Chapter 287
“Considering his movement route, the number of possible repositories where Shen Jian likely stored it is narrowing down.”
“It’s Shen Jian, right?”
“Yeah, because I’ve never seen Tai Shan deviate even once from his path between the rift and Cressit’s location.”
They were keeping an eye on which repository he might have used,
tracking the participants’ movements whenever they rested or brought materials back and forth.
If he had gone around in circles to reach the repository to make it bothersome, they wouldn’t be able to find him, but he probably wouldn’t go that far.
Since it wasn’t yet the time to be wary of crimes by participants.
“There’s no way you’re wrong, hyung.”
“Haha. Now that’s a subordinate. Taewoo is real. Tsk tsk.”
Later, a clip of Taewoo getting upset and asking if he was a lackey while watching from outside became a topic of discussion.
“……?”
“Let’s go.”
Betting everything on one person so early, like they were doing, was too risky.
It was only possible thanks to Yon’s conviction that Seojun would never die.
Other participants, even if they cooperated, would probably observe the situation a bit longer before pooling their materials.
There would be quite a few participants storing things in repositories.
“It’d be nice if we caught other things too.”
“But hyung, isn’t our achievement points still not enough to break into a repository? We got 105 points on day three.”
There were two routes to breaking into a repository.
One was infiltrating through the back door.
This method consumes an absurd amount of time.
To do it properly, even at the fastest, you’d need at least two days—about a day in real time.
So Seojun did not choose this method.
The second method was simply to raid from the front door.
“Let’s start moving.”
To break into the repository—more precisely, to openly commit a crime—there was a prerequisite condition.
That was purchasing the Guild’s Paeon’s Mask.
They moved to the location of the Guild branch on the train.
To be blunt, the Guild was a thieves’ organization in this Pangaea.
They handle information and pretend to be powerful, pretending to be a major pillar for world order, but from an outsider’s perspective, gamers dismiss them as just a bunch of thieves.
Of course, among them there were real heroes who kept world peace, and a few villains who caused trouble.
But gamers disparage them as ‘thieves by nature anyway.’
Seojun agreed.
Just as beggars, no matter how much they uphold righteousness and chivalry and deliberately perfume themselves, are still beggars, the Guild is still just thieves.
Mmhm.
Anyway, how could such thieves maintain power while possessing information?
Probably, a large part of the reason was the magic item called Paeon’s Mask, whose manufacturing method only the Guild knew.
Paeon’s Mask can grant the wearer one extremely effective ability: those who see the wearer feel confusion and cannot recall their features.
“You said Paeon’s Mask costs 40 points?”
“Yes. It fluctuates but is always ridiculously expensive. And 40 isn’t the end of it.”
Because of that feature, anyone wanting to cause trouble without being marked by the city’s NPC forces absolutely had to buy Paeon’s Mask.
If Seojun were to raid the repository now without buying the mask, he would definitely be witnessed and marked.
He wouldn’t be able to play smoothly on the train, and quests would be ruined.
“The right to use the Guild shop costs 50 points. Plus breaking into the repository, and a Thief’s Pouch for another 10 points, that means we’d have to spend over 100 points in total...”
“But?”
“Everything we’re doing is to open Cressit’s shop, right? If we spend almost all our points like that and then can’t buy anything from Cressit’s shop...”
While they talked, the two arrived at the Guild branch on the train.
Yon’s point was this:
The various shops available to participants in the Chronicles.
And their current goal was to get the greatest benefit from Cressit’s shop, which likely held new items.
If they spent points now to rob the opponent’s repository, they could end up putting the cart before the horse.
But Seojun could provide a clear counterargument.
“I have a lot of points.”
“No, just how many do you have! At most 180? 200? You have around that, right?”
Yon couldn’t understand.
At most, 100 points out of 200 is 50% of the total.
Of course, if they sold Shen Jian’s materials, they could recover less than half of it, but how do they know what the shop will be like to already buy the mask.
It’d be better to just go kill him.
Then Seojun spoke.
“371 points.”
“Uh, uh...?”
“I said I have a lot.”
Probably, thinking like Yon, they wouldn’t worry about a big heist.
Who would spend 100 points to rob a repository at this stage, after all?
“Then I’ll go in, so you go somewhere outside and hang out. Don’t go into the rift alone and die recklessly.”
Seojun chuckled and entered the slightly shabby building, while Yon, left behind, muttered.
“What on earth has that guy been doing...”
***
Seojun purchased Paeon’s Mask from a Guild NPC.
The information that Kael had bought the mask might spread not only to the Guild’s affiliated heroes but also to its customers, but it didn’t matter anyway.
‘He appears quite frequently in the story, doesn’t he?’
Of course, the Guild naturally wouldn’t sell to criminal heroes.
But they had other disguise items to use when moving around the cities anyway.
Seojun could just buy it at full price precisely because he was Kael.
Probably they didn’t think an Inquisitor of the Order would cause chaos in the world.
Some heroes could supposedly buy it by persuading them or completing Guild quests.
‘Kael... I really like him.’
Seojun, to anyone watching, grinned evilly and came outside.
His inventory was now filled with three slots.
Material harvesting tool kit, mask, pouch.
The pouch was a disposable item and was quite pricey for a one-time use at 10 points.
But it was essential because it had the advantage of being able to hold all items inside a chest at once.
Preparations were complete.
‘They might notice something’s off and remove their items, so it’s right to move now.’
He had to become the participant who brought the most materials.
He didn’t know when the quest would end, but since they had secured the monster materials, it would likely accelerate.
He needed to move now.
Seojun went to the front of the repository building where he estimated Shen Jian had used.
‘The reason he didn’t hide his movement range thoroughly is clearly because he thought I wouldn’t make a move now.’
He had no choice but to be complacent.
The method of using Paeon’s Mask would be dismissed, since they didn’t know Seojun had many points.
And infiltrating through the back door would definitely take two days, so even if he was out of sight for a day, they could worry about it then.
Of course, that was from Shen Jian’s perspective.
Seojun touched the mask and pressed ‘use’.
In front of the building on the outskirts of the train, a mask covering only his lower face was placed on Seojun’s face.
And so.
Seojun’s eyes curved like half-moons, clearly visible.
Now he just had to deal with a few guard NPCs.
***
“Ahh. In the end, he’s done it. He’s smiling. He’s smiling! Is Seojun really a psychopath!”
Wearing the mask, Seojun kicked open the entrance and entered the building.
“And of all things, the mask doesn’t cover everything, so it looks cool! He should cover his whole face like a common thief!”
Once inside, Seojun leisurely drew Kael’s sword and approached the nearest guard.
-I can hear the number of female fans rising lol
-Lol, he’s handsome but the stuff he does is so psychopathic it’s just funny lol
-Shen Jian is so pitiful lol
“Yes. Actually, taking down the guards isn’t hard! Of course, if it takes too long, the city security guards will come and the chances of getting caught increase, but for Seojun, it’s a piece of cake!”
For other pros too, taking down guards themselves is easy.
So how easy must it be for Seojun.
“They’re being taken down! The guards are being defeated! Ah!”
There was nothing to see.
Shen Jian’s repository would be robbed.
Because once all the guards were dealt with, the employees there would hand over whatever the raider demanded.
He could also gain some minor profit.
About 1 to 10 achievement points?
“Now! Let’s see what Shen Jian is doing!”
While his own goods were being stolen, Bangju wondered what on earth he was doing and switched the spectator screen to Shen Jian’s side.
At the same time, he read the incoming chat to quickly grasp what happened.
Since many viewers were watching the official broadcast together, those who can’t keep their mouths shut would quickly inform about previous events.
“Ah, Shen Jian and Tai Shan tried to catch Seojun this time, but Seojun didn’t come to the rift, so they asked Rachel, who happened to arrive, and Rachel lied saying he probably already went in earlier, so they just gave up this time and went to gather materials, right?”
Two confirming messages popped up quickly in the chat.
The summary was excellent.
At the same time, the screen switched.
But.
“Huh?”
-????
-What is this
-Why is he suddenly fighting someone
-He was clearly taking care of monsters just a moment ago???
“Is he being ambushed? Who is that thug? What is it? A transformed version of an otherworldly monster?”
The thug was overwhelming Shen Jian and Tai Shan with amazing skill, pushing them back.
With skills never seen before.
His movements were free.
Almost like a person.
“Ah! Just like Seojun beating up guards, they’re being beaten so easily! Looking at the situation, the two Chinese duo were ambushed while distracted dealing with an otherworldly monster!”
What was going on?
In the end, Tai Shan, who suffered heavy damage from the ambush, was eliminated.
That meant he was disqualified from the Chronicles.
-???
-Is this for real?
-He got cut down just like that? Who is that guy
Shen Jian, extremely tense, stared at the thug.
The green-cloaked thug, ignoring Shen Jian, reached out a hand toward the corpse of the dead Tai Shan.
He seemed to be absorbing energy.
Shen Jian tried attacking with his sword, but an invincibility effect appeared, and his subsequent judgment was swift.
He fled.
[No, what is that.]
“Indeed.”
[At least I survived. Ha. Yeah, the otherworld can’t be completely safe. It’s a pity about brother Tai Shan, but thankfully, we anticipated this and didn’t hand over the materials right away but stored them separately.]
Hmm.
Bangju held back laughter and switched the screen.
It was Seojun’s screen.
The screen showing the Judgment Sword falling onto the building.
The atmosphere that had been shocked by the mysterious figure presumed to be the mastermind suddenly.
“No one could prepare for a robber like that. Yes. Shen Jian is innocent in this.”
It turned around.
Because it was just a funny yet sad situation.
-lololol
-He's innocent, right lol Who prepares for a 370-point monster lol
-Suddenly Shen Jian seems so pitiful lol
Seojun, having dealt with all the guards, was holding his sword to an employee NPC and saying.
[Now, open the vault, you heretic.]
He was unmistakably Kael.
Of course.
“Ah. Put on the mask and he shouts ‘heretic’! and even if swords fall from the sky, they can’t recognize him! The mask is the best!”
Seojun was also currently an unknown assailant.