Chapter 241 : The Meaning of Betrayal (4)

The Meaning of Betrayal (4)

After escaping the metropolis of Saint Cloud, alex and Light spurred their horses on with renewed urgency.

"Alex! Is there even a way?!"

Light shouted to him along the way. Arriving at the train station wouldn't solve all their problems. How would they prevent Hired Gun's assassination attempt?

Alex furrowed his brow at her question.

"There aren't many options we can use immediately. Only two come to mind."

"Two?!"

"First is stopping the train's arrival. We'd have to head up the tracks ahead of it and make it stop."

Alex said this and grimaced.

"But I doubt they'll stop the train just because we ask. We'd have to persuade the president, and if anything goes wrong, we might end up clashing with the bodyguards."

This statement made the chat window burst into discussion.

― Well yeah, lol, who's gonna believe an assassination attempt is coming outta nowhere?

― Isn't he a top agent though? Wouldn't they listen?

― Preston Detective Agency is only famous out West, right? Not in the East?

― Yeah, doesn't seem famous. Alan started in Saint Cloud anyway.

― Is this supposed to be a gamble or something?

As viewers debated whether the two of them could even stop a train, light pressed further.

"What's the other way?"

"We find them before the train arrives. But that's not easy either, since we have to pick out the culprits hiding among the crowd."

All attention in the chat shifted back to the second method.

― Lol, isn't this basically hopeless

― For real, how would you find the perpetrator with zero clues?

― The gang isn't stupid. They'll be blending in with everyone.

― There might be more than one terrorist, too, right? lol

― So you're basically telling us to go with the train stopping plan, huh?

This time, most of the responses were more skeptical than before.

"Ah, it's a branching point after all."

Lee Gyeongbok slowed, speaking as his view shifted to black and white.

A fork in the road appeared before Alex and Light. One path led toward the distant train station; the other followed the long railway.

"I thought about it too, and there's another difficulty going to the station."

He continued, agreeing with the viewers.

"If there's more than one perpetrator and a commotion breaks out, the others could escape or detonate the dynamite out of desperation. So, even if we find them, we'd have to subdue them quietly."

― Oh true, lol

― If things go wrong, people could die

― Why's the difficulty gap so huge, lol

― They really made this tough

― Guess stopping the train is the right move

Naturally, the viewers thought it was best to go and stop the train. But soon, realizing Lee Gyeongbok's habits, they laughed.

― Why is Godple explaining why it's hard? Suspicious, lol

― Makes it clear he wants the harder route

― Just do what you want, godple!

― What you want = the hard thing

Wasn't he a streamer who delighted in challenging games?

"Ah, I was going to take the easy route just this once, but I'll do as you all suggest—'since I have no choice.'"

Lee Gyeongbok replied with a mischievous tone.

― Eh?

― So now it's our fault? lol

― Wow, breaking the cliché now, are we?

― For real, since when did he ever listen to us, lol

― Always goes for the hard option, tsk

― What a trickster!

The viewers laughed as if they'd been had. But in the end, they admitted it.

― Honestly, I prefer when he takes the tough path

― If it's easy, it's not perfect~

― Show us a Perfect-Arrest already!

― Godple's stream only works when it's hard!

His talents always shone brightest under difficult circumstances.

* * *

Upon arriving at the train station, they found it packed with people.

― Whoa;;; There's more people than I thought?

― You're telling me to find the terrorist here, lol?

― This is like Where's Waldo

― Grandpa, who knows Waldo these days?

― Waldo's a classic, you know, lol

― Okay, I knew it... maybe

― Seriously, is this really doable?

― Trooper definitely couldn't

The unexpected crowd made the viewers anxious.

"Tsk, there aren't many police around."

Alex clicked his tongue and scowled. For the crowd assembled, only a handful of uniformed police officers were visible.

Even just holding the barricade to keep people back looked like a struggle.

"The police department doesn't know the situation. They probably figured with the president's bodyguards, this much security is enough. Maybe by now, they're sending over guys stationed at the bank?"

"Waiting is too late. Let's move."

The two dismounted their horses and headed into the crowd. With that, the cutscene ended.

[15:00:00]

At the same time, a timer appeared before their eyes.

― Huh? 15 hours?

― No, lol, it's 15 minutes!

― Guess that's how long until the train arrives?

― You've got to find the perp in 15 minutes?!

― That's a bit much, isn't it? lol

― Is it because it's Master difficulty?

― Shouldn't the police help with a job like this?

The viewers were stunned by the time limit. But despite their worries, Lee Gyeongbok had already located the perpetrators.

'Five of them—so about 3 minutes per head.'

With information gathered via his spread divine energy, he could pinpoint their locations, thanks to the distinct uneasy vibe they gave off amid the mass of people.

"It's not impossible. If it's not a cutscene, then it's not unfeasible. That means there is a way."

Lee Gyeongbok spoke with unhurried confidence.

-????

― He's explaining now?

― Hyung! The clock's ticking!

― Why is he so relaxed?

― Purple confidence ON!

― What does this mean? Hints?

The viewers were both amazed and excited. With a faint smile, Lee Gyeongbok continued.

"As you see, the police have already set up barricades. Not a lot of them, but they must've already checked for hazards. Still seems peaceful? That means there isn't dynamite already planted."

― Oh lol, that's right

― I mean, it's not like they had timed bombs in the Wild West, lol

― If it was remote detonation, there'd be a switch and wires, right?

― Haha, those square boxes with a T-switch?

― If that was there, the police wouldn't have missed it

― So the perp has to throw the dynamite directly?

The chat grew a bit more easygoing following Lee Gyeongbok's logic. The gang's presence in the crowd was now certain.

"Exactly. Which means their positions are limited. They need to be at a distance where the dynamite can be thrown for an assassination attempt, but not so close that the police spot them before they light it."

This was exactly where their locations, as sensed by divine energy, ended up.

― Oh lol, makes sense!

― So you don't have to check everyone?

― Probably hiding somewhere near the center of the crowd?

― This is Perfect-Detective logic!

― I totally knew! (Didn't, actually)

― So it really is possible in 15 minutes?

Viewers now saw the chance for success.

"All right, let's give it a try."

Pleased with the shift in chat, Lee Gyeongbok pushed into the crowded throng.

"I get to see the president in person!"

"What an honor for life!"

"So when do they arrive?"

"Mom, my legs hurt..."

"Hey! Stop pushing!"

The crowd, all excited at seeing the president, buzzed all around.

Soon, Lee Gyeongbok spotted his first target.

"Light, that one."

"You sure?"

Light questioned Lee Gyeongbok's choice. The chat was equally skeptical.

How had he identified that man as a gang member?

"He's dressed like everyone else. But look at his face. Everyone's excited, but he's visibly tense."

"Oh, you're right."

"And he keeps checking inside his jacket—must be the dynamite he's making sure of."

With that explanation, both Light and the viewers were convinced.

― That observational skill is insane

― I was just watching for ugly faces, lol

― So you're a gang member too, then?

― Haha, you'll make the kid cry!

― Don't judge by appearances only!

Recognizing the chat, Lee Gyeongbok kept a straight face and spoke to her.

"I'll aim my gun from the side; you take him from behind."

"Got it."

After confirming Light was in position, Lee Gyeongbok approached the man swiftly and jabbed a revolver into his side.

"What the—"

"Shh."

As the startled gang member opened his mouth wide in shock, Lee Gyeongbok raised a finger to his lips. At that moment, light appeared behind, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"Not so fast."

"Gkk..."

Before he could resist, light's trained hunting muscles had already rendered him unconscious.

Lee Gyeongbok rifled through his jacket and nodded. In his hand, he found a brown stick.

― Wow, they actually caught him

― Now I see why Light's so strong, lol

― Outlaw can't do anything, huh?

― Hard to imagine any Trooper holding out against that, lol

― Anyone would be done for if choked from behind like that, honestly lol

The viewers were satisfied with the clean arrest. In the meantime, Lee Gyeongbok whispered to Light.

"Move him outside quietly. Don't let the others see."

"Okay."

With the unconscious man propped up on her shoulder, light slipped out. No one in the crowd, abuzz with excitement, paid them any attention.

* * *

Lee Gyeongbok holstered his revolver.

Light vanished outside with the knocked-out man.

'That's the last of them.'

He had subdued the fifth—and final—outlaw without incident.

― Light's skills as a hunter let her hide her presence so well

― Wouldn't feel out of place in Assassin's Creed, lol

― Hey!

― Stop referencing other games!

― Big-earedguy, is that you?

― Oh? Timer's stopped!

― That was the last one?

The steadily-ticking timer stopped.

[09:35:56]

A little over nine minutes remained.

― Wow, that was fast

― Isn't it thanks to Godple's first explanation?

― If you skip the explanation, it's almost one perp per minute lol

― Perfect-Eye did it again?

― Godple's observational skills, world's beeeest!

The viewers couldn't help but marvel at the speed. Lee Gyeongbok smiled in response.

"Ah, it's a cutscene. I guess taking out all the targets was the win condition."

Control vanished, and the screen shifted to a top-down view. The train, spewing black smoke, approached along the tracks.

Cheering from the crowd swelled even louder.

― Oh lol, it's coming right away

― Isn't ten minutes too generous for this?

― Fast progress is good!

― King, even Roc&Roll couldn't have guessed ten minutes!

― Feels like they wanted a seamless story cut, not just fast gameplay

Viewers felt relieved, certain the assassination had been averted. Lee Gyeongbok felt much the same.

'What is this?'

But as the train arrived and stopped at the station, he sensed something strange with his divine energy.

The train ground to a halt and its doors opened. Heavily armed bodyguards descended first, scanning the area.

'There's more dynamite?'

Lee Gyeongbok instantly sensed another threat. He hadn't noticed anything when he played.

'They must have left this for the main story sequence.'

It was clearly a new character and dynamite, created just for the cutscene. But something else stood out.

'But... why isn't this an antagonist?'

The only threat present was the dynamite. Yet, the NPC holding the dynamite didn't feel the same as the other gang members.

There was no time to think further.

"Die!"

Over the cheers, a shout rang out as a flaming stick spun through the air above everyone's heads.

-?

― What?

― Whoa?!

― There was another?!

The sudden dynamite sent chat into a frenzy. The game instantly shifted from cutscene to play.

Had he let his guard down thinking it was all over, it would have been impossible to react. But Lee Gyeongbok had anticipated the crisis and snatched his revolver like lightning.

A single shot rang out.

"Kyaaaaaa!"

"What, what's happening?!"

"A gun!"

"Run!"

One gunshot was enough to turn the place into chaos. The crowd scattered in terror, and the police and bodyguards spun to aim toward Lee Gyeongbok.

But the dynamite didn't explode.

― Wait, that wasn't dynamite?

― Why didn't it explode?

― Dud?

― Don't tell me Godple shot the fuse?

The viewers realized what had happened.

― Lol, I wondered why he fired out of nowhere

― Wow, he actually shot the fuse off, lol

― He did! The fuse isn't burning anymore, lol

― Breaking news: US biology association questions the correctness of modern taxonomy: "In Korea, a crab is a horse."

-(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)

― Lol, does that even make sense!?

― He shot the burning fuse on a flying stick of dynamite with one bullet?! LOL

― It's not just for hitting people, the famous "Two-shot two-kill"!

But there was no time for Lee Gyeongbok to enjoy their praise. He plunged into the crowd, chasing after the fleeing perpetrator.

The panicked crowd got in the way, but he barely cared. He had plenty of experience pushing through mobs like this.

'Got him!'

His divine energy unmistakably sensed the culprit's aura even amid so many people.

Lee Gyeongbok grabbed the fleeing man by the scruff of the neck.

― Oh? Did he catch him?

― Lol, seriously caught him!

― Lol, how are you going to outrun the Perfect Detective?

― Once you're in Godple's sights, you never escape!

― Same goes for Troopers, right?

― True, lol

While the viewers enjoyed the victory, the screen faded back to a cutscene.

Despite being tackled, the perpetrator fought back hard. Alex shouted above the commotion.

"Hold still!"

And, unbelievably, the man stopped struggling.

― Lol, he actually stopped

― Such a swift surrender!

― He knows it's over, lol

― Off to hang with the other perps on the gallows!

The viewers thought he had simply given up, but then the situation changed.

The outlaw turned slowly to face Alex. In a close-up, widened pupils filled with shock were shown—on both the outlaw and Alex.

Tears welled up in Alex's eyes.

"Billy...?"

"Father?"

With these lines, the outlaw's face was revealed.

It was his own son, billy, who they'd all thought dead.

"Wow."

Only then did Lee Gyeongbok realize the strange vibe he'd sensed.

And the viewers—

-?????????????

― What? Why is he alive?!

― What are you doing there!?

― So THAT's why they didn't show the body in the prologue, huh?

― Wow, this betrayal stings

― I feel dizzy

― Billy joined the Hired Gun gang?!

― So there was another betrayal after all

― Never would've expected this!

They understood the true meaning behind the chapter title.

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