Chapter 10 :

Episode 10. Why Does This Feel Familiar?

 

Limon sank into thought.

 

He had lived a long life and met all kinds of people.

 

Among them were many who claimed they could see something special that others could not.

 

Of course, most of them were simply lunatics or frauds.

 

But on very rare occasions, some of them were telling the truth.

 

Some could communicate with spirits.

 

Some could see the souls of the dead.

 

Some could see through curses.

 

To test that possibility, Limon asked Yu Na-kyung a few questions.

 

"Na-kyung, do you have any enemies?"

 

"Mm, probably not? I've already got a grudge totem called you, Team Leader. Who would bother holding a grudge against a side character like me?"

 

"Then do you have siblings you'd have to split a huge inheritance with?"

 

"I'm an orphan, remember?"

 

"Or maybe you cheated some curse mage or Shaman out of money?"

 

"......Team Leader, are you feeling sick?"

 

Yu Na-kyung looked at him as if he were suddenly talking nonsense.

 

Limon questioned her further.

 

Yu Na-kyung stared suspiciously at Limon.

 

At first, she had answered lightly, half as a joke, but the questions were becoming increasingly serious.

 

'......At least she doesn't seem to have anything that points to a curse.'

 

"What Constellation are you contracted with?"

 

"You seriously still don't know?!"

 

"Quit whining and answer me."

 

"Tch, is that really what you say when you're asking the Constellation of a Team Member you've worked with for years for the first time?"

 

Her answers were a little more prickly than usual.

 

But after stroking his chin for a moment at Yu Na-kyung's attitude, which seemed to indicate nothing particularly suspicious,

 

Limon suddenly made a strange expression.

 

Something had suddenly occurred to him while thinking about Yu Na-kyung.

 

"......Na-kyung, you were a Player, right?"

 

"Do I look like an ordinary person to you?"

 

"Players usually make a Contract with a Constellation and receive Skills, right?"

 

"Are there people who don't?"

 

Yu Na-kyung grumbled at Limon's cold response.

 

It would be one thing if they were complete strangers.

 

But among coworkers and acquaintances, knowing what Constellation the other person was contracted with was practically basic etiquette.

 

Of course, that depended on the person.

 

Since she knew Limon normally had no interest in such things, Yu Na-kyung honestly revealed her Constellation.

 

"The Constellation I'm contracted with is the 'Serpent That Connects End to End.'"

 

"......Hmm, really?"

 

"Yes. It's a very popular Constellation among Players because it mainly grants the Teleportation Skill."

 

Limon nodded.

 

Naturally, it wasn't because he had been impressed by Yu Na-kyung's kind explanation.

 

Her words had simply given him an idea.

 

After all, a contracted Constellation was something you could easily find out just by searching a person's name online.

 

That was why Limon wasn't particularly concerned about suddenly being able to see Constellations.

 

The problem was Yu Na-kyung's appearance right now.

 

'......Seeing this thing gives me a bad feeling.'

 

'Could this snake bastard be the Constellation Na-kyung contracted with? And I've somehow gained the ability to see a Player's Constellation?'

 

That would also explain why Seo Yong-chan had looked like he had the head of a bull.

 

Considering he had controlled the Bronze Bull, there was a high chance Seo Yong-chan had also made a Contract with a Constellation related to bulls.

 

If that were true, it would be something extraordinary.

 

Seeing through another person's Constellation without using any appraisal-type Skill was completely unprecedented.

 

Limon narrowed his eyes.

 

From the snake's fangs embedded in Yu Na-kyung's neck,

 

to the way its body coiled tightly around her neck and torso,

 

and its tail piercing through her chest.

 

No matter how he looked at it, it resembled a venomous snake far more than a Constellation granting Blessings.

 

Especially those gleaming eyes, as though they were staring at prey, made Limon's brow furrow instinctively.

 

And they were already in the middle of discussing whether or not to go after the Liberation Brigade.

 

Getting this kind of unpleasant feeling now was hardly reassuring.

 

'It's a damn useless ability, though.'

 

"Hmm."

 

But Limon remained indifferent.

 

This was an age when most Players practically competed to boast about their Constellations.

 

He crossed his arms and tapped one finger against his upper arm, thinking for quite some time.

 

Then Limon quietly spoke.

 

"Na-kyung."

 

"What is it, Team Leader?"

 

"Do you really want to catch the Liberation Brigade?"

 

"That's why I came all the way here."

 

"Even if going after them could get you killed if something goes wrong?"

 

"I've got a reason to be confident."

 

"What reason?"

 

"You, Team Leader."

 

At Limon's serious question, Yu Na-kyung answered casually, as though he had asked something obvious.

 

Perhaps because the answer was so unexpected,

 

Limon merely blinked at her.

 

Yu Na-kyung smiled brightly and answered with energy.

 

"That's always a possibility, isn't it? Our work at the Player Administration Bureau is the kind where we put our lives on the line anyway."

 

"And as long as I stick right next to you, Team Leader, who would dare kill me?"

 

She wasn't wrong.

 

The PAB's main duty was regulating High-level Players.

 

Among them were plenty of vicious criminals who would consider someone like Seo Yong-chan a mere rookie, and it was common for PAB agents who encountered people like that at the wrong time to die in the line of duty.

 

Limon remained silent for a moment at her confident answer.

 

Then he covered his forehead with one hand.

 

His shoulders began to shake before he finally burst into laughter.

 

"Besides, there's no way I'd die over something this trivial."

 

"......And what exactly is that baseless confidence supposed to be?"

 

"Heh, hehehe. Puhahahahahaha!"

 

"Team Leader? Why are you laughing?"

 

"No, no. They say you can learn something even from a fool. I was just thinking that every once in a while, even you say something useful."

 

"What was with that completely unnecessary insult?!"

 

It didn't matter if it was reckless.

 

Even if the times had changed, he was still Limon Asphelder.

 

A Sword Master who had spent his entire life staking it on the edge of a blade and carving out his own destiny with a sword.

 

Yu Na-kyung could sulk all she wanted at suddenly being called a fool.

 

Limon merely wore a refreshed expression.

 

"Hey, let's go."

 

"Huh? Where?"

 

"Right. Since when did I ever care about something like a Constellation?"

 

He had been confused for a moment because what he had seen was so bizarre, but once he thought about it, there was no reason for him to care.

 

The Constellation's gaze seemed suspicious?

 

Yu Na-kyung might be in danger if something went wrong?

 

Looking at Yu Na-kyung, who seemed puzzled by his sudden words, Limon grinned.

 

Now that he had decided to toss ominous premonitions to the dogs,

 

there was only one place for him to go.

 

"To hunt those bastards."

 

'Who gives a damn about that stuff.'

 

***

 

Humans die someday anyway.

 

If that day happened to be today, then he just had to protect her.

 

If there was an unavoidable calamity, he would cut down the calamity.

 

If a Constellation got in his way, he would cut down the Constellation.

 

"This is the place?"

 

"Yep."

 

It took exactly three minutes.

 

That was all the time that had passed from the moment Limon decided to leave

 

until they arrived at the Liberation Brigade's headquarters.

 

Considering most of that time had been spent digging his coat out from under a pile of laundry and putting it on, it was a truly terrifying speed.

 

It was only possible because of Yu Na-kyung.

 

There were very few Players capable of crossing such a long distance in a single instant while bringing someone else along.

 

Thanks to that, Limon stood in front of the Liberation Brigade's headquarters and stroked his chin.

 

On top of that, they had even disguised the place as a perfectly respectable company under the sign "Haecheong Trading Co."

 

If he hadn't known beforehand, he never would have guessed this was the headquarters of psychos like the Liberation Brigade.

 

"How the hell did you find this place?"

 

"Tsk, information naturally gathers around attractive women."

 

"Yeah, know your place."

 

"I'm a peerless, delicate beauty."

 

"A criminal organization using a place like this as a hideout...... Are these bastards actually insane?"

 

"They were psychos to begin with, weren't they? Besides, they say the darkest place is under the lamp."

 

"This isn't under the lamp. It's inside a tiger's jaws."

 

Limon stared at Yu Na-kyung as though asking how she could say such nonsense without being embarrassed.

 

But she didn't even twitch an eyebrow.

 

She merely smiled shamelessly and asked Limon,

 

Limon clicked his tongue.

 

A secluded forest.

 

An abandoned factory.

 

An uninhabited island.

 

As if mocking Limon's assumption that the headquarters would be somewhere remote, the Liberation Brigade's base stood right in the middle of the city.

 

And not merely somewhere in the city center.

 

The National Police Agency stood right in front of it, the Player Association was slightly off to the side, and a military base lay farther behind.

 

It was practically the perfect vantage point.

 

"What are you going to do? Charge straight in, as usual?"

 

"Well......"

 

Limon paused at Yu Na-kyung's question.

 

He stared at the entrance of Haecheong Trading for a moment before answering after some thought.

 

"No, Team Leader, I mean you're actually smart."

 

"Let's take them down one by one."

 

"......Take them down how?"

 

"We sneak in and quietly take them out one at a time."

 

"Team Leader, you actually know methods other than charging straight in?!"

 

"What exactly do you think I am?"

 

"Someone whose three grand strategies are frontal charge, reckless charge, and brainless charge......!"

 

Limon snorted as he watched Yu Na-kyung hastily cover her forehead and try to explain herself.

 

To be fair, her assessment wasn't entirely wrong.

 

Normally, Limon's philosophy was simply to storm in from the front, smash everything apart, and chase down anyone who tried to run.

 

Even so, the reason he chose the troublesome method of defeating them individually this time was partly because of his instincts.

 

'Something about going in through the front bothers me.'

 

Thwack!

 

"Ack!"

 

After delivering divine punishment to a subordinate who had no fear of her superior, Limon clicked his tongue and spoke.

 

"Use your head. If we charge in through the front, you think they'll just sit still? They'll scatter and run for their lives."

 

"Your usual philosophy is that you just cut them down before they can escape......"

 

"Want another hit?"

 

There was no particular evidence.

 

Yu Na-kyung, who had appeared wrapped in a snake before they left, now looked completely normal again.

 

But simply feeling uneasy was enough reason for him to choose infiltration.

 

Limon preferred frontal assaults only because they saved him the hassle and wasted time.

 

It wasn't because he couldn't infiltrate.

 

Especially not when Yu Na-kyung was with him.

 

"Who are—? Guh!"

 

"Why is a PAB agent here—? Urgh!"

 

"An intru—! Ghk!"

 

"I know this is probably obvious by now, Team Leader, but whenever I watch you, I can't help thinking there's no statement more ridiculous than saying Players are Superhumans."

 

Thud! Crack! Smash!

 

Once they began infiltrating,

 

Limon and Yu Na-kyung swept through the Liberation Brigade's headquarters with overwhelming momentum.

 

It wasn't particularly difficult.

 

They simply used Yu Na-kyung's Teleportation to neutralize the security room first, then worked their way downward, knocking out everyone whose presence they sensed from the upper floors.

 

Of course, there were some High-level Players who tried something resembling resistance.

 

But it was pointless.

 

Whether they were acceleration-type users who moved like lightning, psychokinesis users who deployed barriers, or stealth-type users who concealed themselves, one tap from the flat of Limon's sword sent every last one of them crashing to the floor with stars spinning before their eyes.

 

Thanks to that, their suppression speed was absurdly fast.

 

They were clearing the inside almost as quickly as if they had simply charged straight through the front.

 

Yu Na-kyung clicked her tongue in disbelief.

 

He wasn't merely killing Players who had surpassed normal human limits.

 

He was incapacitating each one with a single strike.

 

To her eyes, the fallen Liberation Brigade criminals looked less like dangerous offenders and more like frail elderly people in a nursing home.

 

"Strange."

 

Limon let her words go in one ear and out the other.

 

It wasn't because he thought they weren't worth answering.

 

It was because of the peculiar sensation he kept feeling as they moved through the Liberation Brigade's headquarters.

 

'Why does this feel so familiar?'

 

At first, he thought it was just his imagination.

 

Modern buildings were often constructed in similar ways, so perhaps the interior layout simply gave him a sense of déjà vu.

 

But the farther they went, the more places triggered that feeling.

 

Tap-tap!

 

In fact, whenever they encountered members of the Liberation Brigade, Limon naturally knew what kind of ability each one possessed before they even activated their Skills.

 

It was as though he had already come here once before and wiped out the Liberation Brigade.

 

"Team Leader? Why did you hit this guy twice?"

 

"This bastard has a regeneration-type Skill. If I only hit him once, he'll get back up right away."

 

"Ah, so he's a criminal you already knew?"

 

"No. Never seen this bastard before."

 

"......Then how did you know he had a regeneration ability if you've never seen him before?"

 

"Just felt like he would."

 

"......"

 

'Is this another effect of being able to see Constellations?'

 

It wasn't as though he could specifically see the Liberation Brigade members' Constellations like he had with Seo Yong-chan and Yu Na-kyung.

 

He simply knew.

 

Considering he had never experienced anything like this before, it wouldn't have been strange if this intuition had emerged after he gained the ability to see Constellations.

 

'No. This isn't something as vague as intuition.'

 

Yu Na-kyung looked at Limon as though he were insane, then nodded to herself as if realizing, "Oh, right. He was always a mad dog."

 

Limon flexed his fingers for a moment.

 

Then he decided to be generous.

 

Even to himself, what he was thinking sounded fairly insane.

 

But that didn't mean he believed he was wrong.

 

Even so, Limon rejected that hypothesis himself.

 

If this were merely instinct, the sensation of striking those bastards wouldn't remain in his hand twice over.

 

And Limon was a Sword Master.

 

He might miscount the number of suns in the sky,

 

but he could never mistake the sensation of a sword he himself had gripped and swung.

 

Yet somehow, the sensation of striking men he had only knocked down once remained in his hand twice.

 

He continued pondering that mystery while clearing the building.

 

Eventually, after they had dealt with everyone on the upper floors and reached roughly the middle of the building,

 

Limon suddenly realized it.

 

'Right.'

 

A metal door stood before him, unusually large and sturdy, looking more suited to a bunker than an ordinary building.

 

A door he was certain he had never seen before.

 

And yet it was familiar.

 

Looking at it, Limon became certain.

 

He finally understood the reason for this strange sense of déjà vu.

 

'I've been here before.’