Meanwhile, the Crusaders were having a meeting of their own. They had sent over a dozen scouts and warriors to scan the area around the Namsan Tower.
However, even after losing so many people, they had only an insignificant amount of information about the mission. They were needlessly losing their numbers. Besides, it also took a toll on their minds.
Even on the first mission, the Crusaders had no trouble dealing with the Hobgoblin or the monarch. But now, all their momentum had come to a sudden halt.
"Even if there's a boss monster inside the tower, the real problem is getting there." A Crusader said. "We have secured the first floor, but the losses we incurred were too great."
"Forget about the losses. There are hoards of monsters on every floor. Looking for the boss monster won't be easy." Another one chimed in.
"Does the elevator work?"
"Are you dumb or what? How will you operate an elevator without electricity?"
Several hours had passed since the meeting began. Yet they kept going in circles. Everyone wanted to clear the mission and reap rewards, yet no one was prepared to take the risk.
Park Kwon, the section leader of the Crusaders, kept silent, watching two factions slowly form.
The first faction wanted to use the strangers as their hunting dogs and use them to get information instead of soldiers from their ranks.
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The latter faction opposed this idea. They might have killed a few people, but as crusaders, it was their job to save people, not use them as bait.
Both factions had the same numbers, so they turned toward their leader, Park Kwon, for the final vote.
The second faction looked like they had already given up. After all, Park Kwon was a well-known blood monger. He even killed other survivors who wanted to enter the tower. It was obvious he would side with the first faction.
"Sir, your vote shall decide the future of the Crusaders. Please think carefully—" the second faction begged.
"Hah! I wonder how you weaklings even became crusaders," the first faction's leader scoffed. "Getting information takes priority. Sacrificing a few people is nothing compared to our victory."
A group that would kill people like bugs and do anything for their own benefit. That was the essence of the Crusaders—their true nature.
However, a group of criminals alone couldn't sustain an empire. They needed people—genuinely righteous individuals and used them as cover while doing misdeeds behind their backs.
The first faction under Park Kwon represented the core belief of the Crusaders, while the second faction was the righteous group used to whitewash the first group's sins.
Park Kwon already knew about the tunnel linking the subway station to the Namsan Tower. But he didn't act as it saved him the trouble of dragging the bait to the catch.
That's why he was surprised when someone from the subway approached the tower wanting to talk to him.
"A kid?" Park Kwon asked.
"Yes, sir. It's a kid from the nearby university," Minhyuk, the first faction's leader, spoke. "Says he has important business with you."
Park Kwon looked outside his tent and saw YuWon staring right at him. But the kid wasn't alone. He had a beautiful woman by his side.
"...I don't like the way he looks at me," Professor Ming mumbled, instinctively covering her legs. "He looks like a criminal—"
"Because he is one," YuWon replied. "Most people you see here are seasoned criminals."
"How do you—?"
"Just a hunch."
YuWon made such a guess because he remembered there was a detention center near Namsan Tower. Judging by how quickly the Crusaders claimed the tower, it was logical to assume they had been nearby when the gods' game first began.
Park Kwon nodded, letting them in. However, as soon as YuWon got close, Minhyuk swung his blade, aiming for YuWon's neck. Professor Ming gasped and closed her eyes, expecting YuWon's blood to splatter all over.
Her eyes widened when she finally dared to look. YuWon had stopped the blade with a finger, mere inches from his neck.
No, there's something between YuWon's fingers... is that—a toothpick!?