The Poison Demon’s Strategy for the Martial Tower Chapter 119

Chapter 119: A Relationship ant to Last (1)

Killian stood holding a glass of whiskey, anxiously staring at the phone he'd set down on his desk.

"No word yet."

Quite so ti had passed, yet there was no report from the subordinates he'd dispatched.

A report like ‘Kim Tae-yang is dead’ or ‘We've killed him’ should have co by now.

Just as he could bear the waiting no longer and reached for the phone—

Bring-bring-bring—.

A call ca in.

It was from one of the subordinates he'd sent.

"How did it go?"

Rat-tat-tat-tat—!

The sound of gunfire crackled through the receiver.

It seed a firefight had broken out between Pyeon Jae-yeong and Kim Tae-yang.

Killian relaxed slightly and asked again.

"Isn't it over yet?"

At his question, the subordinate reported back in an urgent voice.

"Chairman!"

"Spit it out!"

"Things have…… gone sideways."

"What do you an?"

Rat-tat-tat—!

"We're currently engaged with police officers!"

"What?!"

"W-We definitely confird Kim Tae-yang's car entering the hotel, and we followed it in. Pyeon Jae-yeong was nowhere to be seen, so we entered the hotel for the ti being……."

"And?!"

"The mont we stepped inside, police suddenly sward in!"

Killian let out a low groan.

The subordinate continued his report.

"The situation seed off, and just as we were trying to make sense of it, gunfire erupted from behind the police. The officers were startled and opened fire on us……."

"You absolute—!"

Bang-bang—! Rattle—!

The situation sounded dire.

The gunfire kept coming.

"Our n saw it—so strange gypsy-looking fellow started shooting from behind."

"……!"

"Chairman……. P-Please, save us. We're all going to die here!"

"Don't make laugh!"

Just as Killian was about to unleash a torrent of curses in fury—

Beep—! Beep—! Beep—!

An alarm suddenly blared loudly through the Black Market.

"What's going on?"

He demanded, and the subordinate answered.

"It-It looks like a fire broke out in the underground storage!"

"What?"

"You need to get down there right away!"

"Take fire extinguishers and put it out! The inside of the storage is fireproofed anyway!"

"T-That's just it……."

The subordinate bit his lip and spoke.

"It looks like the fire started from inside the storage."

"……!"

That couldn't be.

Hadn't he gone to particular lengths to fireproof the underground storage?

Anything flammable had been managed separately, and everything that arrived today had been verified……

‘The wooden crate.’

"……Kim Tae-yang."

The one thing he hadn't checked.

The wooden crate Kim Tae-yang had brought.

Bang-bang—! Gunfire rang out from the phone in Killian's hand.

"Chairman! Chairman—!"

Desperate cries for rescue ca through the receiver, and Killian shouted into it.

"Get yourselves out! Or better yet, just die! That's the only way you'll keep your mouths shut!"

Crack—!

Killian smashed the phone and hurried down to the underground storage.

But.

When he reached the first floor, the outside was in an uproar.

"……Now what."

Blue flashing lights filled the scene.

The police had been deployed.

Officers who had stepped out of their vehicles approached Killian under the escort of police riot units.

Killian exhaled shortly and said.

"There's simply been a small fire downstairs. It's nothing serious, so please turn around and leave."

"A fire?"

The officer who appeared to be the commanding officer looked at him with an expression that said this was the first he'd heard of it.

"……?"

The officer spoke.

"We've responded to a report of a serious cri. Mr. Killian."

"Mr.……Killian?"

Killian suddenly sensed an unusual tension in the officer's deanor, different from the usual.

"What cri are you referring to?"

"Murder and kidnapping, unlawful confinent, human trafficking."

"……What?"

Killian frowned deeply and said to the officer.

"Haven't you been on my payroll all this ti? Nothing good will co of this for either of us if you start talking nonsense."

At that, the officer seed to grow irritated as well—he subtly turned his head and glanced sowhere.

Killian followed his gaze.

"A broadcasting crew?"

A news crew that had co to cover the scene was there with caras, filming the location.

The police were holding them back on grounds that it was an active operation site, but with caras zood in from a distance—

Killian's threats had no power here.

【A reporter from a leading French news outlet, who had been pressured into sitting on a major scoop, cries out ‘The tip was real! This is huge!’ 1,000 Happiness】

"Damn it!"

"I'll need your cooperation."

Click—!

Heavily ard riot response unit mbers raised their rifles and stepped up beside the officer.

Killian sensed sothing had gone very wrong and said to him.

"……Take a look around and then leave."

"That will be difficult."

"I'll handle keeping the press out—."

"That's not possible. This has beco an international matter."

"What?"

Just then.

A man in a bulletproof vest led a group of people approaching from a distance.

"It's been a while, Chairman Killian."

Killian groaned at the sight of him.

"……Pyeon Jae-yeong!"

"It seems France and Korea's diplomatic ties are still solid. I submitted the request in the na of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approval ca through more easily than I expected."

"That can't be right. You wouldn't have any evidence."

Pyeon Jae-yeong smiled faintly and held sothing up.

It was the catalog from this auction event.

The one that included the personal details of the trafficked won.

……Kim Tae-yang.

It had been the copy given to that man.

"Soone was kind enough to leave this invaluable material."

"……!"

"With evidence in hand, the French governnt had no choice but to act. I told them I'd release it to the entire world if they didn't."

Killian's face flushed a furious, explosive red.

"Do you think you'll walk away from this unscathed?"

"We'll see in ti. Now! Agents."

"Yes sir!"

The National Intelligence Service agents who had co with Pyeon Jae-yeong drew their firearms.

"We're moving in alongside the French riot response unit. The server room is our first priority. Understood?"

"Yes! Minister."

The agents fanned out left and right and began their entry into the Black Market.

Pyeon Jae-yeong smiled and said to Killian.

"Do I still look naive to you?"

* * *

[At the sa ti—inside the Black Market]

Chief Han infiltrated the Black Market together with Im Ye-rin.

"I never dread this would be the signal."

"I know."

Im Ye-rin's expression was deeply flushed with excitent.

"Don't push yourself. Just stay right behind ."

"Yes!"

"If he was going to kick up this much of a fuss, he could've at least sent us proper equipnt."

Rat-tat-tat-tat—!

A firefight between Killian and the French police had broken out, turning everything into chaos.

Unlike Im Ye-rin, who looked eager, Chief Han was riddled with worry.

She hadn't been able to bring the Blue Dragon Spear or the Scarlet Scale Armor.

[Chief Han. Did you co to Paris empty-handed?]

[So Tae-yang thought a spear and armor would fit in a plane?]

[You made yourself sound so capable.]

[That would an stowing away.]

[There are quite a few gaps in you, Chief Han—the people managent, and all.]

[People what?]

[There are such things!]

[Oh, forget it! Who's the one begging for help here! Keep this up and I'm out!]

[Can't be helped. Here, at least take these with you.]

That was what Kim Tae-yang had pressed into her hands.

A kitchen knife and a single aluminum baseball bat.

"I can't believe this. What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Shall we proceed into the building?"

Im Ye-rin gripped the baseball bat tightly and waited for Chief Han's instructions.

The gleam in Im Ye-rin's eyes was bright.

Chief Han was dumbfounded.

"……You look like you're enjoying yourself."

"It's just that this is all new to ."

How on earth was there not a single capable person around him?

Chief Han sighed inwardly as she thought about Kim Tae-yang's life.

"Let's go in. He said soone would be there to et us."

"Who?"

"I don't know. He just said I'd recognize them when I saw them."

Everything had gone according to Kim Tae-yang's plan so far.

She had no choice but to trust it.

With that, the 2 of them used the chaos as cover and made their way inside the building.

"I sll smoke."

Im Ye-rin wrinkled her nose.

"A fire must have broken out."

Chief Han pressed herself against the wall and scanned the surroundings.

But there was no one there to greet them.

Hff-hff—.

"Hm?"

Just a single dog whose fur looked slightly singed.

"Could it be……."

Chief Han and Im Ye-rin looked at each other, and Im Ye-rin pointed at the dog.

"It's got sothing in its mouth."

Chief Han took the slip of paper from the dog's mouth and read it.

‘I am my master's loyal hound. Please follow .’

"……Ha."

With that, the dog wagged its tail and dashed straight ahead.

"This is unbelievable, truly!"

They ran after the dog.

Of course, it was White Night.

Killian's estate was vast.

White Night moved as though it knew every path, guiding them only through places free of Killian's guards.

But occasionally they ca face to face with guards, and every ti—

"Grrrr—!"

It launched forward like lightning, tearing at the guards' throats or hurling them to the ground with trendous force to subdue them.

"Goodness!"

Chief Han could only stare in astonishnt at those uncanny movents.

"I feel like I've seen this sowhere before."

The white fur running from head to tail, singed as it was—

"……Could it be?"

She tilted her head and kept running for a while.

At last they arrived.

Killian's office.

Over the bodies of Killian's subordinates sprawled across the floor—

Soone turned their head and offered a greeting.

"It's been a while."

Chief Han bit her lip.

"Hero."

* * *

I was wearing the Human Skin Mask of the Naless Hero.

The mont I saw them, I held out weapons first.

"Take these first."

A bulletproof vest, a pistol, and a spear.

Chief Han recognized the spear the instant she saw it.

"This is the Azure Dragon Spear!"

The item that had been on sale at the Korean Black Market where we first crossed paths.

A replica of the Iron Instrunt God's Azure Dragon Spear.

Even a replica was not sothing I could let circulate, staining his honor.

【Chief Han thinks, ‘As expected, our Hero has a plan for everything’ and is grateful. 300 Happiness】

"It was snapped in half last ti."

"The old man repaired it. It should be serviceable enough for now."

"I'm not helping you just to receive things like this."

"I've prepared a greater gift."

"Ah, that's not what I ant—."

"We'll talk later."

There was no ti to explain everything.

I had considered giving Chief Han or Im Ye-rin the Dark Tortoise Armor, but it wouldn't fit them, so there was nothing to give.

While Chief Han kept quiet and put on the bulletproof vest—

Im Ye-rin had completely frozen.

"N-Na……."

"Naless Hero."

"H-Ha……."

"I'm glad to see you too."

Im Ye-rin stood there in a daze, unable to tell if she was dreaming or awake, and I had no choice but to channel energy into the Seal Hall Point on her forehead.

Only then did Im Ye-rin seem to co to her senses.

"Take this."

What I held out was a shield made from the shell of a red centipede.

The old man had made a shield from the leftover shell after crafting the armor, and since I had no use for it, I'd been keeping it stored in the poison herb field.

Then, when Im Ye-rin turned up in Paris this ti, I rembered she had used a shield during her sparring match with Seong Chu-hyeon in the past and had brought it along.

"What is this?"

"The Scarlet Scale Shield. It's a shield."

"H-How did you know I use shields……."

"Tae-yang told ."

"Ah!"

Suddenly Im Ye-rin's expression turned emotional.

I should clarify so there's no misunderstanding.

"He told to be sure to add this."

"Yes?"

"It wasn't originally made for you."

"……Oh!"

【The Kick-Ass Role Model sees an old classmate in a new light. 500 Happiness】

Hm?

Sothing feels like the ssage got misconstrued.

Im Ye-rin murmured as she looked at the shield.

"Scarlet Scale Shield? I want to call it the Aegis Shield."

"It's the Scarlet Scale Shield. Stop trying to break the rules."

"Hm?"

"Quiet."

Im Ye-rin didn't used to be like this.

Did I read her wrong?

Or had climbing the tower changed her personality?

There was no ti.

The French riot response unit and the National Intelligence Service agents Pyeon Jae-yeong had brought were holding their own, but—

Killian's elite soldiers were all high-floor climbers of the Murim Tower.

Once they succeeded in taking cover, not even the riot response unit could attempt a reckless entry short of launching an RPG.

On top of that, the unit's gunfire was steadily tapering off—judging by how they were now conserving shots, it seed their ammunition was running low as well.

"Move out."

"Yes."

I said to Chief Han.

"Chief Han, follow White Night."

"White Night? It is White Night Black Wolf! I knew it!"

"There's no ti to explain. Follow it and get the people out."

"People?"

"There are won being held captive here. Korean nationals among them."

"Understood!"

Chief Han strapped on the pistol and gripped the Azure Dragon Spear tight.

"Im Ye-rin, you co with ."

"Yes. Um……."

"What?"

"Aren't you going to give a gun?"

"People like us should keep our distance from things like that."

"Why?"

"There are such things."

"Then what am I supposed to—!"

Chief Han let out a sharp screech.

"I heard she said you're already a lost cause."

"Kim Tae-yang, you little—! Not a lost cause, I said I've gone all the way—."

"Let's move."

I headed straight out.

Chief Han let out a deep sigh, then ran after White Night.