Chapter 90
Crazy...
Facing my favorite’s mask right in front of me, my heart began to race.
’The Cognitive Decline Mask!’
It certainly felt quite different from when I had seen it in the game.
I stared intently at the smooth mask, but as expected, I couldn’t make out anything.
The cognitive decline function was working perfectly.
As I gazed at the mask as if possessed, I belatedly realized my own situation.
Before I knew it, I was being held by CEO Cha.
CEO Cha, who had snatched me by the waist, set me down on the ground.
Since the paralysis in my lower body hadn’t worn off yet, I naturally slumped onto the pavement.
...Gasp.
I shuddered.
A white sword was embedded between my legs.
CEO Cha knelt down behind the Daeil Yeorae, which had sliced through the asphalt as if it were tofu.
Squatting in a delinquent manner, he looked at me.
Unable to even run away due to my paralyzed lower body, I faced CEO Cha, trembling with fear.
A contract was thrust in front of my eyes.
"I’m not mentally prepared yet."
"If you don’t want to sign, should we just use thumbprints?"
The kindness of specifying the method of signing without even listening to my words was truly typical of CEO Cha.
I first attempted a polite refusal.
"CEO Cha, thank you for coming to scout me in person."
I started with a polite greeting to make a good first impression, then cautiously brought up the main point.
"However, I am far too lacking to join Pasung..."
But before I could finish my sentence, the directors pointed their guns and blades at Won Tae-beom.
Won Tae-beom looked at me with tense eyes.
CEO Cha spoke indifferently.
"10 seconds."
Such a skilled manner of taking hostages and threatening them--this, too, was the perfect CEO Cha.
I was once again impressed by my favorite’s personality.
"Trainee Han. No matter what happens, you must never sign."
Won Tae-beom said in a firm voice.
But CEO Cha was truly the kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate to take Won Tae-beom’s head.
"5 seconds."
In front of CEO Cha, who was indifferently counting down the remaining seconds, my mind raced frantically.
"3 seconds."
LWa-wait, just a moment, CEO Cha!"
"1 second."
’I’m a fan of yours, CEO Cha!!"
Even though he was hidden by the mask, I could feel CEO Cha’s incredulous gaze.
Having successfully bought a bit of time, I quickly continued.
"I’m so thrilled that I can work with you. Of course! I’ll sign! But I have conditions. If you grant them, I’ll sign immediately."
"Speak."
At the short command, I carefully broached the subject.
’First... I want there to be no further harm to the TRA Agency and those affiliated with it."
I was going to say ’people’, but I changed the word to ’those affiliated’ as Samra came to mind.
The fact that CEO Cha was here meant that Samra had been defeated.
In the first place, it was impressive that Samra, who had several functions restricted, had held out this long against CEO Cha wielding the Daeil Yeorae.
To stand against CEO Cha, one would have had to function as an android equipped with slaughter-combat capabilities, not just defensive ones.
Looking at the flash from earlier, it seemed Samra had been hit properly, and I worried if anything had been broken.
’I wonder if it can be repaired.!’
The electronic billboards and streetlights on the road hadn’t returned to normal yet.
It seemed Samra’s anti-phase wave was still being outputted.
Since the power wasn’t off, even if it were badly damaged, I could ask Samra for the repair method and solve it.
Putting my worries for Samra aside, I waited for CEO Cha’s answer.
Since it wasn’t an easy condition, I expected it to take some time to answer, but...
"And?"
CEO Cha brushed it off nonchalantly, as if asking if that was all.
His attitude suggested that as long as I signed the contract, he didn’t particularly care about the TRA Agency.
I struggled to keep my expression neutral.
This was a completely different reaction than I had expected.
I had guessed there must be a hidden reason why Pasung was committing such madness.
Perhaps a grudge against the TRA Agency that I didn’t know about.
Or perhaps there was something important within the TRA Agency.
’But he really attacked the TRA Agency just for me?’
I couldn’t understand what benefit Pasung gained by going this far to get me.
Right now, Pasung was moving beyond a rift with the TRA Agency and becoming their sworn enemy.
At this point, it wouldn’t even be cost-effective to sell me abroad for a huge sum of money.
All sorts of suspicious thoughts crossed my mind.
I didn’t want to have these suspicions if possible, but since the opponent was CEO Cha, I had no choice.
’I’ve secured the safety of Lieutenant Won and Samra for now.’
I thought throwing out the first condition would buy me at least a little time, but since it had missed the mark so spectacularly, the second condition became even more important.
I pondered the second condition.
Something that CEO Cha could never easily grant, yet something that wasn’t exaggerated and felt natural....
I felt CEO Chas gaze.
Given his personality, he wouldn’t patiently listen to a third condition.
I had to settle it here.
As I swallowed hard, my Adams apple bobbed.
There was no more time to think. I hurriedly blurted out the second condition.
"I want to see your face, CEO Cha."
As soon as I spoke, Seo Moon-chan and Mok Sae-hwa, who were watching, gasped in admiration.
Seo Moon-chan, whose glasses were cracked, smirked, and Mok Sae-hwa couldn’t help but shout.
"A companion like Goyo must come to Pasung!"
It seemed there had never been someone who dared to ask him to reveal his face in front of CEO Cha.
’They probably all died!’
I waited for CEO Cha to refuse.
Naturally, I expected a flat rejection and to be barked at to state another condition, but for some reason, CEO Cha remained silent.
The only eyes revealed by the mask stared at me.
Though I couldn’t tell what color CEO Cha’s pupils were, I could feel his gaze and intensity.
"You’re curious about my face?"
"Yes... Please show me."
He brought his face a bit closer to mine.
It was an action that created the illusion that he might take off the mask right this instant.
I couldn’t even blink as I looked at CEO Cha.
He spoke slowly.
"If you sign the contract."
The voice, mixed with a mechanical tone, seemed to carry a hint of a laugh.
For about 0.1 seconds, a bad thought crossed my mind.
’Should I sign?’
Actually, it felt more like a full second.
Barely shaking off the bad thought, I asked CEO Cha.
"Is... is that okay? Your face..?"
I asked because I had seen in the game how much he disliked revealing his face.
’Even after playing through a thousand times together, I never saw his face.’
As I recalled the game I played with CEO Cha, he asked sharply.
"That’s the end of the conditions, right?"
"Ah, not yet."
"Han Goyo."
CEO Cha tilted his head slightly.
"I can hear your brain gears turning."
He grabbed my wrist.
Then, he forced my hand onto the contract.
The contract glowed, and a quill appeared in my hand.
I broke into a cold sweat while holding the quill.
There was nowhere left to run.
All that remained was to become CEO Cha’s pet hamster for clearing trials.
"Roasted Chestnut."
The problem wasn’t just CEO Cha right in front of me.
Dominic questioned me.
"Are you going to sign the contract?"
The pudding slime sitting on my shoulder was watching with its two blue eyes wide open.
This was a contract that would leave a mark on my body and soul, like the Seal of the Fire Dragon.
There was no way Dominic would like this.
If I couldn’t resolve it, he might intervene as he pleased.
Within S2P, there was at least the plausible profession of a ’Mage’.
In this place where such minimal regulations didn’t exist, what Dominic-who didn’t even pretend to be a ’Mage’-could do.
I didn’t even want to imagine it.
It would take more than 3 minutes for my only hope, Je Hyun-oh, to arrive.
That was enough time to cook a cup of ramen, and more than enough time to sign a contract.
As I moved the quill toward the contract as slowly as possible, Samra’s words suddenly flashed through my mind.
’From now on, for 15 minutes and 37 seconds, I will form an electromagnetic anti-phase wave."
I had already received the full briefing on this in the basement of the TRA Agency.
Yet, Samra had repeated the same words right in front of CEO Cha.
Even though there was nothing good about CEO Cha knowing how long it would take for Je Hyun-oh to arrive.
’Wait.’
Samra never stated that the formation time of the anti-phase wave was the time until Je Hyun-oh’s arrival.
That was just a conclusion I had drawn from the context of the situation.
CEO Cha had likely reached a similar conclusion.
The moment that thought occurred to me, the surrounding darkness deepened.
It was because the moon, the only light source in the space where the city’s lights had vanished, was blocked by something. looked up at the sky.
Six wings made of black metal were silhouetted against the moon.
He was the most welcome crow of my life.
I desperately sent a message.
[LtColJePleaseSaveMelmAboutToSignASlaveContract]
After sending the message, my heart felt cold.
’He’s not pretending not to know, is he?’
I didn’t know if there was any camaraderie built up from the trials... but right now, Je Hyun-oh was the only one I could trust. looked up at Je Hyun-oh with desperate eyes.
Je Hyun-oh, after checking the system window that appeared before him, looked at me.
Despite the considerable distance, I felt certain our gazes met.
CEO Cha clicked his tongue shortly and stood up.
Then, he pulled out the Daeil Yeorae that had been embedded in the concrete.
I thought he was about to start a battle with Je Hyun-oh...?
Grab.
CEO Cha suddenly tucked me under his arm.
Being lifted clumsily, like how Je Hyun-oh used to move sacks of feed, I looked at CEO Cha with bewildered eyes.
Cracking his neck with a loud snap, he looked back at the directors of Pasung and commanded.
"Let’s bolt."
As soon as the words left his mouth, all three of them dashed away instantly.
Dazed for a moment by the speed at which they shot off like bullets, I screamed.
"Lt. Col. Je..!"
CEO Cha tightened his arm, compressing my windpipe.
Tucked under his arm, I was forced to shut my mouth, unable to even ask Je Hyun-oh to save me.
In the blink of an eye, I was moving away from Je Hyun-oh.
"Director Mok."
"Yes."
As CEO Cha called her name simply, Mok Sae-hwa immediately stopped running and aimed her gun at Je Hyun-oh.
Je Hyun-oh was still floating in the air, blocking the moon.
As CEO Cha called her name simply, Mok Sae-hwa immediately stopped running and aimed her gun at Je Hyun-oh.
Je Hyun-oh was still floating in the air, blocking the moon.
Mok Sae-hwa narrowed her eyes and watched Je Hyun-oh through the scope.
As the moment of aiming at each other grew longer.
Je Hyun-oh’s wings moved.
Simultaneously, the city regained its lights.
The electronic billboards and streetlights flickered on, and colorful lights poured out all at once.
A rushing black figure cut through the light.
And the moment he brushed past Mok Sae-hwa.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Mok Sae-hwa fired her gun in rapid succession.
The black trajectory drew irregular lines, dodging the bullets.
However, it seemed Mok Sae-hwa had no intention of hitting him; it was merely to slow Je Hyun-oh’s speed slightly.
The instant Je Hyun-oh’s speed slowed, CEO Cha turned around and swung the Daeil Yeorae.
A circular white light shot outward.
The light, which made the surroundings as bright as broad daylight, hit Je Hyun-oh directly.
A black crescent moon shot out and sliced through the light.
The white light splashing in all directions momentarily blinded my vision.
Je Hyun-oh slowly landed on the ground.
CEO Cha and Seo Moon-chan disappeared from sight.
As he searched, moving his wings with a rhythmic clatter, an urgent system window popped up.
[Rooftop of the building right next to you]
After checking the system window, Je Hyun-oh moved his metallic hand with a grinding sound.
Then, he flapped his wings and soared.
He swung his hand toward the building.
A large black line was drawn diagonally across the 15-story building, like a piece of graffiti.
The building began to split along the black line.
The crack widened at a terrifying speed along the black line.
Boom! Crash!
Tens of thousands of glass shards poured down like a rainstorm.
The thick rebar that formed the building’s skeleton flew out, and twisted beams protruded like thorns.
Office desks, chairs, and computers vanished into the gray dust along with the debris.
Within that, Je Hyun-oh found what he wanted.
He flapped his wings powerfully to clear the dust.
I saw CEO Cha moving by leaping across the debris.
Realizing he had been discovered, CEO Cha gave up on further flight and landed on the street.
Behind him, the building collapsed.
Amidst the roar, CEO Cha and Je Hyun-oh faced each other.
"You’re late."
CEO Cha spoke, still holding Han Goyo, who was coughing incessantly, under his arm.
"’Han Go-yo has already signed a contract with Pasung."
Je Hyun-oh glanced at the system window that appeared immediately before him.
[That is a lie please save me]
Even if it were true, it wouldn’t matter.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Je Hyun-oh spoke slowly. A low voice that seemed to scrape the ground flowed out.
"CEO Cha, you’re dying today."