130 Chapter – A New Category (8)
“If a player or unit uses some means to move a group they were previously part of, it’s possible that others might show up, even if they’re not a battleship.”
Ji Chang-hyun hinted at their existence and spoke about another force.
Elysium, which is just known to the public as another part of a world like the demonic realm.
In fact, it was a place where other humans lived, just like Earth or the Alliance.
“Another human?”
“There’s nothing strange about it. Right now, there are many units competing in the demonic realm.”
I laughed at Eve’s murmuring from the side. It was coincidental that all the outsiders we encountered were human, I thought.
After all, many of the units we had met were not human.
“But if they managed to find their way here on their own, that means they either opened a gate like us or warped here like the Alliance.”
“They probably came through something similar to a gate.”
Eve’s narrowing down of options seemed right, but honestly, I didn’t really know either.
Their information was still treated as classified, even though everyone who should know already did.
“Ask Pyles, Eve. Did the Alliance know about their existence?”
“The Alliance taps into and analyzes all communications on Earth using its own AI. Of course, they know, but that seems to be about it. They said those beings rejected cooperation with the Alliance.”
Pyles, our operative infected through collective consciousness, shared what he knew.
However, it seemed that even the Alliance didn’t consider them important and missed the opportunity to approach them.
“I don’t care who they are. We need to go there and get a specimen.”
Of course, Eve was more focused on obtaining a specimen than gathering further information about them.
The plane was slowly descending. One way or another, we would soon have the chance.
“Kang Shin Woo from Korea, and is that you, Eve?”
As before, an executive from the Guardian Alliance was waiting for us.
“It’s been a while.”
However, next to him was someone I hadn’t expected.
Chris, whom I hadn’t really seen since the day he summoned Eve, recognized me and waved.
“…This person is a member of our Guardian Alliance.”
“That’s true, but before that, we have a personal relationship, right? I just want to talk to a friend; are you going to stop me?”
Chris, wearing sunglasses, raised an eyebrow. A petite young woman from the Guardian Alliance stood her ground in a battle of wills with him.
“It’s fine. It’s true they have a connection.”
I decided to hear Chris out first. Her eyes wavered. She looked worried that I might just go over to him.
“Don’t worry; my affiliation won’t change.”
“If that’s the case… I understand.”
Although she was involved, she didn’t have the right to interfere with my personal life since we were from different departments. Eventually, the woman, who introduced herself as Annie, said she would wait and went back first.
“You’re being a bother.”
“Wasn’t it supposed to be a cooperative relationship? The atmosphere is quite tense.”
“At least here in North America, there have been some clashes.”
Chris chuckled at my words. However, I couldn’t comfortably look at him.
Now that I knew how he had handled his units to draw in the Alliance’s power.
“This is Eve? Nice to meet you. I’m Chris Baker.”
Then Chris and Eve exchanged greetings for the first time. Rather than a proper greeting, it was just Chris awkwardly lowering his hand as Eve stared at him.
‘String. I knew it, but still, it was a unit.’
During that time, Eve recognized the string Chris had.
In fact, there were units I had previously encountered.
But they wouldn’t recognize us. Since I had merged with Eve, the string itself had disappeared. Once we became one, there was no need for a connection.
This was a significant advantage.
‘And that woman is also involved in the game.’
Eve’s gaze landed on the woman wearing a hat and mask behind Chris.
As if sensing Eve’s gaze, the woman’s emerald eyes under her hat sparkled.
“What do you mean there have been clashes?”
“Uh… that’s actually why I came looking for you when I heard you were coming. Can we talk?”
I brought up the conversation while observing her. Chris, possibly slightly flustered, gestured to move to a quieter place, pointing to the back.
“There’s no need for that. These kids seem to have good instincts.”
It was then that she removed her mask and stepped forward. Externally, she was just a beautiful woman.
However, we could see part of the formancy she possessed. This woman was quite powerful. Moreover, she had a face not found among the hunters I had memorized.
“I heard the rumors. My name is Isabelle, but as Chris said, shall we go to a more comfortable place to talk?”
She accepted Chris’s suggestion. Eventually, we all boarded the vehicle prepared at one end of the airport.
A moment of awkward silence hung in the air.
“Let’s start with the explanation.”
Eventually, Chris, who had cleared his throat, spoke first.
“This might be something you already know, but they are humans from a place other than Earth. They’re not part of the Alliance.”
“Have you heard of Elysium?”
The information introduced by her was undoubtedly what we had initially wanted and desired. One thing that raised concerns was whether this woman was a player or a unit.
“Don’t misunderstand, just listen. This woman wants to fight you once.”
“…Why?”
Chris sighed before making quite a shocking statement. Naturally, I couldn’t help but question it.
*
“You’re saying we should go to Earth? If what I’ve heard is true, we’re in a truly fascinating situation.”
“Why would I lie in this situation?”
“That’s true.”
He chuckled and turned away. At that moment, the sound of blood splashing echoed as it pooled on the floor. A part of the gigantic roof had collapsed, and the horrific scene was illuminated by the moonlight.
She, Isabelle, took a small sigh upon seeing that scene.
There were corpses everywhere. Once the most powerful imperial palace in this land had fallen, stained with blood.
“He said that we had killed all the units that existed in this land and became the representative units of this world. And that we had gained a glorious qualification.”
“…Qualification?”
“I mean the qualification to kill and eliminate units from other worlds. Silly girl, is this really the end of this great crusade?”
His eyes gleamed. It was no energy that a lowly knight should possess.
However, Isabelle herself was more aware than anyone else of the influence of the game.
Could a lowly knight grow strong enough to rival the chosen saint herself? And what if that knight numbered in the hundreds or thousands? Such a thing would be entirely possible with the aid of the game.
“So, you’re going to follow the coordinates I provided, go to Earth, and kill other units?”
“Of course. Is this not the will of our god, Ratel?”
He grinned broadly. A madness that could not be stopped was evident on his face.
‘Such an idiot.’
Isabelle cursed him inwardly.
Being a player, she knew well. A player is just a player. They can’t know who their true identity is.
After all, she herself had introduced herself to her units using the name of the goddess Ratel.
But the final units who became victors in their competition firmly believed that their player had been faithfully believing in the goddess Ratel all along.
But that was not the important part. They had indeed grown strong with the support of that unidentified player, and the Senate of the Holy Kingdom had been swayed by that, abandoning her, the chosen saint, to side with them.
“You mentioned something about Elvin having a way to cross over to another world.”
As he muttered, she bit her lip and frowned.
Elvin was another player, just like her. But the ordinary priest Elvin didn’t have power or status like Isabelle. Of course, they didn’t have to kill Elvin, but they certainly wouldn’t just leave him be.
Remembering the state he was in, neither dead nor alive, merely hanging on, she barely swallowed her rising nausea and curses.
“Of course, there are conditions.”
“You’re asking me not to harm your pathetic Earthling units, right? Fine. There seem to be plenty of other prey around.”
He openly mocked her for her words. She couldn’t rebut him.
After all, it was true that she had sold information to divert their gazes, and it was true that her lack of ability had allowed the Holy Kingdom to be taken over.
“Those are bold folk. But it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easy.”
They had crossed the barriers of the world to encounter local forces like the Guardian Alliance and Evolution.
At that time, Chris, who first met Isabelle, remarked that they had accepted the proposal from the Guardian Alliance and were fighting against the demons of the demonic realm.
In reality, the ultimate victors had become arrogant and were struggling against opponents from this new world who were stronger than expected.
“Anyway, I’m not particularly eager to help them. So I’m just killing time.”
Returning to the present, Isabelle responded with a sly smile to Shin Woo’s question. In fact, even after crossing over to Earth, she hadn’t been doing anything noteworthy.
“Exploring the wonders of the new world, meeting various people. Those are the leisure activities I’ve found.”
“…What you’re doing is more important. You don’t have to do what this woman wants.”
Shaking his head, Chris made a candid statement. She glared at him, but he didn’t back down.
“On the contrary, it worked out well. But there’s one condition.”
However, at that moment, Eve spoke up for the first time since meeting them.
Chris and Isabelle’s eyes widened in surprise.
“In return for acknowledging you, take me there once.”
Eve didn’t bother to drag it out or speak indirectly. Her straightforward statement made Isabelle’s already wide eyes grow even wider.
