Chapter 231. A Country Whose Government Has Been Taken Over
Before his clone got shot and died.
Ryu Min was using the Tracking skill to search for Dark Soul.
Sure enough, he was the only apostle who hadn’t shown up at the meeting place.
“As expected, there was a trap.”
From 1 km away, Dark Soul was preparing to snipe.
“Thinking he can kill me with a snipe. He still hasn’t come to his senses.”
I thought narrowing the Twelve Apostles down to four would make them realize the gap in strength, but I was wrong.
“Until they’re about to die, they won’t listen.”
If force doesn’t work, there’s another way.
Use Yamtti and turn them into slaves.
“I’d like to use a duel request, but with those prideful bastards, they won’t accept. It’s a hassle, too.”
To be able to dominate someone just by meeting their eyes—how convenient was that?
That was exactly why he’d brought Yamtti.
“Yamtti. Go and dominate them.”
“Um, Black Scythe-nim?”
Yamtti looked at Yang Chuiwen, Jang So-wi, and the Spaniard and spoke.
“There aren’t enough slots to dominate all of them.”
“Who are you dominating right now?”
“The National Police Agency Commissioner, the Pleseva chairman, and Jeffrey. Those three.”
The total number of people Yamtti could dominate was five.
That left only two slots.
“Release the Police Commissioner. The President is friendly to us, so he’s useless now. Same for the Pleseva chairman. Now that we’ve absorbed the Pleseva members into the Reaper Church, we won’t need that bastard anymore.”
Even if renting a private jet cost money, it didn’t matter.
He could demand it from the President, and with the one trillion won Ryu Min had, he could get that much anytime.
“Okay. Then Jeffrey…”
“Leave him, just in case. It wouldn’t cause trouble to release him, but still.”
Releasing the enthrallment like this opened up four slots.
Even considering that someone once enthralled couldn’t be enthralled again, it was a decision without downside.
“I greet you, Master.”
“We greet our new Master.”
Once even Dark Soul—the last one he’d brought—was fully dominated, the four apostles dropped to their knees and greeted him.
“Get up. What if someone sees you?”
Strictly speaking they were Yamtti’s thralls, but because Yamtti had delegated authority to him, they followed his orders like slaves as well.
“But Master. What are you going to use these guys for? Why not just kill them…”
Was he annoyed that more rivals had appeared?
Looking at Yamtti, who wore an uncomfortable expression, Ryu Min answered.
“If I kill them, it’s meaningless. I gain nothing from it. I have to use them as much as I can, then kill them.”
If he killed them now, all it would do was reduce the survivor TO.
He planned to keep as many people alive as possible for Round 15, so having even fewer Players would be a problem.
Of course, if killing them brought him a benefit, that would be different.
“We’ve achieved our goal, so let’s go back now. You guys disperse as well. I don’t have anything to make you do yet.”
“Yes, Master.”
“And don’t call me ‘Master’ in front of other people.”
“Ah, understood. Then…”
The four apostles bowed and retreated with quick steps.
“Yamtti, let’s go too.”
“Yes.”
Just as Ryu Min started walking, his phone vibrated.
When he checked, it was a notification that an email had arrived.
“The investigation’s finished?”
The contents of the email were surprisingly simple.
[Sender: Director of the National Intelligence Service, Kwak Min-seok]
<Subject: Black Scythe-nim. This is the file you requested.>
└Body: If you enter the secret code I told you the other day, you will be able to open the security document. I sincerely wish you victory.
When he’d gone to the Blue House last time, he’d been told he needed a secret code to view the file, and he’d been given a 12-digit number.
He still remembered the Chief of Staff looking shocked when he memorized it instead of writing it down.
“291294719481.”
The moment he entered all twelve digits, the secure page opened. <List of countries whose governments have been taken over by Players>
- Mexico
└Estimated total Players: 90
└Ringleader nickname: Gustavo
└First report: 2023.01.05. around 21:29, call to the Korean Embassy (☎Listen to call recording)
└Basis: Since last month, all trade transactions have been blocked; air routes and sea routes are closed. No articles are being posted. Additionally, secured a recording of testimony from a local resident who escaped (☎Listen to testimony).
- Brazil
└Estimated total Players: 130
└Ringleader nickname: DungaDunga
└First report: 2023.01.05. around 22:12, call to the Korean Embassy (☎Listen to call recording)
└Basis: Since last month, all trade transactions have been blocked; air routes and sea routes are closed. No articles are being posted.
<These are the results of investigating the tips received so far. If additional reports come in regarding other countries, we will compile them and send you an email. That is all.>
After quickly confirming the information, Ryu Min lifted his head.
His destination was decided.
“Did a tip come in?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you going?”
“First, I’m heading to Mexico, since it’s close.”
“Then I…”
“No.”
Flap—
Wings unfurled behind Ryu Min’s back.
“I’m going alone. Yamtti, you merge with the others and keep up the Reaper Church promotion activities. And tell them about why I can’t join, too.”
“Understood, Master. Be careful.”
“Careful about what?”
With a faint snort of laughter, Ryu Min soared high into the sky.
Yamtti stared up until he became a black dot and disappeared, then belatedly started walking.
Cartel member Gustavo always thought,
“Someday I’m going to kill every last one of these guys here and take over the organization.”
Even while getting beaten under the pretext of “discipline” by senior members every day, the reason he endured cartel life was because of his ambition to rise to the top.
Someday, he’d climb to the top of the organization and live at ease, surrounded by women like the executives.
With that grand dream in mind, he joined the organization and didn’t hesitate to commit looting, arson, murder, rape, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and more.
“Damn it. How long do I have to stay at the bottom?”
For someone as young as he was, with no backing and no strength, promotion was literally just a dream.
At least, it was—until the Great Upheaval a year ago.
“P-please spare me. Spare m— guh!”
Gustavo, who had plunged a knife into the man’s heart, wore a greasy smile.
The reason the man in front of him had to die was simple.
“How dare you look straight into the eyes of Mexico’s Rank 1 with those unlucky eyeballs?”
Just because his gaze pissed him off.
That was all.
Even that alone was enough reason for the man to die.
He was an inferior civilian who could be killed without consequence.
“Ah, shit. I got blood on my clothes. Disgusting. Hey, slave. Get over here and clean up the corpse.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
After the Great Upheaval in 2022,
Gustavo hid his claws and clung on desperately to survive.
As a result, he had recently become Mexico’s Rank 1 Player, and he could finally carry out the vow he’d made long ago.
He killed every senior who’d tormented him, along with the old executives, and formed a new unit.
A cartel organization of his own, made up of Players only.
But it didn’t end there.
After restructuring the organization, the first thing he did was seize the government.
There was some friction with rebel forces in the process, but the outcome was as obvious as fire.
There was no way ordinary soldiers could stop a Player unit that couldn’t even be suppressed by guns.
“The Mexican government is in our hands. I personally cut off the President’s head, and I burned his wife and children to death. I purged all government officials as well. Mexico is now ruled by our organization. You inferior civilians have no such thing as hope.”
It had happened only a month ago.
Because Gustavo acted only after reaching Level 60.
For Mexican citizens, it was nothing short of shocking.
“From now on, we will control all mass media. We will confiscate citizens’ phones, cut off the internet and communications networks entirely, and halt broadcasts as well.”
There was only one reason Gustavo gave that order.
To create a country ruled by nothing but force—a country that was a lawless zone in all but name.
Gustavo’s reign of terror didn’t stop there.
“From now on, civilians are declared slaves of Players. Inferior civilians should crawl when they’re told to crawl, like dogs. A Player’s word is the law, and any civilian who raises a hand against a Player will be executed on the spot.”
In a world of the strong eating the weak, it was only natural that the strong survived.
To build his own kingdom ruled solely by power, he first had to enslave the civilians.
“But what the hell is that bastard…?”
Where Gustavo’s eyes were fixed was the TV.
[…If there are Players drunk on power, seizing governments and intimidating civilians, stop immediately… If you do not stop your crimes… I will come in person and deliver judgment.]
“Judgment? Judgment?”
A sneer leaked from Gustavo’s lips as he read the translated subtitles.
In other words, it was a declaration of war—saying he’d tear down his kingdom.
“Fucking yellow monkey. Your arrogance is reaching the sky.”
Whether he knew or not, it was laughable.
Because it was impossible.
He wouldn’t even be able to enter Mexico.
“Go ahead and try. If we spot any suspicious aircraft or ship, we just have to shoot it down with missiles.”
Taking over the government meant they’d swallowed the military units too.
He’d ordered them to monitor the sea and skies and to shoot down anything that entered without prior notice, without mercy.
“Anyway, I have no intention of interacting with other countries. There aren’t even flights or ships.”
By cutting off all external communication to become a lawless zone, Mexico had become a thoroughly isolated country.
It was as if he’d taken tens of millions of citizens hostage.
In a situation like that, there was no way Black Scythe could enter Mexico.
Even if he learned what was happening here.
“Impudent Black Scythe. How dare you run your mouth about judgment and whatever? This won’t do. Soon, I should mobilize the army and retaliate against Korea—just to show what happens when you mess with me.”
Right now, there was no one in Mexico who could mess with him.
The cartel, the army—everything was under his command.
“I’m the king, and I’m the country.”
No matter how strong Black Scythe was, he couldn’t dare invade his kingdom.
Knock knock—
With a knock, someone entered the room.
“Gustavo-nim. DungaDunga-nim has arrived.”
“Ah, is it already that time?”
Gustavo stood up and jerked his chin at his secretary.
“A guest is here, so prepare a welcome party. Twenty slaves—pretty, with good figures.”
“Understood.”
As the secretary withdrew—cursing him as a pervert in her heart—DungaDunga entered.
“Nice to meet you, Gustavo-nim.”
“Welcome, DungaDunga-nim. You must have had a hard time coming such a long way.”
“A long way? Come on. On a private jet, it’s no time at all.”
“Please, have a seat.”
Chuckling, DungaDunga sat on the sofa and naturally glanced at the TV.
“So it’s Black Scythe’s speech. I came because of that issue, actually…”
DungaDunga’s expression turned serious.
“What do you think? About that speech.”
“Just bullshit. Not worth thinking about.”
“He was sniping at us, wasn’t he?”
“He was, but he probably didn’t say it knowing. Even if he did know we took over our governments, it wouldn’t change anything.”
“Do you have any countermeasures?”
“What countermeasures? He’ll die before he can even enter.”
“True. You’re shooting down any plane or ship you haven’t authorized the moment you see it, so there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
“Of course. We can just stay here comfortably and rough up some slaves.”
It was then.