Chapter 45
93ZOn the first night after entering CCC, every member of the Special Mission Team except Han Goyo gathered in the basement to discuss the situation.bnvKa
NGGtunThey had to make a decision.T2nX
YbkzWoShould they complete the main quest, “Rescue Han Goyo,” or follow the plan he had proposed?WqKE
ZD89KTPLieutenant Colonel Je summarized Han Goyo’s condition in a single sentence.4U2vziR
mEdBR“He’s lost his mind.”0dfHycu
UohriaMo Haein, still as pale as before, bit down hard on her lip.KUz9T
VGwwThe section of the basement assigned to her was connected to the entire mansion, making it easy to move around, but aside from that, it had no advantages.MaEXrA
59jMxeIt was the place where the most dangerous Creatures continuously respawned.tEfs
FIWlUnlike the elegant Creatures on the upper floors, the ones in the basement were grotesque in appearance and far more violent.7ua8D
rjOhEven so, thanks to the Ray Gun Han Goyo had won for her on the roulette, she could deal with them without too much difficulty.bvy
opHETwhSitting on a damp wooden barrel, Mo Haein absentmindedly stroked the Ray Gun in her hands.43K
BKbHan Goyo was an indispensable member of the team.Q0zF4bt
RvrThat was an entirely logical conclusion.NMB
3Tv9y30“I think we should complete the main quest.”oP4VbGT
7MdfjShe deliberately expressed her opinion as objectively as possible so that it wouldn’t sound like a decision based on her personal feelings.BAJYuWA
nlbExdJ“At the moment, the method the Recruit proposed for reaching the True Ending directly benefits the mansion. There’s a risk that the situation will change before we can reach the True Ending.”nV5M3
GfNKwak Hanmuk, crouching on top of a dented bucket, raised a hand.XXE3R
CtoKuK“I agree with Captain Mo.”zcdzdW
36A1NHan Goyo had asked them to feed the cleaners to the Creatures in order to reach the True Ending.8O5Kp
SXUBut the more cleaners the mansion devoured, the more powerful it became.oJgLmC
NOyuaHnEverything depended on Han Goyo being able to keep his sanity for those seven days.bYbAt
TpMIf he ended up fully assimilating as a Butler and changed his mind—Xfi1wWe
lOlOIt would all be over.0hQmY9T
v4WM7xNot only would they lose the True Ending.532bVnY
OmtThey might end up making the mansion even stronger.xb0ia
liezxMTrying to keep her tone calm, Mo Haein continued.2G5hsmt
3bG“The only thing we don’t know is what conditions we have to fulfill for the system to recognize that we’ve actually rescued him.”zlNe
HOoA4Clink. Clink. Clink.XQZ4
u2usHqLieutenant Colonel Je absentmindedly moved his metallic hand and asked,2H7Fww6
36S“And the third option?”Yzv34VH
SHjZJp2There was still one more alternative.MqZ4H
c778dVtAbandon Han Goyo and clear the Trial with only the rest of the team.QRe
eqSZwi9Even if they ignored the main quest, there would surely still be a way to complete it.8wEHU0
DUSf7Mo Haein once again suppressed the nausea rising in her throat.Blr
KHlaOFortunately, Kwak Hanmuk spoke instead.nvybzHf
0svi“Rather than wasting time looking for a third option, it’d be better to rescue Han Goyo. It’s the main quest, after all. It’s the safest bet.”2WX1M
hWrThen he added his personal opinion.wwW7ycr
4eJAgi“Besides, Han Goyo has an enormous amount of knowledge about Trials, and he causes strange interactions with both NPCs and items. If he ends up becoming a complete NPC, I don’t think anything good will come of it.”xxwe
HOTjFEThen he added one final remark.sViJ
JVy“Besides, Samra won’t just sit back and do nothing.”jNaP
qwXLieutenant Colonel Je absentmindedly ran his hand across the wall.Pc1oFY
LUu1LrCreaaak.Bex
NAhBThe unpleasant scraping echoed through the basement.1M8
UfguiYet the stone wall didn’t receive so much as a scratch.9HEn2Ub
HxbfMJaHe stared at it for a few seconds before speaking.U6aE
wI7vJ“I don’t want to leave him behind either.”0LAgK
V1smHe had mentioned the third option, but in reality, he didn’t seem willing to abandon Han Goyo either.olOS6f9
NWH7‘Though if we had to abandon him, he’d probably prefer to kill him himself.’9n3q4W2
v0RWhile thinking that, Kwak Hanmuk waited for the final decision.YUK
e3Ou45e“Then we’ll do the main quest.”bACXJ
H31bOnce the plan was decided, Lieutenant Colonel Je proposed the simplest solution.R8lt
GlYFPYjAnd also the most violent one.aYqM
UB9hGg9“Let’s destroy the mansion.”wwF
H7efLjcThe idea was to solve the problem physically before the infection progressed any further.5Ta
yeuKwak Hanmuk suspected it wasn’t so much a strategy as Lieutenant Colonel Je’s personal preference for smashing every Trial to pieces.LRQ
bxhzVkBut he couldn’t think of any other way to rescue Han Goyo.vT6M7U1
XhEySo he had no choice but to agree.H82
y3IJ3qYThey decided to begin the operation on the second night.WFSr
1A0cTasked with luring Han Goyo away, Kwak Hanmuk headed to the guest room on the third floor.rQI5W2n
YDCHe hid himself and waited.Y9Ep
sJpQXNot long afterward, Han Goyo stepped into the hallway carrying a lantern.qEOWba
dRVhoIWFrom that moment on, Kwak Hanmuk silently followed him.Z9kH
8zhWatching him act, he could only click his tongue.2luq
ei5z‘If we leave him like this, we’re screwed.’T1G
xZOIyEThat was the only thought that came to mind.TbNH8
LuqOThere was nothing more terrifying than someone who knew the game perfectly.yR8wIx
FZqHan Goyo waved the lantern to attract cleaners panicking in the darkness, then used the mansion’s Creatures to dispose of them.IVZbX
5lvHe did it with astonishing naturalness.DFEQX
hrBCmhHe looked like an NPC who had always been part of the setting.NaQv9qU
hUNUIf an NPC capable of luring cleaners the way Han Goyo did ever appeared in CCC.tYo
InAKIt would be an incredibly troublesome enemy.PTT05xt
D4dOThe Trial’s difficulty would increase by at least one rank.HfcO
xz5dv4After listening from outside as the ballerina Creature twisted the cleaners into spiral-shaped masses.VPnXuAV
wa69qdKwak Hanmuk finally called out to Han Goyo.kCYz
e7Pf1cIf he let him continue, there wouldn’t be a single cleaner left alive.YBViUqn
ZhaWhile trying to stop him from killing any more of them, he carefully observed Han Goyo’s behavior to assess the extent of his infection.mIFmOe
nHdUBIXIt felt absurd watching him work so hard to fulfill his role as an apprentice Butler.0jAJvR
KgIEven so.XV6Z4t
cYe4WANAt that level of infection, if they managed to get him out of the Trial, there would be no reason to execute him.FxtpAz
MND1ZkBAfter a brief struggle, he managed to subdue Han Goyo.O0yb
A1mvL0Then he completely restrained him with the pagoda wood bead rosary.1Rm
izol7Up until the moment he ran out of the mansion carrying Han Goyo, who continued struggling despite being bound.imPpPF
ERlEverything seemed to be going reasonably well.5pE
qxuqfLieutenant Colonel Je had made his move earlier than planned, but Kwak Hanmuk still believed they could handle the situation.FmfP11
VFcAt least.Q8s
ADRGfUntil the Butlers appeared, utterly enraged.GtXP
TDC“You will not be granted a merciful death!!!”DGsjy56
PdacXThe voices of the two spear-wielding Butlers made his internal organs tremble.i9xpb
TTlKwak Hanmuk spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped his chin with the back of his hand before cursing.ViQ
nu73He had expected those Butlers to be strong.w2zKO
2gjMBut this far exceeded anything he had anticipated.UFyc
jQP’…Damn it, they’re at least four-star level.’5tj
CF73dOriginally, you never had to fight the Butlers in CCC, so he hadn’t known, but it was obvious they were far beyond ordinary four-star enemies.I686pr
708Just as Kwak Hanmuk decided to leave the matter to Lieutenant Colonel Je and get out of there with the deranged Night Chestnut—6r7a17Y
pM0IEA“…Gunbam?”9jQ
RzBSomething happened that was completely outside every possible plan.x3Ugh
cZ9mnBmThe Butlers, who should have prioritized protecting the mansion above all else, ignored the fact that it was under attack.cStK95F
hSzAnd they put Han Goyo first.8uXCd
UJ6Along with his confusion came a deep sense of disbelief.HxAI7B
CYb0Y‘How can that possibly make any sense?’zkN
Pfn2For NPCs to prioritize a suitable candidate over the mansion itself—the very foundation of their own existence—was absurd.UuFf
eNKLcqxIt was as absurd as imagining Lieutenant Colonel Je treating a Trial with kindness.p5m
DJxuNBut he had no time to think about it.3siP
etHKwak Hanmuk broke into a run.o1ezm0f
0gWH“Gunbam!”p9C9mQ
6vcJ1fTo his dismay, both the Cat Butler and the Rabbit Butler chased after Han Goyo.JD2
8o6MXUmBoom!AUtAfc
ZBoHThe Black Moon Blade blocked the Cat Butler’s Sun Spear.HEm8ul
ncS5CH2The violent shockwave whipped through Mo Haein’s short hair.15fZh
P6unRWithout changing her expression, she faced the Cat Butler and clicked her tongue.LmB
rTzqoo“Come here, kitty.”VBBLu9
3SVX0rThe provocation was extraordinarily effective.Odxny
XapOmDDThe Cat Butler flew into a rage immediately and launched his assault.2W35rrB
OywBBeams erupted from every direction as his elegant spear technique enveloped Mo Haein.Yrml
B4OZShe was already short, but compared to a Butler, she looked tiny.Efp8f5
oo70QUsing her small frame to her advantage, she dodged each attack by the narrowest of margins before counterattacking.b49W
meeoAsAnd the Rabbit Butler.rL7K5z
Cbjru2HLieutenant Colonel Je was supposed to deal with him.0XMmN
Jg2“Damn it, Lieutenant Colonel Je!”kSC
vknIYooBut he was doing something else.cQV
n0ssd5After landing on the ground, Lieutenant Colonel Je separated his metallic wings into countless feather-shaped blades and said,nOB9our
MML“Wait.”j5YYd
V2pfAaBWhen a lieutenant colonel gave an order, a captain had no choice but to obey.UYSH0V9
38CpSo all Kwak Hanmuk could do was keep running from the Rabbit Butler.chZVns
79OwGpThe Rabbit Butler raised his Crescent Spear.iihGRP
YWsYb8HThe sight of that enormous figure wielding an even longer spear was genuinely intimidating.OvMn
KMOJb4hHis voice made Kwak Hanmuk’s brain vibrate.mAKKOT
mQ554F“Gunbam. I will save you.”r4Nih6
rpYYOvThe Crescent Spear tore through the night sky.ETuAl
pXMaSCountless beams scattered in every direction along the spear’s trajectory.f4M
YdJoWdyThey were so fast that dodging them while carrying Han Goyo was nearly impossible.u1gyQn
nKaEKwak Hanmuk created a barrier with the bead rosary to block the attack.o0fCXes
iP1AVqQRumble!x414RS
2mUBXiUThe continuous impacts made everything spin before his eyes.dfoBRoW
MnPThe instant the barrage of beams stopped, he hurled the rosary, wrapping it around the Rabbit Butler’s spear.7i8MqHg
p8fdXuiAt the same time, a sharp pain shot through his heart.Ixyh1
FarHe braced himself for the next attack.GUq
3tiBut for some reason, the Rabbit Butler simply stood there, watching him.Jjdv
HFtB2mSeizing the opportunity, Kwak Hanmuk pulled on the rosary with all his strength.Jvu
BQ8DYXvScreeech!U0jX
CjkONUThe beads twisted with a shrill metallic screech.eTUOEu
xbEmBut the Rabbit Butler remained completely motionless, holding onto his spear.Mfs
nTeAfter watching Kwak Hanmuk for a few moments, he spoke in a much darker voice.WJ2Kzr
Ua0wr“How insolent.”ZBR
I5fThe Rabbit Butler swung his spear violently.1rSxoUF
k4viUnable to withstand the force, the rosary shattered, and the beads flew apart.ST9iCJr
aDF8WHKAs Kwak Hanmuk tried to gather the scattered beads—IkNIL8
IrkrvoThe mansion screamed.Ww4w1E
fRDmgY“Aaaaaaaagh!!!”H8gS7du
gbzuIt was a horrifying shriek, like the cry of a creature born from the abyss.dwIyS3
lCQBoth the Cat Butler and the Rabbit Butler froze.4sbNEx
vkOBZRTCruuunch… Craaack…67D
naRThe east wing of the mansion began to warp.GylUSjI
MYalHIhAs though an invisible force were crushing it, the entire structure twisted.5Os
zPoJMBpThen it exploded.9wCKZ
0uv0MTBOOM!IGu
hWwThe remains of the east wing blasted in every direction.CRwlN
FxyPStanding before the explosion, Lieutenant Colonel Je remained perfectly still as he gathered the metallic blades once more to reconstruct his wings.0NeH
RgHFPuThe Cat Butler and the Rabbit Butler silently stared at the completely destroyed east wing.FLc
UvGazEven though neither of them had eyes, the direction of their gaze alone was enough to send chills down Kwak Hanmuk’s spine.Ocf
sL9K‘What the hell did that lunatic do?’34K3
XX66After a brief moment of awe, Kwak Hanmuk started running again.6tc
BpBqJBoth Butlers simultaneously pointed their spears at Lieutenant Colonel Je.cug82
fvNRA scorching light as hot as the sun and another as cold as the moon began gathering at the tips of their weapons.GsZYXWb
gL1PrqzThis was a completely different attack pattern.UuyfN
sjWBoth lights continued to grow.SAt
deleUntil they finally merged into one.k06
MauJ1DThen they fired an immensely powerful beam.vjWpp
9PmMH1pLieutenant Colonel Je immediately took off to dodge it.9X9Aay1
74BBBut it was useless.7mgLYU
7pYThe beam pursued its target.7Ugu
gbRF3FSo he twisted in midair and flew straight toward the main building.sBhU
IpOOgXoSince he was going to be hit anyway.AIWPVs2
LwQezKHe intended to destroy the main building as well.J8j
NUmHowever, as though they had perfectly anticipated his intentions, the Butlers swung their spears once more.TWkd
Mx3ByAnother beam erupted from a different direction, striking from the opposite side and trapping Lieutenant Colonel Je between the two attacks.3VfnN
BBx3DFlash!Dvjvo88
SsHFor an instant, everything shone as brightly as midday.hY5r
s0FEWhen the light disappeared.b5qRjLk
XzdJcfDLieutenant Colonel Je’s body fell toward the ground.xuz
EpYzmGHe spread his wings at the last moment, barely cushioning the impact before crashing down.MToYCc
xMACpHe staggered forward several steps before dropping to one knee.o2JIcMu
XOqhfrHis protective glasses cracked.8Xv
Br6mThen split cleanly in two before falling to the ground.ccMrkx
v4EkvfLieutenant Colonel Je slowly raised his head.7vBdxa
v2KNZRAnd Kwak Hanmuk realized he needed to run even faster.jffwW0
9Ngz1ZNot because Lieutenant Colonel Je had survived such an attack.rVTfpV
sWpIThat alone was already monstrous.IHZ7u
i2aWhat was truly dangerous was that beneath his blood-covered face.Gppis
aUxHis eyes were shining with pure excitement.SJYGYA
1gVcWkQ‘We’re screwed.’bbZu2o
LBmWhenever he reached that state.qpxtA
834ovbLieutenant Colonel Je stopped distinguishing between friend and foe.VNJ
xoKAnyone who stayed near him inevitably got caught in the middle of the fight.QnSP
L9ROn top of that, the Butlers’ offensive power was completely abnormal.pCY
pRz9eXIf this continued.Fa5n0AM
bC2They could all end up wiped out.aOfDEeK
FZEpAs he gripped the bead rosary tightly, he heard a very faint voice.Vm9xCk6
9O2qB“Captain Kwak…”AMz
mWVEKwak Hanmuk was even more startled than when Lieutenant Colonel Je had survived the twin beams.ChYLN
YV7Without receiving any command from its owner, the bead rosary moved on its own and released Han Goyo’s gag.srPXE
tWUqaHis face completely pale, Han Goyo spoke.iwKSb4
vbad“I’ve come back to my senses. Please untie me.”5koEX
zT8CUnNaturally, Kwak Hanmuk couldn’t believe him that easily.MOV
2JLfQrSo he resorted to the oldest verification method there was.Th8c2q
qU6“The Butlers are a damned cat and a damned rabbit. Say it.”hyCj4y8
wrmUe“The Butlers are a damned cat and a damned rabbit. Now please untie me.”7wCOiM0
dtyzsdtKwak Hanmuk removed the bead rosary.Tqo
zSj24aThe moment his feet touched the ground again, Han Goyo rubbed his arms while looking over the devastation surrounding them.7LES4Gd
2mNThen, all of a sudden, he apologized.YpD
EX7“I’m sorry, Captain Kwak.”WVoFu
9oStxxA system window appeared before Kwak Hanmuk.ZQZ
GzZ‘Han Goyo’ has registered ‘Kwak Hanmuk’.yOmXX8
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