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nEpisode 6: Mafia Game

/ Chapter 98: At the Ruins (4)

nTL: emptycube

/ ED: Obelisk

n“What do you think you’re doing?!”

nThe clan leaders were agitated and scared. ‘No matter how scary the doppelgangers are, to ask us to split our heads and show him our brains… Entrust our heads to someone’s sword? When I’m not even a doppelganger? To split my frontal bone without anesthetics and show him my brain? On top of that, you’re going to pour a mysterious liquid on it?’

nHumans would unconsciously close their eyes and stand awkwardly when someone was about to flick their forehead. But to ask them to stick their heads out so that he could cut their frontal bone…!

n“I, I have allergies…”

n“That sword! Did you disinfect it?”

n“Wait! Wait!”

nBecause they were in such a hurry, the clan leaders said whatever came to their minds. However, Choi Hyuk didn’t listen to them.

n“Now, now. It’ll be done in a jiffy.”

nChoi Hyuk stepped forward.

n“Euuaack!”

nEach clan ‘leader’ was at least a colonizer of the 3-star level, yet they freaked out and scattered in different directions. They scattered faster than the metal balls of an exploding claymore mine.

nHowever, the elites of the Berserkers had already finished calculating the clan leaders’ expected escape routes the moment they began to awkwardly flee. On top of that, they had already been assigned their marks beforehand.

nBang!

nBam!

nThe fleeing clan leaders were blocked by the Berserkers and fell down.

n“Uck! No!”

nAlthough they pitifully attempted to stand back up-

nPik!

nDrip.

nChoi Hyuk appeared like a shadow, sliced their foreheads and poured the medicine into their heads.

n“Euuuuooh!”

nEven if they weren’t doppelgangers, they couldn’t help but freak out. They couldn’t roll on the ground, fearing foreign substances might enter their brains, and didn’t think to staunch their wounds as they spread their arms and crawled on their butts.

nIt was as if a tiger was released in a group of baby bunnies. Although the clan leaders tried their best to resist, Choi Hyuk skillfully stepped on their resisting arms and legs and cut their foreheads. He then poured the medicine before jumping and pressing down on another hurriedly fleeing clan leader.

nAfterwards, the Berserkers standing by would rush forward and drag the treated clan leaders outside the encirclement. They put those who were so panicked that they didn’t know what to do at ease.

n“Calm down. Calm down. It’s over now. To block an infection, you need to calm your heart and maintain a constant karma barrier. Take deep breaths and quickly make a karma barrier.”

n“Ah… You crazy bastards, do you think I can calm down righ-“

n“If you can’t maintain your karma barrier, you’ll have to be re-examined later.”

n“Hiiick!”

nThrough this incident, the clan leaders were able to recall what they already knew.

n‘As I thought, words don’t work on those Berserker bastards!!’

nClan Leader Lumin touched his forehead. It had, at some point, completely healed without a scar. In fact, his head felt refreshed, however, he wasn’t sure whether it was because of Guardian Bae Jinman’s karma or because of the explosive amount of adrenaline produced from this terrifying experience.

nWhat was clear was that when Choi Hyuk split his forehead, he really thought he would die right then and there.

nAfter being dragged out of the encirclement by the Berserkers, creating a karma barrier, and forcing himself to take deep breaths, his thumping heart calmed down and he started to take in the scene around him.

nIt was quite a sight.

n“Puha.”

nLeisurely looking at the scene from a distance, it really was worth seeing. Even though those gentlemen who acted refined, saying they were clan leaders, were currently fleeing for their lives, their struggle was so easily restrained, it was almost artistic, and they screamed when their foreheads were split. It couldn’t be any funnier.

nLumin watched this scene without any tension.

n“Wait! Wait! Choi Hyuk! Overseer! I’m not a doppelganger! I’m not!”

nClan Leader Jiro was currently restrained below Choi Hyuk’s feet.

n“Hey, hey! Cheer up, Jiro!”

nLumin unconsciously shouted due to his happiness. He felt refreshed that Jiro, who kept finding faults whenever he spoke, was suffering the same humiliation he endured. It was almost as if a non-existent comradery was budding.

n‘Maybe I should have a drink with that guy tonight.’

nAlthough Lumin thought such leisurely thoughts, Jiro’s situation wasn’t the same. No, in reality, Jiro no longer had the capacity to judge his circumstances.

nAs the true him had died a few days ago.

n“Euuuuaaackkkkk!!”

nThe moment Choi Hyuk poured the healing liquid into Clan Leader Jiro’s forehead, he began to flail crazily. It was a noticeably different reaction from the others up until now. Surprised by his desperate screams, the other clan leaders froze.

n“Wh-what?”

nLumin unintentionally stood up.

n“Sit down. There is a concern that there might be a secondary infection.”

nA Berserker blocked him with a nervous expression, indicating this wasn’t his first time seeing this.

nThe liquid containing Bae Jinman’s karma was normally transparent. However, once it was poured in people’s foreheads, it would turn golden, heal the wound, and protect the brain from various impacts and infections. Yet, the liquid in Jiro’s head currently surged with a copper-red light. Jiro’s brain began to boil, and the thing that looked exactly like a brain writhed its body as it attempted to flee.

n“Th-that…”

nOnly then did people recall the reason why Choi Hyuk was splitting their foreheads. Although they heard it through their ears, the story that they hadn’t felt was real or trustworthy had, at this moment, become a reality, making their hearts freeze.

n‘Doppelgangers eat people’s brains, take their bodies, and act as the host.’

nTap.

nWhen Choi Hyuk flicked his finger, scarlet flames suddenly swept up the doppelganger that was exiting Jiro’s head as well as Jiro’s body, causing them to disappear without a trace.

nChoi Hyuk, who had calmly watched that scene, raised his head and said in a tone which seemed like he was asking them to go have lunch,

n“Now, shall we continue?”

nThe clan leaders were unable to flee or readily stick out their heads as they froze in place, reading each other’s gazes.

n**

nBlaze!

nIn total, he burned three corpses. Although it could be seen as though only three out of over a hundred clan leaders were infected… If they considered that they were all experts who were skilled enough to be clan leaders, it definitely wasn’t a small number.

nThe clan leaders’ expressions calmed. The cries of the doppelgangers kept echoing in their minds. Lies that seemed so true. Tears that looked real.

n“Please… Please save me. There’s something in my head. However, I am still Clan Leader Raley. I am fine! You know me, right?! Lumin! You know me! Right?! Save me. I want to live. Please kill the bug in my head and save me. Please. Please.”

nHowever, Choi Hyuk said,

n“No. The moment a doppelganger invades your mind, it starts by killing your brain. Although it does take a while for it to fully absorb your brain, that doesn’t mean your brain is still alive. You have already died. Raley. No, doppelganger.”

nThe most terrifying scene was when they were dying. The doppelgangers never admitted they were doppelgangers until the end.

n“Euuack! I’m not one of them! I’m not! What kind of bull** is this?! This liquid is fake from the start, right?! You guys are just trying to eliminate those you don’t lik- Euaack!”

nEven when bugs that resembled brains crawled out of their split heads… Their mouths kept shouting that they were innocent.

nAlthough they were clan leaders who had overcome countless life-or-death crises, the scene in front of them was more terrifying than any gruesome battle. They still felt pity and became enthralled when hearing their pleas and seeing their expressions, even as they watched the bugs crawl out of their heads. This fact made them so scared that their limbs trembled.

nThe doppelganger was that kind of monster.

nA monster of suspicion.

n**

n“But you said the doppelganger identification cube doesn’t work. There’s a limit to Guardian Bae Jinman’s karma reserves, we can’t just split millions of heads… How will we examine them?”

nA clan leader asked as they left the basement that was used as the meeting room.

nChoi Hyuk opened the door. As they were on a star filled with light and one without night, the moment he opened the door a bright light entered the basement.

nAs he exited the building, Choi Hyuk said,

n“We need to find and kill the monster of night. That’s why we’ve gathered here.”

nWhen they exited the building, they could see troops spread endlessly in the bright light.

n“Th-this.”

n“The reason why we pushed ourselves to advance to this point was not to quicken the subjugation but to gather all seven overseers together.”

nWherever they looked, they saw people. As each overseer had brought at least a few million warriors, once they gathered together, there were tens of millions of warriors gathered, surrounding the boundary of a particular city on the Cayenne star.

n“You finally came out.”

nRichard was waving his hand. Intelligent looking colonizers were lined up behind him.

n“Reflect on yourself. Among the seven overseers, the only one who didn’t properly total the total number of participants was the Berserkers.”

nChoi Hyuk simply shrugged at Richard’s scolding. Richard sighed as he turned his gaze towards Baek Seoin, who was standing next to Choi Hyuk.

n“If your sovereign is like this, then shouldn’t you at least pay attention?”

nHowever, Baek Seoin replied in a faultless voice,

n“Administration personnel are almost non-existent in our clan. What can I do by myself?”

nAt his shameless reply, Richard grasped his forehead and gestured at the intelligent looking colonizers behind him.

n“Yeah, yeah. Now, that’s why I brought over some intelligent people, so quickly put them to work. You need to assign teams.”

n“Yes, yes.”

nBaek Seoin brought the administration personnel and clan leaders to a different location.

nAs he looked at this, Richard said to Choi Hyuk,

n“Please take care of me. You know it, right? That your role is the most important.”

n“As long as you can gain their attention, there’s no problem.”

n“Okay.”

nRichard nodded and stepped forward. While stretching, he said,

n“Good. Then shall we begin the game?”

nRichard described the game as a ‘Mafia Game’ to bring out the monster of night.

nBaek Seoin and Richard’s administration personnel displayed superhuman work performance. In a single day, they reorganized the Berserkers, numbering in the millions, into 10-person divisions. It wasn’t random assignment either. They had reorganized them into groups with people whom they were familiar with. It was essential to reorganize them with people they knew as questioning their past was an effective method for determining whether they were doppelgangers or not. Following their karma growth, not only would their physical abilities increase but their cognitive abilities as well.

nAs the other overseers had already reorganized their troops into divisions, with the addition of the Berserkers, all preparations were complete.

nAfter those who had yet to have their brains inspected disarmed themselves, they gathered in their specified divisions.

nThe elites who already had their brains inspected were either dispatched amongst the divisions to dispose of those who broke the rules and discovered doppelgangers, or stood guard on the boundaries in case there was a sudden monster attack.

nIn this situation, Richard declared to the tens of millions of colonizers,

n“There are doppelgangers among us. The characteristics of doppelgangers are confused memories and reduced abilities.”

nHe explained the dangers of doppelgangers and then explained what would happen now.

n“After a vote in each division, the one suspected to be a doppelganger will be first bound and isolated. The observation teams will conduct brain inspections on the suspects within their capacity. Although you will be uncomfortable and uneasy, please keep in mind that, excluding the observation teams, we will not tolerate any violence or the leaving of your designated position.”

nAfter this polite speech, Richard smiled coldly.

n“Now, with information we collected beforehand, we will first conduct a public examination of those we suspect to be doppelgangers.”

nWhen Richard declared this-

nPikik!

nWith a sound, a few people who had been blankly standing there had their heads split. Although this only happened to around ten thousand people of the tens of millions, these colonizers, who had great hearing and sight, had no trouble understanding the situation.

n“Huh?”

n“He died?”

nWhile everyone was shocked, the dispatched observation teams wordlessly poured liquid, created with their respective troop’s healers’ karma, into the heads of the first round of examinees.

n“Euaaack!!!”

nTwo-thirds of the first round of examinees were flustered but otherwise fine, however, the remaining one-third screamed as they rolled on the ground. The liquid surged with a copper light. They were doppelgangers.

nThey had been able to expose one-third because they had selected those who possessed the highest probability of being doppelgangers.

n“Wh… What?!!”

nThe colonizers, who had been sitting in circles of ten, suddenly stood up in panic. The person next to them had their head split by the observation team, but wasn’t there a brain-shaped bug crawling out of their head?

nA physiological fear overwhelmed them.

n“Now, now. Don’t be nervous. They are doppelgangers. If you don’t want to be infected, please calm your minds and create a thick karma barrier.”

nRichard’s words were spoken with leisure. However, the observation teams around them maintained an unmatched viciousness. A viciousness that felt like they would kill them even if they moved a finger. Although they were feeling an astonishment close to fear due to the sudden situation, the observation teams were too menacing. The colonizers awkwardly sat down. They rubbed their goosebumps and massaged their trembling legs as they gulped their saliva.

nEven as he watched this scene, Richard maintained the light attitude of a show host. Although it looked inappropriate at a glance, in reality, this was all calculated. ‘No matter how many die, I will eradicate the doppelgangers. We do not fear sacrificing our people.’ This was the message he was sending the doppelgangers and the monster of night with his easy-going attitude.

n“Now, you understand what we need to do now, right? Let’s hunt doppelgangers. We will now start the game.”

nWas it a coincidence? At the same time as Richard’s exaggerated declaration-

nBlink.

nThe world suddenly turned dark. The monster of night, which had been idle for the past few days, began to act now that the doppelgangers were in danger.

n‘It’s here.’

nAt the same time, Choi Hyuk concentrated.

nThis situation, where they had gathered tens of millions of people to track down the doppelgangers, was in fact somewhat of a show. It was a trap to make the monster of night make its move.

n‘I need to find it.’

nThe one acknowledged as the strongest on Earth, and the one who possessed the best detection abilities, Choi Hyuk, was using the monster of night’s activity as a lead to track it down.

n‘If you can’t do it, no one can.’

nThat was what Richard had said. Choi Hyuk thought the same as well.

n‘I will make it blink countless times, so find the monster of night and kill it.’

nHe liked Richard’s request. What Richard was good at and what Choi Hyuk was good at, they were both doing things they were good at.

n‘We completely cleared the monsters in this area while gathering here. Still, there will be monsters rushing in from afar. I will take down the monster of night before they arrive.’

nIt was a difficult situation. Choi Hyuk caught his breath and concentrated his mind.

nBlink.

nThe monster of night blinked again.

nThe doppelgangers, whose identities had been discovered, used this darkness as cover to find other hosts.

nChoi Hyuk fumbled around in the edges of this darkness.

nHe began to track down this shadow to see where it led.

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