105.
A week later.
I was on the phone with Yeon Ji-woo, overcome by the torch of old man Kwon Tae-soo.
If you’re that concerned, I’ll do it myself.
The old man told me that there was nothing to like when he called.
“Are you feeling better?”
“yes! It’s really improved. The doctor here is also an exorcist? Wow, the police hospital is crazy. Have you ever been here, too?”
Yeon Ji-woo had a much healthier voice than before.
It was so incessant that it was a little noisy.
She continued to explain the greatness of the police hospital she felt, but this time she brought up the story of Inspector Sofia.
“Oh, and as you said, the girl is here. It looks like a real doll. You asked me if I was going to be an exorcist?”
“so? You want to become a real exorcist?”
“of course! Besides me, about half of the people rescued that day will become exorcists. Although I have to graduate from high school.”
Yeon Ji-woo is currently a sophomore in high school.
So even if you decide to become an exorcist, you will have to wait two years before entering the training center.
I nodded and continued.
“Yeah, I have to go to high school. Rather, did the killer contact you?”
“ah… I have come.”
Yeon Ji-woo’s answer was not cool.
“What do you not like?”
“It’s not like that… I did it via video call. It was amazing to see that arrogant guy suddenly change and apologize, but it wasn’t as thrilling as I thought. Does it just feel natural?”
“That’s it. It can be. If you think you’re going to die anyway, the fun of revenge will be a little less.”
“You speak as if you have experienced it. Oh, more than that, mister-”
After that, the phone call ended after small talk.
I turned to Kwon Tae-soo, who was eavesdropping on it.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Hum, I’m glad you look healthy. Thank you, Inspector Kang.”
Perhaps this was reassuring enough, he went back to his seat with his hands behind his back like an old man going out to drink with a comfortable smile.
Then, as if taking turns with him, Seo In-na’s voice came this time.
“Captain River. Come and see.”
At the team leader’s call, I got up from my seat with weak alertness.
The case I was in charge of last week had already been completed, so now all that was left was to write the report.
So it was said that it was time to throw in something new.
“Yes, did you call?”
“okay. Once this.”
Seo In-na held out the documents with a faint smile.
Is it event information?
However, the format of the document was different from usual.
And the title is Operation to Subdue the Enemy Age.
“Subjugating the enemy?”
“Recently, I discovered a magician of the right age at the LB Academy. But it seems that the condition is not serious. Inspector Kang, isn’t it the first time you’ve been recruited to subdue the enemy?”
I nodded.
Although I’ve seen Seo In-na participate in several operations to subdue the enemy when she was just appointed.
I’ve never personally participated in it.
The enemy age is a spiritual body that corresponds to the level of 51 to 70.
Because of the danger of reaching the maximum level of 70, it was said that Seo In-na-class team leaders would gather and carry out a subjugation operation.
“Why is that for me… ”
“Isn’t that the same as recognizing Inspector Kang’s skills from above?”
Seo In-na said that with a pleasant expression.
No, actually, she would be very happy.
If it wasn’t me who was being called here, she would have been the target again.
Moreover, the subjugation operation generally conducted by the police was not that simple.
If you listen to Seo In-na’s words, wouldn’t it be said that she wandered around the station for three days and nights?
Isn’t it said that more than 10 exorcist cops battled against countless freaks for several hours.
As for the game, it felt like a kind of boss raid.
“Anyway, I’ll explain the subjugation operation.”
Seo In-na, who handed over such a tricky task to me, began to explain vigorously.
“First of all, subjugation operations are usually conducted against spiritual bodies of an appropriate age or higher, or monsters that are as strong as that. However, there are conditions for the subjugation operation to proceed. First, he must have territory and power.”
“Force?”
“okay. To put it simply, it means forming a magic station and commanding subordinates within it. If that’s not the case, if it’s an independent spiritual body that just wanders around by itself, there’s no need for a subjugation operation.”
It was.
No matter how level 70 the enemy is, if our entire team rushes in, he’ll be able to compete against them.
However, the story is different if such an enemy spirit is acting another strange monster with its own territory.
The magic area is a space no different from a dungeon in another world.
It’s not strange if there’s a trap somewhere, and you can’t easily guess its size.
Even if the same level of age is the owner of the demon, the burden felt is distinctly different from that of an independent spiritual body.
“And the second condition is risk. If it’s a red spirit, if it has the potential to become a dark spirit, and if the tradition it possesses is suitable for genocide, etc.”
“Then which one is it this time?”
“Unfortunately, both. I don’t know the exact age this time, but LB Academy assumes that he is a demon related to disease.”
“… … ”
“Illness is a concept that humans have been afraid of since the beginning of time, and are still afraid of it even now. So most of the evil spirits related to this have a long history. There are also many related traditions. So, the enemy discovered this time has a good chance of becoming a dark spirit, and in the worst case, it spreads an incurable infectious disease and carries the risk of mass slaughter.”
It is the demon of disease.
Then there was nothing strange about the police being vigilant.
“Then who am I going with?”
“On our team, Inspector Kang is the only one.”
“Am I alone?”
Remembering that when Seo In-na went, I took a number of other team members with me, so I asked back.
“okay. As you can see from the investigation, this operation is not carried out by the police alone. It’s a cooperative operation with LB Academy. That’s why only police officers with the rank of Inspector or higher are put in.”
A cooperative operation with LB Academy?
It was the moment I heard that.
Without warning, the quest icon that had been silent for a while flashed.
＜Character Quest＞
Subject: Dayoung Kim
Alignment: Moderate, Good
– Complete Character Story 2.
Reward: +1~+3 random reinforcement ticket
A second character quest related to Kim Da-young was added to the quest window.
then… It’s pretty obvious who will come out of LB Academy.
So I closed the quest window and opened my mouth.
“When did the operation begin?”
“The start date of the operation is in two days.”
“Do you have some time left?”
“That’s how it is. However, it may not be enough to prepare for the operation.”
Saying that, Seo In-na brought out several books in front of me.
Books that look very thick together.
I looked at it and asked.
“What is this?”
“Traditions related to disease. Wouldn’t it be better to study in advance?”
“… … ”
“I won’t give you another case, so study hard for the rest of your time. No matter how strong Inspector Kang is, this subjugation operation will not be easy. Inspector Kang knows how important this kind of knowledge is in such a case, right?”
Can we see all of this in two days?
It made my head dizzy just by looking at it, but there was nothing wrong with what Seo In-na said.
So I let out a small sigh and nodded my head.
“All right.”
* * *
and two days later.
I moved to Juwangsan in Gyeongsangbuk-do, where the subjugation operation was in progress.
When I arrived there, with the discovery of the station, the mountaineering was controlled all at once.
However, the exorcists conducting the operation were gathered at the entrance.
“uh? Inspector Kang Jin-woo by any chance?”
Saying that, the first person to recognize me was a middle-aged man in a police uniform.
I instantly scanned the judging mark on his clothes, and answered naturally.
“yes. you’re right.”
“nice to meet you. I am Inspector Jeong Jae-seok.”
With that said, he shook my hand, which I accepted.
Inspector Jeong Jae-seok would be the person in charge of today’s operation.
He is currently the team leader of the 3rd Organized Crime Investigation Team, and a veteran exorcist with a level of 63.
He was unfamiliar with me, but he seemed to recognize me without difficulty.
“Inspector Kang belonged to the 2nd support team, right? Yes, is team leader Seo In-na doing well?”
“Yes, aside from being hit by work, he’s doing well.”
“hahahaha, what. We are all hanging on to work.”
While exchanging small talk with Inspector Jeong Jae-seok like that.
Vehicles carrying people who had not yet arrived began to arrive at the entrance to the mountain one after another.
There are a total of 12 exorcists participating in this subjugation operation.
Six people each were mobilized from the police and LB Academy.
But of those mobilized, there was only one person I knew.
“Uh, Mr. Kang Jin-woo?”
She just got off the vehicle from LB Academy and looked at me and said.
She looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected me to come at all.
“Are you also participating in the subjugation operation today, Mr. Kang Jin-woo?”
“Yes, that’s how it happened.”
“I see! I’m more than happy to see you here!”
I briefly exchanged greetings with Dayoung Kim.
Dayoung Kim’s level is 51.
growth was still rapid.
However, Dayoung Kim was not at a very high level among the exorcists gathered now.
The average level of the other exorcists is over 60.
Eventually, after confirming that everyone had gathered, Jeong Jae-seok spoke out.
“hello. I am Inspector Jeong Jae-seok, who is in command of today’s operation.”
His voice naturally drew the attention of others to him.
Afterwards, Jeong Jae-seok skillfully threw a light greeting, checked the number of people, and led the people to move into the mountain.
Before anything else, it was to head to the magic station.
After climbing the mountain road for such a long time.
“… Look at that.”
Looking down at the deep valley, Dayoung Kim said.
At the bottom of the valley was a large hole leading into the ground.
The wall from the entrance is made of turbid red rock, and it has a foreign atmosphere even at first glance.
Its interior was surrounded by thick darkness, emitting only unusual energy.
“This is the entrance to the station. The operation is as notified in advance-”
This was followed by a short briefing by Jeong Jae-seok.
He used the word operation, but in fact there was almost no operation.
From nob le mt l. com
Just explore the horse station divided into two groups, the police and the LB Academy.
It was a very simple strategy to find the owner of the magic station, join another group and punish it.
“As you know, this magic station is particularly dangerous.”
Next, Jung Jae-seok added a caution.
It was about diseases and poisons that the owner of the magic station would use.
Being immune to debuffs, I didn’t have much reason to worry, but other exorcists would need to prepare well.
“Therefore, each group has exorcists in a recovery role. Above all, to protect the personnel of the recovery station-”
From nob le mt l. com
Jeong Jae-seok added a few cautions, but in the end, I felt bored because it was a natural story.
But that’s for a while.
“Then I will enter.”
Finally, the order to enter came from him.
From nob le mt l. com
Jeong Jae-seok was the first to jump down to the entrance to the station, and the other exorcists also headed into the station one after another.
“be careful.”
“yes. Dayoung, be careful too.”
Then my turn came and I jumped into the hole with Dayoung Kim seeing me off.
The darkness, which you can’t even guess how deep it is, approaches in an instant and consumes all sight within.
However, unexpectedly, the feeling of floating down did not last long.
My vision opened with a chilling sensation, and soon after I stepped on the ground, I arrived at a clear magic station.
“Here… ”
The surrounding area was a wasteland covered with red rocks that decorated the entrance.
There is a rough terrain like a rocky mountain as well as thick fog, so the visibility is very reduced.
Fortunately, there were no level signs immediately visible around.
It doesn’t seem to fall right in the middle of the enemy.
but.
“uh?”
It was right after that that I felt strange.
There really was no level indicator at all.
Not only the enemies, but even the exorcist who entered first was nowhere to be seen.
“… … ”
I frowned at the unexpected situation.
But without panic, I first took out my smartphone.
“This doesn’t work.”
It was a set of guidelines for action.
If you are isolated after entering the station, first try to contact them with all available means of communication.
However, the smartphone was out of the call range.
I didn’t expect too much, so I moved on to the next one.
However, even after trying communication-related spells and radios that were provided for this operation, and even a new god that plays a role similar to a radio, nothing worked.
“Is this intentional?”
I don’t know anything else, but judging from the fact that it didn’t even work with magic or magic, it seemed that the owner of this magic station, the enemy, was forcibly blocking the communication.
That means… Maybe it’s just that I’m not alone.
In other words, it could have been that all the exorcists who entered the magic area were scattered.
“Then it’s a bit dangerous.”
I clicked my tongue.
Other exorcists than me were the problem.
I even brought a healer because it was said to be an evil spirit related to the disease.
Only then would the healer himself, as well as the exorcists who believed in it, be in danger.
“… I can’t help it.”
However, since I had already entered the magic station, there was nothing I could do about it.
All I can do is clean up the magic area as quickly as possible.
So I immediately turned on the navigation function of the quest.
Then two large arrows appeared in front of me.
Again, it was a red arrow and a green arrow.
Red is definitely the owner of the magic station, and green is… He is probably pointing to Dayoung Kim.
Is it because it’s a character quest?
Unfortunately, no other personnel were included in the arrow.
“First of all, is it green?”
It was the moment I decided on that direction.
Kurrr-
Suddenly, the land of the wasteland trembled.
And at the same time, I saw the level display of something coming up from deep underground.
All of them were mid-level monsters around level 40, and the number was seven in total.
As soon as I entered, it was absolutely formidable for an enemy I met for the first time.
“… It’s a mess from the start.”
I muttered that and took out the human sword.
Right after that, something protruding from the ground attacked me.