of time left.
'Take a look around a bit more?'
This place was the very core of Chinese power.
A location ordinary people couldn't approach lightly.
And then—
Buuuuung!
A line of black vehicles moved in formation toward somewhere.
'A big shot?'
Someone important here would mean—
Spot!
Kosak followed the cars.
They stopped in front of a building.
Rows of people stood at attention, welcoming the vehicles.
And from the central limousine, one person stepped out.
'Oh!'
Kosak let out an exclamation.
He'd seen him on TV.
China's top leader.
The core of Chinese power itself.
Was he really just going to look and leave?
Of course not—he had to plant a tracking mark.
A tiny mass of qi shot toward the supreme leader.
'Mark planted.'
An unexpected bonus.
He'd been needing to shed some karma anyway.
The advance reconnaissance had gone extremely smoothly.
The next day.
Juhyeok asked Kosak, who had been summoned back.
"Did the reconnaissance go well yesterday?"
"Perfect, sir. We can execute the operation tonight."
"By yourself?"
"I'll need Sergeant Be."
"Sergeant Be… Ah! Ms. Veronica."
At that, Veronica—who had been dozing off nearby—snapped her eyes open.
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber! Operation readiness complete!"
An assassin and a sniper—an optimal combination.
"What about Rajiks, Mr. Gobang, and Princess Gyeon-dallae?"
"Ah, our Rajiks laborer can just stay home and clean. Same for Gobang and Lady Gyeon-dallae."
"Huh?"
"Still, you should all gather and discuss it. Even a sheet of paper—"
"—is better when lifted together, sir. Hehehe."
And so the summoned ones gathered in a corner of the living room.
"Sergeant Be, how low can you set the rifle's output? Enough to knock someone unconscious if hit."
"Stun rounds are possible."
"Would they die if hit?"
"Usually not. Well… if they're unlucky, maybe. Want to try?"
"Shoot Gobang."
"I'd rather shoot you. Show me your ass."
"R-really? Should I pull my pants down?"
"Get lost!"
"Gah?!"
Warm, friendly banter filled the room.
Being summoned so often, they really had grown close.
"Rajiks laborer."
"Huh?"
"Make sure Sergeant Be has plenty of ammunition."
"Okaaay."
"Princess Gyeon-dallae, please prepare interference talismans."
"How many?"
"Eight. It'd be good if the effect lasts about an hour. Is that possible?"
"Not difficult at all."
"And I saw someone there as well…"
He was clearly excited. Absolutely thrilled.
The meeting went on longer than expected.
After all, the more thorough the plan, the better.
All preparations were complete.
After the summoned ones returned,
Juhyeok called for Kosak and Veronica around midnight.
They entered the first floor of the Black Tower, finished setting the exit, and dealt with the maggots.
Spot!
The three appeared at China's Black Tower No. 1, west of Beijing.
"Then, good luck."
"Certain victory! All glory to the Commander!"
"…Chuuung! The right hand of Summoner Bong, master of guerrilla warfare, ace of hostage rescue—this Kosak will complete the mission and return!"
What is this, a competition in loyalty?
Embarrassing.
Spot!
Kosak and Veronica vanished swiftly.
Juhyeok waited for a bit—
until they were far enough away from him.
If they stayed close, they'd enter the tower together.
About an hour passed.
'That should be enough, right?'
Juhyeok entered the first floor of the Black Tower alone again.
He abandoned the mission, stepped outside—
and found himself back in the penthouse.
'This is really convenient.'
No risk involved, either.
He never once thought the operation would fail.
Who would dare mess with those two?
If anything, he pitied the ordinary people on the other side.
He just hoped they wouldn't cause a massive incident.
Late at night.
Zhongnanhai Special Intelligence Department headquarters.
It was past 2 a.m.
Yet Nguyen, a Vietnamese player, couldn't fall asleep.
He still regretted it.
Why had he acted alone that day?
Going out by himself for a late-night bowl of bún chả when he felt hungry—that had been the mistake.
Dragged away by assailants, injected with a drug-laced syringe, losing consciousness—
and when he woke up, he was here.
Kidnapped.
The rumored player kidnappings.
There were many others in similar circumstances.
The moment he arrived, they tortured him.
They threatened to kill his family if he didn't cooperate.
In the end, Nguyen gave up.
He stamped the papers renouncing his nationality and applying for Chinese citizenship.
Something truly strange happened.
The moment he stamped the naturalization papers, his Black Tower affiliation changed.
To China.
Thus began the Chinese Black Tower campaigns.
Nguyen cooperated as much as possible.
He even cleared uncleared upper floors.
If he didn't, he would be killed.
Three towers in total.
Teams were assigned to each, and if uncleared floors weren't completed within the time limit, horrific torture awaited.
More than ten people had already died that way.
They also kept threatening to kill families.
Once a week, they showed him photos of his family in Vietnam.
Today as well.
His wife riding a scooter to work, his young daughter heading to school, his parents.
His family probably believed he was already dead.
If only he could tell them he was still alive.
How could anyone sleep in a situation like this?
He didn't even know if he'd get to see them before he died—
his beloved family.
Suddenly!
Tap! Thud! Thump, thump.
Strange sounds echoed down the corridor.
'What's going on?'
The noises continued.
Nguyen sprang to his feet.
"Don't tell me…"
Something was happening.
He pressed his ear tightly against the door.
The sound of doors opening, startled voices.
Then—
Click!
Nguyen's door opened too.
"W-who…?"
Someone stood in the doorway.
Definitely a person—
but he couldn't make out the face.
"Shh!"
The unidentified man put a finger to his lips, then pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Nguyen.
"T-this is…?"
Yellow paper, red letters.
A talisman.
Something commonly seen even in Vietnam.
Slip!
The man lifted his shirt.
A talisman was stuck to his chest.
"…You want me to attach it? Like this?"
There was no choice.
Nguyen did as told.
He stuck the talisman on and stepped outside.
And froze in shock.
"Gasp!"
People stood awkwardly lined up in the corridor.
Players who, like him, had been kidnapped.
Strange.
He couldn't tell who was who.
Was it because he was tense?
Nguyen looked around.
Chinese government guards and public security officers were sprawled unconscious throughout the hallway.
The only ones standing were the unidentified man and the kidnapped players.
Then—
Kwakwakwa—boom!
A deafening explosion shook the building.
"Ugh!"
"Aaah!"
"W-where was that?!"
The players panicked.
But the man, as if he had known the explosion would happen, didn't even flinch—he simply motioned calmly.
'Follow him?'
They had to.
If this was their way out, Nguyen and the other kidnapped players followed.
A closed door at the end of the corridor.
The man drew two daggers.
Ziiiing!
Blades glowing like lightsabers.
Crunch! Crunch!
The steel door was cut cleanly into a square.
'I-insane!'
An actual lightsaber?
Or lasers?
No time to figure it out.
The kidnapped players passed through the cut door.
No one tried to stop them.
No—there were people, but all of them were already down on the floor.
They ran blindly after the man.
Chinese public security and guards poured out from everywhere.
But—
Pashut! Pashut! Pashut!
They fell one after another to bullets flying in from somewhere unseen.
Only then did the surroundings come into focus.
An old, palace-like complex—and far beyond it, towering skyscrapers.
Nguyen was overwhelmed with emotion.
How long had it been since he last stepped outside like this?
Would he really be able to return home?
Veronica, the Ranger of the Magic Empire famed for never missing.
Her power came from the equipment she wore.
A reinforced suit that clung to her body without even a flutter, magic eyes that enabled automatic targeting, and an assault combat walker.
From atop a roadside tree, Veronica watched the rescued targets sprinting out of the building.
Friend–foe identification complete.
Escort mission start.
One more distraction was needed.
She fired a high-explosive round at the upper floors of a dark building far away.
Pajujuk! Kwakwakwa—boom!
Then she leapt down from the tree and followed behind the kidnapped players, escorting them from the rear.
The assassin in front, herself behind.
With interference talismans attached, there wouldn't be many charging at them—
but just in case, she subdued every noticeable armed unit with stun rounds.
Pashut! Pashut! Pashut!
The final destination was the U.S. Embassy.
The assassin had said the mission would end once they reached it.
'What a strange man.'
Normally a schemer, frivolous beyond belief—
but credit where credit was due.
This entire plan had come from his head.
Veronica kept running in the rear.
The U.S. Embassy came into view.
The operation was a complete success.
Kwakwakwa—boom!
Chinese President Lin Chai-ming jolted awake after the first explosion.
Then, moments later, a second blast echoed.
Kwakwakwa—boom!
'What in the world…?'
A phone call came at just that moment—his secretary.
"Alright. Meet me in the office."
President Lin Chai-ming hurried out of the bedroom and into his office.
"What is all this about?"
"It appears to be a terrorist attack."
A terrorist attack?
"A-and also…"
"Say it!"
"Our naturalized players… th-they've escaped."
"What?"
If the naturalized players had escaped…
"The Special Intelligence Department?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Heh…"
He wasn't even angry—just dumbfounded.
Explosions in the very heart of Chinese power, and kidnapped players escaping?
Was that even possible?
"Did you catch them?"
"…"
"I'm going to lose my mind."
President Lin Chai-ming slumped into his chair and slowly closed his eyes.
What mattered now was cleanup.
Damage control—fast.
"Declare an emergency alert across all of Beijing. Mobilize everyone—public security, the military, all of them—and hunt down the escapees."
One more thing.
"And revoke the Chinese nationality of the escaped players immediately. Erase all records and evidence—leave no trace."
"Yes, sir!"
A leader must always assume the worst.
If this became public, China's prestige would be dragged through the mud.
"…Purge the Special Intelligence Department as well."
A purge.
Meaning, kill them.
"The entire organization?"
"Yes. Executives, staff, field agents—even those dispatched overseas. Recall them all and act quickly."
"Understood."
The secretary left to carry out the orders.
Left alone in his office, President Lin Chai-ming pulled out a cigarette, put it to his lips, and lit it.
"Hoo…"
It would be nice to catch the escapees, but if they got away, so be it.
Cut off the tail.
Deny everything.
As always, the Chinese government would deny all allegations of player kidnappings.
Besides, those they had taken were players from weak, developing countries.
They'd bark and scream, sure.
But that was all.
What could they really do?
President Lin Chai-ming approached the map hanging on his office wall.
China—vast territory, the world's largest population.
So why were talented players always in short supply?
Why couldn't they even cross the threshold of the 60th floor?
Meanwhile, neighboring Korea was the complete opposite.
Overflowing with talent.
The S++-rank clear record proved it.
"Damn it…"
Cigarette smoke thickened the air.
Lin Chai-ming shook his head slowly.
He had purged his opponents and climbed to the pinnacle of power, all for the glory of China.
'Korea…'
If he had his way, he'd annex Korea outright.
Even start a war to unify them into a single nation.
If only the U.S. weren't in the way—
War would have broken out already.
'Use North Korea to provoke a full-scale conflict…'
At that moment—
A chill ran down his spine.
Shiver.
Footsteps—step, step—approaching.
Was someone there?
This was his office.
He tried to turn his head—
'Damn!'
His body wouldn't move.
It felt as if his entire body were glued in a spider's web.
He couldn't even open his mouth.
"Our princess says…"
Korean?
"Generally, emperors and national leaders are judged by a different standard of karma than ordinary people, you know?"
Kosak gently placed both hands on Lin Chai-ming's shoulders.
"They say a ruler's greatest sins are sloth, laziness, indulgence—those kinds of things."
Whether Lin Chai-ming understood him or not, Kosak kept talking.
"Neglect politics, drink yourself into excess, wallow in pleasure, abandon the nation—and the people suffer."
Lin Chai-ming felt like he was going to suffocate.
"But dictators are different, apparently. Especially ones with lots of supporters, ones who govern according to their own policies."
"Since some people benefit, they can even be judged as having accumulated good karma. Funny, isn't it?"
It was clearly Korean, but he couldn't understand a word.
"No matter how many people they kill or purge—if the country develops and grows rich, it's considered legitimate governance."
"Tsk. I can't agree with it at all, but if the princess says so, I suppose I have to believe it."
Twitch.
A strange energy seeped in through his shoulders.
And still, the man kept talking.
"Does that make any sense? Why do the standards change? It's not even preferential treatment. That's why I hate politicians."
Who was this man?
Was he the same one who had appeared at the HG Hotel in Korea?
The one who had wiped out China's Special Intelligence agents?
If so, he wanted to speak.
He would grant anything—just come to China.
But his tongue was rigid, his breathing nearly stopped.
Suddenly, his head felt like it was about to split open.
His vision began to blur.
"If karma won't work, then I'll just have to find another way."
"You're someone who threatened my summoner's life—and could threaten it again."
Lin Chai-ming struggled desperately to stay conscious.
"Consider it good fortune that you didn't meet the Mad Demon. Die quietly."
His knees trembled as if he were about to collapse.
"Cause of death will be cerebral hemorrhage, got it? Blood vessels bursting in the brain. Nothing anyone can do about it—especially since it won't be just one."
"You won't die right away, though. Suffer in bed for about ten days. After that, things will get comfortable."
Thud!
Lin Chai-ming finally collapsed to the floor.
"I wonder if you've chosen a successor. Honestly, I hope you haven't. It'd be more fun if China descended into chaos."
Kosak smiled darkly.
The injection of malignant energy was complete.
A poison created by transforming his own qi.
Not especially strong.
Anyone who could handle mana could detoxify it.
But an ordinary human would never endure it.
They wouldn't even be able to identify the poison.
With everything done, Kosak slipped quietly into the darkness.