Chapter 168
Chapter 168. Ambush (2)
Thanks to Jung Gi-jun’s joining, the tension that had been lingering around the expeditionary force had significantly diminished.
Yoo Ji-han, who inherited the leader position from him, fell deep in thought about the future direction.
The conclusion he reached was as follows:
“We must prioritize eliminating the people from another world over the IUPC or the monsters. Only then can we end this situation.”
The original purpose of the expedition force was to stabilize the Yeosu area and search for the missing heroes.
However, now that they had learned the objectives of the people from another world, they had to make eliminating them their top priority.
“Do you know where they’re hiding?”
“I have a few guesses.”
“Really?”
“Probably around here…”
Yoo Ji-han recalled Paras’s memories and pinpointed a possible location where the people from another world might be hiding.
At that time, they were discussing over a large map spread out in their hidden hideout.
“Let’s send dealers capable of wide-area attacks to the monster production line. If we set the Yeosu Airport as our base and assemble a heavily armed ambush team to launch a simultaneous attack, we may not be able to wipe them out, but we can at least make it difficult for them to act recklessly.”
“Hm…”
“Since we’re being tracked, some of us will likely be attacked first. When that happens, we’ll maximize our distance from the others…”
As Yoo Ji-han continued explaining while pointing to the precise location on the map, Jung Gi-jun wore an interested expression.
It sounded like quite an effective plan.
“If I had known this would happen, I would have given the position to Ji-han sooner.”
“Really.”
What was astonishing was that Yoo Ji-han had a rough grasp of the expedition force’s strength, which numbered in the hundreds.
He mentioned each hero who had made an impressive showing on the field and even calculated which hero would be best deployed to which location.
‘He’s someone who sees the forest, not just the trees.’
He wasn’t just focused on his own battles; he was surveying the expedition force as a whole.
“Separately from this, we absolutely need your help to control Red Hole and the Heroes of Dice.”
“Leave that to us.”
No matter how much of a leader he was, there was a limit to how well Yoo Ji-han could command the heroes who surpassed him.
Thus, the roles of leading the guild members fell to Jung Gi-jun and Park Jae-kyung.
*
After finishing the meeting, Yoo Ji-han entrusted Nam Ho-yeol with checking the equipment.
“The blade has worn down more quickly than I expected.”
“It seems the armor needs some work too, right?”
Having encountered several battles in a short amount of time, it seemed the blade had dulled a bit.
With countless attacks and defenses imbued with aura, it was only natural.
“I came here for times like this!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thanks to Nam Ho-yeol’s careful touch, Yoo Ji-han’s party’s equipment was reborn in a condition like new.
Once everyone’s equipment was back in top condition with the support team’s help, the expedition force split up once more and dispersed.
They couldn’t stay in one place for long, knowing that someone might be on their tail.
“I’ll leave the field command to Ji-han.”
“If you insist, I won’t refuse.”
Yoo Ji-han received full command authority from Park Jae-kyung.
He moved stealthily with the heroes who had traveled with him since Suncheon.
“A monster!”
“Hide!”
They encountered monsters and IUPC members along the way but avoided confrontation.
They didn’t want to reveal their movements to the enemies.
Two hours passed as they moved, quieting even their footsteps to avoid being detected by anyone.
Eventually, they arrived at a plaza where a statue of General Yi Sun-sin and a model of a Turtle Ship were erected.
While they were conducting their search in the relatively empty area,
“…Ji-han!”
Min Yu-ri, who was examining the Turtle Ship model, gestured at Yoo Ji-han.
Next to the model she pointed at had a very faint thread drawn along its side.
“Prepare for attack.”
“Got it!”
Upon closer inspection, the entrance’s position was in a blind spot not visible from the nearby CCTV.
Yoo Ji-han jumped over the fence that blocked access and carefully felt the Turtle Ship with his hands.
With a sudden click, the entrance leading inside the ship opened.
‘Bingo.’
I was a bit surprised to find something like this set up in a completely open plaza.
Just as Yoo Ji-han was marveling at the boldness of the people from another world, Kim Si-hu spoke up.
“There’s a space distortion inside!”
“How many minutes do we have left?”
“Seven minutes.”
“That’s cutting it close.”
They had little time before the heroes stationed at different locations would simultaneously launch their attacks.
Yoo Ji-han and his party attempted to enter the distorted space at the promised time.
Sooosh!
As the effect of the world shaking subsided, Yoo Ji-han’s eyes were met with a space resembling an ordinary office.
The once colossal Turtle Ship was nowhere to be found, and buildings without any windows stood before them.
Creeeak!
“Who… who’s there?”
As soon as one door of the office opened, an adult man appeared.
The moment Yoo Ji-han spotted him, he dashed forward, covering the man’s mouth with one hand as soon as the door closed.
“Mmph?!”
“Shh.”
Realizing the man was a hero, he thrashed in resistance, but the more he struggled, the tighter Yoo Ji-han’s grip on his neck became.
When the man realized his resistance was futile, he seemed to give up entirely and loosened his body.
“Human from Ajesia, right?”
“…?!”
At the mention of Ajesia, the man’s expression twisted into one of surprise.
As Yoo Ji-han pressed him further, he nodded slightly.
Seeing the willingness to cooperate from the man, Yoo Ji-han eased his grip slightly and said,
“If you scream, you’ll die. Refusal to answer also leads to death. You won’t die nicely either. Understand?”
“…uh.”
“Do you know a man named Paras?”
“I know him. Does that mean you guys…?”
“Questions only come from me.”
“…”
“How many people from another world are in this space?”
“Eleven, including me.”
Yoo Ji-han asked the captured person from another world what he was curious about.
It seemed he didn’t want to die in a place like this, as he was responding willingly to the incoming questions.
“Do you know a woman named Jerry?”
“Are you talking about that crazy woman?”
Hearing her referred to as a crazy woman, it seemed Jerry received special treatment even among her own side.
“Is she here?”
“No, she’s not.”
According to his explanation, the people from another world had their hierarchy established while on Earth.
Jerry, whom he encountered at Yeosu Airport, was an elite who only acted based on special orders from above.
‘At least that’s a relief.’
Yoo Ji-han was relieved to know that someone like Jerry wasn’t the average among the people from another world.
If there were countless enemies like her, it would be hard to handle.
“Save me.”
The man suddenly begged for his life.
“Are you really begging for your life after attacking us first?”
“I-I was against this plan from the start! Not everyone in Ajesia thinks the same way!”
The plan to conquer Korea using the IUPC and monsters.
There was talk that there were dissenters even within the people from another world regarding that plan.
Yoo Ji-han exchanged a brief glance with Park Jae-kyung and nodded.
“Ugh!”
Hit at the nape, the man instantly fainted.
At least the leaders agreed to not kill him.
After handing the unconscious man to his comrades, Yoo Ji-han entered through the door the man had come in from.
“W-who’s there!”
“Attack!”
Once they crossed the door, sharp voices heralded the beginning of combat.
In a space devoid of monsters, only the people from another world remained.
Yoo Ji-han’s party and all the heroes unleashed their attacks towards the enemies.
“Gah!”
However, the resistance from the people from another world was not to be underestimated.
They skillfully manipulated the surrounding objects and ground to evade or deflect the incoming magic, just as those who created this distorted space would.
[Quick Illusion]
[Impossible Dream]
“Wh-where did everyone go?!”
“What’s happening all of a sudden…!”
They even attempted to deceive the heroes with illusion and hallucination spells.
The heroes, surprised at seeing walls blocking their way out of nowhere, cried out.
Yet, the illusions created in such a short time were lacking in detail and could be distinguished by the naked eye.
“Sylph!”
Whoosh!
As Yoo Ji-han coordinated with Sylph to locate the enemies precisely,
The heroes empowered by him continued their attacks without hesitation.
“Kurgh!”
“Ugh…!”
It seemed they weren’t meant to fight from the beginning.
The people from another world who were quickly overwhelmed groaned.
Yoo Ji-han stomped on the back of a man who had a hole in his shoulder due to Min Yu-ri’s arrow.
“Where’s your higher-up?”
“…I don’t know.”
The man did not reply to Yoo Ji-han’s question.
Just as Yoo Ji-han was about to swing his sword at the man,
“Stop!!”
Seeing that, a woman from the people from another world cried out in despair.
The woman, whose arms and legs were pinned down by Park Jae-kyung, looked pale as she stared at the man.
‘Is she his lover?’
Instinctively, Yoo Ji-han realized that she shared a deep bond with the man.
After thinking it over, he placed the tip of his sword against the man’s nape and said to her,
“If you want to save this man, answer the questions I ask.”
“Y-Yeah!”
Those words sounded like something a third-rate villain would say.
But the woman gritted her teeth and glared at Yoo Ji-han.
It was truly a sight that caught her off guard.
If that was the case, perhaps he could turn that to his advantage.
“From now on, if you refuse to answer, I’ll kill your girl.”
“Such cruelty…!”
Seeing them face each other and throwing threats, both the man and woman reacted sensitively.
Yoo Ji-han shrugged at their angry expressions.
“Don’t get too upset. I wouldn’t want to come off as a bad guy like you two.”
*
The heroes interrogated the captured people from another world.
After comparing the information obtained from Paras,
It became clear that their answers contained no lies.
“People like you who care so much for each other attack innocent people?”
“We had to make that choice for Ajesia.”
“What about Earth?”
“…”
“You’re such selfish bastards.”
Those who understood their choices were selfish fell silent.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han was examining a map of the Korean Peninsula installed in the interior room.
It was a special map that was set up at each hideout, making it easy to track the heroes and assess the situation.
‘Are we the only ones who have reached the destination so far?’
The heroes who headed towards Mokpo, Haenam, Goheung, etc., were still moving slowly.
The only ones who had reached their actual destination were the Yeosu expedition team, including Yoo Ji-han.
Markers indicated that the heroes had agreed to attack another area of Yeosu at the scheduled time.
‘It’s a shame I can’t take this with me.’
It seemed the moment it was detached from the wall, the function would stop.
Kim Si-hu, who was also looking at the map, spoke to the captured people from another world.
“How does the principle of tracking heroes work?”
“When the large guild orders equipment at the workshop… we secretly added materials that enable long-distance tracking.”
“Wow, you prepared that in such detail.”
The last time they placed an order at the workshop of the Dice guild was two months ago.
Even Park Jae-kyung was struck with surprise at their unexpected preparations.
Flash!!
At that moment, a light glittered from somewhere.
It was light emanating from a ring taken from a person from another world.
Yoo Ji-han pointed at the jewel radiating white light and spoke.
“Is that a call coming in?”
“Yeah.”
An artifact that the enemies used instead of a mobile phone.
Yoo Ji-han handed it back to its owner, saying,
“Act as though there are no problems.”
“…”
“If we give away that we’re here…”
Swish!
Instead of handing it to the woman who received the ring, Yoo Ji-han brought the blade to her lover.
Seeing her lover’s blood flow along the blade, the woman’s expression went rigid.
“Wow. This really looks cowardly.”
“Chick, chickchat…”
Kim Si-hu and Chilla whispered at Yoo Ji-han’s actions.
