Episode 55
“Second place characteristic: I don’t like showing effort in front of first place. Oh, by the way, when I was in school, it was more accurate to count ranks backwards. “Mom said that our Yoosung is very smart, but that’s because he doesn’t study hard.”
In front of the flood of reporters pouring in on the streets of Times Square in New York, Yoosung was talking without paying attention.
“So, boss Georg, don’t be too upset. No matter how smart you are, you don’t work hard, so you’re second place. Anyway, I remember coming in second place. Kvo’s baseball coach said that in the world of sports, second place is like last place…
“Can you please shut that bastard, Player Kang?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. “I have a disease where I can’t control my nonsense in front of the camera.”
It was then that Lieutenant General Kilgore's expression distorted again.
Men in suits approached, crossing the crowd. Even at first glance, it was not difficult to find out their identities.
“Oh my god. “Do the CIA these days even wear CIA name tags on their foreheads?”
“...Player Kang, please refrain from causing any more trouble and ask for your cooperation.”
A man from the CIA, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, whispered quietly.
“No, I’m begging you like this... For your information, the head of the intelligence department there is also begging you to show some restraint.”
“Oh my gosh, Manager Park, all your hair is going to fall out.”
As if he were begging with words. The intelligence services of both countries were not very different. Seeing that sight, Yoosung had no choice but to turn around.
“As a patriot before being a player, I have only one thing to say.”
Only then did a microphone pour in toward Lieutenant General Kilgore, and Lieutenant General Kilgore raised his voice in front of the microphone.
“Make America Great Again!”
“America is not as great as it used to be.”
Yoosung joined in the shout again, and the stress-related hair loss of the intelligence agencies of each country accelerated even more.
“Well, there was a time when it was great. For your information, there are only three things that the United States is good at right now: the ratio of the number of people to the number of people, the number of people who believe in angels, and the cost of national defense. Even if you add up all the rankings from 2nd to 27th, the United States spends more, and 25 of them are friendly countries. Hey, it’s Cheonjo-guk after all. May God of War bless America.”
“Player Kang please...
“No. What's wrong? Haven't you all seen the newsroom? I'm so glad my friend couldn't see it. Let’s crack open a beer tonight and head to the newsroom. It's really really fun. HBO's TV dramas are so amazing. Ah, except for Game 7 and Season 8. Thinking about the ending makes me angry again. Why our Daenerys… Eup Eup!”
Only then could he bear it any longer and one of the intelligence officers covered Yooseong's mouth. He was literally covering Yooseong's mouth with a feeling of desperation, as if he was begging.
Afterwards, the image of a shooting star being forcibly closed and burned in a red Matiz was broadcast live around the world.
Not long after that, a safety house owned by the CIA in New York City.
Yoosung lay down on the sofa peacefully, and the expressions of the people in the intelligence agency froze once again as they saw him.
“...We are planning to prepare a WIP-class private plane for Yoosung sometime tomorrow.”
“No, I’m not a conglomerate and I can go home in economy class.”
“If Player Kang uses a regular passenger aircraft, people will inevitably be exposed to terrorist threats. Please understand/’
“Ah, then how about finding a tower that leads to our country and going out through that mouse hole?”
“Guide Lord’s players searched 500 towers in the country, but
“Wow, they’ve already searched 500 towers?” “You have gone through a lot of hardships.”
Once again, a vein was engraved on the head of an intelligence officer.
“Unfortunately, we could not find the tower leading to South Korea. ...There were a few in North Korea/
“Oh, if we go there, war will break out.”
“I know.”
With those words, Yoosung lay down on the sofa again.
“Then I’ll just spread it out like this and get some sleep.”
“......Please do that.”
That was when the intelligence agency person lowered his head as if begging. Another intelligence officer came into the safety house and whispered urgently among themselves.
His expression froze and the letters F came out of his mouth.
“Why are you doing this again? What did I do?....
“It’s not about player lectures. But...”
“But?”
There was a brief silence. In any case, those in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency would not be able to recklessly reveal their information. But that was right then.
“The higher-ups gave permission to Player Kang to disclose information.”
“Wow, it’s just like American drama.”
As soon as Yoosung started muttering like it was someone else's business, someone from the intelligence department showed him the tablet screen.
Several photos followed like a slide show. And as soon as he saw the photo, Yoosung's seemingly carefree expression froze.
“...These are evidence photos that were secured and sent to us by the New York Police Department (NYPD) just moments ago.”
“Just before?”
“I don’t know exactly, but it is estimated to have been some time after Player Kang attacked the tower and left.”
It was a photo of corpses lying around inside a cafe.
And the skin on the faces of all the corpses was peeled off. It wasn't a shooting star whose meaning I didn't know.
“《Face Collector》...
And there was something more than that that captivated Yoosung.
“There was a Trump card lying around.”
It was also a joker card with a comical clown drawn on it.
“Hey, I guess I was really impressed by The Dark Knight.”
Yooseong was dumbfounded and asked back.
“How far is it from here?”
“It’s about two miles away, on East Harlem Street.”
“...Ah, you damn bastard.”
That's why Yooseong cursed. There was no room for doubt about the street, the time of crime, or the trump cards left there. It was a provocation aimed at the King of Heroes.
“Ha, this is why I don’t want to deal with people who are overly obsessed with DC movies.”
After swearing, Yoosung stood up.
“F player river? What...
The people in the intelligence department asked back in confusion, and Yoosung answered calmly.
“I’m going to give you some real education. “The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency wouldn’t be able to locate a single criminal, right?”
In the first place, the Clown Lord called a meteor to Lieutenant General Kilgore's tower and it came out right here in New York City. And as if he had been waiting, the face collector began his activities.
Right here in New York City.
As with everything that happens in this game, there is always an intangible thread behind it that connects and pulls the players together. And yet another thread was already pulling the shooting star.
The King of Heroes and the two players, the Face Collector, were brought together on one stage.
[The Mirror Lord expresses his satisfaction!]
Once again, the world was talking about his name. His merciless killing methods and his notoriety were revered and his monarch expressed his satisfaction.
Humming, the face collector placed a new skin over his face. Just then, a man's voice came from the other end of the receiver.
— It's time.
The face collector nodded silently at the man's voice.
— Remember, you can never tolerate even the slightest mistake in front of him.
“I will take note M.”
I really liked the new face reflected in the mirror.
But it will mean nothing in front of the face he will get next.
“Child, you can be anything.”]
[The Mirror Lord encourages the player.]
I got tired of playing the villain. Now it was my turn to be a hero, not a villain.
King of heroes.
The powerhouse of the deep sea.
Regardless of their actual level, they are a type of player who intentionally does not equip equipment or skill cards and hides their identity at the bottom of the rankings.
In the bottom layer of the ranking board, an area called the deep sea.
The reasons are different. For criminal activities, in the case of the intelligence department, to prevent their identity from being easily exposed, to carry out some purpose, etc.
Even when attacking the tower, there was no exception.
Therefore, if the ‘strong men of the deep sea' decide to reveal their power, even the top players, commonly known as the heavenly world, can become prey. Moreover, if they decide to commit crimes or terrorism, it is not up to a single police officer to do anything.
Those who remain silent in the sea for their own purposes, paying no heed to the destruction of the world.
The Face Collector is also one of the powerhouses of the deep sea. He is also one of the worst criminal players and a strong man who is said to be able to compete with the ten heroes at the top of the heavenly world.
“This way.”
East Harlem, New York City.
And as soon as Yoosung got out of the SUV, a man from the intelligence department dressed in a suit led Yoosung. The area was under control, and Yoosung walked towards the cafe beyond. Several police and FBI people had come in ahead.
Yoosung frowned when he saw the corpses lying around inside the cafe.
“What are you filming now, CSI Forensic Investigation Team?”
Yoosung left the corpses with their faces peeled off and asked as if it were someone else's business.
“I’m not a detective, I’m in charge of surveillance, so I don’t know why I would come here.”
“Look at this.”
At Yooseong’s words, a man from the intelligence department took something out of the evidence collection box.
The skin on his face had been peeled off.
Then they put the skin over the face of the corpse.
The FBI and police each took out a piece of facial skin and covered it with the corpses there.
Seeing that, Yoosung smiled coldly.
“Hero, please enter the trap.”
As soon as Yoosung laughed, the faces of those inside the cafe froze. Just like taking off a mask. Any form of emotion disappeared from their expressions.
And the corpses with their faces covered in leather rose up. Additionally, I could tell by looking at the facial leather covering them.
Those were not the actual facial skins of the victims, but the facial skins of ‘celestial players’ that the “Face Collector” was collecting.
Police and FBI people with emotionless expressions
also began to add their own facial expressions to their faces. Likewise, it was the facial skin of the heavenly players who had been defeated by the “Face Collector”.
Immediately after, the entire landscape collapsed. It was not that difficult to understand its meaning.
An arena-type barrier skill.
“Hey, every face collector has a plan.”
And an innumerable number of Celestial players, their corpses covered with their ‘facial skin', looked at the shooting star.
The true ability of the 《Face Collector》 and a trump card that is kept hidden until the very end.
Among the puppets wearing the face skins of the heavenly players, the real Face Collector remains silent.
But I could tell. There is no doubt that the real thing is mixed among them.
“Everyone has a good plan.”
Nevertheless, Yooseong didn’t care. Instead, he just smiled bitterly, saying he knew that would happen.
“Until I got hit a few times by the King of Heroes.”
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