The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

The sound of the helicopter’s propellers roared.

“Three minutes to target! Prepare for descent!”

Click. Rattle.

The agents, on standby, checked their weapons and rappel gear in response to the pilot’s call. Below the helicopter, several motorboats cut through the white foam on the choppy waters.

And in the distance, a dilapidated medium-sized fishing boat was crossing the rough sea.

“Target confirmed! Awaiting further instructions from HQ.”

Static.

After the instructions from the operations room came through the radio, the pilot shouted energetically.

“Commence operation! Go! Go! Go!”

Thud.

The helicopter doors opened, and the fierce wind blew into the cabin. However, the agents didn’t hesitate, throwing ropes down and rappelling swiftly.

“Hands up! We’ll shoot if you resist!”

About a dozen agents descended from the two helicopters, shouting at the crew while pointing their submachine guns. Some crew members, startled by the sudden raid, raised their hands immediately.

“Who are you? Who gave you permission to come on this boat?”

A man in a suit and sunglasses, not looking like a sailor at all, shouted back defiantly.

“Didn’t you hear us? Hands up!”

“Oh, really? You’ll actually shoot us? You don’t look like the police. Who do you think you are, brandishing guns in Korean territorial waters?”

As the man in the suit was ranting, sailors began to appear one by one on the deck. However, only a few of them looked like actual fishermen. Most were thugs wearing colorful shirts and suit pants.

Clang. Clatter.

Each of them dragged metal pipes, harpoons, and hooks across the deck, facing off against the agents. Guessing they numbered over thirty, which intimidated the agents, the man in sunglasses shouted.

“You know this is illegal trespassing, right? I don’t know who you think you’re relying on, but you’d better put down those guns and get out of here.”

“This is your final warning. Disarm and surrender, or we will use force.”

“What? Hahaha, go ahead and try. Guys, are you recording this well?”

“Yes, boss. We’re capturing this perfectly.”

Among the men with the weapons, a few were recording the situation with their smartphones. They probably thought this gave them the upper hand, but their opponents were no pushovers either.

The agent leader smirked and pointed up at the sky and the sea. Helicopters circling overhead and motorboats that had now surrounded the ship, each equipped with high-end cameras filming the scene.

“We have received reports that you have kidnapped and imprisoned our clients. Step aside while we inspect the hold and cargo compartments.”

“What kind of nonsense are you babbling about? Why are you looking for your client or whatever here? Our vessel is engaging in legitimate fishing activities, so stop talking nonsense and get lost!”

“Are you refusing to cooperate?”

“Cooperate, my foot. Leave while I’m being nice, before things get ugly.”

Seeing that words weren’t getting through, the leader nodded and raised his hand.

“Subdue them.”

“Yes, sir.”

Click.

Agents simultaneously pointed their guns at the sailors.

“Go ahead! Shoot! Shoot, you cowards.”

Brrrrt!

Thud!

“Agh! Save me!”

“These lunatics!”

The guns roared. Those who were shot fell to the ground, writhing in excruciating pain. The agents weren’t using real bullets. They were firing rubber bullets designed for non-lethal suppression, hitting the gang members’ limbs.

Even though they were rubber bullets, they were powerful enough to break bones if hit incorrectly. The agents calmly aimed their shots to avoid vital areas.

When the agents in the back lines fired tear gas, the over thirty sailors panicked.

“Advance.”

The lead agents subdued each writhing gang member with tasers.

“Die! You bastards!”

Even amidst the chaos, those who weren’t intimidated charged with tools in hand.

Whack! Thud!

But they were ruthlessly beaten down by two agents wielding batons and fell to the ground.

“Team 1, head to the engine room. Team 2, secure the deck entrance and neutralize any stragglers. Team 3, you’re with me to check the cargo hold!”

It took less than three minutes to subdue the over thirty sailors.

Brrrrt.

“Ack! I surrender!”

“I know nothing!”

It wasn’t hard to seize control of the ship after the gang members were taken down. Whether they were the actual criminals or not, the captain quickly surrendered, and the ship stopped.

Then motorboats docked and additional agents boarded. Journalists and cameramen also climbed aboard, and at that moment.

“Found it!”

“Paramedics! Over here, quick!”

Amidst the commotion, the agents’ radio transmission came from the lower deck.

“Oh my god! How could they do such a thing?”

The journalist, heading there with the cameraman, couldn’t help but mutter in shock. Inside the hold, modified to look like a prison, dozens of civilians, their bodies covered in blood, were crammed into a small space.

Who knows how many days they hadn’t washed or eaten; they all looked wretched. Despite the arrival of agents and people, those huddled in the corner, trembling, presented a horrific sight that was hard to witness.

“We’re here to rescue you! If anyone is unwell or critically injured, please speak up!”

Tearing off the metal bars, the agents rescued them. But even after being rescued, they sat there blank-eyed and trembling, giving a glimpse of the hardship they had endured.

And this scene, captured on camera, was being relayed live to Connect’s Raul.

***

The situation room, equipped with dozens of magical screens, had an atmosphere that was markedly different from usual today. This was likely because the room was filled predominantly with players from the Purple Guild and its allied guilds.

“Look at those bastards!”

“I thought it was just a rumor, but it’s all true!”

The scenes displayed on the screens were shocking. The ship suppression operation off the coast of South Korea was mild in comparison.

Raul, based on the information and evidence he had gathered, launched simultaneous attacks on their bases and transportation methods. This rescue operation mobilized all personnel from First Security Company. and their collaborators from the respective countries.

The simultaneous attacks carried out at over 20 locations in 8 different countries were being vividly broadcasted here. Although it was fortunate that hundreds of victims were rescued, there were still significant casualties.

The most shocking locations were private research facilities in China, mexico, and Latvia.

“How can such atrocities occur in the 21st century…?”

The scenes weren’t of human experiments with blood and flesh everywhere. However, the sight of people imprisoned in large tanks under anesthesia, connected to various devices like lab animals, made one frown instinctively.

And most shocking of all was the sight of dozens of brains, each attached to various devices, floating in jars of liquid.

“Ugh.”

“……”

Both the cameramen and the viewers retched in disgust at various points.

‘How cruel can humans be?’

Raul closed his eyes tightly, trying to calm his accelerated breathing. The thought that he might have ended up the same way in his past life reignited his anger.

But now was the time to stay composed. Raul gathered his emotions and issued his orders.

“Secure all evidence on site and ensure complete handover to the local authorities. We’ve already requested cooperation from the governments, so there won’t be significant issues.”

With this much clear evidence, witnesses, and secured sites, it would be hard for any power holder to escape accountability.

‘Although, the real bigwigs will likely claim ignorance.’

He didn’t plan to hold all responsible purely through legal means anyway. This was just a preliminary step to trace the real culprits. Once he identified the true masterminds….

‘Then, I will destroy them without any restraint!’

He had brought the players to the situation room today for that very reason. Their influence as top rankers exceeded that of celebrities.

He intended to utilize the formal routes of law and public authority, mount a public opinion campaign using players and the media, and even engage in covert operations that he had been preparing for a long time.

Raul had no intention of forgiving those who hid behind money and power, playing god.

‘I will strip everything you have, one by one.’

Strengthening his resolve, Raul turned his gaze back to the screen.

***

A tremendous shock swept across the globe.

– The number of Connect players who went missing without a trace has reached the thousands!

– Simultaneous kidnappings and human experimentation! Who’s behind it?

– Eight countries involved, with twenty revealed locations. But some claim this is just the tip of the iceberg!

– Half of the rescued victims require months of intensive treatment due to severe injuries. What on earth happened there?

– Over 2,000 individuals arrested in connection with the ‘Connect Kidnapping Incident.’ Leaders of various countries condemn the inhumane acts, stating they are “absolutely unacceptable.”

– Who really owns the implicated research facilities? Countries establish special investigative teams to trace the masterminds.

The world turned upside down overnight. All media outlets worldwide reported on the massive crime now dubbed the ‘Connect Kidnapping Incident’.

The rescue operation conducted by First Security Company., which occurred simultaneously across multiple locations, left no time for the perpetrators to destroy evidence.

Every step was recorded on video, and the sheer volume of evidence and witnesses made concealment impossible.

Additionally, the footage wasn’t just distributed by broadcast stations but also circulated online by Connect’s top rankers, making the situation unsalvageable from the start.

Most crucially, First Company wielded significant influence. Diplomats from various countries and intermediate-level executives from numerous corporations had practically been stationed at the company’s headquarters for quite some time.

It wasn’t challenging for Raul to secure cooperation from related countries and companies for this investigation. With ample evidence and witnesses already secured, many were eager to gain First Company’s cooperation by any means necessary.

A few meetings organized by Kim Ilwoo were enough to get things moving. Another substantial support came from Connect Company.

Until the ‘Connect Kidnapping Incident’ is properly resolved, we will halt the provision of capsules in countries and companies involved. Furthermore, we will retrieve capsules and permanently ban access for those who harm other players in reality.

Given that the crime targeted Connect Company’s main customers, it wasn’t surprising that they spoke up. As a result, countries such as the US, China, South Korea, and Russia, involved in the kidnapping incident, faced immediate pressure.

Citizens began protesting in front of government buildings due to the impending cessation of capsule supplies.

Player organizations also held rallies to condemn the authorities’ failure to protect their citizens, compelling governments to resolve the incident swiftly.

From the gangsters and mob groups that carried out the kidnappings to their collaborators, arrests were made in succession. The owners and companies of vessels used for the kidnappings were searched and seized.

And the intermediate ports where the ships were headed. A massive detention facility was discovered underground on an uninhabited island in the West Sea, shocking the public once more.

It seemed the place hadn’t been used just for the current incident, as old bloodstains, bone fragments, and even corpses were found.

The investigation team was dedicating all their efforts to trace the owner of the uninhabited island and the person who established the facility there.

As the investigation proceeded, First Company once again became a topic of major interest. Although it was already known for its exceptional treatment and impenetrable security for its affiliated players, this incident raised its profile to unprecedented heights.

The rescue operation had significant legal risks from the perspective of a private “forceful intervention”. However, the reason there was no mention of it was that thorough legal procedures and preparations had already been made in anticipation.

In fact, some of the kidnapped victims had requested security services from First Security Company, and some were even under contract with First Management.

‘Well, Rabel did tweak some documents a bit, though.’

In any case, Raul sent a clear message through this incident. First Company was absolutely committed to taking responsibility for and protecting its members.

To that end, they had publicly demonstrated that they could deploy helicopters and ships, well-trained agents, and state-of-the-art equipment.

This would deter naive intruders and make potential adversaries think twice before acting against them. And now, before Raul’s eyes, the suited man he so wanted to see was kneeling.

“Just as you instructed, we’ve brought him.”

The suited man was dragged in by the knights, his face a mess from the beatings he’d received.

“Why, why are you doing this?”

“Well, you should know better why this is happening, shouldn’t you? Nice to see you, you bastard!”

Raul kicked the man square in the chest.

(To be continued)