The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 177

"Hmm, just a moment, you look familiar… Ah! You're that Asian guy from the restaurant, right? Wow, what a coincidence to run into you like this!"

'…Is this what you call acting?'

-It's a pathetic level.

Lee Shin wondered how this guy had managed to carry out kidnappings without getting caught with such skills, but on the outside, he put on a look of realization and greeted the man.

"Ah, I remember. You're the one from the restaurant, right? The one who asked me if I had dropped some money?"

"Ah, right, right! I'm glad you remembered."

'If you say you're glad there, won't I get suspicious, you idiot.'

-At this point, I think we should suspect police corruption.

Lee Shin, if he had his way, would have slapped him across the cheek and then gotten annoyed and told him to quit this job immediately, but he held back because that would negate the reason he had been wandering around from morning to evening.

'Hah, I never knew that pretending to be deceived was such a hard job.'

Lee Shin looked at the man in front of him with pathetic eyes.

'And I'm the one who's supposed to be kidnapped by guys like this…'

At the same time, he felt a sense of doubt as to whether he needed to be kidnapped by guys like this.

"Hey, friend."

Fortunately or unfortunately, while Lee Shin was still undecided on what to do, the man approached him first with a smile.

"It seems you're trying to get a taxi, but how about taking my taxi? You'll have to wait here for an hour like this."

Normally, most people would become suspicious at such a sudden proposal that skipped all the usual steps.

"Alright."

But Lee Shin, who found it annoying to talk any further, thought it was a good thing and just nodded his head.

"Where's the taxi?"

"Ah, it's not a real taxi. This is a kind of part-time job."

He said that and pointed to a black van in a corner of the taxi stand.

Looking at it, Lee Shin was impressed.

A large van with such dark tinting that it was impossible to see what was happening inside.

A car that was like a textbook example of a human trafficking vehicle was right there.

'At this point, it's not even funny anymore.'

-It's amazing that I didn't see that until now.

As Lee Shin stood there, looking at the van with a dazed expression, the brown-haired man, thinking it was because he was worried about the price, put his hand on Lee Shin's shoulder and grinned.

"Don't worry. Since this is also fate, I'll give you a discount."

-He's trying to make sure he doesn't miss you.

'I know, right.'

Lee Shin, at a loss for words, got into the car without even replying.

At that, the man's eyes momentarily turned as sharp as an axe, but he soon laughed heartily and sat in the driver's seat.

Of course, just because he laughed heartily didn't mean he was really okay.

'You're dead now. To think you're just sitting there without even knowing what kind of device is in the car.'

And Lee Shin and Irehgue were once again surprised as they looked around the car.

'Wow, these guys are practically advertising that they're going to kidnap me in the car.'

-There are drinks that look like they've been drugged, and holes that look like gas will come out of them everywhere.

And at the same time as Irehgue's words ended, the man held out something.

"Here, this is a gift to commemorate our friendship. Drink it if you're thirsty."

"…Alright."

Brrr-

'No, if you're going to pretend to be a taxi, you should at least ask for the destination.'

-In a way, it's really amazing.

Lee Shin, who found it annoying to even argue now, just opened the drink and started to drink it slowly.

Of course, even so, the drink couldn't have any effect on Lee Shin, who had [Thousand Poisons Immunity].

Tuk-

Lee Shin, acting as if he were slowly falling asleep, closed his eyes.

'Then I'll leave it to you.'

-Yes, leave it to me.

And so, Lee Shin, after asking Irehgue to wake him up when they arrived, quietly fell into a real sleep.

***

Beolkeok-

"Did you succeed?"

Grin—

"It was a very simple success. That guy, without even knowing there was a drug in it, drank the drink I gave him without any suspicion as soon as he got in the car. I don't think he's a Player either."

"Kyahahaha! See? I told you! That guy's hair is dyed!"

The blond man said that and looked at Lee Shin, who was passed out, or more accurately, sleeping, in the car.

"Alright! Now I can finally get revenge for making us go through that dog training without any fear!"

The blond man said that and clenched his fists, but the brown-haired man clicked his tongue and stopped him.

"Do that after the organization inspects him. If you do it now and he gets hurt somewhere, we'll be the ones who get in trouble. You know very well that the boss has been strict about strange things lately. You don't want to end up like Robert, do you?"

At the brown-haired man's words, the blond man shivered as if he had gotten goosebumps, clicked his tongue, and turned his gaze away from Lee Shin.

-That's a relief.

Irehgue, lying on Lee Shin's head, muttered in a low voice as he watched the scene.

Because if that guy hadn't been able to hold back his anger and had thrown a punch, or if the brown-haired man hadn't stopped the blond man, Lee Shin would probably have woken up and beaten one of the two to death, and the plan would have been ruined.

-Well, I don't think there would have been a big difference either way, but since we've made a plan, it's better to stick to it.

The men, after restraining Lee Shin's arms and legs with handcuffs they had gotten from somewhere, began to drive the car busily towards somewhere.

Irehgue, while looking out the window and memorizing the way back, also eavesdropped on the two men's conversation with his ears.

"By the way, don't you think our organization is heading in a strange direction lately?"

"Uhm, I'm not saying I don't think so, but isn't it natural? When an organization gets bigger, there are bound to be various noises."

-Hmm, is it a fairly large organization?

Irehgue, thinking it was news that Lee Shin would like, glanced at the two.

The two glanced at Lee Shin and then lowered their voices and talked as if they were telling a secret.

"No, but there are some strange parts."

"…There are."

At his friend's response, the man spoke loudly as if he had gained courage.

"That's what I'm saying! It's one thing to turn our attention to human trafficking, but the criteria for the prey are too strange! To tell us to catch foreigners or guys with a lot of knowledge in their heads, what does that mean!"

"Certainly, they usually tell us to catch them based on their appearance or health condition."

-Hmm, that's certainly a strange criterion.

Irehgue also nodded his head, tapping Lee Shin's head, who was sleeping comfortably, with his tail.

Thanks to roughly receiving Lee Shin's memories and mastering various novels and anime, Irehgue also had his own common sense.

And in Irehgue's judgment, their story was sufficiently plausible.

"Come to think of it, I think everyone has been whispering about that part lately."

"Right? I'm not the only one who thinks so, right?"

At the blond man's words, the brown-haired man nodded his head.

"Yes, most people are probably curious. Ah, so that's why that rumor was going around in the organization recently?"

-That rumor?

As Irehgue showed interest, the blond man asked at a good timing.

"What, what other rumor was going around in our organization?"

"Well, it's a cheap rumor, but there is one."

The brown-haired man said lightly, as if it were nothing.

"You know that gloomy mage executive who recently came in and has a tight grip on the drug production line."

"Yeah, what about him?"

"They say the reason we're catching people is for that mage's research."

"Research? What kind of research?"

Irehgue also pricked up his ears slightly, curious about what kind of research it was, but the answer that came back was disappointing.

"I don't know that much either. That we're bringing materials for that mage's research. And that expanding our territory to human trafficking is a disguise. That's all the rumor is."

"Well, if it's to dispose of the humans after the experiment is over, human trafficking would be the most convenient."

"Right?"

The two moved on to the next topic after that.

But Irehgue still had a slightly furrowed brow, as if he wasn't convinced.

Irehgue's intuition, which had been cultivated by recently watching 'Dragon Detective Yoyori', was telling him that there was definitely something behind this story.

Irehgue's ears naturally tilted slightly towards the two.

And as if they had heard the telepathy Irehgue was sending, the two's conversation continued.

"But isn't that executive a little creepy?"

"Not a little, but very creepy. He's cooped up in his room and doesn't come out much, and when he does, he's openly hiding his body shape and face with a large robe and a mask."

"Tsk, well, they say no one has seen his face properly except for the boss, so that says it all."

-A very suspicious and intriguing guy.

The more he listened to the two's story, the more Irehgue's eyes began to sparkle.

At some point, Irehgue's tail began to spin like a propeller.

Of course, since Irehgue's body was a spiritual body, it didn't have any effect on the surroundings, but Lee Shin, who was continuously being hit by the tail below him, was frowning slightly as if he were having a nightmare.

Well, in the first place, the dreams Lee Shin had were always nightmares.

"Why on earth does he wear that mask?"

"I heard it's because he has a severe burn mark on his face. They say half of his face is melted."

"Ugh, I imagined it…"

Listening to the two's story, Irehgue thought.

That he would definitely take off that executive's robe and mask.

While Irehgue was screening a self-made anime in his mind.

"Ah, we're almost there."

The car carrying Lee Shin continued to run and arrived at a factory district where it was hard to even find a trace of a person.

The car slowly entered somewhere in that factory district.

Taktaktak-

-It seems we've arrived. Wake up.

So Irehgue also began to wake Lee Shin up by tapping his head hard with his tail.

'Uhm, what, I don't think I slept properly, but we're already here?'

Lee Shin spoke to Irehgue in his mind.

-Yes, it seems we've arrived. But there's something more urgent to talk about than that.

'A more important story?'

-Yes, it's a story that you will definitely like.

Irehgue, in a slightly excited tone, summarized the conversation he had heard from the two on the way and conveyed it to Lee Shin.

'Uhm…'

And Lee Shin, who had heard all of Irehgue's story, said, his lips curling up slightly.

'This certainly smells like an interesting incident.'

With an expression that would have made Crowley sigh and say it was a headache if he had heard it.

(End of Chapter)