A Veteran in a Dead Game - Chapter 200



Only Krnovel

200. Civil War (1)

The city is divided and the sky is filled with emptiness.

It was an amazing sight that could not be found anywhere else. It was a scene that could only be seen in a science fiction movie.

But for the members of the regeneration society, this was a terrible situation they would never want to see even in their dreams.

“Crazy! What kind of kid are you?!”

“There’s a quarantine barrier around the area. But this alone won’t be enough to fool our eyes.”

“There are traces of a crystal screen being used on Jin’s ring.”

“There’s a spider skill added to it. I prepared it properly, but it’s surprising that the chairman noticed it right away.”

“I will respond first. Let’s leave right away.”

The members of the regeneration society quickly grasped the situation and gathered evidence.

“Vex. That kid’s finally getting things done.”

“The taxidermy skill is also involved. There are traces of using Tarn Cafe, so Sneed must be an accomplice.”

As a result, it only took three breaths to narrow down the culprit.

“They’re all the same group of people who want to live together.”

At Peña’s words, the members of the busy regeneration group all fell silent. They had already guessed this, but it was another matter to say it explicitly.

“I see now. The reason I conducted the raid before was to gather the members here.”

The members’ expressions became fierce. Some even became depressed.

If what Peña just said is true, then what the Saladan faction wants is…

‘Because it will be the end of the rebirth meeting.’

The conquered dungeon will slowly collapse. If the ark is conquered, the members will have to go outside.

If you run away in such a hurry and then meet the rider of the plague, wouldn’t the result be truly terrible?

To avoid such a future, we must either immediately subdue the Saladan faction, or abandon the Ark and flee before the Plague Riders awaken.

“What on earth were you thinking when you did this? What do you think you’ll gain from it?”

“The motive doesn’t matter. We’ll figure that out later.”

“What is certain is that they have crossed the line. They have even touched the Plaguebearer… This is tantamount to declaring that they will kill us all.”

“Come to think of it, the Chairman was going to say something about Saladan, right? If there’s anything that could help us in this situation, I should listen.”

As he said that, the members turned their attention to Peña. But Peña shook his head.

“I think it’s right to start with responding first.”

In fact, several members of the regeneration group left the conference room to respond as soon as they confirmed the situation. They thought it would be better to take action quickly rather than having a conversation.

“I guess I’ll have to split the staff into those who block the dungeon raid and those who watch out for the plague’s riders.”

There was no need for Peña to specify the number of people. Most of the members had excellent skills and careers, so they knew where to go and what to do.

“Remember, the Saladan faction is now our enemy.”

Peña continued in a subdued voice, adjusting his gas mask.

The members did not respond to Peña’s words. There was no condemnation of Saladan and those with him.

“I’ll leave first.”

[I will return as quickly as possible and join the Plague Riders.]

“I’ll conduct a reconnaissance. I’ll relay the results through Saren.”

Just do what you have to do.

It took only about a minute and a half for Peña to smash through the wall and for communication to be established here.

“Hoooooooo.”

In the conference room, where people had left and it had become suddenly quiet, Peña sighed and sat down in his seat.

Then, cold sweat began to flow from her, and a black mist flowed out like blood from her left arm, which was wrapped around the Seonghaepo.

“Mr. Chairman!”

There were only five people left in the place. One of them, Sarah, was frightened and approached Peña.

“Are you okay? Uh, let’s take action first…”

“No. That’s enough. Don’t worry about me. Just do what you have to do.”

“but…”

“It’s not your job to escort me.”

Sarah looked toward one of the remaining men, a muscular man with bronze skin. He stood behind Peña like a statue.

Kyle knows that guy.

Beryl Count Anumad.

A famous user from the old days, and also a national hero called Anumad.

A prince born into the oldest royal family on the continent. He is also special in that he was born with two innate skills.

With his flawless personality and handsome face, it would have been stranger if he had not been popular.

He even achieved achievements that were so sufficient that they were overflowing, so he became a hero loved by the nation.

Now he is just a prince who lost his country, a failed hero who could not protect his people.

‘I guess your skills are still the same.’

If he sticks around as Peña’s bodyguard, there’s no need to worry about Peña. Even though he’s injured now, Peña is also a very strong man.

That’s why Sarah didn’t say anything else. She just bit her lip, looked at Peña with concern, and threw herself toward the shattered wall.

Sarah launched herself off the wall of Noah Tower and shot forward. In less than a breath, she was far away, using the floating structure as a stepping stone.

“Whew, phew.”

Only then did Peña let out a deep breath. He had been holding back so as not to show weakness in front of Sarah, but it seemed that his physical condition was still a mess.

“…You looked so ugly.”

“Everyone will do well anyway, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

Another person who remained in the conference room, Ratchet, said this and poured the potion on Peña’s arm. Peña’s brow was furrowed through the gas mask. It looked like he was in a lot of pain.

“He even changed his speech to sound like an old man in order to somehow fit in.”

Peña glanced away. It seemed that the reason she started speaking like that was to make herself look good.

By now, that tone of speech has probably become completely ingrained in me.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Peña, who had been speaking as if he was scolding Ratchet, soon let out a sigh.

“I never thought I would come all the way here and be betrayed like this…”

The voice was hazy. No matter how hardened Peña was, it seemed he couldn’t remain calm in a situation like this.

Kyle gave Peña a moment to catch his breath and then opened his mouth.

“I wish I had warned you about Saladan sooner.”

“It would have been meaningless. If we had prepared for a betrayal that never happened, that in itself would have already been the seed of distrust. It’s unlikely that Saladan would have prepared for things so sloppily.”

Having led the regeneration club for so long, Peña must have accumulated his own secrets and experiences. It was also funny to hear Kyle Moore give advice on running the organization.

That’s why Kyle said to Peña:

“You’ve had a hard time.”

“There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s something I have to do. That’s what responsibility is.”

At that moment, the two buildings seen in the distance were merged.

Kuuuung-

This is not some figurative expression. It is a 15-story building, a 20-story building naturally descending and merging into one building.

It was evidence that the Ark Dungeon was progressing towards a conquest.

“Kyle.”

Peña, who was looking at the scene, spoke in a subdued tone.

“Can you help me?”

“If you say you plan on helping to suppress the disaster in the future, consider it paying the price in advance.”

Peña smiled faintly.

“You’re more willing to help than I thought. In fact, I think the thing that would be most helpful to you would be for this Ark dungeon to be conquered.”

“…….”

“If that happens, the powerful people who turned their backs on the world and stayed in the ark will come out.”

“That’s not wrong, but it’s not a choice worth considering.”

Would those who had already decided to settle in the ark try to face disaster again? Rather, they would rather prepare a second ark.

You may not be able to build a shelter the size of an ark, but you should be able to build a small place where you, your relatives, and some followers can live.

If you do that, you will be able to continue living, albeit in a locked state, at least for yourself and a few generations below.

‘Besides, the regeneration party has already shown me their willingness to cooperate.’

Aren’t there several members who decided not to stay on the ark and go with Kyle?

If Kyle is being uncooperative now and the dungeon called the Ark is being raided, even the people who decided to cooperate with Kyle may each find their own way.

Above all else.

‘Even if I really wanted the Ark to be conquered… … .’

Is it possible that I can just tell you everything here and now?

Whether they pretend to cooperate and take action to allow the Ark to be conquered, or they just sit back and watch… either way, there’s absolutely no reason to open their mouths right now.

I don’t plan on doing that anyway.

Peña must be well aware of that fact. It was more of a bad joke than an attempt to test Kyle.

It was Peña’s empty words, uttered in an attempt to relieve his own anxiety, even if only through a joke.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“That would be good.”

“First of all, I don’t know anything about this dungeon. Even if I wanted to help you, it would be difficult. Instead, I’ll help you prepare for the Plague Riders.”

Ratchet, who was looking at Peña’s wounds, said in a trembling voice.

“Wait a minute. Are you talking as if the seal is about to be broken?”

“There’s a high probability that it will happen.”

The opponent is not a disaster or a monster, but a fellow human being. Even quite capable. That means there is no way you could just blindly charge in without any plan.

But the fact that the Regeneration Society is doing this openly with so many members gathered like now… … means that they are confident about the success or failure of the work.

Therefore, if you try to stop it now, it will most likely be too late. You will end up just following the footsteps. So, it would be better to prepare for what comes next.

“Are we supposed to fight against a disaster? So suddenly…”

Ratchet said in a trembling voice.

No matter how difficult it is to subdue a disaster, it is still a disaster. It is a monster that can destroy humanity if not dealt with properly.

Ratchet has lived for nearly 300 years, so he must have witnessed disasters unfolding countless times. That’s why he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the presence of disaster.

“I’m sure you’ve prepared for the plague’s rider.”

“Hmm. Of course.”

Ratchet quickly came to his senses and quickly recited a list of things he had prepared. To be honest, he wasn’t ready to take his time, but…

‘I guess I can barely meet the minimum.’

Since the plague’s rider was sealed right in front of the ark’s entrance, it would have been natural to prepare for any eventuality.

“If there is a separate stockpile of diseases spread by the Plaguebearer, it would be good to prepare that as well.”

“There is one that was used for research purposes, but I wonder why.”

“The disease spread by the Plague Rider refreshes every 3 seconds. That means, if you get infected with another disease before 3 seconds have passed, you can avoid such a refresh.”

Ratchet’s eyes widened.

“So, you’re saying that a small bottle can prevent a big disease?”

“In summary, yes.”

To do this, you need to continuously inject diseases into your body during battle. Ratchet should prepare injections or pills for this.

“And Peña. Deliver the gold ropes, torii, and sterilizing staffs to the members outside the ark. If possible, get more. With these, we can briefly lure the plague riders away.”

Kyle’s eyes glowed coldly.

“That would at least allow us to escape the ark. If we’re lucky, we might even get a chance to subdue the bastard.”

“…….”

“And if there’s anyone with the Blacksmith God’s Faith skill, I’d like to have them give it to me. I’m thinking of making an item that can deal with diseases. There are several things that can be made with the materials in the warehouse.”

Peña, who had been silent for a moment, muttered, forgetting even the pain.

“Even though the situation was so sudden… you’re coming up with a response to the disaster so quickly. You surprise me again.”

Of course. Ever since I first landed on this earth.

“Because I’ve been moving towards it all along.”