Chapter 228 : The Letter to Unknown Recipient (5)

The Letter to Unknown Recipient (5)

Lee Gyeongbok hid his body behind a tree and breathed slowly.

'There's quite a variety.'

With his focus sharpened, the divine energy he spread gathered information from the surrounding area.

There were snares for catching small animals like rabbits and foxes, iron-toothed bear traps, and pits lined with sharp stakes.

Not a single one of them was harmless.

'What should I do...'

Lee Gyeongbok hesitated.

But it wasn't the traps that troubled him. He already knew every location and type, so there was no reason to get caught.

'To interrogate, I need to capture her first.'

There were mainly two ways to capture Light alive.

Either injure her enough that she couldn't run away and then catch her, or push through the traps and the barrage of arrows to go directly after her.

The former could be easily done with a bolt-action rifle, but the latter meant accepting a lot more risk.

― First, shoot her in the leg so she can't run.

-lol Isn't it fine as long as she can talk?

― No, but you have to see something to shoot, right? lol

― If it's Godple, he'll see it anyway! He'll land the shot anyway!

― Ah lol don't underestimate Perfect-Eye!

― Let's execute justice!

Most viewers wanted the first option. They all thought she was just a member of the vicious Hired Gun gang and didn't hesitate to support harming her.

'If she's on our side, it's better she's unscathed, right?'

But Lee Gyeongbok thought differently.

He knew more than the viewers.

'No one knows how things will unfold from here, but in Roderi, details persist.'

His instincts told him Light was a character who would become an ally. If she got hurt now, that damage would stick throughout the story.

"If she gets injured, she might not cooperate. I'll try to capture her alive and unhurt."

So, he chose the second option.

It would be dangerous for others, but not for him.

― Ah lol this hyung goes for the hard way again

-???: Suffering from a severe addiction to challenges that need treatment.

-???: Hmph, don't make me laugh. You think this is hard? (It really isn't.)

-lol He keeps seeking difficulties because it's not challenging for Godple.

― He always plays by Celestial standards!

Viewers didn't find it strange. In fact, his preference for difficult plays seemed natural to them.

Lee Gyeongbok smiled at the chat and pulled out his pistol as he moved. The forest was packed with traps, but he walked forward without hesitation.

― Left! Left!

― Whoa;;; looked like he was about to get caught

― No lol you only see the trap if you're right next to it, isn't he scared?

― Fact) Godple sees all of them

― It's like he has night vision in his eyes lol

― Whoa? There are even pits dug?

― He pulled his foot back right away!

― Insane reflexes

― Those traps are nasty as hell

The viewers were the ones who were nervous. But it wasn't just the traps that shocked them.

With a sharp whizz, an arrow flew out from the darkness. It only caught the faint moonlight filtering through the dense trees, revealing itself for a brief instant.

It happened in a split second.

But Lee Gyeongbok was already ready for it.

― What the?

― Whoa?

― Insane;;

― Why did he suddenly shoot?

― Did he get her?

― What was that shot? lol

When he abruptly fired his pistol, a flood of question marks exploded in the chat. For a moment, the muzzle flash illuminated the surrounding darkness.

The arrow ricocheted off the ground and rolled away.

-?????

― Did he just shoot the arrow midair?

-huh?

― No way lol that's crazy

-(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)

― Of all things, bullet parrying with bullets? lol

While the viewers were in disbelief, Lee Gyeongbok narrowed his eyes sharply.

He spun quickly, squeezing the trigger. With consecutive gunshots, more arrows clattered away.

― Whoa, that's actually chilling

― He pinpointed the direction just from sound?

― Insane spatial awareness

― You need more than just good ears for that!

-lol Not only are his senses amazing, but his reaction speed is insane.

Lee Gyeongbok took cover behind a tree and swiftly reloaded, but didn't immediately charge back out.

"You ought to surrender now, shouldn't you? You don't have infinite arrows, do you?"

The viewers understood the situation from his words.

― Oh lol you're right

― Once she's out of arrows, she's got nothing

― He's got plenty of bullets, that's what I'm saying

― Now it's like Godple is the raid boss

― Catching Godple with limited arrows? Impossible lol

― Not even the legendary player could do this

But Light gave no response. Lee Gyeongbok shrugged and continued to climb the slope.

More arrows flew in, but none even grazed him.

'I'm almost there.'

Soon, Lee Gyeongbok knew he was at the end.

He was now close enough to clearly sense Light's location—and realized her quiver was already empty.

"You people keep saying we're using sorcery, but this time, I think I've got the right to say something."

Light emerged with a defeated expression and spoke. The viewers cracked up at her remark.

― Translation) This game sucks!

― Hey, that's the highest praise

― But honestly, if the tables were turned, I'd lose my mind too

-???: Any sufficiently advanced physical skill is indistinguishable from magic

― Perfectly referencing Plaque there lol

With her hands raised in surrender, the chat sighed in relief.

But Lee Gyeongbok wasn't careless.

Light, having come close, suddenly made a lightning-fast move. With a flick, the hatchet she'd kept behind her waist came flying at him.

"That's quite a rough way to surrender."

Lee Gyeongbok dealt with the ambush effortlessly. He sidestepped and caught the spinning hatchet.

"... What?"

Light's eyes widened at the sight. The viewers were just as stunned as she was.

― No way; did he just catch that?

― He caught it so easily that I was confused if there was a problem

― Ah lol this feels like a reverse playback

― Reverse playback, are you serious? lol

― Wouldn't reverse playback actually be even more impressive? lol

Lee Gyeongbok blinked as if mystified.

"You just have to catch it, right? Haven't you all played catch?"

-huh?

― Godple's way of playing catch lol

― Yeah, you all played catch with hatchets when you were kids, right?

― Um;;; my ball wasn't bladed, though...

― Purple confidence is overflowing

― Not even Vikings would play catch like that!

― Viking: That would be fatal...

When the viewers teased him, Lee Gyeongbok almost explained further but just laughed it off. Instead, he looked at the stunned Light and said,

"Now we can have a proper conversation."

Just as he intended, he succeeded in capturing her without a scratch.

* * *

Lee Gyeongbok brought Light back to her cabin.

Interrogation began with a cutscene.

"No matter what torture you use, you'll never get me to talk."

Light was still defiant. Alex looked at her coldly.

"Do you really think I'll be scared if you glare at me? I have nothing to say to a federal government lackey. You'll never sully my honor."

The viewers couldn't believe what they were hearing.

― What honor is she talking about all of a sudden?

― Honor from a contract killer? lol

― Is this some new twist on the 'good bad guy' thing?

― Oh lol a 'good gangster' gives receipts to the lunch money kid

-lol They probably even report their extortion as earned income

― Regular collection should be categorized as business income, right?

― Are you out of your mind with these tangents lol

With a stiff expression, alex searched his inside pocket. He pulled out the badge of the Preston Detective Agency.

"I'm a detective. Nothing to do with the federal government. And this job—I'm doing it for myself."

"I don't care who you are. I'm no traitor."

Light stood her ground, straightening her posture and closing her eyes.

"Just finish me off. My comrades will take my revenge."

At those words, alex's eyes twitched.

"... Revenge? You call it revenge?"

Bloodshot and gritting his teeth, alex's gaze sharpened.

"You think your death deserves vengeance? No, no."

That made Light open her eyes. Seeing Alex's changed expression, she swallowed dryly.

"Don't talk so lightly about revenge. Only those who've lost something precious can speak of that."

"What are you talking about...?"

"How many!"

Alex suddenly shouted, slamming the table.

"How many people have you killed to be so callous!? Didn't you feel any guilt slaughtering a whole village, people's neighbors and children!?"

"A village? What are you talking about...?"

"Are you going to pretend not to know?"

Alex explained what he'd gone through. Neighbors he once conversed warmly with became burnt corpses in a single day, and his home was reduced to ashes.

"And my son, my son..."

Alex found a carefully folded photograph. Maybe showing it to her would make her feel some guilt.

But before he could, light spoke up.

"That... that can't be. The Hired Gun fights for freedom. My comrades are freedom fighters...!"

"... What?"

Both Alex and Lee Gyeongbok, as well as the viewers, frowned.

― What kind of nonsense is this!?

― She actually looks like she doesn't know

― A contract killer is a freedom fighter?

― I did not expect this revelation!

Light shook her head.

"The Hired Gun targets only rotten capitalists and politicians. There's no reason we'd attack villages. I've seen it myself...! They protected the holy ground of our tribe!"

"Holy ground?"

"Yes. That damn railroad company tried to drive our tribe out to lay their tracks. They offered us paltry compensation, then aimed guns at us behind the scenes, forcing signatures."

She glared as she continued.

"Everyone gave up. But I couldn't. I thought an arrow in their thick faces and an axe to their necks would stop them. But someone else acted first."

Light had planned to infiltrate the railroad company and eliminate the boss and executives. But others struck before she could.

"The boss supported my decision. Said slaughtering these pigs served everyone. That it'd be easier if we all worked together."

"... So, you joined the gang?"

"Yes! For freedom! The boss said someday they'd need my help. But burning a whole village for some gold bars? There's no way!"

Regaining some conviction as she spoke, light declared her beliefs confidently. Lee Gyeongbok and the viewers quickly judged the situation.

"She's a new gang member, unrelated to the village raid."

― Lancaster was an old member before the raid, light joined after

― So... she joined not even knowing what the gang was?

― She got tricked by the boss lol

― They'll probably use her as a scapegoat if things go wrong

-lol Typical movie trope of using the newcomer for a setup

Alex let out a deep sigh. He put the photo away, apparently realizing it would be pointless if she knew nothing about the raid.

"A freedom fighter? You've been completely fooled. They're contract killers, nothing more."

"That's ridiculous..."

"You think they'd do those things for nothing? That gold I mentioned is from stacking up corpses. Killing those railroad executives—probably a rival company paid for it."

"No, that's not true. We're going to change the world. We'll bring freedom for everyone!"

Light stubbornly denied it again. The screen then faded to black and white.

"Ah, here comes the judgment decision."

It was a similar situation to the one with Lancaster. The options were the same: release, arrest, or execute.

― Ah, this is an awkward one...

― Not a direct target for revenge this time

― We're still in Chapter 2, I guess?

― Just sneak her away?

― But killing her doesn't make sense

― If you want to track them, you have to get information, lol

― Execution is too much—arrest her and bring her to the agency

The viewers leaned toward arrest. So did Lee Gyeongbok.

'She looks like she'll become an ally.'

From what he'd heard, she hadn't participated as a gang member after all. Like with Lancaster, she probably wouldn't have to face punishment.

"We need information about the gang for now. I'll go with arrest."

At his decision, alex clicked his tongue.

"I wonder if you'll still say that after learning the truth."

He firmly tied up Light and left the office.

* * *

Lee Gyeongbok returned to New Noir by ferry.

"Something feels off, doesn't it?"

Unlike when he left, the expressions of the people had changed. Strangely, flowers were placed here and there on the roads.

― What's going on?

― Was there an incident while he was on the island?

― The atmosphere is very unusual

The viewers were just as puzzled.

Lee Gyeongbok immediately brought Light to the agency.

"Oh! You're back safely!"

The manager welcomed his return, but was noticeably busy, frantically working on paperwork.

"What happened?"

"'Happened' doesn't even begin to describe it! The Security Bureau is in total chaos!"

He practically shouted the words, as if he'd been waiting to.

― What's this? The Security Bureau's restored or something?

-lol Weren't they already in chaos after Godple's infiltration?

― They got overturned twice in a row, you mean? lol

― Did they get raided again?

― Security Bureau (not so secure)

Viewers laughed, but the manager's expression was nothing but serious.

"What do you mean, chaos?"

"An incident erupted on the island while you were away. Several Sheriffs died. The entire city is in an uproar."

Lee Gyeongbok and the viewers widened their eyes.

"Sheriffs?"

― Seriously? It's a real mess

― Sheriffs dying in the heart of the city?

― This is some serious scale

The manager sighed deeply.

"It was them. Members of the Hired Gun gang appeared."

"Hired Gun?!"

"Yes. They got into a shootout with the Sheriffs guarding the post office."

The viewers groaned at the explanation.

― Ah, so the gang came to check the mail too

― Why'd they come when Godple wasn't around?!

― If Godple were there, he'd have squashed them

― Too bad, sigh

Light suddenly interjected.

"Seems the lackeys received their just punishment."

The manager glared sharply.

"Typical of an outlaw—such a twisted mindset! Do you feel no guilt about people dying!? Or do you not even see them as people? You even mercilessly murdered innocent civilians on the street!"

His harsh words shocked even Lee Gyeongbok and Light.

"Civilians?"

"Civilians...?"

Shaking with anger, the manager looked to Lee Gyeongbok and composed himself.

"When they got surrounded, they took hostages inside the post office. Used the employees as human shields to escape. And while fleeing, they shot randomly at citizens in the street to block the Sheriffs."

"Ah... So that's why the flowers..."

Lee Gyeongbok let out a sigh.

Now he understood why the city felt so unsettled, why there were flowers everywhere.

"Yes... Among the victims were even young children. Truly... they're nothing short of monsters."

― Whoa... insane;;

― They shot kids too?

― Now I really want justice

― No need for a trial—just execute them on the spot!

― Godple's going to be their judge, for sure

The viewers voiced their disgust. The manager jabbed a finger at Light.

"You should be grateful there's a law. Otherwise, everyone in this city would be out to kill you."

Even though his voice was controlled, his anger couldn't be more obvious.

― Wow, he's right

-lol The only reason she survived is because of the law

― It's ironic—people follow the law, so the outlaw isn't killed

― Ironic as hell lol

Light's eyes trembled.

"That can't be... We're, we're not murderers. All we want is freedom..."

"No one's lying here. The entire city couldn't cover this up even if they wanted to."

Lee Gyeongbok answered, seeing her confusion. Light looked at him, then bowed her head.

"This isn't what I wanted."

She slowly raised her head.

Her wavering eyes soon hardened with determination.

"... I'll cooperate. I'll tell you everything I know."

The manager's eyes blazed at her words.

― Oh lol, instant genome kick?

― Turning traitor after learning the truth

-lol Classic plot device

― Knew she'd become an ally—she's a native!

― The hints were there from the start, weren't they?

While the viewers were pleased by this turn of events, light added,

"But I have a condition."

"A condition?"

She nodded at Lee Gyeongbok's question.

"I'm coming with you."

Her gaze sharpened.

"I need to meet the boss myself."

Lee Gyeongbok grinned at that.

'So this is how it goes.'

Once again, his instincts had been right.

Meanwhile, the chat exploded at her declaration.

-lol Temporary alliance?

-???: Tch, this is just a temporary truce

-???: 5252, I still haven't forgiven you!

― That's another cliché hitting right away

-???: You! Be my comrade!

― WA! Assassin character!

― Revenge squad? Is that it?

― Roderi assemble!

― Captain Western, what is this lol

It was an unexpected development for everyone.

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